InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ History lesson with Miroku Aikawa ❯ History class with Miroku Aikawa ( One-Shot )

Te la ensen

Class was boring as usual. So boring that by now Sango noticed Kagome yawning for the fourth time. Of course, she could not prevent yawning herself then. She looked around, and noticed that half of her classmates were deeply asleep, some with pencils in their mouths, others pretending to be reading, others whose heads had simply fallen down. . . Boring. . . that was the only answer.

When the bell finally rang, all those that had been asleep slowly came back to reality and gathered their books and exited the room. Kagome and Sango took a bit longer, but when they finally came out of the classroom, they noticed a cloud of girls around. . . someone. They could only see the top of the person's head.

"What's going on there?" Kagome asked.

Their friend Eri came out of the commotion and looked at them excitedly.

"You guys are not gonna believe this," she said, gasping for air. "Mr. Takaya got a new assistant for his research!"

"So?" both Kagome and Sango asked. "What's the whole commotion about?"

"HE IS SO CUTE!"

Some people turned over to look at Eri, but she didn't mind. She just kept on shooting glances at the little group that was now moving away from the hallway towards the cafeteria. Girls giggling could be heard all over.

"That cute, huh?" Kagome asked.

"You bet! He's so cute it would even make you dump Inuyasha on the spot."

"Oh, I doubt that," Sango said. "If she didn't dump him for the last guy you said is cute, Kouga, she won't dump him for this one."

"You haven't even seen him. Besides, he's a lot cuter than Kouga."

"Come on," Kagome said, "Kouga is not cute."

"He's kinda cute," Sango said.

Both girls looked at her.

"But that's it, it's not like I like him!" she said quickly.

"Well, we know you're not interested in guys. . ." Eri said.

"Hey, it's not that I'm not interested in guys," she said, "I just don't want to date anyone until we graduate."

"But that will take another year!" Eri complained. "We're seniors! You need a boyfriend! Who's gonna take you to the prom?"

"No one," Sango said, as if it were normal to go alone. "I don't need a partner to go to a ball."

"Oh, yes, you do!" both girls said.

"Oh, Kagome, not you too!" Sango said.

"Anyways, I'm going," Eri said, "let's see if those freshmen saved me a place by him. I'll see you for computer class."

"Bye," both Kagome and Sango said, then both sighed.

"I know, I know," Kagome said, "she'll never change. And don't worry, I think you can do pretty much whatever you want."

"Thanks."

"Shall we go eat? Inuyasha might be waiting already."

"Sure, let's go."

"Maybe we can take a glance at that new research assistant."

"He's probably ugly, we know what kind of taste Eri has. . ."

"But you just said Kouga was. . ."

"Ah, but not to die for."

"Whatever, let's go."

When they reached the cafeteria there was a whole cloud of girls around a table, and they were being quite loud. Off to the side of the room was Inuyasha (in human form), waiting for them.

"What's all that about?" he asked them. "Do you know?"

"Takaya-sensei hired a new assistant," Kagome said, "that's what Eri told us, and according to her he's really cute."

"Keh! She also said Kouga was cute."

"Talking about me?" Kouga showed up with Ayame, and they took place at the table with the other three.

"Whatever," Inuyasha said.

They started eating, and tried to have a normal conversation, but they could hardly hear each other because of the girls' screaming.

"Ahh, I wish they would shut up," Inuyasha complained. "Just because of some guy that's probably not even cute."

"Oh, he's cute alright," Ayame said, then took a bite of her sandwitch.

"You saw him?" they all asked.

"Yeah, I saw him," she answered after swallowing. "He is cute good looking."

`But then again,' Kagome, Inuyasha and Sango thought, `Ayame thinks Kouga is cute.'

"I mean, he's not really wow like Kouga, but he's got quite some charm."

They considered it to be a normal guy, not attractive at all. Kouga, on the other hand, seemed very pleased with himself, but quite cross at the same time.

Finally the bell rang, and they all went back to their classes. Kagome and Sango had a hard time during computer class, for all they heard, instead of the teacher, was the girls in the class giggling and talking about this so-called cute assistant.

"Oh, my God," one was saying as the teacher was explaining them C++, "did you see that ass? So hot!"

"Ohh, I saw that," her friend answered, "and that chest. . . you could tell he's got some muscle! And the arms. . . oh, my God, those arms!"

Some tables away other girls were having a similar conversation.

"So now we know something," Kagome told Sango, "he's got a hot ass."

Both started giggling, and the teacher caught them.

"Higurashi, Kitazumi, to the hallway!"

"Huh?" they were both shocked.

"How come you kick us out when everybody else is making noise?!" Sango protested.

"Because I heard you two, and not them," the teacher said. Then he took out a notebook and said: "Kitazume gets detention."

She was about to protest again, but Kagome placed a hand on her mouth.

