InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love & Antiques ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Author's Note: Please Read and Review Semi-Based on a book I read.

 

Chapter 1

 

Rin stared at her ceiling with a blank expression. She had to think of something, of some way she would be able to write the perfect article and be allowed to do the Traveling article this year. Every year, any rising journalist who were nominated, were allowed to apply a resume and an essay of why they should be picked to do this. Thanks to her friends, she was nominated but now she had to start out, writing a valid essay. This year, it was a trip to Europe. Travel in Europe would be the theme of the article and you got to stay in Europe for three-weeks, all expenses paid.

 

 

Since she had started out writing for `Pink', a rising ladies fashion and fun magazine, she had wanted to travel. Sure, she had gone to her own places, but nothing much outside of the usual stuff. The only big move she had ever made was about four years ago, when `Pink' magazine moved her from the quarters of the good old USA to Japan, a big cultural change for her but awfully exciting. She had made some friends, like her manager Kagome and the editor Sango which were fun-loving and exciting but who wants to move one time and stay in the same place forever?

 

 

She could not think of an actual reason on why she should be chosen but it was hard to think, she had like some sort of writer's block. Her boyfriend, Miroku, made things worst since he did not understand the pain she was going through, well not the pain but the actual struggle. She was really into her concentration when the phone rang. She groaned, who would be calling her at three in the morning? She only shook her head and answered the phone.

 

 

“Hello?”

“Hello, is Rin Shimura available?” asked a woman's voice

“Yes, this is she”

“My name is Kathy Powers, the manager of the USA Writing Commission, in Washington, DC. I don't know if you've heard from us”

“Yes, of course”

“I have a proposition, if you're willing to listen”

 

 

Rin paused suspicious momentarily. Thinking what sick person would play tricks on her but then again, maybe it wasn't a trick. It was just suspicious that they would bother ever calling. She had visited their headquarters a lot and even asked for a job but she had never heard from them again. Of course, that was almost six years ago and she did not think this was an instant job offer.

 

 

“Before you say anything, is this for me to write a simple article about my life in Japan?” she asked a bit annoyed but as polite as possible, many people were asking for those and it only succeeded to angering her. She was not a tour guide, she was a journalist.

 

“Actually, no, I wanted to give you the opportunity to travel, you see, we're about to do a journalist convention and I was wondering if you would prepare a speech and launch an exhibition as our best rising journalist we plan to present and other information on writing properly and such. I know its short notice but I would love if you could make it”

“Not trying to be rude but who would give us my number and contact me, there are a lot of great journalist out there and…”

 

 

“A member of our advisory committee told us. I know it is a short notice but we were suppose to get a speaker from the Japanese Writer's Committee, an excellent one too, but he turned us down last minute”

“Oh, sorry to hear that” she said. So she was second best, second choice

“We're willing to pay 4 grand which will cover stay for a 14-day trip, food, city transportation, and insurance. The tickets will of course be courtesy of the WC”

“Can I get your number so I can get back to you, I'll have to check my schedule”

“Sure, its 202-456-6566 and just ask for Kathy, it should be no more concerns, right?”

“None at all”

“Thank you for your time, Ms. Shimura and I hope I'll be hearing from you soon”

“Alright, bye” Rin said and hung up the phone

 

 

After hanging up, Rin was way too excited to go back to sleep, well to thinking. If she could budget her spending, she could bring the rest home to her low bank account. Although admitting that she was the museums second choice pretty much sucked, she could not say she was not going to truly profit from this adventure, plus she would get to travel. Not to Europe but back to where she grew up, the good old USA.

 

 

After Rin finally went to sleep, she was disturbed about two hours later with the sound of the fax machine in the corner of her rooms annoying grunt. She went to look at it and smiled, this was an agenda and an informatory of what she would be doing. The plan seemed pretty good and the try seemed reasonable.

 

 

She fixed herself a nice cup of coffee, yawning at the evident lost of sleep and curling into the couch, yawning and flipping through the channels on the television, mostly in Japanese which she understood alright.

