The boy�s usual enjoyment of quiet solitude was warring with his longing for familiar faces and surroundings. He sighed again as he gazed around the crowded room. There were at least a hundred other kids in the room and he only knew three of them.
A motion pulled his attention out of his thoughts and back to the crowd before him. Inuyasha scowled slightly as his eyes picked out a boy with dark hair and gray-blue eyes beckoning to him from across the room. Somewhat nervously, he walked over to the boy and regarded him curiously for a moment.
�You looked a little lost,� the boy said warmly. �Why don�t you join us?�
�Alright,� Inuyasha replied shyly. Normally, he was anything but shy. However, this situation was still very new and more than a little intimidating.
�Yusuke, shove over,� another student said, as Inuyasha took his place at an empty seat. Turning to the hanyou, the student said, �I�m Colin Meadows. This is Chloe.� As he spoke the second phrase, Colin pointed at the seemingly empty space beside him.
Inuyasha frowned and sniffed the air lightly. �Hello, Chloe,� he said softly, staring intently at the empty space. Although he couldn�t see anything, he could detect a scent that was distinctly feminine.
�I�m Miroku,� the first boy stated softly. �You can sense her?�
Inuyasha nodded. �I smell lavender�and�a girl, concentrated right there,� he stated, pointing at the space beside Colin.
�What�s a girl smell like?� the boy on his left asked.
�Yusuke?� Inuyasha asked, pointing at him. When the boy nodded, Inuyasha shrugged and shook his head. �It�s hard to describe. Boys smell�musky, girls smell�different. It�s a lighter scent, more�� he faded off, at a loss to describe the smell to someone who could never detect it.
�Feminine,� a soft voice stated gently.
Inuyasha grinned and turned around at the sound of a familiar voice. �Hey, Kurama,� he said shyly.
�Hello, Inuyasha,� the redhead replied. He turned to Yusuke and asked, �Is there room for me here as well?�
�You can sit beside me!� a tall, carrot-haired boy said excitedly.
�Thank you,� Kurama stated, sitting in the space the boy had made. �I am Shuichi Minamino, but I generally use Kurama.�
�I�m Kazuma Kuwabara,� the boy replied. �You�re really pretty, Kurama,� he added slyly.
Kurama sighed and rolled his eyes. �I�m also a boy,� he said flatly.
Inuyasha bit off the laugh that threatened to erupt when he saw the expression on the other boy�s face. He, of course, could tell that Kurama was male. In spite of his soft features and long, thick red hair, he smelled like a boy � not a girl.
Miroku grinned at Kurama and said, �Anyone who was paying the least bit of attention could tell that, Kurama. You�re wearing a boy�s uniform, after all.�
�Yeah, well,� Yusuke joked. �Kuwabara�s not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, is he?� The comment earned him a scowl from the tall boy, but everyone else chuckled. The noontime meal went rather quickly once everyone started eating and talking quietly amongst themselves. Too soon for Inuyasha�s liking the students all went their separate ways.
Kurama, Miroku and his sister, Ayeka, all headed to the library to get a jump on the lessons that would start the next day. Yusuke and Kuwabara headed out to the workout fields, for a little friendly fight. Inuyasha was left alone again.
Sighing deeply, the hanyou headed outside and began walking in the forest that surrounded the grounds. As he walked among the low hanging trees, his loneliness faded and he began to enjoy the quiet solitude of the forest.
Inuyasha wasn�t sure how long he�d been walking, lost in thought, before a soft sound pulled his attention back to the present. He scowled and followed the sound to its source, allowing his keen hearing to guide him.
Seated at the base of a tree, was a boy about his own age with somewhat long dark hair. His blue uniform marked him as a member of House Kowaii. It struck Inuyasha as odd that anyone from that house would be sitting alone in the forest crying to himself. Since they were from the same house anyway, Inuyasha figured maybe he should see what was wrong.
�Hello?� he called, as he neared the boy.
Gasping, the other boy looked up and quickly wiped the tears from his dark blue eyes. �Hi,� he said quickly.
Inuyasha�s ears twitched. �I heard you crying,� he explained. �Are you alright?�
The boy blushed and nodded. �I � I guess I just miss my family,� he admitted. �It�s stupid,� he added. �I was fine last year, but for some reason, this year is different.�
�I�m Inuyasha,� the hanyou said softly, as he sat down beside the other boy. �My mama always says that you can�t help how you feel. So, no emotion is stupid, it�s just the way you feel.�
The boy nodded slightly. �Your mother sounds like a smart lady.�
�She is,� Inuyasha agreed, grinning warmly.
�I�m Hiroshi,� the dark-haired boy said softly. �Hiroshi Kuroi.�
�Nice to meet you,� Inuyasha said, nodding slightly. �So�maybe, if you talk about what you�re feeling, you�ll understand why you�re lonely and you�ll feel better?�
Hiroshi sighed and shook his head. �Last year my older sister had classes here too,� he said after a moment. �This year, she�s in the Senior Academy, so I won�t see her as often.�
�You two are pretty close?� Inuyasha said.
Hiroshi nodded. �But I didn�t get this way when she was at the Academy and I was still at home,� he argued.
�You were with your parents, then?� Inuyasha asked. When Hiroshi nodded, the hanyou added, �This year, you�re all by yourself. Without anyone in your family.�
�My pack,� Hiroshi agreed, nodding to himself.
�Hmm?� Inuyasha said, eying him curiously.
Hiroshi shrugged. �I�m a kitsune,� he explained. �This is the first time I�ve been away from all the members of my pack � well, my human pack anyway.�
Inuyasha�s ears flicked and he shook his head. �You don�t look like a kitsune,� he stated.
Hiroshi grinned. �I know,� he said. �I was killed about fourteen years ago by a hunter and was reincarnated as a human boy. I don�t remember much about being a kitsune, but I seem to have their mindset.�
�Kurama�s the same way,� Inuyasha mused. �Except he remembers being a kitsune � kind of.�
Hiroshi�s eyes widened. �How many kitsune could have done what I did?� he asked, incredulous at the thought of another of his kind crossing over into the human world after death.
�At least one,� Inuyasha reasoned, shrugging.
Hiroshi chuckled. �Yeah, I guess.� The pair sat in silence for a moment; then Hiroshi said, �Thanks, Inuyasha. I feel a lot better now.�
Inuyasha grinned. �No problem,� he replied. �You helped me feel better too,� he added. �I really miss my mother�but everyone here is so friendly. I guess there�s no reason to be sad and lonely.�
�No,� Hiroshi agreed. �I guess not.�
End
