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Hey there and welcome to my new fic, "But a Memory!" I hope you'll enjoy this one as much as I do, it's probably my favorite fic out of all fifty something I have, so ahve fun with it! Yes, this fanfic is rated "M", and I mean it. If it was just swearing and some citrus then iot woulda been "T", but this includes the following: Violence, extremely graphic adult content, adult language, graphic torture sequences. So you have been warned. XD
I do not own InuYasha or any characters form said show. All rights are reserved by Rumiko Takahashi. I also do not own the pop band KAT-TUN, though they are pretty cool. And I have nothing to do with any banks anywhere.;D So anyway, on with the story:
Enjoy!-Sephora
But a Memory
I frequently remember those times. The events tying me in with this family, hearing the name, seeing it printed in the papers, and then coming face-to-face with this alternate reality of excruciatingly realistic truth. I see my brother, I see his death, I see the first time I met you, then the second: the first time we kissed, the first time we made love. Captivity, lost chances, all the pain and joy of those times. I can still see each memory, unique, burned into my mind, unscratched, and untarnished: forever the same. It is the name which connects every single event. A famous name and a murderous name, a cruel name; your name…and now, my name.
-Begin installment One-
When you’re a child, fascinating things can always be viewed if you simply look out the window of your car. Dinosaurs and unicorns, superheroes and monsters, they were all out there: grown-ups just forgot about them, that was all. When you got tired of watching Godzilla fight Batman amidst the Tokyo skyline, you could always find something in the city streets, some Tokyo oddity to ease boredom. When I was young, I saw things out my window I’ll never forget. This marked one of them.
It wasn’t her usual voice. It was not the voice of her mother; it was a farcical voice, a false voice. It meant nothing: an empty shell of a forgotten voice, a voice Rin loved.
Daddy’s voice had changed too, but not nearly as drastically as Mommy’s. They told her it wasn’t her fault, but she felt that it was…. It was.
She never got to apologize.
Rin sat back down on her bottom and peered out the window. The light shower of rain had made the plants sparkle in the sunlight. It was a Saturday: she wasn’t in school and her Mother and Father had an appointment, they had told her. They packed her into the backseat and told her in their new, edgy voices that they were going for a drive. A drive: they had an appointment.
Appointment: that word Mommy always used when they would go to the dentist or the doctor. An appointment. Rin turned her head away from the window. “Mommy, Daddy? If you’ve got an appo- appointment, does that mean you’re sick? Don’t be sick, please.” She asked.
“No, no sweetie,” said her mother with her tense, thin-lipped new smile, “We’re not sick.”
Rin blinked slowly. “Then why do you need an appointment?” She asked.
“Because,” said her father, “We’re going to see someone who’ll help us. Now no more questions, alright baby?” Rin nodded meekly and watched as Daddy’s nervous smile was replaced with his new grimace. Mommy placed her hand on his arm but it didn’t ease either of them into a comfortable state.
Rin sighed and turned again to look out the window. It was hillier outside and between the concrete and steel of the buildings, greenery was poking through. Rin looked out at the trees, watching birds fly from the branches.
What if Meiji had been able to fly…?
“Here, Anata.” Rin’s mother broke the silence inside the vehicle. She pointed to a road coming up in front of them. Rin glued herself to the window, hands and nose pressed against the glass and watched the sunlight break into dappled fragments as the car began its slow ascent of the wooded road.
It seemed like a minute, precarious road to Rin, though she would not have known the words to describe it at the time. It was only when the car pulled up to a large black rod-iron gate that Rin realized it wasn’t a road at all: it was a driveway.
Fascinated, she watched as two men on the other side the concrete fence unlatched the monstrous gate. Mommy and Daddy clenched each other’s hands, like they would hold Rin’s hand when she got shots. Were they scared, Rin wondered, and if so, of what? Should she be scared?
The gates swung open and they drove forward. That was the first moment she saw the house in full through her window, a view she would always remember.
The mansion was built in the traditional style of most Japanese houses, but this one was far more ornate. The walls were cream in color and the roof and accentuating designs were black, some shining in the newfound sunlight.
“Rin,” said her father, “c’mon honey, we’re going inside now.”
Rin hadn’t noticed the men in black haori and hakama holding the doors of the car open. One of them reached inside and picked her up. Rin was too scared to move. The man set her down outside the car. “Thank him, youji-chan.” Rin thanked him quietly and he smiled.
