Rating: PG.
Warnings: Some parts are manga-ish, but the characters are mostly based on the live action movies. More mature.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Q &A: Is Kenshin the Battousai or rurouni in this story? Well, he is just Kenshin.
Notes:
- May 14th is the significant date in this fandom, on the other hand, the date is also when I post this chapter.
- Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts, and faves. Hello to the new readers. I hope you are with me in this journey until the final chapter and yes, Kenshin is back.
Beta: Thank you, orchid14, for your suggestions to make this chapter smoother.
Chapter 9
Present Day
There was a moment when Kenshin and Kaoru were staring at each other wordlessly before Kenshin approached her, extending his hand to help her stand up. Kaoru eyed Kenshin's hand for a moment and grabbed it firmly. Kaoru rose on her feet and took her bokken, grunted a little when she felt the pain on her stomach.
"Kaoru-dono…" Kenshin quickly wrapped his arm around Kaoru's back and his right hand on the girl's stomach.
Kaoru blushed and tried to smile. "I'm alright. It's just a minor bruise."
Kenshin frowned and looked around the dojo. The students lifted the unconscious bodies outside the dojo and the battle apparently was over.
"Yosuke-san…" Kaoru asked, slowly turned her head to look at Kenshin.
Their eyes locked again.
"He is fine," Kenshin answered, feeling relief he could save the girl in time.
Kaoru nodded and blew a breath. "I'm glad." Then she looked over to Sakura and Inoe. "Let's meet with your father," she told them.
The girls nodded in daze and followed Kenshin and Kaoru. Kenshin still wrapped his arm protectively around Kaoru's waist when they arrived at the main building.
"Father! Father!"
Sakura and Inoe ran to their father and hugged Yosuke upon seeing him. Kaoru breathed the sigh of relief. Her eyes met with Hideo and the man smiled slightly before his eyes fixed on Kenshin. The redhead swordsman, however, could sense Hideo's ki and turned his eyes on him.
"My girls…oh, Kami…you're safe." Yosuke released his hug and looked at Kenshin and Kaoru. "Thank you for protecting them." And he saw Kenshin more clearly, the red hair and cross-shaped scar evidently stood out. The master had an idea who mysterious savior was. "And thank you for your help. I'm in debt to you…umm…"
Kenshin smiled. "Himura Kenshin."
"Ah yes, Himura-san. Thank you. I'm Fujiya Yosuke, the master of this dojo." And then, he eyed Kenshin's sword, apparently being aware of the sword banning act. "Your sword…"
The sword that caused no bleeding.
"My sword is to protect. No need to worry. I don't swing my sword for my own sake."
"Hmm…are you Kaoru's friend from Kyoto?"
Kenshin glanced to Kaoru and the girl ducked her head. Kyoto? Did Kaoru by chance telling Fujiya-san about their friends at Aoiya?
The swordsman smiled slightly before turning back to Yosuke to give a cautious answer. "Iie. I'm from Tokyo, that I am."
"Thank you for coming here, Himura-san. We appreciated your timely support." Yosuke looked at Kaoru. "Naruse-sensei can check your wound, Kaoru." And, he stared deeply to Kenshin's eyes. "In the mean time, I'd like to speak with Himura-san, if you don't mind."
Kenshin only returned Yosuke's gaze unwavered. He had a feeling the master had found out his identity. "That would be my pleasure," he replied.
Kaoru blinked owlishly watching the interaction between Kenshin and Yosuke, and then nodded.
"Please, follow me, Himura-san." Yosuke turned and started to walk on the corridor with his children.
Kenshin turned to Kaoru. "Kaoru-dono, are you sure you alright?"
"Hai, don't worry about me. I'll see Naruse-sensei now."
Kenshin gave a slight nod and caressed Kaoru's cheek briefly before turning around and followed Yosuke. Kaoru stood in a daze and slowly touched her cheek.
