Opportunities
Disclaimer: I have never claimed rights to Rurouni Kenshin, nor do I intend to do so for the remainder of my days. Rurouni Kenshin will always belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki.
Pinching the smooth indigo fabric between the tips of his fingers, the redhead's face scrunched up in concentration as he gently tugged at either side of the ribbon, feeling the slight pull of his bound hair coming together at the nape of his neck. A faint smile flashed over his lips. Every now and then, he quickly tossed a glance or two across either side of the bank before subtly assessing his handiwork from the glistening surface of the river. An unfamiliar feeling welled within his heart as he caught glimpses of the indigo ribbon peeking out from around his mane of unruly hair.
His violet eyes softened for what seemed like the first time in centuries.
She was quite a remarkable young woman, that she was, he thought.
He chanced gazing at his reflection a while longer, the warm evening breeze wavering the water's still surface and causing his bangs to flutter into his line of sight.
He showed no signs of irritation at having the peaceful moment disrupted by the wind. Rather, however, he conveyed something more along the lines of disappointment as he brushed his bangs back to discover he had lost all sight of the ribbon, as it had decided to drop out of his view in that single moment of distraction and now resided at the very edge of his shoulder, nearly hidden by thick tendrils of tangled red tresses.
He sighed.
"Oh well," he murmured, averting his gaze thoughtfully to the deserted riverbank, watching the gradual descent of the sun as the area around him began to follow suit and darkened along with the fading rays of sunlight. "I suppose I'll have to wait for another opportunity to fix it again." Although it won't nearly be tied so neatly as how Kaoru-dono had done...
Rising to his feet, Himura Kenshin turned and walked away, leaving the last of his thoughts to give way to the shrouding veil of darkness the night would soon bring.
Owari
Author's Note: Salutations, everyone! I realize it's been a while since I've uploaded a new story, so I figured I might as well do it now or forever hold my peace. I can imagine at least one reader out there is confused about what they just read. Actually, the inspiration for this little idea here came from a bonus chapter of Rurouni Kenshin I recently discovered and read a few weeks ago. The concept was so unique that I just couldn't get it out of my head. I wondered what would have happened if Nobuhiro Watsuki had taken this particular route into introducing Kenshin and the others, but felt completely content with the direction he had gone, anyway. In fact, you can actually read the bonus chapter for yourself on a site called Manga Park. The chapter is titled '8.5'. Feel free to let me know what you think of it if you get the chance to read it!
I'm still contemplating with myself over whether or not I'll make this into something more than just a one-shot. To me, I feel like I could go on with the idea forever, but I think I'll leave it up to my wonderful reviewers to help me make a decision over the matter.
Thanks for checking in! For the time being, see you later!
Yours Truly,
~Wingless Hymn
