Maybe I should give Himura-san a call, just to make sure that his property is properly insured. I mean, you can never be too safe, right?
Kaoru drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly in an attempt to pace her thoughts. At the same moment, she mentally punched herself for almost letting her composure cave in and admitting to be a walking catastrophe in a kitchen. I'm just worrying too much. Her face grimaced however, when she recalled a few unfortunate mishaps in her own kitchen. Yahiko never dared mention the craving for tempura again after Kaoru tried to put out a grease fire with water.
Today was the long awaited Tuesday in which she was going to meet her newly appointed cooking instructor for the first time. Yahiko had left early in the morning for soccer practice, and therefore, she will be able to leave the apartment without going through an interrogation. Although tedious in nature, it was the boy's own way of showing affection for his elder sister.
Sometimes, he acts more like our father than I do.
The sun has been generous lately; its abundant radiance seeking out every crack and crook. The sound of cicadas droned through the air, confirming the presence of summer. Watching the intense heat waver over the pavement of the road, Himura Kenshin lifted his hand to wipe at the beads that had lightly formed on the skin bordering his hairline. The market teemed with clamorous noises, voices competing against each other, and eager patrons swarmed from one stall to the next. He will have to maneuver through the sea of people if he wishes to be home on time for his expected visitor. Almost like a circus act, Kenshin juggled with the four loaded grocery bags in his arms, shifting and pivoting swiftly to avoid bumping into bodies of the crowd as he made his way for the direction back home.
Nearing the end of the busy street, a shrill scream pricked at his keen ears as the discordant sound brought a dead silence among the marketplace and halted its congress.
Oro?
Lowering the obstructive bags to gain a better perspective of his surroundings, Kenshin searched for the causation of the unpleasant auditory experience. In the middle of the street, spectators had begun to circle, disclosing the origin of the agonized cry. He peered over the heads of onlookers, having to tip-toe due to his disadvantageous height. In the midst of the circle stood a middle-aged woman, amply wide in size, who lifted an accusing finger toward what held her attention.
"Someone, please! Stop that thief!"
A running figure forced his way through the crowd from the source of the uproar. Cloaked in a black outfit, gloved hands holding onto a purse, the man made a leap over a wooden crate and fled behind the retail stands in a desperate effort to escape the scene. Easily able to deduce the play of events unfolding before his eyes, Kenshin predicted the purse-snatcher's next available action and made his way behind the nearest stall. Treading lightly along a narrow path, he stopped before a corner and awaited for the sound of footsteps. It was faint, but the sound of scurried movements could be heard.
He's still running.
Kenshin settled the groceries onto the damp floor. The spacing between the walls was inefficient and dark, the sun not able to shed its light on the connecting series of pathways. He steadied himself and pressed his back against the wall of wooden crates. The heavy footfall and labored breaths gradually intensified as his target drew closer. He'll turn the corner—here. Just as Kenshin's thought expelled, the man turned onto the sharp corner, immediately overtaken by surprise as a hard tackle aimed at his torso rendered him sprawled onto the ground and broken-winded.
Oro?
Kenshin blinked, unmoved from his position. What had caused the man to fall was not Kenshin's own outstretched elbow, prepared for impact, but the bodily weight of another figure who now laid face down on top of the man. The feminine curves defined the new stranger to be a young woman, her raven-black hair gathered into a high ponytail, the long length caressing her stretched back.
"Where did you think you could run to?"
Her tone, lethally assertive, demanded an answer from the thief who lay fixed underneath her. His reply came out in an unintelligent garble, still trying to restore the air in his lungs due to the force she had inflicted upon him. Gauging the damage she did, he suffered no serious trauma from the fall, but would certainly feel the bruises in the next few days. Lifting herself up onto her knees, the woman glanced up to where Kenshin stood for the first time, meeting his gaze.
"Sorry, I saw you heading back here, but I couldn't alert you in case he heard me."
Instead of pondering on the bewildering thought of how his usually-astute senses had fail to detect the stranger, Kenshin found himself lost for all contemplation completely during the brief moment as he acknowledged her appearance. Engrossed by the delicate features that painted her slender face, his normal demeanor was left abandoned until his wandering stare drifted to a pair of cerulean irises. He read her surprised expression through them, seemingly as transfixed with him as he is with her.
