InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Black Hole of Endless Suffering ❯ The Birth of Realization ( Chapter 1 )

Hello again. ^0^ It's been awhile. I know, I REALLY should be working on my other shtuff, and I have (I just haven't been submitting it) *sweat drop* But, until I get to that here's a little unique morsel to tie you over. ^_^

.BLACK HOLE OF ENDLESS SUFFERING.

"What can go wrong will go wrong."

.A WISE WORD ON LIFE.

Life is a wonderful journey in which we embellish our spiritually gained knowledge by spreading our wings in a way we failed to in our previous lives.

Well, that theory can be proven wrong. (I mean multiple lives, yesh not all of us are believers -_- )

"Shit happens."

This is a fact. It can't be proven incorrect. You know when you wake up, face-plant on your old moldy sandwich you left on your floor weeks ago, after rolling off your bed about two hours after you were supposed to wake up, spit out the mold that you got in your mouth, and realize you didn't do your homework in math, science, AND English, that this statement will and always will be true.

Ahem, now to prove the following:

Disturbing things that create suffering for Inuyasha characters is an enjoyable read.

Japanese Terms:

Sofu: your grandpa
Hai: basically means yes
“Nani?”: Means “What?”
Kaa-chan: Mommy
Ani: your older brother
“Mou”: Very much like “jeez” or a like exclamation
Hanyou: a half youkai being (half demon), translates directly to “one of half magic”
Kudasai: Means “please” in the manner when it is used when asking for something
(Papa and Mama are also common terms for parents in Japan)
Nii-chan: name often used affectionately for your sister
Hai, genki desu: a phrase that means, “I am fine.” (besides meaning “yes”, hai can indicate a reply to a question)

Honorifics
-san: the most commonly used honorific in Japanese speech and also has many differing definitions. Basically, “san” is what you would add to the end of someone’s name whom you don’t know very well or doesn’t really apply to any of the other honorifics. In order to be polite, often when first meeting someone in Japan you would add the suffix “san” to his or her name. Some people find it old fashioned, but the majority of people, especially those who care about manners, greet others with the san suffix if they don’t know them very well and are on about the same plane of respect.

-chan: another suffix I see argued about a little, chan often is added affectionately to the names of those who are female or children, but I have also seen otherwise, it is an affectionate name that ordinarily in used between those who know each other well and gives a name a sort of cuteness about it which some males might find to be somewhat girly, which is why Yahiko of Rurouni Kenshin hates being called Yahiko-chan so much. When used incorrectly, an horrific can be extremely insulting. Chan should be used with those you know very well and have a special relationship with.

-kun: another suffix which I have seen opposing definitions for. Kun can be used from a superior to an inferior (as in a teacher to his/her student), but it can also be used in a friendly manner, in an ordinarily masculine way. Kun is ordinarily used when addressing male acquaintances, but there are exceptions. Usually someone one is quite familiar with is what the suffix is used for, ordinarily men or masculine girls. I often also see the honorific used for acquaintances.

-sensei: a commonly used suffix for teachers or professors, ones that are yours and ones that aren’t. It’s sort of like the Mr. and Mrs. that we use for our teachers only specifically for teachers.

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"This isn't what I expected it to be."

The words croaked out and floated before her for a moment. The sun was an under-cooked sun-side up egg yolk, but that didn't mean it would make a smiley on a pancake like her mother always did. The shadows crawled away from her, hiding themselves from the egg yolk hanging outside Kagome's window. She took two of her fingers, clenched them hard on her left bra strap, pulled it up, and snapped it back on her skin. It quickly turned red. She didn't blink for several minutes.

"SOTA, GET READY FOR SCHOOL!" her mother's voice echoed through the hallways of the house like a small ripple in an ocean. It was so unimportant it was almost laughable.

Only, as Kagome felt her untidy strands of hair that hung irritatingly in her face, and wiped the crystallized goop from her eyes, she didn't feel any desire to laugh.

Her legs slid underneath her like aching pillows, were they getting flabby? How long had she been home? She slid her hand to her mouth, hoping no more statements that made her feel even less worthy of life would slip out. Sticky drool met her fingertips and she wiped it off recalling her dream.