Mommy came around and took her hand. “Let’s go sweetheart.” She said, and then they climbed the stairs to the two, large oak doors. They swung open, a sudden and peaceful whir of the automated cogs forcing them to act.
Rin jumped, Mommy laughing nervously. “Don’t be afraid sweetie…” She told her. But somehow Rin got the impression as her mother’s hand tightened around hers that Mommy was scared too. But not of the doors, she noticed, as they creaked closed behind the family.
It was eerily silent in the marble hall. Another man in black greeted them, taking them to the right, away from the grand entry hall with its ornate golden-railed staircase and polished pine flooring adorned with a single Persian-type rug, the family emblem emblazoned in scarlet upon a black and navy background. Rin’s mother tugged at her hand, bringing her to notice the lack of speech between the family. They were following timidly behind their guide, and Rin felt suddenly cold in the strange marble hallway. Faces from portraits stared down at her, men and women whose elegant faces were unfamiliar and scrutinizing. Families poised nicely in paintings, each man, woman, and child adorned in fine clothing. The hall was silent but for the sound of the guide’s clacking geta, Daddy’s shoes and Mommy’s heels. Rin began to amuse herself in the awkward atmosphere by tapping out beats with her feet.
“Stop that.” said her mother. Rin nearly stopped entirely, but her mother’s pressed and hurried gait kept her walking. Mommy was nervous… should she be too? Frightened, she dropped her normally bright gaze to the floor, prepared to hide if need be.
After what felt like hours of walking through the chill hall of marble, they turned left and walked a ways down a hall bordering a courtyard, it’s walls itself were doors, polished redwood, fashioned with reed paper in the style of shouji doors. Through a hallway with an arched ceiling, cameo stylized paintings covering it where light fixtures were absent. Rin was admiring a unicorn above her when they stopped. She collided with her mother’s calf, apologized meekly, and attempted to inform her of the beautiful ceiling. “Tell me later, Rin-chan…” Mommy said, putting a finger to her lips.
Rin nodded, looking ahead to find another wall of redwood shouji doors. A few stairs ascended to what Rin presumed to be a special and private room: the lighting was dimmed somewhat and on either side of the office’s entrance, beautifully painted scrolls hung nearly to the floor. The stairs were carpeted in red and outlined in silver thread. The man in black was whispering through an opening in the door to another man in traditional garb. They whispered and nodded, then the guide shut the door and informed the couple with a jubilant smile that Taisho-san would be with them shortly. Rin’s parents smiled and thanked him and he left with a bow, which everyone returned, Rin somewhat reluctantly. She listened as his footsteps echoed down the twisting hallway. They were joined by another pair, descending the red carpeted stairs from the office ahead of her. She turned around.
“Hello, you must be Shinko and Fuchi Karana. It’s a pleasure, thank you for coming all the way from the other end of town. A long drive in midday Saturday traffic, I’m sure!”
The man was young, younger than Rin’s parents, and he had a wide, bright smile. Altogether he was quite relaxed and the tense aura surrounding Rin’s parents seemed to disintegrate in his mere presence. They smiled true smiles, and sighed with happy laughter, agreeing with his comments on the traffic. Rin felt more comfortable now that the silver haired man had come out to greet them.
“Oh,” said her mother, face flustered with a relieving rush of pleasant ease, “This is our daughter, Rin.” She eased her grip on Rin’s hand and pulled her up to stand in front of them both. She placed her hands comfortingly on Rin’s shoulders with pride.
“Rin,” She said maternally, “This is Taisho-san. Say hello.”
Rin smiled. “Hello, Taisho-san. It’s nice to meet you.” Taisho-san smiled and Rin looked back up at her parents for approval. They beamed back down at her.
Taisho-san crouched down to her height, his long ponytail of hair swishing about behind him, and held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Rin-chan.” Rin took his hand and shook it. Then her parents laughed, but Taisho-san just smiled and Rin noticed he had beautiful, honey colored eyes. She couldn’t stop herself.
“Are those real?” she asked pointing to his eyes. He laughed this time, but her parents seemed to become on edge again, their laughter shaky. Rin looked over at them, wondering what she had done. Taisho-san seemed perfectly happy.
