InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Willing to Try ❯ Willing to Try: This is our beginning ( Chapter 1 )

Willing to try

 

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A/N: So, yes,another story, I don't know what will become of this one, but I've had this idea for so long (actually, a few days, but still)

and I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest. Enjoy the read and please review :)

 

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The streets were especially crowded today as she fumbled through the hasty crowds. She couldn't call it misfortune, no, but her teenage life wasn't the luckiest, either. As lonely tears streamed down her face, she could clearly remember the words of her lost friend, Sango-chan. Clutching her bag tighter, Higurashi Kagome hurried so she could catch the bus. Yes, she'd overslept, yes, she'd been going there again, but she couldn't help it. Not after the accident, no.

 

Someday, this is going to kick me right in the ass, Sango, dear, strong Sango would say. And she'd been right, that was what made things so… sad.

 

Kagome thought that if she closed her eyes, then the ghastly sight would disappear, but no, she was wrong, it would always be there to haunt her. They were so young, how could they have known? Their parents didn't take care of either of them properly, so naturally they befriended each other quickly. Having the same problems made them share a truly unique connection, they were so close.

 

At first, yes, they decided to start making money themselves so they could at least afford a decent lunch at school. They would distribute flyers, yes, it sounded like a plan. The only thing was that after a few days the money they received were quickly spent and they both realized flyers couldn't buy school lunches. Not at all. So they tried newspapers.

 

Newspapers were harder to do, but they managed, and they did it for about a week and a half, until homework interfered with their jobs and they were dismissed. Yes, truly sad, but what was there to be done? Nothing, except to try and find other job. Kagome would look up the ads in the newspapers, look for ads on the streets, anywhere, anything, then she'd return home to a drunken father and a usually unpaid rent. She'd always stir him when she entered the living room, he'd mumble a few words, maybe open his eyes to look at his own daughter, perhaps even smile, yes, only once in a while, that was a feat.

 

She'd always frown, there was nothing for her here, yet she had no other place to stay. This had to do, even if she struggled. Sango-chan would always be by her side.

 

But the accident happened and Sango-chan wasn't there anymore.

 

They'd found the perfect job. It was rather dangerous, rather weird, but they really needed the money, and it was good money, so why not? The men never requested more, they were satisfied with watching them dance or having them unlace their shoes or listening to their jokes. They tried to be natural, it always worked, they received so much money for it, too.

 

That bastard, Onigumo, had seemed polite and considerate, they'd liked him on the spot. He'd joke with them, smile at them, invite them politely into his home. Yes, they'd been into their homes once in a while, but never for anything more than to entertain them innocently. Yet this man clearly wanted more, because after a while, he wanted Sango-chan out of the room so he'd be left alone with her. Kagome remembered the disgusted shivers she'd experienced as they'd explained to him they weren't for that kind of things, that there was a brothel nearby.

 

He'd grabbed her arm, it had hurt, but nothing had blistered more than her seeing Sango receive a slap for defending her. Then Kagome squirmed in his hold, protested against his advances. She was so revolted by his touches, by his attempts at kissing, she'd never been kissed before. Sango had interfered, bless her, poor, poor Sango, and she'd paid for it with her life. Kagome remembered clearly how Onigumo had pulled out a knife from his pocket and thrust it right into Sango-chan's stomach. The girl's eyes had been so wide, so… horrified. The bastard hadn't stopped there, no, he'd tried to rape Kagome afterwards.

 

While she'd been trying to keep the monster off her, poor Sango was trying to stay alive, but it was useless. She was already losing so much blood, she was so pale, so bloody. Her once blue clothes were red, and Kagome didn't want to see it anymore. She closed her eyes, prayed for forgiveness, grabbed the nearest object and slammed it against Onigumo's head with all her strength.

 

She wanted to be in Sango's place, she truly did, yet she couldn't turn back time.

 

For what she perceived as a long time she just stood there and watched Sango-chan writhe on the floor after having called an ambulance and the police, unable to do anything more. It was winter, it was cold outside and the streets were frozen, it was hard for the ambulance to arrive and the place was rather secluded, what could they do?

 

When the monster started coming to, Kagome realized she could no longer stay there. But she wanted to protect Sango, she wanted to be there for her, to make sure she'd be safe. Yet how could she stay alive herself if she didn't run away?

 

Her heart ached, oh, so much, as she read her friend's lips beg, Stay.

 

She couldn't, it was the only thing she couldn't do. Kagome was so sorry for it, she said it, then left. And she'd regretted her choice every day afterwards.

 

Even now, even as she was walking down the crowded streets of Osaka, everything was coming back to her. The smells, the images, the voices, words. It hurt so much to think about it, but she forced herself to do it, thought that it was her penitence. Every day she would pray to the Kami above for Sango's unfortunate soul, she'd pray for all others and for forgiveness, even though she knew she didn't deserve it.

 

Stay.

 

That word haunted her, gave her countless sleepless nights.

 

And of course, it had to happen. She missed the bus. Her lack of sleep was making her be late to classes again, damn, as if she didn't have enough problems already! Fine, so be it, she could just grab a cab, even though it was more expensive. She'd deal.

 

Unfortunately, Kagome could see no taxis around. She narrowed her eyes to her left and smiled all of a sudden - there he was, whoever he was. But someone was heading for the same taxi, too, so she started running with all the speed she could muster to get there first, she was that desperate. The other woman that wanted that taxi was already opening the door, but Kagome got there just in time to rudely push her away.

 

“Hello,” Kagome greeted the frowning taxi driver as she sat in the passenger's place when the woman she'd pushed decided to interfere.

 

“Excuse me, do you know who I am?” Her voice was whiny, she clearly had an attitude.

