Disclaimer: RK isn't mine.
A/N: Thank you so much for the nice replies from the first chapter, and thanks penelopi for pointing some stuff up, it's been awhile since I write anything in English, and fanfiction is actually a writing practice for me. I just hope that I can have more time to update all of my fics and write more :) In the meantime I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, and don't forget to review!
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Man-made Men
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Kaoru always had an 'emergency kit' in her car, a bag filled with anything she needed after a night filled with parties. When she arrived at the office building, she parked her car in an invisible corner, jumped in to the back seat and took out a large silver-coloured plastic box from under her car seat. Inside there was two bottles of perfume (Chanel No. 5 for normal use, and Estee Lauder White Linen for when she got a hangover and couldn't stand strong perfume smell), some makeup kit, hairspray, bobby pin, lotion, moisturizer, Evian spray for her face, and even a bottle of painkiller. Kaoru sighed in comfort as she sprayed her face with the waterspray and then started her morning routine just like when she was at home, appying some moisturiser, light makeup, combing her hair and tying it up into a high ponytail. She sprayed her White Linen perfume and was ready to go.
She never had a problem getting ready in any kinds of situation. She always managed to look good even after a whole night of messy parties. For some reason, today everyone was looking at her when she entered the office area. Their greetings were reluctant and their eyes stared at her with a strange look. Kaoru gulped. Was it her shirt? It was baggier than how she imagined it would be, but she thought it looked fine in front of Kenshin's mirror. Was it her make up? Was it her perfume?
Kaoru quickly reached her office and dropped herself on the chair. She was about to turn on the computer and get ready for the presentation when something pink attracted her attention.
Oh? A pink envelope?
Kaoru opened it and felt her heart skipped a beat.
Wedding Invitation
Sagawa Houri & Nakamura Chika
Those weren't strange stares. Those were pity stares.
"Hey Kaoru." A beautiful girl came into her office without knocking. Her green eyes stared at Kaoru with an evil glint and her hand fixed her dark hair. Kaoru rolled her eyes and forced a smile. Great, the other acomplished Japanese girl in the office was here. Now her annoying morning is complete.
"Hey Yumi."
"Do you know that your boyfriend is getting married with the photocopy lady?" She asked, lifting her eyebrows.
"Yeah. So?" Kaoru asked back nonchalantly, trying hard to look busy with her mundane tasks like turning on her computer and tidying up her table. Yumi shook her head with a pity look, and then sat on Kaoru's table.
"Kaoru dear, this wouldn't happen if you accepted my invitation last time. You would've met a guy who's richer than you and can tolerate your attitude." She said, and Kaoru scoffed. Yumi smiled a victory smirk as she squeezed Kaoru's shoulder. "Anyhoo, I'm actually here to invite you for a cruise in my boyfriend's yacht. You know, the one who owns a steel factory in Japan. I personally think that cruising is the best way to cure a broken heart." She offered sweetly, even though Kaoru couldn't help but saw a condescending sparkle in her eyes, as if pitying her. Kaoru frowned. Last time she went to a party with her, Yumi humiliated her on purpose to make herself looked good.
It was inevitable that they both tried to bring each other down. Yumi was the only Asian woman rising to power in the company until after Kaoru came and took over her opportunities. They were so similar, other than the fact that Yumi was born there and didn't even speak Japanese while Kaoru had lived in Japan her whole life and was struggling to speak English the first time she arrived in New York. The similarities honed their competitive instinct and they had been rivals even in trivial matters for as long as they have known each other.
"I'm not broken hearted." Kaoru retorted and Yumi laughed cynically.
"Come on, dear. I saw your bridal magazines. You thought that he was going to marry you, right?" She said it in a lightest way possible, making Kaoru looked stupid. Kaoru did buy some bridal magazine, thinking that her relationship with Houri would last longer than this.
"I am working in fashion industry. Why can't I look at bridal fashion trends without being accused of... that...?" She asked, a little annoyed, and Yumi chuckled.
