I am deeply sorry.

I have totally forgotten (unintentionally) about this fic. Sad to say, life just got in the way. Between school, family, jobs, friendships, other hobbies, I just lost track of time. I can't guarantee when my next update will be (not in 2 years, I swear), but I KNOW it won't be as huge a delay as now (I was actually writing this chapter back in 2009, and I was pretty far with it, and then my stupid computer crashed, so I lost everything. Then I kind of got lazy…) I hope you still enjoy my story, and please, review! :)

I have also noticed, rereading what I wrote (especially the first chapters) that my writing style was HORRIBLE. I am so sorry for putting you readers through that. I don't have the time to edit all of my past chapters, so thanks for those people for sticking with the story despite the horrible writing in the first chapters.

Thanks to : Sorena ( from IY Love), Kamio Yoko for inventing Boys Over Flowers (the plot of this fanfic), Rumiko Takahashi for inventing Inuyasha, and all of you that are reading (and REVIEWING, please please please review. I appreciate the people who add my story as a favourite, but reviews are my fuel, so keep sending them in) !

Disclaimer: i don't own any animes or synopsises … sadly…

Note: YES, this is a SesshKag story :P But it isn't interesting if characters get from point A to point B without any complications, right? ;)

Yes, still an OOC Warning! :)

The Red Card

Chapter 28: A Young One in Love and Intentions Discovered

Time seemed to stop for everyone. Inuyasha was listening, but no sound was reaching his ears. Sesshomaru, Kagome and Ayame remained in their positions, too surprised to move.

Finally, Ayame broke the silence.

"I... Guess I... should go..." She said, breaking down in tears and running away.

"Ayame!" Inuyasha heard Kagome say. She pushed Sesshomaru off of her and tried to run after Ayame. "Wait! It's not what you - eep!" She never actually got to the running part. Sesshomaru held her hand and pulled her back to her knees.

"Stay, Kagome." He calmly said. "Don't go after her."

Inuyasha didn't know what to think. He didn't know what the hell was going on there, but his blood was boiling.

"But she'll think we were about to-"

"I don't care" Sesshomaru cut in.

"But she's your fiancée!"

"It isn't formal yet..." Kagome was wide-eyed. "I met her grandfather, but I ran off in the middle of dinner..."

Inuyasha hung up the phone, wanting to hear no more of this.

"Why did you run off from such an important meeting? You asked her to be your girlfriend"

"I was worried about you" Sesshomaru simply said.

"Don't blame me for your actions!"

"I heard that you collapsed so I ran to the hospital" Sesshomaru stoically said

Kagome didn't say anything.

"I knew running off wasn't right, but I had to see how you were."

"You... came to the hospital?...When?" Kagome was getting a bit nervous. 'What if he saw...'

"Why are you so tense all of a sudden? Is there something you don't want me to know about?"

"Well, I had just collapsed! I didn't want you to come see me like that!"

"But it was okay for Inuyasha to?"

"You saw Inuyasha there? Kagome asked, getting more and more worried. "Did you two talk?"

"Why? Would he have something to say to me?"

"N-no! I was just asking!"

"Did something happen between you two that I should know about?"

"N-no! Nothing!"

"What happened?" Sesshomaru had known Kagome long enough to know that when she says that nothing happened, it meant the total opposite.

"I said nothing!"

"Tell me!"

"What's there to tell?"

"What you're not telling me!" Sesshomaru insisted.

"Is everything okay in here?" Souta asked as he came into the main room. "Why are you two screaming like that?"

"Don't worry Souta, everything's okay, go back and study." Kagome reassured him.

"Don't you have your make-up exam tomorrow?" Souta asked her.

"Oh yeah! It's true! I have to study and get some sleep!" She then turned back to Sesshomaru and addressed him with a bit more assertiveness "You should leave Sesshomaru, good night!" Kagome said, pushing Sesshomaru towards the door, while Souta went back to his room.

Sesshomaru turned towards her "You want me to leave because you don't want me to know what happened."

"I'm telling you nothing happened!"

"You're a very bad liar, Kagome." Sesshomaru said. It's true, in most situations, Kagome was, indeed an extremely bad liar. He'd find out somehow, if not form her, from Inuyasha.

She sighed, knowing that if she didn't talk, Inuyasha gladly would. And he'd probably change the story a little bit... or a lot. "Ok, you want to know? I'll tell you; Inuyasha kissed me!" Sesshomaru's eyes widened. "Out of the blue, like that! And I was so surprised, I didn't know what to do! It happened so suddenly..."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"It's my business!"

"No it isn't! I don't have to report anything to you!" Kagome sighed, trying to calm down "You should go. My brother and I both have studying to do." Souta came back into the main room to say bye to Sesshomaru. "Good luck on your test tomorrow, Souta." With a tap on the boy's head, he left.

-oOo-

Koga had decided to go to Ayame's place. He hated to admit it, but he kind of enjoyed her presence. Of course, as soon as he got there, the emerald eyed girl bombarded him with questions about Sesshomaru and Kagome.

"What do you know about Kagome and Sesshomaru's relationship?" Ayame asked Koga as he poured her some tea. "Were they really in love?"

"Well... Their relationship is kind of over, now..."

