I have created a Spotify Playlist of the songs used, so you don't have to go hunting for them. The Playlist will be updated as the fic is updated, so there'll be no spoilers about what's coming down the road.

Link is in my Profile.

Songs in this chapter in order of use, and placed in the story when to hit play:

(1) "Enough to Believe – Eagles & Butterflies Remix" – Bob Moses

"Okay, I've gotta go, Mom! I'm meeting up with some friends soon and I don't wanna be late," Kagome started as she tried to end the phone call with her mother over speaker phone, finishing off her hair as she checked in the mirror to make sure she looked good to go.

"Alright, dear. You have fun with your friends. Oh, I'm so glad you're getting out more these days," her mother said back, inadvertently extending the call.

"You can thank Sango for that. She's been really helping me get out more. I don't know what I'd do without her," Kagome replied, grabbing her hairbrush and detangling the few knots she had.

"I know this has been hard on you and Souta, but I'm so happy you have friends who are really supporting you. This isn't easy for anyone to go through," came the soothing tone of her mom's reply. Her mother always did have a way of calming her down when she felt anxious.

"Do you think… Dad's gonna be able to come to the performance? It's only two weeks away," Kagome asked, her attention refocusing on the call.

"We'll have to see how he's doing, dear. He has been in higher spirits lately. Let's hope he's doing well by then," Mama Higurashi, ever the realist.

"Right…" Kagome said in a slightly despondent voice, understanding what her mother was alluding to, "Well, either way, I'll be sure to come by the hospital this weekend regardless. It'll be nice to see everyone before I start the last week of rehearsals."

"Alright! Don't let me keep you any longer. You have fun with your friends, and we'll see you this weekend!" her mom replied, her jovial tone brightening Kagome's demeanor instantly.

"Thanks Mom. Give my best to Souta, Dad, and Gramps. I'll see ya later!"

Kagome ended the phone call before taking a final look at herself in the mirror. She'd put a little more effort into her appearance today. Nothing too extreme, after all she was just going to hangout with Sango and the others at the studio. But today, she'd tossed aside her loose sweaters and comfortable leggings in favor of dark blue skinny jeans and a white fitted long-sleeve ribbed shirt that showed off more of her curves than she was used to, though she probably showed less skin. But somehow, she almost felt more exposed than if she was showing her legs like she did with her casual skirt.

'Is it too much?' she wondered to herself, looking at the light foundation and mascara she'd put on, the hint of tinted lip balm coloring her lips a medium shade of peach, and the smallest touch of bronzer to make it look like she hadn't been locked up in her dorm for the last two years.

By any normal standards, Kagome would be considered a natural beauty, but today, for some reason, she felt like she needed to put in a bit more effort, a ritual she wasn't terribly familiar with. As a teenager, she'd spent more time practicing her music than worrying about makeup and boys. It was all she'd ever focused on. Until now, clothes were a necessity, not a fashion statement. Makeup just hadn't been that important. The only thing that mattered… was practicing.

But she was about to turn twenty soon, and she was going to be graduating, top of her class, from one of the most prestigious music conservatories in the country. She couldn't keep hiding herself under oversized clothes, unkempt hair, and no effort in her appearance. She wanted to look more professional and put together, like she knew what she was doing.

What's the saying? 'Fake it 'til you make it,' she told herself.

After smoothing out one last hair, she affirmed that this was fine, and she just needed to be confident. She grabbed her suede coat and purses, and heading out to meet Sango and the guys at the studio, refusing to give it another thought.

Kagome tentatively knocked on the studio room door as she poked her head in and softly let out a greeting, hoping she wasn't disturbing them while they were practicing.

"Oh Kagome!" Sango replied happily, excited to see her friend, "Come on in. We were just trying to figure out how to structure a new song."

"Yeah, and Inuyasha's being an idiot," Shippo chided the half-demon.