"Oh right! Silly me for thinking that way! The fact that you were planning to go home this Christmas after a long time doesn't indicate anything right? Everyone thought the iron woman who never used any of her day offs would only go home to take care of something as important as marriage." Yumi said. "I may never live in Japan, but I thought I know a thing or two about Japanese people and their tendencies..." She said with a pretend concern in her voice. Kaoru blushed. She did plan to go back to Japan this Christmas, in hope that Houri would take her to meet his parents.
"It wasn't for him!" Kaoru said defensively and Yumi gasped.
"Oh no, don't tell me you have someone else in mind? Someone from the office? Or one of the models?" She asked. Kaoru swallowed, mentally berating herself for falling into Yumi's trap.
"No… I mean…" Kaoru stammered, not knowing what more to say. Unfortunately Yumi caught the hint of nervousness and inarticulateness and decided to annoy her a little longer.
"Come on, Kaoru. We wouldn't want to get you hurt again, would we? Tell me about this lucky guy. Is he my secretary? The newcomer model we hired yesterday? Or the new security guy downstairs?" She asked with an obvious victory face while Kaoru turned red.
"No! What I mean is…" Kaoru tried to say something with an annoyed face, but Yumi cut her with a loud, exaggerated gasp. Yumi went closer and examined her shirt.
"Is that… The legendary shirt? The one that came out six years ago?I didn't pay attention earlier, but... Oh my god, is this real? Don't tell me that this is your new boyfriend's!" She exclaimed, touching the small innitials on the shirt. Kaoru shook her head.
"Mou! Listen to me!" Kaoru said in frustration. She was about to start explaining when a guy knocked on the door.
"Come on, everyone's waiting."
"Mou!" Kaoru said, frustrated. Yumi giggled and left the room, leaving Kaoru to prepare for the meeting.
OOOOO
Apparently Yumi really took her own imagination seriously (well, she probably just wanted to mess with Kaoru). During the meeting, she joined in and deliberately distributing Houri's wedding invitation to everyone in the meeting room. Having heard the news, each person opened the invitation awkwardly while stealing glances at Kaoru, making her uncomfortable.
That was when she decided to "save the day" by telling everyone that Kaoru had a new boyfriend, a rich Japanese businessman who stayed in New York for a business. Everyone looked relieved and the Boss told Kaoru to bring her "boyfriend" to the company's birthday dinner. Kaoru thought that he was going to forget it after the meeting, but then at night when she got home, her Boss' secretary called her to ask for the boyfriend's name to put into the invitation list and wouldn't hang up before getting the answer. At the end, Kaoru gave up and told her that she would give a name on Monday after she confirmed everything with her "boyfriend".
She went home with a heavy heart, ended up driving around the congested roads of the city instead of going straight home. A few turns in some unknown streets and suddenly she ended up where she was last night. She sighed and parked her car in front of the bar.
It was Friday night but the bar was still quiet. When she entered the bar she immediately saw Kenshin who was mopping a stain in one corner, while the bartender was on the phone. The two guys looked at Kaoru and smiled. Kaoru bowed a little and then took a seat on the barstool close to the bartender, who hung up as soon as she sat.
"One diet coke, please." She said, and the bartender laughed.
"Jou-chan, you don't need no diet coke! You're skinny enough!" He said rudely.
"Well, it's okay, I want to stay skinny." Kaoru replied with a grin. He popped open a can, prepared a tall glass and poured the coke inside the glass.
"So, the name's Sano, Kenshin's friend. How was last night?" Kaoru blushed and Kenshin looked up. He stopped mopping the floor and looked at Sano.
"I told you, we didn't do anything." He said, and Sano sniggered.
"I can't believe it, considering that you guys were all hot and steamy near the dumpster." He said with a mischivous smile and Kaoru covered her cheeks, which felt unusually hot. Kenshin shook his head and looked at Kaoru.
"I'm sorry, Kaoru-san, your clothes are dry but I left it at home." Kenshin said, leaning the mop onto the wall and approached Kaoru.
"Oh, it's okay! I mean, you don't even have to wash it for me but you did so..." She said, before trailing off and then looked at the two guys. They were really good looking. Sano looked like one of those rugged model she met for a sportswear campaign while Kenshin was one of those more delicate looking ones who would easily booked a high-end designer's editorial campaign job. One of those models with suits on a yacht. Speaking of yacht...
