WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES
AROUND YOU
By: Chiki Yumeshisa
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin...all original characters/ideas are mine to claim. No Stealing please.
AN: Hi all! ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS A KEN/KAO fic! It's taking time to develop! Please bear with me. A few notes: OOCness means: Out Of Characterness. Sorry no individual responses today, I wrote this as quickly as possible so that some of you may have something to do during your break (which, I hope, is wonderful so far) and lastly, onto the chapter!
Warnings:
Rated PG1 (and a rather long chapter)
Chapter 10
-Guilt-
'Oh my god...' He thought, "...I killed her.'
He hadn't meant to go that far.
His sudden instinct was to jump up and help her, but his feet were frozen to the floor. His purple eyes were wide with disbelief, and his stomach churned. What had he done?
Akira's yell for help rang through his head and he automatically took out his cell phone, hands trembling as he struggled to punch the numbers in. It seemed like forever before he heard the voice on the other line, asking him for the problem at hand and the address to the place. At this point, he had broken into a cold sweat and he searched desperately for his voice.
What was he going to say?
/ "Oh hello, I just killed someone. Please come quick." / ?
Or
/
"Hi, I've poisoned a girl. Please arrest me now."?
He
cleared his voice, trying to keep the guilt out of it. "Um,
Kisoyas restaurant on Totakadashi. A girl passed out due
to...to...an allergic reaction." He managed to say.
"Sir, we're sending someone your way. In the meantime, if she can't breathe, have someone do C.P.R. - try to clear her tracheal tubes. She has six minutes before her brain shuts down completely, so you must do this right away. If she can't breathe on her own, someone must breathe into her."
"A-alright..." Kenshin murmured. Six minutes! Oh God! That was not enough time. He had never done C.P.R. before - he hadn't paid attention in health class when they had been teaching it.
He spoke to the closest attendant, quickly relaying the message. The man acted fast, jumping to her side, and starting the method. Akira bent over her and took his place, breathing into her once they had managed to get her throat unclogged.
Sano caught Kenshin as he nearly collapsed. His legs had turned to jelly. He stumbled away, pushing past them, the only thought on his mind was, 'I killed her, I killed her...!' The pit of his stomach twisted with dread. He could picture Kaoru dead so vividly that it made his heart feel like it would break.
He exited the restaurant, feeling very weak and guilty. The autumn breeze felt good against his hot skin, and pushed his red locks away from his face. His mind was still on the incident, and was racing: how would he explain it to the police?
It seemed like an eternity before he finally heard the screaming sirens and saw the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances. It was a mass of confusion as paramedics jumped out, and barged into the restaurant.
Kenshin reached out and grabbed the arm of one who was waiting inside the ambulance.
"Please...she's not going to die...is she?" His voice was small, scared.
Hers was harsh as she answered, "If the choking didn't kill her, than her allergic reaction might." Seeing his face pale in despair, she said, "But we'll do everything in our power to keep her alive."
Before Kenshin could say anything more, the door to the restaurant was flung open, and several paramedics rushed out with a stretcher in between them. On the stretcher lay Kaoru, an oxygen mask on her face. Her pale, delicate skin had turned a severe red, and in some places, her rashes looked about ready to burst with blood.
Akira ran out too, his face pinched with worry. He climbed into the waiting ambulance as well, crouching next to her body.
Kenshin finally turned away from the scene, heading back toward his limo.
Sano and Aoshi said nothing, following his lead silently.
He didn't know what he'd do if she died.
He desperately wanted a cigarette.
0-0-0-0-0
Sano leaned across the seat, his eyes blazing. "I don't know what the fk's your problem Kenshin, but playing a dirty trick like that's unacceptable. You could have killed her!"
Kenshin winced and shrunk back. "I didn't know." He said feebly. "I thought she just didn't like it - how was I to know she was allergic?"
"Tell that to the court." Aoshi scolded. "I don't know, but your jealousy trip really took a turn. I mean, just because she went with Kiyosato instead of you doesn't mean you should play sick jokes. Now look what happened."
Kenshin rummaged through his blazer's pocket and found a cigarette. He wasted no time lighting it.
"I'm sorry, okay? I really didn't mean for it to happen."
Sanosuke grunted. "Don't tell us. Only after the damage has been done do you feel bad. Tell Jou-chan in the hospital."
