A Time for Changes

Hey, I wanted to say thanks for the reviews. I really love opening up my inbox to find a few there. I’ve also noticed that my hits are going up, so at least I know someone’s reading them other than me! Please review guys I appreciate them a lot.

Oh one more thing: from chapter 2 on, each title is a set of lyrics from one of my favorite songs. I’ll leave the song title at the end for you.

One MORE thing (does that not remind you of Uncle from Jackie Chan?) Anyway. It’s my holiday break right now, so the updates come easily cause I have the free time. But after the second of January I’m back in school, so I hope you all stay faithful and understand when my updates don’t come every other day practically.

‘ _____ ‘ = inner thoughts
“ Dialogue” = speaking

Description: Kagome's college years are getting complicated and just when things seem impossible she finds haven in a small café and its clerk. (Iny/Kagome)

Chapter 4- Blank Stares at Blank Pages


The grocery bag containing the bento lunch Sango requested swung at Kagome’s side in the plastic bag, the constant rustling sound on occasion disrupted her thoughts. The snow had started to thicken, enough that the walkways were covered with a frosty layer but nothing to delay any traffic. This was one of the few times she was grateful she didn’t have a car; snow in this city was hell for commuters. There was still no sketch in sight, and Kagome was starting to get a little worried that she had lost her mojo.

‘Maybe a drawing is too cheesy for him. Or maybe he just doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore and nothing I do will help. Gees, why did that unfold the way it did. I feel so bad.’

She’d walked about half the city by now, with nothing to do and no desire to really go home. Sango would be sleeping for a few more hours. She flipped open her phone and started texting:

--To: Koga-kun MY LOVE (the My Love added personally by Koga)

You awake yet, wolfie?

Continuing to walk as she received her next response, she smiled.

---From: Koga-kun MY LOVE

I am now, woke me up. Need me?

----To: Koga-kun MY LOVE

Need a friend. I’m hungry- wanna do breakfast?

She crossed the street, heading back towards her apartment.

---From: Koga-kun MY LOVE

Come to my place. I’ll make you food. J


It only took Kagome fifteen minutes to get to Koga’s place; they’d passed by it a hundred times, but she’d never gone inside. To her surprise, Koga-kun was downstairs, waiting for her.

“Sorry Kagome-chan, sometimes the doormen don’t believe me when people come to visit, so I wanted to be here personally,” he explained, dressed in a long winter jacket and from what she could see, dark slacks. “Look at you though, you’re face is so pale and your cheeks are so red. You must be freezing.” He opened up his jacket for her and smiled, “Come here, I’ll warm you up.”

Kagome, being one to never refuse hugs, scurried into his warm embrace as he closed the coat around her. He rested his nose against the crown of her hair, taking in her beautiful mixed scent of lilacs, jasmine, and spice. Although the females bathed everyday like Kagome, he found her scent insatiable. He felt her press her head against his chest, holding onto him tightly, but he smelt anxiety on her scent.

“What’s wrong, Kagome?” he asked quietly, stroking the top of her head. It was proper to use suffixes, but he’d known her for so long, that he would drop her suffix when it was something very important to him.

She sighed and allowed him to tighten his grip around her with his one free hand, “I feel like I’m drowning.”

“Come upstairs, you can relax inside where it’s warmer. I’ll take care of you Kagome, I promise.”

Once inside, Koga-kun took her coat and hung it up in the closet. He escorted her to the sofa in the den and promised her a tour after breakfast. His family owned a large penthouse here in the city, taking up two entire floors, at the very top. Their wealth traced back to the feudal eras of Japan, and has followed them since. Koga-kun was set for life, but he still had his own aspirations, something his family had minor conflicts with.

“I’m glad you finally decided to come into my home, you know I’ve been asking you for what, years now?” Koga-kun teased as he poured a cup of coffee for Kagome, knowing she needed one.

She turned on the couch to watch him and smiled, “Well your parents aren’t home, that’s why. Funny, I feel like the girlfriend you’re trying to sneak into the house after hours. I haven’t done that since high school.”

They both laughed, the days if high school seemed very far away, each of them with pleasant memories of places left behind. Koga gently placed the mug in her hand, “Careful, it’s a little hot.” He stood there a moment, watching her sip at her drink, before returning to the kitchen to begin preparations for breakfast. “Shall I surprise you, Kagome-chan? And after breakfast we can have a nice long talk?”

“Thank you, Koga-kun, you’re so good to me.” Koga looked up to see her smiling, with the happy twinkle in her eyes that made him squirm with joy. He left Kagome to her own devices, flipping through the television channels until she found a music station.

