Kaoru glared balefully at the ad in this morning's newspaper.
It was her own choice, but was it? Two weeks ago, Sano had insinuated one time too many that her school wouldn't be taken seriously until she had replaced her own position as assistant master, but it felt unbearably sloppy to just advertise for one in the paper. Of course Sano's solution was to call up the president of the kendo association and ask for his son's endorsement. 'Just think of the publicity Jou-chan! Hiten Mitsurugi vs Kamiya Kasshin!'
The preferred option was obviously to give the honor to her most advanced student, but the teen wasn't taking the deal. 'Busu, I'm great but I can't keep you in order every day while I'm in school.' Yahiko had apparently rehearsed that one - the only tell of his discomfort being how he held his left shoulder high. Kaoru made a mental note to remember that it was impossible to drill posture too well. At first his joking disclaimer give her little pause, but every day that passed without a serious applicant added to her worry. The ad was the a drain on her expenses, and the only other venue she could afford to continue a search was online forums.
Heaven help her, a reddit-applicant for a kendo teacher.
The ad grabbed her eyes repeatedly from the comics section as she stood with her morning coffee (instant) and cold pizza. "Seeking applicants for Assistant Master level kendo teacher. Must have references and measured temperament. Please send resume's to-"
She downed her coffee and forcefully set the mug down over the square inch of flimsy paper. Grabbing keys, wallet, and duffel, her door slammed and locked behind her.
If some fool actually still read the paper, she'd deal with it then.
The entrance to the school for Kamiya Kasshin Ryu did not exactly inspire confidence in passers by. Kaoru had grown used to the patchy appearance of bricks under plaster, had long since mastered the leap necessary to clear the gaping wound in the sidewalk not three feet down from the door. As far as she was concerned, her students should share her pride that the gate was two hand-spans wide, allowing a full parade of youths to enter or depart as they saw fit.
The only problem being that no group of youths larger than four had been through those doors for a class for at least eight months now. Local parents had likely found an after school activity for their darling children that bore less resemblance to pure delinquency.
Kendo schools, contrary to Kaoru's personal experience, were flourishing in town, but most of them benefited from multiple generations of masters within a single family. Where family was not enough to recommend membership there was sponsorship of schools. For Kaoru, with one preceding generation of kendo mastery and a metro area which schools considered akin to the elephant grave yard, flourishing was an aspirational goal on a good day.
'This can be a good day, it can, it can.' Kaoru repeated this to herself as she unlocked and rose the grate barring the entrance to her hallowed halls. Her attention was briefly caught by the dust on the handle - she pulled her sleeve down to polish it into a faux-brass brilliance. Already, one improvement to her legacy. Her lips quirked upward and the door swung in.
Her first class would be in two hours, with a few of the second level kids that had persisted in her training program. Enough time to sweep the halls, change and polish the placards. After their hour lesson and hour practice she would have time to read through competition applications over lunch, researching their typical audience size and cost for advertising. Then the afternoon lesson with the advanced students, all two of them. The evening, she knew, would be devoted to writing letters to the city council appealing for investment in her street.
"I implore you for the sake of the businesses in this district, please fix that godforsaken hole in the sidewalk. Please have mercy on me and pass a tax credit on costs of cosmetic repairs to the store fronts damaged by the latest of many disturbances you refuse to address."
"Shinji, I swear on your mom's hand-sanitizer that if you don't drop that lunch box this instant I will make you regret it." A bright young voice carried over the sound of the street. Kaoru sighed, having finished polishing only five of the six placards proclaiming the names of her students.
"Like you could, your girl arms can't even get to me, I can do this all da-" Kaoru, having materialized from the unknown world outside of the riveting drama, swiped the lunch pail from the boy, smacking him in the head as she passed.
"Get into the dojo, get into your gear, and be in seiza on the floor by the time the bell rings or you will both have 200 extra swings today." Shinji and his compatriot Mizuki's eyes grew wide in horror. They quickly scampered off to the changing area.
Kaoru turned to follow the pre-teens into the dojo, her trajectory paused by a polite cough from the gate.
He was short.