"Wait. I have an idea." She suddenly said, and both Kenshin and Sano looked at her, a little confused.
"Yes?" Kenshin asked, and Kaoru blushed, realizing that she said it out loud.
"No... This is crazy..." Kaoru put her hands on her cheek and shook her head. She then looked up and looked at Sano and Kenshin again. "Unless... No, I'm going crazy!" She slumped on her chair, closing her face with her hands.
"Can... any of us help you with something?" Kenshin asked again, and Kaoru sighed.
"Well, this is stupid, but I have a situation here..." Kaoru murmured.
"Situation?" He asked and Kaoru told him everything, started from the Houri problem to what happened with her and Yumi this morning.
"So Kenshin, I was hoping that you could help me to… well... pretend to be my boyfriend for the dinner? I will pay you!" She finally asked.
At the end of the story Kenshin could already guess what did the woman beside him wanted. He was appalled that some Japanese men was still that conservative when it comes to careerwomen and he felt sorry for Kaoru. On the other hand, her drunken speech last night made a hilarious sense to her situation. Kenshin couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"Did you realize that you just asked a janitor to play a role of a smart and rich businessman?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru sighed.
"Yeah. I know, I'm crazy. I can't ask anyone who's close to me. In my world, news travel faster than a jetplane."
"Tell me about it." Kenshin uttered, as if he was able to feel how Kaoru felt right now. He looked at Kaoru and breathed heavily. "You know, Kaoru-san. You don't need to do this. Just show up by yourself and be honest to everyone. You are a great person with or without a boyfriend." He continued, trying to encourage her to drop the idea. Kaoru sighed.
"Yeah, you're right. I think I'm losing my mind. I'm sorry. I love my job, but the drama that comes with it is too much to handle sometimes…" Kaoru said with a helpless smile. Kenshin pressed his lips together, a thought of how cute she looked when she was helpless suddenly came uninvited, randomly. Like last night, and like now.
"Wait." He suddenly said, and Kaoru looked at him. He sighed, mentally berated himself for being weak against the girl he remotely attracted to. "May I have your phone number? I'll give you an answer before Monday afternoon." Kenshin finally said. Kaoru looked at her and smiled gratefully. She took a piece of paper and wrote her numbers. Cell phone numbers, home phone number, and office numbers. Kenshin chuckled seeing that she actually had seven phone numbers.
"Thank you so much for even bothered talking to me. You don't really need to do anything, just talking to you makes my head feels a bit lighter." She said sweetly. Kenshin smiled.
"Hey, I have all of your phone numbers, but I don't even know your full name." He said softly. Kaoru blushed.
"It's Kamiya Kaoru…" She said quietly.
"My name is Himura Kenshin." He replied. Kaoru stood up, bowed and left. Sano looked at her leaving and sat beside his friend.
"Damn, her world is crazy!" Sano commented and Kenshin nodded. Sano looked at his red haired friend and smirked. "Well, you're good at it, so she doesn't really have anything to worry about." He assured Kenshin, patting his shoulder slightly. Kenshin shrugged.
"I'm not even sure whether I want to do it or not."
"Ah, but you will. You can't help it… The beautiful Jou-chan is in trouble, so the knight comes marching in to save her…" Sano said in a sing sang voice.
"I'm not attracted to her whatsoever, Sano." Keshin said slowly, trying not to sound defensive.
"I didn't say you do." Sano replied with a wicked grin. Kenshin sighed tiredly.
"I'm going home. You're alone tonight." Kenshin said while putting the mop back into the storage room and left the bar from the back door.
OOOOO
Weekend was a blur for Kaoru. Megumi and Misao, her two friends back in Japan, called her and asked questions about her ex because, apparently, his stupid ex-boyfriend's family announced his wedding in a Japanese newspaper, in the announcement page beside the obituary. Megumi and Misao called her to ask about this matter but Kaoru didn't want to explain so she told them that they broke up awhile ago.
The whole ordeal hurt Kaoru, but in an unexpected way. She felt more humiliated than broken hearted. She knew that she wasn't deeply in love or something, and she realized that her attraction to Houri was only temporary. The whole weekend she decided to stay at home and watch some TV series rerun while eating a lot of Chinese food, but couldn't help but thinking about Kenshin and Houri. Sometimes she laughed at herself; why the hell a thought about hiring Kenshin as her boyfriend ever crossed her mind?
