Traditional Encounters by kaoruhana
Traditional Encounters
Kagome sighed as she walked down the shrine steps in her furisode- the long sleeves billowing down and getting in her way. It was a family heirloom- treasured and passed down in the family since the Meiji Era and it had been worn by all women in her family during their Seijin-shiki or coming of age ceremony. She was proud to be wearing it but at the same time, she had forgotten how annoying the sleeves of a furisode were. The pine green kimono was beautiful and had an intricate pattern of camellias and peonies on the hem and sleeves with a shiny tan obi. She had fantasized about the kimono as a child and now that she was wearing it, she knew that her admiration for the furisode reached new heights. The kimono may have been annoying but seeing her grandfather’s smile, her mother’s tears, and knowing that she was finally able to represent her family in one of the few ways she knew made her intensely proud. Head up, she flashed them a brilliant smile as she finally made it to the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh Kagome!” Her mother stated unable to keep her tears in. “I’m so proud of you!”
Her mother wasn’t just referring to the fact that Kagome was wearing her coming of age ceremony kimono but also about Kagome’s entrance into the elite archery competition at Sanjusagen-do in Kyoto. The temple was highly regarded for its historical treasures and its elite archery competition, the Toshiya, a competition that was highly prized in Japan today. To be invited to participate was amazing in and of itself and this year it was more interesting because Kagome would be the first miko to compete in the competition in nearly fifteen years. It had been a while since the shrine maidens in Japan had taken interest in their history and culture. The newer generation was more interested in the western traditions.
“Thank you mama.” Kagome stated reaching forward, albeit awkwardly, to give her mother a hug. Her mother just smiled and brought her daughter forward into a tight embrace.
“I love you dear. May the kamis bless you with luck today.” Kagome nodded, grateful for her mother’s sage advice and loving heart before she turned to her grandfather. She wasn’t too happy that he had been the one who wanted to accompany her since he was after all the oldest in the family and she was catching the six am train to make it to Kyoto on time. She didn’t want to tire him so much. But he had insisted on going and knowing how much it meant to him that she was going to the Toshiya, Kagome had finally consented.
“Are you ready Grandpa?” The old man nodded giving his daughter-in law a curt kiss on the forehead before walking down the street.
“Come on Kagome!” He called out. “We have to still catch that train!”
Two hours later Kagome looked out the window at the passing scenery finding it to hold much better interest than her school textbook. Just because she had been selected to represent her University in the National Seven Universities Archery squad of the archery challenge didn’t mean her law school degree was going to earn itself. She was also rather tired of all the looks she was getting. Yes, it was common to see young women wear furisode today but it wasn’t at all common for them to be travelling on trains or have a duffle bag next to them. One would possibly think she was running away. The scenery was changing rapidly and Kagome realized they were going to enter the station. Carefully marking her place in her book, she woke up her grandfather and took a long glance at the cityscape outside the window. She could do this, she thought, steeling herself mentally for the challenge that was to come.
A while later, she found herself on a train platform gingerly leading her grandfather up the stairs. He slapped her hand away and, as the early morning commuters watched, climbed up the stairs himself. Walking outside, the duo noticed the abundance of Taxi’s nearby and waved one over. She let her grandfather in first before following him and speaking with the driver.
“Sanjusagen-do, please.” The man nodded eyeing her clothes for a moment before he began to drive. He had driven many girls to the competition in the past but this was the first he had ever driven the day of the competition. She was still early- the competition didn’t commence till ten and she had a good hour and a half to go but she was pushing it.
“Are you a participant in the Toshiya?” He asked hoping that his guess was accurate. At her nod, he continued. “Which squad are you competing in?” He asked as he maneuvered them through the streets.
“The Seven Universities one.” The man raised an eyebrow, the girl rising in his respect. Years of working by the train station had attuned him to the schedules of the incoming trains. He knew that the Tokyo-Kyoto train was the only one to arrive that morning at this particular time. This meant that the girl went to Toudai which was amazing in and of itself since it was such a prestigious and competitive college. He didn’t say anything else as they drove, only wishing her good luck when he dropped them off at the temple and took his fare.
