Panel 4
Close-up of Koinu.
Koinu: The villagers gave you food and you shared it with me. I thought it was some kind of trap, but it wasn’t, so I kept hanging around.
Panel 5
Inuyasha scowls in the background as in the foreground Kaede hands Kagome a bowl of food.
Koinu: That night Kaede sat talking and cooking supper. She talked. She talked. She handed you some food. She talked. She…
Panel 6
Kaede talks as she hands a bowl to a surprised and suspicious-looking Inuyasha.
Koinu: …handed me some food and…she just…kept on talking. She hardly even looked at me. Just gave me food, like it was perfectly normal…
Panel 7
Inuyasha, holding chopsticks and bowl, glowers at Kagome and Kaede, who chat in the foreground, ignoring him.
Koinu: I waited for one of you to…make a big deal, or try to take it back. But nobody did, so I just…ate it.
Panel 8
Close-up of Koinu, with a faraway smile on his face.
Koinu: That was the first hot meal I’d had since my mother died. And after that, I just never had to be hungry again. That’s funny, isn’t it?
Panel 9
Close-up profile of Kagome; a tear courses down her cheek.
Kagome: …
Koinu: It’s okay. You don’t have to cry. This is my house now. I can go to the kitchen anytime I want.
Panel 10
Close-up of Koinu.
Koinu: I have a bed. And books, and clean clothes. And now I have you again. Kagome…
Page 6
Panel 1
Kagome looks on in surprise as Koinu looks upward; he has caught a scent.
Koinu:…Kuru ze.
Panel 2
Kagome and Koinu are side-by-side. She is wide-eyed, he is calm
Haruka (offscreen): That bastard! I guess I told that shithead a thing or two.
Panel 3
Haruka stands at the doorway, with Koinu seated in the foreground. Haruka wears a suit with long culottes, a necklace of round beads with an occasional square one, a white shirt under the suit jacket, and a sash tied at the waist—very similar to Inuyasha’s kimono.
Haruka: "Haruka-san" he calls me. Never saw me before in his life and—Koinu-chan?
Panel 4
Haruka talks to Koinu; Kagome is still not visible.
Haruka: Aren’t you supposed to be at school?
Koinu: Uh…no?
Panel 5
Haruka raises one finger; she looks smug.
Haruka: …Oh. Koinu-chan, you would have been proud of your mother today.
Panel 6
View of a nervous-looking Koinu, seated on floor, with Kagome just barely visible behind him; Haruka’s legs are visible in the foreground.
Koinu: I’m always proud of you. Um, Mom?
Haruka: Koinu-chan, your mother had a very interesting discussion with the American undersecretary.
Koinu: That’s great. Mom?
Page 7
Panel 1
Haruka gestures; she has long fingernails.
Haruka: That shithead had me backed up against a wall, Koinu-chan. Against a wall. And he’s towering over me, right up against me!
Panel 2
Close-up of Haruka, pointing a finger.
Haruka: And it occurs to me that this is a classic case of a powerful oppressor using an implied sexual threat to control a person of perceived lesser power.
Panel 3
Close-up of Haruka, holding up a finger.
Haruka: Koinu-chan, the best defense is a good offense.
Panel 4
Close-up of Haruka, making a fist.
Haruka: You know how I feel— oppression survives only if it is tolerated by the oppressed.
Panel 5
Close-up of Haruka, smiling (evilly—much like Houjou when he goes on the attack in book 6).
Haruka: So I said to him, "Mr. Adams, what you’re calling ‘female circumcision’ is really clitoridectomy."
Panel 6
Wide view: Kagome looks startled and Koinu grimaces in embarrassment as Haruka throws out her arm, finger pointed.
Haruka: And then I looked him right in the eye and said, "A woman has a right to an orgasm!"
Page 8
Panel 1
Haruka’s arm has dropped and she stares dumbfounded (Haruka is not often founded dumb) at Kagome, whom she has just noticed. Kagome is wide-eyed, her arms crossed protectively over her breast. Koinu has his head down, with both hands covering it.
Koinu:…Um, Mom…This is my friend Higurashi.
Panel 2
Kagome bows low, Haruka bows slightly; Koinu looks worried in the background.
Kagome: Good morning, Inuyasha-Houjou-san. Please forgive me for intruding in your home.
Haruka: Higurashi-san—that is your name? My son is the rudest of boys not to have let me welcome you properly.
Kagome: No, ma’am, I apologize for my rudeness in not introducing myself to you.
Panel 3
Kagome and Haruka glare at each other across a distressed-looking Koinu, who looks nervously toward his mother..
Panel 4
The women are still staring each other down. Koinu, still nervous, now looks at Kagome.
Haruka: Koinu-chan, why doesn’t Higurashi-san have fresh tea? I’ll bring it myself.
Kagome: No, Inuyasha-Houjou-san, it’s too much trouble for you.
Haruka: I’ll get it.
Panel 5
Close-up of an apologetic Koinu and Kagome.
Koinu: Um...that’s my mother.
Kagome: You…have some interesting conversations, huh?
Koinu: Yep. Female circumcision, infant formula versus breastfeeding, land mine injuries, child slavery, forced prostitution. I know all about it. The miracle of in-vitro fertilization—I’m an expert at that. My mom will show you my petri dish. The whole baseball team’s seen it.
Panel 6
Close-up of Koinu and Kagome.
Kagome: "Petri dish?"
Koinu: I was a test tube baby. She loves to tell about it. I was conceived in a laboratory in London. And then they came home and my mother want to "every temple and every shrine and every church in Tokyo and asked all the gods to bless them with a healthy baby."
Page 9
Panel 1
Close-up of Koinu and Kagome face to face.