Kenshin flicked the ashes away. "You want me to go visit her?"
"Well, yeah! It's your responsibility after all."
He turned his purple eyes away. It was worse enough having a guilt trip, but it was even worse when his friends jumped on the boat as well, without a word of reassurance on his behalf.
He took another pull at the stalk. "I'll visit her, but..." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "But not a word goes out as to who did this. I'll take care of that on my own."
He waited until they both nodded before he looked out the window again. He had no intention of letting her know he was the one to hurt her.
0-0-0-0-0
Megumi leaned back in her seat. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand, the sweet fragrance from the lotion she used enveloping her. She watched as the other girls walked right past her as if she didn't exist. She wasn't used to the silent treatment that she was suddenly given. It had happened right after her little fight with Kaoru. She hadn't thought of the consequences but she guessed she deserved it. What ticked her though was that Kaoru had taken all the attention from her.
Kenshin had been so upset. That same day as their catfight, he had cornered her in the hallway when she was all alone. His eyes had been glowing a fierce amber, and he shoved her roughly against the lockers, her head snapping back and hitting them.
"How do you like the feel of that, Megumi?" He hissed.
She blinked to clear the bolts of light that filtered her vision. He had just popped out of nowhere - she hadn't even seen him coming, and she had no chance to even brace herself for the attack. She gasped as a response.
"Never touch Kamiya again." He said dangerously. "You're lucky Sanosuke saved your ass from getting kicked out of this school."
She managed to make sense of that last sentence. Sanosuke had made Kenshin reconsider? But why? After what she said to him... still, she had never seen Kenshin that mad before. She found herself shaking.
His voice got lower, more dangerous. "If I ever find out that you hurt her again, you will answer to me." He warned. "Am I understood?"
Megumi never answered, too shocked to reply. He shoved her again against the locker. "Answer me!" He screamed.
"Yes, Ken-san." She spurted with a gasp.
"Good."
He let go of her, allowing her to compose herself. "Nothing will be the same for you here. Nobody will pay attention to you any more. You've lost your place Takani." With that, he left, his red hair swishing as he did so. Her eyes filled with tears: he had called her by her last name...
Megumi snapped out of her thoughts as one of her close friends sat on her desk. She crossed her thin legs and gave Megumi a smooth smile.
"Just came back from lunch." She chirped. "I visited Makoto in the hospital."
Megumi glanced up. "How is Shishio-san?"
"He'll be let out in two weeks." She answered, cracking her gum loudly.
"Yumi!" Shura came in, her face tinged with pink. Her dark green hair was all over the place. She held her notebook in one hand. "You were supposed to have given me the notes - how will I pass my test without them?"
(AN: If anyone doesn't remember who Shura is, it's the girl who's a "pirate" in the RK series - right before the appearance of our lovable Saitoh Hajime!)
Yumi made a face, uncrossing her legs and sitting up. "I forgot the notes at home, Shura. I'm really sorry."
Shura looked stricken. Yumi leaned forward. "Why don't you copy off someone else's test? Say...I don't know...Okita-san's?"
At the mention of Okita, Shura blushed. She had a secret crush on him, and found she was always tongue tied when it came to talking with him.
Megumi flipped her long black hair over her shoulder, a look of disgust crossing her features. "Why not copy off that Amakusa girl? She's a pushover. If she gives you any trouble, all you have to do is threaten her." She picked lazily at a loose thread on her uniform. "She doesn't ever give me any."
Yumi furrowed her brow in confusion. "Isn't that the girl who's sick with something?"
Megumi shrugged. "So what if she is?"
It was Shura's turn to frown. "You know Megumi, if you weren't such a bitch, you'd probably have more friends than you do now."
"Darling, it would do you good to do something with that hair, you look simply dreadful." Was her reply. Yumi smiled brightly at that. Shura didn't seem to mind - she was used to Megumi's snide comments about appearances. She ran a hand through her dark hair, thinking.
Okita came into the room then, Soujiro right on his heels. Megumi half expected Kaoru to be right behind them, but was surprised to see she wasn't there. That was odd - she remembered seeing her in the hallways before lunch time... She turned her attention to Yumi, who had begun her little rave about her boyfriend.
She was just about to word her thoughts about Kaoru not being in class out loud, when she heard Yumi saying, "...it was such a surprise to see Kamiya-san being rushed in. She looked horrible."
