InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I'm Sorry ❯ Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 

Disclaimer: I don't own, didn't create, but I sure do love it.

Author's Note: Thanks very much for all the wonderful reviews, and I would like to apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. I'll try to do better in the future.

 

As they walked out of the park, Kagome spoke up, “Thank you.”

 

“Huh? For what?” He asked, startled out of his pensive silence.

 

“For not hurting them too much. I really didn't want to have to explain anything to mama,” she explained.

 

“Why would you have to explain anything? I mean, they weren't really a threat, so I didn't need to kill them, but even if I had, why would anyone care about some dead brigands? Especially your mother?” Inuyasha was puzzled at the thought of Kagome's mother being concerned about the well-being of someone who had threatened her daughter.

 

Kagome just sighed and said, “Usually, mama makes a point of not asking questions about what happens when I go through the well, but she's sure to ask how our walk was, and, well, I can't lie to her. It would just upset her to think that we might have been in danger, here in Tokyo.”

 

“Danger?! We weren't any danger, certainly not from those…scum,” he said, offended pride in his tone.

 

“You know that, and I know that, but mama wouldn't see it that way. Don't worry, this way when she asks about our walk, and she will, I can answer truthfully, that we had a good time, and there weren't any problems. But if somebody died, or was hurt badly enough to require hospitalization, that would be a problem, and I'd have to tell mama, and that would just worry her. It's just simpler this way, that's all.”

 

“Feh,” Inuyasha grunted, shrugging at her explanation.

 

Changing the subject, Kagome asked, “Would you like to try something different for lunch? There's a Wacdonalds down the street, you might like it.”

 

“Wac…what? What the heck is that?” He asked.

 

“Wacdonalds. It's a restaurant, they serve hamburgers, fries, stuff like that. Come on, give it a try, you might like it,” she said, hoping that he would be willing to try it, since it had been a long time since she had been able to relax and go out for a burger and some fries.

 

He looked at her, and then at the restaurant she had pointed to, and finally said, “Feh. Why not.”

 

Smiling happily, Kagome led him into the restaurant and up to the counter. “Inuyasha, would it be okay if I ordered for both of us? I'll get a variety of things, and then you can tell me what you like, alright?”

 

Inuyasha looked at the brightly lit counter, and the oddly dressed girls behind it who where taking peoples' money and giving them packages of food. Finally, he said, “Keh, do as you like.”

 

Kagome giggled and said “Great! Now, hand over your wallet! This is your treat.” Holding out her hand, she waited until Inuyasha dug out his wallet and put it in her hand. She opened up and took out a couple of bills and then handed the wallet back to him. “Come on, let's order!”

 

Leading him up to the counter, Kagome quickly ordered enough food for least four or five people. Handing the filled tray to Inuyasha, Kagome took the cups over to the drinks dispenser and filled one with Coke and the other with water. Turning away, she led him to an empty table and sat down with him to enjoy lunch.

 

Handing him the Coke first, she told him what each item was and let him carefully inspect and sniff them before he tried them. As he sampled the food, she ate her own lunch at a nice, leisurely pace and enjoyed his antics, especially when he actually tried to drink the Coke through a straw. The look on his face when the bubbles went up his nose had her giggling with glee, that she quickly suppressed when he glared at her.

 

Eventually, Inuyasha had finished all of the food except for the milkshakes, which Kagome had saved until the very end. Picking up all the wrappers and trash, she put it into the trashcan, stacked the tray on top and led the way out of the restaurant. When they reached the street, Kagome handed Inuyasha the chocolate milkshake and started on her vanilla shake.

 

Sniffing it carefully, Inuyasha took a small sip and then said, “Hey, this is really good! I bet Shippo would love this stuff! Can we bring some back through the well with us, Kagome?”

 

Kagome shook her head and said, “No, not really, it'd melt before we could get it back to Shippo. I could bring him chocolate milk, but that's about it. Sorry.”

 

Shrugging, he said, “Oh well, if you can't, you can't. Maybe we can bring him through some other time, he'd love this stuff.”