Miroku had decided to throw a party in it. All the party favors had Kikyo's picture all over them, even though it was Kagome's surprise birthday. And no body came. Miroku even eventually left with some blonde haired, blue eyed, American girl from Princeton.

Kagome wanted to go to Princeton. But judging from her less-than-any-hope-of-being-anywhere-NEAR-perfect grades, that was never going to happen.

The room was as pale as the memories of Kagome's strange dream were, and in the strange runny light she watched a pink and sparkly flake flutter down before her onto her lap. It was irritating how lipstick always made her lips chap and dry up like a neglected well. That only made her think of "the well", the one that she thought, before, was a waste of the constant upkeep her grandpa and mother committed to. Then after she had been grabbed by that twisted Madame Centipede she was sure that she'd destroy that well the instant she killed and over-came the monster like some super-feministic powered heroine on society-out-look-turn-table speed, only she wound up screaming like a pitiful infant when it licked her and only pushed it away in a pathetic girly manner… After seeing Inuyasha she was almost entirely certain she'd begin a personal campaign of total restoration of a now priceless relic in her eyes; then after she heard him speak, she wanted to grab a sledgehammer and destroy it herself. She never got to that, though and now she was chasing after a two faced Rebel Without A Cause reminiscent character with no shame and no manners; stuck writing love letters that were doomed to a fiery death in the dusty hearth downstairs.

"It's not quite right."

The words again ran out thin, like an inadequate proto-type, fleeing from the judging eyes of its creator. After a while, foolishly, Kagome began feeling as if she had stumbled upon a fantasy. Though she had had no intention of telling the irrepressible hanyou the true nature of her feelings (nor admitting them to herself), secretly she expected that it would a happily-ever-after type ending. She, the seemingly ordinary and plain girl was in reality something far more (priestess and princess sounded so alike), then she found a magical world, where she was needed, and where there was a boy who'd fight for her. She and that boy, of course, would fall in love, and that would be the end of the delicately glamorous fairy tale.

Only, after seeing Kikyo come back to life, appear to have died, then resurface again into her life, did Kagome realize that she wasn't in one of the fairy tales she had read about in books all her childhood. No longer was Inuyasha the gruff little prince only she owned and tamed, now, she was powerless in the wake of something far bigger than herself. After some time, when Kikyo seemed so little involved in anything, Kagome again assumed that sweet little ending might be in sight. Not again would she think that. She had come to terms with her end, just as the letters that knew they would become ashes. She would become ashes too. Yet, just as they continued to be written, she continued to blindly love and blindly use the Bone Eaters Well. Perhaps, an emotional destruction was what she sought. Kagome never had interest in drugs or alcohol; the only way she could self-destruct was by continually wounding herself emotionally.

After she had woken up, Kagome thought about, for the first time, what she had become and without holding back, her predicament. She had known what was happening wasn't what she had thought would be, but never really had let herself say it aloud... That made it seem so much more real. The taste of unbrushed teeth and moldy words remained on her tongue within the coffin-like silence. Her hair hated her and so did her dentist.

Kagome's mother never had to remind her to wake up. Everyday she was home, Kagome obediently opened her eyes from a shallow sleep, slipped out of bed, brushed her hair, got dressed and was perfectly ready for school. This time, for the first time, she didn't want to go. Normally, school served as an escape for Kagome, she could stop thinking about issues. She could focus on work, on meaningless things and forget what was tugging at her mind and unshed sorrows. Altogether, school was a much finer place to be then at home or even the Feudal Era.

Though now stated and more real were her problems, Kagome felt as if she wanted to be thrown perilously back into the breeding environment of her torment. Avoiding it now felt like cowering out, like being weak. Though she didn't like to think about it, she knew that she had been subdued greatly emotionally; she used to fight for things. It was true that Kagome had gained some amount of courage when it came to demons, but now she had no will to fight left in her. It was always up to Inuyasha.

"Kagome?" The sullen teenager looked up, hearing a prick of something new in her mother's voice. It surprised her not at all, that suddenly she was at her door way. Her mother had a way of silently approaching without any way of the victim knowing. The two stared at one and other a long time; Kagome saw her mother's face lacking the sunny mask it always wore. For the first time she pondered over who her mother really was beyond the label "Mama".