"It's too damn slow! I know I have a tendency to sound morose, but this is just pretentious!" Inuyasha criticized back, too temperamental to take immediate notice of the visitor in the room.

"Oh, so you're only just realizing how pretentious you sound?" Miroku joked.

"Whatever…" Inuyasha scoffed as he turned his head away from his bandmates, spotting Kagome by the couch as she took off her suede coat, revealing her near skin-tight, but refined, attire. Until then, he'd only really seen her in baggy sweaters, maybe a skirt that showed some of her leg, but seeing her form in every curve and shape… Inuyasha's jaw would have gone slack had Sango not started up her drum kit with a rhythm that was maybe 10 beats per minute faster than earlier.

"How about this then?" she asked.

Shaken from the distraction that was Kagome's figure, he retorted, "It's still too slow. It just needs…" Inuyasha struggled to figure out what he was trying to explain, sighing in frustration, "I dunno…it needs more momentum."

"But if we go any faster, it doesn't make much sense with the tone of your lyrics," Shippo replied, leaning over his keyboard.

Kagome stepped forward, approaching from the side, seeing the papers scattered in front of Inuyasha, clearly scribbles he'd written down from various times, all patch worked into a song.

Inuyasha ran his hands through his fringe. As much of a good songwriter as he was, he wasn't exactly the most musically literate. He didn't always know how to communicate the idea he was thinking of without playing it himself, but he was having a hard time getting his bandmates to understand what he was trying to explain.

"Is this the song?" Kagome asked as she knelt down, looking at the papers in more detail, picking up a few scraps.

"Huh…? Uh, yeah," he replied, eyeing her as she held the papers.

She stood from her spot on the floor, two papers in her hands, and asked him, "Do you mind if I try something?"

His brow knotted for a moment before saying, "Sure, why not?"

Kagome smiled, making his insides suddenly feel like jelly, before she asked, "Can you play the chords at the tempo you want?"

"Sure," he replied, adjusting the guitar on his shoulder. He played two bars of the chords at a tempo that was definitely faster than what Sango had played a minute ago.

" 'Kay, and do you have a melody in mind?" she asked.

Inuyasha thought for a moment before quickly singing the two bars of the chorus.

He could see the wheels turning as she listened to him intently, her hand tapping against her other arm in time with his singing.

"Hmm, okay," she said abruptly, before sitting down at the baby grand piano, picking up a pen that was there, and writing a few bars of notes on the backs of some of the scraps of paper.

A few moments later, she handed a piece to Inuyasha to look at, her expression eager to see his reaction, "How about this?"

He looked at the paper, and mentally played the chords and his face seemed very interested, "Can't hurt to try it out."

Kagome clapped her hands together, "Alright!"

She proceeded to instruct each of them on their starting points with a general gist, "After a certain point you'll have to kind of improvise, but it'll be interesting to see what happens. This is how me and some of classmates would compose pieces for workshops. We'd set up challenges for each other, and see who could come up with the best piece."

Sango, Miroku and Shippo were all game to give it a try, as they'd never really written music this way before.

Sango started with the rhythm Kagome set, though soon Kagome felt there was a certain sound missing. She turned and asked, "Hey, Sango. Do you have a drum pad I can use?"

Sango nodded, pulling it out from a bag, and set it up next to her kit. After a few seconds of playing around with the setting and sound, Kagome found one she liked, and asked Sango to adjust with the new drum pad. It gave the rhythm an echo and weight to it that had been missing rom earlier.

"Awesome!" Kagome exclaimed, hearing just the effect she'd wanted. She turned back to Inuyasha and said, "Then once Miroku's bass comes in, it'll add the forward momentum I think you're looking for."

He smirked at her, arching a brow as he replied, "Let's hope it works."

Kagome turned back and nodded to Sango with a smile to start again (1).

As the drums built up tension, Kagome started to bob along, listening to ensure it was the effect she had in mind.

