Author's note:
I have this chapter written before i posted the previous chapter butIam not happy with it. After staring at it for so long, i have yet to make any changes to it. Then i realised that i have difficulties proceeding to the next chapter without getting this out. I kept thinking that i can't start next chapter if i want to change this chapter. So, tired of this chapter sitting idly in my computer, i decided to just post and see how i go from there. So, here goes...
Previous chapter: Kaoru and Misao had their little talk and come up with a plan while Kenshin was more or less certain on how he wanted to go about with his relationship with Kaoru.
Disclamer: I do not own any character in Rurounin Kenshin. I just borrowed them to improve my vocabulary and grammar.
Spring and Green
"Smells good. Pancakes?" Kaoru remarked the moment she stepped out Kenshin's bedroom. She was feeling rather full from previous night supper until the aroma of the freshly fried pancake wafted through the whole apartment.
Kenshin was setting up the table when he looked up and smiled, "Yes, one of your favourite…" He did not miss the sparks that were displaying in her eyes. His eyes automatically ran a quick scan on Kaoru's being from head to toe. He had just noticed how thin the material of her oversized pajamas was. The sun ray shone in from the balcony shot right through her cotton pajamas, exposing to him the silhouette of her slender body. He took a mental note to buy Kaoru thicker pajamas although he was enjoying the view. He couldn't stomach the idea of Kaoru running around in her thin pajamas in Sano's presence.
"I better hurry and clean up then. The smell is just irresistible. " Smiling, Kaoru closed her eyes to savor the aroma as she walked towards her room to collect her towel.
Kenshin stilled, intently watching how Kaoru tilted her head upwards, exposing her long slender neck and how her lips slowly carved a smile when she slowly inhaled a lung full of air. He gulped.
Kaoru disappeared into her room.
Kenshin cooked up a sly grin when his eyes no longer caught sight of her. He gently dropped the last utensil on his hand on the dining table and walked away, towards her room.
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As Kaoru turned out from her room with a towel hanging on her arm, she was startled by a soft ghostly whisper of "Hi…" brushing into her ear, sending shiver down her spine.
'Kenshin! Since when did you stand there?' Kaoru turned to the undertone voice which scared the living daylight out of her and found Kenshin's features leaning in really close to hers. On impulse, she jerked her face away slightly and took a step back. 'How on earth did he stand there without me knowing?' She thought.
Kenshin took a step forward. "Just…." He answered her lazily. "Would you like caramel, butter, maple syrup or chocolate sauce to go with your pancake?" His voice was still unusually soft. His tendered eyes traveled from her eyes to her lips and back to her eyes again.
Kaoru swallowed. She was stunned, unable to decide. Her heart was thumping too hard till her ears vibrated to its beat.
"Kaoru…?" He called when she failed to answer him.
"Huh?" Kaoru was totally lost. She noticed very quickly how her lungs were experiencing of a shortage of oxygen. Her breathing was shallow and fast. Her eyes were wide.
"Your pancake?" Kenshin refreshed her memory, trying very hard not to smile deviously.
"Ah… whatever you decide." Kaoru was surprised she was able to answer him sensibly. "I'll….. go to … wash up…." She decided, before she makes a fool out herself, again. She turned around and took only two small steps when she felt someone was standing really close behind her. Or rather, someone was mimicking her every foot steps, very closely like her own shadow. She resisted the urge to turn around since she already knew who it was. She refrained from her sudden panic to run quickly into the bathroom.
Kenshin was aware of how her shoulder had tensed up and her walking posture became more rigid. Despite it all, he continued to haunt her every footsteps until she went into the bathroom. She didn't even turn around to close the door.
Kaoru couldn't help catching her breath, calming herself down when she was all alone in the bathroom.
Kenshin smirked to the closed bathroom door, pleased and at the same time excited with the outcome of his deeds.
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"What did Misao and you talked about last night?" Kenshin asked, feeling a strong need to know everything that revolved around Kaoru.
Kaoru coughed, almost choked on her pancake. However, stills managed to give what she thought was a satisfactory answer, "It was just the normal girls' talk." A blush slowly crept to her cheeks when she vividly recalled their very erotic conversation the night before.
"What do girls normally talk about?" Kenshin probed further, genuinely curious when shade of pink tinted her cheek.
