InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome Smells ❯ Kagome Smells - School Daze ( Chapter 4 )

Kagome Smells - School Daze

By Majicman55

 

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of InuYasha. I just like to play with the characters.

 

Kagome was still fretting as her mother pulled up in front of her school. “Thanks for driving me.”

 

“Try to sound a little more enthusiastic about school, dear…and it's the least I could do after keeping you so long to talk.” Mama Higurashi leaned over and gave Kagome a kiss on the cheek. “You'll be okay.”

 

“I hope so, Mama.”

 

“Concentrate on your work.”

 

“Yes, Mama.” Kagome got out of the car and waved as her mother drove off. She sighed. This day wasn't going to be easy.

 

“Kagome!”

 

Kagome turned around to find Ayumi, Eri and Yuka hurrying up to greet her.

 

“Are you feeling better today, Kagome?” asked Ayumi.

 

Kagome got one whiff of her friend's perfume and sneezed. “Hak-shun!”

 

“Someone is praising you, Kagome,” said Ayumi.

 

But then Kagome drew in her breath and got a nose full of Eri's latest cologne. “Hak-shun!”

 

“Uh-oh, that mean's you're being criticized.”

 

Then Yuka got right up into Kagome's face. “Are you sure you're well enough to come to school today, Kagome?”

 

“Hak-shun!”

 

“Why did they all have to wear different scents?” thought Kagome.

 

“Oooh, now someone's scolding you.”

 

Kagome's eyes were starting to water when, from behind her, she heard a familiar voice.

 

“Kagome-chan. Are you okay?”

 

“Oh, hi, Hojo.”

 

“I'm afraid I don't have anything for sneezing with me, Kagome, but maybe some fresh fruit would help.” Hojo began digging into his lunch. “I think I have an apple…”

 

A host of smells emerged from the bag. Not enough to knock Kagome out, but enough to make her a little dizzy. She sweat-dropped and began to wobble.

 

“Kagome-chan!” An embarrassed Hojo let go of her shoulders and drew back right away. “Forgive me for…

 

Kagome sat down in place. Hojo's cologne on top of the smells from his lunch had been the last straw.

 

“Kagome?” All three girls helped Kagome to her feet.

 

“I'm okay, guys. Really.”

 

“Maybe you should see the nurse,” suggested Eri.

 

“If I don't feel better by lunchtime, I will.” Privately, Kagome wondered why she didn't sense much from Hojo. She knew he liked her and she had been steeling herself to smelling that spicy, heady scent like she had picked up from InuYasha.

 

There was a bit of spice, but it was kind of weak. Miroku's scent had been a lot stronger the morning she had detected Sango's reaction to the monk's nocturnal advances…and Sango had whisked her away before she had a chance to really be affected by the monk.

 

Just then, the bell rang.

 

Kagome smiled, relieved she had an excuse to get away. “Gotta get to class, guys!” Kagome hurried into the school.

 

Everyone else shrugged and followed.

 

 

******************

 

 

Kagome sat under a tree, eating her lunch. Getting through school was a nightmare, but at least she was getting used to some of the scents bombarding her.

 

She had caught a few odd looks from other pupils when they caught her sniffing different things and then sitting or standing in place with a look of deep concentration. One odd-looking buy had walked by her whispering that he'd tried chalk dust and it didn't get him high, either.

 

Kagome made a mental note to stay away from him.

 

Gym class had been the worst. She had forgotten she had gym class that day and, as if the smell of perspiration wasn't bad enough, after their showers, the girls were applying deodorants, spraying perfumes and so on. She would have fainted if she hadn't been careful to stay seated on a bench. As it was, she was late to her next class.

 

Then there were the scents of her schoolmates. She now had a pretty good idea about who a number of her classmates liked (lusted after, was more like it), including more than one instance of gay attraction (including a seventh grade boy who “liked” Hojo). There were even a few crushes on teachers, although these were almost all on student teachers.

 

It was more than she wanted to know.

 

“May we join you?” It was Ayumi, Eri and Yuka again.

 

“Why? Do I look like I'm coming apart?”

 

All three just stared at her.

 

Kagome giggled lamely. “It was a joke, guys.”

 

All three laughed politely and sat in a circle with Kagome. “Are you sure you're alright, Kagome?” asked Ayumi.

 

Kagome smiled weakly, but then a thought struck her. Might as well use this to her advantage. “It's this condition I have,” she sighed.

 

“Condition, Kagome?” Yuka looked worried.

 

“Hyper…hyper…something.” Kagome couldn't think of what she should call it. She'd look it up when she got home. “I can't remember the name, but it affects your sense of smell. Makes it a lot stronger.”

 

“Doesn't schizophrenia do that?”

 

“Trust Ayumi,” thought Kagome. “No, it's not that. Some kind of nerve thing, I understand. Everything smells so strong…and then the strong smells make me dizzy.”

 

“Really?” said Eri.

 

“Yeah…like your perfumes.”

 

“We're sorry,” said Yuka.

 

“No, it's okay. It just started…but I can get used to the smells again, and then they don't affect me so badly. I'm not sneezing now. See?”

“I guess so,” said Eri.

 

Kagome smiled at her friends and picked up her things. “Well, nothing like getting an early start back to class when you have to catch up.”

 

The girls watched Kagome head back inside. “I still think it's schizophrenia,” pronounced Ayumi.

 

“That poor girl,” tsked Yuka.