She turned to Shippo, telling him when to come in. The eerie sound on the keyboard that she'd picked for him added just the right sound that made the song feel haunting.

Again, with tension building in the song, Kagome instructed Miroku to come in with his bass, playing the chords Inuyasha had played earlier. There was an immediate groove that was built into the structure.

Hearing the first few bars, Inuyasha watched as Kagome excitedly listened to his bandmates bring to together the sounds she'd conjured in her mind, oblivious to his attention. He smiled inwardly. She definitely had a knack for production.

He turned to his mic set that he'd programmed for the session, and adjusted the reverb, switching it on, and positioned it accordingly before he started the verse.

Wondering where to begin
Loneliness rising again
All I know isn't right for me now
Oh, I've nowhere to turn

Heaven isn't holding my hand
Hoping I can make it to the end
I wasn't looking for a phantom or a friend
Tryna find an answer in the wind
I keep feeling like I'm rushing to the end
Looking for a good place to begin
But will I ever know, I'll never know

There was echo of the reverb from the end of the chorus he sang, a silence overtaking them for a moment, broken only by Sango excitedly spinning her drumsticks and chiming, "Whoooo! Let's kick this up a notch!"

"Yeah!" Shippo agreed, as he began to improvise some while Sango resumed her rhythm.

"Kagome, come on!" Sango cried loudly, getting Kagome's attention, as she pointed to the keyboard setup next to Shippo, "Join in!"

Kagome smiled, the others encouraging her as well to join in the improvisation. She quickly ran behind Shippo to the second set up beside him, which had similar setting to her keyboard in her dorm room. She quickly picked a sample sound she thought might work well, nodding that she was good. Shippo stopped at the end of the bar to allow her to come in.

Kagome proceeded to play a penetrating and fast section of progressing notes, that somehow managed to make the rhythm feel like it was going a mile a minute. She gleefully bounced along behind the keyboard, her head bobbing forward and back to maintain the speedy rhythm.

Sango and Miroku let out a rousing holler, Shippo watching intently as her hands seemed to move faster than he was capable of perceiving.

Inuyasha just watched, seeing her unbridled joy and passion for this. It was… refreshing, to see someone who so clearly just had music in them that needed to come out.

All I want is enough to believe
But they said there was no guarantee
All I knew is you're here for me now
I look up at the stars

But heaven isn't holding my hand
Hoping I can make it to the end
Feeling like I'm living in my head
I wasn't looking for a phantom or a friend
I keep feeling like I'm rushing to the end
Tryna find a good place to begin
I keep hoping for an answer in the wind
I wasn't looking for a phantom or a friend
But will I ever know, I'll never know

Tryna find a good place to begin
But will I ever know, I'll never know

Miroku finished the chorus with a last lick of his bass, before Sango and Shippo came back in with renewed vigor.

The room pulsated with verve. It was warm. Electric. Kagome would've been happy to just stay there forever and bask in it, but Shippo nudged her to once again join them.

She smiled and turned back to her keyboard, changing a couple of settings.

There was a lull in Shippo's playing where she started to modulate the same keys she played before, but slower, and in a different sample sound, shifting the sound across the right and left sides, to make it sound almost dizzying, but in a good way.

Shippo eagerly went along with the sound and the two brought up their playing to a crescendo that brought silence once again to the room with the constant rhythm that was Miroku's bass.

Miroku sent Inuyasha a sideways look, joking, "You just gonna sit there, or would you like to join the rest of us in the fun?"

They started again, Inuyasha shaking from his lull as he had just been enjoying the rhythm, realizing he hadn't even touched his guitar since they'd started.

He gripped the neck and starting playing, improvising a little before making his way into the chord that Kagome had played earlier, realizing it was a good progression to use.

Kagome recognized it, looking over her shoulder to see Inuyasha, his eyes slid closed, listening only to the sounds of his guitar and the rhythm. There was a calm about it, that somehow managed to bring the studio back to a place of steadiness, only moving forward with the relentless beat of Sango and Miroku's playing.