She looked up. "Kamiya's in the hospital?" She asked aloud.
A chair fell as Soujiro stood up in alarm. His face was pale and he practically leaped over the desks to a very surprised looking Yumi. He demanded, "Komagata-san, Kamiya-san's in the hospital? What happened to her?"
Yumi seemed nervous. "Well, last I saw her she was being brought into emergency. She didn't look like herself at all - red and puffy..."
"Red and puffy?" he repeated dubiously.
She nodded. "And Kiyosato-san was there too...he looked really upset."
Okita frowned. "I wonder what happened?"
"I really don't know." Yumi told them. "All I know is that they're at the Tsumichiji Hospital, where Makoto is..."
Soujiro made his way back to his desk. That was really disturbing news, and he was worried for Kaoru. What on earth had happened that would be bad enough to have her get rushed to the hospital? He knew one thing though: he'd get the answers from Akira or else...
0-0-0-0-0
The room held that annoying antiseptic smell that could drive anybody insane. It was sure driving Akira insane - he hated hospitals. Nevertheless, he sat by Kaoru's side, never once thinking of leaving her. He held one of her swollen hands in both of his.
The room was quiet, save the sound of a constant beeping, monitoring her heartbeat. She was garbed in a hospital robe of a light blue color. Her face and hands were swollen and she was fast asleep, and, much to his relief, breathing normally.
It had been 3 hours before she had been admitted into a room of her own. The doctors had informed Akira that it would take a while for Kaoru to wake up, and that when she did, they would give him a call. He refused to exit the room though, insisting he would stay until she woke up. She had been asleep for almost 2 hours already. He somehow felt guilty, as if the strange happenings had been his fault.
Her beautiful face was marred with rashes and tubes ran from her nose, helping her to breathe. Her long black hair was spilled out over the starch white sheets of the hospital bed. Tubes also pierced into her arms and hands, looking painfully uncomfortable, fluids flowing freely.
He watched her chest rise and fall, anxiously, as if afraid it would stop. He was surprised when her eyes opened to reveal dull blue eyes, lost and confused, but most of all, in pain.
Kaoru gasped, coming out of what felt like a nightmare. The darkness had been overwhelming and it had reached out to her, to pull her, to choke her...
"Kamiya-san?" She heard a voice ask.
Although her eyes were open, she could see nothing. Frantically, she blinked, trying to force that darkness away. She tried to speak, but could form no words. She wondered if she were blind and mute, and she desperately didn't want it to be so. Again, she blinked, and was relieved when she saw a shaft of light and her eyes began to adjust themselves once again.
Akira voiced her name again, and she turned her gaze to look at him. He was leaning over her, her hand tightly grasped in his. A worried look was etched across his face.
She finally managed to get her tongue to work. "Kiyo...sa..."
He put a finger to her lips. "Shh...it's okay. Oh thank god you're all right." He brushed a lock of black hair off her cheek. "I was so worried you wouldn't wake up."
Kaoru smiled. Her blue eyes lost their dullness. "I'm so sorry, Kiyosato-san." She whispered. "I ruined..."
"No, it wasn't your fault." He told her firmly, glad she had begun talking in complete sentences. "Some idiot of a cook put some shrimp in your food when you specifically told him not to."
He held her hand more tightly. "For the meantime, rest. Worry not about school or about anything else: worry about your health."
She frowned. That was the only thing she could worry about. But after she was out, there was the question of paying her father's and her bill to the hospital. She coughed, her mind going dizzy. "I can't possibly pay the bills..." She said absently.
Akira got the picture. He leaned forward, once again brushing her hair off her face. "That, my friend, will be taken care of by myself. You need not worry about the bill for the hospital."
She felt really guilty, but she also felt warmed by his gentleness. It was as if all her problems melted when she was around him. To her great surprise, he gave her hand a soft kiss. "I'll go get the doctors. They have asked me to inform them when you awaken."
He got up to leave, but found that she gripped onto his blazer's sleeve. "Yes?"
"Thank you..." She murmured, "...for everything."
He smiled, making her heart swell with joy. "You're welcome."
With that, he left the room.
Kaoru looked at her hand. She could still feel the place where Akira had left his kiss...
She looked up to see a figure standing in the doorway. Dizzily, she squinted, trying to see the face.
The figure was wearing wide jeans and a white sweatshirt with a hood. On the front of the white sweatshirt was the word HOT written in what looked like fire. As usual, his hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he wore his cocky grin.
