InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The day I saved him ❯ Attacked?(2) ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the InuYasha characters(except for those I make up along the way)

A/n: It would seem I made a some minor grammatical mistakes in the last chapter(`cos I tend to get too caught up in the motions of the story to say the right words). I hope I've corrected all of them, and hope you still like the story so far, the main part's just coming up. Thank you reading and reviewing again!(inu inu luvluv!)

CHAPTER - V

The elevator doors opened just then and all the reporters were treated to the sight of a disheveled young woman in full shock, her mouth gaping wide open. In fact Kagome found that she could do nothing but stare out at them blankly, her mind shocked by the turn of events.

Kazu, who stood beside her, leaned in front of her, blocking her from the view of the reporters and gave them one of his smooth `agent' smiles, which was meant to charm and beguile them into submission.

“If you will excuse us, we'll be right with you in just a moment. Feel free to seat yourself in the third conference room to the left.” With that he pushed another button on the elevator so the doors closed again. He turned to Kagome and fixed her with a steely stare.

“If you would snap your mouth shut, we can go upstairs and into makeup so you can turn yourself into the attractive young woman I know you are beneath those ghoulish eyebags and lackluster makeup.”

Kagome snapped her mouth shut, more from surprise than wanting to obey his command. She flushed, suddenly embarrassed by his compliment. But, vanity aside, she had several more questions prodding her mind, just waiting to be asked.

“How can you be so sure it was her? I mean the woman they spotted could've just been me leaving the hospital last night”

“Were you wearing all black and carrying a white coat and stethoscope, a spectacle perched on your nose? No? I didn't think so.”

“But how? Why would she want to kill him?”

“Who knows why crazy people do the crazy things they do?”

“That's a good question.”

Kagome lapsed into silence. She didn't know what to think, or even how to feel. She was concerned about the safety of her stranger, not to mention his health, but she found it oddly disconcerting that there was another person just like her out there, roaming around, trying to kill people. When she had first seen the picture and knew that she resembled someone else in the world, she hadn't felt any fear. She had felt disgusted by the other girl's childish antics and was relieved that she had been locked away where she rightfully belonged. But now, she couldn't help feeling scared at the thought that this person was out there, trying to kill Sesshoumaru Takahashi, not to mention the fact that she would be pretending to be that person in front of the whole world. She shivered involuntarily.

“But how did they find out where I work?” she asked, suddenly remembering the other question that had been hounding her.

“Neesan, didn't you know? This building rents out conference rooms for press meetings. They didn't find you, you just found them. It was coincidental that you work in the same building the press meeting is being held.”

The explanation made sense to her. Suddenly the thought of attending a press meeting, putting forth the lie they had fabricated last night, made her ill. She wasn't good being the centre of attention and today too much attention was going to be focused on her. Now, that the moment was upon her she didn't know if she could truly lie to the whole world about her relationship with Sesshoumaru.

She would not think about it. If she did, she would only get more and more nervous.To get her mind off the lie, she tried to think about her `stranger'. Poor guy. He really had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday. Last night an accident and now this? She felt sorry for the guy and vowed once more to make him well again. She was not going to let one more comatose person die on her watch again.

“I can't believe this is happening again,” she remarked to herself, lost deep in reflective thoughts about her mother's death.

“What is happening again?” Kazu asked.

Before Kagome could answer, the doors opened again and Kagome and Kazu got off the elevator, as several people rushed in. The question was lost amid the chaos and noise and Kagome felt relieved that it was. She didn't feel like discussing her mother right now, especially not with Kazu. Although circumstances forced her to trust him, somewhere deep down she felt that he was not a trustworthy person. Most agents were not, and she was not about to get down and personal with this guy. In fact, considering what had happened last night in the alley, she felt she would have to put some distance between them.

Kazu thankfully forgot he had asked anything and silently led her through a long hallway which branched out into several rooms, whose doors were locked.

“Here we are,” he said, before turning the gold door knob on a blank white door furnished with the golden letters 705 printed on it in cursive slant. Kazu stepped inside and gestured her inside with a grand flourish of his arm.

Kagome was completely unprepared for the sight that awaited her inside the room. Every wall in the small room was obscured by dresses hanging from hangers. The floor was covered with hatboxes from which hats sprung like confetti. There were boxes stacked in front of another door and various makeup and lotions were stacked on top of the boxes. Beside it stood a fashionable dressing table, its edges gilded in gold and strung with bright luminescent bulbs. A mirror occupied the central focus of the bulbs, catching it and casting off pale golden light in a semi circle around the dressing table. A chair made of black leather was turned towards her, as if it had been waiting for her all morning.

Various people milled around the room, maneuvering around the hatboxes with ease. They turned as one to look at her. Kagome somewhat distressed by the various assessing looks she received took an involuntary step back. Suddenly, as if someone had clicked a switch, they all smiled at her and rushed her all at once, pulling her through the doorway and into their world and into their capable hands. Kagome felt several prods and pinches on her cheeks, her hair, her clothes, not to mention other unmentionable parts of her. Her cheeks flamed from the subtle touches. She didn't like being touched like this, and couldn't help being overwhelmed by the myriad attention she received from faces she wouldn't even be able to name later.

A hand touched her shoulder. She turned around to face Kazu, who looked at her, understanding filling his eyes.

“Be gentle, please. She is not going to run away. Please take care of her.”

He turned away and gestured to a short Chinese girl with pink tinged raven hair. She walked forward, smiling congenially at Kagome as Kazu gave her his instructions.

“Go over there, neesan. Hong will take care of your hair.” Kazu pointed towards the dressing table.