“Ah, yes they are real. They’re my eyes and they work just fine, just an unusual color is all.” He flashed her another friendly grin, his perfect, white teeth showing for her to see.
“They’re pretty.” She said.
“Thank you,” He responded pleasantly. He stood up.
“Charming daughter you have,” He told her parents cheerily. They thanked him quietly. He looked back over at Rin.
“Where’d you get your dress, Rin-chan? It’s very becoming.” He said with a smile. Rin looked down at her dress. Mother had picked her outfit out herself that day. The pink dress was sleeveless cotton and the fabric boasted flowers and dandelion seeds. It zipped tidily in the back and the fabric had been hemmed in bunches to make the shoulders ruffle outward. Her socks were white with lace on the rim and she was wearing her favorite pair of black Mary Jane’s: shined that morning with father’s shoe polish to ensure they shimmered.
“Thank you,” said Rin, “Mommy made it.” She said proudly. Her mother blushed.
“Well I, I sew a little…” she said, blushing.
“A little? She’s being modest. She’s a seamstress, runs a store beneath the apartments, and she makes the best clothing in all Tokyo!” said Shinko proudly. Rin watched her mommy blush and nod when Taisho-san asked if that was true.
The conversation stopped abruptly as another person joined the throng. He came clattering down a hall to the left of the office and the inner confines of the manor.
“Father, Father, InuYasha took-!”
The boy stopped as he reached the group. He hung his head slightly. After a prolonged silence, he spoke again, words planned.
“Gomen nasai Chichi-hue.” He said quietly.
Taisho-san smiled. “Quite alright, son. Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Karana, this is my eldest son, Sesshoumaru.” The boy took his cue and descended the velveteen steps to stand beside his father. Rin’s parents greeted him warmly. Rin smiled and waved. He did not return her smile, nor did he return her wave. He raised one small silver eyebrow questionably.
“Sesshoumaru,” Taisho-san continued, “This is the Karana’s daughter, Rin. Why don’t you show her around, hmm?” His golden eyes smiled warmly. Sesshoumaru looked up at his father, not returning his smile.
Something in Taisho-san’s eyes changed however, in that split second, and Sesshoumaru turned to Rin. “C’mon,” he said walking past her.
Taisho-san had a hand on Rin’s daddy’s back and was leading the couple up to his office, where men in black garb opened the shouji doors and left the room. Rin didn’t have time to watch them go in. A hand grabbed her wrist. “Let’s go,” said Sesshoumaru, pulling her down the hall, back past the courtyard and through the marble hallway full of portraits. He turned away from the entrance and to the right, through the ornate entry hall.
“Your house is really big.” said Rin. Sesshoumaru did not respond.
“Where’re we going?” she queried.
“The gardens,” He replied slowly.
“Are they pretty?” Rin asked.
“No.” said Sesshoumaru. He pushed open a door at the end of the hall and pulled Rin through it. The little girl gasped.
She’d been plunged into a maze, trimmed about to her height, the walls made entirely of rose bushes. Standing on tippy-toe she could see a lawn through a gap in the trees, and a zen garden just before it. The sound of water trickling reached her ears and she giggled, watching butterflies flying about the maze.
Sesshoumaru pulled her over to a small stone wall. The garden there was full of different types of herbs and several small flowering trees. To the right the outer wall of the maze stretched out a little ways down the path. Water was spouting happily from a lion’s mouth spigot and into a stone basin nearby.
Rin turned to glare at Sesshoumaru. “I thought you said they weren’t pretty!”
“You believed me,” said Sesshoumaru blankly. Rin made a small “hmph” sound and plucked a leaf off of the nearest bush, rolling it up slowly into a ball.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“Juu.” The boy replied.
“I’m seven.” said Rin. Sesshoumaru did not reply.
“So what’re we doing?” asked Rin, rolling another leaf into a ball.
“Waiting ‘til Father’s meeting with your parents is over.” said the boy absentmindedly.
“That’s why they’re here?” asked Rin. Sesshoumaru looked at the girl blankly.
“D’you know what they’re meeting about?” Rin asked innocently.
“No,” said Sesshoumaru. He paused, then asked “anything happen to you lately? To your mom or your dad’s businesses?” Rin shook her head. “Did something happen inside your family? Was someone hurt?” He continued.