Miki...who are you really? It felt odd to think of her mother as anyone else besides: "Mama do this for me". It was odd thinking of her mother as a person, as someone with separate feelings other than she conveyed, other than happiness, bliss, and obliviousness. It was strange thinking that her mother had conflicts that had to do with other than she and Sota. Kagome wasn't selfish, that wasn't why she had thought like that, the reasoning was that every time she had ever seen her mother she had always bore a smile and never showed anything not muddled with reverie. Her mother had always acted much more like a guardian spirit, disattatched from the world, gliding in slightly every once in a while from the other world of heaven, without the means to really connect with anyone down here. But Miki was a person. A person with emotions and aggravations. A person that wasn't Kagome's mama, but a woman who had sacrificed her life to BE Kagome's mama.

Miki shuddered slightly under Kagome's gaze and fled the room. Mentally, Kagome secured the notion it was only because she had left the oven on, thus creating a troubled expression, then hurrying off. The thought recurred in her mind, Miki...who are you really? She shook it off, but deep down she still had the awareness that she didn't really know Miki very well at all.


Every day was as tiresome as the last. The clouds formed her face. The stars did, as well. Every thing and anything could remind him of her. "Ani, Ani!" screamed Fujita, his little pudgy hands gripping a power ranger action figure in one and a ninja turtle toy in the other. "Play with me, play with me!!" Hojo's tawny eyes shifted from his schoolwork for the first time in hours to his younger brother who was hopping up and down eccentrically. "Kudasai, Ani!" Freezing a moment to consider, Hojo finally chuckled in a defeated manner, dropping his pencil to his Geometry-homework and standing up from his chair.

"Alright," he said, forcing a smile though the idea of walking into Tekata-sensei’s class empty-handed gave him the impulse to groan. As he thought this over, though, he recalled how only thoughts of Kagome bypassed into his mind, and achieving much progress would have been insurmountable. As he approached, Fujita made the move to hand Hojo his ninja turtle action figure. "No, not with those." Imagining any passerby in the park noticing him holding a Ninja turtle action figure struck great dread in him. "How about..." he thought a moment for some sort of game, "...Kagome Kagome?" The words rolled off his tongue as if her relished the very sound of them in his head, then loved them even more dearly out loud. There was almost shame forming inside him at the excuses he made to say Kagome's absolutely beauteous name... Fujita "oh man"-ed at this suggestion and let his small body droop discouragingly. "Oh come on," Hojo coaxed with his usual bright smile, "it'll be fun."

"We can't play with two people," Fujita pointed out smartly, beaming with triumph. It was true; the game composed of few rules, but called for numerous players. One player was deemed the "oni" and was to sit on the ground blind-folded while the other's surrounded him in a circle bound by hand-holding, singing, "Kagome, Kagome, Kago no naka no tori wa, itsu itsu dearu, Yoake no bani, Tsu tu to kame to subeta, Ushiro no shoumen Dare?" At the halt of the singing the oni was to guess the name of the person behind him, if correctly guessed, that player would then become the oni.
"There are plenty of kids here," Hojo retorted playfully, motioning to the many children in the park. It wasn't long before he lured many into the game play, with his wide smiles, and slow speech, the children enjoyed him greatly. Hojo had a manner of speaking with children, this, however, deemed him the curse of speaking to almost all people as if they were children. As the children linked hands, he found himself somehow part of the ring, though the entire time he had planned to somehow, unnoticed, escape to his schoolwork. The park around him began to be slowly seen in different fragments as he was moved around the circle and blinked slowly, peering out as he faced alternating directions. One image repeated in his mind that he saw for only an instant. Kagome? As he came around again in the circle, he realized his error. Higurashi-san? It had taken him so long to recognize her because she wasn't wearing her carefree disposition. In fact, she looked rather troubled. No matter where Hojo faced he couldn't get that expression that was so dissimilar to anything he had ever seen on the woman's face, out of his mind.
A moment later, the circle had come to a stop, but Hojo's head still felt as if it was spinning. He felt a numbness crawl over him as he saw the very same body of a woman, approach bearing an entirely different soul. "Sota, we should head home now, it's getting late," Miki said to her son, gleaming falsely. Hojo flinched as if he had been struck. The look on her face was identical to the one he wore, her disguise to conceal her pain and worries, same to his. Miki noticed Hojo staring at her. "Hojo-kun?" she beheld him as if she had seen him for the very first time, studying him for an explanation, she gave herself one, "...oh...Kagome should be home already, but I dare say she's sick again..." It was possible Kagome had gone off to the Feudal Era again, Miki grew very tired of lying, but she wasn't naive enough to think there was any other way.
"Kagome-san?" When Hojo heard the name pass through his lips, an abrupt serge of guilt pass through him. An instant later he could only marvel over why. Why had he felt guilt? Stranger still, was he felt as if he had forgotten Kagome entirely, until he had spoken her name just then.

