InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fade and Flare ❯ Chapter 9 ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: Pinku

Fade and Flare

Chapter 9

Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shonen Sunday, and more companies I'm too lazy to look up. D:

This is the finished version of chapter 9. Hah hah, I thought it was going to take longer, actually. XD

After the initial shock of the situation the easiest thing to do last night was fall asleep.

In the morning the first thing that caught her eye was a novel she'd been meaning to start for some time now.

And Inuyasha? Well...

What on earth came over me? As she dressed in haste Kagome began to hate the fact that she was finally faced with the weight of what happened. For the first time since last night she had to confront it, remembering what triggered all of this.

If Hojo had only come to Inuyasha's house a little bit later... If Inuyasha had only come downstairs a little earlier... she was sure things would have gotten heavier on the couch. Kagome could feel her cheeks redden at the thought of her manager's hands roaming over her hot skin, but suddenly scolded herself for even imagining it.

How could she think of something like that right now? Had years at Hojo's side suddenly become worthless? Besides, how could she be angry at her fiancee for doing something she was able to do so easily? Was she as fickle as he was? Answering bad behavior with more bad behavior may have been gratifying, but it was never right.

Was Hojo still her fiancee even after all of this?

"Kagome! Come down, someone's here to see you."

"Just a minute!" Clutching her fists, she resolved to iron out this situation.

"I swear to you," Hojo shrieked from the floor as he kowtowed at Kagome's feet, "I swear on my life that I'd never betray you!" His eyes were red and puffy from tears as he begged her with seemingly every fiber of his body. "Please just come with me to talk, Kagome!"

Holy shit, this is the most pathetic thing I've ever seen.

What kind of man would do something so undignified? Oh yes... a damned human man could. Trying his best not to scoff or growl Inuyasha kept his arms folded as he stared out a window.

Before she came out of her guest room Kagome was afraid to face him, unsure of how she would react to him. Part of her was afraid that she hated him... maybe part of her was also afraid that she would forgive and forget too easily. It didn't take long, though, for the young woman's fears to be overshadowed by annoyance. When Kagome came downstairs Hojo had asked Inuyasha to leave, but before the hanyou could comply the angry pop star stamped her foot on the ground. "We're in his home! Thanks to your intrusion this has now become his business. He stays!"

Kagome's outburst made Hojo panic instantly, leading to lots of yelling and finally a point where Inuyasha had to physically stop Kagome from hitting Hojo as he begged on all fours for her to listen.

Eventually, Kagome had to relent. She was already trapped in this situation. Turning to Inuyasha she sighed, handing her car keys to him. "Hojo... Please wait for me in your car. I need to speak to Inuyasha about handling some things."

"Kagome... thank you so much! I promise I'll--"

"At this point, how much do you think I value promises from you? You've long since run out of chances to use that word on me."

Hojo looked pensive. That was the one thing she wasn't misled about. The last year had felt like nothing but broken promises. For the first time Hojo realized that deep down, Kagome hadn't completely forgiven him for things he thought were old news.

"Just... please wait in the car. I'll be there if you give me a few minutes to wrap up some work-related things."

After the front door closed behind them Kagome smiled up at her manager. "Could you have Shippo or somebody else take my car home for me? If it's not too much trouble."

"Keh. Of course I'll handle it."

Together they stood in Inuyasha's living room, silent for a while. Behind them the television murmured quietly, bringing back a sense of calm to the room. The hanyou had no idea what to say to her, and only had a vague picture of what happened last night. Maybe he would get the details later, but did it even matter any more? As usual, Kagome would make things right with Hojo and forgive him as she always did.

Inuyasha tried his best not to show any emotion while he stared down at her, but as usual his thoughts betrayed the notion. Vibrant, diffused sunlight from the windows brightened her features better than any studio spotlight ever did; her skin glowed as if lit by a halo. His mind was reeling before the picture in front of him. As his eyes caught a glimpse of her supple pink lips he thought about last night. When Kagome felt passionate about something she rode on those feelings until they burned out. It was a trait that made her lyrics strike people so deeply, but also made her impulses ridiculous... like her sudden trek to WacDonalds in Osaka.

Like last night, too.

Unconsciously the hanyou's tongue ran over his lips. In hindsight he should have just sat back and enjoyed it more. Too much of it was overshadowed by confusion and surprise.

Kagome stared up at him, pursing her lips. She could read nothing from her manager's even expression as she searched his face for any kind of reaction beyond the usual annoyed glare or cocky smirk and realized that maybe she shouldn't have expected anything else. Inuyasha had shown an incredible amount of self-control last night, much more than she expected to see from him. He was a hanyou after all, wasn't he? More than that, his reactions made it pretty clear what he wanted to do. Why didn't he take her when he had the chance? Last night, the young woman was quite open to such a possibility. She'd be lying if she denied being a little curious as to how it was like-- Inuyasha's bedroom prowess was legendary gossip. That curiosity had not waned by the following morning until reality came banging on the door.

Perhaps Kagome had already realized why she was always so comfortable around Inuyasha: despite years of subtle flirting he had never made advances on her. He remained professional no matter how much she flustered him, but allowed her to have a little harmless fun. Other men that she had grown close to in her short life were ones who wanted to date her first and foremost. She even realized this in Hojo the moment they met.

