Chapter 8

Kagome sat on top of her bed lost in her thoughts.

'I seriously got selected for the school's badminton team?' Kagome asked herself.

'Yes, you surely did!' her inner voices replied.

Kagome was really happy over her success. She had never expected that she would be selected. Never… but now it was… she was selected!

'Yeah! Yuppie!' Kagome triumphed.

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Inuyasha sat in his bedroom with a book open but he was definitely not reading. There was only one thought that engaged his mind.

"The practice sessions start from next week. I'll need to get prepared. This is the one chance I have and this will decide every thing," Inuyasha thought aloud.

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The selections went on quite uneventfully and the team was chosen.

On the day of the first practice session

"You know what? Sir is going to choose the captain today!" Ayame quickly informed her team-mates.

"I heard the teachers talking," Ayame explained as they all made a straight line and headed off to their first practice session.

Practice Sessions

"Good afternoon team, you all are well aware that you're the members of your school's badminton team," Inuyasha addressed the girls who stood in front of him.

"I guess you'll all work hard and try to make your school proud. But obviously you need a leader who can guide you all the time. And the captain of the team is…"

The girl awaited the name, mostly excepting the name to be Kagome's.

"…Ayame." Inuyasha finished.

Everyone's mouths almost fell off except Kagome as they heard their captain's name being announced. Kagome clapped her hands as Ayame stepped forward almost on the verge of jumping.

"So, now everyone go and get changed so we can practice," Inuyasha announced interrupting Ayame who was planning on starting her 'thank you' speech.

Locker Room…

"Oh! Yuppie! I can't believe that I'm the captain," Ayame repeated again and again as she jumped about the locker room.

"Yeah! It's really nice that you are the captain," Kagome smiled as everyone exited the locker room.

As the girls stepped into the indoor badminton court, Inuyasha's eyes drifted off to rest on only one girl-Kagome.

Kagome walked in like a princess clad in her pink track-pants and tight white top. If possible Inuyasha would keep staring at Kagome but for the time being he kept his composure.

"Sir we are ready!" Ayame shouted as she walked towards Inuyasha squeaking her sneakers.

"Good! Come here I'll tell you the partners for the day," Inuyasha said as he walked away rubbing his sensitive ears while moving away from Ayame's squeaking.

"…………………… and finally Ayame and Kagome will practice together," Inuyasha announced the partners.

The girls started practicing. Inuyasha sat in one side of the large room and observed the girls who played in the different courts, his gaze mainly following Ayame and Kagome.

Kagome was playing very well. So well, that even an inexperienced person could say that she was playing far better than Ayame.

Inuyasha suddenly stood up and walked to the court were Ayame and Kagome were playing. They stopped playing as Inuyasha cleared his throat.

"Ayame great job!" he told Ayame.

"And what are you doing? Forgot how to play?" Inuyasha said turning to look at Kagome.

Kagome's smile suddenly faded away and she gave a confused look.

"What's with giving me that look? You're playing horrible! H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E-horrible!!" Inuyasha said trying to act very frustrated.

"Ayame go and play alone against their double team," Inuyasha said pointing to the next court.

"Girls, get into a team. Ayame is going to play alone against you both," Inuyasha shouted out to the girls of the next team.

"And I will teach you how to play," he whispered to a now morose Kagome.

Inuyasha wanted to slap himself real hard for getting Kagome so gloomy, but he knew he'd to do it because it was part of the plan.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha who currently had his back to her. At first she thought how bad a person Inuyasha was since he spoke to her so rudely when she was playing so well but then she changed her mind to think that he was right to shout at her if she wasn't playing to the actual level because he needed his team to maintain a standard. With the latter thought fixed in her mind she brought her smile back to her face.

Inuyasha in the mean time relaxed and tightened up his face before turning to face Kagome.

He was pretty shocked to see Kagome smiling at him but he was happy that she wasn't mad at him for screaming. Thanking Kami he went on to her side.

"Serve," Inuyasha instructed.

"I want to see you serve the shuttle cock," Inuyasha explained.

"Oh!" Kagome conveyed her understanding.

Taking aim, she swiftly served the shuttle cock. It was a clean serve but Inuyasha had to say something.

"Come on! It was good but you can do better," Inuyasha said as he came forward and stood behind Kagome.

An electric shock ran through both Inuyasha and Kagome as Inuyasha touched Kagome's arm. Inuyasha just wanted to keep holding her like that (actually much closer).

Slightly pulling her closer, he waited for her to relax. He found that she relaxed under her touch that very instant and that made him feel on top of the world.

Strengthening his grip on her arm a bit he held the shuttle cock on top of the racquet, ready to serve.

With one clean wave, there was a perfect serve. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha still in his grip, with a curious gaze.

"You do it like this. Practice this serve. It'll help you get better grip," Inuyasha instructed as he reluctantly moved away from Kagome.

Kagome also seemed to start missing his touch the moment he moved away.

She looked up at him and then started practising the serve. Inuyasha was quite impressed by how fast Kagome was learning.

Finally after practising for quite a long time Kagome got a good serve. She looked up at Inuyasha who had by then entered the court and was walking towards her.

Standing in front of her, he held out a gloved hand.

"Great! You're learning very fast!" he said.

"Thank you sir," Kagome said as she shook hands with Inuyasha.

Kagome slightly raised an eyebrow when she felt something sharp poke through the tip of Inuyasha's gloves.

Sensing that Kagome had felt what was underneath his gloves, Inuyasha quickly withdrew his hand.

Kagome looked at him with a confused gaze.

"You should try to master this serve, you keep practising," Inuyasha instructed as he hurried away.

Kagome looked at him as he moved away, thinking if she had said or done something wrong.

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The girls hurried out as they heard the bell ring. Kagome looked back one last time for any trace of her teacher but turned in front when she was unable to find him.

Unknown to Kagome, a certain tensed hanyou was following her every move. He prayed silently that she hadn't found out about his truth as he watched her walk out of the school premises.