Quick footsteps caused Kagome to peer through the small window by the door with a skip in her heart's beat. A downpour of discouragement hit her. Hard. It was only Sota, her little brother, not, though despite her mental rantings of feeling just opposite, who she had wanted it to be. The door soon swung open and Kagome prepared herself for the cheerful exchange that always went somewhere around the lines of:
"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan! When’s dinner?!"
"Soon, dear."
"Sofu! Sofu! Sofu! Where's Buyo?"
"In the kitchen dear."
"It's time for your dinner, Buyo! Come n' get it! Where IS he, Kaa-chan?"
"Be patient, dear."
"I hate being patient..."
"It's a part of life, dear."
It never ceased to amaze her how routine everything was in her time, yet, when she thought about it, in it's own peculiar way the Feudal Era was also very methodic. Always chaos, one came to expect it. Here it was always the same blind happiness. “Ignorance is bliss” should have been the catch phrase of the 21st century that was the only thing Kagome was absolutely certain of.
“Where’s my game boy?!” Sota cried from the hallway, his whiny shouting floating into the kitchen.
“Help Sota find his game toy, Kagome!” Miki’s voice drifted through Sota’s, where Kagome sat in her isolation.
“Game boy!” Sota corrected, his footsteps stomping through the halls.
“Yes, dear!”
“Kagome-chan, have you seen my Talon of Mystical Dragon Spirit?” her grandfather inquired.
“By the ‘fridge, Sofu,” she returned distractedly, not even caring to look from the window she was staring at sorrowfully. Her fist was burrowing into her face, propping it up with the strength of her elbow against the kitchen table. Next, her half conscious state she heard the tragic cries of her grandfather.
“NOOOOO!” he screamed, “KAGOME YOU LET BUYO EAT IT!!”

This of course meant that a talon was lodged in Buyo’s throat. After much confusion, (Kagome’s mother taking her father’s indecipherable ranting and raving as his normal lunatic eccentricity in relation to his artifacts, Sota still in hot pursuit of his game boy, and Kagome not fully aware of everything happening as she was too busy pitying herself), Buyo had been stuffed into the extra-large cat carrier (which he could scarcely fit into, his fat bulging out of the small holes).
“Sota move over, Buyo won’t be able to fit!” Kagome screamed, clutching the cat carrier in the now pouring rain. Buyo let out a muffled yowl.
“No, you can sit in the front! Sofu doesn’t have as big of a butt as you apparently!”
“Nani?! Do you want your face to be the new tile Mama’s been wanting for the pavement?!”
“Now, kids…”
“Sofu, just sit in the back and hold the cat, kay?” Sota suggested, focusing on his game. Meanwhile, Grandfather Higurashi had just snapped his seat belt over himself.
“What were you saying?” he asked in his loud irritating voice. Kagome sighed angrily.
“JUST SCOOT OVER, SOTA!! BUYO’S CHOKING!”
“Myowghh…” grumbled the furry mass inside the plastic container.
“Now, children…” Miki repeated, also fastening her seat belt. “it’s pouring rain, and Buyo is dying, get into the car Kagome.”
“I would,” Kagome began angrily, “IF SOTA WOULD MOVE!!”
“FINE! Make it all MY fault!” the nine year old retorted, moving several inches to the right, away from Kagome.
“Mou…” Kagome mumbled, clambering into the car. There was a very still moment after Kagome’s seat belt made a distinct click and she stopped fidgeting, her legs and damp clothes very uncomfortable. “ARE WE GOING TO LEAVE OR WHAT?” Kagome screamed after another gagging noise escaped their cat.