What just happened?
x
When Kenshin arrived at a room, he saw Yosuke already waiting for him and he slowly went inside. Kenshin sat across from Yosuke and the master gestured the cups in front of them. Kenshin smiled in gratitude and sipped his cup, it was tea. The flavor was light with quite strong fragrance, slightly different from he and Kaoru used to have in Tokyo.
"Thank you, Fujiya-san, for the tea."
Yosuke's lips quirked a smile, eyes still looking at Kenshin curiously. "It is I who should thank you, Himura-san. You saved my life." And he voiced his curiosity, "Red hair and cross-shaped scar. Are you the person I think he is?"
Kenshin put down his cup and stared at Yosuke's face. He knew the master recognized who he was. "I was. In this new era, I'm only Kenshin."
"Ah, I see," Yosuke grinned. "I've never thought I would have the opportunity to meet the legendary hitokiri from the Bakumatsu, let alone having him sit across from me, having tea."
Kenshin smiled bitterly. His red hair and his scar were a screaming beacon to his dark past. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape from it.
"Did Kaoru send for you?"
Kenshin shook his head. "Iie. I came here on my own."
Yosuke hummed. "So, you are her friend?" He wondered under what circumstances Kaoru had met the former legendary hitokiri.
Kenshin smiled wistfully. "If she wish for me to be her friend, it is fine with me."
Yosuke lifted his eyebrows before laughing heartily. "Ahaha…I understand. Looks like Kaoru has a suitor, and a very catchy one at that."
Kenshin blushed slightly at the blunt comment, feeling half-relief Yosuke seemed undisturbed about his past. He was worried the master expressed his disagreement about him being Kaoru's suitor.
When the laughter subsided, Yosuke suddenly posed a serious question. "Your sword…I saw you hit Kobayashi with the blade, but apparently it didn't kill him."
With small smile, Kenshin unsheathed his sakabatou and held it for the master to see. "The blade is reversed. This is my vow not to kill."
Yosuke looked over Kenshin's sword and nodded in appraisal. "The sword that does not kill. It must be hard for you to keep your principles at first."
Kenshin sheathed his sword again. "It still is." He bowed his head slightly. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu has the same ideals as mine, that sword is not meant for killing. Kaoru-dono made me believe that and I will try to make it happen in this new era."
Yosuke hummed in low voice. His respect for Kenshin grew significantly. He understood Kaoru must have meant so much to the redhead swordsman, for he came all the way from Tokyo to lend her a hand.
Kenshin looked again at Yosuke. "What is happening in this dojo, Fujiya-san, that Kaoru-dono had to leave her home to offer you her assistance?" 'And leave me, too,' Kenshin winced inwardly.
Yosuke gave Kenshin a long sigh. "Perhaps I should start telling you the whole story."
x
Dr. Naruse told Kaoru that her wound was only on the surface. The doctor gave her ointment for her bruise, and that was that. Hideo, on the other hand, needed to be tended properly for his wound was much more serious. Kaoru helped Dr. Naruse to put bandage on his left arm. The bleeding had stopped, but it was going to take a while to heal. Even though the dojo was a mess, Kaoru was glad there was no casualty amongst the students. Those who guarded the farm had already returned and they also knocked down some men there.
"Was it him?" Hideo suddenly asked Kaoru after some moments of silence when Dr. Naruse left them alone.
Kaoru looked at Hideo's eyes before lowering her head and return to her task of bandaging the young man's arm.
Hideo smiled. That was enough of an answer to him.
"So, he came all the way here for you?"
Kaoru shrugged and tied the bandage, not liking the direction their conversation was heading. "Who knows?"
"A man who follows you all the way from Tokyo…You don't seem to take it seriously enough as you're supposed to."
Kaoru bit her lip and checked the bandage on Hideo's arm. When she was sure the wound was wrapped securely, she leaned on the pillar nearby. "It's complicated. You wouldn't understand."
Hideo looked at his bandage and moved his arm testingly. "Why are you doubting him, Kamiya-san? Is it because you are not his first love?"