“Taishou-san? Taishou-san! Hey! Pay attention, idiot.”

Taishou-san shook his head, looking in front of him at a coffee pot that was angrily overflowing. He cursed and quickly pulled it off the burner, spilling it everywhere. He put down the now empty pot on the counter and went to grab a wet towel, “Fuck.”

“Honestly, Taishou-san, where is your head this morning? You’re usually my most efficient worker,” his boss muttered, running her hand through her hair.

Taishou-san shook his head as he started to mop up the counters, “I’m practically your only worker, slave driver.”

“Hey I heard that,” she chuckled softly, starting on the floor with a mop. “But truthfully, what’s got you so out of it?”

“A fight I had with someone,” he mumbled, throwing the dirty rag into the sink. “Trying to figure out how to apologize. I suck at this shit.”

“You’ll get the chance when the time comes I suppose. If she’s a good person I’m sure she’ll forgive you.” His boss slowly leaned the mop against the counter and headed for the back, “Don’t worry baka, things will work themselves out.”

“Thanks…hey wait how’d you know it was a girl?” But before he got an answer his boss was out of sight.

Taishou-san returned to cleaning the counters. He’d never given a rat’s ass about anyone other than his roommate, and that was just common courtesy at the beginning. Trust was just an issue, feelings, were an issue. The last person he had cared about walked out on him in an abrupt manner, like ripping herself from his grasp like a wound. The bells rang overhead for a new customer. “What can I get for ya?” he asked tiredly, continuing to clean up the coffee that had spilled on the cabinet walls.

“It’s been a while, my InuYasha.”

He jerked his head up and turned around, “Don’t you call me that!” And then he stared. There she stood, the girl who walked away two years ago without a word.

“You seem well, working is a good thing; it teaches you discipline.”

“Fuck you, telling me I need discipline. Where the hell do you come off telling me things like that? You’re the same old bitch, damn it,” Taishou-san growled, throwing his rag on the table in front of her. “What do you want?”

“Coffee, can’t you tell? I did come into a café, InuYasha.”

“Fuck off! You take this high and mighty attitude with me, I know your game!” He pointed a finger at her, feeling anger boil up inside. “This is a small café, you could’ve walked into two Starbucks on the block ahead of us without even noticing this place existed. You came to find me, now what the fuck do you want?”

Her voice remained cool, unwavering, “To see you, and speak with you. I am not here to lecture you.”

“Where did you go, where did you go two years ago?

She smiled, “Get me a large coffee, black, and then I’ll tell you the story.”

“Tada!” Koga smiled ear to ear, sliding a bountiful plate of eggs and bacon with a side of toast in front of Kagome, her eyes widening with surprise. “Sunny side up eggs with a side of bacon, two slices of toast, and if I had orange juice I’d give it to you too.”

Kagome clapped her hands together, “Oh Koga-kun, you really went all out! Thanks so much, I haven’t breakfast made for me since….” She stopped, suddenly thinking of her family and the breakfasts they had together when they were still alive. Her cerulean eyes found his, his azure eyes filled with a small sorrow for her, as he slid down onto the couch next to her. “…Since my mom and dad were alive. Thanks, Koga-kun,” she whispered.

His arm snaked around her and rubbed her shoulder lightly, “If you ever want a home cooked meal just tell me. We have the servants but I did learn to cook a few things so I wouldn’t be hopeless when I moved out on my own.” He gave her shoulder one firm squeeze and nuzzled the top of her head, “Go ahead and eat! Tell me it’s delicious!”

Smiling reassuringly at him she bowed her head, whispering an “ikadekimasu.” Gingerly she used the edge of her fork to break apart a piece of her egg, watching the runny yoke mix over her eggs, the way she liked them. After nibbling slowly, purposely leaving Koga on the edge of seat, she wiped her mouth with her napkin and crossed her arms.

“Well?”

Kagome frowned, looking somewhat like an old monk would, lost in deep soul-searching thought. “Excellent.”

“What?”

“It is absolutely excellent,” she repeated, grinning at him and elbowing his side. “Come on Koga-kun, snap out of it, it’s absolutely amazing.”

Koga-kun laughed lightly, “You always knew how to lead me on, you silly. What would you like to do the rest of the day?” He was watching her eat, but couldn’t help but ask her questions. His eyes never left her frame, taking in every moment; every strand of raven hair that moved, ever muscle that formed her smile, every time that she blinked.

“I need to draw, or find a new home, one of those two,” Kagome-Chan muttered between mouthfuls. “I have class in a few hours and work into the evening.”

