Authoress' Notes: Dang, someone, please PLEASE, make time move slower. Look how much time has passed since my last update. UGH!
Confessions and Embraces
Are Messengers of Love
'I'm going to tell Ren.'
The number of souls who knew the truth about the world was fewer than a modicum compared to the countless souls caught up in the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. A single addition to this minute number would do nothing to change that staggeringly abysmal statistic. Despite this, this world was a world of change and new possibilities—from Funbari Hill, Yoh was sure of it.
From his private mansion, Bankotsu was sure of that.
From the Asakura estate, Anna recognized that.
From the top of Spirit of Fire's shoulder, Hao knew this.
And settled by Ren's side, resting above shimmering waves, Kagome believed this.
That's why she suggested that he make himself comfortable. She was going to start from the beginning—from the first Higurashi Kagome's fifteenth birthday.
Initially, her fingers were overlapping, her hands shaped like a coy triangle as she spoke and recalled her first life from memory. It was one of the few lives that she had vivid images of in the forefront of her mind. It was the life and death that started everything after all.
Ren was unaware of the way his expression changed from controlled bewilderment to pursed lips as he listened to Kagome's recollection of her first struggles, her strife, her laughs, her companionships, her very first love, her heart breaks, her road to distinction from Kikyo, her fortitude, her marriage, her life as a priestess in Feudal Japan, her untimely demise, her haunting, her meeting Yoh, her meeting him and their other friends, her time with Hao, her promise to Yoh, and even the first world that she created and what one had to sacrifice to become Shaman King and one with the Great Spirit.
To give one's life for that goal—or rather, Kagome intended to sacrifice her final life to save Hao.
That knowledge brought Ren back to the day of his phase one match with Yoh.
["Kagome really is cute." Yoh smiled gently. "She wants to grow up and have a fairy tale ending—a Happy Ending." He closed his eyes and chuckled a bit, "Did you know that she wants to get married and have a family? ...I have to win because I'm the one who is going to protect her dream."]
'So that's what he's playing at it...' Ren realized. 'Asakura Yoh...' He knew he'd have to speak with Yoh about his intentions sooner than later.
Furthermore, Ren didn't make it through the tale without snide remarks about Inuyasha, Bankotsu, or Hakudoshi, or without looking particularly interested in hearing about her special vacation with his past adult self. Despite the length of the story and its outlandish premise, Ren was well-behaved; he didn't derail Kagome for long, nor did he lose his composure.
At times, Kagome's vision was lost in the memories that played before her very eyes. Other times, she couldn't help but study Ren's face when she recounted certain events. As usual, his eyes betrayed him. He was particularly interested to hear about the warmth that they shared in that original world. It took a while to give examples of some of the other worlds that she remembered to drive the point home, but Kagome was finally satisfied with her briefing.
"At first... I didn't intend to tell anyone else about this," Kagome confessed with a strained smile—a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Not only is it unbelievable but..." her hands curled into fists in her lap as she continued explaining, "...this type of knowledge can ruin the way you live your life." She thought back to the Kagome who collapsed from the pressure, "It becomes so easy to question yourself on every decision you make, every action you take...but..."
Kagome made a point of meeting Ren's eyes as she admitted, "I wanted to tell you because of the proposal."
Ren bristled when those words left Kagome's mouth. After hearing out whatever was weighing on Kagome's mind, he intended to act in kind and tell her what he had been wanting to talk about. Granted, the last thing that he expected to be told was that they had been living their first sixteen years of life hundreds of times over and over again. As daft and impossible as her story sounded, Ren couldn't help but hang onto her every word—and believe her wholeheartedly.
There was no solid, scientific proof, but Ren had no use for such things. The dreams that he once thought were the work of his imagination felt so realistic—like memories. There was that, and the fact that he was inexplicably attracted to and soft for Kagome since the beginning. A year ago, he doubted himself and cursed himself for being unable to eliminate Kagome when they first met. He had to force himself to put a barrier between them when she moved in with them while training. It was laughable how easily that barrier crumbled.
And most importantly, as much as Kagome liked to tease him sometimes, she would never fabricate such a ridiculous tale. The emotions reflected in her eyes and nostalgic smiles couldn't lie.
"Well, I'm sure that you know the proposal is what I wanted to talk to you about," Ren could feel his blood burning his cheeks and ears. He almost wanted to ask her how long she had known, but that would be irrelevant at this point. Finding out that Kagome wasn't in the dark about his family and the Asakura's double courtship proposal threw him for a loop. "Well..." His hand rose and rubbed the back of his neck, only to discover that the skin there was inflamed, "What do you think...?"
Ren's eyes focused on the reflection of light off the sloshing water, unable to bring himself to look at Kagome at this moment. "If I'm being honest, the selfish part of me wants to accept," Kagome dared to say with an embarrassed chuckle—a small laugh to pacify her mounting anxiety.
"!" Ren's head shot over to the side, shock overcoming his trepidation, his jaw mouth fell open but he found no words.
Kagome, having spotted Ren's golden eyes in her peripheral, turned her head in kind, meeting his wide gaze with her conflicted one. "But...I know it wouldn't be right," She explained, "I feel terrible just considering such a thing."
Kagome remembered how she felt when Inuyasha would run off to see Kikyo. Back then, she had been forcing herself to accept it—to be supportive and understanding of her beloved. Inuyasha was put in an impossible situation that no one else could possibly relate to. That's what she told herself and any friend who asked why she was pushing herself for him. It wasn't as simple as her lover was cheating with another woman...
For Inuyasha, no time had gone by between the time that Kikyo bound him to the Goshinboku and the time that she had awakened him. Kagome couldn't imagine how moving on from the betrayal and tragedy of his first love to someone else felt. Moreover, despite knowing what Inuyasha was going through, and despite wanting to stand by their love, Kagome still felt miserable every time he went to Kikyo's side. That was a feeling that she didn't want to pass on to Yoh or Ren.
Seeing her genuine turmoil and soundless rumination, Ren's shock subsided as he composed himself. The Tao leaned back, resting his weight on his elbows, "You don't have to feel guilty if you want to accept it," he told her simply. "Believe it or not, but this type of courtship isn't uncommon for families like ours. It's usually a solution for one family to choose the best family to unionize with, but it works out in all of our favor. Besides.—"
Kagome didn't flinch when Ren lightly backhanded her forehead as he queried, "Did you forget? It was my mother and Asakura Keiko who suggested it in the first place." She felt her cheeks warming as Ren's hand retracted and he added, "And just so you know, Yoh and I—we both agreed, gladly."
Kagome pursed her lips, preventing herself from breaking out into a smile. She wanted to contain the surge of serotonin, but was unable to thwart the blood that rushed to her face. "I see, but it's not that simple for me," She told him, her voice almost quivered and was in a bit of a hurry, "If I accepted the proposal, it would be like confessing that I have feelings for both of you."
"—well, do you?" Ren's question was as uneasy and troubled as it was direct and curt.
"Eh?" Kagome blinked and turned her head to face Ren again, only to find that he was already facing her again. His eyes were wavering, wondering, wandering, searching.
"...do..." He paused to swallow his nerves, "Do you have feelings for both of us...?" Ren repeated, timorous but determined.
Despite the phrasing, they both knew the question wasn't truly if Kagome loved both Yoh and Ren.
Kagome confirmed and confided her feelings for Yoh to Ren quite a while ago.
The answer that Ren was truly pursuing was—.
The stars swam in Kagome's eyes as she looked at Ren.
In this moment, Ren couldn't help but notice how fragile and delicate she looked.
He couldn't help but notice that unlike usual, she was nervous. He was making her nervous.
He couldn't recall any time that she looked at him like this—with her eyes shining like he was a sight to behold.
Ren wanted to strike while the iron was hot—while her eyes were on him and him alone. He wanted to expound and fully express how felt. His mind screamed for him to take her hands and confess how he truly felt—with no stipulations or dubieties. No excuses.
But it was futile.
Ren was spell-bound by Kagome—even in her dazzled state, she was beyond stunning.
His neurons misfired. His brain defected.
He was unable to process that Kagome could look at him like that.
It was like she was seeing him for the first time.
And she did—it took longer than it should have, but Kagome understood what she had been missing.
["When did I say that I wanted you to leave?"
The priestess gaped at the Tao for a moment, "Back when we agreed to the duel, you—!"
"I agreed to the duel," Ren cut in calmly. "But I never said that I wanted you to leave."
"Well, you still won. What do you want me to do?"
"Just get stronger."]
Kagome realized that Ren was a lot stronger than people thought and in ways that people didn't think of.
Despite how he felt about her, he had listened to her confess feelings for Yoh, and comforted her without expecting anything in return.
["T-Tao-kun...what should I do?!" She whimpered as her eyes continued to tear up.
"About what?" He asked while unconsciously raising a hand to wipe her eyes away. "Whatever you need, I'll help you with it. Just tell me."
"W-Well, I just realized that... "I'm in love with Yoh."]
Ren was quite the catch.
He had the makings of any girl's wildest dreams.