Rin’s eyes widened. “How’d you know….?” She asked quietly.
“Just guessing.” said the boy, “What happened?”
Rin looked down at the ground. “Meiji.” She said.
“Meiji?” repeated Sesshoumaru.
“Hai,” said the little girl. “Meiji was my Onii-chan. He was about to turn thirteen. Two weeks ago at school he stole the pocky in my lunch box and ate it himself. I was mad and when we walked home, I ran ahead of him. We pass a corner store everyday, and that day I passed ahead of him, running. I didn’t know it, but men were robbing the store, and right as they went out the door, Meiji came after me. They tripped on him and fell down.
“When they got up, Meiji saw their car behind me. I was so scared, I couldn’t move. Meiji saw that they were coming, so he grabbed one of their legs and told me to run.” She shook her head. “They were mad. The man Meiji was holding onto shot Meiji. Twice, in the back.” She had begun to cry.
“Then they just ran past me, and I ran to Meiji….b-but he was already gone!” She buried her face in her hands.
Sesshoumaru did not know what to do. He took a step closer to where she sat on the wall, and before he knew it she had jumped down and thrown her tiny arms around his waist. He stood there, shocked and appalled.
“I…. never got to say good-bye…. If-if we hadn’t fought, then I wouldn’t have made him run after me and h-he wouldn’ta got sh-shot!” She buried her face in the boy’s stomach. “It’s my fault, it’s my f-fault….” She sobbed.
“No it’s not. If you hadn’t been running, both of you mighta gotten shot.” said Sesshoumaru. Rin continued to cry.
“My mother’s dead.” Sesshoumaru said quietly.
“What happened to her?” asked Rin. The little boy looked away, pondering whether he should speak.
“…She killed herself.” He said, “People die, it’s not your fault.” Rin nodded meekly and halfheartedly.
“What happened after that?” asked Sesshoumaru, attempting to pry the girl’s arms off.
“Went to court.” said Rin, wiping her eyes and her nose on the back of her hand. Sesshoumaru watched, disgusted. “The men that robbed the store told the judge they didn’t do it. They lied. Court said they were in’cent and we went home. Mommy and Daddy cried all the time. So did I. They would ask me again and again what I saw, and I’d tell them ‘xactly what I told court: Those men killed Meiji.” She sniffled.
“Mommy and Daddy act so strange. Then on Thursday they asked me again, this time about the car. I told them there was a lion sticker and then they were really happy. They were laughing and crying and then they called your dad. And…. we came.” She shrugged, and looked up at Sesshoumaru expectantly.
Sesshoumaru started to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of upcoming footsteps. Another little boy trundled into the open, pushing a bush aside. He blinked his big violet eyes and stood still. None of the children spoke.
The newcomer held the red ball he was holding aloft. “Onii-san… want to play?”
Rin looked from him to Sesshoumaru. “Onegai…?” asked the newcomer.
“No.” said Sesshoumaru. The black haired boy looked down at his feet. He was about Rin’s age, she decided.
“I’ll play with you.” She said.
“Who’re you?” He asked. “I’m Rin,” she replied, “who’re you?” “I’m InuYasha. I live here. What are you doing here? Are you a cousin?” asked InuYasha, cocking his head to the side.
“No,” interjected Sesshoumaru: “Her parents have come to see Father.”
“Oh,” said InuYasha. He pondered Rin for a moment. “Alright, let’s play.” Then he hurled the rubber four-square ball at Rin. It slapped her hands and hit the path.
“Can’t you catch?” InuYasha complained.
“Sorry!” said Rin with a giggle, “C’mon Sesshoumaru, play with us!”
The older boy contemplated the idea for several more tosses, then snatched the ball from InuYasha and threw it to Rin.
“You suck!” said InuYasha, pulling his bottom eyelid down and blowing Sesshoumaru a raspberry. Rin laughed and tossed the ball back to InuYasha. This continued only for a moment, because a woman dressed in a black yukata came out into the garden, startling the three children.
“Oh! I apologize Masters, but Miss Rin’s parents are ready to leave.” She said, then bowed and left.
“Let’s go,” said Sesshoumaru. Rin waved to InuYasha. “Bye! Nice playing with you!” she said. InuYasha waved back.
“Hey,” Rin asked as they reentered the house, “The meeting’s done already?”