Kaoru looked at Kenshin for a moment, wondering why he was showing interest all of a sudden. She and Misao had always talked softly and giggled or laughed out loud but Kenshin never once asked what they talked about. "General stuff like how my day went, what she did so on and so forth." She briefly explained, reluctant to share with him; what exactly Misao and herself really talked about the previous night.
"I see." Kenshin merely stated. He was aware that Kaoru had no intention of giving further details. He was far from content with her non-elaborate answer.
Kenshin was different, Kaoru felt. No doubt Kenshin had always been part of her life, long time ago but he had somehow maintained a certain distance between them. Giving her the privacy and personal space, never once enquire when she kept her silence. Ever since that morning, she couldn't help sensing that Kenshin was trying to break into her inner circle that he had helped entrenched, standing a breath away from her to consuming all of her until she was nakedly transparent to him. She shivered in anticipation at later thought. She felt as though he wanted to breathe whatever her lungs were absorbing, to see whatever her eyes were assessing and to feel whatever her emotion was weaving. No more hidden agenda, no more lies. She welcomed the notion, wanting to share all there was to her with him, but something about the way Kenshin looked at her, just made her wanting to crawl and hide under the bed.
"Good morning. Breakfast without me?" A scruffy looking Sano came out from his bedroom greeted. He scratched his stomach and yawned at the same time as he walked towards the dining table.
"Morning." Both Kenshin and Kaoru returned his greeting.
"You are up early on a Saturday morning." Kaoru teased.
"Well, I was hungry and I smell pancakes…. Where's mine?" Sano asked ogling at Kenshin's pancake with saliva almost dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"I'll go get it." Kaoru chirpily offered and got up from her chair.
"Do you know that there is a flower fair today in the city, Jou Chan?" Sano who sat on a two legged chair, asked Kaoru.
"Really, I didn't know about it. What time does it starts?" Kaoru sounded really keen.
"Interested?" Sano asked Kaoru, but before she could have answered him, he suggested, "Kenshin, why don't you take her to the city today?" He took Kenshin's cup of coffee and drank as his own.
Kenshin briefly stared at Sano drinking from his cup before he asked, "Would you like to go, Kaoru?" Although he had already deduced her anticipation from her voice, he had to be polite enough to ask her first.
"I love to." Kaoru replied, all thrilled.
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He strode flamboyantly towards the main exit, which was also entrance of Aoiya International Hotel in his greenish blue Hawaiian's shirt buttoned up just enough to bare his well-built chest matched with a beige coloured straight jacket and his old time favourite khakis. Other than the fact that he stood five feet eleven inches and awfully handsome, his display of confident had attracted him many onlookers, especially the female species. With his out-of-bed hairstyle and bad boy attitude that he portrayed, he looked like a model-to-die-for cat-walking in the public,
The glass door slide opened automatically as he approached near the exit. The doorman thanked him politely but he paid no attention. The valet boy immediately scooted off upon his presence. He pulled out his sunglasses and put them on while standing arrogantly in style, waiting for his vehicle.
A lady, clearly from a prestige heritage distinct by her attire and the air that she carried, gracefully walked up and stood closely next to him. She carefully tugged her long wavy hair behind her ears. Her movement was dainty. She resembled an expansive collectible porcelain doll, standing besides the poise man. To the eyes of the outsider, they both look like the couple of the year.
When a dark coloured BMW six series arrived at the dropped off area, the valet boy immediately vacant the car. The man stepped down the stair and went casually around the car. Valet boy bowed to him slightly while holding the car door open for him. He generously tipped the valet boy without having to look at the boy before he went inside his car. The boy carefully closed the car door.
She followed him down the small steps of stair and got into the car when another valet boy hurried to open the car door at the passenger side. She sincerely thanked the boy.
Once she had her seat belt on, he stepped on the gas pedal and sped off.
He turned on the compact disc player and played a classical music, the sort that she liked. They both listened to the music in silence. Neither spoke.
"Enishi, do you like what my father has proposed?" She asked when the silence between them was no longer tolerable. She had learnt never to talk about business with the big boys but she could not help it. Communicating with him, sometimes, she thought, can be a daunting experience. It occurred to her that he was only interested in talking about business, money and probably his sister.
