Tangled up in Sesshoumaru’s arms, Kagome stared out at Miroku, staring back at her. In the time before he turned away, she was frozen, numb inside. Her body went still. Her mind went blank. A moment could have passed. An eternity could have passed.
She felt no difference between the two as she stood there, riveted, helpless to do anything but to watch him disappear. Stunned and disbelieving. Then the awareness broke over her like a shattering glass, sudden and stark and razor-edged. She shoved back from Sesshoumaru with a flare of reiki, snatched up her son. She tore off toward the ridge with blind urgency, shielding Shin as she crashed headlong through the trees.
Winded and lashed, she burst out onto the path not far behind Miroku’s retreating form. He was walking very fast—distressingly fast to her, as if he could literally put what he’d just seen behind him. Kagome’s heart plummeted at the sight.
“Miroku-sama!” she called out, taking off after him. “Miroku-sama, please! Please wait!”
Reluctantly, it seemed, he slowed. His back remained to her as Kagome caught up to him, gasping for breath.
“Miroku-sama, what you just saw…it’s not what it seemed. It’s nothing…it doesn’t mean—”
“I know what I saw.”
Miroku turned toward her. Darkly and narrowly, he regarded her, as if she were a stranger to him.
“I’d never have believed it,” he said lowly, “had I not seen it with my own eyes.” As his gaze dropped to Shin, his voice fell flat with accusation. “He’s half-demon, isn’t he?”
Kagome’s jaw clenched as she hugged her arms around her son. “Miroku, please…let me explain…”
“Explain?” Miroku’s chin slashed aside. He swallowed shortly as the shakujou chimed. His breathing sounded short, too. “What is there to explain…”
Kagome eyed his flushed face and white-knuckled grip in abject distress. “Miroku, please—please just calm down…please, you have to calm down. For Sango and—and for your children, please…”
Miroku took a deep, bracing breath. His grip on the shakujou relaxed slightly. His color improved. He closed his eyes briefly, and then he opened them again, toward her.
“You must tell Inuyasha,” he said sternly. “This cannot go on. It is cruel to him, and cruel to your son.” He glanced away. “It is cruel to everyone.”
“You don’t understand,” Kagome said softly, desperately. “I did this for him, for us. I couldn’t give him a child like he wanted, and it was destroying us, Miroku. It was tearing us apart. I think you know that it was.”
Miroku frowned. His indigo eyes sheened down at her with a glimmer of that same strange pity Sesshoumaru had shown her.
“I could see that there were troubles between the two of you, but you are misguided in this, Kagome-sama. Deeply so.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Kagome said wretchedly. “How devastated would you have been, if Sango-chan hadn’t been able to give you children? What lengths might you have gone to—either of you—to remedy it?”
“It would have been a grievous turn to reckon with,” Miroku conceded. “I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for the both of us. But this is not the answer, Kagome-sama. It cannot be.”
Kagome bowed her head. “I’m not asking for you to understand me, Miroku-sama. I’m just asking for your discretion.”
“I am sorry, Kagome-sama, but I cannot give it.” Evenly, Miroku met her gaze. “I can’t stand by and witness this gross deception. Not even my liberal conscience can abide it. You are my cherished friend, but so is he.”
Kagome looked to him pleadingly. “It’ll devastate him.”
“Perhaps,” Miroku said solemnly, “but he deserves to know the truth. He must.”
Kagome shook her head, tightly. Out of sheer, knee-jerk panic, she snapped her eyes to him and said, “If you tell him about this, I’ll tell Sango-chan about your condition.”
Miroku gave her an aggrieved look. “Do what you will,” he said, turning away. “Either tell him yourself, Kagome-sama, or I will.”
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Revised 10/31/23
ALFINNNNN, el punto de climax en la historia, ya quiero el siguiente capítulo 🥰
Thank you, Claribel!! So glad you’re excited for the next update! ❤❤
Ohhh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Ah, every chapter puts me out of my misery and puts a new kind on me! Thank you for updating I’m having an awful day and this was the perfect thing!
