Crossover: A Different Inuyasha

"Let's drink wine and admire the flowers together, appreciating the beautiful spring scenery of our Eastern land."

A petal brushed past her temple in the wind. Lingyue Fairy raised her hand and gently gathered the wind-blown strands of hair, her expression unchanged.

Inside the lord's mansion in Zenkenkyo, the spring sunlight streamed through the open windows, casting warm, gentle rays across the long table.

The toad sat upright, its short, stout body appearing as steady as a rock in the large chair, with a scroll of documents covered in annotations spread out beside it.

Several anthropologists sat opposite him; the older ones had gray hair and beards, while the younger ones still had a youthful innocence on their faces.

They are gathered around the desk, their pens occasionally making a few marks on the pages.

"Heavy industry is still not under consideration. This year's light industry plan focuses on bringing textiles and ceramics into mass production."

The toad's voice was steady, carrying the composure honed from years of handling government affairs.

"Technical support for World One is in place, and the equipment has been delivered to the North Warehouse in Shanjianjing. Now, the question is whether the local craftsmen and scholars we arranged in advance can get started?"

A middle-aged scholar looked up and adjusted the round-framed glasses on his nose.

"We have inspected the equipment and our personnel have undergone preliminary hands-on training; there are no problems."

The toad nodded and wrote a few words on the edge of the document.

The architectural style of the entire Zenkenkyo still retains its ancient charm.

Gray tiles and white walls, wooden beams and paper doors, eaves that soar like crane wings.

The houses on both sides of the street are arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner, with carved window lattices and hanging paper lanterns complementing each other.

But if you push open those antique wooden doors and walk into the depths of the courtyard, you will find many things that do not match their appearance.

In the Beicang, modern looms and potter's wheels are neatly stacked; on the desk in the City Lord's Mansion are documents and charts from World One; and even the mechanical pumps driven by spiritual power, which are being tested beside the irrigation canal, are sending clean water into the rice paddies on both banks at a steady pace.

Ancient and modern, local and foreign, are quietly blending together on the land of the East.

As a woman in a kimono passed by a newly opened shop on the street, she couldn't help but peek curiously inside—behind the counter was a row of exquisite utensils, completely different from those in the area, their smooth glaze gleaming in the sunlight.

Everything grows quietly in this peaceful sunlight.

Like the double cherry blossoms in full bloom on that tree, its branches and leaves are spread out, and its branches are covered with flowers.

In a classroom at Shuishan Middle School, a teacher was flipping through a textbook on the podium, conveying the key points of knowledge to the ears of most of the students who were half asleep.

Kagome sat by the window, her elbows propped on the table, her palms supporting her chin, her eyelids drooping millimeter by millimeter.

The cherry blossoms outside the window were swaying in the wind, and occasionally a petal or two would drift in through the cracks in the window and land on her open textbook.

Sunlight fell on the collar of her dark green sailor uniform, illuminating her budding, beautiful face with a soft and serene glow.

Her eyelashes cast soft shadows under her eyelids, and her breathing was even, as if she were having a dream completely unrelated to the class content.

"Kagome".

The teacher suddenly called out names from the podium.

Kagome jolted awake, jumping up from her chair. Before her eyes could fully focus, her mouth reacted before her brain could process what she was doing.

"arrive--!"

The classroom fell silent for a moment.

Then laughter burst forth like bubbles being popped, rising and falling, from the front row to the back row, from the left to the right, even the usually quietest girl covered her mouth.

Kagome's face flushed red.

She remained standing for two seconds before slowly sitting back down, shrinking into the chair as if her bones had been removed. She grabbed the textbook from the table and covered her face with it, leaving only the tips of her bright red ears showing.

She didn't peek out from behind her textbook until the bell rang.

However, before Kagome could recover, three figures surrounded her at the same time.

Like three cats that had caught the smell of fish, they moved in perfect unison, as if they had rehearsed it.