"It is fine on a preliminary evaluation." He said in a flat tone, keeping his eyes on the road. "I will look further into details before I reach a decision."
"I see." She said, trying hard to think of some other subject to talk about. "Look, there is a flower fair." She remarked as their car passed by a large advertisement banner. She would not visit these sort street fair as it wasn't part of her upbringing culture. However, if it was going to help with her relationship with Enishi, she was willing to drop her stature and walk with him to the flower fair.
Enishi gave a quick look to his left. 'She loves Calla Lily,' was the first thought that come to his mind when he saw the banner. "Those places are not for you." He mentioned, knowing she implicitly suggesting going there with him.
She nodded in disappointment. She looked ahead and said nothing more.
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Enishi stopped the car right in front of the porch of the luxury condominium. Without turning dead the still roaring engine, he got out of the car and went round the car to the passenger side. He opened the car door for her to get out.
She gracefully stepped out of the car and stood graciously before him.
He closed the car door.
"Would you like to come up for a cup of coffee?" She extended her invitation. She awaited for his reply with much hope.
"Some other day. I need to rush to the office. I have important matters pending for my attention." He took off his glasses before he rejected her offer. He saw the sadness cast in her eyes but made no gesture to soothe her disappointment. He leaned towards her, lightly kissed her cheek and, 'Bye.'
"I shall see you later, then." She said calmly, repressing her sadness to watch his leave. Although he had just kissed her but she felt not the warmth. His kisses were always cold as he was towards their relationship. She wondered briefly why had he not kissed her on the lips instead. She turned around, walking into the condominium.
Enishi was about to enter his car when he called her "Sayo."
She turned around and faced him. "Yes?" She felt on top of the world when he spoke her name, couldn't help wishing that he had decided to change his mind and accepted her coffee invitation.
"Tomoe will be back today. She has asked for you to join us for dinner tonight." Enishi delivered his message that he just remembered.
Sayo nodded with a smile, graciously accepting the dinner invitation.
"I'll pick you up at six thirty then." He said before he went inside his car.
He watched her went into building before he drove off.
He had his mobile phone on speaker mode and dialed. "It's me. Send flowers over to Sayo's place." He ordered.
"Hai." Soujiru acknowledged Enishi's request at the other end of the line.
"Where is she now?" Enishi proceeded to ask, with a softer tone.
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Sayo sat down in front of her dressing table. She looked herself in the mirror and sighed deeply. She had deep large eyes with long lashes, a luscious lips and high straight pointed nose which blended in very well with her oval shape face. She was beautiful and a class above the average the Japanese ladies. Men of all sorts were dying in line to take her as their own. However, she had only set eyes on one man, Yukishiro Enishi, which also the one man that she felt she couldn't entirely reach out to his heart. No doubt that they were officially seeing each other for the past six months but she felt a thick block of wall between them. He never seemed very keen to be with her, unlike many of her other suitors, but yet, he was still seeing her. She did not wish to think that their relationship was merely for the convenient of business.
She tilted her head to the side, gently combing her wavy hair downwards with her long slender fingers. 'I could have any man who is so much in love with me than I am with them. But why, him? Why does he not love me? ' She gave her hair a toss with her fingers. She stared at her hair through the mirror, lost in her train of thoughts.
There was a knock on her door, snapping her out her reverie. "Come in." She approved.
"Miss, there's flower for you." The maid reported politely. She walked to stand next to her missus with a large bouquet of red roses complimented with babies' breathed.
Sayo sighed deeply, not even slightly smitten by the lovely flaming bouquet and took the greeting card to find out which idiot had sent her flower this time - never once suspecting that it could be from the man of her desire. She smiled broadly to the card when she saw whom the flower was from. She took the flower in her arms and stared admiringly, "It is beautiful." She touched the buds, never knew how alluring red roses can be until then. 'He does loves me…' She decided to herself.
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He had never thought that life itself can be such a wonderful thing. Never in his twenty five years of living, Kenshin appreciated the freshness of the air that human inhale nor cross his mind how the flowers could carve a smile on one's face. He had lived too comfortably that he took living for granted, never once stop to appreciate the goodness of nature around him. He watched the colourful expression that lifted her beautiful face as Kaoru took in a lung full of floral scented air and titled her head upwards, exposed to the bright sunny ray. The image that his eyes captured was a picture perfect, he felt. He realized that he would do anything to gain her smile. He was desperate, he knew.
