AN: I know, I know... I'm sooo late and you're pissed. I'm sorry! I did warn you that I would be busy due to exams but I'm later than I should be, and that's because I legit didn't have much computer access for a while and yada yada yada... a whole bunch of things (ehem, excuses) that I know you guys don't really want to hear. So basically, I'm a fail at keeping my deadlines but on the brighter side, I've been working on this new fic that I've had an inspiration for- based on academics since it's been basically taking over my life recently. But I'm not sure what I think of it so far. I'll keep you guys posted!

BTW: Alright, this is directed to: I WANT NACHOS whom I think is now xInuKagx4ever because she requested this song way back and I'm finally using it (like I promised)

This chap is also dedicated to my 400th reviewer (whoo-hoo!): me who doesn't have an account. I'm not sure who you are, but thanks for helping me reach this milestone! Tell me if you'd like anything, character pairings wise. Much thanks to everyone else as well!

Bitter or Sweet?

Disclaimer: not even after exams.

Chapter 24: heavy truths and migraines from hell

One last glance from a taxi cab
Images scar my mind
Four weeks've felt like years
Since your full attention was all mine
The night was young and so were we
Talked about life, God, death, and your family
Didn't want any promises,
Just my undivided honesty, and you said

Oh oh, things are gonna change now for the better
Oh oh, things are gonna change, oh, they're gonna change Hands, like secrets, are the hardest thing to keep from you
Lines and phrases, like knives, your words can cut me through
Dismantle me down (repair)
You dismantle me
You dismantle me

Anberlin: Dismantle Repair

INUYASHA'S POV

She was wearing a gamer tee with baggy, black sweats, and neon green converse. She had earbuds in, music loud enough so that my sensitive ears pick up on the sound.

Brown eyes wide, she gawks at me like I'm some kind of ghost. And in a way, I guess I am.

Some part inside me- the cowardly, bastardly part- tells me to jump off the fucking bus. Now. But logically speaking, that would be pointless; Kagome wasn't that easy to shake off. I should know that better than anybody else.

I smile weakly and slide into the seat diagonal from hers. No use sitting too close. "Kagome, hey," I say, trying to sound pleasantly surprised, as if I was actually happy to have run into her on one of a million means of public transportation. Either fate was a jackass, or coincidences are simply scary. "Wow it's been a while, eh? How's it going?"

She doesn't respond, eyes still ridiculously round.

"Great, great," I continue enthusiastically, pretending she didn't say nothing. "Well, it was, uh, good to see you. Get home safe, alright?"

I stand up and turn to leave, eager to flee the scene, when a surprisingly strong hand grips my wrist, so tightly that it stops the blood circulation. Nearly.

"Wait," she protests, voice hesitant. "You can't just- you can't just leave. I mean, don't you think you owe me at least five minutes of your time?"

I sit down again, prying off her fingers. "Why would you need five minutes? What is there to talk about?"

The sliver of finality in my voice stuns her, and her eyes harden. "Fine," she snaps, practically seething. "I guess there is nothing to talk about. After all, why the hell would I even want to be talking to the same asshole that left me high and dry for three years? You're right, Inuyasha. There's absolutely nothing to talk about."

I sigh. "Kagome, it's not that simple-"

"Of course it's not!" she laughs sarcastically. "How could you- the great, almighty Inuyasha- possibly have spared me a few seconds of your perfect day just to give me a ring and say, 'hey, Kagome, how are you?' That must've been so insanely hard to do, since you've avoided it for over a year. Oh- and that's not all; your computer must've been broken for those three years too, because not once did you send me an email. I can't believe that at one point, I actually thought you were my friend because now, looking back, sometimes I wish that you'd never moved in next door."

For a moment, I just stare at her, semi-hurt. Yeah, everything she said was legitimate. Yeah, I knew she had every right to be angry. Yeah, I've hurt her way more than she'd hurt me. But somehow, it was strange... bizarre to experience her like this. To me, Kagome had always been the bright, bubbly girl with her heart on her sleeve. I'd never imagined she'd be so... ticked off. So bitter. "Sorry," I finally manage, pathetically.

