Disclaimer : I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, what a drag...
A High School Story:
Chapter 1
The Complexities of a Simple Beginning
"Kaoru, it's time to get up. You don't want to be late your fist day at your new school do you?" The words echoed in her mind as she opened her eyes, sunlight crept through the cracks in her blinds. Kaoru sighed as she got out of bed, trying to recall the events that had led up to her move.
(It all began when her dad died.) Her eyes began to tear, they always did when she thought of him. It was still too soon, he had only passed away 6 weeks ago. (After that, mom needed to find a job, and that's how we ended up here, so mom could work as a secretary in some pitiful office building. I can't blame her though, Dad left us almost nothing, and we had to sell most of our stuff. Mom getting a job really was the only option.) Kaoru frowned. (Never mind, I'm not going to think about this.)
"Better to just leave that all behind and try to start over I guess."Kaoru mumbled asshegot out of bed. After getting ready and eating breakfast, she looked at the small alter for her father they kept in the living room. (I love you daddy...) She thought before hugging her mom good bye for the day, and with a simple, "Have a nice day!" from her mother, she was walking to school where she would start the first day of her new life.
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"Class we have a new student today, and I expect youwould treat her with the kindness and courtesy you would any other student." The class gave it's acknowledgment of 'yes mam.' The teacher smirked. "Good. Now would you be so kind as to introduce yourself?" the teacher finished.
Kaoru merely nodded before speaking. "Hello, my name is Kaoru Kamiya."
Not wanting to say anything more she stood silent until the teacher finally said "Alright, take your seat." She did so and waited for the teachers instructions...
The rest of period went with no incident, other than a few looks, and a passed note that said 'Talk to you after class.' (Ugh, I'm not ready for some guy hitting on me yet. I might as well find out who I'm going to be shooting down.) She glanced around the room trying to find some sign of who had passed her the note, she only saw a girl with black hair even longer that hers glancing at her.(A girl? How weird...)
Afterwards, she waited outside the classroom until the girl who had passed the note came out. "Hi, you wanted to talk to me?"
The girl looked at her. "Yes, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Megumi, it's nice to meet you."
Kaoru smiled. "You too, but to tell the truth, I thought it was weird that you had passed me a note and not some guy."
Megumi smirked. "Oh, that'll happen soon enough, just give them a day or two to grow the balls." Kaoru groaned a little, Megumi just laughed. "Anyways, you wanna meet me and my friend Misao at lunch? We'll give you a tour of the school, and a basic run down of some of the more noticeable people here."
Kaoru smiled, it was nice to have made a friend already. "Yes, I'd like that very much."
The next few classes went by surprisingly fast, and with nothing more than a few looks and murmurs. She already liked this school, everybody seemed too busy with their lives to pry into hers. When the bell rang for lunch Kaoru went to go look for her new friend, after a few minutes she, gave up and sat on the steps in front of the school. "Hey missy, you're new to the school aren't you?" Kaoru looked up and saw two guys standing in front of her, the one who had made the comment was tall, had short brown hairwhich stuck up in an unusual way, and wore a red band around his head. He wore white khakis and a matching white shirt that said 'bad ass' on it. The other stood behind him, almost like a shadow and had a very piercing gaze, he also wore a long white trench coat, which was strange because it was fairly warm out today.
Before she could take this all in and respond, a familiar voice yelled. "Sanosuke, who are you hitting on behind my back this time?" Kaoru looked, and saw Megumi, who looked quite displeased. She walked up and hit him in the back of the head. "And you Aoshi, letting this go on? I thought you were respectable!" She fumed for a second before she saw Kaoru. "Oh Kaoru! Don't mind anything my fool of a boy friend says to you, he just lets his ego get the best of him." She turned to Sano with a glare. "A habit you better stop if you know what's good for you."
Sanosuke just grinned back at her. "You know you love me anyways, you little fox." Megumi face colored just a little
"I couldn't find her Megumi!" Kaoru looked for who had said that, she saw another girl running towards them, she was shorter than Kaoru herself was, and had blue hair, tied up cutely with a ribbon that matched her hair color.
"Don't worry Misao, I found her here, falling victim to Sano's antics."
Misao frowned. "I thought I told you to keep an eye on him Aoshi!" Aoshi looked at Misao, but said nothing.
"Anyways," Megumi continued. "I believe introductions are in order. You've already met me and my idiot boy friend."
Sanosuke's grin wavered for a second. "That's mean fox."
Megumi just hit him on the back of the head again. "ANYWAYS, this is Misao" Megumi said pointing to the other girl. "And the quiet, brooding one is Aoshi, Misao's other half." Misao blushed, Aoshi nodded slightly.
