"Well, at least she's still into you." Archie said, with a small, timid smile. "The girl came back to talk to you and all. That's a great sign."

After they finished talking, Li took a shower at the gym and changed.

He needed to go somewhere before going back home, so he called Jizo and said he'd be late to help him today.

His grandfather, always great, always kind and loving, just said okay, and told him he didn't even need to come if didn't want to. Li could feel him smiling through the phone.

Jizo's tenderness, though, sometimes made him feel guilty. Li was very aware that he should be happy with what he had, and enjoy the fact he had found such a nice old man, that had given him everything he needed, asking nothing in return… But he couldn't look forget his past.

Li loved Jizo, with all his heart, but there were things he just couldn't let go, no matter how much he tried.

With too many thoughts in his head, Li decided he needed to pray a little bit.

Then he headed to that one shrine, on the other side of town, where he felt he was being listened to.

Li threw the coin, then hang the bell, and stayed there for a second, eyes closed, thinking, praying, and more then ever, wishing.

Wishing to know where that necklace had come from, to know his origins, to know he had not completely screwed up with that nice girl...

A while later, he met with the Shinto Priest of the temple, Mr. Higurashi.

Li didn't have a formed opinion about this old priest, but he was completely sure he was crazy. Everytime Mr. Higurashi saw him, he'd try to sell him some old gift of the shrine, and supposed spells to get rid of evil spirits. Li would eventually buy them, just because he wanted to help the shrine, and depending on what he had just bought, he'd give to Mr. Hero to play, or simply lose it.

The priest must have sold him maybe a hundred of little glass balls, of at least seven different colors, he said it was called the shikon no… hum, the shikon no what, exactly? Li couldn't remember, he'd stop listening whenever the old man would start talking about a supposed magical ancient power that didn't even exist in first place.

Li felt sorry for the priest though, because, well… He thought he had a granddaughter.

Everytime Mr. Higurashi saw Li, which must have been like, 10 times, or more, in four years, he'd brag about his granddaughter's incredible spiritual powers.

However, she was never ever, there, at the shrine.

Li remembered asking him, some years ago, where she'd go to school, or if she'd help him in spiritual, hum… business, and he, since then, started talking, no stop, about her terrible health condition.

It seems his granddaughter was always victim to the most terrible, absurd diseases. All of them keeping her from ever being at home, or going to school, and, of course, all of them terribly transmissible, which also prevented everyone from visiting her in the hospital.

Yeah. Right

Mr. Higurashi wouldn't ever miss the chance to talk about how proud he was of her, and his excuses to her absence have grown increasingly more and more absurd.

Li often wondered if anyone would believe them.

Today was no different. He hadn't been to the shrine in months, but obviously, the old man remembered him, and started to try sell him stuff.

"…you see, this is great for pushing away bad spirits…" He started to show some random animal dry leg, that Li vagally remembered to have already bought, and that Mr. Hero had already eaten and liked a lot.

However, the priest talked SO much and SO fast, Li couldn't even say whether he wanted to buy something or not, so, he just patiently (kind of) waited until Mr. Higurashi got tired of speaking, and he could just buy something and leave.

"But hey, how's you granddaughter, Mr. Higurashi?" Li asked, not knowing why. He immediately regretted having made the question, as the priest would sure start talking about some random mysterious spots, or whatever, that had shown up on her last week.

"Oh she's great, thanks for asking!" He said with a big smile. "She must be arriving from school anytime soon. She is helping to organize the spring festival, you see, but I think she should be on her way home by now."

Li raised jus his eyebrows in surprise, not saying anything. After coming to the temple so many times, and having seen the priest's daughter and grandson, but never the perpetually sick girl, he was sure she passed away, or never even existed at all.

Finally, sometime later, Li actually manage to buy something that looked like fun for Mr. Hero, and was heading towards the stairs to leave.

Mr. Higurashi was accompanying him there, still blabbering about something Li wasn't paying attention, and then, the old man said. "Oh look, here's Kagome. Guess you'll finally get to meet my granddaughter after all".

Li just stopped and looked in disbelief, as Kagome approached.

She seemed distracted, looking down while biting her thumb nail.

When her grandfather said hi, though, she looked up, and stopped, surely as shocked as Li was.

For a second, they just stared at each other, and Li started feeling increasingly stupid, not being able to think in anything useful to say.

Kagome's expression wasn't very encouraging though, she looked at him with a blank expression, which, for some reason, gave Li the impression he was in trouble.

Mr. Higurashi noted, right way, that they knew each other, but seemed unaware of any tension that might have emerged. Kagome eventually caught up to the dual and the priest started haply talking to his living-existing-not-fruit-of-his-imagination granddaughter about how Li would always pay attention to his stories and buy his spiritual gifts.

She listened to it, faking a smile to her grandfather and saying a cold "hi" to Li, who was starting to feel sweat forming on the back of his neck.