On Monday, her Boss' secretary was already standing in front of her office, asking for a name. Kaoru didn't give a name; she just told her that her boyfriend wasn't available. The secretary didn't look too happy with her answer; she insisted that she would leave a seat open for Kaoru's boyfriend. Kaoru didn't care anymore, she just wanted to work and forget about the problems.
Just as she entered her office, her cellphone rang. Kaoru jumped and answered the phone.
"Kenshin?" She asked without a hello.
"Uh…" The voice on the phone sounded confused. Kaoru bit her lips and cursed herself inwardly. She was thinking about Kenshin and how stupid her idea was that the name was the first word she blurted out.
"I mean, hello?" She redid the greeting in a more acceptable, elegant way.
"Kaoru-san?" A familiar voice called her reluctantly and Kaoru's eyes widened. So it was Kenshin!
"Kenshin?"
"Ah, yes... I was thinking and uh… I can probably help you… If you still need my help." Kenshin said.
"Huh?"
"Well, I'll try my best to… uh… escort you in the party. I do hope that you can assure that I won't get involved too deeply though. You can't introduce me to too many people." Kenshin explained. Kaoru screamed happily, forgetting the fact that until a second ago she thought that this was a stupid idea.
"REALLY?! Oh God Kenshin, thank you so much! You saved my life!"
"Yeah, uh… Okay then. See you on Friday."
"Kenshin? Wear a suit, okay? You know, that suit you're hiding inside your closet. And fix your hair. Just be… appropriate…" Kaoru reminded him. Kenshin sighed.
"I'm not sure how you could fit a janitor into a high class party." She heard her mumbled quietly before hanging up the phone. Kaoru chuckled, said a quick goodbye and hung up. When she turned around, Yumi was standing in front of her door, staring at her suspiciously.
"Why do you need to remind your boyfriend to wear a suit?" She asked. Kaoru looked at her. She was caught off guard.
"It's not appropriate to eavesdrop, Komagata Yumi-san." She retorted. Yumi stared at her.
"You know, Kaoru. You can probably dress some random guy up in expensive suit and shirt, but you can't change his upbringing. Be careful if you want to lie." She warned Kaoru.
"I didn't lie. You made your own assumptions." Kaoru replied. Yumi smiled and, with one flick on her heels, left Kaoru's office with a runway-ish movement.
Kaoru sighed and bit her lips. Yumi was always going out of her way to mess with Kaoru, and this time she fell into her trap. Maybe she should tell Kenshin to read some books and watch some news...
OOOOO
One day before the party, Kenshin called her. He insisted that if they wanted to do this together, they had to do it right so that they could maintain the chemistry from the get go. He said he would pick her up and they would go to the party together, just like what other couples would do. Kaoru thought that he would probably come with his bicycle and they both would drive to the party using Kaoru's car. She didn't know that Kenshin had a whole different idea in his mind.
Kaoru opened the door when she heard the doorbell. It was Kenshin, looking really hot in his off-white shirt and his black-blue Armani suit, even though Kaoru knew with one glance that the suit was a little too small for him. He was holding a bouquet of flower. Kaoru blushed.
"Thanks for the flower…" She mumbled when Kenshin gave it to her. Kenshin blushed.
"Yeah, I thought… You might like it… It's nothing expensive though." He said with a sheepish grin. Kaoru smiled at his shyness and took a glance of herself in the mirror near his front door.
"So, are you ready to go, Kenshin?" She asked while taking her car key from a bowl full of keys on the counter. Kenshin chuckled and touched her hands, forcing her to put her keys back into the bowl.
"I bring a car." He said while looking at her meaningfully. Kaoru looked at her.
"We can't ride your bicycle." She replied, a little confused. Kenshin laughed.
"I said car, Kaoru." Kaoru blushed. Usually he was so goofy, formal and a little absent minded, but today he looked more confident, carefree and relaxed. Maybe he was just a really good actor.