"That's not how it looks to me..." Ayame said as she remembered in which position she caught both of them the day prior.

"But Sesshomaru's your boyfriend, right? Didn't he formally ask you?" Koga asked the girl.

"He said he'd try to like me..." Ayame shrugged.

"Well then all you need is patience. It's just really hard for him, you know, saying goodbye to Kagome. Don't worry." Ayame nodded sadly. "C'mon! Don't get depressed over this! It's not like you! Sesshomaru tells us that you're always overly happy, don't be sad!" Koga said with a smile.

"You're right" Ayame shyly smiled at Sesshomaru's considerate friend. "Thank you Koga." Koga timidly nodded in response.

-oOo-

"Why don't you mind your own business?" Miroku asked Koga, once he got the the Y4's section of the cafeteria after his meeting with Ayame.

"It wouldn't have been right to just leave her like that! She was really down! And God knows you can't cheer her up!" Koga said to Miroku, knowing his lecherous character.

Then, they heard girls screaming in the cafeteria "It's Sesshomaru! He's here!"

Yes, Sesshomaru came in, in all his glory. Kikyo and Yura were soon blocking his way. "Sesshomaru, we're so glad to see you!" Kikyo said.

"Yes, we've missed you so much!" Yura added.

Sesshomaru just passed through them, ignoring them completely.

"Yura! He brushed my shoulder with his arm!"

"He did that to me too!" They both squealed.

Sesshomaru headed to the Y4's section. "You wanted to talk, Koga?" He then saw Inuyasha "Why are you here?" he asked, letting his anger getting the best of him.

"I'm the leader of the Y4, I think I'm allowed." Inuyasha said in a menacing voice.

"I'm actually glad you're here. It'll save me a trip. I have to talk to you. Privately."

"Anything you say to me could be said in front of Miroku and Koga as well." Inuyasha said as he got up from the chair he was sitting on.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes, he was trying to not lose his temper.

"Did I do something wrong, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked calmly.

"Don't try to act like you don't know what happened at the hospital." Sesshomaru said stoically.

"Oh. Are you mad about the kiss?" Inuyasha asked tauntingly with a smirk.

Sesshomaru lost it. He lunged towards Inuyasha, and Inuyasha did the same, but Miroku and Koga quickly separated the two. Miroku was holding back Inuyasha while Koga was trying to hold back Sesshomaru, not remembering Sesshomaru to ever be that strong.

Sesshomaru regained his composure, catching his breath. "Are you serious about this, Inuyasha."

He saw the look in his friend's eyes, he wasn't kidding.

"I never said anything because I knew it'd made you mad. You're my childhood friend Sesshomaru; if you and Kagome had gone back together, I would've been fine with it. You leave for a long time, you never even called her once, then you come back, get another girlfriend and even get engaged!"Inuyasha shook his head "You've played with Kagome's heart too much... She doesn't deserve that... So stop acting like you two are still together!"

Sesshomaru balled up his fists and grabbed a chair, which he threw to a wall. Its broken remains were sprawled on the floor. Then he got close to the wall and punched a hole in it. After taking a deep breath, Sesshomaru turned around and left the cafeteria.

-oOo-

Kagome's P.O.V.

I had just taken my make-up exam. Luckily, I made it through it! I had to thank Inuyasha for arranging this for me!

So, I headed to my balcony and gave him a call. I instinctively pressed number 2, which gave me the speed dial for Inuyasha's cell phone. Funny, now that I looked at the dial pad on my phone, the number 2 seemed pretty worn out compared to number 1, Sesshomaru's speed dial. It was so faded that I could hardly see the actual number anymore.

Normal P.O.V.

Still looking at her phone, Kagome heard a faint hello from her mobile. 'Oh, Inuyasha's on the line!' she quickly thought before putting the phone to her ear.

"Hey, it's Kagome" The girl smiled as she spoke to her friend.

"I thought it was you. Only Kagome Higurashi would call someone and then have them wait for her to address the person she called."

"Oh be quiet!" Kagome silenced the chuckling teen. "Now back to the reason I called… I just wanted to thank you for arranging that exam for me. I don't know what I would've done without you." She laughed "I guess having your friend controlling the school has its advantages"

Inuyasha's smile faded slightly when she mentioned the word friend, but he shrugged it off. Hopefully, in time, she wouldn't see him as such anymore. "For the hundredth time, I told you it was nothing. How about we celebrate" Inuyasha ended enthusiastically.

"What? No! I can't relax until I get my results! What if I failed?" Kagome asked worriedly

"C'mon, I'm sure you passed with flying colors. You're no dummy, Kagome." As she was about to thank him, he interrupted her "Let me rephrase that: you're not a dummy when you choose to not be one" he finished with a smirk.

"Hey!" Kagome exclaimed, her happy face turning into a frown. She knew he was kidding "Thanks for trying to make me laugh though…" Kagome suddenly thought about something "How about I treat you for once? We could go somewhere inexpensive where you never usually go… it'd be something new for you."

"Alright" Inuyasha replied, after a moment of brief hesitation. Surely, if it cost less where she wanted to bring him, it wouldn't be god quality food. Maybe it would taste bad. Either way, for Kagome, he'd go through that and more if it meant her returning his feelings.

