Author's Notes: I would like to thank everyone who sent in a review and encouraging me to go on with this story. This was actually just a sidetrack to keep me focussed while I worked on Four Seasons and a Sailor Moon story that I've been working on for a while. Instead, I'm finding myself constantly trying to edit and better this story, perhaps because I really like the format of it (the email thing is a new thing I'm trying, I hope it's original and refreshing and that it doesn't seem like I'm trying to copy something that's already been done a bazillion times). Well, your reviews have been wonderful and please keep doing so! I really appreciate it since a lot of people don't take the time to actually send one in.
Anyway, I have a few things to say: Kikyou is not supposed to be a bad character in this story. In fact, I really like Kikyou. Perhaps she was a little psycho when she was first brought back to life in the anime/manga, but if any of you have watched The Final Act of the anime, the episode when Kikyou dies for the last time is so incredibly sad and all of your resentment towards her just melts away. I admit, I made her an obstacle in this story, but in no way is she antagonistic.
For those who especially like Kagura, she only makes a cameo in this story. Actually, she doesn't really even show up. Maybe she will make an actual appearance in future chapters, but for now she's only a very, very minor character. Sorry if this disappoints anyone!
Also, I know this story is a little slow in terms of Inuyasha and Kagome―don't worry! They're my all time favourite too! I will be getting to Inuyasha's and Kagome's story very soon (Inuyasha will be introduced not in this chapter, but the next). It's hard to write a story about three different couples and try to have each of them have enough time to develop their relationships. Inuyasha and Kagome, Rin and Sesshomaru, and Miroku and Sango are my three favourite couplings; I wanted to write something that would include all of them. Usually when I write fanfictions (I have a bunch that were never published saved on my computer), I tend to concentrate on one particular pairing and leave the other one out. So, this is rather experimental for me. I have a feeling this story will be quite lengthy. Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Sadly.
Office Romance
Section III
Sunday, July 27 – 11:59PM
From: Fukazawa Sango [ sfukazawa (at) taisho . com ]
To: Kobayashi Miroku [ mkobayashi (at) taisho . com ]
Subject: You better...
...get your ass back here, pronto! If I find out that you were screwing some hooch in the copy room, I will kill you or I will rip your balls off―which do you prefer, pervert?
You're dead,
Sango
X x X x X x
X x X x X x
From: Fukazawa Sango [ sfukazawa (at) taisho . com ]
To: Kobayashi Miroku [mkobayashi (at) taisho . com ]
Subject: None
Where are you, hentai? I've been waiting for you all day! I did as you told me and left my paperwork in your office last minute because I left my keys at my apartment. You promised you'd be here when I arrived in the morning. I need those papers, Miroku. You, of all people, should know how important they are!
Please, hurry back from whatever you're doing. I don't even care anymore if you were banging some miniskirt-clad skank. I promise I won't kill you or rip your balls off. Just come back already!
Sincerely,
Sango
X x X x X x
X x X x X x
From: Fukazawa Sango [ sfukazawa (at) taisho . com ]
To: Kobayashi Miroku [ mkobayashi (at) taisho . com ]
Subject: YOU...
...UNRELIABLE, HORRIBLE, PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MAN!
I've emailed you countless times, Kobayashi. I've tried threatening you, I've tried being nice to you, I've even called your house, your cell, and even Inuyasha! I'm tired of this bullshit, you sick, sick man! Do you find some sort of pleasure in making me stress out over every little thing?
If you don't hurry back before the day is done, I swear you will have to find yourself a new partner!
Up yours,
Sango
X x X x X x
X x X x X x
"I hate Sundays, I hate Sundays, I hate Sundays..." Sango chanted to herself as she buried her face in her hands. Not even an inch of her desk was visible as she was swamped with paperwork and Miroku was nowhere to be found. She made a mental note to castrate him when he got back. He no longer had a choice. She figured that he deserved a painful death after he had left her to drown in so much work.
She had already sent him countless emails, none of which he responded to. It was already noon and he had been M.I.A. since the beginning of his shift―which was around seven o'clock in the morning. Sango should have known better than to keep all of her paperwork in his office. Sure, being his partner had its perks (Inuyasha wouldn't consider firing her since Miroku claimed she was a wonderful partner, plus he once got her this beautiful―and perhaps very expensive―crystal figurine for her fifth year anniversary at Taisho...), but Miroku couldn't be trusted once he had his eye set on whatever woman that happened to walk by.
Sighing into her hands, she looked up to catch sight of Rin. She was humming a soft tune to herself, a huge smile on her face as she held a pale blue mug in her hands―the very same one that Sango had given her. Although Rin was known for being cheery, she was especially so today.