 

 

******************

 

 

The rest of the day wasn't much better for Kagome…although she was a little surprised by, and had a bit of an ego boost from, the number of times she detected spicy scents from boys when she walked by.

 

At least ningen boys appreciated her even if InuYasha didn't.

 

But that reminded her of the change in InuYasha's scent when she bent over to smell that flower and the wind blew her skirt up. But, then again, maybe InuYasha was thinking of Kikyo when he had that reaction…the same way men of her time would react to their wives or girlfriends after looking through one of “those” magazines.

 

“Oh, great. Now I'm depressed again,” she thought.

 

Then there was the last class of the day when she discovered that Sensei Nakimoto really was a hentai.

 

She was feeling a little tired and had slumped in her seat during a particularly boring lecture. She had dozed off and then awoken when she detected that spicy scent again. Looking up, she discovered Mr. Nakimoto looking right at her. It was then she realized she was sitting with her legs apart…not exactly proper posture for a girl…and she blushed when she realized she was putting on quite a show.

 

Immediately she sat up straight and closed her legs. Fortunately, the dismissal bell rang soon after. As she passed her sensei, she heard Mr. Nakimoto remark that she should “keep up the good work” and she would “improve her grade.”

 

Kagome couldn't wait to get home.

 

 

******************

 

 

“I'm home, Mama!” Kagome announced as she closed the door behind her.

 

“How was your day, dear? Would you like some tea?”

 

“Thank you, Mama. I think I would.”

 

“There's water heating already. It will be ready in a minute.”

 

“Okay.” Kagome sat down at the kitchen table and Mama poured hot water into the already-prepared teacups.

 

Kagome's grandfather, who was reading a magazine at the table, snorted. “In my day, we made tea from leaves…not these infernal bags.”

 

“Yes, grandfather,” said Kagome, “but at least this way we can all have our favorite kind of tea.

 

“Hmmph.”

 

“Tell us about your day, dear.”

 

Kagome slumped. “It was…different. This new sense of smell…it takes a lot of getting used to, Mama.”

 

“It's this cavorting with youkai!”

 

Mama silenced him with one glance, and then turned to her daughter. “I'm sure it wasn't easy, dear. Tell me about it.”

 

Kagome blushed a little when she realized she might have to reveal a little more to her mother. “Mama? You know how Hojo has always had a crush on me?”

 

“Yes.” Mama Higurashi smiled. She had had to field more than a few calls from the hapless boy.

 

“I could hardly sense anything from him.”

 

“What do you mean, dear?”

 

“When InuYasha reacts to me…like when (Kagome's blush grew) the wind blew my skirt up…I can smell a very spicy, heady scent.”

 

“I…see.”

 

“When I almost fell this morning before school started, Hojo grabbed me by the shoulders…”

 

“He did?”

 

“Yeah…and there was only the tiniest hint of spice.”

 

“Oh. So you think he doesn't really like you?”

 

“No, I just don't think he has much of a sex drive,” Kagome blurted out. Immediately realizing what she had said, she slapped both hands over her mouth and murmured, “Sorry.”

 

“Did Kagome say something?” asked grandfather.

 

“No, you can go back to your magazine.”

 

“Hmmph. Damned youkai.”

 

Mama Higurashi continued. “So you're saying you like InuYasha more because of his reaction to you?”

 

“No! I mean yes. I mean no!”

 

Grandfather looked up again. “What?”

 

“Read your magazine.”

 

“Well, it's not much of a compliment when a boy doesn't respond to you,” grumbled Kagome. “You know, I could tell who liked who in there by their scent when they got close to each other.”

 

“You could?”

 

“Mrs. Nishori's son is gay, by the way.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“He likes Hojo.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“And Sensei Nakimoto really is a pervert. He looks up girls' skirts, Mama.”

 

Mama Higurashi shifted uncomfortably. “He does?”

 

“Yeah,” said Kagome, “and there were a lot of boys who smelled spicy when I walked by. I don't know why, though. InuYasha doesn't think I'm pretty at all.” Kagome looked downcast.

 

“You're very pretty, Kagome,” said grandfather.

 

“You really think so? Hey! You were listening the whole time!”

 

“Of course I was. You're my granddaughter.”

 

Mama Higurashi paused for a moment and then came to a decision as to what to say. “It sounds to me as though you really want InuYasha to respond to you this way.”

 

“Mama, I…”

 

“No, shhh. We've talked about this before and I know you like him…even love him…but you're full of self-doubt. Does InuYasha love you, or does he love the Kikyo he sees in you?”

 

“Mama.”

 

“…and now that you have this sense of his and are learning how to use it, you're both excited and apprehensive about what you might find out with it.”

 

“Yes, Mama.”

 

“And, therefore, you don't want InuYasha to even know you have it.”

 

“No,” Kagome practically whispered.

 

Mama Higurashi reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. “You have it. You must learn how to use it. And you must find out how InuYasha truly feels about you.” Mama murmured the final part of her statement. “…although it's obvious.”

 

“Mama?”

 

“Everything will be alright, Kagome. Trust me.”

 

Kagome got a sour look on her face.

 

“What's wrong, dear?” asked Mama.

 

“Grandpa just farted.”

 

Grandpa looked up from his magazine. “Sorry.”

 

 

 

A/N: Following her after-school talk with Mama, Kagome realizes there's a lot more she'll have to work through. More than she knows.

 

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