The nearer they got to the emergency veterinary’s office, the quieter the cat became.
“HURRY UP MAMA!!”
“It’s a red light, Kagome.”
“SO!?”
Just as Kagome shrieked, her mother had scarcely screeched to a halt, two inches behind the car stopped before her. “SILENCE KAGOME-CHAN!!! YOUR MOTHER IS TRYING TO DRIVE!!”
“SHE’S NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH!! BUYO’S DYING!”
“I’M TRYING TO BEAT THE BOSS, SHUT UP!”
“URGH!!” Kagome exclaimed, snatching the game boy from Sota’s grasp and hurling it out her window, which she opened for an instant. “Is that ALL you care about?” Sota looked as if he was going to cry, but he remained silent. A tense silence filled the car. Buyo moaned in pain.
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Miki said, before anyone could shout anymore. Kagome was at a loss as to how her mother could remain so calm; it irked her to no end. She felt the tight fingers around the cat carrier tightening and shaking. Her knuckles went pearl white.
Reaching the hospital from the car was a difficult task as every member of the Higurashi family there slipped and fell on their faces at least once during the journey to the hospital. Kagome quickly discovered that her shoes weren’t built for running insanely on slick asphalt. She was the one who slid and collided with the ground the most. The rain was some sort of reminder that the gods hated each of them this day and took amusement in poking them on the tops of their heads. The thunder was their laughter.
Once they reached inside, they shoved, pushed, and even kicked any obstacles that stood in their way (including people) and found their way to the counter, where in rushed voices, all at once, they recounted Buyo’s predicament. The woman at the desk couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but she recognized the situation was dyer and simply pointed them in the direction of an emergency room. Buyo was quickly relinquished to a few veterinarians who hurried off with him, leaving the Higurashis to wait and pray.
Sota had found that his old game boy was in his pocket and proceeded to entertain himself with that. Kagome found that this drove her insane. She paced back and forth across the waiting room.
Kagome’s pacing, the noises emanating from Sota’s game boy, and Grandpa Higurashi’s pounding on the nearby vending machine were all giving Miki the greatest migraine she had ever suffered. Noiselessly, she removed herself from the waiting room and found her way into an empty check up one. She sat on one of the chairs, massaging her head, and feeling the raindrops drip from her short strands of hair and onto her lap. Footsteps reached her ears, but they were quiet and hesitant, so they did nothing to intensify her headache. A sensation of great relief spread over her when she saw it was someone Kagome knew, he could perhaps calm her daughter down.
“Higurashi-san?” he asked hesitantly, sometimes he seemed to be very shy. Somehow this struck Miki as a trait her daughter wouldn’t look for in a partner, but she wasn’t sure why. Or why the thought had somehow struck her. Sure, she was old fashioned at times, but Miki was well aware boys served fine as friends, Kagome could simply see him as a friend rather than anything else. When she thought about it, however, she realized she never really knew what Hojo was to Kagome. He always seemed to be vying for her affections, constantly giving gifts… It was painfully obvious that he viewed Kagome with fancy. But did Kagome feel the same way?
“Hojo-kun.” Miki forced a smile.
“Why are you here? Is something wrong with Buyo?” he asked, worry apparent in his eyes. Something troubled Miki about this, it didn’t seem to her that he was anxious about their cat, but rather about something else.
“Hai,” Miki returned, faking a laugh, “he’s gone and swallowed one of our heirlooms–it seems he favorite thing to do…” At the moment, Miki felt as if she was acting in a play–she wondered why she had never felt this way before because she was always acting some sort of part that wasn’t herself. She was “Kagome’s mama” and Hojo was “Kagome’s suitor” and that was all they were supposed to be. Miki hadn’t strived to really be a full person for the longest of time; she had simply labeled herself “Mama”, and that was all she had been. She never showed true emotions anymore. Hojo was acting his part beautifully. The concern etched on his face, because she was supposed to be the “future mother in law” or something. Yet, Miki was certain Hojo could never be with Kagome. It was something about him. Many times, although she had struggled to prevent it, Miki had been envious of Kagome. Mostly, she could be her own person, though she kept many secrets, she had her fits of rage and sadness.

