A/N: As promised - the second part of the original chapter 4 before I saw the word count.

5. Eavesdropping

Finally they reached the stairs to Higurashi Shrine and the group split. Hojo walked just beyond the corner when he realized he had given Higurashi a wrong notebook. He turned on his heels and ran back to switch the notebooks. To his surprise the couple was already on the top of the long stairs - he ran after them, panting as he battled the steps and wondering - not for the first time in his life - how this petite, always so sick girl was able to climb them on her own.

When he reached the top of the stairs he saw Higurashi and Akita enter not the house, but a well house to the side of the bigger building. He walked towards the opened door, much slower now. Higurashi's voice drifted to his ears.

"Do you think the gang will like the treats?" the girl asked. Hojo froze and slowly crept closer, partially hiding behind the corner of the small structure. 'The gang? Is Higurashi in Akita's gang? That horrible person already dragged her in some bad stuff!" the school boy bit his bottom lip, thinking what he should do now. He could approach them and tell them he knew everything, but he supposed Akita would kill him or something like this. It would be better to approach someone else - maybe Higurashi's mother would help him to save her daughter? She obviously didn't know about the bad company her child was in.

"The brat will die of sugar overdose, that's for sure," came a gruff reply, but amusement was clear in the words. Then it became annoyed. "You wanna stay here and read the whimp's notes, right?"

"Exactly!" Higurashi chirped happily, then sighed in resignation. "Look, I need to pass this test and I can't keep Hojo's notes forever. Aw, don't look so annoyed, you'll have plenty of free time to torment Buyo. Or you can just go home and come to get me later."

"After the snake incident? No way I'm leavin' you here, wench!" barked the boy.

"Hey, I killed that snake myself while you were trying to dig yourself out of a trash can!"

"Feh! And speaking of digging, out of what hole you dug Akita?" Hojo bit his bottom lip. So he had been right, it was a fake last name!

"I kinda thought about your ears," Higurashi giggled. "And what should I come up with?"

"Something cool! Like Taisho! Or Senshi! Or whatever!" the gang boy took an audiable inhale, obviously trying to keep his annoyance in control. Then he added, his voice low and dangerous. "We're not alone."

Hojo had only time to get surprised that his presence was revealed. He didn't have time to ponder if he had made a noise or something, because suddenly there was a boy in a red shirt blocking his vision, his arms crossed above his chest. Hojo took a step back when he saw the hate and promise of pain in those yellow eyes.

"I, I..." Hojo started.

"Snooping around, are we?" Inuyasha growled and leaned in to scowl at Hojo from a shorter distance. "Are we trying to get ripped to pieces?"

"Koinu, what...? Hojo?" Higurashi came from behind the white-haired boy who immediately took a step back. Hojo's wide, fearful eyes locked on the girl, who was frowning, but smiling calmingly. "What's going on?"

"Um, Higurashi... I gave you a wrong notebook..." he uttered and stole a glance at the other boy. "Um..." He knew that his well-being was hanging on a thin line, not sure if Higurashi could prevent Inuyasha from hurting him. He was sure the girl meant him no harm, but the boy was a different case entirely.

"He was eavesdropping on us," Inuyasha said in a low voice. Higurashi covered her mouth as she gasped.

"I didn't hear anything!" Hojo proclaimed. "I just came to... Switch the notebooks... I swear, I just came up the stairs and heard your laughter from this shed!"

Three minutes later Hojo was descending the stone steps of Higurashi Shrine, feeling the angry eyes of the gang boy watching his every step. He knew one thing - he had to be more careful. Gang members weren't people one'd like to play around with.

But this encounter with Inuyasha only made Hojo's determination grow. Higurashi was in some serious trouble and her friends didn't see that. They were blind to Inuyasha's bad sides, led to believe he was a harmless person, a cool boy to spend time with.

Hojo looked back and saw the figure in old-fashioned clothes standing under the red gate. He gulped, remembering the words Inuyasha had whispered when Hojo bad started his descent.

"I'm watching ya."

A shiver ran down Hojo's back. He was playing with fire, but for Higurashi... For Higurashi he was willing to do anything.

And he knew what to do next.

A/N: Uff, Hojo barely evaded a beating! And no one - not Higurashi, nor her friends - see that the white-haired boy is no good! What Hojo's going to do now? His precious Higurashi is in a gang because if this bad boy and she desperately needs to be saved! There is no time to stand by and let Inuyasha drag Higurashi further in the dark world of law-less world of gangsters!
~cackles~