Panel 8
Kagome and Houjou stand outside the door of the museum. Kagome is locking the door. Houjou now carries Tetsusaiga in its case on his back. The rain seems to have stopped, but it's a bit windy.
Kagome: Did we lose De Dannan? I have't seen him for—what, couple of weeks?
Houjou: Yeah. Not since he sicced Mitawa on me.
Kagome: You think he went back to America?
Houjou: Not likely. I hope not.
Page 18
Panel 1
View of the two, side by side. Kagome is amused.
Kagome: . . . Don't tell me you miss him.
Houjou: Not exactly. But as long as he's here, I know who's watching me.
Panel 2
The two walk along the street. It's raining again. Kagome opens her umbrella, and Houjou pulls up his hood.
Kagome: Rain's back. And the wind's picking up.
Houjou: Surprise. I don't think it rained this much 450 years ago. Wish we'd brought the Toyota.
Kagome: Yep. We could be broken down in traffic right now.
Panel 3
Close-up of the two. Kagome is dubious; Houjou smiles broadly.
Houjou: Today, yes. But tomorrow . . . Tomorrow, if it stops raining, Auntie Barbra and I put in that alternator she bought me.
Panel 4
View of the two face to face.
Houjou: . . . What?
Kagome: You love that truck more than you love me.
Panel 5
View of the two walking down the street in the rain. Passersby carry umbrellas, as does Kagome, who is smiling a bit. Houjou is mock-serious, his arms folded in typical Inuyasha style.
Houjou: . . . Not more than I love you. The truck's got a bad alternator. Right now you're about equal. After tomorrow you might start worrying.
Panel 6
The two face to face, smiling at each other—Kagome sarcastically.
Kagome: Don't flatter yourself, Dog-Boy.
Houjou: But you are pretty sexy in that see-through umbrella.
Panel 7
Kagome smiles and lowers her umbrella as the two prepare to enter a commuter train.
Kagome: Yes, I've about given up on lingerie.
Houjou: Meaning you aren't wearing any? My day is getting better.
Panel 8
Inside the crowded car, Kagome smiles back over her shoulder at Houjou, who uses a hand to steady her. He is staring wide-eyed toward the door.
Kagome: Be nice to me and maybe you'll find out.
Houjou: Hey, are you picking that up?
Panel 9
Kagome has turned to follow his gaze, with the blank look in her eyes. Houjou is frowning.
Kagome: Hey, yeah! Full youkai aura!
Houjou: Shit. Shit! We are being watched! Shit! Where is he?
Kagome: Oh, come on. It probably has nothing to do with you.
Houjou: A full youkai? How usual is that?
Page 19
Panel 1
The two look toward the door. Houjou has his eyes closed, and his nose up, sniffing.
Kagome: Well, it's hardly unprecedented.
Houjou: Damn. He's outside the train. The doors closed. I'm losing the scent.
Panel 2
Kagome leans over to look through the window on the door.
Kagome: There! I see him! He's on the platform!
Houjou: Where? I can't see…
Panel 3
Front view of the two; Kagome's eyes have the blank look.
Houjou: Did he get on another car? Is he behind us?
Kagome: No, worrywart. He's still on the platform. I can see him. Shaggy hair, raincoat. One of those Irish wool hats.
Panel 4
Front view of the two, looking seriously toward the door.
Houjou: Kagome, the scent was . . . familiar. But I'm not sure from where. Did you see his face? What did he look like?
Kagome: Couldn't see him. He wasn't interested in us! He was reading a newspaper.
Panel 5
Houjou has grabbed Kagome's shoulders and is speaking seriously to her face. She looks distressed.
Houjou: . . . Reading a newspaper? On an open platform? In the pouring rain?
Panel 6
The two stare glumly into space.
Houjou and Kagome: . . .
Panel 7
Legend: Saturday
Full-length view of three figures: a Shinto priest holding one of those stick things with the paper streamers, and two mikos. One of the mikos carries a bowl with little round things in it—mochi, let's say—and the other carries a vase of chrysanthemums. They are walking through a cemetery.
