InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Minoue ❯ New Beginnings ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Miroku looks over the responses for his class, and then it's time for the new semester to begin. With everyone off to school, InuYasha goes to see Mama Higurashi.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.19.2007 | Updated On: 10.20.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 4.1K | Status: Work In Progress

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

AN: Thank you very much to inufan625 for acting as my beta once again. An additional thank you goes to Knittingknots for her help as well. I greatly appreciate the time they've taken to help make me a better writer and this a better story. You will find both of their fics here at MediaMiner. You should check them out if you haven't already.

For responses, please check my LiveJournal at doggieearlover.livejournal.com/147166.html.

Minoue

Chapter 7: New Beginnings

Miroku had finally awakened and made himself a pot of coffee. Sitting down with a rather large cup, he began to read through the responses to his email regarding class. However, he didn't really look at who submitted them but at what the answers were. To get an idea of his class, he copied and pasted them into a document to organize them as he went along.

Why did you sign up for Buddhism in Japan?

It was required for my major

To learn whether it was really a religion, or a philosophy of life

I heard a lot of hot, horny chicks sign up for this class

I was interested in learning about a different religion

I see Buddhist monks gathering alms, and was curious about them, plus the class fulfills one of my requirements

I heard the sensei was a really good fuck, but he won't fuck you unless you take his class

I'm dying to fuck you. I heard you're awesome and are hung like a horse.

I would like to learn more about the Buddhist religion, and how it compares to my own

My brother became a Buddhist monk, and I would like to understand Buddhism better. I'm really confused

I need a good fuck

I wish to understand why death is always left to the Buddhists to deal with.

Miroku sighed as he stopped. As he scanned through the emails, most of them said that either the class met a requirement for their major or that they wanted to fuck him, or it was guys who wanted to fuck the girls that he wouldn't. Out of nearly three dozen answers there were only about half a dozen legitimate ones. Maybe his reputation was getting a bit out of hand. He moved on to the next question, hoping for at least a few real answers.

If you had to select one aspect of Buddhism to learn more about, what would it be?

Reincarnation

How the dead are reincarnated

Are all monks a good fuck?

Are monks usually celibate? If they are, why?

Reincarnation

Why do Buddhists perform funerals, but not weddings?

Sensei Miroku

Why Buddhism seems to deal mostly with death

What gives Sensei pleasure the most. I'm willing to learn/try most anything.

How/why many practice rituals from Buddhism along with those of another religion

The importance of the posthumous Buddhist name given to the dead. If I didn't know what to do at the time, and made the wrong decision, can it be changed?

At least this time it seemed like most of the questions dealt with death and reincarnation. There were the few obvious references to his sexual escapades but not as many as the previous question. Still, he paused when his eyes landed on the last answer he had pasted into the document. This was someone who had obviously dealt with death and probably recently. Someone the age of his students should not be making these kinds of decisions alone. Wondering who it was and forgetting about the rest of the responses, he started reading back through the emails to see which one it came from. He stopped and caught his breath when he landed on the right email. Both of her answers had dealt with death: SATOU, Sango.

~ ^~^ ~

Classes were back to normal Monday evening at the dojo - well, almost normal. Kagome was the color of a tomato for much of the class. Every time her face would start to return to its regular color, she would somehow catch the hanyou's eye and turn bright red again. Souta was worried that she was sick and said that she should go home. Kagome just shook her head and insisted that she was fine. She was relieved that InuYasha didn't seem to be upset with her. He was trying to act like everything was just the same as always - except that she noticed he seemed to be watching her more, which made her blush deeper. And it wasn't just her face; her entire body felt hot, like it was burning up. She wanted both to throw herself into his arms and to flee the building. She was so confused.

Miroku was watching everything from a safe distance with a class of mostly ten and eleven year olds between him and the surly hanyou and blushing girl. There was no doubt; something had happened last night. He was certain it was only a matter of time before things changed between them. Maybe everything had worked out for the best after all. They were both doing their best to act like everything was still the same, but they were only fooling themselves. Miroku returned his attention to his students, determined to let nature take its course and this time, to try and stay out of it.

