The man turned fully toward her, and now Kagome knew for sure. They both did. His cigarette dangled forgotten in his hand.
“Kagome,” Mr. Higurashi said, stepping toward her slowly, as if in a dream.
As if in a dream, Kagome pushed forward with Shin to meet him, and it was like wading through quicksand. Then seeing the stroller belatedly, Mr. Higurashi halted in place, flabbergasted.
“You have a baby?” he said, as inanely as she’d said, ‘Dad?’ His blue eyes flicked to the ring on her hand. “You’re married, too?”
Kagome recovered from her shock with a pang. “Yeah,” she said, a bit more testily than she might have said otherwise. “Believe it or not, a lot’s changed in the decade and a half since you left.”
Mr. Higurashi lowered his eyes, abashed. When he raised them again, the look in them was so raw it was desperate. “Would you like to come inside?”
Kagome searched his face, which though lined with the years was still every bit as handsome as she remembered. It gave her heart another pang, just to admit this. And another one still, to think of how much Souta resembled him, without knowing.
How many times over the years had she imagined this fateful encounter? Fantasized about it, even? Of striding up to her no-good absent father and slapping him hard in the face as she told him to go to hell. Now here he was, finally, within arm’s reach, within easy slapping distance, and all she could muster to answer him with was a tepid nod instead.
Kagome followed her father inside the ramen shop, full of bustling activity and savory steam, and out through a side door which opened to a set of stairs. Leaving the stroller below in the stairwell, Kagome continued after him with Shin in arms up the steps, which led to an apartment above. As they passed through the door, Kagome found herself standing in a cluttered but homey space.
Out of nowhere, a furious sob began to build in her chest. She looked around without seeing anything. Shin whimpered, hugging to her.
“How long?” she asked, swallowing past the lump in her throat.
Mr. Higurashi scratched behind his ear. “Well, we’ve been here about three, four years now.”
“We?”
“Yeah,” Mr. Higurashi said, not quite looking at her. “Reiko and I.”
“How long?” Kagome asked again, her voice breaking with a woundedness she couldn’t suppress. Because he still hadn’t answered her real question.
Because she’d known as soon as she’d stepped foot into this place and seen all the unmistakable feminine touches. She’d known that her father had another woman. Had maybe had her for years. Had maybe had her all along. Or even before.
It shouldn’t have mattered to her. But it did.
Gods help her but it did.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Wow! Like father, like daughter. The sins of the father really did come to haunt Kagome. She then ended up repeating his poor decisions.
Leaving behind a wife and kids for another woman will always be a crazy concept to me. Don’t know how people do it, yet it happens all the time. At least keep a relationship going with your kids… like damn. I’m feeling all sorts of sad for Kagome. Bad memory after bad memory with this trip to the modern era.
For real 😭 Like if you drop your babies for pussy then you don’t deserve a place in any child’s life. Ain’t nobody want a Mr. Higurashi back in their family.
You jerk. How can you do us dirty like this. Short chapter and a terrible cliffhanger. Please update soon!!!
Well I think I’m getting whiplash here with all these other peoples drama…I mean now it’s Kagome’s father and apparently he’s a cheater too?? Is Sesshoumaru anywhere near or is he in the future too, like with why those charges disappeared? Wish there was more. Thanks for the update.
Three to four years and he hasn’t once attempted to reconnect with his kids. Did he feel anything at all when he’s living so close by?? This stinker is a waste of space 💩 I hope Reiko got her side man too.
Hi!
Guys who cheat are the worst scum. . .guys who cheat on their wives with CHILDREN are THE WORST of the WORST.
Ugh.
Thanks!
-EM
Kagome has never done anything wrong, ever, in her life ✋😔
Papa Higurashi, though, I would slip his address to Baba Yaga and send all his assets and inheritance to Mama Higurashi.
Me too. Kagome’s my meowmeow and I love her. But I’m an unapologetic hardass when it’s anyone else 😂
Ah, a good dose of generational trauma. Thank you for the update, Char!
So much pain for my girl 😭😭 But maybe this meeting, how ever it’ll turn out, will finally give her closure. Didn’t her pact with Sesshoumaru started because of Mr. Higurashi anyway? How Kagome’s need for family drove her to such desperate lengths?
Baby I would throw this whole deadbeat in the trash for you if it’ll help you heal.
Man, he abandon his family for another woman and didn’t even try to reconnect with hai kids. AT LEAST. Because regardless of your spouse, kids will always be yours.
The situation with Kagome is slightly different (she’s still a cheater) but didn’t abandon kids to run off with Sesshomaru. She’s also mated to him, but married to Inuyasha which is already all very a hot mess.
I miss Sesshomaru, when will we see him? But I’m glad we are getting chapters of Kagome dealing with her issues
It’s the worst feeling to have all your suspicions be proven right in front of you 😢 But maybe we’re getting a little bit ahead. Maybe Mr. Higurashi hadn’t cheated when he left? It would redeem him a little, but there’s no redeeming child abandonment.
If he did cheat though, then I see it as the ONLY common thread between him and Kagome (besides their looks). Kagome cares a great deal about her loved ones and it’s caused her grief more often than not, but apparently Mr. Higurashi doesn’t care enough. He doesn’t deserve her.
The daughter’s a blazing inferno of a soul and the father’s just an insignificant wisp. Don’t waste your tears on him, Kagome 😭💦