CHAPTER 7
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.....all original characters/ideas are mine to claim.
AN: I'm so glad you guys liked that last chapter! Once again, my greatest thanks to all my reviewers! I forgot to mention: Did you see that Keiko? They gave the items to her on a platter!!! *winks* Gee, I thought that the chapters were long enough? Complaints anyone?
WARNINGS: OOCness (duh!) as already mentioned, and this chapter happens to be a bit more...serious. I hope I did justice in this one....
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- White Plums -
Kenshin rolled away, his eyes downcast.
Painfully, Kaoru also tried to get up. Kenshin was strong for his figure, yet at the same time, he had been gentle when he had wrestled with her. He was fast and his budo was clearly seen through his deftness.
"S-s.....excuse us." Soujiro stuttered, grabbing hold of a pale-faced Okita. He started to pull away.
Sanosuke refused to budge. "Man, don't let us stop you, I'd rather watch this than The Ring any day."
"I-it's not like that." Kaoru insisted.
Kenshin remained silent. Kaoru looked at him. "Why won't you say anything?"
He shrugged, his eyes still downcast. "There's nothing for me to say."
"WHAT?!" She shrieked. "Nothing happened!"
Sanosuke whistled, a broad grin spreading across his face. "Smooth moves Kenshin!"
"Sagara-san, I would never - with him - if you even think....." She sputtered. Kenshin smoothly fixed his hair and sweater, giving her a cocky grin, before turning to his friends.
"What are you all doing here?" He asked.
"We told you we were going to watch The Ring today, remember?" Sanosuke motioned to Soujiro, who was still looking away with shame. Amakusa and Aoshi went to a bar, so it's just us."
Kenshin nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Let's get going."
Kaoru cleared her voice. "Uh, hello? What about me?"
Kenshin turned ice blue eyes to stare at her. The look alone was the most heart wrenching thing Kaoru had ever experienced. She ripped her gaze away from them. "What about you?" She heard him ask, coldly.
Hiko smirked.
"You're just going to leave me here?" She demanded.
Soujiro cut in. "Kamiya-san, if it would please you, you may use my means of transportation to take you to your house."
Kaoru smiled, relieved. "Thank you Soujiro."
Kenshin frowned. "And here I was going to let her walk all the way home."
"Have you no honor?" Hiko snapped, "Honestly....making a girl walk home on her own in the dark."
"What are you talking about?" Kenshin shot back. "That's not a girl - it's an animal in disguise!"
She glared daggers into him. He continued, raising his arm. "Look at this! She bit me! Tell me she's inhuman!"
Sanosuke backed up a bit. "Whoa, you bite Jou-chan?"
Kaoru wanted to pull her hair out. Talk about stupidity! "Mou! I've had it! You're such a dense, air-headed bimbo! It's no use talking to you."
"A very good perception." Hiko agreed, fingering his chin thoughtfully. "My baka deshi is seen through as clearly as transparency....."
"Uncle! Whose side are you on anyway?" Kenshin cried.
Hiko raised his hands. His beady eyes glared right back at his nephew, who looked about ready to throw a temper tantrum. He wasn't looking forward to another headache because of one, so he merely shrugged. Kenshin was known for his tantrums and so, to prevent him from getting one, Hiko had given him his heart's desires to quell the floods and the fires.
Okita spoke. "If we spend any more time here, we'll be late...."
Kenshin snapped out of it. "Yeah, we'd better get going. I'll be back late tonight, Uncle, don't wait up for me."
The elder man nodded. "Just don't come home piss drunk or else I'll slap you around some."
"Piss drunk? You're the one who's always drinking! I can't stand that stuff anymore."
Kaoru was at a loss for words. It was as if she didn't exist. So this was what Himura's daily life was like. How could he even think to go to the movies when he wasn't even halfway done his homework? Her eyes traveled to the pile of books he had stacked precariously on the floor. She couldn't help but wonder if his grades were suffering.
She could see his unhappiness - despite the fact that he was rich, he was not content. He clung desperately to any sort of distraction, hoping to find comfort in it. She almost felt sorry for him.
As they were exiting the room, Kenshin stopped. "Hey, Uncle....whatever happened to that computer? It was supposed to have arrived today."
Hiko shook his head. "It didn't come yet. I suppose..."
"WHAT?! I specifically said two days!" Kenshin cried.
'Here we go.....' Hiko thought.
"I want to sue the company!"
"But it will come in time." Hiko protested. "You'll just have to be patient."
"Patient!? I've waited two days and you tell me to be patient! Patience can only go so far!"
"Himura-san...." Soujiro started to say, "Don't you think suing is a bit overdoing it?"
"My uncle said it was okay!" He looked at Hiko smugly. "You SAID! If the company isn't sued then I'll....."
"All right, all right!" Hiko cried, his shoulders sagging. He was beginning to think whether adopting Kenshin was the right thing to do. He was also wondering if he was such a pushover; giving in to whatever his nephew wanted.
Kenshin nodded, bristling. "Good! It had better be done by tonight." He glanced at Kaoru briefly before walking out of the room.
Kaoru had never felt so out of place before in her life. She WAS sorry for Kenshin, and wished she could give him the comfort he was seeking. She glanced up when Hiko shook his head, resigned.
"Kamiya-san," Soujiro called. He was offering his arm to her. "Let me escort you to my limo." Kaoru took his arm gratefully, and they made their way down the steps to the front door.
His limo was white instead of black. Opening a door for her and helping her onto a seat, he said, "Just tell the driver where your house is located, and he'll bring you there."
"What about you, Soujiro? Won't you be needing the..."
"It will come back here to pick me up. We'll be using Himura-san's means of transportation to go to the movies." He assured her. He pat her hand gently. "Safe trip home."
"Thank you."
With that, he closed the door.
It was late night when she arrived back home. The house was pitch dark, and she groped to find the light switch. When she finally found it, she realized that the light bulb had burnt out. She cursed beneath her breath. "Yahiko!" She called. "Ayame-chan! Suzume-chan!"
"Kao-neechan!" Yahiko cried, rushing out to meet her. "Come quick! Father's collapsed!"
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Kenshin exited the movie theatre in the middle of the show. Although it was really interesting and getting to a good part, he craved for a cigarette. He tried to suppress it, but after an hour, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Where are you going?" Sano asked, as Kenshin jumped to his feet.
"The washroom." Kenshin answered shakily.
"But it's getting to the good part."
"I don't care......" His mind wasn't on the movie - it was on where he could find a pack. He wished Amakusa were around so he could get one easily. He leaned down.
"Say, you don't have a cig on you do you?" He asked hopefully. "I'm dying.....I need....."
Sanosuke grinned. "Yeah, I do. But I only have one. If I give it to you, I'll be damned."
Kenshin growled. "Sano, I'm about ready to kick some ass - I need that cigarette."
"Will you guys be quiet?" Okita demanded. "If you really want a cig, here." He threw Kenshin a lighter and a box. "Now get out of my face, I'm watching!"
The redhead snarled, snatching up the items and making his way outside. He passed the popcorn machines and candy racks, pushing open the theatre doors into the cool night air.
Hands shaking with the want, he finally managed to grab one and light it, soothing his crave. He brushed a few strands of his hair out of his eyes and flicked the ashes on the floor, berating himself for not being able to break the habit. The more he tried, the harder it got.
Finishing one, he began to proceed and help himself to another one. The only thing he didn't like about cigarettes was their smell, especially since it clung so strongly to his beautiful hair. He thought it was beautiful: any thing otherwise was unacceptable. Besides, nobody dared to tell him differently.
He dropped the pack accidentally, and a few cigarettes sprayed out all over the place. Kenshin groaned inwardly, quickly trying to gather them up. What would Okita say? There was like, two more left in the box that were intact. The rest...well...
As the box had flown from his hands, the door to the movie theatre had opened, causing some of the cigarettes to fall inside of the actual building. The figure opening the door stopped, and watched as a cigarette hit one of her Nike shoes.
She watched for a second as Kenshin frantically snatched up the lost cigarettes, angrily muttering under his breath about being such a klutz. She bent down and began to pick up those that had fallen within the doorway.
After picking up a handful, she went forward, holding them out in her pale and delicate hands.
Kenshin looked up in surprise as she came over with the rest of them. His cheeks actually flushed with embarrassment. He didn't know why: he hardly ever blushed. He hoped that it couldn't be seen under the night's dimness.