Koinu: And they got…me. A reincarnated half-daemon. But I’m very healthy. And it’s better than being crazy. At least I’m human.
Panel 2
Close-up of Koinu—a sudden thought.
Koinu: Oh! I almost forgot!
Panel 3
Close-up of Koinu, eyes closed, yelling.
Koinu: Mom? I’m quitting school!
Panel 4
Haruka leans in the door, furious, as Kagome looks on calmly.
Haruka: What?!! No, you aren’t!
Panel 5
Koinu explains calmly to Haruka, who leans against the doorway, glowering.
Koinu: Yes, I am. They’re a bunch of arrogant, oppressive snobs, and I refuse to go there. That’s why I’m home.
Haruka: What happened?
Panel 6
Close-up of Koinu, with an experience of righteous indignation.
Koinu: Higurashi got sick in class, and I was trying to help her, so they kicked us both out into the hall. Then we went to the nurse, and we heard the principal say that I was all right because my parents have good connections but they’re going to kick Higurashi out because she’s a shrine girl with no money.
Panel 7
Close-up of Haruka; righteous indignation runs in the family.
Haruka: Oh. I see. I can’t…we chose that school because they claim to be scrupulously fair. Those bastards! I’m going to make a few calls.
Panel 8
Kagome and Koinu face to face; Kagome looks worried, Koinu relaxed.
Kagome: What will…
Koinu: Relax. You’re OK. They always choose the snobbiest schools for me and then get mad at them for being snobs.
Kagome: What if the school just…lets you quit?
Panel 9
Close-up of Koinu, looking very bishie and serious and like a star.
Koinu: They won’t. I’m a star. They’ll let me have anything I want. Right now they’re probably apologizing to her for sending me to the hall.
Page 10
Panel 1
Close-up of the two; Kagome looks embarrassed and a bit sad, Koinu is earnest, which is practically his default expression.
Kagome: Wow. Must be nice. You’re…different.
Koinu: Kagome, I swear I’m not just a spoiled brat! I don’t do this all the time! This is important! They’re not being fair!
Panel 2
Close-up of a determined-looking Haruka—her default expression—carrying a tray with a teapot.
Haruka: Here is tea. I have an appointment with the principal. We will teach them to treat young women of slender means with respect.
Panel 3
Koinu and Kagome are seated at the table, where he is about to pour tea for her. Haruka turns on her way out and holds up a letter. Koinu is reacting with a look of panic.
Haruka: Oh—Koinu-chan—you’re good at reading American handwriting. Would you decipher this for mother?
Koinu:Uh…uh…sure…
Panel 4
Close-up of Koinu, looking at the letter in obvious consternation.
Koinu:Ah, it…ah, it says…um…
Panel 5
Koinu looks around, flushing in embarrassment.
Panel 6
Koinu holds the letter almost at the end of his nose, squinting. Kagome looks at him curiously, Haruka is surprised.
Haruka: Aren’t you wearing your contacts? What happened to your contacts?
Panel 7
View of the three. Kagome is deadpan. Koinu is embarrassed.
Koinu: I took them out…my eyes got kind of irritated…
Haruka: Well, then, where are your glasses? Tell me you didn’t break another pair of glasses.
Koinu: They’re in my pocket.
Haruka: Well, put them on! You can’t go around bumping into things.
Panel 8
View of the three. Kagome bites her lip but keeps a straight face. Koinu, distressed, is reaching for his shirt pocket. Haruka is…Haruka.
Koinu: Mom…Higurashi’s never seen me in glasses…
Haruka: Higurashi-san is your friend. She won’t be offended by your glasses. Isn’t that right, Higurashi-san?
Kagome: Um…
Page 11
Panel 1
Close-up: blushing, Koinu pulls his glasses from his shirt pocket.
Panel 2
Close-up: with a pained look, Koinu puts on his glasses—the round ones we saw in the prologue and the opening page of book 4.
Panel 3
Kagome holds a straight face, Haruka looks resigned. Koinu, now wearing his glasses as he reads the letter.
Koinu: Um. It’s just your basic "Power to the people, peace now, sisterhood is beautiful, send me your newsletter in English" thing.
Haruka: Sigh. I wish people would just use the subscription form. Thank you, Koinu-chan. Higurashi-san, forgive me for intruding.
Panel 4
Kagome is still deadpan as she looks at Koinu, in glasses; he looks away, embarrassed.
Panel 5
Kagome and Koinu face to face; Koinu is embarrassed, Kagome smiles gently.
Koinu: Sigh. Go ahead and say it.
Kagome: I-I’m just…surprised.
Koinu: I know. I look like a dork. I’m really, really nearsighted. Funny, huh.
Panel 6
Kagome still has a gentle smile; Koinu is also smiling, rather ruefully.
Kagome: Well, you look kind of like…Harry Potter.
Koinu: Oh, good. My first choice was James Bond, but Harry Potter is a definite second…kind of a distant second.
Kagome: You have a sense of humor this time.
Koinu: Yeah, I traded my eyesight for it.
Panel 7
Koinu pulls back his bangs to reveal a jagged scar along his hairline. Kagome looks surprised.
Kagome: You need a lightning bolt scar on your forehead.
Koinu: I do have a scar, but it’s up along my hairline.
Kagome: Oh! There is a scar. That’s…strange.
Koinu: It’s not that strange! It’s from when I fell off the bike.
Panel 8
Close-up of the two; Kagome looks surprised, Koinu is smiling.
Kagome: You don’t think that the…that there was a Houjou boy who…was killed…?
Koinu: And I took over his body? I was standing on the handlebars, like I did on my imaginary friend Kagome’s bike in the made-up land called Musashi’s Domain.