InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Third Time's the Charm ❯ Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

 

Chapter Five

 

“So, are you going to ask her out?” Sango asked, suppressing the need to laugh at the way Inuyasha was slurping his Ramen noodles.

 

“Ask who out?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“That woman you were staring at…what was her name again?”

 

“Kagome Higurashi.”

 

“Ah, so you've already committed her name to memory.”

 

Inuyasha momentarily stopped slurping his noodles to give Sango an annoyed look.

 

“Would you quit it with your damn witty remarks? And no, I'm not going to ask her out.”

 

“Why not? You seem to like her well enough.”

 

“I don't like her, Sango. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

 

“Oh come one, Yash. When are you going to stop doing this to yourself?”

 

“You know how I feel about women.”

 

“But that's no reason for you to give up on them. You can't find the right girl if you don't try.”

 

It was times like these - when Sango made insightful remarks - that had Inuyasha thinking more than he'd like to. He wasn't always like this. Once, he had been a high-spirited man; women adored him and he adored women. That all changed after he started dating Kikyo.

 

Inuyasha subtly stared at her from his seat across the lunchroom when he was absolutely sure she wouldn't notice him looking. It had become a habit of his ever since she transferred to his high school. Kikyo was stunning, to say the least. Neatly trimmed black hair adorned her figure. Her skin was naturally pale, her figure purely feminine, but her elegance was what captivated him the most. Even the simplest of her actions intrigued him to no end. The way she walked, the way she talked - every little thing she did - never ceased to fascinate him.

 

The only visible flaw in her character that Inuyasha had managed to spot was her eyes - her stormy, dark brown eyes. They always seemed so distant, so cold. Her eyes never held a flicker of emotion, never betrayed her mood, not once. Inuyasha could have sworn her eyes could pierce deep into his soul and take with it a piece of his being. But that revelation didn't quite sink in at the time. Her presence enthralled him; her being called out to him.

 

He praised her from afar for weeks and weeks before he ever even spoke to her. Maybe that was his problem. He idealized this woman far beyond what she was worth. He never managed to gather up enough courage to ask her out; he could only dream of it. Perhaps, that's why he didn't know how to react when Kikyo had seemingly lowered herself to ask him out. He merely nodded, not trusting his mouth to form the right words to say at the moment.

 

The relationship got off to a rocky start. They were both people of few words; thus, communication was a problem. As the relationship progressed, words became more and more trivial. Inuyasha could always tell what she wanted or if she was displeased in any way regardless of the lack of oral communication simply by looking in her eyes. Her eyes grew impossibly darker when she was irritated but softened up when she desired something. Inuyasha didn't see a problem with it; he was never really good with words anyway.

 

As Inuyasha spent more and more of his time with Kikyo, he inevitably became more and more detached from his friends, particularly Sango. The time he usually spent hanging out with Sango, watching movies and playing games, was instead spent on taking Kikyo to the mall and buying her lavish trinkets and expensive clothes. It really didn't matter much to him as long as he made her happy. Besides, money was never an issue considering his family was exceptionally wealthy. Most of his close friends had given up on him at that point, but not Sango. She was the one person who wouldn't let him go, not after all they had gone through together. So she had endured all the cold shoulders and all the times Inuyasha had chosen to spend his time with Kikyo instead of her, hoping he would come around eventually. He finally did come around, but it wasn't one of his most pleasant memories.

 

Sango had caught pneumonia from the terribly cold winter Tokyo was experiencing. As soon as Inuyasha had found out she was ill, he rushed to her house to watch over her and make sure she felt better. Sango was grateful for his visit; she had thoroughly missed his company. If she had known that getting sick would get his attention, she would have succumbed to illnesses more frequently. Nevertheless, when she wasn't snoozing peacefully, she would spend her time conversing with Inuyasha or playing a board game with him. Inuyasha was an excellent caregiver; he made sure she was comfortable, provided excellent company, and he even made her chicken soup.

 

Four hours had barely gone by when Kikyo called him once again.

 

“Hello?” Inuyasha answered.

 

“Hi, baby.” Kikyo replied. “I was just wondering where you were.”

