Freshman girl

The First-year girl is an unnamed student at Kagome's school. She is revealed to have romantic feelings for Hōjō, and seen as a possible rival for Kagome Higurashi by her friends.

History
Soon after Kagome's fight with Inuyasha for defending Kōga, she returned to the modern era. Her friends, Ayumi, Yuka and Eri, informed her when she returned to school that a "girl of the first-year", who during her long absence because of "economy class syndrome" (one of the many fake illnesses invented by Grandpa Higurashi) is a rival towards Hōjō.

They take Kagome and secretly they all spy on Hōjō and First-Year Girl at the parking lot. Kagome's friends then reveal to her that the girl has constantly been been around Hōjō recently, revealing she has romantic feelings for him. While her friends believe that she is a rival towards Hōjō, Kagome remains uninterested. Kagome's friends then begin to suspect that she is already in a relationship with someone else.

Later, Hōjō invites Kagome to the movies the following Saturday. Kagome's friends accept the date on her behalf. Unfortunately for Hōjō, Kagome later cancels the date as decides to return to the Feudal era to reconcile with Inuyasha. She then advises him to go to on a date with the first-year girl, but Hōjō claims not to want to date any other girls, and cheerfully misreads Kagome's statement as jealousy.

Three years later, when Kagome left to live forever in the Feudal Era and married Inuyasha, the first-year girl is out on a date with Hōjō, seemingly in a relationship.

Physical description
The girl of the first-year has a short stature and is particularly pretty, wearing the uniform of Kagome's school. She has brown eyes, and long wavy brown hair dark, with its tail tied with a bow, and a few strands that fall on her forehead.

Relationships
The girl of the first-year is clearly in love with Hōjō and is often seen talking to him and spending time with him. While Hōjō does not seem to mind her company, he is initially still very much interested in Kagome. Much later, after Kagome left to live in the Feudal Era, Hōjō and the girl appear to be dating.
 * Hōjō

Kagome's friends seem to view the girl as a romantic rival for Kagome in regards to Hōjō.
 * Eri, Yuka, & Ayumi

While Kagome's friends see her as a romantic rival, Kagome does not, as she is not romantically interested in Hōjō. Kagome seemed to feel indifferent toward the girl, and was not jealous in the slightest over the first-year's crush on Hōjō.
 * Kagome Higurashi

Manga vs. Anime

 * In the manga, the girl of the first-year only appears in chapters 139 and 140 (in the latter, in a flashback while Kagome mentions in Hōjō). In the anime, she appears in episode 38 with the only difference that in the manga, there is no Ayumi. However, in the final scenes of last episode of The Final Act, she is seen going to the movies with Hōjō. This scene does not exist in manga.
 * In the manga, she greets Hōjō while he is riding his bicycle. In the anime, she greets him while he is locking up his bicycle.

Media appearances
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Manga

 * Chapter 139
 * Chapter 140

Anime
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 * Episode 38
 * Episode 26 (FA)