When the last student had cleared out of the dojo, Miroku finally summoned his strength of will and went to InuYasha's office. If the hanyou wanted to yell at him for what had happened, he'd rather clear the air now and not dwell on it. “Come in and sit down, Monk,” he heard before he slid the door open.

Miroku did as told and waited patiently.

“Well, did you want something?” InuYasha asked.

“I… well… first… you're not mad at me?” Miroku asked.

The hanyou shook his head. “I tried to be, but couldn't. On top of that I know you remained and stayed awake in spite of the fact that I'd passed out from exhaustion. I have to thank you for that.”

Miroku shook his head. “It was nothing. I knew you were depending on me, and after everything you went through the night before, I'm surprised you didn't conk out earlier. You know, I really didn't expect you to end up on the same side of the bed. Otherwise, I wouldn't have burst in like I did.”

“Considering how much you've been pushing me to be with her, I kind of figured that out, too. Now is there anything else before you leave?”

One thing about InuYasha - he didn't beat around the bush very much.

“Are you certain that you don't know any more about Sango? I received this in response to the questions I sent out before the start of classes.” Miroku pulled out the email he had printed and handed it to InuYasha.

The hanyou furrowed his brow as he read her answers. “What do you think it means, Monk? I still don't know any more than I told you.”

“I think it means that she has had to deal with much more than someone her age ever should have to. I think it means she had no other family to help guide her in her decisions. She is carrying a heavy burden all alone. This is the first time I've ever seen a question like this, and that includes those from adults that sit in on my class,” Miroku answered.

If InuYasha had not known Miroku so well, he would have been surprised at the obvious concern for Sango in his voice. This was not the wayward monk that was looking for a quick fuck. This was the one that took his subject seriously and was worried about what one of his students might be going through. InuYasha looked thoughtful and did not respond immediately. Finally he said, “She is obviously a very private person, which is something I can empathize with. You can't question her, or you'll push her away. Don't pursue her, but let her ask the questions and come to you. Treat her like you do your other students, and don't let her know that you suspect anything out of the ordinary about her. Sooner or later, if this is really bothering her, she'll seek help. That's the best advice I can give you, Miroku.”

“Thank you, my friend. You'll keep your ears open, though, won't you?” Miroku had taken the sheet of paper, refolded it, and was putting it away.

InuYasha flicked his ears in response.

“Thank you, InuYasha, and goodnight. I hope you have pleasant dreams. I'll see you sometime tomorrow afternoon. It just depends on how my classes and any student meetings go.” Miroku gathered up his belongings and headed out to his car.

InuYasha got up, turned out all of the lights and locked the front door of the dojo. Heading out the back door, he followed the path around his property for a long walk before he went in. By the time he reached his home, his mind was made up. Tomorrow, while everyone was at school, he was going to see Mrs. Higurashi.

~ ^~^ ~

Sango awakened from the best sleep she could remember having had in a long time. For some reason, it was oddly comforting to have Kirara curled up near her at the head of the bed. The cat had not jumped up on her own but had followed her into the bedroom and then proceeded to curl up on the floor, like a dog. Sango had called her and asked if she wanted to sleep on the bed, and Kirara had immediately hopped up and moved to the spare pillow. Curling up against it, she was purring softly as Sango scratched one of her ears. Sango was smiling as she fell asleep, listening to the soothing rumble emanating from the cat.

She woke early as usual and turned over to see that Kirara was still there, though she was awake and watching her. Sango yawned as she reached over to rub the top of her head. “Are you hungry? I'll get you some breakfast and start the coffee.”

She rolled out of bed and went to the kitchen. First, she filled Kirara's food bowl and gave her fresh water, and then she grabbed a pack of coffee to get that started. She had to admit that she really liked the box she had picked up. She didn't even have to fool with a filter since the coffee was packaged in one. Pushing the button so it could start brewing, she went back to the bathroom to get ready for her day.

