A/N: sorry i couldn;t update lately. too busy. my bad my bad. drama will come very soon, so stay with me.
Last Chapter:
"Good morning, Ms. Yukishiro," I said politely, bowing slightly.
"Good morning. Have a seat," she said, gesturing towards the chairs in front of her. As I made my way towards them, I lifted my head to look at her and immediately froze in my tracks.
"Tomoe? Yukishiro Tomoe?"
Tomoe looked up at me in surprise. "Do I know you?"
Chapter 4
Recognition
"Um…I'm Kamiya Kaoru. We went to the same high school together," I answered.
She looked at me cluelessly for a few seconds. Then, as recognition
finally dawned on her, her face contorted into a disgusted look as she
assessed me from head to toe, making me feel like a rare bug. Why
didn't I dress more nicely? Why? Why? Why? She was wearing a cream
colored sleeveless dress, with a gold studded butterfly on the side,
which looked extremely glamorous on her. I probably looked like a
16-year-old kid standing next to her.
"What are you doing here?" she spat.
I stared disbelievingly at her. Funny how one could change from nice to evil in the blink of eye. This is just further prove that looks aren't everything. That stupid hippo.
"I'm your new junior marketing assistant. Didn't anybody tell you that?"
"Who hired you?" she sneered.
"Mr. Himura," I answered triumphantly. Hah! He's the boss of the company, so that means the hippo can't fire me for no apparent reason. I smirked to myself.
"He hired you? Out of all the people who have applied for the job, he hired YOU? I've seen far better candidates. What does he see in you?"
Okaaaay. That was uncalled for. I didn't even do anything to her! That jerk, still snobby as ever.
"Hey! What is it with you? You haven't even seen any of my work yet. You don't have the right to judge me just like that. Besides, I think you should respect your superior's decision to hire me."
She looked over at me and sneered. I swear, if she keeps that up, her face would probably stay like that.
"I don't need to see your work to judge you. I can already tell." My jaw dropped.
"Besides, Mr. Himura probably hired you because you were a high school classmate. He probably pitied you."
"Look, I wasn't that desperate to get this job alright? It's not like this is the only company…wait…what did you just say? Mr. Himura went to the same high school as us?"
She gave me an amused look and raised an eyebrow. "I thought he interviewed you. Didn't you recognize him? Or were you just lying about meeting him?"
"I didn't lie about it. You can always double check with him or Megumi," I answered hotly.
"Oh, then how come you don't recognize him? He was pretty popular back in high school you know." She stared straight into my eyes. "And if I'm not mistaken, he was the one who gave you that punch in the jaw. Pretty memorable moment that was. I don't think I will ever forget that."
My heart sank as I processed what she had just said in my mind. He was the one who gave you that punch in the jaw.
That punch in the jaw. Himura Kenshin.
No wonder he looked so familiar. Or, at least his eyes did. Anger bubbled inside me as something else that Tomoe said flashed through my mind.
He probably hired you because you were a high school classmate.
He probably pitied you.
Well, you know what? I don't need his pity. He can keep his goddamn pity. And I am going to show him just that.
"Is Mr. Himura in?" I asked his secretary, Yumi.
"Yes, he is. May I do something for you?" she asked. Without listening any further to what she had to say, I stormed towards his room. "Ms. Kamiya! You can't do that! You can't just barge into…"
I pushed open his doors without even bothering to knock. Hah! That got his attention didn't it? He looked up at me with surprise etched all over his features. I headed towards the front of his desk, propped both my hands on the table and said very sharply, "What do you mean by all this?"
"Mr. Himura, she just ---"
"It's alright, Yumi. Everything's fine," he cut her off. After Yumi had left the room, he stood up so that he was level with me, and looked at me with a cold expression. "Don't you know how to knock?"
"Don't change the topic. I asked you a question, and you still haven't answered me."
He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that is the way an employee talks to her employer. And if you didn't know by now, everyone here addresses me as Mr. Himura, and you are no exception."
"Oh, that's pretty good to know. For a while back there, I was wondering whether you preferred to be addressed as Mr. Himura, or Himura Kenshin," I answered sarcastically.
He turned his head sharply to look at me. "So you knew who I was all along."
"Frankly, no, I didn't. So don't flatter yourself. I only knew who you really were after Tomoe called me up to her office to see her. You do remember Tomoe, don't you?" I scoffed at him, how cocky can he get?