“Yes,” said the boy. Rin furrowed her brows.
“Well then, what happened?”
“Nothing. My father is going to fix things.” Sesshoumaru replied.
“How?” asked Rin.
“You’ll see. Watch your parents: when they get really happy all of a sudden, you’ll know.” He said; “And don’t ask them about it; they’ll only tell you a lie.”
Rin opened her mouth to tell the boy her parents would never lie, but closed it as they reached Taisho-san’s office. Her mother reached out to take her hand and Rin again noticed how relieved her parents seemed to be. Her father shook hands with Taisho-san enthusiastically, and both her parents thanked him again. Taisho-san smiled. “Sessho-Chan, care to walk the Karana’s out?” It was friendly and it seemed to Rin as though he was giving Sesshoumaru an option. However, she knew by Taisho-san’s posture it was a command, not a request. Sesshoumaru turned and led the way down the hall.
Rin allowed herself to be loaded in the car. Mommy and Daddy thanked the men by the car profusely, shook their hands, waved. As the car lurched forward, Rin could not contain herself. She got on her knees and turned to the rear window, hands pressed against the glass. She watched Sesshoumaru; standing like a small lawn ornament in the middle of the driveway, fade away as they descended the hill. Hitsukata vanished into the trees, and Rin could only wonder what would happen next.
“Sit down, youji-chan, and put your belt on.” Her mother’s voice was warm and soft and familiar once more, but the hand that touched Rin was icy cold and foreboding. Rin sat down and buckled herself in, staring out at the Tokyo skyline, no longer watching Godzilla and Mothra, but wondering what the little boy had meant.
“You’ll see. My father is going to fix things.”
What was he going to fix and how was he going to do it?
Rin could do nothing but ponder this question the next day. When it came time to share their weekends with the class on Monday, Rin knew she couldn’t tell. She didn’t know what was going on and it ate away at her insides.
“Nothing.”
Rin didn’t quite understand how someone could do nothing and something at the same time, but it was a commonly used expression, so she let it go.
The wait for answers seemed endless. It began to fade from Rin’s mind as the upcoming Spring Pageant began planning at school. Her mind filled with day dreams about their class song, Rin launched out of the school doors with the gushing tide of children and onto the sidewalk where cars waited to pick some kids up. It had been nearly three weeks since Rin had visited Hitsukata with her parents. She saw their battered looking yellow Honda parked across the street apiece. Her mother was walking towards her, radiant and made up.
Rin stopped dead, shocked. “Hello, youji-chan!” She bent down and kissed Rin on the cheek. “Did you have a good day at school?” Rin nodded as they walked to the car. She told her mother about the pageant. “That’s great, baby!” She said enthusiastically.
Rin opened the car door on her side and threw her backpack in. She moved to climb in next to it, but her mother grabbed the skirt of her uniform. “How’d you like to sit up front today, huh?” She winked. It was then Rin knew something was terribly wrong.
When her father got home later that night, she heard explosive laughter from the living room and dropped her pencil. Shutting her workbook, she moved to peek through a crack in the door. Her father set the newspaper down on the coffee table and journeyed with her mother the few spaces to the kitchen, where cold sake was promptly poured. Rin slunk back to her desk.
Lying in bed, awake, it all added up. Everything Sesshoumaru had said had come true. Dying to know just what had been fixed, she crept out the door and into the tiny living area. Next door to her room, she could see her parents’ door closed and glowing: reading time.
Rin did not have to look far for what she wanted. The newspaper laid face up where her father had placed it. She picked it up and searched for an article of some meaning. In the left hand corner there was an article with two pictures; the faces of Meiji’s killers. The headline read “Bodies of Child-Murder Suspects Found- Yakuza Suspected.”
Rin couldn’t believe her eyes.
Was this how adults fixed things?
Five years later, men in suits came calling to their apartment. As her mother had taught her, Rin served tea and cookies as lady-like as possible to the guests. For months afterwards, Rin’s mother slaved over the “perfect wedding gown”. The dress was a project for friends, she told Rin; a favor. Rin however knew perfectly well who the men were, and that this was her family’s way of paying Taisho-san back. Making a wedding dress and two bridesmaid’s dresses for his niece’s wedding.