If he wanted to, he'd have no problem finding someone to worship the ground that he walked on.
And yet—he chose to support someone who didn't realize his feelings.
["Look...I'll become Shaman King and make your wish come true!" He took her hands within his own, causing her to blush and blink at his sudden and uncharacteristic touchiness. "I don't want you to fight. You could get hurt, or worse!" He asserted, his expression both grave but passionate. Kagome could only stare and whimper anxiously under his fervid gaze. "I'll fight in your place! So just put your faith in me!"]
And somehow, Ren saw the ugly parts of her—the parts that were darker than she let on.
And instead of turning an eye and pretending that he didn't notice, he faced her head-on.
[The priestess gasped when suddenly Ren's hands were gripping her shoulders. "How could you ask that?!"
Startled, her eyes were wide as she whispered, "R-Ren…"
"How could you ask that…?" He repeated in a softer cadence, "When you're the one who's suffering in silence…?!"]
Despite how they met, despite how they fought and bickered every time they met, Ren was never inconsistent. Sometimes he was clumsy with words, but his love was reliable—it was comfortable. And maybe that was why Kagome hadn't noticed it and ended up taking it for granted for so long.
Ren being there for her—it always felt like a given.
Ren being there felt as natural as the sunrise.
Just the thought of how many times she hurt him made Kagome's heart lurch. Imagining his pain as he held her, listened to her, and comforted made her own chest tighten for a moment. Her first mind was to apologize, but that wouldn't answer his question. An apology wasn't what Ren was looking for.
This was it.
This was the moment that Kagome both wanted and feared the most.
She had come this far, so she needed to move forward.
Even if the future that came to be didn't turn out to be ideal, she had to continue walking towards it without hesitation.
It was what everyone deserved and needed.
"I do," Kagome whispered, her eyes softening as she felt herself breathe again, unaware of how Ren's own heart nearly stopped. "Ren..." Her gaze and voice were saccharine and pulled him like a moth to moonlight. Her hand rose in a timid, weak fist near her chest, "More than a friend, I love you..."
'Before this world was born, and even before the previous one...'
Kagome didn't need him to respond right away. She needed to tell him the truth. "I love you," She affirmed once more," And I've loved you, for a very, very long time."
Those words were beyond surreal.
Ren would have pinched himself if he had control over his body because it didn't feel real.
But for a moment, his brain lost connection with his body.
Even his heart forgot how to beat for a split-second—.
Being confessed to by the one person you loved but didn't feel like you deserved was beyond overwhelming.
Ren's forearm rose, almost defensively, as a loose fist covered the lower half of his face—an unconscious attempt to hide his embarrassment. Kagome's doe-like expression faded when Ren's face glowed red as a plume of steam escaped his head.
The priestess giggled despite her own embarrassment; she could finally laugh because of the load off her chest.
Even after she spared him the anxiety of confessing first, Ren was still this level of bashful. It was beyond cute.
She wore a soft smile and she melted inwardly, finding his tongue-tied reaction to be very on-brand...so uncertain, so innocent and sweet.
A moment of silence passed between them.
And that's when reality finally began to sink in...
Kagome could feel her heart beating against her chest as she lost the ability to breathe.
Her lips pursed to fight a girlish, giddy grin as her cheeks burned.
She said it.
She couldn't believe that she said it.
In a way, confessing that his feelings were returned felt good, like a long overdue task was completed. But also, Kagome wanted to know what Ren thought—how he felt, knowing that she was the type to hold more than one person in her heart.
Seconds dragged by like molasses before Ren finally moved his arm from shielding his mouth. His lips were pursed as his expression melted from astonishment to a blend of apologetic and fluster. His hand rose to place a tender touch against his forehead, "Sorry, honestly..." he paused briefly, "You surprised me."
"I can tell," Kagome's smile was pinched with anxiety. "I've made you wait a while to know that, haven't I?" she gave a guilty chuckle, somewhat embarrassed at her own obliviousness. After she averted her gaze, Ren noticed how her posture changed. Her muscles tensed and her torso faced the opposite direction of him. "You can give me a proper response when you're ready. Knowing that I'm someone capable of being interested in more than one person...it's okay to take some time to really think it over."
"Kagome, if you want your proper response then face me properly," Ren instructed, but he wasted no time in waiting for her to oblige him. Instead, he reached over and grasped the back of Kagome's head.
"Heh...?" Kagome's lips parted as Ren's hand gently guided her face to him. He leaned closer and met her halfway, allowing their foreheads to touch. His hold on was feathery and light. She could have effortlessly pulled away if she wanted to. But she was both speechless and helpless within the direct line of Ren's molten gaze.
Forehead to forehead and nearly nose to nose, Kagome could feel the heat radiating from his cheeks and the tickle of his breath on her lips. "I know what you're thinking," he told her. His voice was carefully lowered, as if he didn't want the stars themselves to eavesdrop. "And you're wrong. I don't think less of you because you want to accept the proposal," he informed but was sure to add, "nor does Yoh."
Kagome's brows furrowed as she responded, "Also...I feel terrible. After all of those times that you comforted me about Yoh, here I am..." '...confessing you...after I hurt you,' she knew that she didn't have to elaborate.
Ren's eyes narrowed a bit before he sighed and released his hold on her head. Kagome blinked and returned to her resting position as Ren pulled away and grumbled, "Guess it's my turn." His cheeks burned as his face contorted into an embarrassed but determined expression. "Kagome..." a single hand rose to cover his eyes, "Something like this doesn't change my feelings. I—."
This time, it was Kagome's turn. She leaned over and removed Ren's hand from his face in order to watch his eyes—the key to his emotions. Ren's surprise melted into full fluster but he didn't protest or move away. "...I loved you before you told me about your feelings for Yoh," he confessed. "And I still loved you after you told me about them."
The starlight blessed Ren with the breathtaking sight that was the pure appreciation in Kagome's eyes. He never thought that anything that he could say or do could make her such a face—as if her insides were melting.
"Understand?" He queried, his brows furrowing and cheeks coloring with embarrassment, "For me, it doesn't matter who you love. Something like this wouldn't change those feelings." Satisfied that he finally managed to tell her what he had longed to for a while now, Ren was able to look away. "Honestly...more than anything..." His voice was but a whisper, "...I'm happy."
If it weren't for how flustered and overwhelmed he was from making and receiving his first love confession, Ren would have thanked Kagome. He had been worried about her for what felt like ever. He was grateful that she finally opened up to him and shared the burden that had been weighing on her shoulders.
Likewise, Kagome wanted to thank Ren too.
Even though the first Higurashi Kagome never vocalized that wish, he made it come true.
Tao Ren truly did love her again and again.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
When Ren followed behind Kagome for her final walk along the beach, HoroHoro didn't expect the pair to be gone well after sunset. The breeze was thin and chilly as it swept past the remaining group of teens. They chatted and idly watched as the remaining lingering beach-goers resigned for the night as the tide approached. Undaunted and unbothered, HoroHoro, Jun, and Sango perched and idled on the stone staircase that led from the inland down to the sandy shore.
"Those two better be making actual progress with how long they're taking," HoroHoro stated somewhat absently as his eyes moved to the sky.
Sango, who sat to his immediate right with her cheeks propped into her hands, responded, "I'm sure they are. Both have been waiting to tell each other something important."
"Kagome-chan...Renny..." Jun sighed as she admitted, "I don't care who does it at this point. I just want one of them to come out about their feelings."
"Knowing those two, Kagome-chan will probably take the lead," Sango mused as she imagined how the pair's conversation would go. "Ren is trying to get better, but he's still not the best at vocalizing his feelings."
HoroHoro chortled while slapping his knee, "Yeah, who else would take so long to tell the girl of his dreams about an official courtship proposal?"
The trio continued to entertain themselves by imagining how Ren and Kagome's talk was going. HoroHoro threw out the wildest suggestions as he tried to get Sango and Jun to imagine Ren passing out if Kagome confessed to him. The idea was met with amused chuckles from the young women. Jun soon followed up with a theory that Ren would step up and charm Kagome with a clumsy, embarrassed confession.
A single hand cupped Jun's cheek as her eyes glossed over dreamily, "No girl can resist the tsundere blush of his..."
Eventually, their attention was grabbed by the sound of Kagome's flip-flops slapping against the pavement. The trio of teens rose and ascended the stairs to meet the pair that finally returned from their private talk. As Kagome and Ren approached, they stepped from the shadows of the gap between streetlights into a circle of illumination.
None of the waiting teens missed it.
Sango smiled softly.
HoroHoro grinned approvingly.
Jun's eyes teared up before she covered her smile with her hands.
At long last, Ren and Kagome had returned with the former wearing a neutral but flushed face while the latter was smiling gently.
Finally, the pair returned with their fingers intertwined at their sides.
After the group gathered their belongings, Jun was sure to usher Sango and HoroHoro to the front of the party. Her intent was to give the newly official couple a bit of privacy to cement their special bond.
A bit—as the older sister, Jun still took it upon herself to walk within earshot of them.
