Hojo vs. Suichi
Ch. 1 – Problems Arise
"Will Kagome Higurashi please report to the principal's office immediately!" A voice sounds over the intercom. "Now Ms. Higurashi!"
"Alright already!" A girl with long dark hair and brown eyes screams at one of the speakers in the hallway. "I'm coming! And I'm not moving any faster!"
"Hey Kagome! Wait up!" A boy with short black hair and dark eyes runs over to her. "Why are you being called down to the office? Is it something I can help with?"
"No Hojo." Kagome sighs.
"Are you sure? I don't mind helping Kagome, really."
"You try to help too much. I'm sure there's another girl who really needs you." She keeps walking.
"I already told you who I like and I'll still be here whenever you decide that you want to go out." He matches hr pace.
"Ms. Higurashi! I know you're in school today! You better be in my office within the next two minutes!" A male voice snaps over the intercom.
"You SHUT UP!" Kagome screams at the nearest speaker.
"Anger is not gong to solve anything. You need to relax. I know just what you need. How about I take you out to a nice dinner this evening?" Hojo offers.
"NO!" Kagome snaps. "Why the hell don't you give up already?!"
"Because one day you'll surprise yourself and say yes." He smiles. "And when that day comes I'll be the happiest guy around. I refuse to give up on you Kagome."
"Why the hell not?!"
"Your stubbornness is causing you to play hard to get. I relish the challenge. You are worth the wait."
"Whatever." Kagome opens the door to the office, walks in and shuts it on Hojo's face. "HA!"
"Ms. Higurashi!" Her wrist is grabbed from behind and she is thrown into a chair. "Now listen here!" A big guy with dark hair, mustache and cold eyes barks from across the desk. "I have been calling you down all afternoon!"
"Maybe I would've gotten here faster is you sent an escort."
"I did."
"Who?"
"Hojo."
"What!? Are you insane!? He's not an escort!"
"He was just escorting you here, wasn't he?"
"No."
"So that wasn't him walking with you down the hall?"
"… No. You were hallucinating."
"Now listen here! I'm going to have to trash your record with a nice black marker if you don't improve."
"I've only been in school for a week!" Kagome argues. "I'm at the head of the class!"
"You've also been out more times than any other student with sudden odd illnesses. The District Committee members have been voting against you staying. The only reason you've been allowed to come to school this week is because Hojo's parents are on the board and their son likes you. So unless you show some interest in the boy then you'll have to leave. They can't hold out forever, there are more members against them."
"So… it's either date him or transfer…"
"Yes."
"…How much paperwork would I have to do for a transfer?"
After a couple of hours in the office, Kagome is finally able to leave the office. She slowly starts to walk home, leaving the school and heading up the road. "I can't believe this… there's no way I'll be able to afford a transfer to any of these schools!" Kagome fumes.
"Excuse me, miss?" A light male voice reaches her ears.
"WHAT!" She snaps, whirling around and nearly hitting the guy behind her. "GO AWAY-!" She meets beautiful emerald eyes and within seconds her anger vanishes.
"… Hi. I can clearly see that you've been upset by something and would've chosen to leave you alone, but you dropped your book." He holds out a book with a blue cover on it.
"My history book!" As she takes it from him, Kagome notices that along with stunning green eyes the guy also has long red heir, not commonly found around this area of Japan. "… You're not from around here, are you?"
"Well… no. Actually…" He looks at the ground. "I'm kind of lost."
"Well since you helped me with my book, I'll return the favor." Kagome offers. "Where are you headed?"
"Higurashi Shrine."
"…" Kagome's eyes widen slightly.
"Is something wrong? Did I say something I wasn't supposed to?" the guy becomes nervous.
"… Why are you going there? What could you possibly want?"
"I was looking for a place to stay and found in the newspaper that the lady at Higurashi Shrine was offering a place. I mailed her a letter, but have heard nothing about it. And the ad was in the paper today so I know she hasn't found anyone yet."
"…" Kagome looks at him questioningly. "You're Suichi?"
"Yes… how do you know my name?"
"I thought you were a girl." Kagome's face turns pink in embarrassment. "I mailed you a letter two days ago. I'm Kagome Higurashi."
"…" Suichi doesn't seem to be able to speak, still shocked over the girl comment. "… You'd really think I'd be used to this by now… I'm sorry for the confusion." He turns to leave.
"No, I should be apologizing. I should've been more specific in the newspaper. If you have no where else to go, you can come home with me."
"Are you sure?" Suichi turns to look at her.
"Yeah… the least I can do is offer you a place to stay."
"Thank you." He bows.
"You will have to help me do chores around the house though."
"I can do that."
"Then follow me." Kagome leads him down the road and after a good 20 minutes walk they reach the steps Higurashi Shrine. "This is home." She starts to trek up the steps.
