A/N: So The Drug Game is my first Inuyasha fic, started writing it in 2009 - and after a decade, I'm going to attempt to complete this project I began so long ago lol. That looks like me revising all the chapters, and then writing a few more so I can bring this to the conclusion it deserves! Whether you're a first-time reader or are revisiting this old friend, I hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters... this goes for all the chapters!

The Drug Game

Chapter 1

The Family Business

Inuyasha's POV

I'm curious… Who's the guy that said drugs are bad? I'd really like to meet the person who persuaded most of the world that taking drugs results in some catastrophic demise. I mean, in reality they're quite helpful. What do you think assists the mentally ill, or assuages an injured person's pain?

Yeah, faith and belief and a little therapy surely have something to do with it, but I can guarantee you one thing: drugs can help a hell of a lot more.

And sadly we live in a greedy fucking world, so everyone can't afford the medical stuff—the crème de la crème. In cases such as those, people like me jump into the picture.

I'm Inuyasha, and I'm a drug dealer.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming to be some twisted Adderall pushing Robin Hood. I'm probably the furthest thing from a Robin Hood you'll meet. I could give two fucks about the people who actually need drugs to benefit their health. My only concern is the money they hand over.

Now, it's not like I just randomly decided one day to start selling drugs. That's far from my situation. It's a family business—I do it because my father, my mother, and my older brother are big names in the drug game. Maybe one of these days I'll make a big name for myself, too.

It all started with my great-grandpa, who began the Takahashi dynasty. He wasn't a rich man at all—barely could afford to put a meal on his kid's table. It wasn't until he met an infamous drug lord, Onigumo, that he got involved. But my great gramps was a vindictive, cold-hearted bastard who'd seen too much cruelty in this world to give a fuck about being kind to anybody.

So, ruthlessly, he killed Onigumo and took control of the game.

Ever since then, the Takahashi family has been revered, feared, and the go-to family for the purest of pure drugs that could take you to that place… That place you go to escape the mundane and transcend reality.

My father got a taste of how the business worked at a young age, back when the Takahashi's were still working for Onigumo. His father, my grandpa, didn't want anything to do with the business, and when he chose to run away, my dad chose to stay, because as soon as he got a glimpse of the money he could have, there was no turning back for him. My great-grandpa wasn't going to let all of his hard work go to waste, either, so he drilled into my father everything he had learned over the years: how to obtain the drugs; how and where to stash them; how to weigh your merchandise; how to interact with all sorts of people and build alliances; how to, most importantly, be devoid of emotion so the money could continue to pile up and so the Takahashi's could take total control.

After my great-grandpa died, about 20 years ago, my father worked ten times as hard to make sure we stayed afloat. He grew the Takahashi clientele to include politicians, celebrities, and the most affluent around, and we quickly became the most powerful family in the game. We truly ran the city.

My mother was in on it, too. Back when my father met her, she was enrolled at Tokyo University as a math major. Tons of wealthy companies scouted her like she was an athlete, offering her well-paid jobs as a personal accountant and financial adviser, but her life took an unexpected turn upon the arrival of my father. She was a real goodie-goodie before him - had never even smelled a joint. But when my father, suave and debonair, came and swept her off of her feet, she couldn't resist him. I was told the first time he showed her marijuana, she almost refused until she decided to do it… just because she loved my father that much.

Only a few classes away from graduating, she dropped out of college her senior year and became the sole accountant for the Takahashi family. We couldn't always trust banks, especially since we knew everything about the people who worked there. My mother seemed perfectly content with her life and tried not to let the drugs bother her… or entice her anymore.

My brother Sesshomaru wouldn't dare smoke or try any of the drugs he sold. Much like my great-grandfather, it was all business and no play for him. He was the perfect businessman - and an even better drug dealer. Now that our father was getting older, Sesshomaru dealt with the high-class business officials who didn't want to taint their name with their unhealthy habit. They made sure to keep our wallets fat.

As for me, I dealt with teens and college kids. They related to me more since I was still in high school, and besides, I was always good company to keep after they bought it. Unlike my brother, I didn't mind smoking a few blunts and getting high. I loved feeling like I was floating on air. Floating away from my family and the business and existing in some far away Narnia where fucked up kids like me could shake their lives for nothing but air.

Being a drug dealer, working side-by-side with Sesshomaru, and carrying on the Takahashi legacy is what they expected me to do when I graduated. Sure, I could go to college and pretend to be free, but my main priority had to be the drug game.