Inuyasha was not this way. In their first encounter the only strong impression she could draw from him was that after ten wrong words he'd rip out her throat. This man... this youkai... would have no qualms about it. A teenaged Kagome was determined to work for his respect, especially because she was terrified of him. She had done it, too. As a struggling singer she had not only gained his respect with her diligent work but also earned his trust and friendship.

You're my dearest friend, was what she wanted to say to him right now. You're family to me and I owe you so much because you take such good care of me. As these words crossed her mind Kagome felt guilt for treating him like just another one of her possessions.

I'm so sorry. You've never hurt me...

"So, uh, I don't think I'll need that car at any particular time tonight... it'd just be good to take care of it in case I'd like to use it."

"Don't worry. I'll get it done." Reaching on top of a nearby table he took her hand, placing an object-- no, objects-- in them. Kagome blinked, a little shocked to see the mascots and charms from her decimated cell phone.

"I gotta get you a new phone today too. What color and brand d'ya want?"

Even through everything that happened last night, he still remembered details like this! Kagome couldn't help but gasp. She wrapped her arms around him, but was not met with reciprocation this time. It didn't matter. "Oh my God, I forgot about that. Inuyasha... you're the best, do you know that?"

"Keh. How the hell am I gonna get a hold of you without a cell phone? I can't always come hunt you down, you know."

Nearly forgetting about her problems for a moment the woman giggled. "What, is it too much work to track down my scent the old-fashioned way, Inu-chan?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be an idiot. If you can't decide I'll just get the same phone as last time."

"No! Actually... could you get it in black?"

"...Black?"

"Yes. The new black model has a special edition ringer that I like."

Inuyasha had to laugh a little at that. "Got it."

Keeping her arms around his waist the singer gazed up at her manager. "Ai rabu yuu," she giggled. It was an "I love you in heavily accented English.

He knew she was just playing around but couldn't keep from blushing anyway. "Oh! Sankyuu." he managed with a smile. He rubbed her head.

Before she could think about it Kagome raised high on her toes, pressing a kiss to Inuyasha's cheek. "You're supposed to say you love me back!" she laughed. "I'll call you later tonight."

"Fine." Had Inuyasha not been thrown off by the sudden affection, he would have caught the pangs of disappointment in her voice as she left.

"She was one of those crazed fangirls, Kagome. You walked in at the worst possible moment--"

"Well, that's not completely true-- I could have walked in the second she 'accidentally' got your pants down."

"I had no desire to even touch her! You're being unfair about all of this."

With a balled fist Kagome pounded on the car door, causing Hojo to jump. "Unfair? What's unfair is that all I'm even doing anymore is fighting for time with Lord and Emperor Hojo-sama. I bend over backwards to spend five minutes with you and my staff kills themselves making things work out, but whenever Hayashi-san doesn't feel like the wind's blowing in the right direction you go running back to her like a puppy!"

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself? I find it hilarious that you used the word, 'puppy', and even more hilarious because you have a bedroom in your puppy's house. A lapdog usually shacks up with its master, not the other way around."

"That's twice that you've dragged Inuyasha into this. What's your problem with him?"

"You're the one who dragged him into things by going to his house last night! Do you even realize the way he looks at you? If I were as distrustful as you I'd think you were fucking him!"

Kagome grew quiet at that. The shock of what she had almost done with Inuyasha truly surfaced for the first time and it scared her.

"Stop the car."

"It's not... true, is it?" Hojo's voice shook as he spoke-- he was losing momentum. He didn't actually think Kagome had that kind of relationship with Inuyasha, because he knew of the contempt Kagome harbored for others who had betrayed her. Friends who had turned their backs on her in high school had hurt the young woman deeper than she ever realized, and it was something she always carried with her. The fact that Kagome was so quiet now scared the young actor, who had always been deeply in love with her. His pride had been hurt this morning and he was now making up for that, but Hojo was quick to realize that this was not the place for such things.

As he reached a red light he looked at the woman beside him, who sat quietly with a shocked expression. Despite the bags under her eyes and flushed cheeks he thought she still looked as beautiful as she did on magazines. Fear replaced pride. He really didn't want to lose her. For the first time he could feel the distance that had grown between them. "Don't tell me it is true..."

An irrational anger welled up inside of Kagome's stomach. "HE'S MY BEST FRIEND, YOU FUCKING ASS! OF COURSE I WENT TO HIS HOUSE!" Before Hojo could even answer her, she let herself out of the car, bolting across the street with tears in her eyes, into a crowd of people waiting to cross the street.

"Kagome! Come back here!" Shit, there were too many people around! He rolled up the window, speeding off as soon as he noticed people staring at him. He couldn't do anything short of leaving his car in the street to chase her, but that would only cause more of a scene. It wasn't realistic to simply and suddenly park a car in Shibuya. Once he was around a corner Hojo produced his cell phone, hoping to reach Kagome.