Kenshin watched her left arm idly swinging in small radius by her side. How he wished that he could keep fingers of hers busy by entwining it with his own. 'Someday…' He promised himself. He looked up, keeping a straight face ahead and focus on his footing instead.
Kenshin very much appreciated Sano's thoughtfulness of bring up the parade so that he could take Kaoru out, other than their weekend grocery shopping. In spite of, he didn't quite understand why Sano had to tag along. Two was a party and three was a crowd, he thought. He briefly turned to stare at Sano who was walking besides him.
Sano knitted his brow and gave a questioning look, 'What?'
Kenshin shook his head and sighed deeply.
'Ah! Calla Lilies!' Kaoru exclaimed in ecstasy. She walked very quickly towards the stall where only a few dozens of white Calla Lilies were displayed elegantly.
Both Kenshin and Sano had to chase after her like they were chaperon to a five year old kid.
Kaoru observed in awe, gently touching the edge of the flower's petal.
Kenshin stood closely next her and quietly gazed voluptuously at her before he asked the apparent, "Do you like them?" He did not take his eyes off her.
Kaoru nodded. "These are the normal lilies while the purples and yellows one are Wild Lilies which also known as Tiger Liliy – native to the Canadian outback. But are these," she traced the shape of the Calla Lilies with her finger tips, "are my favourite – white Calla Lilies. So pure, so white. They are beautiful, aren't they?" She remarked in almost a whisper, still admiring the majestic flower.
Kenshin smiled at her response. "How much are these?" He turned to the stall owner to enquire on the price for the Calla Lilies.
Kaoru turned to Kenshin for a second before she turned to the owner for response.
"Thirty five thousands yen each. They are hard to come by." The owner replied with a smile on her face to who she thought was a loving couple.
"We'll take them all," Kenshin offered, pointing with his index fingers in circular motion at the Calla lilies.
Both Kaoru and the stall owner stared at Kenshin with their eyes wide stretched. At most, customer would purchase a dozen. For one, the flowers had long stems and exceptionally large petal which makes them rather difficult to carry. Not to mentioned that they were expansive for they were exotic.
"Kenshin, that is too many." Kaoru protested gently.
Kenshin only curled his upper left lips in response.
Kaoru knew the signature of that smile - he would not take no for an answer. Therefore, she accepted the gift in which she believed it to be, with gratitude. She felt on top of the world. She grinned foolishly when she remembered that in South Africa, Calla Lilies were used by the bride as flower bouquet on her wedding day. 'Come to think of it, this is the first time Kenshin bought me flower…' She mused to herself.
The owner placed the three and half dozens carefully wrapped of flowers onto Kenshin's arm as the bundle was too bulky for Kaoru to carry. Once the bundle sat properly on his arm, he and Kaoru set to move on.
Sano, who was observing both Kaoru and Kenshin from a few steps behind, puffed a small laugh. Initially, he had come along as Kenshin's unofficial self appointed adviser but later found that it was totally uncalled for. Kenshin knew how to treat his lady, Sano thought, as opposed to Kenshin's usual romance deficiency self.
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'The lily family is large. Even garlic descends from lily. Lily family has nutritional value like garlic but some could be harmful as well like Tiger Lilies….. " Kaoru went on explaining to Kenshin about lily family.
Kenshin just nodded at every interval
Sano was trailing behind them, distanced himself so that they could have it to their own world. It appeared to him that both of them had conveniently forgotten about his presence. He smiled when he saw how both of them were enjoying each other's company, ignoring their surrounding completely.
"…the lily family really fascinates me. Last year, I wrote one thesis on of its species and the research work was really fun!" Kaoru was excited talking about her lily. She gave a broad a smile.
"You love the greens. You said it with such passion. No wonder Prof. Kanyrt wanted you to work with him." Kenshin sincerely commented.
Kaoru remained silent, no wishing to talk about the job offer.
"Look, it's Yahiko!" Kaoru once again got excited. "Yahiko Chan! Yahiko Chan! "She was shouting and waving her hand like a mad woman to a teenager who was merely seventeen.
Kenshin and Sano was busy looking the traces of Myojin Yahiko among the crowd. They spotted him standing idly at the corner of the street.
