AN: Sorry, been extremely busy. I know I said I would do a chapter of S.C. first, but I didn't feel like dealing with a sadder story.
IT's nOt sANe
ChapTeR 5
The next week was almost intolerable. If there were something as bad as Inuyasha, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were definitely top runners for the position. And the great part was that it was my fault, all the misery.
After the little café fiasco, Higurashi had almost dragged me out, nearly spilling coffee over us both. Then we walked, and she made ever so sure that it looked like we were walking with a very particular and very important purpose. Until we got around the second corner. Then she completely lost steam and slouched against the wall of a department building, not saying a word.
Shoving my latest enlightenment from my thoughts, I stood there, looking at her slumped figure, wishing like all hell that she would look up, see the chastising look on my face, realize that what she was doing was ridiculous, feel accurately demeaned, and confess. She didn't. Instead of feeling foolish, she was suddenly furious. She started mumbling under her breath and looked ready to punch the wall. Instead she turned, resting her forehead on the cement building front, and became not unlike a limp noodle.
She looked exhausted, her hair swinging towards the wall, completely covering the sides of her face so not an eyelash could be seen. I knew I was seeing something I shouldn't be-her feeling of defeat. I stood there, slightly amused, looking mean and critical of her, just in case she turned around. I suddenly felt very foolish. And awkward. Which, by the way, me feeling like that is about as common as Inuyasha being shrewd.
And I stood there for about two more minutes, feeling utterly idiotic. Fortunately, she also did something stupid which caused me to stop my stupidity and trade it in for a newer, updated version.
She punched the wall very hard. Or tried to. See, my hand got in the way and saved the wall from a most painful encounter by deciding to stop the needless assault on the fine cement.
I had done it without even thinking, which was evident when I was startled to feel the soft fist inside my hand. Not exactly small hands, I mused to myself, but in comparison, mine dwarfed hers. They could swallow hers whole.
It took her a second, but then she whipped around, an angry and confused look in her face.
"Taisho. You're still here," she said quietly. Scary thing, quiet, when coming from Higurashi.
"You declared that I have had an appointment rescheduled for today, yet I do not recall such and surely you would have told me yesterday or before, if so. In which case, I was debating whether to ask you where this appointment is and when it was being held, or what would be the best time today to fire you." Point for me.
She looked at me slowly, as if she didn't quite understand what she was seeing. Then, slowly, she turned her attention to my right hand which was still holding hers. A tinge of pink came to her cheeks.
"Why did you stop me, Taisho?"
I studied her and wondered if she would ever have the nerve to tell me her little secret. Could I worm it out? Did it matter? Of course not.
Instead of dropping her hand, which would make it seem that I had not meant to stop her, which would mean I had not thought before I acted and that I didn't have the nerve to admit it, I turned her hand over in mine. It was not as white as mine, though pale, and very soft. They were the hands of someone not too skinny and not overly obese. Her fingernails were painted clear.
"It doesn't make much of a difference to me, but if you're going to punch something or someone, it would be best not to do it that way." I turned over her hand and opened her palm face up, resting on my hand. I slowly closed her fingers with my other hand. "If you leave your thumb inside, you may break it or seriously harm it." I folded her thumb outside of her other fingers then turned her hand over again. "And never punch with your knuckles first. You will only manage to break them. Instead, punch with this flat surfaced part." I drew a line over the correct impact area with a finger and spun her around to face the wall again, fist ready. "Now punch away."
I stepped back and started back to the office. I had work to do. I decided that social outings weren't my forte. Give me stick-in-the-mud-workaholic anytime. It was far easier than trying to be 'real'.
I heard her steps behind me and almost smiled triumphantly. The girl had been fixated on our hands the whole time. She was mine, and I was going to enjoy my new toy. It would be fun to play with something new again. After all, it had been a long time.
"Taisho?" she said a bit winded from jogging to catch up in unmanageable shoes.
I turned slowly, savoring the moment. Despite what anybody tells you, games and manipulation bring much pleasure. "What is it, Higurashi."
"Like this?" she asked and punched me with all her might, straight in my stomach. I lurched forward, gasping for a couple breaths before I could, painfully, stand straight again. She was walking away, gazing contentedly at her hand, just as she had at ours while I was showing her how to make a fist.
I would never admit that while that was happening, I had been too.
Ironic, that my one attempt at nicety had been used as a, very painful, weapon against me. I had armed the enemy. Who was more idiotic? Inuyasha, or myself?
It was the only thing that seemed right to do. I know that sounds twisted, thinking that punching someone is the right thing to do, but at the time, it was the only thing that came to mind. And it felt good. Hey, I couldn't stand, facing a wall, all day. I had Inuyasha to maim.
However, I had left my purse and cell phone at the office. All I had brought with me was my wallet. I figured I could probably live off of that until Monday, but I didn't want to take the chance of a janitor finding my purse or Taisho finding my cell. Then he would get my number and probably call me in to work weekends. Ugh, Taisho. It had felt good, hitting him. Real good. Something satisfactory about the way he doubled over. Heh.
And Inuyasha. Oh, I was going to torture him in the end. But what should I do? If I called him, he would just know how mad I was and probably just prolong his little game. If I didn't talk to him, what would he do?
I needed one long bath.
When I got back to my office, I made no delay in throwing in the towel for the day. I wanted to go home and have a nice bottle of cold sake. I figured, after the little café episode, I could stand a bit of relaxation, seeing how that was the only time I got any-alone, at home, nobody in the near vicinity, door locked, windows covered, phone off.
Was I running away? Ha! A Taisho never runs away! (Well except for Inuyasha and that one very odd aunt of a cousin's brother who had that weird thing with penguins, but that's a different story.)
The fact was, I just didn't think I could handle another minute of work, Inuyasha, or the madly smitten Higurashi. So, was I running away? Far from it! Hardly! Perhaps a bit.
I must also state that a Taisho, much like a Shakespearean tragic hero, is always honest to himself-an amazing and rare trait, I might add. Which is why I knew that I really just needed to escape my secretary for the rest of the weekend. So she liked me, it made no difference in whether I liked her or not. I was perfectly content with just ignoring the fact, and if I had to, her also.
Another Taisho trait to add to the list: so exceedingly smart and keen we are, that we are capable of amazingly clever manipulation. To such a degree in fact, that we can even go as far as to manipulate our own thoughts if we wish so.
Thus it is perfectly fine for me to manipulate my thoughts and feelings and be completely honest to myself about those manipulated thoughts and feelings. It's a sort of 'knowledgeable ignorance is bliss' or 'be (as slightly as you need to be) true to yourself'". Bully for me.
The thing was, I couldn't hang on this Higurashi thing. I would place it aside and forget about it until she confessed, then probably fire her so I wouldn't have to listen to her sobs. Right, who needed woman trouble at a time like that? Not I; I had a corporate world to conquer, before someone else less deserving did so.
Oh hell. Speaking of undeserving, conquering fanatics, I had completely forgotten…
Oh no. ARUGH! I couldn't believe it. This was not possible. I could not possibly have this shitty of a day, all in one day! There I was, embedding my little happy fists into Taisho's lower abdomen, when in less than a week, I was supposed to be his date to a ball. The prospect of my arm linking in his without savage violence involved made my stomach churn. Was it possible to make such an idiot out of yourself in one afternoon?
What should I do? Skip out on the gala? Not show? Recommend a different date? "You see, my brother's deathly ill with an infected toenail. Got into his bloodstream. Yeah, blood poisoning. But, I would highly recommend my American aunt, Bertha." No way, the guy may be a prick, but he was not one thing, and that was stupid. So, what to do? I could quit. Just call him and tell him that I quit. Yeah, that would ease quite a few troubles. Or I could just apologize. Or not. Ha! Damn.
Damn. I had forgotten that Miss Uppercut was my date for Onigumo's little gathering the next weekend. What was I going to do now? Tell her I wasn't going? Fire her? No, despite the fact that I hated it, she was the best goddamn secretary I'd ever had. Most reliable, at least (ha! If that wasn't irony! I didn't know anything less predictable than her.) I couldn't just throw her away…well, technically, I really could. It would be better for her to not attend any function where Onigumo would be present anyways.
That's when memory and a tiny little presence of guilt buried in some corroding chest in the back of my mind popped out of nowhere. Memory reminded me that Onigumo would stalk her if he discovered she would not be attending with myself (or, hopefully, he could have lost interest by now). And I couldn't let that happen to any of my employees; they were mine. Plus, she was something I had that he didn't, and he wanted. It put me one step ahead. That settled it, I needed to have her as a date on that night, which meant that, ultimately, I was going to have to apologize. Hell. I never apologized. Not even to myself!
Damn. What had I gotten myself into?
I would just have to figure out a way to atone for all of the skirmishes and onslaughts between Higurashi and myself. What-flowers? A card? Hell, why couldn't I just send her a male stripper, for all it's worth! OK, that was sarcasm. I'm not like that. This woman, this woman would cause me nothing but headaches for the rest of all time that I knew her, I could tell.
Suddenly it came to me-there was this thing Kouga had mentioned before. Something about asking for others' advice. But who the hell could I talk to about my Higurashi dilemma? Who was pretty good with women (besides myself in my younger years), or at least knew what they were (as opposed to Inuyasha). Hell, it could even be a pimp or a pervert, for all I cared. Ah, instant revelation.
"Hirano Miroku speaking!" a cheerful voice pronounced from the other end of my office phone (I had gone back to the office after Higurashi decided to take out her frustrations on my stomach).
"Hirano-"
"Is that you Sesshoumaru? How'd you get my home phone? Don't tell me you're in the office right now!"
"…"
"Seriously, it's bad for your health, working that much. You know it'll ruin your complexion, too. It makes your chances for getting laid decrease tremendously, you know. But I guess you do have the money factor…so you're covered. Work all you want!"
"…I told you that we are not on a first name basis, Hirano."
"Oh, right. Sorry. Anyways, what can I do for you?"
I sighed, attempting to ease the desire to throttle him.
"It's about Higurashi."
"Oh! Isn't she the best! The nicest girl ever! Would never accept my date proposals, but she's great, isn't she! And she's such a hard worker! Once she sets her mind to something, she gets it done!"
"I'm sure."
"Uh-oh. What's she done?"
"You say that like you were expecting something."
"Well, she's just strong-willed like you." Miroku paused. "Do you need me to find someone else?"
"No. She's a, surprisingly, adept secretary. However, there is a certain situation that I need your assistance in…"
What the hell was I going to do! I couldn't just walk out on my job and the party. I couldn't let some little thing throw me off this much. I would just have march into work on Monday and try to maintain my dignity, and thus my job. After completely avoiding him while I got my purse today, that is. Why go through unnecessary confrontations, right?
Yes, I would just return to work as normal. Maybe I could stand to give him a little apology-a very little one. Or should I write him an apology letter? Oh hell, why was this such a dilemma! He was just my idiotic boss, for goodness' sake!
But I couldn't take it. I needed to vent to someone. I snuck back to my desk without making a noise the whole way through the office building. Once I got there, I pulled my chair out, grabbed my purse and cell phone and hid under the desk. Ok, not very dignified, but it was a precaution in case Taisho decided to come back to work, which he probably wouldn't. And his office door was closed and looked locked.
So I sat huddled and called the only person I could think of that could give me relationship advice.
"Hirano Miroku speaking!"
"Oh, thank the gods. Miroku, It's Kagome."
"Really?"
"Um, yeah….why?"
"Oh, sorry, it's nothing! It's just, I was just thinking about you, so when I heard your voice I was a little surprised, that's all," he laughed a bit oddly. "So, Kagome, how've you been? How's that new job of yours? I hope I didn't put you in a torture chamber."
"I really don't want to talk about it….except I do. The job itself is OK, but I'm having this problem. Think you could help…..?"
I had just gotten off the phone with Hirano when I heard a quiet voice outside of my office, suspiciously like Higurashi's, coming suspiciously from where Higurashi's desk was. However, I dismissed it and returned to my work, milling over what Hirano had told me.
It was about five minutes later that I heard the distinctive sound of a desk drawer closing. I put aside my work and left my office. I went over to Higurashi's desk, examining it, saw nothing, so returned to my office, this time leaving the door open. Two minutes later, I heard the soft pad of feet on the carpeted floor outside and immediately followed the noises out of my office and down a hallway that lead to the break room. I
Paused next to the door, not visible to whoever was inside. When I heard a small sigh from the room I walked in quietly to a Higurashi with her back turned to me.
"Did you always snoop around your workplaces or are we at Taisho Inc. somehow special?"
She must have jumped two feet in the air. It was extremely difficult to hold back a smirk.
"Ah, well, the other companies just weren't, Ii guess you could say, of sneaky quality."
"Well if you're quite done, you should venture on home. Unless you came back for another brawling session, that is."
She flushed, but seemed to detain her anger and embarrassment.
"Ah-about that-"
"Your dreadfully sorry and will do anything to make up for it? You feel just awful about relocating my lower intestine? Please don't fire you?"
"You deserved it."
"Ah. See, there is where your logic fails you, Kagome. I did no such thing to deserve a random battering, if you could call it that."
"You were being a facetious and stuck up bastard," she almost growled the words.
"As opposed to how you think I usually am?" I had her there.
"Well, I guess you could just say it kind of built up over time."
"Right. Given to random explosions for small things that "build up". I'll be sure to write that in on your employee information."
"Look, you jerk-" she stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath. I could see her visibly relax. "Look…" she walked up to me and bowed. "sometimes you are a little much for me to put up with, but that is my problem, not yours…" she stood up again and, to my surprise and horror, took one of my hands in both of hers. "and I'm sorry for how rudely I treated you before. Maybe we can just get over this immature little war of ours and you can just be my boss, and I'll just be your secretary? Isn't that reasonable on both of our ends?"
I was…shocked, to say the least. She said it with such sincerity in her voice and her hands held mine with sincerity, what could I be but sincere in return?
"I expect to see you on Monday, bright and early."
She nodded and dropped my hand. I turned to leave and she collected her purse.
"Oh, and Taisho?" she called after me. I turned my head slightly to acknowledge her.
"Please excuse me, but I don't believe that we are intimate enough to be on a first name basis quite yet."
She left, a small bounce in her walk.
What the hell was she talking-oh, shit.
And that was just the end of he weekend. Like I said, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were the apocalypse staged as a play within Taisho Inc. But that will come later.
AN: So, this took and awfully long time for me to start writing. And it was so short! But I promise to start working on chapter 6 right away! Heh heh. I was actually supposed to work on Special Circumstances, but I need to work on a more uplifting story right now. Please tell me what you think!