 

 

Cutting the television off, she stared at the contract again. It was very right and everything until she understood that Kathy wanted her to take ancient scrolls from the museum. She never mentioned anything about a museum; Rin thought she worked for a magazine, not the museum. She was not even trusted with much around here, why would she be trusted with important ancient scrolls of ancient Japanese writers? Her job had nothing to do with this. She now was forced to ask something more from the Japanese government. She shuddered lightly; it was not the best idea of the century. Who would trust Rin Shimura, the never heard of alien?

 

 

She was going to have a bit of a problem and she was just going to have to face it.

----------------

 

After a couple hours, she forced herself to get up and walked down to the local café to meet one of her favorite friends from the USA. His name was Knox Braiden and he was an all American English boy. He always said that about himself. He was a nice person and every Wednesday, they met at this café for breakfast. It was like some sort of ritual.

 

 

As soon as she spotted him in one of the outside tables, she waved and he waved back. She sat with him and ordered another coffee, the need for caffeine alarming her system with a need to wake up. He took a sip of his coffee while Rin explained to him what had happened this morning.

 

 

“Sweetie, I wouldn't even let you take my favorite jacket from the closet, and you think you're going to carry an antique collection of papers out of the country?”

“Well, that was the nicest way you could put it?” Rin asked frostily

“Oh, come on babe, what you expect me to tell you but the truth”

“I guess you're right but a girl can dream”

 

 

She ordered a bagel for breakfast and he ordered a big sandwich. He was the big eater's kind and he ordered big meals. He looked at Rin with a smile as she looked at her bagel with a bit of disgust.

 

 

“So high for a Kraft single and a piece of stale bread” she said dryly and he laughed

“You are a Kraft single, who would trust a ingle woman with no citizenship to carry cultural treasures from this country to anywhere. Plus, why would they ask you?”

“I don't know, they said someone from the WC gave them my info”

“There are two possible answers for this mystery, either you know someone in DC or you're being stalked”

 

 

“Why would I be stalked?”

“Well, after those little tabloid brother…and all” he said cautiously

“Oh please, that still does not give people the reason to stalk me”

“Alright, don't ask for help when people know personal info”

“Whatever” she added and he laughed

 

 

“Well, who would recommend you?”

“I don't know, someone who must have a very good impression of my work”

“The only impression you have is for splashing tabloids with Miroku”

“Well, those pictures were just taken because of Miroku…” she scowled

 

 

For almost six months, she had been dating a very dashing man named Miroku Takashi. Miroku was odd, wasting his days selling antique buildings to buying business. Because Miroku was the son of a famous priest and religious school headmaster, his everyday life became interest to everyone. Even when he did bizarre things like, wear blue jeans at a black-tie event or out smart some higher up. Rin really wasn't concerned about the things he did on their date or the things he wore but was mortified when their long goody bye kiss ended up on the front page of every single news magazine on possibly every planet. Since then, they never went out outside of his small country house, which he enjoyed very much.

 

 

“Hmm…maybe they'll find out the bf before him”

“Please don't bring him up”

 

 

Sesshomaru Hideaki, the Japanese-American lawyer who'd stumbled upon her life a bit earlier. When Miroku and Rin had finally dated, she decided it was in her best interest. Sesshomaru was probably back in USA but when she had to move because of her job, any hopes of him coming along any last minute was out of question. He did not like Japan; he thought it was too crowded. Although Miroku and Rin did not live together, they actually lived in the same country and in the same city, only one small local phone call away.

 

 

After parting with her friend, she left to go to the museum and hopefully obtain those scrolls. She knew that they would try to eat her alive but all she could do was stay calm. She had managed to get an appointment, before meeting her friend so she would be expected. Only hope was all she could ask for, the crowded city of Osaka offered no more than drama and a lot of crowded places. No place for comfort but not so bad. She squeezed through a couple people before actually being able to get in the building. She breathed heavily and sat patiently at the reception room, waiting for the meeting to begin and be gotten over with success.

 

Author's Note: Please read and review