Slowly, there began to emerge musical resolutions, and Kagome turned back to the keyboard, playing her modulated chord again, Miroku and Inuyasha's playing fading away.

Sango, only tapping a few more bars of intermittent thuds, similar to a heartbeat, to keep the rhythm going, as Kagome finalized and resolved the song on her board.

There were a few beats of silence before Inuyasha said in a mocking serious tone, "I think we can work with it."

"You're damn right!" Sango shouted cheerfully, "Kagome, can you just be our producer from now on?"

Kagome smiled embarrassingly before replying, "I mean, you guys did improvise a lot and made it your own. I just gave you a rhythm that worked for what you needed."

Miroku slipped off his bass as he said, "It's certainly one of the fastest we've ever been able to figure out a song's structure. Did you have a focus on composing and producing in the conservatory?"

Kagome stepped away from the keyboard, "Composing, yes. Producing, no, not really. I just played around a lot with my computer and keyboard before I got into the program. Composing though was definitely something I had an interest in."

"Really?" Shippo asked, "Does that mean that you've composed something for your big performance?"

Kagome nodded, "Yeah. I've composed the final piece of the performance. It'll be interesting to hear how it sounds in the hall, though. I've never heard music I wrote performed by a full orchestra in hall before, and I'm excited to rehearse it."

"Think we can get an early preview?" Sango asked eagerly, "You've been keeping it a secret for months now, and I wanna hear it!"

Kagome blushed, laughing nervously, "I mean, kinda ruins the surprise, doesn't it? Aren't their rules about spoilers?"

"Please, Kagome? I'll take any excuse to hear your singing again," Shippo asked gleefully.

"Ditto," Miroku seconded.

Hesitant to play the piece again after spending weeks practicing it, Kagome was relieved when she heard Inuyasha chime in, "Come on, guys. Give her a break. All she probably does is practice that song."

"Aww, come off it! Don't be such a wet blanket, Inuyasha." Shippo chided playfully.

"Bite me," Inuyasha chirped back, "Besides, you'll hear it in two weeks anyways."

Sango sighed, "Uh, I guess you're right. What can I say? I'm just an overeager fan. Sorry Kagome. I didn't think about how tedious it would be for you."

"Oh, no! Please, don't apologize!" Kagome replied sweetly, not wanting Sango to feel bad for asking, "But Inuyasha's kinda right. I've practiced that song so many times at this point, I feel like it's making me nauseous. I'd honestly rather play anything else."

"No worries! Let just have some fun then!" Shippo jumped in, hitting some keys on his board to start up the improve session again.

Kagome turned her head subtly over her shoulder toward Inuyasha, catching his golden eye quickly while the others were distracted and got pulled back into playing. She mouthed a silent, "Thank you," to him. He smiled genuinely and nodded shallowly.

After a while of playing and having some fun, the group decided to head out to grab some food, ramen becoming the overriding choice for their meal. As Inuyasha and Shippo practically inhaled their bowls, astonishing Kagome at how large their appetites were, Sango asked, "By the way, Kagome, have you decided on what you're going to do for your living arrangements after you graduate?

Kagome looked up from her own bowl, "Yeah, actually. I managed to get a temporary position with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra lined up after graduation and it'll be enough money that I can live alone in the city for the next year or so."

"That's amazing! What kind of work would you be doing?" Miroku asked inquisitively, curious about what it meant to be a temp worker with a world-renowned symphony.

Setting down her spoon and taking hold of her glass of water, she explained, "I'd be transcribing and organizing the sheet music for the players after the composers finalize them. They usually have positions like that for new graduates who want to potentially get into music composition, so they can see the process first-hand."