Sorry you were having a rough day, friend – glad this update could bring you some cheer! 💞
Thanks so much for sharing & hope you enjoy the next chapter!! 😊
About time someone set her to striates…. Put all of it out there. Sesshomaru will not stop him either… he is of the same mind and doesn’t care for Miroku the way he cares does Kagome…
Lol, Someone is Chasity belting on her big big girl undies on her with out her consent…😅😂
Hahaha yeah, those undies are going on one way or another 😂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the scene, Celes!! 🥰
Well boy howdy…I’m so glad! But will she lie?
😉
Hope you enjoy the next chapter!! ❤❤
Daaamnnn Miroku is stone cold!! Can’t wait to see how this unfolds. Part of me thinks Kagome will just say fuck it and disappear with Sesshomaru to escape the fallout.
At this point, her relationship with Inuyasha is dead as a doornail anyhow, she’s just holding on for the sake of saving face, at least it seems that way.
Girl, just take your son and dip honestlyyyy
Yep there’s certainly a lot of ways that this could go, and her and Inuyasha’s relationship is rocky to say the least…😬
So glad you’re excited to see what happens next, mim!! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the scene!! 🥰
Did she really knock Sesshomaru down on his ass with her reiki, attempt to blackmail Miroku, and say within earshot (at least for a dog demon) that he meant nothing to her. Damn that must hurt (even for a demon), Kagome! Might be time for you to grab Shin and slip on thru that well.
Lol yep she went straight off the rails, there…
Thanks for sharing, Siomarabelle! Hope you enjoy where things go for Kagome next…! 🥰
I’m so glad Miroku ain’t playing ball with Kagome. Inuyasha does deserve the truth and this whole thing is cruel for everyone.
Also blackmailing Miroku??🤨 How far has Kagome fallen. Isn’t she like his physician. Can’t even keep a resemblance of the oath and it’s just wrong to blackmail a friend.
It’s certainly a low blow on her part, no question… 😞 People will lash out in crazy ways when they feel like they’re backed into a corner.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Katherine! Hope you enjoy the next update 😊💕
😯 the suspense is killer!!! I can’t wait for the big confrontation!! 😩 I’m on the edge of my seat with this story. Oh Kagome just give in girl!
So glad you’re stoked to see what happens next, SilverMoon!! Thanks so much ❤❤
Blackmail, reallty ? my my, how the mighty have fallen. I cannot recognise Kagome anymore.
The situation has warped her, for sure 😢
Thanks for sharing ❤❤
I’m just worried she may kill Miroku to keep his mouth closed because blackmail was one way killing him would only extend her lie but add more trouble and I hope Sesshomaru does help her but killing him would help then Sesshomaru can bring him back to the living and that put the sickness away .. ughhh char you got my mind going everywhere 😭😭
Lots of possibilities here for sure, and none of them seem good…
Thanks for sharing your reactions, Nooch! Love to hear them & hope you enjoy how things spiral from here…! ❤❤
The open handed slap of reality has finally been delivered. Caught her right upside the head! Her status as a resident of the state of delusion will hopefully come to an end.
😉 it was a bitch slap all right lol
Thanks for sharing, Mary! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!! 😊❤️❤️
Now reading this chapter, I am convinced that Sesshomaru was well aware of Miroku’s presence in order to have their secret exposed and have Kagome make her final decision. Though, I wonder why was Miroku walking out of the village. Did he suspect earlier on that something was going on between them was this just an accidental discovery?
I agree with what Miroku said, this whole situation is cruel for everyone involved. Honestly, it wouldn’t be out of character for Kagome to go so far as to kill him off to keep this secret going as she’s clearly desperate to live off this BS delusion of hers.
Also, really? Her using reiki on Sessh, and also blackmailing Miroku?! Kagome never fails to piss me off in these chapters.
Thank you for answering my questions from the last chapter! it closed before I can make a reply, but I look forward to seeing any hidden clues or connections in future chapters!
Yep maybe the discovery was coincidence, maybe not…
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the scene, Pixie! Hope you enjoy how the rest of the story continues to come together 😊💕💕