Panel 8
Close view of the three. We can now see that the priest is Souta, complete with piercings. His multicolored hair has been plastered down—or unmoussed—under his priest hat. The miko with the flowers is Houjou's cousin Midori, the other girl is Kasumi, the cousin of Kagome and Souta—the other girl in the gift shop back in book 1, a zillion years ago. (Do you have any idea how long Kagome's been pregnant? And she's not even showing yet!) Kasumi has an odd expression on her face. Her mouth is clamped shut, her cheeks are puffed, and her eyes almost popping out.
Souta: Kasumi, what the heck are you doing?
Midori: . . . Somebody told her if you hold your breath in a graveyard, the ghosts can't get you, because they think you're one of them
Page 20
Panel 1
Souta scowls into the face of the indignant Midori.
Souta: Midori, you idiot . . .
Midori: Don't yell at me, Souta-kun! I didn't say it! It was somebody at her dumb school!
Panel 2
Full-length view of the group. Kasumi sits down suddenly, looking rather cross-eyed, dropping the bowl of mochi. Souta and Midori look on. Now we can see everybody's shoes: Kasumi wears sneakers, Midori is wearing huge platform sandals, and Souta wears heavy combat boots.
Souta: Kasumi! Dammit, Midori!
Midori: It's not my fault she's stupid.
Panel 3
Midori bends down to talk to the apprehensive Kasumi.
Midori: Kasumi-chan, if you pass out in a graveyard the spirits consume your body. Thousands of mikos have died that way.
Panel 4
Close-up of Kasumi. There are tears in her eyes, and her lips are trembling.
Kasumi: Uhn . . . .
Panel 5
Close-up of Kasumi, who throws back her head and howls.
Kasumi: Waaaaahhhh!
Panel 6
Close-up of Souta, with his hand to his forehead.
Souta: Could we please just get this done? Kasumi, stop crying, OK?
Panel 7
Kasumi howls and pats her own rump as the other two knee to lay the stuff they brought on Inuyasha's grave. Souta is holding one of the fallen mochi.
Kasumi: Sob. Now my butt's all muddy.
Midori: Why do we have to do this?
Souta: I dunno. Some tourist complained that the grave was a mess.
Panel 8
Souta and Midori squat on the ground before the grave.
Midori: This is my stupid cousin's idea, isn't it?
Souta: . . . I don't think so. This place weirds him out too much. I think it's my ma's idea.
Midori: . . . Well, OK. I like your mother.
Page 21
Panel 1
The weeping Kasumi sits, and the others squat, by Inuyasha's gravestone. Souta is eating one of the mochi.
Souta: Hey, Kasumi, give it a rest, OK?
Kasumi: I can't! I'm scared! What if we're making the ghost angry? I don't want an angry ghost to come get me!
Panel 2
View of the three crouching on the ground.
Souta: The angry ghost won't get you. He's at home putting a new alternator in his truck. He wasn't even actually angry when we left. Of course, by the time we get back he and Auntie Barbra will be screaming obscenities at each other.
Midori: Kasumi-chan, even if he gets you, all he'll do is lecture you for an hour and make you sweep the stairs.
Panel 3
Souta scowls at Kasumi, who is crying again.
Kasumi: But it's scary! It's glowing! Something in the grave is glowing!
Souta: "Glowing"?
Panel 4
Souta consults with Midori as Kasumi wails in the background.
Souta: Do you see anything glowing?
Midori: Nope. Hey, Kasumi-chan, you've finally gone totally bonkers.
Panel 5
Souta puts an arm around Kasumi.
Souta: Hey—hey, Kasumi! Kasumi-chan. It's OK, Kasumi. Tell me what you see.
Kasumi: It's—it's—I don't want to be the only one who can see it!
Souta: Just tell me, OK?
Kasumi: It's . . . in the ground, way down. It's like a glowing cloud.
Panel 6
The three stand up before the grave marker. Kasumi looks up at Souta.
Souta: A cloud. That's good! A cloud is very good. And Kasumi can see it. That's very interesting.
Kasumi: It is?
Midori: This is really weird. What is it?
Panel 7
Close-up of Souta, who smiles with excitement—in a mad scientist sort of way.