He was still trying to understand her expression, which now seemed increasingly annoyed.

Finally, she simply started walking, and put her hand on Li's shoulder to indicate that he should start walking too. Her grandfather was left behind, still talking.

They had just got to the back of the shrine's store, where they couldn't be seen, when they heard: "HEY WHERE DID THEY GO."

"Well, I wish I could do that everytime he starts talking no stop like that" Li said trying to make a joke… Only to realize that he might have sounded super rude and disrespectful to her grandfather.

Kagome didn't seem to have noted though "What're you doing here?" She asked

Li felt guiltier when he heard the sadness in her voice, and debated with himself for a second whether he should lie and say that he came to see her or tell the truth.

He decided for the truth. "Well, I didn't know you lived here." He said. "I sometimes come to this shrine to pray."

Kagome kept looking at him with that indecipherable expression, now with the bonus of an arched eyebrow that was making Li even more nervous.

Unfortunately, this made the boy start nervous-talking: "I'msorryIdidn'tansweranyofyourmessages, I'm truly sorry, and just had a lot on my mind and I came here to clear my head and he showed up. I didn't even know you existed, honestly, you grandfather was always talking about how spiritually powerful you are, but how you are always sick and, hospitalized…"

"Wait" she interrupted, looking surprised. "Does he still tell people I'm sick with weird diseases?"

NOW that's some expression Li could recognize, that expression of 'impatience with your grandfather because he would always say things he shouldn't say to your friends'.

"Hum, yeah." He said, hesitantly. "I don't know if he tells other people but he definitely told me a few times that you were in the hospital."

Kagome looked up, and took a deep breath looking very frustrated.

Li realized it was a problem she had been having with her grandfather for a while. "Look, if it makes you feel better, he used to tell me that all the time about like, three or four years ago, and now, he doesn't mention it all that much. He just always say you aren't home."

This seemed to have caught her attention. "You used to come here four years ago."

"Yeah" He said, shrugging. "as I said, I didn't know you lived here, but I come here a few times a year ever since I was a child."

"Isn't it super far away for you?"

"Kind of, but I like to come here. I don't know why. I really like that tree over there."

Kagome seemed more and more frustrated, making Li started asking himself what he said wrong.

"Look, I'm not stalking you or anything like that..."

"No, no, it's okay, I know you're not."

"I WAS going to answer the messages."

"Aw, WERE you?" Kagome seemed to have remembered why she was mad at him in first place and now her expression was not hurt, was just really, really mad.

Li took a deep breath and continued. "Yes, I was and, also, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry for having lashing out on you like that, you didn't deserve it."

Kagome raised an eyebrow again. "I know."

He cleared his throat and continued "Soooo, do you, by any chance, wanna have a coffee or something, maybe then I can explain to you why I was so stressed when I saw the necklace."

Her eyes fell down to Li's chest where she could see his beads necklace. Kagome bit her lower lip, as if she was thinking, then said "Okay. I'm free now, just wait for me to change from this uniform."

She left before Li could respond.

So, while Kagome was in the feudal era fighting Naraku with Inuyasha, Inuyasha's reincarnation was coming to the temple, and, they never met because she was in the feudal era with the original Inuyasha.

The irony.

She picked up some nice pink dress from her closet, debating if she should make Li wait, suffer a little for not answering her messages, or if she should change fast and worry about showering later.

Kagome then remembered that, if she left Li alone for too long, grandpa would probably start inventing a story about how she had hemorrhoids, or worse, and decided to go back quickly.

Fortunately, when she went down, both Souta and her mother were busy, the former playing videogames and the latter cooking in the kitchen, and didn't paid her much attention; allowing her to exit silently and unquestioned.

When she got out, Li was seated on the stairs of the temple, looking to the sunset.

Two things crossed Kagome's mind, the first that, it didn't help anything that Li was so handsome. Even wearing grey sweat pants and a simple white shirt (she could tell he was at the gym because of the gym bag), he was super hot, and, also… his legs weren't moving.

He was just sitting there, listening to music with his earplugs, lost in thought. Almost unconsciously, she was hoping he'd show that same sign of impatience Inuyasha had, having one of his legs jumping up and down like Inuyasha did but, no.

Like herself and Kikyo, Inuyasha an Li had very different personalities.

When Kagome got close, the Li got up, baffling the dust out and taking the earplugs off. He smiled timidly and asked. "So, where are we going?"

Kagome bit her lip and felt her heart skip a bit when she saw that smile. 'Completely different.' She thought.

"Well, there's cheeseburger place around the corner, they have great fries."

It was a quiet walk to the restaurant, and just when they sat on the table and had large fries ordered, Li took a deep breath and started.

"So, the beads"

"Yes, the beads"

"Where do I start…"

"The beginning sounds like great"

He looked at her with a sarcastic expression and rolled her eyes, Kagome just crossed her arms, showing impatience, waiting for a good explanation.