"How many steps are there?" Suichi asks as he tries to keep up with her.
"42." They finally reach the top. "There's the house." Kagome points to the building on the right. "Then there's the Shrine and the museum."
"Do a lot of people come to visit?" He inquires.
"Yes. My friends and I run it. We're open on the weekends and Friday afternoons. So I'll be working while you're moving your stuff. I'll be in to cook supper at 6:30." Kagome leads him to the house, shows him around downstairs and takes him to his new room. "I have to go get ready for work; you'll be alright by yourself, yes?"
"Yes."
"Good." She runs off down the hall.
-She seems a lot nicer then when she almost slapped me earlier.- Suichi thinks to himself.
-/She thought you were a girl./- A voice taunts in his mind.
-So glad you were amused Hiei. Why did you follow me here?-
-/I wanted to know where you were moving to./-
Suddenly there is a scream from down the hall, jolting Suichi out of his mind conversation with Hiei. "Kagome!" He runs out of his room and down the hall in concern.
"Get out! Get out NOW!" Kagome fumes. Suichi runs in to find a pissed off Kagome yelling at a boy with short dark hair and eyes who's apparently climbed through her window. "I told you no! NO Hojo! NO!"
"But Kagome!" The boy whines. "You never answer the door anymore when I come. The only option you left me was your window."
"I said NO! GO AWAY!"
"I won't!" Hojo moves to grab Kagome, but Suichi cuts in, stepping in front of Kagome and pushing Hojo across the room. "Who are you?!"
"A friend." Suichi states, glaring at the boy.
"She never lets a man in her house! How the hell did you get in!?"
"I walked through the front door. Now I suggest you leave because you are upsetting Kagome."
"Kagome!" A voice calls from outside. "Where are you- wait a minute… I sense a disturbance." Without warning Hojo is ripped back and yanked through the window. "You're not supposed to be here." The voice growls.
"Shorin! What are you doing up here?" Kagome talks to the person who just pulled Hojo out of her room.
"You're 6 minutes late to work and you're never late. I figured something was wrong. We'll take care of him, you get ready for work." The voice orders.
"Are you alright Kagome? Suichi asks in concern.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks for helping me."
"You're welcome. Who were those people?"
"Well the one you threw was Hojo. He goes to my school and he hasn't left me alone since we met 3 years ago. He's the most popular guy in class but I don't want to be his girlfriend. Shorin you'll meet later along with his twin Corin and my sister Nora. They'll be joining us for supper after work."
"I didn't see a room for your sister when you showed me around the house. Does she live somewhere else?" Suichi inquires.
"She lives downstairs, in the basement. She only comes up to raid my kitchen. Other then that she has everything she needs downstairs. And there's a small dojo on the other side of the museum, that's where Nora works. The twins work with me. They're samurai."
"What are you?"
"I am a priestess. Now I'd like to finish changing and get to work. So if you don't mind, I'll see you at supper."
"Oh yeah, sure. I'll just go… unpack." Suichi quickly walks out of the room.
Several hours later, at supper time, Kagome walks into the house. She stops when she smells something coming from the kitchen. "There's someone in my kitchen!" she rushes through the dining hall and into the kitchen.
"Hello Kagome, how was work?" Suichi turns to see a concerned Kagome dressed in priestess garb.
"You're in my kitchen!"
"Yeah, I thought I'd cook dinner since you're letting me stay here. Don't worry, I haven't burnt anything." He tries to calm her down.
"There's a guy in my kitchen!" She panics. "Cooking!"
"I take it this is a first for you. I promise I won't ruin your nice kitchen or burn anything. Just go sit in the dining room and let me take care of dinner." Suichi steers her out of the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Suichi walks out of the kitchen with dinner. He sets a big bowl of spaghetti down along with sauce, meatballs, sausage, butter and cheese. "So you never answered me, Kagome. How was work today?" Suichi takes a seat next to Kagome.
"Fine." She squeaks.
"Is something wrong?" He asks, concerned.
"Oh she's fine!" A girl in a white gi with short dirty blonde hair and blue eyes waves dismissively from across the table. "You just messed up her schedule."
"What schedule?"
"How about you give me your name, I'll give you mine, and then you can ask questions."
"Suichi Minamino."
"Nora Rave."
"Kagome said you were sisters, why do you have different names?"
"Well you see, if we were both named Kagome we might get confused of whether or not someone was looking for her or me."
"He meant last name you smartass." A boy with short black hair and green eyes wearing a black yukata elbows Nora.
"That's what I am." Nora grins.
"Oh yeah?"
"YEAH!"
The boy reaches over and shoves Nora's face in her plate full of spaghetti and sauce. "You fail!"