Kagome walked up the temple steps, this time taking the arm of her grandfather even if he did protest and walked onto the temple’s grounds. They had entered on the northern pavilion as a sign indicated and there was a table nearby with a young woman. A banner behind the table stated that this was the registration table and so Kagome made her way over with her grandpa in tow.
“Hello, I’m here to register for the Toshiya.” She stated upon reaching the table. The young woman nodded before asking for her name and squad. When she was given it, she then moved on to write down Kagome’s information- her age, her affiliations to any schools, etc. After recording the information, she pointed Kagome down a walkway to the west side of the temple where her archery competition was being held. Nodding, Kagome walked away squaring her shoulders as she did so. She had made it this far, she wasn’t going to back down now.
The west side of the temple was set apart from the main hall by a veranda and as she walked by Kagome saw some of the kannon statues that composed the majority of the main hall. Her grandfather looked on fondly and she knew he wanted to visit the hall before he left. Touching his arm gently, she promised him that they would do so and together they left for the archery competition. The west side was chosen for its relative space- it formed the end of an open courtyard and lead to a forest beyond. Since the temple was built on the side of a mountain it only made sense to preserve as much of the natural landscape as possible. The western pavilion was teeming with people compared to the relative silence of the other areas of the temple; spectators had been seated along the sides of the courtyard while the archers were huddled together in the back. Nearby, Kagome saw a T.V. Cameraman ready to shoot and broadcast the Toshiya to audiences all over Japan. Her mother was relying on that man to see her today. With a quick goodbye and a loving kiss on the head for good luck, her grandfather scurried away leaving her to join the rest of the archers.
Archery had always been somewhat of an elitist sport in Japan but it wasn’t until recently that the real elitist nature and rather prestigious face of it began to show. Most of the girls Kagome was competing with were dressed in fancy kimonos and furisdoes that spoke of their upper middle or higher class background. Compared to them, Kagome felt out of place in her’s; it wasn’t falling apart but there was a distinct show of wear in the colors and she hoped none of the other girls would notice it. As she neared them, one of the girls turned and greeted Kagome. She was wearing a furisode as well- one that was lavender with darker purple stripes crisscrossing and an array of green butterflies sprinkled about. She had her hair in a side ponytail and was exuberant as she greeted Kagome with a small bow.
“Hello! I am Taisho Rin, and you are?” Kagome let loose a small smile before she bowed back and greeted her. The Taisho name sounded familiar to her but she wasn’t sure why.
“I am Higurashi Kagome. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too! Which division are you competing under? I’m in the division from Kyoto- nothing special but my brother says I am lucky to even be here. I suppose I am but still, I think there are so many people better than me!” Kagome nodded with a smile at her new friend. It was true that over 2,000 girls participated in the ceremony but only 54 really got to compete. The others were just there because they were good at archery and thus could practice to improve their skills or take the spot of someone who was disqualified. There was one girl chosen from every prefecture and one chosen from each of the seven universities. The other girl from Tokyo was a woman named Kikyo Hasegawa who, since she didn’t go to Toudai, was taken to represent the prefecture.
“I’m from Tokyo- Toudai actually.” Kagome answered the exuberant girl as she noticed her grandfather who had taken a seat on the right side of the veranda. Rin nodded and looked as if she was about to speak again when a gong sounded and all noise quickly ceased save for the shuffling of feet as people began to settle into their seats. Once most of the movement had stopped, a young priest stepped up to the center of the courtyard. One of the archers quickly motioned that the girls should look at their numbers and Kagome did so noticing that she had the number four given to her by the receptionist.
“Welcome to the Toshiya for 2013.” The man announced. “On behalf of Sanjusagen-do I hereby commence the 2013 Toshiya to begin.” Applause sounded before it quieted and the man turned to look at the archers.