The way she just stood there, saying nothing, but staring at him with her black eyes made him feel intimidated. It wasn't the same feeling he had gotten when he had first encountered Kaoru, that was for sure. This girl was different: more elegantly poised, her black hair falling over her shoulders and stopping midway down her back, tied swiftly with a ribbon. Her face didn't look all too pleased with the prospect that one had dropped their cigarettes and it included her displeasure at finding a young man smoking nonetheless.
"T-thank you...." Kenshin murmured, not knowing what else to say.
"You're welcome." She answered, her voice quiet, innocent, yet her gaze unforgiving. She deposited the ruined cigarettes in his hands.
Feeling absolutely dumb, he threw the wasted stalks into the garbage, and, under her intense gaze, he decided to throw the remaining in the box too. Oh well: he'd just have to get Okita another box - it wasn't as if it was a big deal to him anyway. What was a couple of dollars?
He returned, running his hands nervously through his crimson hair, and then rubbing them together anxiously. All of a sudden he wished he hadn't smoked up at all: he must have smelt terrible. How he wished his scar was gone! He felt very despicable at the present moment, and he couldn't understand why. As he struggled to figure out his sudden weakness, the girl spoke.
"I see my ride is not here yet."
Kenshin looked up, surprised by her sudden sentence.
"Why don't you wait inside then?" He heard himself ask. "It's warmer in there than out here."
"Yes....I shall do that." She said. Even the way she spoke was so formal.
She hugged her sweater closer to her thin frame and stepped inside as Kenshin opened the door for her.
"You're waiting for someone as well?" She asked, once again piercing her gaze into him.
He shrugged self-consciously. "Yeah, I'm waiting for my friends to finish the show. They're watching The Ring." He blurted, trying to find something interesting to say.
She smiled slightly. "I see." She turned her face to look out the window, giving Kenshin a brief moment to be free from her scrutinizing look. Unfortunately, it came back again. "And you did not like the movie?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I did. It was good. But I had to go.....to...." He stopped himself. Those eyes would not let him lie. He coughed, bitterly saying, "I had to smoke up......"
".....I see."
He desperately didn't want her to hate him. "You - you don't find that repelling?"
"I do actually." She sniffed. "But it is not my way to stop people from doing what they consider habit."
She saw his shoulders sag with disappointment. This boy intrigued her. His eyes were the most peculiar shade of purple and they fascinated her. The way guilt washed over his face made her want to comfort him. She decided to change the subject.
"Well, I feel ill, therefore, I am wanting to go home."
"Headache?" He asked worriedly.
"Yes, and abdominal cramps."
That sounded all too much like the time of the month to Kenshin, but he didn't say so out loud. Perhaps that was why she gave him such a lifeless gaze. He hoped that were the case. People usually didn't give him such a distant look, and he wasn't used to it. Even Kamiya hadn't gotten that far under his skin.
His mind raced for something to say. "Well, if you don't mind, I'll wait here with you, just in case you collapse...or something." He said.
She smiled again, the same slight one she had given him before. "Very well. Thank you." He wished he could see that smile more often.
Her eyes traveled over his clothing, reading the word PHAT and the words written under it. He saw her looking at it and he tried his best to hide his embarrassment. Not only had she caught him smoking, but now she saw him for a conceited kid. He normally would not have cared, in fact, he would have been proud of it, but with her, things were different.
She didn't say anything about that though. She instead indicated his arm. "What happened there?" She asked, seeing a little ring of teeth marks marring his golden skin close to his wrist.
Kenshin blushed furiously. He pulled the sleeve to his sweater down, flushing a bright red. "Ah, my... little sister and I were play fighting today." He lied, hoping it would slip her. He hoped she wouldn't think it was a love bite!
Her eyes brightened. "Really? You must be a kind Oniichan. I hope it does not hurt too much?"
His arrogance came back with a slight trickle. "No, it doesn't." He was glad she hadn't seen through that lie.
"Siblings are so sweet. There are many who do not have the privilege to have one."
'Such as myself.' Kenshin thought, but he instead shook his head. "They can be....spoiled sometimes." He said randomly. He had no idea how to answer that one.
She faced the window again, brushing back a lock of her black hair that contrasted with her pale skin. In a way, it reminded Kenshin of Kamiya...