Yahiko heard a familiar voice shouting for him. He recognized the voiced immediately when he paid extra attention to his name and found the owner of the voice shortly. He just stared carelessly at Kaoru, not even lifting his eye brow to answer her.
Kaoru knew that Yahiko saw her and she started to walk towards him. As anticipated, Yahiko turned his back towards her and ran off. "Yahiko! Wait! Yahiko!"
Kaoru was about to run after him when she felt a hand firmly but gently wrapping itself around her upper arms, holding her in place.
"Don't go after him." Kenshin said, not very happy with the attitude of the rude teenager. "He is clearly avoiding us."
"No, he isn't!" Kaoru's protest had earned her a questioning look from both the guys.
"He is just shy. That's all" She defended.
"Shy?" Sano asked sarcastically. "That guy knows no 'shy', Jou-chan. He is plainly a rude bastard as he is."
"No he is not… Alright he does have a bit of an attitude problem but he had a rough childhood. So it is no wonder why he is the way he is. We have to give him time and be patience. Remember what he said to us when we first met?" Kaoru tried to change both Sano and Kenshin's impression on Yahiko.
The guys blinked and furrowed their brows, jogging their memory bank.
Kaoru continued. "Well in case you don't remember, he was swearing a list of curses that I didn't even know exist at us for helping him. Remember?"
Kenshin and Sano honestly could not remember. It was two years back when it happened.
"And remember what he said to us when we went to see him later on? He said 'Fuck off'. The third meeting, he just said, 'Get lost and leave me alone'." Kaoru said, knowingly that the guys could hardly remember those episodes in details.
"Er, OK. Your point being?" Sano was utterly confused as what Kaoru was trying to say.
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Don't you get it? He slowly accepting us as his friends. He is making progress in trying to communicate with us." Kaoru explained proudly.
Sano turned to Kenshin, looking at him blankly for a more comprehensible explanation. Unfortunately, Kenshin could not provide him with the answer that he was seeking.
Kaoru rolled her eyes when she realized that Sano did not understand her. "Oh.. never mind that." She dug into her pocket for her handphone. She dialed. "Hello? Yahiko! I know you saw me coming. Why did you run away from me?" Kaoru waited for Yahiko to answer her.
"What do you mean that you are busy? Hello? Hello?" Kaoru removed the mobile from her phone and stared down at her hand phone.
"The brat hung up on you, didn't he?" Sano asked as he thought that that was just typical of Yahiko's kind of character would do. He was actually taken aback when Yahiko had answered Kaoru's call in the first place.
"No. My phone went dead all of a sudden." Kaoru explained. "No matter how bad his attitude is, he will never hang up on me," she said confidently. "So far," she added. She turned on her phone.
"Kenshin! Kenshin! " Out of a sudden, a female was calling for Kenshin from a short distance.
Kenshin turned around and looked around for whoever was calling his name. "Megumi! How nice to see you here?" Kenshin greeted in surprised when Megumi came to sight.
"What are you doing here?" Megumi asked excitedly but still managed to maintain her poise. "I am so glad to see you here." She looped her arm around his arms that was cradling the lilies.
Kenshin was taken aback by Megumi's unexpected too friendly gesture. He quickly thought of a way to maintain a distance between them without appearing to be rude when he heard coldly…
"Hello Megumi." Kaoru said in annoyance, bringing her existence to Megumi's knowledge. She could feel her own eyes turning green.
"Oh! Hello Kaoru. I didn't see you there." Megumi scoffed. "Good to see you again, Sano." She leaned further towards Kenshin to greet Sano who was standing on the other side of Kenshin.
"Yo!" Sano greeted merely. His expression wasn't happy to receive Megumi either.
"Kenshin, you bought my favourite flowers." Megumi plastered her front of the body against Kenshin's side. "For me?" She said seductively.
Kaoru's eyes widened at the sight of the valley between Megumi's well endowed breast pressing and moving obscenely against Kenshin's arm. "What do you think you are doing!" She blurted the voices in her head in an instance.
"What? Kenshin and I have always been this way. Remind you of the good old days, doesn't it Kenshin dear?" Megumi batted her lashes to Kenshin.