"Let's go," she told her.

They went out of the room and stood in the hallway, Sango looked crestfallen.

"You know you can't answer to the teachers like that," Kagome said.

"But it was so unfair! We were quiet, we just giggled then! He must have heard the other girls, they were so loud!"

"Sango-chan, nevertheless, we are not supposed to answer to the teachers like that, it just gets us into trouble."

"He gave me detention!"

"Yes, and he'll give you more if you keep on screaming like that in the hallway, calm down."

"Chichiue is gonna kill me when he finds out."

"You can tell him you had to stay after school to study. . ."

"Yeah, right, like they don't write on our report cards that we got detention. . ."

"Sango-chan. . ."

"I never got detention before!"

"Ah, there's always a first time," Kagome said, "I remember the first time I got detention. Do you?"

Sango thought for a moment, still a bit cross, but then her face lightened, and slowly her expression turned into a grin.

"You do, I see," Kagome said.

Sango started giggling, but tried to hold it.

"How could anyone forget?" Sango asked. "You were practically begging to be kicked out! Just to sneak out to meet Inuyasha."

"We had planned it, of course, to be kicked out from class at the same time, since we were in neighboring rooms."

"Yeah, and you made out out there."

"That we did. Man, it was so long ago, we should do that again."

"Luckily you didn't get caught."

"Yeah, I know."

They stood out in the hallway for a long time, until the class ended, then went to yet another class, and then classes finished.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Kagome said.

"Yeah, I'll go to the teacher's room now, and see what Yamaguchi-sensei wants me to do."

"Good luck!"

"Thanks. See ya."

"See ya."

Sango walked over to the teacher's room, hoping her tasks for the afternoon wouldn't be so bad. Though she knew hoping was in vain, Yamaguchi-sensei's tasks were usually the worst, and it would take her quite some time to complete them. She hesitated for a while at the door, but then decided to knock. When she heard a response, she opened the door slowly and bowed her head. . .

. . . only to have it crash against something.

Or better said, someone's chest.

She jumped backwards, and suppressed a scream. It had hurt, so she brought up a hand to her forehead and looked at what she had hit. A young man with glasses and black hair in a tiny ponytail was looking at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered and bowed. "I'm sorry, I was careless."

"No problem."

He was walking past her now.

`Who's that?' she wondered. `He is kinda cu. . .'

All her thoughts were erased when she felt a hand on her rear end. She jumped and turned, and found the young man smiling at her. Then he just walked out.

Flushed with anger, she tried to calm down. She focused then again on the teachers, who were now looking at her.

"Excuse me," she said, "I am looking for Yamaguchi-sensei."

"Oh, Yamaguchi-sensei?" a teacher said. "I think he went for coffee. Can we help you?"

"I guess not," she said sadly, but still furious, "he gave me detention."

Some teachers looked at her incredulously.

"You got detention, Kitazumi?" one asked.

"Yes," she said quietly.

There was an odd silence in the room, until. . .

"Ahh, Kitazumi," Yamaguchi-sensei entered the room, "ready for your detention?"

"Yes."

"Good, follow me."

Sango bowed to the teachers in the room and followed Yamaguchi-sensei down the hall, until he stopped in front of the computer lab.

"I sincerely hope you are good and fast at typing," he said, "because otherwise you'll have to stay longer."

Sango was not liking this.

When he opened the door she found two things she did not expect, nor liked. The first one was a huge pile of papers at the side of a computer, and the second one was the pervert that had touched her moments ago.

"Aikawa-kun," Yamaguchi-sensei said, "please make sure this young lady fulfils her task diligently, I have some errands to run, I leave all in your hands. I hope Takaya-san doesn't mind."

"Ah, he gave me plenty of work, so I won't move from here for a while. You can be reassured."

"Thank you. Now, Kitazumi, please take a seat."

`Don't say my name! And please, don't leave me with the perv!' she would have loved to say that out loud, but that would only gain her more detention. So she sat down at the computer and took the first paper. The program she needed had already been started, and it was ready for her to start typing. She sighed. Yamaguchi-sensei had a horrible handwriting.

Some time passed in silence, and Sango concentrated on her task as much as she could, but then other thoughts crossed her mind, and she slowed down a bit, until she was spacing out.

`So that's the new assistant. . . he's not that cute. . . and he's a pervert! If the other girls only knew the kind of pervert he is! Kagome-chan is gonna die when I tell her. And I am gonna tell her about this, as soon as I get home, even if Chichiue wants me to listen to another of his two-hour long sermons.'

"Is there something wrong?" she heard a voice very close to her.

She jumped. She hadn't noticed him coming, let alone noticed him coming so close to her face from the left side.