Kenshin.
She did a mental intake and wished she were unconscious.
She had to admit though, that he looked very cute in what he was wearing. Then again, he was cute in anything he wore.
Behind that cocky grin, she saw something else: worry. His purple eyes screamed with it, and it was all he could do not to run to her bedside and gather her into a hug. He hadn't killed her! The thought made his grin grow bigger. He reminded himself that Kaoru wasn't to know that he had hurt her.
"I see you're awake."
"What do you want, you germ?"
"Germ?" Kenshin demanded. Despite her condition, she was still able to make snide comments. He liked that. "Look who's talking, you disease!"
She stuck out her tongue. "What are you doing here anyway?" She asked.
"Came here to make fun of you of course." He answered. "To see your ugly face bloated with rashes and..."
Her eyes filled with tears at his words, so he cut himself off. He searched for something else to say. "See what happens when you don't go to lunch with me?"
Kaoru held her head up proudly, not letting the tears fall. It was embarrassing enough for him to see her in this condition, she didn't need him seeing her cry as well! "Kiyosato's lunch was splendid. I'd rather go with him anywhere than with you, you rotten..."
"...And look, you almost got killed." He said.
She frowned. "Who told you I was here anyway?"
He froze. Crap, he hadn't thought of that. He glanced at his nails nonchalantly. "I have my sources." He answered.
She coughed, her body shaking with each rasp. She moaned in pain softly, but she forced it away. It wasn't like her to be weak. She met Kenshin's eyes again, which had once more filled themselves with worry. Without thinking, he had lowered himself into the chair next to her bed.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Kaoru looked at him, puzzled, before answering, "Awful. I've felt so much better."
Kenshin's hand went up to grasp hers, but then withdrew itself. He wanted to tell her he was sorry. He wanted to tell her that it had all been his fault, but he was afraid - so afraid. He instead let his hand drop to her side and touched the white sheets of her bedding. Her eyes followed his hand curiously for a moment. He spoke. "You should recover quickly." His voice was no more than a whisper. "You have an obligation to me."
"Obligation?"
"You and I must still face each other in Kendo." He said. "I want to be able to fight you when you are well again."
Kaoru nodded. "Yes - we shall see who is the better."
He grinned. "We all know who that will be. Myself of course." He arrogantly swept a lock of red hair over his shoulder. "You're too fat to move quickly enough anyway."
She pushed herself up, ready to slap him, but then was pulled back by the many tubes. She cried out in pain, and he jumped up, pushing her back down.
"What are you doing, you idiot?" he cried wildly. He looked frantic. "Stay in bed!"
"I...I hate you." She murmured. "I hate you so much..." She turned her head away from him.
He felt like his heart broke into a million pieces. It was as if he had just been struck. He staggered away from her bed, eyes wide. He heard her voice and saw her tears. "Where's Kiyosato-san?" She tried to curl herself into a ball. "Kiyosato-san!"
At that exact moment, Akira rushed in, two doctors behind him. He ran to Kaoru's side, taking her hand. "I'm right here, Kamiya-san! Everything's going to be okay."
Kenshin watched as if from a large distance. Jealousy ripped through every fiber in his body. He wanted to be the one holding her hand. He wanted to be the one caressing her face. But no - no - Akira did that. Kaoru leaned into his touch while she told Kenshin that she hated him.
Why?
He made his way out of the room, feeling as if he were suffocating. As soon as he was out of the hospital, he reached into his pockets to take out a cigarette, but froze as he saw someone coming up to him. His hand stopped its trek to the small box and he straightened, feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
"Himura-san, what a surprise to see you here."
"Yukishiro-san, I never expected to bump into you." He said nervously.
Her eyes traveled to the white building he had just exited the gates of. Her black eyes looked curiously into his. "I was visiting a...friend." He said slowly. She nodded, a smile touching her lips.
"How kind of you."
"And where are you off to?" he asked, liking the smile and hoping to be able to keep it there.
She waved her hand indicating the west. "I was going to stop over at the mall to pick up something."
Kenshin ignored his craving for a cigarette. It was the last thing he wanted for Tomoe to see him smoking again. Why he felt that way, he had no idea. He had a special liking to her. "Ah, by yourself?"
She cocked her head to the side. "Would you accompany me?" She asked quietly.