It was apparent that their previous conversation went swimmingly, but that didn't mean Ren would magically transform into Romeo or Casanova. So she had to make sure she stayed Ren's romance guide until the day that Kagome officially became his bride.
"Hey, Ren," Jun melted at the sunny beam in Kagome's voice. "Remember how you promised to marry me if no one else would?"
"Eugh," Ren bristled at the topic. It took a few seconds for him to recover and mutter with a grumpy-toned reluctance, "Yeah, what about it...?"
"It's a little funny to think about," Kagome responded with a good-natured chuckle. "That 'in just case' part was just a big cover-up for how you really felt, huh?"
"Tch," no doubt Ren was blushing at being outed. "That was obvious to anyone with eyes," he quipped.
Sango quirked a concerned brow at Jun as she picked up on her suppressed squeals that came out as whimpers. 'This is it... the moment I've been waiting for...' Jun thought as inner Jun cried joyfully. 'I want to look, but I mustn't. I want to look, but I mustn't. I mustn't. I mustn't!'
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
It didn't take long for word to spread that Kagome formally accepted the dual courtship. The news sent shock waves not only within her social circle, but through the shamanic community. Between the Asakura family's renowned lineage, the Tao family's infamy, and the rise of the current generation of Higurashi priestesses, there were few ancient and noble shamanic families who didn't keep their eye on the affairs.
Higurashi-san received the news from Kagome herself over the phone just a few nights ago. The woman smiled softly at Kagome's timid tone, "So uh...that proposal for a dual courtship. I decided to accept it." In her mind's eyes, the mother could imagine her daughter squirming as she delivered the news from across the sea.
"Is that so?" Higurashi-san queried with a light-hearted chuckle. "Well, as long as you're happy and comfortable with it, then I wholeheartedly support you." After her daughter whispered a heartfelt thanks, the woman was sure to beam brighter and add, "Actually, if you were all happy, I wouldn't mind if you married both of them." Kagome's choking noise and shriek of 'W-What?' made the matriarch continue, "That way I wouldn't have a shortage of adorable grandchildren."
Of course, Higurashi-san was only half serious.
Moreover, the very next afternoon, while Higurashi-san was in the midst of washing dishes, the gentle chime of their doorbell resounded throughout the house. The woman called out to the other residents that she would attend to the door as she dried her hands using a towel. Her house shoes left soft padded steps as she made her way from the kitchen to the front door.
Upon opening the door, Higurashi-san felt no surprise to discover that her visitors were none other than Asakura Keiko and Tao Ran. The two women had been in close contact with her on friendly levels for a while now, so she expected that the pair would arrive for a visit after Kagome officially accepted their proposal.
What she didn't expect, however, was to find Keiko and Ran exuding rays of sunshine and dressed in stereotypical vacation attire. "Oh, my..." Higurashi-san raised a hand to her cheek in surprise. She was prepared to sign an official, printed document to cement the courtship and its various clauses but whatever this was. "Keiko-san, Ran-san, to what do I owe the pleasure?" She queried pleasantly.
"There's no need to address me so formally," Keiko reassured with a cordial smile and light-hearted wave. "We're going to be family someday, after all."
Higurashi-san noticed the angry vein that pulsed in Ran's forehead, but the Tao's smile and expression didn't break. "Oho," Her chuckle was dark before she responded, "More realistically, Kagome-chan will marry my Ren. You're quite the jokester, Keiko."
"That's 'Keiko-sama' to you, Ran-san..." Keiko's smile remained saccharine as she and Ran refused to take their eyes off of Higurashi-san, who was sweatdropping at their antics.
Finally, Ran broke and aimed her upper body and eyes toward the Asakura next to her, "Are you sure you have time for such luxuries? Shouldn't you be coaching Yoh-kun on how to treat a girl, Keiko?" The Tao flipped a paper fan open to hide a smirk, "The moment we realized that Kagome-chan would be perfect for the Tao Clan, we've been supporting Renny in his romantic endeavors. I'm afraid poor Yoh-kun has no training as a gentleman."
"Mm... Ladies...?" Higurashi-san's smile became unnerved as the air itself shifted.
"Hmmm? That sounds about right," Keiko in turn aimed her attention towards Ran. She raised her hand daintily and claimed, "But when it comes to Yoh, he has his own natural charm. Like your son, he doesn't need our help in wooing Kagome-chan." She was practically glowing when she added, "Besides, Kagome-chan becoming an Asakura is destiny. She and I go way back before anyone knew of her true potential."
At this point, Higurashi-san was raising her hands as the two other mothers' auras rose and flared.
Half a day later, Higurashi-san found herself lounging on a beach in Hawaii for the very first time. She was lying on her stomach and a masseuse used their magical touch to turn her tension into goo. She released a content sigh.
After the women settled on their private rented beach, the atmosphere winded down to pure serenity. There was nothing but the rolling waves, warm sun, saline air, and being turned into human puddy. Higurashi-san initially tried declining the invitation to a celebratory vacation because she felt obligated to take care of the Higurashi home, but after Kaede reassured her that she would hold down the fort, she graciously accepted the invitation.
Higurashi-san was so glad that she did too.
This was truly a slice of heaven.
"Asakura Kagome, huh...?" Keiko whispered dreamily as she melted under her attendant's touch. "It has such a lovely ring to it."
Ran's voice was just as soft as she responded, "It'll be Tao Kagome, Keiko."
...well, close enough.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Kagome expected a small shift in atmosphere when they returned to Tao manor, but the last thing she expected was to be applauded by a crowd of Tao's and their hired hands. At the forefront of the welcoming part was none other than Tao Ching and Tao Yúan. When Jun, HoroHoro, and Sango made a point of stepping away from Kagome and Ren to join the ovation, Kagome smiled and sweatdropped as Ren looked as if he wanted to die.
On a glimpse, the pair spotted the difference in demeanor of the crowd. Despite taking part in the homage, some Tao's like Hiten and Manten looked indifferent. Yura, Bailong, and Ching wore small but cordial, congratulatory smiles. Meanwhile, Yúan, in his gigantic Oversoul form, was on the verge of tears as his cheeks were flushed.
"Kagome-chan, congratulations on taking the next step to become our next Tao matriarch," Yúan managed to grin and speak in his emotional state.
"Well, um..." Kagome blushed and shuffled nervously, "Thanks, I guess..."
"This is quite the momentous occasion," Yúan declared as he turned his gaze to his son. "Ren, why don't you give us a spee—? Ah?" He blinked to discover that the scion refused to make eye contact, his arms crossed and ear shells bright red.
As Yúan tried to encourage Ren to be more open about his feelings, Sango took the time to whisper to Jun, "Your father realizes that this is a courtship and not an official engagement, right?"
Jun merely chuckled and responded with nothing short of complete confidence, "It matters not. Kagome-chan and Renny are much farther along than she and Yoh-kun. They were somewhat engaged long before this dual courtship business."
"I see..." Sango muttered while sweatdropping, 'I suppose the Tao pride is something that'll never change.'
After a lavish feast, the remainder of Kagome and HoroHoro's stay with the Tao's went according to the previous plan. Day in and day out was a balance between ballroom dancing lessons and Shaman Fight training. Sometimes Ching and Yúan would surprise Kagome with seemingly spontaneous bonding activities. Kagome didn't feel like she needed them to continue selling the family to her in Ran's stead but she did enjoy getting to know them better.
Kagome could not forget the atrocities and suffering that they approved of due to Tao traditions, but somehow, spending time with them on a one-on-one basis slowly began patching over her reservations.
Ching's activities of choice were more on the peaceful side; the priestess came to relish having afternoon tea and steamed dim sum with him. The elder sometimes filled the silence with Tao history or intently listening and learning about her own family history—the latter came as a pleasant surprise. Meanwhile, Yúan's activities were more physically engaging like ping pong and pottery lessons with a private instructor. After the first few days of Kagome seemingly being ambushed by his father's and grandfather's personal attendants, Ren was sure to tell Kagome that she didn't have to go along with his family's whims.
—he said that, but behind his flustered scowl, Kagome could tell that he was happy. Just like with her, this experience still felt surreal to Ren too. And she couldn't help but smile and reassure him that she was going along with their whims because she wanted to.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
It was the night of June 30th, the night before Kagome and HoroHoro would return from China. With their friends dispersed in preparation for phase two and living out their lives, Yoh expected his only company at his Funbari Hill home to be Manta. Despite their adamant denouncing of their cutesy appearance, the pair still utilized their matching cell phones to communicate when needed. Just that morning, Manta called Yoh while he was in the middle of preparing breakfast.
As he whisked eggs together into a bowl, Yoh smiled upon hearing the bubbly anticipating in Manta's voice, "Yoh-kun, I heard Kagome-chan and HoroHoro-kun are returning tomorrow morning."
"Yeah," Yoh responded as he continued milling about the kitchen. "Kagome gave me their arrival time at the airport a while ago. I plan on being there. Wanna come?"
"Of course!" Manta beamed on the other end. "It feels like it's been forever since she left. And so much has happened too."