"No," she said, looking clearly annoyed. When he didn't move, she became even more annoyed. "Could you please move away?" She tried to be polite, but clearly it wasn't working. She had to be polite with her elders, and more if they worked at school, but she couldn't with this one. She knew him better.

"Ah, I see you have something against me," he said.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't touched me like that I wouldn't."

"That was just a caress," he said sitting down on his chair again, and putting down his glasses. "No need to get all upset about that."

"Oh, there is! You are lucky I didn't say anything in the teacher's room, or now you'd be as good as gone."

"Maybe. But anyways, it wasn't my intention to make you angry."

"Then what? Cop a feel?"

"Well, that too, but no, that's not what I was thinking about. You looked so shy there, I thought you needed some lightening up."

"Lightening up?! You call that lightening up?! You could go to jail for that!"

"Ah, now you're sending me to jail?"

"If you don't let me do my work I will."

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in school girls, I'm already twenty-one."

She turned away from him and continued working. She knew that if she wanted to make it home for dinner she would have to hurry it up. There was so much left. . . She was so tense, and concentrated only on what she was doing, that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard music.

Her eyes looked over to her side and noticed Aikawa in front of a computer, imitating a guitar player, going with the song. He had his glasses back on but his eyes were closed, as he clearly enjoyed the music.

She smiled to herself, not exactly knowing why, and continued working.

Somehow with the music it was easier for her to work, and maybe that was because the music he was playing, though not too loud, was the kind of music she liked, too. Interesting. She took casual glances at him, but she didn't catch him looking at her, not once. No reason why he should though.

She didn't feel angry at him anymore, somehow.

Suddenly Gun's'n'Roses Since I don't have you started playing, and, without noticing, she started singing, so did he.

They both stopped, and looked at each other. Sango blushed and looked back towards the screen. He shook his shoulders and returned to his work, and started singing again.

`Damn, I like that song. . .' she thought. `Maybe he won't mind if I. . .'

Screw what he thought. She started singing again as well, but more to herself. They kept going like that until the song got louder and both started singing louder as well. By the end of the song Sango had a big smile plastered to her face, and she kept on working.

"Anything on your wish list?" he asked after a couple of songs.

"Huh?" she asked, looking at him, confused.

"Is there anything you'd like to hear? I might have it. Seems it makes your work easier."

"Do you have Master of the Wind?" she asked.

"You like Manowar??" he asked, surprised.

"Not really, but I like that song."

"Ok."

The room was quiet for a while, but then, Sango recognized the song playing.

"Took a while to find it, sorry."

"It's ok. Close your eyes. . . look into the dream."

"Wind of change will winds of fortune bring," he sang.

By the time the sun was setting, Sango had still some pages to type. But Aikawa was stretching his arms and was putting his things away.

"Almost done?" he asked.

"I guess, I still have some pages to go."

"I'm done, I should be leaving. I have a meeting at the university at 7."

Sango stood up and bowed.

"Thank you, Aikawa. . ." she didn't know what suffix to add, so she left it at that, "for making it bearable."

"No problem," he said, and on his way out, grabbed her butt again.

"Hey!" she screamed.

"Bye," he said.

Sango sank back on her chair, angry and confused. She stared blankly at the screen, wondering what had gone wrong. The afternoon had gone so well, she had even started thinking he wasn't so bad after all, but he was. Oh, he was! He had touched her again, just like that! She tried to control herself, she had to finish her task, and soon. It was already getting dark.

It was at 7 30 that she finally opened the door to her house. She took off her shoes and entered the kitchen, dropping on her chair at the table.

"Sango?" her father asked. "Why do you come so late? I was worried?"

She sighed.

"I was in detention."

"Detention? You?" her brother Kohaku asked, sitting in front of her.

"Yes, detention, me."

"Why?"

Sango briefly described the situation to them.

"But that's unfair!" Kohaku said.

"That's precisely why I got detention."

"No," her father said, "you got detention for talking back. Don't do that again."

"I'm sorry," she said and got up.

"Are you eating?" her father asked. "I was about to start with dinner."

"Yeah, call me when it's ready. I'll call Kagome-chan."

"Don't stay too long on the phone."

"I won't."

She went up to the second floor and sat on the floor in the hallway, next to the phone, then dialed Kagome's number. Soon they were talking.

"I met the assistant," she said.

"You did?" Kagome asked. "Is he really cute?"

"He's a perv."

"Huh?"

Sango told her what had happened.

"You're kidding right?" Kagome asked afterwards.

"Nop. That's what happened."

"Oh, my God! I can't believe it! He seemed so nice when he played the music and all!"

"I know."

"Do you think he might like you?"

"Oh, gods, no! Please no! Besides, he said he isn't interested in school girls, so I'm pretty much safe."

"I'm so sorry it went so bad."

"Don't be. At least detention didn't suck that much because of the music."

"Yeah, true."

"Anyways, I have to go eat, chichiue is calling me already."

