Onna: Disclaimers apply yet again! I don't own Heart of Sword by T. M. Revolution or Ai suru Hito o Mamoru Tame ni, Kenshin's image song by Mayo Suzukaze. What the--?! *eyes widen as Jason M. Lee pushes Kenshin and Kaoru into trailer*

Kenshin: Oroooooo...!!!

Kaoru: *blush*

Megumi: This is insane...

Onna: *sigh* Oh well. Ne, marstanuki-san, Misao's older because... well, Kaoru can't have a manager younger than she is, ne? SAGE-san, no you're not overstepping your boundaries. I have been trying to make longer chapters. And I think I'm on a roll... :P

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Kaoru's eyes snapped open as Kenshin quickly drew back, cheeks flaming. "Ano... Megumi-dono! Could you come in here please?"

Her blue eyes widened when the supermodel came in, surprise quickly replaced by anger. Megumi took one look at Kaoru, her eyes narrowing slightly before turning to Kenshin with a bright smile. "Are you ready for our duet, Ken-san?"

"Ano... you're not doing the duet anymore."

Megumi's eyebrow twitched. "Really now? And I suppose this sweaty tanuki will be the one to take my place."

"Well..."

"Impossible! She's not as pretty as me, or as talented. She's quite ugly, and she looks like she can't even carry a tune. Ohohohohohoho!"

"She is actually."

"What?!" Megumi screeched. "Ken-san! You can't be serious!"

"I am. Kaoru-dono here has just signed a contract with Misao-dono, and she will be joining me for my tour in South Korea so that I could show her the ropes. Now, if you will both excuse me. Kaoru-dono, you stay here for a moment while I go talk to Sano about your arrangements."

"Hai, Kenshin-san."

"Megumi-dono, I understand you're due for a photo shoot of Donatella Versace's newest autumn line. I think your session's about to start."

"Don't worry about me being on time, Ken-san. A star is allowed to be fashionably late."

Kenshin rolled his eyes inwardly at that. "Very well. I'll see you later, Kaoru-dono."

"Hai."

"The daughter of the great Kamiya Koshijirou," Megumi spat out. "I thought I was rid of you when I threw you out into the streets."

"Otosan taught me to survive, Megumi-san," Kaoru said quietly. "And everything he knew how to deliver a voice powerful enough to move the hearts of men."

"I swear, tanuki. You are insufferable! Your father's early death catapulted me to stardom and ownership of the Kamiya Kasshin Institute of Voice! If you dare get in my way..."

Kaoru's eyes glittered with anger. "Oh I know what will happen if I get in your way. You'll lose your position as school president because in 3 months time, I'll be 18 and legally, that school will belong to me. It has already belonged to me, you only took the reins from my father because I am under-aged and deemed incapable of running a school. Because according to the law, I'm still a child! But you knew I had to grow up sometime, so you had my house repossessed as soon as Grandfather died and threw me out like dirt, hoping that the wind will take me away."

Megumi slapped her on the face. "If word of that ever got out, my career would be ruined! Shut that mouth of yours before you do me some damage!"

"Do you some damage?!" Kaoru laughed incredulously. "You only think of yourself! You ruined my life, Takani Megumi! I want my life back! I'm just beginning to pick up the pieces, and all you think about is the damage to your career?!"

"Shut up!"

"If only you knew about the rumors going around the streets," Kaoru continued. "People are beginning to see through that phony sweet face of yours, and I don't need to do anything before that mask is ripped off to reveal your real vile self!"

Megumi's red nails flew across her jaw line, leaving red trails. "You little-!" she cried as her other arm began to approach her before a hand closed around her wrist.

"Yamero," Kenshin murmured, his eyes glinting dangerously before releasing her arm. "Get out of this room, Megumi-dono," he said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Megumi gave Kaoru one last glare before she dashed out of the room.

"Daijoubu de gozaru ka?" Kenshin asked, gently tracing the lines Megumi inflicted.

"H-Hai..." Kaoru replied, drained. "You heard all that?"

"Everything," Kenshin answered, his hand closing over hers. "Come, I'll take you to my trailer and tend to those."

"Well then, Jou-chan," Sano said, chuckling when Kaoru rolled her eyes at him. "Kenshin here says he wants to take you to his tour in South Korea to get the feel of things."

Kaoru nodded.

"I think it's a great idea," Misao added. "Kaoru-san can watch as Himura does his stuff, and then we could record the duet while we're there."