The car he brought was a Porsche coupe, which made Kaoru thought that he had to use some underhanded methods to get it. Kenshin seemed to realize her concern and told her that he rented it legally and didn't steal it from anyone, which made Kaoru reddened in embarrassment as she retorted that she didn't think of it that way.
When they got into the car, Kaoru didn't feel so weird anymore. Kenshin knew perfectly how to operate everything, and he even seemed so happy and relaxed inside it. The drive went smoothly and they arrived earlier than expected, despite the never ending traffic jam. Kenshin got out of the car and gave the car key along with some tip money smoothly to the valet like he had done it a hundred times before. Kaoru was a bit stunned on how perfect Kenshin turned out to be. Maybe she didn't have to worry about tonight at all.
Kaoru and Kenshin entered the room and saw their Boss talking to Houri and Nakamura. They joined them and she introduced Kenshin as her boyfriend. Houri seemed a bit surprised at Kaoru's speedy recovery. Kaoru went to get a drink for her and Kenshin while the Boss was hogging him, and came back to the sight of her boss laughing out loud, something she had never seen for a long time.
"Kaoru, you made the right decision by dumping Houri for this guy!" He said while patting Kenshin's shoulder. Kaoru smiled and hugged Kenshin's arm, while Houri smiled sourly.
Yumi came in with her new cruise addict boyfriend. Kaoru recognize him instantly as Bill Murray, a young businessman she saw at the front line in some fashion shows. No wonder Yumi was boasting about her boyfriend all the time; Bill was obviously a good catch. Kaoru could only sigh looking at Yumi with her victory smile. Yumi was the exact opposite of her. She was not all hardwork like Kaoru, and sometimes relied on her connections to deal with her problems, but her taste in guys are amazing.
"So, this is Kaoru's infamous boyfriend. I'm Yumi Komagata, Kaoru's ONLY friend in the entire company." She said, practically purring every word while offering her manicured hand. Kaoru forced a smile, while Kenshin turned his attention from the Boss to Yumi.
"Hi. Kenshin Himura, nice to meet you." He shook Bill's hand, and then Yumi's hand with a charming smile. Yumi blushed and Kaoru snickered behind Kenshin's back. Realising that she was losing her cool, Yumi quickly put her sexy smile back onto her face.
"So, Kenshin. Kaoru told me that you graduated from… Some Ivy league university?" Yumi raised her eyesbrows and Kaoru cursed inwardly at her slyness. She never even mentioned anything!
"No... I only came here to work." Kenshin replied. Kaoru gulped, while Yumi smiled sweetly.
"Oh? You graduated from a university in Japan, like she did? Todai, I assume?"
"Ah, no. I was... in Oxford." He replied and Kaoru's face tensed. Yumi chuckled, ready to dig some more.
"Oxford. Right. I happen to have a Japanese friend in Oxford. He's supposed to be in this party. Maybe if I introduce you two, you could reminisce about good old days a little." She said sweetly. Kaoru frowned. Why would a person talked about good old days with someone he didn't know? Yumi was definitely on to her.
"Kenshin, do you know that Oxford is in England?" Kaoru whispered, half sarcastic, half worried, between her teeth. Kenshin chuckled.
"I think I do." Kenshin whispered back with a playfully serious nod. Five minutes later Yumi came back with a tall Japanese guy.
"Here, let me introduce you, this is the heir of the Shinomori family who also went to Oxford." She introduced the guy beside him. Shinomori family was an old family who was respected by everyone in Japan and was internationally famous for their Japanese cultural preservation. Kaoru got really nervous and looked at Kenshin. His eyes were wide in shock and Kaoru thought it was over.
"Aoshi!" Kenshin looked at the tall guy. Aoshi's face changed from a stoic expression into a surprised face.
"Himura Kenshin? Is that you?" He asked. Kenshin and Aoshi smiled at each other, shook hands and shared a quick hug.
"How are you doing? It's been so long!" Kenshin asked him excitedly. Aoshi shrugged.
"Same old. This is odd, remembering how you just disappeared." He said calmly. Kenshin smiled. Yumi and Kaoru's jaw dropped seeing how friendly they were to each other and was speechless for awhile until Kenshin turned around and took Kaoru's hand.