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yep, bye."

"Bye."

Sango hung up and went back downstairs. She ate, but wasn't very concentrated. All she could think about at that moment was a pair of violet eyes behind glasses, and lips that moved while singing a song. Yeah, all those girls that talked about Aikawa had forgotten to mention that he had nice eyes, oh, and a nice voice. She shook her head, what was she thinking? The man was a pervert, and he had no business in her head.

"Aneue," Kohaku said, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, "I'm just tired."

"Do you have a lot of homework?" her father asked.

"Well, I've got some. . . but not much."

"Then I suggest you do it now and go to bed early."

"Yeah, I'll do that."

She stood up and gathered the dishes. She washed them rather quickly and left to her room.

The morning greeted her on her desk, asleep on her math homework, which was still unfinished. She looked at her alarm clock, it was six in the morning.

"So early. . ." she said.

She had obviously fallen asleep while writing her homework, so she finished it quickly and went to bed, she could sleep for one more hour. . .

But that hour seemed to her like two minutes, for she woke up very tired, and with pain in her neck and back, obviously from sleeping on her chair leaning on her desk.

School didn't prove to be any better. The moment she had arrived she had had an encounter with another cloud of girls, and she knew perfectly well around who. She walked quickly to her classroom and sat down. Immediately she leaned her arms on the desk and nestled her head there, falling asleep at once.

"Sango-chan! Sango-chan!"

She opened her eyes lazily and looked around herself. Pretty much everyone was already there. And the teacher, Takaya-sensei was coming in. Following her, Aikawa.

"Oh, crap," Sango whispered.

Kagome placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Kagome whispered, "I don't think it will be that bad, not with Takaya-sensei here."

"Good morning, everyone," Takaya-sensei said. "I want you all to meet Aikawa, my research assistant. He will be helping with the history class, and he will also help you with your guided projects. Aikawa-kun?"

Aikawa walked to the front and looked at the students.

"Hello, seniors," he said. "As Takaya-sensei already told you, my name is Aikawa. I study at the university of Tokyo in the faculty of history and I am specializing in the civil war and Meiji period. So if any of you are working on this topic for your guided research I'll be more than glad to help you."

Sango rolled her eyes.

"Remind me to change my topic," she told Kagome.

"Oh, that's right! You have Meiji reforms! Talk to Takaya-sensei afterwards, she might be able to help you."

"Yup."

So she stayed after class to talk to Takaya-sensei. She was hoping everyone else would leave, so she could have a word in private, but Aikawa didn't leave. He kept on looking through his stuff, not really paying attention to what was going on.

"How can I help you, Kitazumi?" Takaya-sensei asked.

"I was wondering. . . do you think I could change my topic for the guided research?" Sango said shyly.

"Why? What's wrong with your topic?"

"I can't find enough literature for it," she lied.

"Hmm, what topic do you have again?"

"Number seven I think."

Takaya-sensei took a list out of her folder and looked through it.

"Oh, then it's settled!" she said.

"You found another topic for me?" Sango said.

"Don't be ridiculous! You keep your topic. You just need to ask the expert!"

Sango's world crashed on top of her.

"Miroku-kun," Takaya-sensei said, "would please help this young lady with her work?"

Aikawa looked up, then walked over to them.

"What can I do for her?" he asked.

"Miroku-kun, this is Kitazumi, she is writing on the Meiji period reforms and is having trouble with the literature. I am sure you can help her."

"Literature for Meiji reform?"

"Yes."

"Oh, sure, no problem. When do you want to meet?"

Sango wanted to say that she didn't want to meet him, but that would only gain her another detention because of rudeness, and she didn't think her father would be so happy to hear that she had been rude again. So she decided for the next best thing, get it over and done with.

"After school?" she said.

"Sure. I'll be in the library."

"Ok, thanks."

She left the room, fuming. It had gone completely wrong. So wrong. She walked all the way to the cafeteria not really looking at anybody and sank on the bench beside Ayame.

"What's wrong?" Ayame asked.

"This is hell," she answered.

"She didn't let you change the topic?" Kagome asked.

"Not only that. . . she told me to work with the perv. . ."

"You're kidding!" Kagome screamed, and some people looked their way.

"I am not."

"But then that means that. . ."

"Yes. . . I'll probably be groped again."

"He. . . groped you?!" Ayame whispered strongly.

"Yes. . ."

Sango quickly summarized what had happened the day before. Ayame looked shocked. Kouga started laughing.

"It's not funny, you know?!" Sango said.

"It's just. . ." Kouga couldn't even talk, ". . . I can't imagine you not smacking him for that!"

"I would have, if he weren't staff. . . don't wanna get in trouble!"

"You wouldn't. . . unless he told."

"He probably would, though."

"Can I sit here?" a voice asked.

They all looked up, and they were all silent.

"It's full everywhere else."

It was Aikawa Miroku, and in fact, it was full everywhere else.

"Oh, sit down," Kagome said, trying to be polite.

Immediately all eyes were on their table, all girls looking extremely jealous.

"So, you're the assistant," Inuyasha said.

"Well, yes," Miroku said, "I am the assistant. Name's Miroku."

He shook hands with Inuyasha and Kouga, and bowed to Kagome and Ayame.

Lunch couldn't have gone worse for Sango. No, not only did Inuyasha and Kouga find Miroku to be an interesting person, nooo, they also told him he could sit with them always. . . Kagome and Ayame also thought he was nice.

"Come on," Ayame said later, "he's not so bad."

"Yeah, he didn't grab your butt. . ."

"No, but he seems like a nice person," Kagome said.

"I'm really not too keen on talking to him though. . ."

But of course, she had to, and after school she entered the library. To her bad luck, it was empty except for Miroku.

"Oh, Kitazumi, you're here. Have a seat. I already looked through some of the stuff here, and found you some sources. I take it you want to do this as quickly as possible, am I wrong?"

"Yes," she said seriously.

"Ah, don't be so serious. Relax, I'm not gonna eat you."

"No, but you might grope me again."

"Ah, come on! I was just joking, you're too tense."

"How can I not be?! Why don't you just tell me the literature so I can leave?! I didn't even want this topic anymore, coz I didn't want to have to deal with you, just Takaya-sensei didn't get it!"

"That bad I am, huh?"

"Yes."

"Your friends didn't think so."

"It's not about them, it's about me."

"Relax, I told you already I'm not into school girls."

"It's not about that! And I am DAMN glad you aren't!"

"Shh, you don't want the librarian to come see what this is all about. Sit down and we'll go over the literature quickly."

Sango sat down, irritated.

He started showing her the books, one by one, telling her what was relevant for her topic in each. After seven books he stood up.

"That's it," he said. "You can go."

She grabbed the books and brought them to the counter, and he walked out. She signed and walked out as well, only to find him standing in the hallway, looking all deep in thought.

"I'm sorry," he said looking at her. "I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, it really wasn't my intention."

Looking into his violet eyes made her blush for some unknown reason, and she became angry with herself.

"I hope you forgive me, and that we can work in peace. I don't think I could enjoy discussing the topic if I know the other person hates me."

"I don't hate you," she whispered, blushing even more. "But don't ever touch me again."

"Alright."

"Bye."

"Bye."

She said it so softly, and was blushing so much, she wondered where that all came from. That, and her fast heart beat.

`What's wrong with me?'

And just precisely what was wrong with her was what she tried to realize during the next few months. They kept on meeting after school either in the library or in the computer room to discuss history. She would read something and then they would comment on it, and that way she felt she was understanding more and more. By the time she was writing she felt the topic was very easy.

Though most of those afternoons when she sat in front of the computer to write, for she didn't have a computer at home, she spent a lot of time distracted, secretly looking at him while he listened to music and pretended to be playing the guitar. She would turn very red, and focus back on her work, until another song would distract her and she would start singing. He would look at her then, and sing with her. She had to fight her blushes then and concentrate on the songs.

"This is bad," she told Kagome one afternoon, letting herself fall on Kagome's bed. "This is very bad."

"What's bad?" Kagome asked, sitting beside her.

"I think I'm in love."

There was a silence. Then. . .

"WHAT?!!!"

"Shhhh!"

"You are joking, right?"

Sango negated sadly.

"With who?" Kagome asked.

"The perv."

Kagome had to suppress another scream, and started giggling uncontrollably. She had to grab her stomach and then wipe off her tears from too much laughing.

"You and the perv? Now that's new!"

"Kagome-chan!"

"I'm sorry! It's just too funny!"

"It's not."

"But I thought you hated him, how can you tell me that you're in love now?"

"I don't know. . . but every time I'm with him. . . I just forget how to think! And when he pretends he's playing the guitar. . . oh, God. . . I must be hallucinating! I told myself I wouldn't fall in love while in school!"

"Like you can control that. . . besides, he's not from school."

"He's like a teacher for God's sake! This is just crazy!"

"But if you love him. . ."

"I shouldn't! I really shouldn't!"

"Hey, you're not the only one! There are so many girls in love with him. Poor guy. . . he's got quite a number of options to pick."

"Kagome-chan!"

"But he should choose you."

"Thank you."

Kagome giggled again.

"Honestly, Sango-chan. . . why him?"

"I don't know."

"I still can't believe it. . . you hated him so much!"

"I know. . . and you know what? He doesn't even know my name."

"Huh?"

"He knows me as Kitazumi only."

"He probably knows your name already, he might have seen it in a list or something. Or might have heard us calling you like that."

"I doubt it."

"So, what can I do for you exactly?" Kagome asked, her eyes bright.

"That party tonight. . . he said he'll go."

"We're going as well."

"Exactly. . . do you think you could. . . uhm. . ."

"Let me call Ayame."

`What did I get myself into?!'

Not too long after Ayame was there, with some clothes and her make-up case. They looked for a long time through her stuff and Kagome's stuff and made Sango wear tons of outfits until they were satisfied. Then they made her sit down in front of them and close her eyes. Ayame took care of the make-up, and Kagome of the hair.

When they were done they admired their handy work.

"Whoo hoo!" Ayame exclaimed. "I am sure you'll make all the guys drool! Too bad you don't want to date them."

"Hmm, now it's our turn," Kagome said.

Half an hour later the three were ready, and Mrs. Higurashi drove them to the party at school, where Inuyasha and Kouga would be waiting. When they went out of the car some people around them started whispering at the sight of Sango.

"Did you see her? She looks so different. She looks a lot like a girl now, not the tomboy she usually is."

"Are you sure? Maybe it's someone else."

"But she came with Higurashi and Nakajima, it has to be Kitazumi."

Sango looked around, a bit shyly.

"Don't worry," Ayame told her, "you look great."

They entered the party and immediately were joined by Inuyasha and Kouga. Both jaw dropped when they saw Sango.

"We did a pretty good job, didn't we?" Kagome asked.

"You did," Inuyasha said. "Special occasion?"

"No. . . not really," Sango said.

They started dancing in group, and Sango took constant glances towards the door, to see if Miroku would show up, but he didn't seem to be coming.

"Waiting for someone?" Kouga asked.

"No, just looking who's here."

At about 10 30 there was a commotion around the door, so they guessed he'd be there by then. But something wasn't right. The usual giggling was missing, and it was more like shock what they could hear.

"Maybe he cut his hair," Ayame suggested.

But that couldn't be it. Sango got a bad feeling all of a sudden. And it got worse when she saw Eri running towards them, looking all disappointed.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked.

"He brought his girlfriend with him," Eri said, pouting. "Too bad. . . he's not single. We're all disappointed."

In fact, the cloud of girls had vanished, and now Miroku was approaching with a girl with short hair. She looked so much mature than they did, obviously she was a student from the University of Tokyo as well.

The dance floor got crowded again, and it kind of blocked Sango's view from Miroku. She felt as though she was going to cry just then, and Kagome noticed.

"Ah, I think we should go to the bathroom," she said, pulling Sango with her, Ayame followed.

"Girls," Kouga said, "I don't get them. . . why can't they go to the bathroom alone like civilized people?"

By the time they reached the bathroom Sango was already breaking down. Her eyes were wet and her face was flushed.

"What's wrong?" Ayame asked.

"It was all for nothing!" Sango said, between sobs, her make-up running off. "He's already got a girlfriend. . . he truly wasn't interested in school girls. . ."

"Sango-chan. . ."

"It was really all for nothing!"

"Don't say that!" Ayame said. "Here, clean your face, and go and greet him. Let him see how pretty you look!"

"No. . . I'm not his type anyways. . . he likes girly girls, and with short hair. . . and I'm not about to cut mine. . ."

"But you have to fight for him!" Kagome said.

"No, I don't. I want to go home."

She passed her hands over her face to dry her tears, further spreading the mascara on her face, but not really caring.

"Sango-chan. . . clean your face."

"I don't care."

She walked out of the bathroom. Ayame and Kagome looked at each other for a moment, then went after her.

All Sango wanted was to get to the phone in the hallway and call her father, he would come pick her up. So concentrated was she in getting there, and trying to ignore the looks other people gave her, and trying to ignore their giggles and comments, that she bumped into someone and fell to the ground. Everyone around her laughed.

"Are you okay?" she heard Miroku asked while he pulled her to her feet. "Are you hu. . ." he stopped for a moment and looked at her. "Kitazumi? Is that really you?"

"Yes," she answered, and looked away.

"Never expected to see you in that kind of clothes."

"Neither did I," she said dryly, "I was Kagome-chan's and Ayame-chan's little project."

"I hope they didn't do that to your face," the girlfriend said.

Sango remembered her smeared make-up.

"I felt bad. . . so I went to the bathroom to freshen up. I forgot about the make up and splashed my face. . . it just won't come out now."

Kagome and Ayame were amazed at how quickly she had come up with that lie.

"Now, if you excuse me, I want to go home."

"Do you want a ride?" the girlfriend asked.

"No thanks, I'm calling my father."

And she left the room.

Her father had been quite surprised by her call, and more when he had seen how she was dressed and her drenched face.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said and told him the same lie.

A lie. She could lie to others, but not to herself. She cried all night over it.