"It'll be killing two birds with one stone," Sano agreed. "Kenshin always seem to have good ideas when he follows his instincts."

"Then it's settled?" Kenshin asked.

Misao nodded. "Pack your things, Kaoru-san."

"Hai!"

Kenshin watched as Kaoru nervously fiddled with the seat belt. "Never been on a plane before?"

"Iie," she whispered, flushing. "I have, demo... I'm slightly acrophobic."

"Oh," Kenshin blinked, then smacked himself mentally. He had to place her on the window seat. "Maa, let's switch places then."

Almost immediately the seat belt came off and Kaoru was settling in his former seat, sighing in relief. He chuckled.

When Sano mentioned his instincts, he was glad he listened to them. It was practical, at the same time he didn't suspect Megumi and Kaoru to be connected in some way. When he saw Megumi scratch Kaoru, his anger nearly boiled over and it took him all his self-control not to bodily throw the model out. In a way, South Korea would be good for Kaoru, since she will be away from Megumi.

As for her, Kenshin had confided everything to Hiko Seijuro, and his Shishou agreed that he will watch Megumi's words in case she tries to jeopardize Kaoru's career.

The seat belt sign lighted, and he felt Kaoru's hand nervously clutch his.

The plane was about to take off.

Kaoru watched from backstage as Kenshin finished his routine, singing "Heart of Sword", the carrier single of his first album. She sang along softly, smiled as the crowd went wild, cheering at his dance moves, going even wilder when Kenshin grabbed his trademark guitar and played along with the band.

The song soon ended, and Kenshin grabbed his bottle of water before stepping up to the microphone again.

"I wrote this song two months ago, and it will be in my yet-to-be-released album. At that time I was doing a lot of thinking. Thinking about a lot of things. My failed relationship with Tomoe, my mother, my cousins and my adopted little sister, Sanjou Tsubame. When I wrote this song I dedicated it especially to Tsubame-chan, but now I found someone else to dedicate it to as well."

Kaoru's heart jumped when Kenshin flashed her a soft smile which went unnoticed by the crowd. "And I will not mention her name to respect her privacy, so no use whispering and discussing about it. I hope you like this one. It's called 'Ai suru Hito o Mamoru Tame ni'."

"'To Defend the One He Loves'," Kaoru whispered, her cheeks tinged with pink. What did that mean? That he was attracted to her as she was to him? The almost-kiss that they shared in the room came back to her in a rush, and her cheeks flushed even deeper.

Kenshin soon got into the song, the lyrics going straight to her heart.

Ai suru hito wo mamoru tame ni kitto
Otoko wa umarete kita yo
Ai ga nakerya tsuyoku nakerya
Yasashiku wa narenai

Don't break your dream
Smile once again

Zubunure ni naru koto ga wakatte ite mo
Tamerawazu ame no naka ni Saa tobikomou

Kaze ga sugita ato no
Kagayaku niji no you ni
Kanashimi ni makenai asa
Yume no doa ga hiraku

Ai suru hito wo mamoru tame ni kitto
Otoko wa umarete kita yo
Kimi no namida nuguu yubi
Sukoshi ranbou demo
Kokoro no itami nakanaru made zutto
Otoko wa tatakau darou
Ai ga nakerya tsuyoku nakerya
Yasashiku wa narenai

Don't break your dream
Smile once again

Tsumibukai omoide wo umi ni shizumete
Hito wa mata hateshinai tabi ni deru no sa
Hageshii kaze ga fuite
Egao ga tobasarete mo
Yuuki sae mune ni areba
Itsuka yume ni aeru

Ai suru hito wo mamoru tame ni kitto
Otoko wa umarete kita yo
Ai ga nakerya tsuyoku nakerya
Yasashiku wa narenai
Don't break your dream
Smile once again
Ai suru hito wo mamoru tame ni kitto
Otoko wa umarete kita yo
Kimi no namida nuguu yubi
Sukoshi ranbou demo
Kokoro no itami nakanaru made zutto
Otoko wa tatakau darou
Ai ga nakerya tsuyoku nakerya
Yasashiku wa narenai

The crowd went wild as soon as he finished, and Kaoru somehow felt that she was a very lucky girl.

Lucky to work with someone as talented and kind as Himura Kenshin.

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Onna: I found the lyrics AND translation to Ai suru Hito o Mamoru Tame ni in this website (http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/kenshin/rkmamoru.htm). Now I need to find the mp3!!!!!

Kenshin: Oro... *dizzy from concert*

Kaoru: ^^;;