-oOo-

Kagome walked back into the cafeteria, wanting to see if the Y4 were there. When she looked at the groups' private section of the cafeteria, she was stunned when she noticed a broken chair and a hole in the wall. She quickly approached to inspect the damages, seeing Miroku and Koga near the scene.

"What happened?" gasped Kagome

"Sesshomaru did this." Koga replied.

"What…? " Kagome murmured in disbelief. She had always known Sesshomaru as being a pacifist. She couldn't picture him throwing things around and destroying property.

"Trust me," Miroku started "Things will get much worse if you don't make your feelings clear now, Kagome."

"And don't forget we're always the ones picking up the pieces…" sighed Koga, before exiting.

Miroku looked at his friend's retreating form "Don't worry about him Kagome, he had a talk with Ayame, so he's in a complicated situation now…"

"Oh…" came Kagome's reply.

Miroku smiled and put his arm around Kagome's shoulders "Come on, let's go". As they both exited the building, Miroku headed towards his motorcycle. He straddled the seat and grabbed his helmet.

Kagome smiled, a thought emerging in her mind. Before she could voice it, Miroku remarked "You've finally cracked a smile." Kagome was taken aback by his comment "It isn't like you to be depressed, I'm glad you're smiling."

"I was thinking… You know you could definitely take Sango out on this motorcycle" she said, tapping the seat behind Miroku's. "She'd really like it."

Miroku shook his head "I don't ride with the ladies." He simply said before putting on his helmet.

Kagome sighed "Why are you being such a macho?" she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not lying, Kagome. I ride alone." Miroku said convincingly. To Kagome's surprise, he sounded quite serious. She simply nodded. Miroku started his engine and looked at Kagome "Don't forget, you only have one life to live… Don't waste it." He said before riding off into the sunset, leaving Kagome to her thoughts.

-oOo-

"Sesshy, you're so quiet!" Sighed Ayame as she took another sip of her warm tea. Sesshomaru quickly glanced at her, his mind elsewhere. "Were finally on a date, and you're not making much of it…"

"About what happened yesterday…" Sesshomaru started. He wanted to choose his words. It had been a shock to Ayame to see him with Kagome, especially in that position. And the fact that he didn't go after her must not have helped.

Ayame quickly cut him off "You maybe still have feelings for Kagome now, but after all, that's how you felt when we first started dating. I mean, it'd be a little creepy if you just fell in love with me as soon as you met me, don't you think?" Ayame ended with a smile as she added another spoonful of sugar in her tea. Sesshomaru didn't exactly know if her words should relieve him or make him scared. He just sighed. "And we will get married whether we want to or not…" Ayame continued "You know marriage is for life, Sesshomaru... I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." She sighed, with a bigger smile on her face. "I just love how you're so passionate when you're in love… I can't wait for you to look at me the way you look at Kagome…" She would've continued had Sesshomaru not interrupted.

"But I -"as soon as he spoke, Ayame interrupted him.

Ayame was wide eyed "But what? Did you have sex with Kagome after I left yesterday? "She shouted.

"Ayame, stop raising your voice" Sesshomaru hushed, exasperated, as a few other customers in the tea house turned around.

"Oh, Sesshy, please tell me it didn't happen! I'd be crushed if you told me it was true!" Ayame pouted.

"Stop jumping to conclusions" Sesshomaru said trying to remain calm.

"So you didn't do it?" Ayame rejoiced. Sesshomaru sighed to himself. He'd never have sex in a place like the one Kagome was currently living in. It was so dirty and falling apart. "Sesshy, you have to tell me before you ever do it, alright?" Sesshomaru looked at her as if this was a test, wondering if she was seriously telling him to warn her before he had sex. Ayame suddenly turned her head "Oh, hi Kagome!" Sesshomaru quickly got up and looked in the direction Ayame was looking in. "Fooled you!" Ayame giggled. "You're so cute, Sesshy…"

Sesshomaru sat back down, not so happy as his fiancé was...

-oOo-

Kagome headed to work where she told Sango and Lady Kaede what had happened earlier that day. "After that, I took Inuyasha to lunch…"

Flashback

Kagome and Inuyasha were sitting in a booth of a local diner drinking milkshakes. Inuyasha sighed "I couldn't take it anymore. I told him what was on my mind… And you know I'm not shy when it comes to telling other how I think." Kagome couldn't help but laugh a little. She had been on the receiving end of Inuyasha's crude remarks when they crossed paths for the first time, so she knew how he was first hand. "I… I realized what my feelings were, Kagome." Inuyasha continued, looking in her big brown eyes. Kagome was a little surprised, but let him continue "I liked you Kagome… Just watching you live your life with so much passion, so much feistiness… Seeing how you never gave up on anything even though all odds were against you… It stirred something in me. Before, I used to lose my temper with anyone who had an opinion different than mine or anyone who would do something that I didn't agree with… Now, I've changed. After you, I've changed. You've made me change, Kagome. Heck, when you're not there, I feel lonely. I have to think about you to feel better… I remember when you went to New York, Miroku, Koga and I used to wonder what stupid thing you'd do over there to put yourself in danger" he chuckled at the memory as Kagome blushed a bit. Yes, that was totally her: putting herself in harm's way to prove a point. She went to a foreign country alone, not even knowing the language or how to get around. "I got so lonely without you" Inuyasha continued, "that next thing I knew, I was standing in front of you in New York." Inuyasha smirked before looking in Kagome's eyes again "I guess that means that I like you Kagome, huh?"