"Megumi!" Kenshin was not pleased by Megumi's remark and tugged his arms. "Kaoru.." He was worried what Kaoru might think but it was too late…
"Good old time, is it? Fine. Hope that both of you will have a gooooood time today. I wouldn't want to be a hindrance to the two of you to rekindle your memorable GOOOODDD OLD TIME!" Kaoru sarcastically said, not giving Kenshin a chance to explain. She only saw how Megumi clutched to Kenshin tightly- sandwiching his arm in between her breast, while resting her head on his shoulder. With her vision clouded by the anger and jealousy, she failed to notice how Kenshin was desperately trying to retrieve his captive arm.
If Kaoru's hair could defy the force of gravity and stand ninety degree upwards to express of her anger at the point in time, she would. No longer able to tolerate the sore sight, she turned around and ran off without a word.
"Kaoru!" Kenshin forcefully flung his arm free from Megumi's clenched causing Megumi to almost lose her footing. She was shocked. Before he run towards the direction where Kaoru had disappeared into the crowd, Megumi managed very quickly to grab hold of the edge of his sleeves.
"Megumi, let go. You have done enough damage." Kenshin said hurriedly before sprinted off, leaving Megumi's finger clutching air instead.
If not for Sano who was there to keep her from falling flat on her face , Megumi would have fall forward when Kenshin tugged his sleeves aggressively. "Kenshin…." Megumi pleaded softly.
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Kenshin was fanatically looking for sign or any traces of a runaway Kaoru. He wondered since when did the street became too saturated with people. He knew that there was no way that he could find Kaoru in the seas of people. He pulled out his mobile phone with his free hand while still on the move, searching for his missing half.
"The number that you have dialed cannot be reach at the moment. Please try again later," was heard from the other side of the phone line. "Damn! Where is she?" He redialed again. And again. And again. Kenshin cursed, his patience was wearing thin.
Kenshin was contemplating whether should he shout out loud for her. Perhaps that if she was somewhere nearby, she could hear him – that was if she decided to answer him. His feet raced forward while his eyes roamed around fervently. He knocked someone by the shoulder and he quickly apologized without looking at the person, eyes still busy scanning for a familiar back.
"Hey," the person stopped Kenshin by the shoulder.
"I said I was sorry." Kenshin turned around and snapped to the guys with shades and greenish blue Hawaiian shirt.
"How much are these?" Enishi asked, pointing to the lilies on Kenshin's arms. He was not bothered that Kenshin had knocked by him by the shoulder nor what Kenshin had just said.
"They are not for sales." Kenshin replied annoyingly. He freed his shoulder from Enishi's grip rather aggresively and turned to continue his search. He had been delayed enough, in his opinion.
Almost immediately, Enishi held Kenhin back by the shoulder again and offered, " I'll pay two hundred thousands yen for the all the flowers in your arms." There was a distinct of arrogance in laying in his tone.
Kenshin turned and stared irritably at Enishi. "Look, which part of the sentence do you not understand! THESE ARE NOT FOR SALES!" Kenshin spelled it out word by word for Enishi.
"I'll give you four hundred thousands." Enishi doubled the offer.
"They are not for sales and that's final. Now, leave" Kenshin said very quickly, holding his fist to himself. 'This guy is really grating on my nerve..' he thought. He did not wait for any response from the guy and ran off.
Enishi stared at Kenshin's back, trying to hold back his up rising temper. There were too many people around. He did not want to create any ugly scene. Tomoe had just came back that day and he shall be good.
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"Stupid Kenshin! Idiot Kenshin! Pervert Kenshin! Brainless Kenshin! Stupid Kenshin!" Kaoru was angrily mustering to herself as she brisk walked through the crowded street, not knowing where she wanted to be. "How can he allow th-that Kitsune to do that to him! Oh yeah! I forgot, they have always been like this!" She said, slapping her forehead with her hands. She felt like throwing something at someone, anyone. She made do by kicking something invisible as she walked. "How could he break away from her? He enjoys it. Who couldn't? -being seduced by a busty bitch!" She said it out loud to one in particular and threw her hands up in the air.
"And I am even a bigger idiot!" She stopped, oblivious to the fact there were quiet a number of people looking at her display of madness and subsequently, distanced themselves, in case she decided to hurt someone. "How could I even leave him alone with th-that man-snatching-woman! ARGHH! I am so stupid! – delivering Kenshin right into her arms!" She berated to herself.