"I have a little brother." She said thoughtfully. "His name is Enishi. He treats me as if I were a queen."
"You could be one." Kenshin said lightly. She actually blushed, her pale face lighting with a pink flush. He noticed she had a distinct aroma about her too, kind of like Kaoru, but instead of jasmine, it was white plum.
"You are funny." She said, covering her mouth and stifling a giggle. The window took her attention again. "Oh, there is my father." She said, hugging her sweater closer to herself again. "Thank you for waiting with me.....Mr......?"
"Himura. Himura Kenshin." He said, taking her pale hand in his.
"Ah, Himura-san." She clasped his hands. "I do hope we meet again. I am known as Yukishiro Tomoe."
Kenshin mentally engraved that name into his mind, hearing himself tell her that he hoped they'd meet again as well. She nodded and then went outside, leaving him watching after her longingly.
It was at that moment that Sanosuke's shout for attention made him realize that the movie was finally over.
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"Is daddy going to be okay?" Ayame asked, watching as Kaoru put a cold towel on his forehead.
"Yes, he's going to be fine." Her elder sister responded. To her father she scolded. "You should try to relax more, Father. Having your blood pressure rise too much is not good for your health."
Her father sighed. "What with all those bills coming in, it's not easy my dear." His eyes traveled to Suzume, who couldn't stop crying. He reached out and hugged her gently. "Trying to raise you on my own is hard enough without the money to feed all of you."
Kaoru frowned. "Still, it will be harder yet if you leave us." She took the cup of tea Yahiko came in with and handed it to him. "Drink this, it will help you to recover."
"Yes, thank you."
"I still think we should have called a doctor." Yahiko said anxiously.
"You know we don't possess that type of money!" Kaoru told him. "Or you can bet anything I would have done so."
Yahiko looked away. "What good are doctors for if they can't even check a sick patient who is in dire need?"
Suzume went to crawl in Kaoru's lap, her brown pigtails flapping as she did so. "We can ask Mama for money then." The little girl suggested.
Their father gave a halting bark of a laugh when he heard that. "Don't be silly - you're mother deserted us - her mind isn't on taking care of you children, she simply wants what's best for herself."
Kaoru said nothing on the subject. She loved her mother fiercely, but was also very loyal to her father.
Her mother had married at the age of 18, being betrothed through engagement against her own will. She hadn't wanted to marry her father at all, but had had to despite what she desired.
Very soon after, she gave birth to Kaoru. She had always seemed loving to Kaoru, and had tried to keep the arguments her and her father used to have a secret. Kaoru had overheard many of them though, and it broke her heart to hear the hateful words her father and mother said to each other.
A few years after Suzume's birth, her father had lost his job, and had had to give up the dojo they had been living in.
Her mother went hysterical, and a full-blown argument had taken place. Kaoru had screamed for them to stop, but the very next day, the news that they were going to have a divorce shattered her hopes - that one day, one day, her parents would find it in their hearts to love each other - and dreams.
As her father dropped off to sleep, Kaoru picked Suzume up, getting her ready for bed. Once snuggled under her blankets, the little girl asked, "Is Mama ever coming back?"
Kaoru froze, her hand stopping from brushing Suzume's hair back. "A....aa....one of these days little one."
"Papa says she doesn't care for us. Is that true?"
"Never think badly of your mother." Kaoru scolded lightly. She gave Suzume a kiss on the cheek. "Good night."
"Good night Kao-neechan." The younger said sleepily, before drifting off into her dream world.
Kaoru then proceeded to tuck Ayame into bed as well. Yahiko, however, was in the back room, practicing with a shinai.
"It's late." Kaoru told him. "You have school tomorrow."
"Aw, stop trying to be my mother." Yahiko scowled. "When I get older, I'm leaving this sorry family behind. I'm so ashamed of being born into it."
Kaoru could only stare at him. Although she didn't like their current situation, she would never have thought that. In a low voice, she said, "It may get better though."
Yahiko swung down angrily. "Yeah right! After a miracle happens! But in our case, we haven't had one of those, now have we?" He swung down twice more. "I wish we were rich, so that we had an easy life. I wish we didn't have such a screwed up family."
Kaoru leaned against the doorway, remembering Kenshin's sullen face when they had been at his estate. "Not all rich people are happy, Yahiko." She said quietly.