“This year, we will have nine rounds with six archers competing in each. At the end of the rounds, three more targets will be placed in the courtyard and we will have a final round to determine the winner of the competition. Archers, you have been given numbers 1-54. Will the archers with the first six numbers step up to the line so we may begin.”
Kagome looked around and noticed that a few girls were stepping out of the archery crowd and walking towards a small black line in the courtyard. She followed them, taking up her place when she noticed the number demarcating it and took a deep breath to settle her nerves before she waited for further instruction. Once all the girls were assembled the monk spoke again. He informed them that the first archer to shoot twelve arrows as close as possible to the bulls eye would be deemed the winner of this round and the successive eight that followed it. Nodding to show she understood, Kagome waited for his summons to start and when it was given began to do what she had been trained to do for nearly ten years.
The first arrow was always the hardest to shoot- if you got it right then you knew how to shoot the successive ones, if you misaimed, you would have to keep re-aiming the arrow until you found the perfect angle. As always Kagome murmured a small prayer before she set her arrow free, heaving a quick sigh of relief when she noticed hers had made it into the bulls eye area. And as though the adrenaline from the surrounding community had suddenly found her, she began to fire her next few arrows in rapid succession finishing at the same time that another girl from Osaka did. The others finished moments after but it was noted that the clear winner was either Kagome or Ishida Sakura from Osaka. The judges inspected the location of the arrows and deemed Kagome the winner. Her’s fell into the same relative areas, none going past the first ring after the bulls eye. Sakura however had had one arrow fall in the second ring.
“Higurashi Kagome representing Toudai University in the seven universities division has won this round. Will the next six archers take their places?” Elated and glad that her hard work was paying off Kagome took a step back and went to join the rest of the girls in the back. She chanced a quick look at her grandfather who was looking at her with an ear-splitting grin on his face. Rin gave her a small smile as she passed by and Sakura Ishida nodded to Kagome in a show of respect. Kagome returned both these gestures before looking back out at the next set of archers.
By the time the first nine rounds were over, it was nearing noon and the winners had all been decided. To Kagome’s surprise Rin was one of the competitors, she didn’t understand why Rin would brush off the competition so easily if she was quite skilled. Rin had even made it to the final round! Kikyo Hasegawa had made it as well. As Kagome took her same position for the final round two hours later after lunch she couldn’t help but think she was quite lucky to have made it this far. Even if she didn’t win with such stiff competition, she was glad that she’d been given the chance to compete. After all, she thought all the archers she was competing with were amazing and even with her skill level, she always felt that there were those who were better. Kagome had breezed through the second round earlier, where she competed with eight other girls and came in second place behind Kikyo Hasegawa. Now, she was facing Kikyo and Rin in the final leg- the one that would determine the winner.
A drum, a taiko drum Kagome realized, sounded and indicated that she and the other three participants needed to line themselves with their targets. She’d been given the number three this time and took the position at the far right getting ready and testing the string of her bow. The young priest came forward again and announced the rules for this competition: the first to shoot twelve arrows would win. Once again, Kagome felt that sense of adrenaline and nervousness just as she always did before any competition and at the sound from the priest notched her arrow. A gong sounded and shortly thereafter, Kagome let her first arrow go with a prayer watching and waiting to see if the arrow hit as she wanted. After it did, she let out a breath and then honed her skills shooting the successive eleven arrows successfully. She heard a noise off to her left and noticed something but ignored it to focus on her match as she had been trained to do. When she finally let her arms down, relieved at the weight that was suddenly shed; she finally took note of her surroundings.
The shout she realized had been from Kikyo who had an overzealous fan that caused her to miss an arrow; a surprise to anyone who knew Kikyo as a determined and confident young archer who was known for her prowess in the field and her sharp concentration skills. As a result, Kagome had placed first, Rin second, and Kikyo last. The realization didn’t sink in to many until a series of drumming announced the end of the competition. Kagome along with the rest of the onlookers watched as the young priest who announced the rules walked around with the head priest before they both came to a conclusion regarding this year’s winner. They walked to the center of the courtyard from where they had made their other announcements to make their final and most important one yet.