 

Kagome looked at her from head to toe, and no, she didn't know her. “Queen Elizabeth?” Faintly, she heard the driver laugh behind her as the bitchy woman pouted.

 

“No, you pesky little fly, I'm Tsukahara Yura,” she scoffed.

 

Kagome's smile faltered a bit, the woman was one of the most famous and successful pop singers, but she wasn't going to be intimidated that easily, “nice to meet you, my taxi, see you later,” then slammed the door to make a point.

 

When she turned her face to see the taxi driver, her words got caught in her throat. He was… gorgeous.

 

“What'cha staring at?” … and had a shitty attitude. She sighed.

 

“You're what, a hanyou?” she asked as he started the engine, yes, he was clearly that, judging by the shiny silver hair, long, lethal-looking claws and adorable, endearing puppy ears on top of his head. He was a gorgeous male specimen.

 

“What's it to ya?” he grunted, well, he was certainly edgy.

 

“Osaka High School please,” she requested with another one of her smiles, no one could resist her. Yet this guy seemed pretty much unnerved still.

 

“Right, whatever,” he grumbled, he might have said more, but she had no way of hearing it.

 

“So, what kind of hanyou are you?” Well, she was trying to make conversation, but why did his fingers clenched tighter against the wheel, why did his lips purse?

 

“You're awfully curious for a little girl,” he mocked, if he'd wanted to annoy her he'd succeeded.

 

“I'm not a little girl,” she argued, “I'm seventeen.”

 

“Oh, that's quite the age. You're allowed to, what? Go to the movies?”

 

“Oh, fuck off,” she said out of sheer annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest, looking outside the window. Even though the trip to school was rather long and they'd spend at least half an hour together, she didn't have to like the guy. She'd just shut up, and he'd do the same, he'd leave her alone. Damn him and his inconsiderate words, she could do more than just `go to the movies'.

 

But she'd sneak a glance at him every once in a while to watch the way his claws tapped on the wheel while he was waiting at the light or how his fleshy lips parted slightly whenever he switched lanes, and especially how his lovable ears shifted on top of his head, it made him look so adorable. Unfortunately, her curiosity was greater than her pride, she really wanted to know, “Are you a dog demon?”

 

“Half,” he grunted, seriously, was this man always this tense?

 

“I already got that, you know what I meant,” she huffed, she might as well pay him back the same if he was that difficult.

 

“Yeah, well, you never know these days.” His eyes were trained on the road, yet there was something in the way he said it that made her want to hug him, he sounded so desolate.

 

“What? You never know what?”

 

“Never mind,” he said, hoped she'd leave it at that.

 

And she did. Nodding, she clutched her bag, hoping she wouldn't be late for school. “Really, are we going to get there or not?”

 

“Geez, you're an impatient one, aren't you?” he sighed, he had good reason to, “fine, yes, we're getting there soon, no worries.”

 

“I'm not worrying,” she stuck out her tongue, a childish gesture, yet it seemed appropriate at the moment, because it made him smile and return it.

 

“So how old are you really?” Judging by the way his hair shined, his completely wrinkles, neat face, she was guessing around twenty or thirty.

 

“You're gonna freak if I tell you,” he said meekly, she wondered what was with that.

 

“No, I won't,” she argued, how bad could it be? She was prepared for the surprise. Nothing could shock her anymore, she'd heard it all, hadn't she?

 

“Yes, you will.”

 

“No, for real, try me,” she begged, it wasn't her thing, but she really wanted to know.

 

“Two hundred and twenty,” he replied calmly, gauging her reaction, which wasn't quite what he'd expected.

 

“Uh-maze-iiiiiing,” she gawked, she really did, it was the best thing she could do to express her utter state of shock. The concept was so hard to grasp yet so astonishing that she needed some more time to understand the meaning of all this.

 

“Huh?”

 

“I said-”

 

“I know what you said, stupid, but I'm just not sure I understand why you said it,” he considered, cocking his head to the side like a lost puppy.

 

“I might have laughed at how cute you are if you weren't such an asshole!” she yelled the last word, punching him in the arm so that he lost control of the wheel for just a second.

 

“You damn bitch, are you trying to get us both killed?!” he shouted, he was entitled to do it.

 

“It's not my fault that you can't handle your toy here-” she fumbled for his name as she yelled at him, he hadn't given it to her.

 

“Inuyasha!” he yelled back in response, waiting for her next line. However, Kagome was done. The stupidity of the situation hit her fully and she almost wanted to laugh at how idiotic they were both acting.

 

“Okay,” she said with a sigh, “let's start over. I'm Kagome.”

 

“Fine,” he said, “okay, I'm Inuyasha.”

 

“I already know that, puppy,” she giggled, oh, taunting him was so fun.

 

“Don't call me that!” he started again, they seemed like two teenagers bickering over something.

 

“If I want to call you puppy then I can call you puppy, and if I want to call you jackass, then I will, isn't that fair? After all, this is a free country,” she pointed out, ignoring his warning growls. He sounded so much like a dog when he did it, too. Unexpectedly, he jerked the car to the left so she'd lose her balance and hopefully hit her head on something, but he had no such luck, the girl was safe.

 

“Oh, you're acting like such a child, get over yourself,” she said haughtily, what was he trying to do, kill her?

 

“We're here,” he said suddenly, the car stopped, her breath hitched for a moment. It was Osaka High School, a place where Sango would never be with her again, a place that would always remind her of their good and bad times. Remarkably, the whole trip in the cab had been decent enough, she hadn't had time to think even once about her tragedy, it was refreshing.

 

Kagome paid the taxi driver, grabbed her bag and told him to go lick some bones, it was so funny to watch him get mad and not be able to do anything about it. Kagome took from him something she decided she liked and figured he wouldn't need. For a while she didn't notice, however, what she left behind. She was too busy wondering about the strange coincidence.