Though frequently remembered in her days of childhood, the family relations concerning the Taisho clan were buried beneath high school textbooks and college reports later in Rin’s life. The details concerning her brother’s death weren’t mentioned often and as time went on, the incident was put out of their minds. All was well, and the only record showing the Karana’s had dealt with Taisho-san, were the Taisho records themselves.
-19 years later-
The gravel crunched and slid smoothly beneath his shoe on the wet asphalt. He walked slowly and deliberately, InuYasha beside him moving as though he were a glob of molasses on a flat surface, the only difference being that molasses had never seemed so predatory. Ahead, two of their thugs, the Thunder Brothers, had caught the suspect, and were proceeding to soften him up before he let loose his tongue.
InuYasha withdrew his gun from the holster under his left armpit and loaded it with a wry smirk, very slowly, for the man to see. The Thunder Brothers mirrored his grin, Hiten giving out a small chuckle. The man squealed like a stuck pig and writhed in the grasp of his captors, thrashing about in the small puddle beneath him.
Sesshoumaru sighed; the flickering bulbs of the ghastly orange street lights bothered his eyes, giving him a headache. He sighed, rubbed his temples with one grey-gloved hand, and adjusted the belt on his trench coat leisurely.
“Now, Tadashi-san, I’m going to ask you again: where is the two million yen you owe us, hmm?” said Sesshoumaru patiently, circling the man as a buzzard circles its prey.
“I-I have it….” He stammered. Sesshoumaru did not bother to look at him, knowing the man’s face was drenched with sweat, a smell that wafted to him from their distance apart. It made him nauseous, and, from what he could tell, it was making the others nauseous too.
“Yes, Tadashi, you’ve told us that already, but you have yet to explain why you don’t have it with you.” Sesshoumaru could feel his patience running thin. He massaged his aching forehead.
Tadashi let out a small whimper. “Oh please, please, have mercy-!”
“But you’ve had mercy, Tadashi-san, seven years of it!” said Sesshoumaru, agitation showing in his voice which was cracking with amusement as well, “You received a loan from Father and the deadline was up two years ago.”
“No but you see, not enough time to-!” whimpered Tadashi.
“Not enough time?”
Sesshoumaru turned his cold, golden eyes to the man on the ground. “Not enough- Tadashi… you asked for a five year loan, a low interest loan, and Father gave it to you. You had five years to use the money and pay it back once the time came. The time came, and you told Father you’d have it soon. But you didn’t. You’ve had two years to pay us back, and now… it’s going to come out of your ass.” said Sesshoumaru with a shake of his head. He motioned to Hiten and Manten, and they gladly released Tadashi’s arms, backing up.
“Now,” said Sesshoumaru, resuming his circling, “We find that you got another loan this year, and who from? Tanaka.” Sesshoumaru’s emotionless lips curled into a sly sneer. From beside Tadashi, InuYasha spoke.
“You just can’t hold up your bargains with anyone, can you?”
The Thunder Brothers snickered. InuYasha sighed and shrugged. “You don’t have good enough credit with banks, so you come to Father, and he takes you in, sets you up with a loan, and sends you on your way, no questions asked. And you’re not gonna pay him back?” Queried InuYasha, dark violet eyes glinting in the street lights’ glare.
“And of all people you pick to make another account with, you pick Tanaka.” He raised his gun level to Tadashi’s head. A click could be heard, announcing the safety was off.
“I-it’s at home! All the money: in my safe!!” Tadashi was in tears. InuYasha looked over at Sesshoumaru, gun still trained on Tadashi’s ear.
“Is that so?” asked InuYasha.
“Yes!” whispered Tadashi, eyes squeezed shut.
“In a safe, huh? Where?”
“My bedroom, in my apartment!” shouted Tadashi, eyes still shut.
“Your apartment: the one on Ichi and Shoufuu?”
“Hai, hai!” Tears and sweat alike were pouring down his face.
InuYasha paused. “What else is in that safe, eh?” he asked.
“Why?” asked Tadashi. The muzzle of the automatic was suddenly digging into his earlobe.
“Because I’m not sure if you’re lying, and if there ain’t any money in that safe, then we wanna go home with something else valuable, got it?” InuYasha made his point by pressing the gun harder against Tadashi’s head. The man shrieked.
“J-just jewelry, my mother’s jewelry.” He said quickly.