Yoh nodded despite Manta being unable to see it, "Mm." The brunette began pouring a portion of his egg mixture into his square folded egg pan. "It has..." His expression softened as he whispered, "I never thought I'd see the day...that Kagome would be my girlfriend."
"HAH?!" Manta sounded like he was hit with a ton of bricks.
"Oh yeah," Yoh gave a sheepish chuckle as he proceeded to use a heat-resistant spatula to push the cooked egg forward until it folded into a rolled shape. "I wanted to surprise you. Kagome officially accepted the proposal."
Manta wanted to press his friend for more information. He wanted to ask when she officially accepted, but before he could recover from his stupor, he heard the distinct sound of Anna's voice on the other end. "I'm standing right here," the itako nearly hissed. "How rude of you to sound so happy about it."
"Wah," Yoh whimpered as his tone became apologetic, "Sorry about that, Anna." A few seconds later, the shaman whispered into the phone, "Manta, you should come over. We'll talk later."
And with that, the pair didn't speak during the course of the day as Manta prepared to reunite with Yoh after being away from him for several weeks. Discovering that Kagome agreed to be courted by both Yoh and Ren, but also Anna returning to Funbari Hill had Manta's mind swarming with questions. After having his own breakfast and packing a bag, Manta was prepared to be gone for a while.
Even after studying, Manta found that he still had several hours to spare before his departure towards Yoh's place. Just as he placed his mechanical pencil down, his phone began to chime. On instinct, he reached for the device, pressed the answer button, and brought it to his face without looking at the screen. He was surprised to hear Pirika's voice on the other end.
Apparently, she had been spending her idle time away from HoroHoro with the Shichinin brothers. Manta smiled nervously and wondered if it was appropriate and okay for such a young girl to be in such a situation but he didn't dare question it—knowing how smitten she was with Bankotsu. It took nearly ten minutes for the blond teen to work up the nerve to interrupt Pirika and ask her why she called him in the first place.
"Oh, right," Pirika's high-pitched, dreamy tone faded as she snapped back to reality. "Ban-san wants to know if you and Yoh-san wanna meet us at the airport tomorrow."
Thus, by nightfall, instead of opening his door for Manta, Yoh was surprised but thrilled to welcome Manta, Pirika, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu. He wasn't one to worry about the small things so Yoh didn't ask what brought about Manta's uncomfortable smile and the growing ruckus at Yoh's doorway. When the Asakura opened up to his friends, Bankotsu immediately raised his hand in greeting with a casual, "Yo, long time no see."
Bankotsu's expression was unbothered by how Pirika and Jakotsu stood at either side of him. Both clutched his arms and peered across him at the other. Pirika was pouting and looking obstinate as she met Jakotsu's irate glare.
Yoh merely matched Bankotsu's demeanor and responded, ignoring the bickering pair, "I know. It's been a while." He stepped aside and didn't bat an eyelash at Jakotsu's snarl of 'Unhand my brother, you tart.' and Pirika's huffy, 'Only if Ban-san tells me to!'
Fortunately, despite their verbal spat and glaring face-off, neither Jakotsu nor Pirika further escalated the dispute. Yoh wasn't sure if he felt sympathy for Bankotsu as the trio stepped inside without Pirika and Jakotsu relinquishing their hold on him. Somehow, Bankotsu maintained a cordial demeanor as he single-handedly carried all three of their bags while being used in tug-of-war.
After the party settled in the living room with refreshments that Yoh dutifully spread out on the table, Manta was quick to ask, "I'm sure Anna-san was here earlier. Did she go to bed already?"
"Oh no," Yoh waved his hand as he answered, "Anna doesn't want anything to do with Kagome right now so she left a while ago."
"Speaking of Kagome," Bankotsu spoke up as he leaned into a relaxed pose on his tatami mat. "Yoh, I like you so I'll give you one warning not to screw around with her." All movement and chatter in the room ceased. Even the air hushed itself as Bankotsu's expression darkened, "The same goes for the chibi. If my Kagome ends up hurt, I'll kill you."
"Wah," Yoh's casual tone didn't match his unnerved expression, "Bankotsu is scary."
Meanwhile, Manta, Pirika, and Jakotsu were reacting to his choice of saying "my Kagome". Manta sweatdropped as he inwardly questioned if Bankotsu had truly given up on pursuing Kagome. Jakotsu was sending a sly, smug look at Pirika as her reddened cheeks inflated with air.
Bankotsu's dark expression lightened back to normal when he spotted Pirika's growing poutiness from his peripheral. The girl sat to his left as Jakotsu was on his right. Bankotsu stifled a chuckle before reaching over and poking Pirika's bloated cheek, forcing her to release the air. When the girl's pout didn't fade with her huff, Bankotsu told her, "You have nothing to worry about, Piririn. I don't intend on romancing Kagome anymore."
Pirika's pout finally melted as her face openly displayed her vulnerability, "Really...?"
"Un," With a nod, Bankotsu casually pointed at Yoh without breaking Pirika's gaze, "Even though I've given up, it doesn't make Kagome any less important to me. So I'm making sure Yoh here isn't being a skeez."
The Asakura's jaw dropped at the statement as he protested, "H-Hold on! You might have the wrong idea!"
"Ban-nii has a point though," Jakotsu nonchalantly piped in. "Having your ex over alone isn't a good look for you."
"B-but Anna insisted that she continues guiding my shaman training, that's all!" Yoh desperately explained as he emoted with his arms for emphasis. "Also, I ran it by Kagome first and she said she's okay with it!" He was sure that would put his friends' fears to rest, but instead, he noticed worried the expressions that Manta and Pirika exchanged while Bankotsu's brow twitched and Jakotsu shook his head hopelessly.
"Yoh-san..." Pirika looked sympathetic, "You're dooming yourself to lose to Ren-san."
An invisible arrow pierced Yoh's chest.
"Yeah, I'm surprised someone as good-looking as Yoh-darling is so bad with girls," Jakotsu stated before popping a cookie into his mouth.
Yoh stiffened as another arrow lodged itself through his back.
"Of course, Kagome wouldn't make a big deal out of it," Bankotsu explained, looking as if he was on the verge of rubbing his temples. "She's the type who tries not to let her feelings be a burden."
"I'm 100% positive that nothing except training happened, Yoh-kun," Manta's small smile didn't put Yoh at ease. "But still... for Kagome-chan, who just agreed to let you court her..."
Yoh nearly collapsed as he was impaled from all directions.
Manta's words had delivered the killing blow that reduced Yoh to laying his head on the table, waterfall tears rushing along his cheeks.
When Amidamaru appeared by his side, Yoh was quick to wheeze and cry through his dramatic tears, "A-Amidamaru, be honest with me, am I as hopeless as they think...?"
The samurai's expression was uncomfortable. He was silent with a brief reluctance before he obliged his master, "Yoh-dono, if I'm being honest, Tao Ren seems to have quite the lead on you." When Yoh's aura became gloomy, Amidamaru panicked and went into damage control mode, flailing his arms, "T-That is to say—it's not that Kagome-sama likes him more! Rather, he's taken a suitor-like role with her long before this became official!"
Bankotsu crossed his arms as he hummed and nodded in agreement, "Exactly." He recalled the events that unfolded since he met Ren and Yoh last year and added, "Yoh, your easy-going nature and lax approach make you come off as a friend who might be casually dating her."
Yoh raised his head to fully take in his friend's criticisms.
"Mmhm, by contrast, Ren-san's affection is much more fervid," Pirika explained with a raised finger. She didn't hold back, even as Manta sweatdropped at her bluntness, "He goes shopping with Kagome-neechan. He blindly follows her all over the place when he can. He dotes on her with large and small gestures."
The girl rose from her tatami mat, her hands were passionate fists as she proclaimed, "Ren-san has already cemented himself as husband-material, Yoh-san! You'll really have to step up if you want to compete!"
Bankotsu observed Yoh's mannerisms as he received all sorts of advice and criticism from their friends. His sapphire gaze was heightened and calculated on even the most minute reactions. On the outside, Yoh seemed distraught by the intervention. But...
'Asakura Yoh...' Bankotsu wondered to himself as Yoh scratched the back of his head and lightly berated himself. 'You're truly something, aren't you? You're not worried about the future at all.'
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Finally, it was the first day of July. It was the day that Kagome and HoroHoro's time in China drew to a close. When Kagome and HoroHoro rendezvoused in the main lobby, they were delighted to discover Ren, Sango, and Jun waiting for them with all except the eldest Tao teen clutching luggage cases. Kagome was somewhat disappointed to know that Jun would only be escorting them to Japan and then immediately returning to China but she accepted that she had other matters to attend to.
Because of this, Kagome allowed Jun to fawn over her throughout the aerial ride towards Japan. Ren sweat dropped and felt second-hand embarrassed as his older sister gushed and vocalized her fantasies about their future. "I'm thinking that spending your high school years together would be a great bonding experience," Jun explained, stars dancing in her eyes, "What do you think, Kagome-chan? Would you like arrangements made for you to attend high school and college in China?"