'And yet he's definitely taller than the standard intermediate student, so I suppose that's ruled out.' Kaoru collected herself.
"Good morning, can I help you? Are you here to enroll a student?" Kaoru watched more closely than she'd like to admit as the man tilted his head and smiled reassuringly at her.
"Might one join in for this mornings' exercise? I find I have trouble gauging the details of a school without understanding it's fundamentals." Kaoru blinked at him, not quite convinced she understood him.
"It's a class for middle-school aged students, but if you are curious I have no issue with it. There's a drop-in fee of- of twenty-five bucks." She stuttered on the fee, having never had to consider the cost of a one-time lesson.
The stranger bowed formally to her in response, before patting his pockets for a wallet. She watched absently, reflecting on the complimentary manners. He must be a bit old-fashioned in his practice - she wondered if his kid would be as polite. Kaoru turned to walk back toward the dojo itself. She called behind her as she went to change into her own gear. "There's a changing room down the hall to the right. You can pay after - bell rings in twelve minutes and you better be sitting seiza in the studio by then or you'll get 200 extra swings."
He had excellent form.
Someday, when she was a granny at some assisted living facility, she would tell her neighbor all about it. Kaoru could hear it in her mind, her own voice raspy with age as she would recount "Well I'll have you know one day this handsome father came to my dojo. Margie, you should have seen him. His hair was bright red and he was shorter than half the women here, but none of that mattered during kata. My goodness me, you should have seen his shoulder muscles ripple-" she abruptly silenced this tale, as the voice became less raspy and more... breathy.
This was tacky, she should be focusing on correcting his - well. She should be focusing on teaching the principles of the sword that protects life. Even if she wouldn't be correcting his form, she had other things to share.
Her students, however, had plenty of form corrections with which to remain occupied.
The first hour, in which she reviewed their last lesson briefly and began a new move, proceeded fairly uneventfully. The students were drilled in common blocks, defensive moves, easy dodges - but more importantly Kaoru drilled the purpose of the sword they carried. Their training shinai was not the source of their strength, and not the focus of their practice. The moves she taught were a way to focus an intention to secure and defend that which students of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu hold precious.
"My Pocky," she heard Shinji snicker under his breath.
"Shinji, if you love and defend your Pocky with the force of your full intentions you would win that battle." Kaoru chuckled, before returning to her lesson. "But I would recommend that you instead use that focus to defend something a bit more precious than food."
It wasn't her most profound lesson - she tended to save those for the advanced classes. Kaoru shook off the insecurity sneaking into her stomach, reminding herself that this unfamiliar spectator was most likely vetting the class for a child and would more likely appreciate an experience light on philosophy and heavy on form.
Ah yes, her saving grace, the practice hour. Her surprise student committed fully to the basic drills she outlined for the four children sharing the room. The key difference lay in the pure physical potential that the full grown man had at his disposal, making the air sing with the speed of the movement of his shinai. Kaoru diligently attended her actual students, doing her best to not be distracted by his practice- at least until she noticed what he was doing.
She approached him, indicating she had a note. The man paused in his swings, allowing her to approach. "Sir-"
"Kenshin." She nodded, her face schooled into polite inquiry.
"Kenshin, you appear to be substituting an offensive strike here, while we are practicing a block." The stranger- Kenshin, apparently, bowed his head slightly.
"I am, my apologies Kamiya-sensei. I shall return to your prescribed katas." Kaoru's eyes narrowed.
"Do you understand why we are not practicing offensive strikes, Kenshin?"
"I confess I do not, sensei." He kept his head bowed, and Kaoru could not discern if he was sincere.
"Should you come to another lesson, you might better understand. To offensively strike is to be goaded into action. When we strike, it must be because we have controlled the flow of every move before and after. Thus, we do not study offensive strikes until all defensive strokes have been mastered."
"I understand." Kaoru noticed now that her students had all stopped in their practice to watch their teacher chastise the grown man.
"Good. Please continue." She glared at her students. "Please. continue."
The children had left, and Kaoru was left with Kenshin at the entrance of the dojo.