Which wasn't so bad. I mean... I got a lot of chicks... and I loved the chicks. And always having money was nice—if I opted to leave, I'd surely never have access to my hefty trust fund. But I wasn't sure if this was the life I wanted.

Fuck. I didn't even know what I wanted anymore.

"Honey, you're high again, aren't you?"

My mother's question reeled me out of my meandering thoughts.

I slowly glanced up from the big bowl of cereal I was apparently staring into. I hadn't even noticed she was standing there. "No."

She sat across from me and I looked at her with incredulous eyes. It was odd, you know? So many people had these images in their heads about what a drug dealer looks like, and when they thought of the women in the game, they imagined studs getting all the girls, girlfriends being ride or dies for their boyfriends, or the prostitutes they were using... or that chick from that stupid ass show Weeds. You know, the suburban housewife or whatever.

I guess my mom was closest to the latter.

In her collared, white button-down under a pink Ralph Lauren sweater with khaki pants, she appeared to be an average housewife, which was necessary since we lived in such an exclusive neighborhood. She appeared to be the typical soccer mom… but she was so far from that. What did people think when they looked at her? Did they know who she really was?

"Inuyasha, drugs are bad."

I didn't speak, but in my mind I wanted to yell at the blatant hypocrisy of her statement.

"Honey, you really should stop using them. It's just not good for you."

OUR ENTIRE FAMILY'S LEGACY WAS BUILT ON THE BACK OF DRUGS! I wanted to shout, but instead, I stared at the clock over the oven. "School started an hour ago."

She glanced over as well. "Yes, it did. But you're not going until your high goes down. You can barely function right now. I swear I don't want you smoking anymore, okay honey? They call it a gateway drug for a reason, and don't give me that plant excuse! Ah, that's why I came here! Don't forget to make sure you grab the package your father put in the red backpack before you leave. You know what to do: make your usual rounds, be sure they buy everything they requested. Your brother weighed it already, so you don't have to worry about that, not that you'd be able to right now. Go drink some water so you can go to school." She leaned across the table and kissed my cheek with a loving grin. "Love you, honey!"

Her contradictory words baffled me. Her ditzy behavior confused me, too. She wasn't a ditz. She was a fucking genius.

My mother left me sitting there, my body feeling as if it were teeming from the weed I smoked earlier. "I've got to get out of this backward house," I mumbled in disbelief, standing up and going to my room. I grabbed the backpack my mother spoke of and checked inside to make sure all of my product was there. Had the Zoloft, Xanax, ecstasy, stimulants, and of course the marijuana, which was all that I was allowed to sell at the moment. Sesshomaru dealt the heavier, more addictive drugs.

He's the one who could feel no remorse for doing that to people… I wasn't quite there yet.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out while rubbing bloodshot eyes. "What's up?"

"Hey Yash. It's Miroku, man."

"What's up?" I repeated.

"Got some people lined up, wondering where you are, bro."

"I'm on my way. Gotta get my head on straight, though."

"Yeah, I understand. See you here in a bit. I'll tell these hungry fiends to chill out til you arrive," He said with a laugh before hanging up the phone. Miroku was my right-hand man. His great-grandfather was a close friend and an employee of sorts to my great-grandfather. Now Miroku was fulfilling the role that his father and grandfather refused—they didn't like the drug game, and neither did Miroku, really. He just loved the money and girls that it got him, liked it way more than I did.

I zipped the red backpack up and rushed down the stairs and out to the garage, where I hopped in the black Hummer and took my time to school. This was what I liked about smoking the most… It relaxed my mind and gave me time to think about everything… about my purpose in this world.

I mean, seriously, what was I doing here? Is my purpose on Earth to sell weed? I didn't like taking advantage of people's addiction… but it kept food on my table, and it was a family business. I grew up learning that everything we did was for the family. I couldn't abandon them for my own hopes and dreams, whatever those are.

I'd pay the price for that.

I pulled into my usual spot and sat there quietly for a long moment. Finally, I grabbed my backpack and jumped out of the car. As soon as I did, a skittish little ninth grader rushed to my side. "Hey, Inuyasha! I heard you sell something for anxiety. Can I get a hook up?"

I glared at him fiercely. "Did you seriously just approach me in public like you don't have any fucking sense?" I asked calmly.

Fear replaced his eagerness. "S-sorry. I… I-I don't really know how this works. I-I have a test next period and I need to calm my nerves a little. I've gotta get a good grade."