He took a long look at me. "What did you come here for?"
"I was just talking to Tomoe, your awfully friendly Head of Marketing Department and I was wondering, did you hire me because you pitied me? Because you felt sorry for me? Because if that is the reason, let me tell you this. I don't need yours or anyone's pity. I can manage pretty well on my own and I am going to show you just that. And if you want to fire me after this incident, just go ahead and do it. Your company is not the only company that needs new workers." With that, I turned around and stalked out of his office without turning to look back even once.
Kenshin looked at Kaoru's retreating back and he didn't even flinch when she slammed the door. Then, he picked up his phone and pressed a button which connected him with his secretary.
"Yumi, tell Ms. Yukishiro to come up to my office right now."
It was a few minutes before a soft knock was heard at the door and Yumi led Tomoe into his office. Without hesitating, she crossed the room and sat down on the sofa.
"You wanted to see me, Kenshi?" she asked, looking at her nails.
He made his way towards her and sat down opposite her. "What did you say to Kaoru?"
At the mention of her name, Tomoe's head snapped up, her blood boiling, her again. 'Why is it always here? Can't he just forget her? God, fate must hate me, just when I thought I had a chance to snatch Kenshin again, Kaoru shows up, damnit.'
"What do you mean? Did she come to look for you?" she asked innocently.
"That, is none of your business. I just wanted to tell you to leave her alone."
"Why the sudden change of heart, Kenshin?" Suddenly, her voice became icy as her eyes were reduced to slits. "It's her isn't it? She's the reason why you broke up with me, isn't it Kenshin? Don't try to deny it."
He was silent for a moment. "Drop the matter, Tomoe. It was over between us a long time ago. And just leave Kaoru alone. Or else."
"Or else what? What are you going to do to me if I don't listen to you? Are you going to hit me? Like what you did to Kaoru four years ago? Are you going to punch me in the jaw too?"
He stood up and leaned over her. "Don't try to do anything I wouldn't do, Tomoe. You don't want to mess with me." Then he gestured towards the door. "You may leave now," he said coldly.
"Kaoru!" hollered Misao from across the office. "A group of us will be eating lunch together. Want to join us?"
"I would love to join you guys, but I can't make it today!" I hollered back, cupping my hands around my mouth. "I promised my brother, my cousin and my best friend that I would have lunch with them today! Maybe next time?"
"Tomorrow! Your treat!" came the reply.
"Alright!" I laughed.
I was beginning to like these guys. Not only were they welcoming and totally nice, they were also a wacky bunch of people. Perfect for me. But I may have to leave them very soon, knowing that I'd probably get fired after doing that stint earlier. My heart sank a little at the thought of it.
"Kaoru, is your brother or anyone of them that you are meeting for lunch, cute?" whispered Misao, poking me in the sides as we all headed into the elevator together.
"Misao!" everyone yelled.
"What? I was just curious!" she muttered as everyone laughed at her.
"What do you think?" I teased.
We all split into different groups at the entrance of the building. I craned my neck to try and spot the familiar silver sports convertible that my brother drove, only to find it parked a few feet in front of me. Soujiro was leaning against it with his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed downwards. "Sou-chan!" I yelled, running over to him and giving him a big hug.
"Whoa, little girl," he said after I had released him, "you missed me that much, huh?"
I pushed his head backwards. "Where's Aoshi and Akira?" I asked, leaning against the car next to him. He looked exceptionally good in his black business suit which only set off his chiseled features more. His rimless spectacles made him look more intellectual and his streaked hair made him look a bit rugged.
"They went to get something from a store nearby. So how is your first day at work?"
"It's great! I have the wackiest colleagues that you could ever find. They were really really really nice and welcoming and I've managed to get along with almost everyone at the office! Oh, which reminds me, you wouldn't believe who is the Head of the Marketing Department and the owner of this corporation," I said, all in one breath.
"Who? Anyone I know?" he asked, putting an arm around my shoulders and looking down at me.
"Yeah! Try and guess!"
"Yukishiro Tomoe and Himura Kenshin from high school?" he replied, looking into the distance.
"How did you know?"
I asked, looking up at him in surprise. He nodded his head towards the entrance of the building and I followed his gaze. Both of them were walking together side by side, probably headed out for lunch together. Obviously, they were still an item. Just then, Kenshin spotted us and made his way towards us with Tomoe in tow.
