A/N: Apologies for spacing probs and typos and grammars...I will re-edit when time comes... By the by, if Enishi's too OOC pls. let me know, heheh, although he's OOC most of the time and what do you think I should do with Megumi & Misao? ;P I welcome suggestions until I post the next chap..thanks!

Disclaimer: I'm back from a long break, and still can't be bothered to write a proper disclaimer...hmmm...


CHAPTER III

Unexpected Guest


Yukishiro Estate

The three siblings are now lounging on the carpeted floor of her room, with both Kaoru and Enishi looking rather disturbed at recalling what has happened at school that day. Only little Tomoe seemed unaffected as she was playing with her dolls in front of them.

Silence engulfed the room as the older siblings were thinking.

"Aagh…what am I going to do? Stupid, stupid Nanno magazine, I'm so gonna sue them!", Kaoru said heatedly.

"Mm…and tournament is approaching in a few months too…It's possible that I even get excluded from it if this issue gets worse…" A frown marred his striking features.

Kaoru gazed at him worriedly. That's true...He's one of the 'cream of the crops' so to speak, and he certainly has fellow students who are envious toward him...through such rumors, it'll be easy to affect his prime position in the school clubs. 'May even get excluded from the club...' His words echoed in her mind. What should I do?

They both fell silent once again, both pondering of what to do.

Tomoe looked up, feeling confused at the prolonged silence. "Nii-chan, nee-chan, doushite?", a little voice asked, her delicate little hands temporarily abandoning her dolls.

Kaoru looked at her step sister with a tired smile…"Nee…Tomoe chan…our friends know that we're brother and sister…they think we're a couple... It's no good for Nii-chan…now he can not go to do tournament..", Kaoru hastily tried to explain to the little girl using simple terms as best as she could.

Tomoe frowned a little at that, but she soon smiled. "A co-uple? Like Kaa-chan and Tou-chan?" Enishi sweat-dropped as Kaoru gave a lopsided grin. "No, no…well…it's more like boyfriend-girlfriend…" she blushed as she explained to the little girl.

Why am I explaining this to her?Enishi could very well do it! She felt a surge of warmth flooding her cheeks. Darn him for letting me make a fool of myself all the time!

"Aa….boyfriend-girlfriend, nee-Chan?", she twitched her eyebrows together cutely as she thought hard. "Mmmm….sou ka? Then, nee-chan can find boyfriend!", she suddenly exclaimed delightfully, surprising both Kaoru and Enishi.

They looked at one another in surprise. Obviously, that thought never crossed their mind.

Tomoe-chan really was very smart!

But that presents another dilemma...

"Nnn.. Tomoe-chan…I can be a good friend, but I'm really no good as girlfriend!", Kaoru wailed as Enishi grinned widely at her comment.

"And…where can I find a good boyfriend?" she added, pouting all the while.

Enishi laughed at that.

Meanwhile, Tomoe has gone back to happily coddling her dolls once again, thinking she has helped solve the older siblings' problem.

They vaguely heard the doorbell rang, but ignored it as Okaasan was downstairs and has probably made her way to open the door for whoever was coming. They still had to think of other ways to overcome this problem

'Kaoru…Kao-chan!"

She jerked off the floor as she heard Kaa-san called her.
"Hai, Kaa-san..coming!", she ran downstairs toward the feminine voice.

"Your friend's looking for you..", she said with a gentle smile as soon as Kaoru reached the end of the staircase.

Kaoru frowned. 'My friend? Who? Megumi? Misao? Oh no, do they want a full report on everything..now!'

"Hi Kaoru…it's been a long time!", a cheery smile, dark violet orbs and distinctive red bangs were in front of her, completely shattering her train of thoughts.

Kaoru stopped dead on her tracks. That voice, was unmistakably his!

"Kenshin!", she flashed him a warm smile as she hugged him, before she invited him to adjourn to the living room's sofa.

Upstairs, the smaller of the Yukishiro siblings was peeking out from upstairs, taking a look at her Nee-chan's friend.

"Uwaa..Nii-chan…Kaoru-nee-chan has a ha-hand-som.. friend!", she exclaimed as she rushed back into the room and inform him. She just had to relay that important piece of information.

Frown came to his face as he stood up to follow Tomoe's lead. From upstairs, he narrowed his eyes and saw the warm exchange between Kaoru and the redhead.

Without realizing it, he balled up his fists tightly and his frown grew deeper at seeing their interaction. 'Who the heck is he?'


Meanwhile...

"So, you mother re-married? …", the red-haired guy nodded his head in understanding.

Seeing Kaoru's nodding, he continued, "Well, it shouldn't be much of a surprise, I see... Kamiya Reika-san has always been pretty indeed", he complimented Kaoru's mother.

Kaoru grinned, "Well, anyway, enough about me...so, Kenshin…what have you been up to? I haven't seen you for such a long time!"

"Yeah..I've actually realized one of my dreams... I'm now the assistant of the photographer Seijurou Hiko", he smiled a genuinely happy smile at her.

"Aaa…sou ka? Congratulations! You must've been very happy….finally that interest of yours could be better cultivated", she excitedly replied. "Ah, I remember you were always obsessed with taking one of those Kodak picture-perfect moments at our photography club in high school", she grinned, reminiscing about her bitter-sweet high-school memories.

Kenshin chuckled softly, "Yeah, I guess I did, huh? but…that's also part of the reason I came to see you too…"

Kaoru frowned at his words. "Eh? Part of the reason? What do you mean, Kenshin?"

"I searched high and low for you after I saw this.", he unfolded the rolled magazine that he's been holding. "Luckily I had a good lead and was able to find you".

Kaoru's face paled at seeing that disastrous article that gave her headache since morning in his hand. She gulped.

"I don't see why …?", she cast him a questioning look, not wanting to touch the magazine.

He cleared his throat then, and said, "I'm just thinking…would you like to become a model, Kaoru?"


Over dinner…

"So, how's Himura doing, Kao-chan?", Reika asked her casually.

"Oh..great Kaa-san…he's actually working as an assistant for a well-known photographer now…Seijurou Hiko", Kaoru responded enthusiastically as she munched on the food on her bowl.

"Oh, great! I've heard quite a bit about him, he's quite a famous photographer these days...good for Himura", she commented.

"And about the thing you said earlier...you said you'll be working with him?", she glanced at her daughter with a certain spark in her eyes.

"Mmm...oishii-sou" She sniffed the pleasant aroma of her Kaa-san's cooking. Then she answered, " Well…I would. depends if this Seijurou Hiko person wants me as model, though.. that's why Kenshin asked me to see Seijurou-san this weekend."

Enishi heard the exchange between them, and felt he had to say something..

"Nn...so, you're going to work?", he asked carefully in a neutral tone.

"Uh-um…actually...I'm thinking about Tomoe-chan's idea…"

Kaoru turned to face Tomoe who's calmly sipping her soup and ruffled the little girl's hair lovingly, earning a toothy smile from the girl.

"Huh? Na..ni?", he paled considerably, recalling Tomoe's morbid idea.

"Weeell….it's quite a perfect idea really…I'd just try to form a relationship with Kenshin, that's all!", she smiled, reaching for her cup of hot tea.

The glass in Enishi's hand suddenly slipped away and shattered noisily on the tiled floor.