He ran his hand through his flame red hair,
and nodded. "I'd be glad to."
0-0-0-0-0
Akira sat down at his desk the next day, wearily. He had been at the hospital all day yesterday and had watched over Kaoru.
He had been surprised to see Kenshin there, too. And he had been more than upset to see that Kenshin had made her cry.
It seemed so different without Kaoru sitting at her usual place next to Soujiro's side. The class seemed rowdier - they all came up to him asking him what had happened to Kaoru - news of her being rushed to the hospital had spread like wildfire.
Soujiro came up to him after class, his eyes a cold blue, but his usual smile was fastened in place. "Good afternoon, Kiyosato-san."
He cleared his throat. "And to you, Seta-san. Is there something I can help you with?"
His eyes turned a colder blue. "Yes, actually. I'd like to ask you what happened to Kamiya-san the other day."
Kiyosato breathed a sigh. He began to explain the situation again, but halfway through his description about Kaoru choking, Soujiro interrupted him. "Who do you think did all that Kiyosato-san?" His voice held a dangerous note to it.
Akira shook his head. "I have no idea." He paused and then realized what Soujiro was implying.
"Ah, Seta-san, you can't possibly believe that I did this to her!" He cried.
A glint of annoyance filled Soujiro's eyes. "I have every reason to." He said coldly.
Kiyosato shook his head. "I would never do that to her! In fact, I sued the restaurant for its poor service and...I could never hurt Kamiya- san!" He protested.
Soujiro's smile actually faltered. His voice went down to a whisper. "If I find out that you are telling me otherwise, Kiyosato-san, you won't be pleased with what I will do."
Akira straightened. "I will not be intimidated by you, Seta-san." He told him. "I have no cause to be - I am innocent."
"So you say. I will not forgive you if that is not the truth." Soujiro told him. He was about to return to his seat when Akira called out:
"I would never, I swear on my life, hurt Kamiya-san! She..." He trailed off for a moment before he continued, "...because! Because...I love her."
Soujiro stopped and turned around. His heart hammered wildly against his chest. Anger was clearly visible on his round face. Then his face went passive, his eyes staying a cold blue. The smile once again took precedence.
"Is that so, Kiyosato-san?" He asked quietly. "I hope for your sake, she'll be all right." With that, he left the room, brooding.
0-0-0-0-0
Kenshin flopped onto his bed. His red hair spilled out over his blanket. In his hands he held a newspaper, with the headline saying that Kisoyas had been sued a nice amount. Akira had really gone out of his way for that...
His mind returned to the scene at the restaurant, and all his little pranks. He finally admitted that they had been awful and uncalled for. There was only one way to clear everything up.
He sat up out of bed, taking with him the newspaper. He had just come out from a shower, and had finished talking to Tomoe on the telephone. Nakamura had come in with the paper while he met with Kamatari, who was just aching for him to wear the newest style he had created.
Now he was dressed in a light blue t-shirt that fairly hugged his body as much as it did hang off him. His hair was swept back into a loose ponytail. He wore a leather strip around his neck, a jewel hanging by a thin cord at the end that matched his t-shirt perfectly. His pants were also a light blue, a few designs crisscrossed it in a dark blue fabric.
A few of the younger maids watched with big adoring eyes as he walked by them, on his way to his Uncle's room. He paid them no mind as they fawned over his appearance. He was rather proud of that.
He burst into Hiko's room, not bothering to knock. A few diplomats stood in the office and turned to see Kenshin's figure standing in the doorway. They looked surprised, but at the same time, they didn't seem to care. Hiko had probably told them that it was Kenshin's habit to do so.
And it was. He stormed right up to his uncle, shoving the paper under his nose. "Can I talk with you for a moment?" He demanded.
Hiko glared. "You annoying brat." He sighed. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"
Kenshin made a face and mimicked, "Get your ass over here right now." (AN: Chapter 5 - Pictures)
Hiko held up a hand to the diplomats to excuse himself, and they nodded in unison. He stepped out of the room with Kenshin leading him, his white cloak swirling behind him. He had flatly refused to let Kamatari stick him in the latest outfit, but had to admit that Kenshin's clothing were tastefully done.
He leaned against the wall, a huge statue of a lady in roman robes stood next to him, carved from marble. It stood on a pedestal, and had it not, it would have stood to be as tall as him. He looked up at it for a moment before turning his attention to the smaller boy.