Jun couldn't hear HoroHoro's question of, "Isn't she getting a bit ahead of herself?"
"Or if that's too overwhelming, I'm sure Renny wouldn't mind going to Japan," the older the siblings continued without missing a beat.
Hours later, the group was heading away from the baggage carousel and toward the convenience store that Manta chose to be their rendezvous point. Between Bankotsu's staggering height and Pirika's distinct icy blue hair, it was effortless to spot their friends amongst the countless bodies milling about. Kagome smiled at the sight of Yoh and Manta casually chatting with Bankotsu, who was being held around the waist by a huffy Pirika. The younger Usui seemed to be exchanging choice words with a fuming Jakotsu.
'I wonder...' The priestess thought with an inward chuckle, 'What the future will look like.'
"Yo, everyone!" HoroHoro was the first to draw attention to their approaching party. "Long time no see, huh?" He cracked a wide grin when Pirika immediately released Bankotsu and beamed brilliantly.
"Onii-chan!" Pirika's face lit up as she dashed across the way towards her brother, her arms spread out.
"Pirika..." HoroHoro felt his heart melting at the visage of his younger sister. 'Still big brother's girl, huh...?' He smiled and closed his eyes, spreading out of his arms in return.
"Onii-chan!" Pirika's voice and footsteps rapidly drew closer.
'Hmph, Bankotsu...' HoroHoro braced himself for the impact, 'You'll have to do better if you want to compete with our siblings bon—.' He froze when he felt the wind rush past him.
"You finally brought Kororo home!" Pirika squealed as she rubbed her cheek against a giggling Kororo. "How could you have her overseas for so long?! I missed her so much!"
As older siblings, Jun, Sango, and Kagome felt nothing short of pity as they watched HoroHoro's body turn to stone...then crumble into pieces on the floor. Despite this, their group pressed on and walked past the pieces of broken HoroHoro to greet their friends.
"Hey, everyone," Kagome smiled as she and the others stopped just short of Yoh's party. "Good to see you after so long. I've missed you." Her words were directed at all of her friends but she didn't miss the way Yoh's easy-going expression brightened up at the statement. 'Yoh is shining more than usual today,' she thought as she squinted against his aura.
Bankotsu, always quick on the uptake, noted the way Yoh's glow made Ren bristle. Bankotsu inwardly smirked before stepping toward Ren with a chummy, toothy grin, "Yo, chibi. It's been a while."
"R-Release me, you, big buffoon!" Ren flushed and demanded as Bankotsu pulled him close and ground his knuckles against Ren's head.
Jun gasped, dread filling her as she observed Kagome engaging Yoh and Manta in conversation. Kagome was giggling, Manta was chatting happily, and Yoh was grinning and scratching his cheek adorably. The priestess seemed unbothered by the way Bankotsu was keeping Ren preoccupied with small talk and teasing. 'Shichinin Bankotsu...' the elder Tao's inner voice was icy as her eyes narrowed. 'I see what you're playing at. So you've picked a team and it's the wrong one.'
Having just finished collecting the pieces of HoroHoro off the floor, Sango sweat dropped at the scene before her. She could tell that Jun was taking Bankotsu's interference as a challenge. Sango proceeded to piece HoroHoro back together as she watched Jun give a lady-like chuckle before promptly collecting his younger brother from Bankotsu's hold. "Pardon me, Bankotsu-kun, I need to borrow my Renny here~" The green-haired teen promptly fixed Ren's ruffled hair before dragging him over to Sango and HoroHoro.
"Tao Family Huddle!" Jun whisper-yelled as she pulled the three other teens close with inhuman strength.
Bankotsu raised a brow as he aimed a bemused smile at the huddle. With his hands on his hips, he felt nothing short of amusement, 'Midori-san sure is competitive. I don't even have a preference between Yoh and Ren though.' He scanned the immediate area and found Pirika still gushing over Kororo and Jakotsu looking annoyed at the way Yoh's attention was only directed at Kagome.
"It's been a while since the entire gang's been together," Kagome pointed out before tapping her cheek. "I was expecting Ryu-san would be here to see Sango-chan but I guess not. What's been going on?"
"Well, Ryu is adamant about being prepared for phase two and proving himself worthy of Sango so he's been in Izumo training with Jii-san," Yoh explained. "He would have been with me but he'd rather not train under Anna."
"For me, I've mainly been studying but now I'll be staying at Funbari Hill with Yoh-kun for a while," Manta explained before inquiring, "When's the next time you'll be over? It'll just be like old times."
Kagome stifled a chuckle, thinking how Manta made them sound like geezers, "In an ideal world, I'd come over right away but Mama did message me to stop by the shrine first. Apparently, there's a couple of surprises there today."
Before the trio could continue their chat, Jun suddenly cleared her throat, drawing the attention of not only the trio, but Bankotsu, Pirika, Jakotsu, and random passersby. 'Eh...' Kagome and Manta sweat dropped at the display.
Jun, Sango, Ren, and HoroHoro were lined up in that order. Their bodies were linked by their arms being snaked over each other's shoulders. Jun was radiating ways of pure affection while HoroHoro was grinning shamelessly; both extended their free arms in invitation-like poses towards Kagome. Meanwhile, both Sango and Ren looked like they wanted the Earth to swallow them whole.
"Tao Princess," Jun cooed, "How about one last group hug with your future family to commemorate the wonderful time that only us Tao's can have together~?"
Jun threw a smug look toward Bankotsu, whose smile didn't fade but brow did twitch.
"Er..." As much as Kagome loved the Tao's, even she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the stares they were receiving. 'But...' The priestess took in Jun's expecting smile and awaiting embrace. 'Jun-neesan looks like she'll be crushed if I don't..."
Bankotsu, ever quick on the draw, saw Kagome release a soft, relenting sigh before smiling. His eyes narrowed before he exchanged looks with Pirika, Yoh, Jakotsu, and Manta. Jakotsu shrunk away as the others nodded wordlessly as Kagome approached the awaiting Tao hug.
Within record time, Bankotsu's crew formed their own line of linked teens with Bankotsu and Manta taking up the ends of the group. "Ahem," Bankotsu cleared his throat, drawing Kagome's and the Tao's attention to his assembly.
Jun bristled at the sight of the intense, luminous aura that Bankotsu's group emitted.
"Welcome home, Kagome-chan," Manta greeted her warmly with the sweetest smile.
Yoh nodded and gave Kagome a smile that made her heart skip a beat, "You can relax and not worry about that stressful princess stuff."
Jun's smile twitched irritably when Bankotsu deliberately spoke up, "Poor Kaggy was probably forced to balance books on her head while walking." It was true that proper lady posture and mannerisms ended up on Kagome's training, but it was only to ensure that the girl would be comfortable attending future aristocratic events! "It must have been so stuffy."
"Kagome-neechan, this way, this way~" Pirika coaxed, more invested in being of use to Bankotsu than being a part of the group Kagome chose to indulge.
"Must be nice to be popular with the boys," Jakotsu pouted as he took a spot by Kagome's side between the opposing groups. He placed his hands on his hips, "I'm way cuter and neither Ren-chan nor Yoh-chan show any interest."
Kagome raised her hands and took on a meek, pacifying tone, "There's no reason for anyone to be jealous." She then tucked some hair behind her ear, "More importantly, no matter what, all of us are connected in a special way. We're kenzoku, right?" The priestess then unleashed a million-watt smile.
For a split second, Jun's eyes widened, 'K-Kagome-chan is too powerful...!'
The brilliance behind the smile released a flash of light so powerful that it engulfed the area. When the light subsided, both Jun's and Bankotsu's ranks and formations were staggered. Sango and Ren looked tired but relieved. HoroHoro appeared weak but in good spirits. Bankotsu stood tall and proud but was visibly surprised at the aftermath of Kagome's warfare. Pirika held onto him for support. Manta smiled softly, grateful that the battle was over. Meanwhile, Yoh was reduced to the ground, supporting himself on one knee.
Content with the defusion of tension, Kagome sighed and reached for her luggage, "We should get goi—."
—only to find both Ren's and Yoh's hands on the handle.
They looked at each other and glared-their gazes sending clashing electric signals toward each other.
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
'Surprises, indeed...' Kagome thought as she found herself in the most chaotic scenario possible. She was somewhat expecting the surprises waiting for her return would be a small party and dinner to celebrate her official courtship with Yoh and Ren. Her mother had a love of hosting social gatherings after all. But this—!
This was way less of a surprise and more of a nightmare.
Currently, Kagome was squished between Yoh and Ren as the trio, Manta, and Bankotsu sat on the living room couch. Gathered around the low-sitting coffee table that sat between the couch and television were a set of plush tatami mats where Pirika, HoroHoro, Sango, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu sat. But it was none of the people who followed Kagome from the airport to the shrine that caused the tension and chaos brewing in the Higurashi house.
No.
It wasn't even the unexpected addition to the Higurashi family—Higurashi Hakudoshi, whom Pirika was busy holding and making faces at.
No.