“How about I start getting you the basics for house hunting, you just sit there and draw whatever you feel like.” He stroked the side of her face as she looked up at him, a piece of toast hanging from her gracious smile.

Koga-kun rose from the couch and walked to his office. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure if he could even help Kagome-chan. Her financial background was meek, only due to those tragic circumstances; she worked so hard just to keep herself afloat with Sango’s help, he wasn’t sure what she’d do to sustain herself. She might try and pick up a second job, but Koga-kun was sure she’d stretch herself too far and not ask for help. Though she practically couldn’t, not with the lovebirds’ only thinking about themselves. ‘If she was my woman, I’d take care of her forever.’

Kagome stared down at the empty plate in front of her, ‘I didn’t meant to eat that quickly, Koga-kun’s going to think I starve.’ She wiped her mouth with her napkin and sat back on the couch. ‘Draw. Always draw. Draw what? What can I say to apologize for Taishou-san?’

After finding her bag and securing a sketchpad she sat down by the window, gazing out at the skyline. The city was now in full swing, people moving up and down the streets at their hazardous paces. Slowly, her pencil outlines the city, each building one by the one. It only took her about half an hour to have a rough sketch of the city, the sunlight hitting the tops of the buildings, and tiny specks below to represent the people. But then, something stuck out on the page; one building, to the back and far left, looked prehistoric, as if generations behind Tokyo’s technology. Once her eyes connected with this building, something happened. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, like a dagger slowly slicing down. ‘What is this pain? I can feel my heart beating faster, like I’m danger, but no one is here. Of course no one is here but Koga-kun. What…’

“Great picture, Kagome-chan.” Her reaction was not one he’d expect when he gave a compliment. ‘Her eyes look like she’s seen a ghost…’ “Neh, Kagome-chan, what’s wrong?” She shook her head and stood up, Koga-kun wrapped his arms around her and pressed her back into his chest. “Are you sick?”

“No, Koga-kun, I’m not.” She looked up at him, trying to seem reassuring, but couldn’t hold down her own concern, “I just… got this bad feeling all of a sudden.”

“Bad feeling?”

She nodded and squeezed her hands against his, “I was just drawing and I got this pang in my chest, this unbearable hurt I’ve never felt before.”

“Would you like me to escort you to a doctor’s office?”

She shook her head, “No. I’m okay now.” A small silence appeared until finally she spoke again, “Koga?”

No honorifics, he stiffened slightly and locked his eyes on hers, “Yes, Kagome-chan?” ‘It’s too soon for me not to use honorifics, I have to, wait…’

“Can you hold me like this, just a little while longer?” there was blush on her cheeks but the fear was still in her eyes. “Please, Koga?”

His heart swelled with pride and happiness as he squeezed her harder and allowed her to tilt her head back so it rested on his chest. “Kagome-chan, I will stay here until the end of eternity, if that is what you desire.”

What the hell had just happened? Taishou-san was still trying to grasp what the two had just spoken about. He was now sitting on Kagome-chan’s favorite yellow couch, sipping a cup of tea, suddenly declaring that he was on break. No one objected, he was the only one there, after all. But seriously, what the hell?

‘She’s been gone for two years and she suddenly comes waltzing in! I thought, I thought I’d gotten past it enough. But once she stood there in front of me, that beautiful black hair, the porcelain skin, I couldn’t say anything but anger. I couldn’t even tell her how happy I was to see her.’

Their conversation had been brief; she had to return to her home to unpack. She’d spent the past two years overseas, helping with medical research for the United Nations. Her job was to channel miko powers to medicine, and find connections between youkai saliva and modern medicine. Taishou-san didn’t buy it.

‘If it was just for work she would have told me, at least indicated she was leaving. But no, she just up and left. I don’t buy it, but still…I can’t help but feel like, something’s being hidden.’

The bells jingled above the doorframe, “Oye, InuYasha, what are you doing, not working?”

InuYasha turned his head and smiled, fang showing, “Stupid Monk, what are you doing here? And I’m on break, bastard.”

Miroku slid onto the couch beside his best friend and smiled, picking up some sugar packets to play with in his hands. “We haven’t spent a night together in a while, though I admit I am to blame for that. I’ve been so caught up spending my time with my Sango, that I forgot that I was leaving you too, InuYasha. So tonight we shall eat like kings, what do you think?”

“I love guilt, it makes you pay for things. Of course I’m in. Though, there’s something I have to tell you, Miroku.” InuYasha could see Miroku leaning in, prepared to hear a juicy secret that tantalized his imagination. InuYasha instead, shook his head, “No, not here. I’ll tell you when I get home later.”