"So? What do you want?"
Kenshin once again showed him the paper. "Have you read this?"
He waited as Hiko read the article before saying, "I want to make this silent: we don't need Kisoyas getting into trouble."
Hiko frowned. "What do you mean? If they were responsible, it's only fair that they get sued."
Kenshin shifted his feet. "Well, see, the thing is Uncle, they weren't the ones responsible."
He saw his Uncle's brow twitch in irritation. Hiko glared at him. "Don't tell me: you were." He wasn't surprised when Kenshin nodded in embarrassment. He wanted nothing more than to hit him. He controlled his temper as he felt it rising. It would do him no good if the diplomats in the next room heard him shouting. He should have known this would happen; his nephew just knew all the tricks of pissing him off.
He kept his tones carefully measured. "You stupid child! I can't believe you! Where did you get off thinking to put shrimp in a girl's food when she's allergic!"
The younger winced. "Do I always have to repeat myself?" he muttered to himself. He shook his head and swiped at the air as if to remove Hiko's last statement. "That's not the point, Uncle. It's my fault so I want to finish it all quietly."
Hiko shrugged. "Hn! Do what you want - but don't think you're getting off that easily!"
Kenshin turned to face him. "What do you mean?"
It was here that Hiko exploded. "What do I mean!" he roared. "I mean, you stupid jack, that you could have put the M.R.I out of business with your carelessness! If word ever got out..."
"That's why I wanted to keep it quiet!" Kenshin intervened.
"That can be done." Hiko said taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Yes, it can be done. But you must learn that these things can't be repeated, and that you must pay much more than just money to make up for your mistake."
Kenshin looked at the statue for a moment, contemplating. He looked back at his Uncle nervously and bit his lip before asking, "What must I do then?"
Hiko put a hand up to his chin pensively. "Do?"
The redhead stepped forward. "I am willing to undergo the punishment you'll give me." He set his jaw in determination. Pain was welcome - he deserved it after all...even a week or a month without cigarettes...even major training...he was willing.
His Uncle smirked. "You are, ah?" He went quiet for a few moments. Kenshin waited, holding his breath. Finally, Hiko nodded. "Very well. You will do community service."
"C-community service?" He asked. He had heard of the word, but he had never done it, nor had he ever had the topic elaborated on. The way his uncle said it though, made it sound awful. He leaned forward a bit. "What is that? What do I have to do?"
"You must work."
"Work!" Kenshin repeated. He was shocked beyond words.
"Well, yes of course!" The taller man leaned down so that his face was close to the younger boy's. "It was your fault after all! Don't forget that Kamiya-san has a family too. In their current situation, it would mean that the children are alone. Did you not read - the newspaper says that the father is also in the hospital. Now you, my precious nephew, will have to go and take care of them."
Kenshin slunk back. He had read that Kaoru had siblings. And that Kaoru was the one providing them with food. He didn't understand why he had to go to them. He piped up, "But, Uncle, can't I have them stay with us for a while? It's not difficult..."
"That's not the point, idiot!" His uncle snapped, rapping him with one knuckle on the forehead. "If I were to let you do that, it's not enough of a punishment. And besides," he turned around, his white cape billowing, "I don't want any more brats running around my house. You're enough."
Kenshin felt as if the whole world was ending. He grabbed his uncle's cloak. "But! I can't! I mean, I won't! I won't go to a poor girl's house! I can't work there...I can't take care of children...I won't..."
"You will." His uncle commanded. "Unless you want to go to court and explain yourself." His voice was cold. "You told me that you were willing to do anything. I have told you what you are to do, and you will do it without question, am I understood?"
Kenshin knew he was treading on dangerous ice. When Hiko used that voice it was final and one could do nothing about the decision made. Tears welled up in his eyes: he would be forever stripped of his pride. "Yes sir..."
"Good. You will report to the Kamiya house tomorrow. You will begin your work early and you will end it late."
Kenshin wanted to throw a tantrum. "But Uncle, it's Sunday! I've got plans to go somewhere with Amakusa and Aoshi tomorrow. I can't possibly - "
"-Then cancel it." Hiko said curtly. "I won't hear it today, Kenshin. I'm sick and tired of you. Now get out of my sight."
He waited and watched as Kenshin went down the hall slowly, making his way back into his bedroom. When he got there, he began his temper tantrum, but no amount of raging could change Hiko Seijuro's mind.