It was the apocalyptic scenario known as Hurricane Higurashi Twins (Momiji and Botan) meeting Volcano Chain Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi meeting on the same day that Kagome supposedly "brought home even more beautiful boys".
Kaede nor the Higurashi head priest bothered to give Kagome a warning about their visitors when the elders opened the door to their granddaughter and her guests. Kagome thought it would be business as usual as the crowd of teenagers filed into the Higurashi house and into the living room—only to freeze upon discovering Sota blushing while being surrounded by older girls who were cooing at an ashen-haired infant.
Unsurprisingly, Kagome's trio of friends and cousins seemed to have been getting along swimmingly. All was calm until the girls spotted Kagome and her parade of friends.
"I-It's..." Ayumi's voice went up an octave as she clutched her cheeks. Meanwhile, Yuka's and Eri's jaws dropped as they pointed towards the group, specifically the tallest teen amongst them, "S-Shi...Shichinin..."
Simultaneously, Momiji and Botan's pupils widened before they expertly scanned the faces beside and behind their cousin. Beloved Yoh-sama. Adorable Manta-sama. A gargantuan adonis with luscious raven locks. A hunk with wild, icy rock-star hair. And Apollo in human form with smoldering, golden eyes.
Kagome felt a sinking feeling as she watched her friends' and cousins' expressions change.
"KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" They shrieked in unison.
Before she knew it, the girls had accosted Kagome by her arms and pulled her further into the living room, forcing her to sit on the couch and they surrounded her from all sides.
"Eh..." The high priestess sweat dropped, unable to keep up with the onslaught of questions she was attacked with.
"KAGOME, HOW DO YOU KEEP BRINGING HOME BEAUTIFUL BOYS?!" Momiji questioned.
Botan was quick to follow up, "THERE MUST BE A SECRET! TELL US WHAT IT IS!"
"KAGOME-CHAN, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?! WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE?!" Yuka added to the cacophony.
"HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS TO LOOK LIKE MODELS?!" Eri urged.
"Why didn't you tell us that Bankotsu-kun would be here today?" Ayumi queried in a softer voice.
"I didn't even know you'd be here today," Kagome opted to respond to the easiest question, her brow twitching as she felt her stress level rising.
It took Yoh approaching the Higurashi twins with a soothing smile and Bankotsu ushering Kagome's trio of friends to settle down the noise. It seemed like a miracle to have so many of them gathered and relatively subdued a few minutes later—though admittedly, it took further intervention from Kaede and the Higurashi head priest to completely compose the wild teens.
Still, anxious energy pulsed through their veins so the Higurashi twins and Kagome's friends remained standing as they tried to contain themselves.
"I forgot how vexing humans can be..." Ren muttered under his breath.
Kagome sweat dropped while smiling nervously, "Eheh, my cousins are Shinto priestesses too and they're still like this so..."
Yoh then whispered, "I don't know. I think a change of pace isn't so bad every now and then."
"Before we get down to business," Yuka spoke up, taking charge of the main conversation's direction. "I need to know what your relationships with Kagome-chan are. When I point to you, you'll speak your role."
Jakotsu scoffed from his spot next to Bankotsu while Manta thought to himself, 'Isn't it impolite to blatantly point...?'
'Of all days for everyone to visit...' Kagome thought as she saw the way Yuka's eyes moved before her finger did.
They landed on HoroHoro first, Yuka commanded, "You."
"Broski," HoroHoro answered simply before shooting a secretive smirk at Sango that made the Tao blush and look away.
Bankotsu then Yoh then Ren were next in that order. Each answered in their own nonchalant way.
"Guardian."
"Boyfriend."
"Boyfriend."
They answered respectively.
"..."
Momiji and Botan initially looked pleased at HoroHoro's and Bankotsu's answers. But utter shock and terror marred faces at Yoh's and Ren's.
'Eh...' Manta sweat dropped as his eye twitched, '...is my presence being ignored?!'
"BOYFRIEND?!" the twin's and trio's screeched. They quintet looked at each other before their voices became watery, "TIMES TWO?!"
Within the blink of an eye, Kagome was yanked from her spot between Yoh and Ren and was once again surrounded by the quintet. Momiji and Botan were shaking their cousins' shoulders as they spoke as one, "How can they be your boyfriends when you have the ultra dream Hao-sama?!"
The Higurashi twins unknowingly made Yoh freeze and Ren bristle.
"Hao has nothing to do with it," Kagome replied simply. "He's a menace."
"Poor Hao-sama," the twins relinquished their hold on Kagome and looked each other in the eye. "Do you think he knows about this...? But still, he wants her...?!"
Kagome was hoping she could give her friends a quick update on her current affairs but before she could give the trio her attention, she found her arms linked with Yoh and Ren at either side.
"Excuse me, ladies..." Yoh offered the group a cordial smile.
Ren didn't bother to offer a pleasantry as he bluntly finished, "We need to borrow Kagome."
"Eh..." Kagome wore a nervous smile as her eyes looked between Yoh and Ren. "...I, uh..." She sweat dropped, knowing that neither was happy to hear Hao's name in the mix. "...are you mad?"
Sango watched as Kagome was whisked away to another room by her suitors. She wore a sympathetic smile, 'Poor Kagome-chan. She'll never catch a break at this rate.'
S.H.A.M.A.N.K.I.N.G.
Thanks to Sango and Manta's consistent level-headedness, the Higurashi twins and Kagome's old friends were caught up in the romantic affairs they demanded to know about. It was relatively easy to omit the parts pertaining to shamanism and the supernatural because the girls were love-crazy and didn't care to ask too many questions. By the time that Kagome, Yoh, and Ren returned from their private talk, the storm had passed and Kagome's friends were calm enough to explain why they came.
Everyone was surprised to find out that the trio sought out Kagome because they wanted her to be the lead singer for their girl band act at an upcoming talent show. The show would be a live competition showcased at a local Tanabata festival.
Kagome's first instinct was to decline because she was busy preparing for the shaman fights and imperial priestess affairs, but Ayumi was her weakness. Ayumi's eyes twinkled as she clutched Kagome's hands tightly, "Please, Kagome-chan. It has to be you. Remember when our class won the choir competition in grade school?! You were our shining angel of victory~!"
"We even thought of a cool band name for us," Eri added with her own smile. "Miko and Maidens."
"And 'thought of a cool band'," Yuka placed her hands on her hips, "She means that we already submitted your name on our entry form."
Kagome anime fell before she recomposed herself and questioned, "Why would you do that?!"
"Because we were sure you'd say 'yes'~!" Ayumi's expression became puppy-dog eyes.
"Also," Yuka smirked while nodding to herself confidently, "I'm sure our band would earn brownie points from your fans so our victory would be nearly guaranteed."
"Yuka-chan..." Kagome deadpanned, "You're speaking like some sort of villain..."
Despite the way they went about recruiting her, Kagome caved and agreed to join the band. Ren raised a brow, his arms crossed and he questioned if she had the time for such things. The Tao's brow twitched when Yoh smiled and placed a hand on Kagome's head. "Do your best but remember to take it easy too, okay?"
Kagome melted and nodded, basking in Yoh's glow.
'Yoh...stop playing the understanding, supportive boyfriend role...' Ren thought with a darkened aura.
"Must be nice to have two boyfriends..." Eri whispered to herself.
Yuka and Ayumi nodded in agreement.
With the agreement in place, Yuka handed Kagome the practice schedule that she drew up for their performance, including the lyrics and music sheets for reference. Kagome looked down at the schedule, not batting an eyelash when Yoh and Ren crowded at her sides to glimpse at it over her shoulder.
The trio unknowingly emitted a warm aura as they casually discussed the schedule versus their own plans.
"Envy is such an ugly emotion, but—" Momiiji started.
"—Kagome really hit the jackpot somehow," Botan finished.
"My presence really is being ignored..." Manta sweat dropped, only for his shoulder to be patted by Pirika as she offered her condolences.
"It's okay, Manta-san," The younger Usui assured him. "They treat us other girls like we don't exist either."
Thus, with less than a week to learn an entire song, Kagome opted to stay at the Higurashi house until the festival. She was offered the opportunity to stay over at Ayumi's place, the place where they would rehearse for three hours every day, but she decided to stay home to help take care of Hakudoshi and help with chores. The two Tao's and Usui's returned to the apartment complex that the Tao's bought out for their Tokyo affairs. When the groups were finally dispersing late that night, Pirika attempted to stick to Bankotsu and return home with him and Jakotsu, but HoroHoro insisted that she had enough fun for one summer.
"Onii-chan, Ban-san and everyone took really good care of me! Pirika pouted and stomped her foot.
HoroHoro shook his head as the roles were reversed—for once, it was he who was dragging his younger sister away, "Yeah, yeah. You'll see him again soon enough. Onii-chan worries about you, know."
It was late afternoon on July 5th when Yoh arrived at Ayumi's front door. The band had been expecting his presence because he and Ren had been picking Kagome up from rehearsal on a rotating basis. "Ah, Yoh-kun," Ayumi gasped softly as she, Yuka, and Eri drank in his appearance.