The young woman in question kept running, ignoring the pain from her high heels as she rushed past shops and restaurants in broad daylight. Why the hell did she decide to dash out in the middle of Shibuya at lunchtime, when it would be incredibly crowded? People called her name as they recognized her; all she could do was keep running. When was she planning to stop? What should she do now? She must have looked like a mess. As she got out of the car she was madly wiping tears away from her eyes

Hideto lived near here. She wasn't all too sure that he was home (was he on tour?), but hopefully his wife was. If Kagome could just make it to his new apartment with as little incident as possible she could call Shippo or Sango. The loud clicking of her shoes echoed in her ears as she finally ran with a purpose.

"Kagome-sama!" She could hear someone else's footsteps coming after her. With wide eyes Kagome turned around, recognizing who called her.

"Miroku-sama?"

"What's wrong with you, look out!" Grabbing her by the shoulders Miroku pulled Kagome out of the street, narrowly avoiding a silver Nissan SUV.

Gasping, Kagome brought her hands to her chest. She could hear people chattering around them as she tried to calm down.

"I don't want to know what's going on, because I'm sure I'll find out. Let's just get you out of here for now."

There was nothing she could say. Now covering her face with her purse, she allowed her agent to escort her to his car, which was thankfully close.

When Miroku and Kagome reached the high rise where her apartment was located, she was pleased to find that her car had already been brought home. As they pulled into the building's parking garage Kagome spotted her cute white Peugeot, immaculate as ever, sitting neatly in its usual spot. For a moment she smiled as she began to exit the car.

"Miroku-sama... I'm sorry to take up your valuable time like this. You see, Hojo and I--"

Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can stop there. That's all I need to know to figure out things."

"No, it's okay! I've dragged you into this, now."

"You had some sort of falling out?"

Kagome sulked, staring at the ground.

"That's all I need to know. Now, go inside and relax." His intention was to wait and ask Inuyasha about it later. Kagome needed to get her mind off of things as quickly as possible. The fact that she did not even acknowledge or react to his hand, rubbing her derriere, disturbed him deeply. She must have truly been distraught and burdened by whatever happened with Hojo. In truth, Miroku was dying to get filled in on all of what must have been some pretty juicy drama.

The woman before him was obviously suffering, though. If things with Hojo were this bad it meant an impending crisis for Kagome's staff-- a fight between the two would be a PR nightmare if word got out to the public. Kagome's new album would be released in a week, and her latest single had already proven to be a hit. Miroku mentally reviewed the list of names saved in his cell phone, wondering if her publicist's phone number was handy.

"Again, thank you so much. I'll see you later, Miroku-sama."

"Kagome-sama, please do something fun and relaxing. I could help you with a bubble bath, if you wish..." He winked.

She didn't even smile. "That might be nice," she muttered, walking away. Did she even hear what he had just said? It certainly didn't seem like it.

The agent turned to exit the garage with a frown already carved deeply into his face. He could feel in his gut that this situation wasn't over yet. In the near future he would be spending more time with Kagome's other staff members.

At the very least, he decided, he'd be seeing more of a certain hot little stylist-slash-assistant who punched like a sledgehammer. His frown lessened as he pulled out his cell phone.

Sleep started as fitful and uncomfortable. It was usually easy for Kagome to fall asleep; nothing felt better than the moment she would finally finish her work, sink every exhausted muscle into that wonderful mattress, and black out for the night. She wasn't used to this. Idle thoughts ran rampant through her head as the hours crawled teasingly by.

No position she shifted to was comfortable enough to ease her recent frustrations. Nothing trivial could distract her, such as thoughts about dance moves or what she would eat for dinner tomorrow. The upcoming photo shoot would be a welcome distraction. Kagome's last resort was to move to the living room in hopes of drowning out her thoughts with some mindless television.

When was the last time she had watched TV at home, anyway? It felt like forever. Once Kagome found her remote control under the couch she slumped down into the cushions and turned the television on.

The sight was so welcome, almost moving her to the point of tears. For a moment the young woman had to hold her breath because she didn't know what else to do. From behind his black Gretsch (she heard he had recently smashed it on accident) Hideto looked back at her with a sultry expression, in the center of his band mates. Tetsuya or the rest of L'ArcenCiel wasn't in this video, it was Hideto's solo band. His signature baritone drawl and favorite guitar chords were unmistakable.

Maybe it had been a year since they'd seen each other. After Kagome's trip to Cebu she asked Shippo to mail him the souvenirs she picked up for him. He had written a letter in return, saying he received the gifts and telling her a little about his work at the moment. However, it had been quite a while since they'd had a meal or drink together-- just the two of them, or even in a group with his wife, Inuyasha (Hojo never liked being around Hideto), Sango, and Shippo.

Even though his hairstyles and clothing had changed, even though he had matured and settled down with a wife and child, and even though they didn't see each other very often anymore their friendship still thrived. Kagome watched him with the same admiration she always held for him, and slowly her head sank. Her eyelids grew heavy. She mouthed the words to his song until she slipped into sleep. It had been years since the young woman had fallen asleep to the sound of Hideto's voice.

She knew that if she waited any longer, she'd go into a complete panic. Kagome was no stranger to playing in front of a crowd-- she had been in piano recitals for most of her life-- but the difference between those and a concert in front of classmates who she assumed hated her was very clear. Even if she had played poorly at a recital the audience would never throw things. There would be no booing or riots. The young girl trembled. She wasn't ready to die, especially by blunt force via white school shoes!