She sighed. "She has better figure than I do. It is not a wonder if Kenshin would pick her over me..." She thought solemnly to herself.
Her eyes widened. "What am I even thinking? Kenshin is mine from the start. I am not going to just let her whisk him away from me just like that! Not three years ago and definitely not now!" She said determinedly. Once she found her resolution and cooled down a little, she turned to look at the surrounding, suddenly realized that she did not know where her feet had taken her.
She found herself standing in front of 'Victoria's Secret' outlet. She stood still for a while, looking at the sexy laced mannequin displaying at the window pane. She stepped in closer to the shop. 'A little spice of seduction is what he needs to expedite things..' evoked her body and mind. Her lips curled upwards cunningly and she walked into the outlet with a plan in mind.
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"You do realized that Kenshin only has his eyes set on Jou Chan, don't you?" Sano asked, sitting on the bar counter in a pub with his Bacardi Coke. "Nothing that you do will change how he feels about her." He washed the liquors down his throat. He hand signaled the bar tender for another glass.
Megumi turned to stare at Sano before she snapped at him. "Of course, I know that, you idiot. He fell in love with her the first time they ever meet. I was there to witness it with my own eyes." She looked forward and took a small sipped of her Margarita.
"Why do you still do it then? Sano asked, wanting to know why she was still desperately trying to gain Kenshin's affection.
'To get your attention, you idiot!' She felt like throwing her thoughts out onto his oblivious face. "I enjoy spiking our little Kaoru." She explained instead. "It gives me the thrill to watch her jump when I am close to Kenshin." She gave out a half hearted laugh.
"For the hell for? Jealous of her?"
"I have long gotten over Kenshin, if that interest you. So, I am not jealous of her." Megumi disregarded Sano's theory. "Then again perhaps, I am. Our little tanuki can't cook, can't clean, can't do anything ladylike but somehow or rather she could easily have a wonderful man go nuts over her. Having a man to love her for whom she is. So simply and so pure." She sniggered.
"Love is blind, they say." Sano remarked modestly.
"I guess so." Megumi said, agreeing. 'I don't understand; all the men that I could be in love with, I had to pick you instead. Insensitive, rude, a womanizer, intellectually incompetent and everything that I do not look for in a man!'
"Megumi," Sano called her when he saw that she seemed lost in her thoughts.
She turned to look at him in surprised that he had called by her real name and not the nickname that he had conveniently been addressing her all the while – 'Kitsune'. She didn't understand what on earth gave him the impression that she was flirtatious and liked fooling or rather toying with the male counterpart.
"…you are beautiful, gracefully and smart." Sano said sincerely, his eyes reflected honesty. "There is probably a man that has been sitting, waiting for you all the while whom you have failed to notice with that stuck up nose of yours." He unintentionally rolled his eyes upwards.
"You…." Megumi was about to scold him but was not given a chance when Sano just continued with what he had to say.
"I imagine, most doctors have this really nerdy look, with thick glass and wrinkled all over. Look at you, you don't even resemble a doctor! You look more like an air stewardess instead. And here you are, a darn sexy doctor. Who wouldn't go crazy for you? I would!"
Megumi blushed slightly, which was very rare.
"And you are doctor with a big heart to help you the ones who needs you, which matters most. Otherwise you would not be still working in the public hospital and get crappy pay You can always work in the private hospital, exclusive for the rich and famous and pick any rich idiot to care for the rest of you life. Heck, you don't need a medical degree as a passport to do that." Sano earnestly remarked.
Megumi never knew Sano had thought that way of her. She didn't know how to response to him. Of all the years of knowing him, she realized that she only knew him superficially, not in depth. She guessed there was a reason why she was fond of him after all. She just hadn't discovered it yet.
She was speechless.
Megumi was thankful that their awkward moment had been saved by Sano's mobile phone. He answered his call.
"Oi Kenshin... At the pub with Megumi……………… Ok. I'll see you then." Sano hung up and turned to Megumi. "Megumi, I got to leave now. Our panic stricken Kenshin has not found his Kaoru, so he wants me to go back to the apartment and wait for her there. Her phone battery is dead. So, I'll catch up with you some other time. See ya!" Sano got up from his bar stool and started to walk away from her.