0-0-0-0-0
The house was run down, and quiet. It was the most horrid thing Kenshin had seen in his life. The outside was the most disgusting piece of garden he'd ever seen, and the size of the whole lot looked to be about as big as his bedroom. He sniffed in dismay as his limo dropped him off on the opposite street. He didn't want Kamiya's siblings to think twice about anything.
Fear pulsated through his veins as he stepped up the rickety steps. It was in bad need for repairs, and the house was in desperate need of paint. He felt like crying. Last night's ordeal had been the worst - usually when he threw a tantrum, he got what he wanted, but it hadn't worked. Nakamura finally got him to stop and go to bed.
He didn't accept his fate willingly though.
Kenshin stopped before knocking on the door. He waited a few moments, and knocked again when nobody answered it. That was strange...he had been certain this was the right house. He was about to turn and leave, thinking there was nobody home, when he heard a small voice.
"Yahiko-nii, Suzume is too small to see who..."
"Oh, here, let me do it." Yahiko grumbled, picking Suzume up and opening the door with his free hand. He was surprised to see a red haired, purple eyed stranger standing at his doorway. His face seemed perplexed.
He cautiously closed the door a little. "Yes...? Can I help you with anything?"
Kenshin knew that the boy was nervous and so didn't venture to take any step forward. He knew that his name was Yahiko, but he didn't say that out loud, afraid to make the boy even more skeptical. "Ano...I was sent here to..." He didn't know what to say.
"Ah, you must be Kenshin-san!" Yahiko said. "Correct?"
It was Kenshin's turn to be confused. He gave Yahiko an uneasy smile. "Yes, I am...how did you know I was coming over?"
"Oh, someone called saying that the M.R.T or something was sending us a guardian for the day. The police even came to report it to us."
Kenshin sighed with relief. So his Uncle had gone through pains after all. He looked up as Yahiko pulled the door open fully. "Come on in."
He stepped into the house and wanted to faint. It was dark and so crowded, he felt like he was suffocating. The walls were so close, unlike the walls of his house - even his closet was bigger than their front doorstep! He wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back home, but he couldn't.
He was afraid to take his shoes off, worried about the amount of dirt he'd get on his socks. His broodings were cut short as a little girl ambled inside the room, wearing a worn green yukata. She resembled Kaoru a little bit. Her eyes fell on Kenshin.
"Ooooooooh...a stranger!" She cried.
"Ah...I'm not a stranger." Kenshin told her. "My name is Kenshin."
"Ken-nii?" Suzume asked, from her position in Yahiko's arms.
"Wai! Ken-nii!" The other little girl cried happily.
Kenshin couldn't help but smile: they were so cute.
Suzume forgot about Kenshin for a second, tugging on Yahiko's shirt. "Yahiko-nii, Suzume is hungry."
"Ayame too!" Ayame pouted.
Yahiko put Suzume down on the floor. "Yes, yes, we'll eat soon. I must finish with the laundry first."
Unconsciously, Suzume went over to Kenshin and held her arms out for him to pick her up. He looked around for a moment, before hoisting her up into his arms. She curled up against him. She felt like a sack of bones. "Hurry..." She said. To Kenshin, she said, "No food since yesterday morning. Now Suzume is hungry..."
Yesterday morning! Kenshin felt his heart twist painfully. The poor girl...
He decided to follow Yahiko into the laundry area, which was a small room next to a pump, a door leading to the backyard was open, the clothesline down, ready and waiting for him to put the clean clothes up to dry.
Ayame followed close behind, whining. "Yahiko-nii, we're hungry! Please...please..."
Yahiko slapped the clothing he had in his hand down, frustrated. "Okay fine! I'll get you guys something to eat, now be quiet!" Even after his sentence though, Ayame continued to whine, while Suzume sniffed sadly.
"...I want Kao-neechan..." She whispered.
Not knowing what to say, Kenshin pat her back reassuringly. "She'll be home soon...hopefully..."
He eyed the laundry for second. There were piles and piles of it, lining the floor in neat piles arranged by color. The small washbasin was old and looked to be having trouble keeping the water from leaking. He felt so sorry for the kids that he put Suzume down and squat, picking up a piece of clothing. It was soiled with dirt.
