=================================
Brushing her hair... washing her face...
"Is this right?"
Kikyo tied her hair back, holding the mirror at different angles to imitate Kagome's usual style.
Wearing Kagome's body meant she had to follow her routine to the letter.
"Breakfast is ready, Kagome!"
"Mm."
Donning the "school uniform," she sat at the dining table with practiced grace.
"Oh..."
Mama Higurashi paused, sensing a subtle shift in her daughter's aura--a coolness that wasn't usually there--but she didn't pry.
"Sis, when is Inuyasha-niichan coming next?"
"..."
Kikyo's chopsticks froze in mid-air. She was stumped.
"Maybe... the day after tomorrow?"
"Yay! Great!"
Sota cheered, oblivious to the strange uncertainty in her tone.
But Mama confirmed her suspicion.
This wasn't Kagome.
"Alright, Sota, let Kagome eat in peace."
"Yes!"
"!"
Kikyo caught Mama's knowing smile. She knew, but she chose silence. Kikyo felt a wave of relief wash over her.
She finished breakfast and left without incident.
"Sis..."
No sooner had she stepped out of the shrine gate than Sota popped up behind her, looking confused.
"What is it, Sota?"
Kikyo asked, doing her best to mimic Kagome's tone.
"You're awfully quiet today. Did you fight with Inuyasha-niichan again?"
Sota tried to be a good brother, offering a sympathetic ear.
"That's not it."
"Uh, really?"
Kikyo's cold, brief response only convinced Sota he was right.
'Inuyasha definitely messed up!'
His sister was never this cool and silent.
"Haha, well, at least you didn't oversleep today!"
Unable to help, Sota awkwardly laughed and ran off, silently praying for Inuyasha's safety.
'Does Kagome... often oversleep?'
'How does she usually deal with being late?'
Kikyo watched him go, then started walking toward "school."
But after a few blocks, she realized a critical problem.
Where was Kagome's school?
Even though she was revived in Kagome's body, they didn't share memories.
Surviving breakfast was hard enough.
But then she had an idea.
A map.
She knew the school's name from Kagome's textbooks. She just needed to find it on a map.
Whether she'd be late or not... that was another matter entirely.
......
"Achoo!"
"Caught a cold, Inuyasha?"
"Idiot, impossible!"
"By the way, Rikuo and the others left, right?"
"Yeah. Said they wanted to check on their own worlds."
"Shame Kagome-san didn't get to say goodbye."
"Tch. Who told her to drink that stuff? 'Just a taste for Moroha,' she said."
"That stuff is too strong for humans. She probably won't wake up until noon."
Sitting on the porch, Inuyasha and Miroku were bored out of their minds.
"Finally some downtime."
"Cheh, speak for yourself. I have to build a house. I'm busy."
"Sounds like you're accepting your adult responsibilities."
"Shut up! I can't just sit around the village doing nothing, right?"
Inuyasha pointed at a vacant lot, glaring at Miroku.
It was easy for the monk. Sango and he were a natural pair, their future set.
But Inuyasha? He had to consider Kagome's feelings.
'No, no, no... absolutely not!!!'
'It's too early to marry Inuyasha!'
Her firm rejection had left him clueless.
Thinking of his father's expectant look, Inuyasha felt the pressure mounting.
He wanted to meet "Moroha" too, but if Kagome said "no," then it was no.
He'd just have to wait.
As a half-demon bound to Kagome's lifespan, time wasn't an issue.
"By the way, can you still use the Bone Eater's Well freely?"
"Yeah, no problem."
"Is that so? Good."
Miroku nodded, satisfied.
"Hey, Inuyasha, I'm going to a rich merchant's house to exorcise a demon this afternoon. Want to come?"
"Can't you handle it alone?"
"I can, but you know... I need to save up rice and money."
"If I tell the master the demon is powerful and I brought backup, they usually pay double."
"Hey, you corrupt monk..."
"I'm offering this because you're going to marry Lady Kagome later. 50-50 split. Take it or leave it."
"Cheh! Of course I'm coming!"
Still stubborn, but practical.
Reminded by Miroku, Inuyasha realized he was broke.
He might as well start building a nest egg.
He couldn't ask his old man for money. That would be embarrassing.
Consider it an investment in the future.
......
Hell.
This was absolute hell.
Kikyo's expression remained perfectly composed, but internally, she was screaming.
She made it to school without being late, but encountered something far worse.
The stares.
"Shock," "Suspicion," "Weirdness."
She knew why. Her behavior was the polar opposite of Kagome's.
She didn't know Kagome's social circle. A guy named "Hojo" tried to talk to her, acting all familiar, but she ignored him completely.
The "friends" chattering around her between classes were even more baffling.
'Kagome, are you in a bad mood?'
'You're so cool today!'
'You're like a different person!'
Tired.
So tired.
Kikyo struggled to find the words to communicate as "Kagome."
She never expected to face such a dilemma in her second life.
Headache.
And...
She picked up a textbook. she could read the words, but the strange symbols and formulas were alien to her.
After two classes, she realized the teachers called on students to answer questions, just like ancient scholars.
Luckily, the last class was History. She managed to bluff her way through.
Otherwise, it would have been a public disaster.
Praying for Kagome to wake up, Kikyo had never been so anxious in her life.