Miki wasn’t aloud to do anything like that. Hojo seemed the same way. Kagome wasn’t interested in someone like that. In fact, Miki could sense a great need in Kagome to find someone to bring out even more of her hidden emotions, because, unlike her mother, she was questing to realize her true self. Hojo was a very nice, conventional boy; most women wanted someone to dote on them. Miki got the feeling that, even though she had over heard Kagome preaching just the opposite, she wanted someone who was just out of her reach. Someone she had to work for. Someone who would drive her entirely bonkers, pull her in, then push her away, because she needed the challenge. She didn’t want Hojo because he’d grovel for her affections. Who she was looking for was someone who’d take her kindness and spit it back with venomous contempt. It seemed so backwards, yet it made sense.
“Are you alright?” Hojo’s question took her unawares, and hit her like a chunk of ice, stunningly cold, but what she felt afterward was numbness. No one had ever asked her anything like that before, and she hoped that he asked her because of her cat’s predicament, and nothing to do with herself. If that were the case, then that was entirely startling. She had worked so hard to hide everything, to be the perfect mother. That was all. And how could some random high school student come and tear that all down? Suddenly, Miki became angry.
“What do you mean? What are you implying? I hardly know you and here you are asking me as if you think I have some sort of problem. Well I don’t. Hai, genki desu,” she retorted haughtily. Afterward, she realized that she had unwittingly revealed that indeed they’re, was something wrong by unveiling the emotions underneath her oblivious, honey-like exterior. She felt helpless and trapped. Neither spoke and Miki considered leaving, but she couldn’t. She was rooted to the spot.
“Do you think Kagome-san…even likes me…at all?” When Hojo asked this, staring vacantly at the wall in front of him, Miki thought that she’d feel relief that maybe he had been convinced they’re was nothing wrong and really all he had come for was Kagome. Instead, she felt abandoned. After a little thought she realized she wanted someone to find out there was more to her. Deep down she longed to be a full person…yet she realized it was ludicrous now. This was Kagome’s friend, or boyfriend, or acquaintance–or whatever he was he hadn’t anything to do with her. They had to keep playing their parts–they had done flawlessly until now. Finally, Miki pondered over Hojo’s question. If she were thoroughly honest, she would say “no” right away. But she wasn’t even that honest with herself. Somehow, she still was partially convinced that Kagome found this boy to be her friend or maybe even crush. When deep down she knew that she didn’t have any interest in him at all.
“I don’t know,” she returned quietly, in little more than a whisper.
“I…think I’ve been fooling myself,” Hojo continued and Miki wondered if he was talking to himself or her, “…I think Kagome-san is in love with someone else–and maybe I don’t really love her either… Maybe it was sort of comforting for me to live another life–and just forget who I really was. I don’t normally feel things above the surface, I keep it locked up so deep I forget it’s there…”
Why is he telling me this–maybe he’s forgotten I’m here–other people do that…
“Mama?!” came Kagome’s voice, not far from the check up room. “Mama!”
“…I wonder…if there’s other people who do that…” he murmured, looking at Miki. She averted eyes, hoping that he wasn’t implying she was one of those people.
“There you are, Mama!” Kagome exclaimed from the doorway. “Buyo’s fine!! He’s just–“ Her eyes fell onto Hojo and she drooped slightly,” …Hojo-kun…” she mumbled in slight acknowledgment.
“There’s no reason to do it. It just makes people think you’re simple, just one thing…” he whispered, and he left with Kagome who looked absolutely cheerless to see him.
He impressed Miki. She couldn’t understand why her daughter rejected him the way she did. Feeling abruptly uplifted, Miki stood up from her seat, out of her gloom and marched out into the hall. “Kagome!” she called, feeling as if laughter was possible. Was she doing this to make her daughter miserable?
“Nani, Mama?” Kagome asked, trying to keep her irritability from being too apparent. She shifted away from Hojo.
“How about we have Hojo-kun for dinner, I think that he’s been a great help.” Kagome looked as if someone had just screamed all sorts of cuss words at her.