Sango had plenty of time to drink an extra cup of coffee before she left for her classes. She was grateful that she didn't have to be out in the rush with everyone that had to be there for the first period. She'd made herself a rather large helping of oatmeal. It would be terribly embarrassing for her stomach to start growling during class. Deciding it was time to go, she put her laptop and books that she needed for the day in her backpack and grabbed her purse. Wondering if the instructor had actually read her answers that she'd emailed back in, she headed off.

~ ^~^ ~

Kagome said goodbye to her mother and started towards the station to catch the train. She was glad that she didn't have a first period class today. She had second and third periods, and then she could go to the dojo. Thinking about it made her stomach flutter. She shifted her backpack as she walked down the immense staircase to the street below. As she walked, she tried to concentrate on her upcoming course rather than the hanyou her mind kept straying over to. She was interested to see what kind of professor Miroku was. He was very good around the dojo, even if you did have to watch his wandering hands. She'd heard plenty of wild tales about him at the college but was fairly certain she was probably safe from any of that. Kagome also wondered if she would know anyone in the class besides the instructor. It wasn't required for her course study, but she had to take several electives. Both curious, and taking her grandfather's advice, she'd decided enroll and see what she could learn.

She arrived a little early at the building but went ahead inside to find her classroom. She had not been in this particular building before since it was devoted mostly to philosophy and the studies of religions. She ambled down the hall, looking at numbers over the doors, and walked right into the back of someone doing the same thing.

“Pardon me! I'm so sorry,” Kagome apologized. “I didn't see you.”

“That's all right,” the girl said as she turned to face her. “Kagome?”

“Sango, I'm so sorry. I was looking for my class. I've never been in this building before,” Kagome said.

“Me, too. I know it's down here somewhere,” Sango responded. “Which class are you in?”

“The one on Buddhism. How about you?”

Sango smiled. “The same. Shall we look together?”

Kagome nodded, and they continued down the long corridor together.

“There it is.” Kagome pointed. “It figures it was the one at the end of the hall. We're a little early. Is there a class in there?”

Sango looked through the glass and shook her head. “It's empty. Should we sit down?”

“Yeah. Is kind of in the middle on the fourth or fifth row okay? I don't really like to be on the front row, or in the back,” Kagome commented.

It was a lecture type hall, more like a small auditorium. Sango climbed to the fourth row. “How's this?”

“Works for me,” Kagome answered and followed her down the row to about the middle. “I wonder how big this class is. I've heard it's pretty popular.”

Sango sat down and looked at her. “Really? Since I was new, my advisor recommended it, so I signed up. It is required coursework. I hope I learn something useful here.”

“My grandfather suggested it to me. He thought it would be a good idea to know something about it. Shinto deals only with life. Buddhism deals with so many other things,” Kagome said.

“Yeah, I know,” Sango practically whispered.

She had that haunted look again that kept Kagome from wanting to say any more. Looking at the board she said, “Should we get a head start and start copying down the notes?”

Sango breathed a sigh of relief at the change of subject, and nodded. Together, they started writing down the comments that had been placed on the board ahead of time.

~ ^~^ ~

InuYasha didn't know what it was about it, but he really liked the large sacred tree at the Higurashi Shrine. He felt filled by a sense of peace and contentment when he was around it. He knew Kagome called it Goshinboku and could often be found under it when she was troubled or just wanted to think. Currently, he was sitting high up in the branches waiting for her to leave. He wasn't sure what her schedule was for the day, other than she was signed up for the pervert's class. He'd arrived in time to watch for her to leave in order to catch the train for the first period class. Her grandfather was out working around the shrine, but he had seen no sign of Kagome yet. Finally, he heard her call goodbye to her mother as she headed off for her classes. When he was certain the coast was clear, he jumped down and walked towards the door.

He'd barely knocked when he heard, “Come in!”

“Mrs. Higurashi?”