“Higurashi Kagome, the miko of the Sunset Shrine, representing Tokyo University is this year’s winner of the Toshiya!” Cheers and applause were heard as Kagome walked forward to accept her prize. She took the prize with shaky hands unable to comprehend that it was really her who had won the competition. The faces of the crowd and their exuberant cheers made her proud but at the same time served to embarrass her since she was a modest girl who cared not for these prizes and recognition. The prize was actually a wooden plaque that was empty- it would bear her name and be hung here and a copy would be hung at her family’s shrine in Tokyo To some it seemed mundane and ordinary but to Kagome and all others who followed the sport of archery in Japan it was the most prestigious title to hold and its cultural significance made it not just popular but highly valuable as well. It would help her family’s shrine in Tokyo attracting attention to it and for that, Kagome was grateful. As she looked at the tiny wooden plaque she couldn’t help but smile and thank the kami’s for such a gift. She was a shrine maiden after all and one could take the shrine maiden out of the shrine but never take the shrine out of the shrine maiden.
After Rin and Kikyo had been awarded their second and third place prizes Kagome left to go greet her grandfather but was halted by Rin. The young girl was jumping up and down in joy and excitement. She couldn’t believe that she had made it to second place! When Kagome found her path blocked, she gently asked the younger girl if she needed something.
“I’d like you to meet my brother.” Rin began starting to tug her friend towards his direction. As if sensing Kagome’s partial reluctance, she continued. “And it’s already late- it’s nearing four and the next train to Tokyo doesn’t leave until late at night. Why don’t you spend the night with my brother and I at our house? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind; in fact he was the one who told me to extend the invitation at lunch.” Kagome blinked and let out a small smile.
“I appreciate the offer Rin, but it really depends on my grandfather.” Kagome answered softly. Rin nodded and the two made their way to Kagome’s grandfather where Rin made her request a second time. Her grandfather found himself easily persuaded by the young girl and by the end of Kagome’s tiring day she found herself sitting across from Rin’s brother at their dining table after a guided tour of the temple courtesy of the monks who had organized the Toshiya.
Rin’s brother was a young man named Sesshomaru. He was twenty eight and had taken over as Rin’s sole guardian four years ago when their father and brother had died in a car accident. Sesshomaru had long silver hair and was tall- he towered the other three at dinner easily clearing six feet. Kagome found out that he ran his family’s business currently and that he also funded the museum that had been passed down through three generations of his mother’s family- the museum that he managed and worked for. That easily won her grandfather over and Kagome silently wished it hadn’t. It was embarrassing to be on the end of the old man’s sly glances: Kagome feared that if the dinner didn’t end soon she was going to leave there after being set up on an oimai. That was the last thing she wanted at the moment.
“You are studying law?” The question startled Kagome, especially when she realized it was coming from Sesshomaru. Wondering when the conversation had taken a turn in this direction, she replied.
“Yes, I’m in my final year and will in two months be a certified to practice property law.” Sesshomaru nodded and resumed eating allowing Kagome to do the same. Rin however noticed the way her brother’s eyes glinted for a moment and wondered what that meant. Just what did he have up his sleeve? She didn’t find out however because dinner finished soon after and she had to run to her room afterwards to finish any homework before school the next day.
It was later that night that Kagome snuck out of the room that she shared with her grandfather to attempt to locate the library that had been pointed out to her earlier. She normally slept soundly after hectic days like today but knowing that she had homework to do and that she wanted to learn more about Sesshomaru left her awake. After going down the stairs, Kagome took the left, if she remembered correctly, and opened the first door she saw. Sure enough, it was the library she realized stepping into the room and taking in the rows upon rows of bookshelves. Her eyes also found a table and Sesshomaru who had taken one of the two seats there. He raised an eyebrow at her entrance before his gaze slid down to encompass the books she had in her arms.