"Was this..." Yoh blushed lightly when the trio looked him up and down then back at Kagome. "...intentional?" Ayumi asked curiously, referring to the couple's suspiciously similar outfits.
Kagome couldn't help but blush too as she raised her hands defensively, "It wasn't. It just sort of worked out this way..." She asserted, "I'm just as surprised as you are."
While Kagome thought couples' outfits were a novel concept, she and Yoh didn't have the chance to explore anything like that. It was a happy coincidence that Yoh chose to wear light-washed denim jeans and a matching jacket over a plain, white T-shirt on the same day that she wore a light-washed denim jacket over a white sundress.
"Y-Yeah..." Yoh wished they could take credit for the way they ended up matching for their date, but alas, he could not. But what the Asakura did do was silently thank the gods for the opportunity to go out with Kagome.
"Take it easy on our Kagome-chan, okay~?" Ayumi asked while waving 'goodbye'.
Kagome and Yoh paused to smile at the girls over their shoulders.
Yuka took the opportunity to smile cattishly and cross her arms, "Be gentle with her, Yoh-kun."
Kagome blushed intensely when Yoh merely took the comment in stride with a nod of agreement "Unless she asks me not to."
Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi gasped and threw their hands over their mouths.
"Yoh, you're bad," Kagome lightly chided as the couple walked from Ayumi's stoop, leaving her friends to wonder if he was serious or teasing.
Yoh chuckled and grinned when Kagome lightly backhanded his stomach, "I know, I know. I couldn't help it though."
Once they exited the gate that separated Ayumi's family yard from the public space, Kagome blinked as Yoh stopped in front of an autumn-leaf orange bicycle that was parked on the side of the sidewalk. "Check it out~" Yoh said with boyish giddiness as he kicked up the kickstand. "From now on, we can have a sweet ride," he told her while positioning the bike in the center of the sidewalk.
Kagome watched as Yoh mounted the seat and then steadied himself. Previously, Yoh and Kagome opted to walk then take the bus or train around town. The girl smiled when Yoh offered her a grin and thumbs up from over his shoulder once he was ready for her. Kagome smoothed her skirt and gingerly parked her behind onto the bike's luggage tray. "You sure you're strong enough to handle me?" She teased as she opted to sit sideways on the tray.
"Of course," Yoh couldn't find the grin that spread at the feeling of Kagome's shoulder against his back. Somehow, her weight against him was energizing. "Leave it to me!" He told her as he began pedaling.
With all of his strength training, it didn't take long for Yoh to pick up speed. "Mm..." Kagome closed her eyes and sighed contently. Her boyfriend took them at a pace slow enough to be relaxing but just fast enough to pick up a cooling breeze that was refreshing against the summer heat. For several minutes they rode in comfortable silence, both basking in each other's presence and the wind.
Kagome couldn't help but feel like a schoolgirl.
She would never admit it to anyone, but even the very first Higurashi Kagome never had the chance to ride on the back of a lover's bicycle.
It was something so simple and almost mundane, but—this beloved first belonged to Yoh.
"Hey, Yoh?" Kagome finally opened her eyes. When the Asakura hummed in response, she queried, "What's with this bike ride anyway? Did your mom think of this to compete against Ren?"
"Weeell..." Yoh sounded sheepish as he admitted, "It's true that Okaa-san ordered this bike and had it shipped to me." He had no choice but to rely on his family for this favor. Yohmei didn't have the loose purse strings that Tao Ching and Tao Yúan had. His monthly allowance wasn't usually an issue because Yoh was usually satisfied with having his basic needs met. But... "Honestly, this was my idea."
"Heeeeeeeh?" Kagome sounded impressed at the confession. "Is that so?"
"Un," Yoh nodded as warm blood gathered in his cheeks. "I actually wanted to do this with for a while..." He confessed, his voice becoming softer as he added, "I saw some kids our age do it and I thought it was..." Even Kagome blushed at his next word, "...romantic."
Yoh then made a smooth turn down the road. Kagome was secretly impressed that she didn't feel the need the adjust or brace herself during the ride. She smiled and pressed on, "Romantic, huh?" She didn't disagree but she couldn't pass on the opportunity to tease Yoh, "So where are we headed today, Romeo?"
Yoh chuckled at the light jab before answering, "Well, you've been working hard lately so I think we should take it easy. I was thinking we could buy our yukata together."
"Mmm?" Kagome hummed, "So now you are trying to find matching outfits."
Yoh dared to toss a grin over his shoulder, "Do you have any protests, Asakura Princess?"
He was blessed with the sight of Kagome's pretty blush. She then closed her eyes and feigned a huff and haughty tone, "I'll allow it."
"My deepest gratitude, my Lady," Yoh smiled as he continued toting his girlfriend to the neighboring shopping district. As the residential streets transitioned into wider streets that housed businesses and establishments, he raised his voice to speak over the noise of busier streets, "By the way, if there's anything you want from me or want to do together, just tell me."
"I'm already being spoiled enough lately," Kagome replied with a smile. "But I will. Same to you by the way." She thought about Yoh's recent confession. "If there's anything that's within my power that I can do for you, just say the word."
Yoh could think of a hundred things that he wanted to do with Kagome.
So many things that he wanted to do before he—.
"By the way," Kagome's sudden exclamation cut off that train of thought. "Sango-chan has been coming over and been helping out with Hakudoshi! The other day, I walked in on her singing him to sleep and she had the voice of an angel." Yoh smiled at the sound of the girl gushing over her friend's talent. "If I had known, I would have tried to get Sango-chan to join Miko and Maidens."
"Mmm... I wonder if Sango would ever agree to something like that though..." Yoh speculated lightly. "She tends to keep to herself so she seems a bit shy."
"Yeah," Kagome agreed with a soft, mildly disappointed tone. "When I told her that she should sing for the talent show..."
Yoh easily envisioned the way Sango blushed and shuffled uncomfortably. Her violet eyes averted from Kagome as she responded timidly, "...I...I definitely wouldn't call it a talent." The Tao's voice was weak as she disclaimed, "I don't have any vocal training. I just...used to sing to Kohaku."
"When she mentioned Kohaku-kun, I couldn't bring myself to insist," Kagome stated, "I know Sango-chan must still be grieving so I feel terrible for bringing up something that might be painful for her."
"The pain of losing a sibling, huh...?" Yoh whispered as he mulled over this. "I can't imagine how that feels." As they approached a modern building with a low ceiling, Yoh applied pressure to the brakes, "But don't worry. I'm sure memories of Kohaku are happy and warm just as much as they are painful."
Kagome couldn't contain her grateful smile as she climbed off of the bike. "Thanks, Yoh..." She whispered. He nodded and proceeded to roll his bike toward the rack next to the building. "Oh, is this another wish of yours?" She asked as Yoh locked his bike.
Yoh nodded as he slowed his pace to match Kagome's, "Yeah, I'm being a bit selfish today so I hope you'll be just as selfish."
"Fine, you better prepare yourself," Kagome told him as the couple made their way inside the arcade that Yoh wanted to check out. Kagome was sure to drag Yoh to every game that she wanted to play. The first game they tried was a cooperative zombie-apocalypse shooting game.
The game was the modern kind that included a semi-private booth that housed a screen and a bench that vibrated and jostled to complete the immersion. Upon climbing inside and seeing the large, plastic model gun the players needed to aim at the screen, Yoh initially marveled at it with boyish wonder. After the couple settled on the bench and in front of their respective guns, Kagome placed a few tokens into the slot, starting the game with a bone-chilling shriek that made Yoh freeze.
Kagome raised a brow at him and asked, "Yoh...you're a shaman. You're not afraid of spooky games, are you?"
Yoh looked sickly as he lowered his gaze shamefully, "S-shamans deal with spirits, not zombies and skeletons. Reanimation of the dead is—." He visibly shuddered at the thought.
Kagome could think of a couple of examples of why she understood what Yoh meant. She smiled and aimed her cross-hair at the center of the screen and shot the blood-stained "Start" button. "I get it, Yoh," She told him with a confident smile. "I'll protect you. Just leave it to me."
Yoh shook his head defiantly as he gripped his gun and watched the horror-themed opening sequence play out, "A...a few skellys won't conquer me. I'll back you up."
...so he said, but Yoh's eyes squeezed shut as he blindly unloaded all of his ammo within the first five seconds.
Kagome was nothing short of amused as she proceeded to carry Yoh to the next checkpoint—until they ended up surrounded by several waves of zombies that made quick work of wiping them out.
The next game was Yoh's choice: a competitive racing game against each other and NPCs who tossed witty one-liners at them. This game involved sitting in race chairs and using realistic wheels, brakes, and gas pedals. Kagome's second choice was Dance Dance Revolution. Yoh then earned applause from Kagome and a few strangers at a strength-testing machine. He received a score of over 500 after punching a considerably weighty sandbag. After spending a shameful amount of money, the couple swore to never tell a soul how they epically failed at winning a single prize from the claw machine.
"That includes you, Amidamaru-sama," Kagome aimed a pointed stare at the samurai. He bristled and swore himself to secrecy.
