KOTODAMA

"The soul that resides within words."

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Chapter VI

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Only now she got in the shower, after delaying it for almost an hour. First, she had to sketch a particular scene of her character standing by a well, which was also part of the story. It was still hard to link the scenes. She could recall drawing herself as a teenager, walking through a group of lights that send her to another time, unsure if the past or the future, and that happened through that same well. She even remembered that the day she turned eight, she wished to find a magical place where she could visit InuYasha; the InuYasha from her story, of course. Such a memory made her release a sigh, her body still underneath that rain of water, as she rinsed her hair, now smelling to her shampoo with scent of fresh wild herbs. She circled in place one more time while under the water, her eyes closed in order to feel the current, and how it stripped her of everything her soul didn't need. Very few times she would voice she did these kinds of things, it was one of those habits she could only feel, and that nobody had told her to do; not her grandfather, nor the texts from the temple, she simply knew she had to do it, a one slot in her zone of certainties assure her of that. However, she knew that not just anyone would understand that.

Enveloping herself in a towel, she took another to dry her hair, not liking the idea of using a hair dryer, not ever, really, and went inside her room, where she looked at her desk. She had closed it, knowing the very sight could tempt her into continue working. To her side, the curtain was nearly closed, and she had the urge to walk up to it and observe the night, like she'd done many times in the past. There were some clouds, yet not enough to stop the stars from shining through. A movement on the street caught her attention then, and she couldn't help getting surprised, holding back a breath, when she saw him in front of her building, there, standing underneath a street light which made his silvery hair almost flash.

Releasing her breath, she opened the window and greeted him with a gesture. "InuYasha." She muttered, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear her from such a distance. However, it didn't matter. She finally was able to say his name.

She could feel the cold air against her skin, and only then did Kagome feel embarrassed from peeking out while wearing only a towel. She closed the window, but also stole one last look through the crystal, making sure InuYasha was still there.

She felt the urge of going to him, and didn't allow herself to think too much about it.

Now inside the little room, she spun on her heels, almost as if she'd forgotten where her own bed was, and when she finally managed to find it and saw the clothes laying on it, she thought she couldn't go out with the ones she usually wore while at home, but she wasn't about to waste some precious minutes in choosing something carefully. Now facing her closet, she brought out some jeans, the ones she wore the most, a sweater that could be buttoned at the front, and a jacket; that should be enough. Suddenly, she thought of Ayumi, which halted her actions for an instant.

What would her friend say?

Doesn't matter. I'll think about it later. She told herself as she let the tower slip free, then began to put on her underwear.

Her heart was beating fast, not only for the haste in her movements, but also due to the expectative of meeting InuYasha. She'd been waiting for him to appear for days, and she was going to make sure he knew that, she couldn't just show herself content, not immediately... yet to her mind came her previous cheerful mood while leaning out the window, and she couldn't but click her tongue in reproach to herself, then decided it no longer mattered.

With her jeans already on, she came close to running off without a bra on, which would have been quite obvious underneath the thin knitted fabric. Once she finished dressing, she looked herself in the mirror inside her room, waving her still somewhat wet hair about, then fixed her bangs just enough for them to dry naturally. Finally, she pinched her cheeks and applied on her lips some of the lipgloss she always had at hand.

She walked up to Ayumi's door, without actually opening it.

"I'm going out for a bit." She let her know as she made her way to the entrance, not realizing that in the time she'd take to wear her shoes and put her jacket on, her friend would be already there, asking questions.

"What? Where?" She saw her appear just a moment later.

Paralyzed for an instant, she thought about expressing her whim of taking a stroll, or that she'd go buy some things for dinner, yet she didn't know how long she'd take.

"I met a guy." She simply let out.

"What?! When?! Is he in your room?!" She stared at her, looking more than just surprised. How could she just jump to such conclusions?

"He isn't. I'll tell you later." She said now with her jacket on, and reaching for a purse where she could keep her phone and her money.