“You are welcome to use the extra seat to study.” He indicated pointing to the seat across from him. Thanking him for his offer, Kagome took the seat feeling oddly like a trespasser as she did so. The desk was really a table- the traditional kind with the cushions acting as chairs. There was a table lamp that stood on the left corner bathing the desk in the light needed to study and nothing else. It made the room slightly dark and moody. It was also the perfect lighting for highlighting Sesshomaru’s features, she realized as she paid attention to the shadows falling on her host’s face. With a slight shake of her head, she cracked open her textbook and pulled out her post-it notes. She had at least three chapters to get through by tomorrow and getting distracted by Sesshomaru wasn’t going to help her any on the upcoming quiz Tuesday or her final exams.
An hour later, a tired Sesshomaru looked up from his laptop screen taking a break from the numbing spreadsheets laid out in front of him. He eyed his table mate who seemed engrossed in her work. She was biting her lip in a pout as she attempted to understand the material she was reading. Shaking her head, he watched her scratch out some notes before she wrote again and then sighed. She glanced up suddenly and he quickly averted his eyes trying hard not to get caught.
“Is something the matter?” Kagome asked softly as she set her pen down for a moment. Her hands were aching and she made a grimace as she flexed her fingers. She was going to pay for her note-taking later tomorrow when she had to write up her assignment for her copyright law class.
“You take a lot of notes, is that a particularly hard subject to master?” Kagome looked down at her textbook- this one was on international trade law and this particular chapter had been on the laws and regulations concerning the transfer of international goods that weren’t necessarily trade items such as works of art.
“It’s just a lot of material. My teacher is a bit on the strict side.” She replied knowing that strict barely covered what the man was. She just knew he was going to quiz her on it Tuesday when she next had his class and she sighed looking at the myriad of notes she had made already.
“Ah, what are you covering currently?” Sesshomaru asked reaching for her book. “May I?” He indicated towards the book and only began perusing through it when she acquiesced.
“Regulations about non-tradable goods- basically museum pieces and the like. I’ve gotten most of it down but I’m afraid that the last fifteen pages are about to bore me.” Sesshomaru grinned returning the book to her.
“I don’t blame you. I myself couldn’t care less about the subject if it didn’t revolve around my occupation.”
“That’s right, you run a museum don’t you? What kind of materials are housed in it?” Kagome asked genuinely curious. Sesshomaru smiled as he walked over to a nearby shelf. He pulled down a book and then walked over to stand next to Kagome. She noticed it was a photo album as he opened the cover and pointed out a few pages to her. He was quite proud of the museum she realized as she noticed him point out the pictures. He had long and detailed explanations for all of them and she noticed the tilt to his voice every time he came across a picture he couldn’t talk about but could mention.
“We’ve had these in my mother’s family for centuries; they come from the Sengoku Jidai. You are from the Sunset Shrine right?” Kagome nodded and he continued. “These are artifacts that come from it, apparently we had an ancestor who sought to preserve things the shrine couldn’t.” Kagome was shocked hearing this. Her grandfather had told her over and over that he regretted his grandfather’s idea to sell items off to preserve the shrine grounds. He argued that there was always enough money to help preserve the shrine somehow.
“You should tell this to my grandfather.” Kagome said realizing that she was sitting in the room with the person who was preserving her family’s history. “Thank you for taking such care of the shrine materials.” Sesshomaru shook her off as he thumbed through the pages of the album and came across one photo that he pointed out to her.
“The Higurashi matron who guarded the Shikon no Tama.” Sesshomaru stated watching her eyes light up in recognition. The Shikon no Tama was one of the few items in his family’s collection that he didn’t like to hold. The jewel was supposed to be guarded in the Higurashi Shrine since it was rumored to be powerful spiritually and it was said that only the Higurashi family could contain it’s power.
“Why are you showing me this?” She asked carefully fingering the picture. Part of her wanted to take it back, a larger part than she had ever realized. Still she knew that her family had no more claim over the jewel and so she pushed the book away not wanting to see the one artifact whose loss her grandfather lamented most.