Kaoru smiled, "It's nice meeting you all. Do you think there's still enough time for that tour Megumi?"
Megumi and Misao both grinned "Of course there is! Let's go!"
Kaoru was happy, (The day wasn't halfway over and I've already made some interesting friends.) she had learned everything they could tell her about the campus, and there was still 15 minutes till lunch was over, so Megumi and Misao were pointing out some of the more interesting people in the school. "And that is Sayuri, she's the head cheerleader and goes out with Hiroshi, he's the best player on the baseball team."
Kaoru nodded, when she spotted someone, he was sitting under a tree, looking up at the sky, his long red hair was held in a pony tail. His plain black pants and shirt made his hair stand out even more. Kaoru was transfixed, he was....... " absolutely gorgeous" Megumi and Misao giggled, Kaoru covered her mouth and turned a deep shade of red.
"Who's absolutely gorgeous?" Kaoru tried not to answer but glanced over at him again.
"Oh, him? Don't even bother." Megumi and Misao said together.
"Why not? Is he taken?" Asked Kaoru.
"No no, it's nothing like that." Replied Megumi. "That's Kenshin, he's the enigma of this school. Nobody talks to him, the teachers never call on him during class, he's never tried to do anything about it either. And he's got that weird scar. Nobody's sure what the deal is."
Kaoru frowned, (Nobody should be ignored like that.) She was about to go and talk to him when the bell rang.
"I've got an idea!" Chirped Misao. "Let's go downtown after school and have some fun, just the three of us!"
Megumi clapped her hands together. "That's a great idea, what do you say Kaoru?" Kaoru didn't even think before she nodded. "Great! Meet us at the front of the school after the last bell." Kaoru smiled.
The next few periods seemed to drag on forever, Kaoru was really looking forward to hanging out with her new friends. When the last bell finally rang, she ran outside and saw her friends already there, waiting for her. The afternoon was perfect, they went shopping, had girl talk, laughed when Misao bumped into someone and fell over, and nobody had tried any cheap pick up lines. All in all, Kaoru was feeling a lot better about the move than she had this morning. "It's getting late, we should probably head our separate ways now." Megumi noted.
Kaoru looked up at the darkening sky and frowned a little. "Already? Wow, I guess time really flies."
Misao, was full of ideas though and she began to name them off in a list, while Megumi shot down every one. "Well, we could to the kareoke bar and get a drink."
Megumi finally gave in. "I guess we could do that really quick, we're bound to have a laugh there anyways. What do you think Kaoru?"
"Why not? Like you said, we're bound to have a laugh, and I'd like to sit down and have something to drink for a minute."
Misao beamed. "Then it's settled! Let's GO!"
Megumi was definitely right, they laughed. An old man had gone up and tried to sing, Misao almost spit her soda. "Well, I should get going now." Mentioned Kaoru.
"So should we." Said Megumi. They picked up their bags and were about to go, when someone walked in, they immediately sat back down.
"That's Kenshin!" Misao barely whispered. "What would he be doing here?"
Megumi just shook her head. "I'm as clueless as you are, let's just watch."
He walked up, chose a song, and began to sing (Song: Beautiful Day Artist: U2)
The heart is a bloom
Shoots up through the stony ground
There's no room
No space to rent in this town
You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere
You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace
It's a beautiful day You're on the road You love this town It's a beautiful day Touch me See the world in green and blue It was a beautiful day Touch me
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
But you've got no destination
You're in the mud
In the maze of her imagination
Even if that doesn't ring true
You've been all over
And it's been all over you
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day
Take me to that other place
Teach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out
Don't let it get away
Beautiful day
Take me to that other place
Reach me What you don't have you don't need it now
I know I'm not a hopeless case
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now
Was a beautiful day
And as soon as the song was over, he left, with every eye in the building following him. Kaoru was enraptured, his voice was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. The way he sang, it was like love just poured out from him. She just stared at him, and when he was leaving, their eyes met. It was only a second, and Kaoru knew it, but she felt like she had been staring into those eyes forever, and she never wanted to stop. She saw the sadness in his eyes, the pain she knew he was going through, and she wanted to breakdown and cry. No, she wanted more than that, she wanted to heal that pain, no matter what it took.
The rest of that night was a blur to her, Megumi and Misao were trying to get her to talk about what had just happened but somehow she had managed to say goodbye, and walk home, because she was in her room, lying in her bed. Everything seemed to be moving slowly, every fiber of her being was on fire, she had to talk to him tomorrow. Just then, she heard the front door open. Her mom called out to her. "I'm in my room mom." Kaoru managed to reply.