"And I'm unaware of when that became my problem," I said sarcastically, brushing by the little kid and heading up to the school building. The hallways were bustling with movement, and everyone looked at me as I entered.

"Hey Yasha," s girl said seductively, bringing a much-needed smile to my face. She took this as a cue to sidle up beside me. "Baby, I've been thinking about you ever since you took me for that ride."

I tried not to cringe at her calling me baby. It sounded disgusting rolling off her tongue. Instead, I opted for a cocky smirk. "Huh, you liked riding, didn't you?"

She bit her lip. "I'd like to ride again if you'd let me."

I looked down at her and noticed she was wearing the diamond stud earrings that I gave her after the wild night we had. I loved to see my conquests wearing the shit I got for them. "They look good on you."

Her eyes brightened at the mention of her earrings. "It's your good taste, Yasha." She leaned forward and tried to kiss my cheek, but I pulled away. She knew I wasn't with PDA. Quickly, she mumbled, "Sorry."

"It's alright, it's alright," I assured, sliding my hand to rest on the small of her back. "Why don't you meet me in the abandoned gym in like fifteen minutes? I've got to run a few errands, and I'll be right there."

"Sure." She smiled happily and rushed over to her friends, who squealed with joy.

"My man. Always getting girls whenever you need them." Miroku appeared beside me, and I pounded fists with him.

"Yep, gotta get it in and then get out," I said with a laugh. "Guess who I learned that from?"

He laughed and exclaimed with a clap on my shoulder, "I taught you well, my boy!" We shared a laugh before he leaned against the locker and looked around. His voice dropped as the mood shifted. It was time to talk business. "So you know that lawyer Don Sato? Well, his son approached me earlier today and is willing to drop major cash to get some of that good stuff Sesshomaru's wielding. I acted like I didn't have a clue what he was talking about, of course, because I don't know if we can trust him."

"Thanks bro. I'll hit up Sesshomaru about that. I'm bout to go to Principal Myouga to deliver his treats. I got high with him in his office once… that man is crazy, and not in a fun way, either. He is literally out of his mind."

"Dude, he's like that before he smokes pot," Miroku said with a laugh before pushing himself off of the locker. "Catch you later, man!"

I made my way to Principal Myouga's office. The secretary knew exactly what was going on whenever I visited the principal, but she didn't say anything, primarily because I knew her little secret. She was cheating on her husband with a client of mine who happened to be a student at the school. If she snitched, my family could ruin her and easily put her in jail. She knew this all too well after my father paid her a visit.

"Hey, Myouga," I said as I walked into the office. "What's going on?"

He looked up from his computer and shook his shoulders as if hyping himself up for the herb I was delivering. "Hey Inuyasha. I noticed that your physics grade has gotten really low. You're on the brink of getting an F."

"And you're on the brink of not paying me," I retaliated. "Besides, I thought my grades were a freebie if I provided you with these goods."

I dropped my backpack on his desk and handed him a dime. As he sniffed it, he said, "Yeah, well Mr. Yoto isn't pro-drugs, and he doesn't give a shit that you're selling to me because he doesn't know! And since he's not buying from you, he is going to grade you fairly. So either you need to cheat or not give a damn that you're failing."

Of course I gave a damn. "Then I don't give a damn."

"Cool, cool. Well…" He passed me the money and, after counting it, shoved it into a money bag. "Alright. Let me hide this. Some new student is enrolling today, and her mother's bringing her, so…" He rolled his shoulders back several times while simultaneously rolling his neck around, "I've got to put on my persona!"

"Whatever old man. Catch you when you need a refill." I began to turn the knob on his door but turned back to him. He had his nose in the baggie and was sniffing with a goofy grin on his face. He loved the California kush. "Hey, can't you just change around the grades in the computer after my teachers submit them?"

Myouga scrunched his nose. "I'm old! I'm not computer savvy."

I shook my head, wondering how or why he became a principal. I walked out of his office and headed out of the academic building. I looked at my watch and saw that twenty minutes had passed. I'm sure the girl whose name I could not remember was getting the mats in the gym ready for us.

As I rushed down the steps, I noticed a girl and an older woman walking towards the academic building, both of them laughing pleasantly. The older woman was very attractive, and I was assuming she was the younger one's mother. But the younger one… my God I hadn't seen such an attractive girl in a long time. She had dark ebony hair that fell down her back and the brightest brown eyes that seemed sparkle under the bright sun.

She was heart-wrenchingly beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes away.

When they walked by, she noticed my stare and smiled at me. "Hi." She spoke politely.