“It’s safe.” Sesshomaru said slowly feeling a little awkward when he noticed the expression on her face. He hadn’t meant to hurt her thought it was obvious that he obviously had. “I’m sorry, did you want to take it back? I do not mind handing it over to its original and rightful owners.” Kagome’s eyes widened as she regarded Sesshomaru closely; his gold eyes were the same as always but they had narrowed slightly as though he was double thinking his words. Reaching out, Kagome gently laid a hand on his arm trying to ease his doubts.
“I appreciate the offer Sesshomaru but really, we gave up our hold over it a long time ago. Plus, it’s safer here anyway.”
“Are you sure?” Sesshomaru still seemed unsure but she shook her head and smiled reassuring him. Finally, he relented and let the matter go taking the album with him and putting it up. A clock chimed somewhere in the corner ringing in midnight causing Kagome to startle. Sesshomaru walked back to the table and gestured to the door.
“Let’s go to bed Kagome. Will you allow me to walk you to the room?” Kagome nodded packing up her books. Sesshomaru grabbed them form her hands before she could and led her out of the room. As he did, he couldn’t help but ask a few more questions. There was something interesting about Kagome beyond the fact that she was from the Higurashi shrine or that she had won the contest. Her archery was commendable. In today’s society, shrine maidens taking up archery was rare. And Kagome obviously had had time to practice which surprised him. Was she part of an archery club?
“Your archery skills are commendable- do you participate in an archery club?” Kagome blushed but nodded.
“Tokyo University’s archery club is who I compete with. We had a competition in the club to see who would go to the Toshiya. I won this year.”
“Ah, then I have to see you in action when I visit Tokyo one day.”
“No!” Kagome’s refusal hung in the air and with a resigned air she tried to make her words sound more polite. “I’m not exactly the star of the club and because we only have five members we generally practice on the shrine grounds. Trust me, it’s not that amazing.” Sesshomaru casually raised an eyebrow as they ascended the stairs.
“I assure you,” he replied depositing her in front of the guest bedroom she was housed in and handing her books back to her, “if your skills are anything to go by, it is definitely worth to stop by and see a practice.” Kagome flushed further under his praise and watched him walk away.
“Sesshomaru,” she called before he disappeared, “Good night.” He smiled back at her, flashing her a grin that made her a little weak-kneed. It made him happy to put a beautiful woman like her in that position.
“Good night Kagome.”
* * * * *
Six months later, Sesshomaru trudged up the stairs of a building he had only heard about in passing and seen in dozens of old photos. When he made it to the top however, he noticed that not a lot had changed. There was still the Goshinboku in the corner with the family home looming behind it and the actual shrine house tucked off to the side somewhere he couldn’t see. He glanced uneasily at the house he was going to visit. Rin had assured him that Kagome knew of their visit but he was still apprehensive about meeting her family. Feeling a tug on his hand, Sesshomaru looked down to see his sister tugging impatiently at his hand. With a smile, he allowed her to lead the way.
Sesshomaru’s first thoughts when the door opened were that Kagome looked beautiful- perhaps even more beautiful since the time she had left Kyoto. He had sent her an e-mail or two in the time that she had returned but it had been Rin who kept contact with her via the phone. And when Rin had mentioned to Kagome about their upcoming Tokyo visit Kagome had extended an invitation to visit her house. He walked inside slipping off his shoes in the genkan. Rin, he noticed, had left to the living room already leaving him and Kagome alone in the entryway.
“Welcome.” Kagome greeted brushing hair behind her ear nervously. “How was your trip?”
“Good.” Sesshomaru hesitated before he added on to the statement. “It is nice to see you again Kagome.” She smiled wide and it placed a warm fuzzy feeling inside his chest. Oh, he knew he liked Kagome, but it was different, much different seeing her responses to his words rather than just imaging them. The imagined Kagome hardly compared to the real thing. He followed her to the living room where Rin was and sat down next to his sister ignoring her speculative look at his tardy entrance.
“Oh Kagome! And you must be Sesshomaru!” An elderly woman with kind brown eyes and slight grey hair greeted him as she poured him a cup of tea that was hot and just brought from the kitchen.