Things at school couldn't get worse. She still stayed after school some days to finish up his guided research, which Miroku was supervising. Graduation was getting closer and closer, and she somehow felt that she wouldn't be able to finish. She would just sit in front of the computer, totally blanked out.

She couldn't stand being in the same room as Miroku, who seemed just the same as always. He didn't seem to have any worries, and kept on imitating guitar players, and kept on singing.

As the deadline for the research drew too near, he approached Sango one of those afternoons she was just spacing out.

"I am still expecting your next draft," he told her, "if it's good, it will be the last one."

She didn't answer.

He looked at her for a while longer, then looked at the computer screen, and realized she hadn't advanced much from two weeks earlier.

"You haven't written it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, and sad. He figured something could be bad in her family and she didn't want to talk about it, so he let her be. But as time progressed and she still wouldn't work and just sit there he decided to take matters into his own hands. He started by playing songs he knew she liked, and singing, awaiting for a response, which he didn't get. So he got finally desperate and recurred to drastic methods. He put a chair right next to hers and looked at her intently.

"Kitazumi, tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong."

"Yeah, right! You don't work anymore, you haven't studied for your finals either! I talked to some of your teachers, and it seems you're not working hard enough! They might fail you, you know?"

"What?"

"Yes! I don't know what's wrong with you, but if you don't wake up from that trance of yours you'll have to sit through another year here. I saw you working before, you were always so dedicated and a good student! What made you change? What made you change? You're so quiet now, you used to be so full of life! You used to sing, you used to enjoy yourself while working! Since that party. . . you changed. First you wore those clothes. . . then. . . you changed. . ."

He suddenly became very quiet, and she could see concern strike to his eyes.

"Sango, are you okay? Healthy-wise I mean. . . that day at the party you said you felt bad. . . don't tell me that. . ."

Sango looked at him, shocked.

"You. . . you know my name?" she asked, not answering his question.

"Of course I know your name, why wouldn't I?"

"I never told you. . . you never asked. . ."

"I don't need to, do I? I have a list with all the names. Looks that me calling your name got your attention alright. So tell me, are you okay?"

"I am not sick, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh, thank God! For a moment there I thought that maybe you were very ill. . . and that's why you were so demotivated."

"No, that's not it."

"Then what?"

"No. . . the reasons are too stupid to mention."

"Tell me."

"No, forget about it, I'll work."

And said and done, two days later, she handed him the next draft of her research. Also, she started participating in class more, and at the time she wrote her exams she performed quite good.

"Are you okay now?" Kagome asked. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, and no," Sango answered. "He was worried that I wasn't working because I was deadly sick or something, so I realized that my reason for not working was too stupid. So I decided to get back on track. I only hurt myself further if I fail everything."

"Ah, I see. That's good to hear."

They hugged.

"We're going shopping with Ayame today, for the prom dress, want to come?"

"Why not?"

"That's the Sango-chan I know!"

Kagome hugged her again.

Takaya-sensei was observing from the teacher's room what had happened in the hallway with the two girls, and called Miroku to her.

"Yes, Takaya-sensei?" he asked, going over some papers he had in his hands.

"Kitazumi looks a lot better."

"She does?"

"Yeah, just thought you'd like to know, since you were asking the other day."

"Well, she wasn't doing her work, so I was wondering. But I guess she's fine now, I just finished going over her research project."

"And?"

"See for yourself."

He handed her the stack of papers.

The next few days of school they received their scores and prepared for graduation. The five friends were surprised at getting such good grades in the exams. Most surprised were they to see the results for their guided research projects.

Sango went once more to the computer lab on the last day of classes. As expected, she found Miroku there, doing his work, and playing an imaginary guitar. He turned to see her when he sensed her close, and smiled.

"Hello, Kitazumi, what's up?"

"My name is Sango," she said. "I wanted to thank you, for helping me with my research and for getting me out of the trance. I was being childish and selfish, not caring about other things or other people. Also, thank you for worrying about me."

"Well, it was a pleasure helping you. I think you have a lot of potential, and I think the grade you got for your research project is exactly what you deserved."

"I'm sorry it took so long."

"It's okay, you got it done on time, and that's the important thing."

"So, I wanted to say good bye. I take it I won't be returning here, just for graduation this evening, though I don't think I will see you."

She bowed and stayed inclined for a while. When she stood straight again, she noticed him standing up, looking down at her, smiling, his eyes shining through his glasses. And she blushed.

"I guess it's good bye, then," he said, "and good luck."

"Thank you."

She was about to leave, when she felt his arms around her. He was hugging her! She couldn't believe it. She hugged him as well, then let go. He let go as well, and then simply smiled at her.

"All the best, Sango."

"Thank you."

She wanted to turn and leave, but couldn't move from the spot.

Little did she know that at the door of the computer lab her friends were spying on her, well hidden, of course.