End Flashback

Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"What kind of question is that? It's obvious he likes ye!" Exclaimed Kaede as she rose to her feet, leaving Kagome and Sango wide eyed. "No one knows when love with blossom and flourish! What is most important is who do ye love most, child."

Sango sighed "I guess it's not that easy to forget Sesshomaru…"

"When it comes to Sesshomaru…" Kagome started and paused for a brief moment, searching for the right words to use "my mind is already made up. I don't want to run in circles because of him anymore."

"Is that really how ye feel, child?" Kaede asked.

Kagome took in a deep breath "I want Sesshomaru to be happy with Ayame."

-oOo-

Sesshomaru was walking down the street and saw Souta siting, obviously looking upset. Sesshomaru approached the boy, surely he could help him whatever the situation was. He considered Souta kind of like a little brother. The two weren't that close, but Sesshomaru knew that the boy needed a male role model since his father had passed away, and his grandfather… Well, he just didn't see his grandfather teaching Souta about everything when it comes to being a man.

He calmly sat next to Kagome's brother. "Hello Souta. What's the matter? You look a bit confused."

Flashback

Souta had taken a seat in the classroom and was checking his materials for his entrance exam. He carefully inspected the contents of his pencil case.

'Pens, check. Pencils, check. Highlighters, check. Whiteout, check. Eraser… Eraser? Oh no! Where's my eraser!' Souta quickly emptied the contents of his pencil case and thoroughly searched for his eraser, but finding none. He quickly grabbed his head in frustration "Oh no! I must have forgotten it at home, I didn't pack it after I finished studying! What will I do? I'm doomed!"

"Um… excuse me?" Came a shy voice to the boy's left. Souta rose his head and looked in the person's direction. Looking back at him was a girl with brown curly hair and a smile on her face. "I have two erasers, I don't mind you borrowing one of mine" she said as she handed him the item.

Souta looked surprisingly at the eraser, then at her. A smile grew on his face "Thank you so much!" he said bowing his head in gratitude. He then shyly took the eraser from her hands.

After the exam, Souta took a deep breath and caught up with the girl who lent him the eraser. "Hey, wait!" He exclaimed as he ran to catch up to her. The girl turned around and waited for him. "I just wanted to thank you again for what you did back there… You didn't have to."

"Nonesense, I always carry extra things around, I know others will forget things." She said with a smile. As they both exited the building, the girl asked Souta "Is this school your first choice?" Souta nodded. "It's mine too… It'd be nice if we both got in" the girl said, always smiling at him.

End flashback

"It was love at first sight…" Souta finished shyly.

Sesshomaru smirked before patting the boy on the head "You're growing up, Souta"

"Listen, you can't say a word of this to Kagome, okay?"

"Of course not" Sesshomaru said, trying not to smirk. "So what do you know about this girl?"

"Um… nothing really…" Souta said, scratching his head shyly.

"Did you ask her name?"

Souta sheepishly shook his head, saddened.

"You really like this girl that much, don't you?"

"Sesshomaru, I've never felt like this before… When I think about her, my heart bets so fast and I just smile." Souta said, a small grin on his face.

Sesshomaru inwardly sighed. 'He reminds me of myself and Ka-' he interrupted his thoughts when he realized who he was thinking about 'Kagome…' He was so in love with her, he just wished he had never gone to America in the first place, he wished that he had been born in a different family without a psychopathic money-hungry father. Thinking about Kagome stirred up so many emotions in him. "Souta, we'll come up with something to get that girl's attention, don't worry." With that, Sesshomaru patted the young man on his back and both discussed ways to confront the girl and tell her about Souta's feelings.

-oOo-

In Inutaisho's study…

Touga Inutaisho sighed as he looked at company charts from the past months. The value of Taisho Corp was steadily dropping at a faster than normal pace. The older man ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Sir, maybe we should close the branch of the company in America." Jaken proposed timidly.

"Foolishness!" Inutaisho exclaimed as he hit his fist on his mahogany desk. "We will do no such thing!"

"I'm sorry, master" Jaken said, bowing, before scurrying away.

"Oh, Jaken" Inutaisho called before the imp was out the door, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Yes, sir?"

"Sesshomaru hasn't been coming home lately… please keep an eye on him." Jaken nodded. Touga then picked up his phone and dialed "Why hello Ayame!" The man cheerily greeted. "Listen, would you mind giving me some of your time tonight? Maybe we could go out for dinner, there are things I would like to discuss with you."

-oOo-

Later that night, Inutaisho and Ayame had met up at a high scale restaurant in the heart of Tokyo.

"So, how are things between you and my son?"

"Great sir" Ayame happily answered.

"I know my son as a bit hard headed, but I know you could take care of him. You're a very bright girl" Inutaisho smiled.

"Thank you sir!" Ayame said as she took another bite of her meal.

"I hope your gradfather isn't too upset about Sesshomaru's actions the other night, I am deeply sorry on his behalf. I don't know what came into him…"

"Oh, don't worry sir! Everything is fine, honest!" Ayame replied.

