Temporary Home

Summary: Kagome would be the first to tell you that life wasn't easy. She would also tell you that she didn't want it to be. If not for the hard life she had, she wouldn't have the life she did. All thanks to them.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis

Genre: Romance/Drama

Pairing: Kagome (None)

Rated: T

-x-x-x-

'1945, August 9th, at eleven o'two.' Kagome looked at the large square monument, the metal plaque with the inscribed date, and the time of the main element of impact of the Atomic Bomb. Jakotsu stood beside her with Hazue on her other side. Ayame and Sango were taking a photo beside the date inscribed, even asked if Kagome had wanted to join them, but she said 'no.' The spot sent chills down her spine. They had started their first day in Nagasaki by claiming their rooms at the inn and putting away their bags, the most natural part of the day by far. Once that was done, they all met up outside, and their teacher gathered them together, where their journey would take them to the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter. This was where the bomb was dropped.

Kagome sighed and stepped away from the monument. On top was a woman carrying a dead child in her arms. Why anyone would want a selfie here, Kagome turned away and sighed, "should we continue?"

Jakotsu nodded, "yeah, Ayame-Chan, Sango-Chan! Let's keep moving. The other groups have already gone on ahead."

"Hai!"

Hazue took Kagome's hand and gave it a careful squeeze before pulling her off away from the monument. The three behind them kept up as they took in the rows of trees.

"Ahead is the monument that marks the Hypocenter, don't forget, a report on Nagasaki is going to be collected the day after we get back from our trip. Take notes and read the plaques. All the information you can take in, don't skip out on a history lesson."

Sango grinned, "that's no problem for me; I favor history."

"That monolith right there, that's the monument you're talking about?" Ayame asked Jakotsu, who gave a short nod while snapping pictures.

"Just past the monolith, you'll see what's left of the Cathedral."

Sango stepped over to what was left of the Cathedral. "The bomb wiped out a good portion of Nagasaki. It took with it everything that it touched. The Catholic Cathedral of Nagasaki was only one of many buildings to be torn down by this bomb's terror. Still, something was left standing. If you ever travel to Hiroshima, you should look at the Atomic Bomb Dome. It's chilling. Look," raising a hand, Sango ran it over the commemorative mementos left behind by families of Nagasaki.

-x-x-x-

"Why so many steps~!"

Kagome turned back to Ayame, who was a bit behind them. Slowing down a bit, she waited until the redhead caught up before she continued. "Just take your time, the flowers are fully in bloom, it wouldn't be so bad to stop and rest for a few minutes, would it?"

"...tch..."

Ayame pushed herself on while Kagome turned her camera out, facing the city and taking a couple of shots of the view from where they stood on their way to the Peace Fountain. 'Fujiko-Senpai is into photography. I wonder... if he'd like the pictures I'm taking.' She glanced at the screen on her camera, her eyes taking in the scenic view. It was a mix of vibrant and serene. The colors of the flowers that outlined the sky from how high they were above the city, and the soft blue hues of the sky that took up a prominent portion of the picture, she liked it. She wasn't into photography, but... she liked it.

"Oi! You comin'?" Crossing her arms over her chest, Ayame frowned as she looked down at Kagome from where she stood twelve steps ahead.

'Little by little, my world is expanding. Playing by myself, feeling by myself, things like this shouldn't be done alone. I want to share these moments with precious people, precious family, and precious friends.'

Sango reached a hand out and grinned, "we're almost to the top now, Kikumaru-San."

"H-hai!"

'These are little steps,' raising her camera, Kagome pressed the button and listened as the shutters clicked just before taking Sango's hand. The girl was blushing fiercely beside Ayame, who also looked taken back. Just past them, Jakotsu and Hazue were grinning. 'Little steps... and yeah, maybe I'm taking them slowly, but...the imprint being left behind, it'll always be there. Precious memories.' Kagome laughed as she was pulled after her new friends.

There are lessons to be learned when you lose someone you love. When you're young, sometimes, it's harder to see the lessons in the bleak grey of the aching. The first thing you realize, however, is that the five stages of grief do not always happen until you receive your first nudge to 'let go,' and neither do the five stages of grief happen in chronological order. There is no right way to grieve. There is no one answer to hurt. The all-consuming hurt you feel is yours and yours alone, and only when you are ready to open up and share your sorrow, will those around you begin to understand what it is you're feeling. That's why we need friends, family, and precious memories. To ground us and bring us out of the fog of turmoil now heavy in our lives. That's why... these moments... they matter. They really... really matter.

-x-x-x-

Daichi looked out the window of a small bakery, the building filled with the sweet aroma of frosting and glaze, fruit, and chocolate. A whisper from across the room garnered his attention.

"He's so pretty, and he cooks too...Daichi-Senpai, he'd make such a good husband!"

"Shhh~! Hehehe, he'll hear you!"

'I mean...' Daichi sighed, 'I wouldn't have guessed they were trying to be discrete.' Turning his eyes to the sweet in front of him, he spiraled a dollop of buttercream whip atop the cake. Pulling a strawberry from the recently rinsed basket, he picked up the thinly cut tip of melted white chocolate. He rotated the strawberry in his fingers. A line of white chocolate spiraled up and around the red fruit. Then laying it atop the buttercream dollop, he moved onto the next cake and repeated the process. Every Friday, he was able to make his own desert if it passed the owner's expectations. Nothing below his boss's standards would be served at Patisserie Ai.

"How's it coming over here?"

"Almost done," he placed the last strawberry on the last of his cakes and grinned, "how do they look?"

"They look great; now, we will see how the customers like them." Holding a piece of chalk out to Daichi, the owner watched the boy grin before taking the chalk in hand and making his way to their specials board. "When you're done with that sign, get started on restocking the cannoli's, they're ready for fillings."

"Hai!"

Picking up one of the small cakes, he grabbed a fork and left to his office. Delving into the sweet and creamy cake, his eyes widened. "Oh, that's really good. Kid's going to be out baking me soon if I'm not careful."

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Me: Here is chapter 19! Hope you all enjoy it~