Please, just let them leave if they hate me, Kagome whispered to nobody in particular. With one last glance towards Hideto, who nodded towards her as he spoke to some members of Husking Bee, she walked onstage before she could talk herself out of it.

The crowd was predictable silent as the stared on her with unreadable expressions. It didn't matter a whole lot anyway, as the stage lights made it difficult to see everyone, but she could feel the energy change as she took her guitar from Osuke. Unable to find her breath, she practically whispered into the microphone.

"I'm Kagome" was all she said. A few snickers echoed and the patrons who weren't from her school looked around, confused at her reception.

Akio's drumsticks set the tempo, clacking noisily for four beats. This was the cue to start playing. Her chords didn't concern her; she could play them in her sleep.

That's right, she recalled, still playing the beginning instrumental to the song. I practiced my heart out for this! A defiant anger built inside of her as she progressed towards the first verse.

I learned a whole new instrument just so I could do this.

I'm sacrificing my college education for this.

I don't even want to see you jerks after high school's over.

I know how good I can be at this.

There are more important things in the world than your respect.

And dammit, I'm both freezing and sweating in this stupid leather outfit!

How dare you come here and try to ruin my night!

"Antara nanka dai kirai," she whispered into the microphone, surprising her band mates. Osuke and Akio looked at each other shocked but kept playing. Great, she just told the entire crowd that she hated them.

Louder, she repeated herself in time with the music. "Antara nanka dai kirai!"

There were eight counts left before the first verse. As if exorcising the fear inside of her she stopped playing to roar at the top of her lungs.

"ANTARA NANKA DAI KIRAI!"

Kagome's screeching voice tore through the speakers in the club, sending a shock through everyone at the venue. Even though there was supposed to be a short pause before the first verse it was a little longer than rehearsed. Osuke and Akio were a little shaken and surprised, needing an extra count to recover. The audience also stood dumbfounded for that extra count, and for a split second the place was silent. Somehow Kagome anticipated the confusion from her band mates and without a second cue they resumed the song. Her playing was more fervent than any practice they had held. If she was going to die on the spot, she decided, she'd go down screaming and she'd make them all deaf! A sinister grin swept across her face. The high school student's vocals dripped with venom as she recalled all the recent bullying. Her billowing ebony hair spilled everywhere as she thrashed about the stage.

Kagome had originally regarded her high school class like a family. When hers had suddenly turned against her she had been so hurt, too hurt to fully realize it. Everyone whom she thought was on friendly terms with her, people she had enjoyed class trips with and helped out in school festivals for the last three years had suddenly acted as if she didn't exist, and worse. Even with Hojo's brief explanation she never fully understood the motives. As she stood over her "family" now, the prodigal sister of fourth year class B played belligerently. She wouldn't dare miss a note for them, no matter how violently she moved.

I don't need them, she decided. She would make a new family.

Once she reached her solo, she finally paid attention to the people in front of her. In the center stood Hideto, surrounded by Husking Bee, trying to rile up the people around them. Their jumping and head banging had enticed audience members who weren't from Kagome's school, enough to push their way into the front rows. Heads of dark and bleached hair alike bounced to the beat, and the crowd remained rowdy through the song. As Kagome sang the last line she glanced down to Hideto, who kept his hood up and wore his sunglasses, even in the dark. She recognized his wide grin, carved deeply into his face. They clasped hands as she bent to serenade him with her last notes.

Her classmates were shocked silent, but it didn't matter. Screaming and cheers rained hard onto the stage from the front rows, and before she could linger for too long Akio's cue for the next song had started. Kagome glanced at a set list taped to the floor to be sure of what song they would play next (though she already knew). As the realization that her classmates weren't the only people in the club hit she smiled a little more.

Despite this, one by one her fellow schoolmates had joined the rowdy crowd up front in jumping as the set progressed. By the time it ended, Kagome had finally noticed once the entire club clamored for an encore; even the bartenders were applauding.

"En-co-re," they shouted. This repeated throughout the building. Shocked, Kagome looked to Osuke and Akio. They hadn't prepared for a situation like this! They didn't have an album; the trio had already played all five of their songs! Fortunately the problem soon rectified itself. Slowly, all three band members could make out a new phrase:

"Anta nanka dai kirai!"

Akio grinned, holding his index finger up. They would replay the first song in their set list. With a wide grin Kagome returned behind the microphone stand, waving her middle finger to everyone who only cheered in reply. She was soon screaming the newest lyrics to their song while an enthusiastic crowd screamed back.

"Your solo tonight was insane! I didn't think you could play like that!"

"I missed a couple of notes, Hide-chan, it could have been better," giggled Kagome. "I'm sorry I need another ride home."

"Believe me, it's my pleasure. I was just glad to make it tonight."

Only a couple of months had passed since Kagome graduated and she was already regularly booked at least three times a week in small clubs all over Tokyo. The success of her first concert had spread via word of mouth, and attendance at her shows remained steady. Because of his own busy schedule Hideto couldn't come to all of her shows, but relished each one he saw.