I lifted my head in acknowledgment and watched as the two entered the school and disappeared. Damn, was I under a spell?

"Don't start acting like a punk over a girl," I mumbled to myself as I rounded the corner of the school and entered the gym.

"Is that you, Yasha?" The girl said in a sexy tone, making me forget all about the new chick that I had just seen. I was about to get laid. There was no space in my mind for some random girl who happened to perhaps be the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

I shook my head of the thought and found the girl laid out on the mats, clothes already splayed around her. Her naked body was all I needed to distract my mind. Yeah, this is what I should be focused on.

I was disgusted.

Disgusted with her and definitely disgusted with myself.

"You want some more?" She asked as she rolled over and ran her hand down my bare chest. "I can do whatever you want me to."

I shoved her off, stood up, and grabbed my clothes and backpack, heading towards the abandoned locker rooms. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks for the good time."

"S-sure, sure. Whenever. So… baby, do you want me to come to your place today? We can hang out…"

I shot her a look. "No, we can't. And don't call me baby."

The hurt look that came across her face was the same look she shot me last time I had said the exact same thing to her. Why was she even here? "O-okay Inuyasha. I'll catch you later." She mumbled as she pulled her skirt and tank top back on.

I went into the locker room and took a quick shower, not only cleaning my body but an attempt to wash away my guilt over using her time and time again. After getting dressed, I was halfway tempted to light up, but knew I couldn't smoke what was meant to be sold. With a shake of my head, I rushed back out of the gym just as someone was trying to enter.

It was the innocent-eyed girl I saw from earlier. What was she doing back here?

"H-hi!" She said with a laugh. "It's you! The boy from earlier."

I couldn't help but smile at her. Her laugh was infectious. "Yeah, it's me."

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Inuyasha." Why did I sound so eager to answer? Whose voice was that? Couldn't be mine.

"Hi, Inuyasha. I'm Kagome." She held out her hand and I shook it uncertainly. Did girls often offer to shake hands or was I really that old-fashioned? Maybe I was just used to girls throwing themselves at me.

"Kagome. What're you doing back here?"

She looked at a piece of paper. "Well, my schedule says that I have gym this period, and when I came in I saw this building with 'Gymnasium' written across it so I assumed this is where my class would be." She glanced inside. "I guess I was wrong, huh?"

I laughed. "Yeah, a little off. It's been abandoned for about fifteen years now."

"Ah, well that doesn't help your case much." She smirked. "What're you doing out here?"

"Honestly?" I said, and she nodded her head with that sweet smile of hers. "This gym is a common hookup spot."

A knowing look crossed her face. "Ah, I see. So you were back here hooking up with some innocent girl, huh?"

"Ha. She wasn't so innocent, Kagome."

She laughed, and I was happy that she wasn't some judgmental girl who thought she was above what I had just done. "Well, I hope you had fun."

"I've had better days," I admitted.

She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels, unsure of what to say. That's more like it, I told myself. Speechless was something I came to expect from the girls I talked to. "Well, I guess I'll go find my way to my next class. It was nice talking to you though, Inuyasha."

What happened next was something I didn't expect from myself...

"Hey, I actually take gym next period. I usually don't go, but I can make an exception if I'm helping you out." I told her while thinking, What the hell am I doing?

"Ah, you don't have to if you weren't going… but I'd really appreciate that."

"Sure, no problem." I began to lead her back towards the academic building, opting to take the longer route so I could spend more time with her. She seemed interesting though she had spoken nothing of herself. "So what grade are you in?"

Please don't let her be a freshman. "I am a junior." Yes! "What about you?"

"Senior. Almost out of this hellhole."

"Congrats," she said sweetly. "I know you're excited. You know, I would ask what college you're going to or what your plans are after graduation, but I understand how annoying that gets. My friend is a senior and she told me that she hates it when people constantly ask you what your next step is."

I laughed. "Yeah, it gets a bit tiring, but I'll tell you. I'll probably go to Tokyo University, but I may not go to college at all. Not sure if it's for me or not yet."

"I've heard that it's not for everybody… It's for me, definitely."

"Is it?"

"It definitely is. I've got to get away from home," she admitted, looking up at me with those beautiful eyes. "I love my mom and my little brother with all of my heart, but… I'm trapped, you know? I want to spread my wings and be myself."

"You don't think you know who you are?"

"I know I don't," she answered, a humorless laugh escaping her lips. "I know I don't."