He turned to face her, his brown eyes blazing. "Yeah, well, at least we'd be able to survive on something other than rice and pickled vegetables! I'm studying hard too, to be able to get into Kojimachi Private High. When I graduate from there, I'll get into a good business for sure, and then I'll be out of here."
Kaoru walked over, and picked up a shinai as well. "Might as well knock some sense into you while I still can." She sighed. "Come on Yahiko, show me what you can do."
With a cry of fury, he rushed to take her on.
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A few coins were enough to get her a bagel and a cup of hot chocolate the next morning. She hadn't been able to eat, having been busy preparing her siblings for school after waking up so late. She was glad that she was able to grab a small snack from the coffee shop at the corner of her street before heading off to school.
The coffee shop always smelled strongly of baking bread and coffee beans. Nothing in the world could smell more heavenly; the thought alone could make taste buds long for some.
Kaoru sat off in the corner, by herself, next to a window, reading a newspaper she found lying on another seat. She flipped through it absently, wanting to see the next few days' weather forecast. She was glad to see that it wouldn't rain for yet another three days.
Wiping off stray crumbs from her lap, she flipped the page and nearly choked on her hot chocolate.
On the headline was written:
BANKRUPCY?! JAPAN'S LARGEST COMPANY OVERTHROWS TOKYO TECH!
The article went on with details explaining that the M.R.I. had sued Tokyo Tech. the previous night, due to an error that was 'inexcusable'. The T.T had suffered very badly, and in the eyes of the M.R.I., it was justice served.
"Justice my ass!" Kaoru exclaimed beneath her breath. "Himura, you're such a spoiled brat - look what you did, you made hard-working people lose their jobs....."
The article continued saying that further arguments would take place in court in a week or so. She hoped that the T.T would be cut some slack. She felt so sorry for them.
After that piece of news, her bright morning was ruined.
She glanced at her watch and stifled a gasp. She downed the rest of her drink and stuffed the rest of her bagel into her mouth hastily, and while running out of the coffee shop, stuffing the newspaper into her backpack.. The shock had made her forget about the time.
Just as she rounded the corner to catch the bus, she saw it pull away. With a sigh of frustration, she leaned against the bus shelter. As she stood there, she wondered what she would do when she saw Kenshin. Although she hated to admit it, his arm around her waist the previous night felt strangely.....right.
She shook her head. 'What is wrong with you?!' She berated herself. Her cheeks were warm, and she knew she was blushing. Her mind wandered over the last few days: things had flown by so quickly she could hardly keep track any more. Being part of a high-class society was really hard work. She wondered what she got herself into.
When she reached school and walked into history class, the first person she caught sight of was Kenshin. He was leaning on his desk on one elbow, casually chatting with two girls, flashing them his seductive smile, his purple eyes lighting up. They were all over him; it made Kaoru sick.
She went straight to his desk, ignoring everyone else around him. One of the girls had been the one who had shoved her and caused the milk to spill on her and Tae the other day. She didn't notice that either, being too upset. She merely pushed past them and dropped the newspaper under Kenshin's nose.
Kenshin had been having a pleasant conversation with the two, both of whom were very interested with his charming ways. He was exhausted, having not been able to sleep the night before for some strange reason. His mind kept going back to his encounter with Tomoe. He had already requested for a file on the Yukishiro's.
He was very surprised when a smelly, coffee-stained newspaper was dropped in front of him on his desk. He looked up to see a scowling Kaoru, who pointed to the headline.
"Look at this you pain!" She commanded.
"A good morning to you too!" Kenshin shot back, glaring at her before looking at the newspaper again. After reading a bit of the article, a smile spread on his face. "Well, the Tokyo Tech only got what they deserved, don't you think?"
Kaoru felt like slapping him. "Are you absolutely insane! Do you know what your actions have done? They've caused someone to lose what they worked so hard for!"
Kenshin leaned back in his desk, knitting his hands together. "Why should I care? This world is made for people to compete against each other. Unfortunately, only one person can win in a two-player game. Looks like I won."
She grabbed the newspaper from him in a huff. "You're totally heartless."
"No, I'm just being fair." Kenshin pressed.
"FAIR? How does throwing a temper tantrum of not getting a computer from the company on time make things fair?"