“How cruel you are, InuYasha, leading a man on just to drop him coldly on his rump.” Miroku feigned drama and then smiled, “It must be serious, if you want no one else listening.”

“Hide all the china from me, I might feel like punching something. My ego and bank account can’t take all that damage,” InuYasha chuckled.

Kagome’s classes were brief and direct, each instructed to paint some still life of a bowl of fruit. It was a simple task because the professor was out today. The mechanics were so simple and mundane that her mind wandered elsewhere; back to that overwhelming ache in her heart. It had dulled a little, but still remained throbbing. Kagome just knew something was wrong.

“Kagome-chan, what on earth are you drawing?”

Startled, Kagome-chan jerked her head up to look at the artist beside her, a friend named Ayame. Ayame’s face, one of clear confusion, pointed at Kagome’s easel. It had started out as a bowl of fruit, she swore it had, but now in front of her, was a painting of a bloodied hand, trapped under something of dark chocolate color, but unidentifiable.

“I….” Kagome-chan didn’t know what to think, but that pain in her chest was rebuilding itself, making her most uneasy.

She felt Ayame’s hand on her shoulder, “Kagome-chan…you’re very pale.”

Kagome stood and grabbed the painting and with no other words or explanations she ran out of the class. Something was wrong and Kagome knew it. At Koga-kun’s apartment she couldn’t stop drawing other cryptic paintings that even put Koga-kun on edge. Nothing was adding up. Her feet took her faster than she knew she could, running through the city, brushing up against people without any apologies. She just wanted to be home, in her home, hiding. No one was after her life, it was nothing like that, but she feared this pain. It felt like her heart was being ripped apart from the inside. The last time she’d felt this…the pain was unbearable. To the people on the street she probably looked like a mad-woman, sketches and paintings bunched under her arms, raven hair whipping behind her, cerulean eyes wide and chaotic.

In record-breaking time she’d made it to her apartment, climbed the six flights of stairs without say hi to her friends and fellow neighbors. She reached her door and let out a sigh of relief, then touched the knob. Locked. No blue ribbon, thankfully, but locked, meaning Sango-chan must’ve left for her classes. Kagome began to dig through her purse, dropping all the art on the floor.

~_~_~ A Few Minutes Earlier….

Taishou-san had arrived home from work with a long sigh, “I swear Miroku, I’m the only one who works at that place. I’m serious. I feel like no one ever comes in but my replacement, but I never actually speak to him. I think it’s a figment of my imagination.”

Miroku laughed from his room, coming out rubbing his damp hair with a towel. “InuYasha, you think too much, you know? Hurry up and take a shower, I want to be out of here before I die of hunger. Oh, we need groceries too. I know you can live on ramen and grilled cheese the rest of your life, I however, cannot.”

“Shut up, bastard. We’ll go shopping after dinner, sheesh. I just got paid today too, I know it’s my turn, but no trying to buy some fancy food just cause it’s my week,” InuYasha muttered, pulling off his shoes and coat.

“Oh InuYasha, it hurts me to think you find me malicious and conniving.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.”

InuYasha appeared from the bathroom twenty minutes later, rubbing his ears with the towel. “My ears always hurt from flattening them everyday. I wish there was a spell I could use just to conceal them.”

“Alas, I think it’s because you’re a hanyou, right?” Miroku responded ruefully, pouring himself a glass of water. “OH, I almost forgot!” He seemed to perk with a mischievous look in his eye, “What did you need to tell me that had to be so private? Get a date?”

InuYasha shook his head, “No, idiot, I would’ve told you that.” He sank down onto a stool at the counter and sighed, “Kikyo, I saw her today.”

As if to emphasize his shock, Miroku spit the water he was currently sipping across the counter. He quickly got up to get towels, “You’re kidding? Where has she been?”

“Keh, said she’d been overseas working with the United Nations. Stuff about medical engineering, miko healing, demon saliva.”

“You buy that?” Miroku’s voice clearly hinted his own doubt.

“Not at all. If it was that she could’ve told me, I mean I know the UN is involved but she could just say it was for work. I think something else is going on,” InuYasha mumbled, leaning his head on the counter. “But despite that….”

“You’re happy to see her. Those feelings, right?” Miroku looked on sympathetically as he cleaned the table.

“Two years…I thought I was over it.”

“You thought were going to marry her, its okay.”

The two headed to the door, Miroku allowing InuYasha some contemplative silence as they slipped on their shoes and jackets. InuYasha took some time to put on a comfy hat that could conceal his ears without torturing himself. Miroku stepped outside and InuYasha backed out so he could lock the door. As he stepped through the threshold InuYasha hit Miroku, “Oye, what’s the hold up?”

