InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Principle of Existence ❯ A Day with Kikyou ( Chapter 4 )

The Principle of Existence

 

Summary: Due to a declining birth rate, the government of Japan imposes a drastic new law that forces healthy males and females to get together to make children. For Inuyasha, a hanyou, this may be a chance he thought he never had to have a family. But will he ever find love too?

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. They belong to the wonderfully talented Takahashi Rumiko.

 

Warning: Adults doing adult things.

 

Chapter 4 A Day with Kikyou

 

“Sango for the last time…no, no. No. No. And again, no.”

 

“Kagome, why not?”

 

“It's not something for me. Things are…well, they are different now,” Kagome said into her phone hoping that Sango didn't hear the longing in her voice. “You and Miroku are not getting together as just friends now.”

 

“I know that. It's for safety reasons. His…hands,” Sango whispered the word for the offending appendage, “are scary.”

 

Kagome chuckled as she sat down on the floor, stuffing her feet underneath the blanket of her kotatsu. She just couldn't feel her toes and she blamed it on the weather. A strange cold had frosted the area with chills, bringing in cold air and cold rain that covered everything. Neither of those was on Kagome's list of things she enjoyed as she found herself in a perpetual state of shivering.

 

Her goose bumps were permanent…well, almost.

 

Kagome picked up her chopsticks and dug up some rice. “You've survived other encounters.”

 

“This is different Kagome. We're supposed to…well, we're…ugh, I can't even say it.”

 

“Sleep together?” Kagome suggested before stuffing a bite into her mouth.

 

“Sex.”

 

“Actually, you could probably get away with artificial insemination. I have a turkey baster you can borrow.”

 

“You're not funny Kagome.”

 

Kagome could picture the scowl on Sango's face. She sighed as she set her chopsticks down horizontally with the edge of the table. “And you're being unreasonable. I don't want to be used as some kind of excuse. Besides, you're trained in hand-to-hand combat and other dangerous arts. You're also defended yourself well against his lechery since junior high school.”

 

“This is different.”

 

“It is different. Miroku is going to meet with you and he's going to be the most perfect gentleman.”

 

“How do you now that?”

 

Kagome burrowed her legs deeper underneath the kotatsu hoping to soak in some more warmth. “His feelings for you are apparent. He treats you differently than he treats me and other girls.”

 

“You and that moment you conned me with to give Miroku a chance.”

 

“No, it's your moment with Miroku.”

 

“Our server better be a male.”

 

“Actually, it should be a female. Then you can test him.”

 

“Kagome…I'm shocked that you would ever suggest something so devious. It's perfect.”

 

Kagome pressed her chopsticks to her lips as she scrunched up her face. “Mmmm…perhaps `test' wasn't the right word. Watch…analyze…examine…study…You know, just watch and see how he interacts with other females in your presence. Hopefully, he'll brush her off for you…but, you never know with Miroku.”

 

“I don't know…It's just…I feel awkward.”

 

“It'll pass.”

 

“So, why can't you come again?”

 

“I'm scheduled to accompany Kikyou to help her purchase a cell phone. Her apartment is ready, so I'm also going to be there to get her set up with utilities and stuff.”

 

“You're not lying to me are you?”

 

“No.” Kagome pushed her food away and swapped her cell phone to the other ear. “Look, the moment you have the tiniest doubt about his motives, tell him that you're leaving and not coming back until you are convinced that his reasons for being with you are sincere. He probably suspects that your experience with men is limited and I would hurt him if he ever tried to take advantage of that.”

 

“I hate how…ah, nevermind. Not that it matters. You're right. I won't know for sure until I go and check it out for myself.”

 

“That's the spirit.”

 

“Kikyou…she's your job?”

 

“Yeah…well, half of it. She's an American who came over here as part of this government program.”

 

“They really did that?”

 

“Apparently, the Japanese government contacted everyone abroad. Larger gene pool or something. Plus, she's a doctor. Something they are short on here. Smart, pretty, willing…who could say no?”

 

“Wow. Good luck with that. I mean…yeah… Sounds like a lot of work.”

 

“I guess. Don't know for sure. She'll probably be speaking on her own in another three months or so and I'm only contracted for six.”

“Okay. Look, I have to go. Get ready and stuff.”

 

“Call me if you need anything short of a chaperone.”

 

“Sure, bye.”

 

“Later.”

 

<->

 

“Ya,” Kagome called out to Kikyou as the doctor exited the hotel she was staying in. It was easy to spot the American. Not only was she a few inches taller than most Japanese women, but her looks, posture, her incredible aura, all together they grabbed people's attention.

 

Kagome bowed towards Kikyou. “Hi.”

 

Kikyou inclined her head, her pony tail sliding over her shoulder. “Hello.”

 

“So, we are going to be busy today. We are stopping by your new apartment, then from there, set up the utilities so you can move in and then you mentioned purchasing a cell phone. I think that was everything, right?”

 

“I believe so,” Kikyou absently replied as she opened up her purse to search for her sunglasses.

 

“And someone from the bank met with you?”

 

“Yesterday morning I had an appointment with Takagi-san. He set up my accounts and explained how the banking system here works.”

 

“Good. That will make everything so much easier. The train station is just a couple of blocks from your apartment and that'll make it convenient to get to wherever you need to go. Here is a schedule I printed out. There are the times the trains run at depending on your destination. I made one for your work, school, my place, and Inuyasha's place, as well as some of the districts that are popular for shopping and entertainment.”

 

“Thank you. This is thoughtful.”

 

“I just wanted to make sure that you don't feel stuck, you know?”

 

“Once I get a routine established, I'm sure things will be fine.”

 

“That's true. It's like that no matter where you move to.”

 

The small talk continued between the two women until Kagome paused in front of a shop. Kikyou glanced up at the signs. Bright and cute neon tubes that declared that such-and-such product was most definitely sold at this location reminded her of certain parts of Los Angeles or Time Square in New York when she visited the East Coast metropolis for a medical conference. It was comforting to her to know that some things were the same no matter where you found yourself.

 

“This is it. One out of several hundred stores in Japan that caters to the ketai culture. In the U.S., they have iPods and Starbucks coffee, Japan has cell phones.”

 

“I am actually surprised by the number of Starbucks I've seen here. I thought that all anyone drank here was tea.”

 

Kagome nodded along. When she was in America and was offered anything to drink, it was always tea. Then she learned about how valuable tea was and how the European nations could only get it from the Asian countries, using it as an item of barter. But this wasn't the 1400s.

 

“Actually, we'll drink or eat just about anything. You like mayonnaise?”

 

“On my sandwiches.”

 

“At least you like the taste. They opened up a restaurant just recently called Mayonnaise Kitchen. Guess what the main ingredient in all the dishes is.”

 

Kikyou almost scrunched her face up in disgust, but instead, just closed her eyes and shook her head. Mayonnaise was not great for anyone's diet. As she learned about the body, she adapted her diet to include only the healthiest foods she could. Every once in a while she would indulge in something like chocolate, but, it wasn't a staple food.

 

“Let's go inside and find you a phone.”

 

“Irrahsaimase,” a young well-dressed man said, bowing to the two female customers. Kikyou and Kagome bowed in response, saying nothing.

 

Kagome smiled at the young man and said, “Ketai o mitte imasu.”

 

The man nodded enthusiastically knowing he was going to end up with a sale today. He started by pointing to the different kind of models displayed on the wall and on stands. They came in all shapes and sizes and colors with more functions than anyone really needed. Kagome paid close attention to everything the man was saying in case she needed to repeat any of it back to Kikyou.

 

Kagome tapped Kikyou on the arm to get her attention. “What do you need in a phone? And I'll tell you now, Japanese cell phones do a lot more than the ones in the U.S. They have basically replaced the personal computer up to a point.”

 

Kikyou mulled over all of her choices. Pink ones, blue ones, ones shaped like bananas, flip phones and the list went on. She couldn't believe the sheer number of choices available to her. Apparently Kagome knew more about the two cultures than Kikyou thought. People here were just as obsessed about their cell phones as Americans were about their coffee.

 

“Blackberry, Kagome. I require a Blackberry. The best they have available on the market.”

 

“Okay,” Kagome started before directing her attention to the young salesman. “Burakuberi desu ka?”

 

“Ah, hai,” the salesman replied. He hurried to the area where the Blackberry's were displayed and grabbed a navy blue-colored one. Returning, he handed it over to Kikyou. “Burakuberi 8707h wa sekai jyou doko ni itemo kigyou you meeru, intaanetto, denwa, SMS tekisuto messeeji, ooganaiza, aparikashiyon doni setsuzoky ga kanou desu.”

 

“Kore wa, tada ichi moderu motteiru de aruka?” Kagome asked if this was the only model and received a quick nod. She asked for the best and that is what he handed to them. “Okay, this is the only model, but it is the best out there right now as well as available in Japan. From what he said, it does e-mail, has Internet, phone, text messaging, an organizer, as well as applications. The same that are available on the ones in the U.S.”

 

Kikyou looked over the device. This was it. As soon as she purchased this, she would be on her way to becoming a full-fledged Japanese citizen. No longer a dream of hers and a fantasy of her family. She was returning the Ichikeda clan to Japan. Back home. There were just so many more tasks to complete before it became final - real.

“I'll take it. As for a plan, something with a lot of minutes and data.”

 

Kagome's mouth dropped. That was a lot of money. “Uh, sure. Ichikeda san wa kono hitotsu o kaimasu,” Kagome told the salesman pointing to Kikyou as the one who would be making the purchase.

 

The salesman lead them over to a desk so they could all sit while paperwork was filled out. Kikyou reached into her purse and pulled out her new Japanese documentation so that it could be copied onto the forms.

 

“I'll just be over there for a moment,” Kagome said to Kikyou, pointing to the opposite corner of the store. Once alone, Kagome pulled out her cell phone. The singular pale pink orb charm jingled lightly. The three-year-old phone was ancient in technology years, but it still managed to somehow work. Scrolling through her contacts list, she found the name, but let out a heavy sigh at what she was about to do.

 

Dialing…

 

Gods, she hoped she wasn't interrupting-

 

“What?”

 

“Uh…hi, Inuyasha? It's Kagome.”

 

“What do you want?” he quickly snapped.

 

“I'm…I'm not interrupting you, am I?”

“Yeah. I'm working. Make it quick.”

 

“Okay. Kikyou is moving into her new apartment today and I thought that it would be great if you stopped by, with a gift.”

 

“Is that all it is with you? Errands and gifts?”

 

“Wha - no. It's custom. A nice housewarming gift to welcome her to a place she'll be living in for the next few months, at least as she gets acquainted with her new home.”

 

Inuyasha let out a frustrated sigh, and maybe some unmentionable words. “Fuck. Yeah. Whatever. I'll see what I can do. No promises. Shit. I have to go.”

 

“Ah bye…” Kagome pulled the phone away from her ear, her voice trailing off. He'd hung up on her rather quickly. She didn't want to interrupt him and now she felt bad.

 

“Kagome, I'm not sure what he requires of me.”

 

“Okay.” Kagome quickly stuffed her cell phone back into her handmade purse and walked briskly to Kikyou. She discovered that money was what the man wanted to discuss. He wanted to make sure Kikyou knew how much she was paying. Kikyou was surprised that he wasn't trying to take advantage of her. The proper transactions were made, forms were signed and soon they were walking out, Kikyou sporting a brand new flashy cell phone.

 

There was nothing to be jealous about. Kikyou had the money. She had the job that paid her that kind of money. And the right schooling helped get Kikyou to where she was at. Kagome was never very “book smart.” Not that she didn't try. It was just so hard to concentrate. She was completely unfocused on what the teachers were saying.

 

And her family didn't have the money to afford the best tutors for her.

 

Once the cell phone business was complete, Kagome helped Kikyou set up the utilities for her new apartment, taking her time to explain to Kikyou that convenience stores in Japan were actually convenient. These were not the 7-11's they were used to in America. Utility bills, insurance payments and bento boxes were just a few of the services available at the local convenience store.

 

The ride over to Kikyou's new apartment was quiet. Kagome wanted to reach out and talk to Kikyou about things, but, what was there to talk about that they hadn't already discussed? So, they sat in silence, watching the buildings fly by as they approached Kikyou's new home.

 

But it wasn't an apartment. Apartments were small, cramped, suffocating. Kikyou's place had high cathedral ceilings, room to spin around and lots of stone. Kagome wrapped her arms around herself as they entered the dwelling. She didn't belong here. And she felt ashamed of herself for not wanting to be here.

 

“This is the genkan, an entrance. You'll want to take your shoes off here and put on slippers, though slippers are optional,” Kagome choked out once she regained a bit of confidence in herself.

 

“Do people normally provide slippers for their guests?” Kikyou asked as she slipped her feet out of her shoes.

 

“Some do. And they are kept in a getabako, a shoe rack. It has sliding doors on them so that you can't see the slippers. You know, to make it look nicer.”

 

Kikyou was no longing paying attention. She had taken her first steps into her new apartment and was in awe of it. “Nice, simple designs, lines,” she muttered to herself.

 

Kagome nodded along only pretending to know of such things. Her apartment was warm and had a bed and a shower. Kikyou's was so much more than that. Kagome could imagine Kikyou inviting people from the hospital over and having some kind of social gathering. On the other hand, Kagome did everything she could to keep people from stopping by. She wasn't ashamed of it, it just wasn't appropriate.

 

“I believe the rest of your stuff is stored in the bedroom,” Kagome said to hopefully transition Kikyou's thoughts from architecture - something Kagome knew absolutely nothing about - to moving.

 

Kagome did know that Japan's furnished apartments for students, travelers and long-term business were amazing. Location, views and the features offered were the best and most expensive. The place easily robbed people of half a million yen a month. Kagome inwardly snorted at the amount. No wonder Tokyo was one of the most expensive cities in the world. A wonder how she managed to keep living here with her measly scrapings.

 

“And the clerk said your utilities should already be working,” she added trying fill in the gaps of quietness that were more often occurring than they should be. Kikyou wandered around the apartment, hands touching walls, counters, the backs of chairs - inspecting everything with her critical eye.

 

So different and yet similar to what they had both seen in America.

 

Kagome was afraid to sit down, eyeing the cream colored couch with its cushions with a fear normally reserved for trips to the doctor. Her own couch was well used and covered with a blanket her grandmother had made for her as an infant. The furniture here looked as if you couldn't use it. Standing in the middle of this showroom, she thought about texting Sango to see if maybe Sango could rescue her from this when the doorbell rang.

“I'll answer it,” Kagome hurried over, delighted to have some purpose other than standing and shuddering.

 

“Who is it?” Kikyou asked as she emerged from the bedroom, a picture frame in one hand and a framed diploma in another.

 

Kagome was speechless as she stood there with the door wide open, stunned and drooling at the sight of a very delicious-looking Inuyasha.

 

“Gonna let me in?”

 

Kagome wasn't too sure if she nodded or not, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to form the words to speak. Stumbling back a few steps to let him enter, she cursed at her clumsiness. No grace. No beauty. Nothing like how a woman should be.

 

Kikyou had set aside the items in her hands, clasping them in front of her as she bowed to Inuyasha, looking more like a princess than an American. “Konnichi wa Inuyasha,” she spoke, her voice soft and elegant.

 

“Oi,” he said with an extra boost of confidence to hide his rattled nerves. “Kore wa…Kikyou ni…” He handed Kikyou a thick slab of stained wood with string tied around it.

 

Kagome watched the scene like she was having some kind of out-of-body experience. She was there, but no one acknowledged her enough to make her presence matter. She watched the exchange and tried to imagine what it was like to be Kikyou at this very moment. Living in a lush apartment that oversaw the city, receiving a handcrafted nameplate from a good-looking guy, as if she was a character from one of her favorite romance novels than an actual living person. Did she really want that though?

 

“Arigatou…” Kikyou said softly as her hand brushed over the carved out kanji of her family's name.

 

“It's a-“

 

“I know,” Kikyou quickly interjected. They had one back home in the States, as did all of her friends and family members. It was one of the few possessions her great-great-grandfather carried with him over the Pacific. She was taught to respect, cherish and always honor it. “It's a nameful. It's beautiful.”

 

“Itsukushii.”

 

Kikyou nodded. “Hai. Motto itsukushii desu.”

 

Kagome quietly closed the door behind Inuyasha. “Thanks for coming.”

 

“Like you gave me much of a choice.”

 

Okay and the fantasy was now officially ruined. Kagome made her way back near the couple, ignoring the golden glares coming from the hanyou. “Can you stay for a quick tour?”

 

“No, I left work. Gotta head back.”

 

He had to make it difficult, didn't he? Kagome frowned for a moment. Why did he have to be so rude about it? He…he could've said he would stop by later or something instead of dropping a bunch of guilt on her shoulders. She just wanted it to work for the two of them.

 

“Oh, ummm…well, I'll let her know that then.” Kagome glanced over at him and took a second glance at his clothing. Tatter jeans, worn out work boots and a stained white tee. Maybe that was why he didn't want to come here. He probably felt like she did - out of place.

 

He hardly said a farewell before the door had shut behind him. “He had to go back to work,” Kagome quickly explained his hasty exit.

 

“That's okay. I was actually considering heading over to the hospital earlier than planned in order to introduce myself and take a tour.”

 

“Did you need anything else then?” Kagome felt like Kikyou was trying to get rid of her. Everything they had to do was done, so that was it. “I could help with the unpacking or something.”

 

“No. I appreciate the offer; however, I prefer to do it myself. Thank you for helping me out today.”

 

“No problem,” Kagome replied, trying to smile. Yep, she was being kicked out. No longer needed. “So, if you need anything call or text me. You have directions to the hospital. So…yeah…I'll just show myself out then.”

 

“Goodbye Kagome.”

 

Kagome nodded, flashed a quick- to-disappear smile and hurried out. Kikyou wasn't at all what she expected. Now that she was here in Japan, Kagome could no longer picture the girl she imagined while talking to Kikyou online. Cyberspace really was just a place of fantasy and imagination, nothing on it was ever what it seemed.

 

No, don't think like that, Kagome chided herself. Of course Kikyou would be acting differently. She had every reason too. Sitting on her computer back home in America was Kikyou's comfort zone. Now, she had to rebuild that zone here in Japan.

 

But when Kagome moved into her apartment, her mother, brother, grandfather, Sango and Miroku had helped with the hauling and the unpacking and putting things in its place. It was a huge family affair. Kagome's mother cooked a huge meal and everyone laughed and told stories. It made Kagome smile for a moment before it faltered.

 

That's Japan. Or, it was. Everything was moving toward the individual…toward a more American lifestyle.

 

And then her thoughts quickly switched over to Inuyasha. She was so proud of him. And his present had exceeded her expectations. But then he left. It was nice that Kikyou accepted his hard-working ways. Being a doctor, she could understand that. Kagome tried to keep her other thoughts about him at bay. It was not appropriate. It was not right. It wasn't ever going to happen and Kagome knew well enough not to dwell on things she couldn't have. It was a waste of time and her energy.

 

When she had finally made to the street outside of Kikyou's building, she reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone, doing her best to once again ignore the differences between hers and Kikyou's.

 

Oh, a new text from Sango…

 

`help me'

 

<->

roshully's note: Hi. Sorry for the delay. Went on a much needed vacation to the land of Disney. Other than that, I hope you enjoy this. More insight, though I'm slowly moving toward more action-y stuff.

 

Thanks for those who nominated this for the IYFG awards. I know I don't update as often as I should, but, thanks for thinking that this story is good enough for something like that.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

 

Notes:

 

Kotatsu - they are heating devices. Basically a coffee table is covered with a thick bedding that is placed over the legs, up to the waist and it warms you with an electric heater.

 

Eating with chopsticks - this is a biggie because if you do it wrong, you can highly offend those around you. When eating with chopsticks, you never ever place them vertically in your food so that they stand up. Instead, you want to lay them either on top of the bowl horizontally or lay them parallel to the edge of the table. Chopsticks standing straight up in food look like the incense burned for the dead.

 

Mayonnaise - yes, there really is a restaurant in Japan called Mayonnaise Kitchen. It's a strange obsession and I'll leave it as that.

 

Ketai culture - if they could, citizens of Japan would do away with the personal computer and use only their cell phones. They use it for practically everything.

 

Nameplates - family is very important in the Japanese culture, hence family name is given first instead of first name. Instead of Kagome Higurashi, she would introduce herself as Higurashi Kagome.