"Well," she ventured, "what did you think? Will this be a good fit?" Kenshin's eyes widened.
"That was what I intended to ask you, Kamiya-dono." At Kaoru's nonplussed expression he continued. "I would like to submit my resume as an assistant teacher here, if that would be satisfactory."
Kaoru's mouth attempted to frame a word, any word. She settled with "Ahmm." Kenshin continued on in the face of her non-verbal response.
"I do believe I can assist in some of the day-to-day maintenance of the facility, and have experience in basic form. I would never venture to take on your advanced classes that require better understanding of the philosophy behind your style." His words began to rush together, for some reason imploring her to agree.
Kaoru stared at a beam just above his head. She narrowed her eyes - 'He's too skilled for this job, but hey he's here and there is no doubt he's got those basic kata down...'
"Be here tomorrow at 9 am. And starting tomorrow, you will participate in my advanced class." Kenshin bowed his head, once again hiding his expression.
"It would be my honor, sensei." Kaoru fidgeted, disconcerted.
"Damn straight." She strode forward to the gate, and gestured for him to leave. "See you tomorrow."
It had started off rather straight forward.
Kenshin would arrive at 9 am, sweep the dojo and run the intermediate classes. Meanwhile, Kaoru had her full morning available to apply her attention to the business matters that kept her school small and unknown.
The budgets were cleaner than ever before.
The city council had two phone calls per day.
Each local competition had a submitted application and fee waiver request.
As the hour of practice for the intermediate students would draw to a close, she would join them for a final review. Kenshin would ask them to demonstrate their practice for the day, and their progress was commendable.
One variable Kaoru had not expected to become an issue was Kenshin's presence in her advanced class.
Yahiko still attended the evening class, in addition to Ota-kun whom had practiced with them since he was 15. They were well versed in the views of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, having begun study under Kaoru's father, Koshijiro. And they were very surprised to find Kenshin in their session.
It didn't amount to much in the first few weeks - just a whinge of showing off, a few condescending explanations of how Kenshin's learned methods differed from the school he was now obliged to represent. As far as Kaoru was concerned, she just needed Kenshin to know the tenants of the school. Eventually Yahiko would graduate, and if she could turn enough profit from the school by then, she might have a chance to have a true practitioner of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu as her assistant master.
The third week went off-kilter in an entirely different direction.
Kaoru broke the advanced class into sparring partners, expecting Yahiko or Ota to approach her as was typical. Instead, she was faced by her assistant master, his hair gathered unusually high on his head. After a momentary pause, she bowed and he matched her movement. Then, they began to spar.
They circled slowly, watching for any twitch to signal movement forward. The first signal was an intake of air, Kenshin preparing his kiai for a strike. Kaoru deflected his shinai handily, shifting his momentum to her left side to guide him past her. It was sloppy, he knew better. She knew he was better, she'd watched him sparring with Yahiko and Ota for weeks.
So she smacked him.
It was just a joke, Kaoru would swear at the pearly gates. She meant to hit his back. Instead...
'May the universe have mercy on my immortal star-dust,' her hand had firmly and forcefully slapped his unprotected ass.
Kaoru froze in place, waiting for reactions from her companions. Her students seemed unfazed, as though they hadn't seen it at all. Kenshin, however, was not so indulgent.
Were her eyes playing tricks? His eyes seemed to glimmer an uncharacteristically amber tint before he was throwing himself into another offensive strike. One she was able to block, but only just. Kenshin apparently had decided to actually spar, giving Kaoru a heart-beats length of satisfaction before her entire attention returned to the flow of battle.
Kaoru redirected and deflected strike after strike, sensing now that Kenshin was merely testing her endurance and reflexes. As she felt her focus flag, she decided it had been enough. Feigning fatigue, Kaoru slowed her responses to strikes on her left side to just a hair before Kenshin would score a hit. Sensing the easy opportunity, Kenshin dodged to her left, striking at her side.
Anticipating his move, Kaoru grabbed his shinai her hands, rolling her body with the momentum of the strike and ripping it from his grip. She immediately tossed it to the side of the room, and turned back to face him.