She lowers her eyes to her lap, and presses a hand to her temple tiredly. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to vent on you like that. I guess it's my fault for overestimating my worth to you."

You're wrong.

"Well, anyways, this is my stop." She stands up and smiles down at me, politely, as would a stranger. "Good night, Inuyasha."

Kagome, come back.

But I had no right to say or think such a thing. Not anymore.

It's like in those movies, when you fast-forward to years later and everything looks so different.

Walking through the gates of Shikon High was exactly like that; sure the building was the same. But the people within it weren't. Everyone I'd known were now older, having matured through their high school years. Similar faces, just out of reach.

Previously silly, class clowns had their heads buried in their books, preparing for college, university, or wherever they were going after graduation.

The scrawny, lanky-built nerds had filled out, and some of them even had girlfriends hanging onto their arms.

Former cheerleaders and jocks... well, they were still the center of the social clique. I guess they're the only ones who haven't really changed. It was a relief, in a way, to find at least one similarity to when I'd been here last.

Even Miroku and Koga seemed evolved.

Though their matching faces of disbelief when they saw me rivaled that of children's who'd been told there were no cookies left in the cookie jar. Priceless.

"I think I'm seeing things, Koga," Miroku breathed. "Pinch me."

Koga punched him.

"Aw, shit! I didn't mean that hard! Gods." He shook his head. "What are you doing back, Yash? You never told me you were coming back to Japan. After being here for you all this time, you couldn't have done that much by giving me a heads up? Great friend you are."

I rubbed my temple. "I know, I'm sorry. It happened way too fast for me to process."

Koga's ice-blue eyes regarded me with a mixture of pity and wariness. "You owe us for asking us to lie to Kags. She's our friend, too, you know. But I guess it was for her own good; if we'd told her that you'd kept in touch with us and not her, she would have been completely devastated."

"You should tell her what you said to us," Miroku suggested with a raised brow. "She'll hate you way less if she knows the reason behind all your sketchiness. That's the only reason why I didn't cut you off from my life, you realize that? Otherwise I would've simply thought you're a selfish asshole who doesn't give a flying fuck about the people who care about him." He paused. "Kagome's really been hurting. You were an important friend to her, one she thought she'd be able to rely on. You kind of broke that trust."

"Gee, no shit," I snapped. "She gave me a piece of her mind yesterday, okay? I get it. What could I do, though? Let her foolishly believe that as long as I cared about her and vice versa, we'd have a happily ever after? I'd been condemned to a life of always getting up and moving out. I can't settle down. And I didn't want Kagome to be a part of that."

Koga pushed his bangs out of his face. "How is she? Your mom? Did the doctor in America help?"

The back of my eyes burned. This was the worst part. "No. The medication they put her on had no effect." I cleared my throat so my voice wouldn't crack. "That's the reason we decided to come back. They told us that she would probably die before a cure could be found, and that she should go home and enjoy her life the best she can until..."

Miroku put an arm around my shoulder. "Hey. Inuyasha. It'll work out- I promise. You're one of the strongest people I've ever known, and not because you're half demon. You've been dealing with this mess since you were just a kid, and you've managed to hold yourself together to now. We'll always be here for you."

I choked out a laugh. "So touching."

Koga slaps me on the back. "Miroku's a pussy. But he's right; we're not going to abandon you. You ever want to shoot stuff, just give us a call and we'll bring our highest quality video games right on over."

"I sold my game station, actually," I said sheepishly. "I've been somewhat of a geek while I was in Canada. I decided to go to medical school, so I've been saving up and started studying seriously."

Miroku looked surprised. "Med-school? Really? That's great, Yash. You're insanely stupid, but you're also kind of a genius so I'm sure you'll pull it off. But, honestly, how could you focus on books when you were probably surrounded by tons of exotic girls overseas? Like I said, insanely stupid."