"Good afternoon, Rin." The younger girl jumped and whirled around with wide eyes, and after noticing that it was only Sango she let out the breath she was holding. "I didn't mean to scare you. What are you so happy about today?"
"What's wrong? Miroku bailed on you?" This time, a third voice chimed in; Kagome.
"Don't even start," the older girl pushed aside the troubling emotions that were threatening to bubble over. "I don't get why I'm still here. Kobayashi doesn't even appreciate my efforts."
"Are you upset because he doesn't appreciate your efforts, or because he doesn't appreciate your feelings?" Rin asked as she filled up Kagome's cup with coffee, said-girl sat down before Sango with a confused look on her face. "Oh Kagome, you haven't seen it yet, have you?" Sango blushed a brilliant shade of pink.
"Seen what?"
"The way Sango and Miroku interact with each other. You could cut the sexual tension with a butter knife."
"No way!"
"Yeah, but for some reason Miroku keeps on seducing other women when it's so obvious he's crazy in love with Sango. And you know her; she's so stubborn she wouldn't even admit it even if there were highlighted signs over her head." At this, Kagome let out a small laugh.
"Hello! I'm right here, you know?" Sango wanted to just crawl into a hole and stay there forever. Never had she been so embarrassed; she had trash-talked Miroku the whole time since Kagome was hired, only to have it revealed that she actually liked the guy. "And it's not like I'm in love with him! You all know how charming he can be."
"You see what I mean?" Rin whispered not so quietly to Kagome. "Come on, Sango. Miroku may be charming, but do you see me falling to his feet?" Sango shook her head but didn't say anything, wanting to bark back something about Sesshomaru―but that would be incredibly rude. But then something clicked. Perhaps Sesshomaru was the reason behind Rin's sudden extra happy mood?
"Hey, my lunch break is over. Maybe we can continue this talk after work? Want to go out for dinner?" The other two girls agreed and watched as the older girl left the room. As soon as she was gone, Rin let out a small sigh and breathed in her vanilla tea.
"Sorry about that, Kagome. Perhaps I shouldn't have told you."
"Oh, was I not supposed to know?" Kagome took out her lunchbox, carefully put together by her mother and delivered by her teenage brother. How pleasant it was that her mother still thought of making lunches for her already grown daughter.
"Well, not exactly. Miroku is a sensitive topic for Sango."
"She really does like him, doesn't she?"
"Are you kidding? Sango doesn't just like Miroku; he could easily be her soulmate―although that's not saying much since he's famous for his wandering hands. You see, Kagome...Sango was engaged when she first came here to Taisho. The others met her fiancé too, quite a handsome man. I can't remember what they said his name was; Takahiro? Tadashi? Takeda! That was his name. Kuranosuke Takeda."
"So Sango was engaged to this Kuranosuke-kun. What happened?"
"They broke up; Sango called off the engagement just a few months after she started working here. People starting saying it was because she fell in love with Miroku and what a beautiful love story it was. The successful, beautiful woman falling in love with a playboy―it was like something out of a romantic comedy or a manga." Kagome had so many questions but no way to phrase them. It wasn't her place to know. Rin was already being nice enough to tell her such details and it would ultimately be rude if she went ahead and asked Sango.
They didn't know each other that well yet.
Rin suddenly spoke up, bringing Kagome back to reality. "I personally like to think that it was quite the opposite. I think that it was Miroku who fell first. His attitude towards women never changed, but it was in the way he looked at her, the way he did everything he could to make sure she was comfortable here. Maybe Miroku thinks that she's way out of his league, after all, Kuranosuke was quite a catch. Maybe because of this, the only way he can show his affections towards her is to keep her by his side, you know? If you think about it, their relationship is quite complicated. She hates him, yet she loves him. He loves her, yet he's afraid to go near her. Love does crazy things to people, doesn't it Kagome?"
Taking a bite out of her omelette, the other girl nodded slowly yet skeptically, wondering if such a beautiful thing could really exist. Love was something Kagome had come to fear, for what Rin said was particularly true. It was something that caused people to do things they normally wouldn't; usually wonderful and beautiful things, but also frightening things that she couldn't bear to think of. Kagome did not want to become like that, doing something awful in the name of love.
She felt guilty though. Kagome had just been let in on Sango's deepest and most sacred feelings, but she had kept her own to herself.
"Hey, Kagome?" The twenty-year-old spoke ever so quietly. "Do you think that you could have a relationship with someone fifteen years your senior?"
Yep. Things were about to get real complicated.
Oh, if only she knew.