“Come on in the kitchen, InuYasha. Would you like some tea? How about something to eat?” Mama smiled at him.

“Keh, tea, please,” he said.

“Well, sit down,” she said as she turned to the stove. “I was about to make myself some.”

The hanyou remained silent while Mama prepared the tea. It only took a few minutes before she was setting the hot cup in front of him along with the cream and sugar. Sitting down across from him, she said, “Okay, InuYasha. What can I do for you?”

He took a deep breath and started to speak but nothing came out. Mama waited patiently until he managed to say, “I… I… um… I came… I came to ask your permission…”

“InuYasha, if you want to marry Kagome, you have my blessings. But you know you might want to ask her out on a date first.” Mama chuckled.

“Wha…wha… what?” InuYasha stammered as his face quickly turned the color of his firerat.

“It's been clear for a long time how you and Kagome feel about each other. And I've never seen the fates intervene so to ensure that two people meet. The only thing in the way is the both of you. It's about time to admit how you feel,” Mama said bluntly.

InuYasha sighed. “It's that obvious.”

Mama nodded. “InuYasha, I've been watching you come around here for the better part of five years. I don't know if you realize it, but you become a totally different person around my daughter. It is clear that you love her, and I know that she loves you. You are a good teacher and a good person. She could do far worse than someone like you.”

“But she's been my student,” he started, “which is the reason why I came. I wanted to ask your permission before I asked her to become an instructor.”

This time it was Mama that sighed. “InuYasha, I know that you will do right by her whether it be teaching alongside her or marrying her. You have my blessing to ask her to become an instructor if it means that next you are going to ask her out because she is no longer your student. My daughter has been pining away because she can love no one but you. And since it is not unrequited, it's high time you did something about it. Now what can I do to help?”

“Mrs. Higurashi… I… I… I'm… I'm still just hanyou…” InuYasha said so softly that she barely heard him.

Mama reached across the table and placed her hand over his. “InuYasha, I've seen how gentle you are with your students, and I've seen you use a firm hand when you needed it. I know these hands are probably lethal weapons, but you've never used them out of anger or frustration. I understand that you aren't completely human, but I don't care because Kagome is in love with you. I know that you will cherish her and protect her and never allow any harm to come to her.”

“I… I… I… you're right,” InuYasha whispered, looking at the table. “I've been so afraid… and then what happened Saturday…”

“InuYasha,” Mama said softly. “InuYasha,” she said again, so that he looked up to meet her eyes, which were full of concern and love. “I know what that… that… that… woman… tried to do to you. Kagome will never hurt you. She loves you as you are. She understands that loving someone means accepting everything about them. It isn't love if you want to change them to something that they aren't. It won't be easy; it never is. But you have to give it a try. I think you both will be happier if you do.”

“Do you know what plans Kagome has for her birthday?” InuYasha asked in response. He looked at the table again. “I wanted to ask her then if I can get some time with her.”

“She's going out with a few friends Saturday evening, even though her birthday is on Sunday. She really didn't want a big party. Why don't you stay home Sunday, and I'll find an excuse to send her over that afternoon. You can ask her to be a teacher at the dojo, and then you can take her out in celebration. You can kill two birds with one stone. All right?” Mama suggested.

“Keh,” InuYasha said softly, blushing furiously.

“InuYasha, just be careful with her. She's never loved anyone but you.”

“Keh.”

“Now that that's settled, would you like some lunch?” Mama asked smiling.

The hanyou nodded, still too stunned to speak.

InuYasha practically flew back to the dojo, though this time it was with anticipation and excitement. Things had not gone at all as he planned, and he couldn't be happier. He had gone, to beg if he had to, to ask for permission for Kagome to join him as an instructor. Instead her mother had just gone straight to the point and told him what she thought. He still couldn't believe that she had already given him her blessings to ask Kagome out and even marry her if they so chose. He just hoped he didn't do anything to screw it up during the week. Sunday now seemed so far away. He would just have to keep himself busy until then.

To be continued…