“Jewelry!” said InuYasha, “HA! Your mother was a maid; she couldn’t have had jewelry of that valuable a type, now could she?” The man made a horrid gurgling noise.
“Could she?!” InuYasha repeated, giving the man’s head another gunpoint prod.
“I-it’s stolen…” whispered Tadashi.
Sesshoumaru paused mid stride, unable to catch what the man had said.
“Oh?” said InuYasha with a casual look towards his older brother. “Say that again, Tadashi-san…” Again, the man whispered that it was stolen.
“Louder!” InuYasha barked.
“I STOLE IT!!” Having screamed his confession aloud, Tadashi continued his wracked sobbing.
Hiten and Manten looked at each other from across the way.
“Well then we certainly don’t wanna touch those… how ‘bout the money?” asked InuYasha, lowering the gun. “’sat stolen too?” Tadashi didn’t answer.
“Huh?” said InuYasha, his gun returning to the man’s ear. Tadashi could only nod pathetically, an animal on death row.
“Ugh,” said InuYasha, lifting himself of the wet asphalt, “That’s all too bad. I’d hate to do Tanaka a favor…” He walked a little ways, “But you didn’t think you’d give us the slip and pass us stolen money, did you?” He leered at Tadashi. “Tsk, tsk, you’ll have to learn…”
It was quick. The fat and sweating Tadashi was propelled by fear, darting up and turning to make a dash away from his captors.
He managed to take one step before the crack of gunfire sounded and he fell forward into his puddle of origin, blood seeping from the bullet wound in his spinal cord through his jacket and slowly dripping into the puddle itself.
“Jesus Christ!! God dammit, Sesshoumaru; wait till I’m farther away next time! ‘S not like he coulda run anywhere, you had him! You didn’t have to kill him right there: now there’s blood all over my favorite coat!!” Cried InuYasha in exasperation, examining the red blotches on his trench coat.
Sesshoumaru made no move to answer, clicking the safety on his gun and returning it to its armpit holster. “Let’s go,” he said. Hiten and Manten turned towards the car, Sesshoumaru and InuYasha following.
“Ah, shit! I just got this cleaned, too! Kagome’ll have a fit if she sees it!” whined InuYasha.
“Get the maids to clean it.” said Sesshoumaru.
“Guess I’ll have to; kinda cruel though…” said InuYasha with a shrug.
The police cruiser called to the scene on mentions of gunfire later that night reported to headquarters that they had shot down the infamous robber of the East side and were thus awarded mention as “brave civil officers” in the next morning’s paper.
InuYasha had a good laugh during breakfast.
The second floor and the bank lobby below it were instantly filled with a blood-curdling, bone-chilling scream.
“KAT-TUN’S NEW CD IS COMING OUT NEXT TUESDAY!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Rin glanced over at Sumomo standing beside her. Both women listened as the shrieking died down, their hands still clamped tightly over their ears. Once the screaming had stopped, they watched the other women carefully before taking their hands down.
“A surprise release date!” squealed Amari, she and Yukie taking deep breaths in preparation of another explosion. Rin and Sumomo acted quickly, clapping hands over the two women’s mouths.
“If boss comes out here, I swear….” Sumomo was muttering to Yukie.
“But guys, what’s wrong? Aren’t you excited?” asked Amari once Rin had removed her hand. She sounded slightly betrayed.
“Yes, of course we’re excited but they-,” Rin pointed over the balcony wall to the lobby full of people all staring upwards, some cursing loudly at the women, “-don’t seem to share that excitement, and, seeing as they’re customers, we should probably make their happiness come first!” Rin said. Yukie and Amari nodded halfheartedly.
“My apologies, good people; won’t happen again!” said Amari with a wave. Sumomo scolded her and Amari cowered in the older woman’s shadow. Rin sighed and returned to her desk. No sooner had she sat down than the large mahogany door of the professional offices swung open. Out strode Matsugami with his secretary, Emi, and his favorite high-up executives, the underlings. Higher up than the rest of the bank employees and befitted with a much better payroll, the underlings groveled at the boss’ feet along with Emi, or Rapputoppu as she had become known, usually typing out notes on her computer.
“Now everyone, I need your undivided attention. Very important executives are coming to the bank this afternoon. We need to show them the best of our ability to please and make things go as quickly and smoothly as possible. I want each and every employee behaving their best and I want every workspace organized perfectly.”