Her friend, on her part, stood there with arms crossed, clearly not amused;,she'd have to tell her at least something when she got back.

"I'll be waiting." Ayumi mentioned in that maternal tone of hers, and that now was more akin to an angry mother.

Kagome smiled at her, and decided she'd deal with her bad mood later.

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To InuYasha, the wait was becoming a moment of introspection. The last few days were some difficult ones; a certain matter with Shippo had occupied his time, making impossible to fulfill the promise he made to this girl who seemed normal, ordinary, yet he couldn't quite get out of his head. Her presence among his thoughts reminded him of when one has a song stuck in their head and can't get it out, can't help humming it and replaying it... until you hear it again.

He was completely aware of the weight she had on his thoughts, and of how happy she made him feel when he saw her figure sticking out the window. InuYasha also knew such a thing wasn't rational, and that he knew little to nothing of her, yet she seemed to be a sweet girl, capable of seeing through the layers of life that created a person.

He stopped on that idea, and experienced a kind of old warmth. He thought of his mother, and of the comfort her love gave him.

Her steps came from the stairs, and then from the stone path leading to the door. When he heard her turning the knob on the metal door, his back tensed all of sudden, and he barely managed to hold back a shudder. Once out, she took two steps past him, her dark wet hair falling like the night, and not knowing why, he felt the urge of reaching for it, sinking his fingers into her strands. An urge, however, nothing more.

She seemed to be looking for him, and noted how her chest swelled with a breath, that later came out in a sigh.

Was that disappointment?

"I'm here." he voiced then, once his courage had gathered, and saw her turning around. The chestnut brown of her eyes seemed then even more vivid than in his memories.

Kagome saw him there, standing a meter away from the door, his back resting against the wall, and couldn't help reproaching herself for not looking in all directions, letting dismay take hold too quickly. Yet such a thought was quickly erased by the one that had been occupying her mind all this time: he was beautiful.

"I thought you've left." Was the first thing she was able to say. He just shrugged in a causal gesture, not a casual one.

"I owe you a dinner." He explained, and his tone seemed to say only that. Kagome's observation skills were good, and yet she found herself reading only what he'd just said, nothing more.

"I remember, although that was three days ago." She couldn't stay quiet, and much less let her own insecurity show, the one she thought gone, yet found right there, as if waiting.

"I know, I'm sorry. It just couldn't be." He stood straight, away from the wall, and seemed to wait for a direction to be chosen.

"Did you run into some kind of trouble?" Her kind side couldn't notion the idea of not asking. Many times, during high school, they would question her tendency of showing interest for those who often seemed rude or insensible. In this particular case, if she wanted to ignore him, she wouldn't have come down in the first place.

"Something like that." He shrugged again. "This way?"

It seemed he wouldn't make things easier either.

With a gesture, the boy pointed towards the recreation zone she knew well, and without giving it a second thought, she nodded and began to walk by his side. There, she had the idea of looking back, to the apartment she lived in, and caught sight of Ayumi trying to hide behind the curtains.

She couldn't help laughing.

"What happened? Why are you laughing?" The question made sense, and for a moment her first impulse was to answer something random, yet she noted the uncertainty in his voice, giving her a moment of thought.

"My friend. Ayumi. She is hiding behind the curtains." She told him. InuYasha looked back and saw a shadow disappearing inside in a hurry.

"She seems shy." It was his turn to laugh. It came with a light smile, and Kagome surprised herself admiring it, wanting to portray it on a white sheet.

"You could say that." She accepted, trying to hide her own charmed state.

They kept on walking, an instant of silence finding place between them, during which Kagome wondered about the place InuYasha had come from today. His clothes were no different from the ones she'd seen him previously: jeans, running shoes, a red-hood jacked and the purse she made, wore as a satchel. She was curious about his life. What was his job? Where did he live? Did he have family?

"Why don't we go to a place you know?" She tried to find an answer through that way, as to not be too direct. She found herself wishing to see him again, and again, and so she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable.

"The places I know aren't close." He claimed.