So the Chinese girl's name was Hong. Kagome smiled back at her, feeling the distressing feeling inside her fading away inch by inch. She didn't feel overwhelmed by the girl now. She was far too friendly to overwhelm her.

But that was before she got Kagome into her chair. Once Kagome was seated in front of the mirror, the friendly smile and congenial attitude disappeared only to be replaced by a steely gleam in her eye and an almost maniacal smile on her lips. Kagome cringed in her chair. She didn't look friendly now, as she eyed Kagome's hair like a butcher eyes his meat. She lifted a pair of scissors high in the hair, the scene reflecting off the mirror like some horror movie. Kagome stifled a cry and closed her eyes tightly, unable to watch the macabre tableau anymore.

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

Kagome exited the conference room and sank back against the wall beside the twin double doors, exhausted beyond comprehension. She couldn't even understand what had gone on in there. She had been nervous about putting forth the lie about her and Sesshoumaru getting back together - or rather `Ms. Kikyo Hino' and Sesshoumaru getting back together. But then a simple lie had turned into a convoluted web of lies and mumbled half-truths. Now she didn't even know where one lie ended and where the other began. She sighed thinking back on the press meeting. The Paparazzi had been relentless, bombarding her with questions and allegations determined to attack her psyche. She had hedged and dodged as much as she could, without actually giving them what they wanted and she was proud of herself for that. However, she couldn't really believe she had actually lied to the whole world like that, pretending to be someone else.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Kagome mentally braced herself to face more questions. But when she turned around to see who it was, it was only Kazu, strolling towards her a benign and carefree smile lurking on his smooth lips. She stifled the strong urge to wipe the smile off his lips, and managed to smile tightly back at him.

“Neesan, I underestimated you. You really took care of them and put them in their place,” he complimented, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder.

She glared at him until he removed the hand from her shoulder.

“Oookay… so it wasn't easy, but this is the last time they'll hound you, I promise. After today, no more press meetings, I swear to you,” he promised placing one hand on his chest in a mock oath. He smiled at her, trying to charm her into believing him.

She sighed, her anger at him subsiding somewhat. She knew it wasn't entirely his fault. She should have never agreed to the mad scheme in the first place. She was at fault too. But placing guilt on herself didn't make her dislike it any less.

“I don't like it, Kazu. I never thought it would be this hard. They attacked me in there! I felt like I was being backed into a corner with no means of escape.”

“I know, Neesan, but you were great. Most celebrities never know what to say and they end up saying way too much and having their words taken out of context in the end. But you told them what we had intended to say, up to the point and direct. You didn't give them much to play around with. You didn't get angry. Most celebs get angry when provoked but you held your cool.”

“I am angry. I'm angry at you for subjecting me to this inquisition and mostly at myself for agreeing to your plan.”

“Listen, Neesan, I know it's not easy. Being linked with a celebrity and acting the part of his girlfriend could take a toll on anyone, especially someone completely unused to the public aspect of it. But it'll be over soon.”

“When will it be over?”

“After Sesshoumaru gets out of the hospital, after his career gets back on track.”

“What happens to me then?”

“You, Neesan, go back to your old life as Ms. Kagome Higurashi. We'll put around the news that Kikyo has retired to some old island to recover from her sudden bout of illness and you'll be out of the public eye forever.”

“I don't know if it will be as simple as you make it sound. What if someone recognizes me afterwards?”

“They won't, believe me, they won't. I'll make sure of it,” he assured her, a cold light glinting in his eyes. But as suddenly as it had appeared it was gone and an affectionate smile played upon his lips.

“Oh yeah, I talked to your boss and she told you to take the rest of the day off. Would you like to go to the hospital and visit Sesshoumaru?”

Kagome nodded, her eagerness to see her “stranger” replacing her anger.

“Then, let's go.”

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

The hospital was less crowded today than yesterday and Kagome was relieved to see that no paparazzi were hanging around trying to get a picture of her. She had had enough of the paparazzi for one day and she was mentally too weary to deal with more questions.

They walked through the front waiting area in silence and passed through the doors leading to the special ward. The corridor was absolutely silent, with nary a soul in sight. Kagome felt an eerie feeling slither up her spine. The doors connecting the special ward to the rest of the hospital were sound proof, meaning no sound travelled inside or out. She couldn't help feeling she had suddenly walked into another world, a world filled with vacuum and silence.

A loud wail sounded from down the hall and Kagome jumped, startled out of her skin by the sudden abrasion of sound to her ears. She and Kazu turned questioning eyes upon each other before rushing forward towards the source of that abominable noise. They stopped before the door leading to Sesshoumaru's room. The loud keening noise was emanating from within.

Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat. Could it be Sesshoumaru? Had he woken up? Was he in pain?

The noise suddenly stopped and the corridor was once again engulfed in utter silence. Kazu turned the knob hurriedly and pushed open the door. The sight within did nothing to reassure Kagome.

A slightly older woman lay on the floor, her eyes shut and her body twisted at an odd angle. A man leaned over her, his long silver hair forming a kind of cocoon around them. He was too intent upon his task that he didn't notice Kagome and Kazu standing at the threshold. His gaze was fixed steadily upon the fallen figure. His hands were pressed against her throat and from where Kagome was standing it looked as if he were choking her.

“What the hell are you doing to her?!” Kagome screamed.

A pair of brilliant golden eyes, so similar to Sesshoumaru's that it could only belong to his brother, looked up at her. He gave her a half-smile.

“Hi. You must be the insane girlfriend.” His voice was rough as if he hadn't used it too often.

Insane? That's it.

The great welling of anger that had been building up inside her ever since she had been cornered by the paparazzi that morning overcame her and she lunged at him.