He turned to Rapputoppu, who had been recording his words. “Give that to Juichi and tell him to read it off to the employees downstairs.” She nodded, tore the slip off, and handed it to an underling. The floor remained silent: no one moved.
“Well,” said Matsugami after a moment, “Get to work! You don’t want Hisaishi-san hearing about this, do you?”
At the mention of the bank president and highest authority, the floor began to buzz as everyone inserted papers into respectable files, closed extra windows on their computers, threw away their scraps of paper, and organized their pens.
“Girls…”
Rin nearly jumped out of her skin. The boss was standing in the small hall area on the other side of Rin’s desk. “I need to speak with you in my office.” Exchanging horrified glances, the women rose from their seats quietly and followed him.
Once the door had shut behind them and they were all seated, Rin’s heart felt as though it were about to leap from her chest. What would he say to them? Was she going to be fired?
Matsugami opened his mouth to speak and Rin felt her heart jump into her throat as those searing, final words poured lazily from his mouth and into her lap-
“I have a big job for you four.”
What?!
The women blinked and looked slowly from one to the other. It was, to say the least, not what they were expecting. Sumomo shook her head, her professionalism back on track in second.
“A big job for us, Sir?” She queried.
“Yes. We have big execs coming in, and not just any execs: the biggest we have.” said Matsugami.
The girls inhaled slowly.
“You four work wonderfully together and you never get your chance out in the open, so I thought to give you all a little push.” He smiled. Amari and Yukie giggled excitedly.
“Thank you, Matsugami-san.” said Rin.
“You’ll have to be on your best behavior: without these men, the bank would be nothing: these are the guys paying Hisaishi-san to pay me to pay you, see? They’re that big. I want to impress them with your fluent and impressive communication skills.” said the boss, then more lightly, “and, you are women, they’ll be far more charmed than if I presented the account to them.” He smiled a crinkly smile.
“Oh,” said Sumomo, “So we’re gonna cater to misogynistic, rich bastards today. Just great, what is it we’re doing for them?”
Matsugami’s expression displayed warning. “Do not speak about them that way, Haregawa-san.” He said hotly.
“Alright, nothing to worry about sir; if these people are paying me, then they can tar and feather me for all I care.” said Sumomo. The boss did not look so assured.
“So boss,” asked Yukie, “What will we be doing exactly?”
“Well Jiritsu-san, you and Omocha-san will provide information on bank procedures and file information as well as small bank background bits. And you will supply any service they require: pouring water for example.” said Matsugami. Yukie and Amari looked slightly put out.
“Haregawa-san, Karana-san, you will be the main sources of information. It is a large amount of money that they have placed in our banks. This is a Divided Account spanning through all of our branches in certain predestinated amounts for their withdrawal purposes. It can be accessed via internet as well as in person by certain members of the family. The largest deposit remains in the vault here unless someone with proper authorization wishes to make a change. They must then consult the other people involved with the use of the money before changing any policies.” He stopped and smiled. “But then Rin would know all about that, wouldn’t you? This is the file you’ve been working on.”
“The nameless account?” Rin asked.
“Yes, no longer nameless for you four, however. Seeing as your expertise is in large Divided Accounts, Sumomo, you and Rin will be working as the main authority on this project.” said the boss. Sumomo nodded.
“Now. You four must promise not to tell the other employees who these men are: they might think badly of it or tell someone about this account that we’d rather have no knowledge whatsoever of our plans. I gave that account to you without a name, just in case, but now seeing as you’re about to meet them, you four will learn their name and take it to the grave; hear me?” He said stiffly, pointing an aged, fat and liver-spotted finger at them threateningly.
The women nodded. Matsugami sighed and leaned back in his chair.
“This account belongs to the Taisho family: they built this bank themselves and they own every single piece of it: down to the last scrap of concrete. The eldest son is coming today with a few other trusted members of the family to ensure this account is in prime working order. These people own our asses, so you treat them like Kings. Understood?” Matsugami was leaning forward, face earnest. The women nodded. Matsugami shuffled some papers on his desk.
“So, when Taisho Sesshoumaru walks up those stairs, you treat him like he’s God.”
And suddenly, Rin remembered everything.
-End Installment One-
-Sephora
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