 

Kagome smiled at him, and kept sipping on her shake as they walked down the busy street. As they were crossing one of the side streets, she noticed a big sign advertising `Sporting Goods” and she came to a sudden stop.

 

“Hey, Inuyasha, let's go down there and check out that store. You had asked about buying weapons, remember? Well, I think you might find something that interests you in there.”

 

Turning, he looked at the store, shrugged and said, “Why not? Let's go take a look.”

 

Walking together, they entered the store and stopped to look around. Seeing a section of bows, Kagome pointed to it and said, “Hey, let's see what they've got, okay?”

 

Walking down that aisle, Inuyasha stopped at a display of modern crossbows and asked, “What the heck are those? They don't look like any bows I've ever seen.” Picking one up, he turned it over and over, looking at it closely. Finally, he put it back and said, “What's the point? It looks waaayyy too complicated. It'd probably break the first time you used it in a real fight.”

 

Kagome looked down at the crossbow he had been examining and said, “I'm not certain, but I think that it's supposed to more accurate and more powerful than a regular bow. See,” pointing to the cocking lever, she said, “that lets you pull the string back and hold it in place until you're ready to release the arrow. I bet it's a lot slower than my bow though.” Turning away, she continued on towards the regular bows until Inuyasha called her back.

 

“Hey, look at this one, I think it's a toy or something, Kagome. What good is something this small?”

 

Turning back, Kagome looked at the little crossbow Inuyasha was holding in his hand. “I don't know, maybe it's a—pistol? Crossbow? I'm not sure…but, you know what, I bet Shippo could use it!”

 

“Shippo? Maybe, maybe he could. It'd give him something he could use to hunt with, anyways. Let's see what else they have here, maybe we can pick up some useful stuff to take back with us.” Putting the tiny crossbow back, he followed Kagome towards the regular bows.

 

Kagome spent only a few minutes looking at the modern bows, trying out a couple to see if they might suit her better than the one she normally used. Uncomfortable with the weight and style, she went over to a display of replica bows in the style that she was familiar with. A salesman came over and asked Inuyasha if he needed any help.

 

“Good afternoon, sir. Could I be of any assistance to you in choosing a bow today?” The well dressed young man politely bowed to Inuyasha as he spoke. Although Kagome was the one examining the bows, he completely ignored her, and spoke only to Inuyasha.

 

Frowning at the salesman, Inuyasha answered him curtly. “Ask Kagome, she's the archer, not me. I prefer my sword.”

 

Obviously embarrassed, the young man bowed to Inuyasha again, then turned to face Kagome and bowed to her. “Forgive me, I meant no insult. Please, how may I help you today?”

 

“I am interested in this style of bow, and I would like to string a couple of them to get feel for them if I may,” Kagome said politely.

 

“Of course, what weight of pull would you like to try?” He asked, opening a cabinet under the rack of bows and removing several bowstrings and a device Kagome had never seen before.

 

“Actually, I'm not quite sure. May I…” she asked, holding out her hand for the bowstring the salesman was holding. A bit uncertain, he handed her the bowstring and offered her the unknown device, but she just shook her head, popped the string onto one end, and using her legs and back, quickly strung the bow.

 

Eyes wide, the salesman said, “Umm, I don't think I've seen a bow strung quite that way before. Where did you learn to do that, if I might ask?”

 

Grinning at him, she said, “Just a short ways outside Edo.” Pulling the string back, she shook her head and said, “No, this one is a bit light for my taste. Do you have a stronger bow?”

 

Closing his mouth, which had dropped open as she strung and pulled the bow so easily, he said, “Y-yes, we do. Umm, that's a 25kg pull. Let's see,” checking the rack, he pulled out another one out and offered it to her. “Perhaps this one will be better. I believe that it is, umm, 32kg pull.”

 

Quickly unstringing the first bow, Kagome used the string and prepared the new bow. “Uhn! Oh, this is good! I think it's even a little stronger than my other one. How much is this one, if I might ask,” she said to the salesman.