She went silent, and InuYasha noticed how her cheerful mood faded slightly, making feel incompetent. He could deal with girls, his job required such things many times, yet with her, it was different.

"Has that man from the other day bothered you again?" Maybe, asking for something that subtly linked them could be a good idea.

"He hasn't, actually. In fact, he doesn't talk to me at all, and if I had to be clearer, I think he is ignoring me on purpose." She explained, which was true.

"And that's... good? Bad?" He inquired. He wasn't quite sure what was going on with that man.

"To be honest, it's all the same to me. I didn't like how he used to look at me, and that day just confirmed what I already knew." She further clarified, seemingly not wanting to sound too arrogant.

"Do you work together?" He wanted to know more, and after that, he'd try to know just a bit more, then just a bit more even. He was interested in knowing many things about her.

"Yeah, at the same study, although his work and mine don't really overlap." She replied.

He noted his own relief, as a result of knowing that.

He was conscious of the strange way in which he felt about that girl. He liked her, yet not in that maddening way in which someone likes another who they are just beginning to know, it didn't even seem something romantic, yet he wasn't about to disregard that; the truth was that he didn't know how to define it. There was this deep sensation inside him, like a seed that had been waiting for eons to finally sprout.

"I waited for you. Will you tell me what happened during these days?" The question took him out of his train of thought.

Tension found him almost immediately, as if he'd been discovered. He didn't want to give too many details about his life, his experience saying girls like her couldn't begin to understand the life he was leading, and that the added complications would only scare them away. He found himself not wanting that to happen, not now.

"It's over." He voiced, concise, trying to put a stop to her curiosity, taking the opportunity to present another topic. "What matters right now is to know if you've met me before."

The question didn't need such an elaborate answer, for it had been asked before, and she had denied it, yet she could understand why the doubt could remain. Kagome stared at him for an instant, her expression changing from surprise to introspection, and then doubt. She set her gaze away, and focused on one of the stores that were on the street they were walking through.

"You've asked this before."

"I know, but I'm still wondering."

She took an instant to answer, the many lights and blurry figures telling her they were now on a main street.

"Not really." She voiced, "and I know your curiosity makes sense, but I can't give you an answer."

"That's perturbing." He finally decided to say, and coming from him, who had seen his fair share of disturbing things during his twenty-something years, meant something.

"I'm sorry."

But the apology caught him by surprise. It wasn't what he was looking for, and in fact he didn't even know what he was looking for; there was a connection between them, he couldn't avoid that, if he could he wouldn't be here in the first place, trying to know more about a person who clearly lived a life completely different from his, and the way he led it.

"Don't feel sorry." He caught hold of her arm, without thinking, then his stared at his hand in a panic, and let go.

It was strange to feel how their cheeks turn a shade redder because of something so simple, yet they both experienced it right there.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, and InuYasha smiled. "I'm sor... " And then it was her the one releasing a hearty laugh, clear and full of spark, something he couldn't but admire.

"You are sorry for being sorry." He laughed as well, and Kagome could only but realize the fascination she held for that smile.

A moment after, they were both more cheerful, and although they still had their doubts about each other, forming a crevice between them, they could wait, and that sensation became a sort of unspoken agreement between them.

"Let's get inside that one. It's new." Kagome offered, pointing at an izakaya, not so much because it was new, but to move that energy that was beginning to form between them.

They neared the place, and once inside they saw it was almost full, so they decided to sit by the bar, one beside the other. The menu was delivered to them by one of the three people working there.

"These are just new names for the same recipes every place serves." Kagome commented as she inspected what was being offered.

"It happens almost everywhere." He shrugged, and he was right.

"Yeah, like tv shopping ads. Lots of junk presented as jewels." She kept looking at the menu.

"Yeah, like the politicians; all say the same, but with a different tie."

"Exactly." She accepted.

"Exactly." He accepted.

There was a certain feeling of contentment in that short conversation that could even be called simple.