"How was your day honey?"
Kaoru smiled. "It was great." Her mom said something, but she didn't hear what. She had fallen asleep thinking about Kenshin. Her mom poked her head in and saw her daughter asleep, smiling. She left and closed the door, a tear slid down her cheek, she hadn't seen Kaoru at peace since her father died.
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"Hey Boy, wake up!" Kenshin groaned as he got up, it was the same every day. Seijuurou would wake him up, and he would get out of bed feeling like crap. They would eat breakfast together, and without a word, he would leave and go to school. His first few classes went the same as they always did, he sat in silence and did his work, it was during lunch that everything had started to change. He sat underneath his favorite tree, and appreciated the small amount of warmth the autumn sun brought. He liked the way that shadow and light danced with each other in leaves of the tree. He only sighed when he thought of the oncoming winter. (The leaves will fall and the sun will offer no warmth.) Kenshin hated winter. (At least it will pass.) That thought was his only comfort. He watched a leaf free itself from the tree and dance it's way to the ground, where it would wither and die. Kenshin brushed that thought away, knowing that train of thought would only lead to bad memories.
Then it happened, he felt someone's eyes on him. When he first came here, it happened all the time. People thought he was some kind of freak, because he didn't talk to anyone. (It's not like they ever tried to get to know me.) It still occurred from time to time, and even after all this time, he still had a habit of looking for the person staring at him. He found her fairly quickly, she had raven hair that shone in the light and deep blue pools for eyes that threatened to drown him. Her light blue shirt and skirt brought even more beauty from her already perfect features, and the way they hung from her body... (She's the most beautiful person I've ever seen) Kenshin thought. Then she looked away and started talking to the girls standing next to her, and he snapped out of it. (You know she's just going to be like everyone else, and even if she was different, even if tried to get to get to know you, you'd never be good enough for someone that beautiful.) Kenshin decided not to go to deeply into it. (She only looked at you after all, it's not like she's given any sign she wants to talk to you.) He tapped himself lightly on the head. (I'm not going into it, remember?)
He focused on his work more than he usually did so his thoughts wouldn't wander, but that girl's gaze held on to the back of his mind and refused to let go. When the last bell rang, he left through the back of the school like he usually did, and decided to go on a walk before returning home. He walked to the park that he had played at as a child, he sat on a bench and looked at the children playing there now. (If only things could still be that simple...) Kenshin frowned, his thoughts were more depressing than usual. (This always happens when winter comes.) He grimaced. (I'll walk for a little while longer.) He walked through a grove of trees and couldn't help but see himself years ago, his little hands holding onto his mother. He immediately closed his eyes and pushed that from his mind. When he opened his eyes, and even more disturbing image plagued him. He saw himself walking with that girl from earlier, holding hands and smiling. Kenshin broke into a sweat. (What's wrong with me? I know it wont happen, so why I am I hurting myself with these futile visions of happiness? I don't want to think these things! Why can't it all just go away?) Kenshin fell to the ground and started crying and as he slipped into unconsciousness, he remembered...
Don't worry Kenshin, your mother and I will only be gone a few days. You'll get to stay with your friend Ikari.
Im sorry Kenshin, your parents...aren't coming back.
Kenshin? This is Mr. Hiko, he is going to be taking care of you from now on.
Kenshin woke up, he had passed out by a tree. He cursed himself silently while got up. It was getting dark and he needed to get home. Seijuurou, though more of an older brother than adopted father, would want to know where he had been nonetheless. And so Kenshin had found himself downtown, not a place he really enjoyed, but it was a quicker way home. He stopped in front of a kareoke bar, he had no reason too, but he did. "I need to get home." he said to himself. (But then again, I need to relieve my stress.) Seeing no reason not to, he entered the building.
(Well too late to turn back now.) He waited for his turn and walked up to the microphone. He flipped though the songs until one caught his attention. (Beautiful day huh? Exact opposite of my day if you ask me...) That girls' gaze flashed in his mind and he was set. He started the song and the words flowed from him like he had known them his whole life. He noticed everyone's attention turn to him. (You know, this is kind of nice, for once people are looking at me and... I like it) The song ended. (I think I have a new hobby) Kenshin thought to himself as he began to walk out. He would have smiled, but he looked up and found himself gazing into the eyes of the girl from earlier.