"Aoshi, this is my girlfriend, Kamiya Kaoru. She works for the company and I'm escorting her for the night." He explained, before looking at Kaoru. "Shinomori Aoshi here is an old friend, one of my best friends, even." He continued. Even though it was confusing, Kaoru decided not to ask anything. She bowed formally towards Aoshi. Aoshi bowed and then looked at Kenshin with an indescribable expression.
"Kenshin, you're not…" Aoshi didn't finish his sentence. Kenshin smiled a meaningful smile.
"As I said, I am accompanying the pretty lady here." He replied happily. Aoshi flashed a small smile and looked at Kaoru, who looked confused and shocked at the same time.
"Well, it is nice to meet you, Kamiya-san. It is a pity that I have to go now. Here's my contact, don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything." He said while giving Kenshin and Kaoru his name card. "We'll talk later, Kenshin." He added before shaking everyone's hands and left. Yumi was dumbfounded. What if Kaoru really got a great boyfriend?
The whole night was great for both Kenshin and Kaoru. He blended in quite nicely and everyone, and people seemed to forget the fact that no one have ever heard this supposedly young and successful businessman. His table manner was perfect, his choice of words showed intelligence, and his confident body language made Kaoru believed that she probably took the janitor's sophisticated twin instead of the janitor himself.
Kenshin saw the absent minded Kaoru and squeezed her hands. Kaoru snapped out of her thoughts and turned towards his worried face.
"Are you alright?" Kenshin asked. Ambers were dancing inside his eyes.
"Ah, yeah…" Kaoru nodded as she took a mental note on how beautiful Kenshin's eye colour could be against the candle light. There was something feral about them, like leopard's eyes.
"Do you want to go home? You seemed a bit dazed." Kenshin asked.
"Sure. I feel a bit tired." Kaoru replied. Kenshin smiled and tucked his hand on her waist, leading her to the exit.
Kaoru was still a bit absent minded when Kenshin was driving her home. Kenshin was talking about something but Kaoru didn't really listen. At one point Kenshin stopped talking and Kaoru didn't say anything. Kenshin sighed.
"Are you okay? Did I upset you or something?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru looked at him shook her head.
"Of course not, why are you saying that?" She replied, a little surprised.
"Well, you're so quiet so I thought I did something wrong…"
"It's nothing. I'm just very tired." Kaoru said. She bit her lips and looked at Kenshin. "So, you know Shinomori Aoshi? Wow... How did you know him?" Kaoru asked, trying to make her voice sounded casual instead of a curious old hag. Kenshin chuckled.
"Aoshi is my childhood friend back home. He's from Kyoto, you know. The biggest house in the area." He replied.
"I see… I feel a bit weird back there." Kaoru uttered while looking at him.
"Why?"
"You're too perfect. As if this car, these clothes, and that party were your missing puzzle. You looked too… belonged…" Kaoru confessed.
"I only deliver the best." Kenshin said jokingly, and Kaoru smiled.
"Are you sure you don't want my money?" She asked, and he shook his head.
"I can't accept your money without feeling dirty all over." He replied.
"Pity. If you're a gigolo you can earn a lot you know. You'd be better off going home to Japan and work at a host club." She said, and Kenshin burst out laughing. Kaoru laughed, decided not to ask anymore questions as she felt that he didn't want her to sig deeper.
OOOOO
"Oi Kenshin, you're early." Sano commented when Kenshin got into the bar. He took off his suit and rolled up his sleeves. Sano took a bottle of beer and gave it to him. "Fancy car you got there." He added, looking at the car parked outside through the window and Kenshin chuckled.
"I burned my paycheck to rent that thing for one night. Do you feel like going for a luxury ride? The rent is for twelve hours so we have a long time." He asked, and Sano sniggered.
"You can always reimburse to Jou-chan." He said, and then looked around. "Speaking of Jou-chan, where is she?" He asked.
"She felt sick so I sent her home." Kenshin said with a sigh.
"By the way, Kenshin, we have to go back to Japan." Sano told him with a more serious tone. Kenshin looked at him, tightening the grip on his beer bottle. It was never a good thing if he was summoned to Japan.
"What happened?"
"He got a heart attack."