"Do any of us, really?" I joined in. Shit, I was still kind of high, so I could only hope that I wouldn't start spewing conspiracy theories. "I mean, my family has these expectations of me, you know? They want me to be somebody that I'm not sure I want to be… and why the fuck am I telling you this?"

She laughed and stopped walking, looking up at me with furrowed brows. "I was wondering the same thing, except in reverse. I mean, I was curious as to why I was telling you stuff."

"Weeeird." I said, stretching the word for emphasis and raising an eyebrow with pursed lips jokingly.

"Yes, very peculiar." She copied my face and we laughed, picking up our pace again. "But, I must say, I've never felt so comfortable talking to someone in a very long time."

I was quiet for a long moment before I looked down at her. "Yeah, me too."

Kagome opened the double doors we were approaching, and she laughed when she realized where we were. "Inuyasha, we could've just walked from the old gym to the new one. They're right beside each other."

I grinned. "I wanted to spend more time with you."

She shook her head. "Well, I'm glad you did. It was nice getting to know you." She rubbed her hands together before waving. "Catch you later?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kagome walked over to the gym teacher, who guided her to the locker room.

"And you're staring after the new girl," someone said from beside me.

I looked up to see Miroku grinning at me. "Yeah, I am."

"She's hot as hell. Damn, I haven't seen a body like that in a long time."

"And it's covered up, too!" I added, and we both laughed before I cringed. I hated how I went into this default mode with Miroku, but that's what I was supposed to do, right? Ogle girls? Be wildly inappropriate? Be a man's man?

"Mm, when you're finished, I'll be glad to take your leftovers." Miroku patted my back before he went off towards some random chick and the two engaged in the typical flirting ritual that seemed to constantly take place.

But my interaction with Kagome seemed... different. Didn't feel performative the way my interactions with everyone else in my life did...

"Psst. Inuyasha," someone whispered from under the bleachers. I looked over and saw one of my most reliable customers. I walked underneath when no one was paying attention and there stood Koji, an elite athlete in Tokyo at the moment. He was a really good guy, just a bad student with an eating disorder, which he didn't want his parents to discover. It's why he needed the Vyvanse - to get his grades up and to meet his weight requirements. "What's up bro?"

I pounded fists with the boy and said, "Nothing man. I've got your usual."

"Great. Appreciate this, man. Means a lot."

"Glad to help," I said as I pulled out a prescription bottle with a printed label that the Takahashi's illegal pharmacist printed out for all of our illegal clients. It made the transactions seem more legit. Shaking the bottle so he could hear its contents, I said, "Same price, man."

He handed me the $100 and smiled guiltily. "Thanks." He walked away, his shoulders slightly slumped as if he still couldn't believe he was buying from me even though he'd been doing it for two years now.

I swallowed down my thoughts of regret and sympathy, remembering that I had to refrain from personal emotion. Instead, I walked out from behind the bleachers and stretched my arms wide, releasing all the tension that I felt building in my shoulders and neck.

Damn, I needed some weed.

I watched Kagome walk out of the gym in the uniform.

In the oversized shirt and shorts combo, she was simply gorgeous.

She looked around and caught my eye. Most girls bashfully looked away but she just stared back, a friendly smile coming onto her face. Just as she took a step in my direction, however, Sango stopped her and began a conversation, the two quickly becoming engrossed in whatever they were discussing. Kagome was making friends easily, something that I could never do. Between the girls flinging themselves at me, and the majority of folks generally fearing me, it was difficult.

I watched as she interacted with Sango, and felt the tension in my neck and shoulders slightly release.

Was Kagome my new drug?

I shook out my arms, hating that these thoughts were so abruptly running rampant in my head. I turned around and walked out of the gym. I was only there because I wanted to see Kagome, which was bizarre to me. I'd never felt this way about a girl, especially one as cool and layback and perhaps innocuous as Kagome. She probably wouldn't understand my life… my future career.

I surely didn't want her to find out about it.

Hell, keeping my distance from her was probably the best thing to do. If I got close and she found out about my family business, then she'd probably leave me. And I wasn't the kind of person who took abandonment very well. So I avoided it at all costs.

As I strolled down the hallway, backpack slung over my shoulder, I knew that forgetting Kagome was a necessity for my sanity.

A/N: So this is the revised Chapter 1. Removed a lot of antiquated ideas that have no place in this story lol. But I can only do so much. SO if you're still engaging with this content, please still review and offer feedback. It's always appreciated, even if it's years after the publication date :). Thanks!