His blood started rushing to his head, the way he was looking at her, he could almost swear he could see love in her eyes. Thoughts started rushing through him. (Should I say something? What's going on? I need to go. No you don't, you need to talk to her. It won't work. Do you know that?) He couldn't take much more, so he lowered his head and tried as best he could to keep his composure. As soon as he was out of the building, he ran as fast as he could, he needed to get home. His mind was assaulting him, his lungs were burning, he felt as if he was going to fall to pieces, but it almost felt...(Good?) "Shut up." He whispered to himself. That whole incident was wrong, he should have never gone in that damn place. He found himself in front of his house with the door open.
"Well? Are you going to come in?" A gruff voice called to him.
"Sorry Seijuurou." Kenshin replied weakly as he walked in.
"You ok boy? You're acting like you took a few to the head. Anything I need to know about?"
Kenshin looked down. "It's been a very strange day for me."
Seijuurou laughed. "Something good happen to you?"
Kenshin looked at Seijuurou. "Why would you say that?"
Seijuurou just looked at Kenshin. "Oh come on, You may not think it, but I've been your father for over twelve years. I do know a few things about you."
Kenshin sighed, he really didn't want to talk. "I'm not quite sure yet... I think I'm gonna skip dinner tonight and go to sleep."
Seijuurou looked at Kenshin with mock anger. "Then why the hell have I been sitting here waiting? Well, good night then Kenshin."
Kenshin smiled meekly. "Good night Seijuurou."
Kenshin, brushed his teeth and fell onto his bed. (I'll just wake up early for a shower tomorrow.) He looked up at the ceiling. (Today was certainly odd... but overall, It was almost...nice. Maybe things are finally turning around for me.) Kenshin yawned and whispered to himself. "I'll worry about...tomorrow..." He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Seijuurou finished his dinner and cleaned up. (I wonder what my Idiot of a son was getting himself into...) He peered into Kenshin's room. "Hey boy, I never asked you where you were all day..." When he saw Kenshin sleeping, He couldn't help but smile. (Maybe I should start acting more like a father to the boy... Bah, what am I thinking, the boy is fine. It's about time he started growing away from his past.) He grinned. (Ha, look at what that idiot does to me, and all he's doing is sleeping.) Seijuurou closed the door and wondered what tomorrow could possibly hold for the boy that he had raised as his own...
Chapter 1: End
Well, there you have it, my first attempt in the world of fan fiction. Is it good? Is it utter crap? I'm not gonna know how to develop my writing (much less want to continue) unless I get some comments. So Email me at If you cant tell, there are underscores between the words, and please, no comments on my Email address.
I know there's a few obvious questions for me, So I'll just answer them here.
The reason Kenshin refers to Seijuurou Hiko as Seijuurou, Is because I made Kenshin to be an outcast with no social skills, him referring to his adopted father in such a way gives you an idea of where he is at in his social development. It also points out where Kenshin's relationship with Hiko really is, something I'd like to develop as the story progresses.
I know some people are going to be pissed at how quickly Kaoru developed feelings for Kenshin. First off, Kaoru needs a reason to talk to Kenshin and not give up after the first try. Trust where I'm going with this, Though Kaoru is definitely more forward than Kenshin in this story, It'll be offset by Kenshin's fears and insecurities driving his judgement.
I will not be going into any serious Megumi/Sanosuke or Misao/Aoshi romance throughout this story unless I'm really desperate for ideas. I just needed Kaoru to make some friends, and by using them, I didn't have to create a totally original character for a part that I'm not going to develop much further than it is.
I know people aren't going to like they way I did Kenshin. Despite making him a social outcast, and the fears and insecurities I've given him SO FAR, he seems normal. Well folks, that's because HE IS. Kenshin isn't a total fuck up, he just needs to grow, and Kaoru is going to help him a lot in that area.
Ah the Kareoke scene, I know there are a million flames just waiting to burn me alive for that one. Kenshin? Singing? I know, I'm a fucking lunatic.What on god's green earth was I thinking? This, I needed Kaoru to fall for Kenshin this chapter, It was an absolute MUST, If this story is going to end well. Why? Because If I didn't make her fall head over heels for him, then after he pushes her away for the first time, she would have no reason to go back, and after that the story would end unfinished. Still not convinced? Kenshin is a total fucking pussy when it comes to relationships. There, I said it, and none of you can deny it, because you know it's true. And unlike the anime, Kenshin has a place to live, so nothing is forcing them to meet. I needed a catalyst for everything, and this was the most fucking brilliant part of the story if you ask me. I think the song perfectly explains Kenshin, It reveals the beautiful sadness in his soul, the love and pain that comes naturally from him. You don't understand it? TOO BAD.