"I'm glad" Inutaisho said, sipping his cup of tea.

-oOo-

Souta was trying to write a letter to the girl he only knew as "the girl with the eraser". Sesshomaru and he had established that that would probably be the best way to tell her how he felt. However, Souta couldn't get started. Every time he'd try to write, it always came out wrong in his opinion. As a result, there were quite a few papers rolled up and spread around him.

It was at that time that Kagome came home. As she unlocked the door, Souta scrambled to rid the table of any evidence of what he was doing; he certainly didn't want his sister to know about his crush!

"Hey Souta!" Kagome exclaimed as she shut the door behind her. "How did you entrance exam go?"

"Good, good!" Souta quickly replied while trying to hide his paper, hoping he was acting as normal as possible.

"Is something wrong?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow at her brother's strange behaviour.

"Nothing!" Souta said, trying not to act surprised.

"There's two cups in the sink… someone was here" she stated, looking at Souta.

"N-no, I was alone!" Souta said, heading to the sink and washing the cups. Kagome just looked at him and sighed 'I wonder what's going on…'

-oOo-

The next day, Sesshomaru had brought two extra minds, experts in the playboy lifestyle, to help Souta. Koga and Miroku had instantly agreed when they were informed of the teenager's situation. The two had instantaneously decided that a makeover would be best for him. They had his hair cut and styled by the best hairdressers in Tokyo, they then took him to get pampered at a spa, where the young man got a foot passage and facial to help calm his nerves. After all that was done, the two playboys and Sesshomaru helped Souta with his letter. Once that was done, the lad sealed his love note in an envelope that read "To my darling with the eraser". The three older guys exchanged satisfying glances with one another and raised their glasses to a job well done.

The morning after, Souta was sitting on the bench near the exam center, nervously and patiently waiting for his darling with the eraser to arrive.

-oOo-

"I don't know, Sango, things are just weird with Inuyasha…" Kagome told her friend over the phone as she sat down, sipping her cup of tea.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked as she walked, looking for a specific address,

"Well… Ever since what happened, I just feel awkward with him… He's tried to call me, but I have never got the courage to call him back or see him…" Kagome sighed.

"I say tell him you aren't interested, period. It sucks that he has to wait for someone that is clearly not interested." Sango replied as she entered the building she was looking for.

"I know, but things aren't that easy… I still want his friendship…" Kagome then changed the subject "Oh, and speaking of weird things, Souta is acting like he's hiding something from me, I'm getting a little scared. Like this morning, he left for the exam center bright and early, and he hardly touched his breakfast. He usually leaves at the last possible minute and eats two portions of breakfast… I wonder what's wrong." Kagome sighed.

"Kagome, stop being so paranoid. He'll tell you what's on his mind, don't worry. He just needs a little time to think about it himself, and then he'll ask you for help, it's natural. I have a little brother too, you know." Sango finally found the door she was looking for "Kagome, I have to let you go, I'll call you later!" They both hung up.

"Oh, Sango, I'm glad you made it!" Exclaimed a woman as she approached the teenager. She was a bit taller than Sango, had shoulder length brown hair and a heartwarming smile. She was relatively petite and looked very like she couldn't hurt a fly. She was wearing a blue floral dress that reached a bit below her knees and a coffee coloured cardigan. "Hello, I'm Mizuki. We spoke over the phone." she said as she extended her hand.

Sango gladly shook it "Yes, thank you so much for letting me come here."

"None sense, I wasn't booked today anyway. Please, remove your shoes and come in." As Sango untied her shoes and set them in the woman's entrance, Mizuki asked "So Sango, why do you want to learn the art of tea ceremony? Not many people your age come here willingly. Did your grandparents drag you here?"

Both women headed to the tea room as Sango answered "No, I came here on my own." Sango became very shy at this moment and even blushed a little "I came here to learn about something that is very dear to a friend of mine…" A picture of Miroku instantly flashed through her mind. She really wanted to get his attention and figured this would be the perfect way.

"You mean a love interest, right?" Mizuki said as she winked.

Sango looked at her hands, was she that easy to read? "Y-yes… do you think you can help me..?"

"Well… I've only had sad relationships" Mizuki said as she looked away, not wanting Sango to see her dark brown eyes filled with unshed tears "So I don't really know how this would help…" She then smiled a bit and looked at Sango "But I'll certainly try my best"

That was all the encouragement Sango needed. They then proceeded to begin their lesson on the basics of the Japanese traditional tea ceremony.

-oOo-

Souta ran as fast as he could to reach the exam center. He was one hour early, but he wanted to make sure he didn't miss her. 'I have to see her' he thought 'I have to give her that letter. My darling with the eraser, I have to get to her; I might not ever see her again!' When he got there, he noticed a figure leaning against a fence, his hands in the pockets of his black waist length coat and sporting a black scarf.

"Sesshomaru!" Souta exclaimed "You came? It's so early!"

Sesshomaru smirked, set a hand on the younger one's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "Today's the day, I couldn't miss this. I'll meet you at the park when you're done. Good luck, Souta." With one final pat on Souta's back, Sesshomaru said "Come one, go sweep her off her feet." As he watched the young man leave, Sesshomaru sighed to himself 'I hope everything goes well…' He thought back about what happened between him and Kagome; he didn't want her brother to suffer the same fate.