"Anything else I can do for you?" he asked, noticing she was still there.

She thought for a moment, then said:

"Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"Just do it, don't open them until I tell you."

"Alright."

He kept his eyes closed and waited. . . and waited. . . what was she going to do? He heard her then walk to the door.

"You can open them now," she said, and when he opened them and looked at her, she said: "Bye."

"Bye."

She left.

"What did you do?" Kagome asked. "We couldn't see anything!"

"Nothing really interesting," Sango said. "Let's go."

Miroku saw them depart, and then went back to his working place. What has his surprise to find the corner of a paper sticking out of one of his books, he pulled it, and a little card followed the corner. It had a messily drawn picture on the cover. He opened it and read through:

Dear Aikawa,

May I say dear? I know I shouldn't, for you are like a teacher, and this kind of thing shouldn't be allowed. But I'll let this one slip. I really thank you for all you did for me this whole year. Honestly, I never thought I would grow to appreciate you so much, not after our bad start. So anyways, I hope you have a great time in your studies, and doing research with Takaya-sensei. Don't terrorize other girls like you terrorized me at the beginning. They might end up falling in love with you, just like I did. Oh, maybe I shouldn't have said that, but then the whole purpose of this card would be wasted, huh? So yeah, that's basically it. I know you have your girlfriend and all, but I didn't know that. So at that party I wasn't really sick, I didn't wash my face. I saw you with her, and I started crying. Pathetic I know, especially coming from a school girl like me. I was so depressed I felt I wouldn't be able to work with you around, and then I just couldn't work, but you gave me the courage back by worrying about me. I realized that my reasons for not working were just plain silly.

Thanks for everything.

I wish you good luck, and hope your relationship is a rewarding one

Take care,

Sango K.

He read the letter two times more, then folded it and put it back in his book. He sat down in front of the computer again, and continued working.

That night at the graduation they received their diplomas and they said good bye to each other, to their teachers and to other students. The act was a long one, and quite emotional, but they all seemed to have a good time at it. Sango was sure that her mother would have felt proud of her, seeing her up there with her diploma.

When the act was finished they started exiting the hall, and suddenly Sango felt someone pulling her arm, dragging her somewhere. She couldn't see who it was because of the crowd, but she had her guesses.

"Stop it, Kagome-chan, I don't know what you want but. . ."

Finally they had stopped, out of the crowd.

"I'm not Kagome-chan," Miroku said and smiled at her.

"You?!"

"Yeah, me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, it was graduation, I wanted to see."

"Ah."

"Actually, I forgot to give you something back in the computer lab."

"What?"

"Your research," he said quickly. "Thought you might like the corrected version, so you see what you did right, and where you lacked, you got a 95% after all."

"Oh," she said, sort of confused, "thanks."

There was an odd silence.

"Actually. . . there is something else I forgot to give you," he said, smiling gently.

"All the old drafts?"

"No."

He bent down and kissed her.

Her eyes were opened wide in shock.

"That's what I forgot to give you."

She was still shocked, but she found her voice, to protest.

"You have a girlfriend! You shouldn't be kissing other girls!"

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"You broke up?"

"Gods, last time I had a girlfriend was like two years ago. . ."

"But the girl at the party. . ."

"That one? That's my cousin. I told her to help me keep the annoying girls away, and she agreed. I just didn't think it would affect you that much."

"So you. . ."

"I never had a girlfriend."

Sango was confused.

"Ok. . . ehm. . . can I go now? My father and Kohaku are waiting for me."

"Kohaku?"

"My little brother."

"Oh, nice."

"So, bye I guess."

"Can I kiss you again?"

That took her by surprise.

"What?"

"I asked if I could kiss you again."

"Why would you want to kiss me again?"

He cocked his head to the side and looked up.

"Let me think. . . maybe because I actually do love you back?"

"You don't!"

"How would you know?"

"You never. . ."

"Hey, you were a student, not allowed, remember?"

"So. . ."

"So I was waiting for you to graduate."

"Oh."

She still looked pretty much lost.

"Ah, whatever," he said and grabbed her for another kiss. This time, she responded and passed her arms around him.

"Do you. . . want to come over?" she asked dazed when they parted.

"Sure, why not? Think your dad will like me?"

"I dunno about him, but I guess Kohaku will."

"Nice."

He grabbed her hand and they walked towards the parking lot, where Sango's father and Kohaku were waiting. When they saw Sango approach, Kohako approached his father:

"I guess Sango is not going alone to the prom anymore," he whispered.

"I guess you're right," the father answered.

FIN

Ok people, I know the ending sucks, but I wrote it quite quickly. It's also my first AU, so be kind ^____^ Tell me what you think please!!!! Reviews please, reviews!!!!!! I hope you enjoyed the story nevertheless, even though the ending sucks

Have a good time lala su