One of the waiters appeared to take their order, and Kagome asked for some fish skewers, and some potato and vegetable croquettes. InuYasha, on his part, asked for a ration of fried fish in egg and some pea pods.

"And to drink?" The man asked with the usual politeness.

InuYasha looked at Kagome, and she debated between asking for something with alcohol or not. Finally, she opted for something light, thinking it may help them lower their first barriers, or break the ice, so that both of them could begin feeling more comfortable with each other.

"Beer." She felt up to ask, handing the menu to the waiter.

"The same." He said, returning his too.

They remained in silence for a moment, observing the people around them, laughing, or talking in a moderated volume as to not interfere with someone else's conversation... but soon the silence became too long, confusing even.

"Do you live with someone?" She asked, all of a sudden.

InuYasha looked at her through the corner of his eyes, then turned around to face her.

"Do you think you could talk to me like this isn't some sort of interrogatory?" He retorted, and she felt how her cheeks got hotter. She had a great curiosity about him and his life, and hadn't thought that maybe her way of going about it could be found rude.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..." She wanted to apologize.

"Kagome?" She was interrupted by someone at her back, and after turning around, she found the light smile of a childhood friend.

"Sango." She felt happy, for it had been a long time since she last saw her.

She stood and greeted her with a hug, something InuYasha just observed from his place as a spectator. He would have wanted to keep a cheerful mood, just like them, yet he couldn't help assuming a more cautious one when he saw how the newcomer was wearing a police uniform.

"I'm so glad to see you!" Kagome voiced, still holding her friend's hands.

"I'm glad too." The woman accepted, and then her gaze fell on him.

InuYasha smiled at her, lightly, with such subtlety it was almost enigmatic.

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is InuYasha." Kagome said, followed by a short pause meant to define what title he should have. "A friend."

She thought that saying "friend" was just as good as saying "an acquaintance" in this case.

"Hi." He extended his hand, and the policewoman shook it, their gazes measuring each other.

"Hi." She smiled, more politely and cold even than the one she gave to Kagome.

It was logical, since they didn't know each other, and the introduction was just pure formality.

"Officer Taijiya." One of the people working at the place said, leaving on the table an order for takeout.

"Thanks." The woman accepted, then looked at Kagome again. "I've got to go, I'm still on my shift." She apologized. "Give me your number, and I'll call you to meet one of these days." She offered.

Sango wrote down her phone number, then called her briefly so that she too had hers. Finally, she looked at InuYasha.

"Your eyes... I feel like I've seen them before." She mentioned, almost carefree.

"Ah." He shrugged, and smiled. To be familiar with a police officer was very low in his list of priorities.

"You must look like someone." She dropped the matter, but InuYasha had a hunch she wouldn't forget it so easily. She addressed Kagome again. "A pleasure to see you."

The unexpected encounter ended in another hug and more promises of calling each other.

Kagome then sat by his side in the moment one of the waiters neared them with their orders in hand. He couldn't help looking at her, sideways, and to observe the way in which her cheeks had turned rosy, sweetly so, a subtle shade on her skin. He registered that color in his mind, the color of happiness.

"Is she a good friend?" He wanted to know. It was a good topic of conversation.

The dishes were placed in front of them, and they thanked the man who brought them, together with their paper napkins.

"We've known each other since we were kids. It has been a long time since I last saw her though." She told him as her hands added some condiments to her potato croquettes.

InuYasha limited himself to smiling. Kagome lived in a safe zone, and so she could smile easily, she could allow herself to live alone with a friend, she was happy and one could say that even a bit too trusting, aside from having a good friend who was also a police officer. If he thought about it, Kagome was the kind of person who wasn't good for him to be with, nor her with him.

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To be continued.

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A/N

I'm having so much fun with this story. I have fun with all of them, but even more when they are at the beginning, when there are so many possibilities. After, I also enjoy them a lot, but I get tired more easily too.

I hope you've liked the chapter, and that you tell me in the comments.

Kisses,

Anyara.

This text is possible thanks to the translation of: Dezart