-oOo-

Kagome was in the school cafeteria looking out one of its many windows. She couldn't hide the fact that she was worried about her brother. She then heard footsteps behind her.

"Hey Kagome!" greeted Miroku and Koga and they approached her "Say, did you get any news from Souta?"

"No, not yet" she sighed "I'm so nervous for him… what if he didn't do well?" she asked, more to herself then to them, as she ran a hand through her raven locks.

"Don't say that until you know for sure how he did, Kagome" Koga said, trying to cheer the girl up a little.

"But how do you guys know my brother gets his entrance exam results announced today? I'm almost sure I never mentioned it to you guys" Kagome asked them with a raised eyebrow.

The two teens looked at each other; damn, they had said too much again "Um… never mind" Koga said, scratching his head. Kagome only looked at the pair with more doubt in her eyes; yes, everyone was hiding something from her, she was sure of it. Well, that or her life was full of huge coincidences.

-oOo-

Souta was waiting outside the doors of the exam center. Hundreds of students were walking in and out those doors, some proud, some not. Even though Souta was concerned with the results of his entrance exam, he was even more concerned with the girl he was looking for. He swept his gaze from the right to the left, but never seeing that lovely face he pictured in his mind. Has she fallen and gotten hurt? Was she sick and in bed? Souta hoped not. He then checked his watch, only a few minutes remained before the exam center would close. The young man sighed, he had either missed her, or she wouldn't be coming. 'I knew it was too good to be true…' he thought, more than disappointed.

At that very moment, Souta heard quick footsteps heading towards him. When he lifted his head and looked in the direction from which the steps were coming from, he let out a sigh of relief. His darling with the eraser was heading towards school.

"Excuse me!" Souta said nervously. She immediately stopped in her tracks, puzzled, and looked at Souta. When recognition flashed through her eyes, Souta inhaled deeply and continued the monologue he had been practicing for a few days now "My name is Souta Higurashi. I know this may seem sudden, but I have fallen in love with you" Souta had bowed and was looking at the ground for the whole time, so he didn't see her face as he confessed his attraction to the girl. He simply heard a small intake of breath, but he couldn't tell if it was a good sign or not. So, he continued "I wrote a letter for you describing how I feel inside" He rummaged through his back for a short moment before handing her the letter "Please read it!"

-oOo-

Sesshomaru was sitting at the park when the sound of fast footsteps reached his ears. He got up instantaneously. It was Souta. Sesshomaru looked at him while he caught his breath but couldn't read the expression on his face. He was smiling a little and his eyes help a glimmer of unshed tears in them. If that was a good sign or not, Sesshomaru couldn't tell.

"How were your test scores? Did you get in?" Sesshomaru asked, breaking the ice. Souta nodded energetically, his smile getting larger. "How about the girl?" At this, Souta's smile started to fade and his eyes got more and more watery. He shook his head furiously and finally let tears fall. Sesshomaru was stunned, not only didn't he expect this outcome, but he also didn't know what to do. Souta took out the letter from his pocket, still sealed. Souta was crying by now. "Th-thank you S-Sesshomaru" Souta started. "Th-thank you for t-trying… Th-thank you so m-much!" Sesshomaru quickly pulled the young man into a brotherly hug and patted his head. In this kind of situation, actions definitely spoke louder than words.

-oOo-

It was around eight thirty in the evening and Kagome was really worried. Souta still hadn't come home. Getting his test results could never take that long. So, she headed out to look for him. She took the path Souta would normally take to head to school, hoping to cross his at some point. Luckily for her, Souta was just leaving the park at that moment, so they indeed saw each other. Unluckily for her though, he was accompanied by one of the people Kagome least wished to see: Sesshomaru. More than that, he had an arm around her brother's shoulders! When Kagome spotted them, Sesshomaru instantly put his arm to his side and though 'uh oh'.

"Souta! I've been worried sick about you! What happened?" Kagome asked her brother as she rushed towards the pair.

Seeing that Souta was still feeling blue, Sesshomaru decided to answer "Souta passed his entrance exam."

After briefly looking at Sesshomaru, Kagome redirected her attention at her brother "Really?..." she smiled tenderly at him, she truly was proud of him. "Why didn't you come home? Why didn't you call to tell me you'd be home late?"

"Um…" Souta started, but didn't know how to finish. He simply looked in Sesshomaru's direction, as if he was seeking answers. Sesshomaru was looking at Souta as well, whatever he would say wouldn't sit well with Kagome.

Seeing that her younger brother was eyeing Sesshomaru, she decided to look at him as well "Hey" she said firmly "I don't know what you're up to-"

"I'm not up to anything." He simply replied.

"You really are a thorn in my side, you know that? Please, don't come around us anymore! You keep causing problems for me and everyone else you come in contact with!" Kagome said harshly, looking away while catching her younger brother's arm and bringing him closer to her.

"Sis!" exclaimed Souta.

"Souta, I don't know what he told you, but you should never listen to him!"

"Kagome, that isn't true!"