He remembered a time like this in his own music career. If Kagome's innate musical ability was any indication of where she would be headed, the two of them would grow apart soon. She had plans to get a part-time job and move into her own apartment. She'd play as many shows as she could and save up whatever money was left from her share for studio time.

This was one thing that perplexed Hideto. He had offered to pay for her studio time in order to expedite things, but the young woman was stubborn and insistent on working from nothing. As far as Kagome was concerned, Hideto had done more than enough by teaching her to play guitar. There was only one other thing she really wanted from him...

"Are you cold? I can't imagine you're all too warm in that leather bustier."

"I was hot when we left, but now that you mention it... let's just hurry to the car."

"That depends... will you come over for some cake first?"

"What?"

"Otherwise, you'll have to take my jacket so we can slow down. I miss hanging out with you."

In a walkway behind Club Quattro in Shibuya, on a windy August night Kagome and Hideto headed to his car. The owners of the venue were very gracious in allowing the rock star to park in one of their designated spots-- he needed to keep his friendship with Kagome secret and didn't want to risk being seen with her in public.

She clutched a shopping bag full of trinkets and letters from fans at the venue. "If you want us to take our sweet time doing things, I can endure a few gusts of wind." The young woman had grown increasingly happy since graduation. Smiling shyly, she gripped her companion's hand and placed it around her shoulder. "Keep me warm like this."

"Anytime," he laughed. This was the straightforward, bubbly Kagome he had met in Osaka! In her final days at school he had never asked what became of the bullying, but it was clear that something had changed after Kagome's first concert. The first night she played her schoolmates had left fifty pairs of school shoes for her at the club, as an apology. It had been a pain for Kagome to remove them from the club, but she managed to get them home with help from the other bands that night. Kagome never mentioned her classmates to Hideto again after that night. "So, Kagome-chan."

"Yes, Hide-chan?"

"How does it feel to be without a curfew?"

"I almost feel like an adult. Can I spend the night at your place now?"

The older man tripped over himself in response. "Don't be a smartass," he hissed, knocking her with his hip as they walked.

"Aw, what happened to friends with benefits?" laughed Kagome as they finally reached his car.

"I know, I know. I'm a perverted old man, and you're never gonna let me live it down," he shot back at her as they got in. "You sure your Mama's not going to jump out of a bush and stab me one of these days?"

"She likes you, don't be ridiculous."

"Hm, maybe she does."

As Hideto placed his hand on the ignition Kagome softly covered it with her own. Pulling it gently away she gripped his fingers, wriggling hers in between his.

"Kagome. Stop playing and let me-- hey!"

Before she could talk herself out of it the young woman sought out Hideto's lips with her own. He relented to her briefly. Once he did pull away Kagome had lost her boldness but still persisted. "I was serious, you know. I want to spend the night."

"Then I'll prepare a room for you."

"You know what I mean, Hide-chan."

"I... I'm serious, Kagome, I'll be forced to call your Mama. I don't want to die..." the joke was a last, futile attempt at disarming her.

"Do you somehow think I'm playing? Now that I've graduated I wanna be with you. I know that some part of you thought of me as a woman when we first met, so why did things change?"

"I'm not against our age gap. You're really on your way to a career now. Do you even know how damaging it would be for us to be publicly associated at this point?"

"But if we act completely platonic people may think the same thing!"

"A lady leaving a man's apartment at night versus in the morning is seen as two different things, especially in a gossip magazine's eyes."

"But I love you. I really love you..." Shocked at her own confession she looked away.

Seeing her expression broke his heart; he reciprocated what she felt.

"Tell me something. Let's say in five years you're selling a million albums. Will you be just as happy if they refer to you as Higurashi Kagome, talented musician, or Hyde's girlfriend, Higurashi Kagome?"

She could find nothing to say.

"Not to mention the fact that they'll bring up the age gap. Hey, I'm not saying there won't be other troubles but you'll be able to avoid at least these things."

Hideto was beginning to realize that he didn't want her to mind. He knew differently, though. It would be worse for both of them to naively continue as if such things didn't matter. He'd dealt with this before.

"If it really doesn't bother you, come home with me tonight."

"Why do you have to give an ultimatum? I'm still nameless; we could at least try--."

"If you think you're so nameless, you haven't been paying attention. Think about how much you know about my early career. In fact, didn't you tell me once that before you and I met you could name the last three people I dated? Do you think I didn't try to keep that stuff secret?"

"It doesn't mean all of those things will happen to me..."

"You're right. Maybe it'll be okay."

Though she still protested, she thought about it. Offhand she could name one celebrity relationship for each of her fingers, and deep down it really did bother her! The idea that people could ignore how great she was on stage scared her-- what could she possibly do to fix a situation like that? Beyond this, even if she stayed in love with Hideto for the rest of her life, her love affair with music and performing would remain as the longer of the two. With a solemn shake of her head the young woman smiled at him, still gripping his hand tightly.

"You're right. I'm so sorry... I need that respect first."

Even though he knew she'd say it, it was still painful to hear. Kagome gripped her morals so tightly, and was as idealistic as he had once been.

"I understand."

She wanted him to protest. She wanted him to say he'd wait for her. When he said nothing but those two words the young woman kissed his cheek.

He released her hands and pulled her to him, gripping the back of her scalp and burying his face in her shoulders.

Outside of Hideto's car a few footsteps sounded. Hojo and Ayumi had come to tonight's show, and looked for her afterwards in hopes that they could greet their friend and give her a gift. It had taken a while for them to figure out which walkway was the one Kagome would be heading down, and both were surprised to see a familiar black BMW still parked in the club's VIP spot.

Upon recognizing what was going on inside the car, Ayumi gasped. With one hand over her mouth she spotted Hideto and her best friend, caught up in a private moment. As they moved to kiss each other, Ayumi blushed. She couldn't help but stare for a few seconds, shocked at the sight. They shared no virginal peck on the lips like on T.V. dramas; these kisses were genuinely heated! The girl stared intently, still surprised at the situation but also mesmerized at watching a celebrity acting... human. Once the couple pulled apart Ayumi had to admit that she was a little envious of how tightly Hideto appeared to be holding her friend as they spoke. She wanted someone to hold her like that, too!

This isn't right. Ayumi realized that this was neither the time nor place for her thoughts. I have no right to be watching this! I'm sorry, Kagome-chan!

"Hojo-kun, we've got to get out of here!" Though she tugged on her companion's arm she found that he wasn't moving. With a sigh she kept pulling as the young man stood, unable to take his gaze away from the scene unfolding in the black sports car.

Unaware of her friends outside Kagome experienced a bittersweet goodbye, breathless beneath Hideto's lips as they returned to hers. Unbeknownst to Hojo (Ayumi was too busy slapping him) this was the first and last time Kagome would share such lavish, languid affection with Takarai Hideto.

Finally, Hojo looked away. "Yeah."

It's cold!

She didn't need to run her fingers over her arms to know that they were covered in goose bumps. At first Kagome tried burrowing into the corner of the couch, burying her arms, but soon her feet were also too cold to be ignored. It became an eventuality that she would crawl to the chair across the room and retrieve a fleece blanket hanging over its arm.

The freezing sensation in her toes soon melted away. Happy to be curled up and warm Kagome squirmed to see the T.V., a content smile plastered across her face. She'd left it on last night, on MTV Japan during its late night video run. She was pleasantly happy to see that Sunrise Tune was still on-- more music videos! Their non-music programming wasn't interesting, and the young woman took more pleasure in seeing friends and peers on T.V. At the moment Kagome watched a slightly younger singer named Sowelu and sighed, still drowsy. A few more minutes of sleep would be great, she decided, allowing herself to doze off once more.

It wouldn't last long. Just as she was about to nod off, the pop star's ears latched onto a familiar tune. She blinked, startled by her latest single playing in the background of an MTV newscast.

"Good morning, this is Ruri with another MTV News Break! Several reports have come in saying that yesterday afternoon in Tokyo's Shibuya district Higurashi Kagome-san was spotted jumping out of a stopped car in an intersection."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Kagome clutched a pillow, tightly digging her nails in.

"Eyewitness accounts are all consistent in claiming that she looked upset as boyfriend Hojo-san called after her, urging Higurashi-san to get back in the car. Video footage from several security cameras has been obtained, clearly showing her running down a sidewalk.

"What does this mean for the Platinum Pair? There is currently no word from either Hojo-san's or Higurashi-san's representatives. Be sure to stay tuned as we bring you the latest music news every hour on the hour. Thank you!"

"What the hell? What an idiotic excuse for music news!" With a violent thrust the pop star hurled her pillow at the television and then shot up to locate a phone. "Damn it!"

On her bedroom nightstand sat her new black cell phone. Kagome almost didn't notice it as she dashed in the room, but knew Inuyasha would have left it there. It was already turned on as the frantic woman reached for it, and before she could check the speed dial to see if Inuyasha's number was already entered it rang in her hands.

"Inuyasha?"

"Good morning, Kagome-sama."

"Hi, Miroku-sama. Did you see what was on MTV this morning? The nerve..."

"Oh dear. It's on MTV, too?"

"It's on other networks?"

"NHK, at least. Inuyasha and I have been getting calls all morning about what happened yesterday, so we need to prepare a statement. He said he's on his way there and so am I. I'm about to speak to Hayashi-san as well."

"Oh... okay. I'll see you two soon, then." She ended the call.

Well, this was great. As she returned her new cell phone to the nightstand there was a brief knock at her front door, and then sounds of entry.

"Inuyasha, is that you?"

"Kagome-chan? Are you here?"

Sango. Kagome rushed out to the entryway to greet her friend.

"Shippo-chan, you came too?"

Kagome's friends each held a large plastic bag in their hands as they removed their shoes. Taking their bags for them, Kagome dragged both into her living room. She already knew the contents.

Shippo and Sango seated themselves on a white leather loveseat.

"Don't kill Miroku," Shippo started, "but he told me about how he ran into you yesterday."

"We're not sure what exactly happened yesterday, but Shippo suggested that we bring some of this fan mail to cheer you right up," Sango spoke as she beamed at Kagome, absentmindedly tossing her straight, dark hair with her fingertips.

"Thanks, you guys. I'll have to read some after things are taken care of today."

"You've got an appointment today? I didn't hear anything about it. Will Inuyasha be driving?" Shippo leaned forward in his seat.

Kagome realized that perhaps Shippo and Sango didn't know about the recent newscasts. "By any chance, did you watch TV today? Did Inuyasha or Miroku-sama call you guys?"

Sango and Shippo exchanged confused looks. "No. We got up early this morning to fetch the letters, and I stopped at my little brother's place. Did something else happen?"

Before Kagome could reply, a door slammed.

"Kagome!"

"Inuyasha!"

The pop star's face washed over with relief. She rushed over to her manager as he threw off his shoes, huffing angrily.

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

Kagome slowed down in her tracks, her expression changing again. She bit her lip, allowing him to head to the living room. Inuyasha slumped down on Kagome's couch, ruffling his hair with his hands. He looked up at Sango and Shippo, unfazed by their presence.

"Did you guys hear about what happened? Did you hear what she did?"

"We were just getting to that," Kagome sighed as she sat down next to him. With a glare he leaned away from her. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by everyone in the room.

The young woman sighed again. "Miroku-sama wasn't the only one who saw me yesterday. Everyone else in Shibuya did, too."

"Oh my God!"

"Kagome-chan, what made you do that?"

"That's what I'd like to fucking know," growled Inuyasha. "Where is your common sense lately, Kagome?"

"I'm sorry! Hojo and I were talking about things and he-- I just... I got so mad when he said something! I screamed at him and ran away."

"There's a point where you're allowed to be distraught, Kagome, but there's only so much I can do for you if you act so irresponsibly!"

"Inuyasha, don't be so harsh on Kagome-chan," Sango tried vainly to calm him down.

"Hang on a second, Sango, you know how Kagome is prone to be reckless," Shippo interjected with a stern look on his face.

"It's not our job to tell her what to do!" returned Sango, slightly shocked that Shippo would say such a thing.

"But it's our job to make sure she's got a career at the end of the day!" The young hanyou stretched his arm out, pointing his hand in Kagome's direction. "She needs us as much as we need her. I love her too, Sango."

As the pair argued Inuyasha's stern disposition didn't waver. Gesturing towards them, Inuyasha gave Kagome a pointed stare that she quickly understood.

She had acted selfishly. To diffuse Shippo and Sango's argument the young woman rushed in between them, wrapping one arm around each for a hug.

"Stop. Please? I don't want you two to fight."

"Kagome-chan," Sango returned her friend's embrace, smiling awkwardly at Shippo. He returned the expression as he hugged Kagome, too.

"Either way it's obvious that we both worry about you."

"Thank you."

The room hung in an uncomfortable silence after that. Inuyasha grew restless to the point where he stood and began to pace. Shippo exhaled out loud, stretching. "So my guess is that Inuyasha's here to clean up this mess."

"Miroku-sama's coming, too."

Did Sango frown? It must have been Kagome's imagination; she didn't think the two were very familiar with each other.

"Actually, Miroku-sama has just arrived." Everyone looked to the entryway where the man in question stood, clapping his cell phone closed. "Inuyasha, can I speak to you for a minute?"

It was already lunchtime by the time Miroku and Inuyasha had finished talking and planning. All of the five people at Kagome's apartment now surrounded her dinner table. Together with Shippo and Sango Kagome had made some sandwiches for everyone.

The agent took his last bite. "The one thing that we were trying to avoid is already happening. Kagome-sama, the focus on your new single and even Hojo's new T.V. drama is being overshadowed by this little fight. They keep playing the same footage over again."

"You know, it's really not that bad if Kagome sells a few more CDs because of--"

As quickly as Shippo spoke Sango's fist found itself digging into the top of his head.

Inuyasha sputtered. "In order for Kagome to continue to make good songs, the focus needs to be on her music, not this fucking circus of a relationship."

"Yes," Interrupted Miroku. "We've established this already. Like I was saying if we don't watch it Kagome's going to be under more scrutiny."

"Seems like when it comes down to it I'm just an emotional creature." Kagome leaned on Sango's shoulder.

"All we're going to say to the press is that there is no comment. However, I spoke to Hojo's manager and she's agreed: we're going to have to play dirty. Just a little, anyway." Miroku looked to Inuyasha.

"It's actually pretty simple," sighed Inuyasha. "Just get caught in public a few times with Hojo and people will think things are normal."

Kagome was quiet, until she realized that people were waiting for her to reply. "O-of course. How simple."

The young woman's apprehension wasn't lost on her manager. Inuyasha was the only other person in the room who realized how bad things between Kagome and Hojo had become in such a short amount of time.

"Also, regarding your performance and award presentation coming up next month--"

"--The MTV Asia one right before our trip to the U.S." added Inuyasha.

"Yes," Miroku continued, flipping through a schedule book. "We've made it so that Hojo will be presenting the award with you. A couple of days after the award show is when you two are scheduled to go to Las Vegas to present your English demo. It'll be enough to overshadow this by then."

Sango put her sandwich down. "This all seems a little excessive for one small incident, doesn't it?"