She was suddenly alarmed that he moved to make his leave. She called for him. "Sano, wait."
"Yeah?" Sano took a few steps when he turned around to face her.
'Come on Megumi. This is your chance. Tell him. Ask him out for dinner.' Not a single word came out from her mouth. She was just staring at Sano.
Sano noticed how her eyes were moving uncertainly. He waited patiently.
'Sano!' A childish girly voice snapped both Sano and Megumi out of their gazing competition.
"I am so happy to see you here. Why so early? Why didn't you call me?" A young school girl in skimpy outfit cried excitedly
"Hey, nice to see you too." Sano sounded friendly even though he had no idea whom the girl he was talking to. "I am here with a friend but I am about to leave."
"Leaving already? But I just found you. Have a drink with me and my friend first." The young girl persuaded, tugging him by his sleeves.
"No. I have something urgent. Some other time." Sano refused politely. Even though he had the time in the world, he wouldn't want to waste it on the punk girls in front of him.
"Alright then. Call me. Do you still have my number? Give me your hand." The girl pulled his hand to herself rather. She took out a pen out of nowhere and wrote down her contact number and name on his wrist. "There! Now, you will remember to call me." She smiled cheerfully and walked back to her friends.
Sano just smirked and turn back his attention to Megumi. "Sorry about that. You were saying?"
From an anxious looking Megumi, Sano saw her turned into a grimed faced Megumi.
"I was just about to say, watch for your steps on your way out. You don't want to fall and crack your numskull. The slightest concussion might just cause that bird brain of yours to just pop out your ears. We don't want to still everyone for days just so that you can find that microscopic brain of yours with a magnifying glass!" Megumi relent her anger in words.
Sano was stunned. He thought that he had just gotten onto her good side. He guessed that some things will never change. They had been bickering to one another for as long as he can remember. "You are really something, Kitsune. Do you know that?" He shook his head. He turned around and walked away, murmuring, "I can't believe that she just said that to me. Geez…."
Megumi watched him leave with a squeeze in her heart. "Stupid rooster head" She mumbled softly.
"Hi there, beautiful!" A husky male voice was heard.
Megumi turned to find a beefy guy who definitely had serious body odor problem sitting next to her with his arm resting comfortably on the top of the bar stool's backrest. She wriggled her nose in disgust. She noticed unintentionally how his nostril hair was poking out of his nose. He smirked at her, giving her impression that he thought that he was a real charming guy.
"Go away!" Megumi moved a little in her seat to further express her disgust of him.
"Come on. Don't be shy, baby. Let me take good care of you" His wooed her, moving his hand from the bar stool to her waist.
"What the hell do you think you are doing? Get your filthly hands off me." Megumi chided coldly, all set to give the guy a big tight slap.
"Well, well… You like to play hard to get, don't you?" The guy started to wrap him arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him roughly.
Megumi yelped. However, before she could retaliate, he shrieked in pain.
"Didn't you hear what the lady said? Get your fucking hand off her!" Sano was crushing the man's hand with his own strong ones.
The man fell of his seat, knees on the floor. He cried in pain, begging Sano to let go but Sano just hang on to his hand, not willing to relief him of his pain, not yet.
"Sano, let go already. You are really going to crush his hands." Megumi touched Sano's by his arm that was exerting its muscle to grip the man's hand. She felt his emotion centered in his firm hard biceps. She slowly clamed his anger by gently running her hands up and down his upper arms.
Sano relaxed his muscle and slowly let go of the crying man's hand.
The man clutches his throbbing hand to his chest. Megumi kneeled down and took the man's hand in her own, examined for any broken fingers.
"You'll be fine. Nothing is broken." Megumi told the man coldly before she stood up.
Sano grabbed hold of Megumi's hand firmly but not as to hurt her and walked through the staring crowd who had formed a pathway out of the pub for them.
"I'll send you home." Sano informed instead of offering. He did not let go of her hands.
Under normal circumstances, Megumi would have screeched on top of her lungs at Sano to let go of her hands but for the moment, she was contented, having him in control of the situation. Only this once, she thought.
Author's note:So, what you think of this chapter? Any comment? Really appreciate if you can give your view on this chapter. Thank you.
Thank you to all of you who have took the time in the previous chapter.