Yuka was the first to squat down, placing her hands on the table, resting her chin on the back of her hands, tilting her head back, and teasing with a smile, "Kagome—are you thinking about your fiancé again?"

"No way!" Kagome's face flushed even more, and her voice rose a half-octave.

Eri propped herself up on the table with one hand and the other on her hip, tilting her head slightly, her gaze carrying a scrutinizing quality that said, "Your expression doesn't lie." "Tsk, look at your lovesick girl look—who can you fool?"

"I told you so..."

Kagome's voice lowered, her fingertips unconsciously tugging at the skirt beneath her.

Yuka, who had never been in a relationship, leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with eager curiosity, "Then tell me, why did you doze off in class? You can't just say you were doing homework, can you?"

Unable to resist her best friend's insistence, Kagome looked away, her voice barely audible, "...I'm just learning to knit with my mom."

"Oh--"

Ayumi slowly drew out the last syllable, her gaze lingering on Kagome's flushed cheeks before she smiled and said, "So you were staying up all night knitting towels for your fiancé and got tired."

The three women exchanged a glance, a tacit understanding appearing on their faces at the same moment, and then, as if they had planned it, they laughed simultaneously.

"What a loving couple."

"Stop talking!"

Kagome suddenly reached out and pushed the three gossipy women who had crowded around her aside. She then lay face down on the table and buried her face in her arms.

Outside the window, cherry blossoms are still falling.

Seeing that Kagome could no longer make a move, the three of them exchanged glances and began to say nice things to her. One suggested going to a karaoke bar after school, while another suggested going to a newly opened dessert shop on the street.

Finally, Kagome raised her head, made a peace sign with both hands, and chose to have it all.

When we came out of the karaoke bar after singing, the sky was already tinged with a thin layer of orange-red.

The four of them, carrying their schoolbags, walked a short distance along the sidewalk and turned into a newly opened dessert shop.

The warm yellow light shining through the glass windows illuminated the counter full of cakes and puddings, making it look incredibly tempting. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of cream and fruit, mixed with the deep hum of the coffee machine, making you feel relaxed as soon as you entered.

The four of them chose a booth by the window and ordered drinks and desserts.

Yuu ordered a strawberry milkshake, Eri asked for a matcha cake, and Ayumi chose caramel pudding.

Kagome hesitated for a moment, then finally ordered a hot cocoa with a cream topping.

Once all the cups and saucers were served, the conversation naturally drifted to next year.

"Kagome, on another note—"

Yuka held the milkshake cup in both hands, the straw lightly touching her lips, her gaze carrying an expression that said, "I've been curious about this for a long time." "Are you really going to be a high school wife?"

Kagome had just taken a sip of hot cocoa when she almost choked on it. She quickly put down her cup and said, "What high school housewife? Why are you still talking about this!"

“It’s not that we’re still talking about it, it’s that this whole thing is strange enough.” Eri cut a small piece of matcha cake with her fork, slowly put it in her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and spoke in an adult-like tone.

"Although it's legal, it's extremely rare in reality—going back several years from our school, I've never heard of anyone getting engaged in junior high."

Ayumi placed the spoon of caramel pudding on the edge of the plate and rested her chin on her hands as she spoke.

"I think it's better not to. Becoming a mom in high school—it feels like suddenly being a generation above us. I'll feel weird if your kid calls me 'Auntie'."

The three of them chatted away, their tone filled with the carefree joy of youth.

Kagome's head was throbbing from their relentless bombardment. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled before raising her hands to make a "pause" gesture.

"Stop making wild guesses!"

She lowered her hand, her tone serious, as if she had been cornered but had become calmer. "I will continue my high school studies. Both Inuyasha and my family support me."

Yuka blinked first, then smiled and raised her milkshake cup towards Kagome, "From now on, you'll be a college wife. Let me toast you."

"This is a milkshake."

"Can milkshakes be offered as a toast?"

Eri laughed and gently tapped the edge of the plate with the tip of her fork, making a crisp, light sound.