"Don't listen to that old geezer," Koga laughed, kicking Miroku in the side. "He talks big, but he's practically whipped now. Sango's keeping him on a tight leash, and Miroku may deny it, but he secretly loves it. I think he's even gotten over his commitment issues."

"Hey, I never had commitment issues!" he protested. "I just liked to relish the endless possibility of our full sea of beautiful women. And don't even pretend like you're not whipped, either. I hear Ayame has her green eyes on you twenty-four/seven. With all the preppy girls clinging to you and all."

I groaned. "I can't believe both of you actually have long term girlfriends. Makes me feel forever alone, destined to live as a drunken bachelor till the day I die."

On the way to my last period class, a flash of long, black hair stops me in my tracks.

But when she turns around, it's not Kagome. Instead, I find myself face-to-face with Kikyo.

Her smile is dry. "I heard people saying you were back, but I thought they were just rumors. Guess not." She purses her lips. "Before you ask, I'm doing fine. Not amazing; a large percentage of this school still would like to see my head on a stick. Just fine. I'm not going to lie, though- I was angry when I discovered that you'd moved across the world and hadn't even let me know directly. What's up with that, anyway?"

She looks better than I remember- far from flawless, as she once appeared to be, but happier. "Trust me, under any other circumstances, I would've."

"Well," Kikyo sighs, "I suppose I understand a little. How tempting it is to run away from it all. I bet you regret it now though, right? I mean, they do look happy together."

Huh? "What are you talking about?"

She gives me a weird look. "Kagome. And Bankotsu. You know, don't you?"

Bankotsu? That name... I mentally snap my fingers. He was in the Beauty and the Beast play with me. "What about them?"

Kikyo sighs. "I can't believe I'm the one to break it to you. How ironic. They're dating, Inuyasha. Kagome has a boyfriend now. And from what I've seen, they're not splitting up any time soon."

Somewhere inside me, a demon snarls at me to tell Kagome everything and make her mine. After all, it was me that she should be with. The only reason she was dating Bankotsu was because I was gone for a while. But I'm back now.

I close my eyes. No. I want Kagome to be happy. I can't give her that.

"I shouldn't be surprised. It's not as if I expected her to wait for me forever. I'm glad she has someone like him. Someone steady, comforting... a guy who'll always be by her side."

She snorts, shaking her head. "Oh, don't even, Inuyasha. That pathetic, sappy line might charm everyone else, but you can't lie to me, the queen of lies and fakeness. Remember her? So don't pull that crap with me."

My claws dig into my palms. "Alright, fine. I want to punch Bankotsu to the pulp. Satisfied?"

Kikyo shrugs. "No, not really. I just wanted to hear you admit it to yourself. Denial isn't healthy, I've learned. Besides, jealousy and anger are completely normal. For someone who makes himself out to be an utter jackass, why do you try so freaking hard to stay moral? What's the point?"

"It's not about being moral. When you care about a person, you want what's best for them. You understand."

"Yeah," she says quietly. "I guess I do. It's messed up- the whole idea of love. That's why I gave it up."

I smile lightly. That was such a Kikyo thing to say. "It doesn't work like that. It's not the kind of thing you can evade just by saying so."

"Such a know-it-all," she grumbles, and crosses her arms. "Well, aren't you going to class?"

"Aren't you?"

Kikyo gives me a smirk. "I have a spare. Looks like you're tardy for last period. On your first day, too. Good going."

I roll out the kinks in my neck. "I never knew you were such a sticker to the rules. Wasn't that the old you- the one you got rid of?"

"Whatever. Doesn't make any difference to me whether your teacher lectures you or not."

"It actually doesn't make a difference. My grades are good enough to take me to wherever I want to go."

