"Higurashi!"
"Hojo?" Kagome couldn't believe her eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I heard that you've changed your name since I last saw you..." Hojo looked embarrassed which induced Kagome to turn red as well.
"Umm..." Kagome hesistated. "Do call me Kagome." She smiled awkwardly.
"So Kagome," Hojo returned her smile. "When did you return to Tokyo? Your grandfather told me you moved to Antarctica! It must have been freezing down there!"
Kagome's jaw dropped when she heard her grandfather's lie. *Last time, he told people I was in the Sahara Desert!* she did a fake laugh. "Well, yeah. I... um... came back about two years ago actually."
"Oh, and I didn't have a chance to see you in so long! You don't look too well? Are you sick again?"
Kagome groaned inwards as he hinted to her "sickness" during high school. "Oh no! I'm perfectly alright. Just a little tired perhaps."
"Oh, then you should go home and rest. I know some therapeutic hearb which would work wonders..."
Kagome cut in, "No thanks. I'm quite okay. Honest." She paused. "I'd better be on my way. i've taken enough of your time."
"No! It's been a pleasure seeing you again, Kagome."
Kagome gave a brief nod, ignoring the sad look in his eyes. "Yes. Anyway, see you." She forced herself to smile as she turned and walked briskly away, the bushes next to her swaying slightly.
***
"Is that her?"
"Yeah looks like it!"
"You guys, shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"Sshhhhhh!"
"Ssssshhhhhhh!!"
"SSSSHHHHHH!!!!!"
Pause. Thud.
"Hey! Who hit me?"
"Wasn't me!"
"Wasn't me either!"
The three turned to see a tall man dressed a la feudal age. "Hey, who are you?" one of them asked.
"Feh. You idiots are a waste of my time. Get out of here." The stranger cracked his knuckles menacingly, and the three spies looked at each other and ran off, screaming, "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Author's note: I'd like to think of the spies as looking like the 'pork buns' in Ranma Vol. 14 (they're so cute) - so I'm going to call them Pork Buns from now on - IF they make another appearance in the story...