Kagome then turned her attention to Sesshomaru "You're acting like a jerk who never knows what he wants…" Sesshomaru held his stoic mask as he listened to her criticism. She had all wrong, all so wrong! "You should just move out of that apartment you bought, you don't belong there." Kagome didn't even know if Sesshomaru was living next to her apartment considering she never heard a single noise coming from it. Maybe he was just fooling her into thinking he lived there, maybe he was never even there. Maybe he hadn't even bought the place.

"I'm not moving out" Sesshomaru said sternly.

"What?"

"Souta made me remember something I had forgotten for this past year. " He then looked at her. "Kagome… I'm in love with you. I don't want to be with anyone else than you."

Kagome was stunned beyond belief, and quite frankly, she was very angry. "Why are you so selfish..." Kagome sighed to herself.

"I was born selfish… Kagome, you think I'm a jerk, but I don't care; I'm in love with you."

Kagome looked away. She was more than angry now, and her eyes began getting watery. "You can't be serious!... You can't!.." Kagome did the only thing she could bring herself to do; take Souta's hand and head to the place she was forced to call home. "Sis, what are you doing?" exclaimed Souta.

And so, Sesshomaru was left standing there on that cold night. He didn't bother to run after her, he knew that whatever he'd say, her reaction would be the same. Unknown to him, Jaken was watching the scene unfold before his eyes and frowned and discontentment.

-oOo-

That night, Kagome couldn't sleep. 'I can't believe I just ran off!... What's wrong with me?' She asked herself as she ran a hand through her hair. She then sighed 'I… don't need to give him an answer right away… But I shouldn't leave things the way they are…' she told herself taking her cellphone. She didn't know what to do at this point, so she decided that maybe she should call Inuyasha. She wasn't really sure why: for advice? Heck no. To clear things up with him? Maybe. Anyway, she dialed. At the first right, Inuyasha picked up.

"Kagome!" Said Inuyasha, sounding almost relieved hat she had finally called him back. But Kagome couldn't take it, she didn't know what came over her, she just hung up. Maybe she just wanted to hear his voice. That definitely was a possibility. She released the breath she didn't know she was holding. What was happening to her?

-oOo-

Hearing the dial tone, Inuyasha sighed. What had gotten into Kagome lately? Were things that awkward between them? Inuyasha then took his keys and headed to his garage. Taking his red Lamborghini out of the driveway, he sped through the streets of Tokyo. Thank goodness, at that ungodly hour, no pedestrians were walking those streets.

-oOo-

After trying to calm herself down, Kagome heard a knock at her door. 'Who could that be at this time of night?' She tiptoes to the door and looked though the little peep hole 'what the heck is he doing here?' She thought as she opened the door to face Jaken. Both stared at each other for a moment.

-oOo-

Inuyasha finally got to Kagome's apartment. He had just finished shutting the ignition when he noticed Jaken and Kagome leaving the building. It must have been very important and on a very short notice since she was stil wearing her pyjamas under a heavy winter coat. They headed to Jaken's limousine, where he opened the door for the teenager, then got in the driver's seat. Inuyasha hit his hand on his steering wheel out of disappointment.

"Miss Higurashi, I'm sorry I had to bring you out here, but the walls are quite thin in that place."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Can you see master Sesshomaru as someone you cannot live without?" was his blunt question.

"What?... why do you ask?" replied a shocked Kagome as she looked through the window to the sky.

"When master Sesshomaru was younger, he went through something very traumatic. Both his parents were head of Taisho Corp at that time." Kagome was always curious about Sesshomaru's mother, but never got the opportunity to ask him about it. She listened closely as the imp continued "When a crisis hit the company and thousands of people had to be laid off, she tried to stop it to the greatest of her capabilities, but couldn't. She saw ex-workers pleading for their jobs back, her former employees and their families going hungry, and she couldn't take it anymore. Of course, master Sesshomaru knew what was going on, and master Touga was trying to convince his wife that this wasn't their fault. But despite all this, she went through a deep depression. One night, she couldn't take it anymore. She went to the top of the Taisho Corp building and fell to her death. What she didn't know was that Sesshomaru was watching. Ever since that time, master Sesshomaru and master Inutaisho have changed. The young master became more withdrawn; at least he had his three friends to support him. As for Master Inutaisho, he strived for excellence in his company. He felt that was what his wife would have wanted. That's why he is pushing so hard for this alliance with Miss Motonoa, so that Taisho Corp remains strong…" Jaken sighed before continuing. "Getting back to the young master, when he met you, he stopped having nightmares about his mother's passing. But when he went to New York, those dreams came back. That's why he wanted to forget all about you, Miss Kagome. He realized that being in charge meant that he hand thousands of lives in his hands. He didn't want others to suffer like he did. But when you re-entered his life once again, he finally realized that he could no longer lie to himself…"

Kagome was stunned, to say the least. Though something was bugging her "B-but… aren't you against our relationship? Why are you telling me all this?"

"I must head to New York tomorrow… Though master Touga isn't presently in Japan, you should be extremely careful." Jaken paused for a moment "Miss Kagome… It is only when master Sesshomaru is with you that he seems to be living again. That is how I want his to be since he is the one standing at the top. That is my only wish. Please understand."

After that brief talk with the toad servant, Kagome headed back to her apartment, where Inuyasha was waiting for her.

"Good morning Kagome" Inuyasha greeted. It was still dark outside, so the girl assumed that it must have been around three o'clock in the morning. "You called me?"