"Perhaps. Also because he is not entirely honest with me." Kaoru looked at Hideo, trying to explain the best she could. "I learned about his first wife…umm…late wife from a dire circumstance rather than him willing telling me, and it was not a happy moment."
Hideo raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Wife?"
"Yes."
"Huh…well, no wonder it's complicated." Hideo nodded in agreement.
Kaoru chuckled. Hideo was the kind of man who was fun to be around.
Hideo took another breath. "I understand how you feel, Kamiya-san. The man you love lost someone important to him and you are not his first, it's not unnatural for you to think you can't replace this person." And then, he smiled knowingly. "But, as a man, I can tell he came here for you."
Kaoru only went silent at the comment.
"Get some rest, Kamiya-san. It has been a long day," Hideo said again and gingerly stood up before leaving the room.
"Hai," came her soft reply.
x
Kaoru sat on the floor staring at her father's bokken the symbol of the master of her dojo in front of her. Truthfully, it was not the bokken that occupied her mind. It was the redhead swordsman who suddenly appeared at this dojo, far from Tokyo. She had only left home and him for one week, and here he was.
Kaoru knew their relationship had changed ever since Enishi's Jinchuu. Kenshin showed his affections, in his own way, without making his intentions clear. Kaoru understood he didn't have any experiences on how to deal with a woman romantically, especially not from his first marriage which was more or less a convenience in raging war time, not to mention the extenuating circumstances smeared with hatred and betrayal.
Kaoru's blood ran cold.
She knew she couldn't be with Kenshin's side if the shadow of his first wife still lingered.
That was why she accepted the invitation from the letter to get away from the turmoil.
And now, he was here.
A soft knock on the shoji pulled her out of her deep thoughts.
"Who is it?" she called.
No answer.
Kaoru sat still for a moment before rose to her feet and opened the shoji.
The sight behind the shoji made her heart skip a beat. Kenshin was there, holding a tray of two tea cups, wearing a light kimono with his hair down, his sakabatou on his left hip. The sight was something Kaoru never imagined before.
The redhead smiled. "Would you like to have some tea with me, Kaoru-dono?"
Kaoru blinked. Her gaze turned to the tray and then to Kenshin. The smile on his face never wavered.
Kaoru slowly smiled, too.
"Yes, that would be nice."
Kenshin's eyes turned bright. He waited until Kaoru had settled herself comfortably on the engawa before sitting next to her, tea tray between them and sakabatou lay next to him.
They both sipped their tea in silence, but Kaoru didn't feel relaxed. Her curiosity made her nervous, and she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Why are you here?" Kaoru asked in low voice. Her eyes didn't leave her cup which was nesting on her lap.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kenshin put down his cup and stare at her face. "To follow my heart."
Kaoru froze.
No, don't say that. Don't give me false hope.
Her grip on her cup tightened. "Your heart or your duty?"
Kenshin's smile faded a little. Kaoru heard him sigh and turned to stare at his face, but the redhead's eyes already fixed at the night sky above them.
"I know someone whom once I said goodbye to and then she followed me across the country to Kyoto." Kenshin turned again to face Kaoru. "Do you think she followed me because of her sense of duty, or she merely followed her heart?"
Kaoru almost scowled at the familiar analogy. "I have no other man in my heart, Kenshin."
Kenshin smiled genuinely, making the girl raised her eyebrows. "Then, you must know how I feel after I followed you here all the way from Tokyo."
Kaoru frowned and put her cup on the tray. To her surprise, with his speed, Kenshin held Kaoru's wrist.
Time stood still and Kaoru slowly raised her head to stare at the man in front of her.
"Kaoru…"
His eyes were soft and she could feel the calloused hand which held her wrist so gently and seemed reluctant to let it go. The shihondai tried to tame her erratic breathing before saying quickly, "It's late. I should go rest now. Good night, Kenshin."
Again, to her surprise, Kenshin released her wrist and let her be. They parted in silence.
Later that night, Kaoru saw a shadow she knew outside her shoji door; a shadow of a man sat on the engawa, leaning on the pillar with his head bowed and his sword on his right shoulder.