He shrugged. "I get what I want. I've already told you that. I received the computer this morning. It looks like everything could have been avoided, but the course has already been run."
"You're such an idiot you know that?" Kaoru asked. "I can't believe you'd do that."
"It's not like you're the one that lost your job." Kenshin said defensively. "Besides, it just warns other companies that the M.R.I. can never be defeated."
"Someday you'll get a taste of your own medicine." Kaoru declared. "And when your company fails, I'll laugh in-your-face!" With that, she sat down in front of him hotly.
Misao could only stare at her with confusion. "I take it to mean that the trip to the Estate yesterday didn't go as expected?" She asked in a small voice.
"It was hell." Kaoru snapped.
"Geez, what crawled up your ass and died?" Misao asked, hurt. (Thanks Biki!) "I am your friend aren't I?"
The raven-haired girl sighed. "I'm really sorry Misao. I didn't mean to lash out at you. I'm just really upset about what happened that's all. I....." She hesitated. She wasn't about to let people know her family's current financial problems. "....I feel sorry for all of those people who lost their jobs."
Misao nodded. "You're so kind Kaoru, and so thoughtful of others....but, Himura-san just gets to you, doesn't he?"
"I wish I'd never met him." Kaoru mourned.
The teacher walked in just then, announcing the start of class. .
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"So the M.R.I eliminated Tokyo Tech." Okita said thoughtfully. He and Soujiro were leaning against their lockers, waiting for first period class to finish. Theirs had been cancelled, and so they had decided to chat.
The lockers of the group were next to each other, having been granted on request. Soujiro slid into a crouching position, his eyes taking on a faraway look. "What I'm wondering is what happened at the estate yesterday?"
Okita shivered. "Yes, that was a sight to be seen wasn't it? I could have sworn I saw their noses touching."
Soujiro made a face. "Okita-san! Please don't talk about intimate detail like that! It's invasion of one's privacy!"
"What are you talking about?" Okita asked indifferently. "Kenshin is so daring! And it looked like Kaoru was enjoying their little game too." He slapped his leg laughing. "I loved your reaction Sou! Sano's looked positively stunned!"
His cousin merely smiled, saying not another word.
Megumi, who also had a first period spare, happened to walk by as they were having their little conversation. She couldn't believe her ears! Kaoru and Kenshin had become intimate????!!! She would never forgive Kamiya! She hid out of sight to listen into the gossip.
When Soujiro and Okita fell silent on the subject, she swore quietly. She'd have to find another source of information. Finding out from Kenshin would be too hard and quite embarrassing to ask straight out. She knew that asking the cousins wouldn't help: they were kind, but they weren't very friendly to her.
She remembered what Okita had said.
As he exited class, she latched herself onto his arm. "Ooooh, Sagara- san!" She cooed. "It's been a while since we last talked."
Surprised, Sano looked down at her. That she was holding onto him made him even more nervous. Not that he really minded, but there had to be a reason why.. "What are you talking about Megumi? We just talked yesterday. You told me off like you always do, don't you remember?"
"Oh yes, that is correct!" Megumi said, laughing in a high-pitched way, one syllable at a time. *The famous ohohoho!* "I'm really sorry about that, Sano." She said. "I hope you don't hate me for it."
"No way Megumi. I'd never hate you." He said, a silly grin spreading on his face.
"Good!" She cried, her hands tightening around his arm as she leaned her head against his arm. "Did I ever mention that you are the most handsomest man I have ever seen?" She asked.
Really taken aback, Sanosuke stuttered, "Uh, no actually, you never have...."
"Well, you are!" She said sweetly, giving him a gentle smile.
"Ah, all right! I get it now!" Sanosuke said, trying to dispatch himself from her tight grip. "How much did Kenshin pay for you to say these things?"
She shook her head. "Kenshin? He has nothing to do with the way I feel about you. I can't stand him!"
"Wha? You were the one who was drooling all over him......"
"Sano, you're really cute, you know that? A girl'd have to be blind not to fall for you."
Sanosuke grinned. "Good pick up line. Where'd you learn it?"
"I have my sources." She said darkly.
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As Kaoru exited her gym class, Akira grabbed her hand. With a start, she turned to see him grinning.
"Good afternoon Kamiya-san!"