She smacks my forehead with the heel of her head. "So cocky," she reprimands. "How do you expect anybody with charm like that?" Kikyo runs a hand through her long, thick hair. "Don't take this the wrong way. But I'm glad you're back. Conceitedness, ugly face, and all."

The corners of my lips tug up. "What, you missed me? And you're a liar, Kikyo. You know you love this face."

She doesn't say anything for a moment. Then she pulls her large tote bag over her shoulder, spins on her heel, and starts walking toward the library. "I told you not to take it the wrong way," she says with a short laugh.

I considered ditching.

Ditching seemed like a good idea. It's not like I needed to know all this stuff anyway; what does history have to do with medicine?

But I end up going, mainly because I didn't really have anywhere else I needed or wanted to go.

And after standing through five minutes of the teacher droning on and on about how lateness, especially in our senior year, was inexcusable, despite whether I was new or not, I wish I'd just opted for sitting in my car for an hour. Besides, Kagome's in this class.

She's not paying attention to me or the teacher though. Instead, the guy sitting behind her keeps sending her little slips of paper and she reads them, barely containing her laughter.

She's looking at him, I'm looking at her.

It's not until she bends to the side to pull out a folder from her bag that I realize who exactly was entertaining her so eagerly.

Bankotsu.

Should've known, I guess. What was I thinking—that she would be all giggly and bright eyes for just some random classmate? No, of course not. This was her boyfriend, the boyfriend she'd had for—I don't know how long. Kikyo said they weren't going to break up. Did that mean they were going to the same university? Were they going to get married?

Imagining Kagome in a pastry-shaped, frilly, whiyr wedding gown, Bankotsu at her arm, made me want to hurl.

"-and I do not care what the rules were at your school in America because I'm telling you right now that- Mr. Takahashi, are you listening to me, or are you too busy staring at Miss Higurashi over there?"

Kagome instantly froze, gaze settling on me. Eyes finally meeting mine. It was like, even though she was trying so hard to erase me from her life and her attention, I was squeezing my way in. I could tell she was getting uncomfortable, with everyone's eyes turning to look at her. Bakotsu's dark eyes assessed me slowly.

"Family," I manage to force out, thin-lipped. "There's been a family incident- in my family, that is- that I'm supposed to fill her in on. The... tragic news has been distracting me." So what, it's a semi-lie. It's also semi-truth.

The professor sets her jaw. "Just go find your seat, Mr. Takahashi. And don't let this happen again, or I promise you that the consequences next time won't be so lenient."

I look at her fixedly. "What consequences?"

"Detention. You will stay after school today to serve detention in this class for an hour while I finish up on some grading. I hope this proves as a lesson as to how seriously I take my teachings. I don't take arrogance lightly."

What do you know?

Your mom isn't dying.

The person you love doesn't hate your guts.

How could you possibly ever understanding what's going on in my life at this moment?

You can go to hell.

But I don't say any of those things. Because I don't need another week of detention. And it isn't as if she would believe me. To her, I'm just some stupid pretty face with no brain, no future, no importance. So I just brush her off and slide into my seat at the corner of the classroom, the very last row next to the window.

And as she goes back to her chalkboard and starts putting up notes that we have to know for our test in... a couple of days, give or take a few, I lean my head against the wall and try not to throw open the glass pane and jump out to my freedom.

AN: Bloop. Brain fart. Bloop.

So I wish I could tell you that I'm proud of this chapter, that I think it makes up for my away-ness (haha) but obviously not. I'm sorry, the writer's block has been nom-nom-nom-ing at my brain, and it doesn't help that this semester of school has been SEVERELY more chaotic and stressful than the last.

Nevertheless, I don't mean to dump all my life problems on you, and as always, I thank you for how kind you are. My promises to update soon are all proving worthless... but if only writing came easily all the time.

Hope you guys all are having a fantastic day!

Hugs and more hugs,

Nyony

(PS: whew it's been a while, Daichi! Sorry about the delay~)

Daichi: No problem. There was nothing wrong with this chapter!