"That," Kaoru huffed, "is exhausting."
Yahiko and Ota paused their sparring, which had been proceeding in an equally focus though not nearly as furious in pace. Kenshin's hand flexed, as though hoping to make his shinai soar back to his hand with sheer willpower. Kaoru met his eyes, watching as amber swam within his more usual amethyst iris. Kenshin's expression was filled with adrenaline and... something.
Kaoru couldn't put a name on the feeling- it made her lungs feel smaller and her muscles contract. She dreamt of it that night, and began to avoid Kenshin's gaze during advanced sessions.
"Kenshin, thank you for your services this year. You've been invaluable, I could never have dedicated the time necessary to getting this school back on track without your excellent instruction for our beginning and intermediate students." Kaoru began her well-rehearsed speech as she handed Kenshin what would be his severance pay in her little office off the side of the main practice hall.
"Kamiya-sensei?" Kenshin prodded expectantly. She smiled, as they had discussed this change in the months prior.
"As you know, we have turned enough of a profit for me to hire Yahiko full time, and as he has extensive experience specific to Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, it is imperative that he be given his rightful position as assistant master. You are, of course, welcome to guest-teach here. We have many students now that will be disappointed if you do not come back to visit us." Here she bowed slightly, handing him the severance envelope with formality to mirror his own when he first entered the gate of the school. "You are welcome to join in our advanced class tonight if you wish, it should be starting in a few minutes."
Kenshin accepted the envelope, moving jerkily to tuck it into his coat. "Kamiya-sensei," he ventured.
"Kaoru now, please. No need for the formality of the training hall." Kaoru beemed at him. She felt as though a great burden had been lifted from her. 'Free from directing classes in front of a man who smolders at you from the back of the room. Free from the embarrassing knowledge that a man you can't help but be attracted to is cleaning your property and filling the holes in your sidewalk and polishing your placards. Free from that sinking feeling as you fall asleep thinking about th-'
He interrupted her train of thought, bringing her back to reality with the comforting patter of small talk.
"I'm glad to have been a part of your school's success. I remember watching you compete when Koshijiro was alive, and regretted hearing of your struggles."
"You-you saw me compete? Back then?"
"Don't you remember? This city isn't that big, you must have stayed for some of the later events. I used to compete pretty actively as well."
"Dad and I always left after the big demo, you know, Hiten Mi-" Kaoru stopped. She stared, and her eyes narrowed. "Sano is going to have an awful nasty day the next time I see him." Kenshin grinned sunnily, his eyes squeezed shut with the breadth of it.
"Don't blame him, I could never have passed this up." His face relaxed enough to show that slow glimmer that had haunted her for months on end. "I still can't believe you managed to disarm me that first month in your advanced class." Kaoru welcomed the distraction of reminiscing, anything to keep her mind off of the heat building up her neck and the sweat beading on her palms. 'How did I even survive this? My skin suddenly doesn't fit.'
"Well it was clear you were trying to put me through my paces and not really thinking strategically," she babbled, staring at his chin. "I'd obviously goaded you when I tapped your-" her mouth snapped shut. Kaoru cast her gaze around the room for another focal point, somewhere she could walk to test the existence of her kneecaps, which were suddenly in question. "Anyway," she gasped as she wobbled toward the door "nice to meet you, and thanks again-" she had the door open about an inch before Kenshin's warm hand gently pushed it shut again.
"I've been hoping to goad you back, you know."
Ota and Yahiko sat on the practice hall floor, sprawled with their practice gear serving as impromptu cushions. Kamiya-sensei had never been late for advanced class before, but then again now she only had one advanced student so perhaps she let it slip.
It had been a busy senior year, and the two boys were more than happy to take a break.
Kaoru stumbled into the hall, her hair mussed and eyes glazed. "Practice is cancelled-" she croaked, before spinning back the way she came. Yahiko and Ota shared an alarmed look. Her muffled voice echoed back a moment later - "so GO HOME."
A/N- I don't own Pocky, The Lion King, reddit, or anything. Don't have a beta, or much patience - please forgive grammar/typos