She smiled back, her cheeks flushing. "Good afternoon Kiyosato-san."
He let go of her hand. "You were good in today's class. Wherever did you learn your style from?"
"My father is a master." She said. "He.....runs his own school."
Akira was just about to say that he was surprised because of the way their house looked, but he didn't. "How impressive! It's rare to have girls practicing any type of budo nowadays."
Kaoru flipped her black hair over her shoulder in mock pride. "I know!" She giggled.
"Say, Kamiya-san, would you like to go with me to lunch tomorrow?" He asked suddenly.
"Lunch?" She asked nervously. "Lunch....where?"
"Oh somewhere simple. How about....Kisoyas?"
"Isn't that Authentic Japanese?" She asked with a frown. "That's expensive and it would mean we'd have to be in Kimonos and going all out traditional...."
Kiyosato shrugged. "There are many at my house. My elder sister has moved to America, so she hasn't used her kimono in a long while. In fact, she hasn't worn her kimono since turning hatachi. You can wear that."(hatachi - important day for girls when they turn 20)
"Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"
"Is that a yes?" He asked.
She smiled and nodded. She couldn't believe Akira had asked her out! She was sooooooo happy!
He seemed very pleased as well. "That's great! It's my treat, so please don't worry about anything! Just be by your locker at lunch, and we'll go straight there."
Kaoru nodded, her heart swelling with happiness.
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Kenshin had gone home for lunch that day, not wanting to have it at a restaurant for a change. Actually, he wanted to check out the newest computer he received.
Before he could though, his eyes fell on a manila-colored folder sitting on his desk. On the front of it, it said a family name: Yukishiro.
Heart thumping, he flipped open the folder and scanned through the files. Yukishiro Tomoe was 19 years of age. Her mother had passed away giving birth to her sibling, and therefore, Enishi treated her as if she were one.
Their father had remarried again, and they lived as two honest hardworking people. Her father was a lawyer, her mother was an accountant.
His eyes fell on her phone number, and for some strange reason, he began to dial it after picking up the receiver.
It was when he heard her voice again that he broke into a cold sweat.
"Hello?"
"Ah, um....hi." Kenshin said nervously.
"Hello? May I ask who is calling please?" Tomoe asked.
"Is this Yukishiro Tomoe?" Kenshin asked hopefully.
"Yes. Who is this?" She repeated.
"Um....hi Yukishiro-san. I don't know if you remember me, but we met yesterday at the theatre when I dropped my cigarettes?"
There was a pause. Kenshin thought that she had lost interest and hung up the phone. He felt as if she had crushed his heart. "Yukishiro- san?"
"Himura Kenshin, right?" She asked finally.
His heart began to pound once more in excitement. She remembered his name! "Y-yes."
"How interesting. How nice to talk with you again."
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" He asked.
Tomoe shook her head. "No, it's lunch here. I'm surprised you were able to get my cell phone number."
Kenshin blushed. "It's a long story. I...I have a favor to ask of you."
"Yes? What?"
"Are you busy tomorrow at lunch? Perhaps we can have it together?"
Tomoe leaned against the wall. This red head was really sweet. She liked his nervousness. "I am not busy tomorrow, so we may have lunch tomorrow."
"Really? I mean, I'm so glad to hear you can! Okay, how does..." Kenshin thought frantically for a place they could go. He didn't want her thinking he was a stuck up arrogant brat going to a really classy restaurant. He decided he'd try for a more simple style. "How about.....Kisoyas?" He asked.
"Authentic Japanese.....I would love to."
Kenshin grinned from ear to ear. "Great! It's kind of traditional so..."
"I'll be in a kimono, do not worry." She informed him. They discussed where to meet and afterward, he hung up. By the time their conversation was over, it was time to return to school.
He was surprised to see Megumi storming up to Kaoru and shoving her roughly against a locker.
To Be Continued........
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AN: Kisoyas is my brother's favorite place to eat at! Gomen minna-san! I was at a loss on how to end this chapter. So many ideas are popping into my head it's so hard to write them down in the right sequence. Not just that, but I've been really sick lately with a fever that refuses to go down past 39. I'm glad that I was able to post this. THANKS SOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE AMAZING REVIEWS!
CHAPTER 8
(Home)
(WTWRAY)