“Nani?” She threw a glance at Hojo, and struggled to compose herself. “Nani? But–it’s sort of–um–short notice–“
“My parents wouldn’t mind,” Hojo interjected, both Miki and he exchanged looks as if they were silently sharing an inside joke. Kagome felt all remainder of happiness that the cat survived deteriorating and falling at her feet.
“What’s going on?” Sota asked, finally shutting of his game boy.
“Hojo-kun’s coming for dinner,” Kagome informed him through gritted teeth, trying to manage a smile.
“Cool,” Sota returned, very indifferent, as he strolled off, turning his game boy on again.
Kagome finally left after trying several varying, subtle ways of deterring Hojo’s invite and failing, counting off the many reasons why this day had been very unsatisfactory. After Buyo had been returned to them, seeming as blobbish as his normal self, the family left along with Hojo and all loaded into the small car. Grandpa was squished in the middle of the back seat. This only happened because Kagome had “kindly” offered the front seat to Hojo explaining that “he’s the tallest, it would be cruel to stuff him back here”. Of course the only real motive for this was that Kagome felt vomiting possible at the thought of being tightly packed in beside Hojo, their legs rubbing up together…the idea was astoundingly nerve-wracking.
As they drove down the empty, dark streets, Kagome got the inexplicable feeling that Hojo at their dinner this night was the beginning of a chain of negative events. She quietly groaned at the thought. Nothing good would come of this, Kagome figured. And she was quite right.
><><><><><><><>< ><><><><><><><><><> ;<><><><><><><><><>&l t;><><><><><><><><><< br> Authors Notes and Crap: Alright, choosing honorifics and when to use Japanese terms was something I carefully did and had to think a lot about. One of the most difficult things was trying to find what the characters call each other in the original series, as I’m more familiar with the American version. Hojo calls Kagome “Higurashi” without any honorifics, just simply her surname. As I take it, this is common between students at Japanese schools between students who didn’t know each other very intimately, but I always found it sort of strange how he asks her out, still calling her by her last name. I couldn’t have Hojo call Kagome “Higurashi” in the story because he speaks to Kagome’s mother so much about her in it, and I found it WAY to confusing, also because he refers to her mother as “Higurashi-san” in this, which seemed appropriate to me. In here he calls Kagome, Kagome-san. I really thought a LOT about this, but I couldn’t find any better thing for him to call her. “Chan” was my first choice, but it seemed far too intimate, and in Japan older girls easily take offense to being called “chan” as it can be interpreted as sexist. I thought Hojo would be more considerate than that. Just “Kagome” also seemed too intimate as in the series he calls her by her surname. “Kagome-san” seemed like the next step down from that.
Hojo’s little brother simply calling him “Ani” seemed to fit, as originally I had him calling him “brother”, and “Ani” seemed simple enough for a little kid. Is it me or does everyone call Hojo: Hojo-kun? In the series right after Kagome and her friends actually meet him (earlier his reputation as being a sort of hunk, the dreamy “it” boy of class B or whatever proceeds him), they immediately begin calling him “Hojou-kun” (I kept the English name spellings as I’m most used to them). Hojo-kun seemed right for Miki to call him, as she knew him somewhat, and no honorific would be sort of rude/too intimate (which I don’t see Miki being), plus “san” I think would be too impersonal and respectful as Hojo is younger than she is. Besides, everyone else does it, might as well follow the trend! :D It made sense for Kagome’s grandpa to call her “Kagome-chan” because Grandpa’s just tend to always view their granddaughter’s as little girls, don’t they? (In the future he will call Sota: Sota-chan too, because Sota doesn’t really seem like the type to take it the wrong way, and the relationship from grandpa to grandson seems to fit). Kagome’s mother calls her children just by their names. In the beginning I had her calling Kagome, Kagome-chan sometimes, but it just didn’t seem to fit very well. It seems like it might work, but to me I’d think she would call them by their given names, she seems like the type of mother who wouldn’t let pet names get in the way of her children’s growing up.