"I don't remember if I told you, but I'm adopted, OK¿". He started, defensive mode on. "Jizo is not my biological grandfather, he adopted me when I was a child."

Li looked outside, playing with his beads with one hand, deliberately avoiding her eyes. "I was left at the door steps of the orphanage as a baby, and my mother, whoever she was, left me those beads. As silly as It might sound, I always thought that I'd find my… original family, if I found out where these beads came from. When I saw you wearing it, I thought you might know something, or, even worse, I got scared we might be related."

Li was interrupted by the waitress with the fries and the sodas.

He just looked at the fries and continued, looking guilty and gloomy. "I got overwhelmed with frustration when you said you didn't know anything."

Kagome just kept staring at him, trying to not show pity, but feeling her heart sink.

Sill, avoiding her gaze, Li cleared his throat and took a french-fry between his fingers. "I'm sorry I lashed out, I'm felt terrible afterwards. Seriously." He finally looked at her, as if debating if he should continue. "I just.. I've looked for them. A lot. And came across a lot of dead ends. Seeing the beads felt so close, yet so far away… no, wait, don't cry!"

Kagome wasn't crying but she did feel teary eyed. "It's a great reason to scream, honestly."

This seemed to have broken Li's concentration, so, for a moment, they both just took some fries from the table and ate, none of them looking very hungry. Kagome imagined his throat was so dry as hers.

Li now looked very depressed and angry and Kagome's heart sunk a little more.

"Hey" She said. "I accept your apologies."

"Thanks." He answered with a quiet, low voice.

"Why are you mad now¿"

Li seemed to debate a little whether he should answer, but finally decided to say. "I don't like to play the victim. I don't like when people feel sorry for me. I didn't want to ruin everything with this nice girl I just met, and have such a heavy date, talking of heavy shit, and I wish I hadn't brought this situation on ourselves."

"I'm sorry about that too, Kagome."

Kagome took a long zip of her soda, wandering how to answer. "Everybody has baggage, you know. Actually, I'm glad you shared something so deep with me."

Li looked at her looking genuinely surprise, and she continued.

"I'm sorry I made you relieve painful memories." Kagome started, suddenly feeling the need to share something too. "But I have sad stories too."

"I don't know where these beads are from, but I know they aren't a family thing. They used to belong to a guy I used to date, an ex-boyfriend. He had a collar full of them. Full of those beads, not just these little ones on the front. I loved him very dearly." A tear fell down her cheek she quickly cleaned it. "He had an… accident three years ago, a fatal one. Me and some friends took the beads and divided among ourselves to remember him."

"Honestly, I should not even be wearing them. It's kind of a comfortable weight to wear it, but, he's dead now, and, I'm not. That's it. I'm just not able to move on completely yet."

Li, at this point, had completely gave up on his attempt to eat, and just looked at Kagome with his head resting on his left hand, and desolated expression. "Fuck, I'm so sorry." He reclined back on his seat, and passed his fingers through his hairs. "Who'd say this stupid necklace would cause so much damage."

Kagome laughed a little bit. "Yes… but, well, your apology was accepted."

Li laughed a little bit, still looking glum. "At least that."

"And I'm sorry too." Kagome said, with her hands on her beads. "Talking about ex-boyfriends when you are with another guy is awful, but I just wanted you to know that these beads bring some painful memories for me too."

Li laughed again, looking more cheerful. "Well, I asked for it. At least now I know I gotta work hard, 'cause I have to some big shoes to fill."

"I just can't compete with who is dead."

Kagome hesitated when he said that, remembering saying those same words, a long time ago to Inuyasha. "Don't worry about it."

Li reclined on the table, getting closer to her, and putting his hands on the table, inviting her. "Look, I know what it is to not be able to let go of something, so I completely understand you. I'm not going to judge. We wear those fucked up necklaces for the same reason in the end, we both simply can't take our minds of unfinished businesses."

Kagome took his hands on hers, from across the table, surprised with this line of thought. "I'm really trying to though." She said, giving a sad smile.

"I guess we both have some baggage, huh." He said.

"I will help you carry yours, if you let me."

"So will I."

Li and Kagome smiled at each other, both suddenly very happy with the bond they had just created.

The rest of their date was a little bit more cheerful, and Li even got hungry enough to order a cheeseburger (with meat!).

They held hands all the way back to the shrine, and that warm feeling of a long existing friendship came back.

The more Kagome and Li talked, the more they discovered things in common, and at some point, Kagome promised to go to Li's polo game next week.

He left her on the stairs of the temple, with a kiss on the cheek that made her blush, and left.

Kagome waited until he had turned around the corner, and run up the stairs, trying to liberate the energy she had, feeling like she would fly at any moment.

She didn't think in Inuyasha, not for a single moment, that night.