Ayumi picked up the caramel pudding dish and raised it like a wine glass.

Kagome looked at the three smiling faces in front of her and the cups and saucers scattered in their hands, picked up her own cup of hot cocoa, and complained, "I'm still a long way from being a wife."

Outside the window, dusk was deepening, and streetlights were gradually lighting up in the distance.

The glass window of the dessert shop reflected the silhouettes of four people sitting together.

This is youth.

Chapter 102 Kagome's Demon High School, Midori's Resurrection

At Higurashi Shrine, Kagome sat in front of her vanity, carefully drawing her eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil in front of the mirror.

She put down her eyebrow pencil, leaned closer to the mirror to examine herself for a moment, then picked up her lip gloss and lightly dabbed it on her lips. She pursed her lips, then stepped back a little to bring her entire face into the mirror.

Her eyebrows were drawn slightly lighter than usual, her lips were glossy and natural, and her cheeks had a very light touch of foundation.

Like a blooming flower, it has reached the age where it can be picked.

Kagome stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, then suddenly looked away and muttered something in a tone that she herself didn't realize was a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, "...Seriously, why did I put on makeup for Inuyasha?"

"That despicable perverted dog."

While saying this, she had already picked up a comb, tidied her hair, and tilted her head left and right in front of the mirror to make sure she looked pretty before putting down the comb and standing up.

She took off her pajamas and put on a light apricot-colored dress, the hem of which fell just above her knees, revealing her smooth and shapely calves.

A narrow white belt was tied around her waist, and a thin knitted cardigan was worn over it.

Kagome picked up the small bag from the bedside table, slung it over her shoulder, checked herself one last time in the mirror, then turned around, opened the door, and walked downstairs with light steps.

In the living room, Sota Higurashi sat in front of the TV, clutching a bag of potato chips. Hearing footsteps coming from the stairs, he subconsciously turned his head to look.

"Mom, my sister is going on a date with Inuyasha!"

"You brat, what are you saying!"

Kagome's face flushed red instantly. She took two steps down the last few steps of the second floor and raised her fist, making a feint towards Sota.

Kusa chuckled and shrank back behind the sofa, but he didn't stop talking.

"I saw it all! My sister is dressed so beautifully—what else could it be but a date!"

"Remember to bring me some good food."

Just as Kagome was about to chase after her, the kitchen curtain was lifted. Kagome's mother, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, peeked into the living room, her gaze lingering on Kagome, her face beaming with a smile.

"Kagome, are you coming back for lunch?"

Kagome turned around, shook her head, and said, "No, Inuyasha said he has plans."

"That's good." Kagome's mother nodded, without asking any further questions, but added, "Be careful on the road."

"Know it."

Kagome responded, turned and walked towards the entrance, changed into a pair of low-cut leather shoes, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked down the long steps of the shrine one by one.

Cherry blossoms fluttered down from the branches on both sides, landing on her shoulders and the tips of her hair, before being gently swept away by the wind.

At the end of the stone steps, a black motorcycle was parked under a cherry blossom tree by the roadside.

The car body had a clean metallic sheen that shone slightly in the sunlight.

A tall, slender figure leaned against the car—Inuyasha, wearing a light gray casual jacket over a white crew-neck shirt, and black trousers that made his figure appear even more agile.

A few strands of his long, black hair were blown by the wind. He looked up and watched as the girl walked briskly down the stone steps and then leaped into the air.

Like a flower that has bloomed in the wind.

Youthful and beautiful.

Unbelievably beautiful.

'If I hadn't caught her, she would have fallen and gotten really hurt, wouldn't she?'

Imagining the girl's bruised and swollen face, Inuyasha smiled and opened his arms.

As Kagome fell into his arms, her skirt was still swaying, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin.

She tilted her head back, her face as radiant as a peach blossom, her large eyes blinking brightly, "Have you been waiting long?"

"Just arrived."