 

“I'm at Sango's. Is there something wrong?”

 

“Well, no, but you said you'd take me shopping today.”

 

“Can we reschedule? Sango is really sick and I need to take care of her.”

 

“Can't she take care of herself?” Kikyo retorted, unalloyed annoyance clearly evident in her voice.

 

“She's sick, Kikyo! What part of that don't you understand?”

 

“So this girl is more important to you than our relationship, is it now?”

 

“This has nothing to do with our relationship!”

 

“On the contrary, this has everything to do with our relationship. Talk to me again when your head is clear. It's obvious you're not thinking straight right now.”

 

That said, she hung up.

 

Subsequent to that conversation, it didn't take him long to realize how many mistakes he had made over the course of his relationship with Kikyo.

 

This first of said mistakes had been dating her to begin with. He had forsaken his friends to be with her, done all he could to please her and cater her every whim. And for what? What had she ever done for him? Absolutely nothing. It was then he understood the type of person Kikyo really was. In one word, she was selfish. She didn't care about others; she didn't care about her friends, she didn't care about his friends, and it suddenly became crystal clear that Kikyo most certainly didn't care about him either. Inuyasha had placed her on pedestal and worshipped her, and that had been his mistake. In his eyes, she had been perfect, but then again, perfection is never tangible. Thus, Inuyasha resolved never to make that mistake again.

 

The second of said mistakes had been neglecting his friends, especially Sango. He didn't comprehend why she was still by his side after all the times he had abandoned her to be with Kikyo. Nonetheless, what mattered was that she was still very much his friend. She had been there to comfort him after he had assembled the courage to call it quits with Kikyo. Kikyo didn't take it well, but it didn't faze her as much as it did him. Inuyasha had been in complete and utter despair after their break-up, nearly inconsolable at times. It had been his desire for comfort conjoined with his desire for affection that had ultimately driven him into Sango's arms…

 

Inuyasha's thoughts were interrupted when Sango spoke aloud.

 

“Isn't that Kagome?” she asked, pointing across the cafeteria, curious to see Inuyasha's reaction.

 

Inuyasha turned his head to the direction Sango had pointed in, only to see Kagome staring right back at him. Their eyes met for a mere second, but both individuals quickly averted their eyes, slightly embarrassed but more hell-bent at not succumbing to their emotions.

 

“I think she likes you, too,” Sango said encouragingly.

 

“Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. What do I care?” Inuyasha nonchalantly replied.

 

“All I'm saying, Yash, is that you should give her a chance.”

 

Inuyasha gave it a thought. Sango had another relevant point. Maybe this girl was different. Maybe, just maybe, this could work out.

 

“You can't find the right girl if you don't try.”

 

`I suppose she's right.'

 

***********

 

Just when Kagome was determined not to let thoughts of Inuyasha fill her mind anymore, her peripheral vision caught sight of something silver. Sure enough, Inuyasha was on the other side of the cafeteria gulfing down some Ramen noodles.

 

`He does look kind of cute when he's eating like that,' Kagome subconsciously thought.

 

Kagome also recognized the woman sitting next to him from the club the night before. She was really beginning to think this woman was his girlfriend, but something in the back of her mind told her otherwise. Nevertheless, the thought refused to leave her alone. The woman sitting next to Inuyasha suddenly pointed in her direction, inducing Inuyasha to turn his head and meet her gaze. She averted her gaze instantly, not wanting him to think she was interested in him even though she really was.

 

“You know Kagome, you weren't fooling anyone when you said you didn't like him,” Ayame said, apparently aware of the momentary eye contact they both shared.

 

Kagome sighed in frustration. Never had her mind been in such indecision. On the one hand, she wanted nothing more than to be with Inuyasha, even though they still hadn't formally met. On the other hand, she was afraid that any relationship she engaged in would have a negative result, drenching her in misery.

 

“What if he's not the right guy?” Kagome tentatively asked.

 

“Kagome, I think the real question is: what if he is the right guy?” Ayame replied.

 

`I never thought of it that way. Maybe I ought to give him a chance.'