Souta: You know those keychains we sell? That cloud is the real thing. Kasumi can sense the Shikon no Tama.
Page 22
Panel 1
Legend: Sunday
View of the dining room (tatami room) of the Higurashi shrine house. Houjou, Kagome, and Grandpa Higurashi are seated at the table on cushions. Houjou and Kagome are dressed casually and barefoot, Grandpa is in his usual kimono with reading glasses. Houjou is cross-legged with a cat (the white one, Furuffi) on his lap. He is reading a professional journal and has a coffee mug in one hand. Kagome, also holding a mug, is turned sideways to look at a TV set with what looks like a news program. Grandpa is reading a newspaper. Under the table is sprawled the other cat, Schrödinger.
Voice: Excuse me?
Panel 2
All three people and both cats look up blankly.
Voice: Do you people work here?
Panel 3
View from behind the group. We can see that they are staring at a broadly smiling, bespectacled woman, dressed in tank top and cutoffs, who has just thrown open the sliding door of the room.
Woman: Could somebody point me to the little girls' room? I gotta pee.
Panel 4
In the shrine office/gift shop, Houjou and Mama Higurashi are surrounded by an odd assortment of people. A sword labeled "Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga" hangs on the wall. It is obviously not the real Tetsusaiga. It's also not the same sword we saw hanging there back in Book 1. One of Houjou's eBay specials, no doubt. There are racks of SNT keychains and ofuda on the counter. Behind the counter a wavy-haired young girl in a miko costume (Kamiko, the third shrine maiden) is talking on a cell phone.
Houjou: Four busloads of Americans? Were we expecting this?
Mama: They just showed up.
Panel 5
The office is full of tourists, and Kamiko still on the phone, as Kagome speaks to Houjou.
Kagome: Souta's coming. And Mrs. Fujita from the shrine committee. Midori's running a tour.
Houjou: Midori is?
Woman: Excuse me. Does anybody here speak English?
Houjou: No.
Kagome: Husband . . .
Panel 6
An angry woman yells at Houjou and Mama; in the background, Kamiko is still on the phone.
Kamiko: It's really exciting here today! Thousands of Americans!
Woman: Can you tell me how much this is?
Houjou: 700 yen.
Woman: At last! Why don't you put hire someone who speaks English?
Houjou: 750 Yen.
Panel 7
Kagome is speaking to Houjou as she puts something in a bag for a smiling tourist.
Kagome: They're from Wisconsin! Doesn't that remind you of Chicago?
Houjou: Yeah. Those cockroaches we couldn’t get rid of?
Page 23
Panel 1
Souta is coming in the door, Kamiko is on the phone, Mama is waiting on customers, tourists are all over. Houjou, standing at the counter, turns to see Grandpa and Midori, who is leading a tour.
Midori: Thank you from Higurashi Shrine. That is all of tour. Here you may find souvenir and some good luck charms.
Kamiko: So I'm like, uh? And he's all, mm.
Mama: Four two zero zero yen.
Tourist: Is that good?
Panel 2
Kagome and Mama are waiting on customers. Houjou, putting a keychain in a bag, looks over at Kamiko, who is still on the phone.
Kamiko: Wow, that sounds so cool. I wish I didn't have to work.
Houjou: Kamiko, if you could finish your conversation we could use help here. Kamiko?
Panel 3
Houjou picks up the phone from the desk and dials, looking at Kamiko, who is on her cell. Sound effect from Kamiko's phone: Click.
Kamiko: No, I know! He's so . . . Wait a minute. I have another call coming in.
Panel 4
Houjou speaks into the desk phone, as Kamiko listens on hers.
Kamiko (speaking, and also coming through the handset of Houjou's phone): Mochi-mochi.
Houjou: Kamiko, this is Houjou. Please get off the phone and wait on some customers!
Panel 5
Kamiko looks at her phone with astonishment and delight.
Panel 6
Kamiko speaks to Houjou as she points to her phone with a huge grin. Houjou, phone to his ear, has the expression you'd expect.
Kamiko: Houjou-san? Guess what! You're on the phone!