"Are you okay?" He cleared his throat, recovering from his metal stupor. Able to process his thoughts coherently again, he recollected his manners and trained his eyes on anywhere else but her, "I hope you're not hurt. You're quite reckless, aren't you?"
The young woman laughed in response—melodious and soft—a stark contrast to her earlier tone. The sound was contagious as Kenshin felt the corners of his mouth contorting into a smile of his own. He thought of it being familiar, although he could not pinpoint from where in particular.
"I get that a lot," she grinned as she concentrated once more on the stretched person pinned under her, assured that he would not be getting up any time soon, "I act on impulse too often at times. It's gotten me into more messes than I can even count."
Kenshin could gain a clear mental understanding in her words. This situation had played out in her favor, but strong-headedness could only be paired with trouble in any other case. If the man had been armed, she could have gotten herself wounded, or worse, killed. He shook his head in stern disapproval.
"I strongly advise against doing what you did if you ever find yourself in familiar terms again, it's dangerous for a young woman like yourself."
"I hope you're not suggesting that women are incompetent," her blue eyes turned icy as she faced him with a frown, any trace of amusement had vanished, "I witnessed this man snatching the purse right out of the poor woman's hands. I couldn't just pretend to look the other way."
Slightly taken back, Kenshin did not expect her to react defensively. Seeing how displeased she was, he regretted at how cutting his words may have articulated. He was not one to lecture; he was prepared to mirror her earlier actions after all. By no means did he mean for his words to foster discrimination against her gender either.
"I'm sorry, please don't take offense in what I said. I'm only glad you're unharmed."
As he appealed further for her forgiveness, the woman shook her head fiercely to dismiss the apology. He could tell that her better judgment was putting a restraint to her fiery temper within an internal tumult. His brows softened as he offered a hand out towards her.
"Here, let me help you up."
She accepted his offer and stood to level herself just short a few inches to his height, whispering her thanks. At that convenient moment, sirens blared as flashing blue and red tinted the walls, announcing the arrival of the police. Officers scrambled on sight and were directed by gathered bystanders to where they both stood. The uniformed squad quickly seized the man on the ground, cuffing his wrists in cold metal before shouldering him towards the direction of a vehicle. An older officer remained with Kenshin and the young woman, eyeing the both of them suspiciously, before beginning to hail a list of questions their way.
"What happened here? Mind telling me why that man was nearly unconscious?" the officer took a moment to survey the narrow, hindering pathways. His voice became wary, "What could you two possibly be doing back here?"
The woman turned deep scarlet at the blatant assumption. Kenshin in turn, scratched his head in disorientation, before narrating the entire transpiration leading up to their current circumstances. Retrieving the discarded purse from the ground, he produced a detailed description of the rightful owner. The officer seemingly relaxed, fully grasping the situation from the information provided, and recovered the stolen bag from Kenshin.
"Well, your explanation sure does seem sound. Thank you both, but I will have to get you two to stay a while for our team to write up a formal statement."
"I'm sorry, but I really have to be somewhere!" the woman protested.
She swore under her breath as her earlier engagement made light of where she currently should be. Her frantic display of frustration immediately made Kenshin do a double-take, reminding him of his own appointment. A considerable amount of time has passed since the hour arranged for his guest to arrive at his home. Looking at the relentless numbers portrayed on his watch, he could only hope his guest had given up on waiting. The least he could do is to rush home and rearrange their schedule for a later time.
"My sincerest apologies officer, but I'm expected as well." Kenshin concurred and watched forlornly as the officer waved his hands in rejection.
"I'm afraid I can't let either of you go, this is required. I can help you make any necessary calls, what are your names?"
"Kaoru. Kamiya Kaoru."
"Himura Kenshin."
Recognition dawned on the two as they both recoiled in a surprised reaction conjointly, staring at each other in disbelief.
A/N: Took me long enough. I apologize if anyone was actually waiting for an update, projects and finals are finally over, and so I was able to get some writing done. I had a few problems along the way though, unsure of how I wanted the two to meet, but this was the best that I could muster up. Again, please review! Be brutal about it too!