“It is nice to meet you Mrs. Higurashi.” Sesshomaru eyed the other two members of the room. One he recognized as the grandfather, the other he assumed was a sibling of Kagome’s.
“Oh!” Kagome’s exclamation turned a few heads in the living room and she flushed as she finished the introductions. “Sesshomaru, Rin this is my brother Souta. I remember you met grandfather in January.” Sesshomaru inclined his head in a greeting as he took the tea offered him.
“It is nice to see you again.” Kagome’s grandfather murmured eyeing him with the same critical eye that he had when he had visited the Taisho home in Kyoto. “I trust everything is well?” Sesshomaru nodded before answering.
“Yes, we are expanding the museum and I have come here to auction on certain museum items that I can hopefully bring for the new exhibit we want to open.” Kagome’s grandfather nodded eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you looking for new employees by any chance? I know of a few recommendations.” The rest of the Higurashi family reacted harshly to his last statements prompting Sesshomaru to raise an eyebrow.
"Grandfather!” Kagome admonished. “Stop that!” At that statement, Kagome’s mother sighed, Souta rolled his eyes, and her grandfather scoffed. Soon, Sesshomaru and Rin would learn that this was normal for the Higurashi family. Nonetheless, the old man relented and sighed prompting the discussion to move to different matters.
Three days later, as Sesshomaru sat waiting in a café in Ginza for Kagome he mused on his visit to the shrine he had only previously read and presented about. It was a nice trip and at the end of that hour-long visit Sesshomaru found that he rather enjoyed the Higurashi family. Yes, Kagome’s grandfather was still trying to push him and Kagome together but considering that it was the direction that he wanted the relationship to take he wasn’t too worried about him. Souta was interesting, he thought frowning. The man obviously liked Sesshomaru and wanted to get in his good graces. Whatever for, Sesshomaru had no idea. Mrs. Higurashi however, well she just had a knowing smile on his face. He didn’t know how that smile made him uneasy and happy at the same time. It seemed that Mrs. Higurashi saw through him and even for a grown man it was highly disconcerting.
“Sorry I’m late!” Sesshomaru turned his eyes to the voice and couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter to see Kagome. She was wearing a sundress to keep herself cool during the heat and her face was a little flushed from her obvious run here. He shook her apology off and indicated to the seat that was open at the table.
“How have you been? Has Tokyo met your standards?” Sesshomaru scoffed as he took a sip of the cold coffee in his hands.
“Good and I suppose it has in a way. There are some things that I found for the collection. Not as many as I had hoped though.”
“Ah!” A waiter stopped by their table and Kagome quickly gave her order before turning her attention back to Sesshomaru. “So, why don’t you tell me what you called me out for?” Sesshomaru smirked glad that they were finally getting somewhere.
“I remember you mentioning that you still have not found a job correct?” Kagome nodded with narrowed eyes as the waiter came back with her drink. “Well, I suppose I have an offer for you. It would be in Kyoto however, and you would be working as a property lawyer for my museum.”
“Me work for you?” She asked incredulously not able to believe it. She was excited about the offer but at the same time to do so in Kyoto where all she would have were Rin and Sesshomaru for company?
“Well, if it’s okay with you. And-“ he hesitated but then continued deciding to get this over with, “if you don’t mind dating your employer that is.”
“Me?” Kagome choked out carefully looking at Sesshomaru. She had to admit that she did have a crush on Sesshomaru and found him to be a rather nice guy. But dating him? She imagined it, holding his hands, being with him, and found that for once her grandfather’s scheming marriage tactics seemed to be in her favor. Sesshomaru nodded in response to her questions, looking at her head on and she blushed before reaching forward and taking his hand in hers.
“I don’t mind if you don’t mind dating this employee from Tokyo.”
“No I don’t.” Sesshomaru answered leaning forward and sealing their deal with a kiss uncaring of the audience they had. Now if he could only convince her to marry him in the future.