After an hour, the second to last game they tried was a couple's compatibility machine. Yoh couldn't contain himself and had to try it after watching a couple walk away from it with deflated spirits. "Isn't it a bit late to be worrying about our compatibility?" Kagome lightly teased as they stepped in front of the machine. After she fed the machine her last few tokens, each placed a hand on one of the hand prints and waited.
"Heh heh, I know it's just a game but it's still exciting, isn't it?" Yoh smiled as the screen came to life with vibrant colors and images of pink and purple hearts fluttered about.
"0%" appeared in a bold, cutesy font in the middle of the screen.
Both Yoh and Kagome wore matching, tight-lipped smiles with wide eyes that screamed in panic.
Suddenly, the number began to rise gradually, and both inwardly breathed sighs of relief.
"10%..."
Even Kagome began to feel a bit giddy at the speed of the calculation picked up significantly.
35%... 69% ... 98% ...
Suddenly triumphant trumpet sounds blared from the machines as the screen flashed and revealed.
"500% :
You are soulmates and lovers from a past life"
Kagome and Yoh exchanged looks before breaking out into a bought of laughter. Their last stop at the arcade was deemed an absolute must for Kagome the moment she spotted it: Purikura. Yoh didn't protest as they filed into the photo booth. "Looks like we'll get six pics in one session," Kagome stated as their eyes followed the texts and photo prompts on the screen.
"Which theme should we pi—?" She started to ask as she looked away from the screen and up at Yoh, only to find his brown eyes twinkling and settled on the lovey-dovey couple's photo op theme. Kagome giggled before she raised her finger and selected the one Yoh had been eyeing.
"Ah," Yoh blinked before blushing, "You caught me..."
"Sure did," Kagome wore a cheeky, coy smile before she tuned in on the machine's voice.
"Prepare for your LoveyDovey Purikura Op!" a feminine voice instructed. "3...2...1!"
A few minutes later, the couple emerged with matching printouts of their photo session. The first photo was a standard photo where the pair huddled close and held up peace signs—though managed Yoh sneak in and place his over Kagome's head in the nick of time.
The second photo was of the pair holding their hands in Maneki-neko poses. Kagome happily used the editing tool to draw cat ears and whiskers on their heads and faces.
In the third photo, they stood back-to-back while placing their fingers to their lips as if they were shushing each other.
For the fourth, Yoh caught Kagome off guard by suddenly standing directly behind her. He grinned widely as he rested his hands on her shoulders. He took the liberty of writing "World's Cutest" in the cutest pink color and surprisingly elegant and neat calligraphy.
In the following photo, Kagome beamed as Yoh remained behind her and wrapped his arms around her before resting his chin on top of her head. She decorated this photo with the curliest hearts that she could manage with the stylist.
For the final photo, Yoh returned to his spot beside Kagome. The pair curled their fingers and brought their hands together to form a heart shape.
Their next destination was a nearby bakery that sold adorable animal-shaped bread with various fillings and flavored coffees and teas. Yoh relished in the adorable, torn face that Kagome made as she tried to choose between savory, beef-filled teddy bear-shaped bread or the sweet, chocolate-filled kitten-shaped bread. He didn't let her agonize for long however, the Asakura merely ordered one of each bread. They gladly split and shared both.
There were still so many stores between their current location and the yukata store that Yoh heard about, but he nor Kagome didn't mind. They took their time and took turns exploring various establishments. Somehow, they ended up wandering into an oversized department store. They decided to check if the store sold yukata and were surprised to only find Western-style clothing. They shrugged it off and continued meandering around the store until they happened across the jewelry department.
Yoh didn't have much interest in shining jewels but he once again thanked the gods for the opportunity to see the way Kagome's eyes sparkled as they sauntered around the display cases. "Oh, cute," The priestess cooed at a pair of rings that were shown next to each other.
Immediately, one of the attendants took the chance to approach the young couple with a bright side. "You have a good eye, young lady," the woman complimented warmly. "That is a set of couple's rings. Would you two like to try them on?"
Kagome's hands raised instantly as her smile began nervous, knowing that she walked right into a sales trap. "Oh no... It's fine," She muttered, "We were just looking.".
"Don't be like that," The woman's smile remained steady as she gestured towards the rings. "There's no price for trying them on so why not give it a shot?"
Kagome threw a pleading look at Yoh, hoping for his backup in declining, only to freeze when he smiled, "Sure, why not?"
A few minutes later, Kagome found her heart racing at the sight of the shimmering, silver band on her finger. She and Yoh held up their outstretched palms and marveled at the visage of the matching rings.
The attendant's smile widened as she informed them, "If you bring your fingers together just right, the indentations will form a heart~!"
'S-Sales people are so tactical...' Kagome mentally noted as she forced herself to remove the ring. 'Mustn't get carried away. Eh—.' The priestess twitched when Yoh was suddenly whispering over the counter to the woman. "Yoh, we're leaving," she told him while removing his ring.
"Wah... I was kidding," Yoh told her as Kagome looped her arm around his and dragged him away from display cases. "For real!"
"I just have to be sure," Kagome told him obstinately, "I get enough extravagant gifts from the families. I don't need you stretching your allowance for something like that."
"Heh heh..." Yoh chuckled, "Don't worry. I already figured that you wouldn't go for it. But it was still nice to wear them." He then smiled down at Kagome and told her, "By the way, never hesitate to take any gift from me, okay?"
Kagome blinked at the sudden request, "O...kay?"
"It's because for me...it's all about feelings," Yoh explained as they sauntered towards the exit. "Despite being so important, feelings are intangible and invisible." His expression softened as he continued, "I think a gift is a way to give your feelings shape. But I guess that's why how expensive it is doesn't matter."
'To give your feelings shape, huh...?' Kagome's mind echoed as the words embedded into her chest.
The pair still had a few hours of sunlight left so they pressed on with their adventure. Eventually, they arrived at the specialty yukata outlet where all sorts of patterns were on display. After the many times her measurements were taken in China, Kagome easily whispered her measurements to one of the shop attendants as another took Yoh into a private room to be measured. With their sizes noted on their invoice, the couple took their time in deciding what pattern they wanted.
It took longer than expected but at last, they decided on what patterns they wanted their yukata to come in and placed an expedited order for pick-up. By the time they returned to Yoh's bike, the sun was beginning to set. Despite the hours they spent on their feet, both teens felt invigorated as they assumed their positions.
"I feel a little bad," Kagome stated as Yoh took off in the direction of Higurashi shrine.
"Mm?" Yoh hummed curiously. "Why? We had a lot of fun, didn't we?"
"We did but it's a long ride from here to the shrine then back to Funbari..." Kagome explained as she watched the scenery and people go by.
"Yeah, but it's fine," Yoh reassured her. "All of this biking is great training too!" He adopted an optimistic tone. "Besides, it's been so fun that even now, I don't want it to end."
Kagome stifled a chuckle, knowing that she felt the same way.
"Well, it doesn't need to, does it?" Kagome asked light-heartedly. "What if you just keep riding? If we just ran away from everything?" She gripped her chin, "Let's say to..." She paused if she was truly considering it. "...Brazil or Italy."
"Why stop on Earth?" Yoh chuckled, unable to see the way Kagome's eyes lit up as they rode over a bridge. The mosaic of summery sunset hues was reflected by the gentle steam. For a moment, Kagome was breathless as Yoh suggested, "We could ride and float through the Milky Way until we find another galaxy."
"Or you and me floating until the end of time..." Kagome closed her eyes as she leaned against Yoh's back. "Wouldn't that be the easy life that you want?"
Yoh kept his eyes ahead and continued forward.
'I know you're only kidding...' He thought to himself as he pedaled on and on.
"Anyway, should we just head straight for Funbari tonight?" Kagome suggested. "Spending one night over won't hurt."
'But for me, it's still a little tempting...' Yoh didn't dare share that thought.
He just pedaled on and on as they rode off into the sunset.
Yoh wanted to take this time to be selfish.
And he wanted Kagome to take this time to be selfish too.
He didn't know what the future would bring for them.
All that he knew was what he had to do to secure Kagome's future.
Still, it was days like this—.
Days when she was by his side and he could clearly fantasize about a future with Kagome...
...that made Yoh's heart ache.
Authoress Notes: Hurray, another chapter down! And as special treats to the loyal readers, this chapter featured both Ren x Kagome and Yoh x Kagome—hm, actually, most chapters will feature these pairings going forward (for obvious reasons). I feel rusty as heck so I hope even the slightest bit of cuteness that I intended shone through. It took a long time to build up to an actual established relationship of sorts so I hope this will pay off. If not...welp... I'm already in too deep to turn back and failed the slow burn.
We have about 4 more chapters of this summer-autumn phase two Shaman Fight arc before we move on. I hope you all are enjoying the reprieve from the angst. Also, feel free to check out the latest addition to Shaman King Manga Cover Art in my content collection folder located in the poll in my profile!
Lastly, the songs for our Ren x Kagome confession at the beginning would be "The love that we give each other".