“Kagome-chan!”

~_~_~_~Earlier with Kagome.

Kagome began to dig through her purse, dropping all the art on the floor. Once she opened the lips to the purse her phone began to ring, throwing Kagome-Chan off. She felt like she was on the run, and now the phone was ringing. Picking up gingerly, she found she didn’t recognize the number. Was someone after her, was that this feeling, had the yakuza found her?

She flipped the phone open, “H-hello?”

“Is this Miss Higurashi Kagome?” the voice was deep, masculine, and serious.

“H-hai, this is she. Who is this?”

“This is Sergeant Touya Yami.”

Kagome felt herself pale. The army. ‘Souta…’ “What can I do for you, Sergeant-san?”

“Are you by blood relation, the older sister of Cadet Higurashi Souta?”

“H-hai, that’s my little brother. Is, something wrong with him?” Her heart was pumping so fast. The feeling was on full throttle.

“I need you to listen closely to me, Higurashi. Tomorrow, I need you to come down to the local precinct. There, policemen will escort you to my private office. I need you.”

“What do you need me for?”

“I need you to confirm the identity of this body, your brother, Higurashi Souta.”

“W-what?”

“His body is being flown in as we speak.” There was a deep sigh, and now his voice sounded much kinder and sorrow-stricken. “Ma’am, today, there was an explosion. Your brother was trapped under the rubble. It took our search teams three hours to find your brother in the debris, and by then, he had already passed on. I am very, very sorry, Miss Higurashi.” Kagome said nothing. “I will explain in detail tomorrow. I’m sorry.” With that, the phone cut out.

‘No….No, this can’t be…’

Gravity took her knees back to the floor. Her body was trembling; she couldn’t even stop herself when she tried. The phone fell to the floor, clicking away. Her breath broke into pants, one hand covering her mouth, the other gripping the hurt in her chest. It couldn’t be true. Those pictures. All the pictures; the building, the hand, the others; they were all sub-conscious messages to Kagome, a message.

She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but nothing came. ‘Souta….Sango….Koga…help me.’ She didn’t even recognize the voices around her, appearing from the room down the hallway.

“Oye, what’s the hold up?”

“Kagome-chan!”

She felt two hands grab her shoulders, shaking her lightly. Her face was forced up, forced to stare at someone. “M-Miroku…kun…” Kagome managed to get out, her hands shaking erratically as she reached out to grab his shoulders.

“Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan, tell me what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

‘Crying?’ she touched her own face, there they were, furious tears. When had she cried this hard, at her parents’ funeral? No. At the wake? No. The night of the fire? Yes. Running away from her family, abandoning them.

Then it struck Kagome. She would never be able to apologize to Souta. The fight they had, before he left. She’d never get to apologize or tell him how proud she was. Kagome let out a gagged wail as she held onto Miroku, drooping her head away from his gaze.

“Kagome what’s wrong?” Miroku asked again.

Then another hand touched her, a third. It was rough; she felt the edges of the nails stroke the side of her face like a claw. “Kagome-chan…”

‘I…I know that voice…’

“Kagome…look at me.”

‘I…I can’t…I’m drowning…’

She tilted her head up slowly, Miroku backing away to allow his friend to take his place. Miroku looked on in confusion; ‘since when did they know each other?’ InuYasha looked up and Miroku “Looks like dinner is cancelled. Call Sango?”

Her eyes, clouded by tears, could barely make out his form, “T-T-Taishou-san? Wh-what are you-d-doing here?”

InuYasha didn’t answer but instead pulled her into his chest and held her tightly, allowing her to cry louder, “What happened, Kagome-chan?”

She looked up at him. This man knew her. Knew of the Yakuza. He knew more about her than the others did. What was he doing here? He must be a friend with Miroku, which was a strange coincidence.

Kagome took a breath, feeling his arms tighten around her trembling form. She bit her lip, “I don’t…I don’t want to remember.” That was right, the news, she wanted it to vanish from her memory forever. She wanted to pretend he’d come home, wait for letters.

“No, Kagome-chan. Remember. Please, tell me,” he urged, his lips by her ear, whispering to her.

“S-S…” InuYasha, no to her, Taishou-san, was unprepared for what came next.

“Souta’s DEAD!”

Miroku, who had been on the phone, turned to Kagome and InuYasha, mouth agape, “Oh no.”

Her wails grew at the two boys frantically tried to figure out what to do next.

Author's Notes: Blank Stares at Blank Pages. Lyrics from the song "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles