Here I am with the next chapter! This was actually... O.o I did not expect any of this stuff in this chapter to happen. I didn't plan it, but it just came out as this, but since that's the direction that this story wants to head, I can't stop it. Now I'm anxious to see where my own story is going. XD

Also, just because Misao and Soujiro are no longer in the "I HATE YOU WITH A BURNING PASSION" stage, it does NOT mean that they are now together. It doesn't even mean that they love each other yet. In fact, they don't! Not yet at least. Their relationship is going to be very, very slow. I'm sorry if you guys don't like it.

Also to catgrrl, I'm really sorry that you don't like the way I portray Soujiro, but that's the way I see him as: violent and merciless. He is going to change, but it's a slow change, a very slow change.


Chapter 8

Breakdown


Misao sat there quietly and slowly picked at her food, but she didn't pay any attention to what she ate because everything was tasteless in her mouth. For once, it felt like she should not speak, and Seikou sat in front of her, watching the younger girl with concealed curiosity. That girl's mind was wondering away from reality and it didn't seem as if she would be back any time soon.

The source of the girls distress was no where to be seen, and that in itself would be enough to anger the girl, but for once it did not. She only closed her eyes and took a bit out of her food, but she was not eating for the sake for hunger; it was only to have something occupy herself with. The silence was deafening, and it was not Misao who fidgeted and longed for something to break it, but it was the elegant geisha instead, watching the younger girl like a hawk watching its next pray.

"Misa—" she had started to say, but she paused, watching the girl even more closely when she did not even respond. The older woman cleared her throat, and when she was sure that she had her attention, she started speaking once more. "Soujiro will no longer be around here. I had asked him to stay elsewhere because it seems like his presence distracts you."

There was silence in the room once more, and Misao hadn't even put down her food while the woman spoke. She was merely in a daze and it seemed like nothing would bring it out of her. Misao finally placed down the bowl and chopsticks to signify that she was done. "What will we start with today?" she asked.

Seikou sighed and slowly rose, no longer watching the girl, and headed outside. "We will practice with the shamisen. A person's body does need rest every now and then. Meet me in the garden once you have gotten dressed and ready. You need practice putting on your kimono yourself."

The young girl agreed much too easily and went on to do the task that was given to her, and for the first time in Seikou's life, she longed for the screams and shouts to fill these halls once again.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Soujiro grinned when he stood before the dojo, an entrance that he had stood before many times. A small beat up duffle bag was slung over his shoulder, and if one had looked close enough then they would be able to see that his eyes were slightly red and swollen despite the cheerful smile that was spread across his face.

Kaoru stepped outside with a huff, veins were sticking out of her head furiously, and her eyes promised death. "I swear I'm going to kill him in his sleep!" she screamed without a care about anyone who heard her. That was until she turned around to see Soujiro stand there with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Good morning Kaoru-san," he greeted as if he didn't hear or see anything just moments ago. She jumped back a bit nervously with a laugh.

"G-good morning Soujiro," she stuttered back. "Did you just see anything just now?"

"Ah?" he questioned, tilting his head to the site cluelessly. "See what?" She laughed again, only this time with a slight bit more confidence.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Kaoru waved her arms a bit as if that would dismiss any doubt that was planted within the cheerful boy. "What brings you here? I didn't expect you back so soon!"

Soujiro's smile faltered a bit but it was so quick that Kaoru wasn't even sure if she had seen it correctly. "Ah, well…" he trailed off as if he was trying to find the right words to say. "I need a place to stay for a bit." He laughed as if t was no big deal and said, "I got kicked out of where I was staying before."

He had said it as if it was something funny, but she did not laugh with him. Her eyes only softened and the once nervous smile was wiped from her face. "Of course you can stay here Soujiro." She stepped forward to wrap her arms around him like he was a child. "We'd never kick you out."

She could not see that he did not have his usual smile on his face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking when he wrapped his arms around her to hug her back, and he couldn't understand why Kaoru's warmth felt so different from the one that he had felt from Misao.

"Hey there little Missy," Sano spoke out, successfully breaking the moment between the two with a smirk on his face. "Tryin' to seduce innocent wanderers again? With your looks, it's not gonna work." He watched them from the entrance, leaning against the wall and watching with a twinkle in his eyes. "What would Kenshin think if he saw this huh?"