Kagome didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. "That was Jaken just now, right? What happened?"

"Um… I-he just… Uh" Seeing that he wouldn't get far with that answer, Inuyasha asked "Kagome, would you like to go for a drive right now?" Inuyasha asked as he walked a few steps in the direction of his car.

Kagome still didn't reply, too surprised for words, she simply turned her head sadly "Well… I guess that was a bad idea."

"I-I'm sorry Inuyasha… I'm just… a bit confused right now…" explained Kagome shyly.

"I bet this will make you even more confused" Inuyasha said as he hugged her from behind. Kagome's eyes widened at this. Then, Inuyasha came in front of Kagome and leaned in to kiss her, but Kagome pulled back.

"I-I'm sorry Inuyasha…" she apologized as she turned and went back into her apartment building.

-oOo-

"You just walked away?" Sango asked as she cleaned a window in The Cutie Cupcake.

"What else could I do?" Asked Kagome as she put up a bright pink and red poster right where Sango had cleaned.

"You're right… Right after finding out about Sesshomaru's past, too…" She sighed, then asked "What will you do about Valentine's day, Kagome? Maybe this is the chance to shop him how you feel about him again!"

"Speaking of feelings and such… Has Miroku ever given you a ride on his motorcycle?" 'I ride alone' he had told her, 'I don't ride with the ladies'. Was all that true?

"It is obvious that that seat is reserved" Kaede intervened, surprising both young women. "He is saving that seat for a special girl."

"Well he told me just the opposite; I thought he was kidding, that's why I asked." Kagome replied.

"Maybe that seat is for someone that he can't forget about…" Sango realized, pain stabbing at her heart.

"Courage, child. A first love is hard to get over, but isn't impossible to overcome." Kaede said as she laid a reassuring hand on Sango's shoulder.

-oOo-

Later that night, Kagome and Souta were about to start cooking dinner when they heard steps outside their apartment. Kagome looked through the peep hole. "Oh, it's Sesshomaru…" she said, getting back to peeling the potatoes she bought "I still can't believe he's actually staying here."

At the mention of Sesshomaru, an idea flashed through Souta's eyes. He quickly got up and opened the door of the apartment, leaving a very stunned Kagome. "What the heck is he doing?" she asked herself as she ran after him.

"Sesshomaru! May I borrow you apartment to study right now? Kagome's talking too much, I can't concentrate!"

"Souta, what are you talking about? You don't even HAVE a test!" almost screamed Kagome.

Sesshomaru looked at the young man perplexedly. Souta simple looked in the older teen's eyes and smiled. Sesshomaru understood. "Yes you may."

"And Kagome was preparing a lovely dinner; you could enjoy it with her since she was making it for two people. I'll just find something in Sesshomaru's fridge!"

Kagome then realized where Souta was going with this "No way, that's out of the question! I will not-" But before she could even finish her sentence, Souta had already locked himself in Sesshomaru's apartment, leaving the two older teens standing in the cold dim lit hallway. They both stared at each other for a moment, until Kagome sighed and walked back into her apartment, leaving the door open for Sesshomaru. He quietly shut the door behind him as he came in. Kagome had her back to him as she finished preparing the ingredients for her stew. Sesshomaru stared at her, he was alone with her once again. Finally.

Kagome, on the other hand, felt eyes glued to her back and was getting extremely nervous. And, of course, what had to happen happened.

"Ouch!" Exclaimed Kagome as she let the knife she was holding slip from her hand. Sesshomaru was instantly next to her and had the finger she had cut under running water. Kagome looked up at him, then looked away. Without a single exchange of words, Sesshomaru tended to her cut. Then, he stood behind Kagome and hugged her. At this, Kagome almost jumped.

"I wasn't kidding about what I said yesterday" He whispered in her ear. He then pressed a chaste kiss on her head.

"Sesshomaru, please let go of me" Kagome didn't know if she wanted to talk to him about their relationship (or lack of), but if they did, it certainly wouldn't be like this!

"Kagome, listen-"

"Please, Sesshomaru, let go!"

Both of them continued to struggle until Kagome made both of them fell over. Sadly, the floor wasn't strong enough to support them impact of their fall combined with their weight, so they ended up crashing through the ceiling of the tenant under them. Souta heard a crash and headed to see what was going on. He was surprised to see a hole in the floor. When he approached the hole, he saw Kagome and Sesshomaru lying next to each other, still shaken up by what happened. "D-damn this crummy building!" sighed Kagome as she painfully tried to get up.

'This is almost romantic' though Souta with a chuckle.

So I'll end it here, it isn't as long as I would've liked, but I'll start writing the next chapter ASAP. (And again, I promise that it won't take me 2 years to update loll)

So Kagome now has no place to live, I wonder what will happen *wink wink*. Sorry for any mistakes I could have made while typing. I re-read like 4 times, but I'm sure things slipped passed me. Oh, and another thing. I'm from Canada, so we write a little differently:

color = colour
nite = night
among = amongst
catalog = catalogue
center = centre
favor = favour
etc...

Hope you guys are having happy holidays, please review(I appreciate being in your favorites, but reviews are what keep me going ;) ) and I accept constructive criticism.

Happy New Year, and I'll be back very soon :D Tootles!