Like Salt to Sugar by Chiaztolite

The Shop

The shop had been empty for months.

Every time Kagome passed it on her way back to the village from Sesshōmaru's mansion, she stopped and gazed at the two-story structure that stood abandoned in the middle of the bustling town. She wondered why the Lord of the Western Lands let the lovely-looking shop empty in his domain when he could lease it for income. Sometimes, Kagome would walk in and look around, wondering why no one had ever offered to take it off his hands.

Perhaps someone had, yet said Lord refused to give a tenancy.

Today was one of those days Kagome was feeling curious. Today's lesson at the mansion had finished sooner than usual. Rin had asked to be excused early so that she and Kohaku could go to the neighbouring town to attend a festival together. Since Sesshōmaru had given them his blessing, Kagome saw no reason to refuse and had agreed to end their daily lesson early.

The sun had begun to dip below the horizon when Kagome made her way down the bustling main road of Sesshōmaru's town. Although the other merchant buildings on the street were abuzz with activity, this lone shop seemed to blend into its surroundings like a chameleon. Its white-washed walls were utterly overgrown by wisteria vines — the fresh, cascading purple blooms barely opened in the early spring days. Clusters of coral and fuchsia hyacinths lined the crumbling stone path that curved around overgrown shrubs and up to the latticed wooden front door, their sweet scent lingering in the air.

As usual, the jumble of abandoned architecture and lush, wild blooms attracted her attention, so she walked down the garden path and pushed open the door just to peek inside and imagine what it must have been like in its heyday.