"Sano!" Kaoru screamed, "I'm going to kill you!" She took hold of the wooden sword that was conveniently at her side and began chasing after the ex-criminal. Soujiro could only laugh and followed them inside. The shouts of pain did not seem to faze him, and he happily continued on with only an amused glace towards the two.

"Soujiro! I did not expect you back so soon." The boy turned around and smiled at Kenshin innocently, who smiled back from where he was sitting. He joined the older man onto the wooden floor as if there weren't screams of pain not too far away.

"I didn't expect to be back to soon either," he admitted. "But it can't be helped."

"Does it have anything to do with you and Misao-dono showing up here three months ago?" Kenshin couldn't help but ask, and Soujiro didn't even bat an eye at the inquiry. In fact, just as Misao's name was mentioned, his gaze seemed to become unfocused as if he was remembering something.

I forgive you…

The red haired man was shocked when he looked upon the younger male. He could sense a bit of happiness in his companion: happiness, longing and still a bit of sadness mixed it. "Did something happen between you and Misao-dono?" the words slipped out before they could be stopped.

Soujiro was brought back to reality and looked back at Kenshin with a smile adorning his face, only this time, it was a real smile. "Not really," he replied, "only the usual."

"Oro?" He was beyond confused at this moment, but he could not ask anymore questions because the brunette had stood up and cheerily made his way to his room, the one that seemed to be reserved for whenever he stayed over.

It felt like Soujiro had a family again, one that actually cared.

(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)(-)

Misao slowly plucked at the strings of the shamisen, but it was not enough to even make a tune. Her eyes were watching the trees surrounding her, quiet, peaceful, and beautiful, but they were glazed over like she couldn't even see them at all.

Seikou watched quietly, and she couldn't even bring herself to open her mouth to instruct the girl. She appeared to be a doll, a beautiful and sad doll. She was not made to be a doll, the older woman realized.

"What's wrong?" she asked for she was no longer able to stand the silence that stood between them. Misao did not answer and only continued to pick at the strings slowly.

The silence lasted much longer until she answered just as slowly as she played the strings. "Am I really that horrible?" she asked. "Do I really only see what I want to see?" The tears were silent as they fell from her green eyes. She set the instrument down to cover her face with her hands in attempts to stop everything, but it still came out—the words and the tears.

"I really don't understand anything do I? I can't do anything! I'm weak and stupid and…" She began to hiccup through her words and tried to bury herself within her lap like she was hiding herself. "And he was hurting, and I made it worse! And…And—"

Seikou brought the crying girl into her arms and held her tightly. The tears seeped into the fabric of her kimono, but she didn't care. She only rubbed her back soothingly as if she was her mother.

"And Aoshi-sama is so stupid!" She could feel the girl in her arms trembling and hiccupping and sobbing through the words so that it was hard to understand, but still, she allowed them to come out and listened with the utmost attention. "I forgive him, Jiya forgives him, Kenshin forgives him, everyone forgives him! But he doesn't take it. He says he doesn't deserve it and then Soujiro…"

She didn't understand, she didn't know, she didn't have a chance to know, but she uttered the words that she knew the girl wanted to hear. "I understand…" she whispered. "It's ok, you forgive him now don't you? And this Aoshi, he just needs time it seems. He needs time and people who love him to be behind him..."

"He had plenty of time!" Misao screamed, wrenching herself away. "He's had two years, but still he doesn't change! It's the same thing everyday for two years because he wants to repent, because he made a mistake, but he doesn't have to anymore! They all forgive him, I know it, because they loved him. Why can't he see that? Why can't he see that they love him and forgive him? That we love him and forgive him… Why can't he see that I love him…?"

Seikou smiled and gently wiped away the younger girl's tears. "Do you really love him?" she asked. "How do you know that you love him as you say you do?"

Misao's body felt limp and drained at this point. She slumped against the wall and looked at the trees silently once again. "Of course I love him," she whispered. "I always have… I just don't want to anymore," the girl whispered quietly, almost too quiet for anyone to hear.

"Then don't," she replied like it would be the easiest this to do in the world.

It was then that Misao finally said the words, the truth of the tears and the pain and everything. They were the words that hurt her the most because it proved that everything was for nothing.

"I just might not anymore…"


To Be Continued...