"That's so cool!" Shippo commented as he finished his bowl of ramen before moving teasingly towards Inuyasha's sides, hoping he wouldn't notice if he slipped a few pieces. Though as he tried, a pair of chopsticks quickly coming down in the fox demon's hand, trapping his fingers with the wooden utensil, as Inuyasha practically growled, "Don't even try it, Shippo."

Kagome lightly giggled at the interaction. These guys really acted like they were siblings. It felt nice, having friends who were almost like an extension of a family.

"So, you didn't answer my question, Kagome," Sango continued, breaking Kagome from her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"What are you doing for living arrangements then after you graduate? All you said was that you had a job lined up, but have you found a place to move to yet? You'll be moving out just after the performances are finished, right?"

"Oh, right! I found a nice one bedroom apartment just in Daikanyama," Kagome replied excitedly, "I can show you some photos, if you want."

"Yes, please!" Sango accepted Kagome's phone, scrolling through the pictures of the apartment. It was definitely a nice space, and the two began to throw around ideas on how to decorate and organize it.

"Will you need any help moving in?" Sango asked, as she gave Kagome back her phone.

"I mean, I figured I was just going to hire a moving company…"

"Nonsense! Why spend the money? We can help you out," Miroku interjected, offering their services to help her.

"Are you sure? I don't want you all to feel obligated to help. I can easily afford the movers," Kagome pressed. Though she loved the idea of not having to use movers, she didn't want them to feel like they had to help her.

"Miroku's right," Shippo agreed, "There's no sense in spending extra money when we're all willing and able."

"Really? That'd be amazing! Thanks, you guys!" Kagome cried happily, thankful to have such helpful friends.

"No worries! Besides, with Inuyasha's truck, it'll be a breeze!" Sango continued, as Inuyasha finished his bowl of ramen, setting it down, before picking up his sides, "Right, Inuyasha?"

"Sure thing," he stated plainly as he continued to eat his meal, his focus clearly lying more on the savoury food than the current conversation, "Just let me know when and where."

Kagome smiled at that, "I really appreciate it. You guys don't know how grateful I am."

"It's no trouble at all, Kagome. Really," Sango said tenderly, reaching over and gently taking her best friend's hand for a soft but reassuring squeeze.

As the group finished their food and paid their bills, they said their goodbyes for the evening.

"Wanna ride back?" Inuyasha offered Kagome as the others left.

"You don't mind?" Kagome asked.

"Not a big deal. Like I said, it's on my way home anyways," Inuyasha replied.

Kagome blushed a little, "Uh, sure. Thanks."

The pair walked relatively quietly back to the studio where he'd left his truck parked, the familiar air of tension surrounding them again. Inuyasha had smelled the apprehension coming off of her earlier when the others had pressured her to play the performance piece, and he could smell it again now; a salty, almost sweat-tinged fragrance, from being nervous and hesitant. Was she uncomfortable around him?

Kagome was nervous, but only because she was debating whether or not to thank him properly. In a moment of bravery, she decided, and said, "Thank you… for what you said earlier."

Inuyasha's attention was immediately tuned in her direction as she spoke timidly. He left out a soft chuckle, "Don't mention it."

"No, really. I appreciate it," she continued, turning her head to look up at him, his gaze returning and mirroring the gesture, "As much as I appreciate the compliments, sometimes it can get…" she let out a sigh, "It can get a bit much when people just want you to perform all the time."

Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah. I imagine with someone who's as talented as you are, people just kinda always wanting you to show it off… It's probably exhausting."

Kagome laughed nervously, "I'm sorry, I must sound so egotistical. Like, who am I to think people want to hear my voice so much they constantly ask me to perform? How ungrateful am I…?" her voice trailed off at the end, almost saying under her breath.

"Not at all. You are talented," Inuyasha responded quickly, catching Kagome off guard for a second, "But just because that's the case doesn't mean you're always in the mood to entertain others. They're not entitled to it. You're not a dancing monkey that performs on command."

Kagome's mouth parted slightly before smiling, realizing he understood how she felt.