Or that was what I thought.
The red sports car parked behind us bleeped, indicating that it was open. I bowed my head slightly as they both passed us by, and Soujiro squeezed my shoulder lightly. When I raised my head again to look at them, I noticed Tomoe giving me a victorious glance before they zoomed off. What is it with her?
"Hey! Sorry we're late! Were you waiting for us very long?" said Akira, gasping for breath, as he ran towards us and handed me a plastic bag.
"No. Don't worry about it. I had Soujiro to keep me company. Anyway, what's this?" I said, peering into the plastic bag. To my delight, I found a strawberry smoothie inside it.
"Strawberry smoothie!" I exclaimed, giving Akira a big hug. "You guys went out of your way just to buy me this?"
Akira ruffled my hair. "We didn't only buy you that," he said with a gleam in his eyes.
"Then?"
"It's a surprise!" yelled Aoshi from his car.
"A surprise?" My eyes widened at the thought of it. "Awww, come on! You can tell me!"
I said jumping up and down.
Akira opened the car door, motioning for me to enter. "You'll know about it in a week. So be patient! And, there is no point trying to weasel it out of us because we're not going to tell you anything. Oh," he adds as an afterthought, "don't try to torture Soujiro into telling you what it is, because he doesn't know either!"
I groaned as all three of them laughed. They've meticulously planned this all out, haven't they? I leaned back in my chair huffily.
"Cheer up, Kao," says Akira. "I'll let you pick what we're having for lunch!"
"Really? I can choose anything?" I asked, feeling myself brighten up.
"Yup! Anything you want!"
It took me a few seconds to make up my mind. "Japanese food!" I yelled.
Kenshin weaved his car expertly in and out of traffic, maintaining his speed at a constant 100 mph. He hardly spoke a single word ever since that encounter with Kaoru and Soujiro outside the building. Questions that remain unanswered kept pounding in his head.
"They looked pretty chummy back there, didn't they?" said Tomoe calmly, knowing that she had hit her mark when Kenshin increased the pressure on the accelerator, raising it to a 120 mph.
"There's no point getting tied up in bunches over it. You knew it yourself. She and Soujiro had been good friends ever since he entered the high school. Didn't you think that they-–" She halted in mid-sentence when Kenshin suddenly stepped on the brakes, causing the car to screech to a stop, narrowly missing the van in front by a few inches. He banged his fists on the steering wheel and muttered a curse under his breath.
"Look, Tomoe, I'm not in the mood to talk about it right now. So just drop it," he said icily, stepping on the accelerator again.
"No, you listen to me!" she said, raising her voice and turning in her seat to face him.
"Stop hoping that she would actually come to you on her own, without any reserves. You and I both know that she would never do that. Never in a million years. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if both she and Soujiro were an item. Tell me, what have you ever done to make her happy? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Back in high school, you've never given her any respect, going around calling her a freak and also given her a punch to the jaw. Do you remember that incident, Kenshin? Do you? Soujiro, on the other hand, has respected her, come to her defense every single time she was in trouble and most importantly, he has always been there for her. Always. What makes you think you can beat that, huh, Kenshin? Your money? Your looks? Stop living in your fantasy world and face reality," she snapped. "Let's face it, she'll never forget what you did to her in high school after that punch. Nobody's that forgiving. Especially not a woman."
She got out of the car and slammed it shut behind her, not bothering to wait for him as she entered the restaurant. Kenshin sat in the car, staring straight at absolutely nothing.
What Tomoe said had struck a nerve inside him and anger and frustration began to bubble inside him. Finding nothing to vent his anger on, he banged his fists once again onto the steering wheel before getting out of the car. He lit a cigarette and leaned against the car, inhaling deeply, then exhaling again. He did this continuously for a few more times before throwing the cigarette down and grounding it out with his shoe. Then, taking a deep breath he entered the restaurant, only to be confronted by the sight of Kaoru sitting at a table with a group of people, laughing up at Seta Soujiro.
A/N: ah this chapter is kinda boring, I'll update very soon to make it up to u readers, just too busy lately. and still dont have enough to reply to my readers i'm sorry but i do greatly appriciate your support.
next chappie: Tomoe's first scheme against kaoru, and what luck..., just on Kaoru's bday.