In one swift movement Miroku slipped his hand over hers. "Not at all, my dear. Only one of these things is the immediate fix, while the other is long-term reinforcement. Is everybody clear on that?"

"Keh."

"Yes..."

"Yep!"

"Let go of my hand or die."

"Only if you promise to bear my children..."

With the crisp snap of Sango's slap across Miroku's face, all was settled.

It had been a long time since Kagome could sit at her window. In high school she loved learning to play the guitar in front of Hideto's living room window because from thirty floors up even a bustling, high-paced Tokyo looked sedate and peaceful. Her detachment from the ground, the rest of the world, was also a detachment from the stress of living.

This is all I need, sometimes. It would be night soon. Beyond all of the problems that her run through Shibuya had brought, the day was a good one-- she had been with her friends. After business was taken care of the five of them talked and joked all day, enjoying each other's company. Sango was especially hilarious to watch as she dodged Miroku's blatant advances, literally fighting them off with her fists at many points. Had Kagome been the only one to notice Sango's blushing? It was cute.

Once there were orange swirls in the sky everyone but Inuyasha left to return home. He had been in the kitchen for at least thirty minutes now, preparing dinner for the two of them. Kagome waited in her piano room, bathed in warm light on the piano bench that she had moved to the window.

In a month, everything would change. If things went well in Las Vegas, if she actually got signed to an American label she'd stay there a while to tour. Either way, she'd be crossing the Pacific a lot more. The prospect was a little scary, but more exciting than anything else. This time around, she wouldn't be alone.

"Did you wanna eat in here?"

The sudden question startled her.

"That'd be great."

Over a card table the pair dined peacefully. It was a nice end to a day full of talking and laughing with company. A simple meal of pork ramen, croquettes, and salad reminded Kagome of old times with Hojo, years ago. Her memories of dinners like this would always be fond ones, but also remnants of a time that would never return. They couldn't return to the post-high school days of hundred yen dinners from convenience stores after a demeaning part-time restaurant job to pay for rent and head shots. Nowadays their only struggle to eat dinner involved being in the same place at the same time.

"This is really good. Thank you, Inuyasha."

"Was nothin'."

They finished their meal in content silence until Kagome rose to put their dishes away. When she returned, Inuyasha had already put away the card table and was sitting on Kagome's piano bench at the window. He turned to her, smiling as she approached. She sat next to him on the bench.

"What would I do without you, Inuyasha?"

"Burn someone else into the ground."

The hanyou was answered with a frown.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

"I'm so sorry. Honestly, from the bottom of my heart I didn't want you to be burdened with everything."

"It's my job, I can handle it."

"It's more than just this situation. I'm always a bother to you, and... I never realized how high-maintenance I've become. If someone were to tell me that once I became famous I'd be accustomed to my manager brushing my hair on tours, I'd think they were crazy! When anything happens to me, I always depend on you to help me deal with it, even if it's good! I know it's what I pay you for, but... I'm just... I'm sorry. You're so important to me, yet I'm essentially stopping you from having a life of your own."

Without realizing the weight of his gesture, Inuyasha moved his hand over Kagome's. "I'm in this line of work because my life didn't have much in it to begin with."

Though the sun was long gone at this point neither Inuyasha nor Kagome moved to turn on the light. Against a deep purple glow from the window they sat together in the dark. As the moment progressed, Kagome found herself leaning against Inuyasha. She turned her head, speaking quietly to him.

"As far as I'm concerned, my life is your life too. I'd be happy to share it for as long as you'll let me."

He turned to her, eyeing her coolly. "Be careful, I might take you up on that someday."

"Why not now?" Gazing up into his golden eyes that glinted in the dark her hand rose to his cheek, drawing him closer. The young woman allowed her eyes to drift closed as she lightly brushed his lips with hers.

This was as far as she got. Inuyasha's hands now gripped her shoulders, tethering her away from him.

"Don't do that anymore unless you mean it, Honey. I'm only a man... eh, you know what I mean. Good night. Going to bed."

"You're staying over?"

"Yeah."

Kagome shrugged her shoulders, at a loss of what to say. "Good night."

Notes:

Holy crap you guys, I think I took this story EVERYWHERE with me this summer. Wrote an impressive amount of this chapter in hotel rooms, airports, relative's guest rooms, etc.

Because the story got 100 reviews (on ff. net) I decided to at least get the rest of the chapter done while I can, but right now is really crunch time for me. Working on some important stuff outside of my regular job. Will be going to Japan again, before the year ends (and guess what band I'm gonna see again while I'm there XD;; ). I'll see how much I can write in my spare time (because I've been looking forward to writing these parts since I started), but just can't promise anything substantial. Pretty sure next chapter's gonna include when Inuyasha and Kagome first meet.

So! Thank you all for the 100 reviews! For someone like me who is a non-writer, that's pretty damned cool. What else is pretty friggin' cool is the IYFG nomination this story got, thanks to Laurell-chan and MissMarilyn69. I'd never checked out IYFG until this happened, so it's a nice way to learn about a place:D You ladies are awesome.

I'll update the Fade and Flare web site (www. pinku. net/fadeflare. Remove the spaces!) with some cultural notes after I get some sleep.