Inuyasha could smell the apprehension in her scent lightening. He continued, "You don't have to make excuses. You can just tell them when you don't want to. Trust me, they respect you enough to listen."

Kagome nodded, "I know that. And I know they don't mean anything by it asking all the time. But I've always have a hard time saying no to people."

She could hear the smirk in his voice, "Bit a of a people pleaser then, huh?"

She laughed lightly, "I guess so."

"Do you even enjoy performing?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome thought about it for a moment, "Honestly… I don't even know. There is a certain satisfaction to it, about hearing everything come together. All the hard work and effort culminating into one amazing performance."

There was a beat of silence, before Inuyasha encouraged her to continue, "But…?"

Kagome sighed, "But… sometimes I feel like I'd be more satisfied with just keeping it to myself. Sometimes… I don't always want to share it with the world. Somethings… are perfect when their private, and intimate. You know?"

She stared up to him, hoping any of what she'd just said made sense. But he did get it. He understood what she meant perfectly. Sometimes, you just want to keep your music for yourself.

"I do," he agreed, letting her know he understood, "Well, don't worry. I don't ask very much of others, so you won't have to worry about it from me," he replied jokingly.

She giggled at that, "Why's that?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you ask very much of other people?" Kagome pressed lightly, using his words to expand on the question.

Inuyasha grew quiet for a moment, his tone somewhat more serious, "Because I learned a long time ago not to rely on others when you really need them. You just end up alone, one way or another, so why bother?"

What was he saying? Why was he being so blatant with her? He barely talked about this kind of stuff with the others, let alone a girl he'd barely known for a few weeks. But something about being around her. There an ease to it. A familiarity. Feeling like… it had always been this way.

The tone in his voice gave Kagome pause, "I take it you're speaking from experience?"

Inuyasha chose not to reply directly to the question.

"That must be hard," she continued, "Feeling like you can't trust anyone… Do you feel that way with Sango and the others?"

"They're different," he explained," It's one thing to have professional relationships. It's another to trust someone."

His voice was world-weary and down trodden. He'd clearly been through some stuff before. Kagome understood, "I get it."

"Do you?"

She nodded, "I think so. But I hope that someday, you do find someone you can trust."

Inuyasha looked back at her over his shoulder. Her voice was genuine… honest. It was soothing, to think she actually cared…

He tried to play it off, not revealing his true sentiment, "Whatever. Gotten this far alone."

Kagome smiled hearing the way he tried to dismiss the serious conversation they'd found their way into, yet again. She knew he was probably lying, about having gotten this far completely alone, but it wasn't her place to pry. The longer she'd spent around him, the more she realized that he was the type of person to hide behind a harsher exterior. It explained his attitude towards her when they first met, and how, when they got to these more sensitive topics, he would push it aside as if it didn't faze him. Clearly, it was how he'd survived for most of his life. She wondered what could have happened to him to have made him this way.

They soon deviated from the topic, as Inuyasha drove her back to her dorm.

"Will you be coming by the studio again this week?" Inuyasha asked as he drove.

"No," she answered honestly, "I'm going home to visit my family this weekend, and with only two weeks left, I really should focus on practicing. But we should definitely hangout after the performance, if you and the others are up for it?"

He nodded, a confident smirk on his lips, "Sure thing. We'll play it by ear."

Kagome smiled. The more time she spent with this guy, the less tight her chest felt. There was an ease that slowly came from being around him. Like she could just really be herself. It felt… right.

Sorry for the delay of this chapter. I had flu-like symptoms a few weeks ago, and got tested for Covid-19, which, luckily, came back negative. But I was still out sick from work for a week, and had a lot of projects to catch up and work on before I could get back into writing this chapter.

Next chapter is the final performances, so I may take some time to write it, but I'm hoping to have it done before December 15th.

Thanks for reading, and please be sure to review, favorite, or follow if you like this fic!

Until Next Time…