 

“I believe that this one goes for 52,500 yen. That includes the carrying case, 4 strings, and 12 arrows,” the salesman quoted, almost directly, from a small placard located on the back of the display rack.

 

Sighing in disappointment, Kagome unstrung the bow and replaced it back on the rack. “I'm sorry, I don't think I can afford it today. I'll just continue to use the one I have.” Turning to Inuyasha, she went on, “Let's keep looking. Maybe we can get some other stuff we need.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged and grunted, “Feh.”

 

As Kagome headed over towards the section with camping equipment, Inuyasha pulled out his wallet, quickly counted his money, and motioned the salesman over to him. “Set the bow she picked out aside, with an extra 3 dozen arrows. I want it to be a surprise, alright?” The salesman nodded, with a nice smile on his face, and Inuyasha left to catch up with Kagome.

 

When he had caught up with her she was checking out some sleeping bags, and she had a very small one in her hands, that was a bright blue, with yellow stars on it.

 

“What are you thinking, for Shippo?” He asked.

 

“Yeah, I think it would be nice if he had his own to sleep in. I'd also like to pick up some stuff for Kaede, too. Maybe a couple of blankets and a lantern for her hut. If you see anything you like, point it out to me, okay?” As she spoke, she continued to check out cooking utensils and waterproof tarps. Inuyasha, on the other hand, was drawn to a locked display of swords and knives, halfway down the aisle.

 

As he looked at the blades, the salesman from before came up and asked, “Would you like to see any of these blades more closely?”

 

“Yeah, I would. Open it up, already.”

 

The salesman opened the case and stepped back to let Inuyasha inspect them more closely. Inuyasha scanned through and selected a small sheath knife that looked almost like a miniature katana, with a blade only 10cm long. He also picked out two more knives, another replica katana, but almost three times the length of the tiny one, and a second knife with a double-edged blade that tapered to a needle sharp point. “Here, how much will these be?”

 

“All together, these will be about 13,000 yen, sir.” The salesman told him.

 

“Fine, wrap them up with the bow stuff, and we'll pick them up when we check out,” Inuyasha said, trying not to let Kagome hear him.

 

“Thank you, sir. It will all be waiting for you at the check out counter.” Bowing politely, he added, “If there is anything else sir, I'm at your service.”

 

Nodding shortly, Inuyasha walked back over to where Kagome was picking out some things to use on the other side of the well. After about twenty minutes, and with his arms full of things she had chosen, Kagome finally sighed, and said, “I think this is probably enough, I don't want to spend all of your money in one place.”

 

Inuyasha just grinned and said, “What else is it for, wench? It's not like I can use on the other side of the well, can I? Spend it all; I don't care. I can always sell some more of my mother's jewelry, can't I?”

 

At his words, Kagome just smiled back at him and said, “Okay, let's pay for this and go home, alright?”

 

“Feh, let's go,” he said as he nodded towards the check out counter. As she led the way to the checkout, Inuyasha shifted his load of items around enough so that he could pull out his wallet. Setting down his stuff on the counter, he opened his wallet and started counting out his money; finally, he just said, “Here, Kagome, pay for this, okay?”

 

Turning around, Kagome took the money he held out to her, grinned a bright smile, and said, “Thanks Inuyasha, I think this will help out quite a bit.”

 

After paying the total, Kagome handed him his change, not that there was much of that by this time, and started to pick up the filled bags. As she did, Inuyasha picked up the wrapped package that included her new bow and arrows, and then grabbed most of the other bags before she had chance to pick them up herself.

 

“Lets go, Inuyasha,” as she spoke she noticed the long, wrapped package he was holding. “What's that, Inuyasha?”

 

“Keh, a surprise, wench. You can see it when we get home. Let's go.” With that, Inuyasha led the way out of the store and headed back towards the shrine, with Kagome right alongside.

 

As they walked home in peaceful silence, Kagome spoke up only when they approached the street that led directly to the shrine. “Inuyasha, do you want to see how your ATM card works?”

 

“My what works? What are you talking about?”

 

“Your ATM card. Remember, when mama gave you the paper money, she also gave you an ATM card and told you what your PIN was. It's used to withdraw money from your bank account, even when the bank is closed, like today. Would you like me to show you how to use it?” she asked again, patiently.

 

“Huh. Yeah, sure. Although, I think I'm just going to leave it here, in your room when we go back through the well,” Inuyasha answered her.

 

While they were talking, Kagome had stopped in front of an enclosed kiosk, set into the side of a building. Holding out her hand, she said, “May I have your ATM card please?”

 

Inuyasha opened his wallet again, found the plastic card Mrs. Higurashi had given him the day before, and handed it to Kagome. As she entered the enclosed kiosk, he followed her inside, watching her every move.

 

“This is the ATM, Automatic Teller Machine. What you do is take your card, make sure it matches just like the picture next to this slot, and slide it in. The machine should take the card all the way inside. Once it is gone, look at this screen down here and read the instructions.” She pointed at the little glass panel that was set into the wall. On it appeared symbols written in green light. “Take your time, and make sure that you know what each of the options are. If you're not sure, just ask me, okay? To choose which option you want, you need to press the button closest to your choice. Today, the first thing we do is enter the PIN number. It's a four digit number; 1015. Press those numbers, in that order, on this keypad right here.” As she was speaking, Kagome showed Inuyasha the keypad, and slowly pressed the correct digits. “When you have entered the PIN, press this green button, it's called the `Enter' button. Any questions so far?”

 

“No, I think I've got it. Slide in the card, press 1,0,1,5, press `Enter', that's it, right?”

 

“Right,” Kagome agreed with a smile. “Next, you choose whatever option you want. For today, we're going to check the available balance, which will tell us how much money is in your account, and then withdraw some money from your savings account. Since we've already entered the PIN, we select `Account Balance', wait until the screen changes and shows us the new options, then select `Savings Account' and wait for the screen to update.” Looking back up at Inuyasha, Kagome cocked an eyebrow, asking if he was still with her. He just nodded and smiled. Looking back down, she saw that the screen was now displaying his current account balance that read…

 

She blinked. Looked again. Then she slowly turned her head and looked at Inuyasha. Speaking quietly, she said, “You have a balance of 4,358,000 yen.”

 

“Really?! That's great, Kagome.”

 

Taking a slow, calming breath, Kagome went on, “Normally, you can only withdraw 50,000 yen each day, so that's what we'll withdraw today, alright?”

 

“Sure Kagome, that sounds good,” he said cheerfully.

 

She punched in the amount, showing Inuyasha how to enter the correct amount and verify it on the screen, before hitting the enter key. When everything was finished, she handed him his money and his ATM card and watched him return them to his wallet, which he then placed in his pouch.

 

After they left the kiosk and headed back towards the shrine, Inuyasha cleared his throat and asked very tentatively, “Um, Kagome?

 

“Yes, Inuyasha? What is it?” she replied very, very carefully.

 

“What's a `million'?”

 

``What's a million?' If it wasn't so funny, I think I'd cry' Sneaking a look at him from the corner of her eye, Kagome saw that he was absolutely serious, and very afraid of her laughing at him. Taking a deep, even breath she let it out slowly and said, “I'm not sure of the best way to explain what a million is. Hmm, lets start with lunch, why don't we. Do you remember how much it cost for us to eat lunch today?”

 

Furrowing his brow, Inuyasha tried to recall how much she had paid, but realized that he hadn't noticed; he'd been distracted by the scents of all the different food. Finally, he said, “No, I'm sorry, but I don't.”

 

She smiled at him and said, “That's okay. It cost about 3,000 yen to buy all of that food. By the way, when you buy food at a restaurant, it costs about two or three times as much, then if you had bought the food at a store, and prepared it yourself. The extra money is for the convenience of having someone else prepare it, and having it ready in a very short amount of time.”

 

“Okay, I guess that makes sense.” He said.

 

“Now, you told me that your mother taught you to read and write, and to add and subtract, correct?” Kagome asked him, trying to get a good feel for what he knew, without insulting or angering him.

 

“Yeah, that's right.”

 

“When counting, you understand ones, tens, and hundreds, right?” She asked.

 

“Uh huh,” he replied shortly.

 

“Now, after that comes thousands, ten-thousands, and hundred-thousands. Did your mother teach you those numbers?” She asked carefully.

 

Thinking back to when his mother was alive was never easy or pleasant, but he tried to remember if she had ever mentioned any number greater than a thousand. Finally, he shook his head and said, “No, I don't think she did. I know up to a thousand, sort of. But I can't remember ever talking about anything bigger than that.”

 

“That's okay, `cause when you get right down to it, almost nobody can actually grasp any number greater than a thousand. Lots of people think that they can, but all they really understand is numbers up to several hundred, or maybe a thousand. What they can do is manipulate larger numbers and pretend that they understand them. That's what all the math tests and homework that I have to do is for. Teaching me how to manipulate the numbers.”

 

“So, if nobody understands what the numbers mean, well, why use them?” he asked, puzzled by what he considered a waste of time and energy.

 

“Because math is a tool, and if you know how to use that tool correctly, you can accomplish many things, things that I don't really think you want to get into right now. Going back to your original question, if you can count up to ten, and do that ten times, you end up with one hundred, right?” Kagome explained, trying to read his expression to be certain he was understanding the concept.

 

“Sure, ten tens is a hundred,” he said.

 

“So, how much is ten hundreds?” she asked him.

 

Pausing for only a second, he said, “It's a thousand of course.”

 

“After this point, the concept is almost repetitive. Ten thousands is the same as ten thousand, ten ten thousands is one hundred thousand and ten hundred thousands is … one million.” Holding her breath, Kagome watched as Inuyasha visibly processed the pattern. After about 30 seconds of silence, he spoke up.

 

“So, if ten hundreds is the same as one thousand, then…” he paused, thinking about the concept, “one thousand thousands should be…one million, right?” he asked her carefully.

 

Kagome looked at Inuyasha for just a moment, and then began to smile, and her smile grew brighter and brighter, until unable to restrain herself, she threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could. “That's exactly right, in fact it's perfect. Hah, maybe you should take those stupid math tests for me.” Letting go of him, she was practically skipping down the sidewalk as she walked beside him, with her hand resting on his arm.

 

As they walked on, Inuyasha kept thinking about the numbers she had told him about, and how much different things cost, until finally he spoke up again. “So, four million yen is a lot of money, but if we spent it all the time as fast as we've spent it yesterday and today, then it'd only last, what two months, maybe less, right Kagome?”

 

“Absolutely correct. That is a lot of money, but if we aren't thoughtful about how and why we spend the money, it'll run out pretty quick, probably when we need it the most,” Kagome agreed.

 

“Heh. That's the way things work. They always go wrong at the worst possible time. I think it's because the gods have a really nasty sense of humor,” he said with that little smirk he got sometimes.

 

By the time they had finished their discussion on money, they were back at the shrine and taking off their shoes to enter the house.

 

“Hi, mama. We're back!” Kagome called out as they started up the stairs carrying their packages.

 

“Hello, you two. Did you have a good walk?” she called from the living room.

 

“Yes, mama. We went to Wacdonalds for lunch, and then did a little shopping on the way home. I want to put our stuff away, and then I need to do some homework, alright?” She answered her mother as she headed to the stairs.

 

“That's fine, dear. I'll see you later,” was her mother's response.

 

Kagome and Inuyasha went up to Kagome's room and emptied out the bags. Kagome sorted out the purchases and started packing them into her backpack. “Inuyasha, I don't think we can put everything into my backpack this time. Maybe we should go back and buy another one, what do you think?”

 

“Feh. We'll just take them through in bags. A lot of this will be left at Kaede's anyways, right?” As he answered her, he was unwrapping the large package he had bought earlier. “Here, I want you to have this.”

 

Looking up from packing things away, Kagome saw him holding out the bow she had tried out earlier, as well as a quiver of arrows. Kagome held out her hands and accepted the weapon from Inuyasha, speechless at the realization that he had actually given her a gift.

 

She sat there, holding them tightly and slowly tears formed in her eyes as her thoughts tumbled back and forth in her head. Joy, sorrow, and always the underlying fear that he wasn't really seeing her, Kagome, but Kikyo. `I hate this, I hate this! Why can't I stop thinking about HER? I just wish…I wish he could see me as something more than her replacement…and…and…I'm not even that, not really, not when SHE's still walking around!' Trying desperately to stop her tears, or at least to not break down completely, Kagome hugged the bow and quiver to her breast, and bent forward, hiding her face.

 

Scenting her salty tears, Inuyasha stammered “K-Kagome? What's wrong? Don't you…don't you like it? I thought that you would be happy.” Sighing sadly, he went on, “I'm sorry. I just wanted to give you something to…I didn't mean to make you sad.”

 

Shaking her head, she said, with her face still hidden, “It's a wonderful gift, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just me. I'm sorry I'm crying; I know you don't like it when I cry.” Sniffling back her tears, she wiped her face and looked up at him. “It's not your fault. You chose a wonderful gift. Thank you.”

 

Kagome carefully stood up, placed the bow and quiver on her bed, stepped up to him, and hugged him very tightly. After a couple of minutes of just holding, and being held, in silence, Kagome loosened her grasp and stepped back from her friend. “I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute.” With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her and went into the bathroom for a chance to finish her cry in private.

 

Inuyasha sat down on her floor and looked at the other items he had purchased, and wondered if he should give her the knife he had picked out for her, or if it would just make her cry even more. He finally decided to show her what he'd bought for Shippo, and then give her hers. After waiting patiently, more or less, for about ten minutes, Kagome returned, with her face washed and no visible evidence of the earlier crying.

 

“Sorry about that,” she said with a little smile.

 

“Keh. Umm, I wanted to show you something that I picked out for Shippo; this,” showing her the tiny replica katana, “he can use like a regular dagger. I think it's small enough that he can keep it in his vest. This, on the other hand,” he held out a much larger version of the replica katana she was already holding, “is big enough that he can use it in a real fight, if he has to.”

 

Kagome looked at the two knives that Inuyasha had given her to inspect, uncertain if she was pleased or not at the thought of Shippo being armed. Finally she said, “These look very nice, and I think you're right. They should be just the right size for Shippo. But…why did you decide to give him knives? Why now?”

 

Inuyasha looked at her very seriously and said, `Because of you. Because you made me aware of my responsibility towards Shippo…and indirectly, towards every other member of our pack. I may not fulfill my responsibilities very well, but it won't be `cause I didn't try.”

 

Kagome nodded back at him and said with a smile, “That's what I thought. You're a good man, Inuyasha, even if you do try to hide it.” Looking back at the blades in her hands, she reached over and put them into the pack, and said, “I think you should give them to him yourself, as soon as we get home…”

 

Before she could go on, Inuyasha interrupted and said, “Kagome, there's something else. Something else that I want to give to you. Please, don't cry, okay?” Reaching behind his back, he pulled out another knife, the same size as the one he had picked out for Shippo, but shaped differently. “Here. This is for you. I think you should have a blade of your own, for when you run out of arrows, or when the fight is too close.” His face almost painfully serious, he went on, “I'll protect you, forever. You know that. But, sometimes, I worry that I'll get there too late.” He held the knife flat across both of his palms, and presented it to her.

 

Kagome looked into his eyes, trying to read him, trying to understand what was going through his mind. Slowly, she reached out with both of her hands and carefully took the blade out of his hands. “Thank you, Inuyasha.” Looking at the knife, she said “I'll keep it with me, always.”

 

“Good.” With that, he got up and left the room without a word.

 

Kagome sat there for another ten minutes, just thinking, before she finally began packing their things away again. When she had finished, she pulled out her textbooks and began working on her homework once again.