He had never done laundry before, but it was his task, Hiko had said, to help out. Testing, he began to squish the cloth together, and then tried to rub the dirt stains off. He caught sight of a washboard, and a can of soap and he began to use those.
He plunged each piece of clothing into the soapy water, surprised with himself. He was doing laundry - wait until the others heard this! Suzume didn't seem fazed at all, poking her small thumb into her mouth and watching him.
He decided he'd be nice and talk with her. "Suzume-chan, are you tired?"
She shook her head as a response.
He found himself smiling. "Are you sad?"
She took her thumb out of her mouth to reply. "I want Kao- neechan..."
He smiled sadly. "Maybe she'll be home tomorrow."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up.
He nodded, extending a soapy hand to her, beckoning her forward. "Do you want to help me with this?" He asked, "Or do you want to watch?"
She thought about it for a while, and then made her way over to him, clambering up onto his back, clasping her little hands around his neck. He froze for a moment, and then resumed scrubbing the clothes, a small smile on his lips. A warm feeling filled his chest.
Pride filled him as he hoisted the laundry onto its respective lines, the wind making the clothing flap. He had done a task, and he had done it well in his eyes. Suzume still clung to him by his neck and she looked up at the clothing along with him.
"Nice and white." She said quietly.
"Ah...nice and white." He murmured back. "We did a good job, didn't we?" he asked.
Suzume nodded. "Yes!"
"Oi!" They heard Yahiko shout. "Breakfast is ready! Kenshin-san! Suzume-chan!"
She looked more than happy. "Oh! Food!" She cried. She urged Kenshin on, and laughing, he went back into the house.
Their table was a low one like the ones in Kisoyas. Ayame was waiting impatiently by it, waiting to delve into the food.
Kenshin took one look at the food and recoiled mentally. Meager portions sat at every place at the table. Rice, fish, and miso soup. Nothing else. He had never seen a more pathetic breakfast in his life. 'So this is what Kamiya eats...' He thought to himself.
They quickly said their thanks for the meal and began to eat, hungrily spooning in the portions. Kenshin sat at his place and watched them, his heart heavy. While he ate such fancy meals and threw the ones he didn't like out, these children were starving...
"Aren't you going to eat, Kenshin-san?" Yahiko asked.
"Ah...you will have to excuse me." Kenshin said, kindly declining the offer by holding up his hand. "I am not hungry, I ate already. The children may have my share." He pushed his portion toward the two girls and addressed Yahiko again. "Please call me Kenshin. I don't like that -san part..."
Yahiko grunted. "If you say so..."
"I will work on the laundry for today," Kenshin told him, "so you don't need to worry about that."
"Uh...thanks." Yahiko said uncertainly. "I guess I'll clean the house then."
The elder boy nodded. "Okay then. Afterwards, I'll take you guys out to lunch."
"Will Ken-nii play?" Suzume asked, looking up from her bowl of rice. He laughed and mussed her hair.
"Yes, little one, we'll play."
He couldn't believe he was doing this.
0-0-0-0-0
"Kamiya-san, how are you feeling?"
She smiled, as Soujiro took her hand worriedly. "Oh, Sou...I'm so glad you came."
He sat down next to her, his smile on his lips. "I heard what happened, and I'm sorry to hear..."
She shook her head. "I'm okay now. It's all right. It was probably just some mistake."
Soujiro couldn't help but glare. "Yes, well...Kiyosato-san seemed pretty upset about it. Even if he had something to do with it..."
"It wasn't Kiyosato-san's fault!" Kaoru cried defensively. "Just like me, he had no idea what was happening."
Her friend shook his head. "Kamiya-san, please be careful! I'm worried about you. In truth, I find I can't trust Kiyosato-san, and so..." He looked away. "...What is it with him, anyway? It just seems so wrong, Kamiya-san, that this would happen when you were with him."
"What are you trying to say?" Kaoru asked. She began to cough, causing her to once again, moan in pain. After her brief spell though, she sought Soujiro's eyes with her own.
He ran his fingers over her hand. "What I meant to say, Kamiya-san, is that it would not have happened if you were with me. I would have made sure..."
Kaoru made a face and laughed softly. "Sou-chan, you sound jealous again."
He gave her a stupid silly grin. "Do I?" He decided to change the topic. "Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked.
"You've done enough." Kaoru told him firmly. "What with my father in the hospital and all..."
Soujiro glanced toward the door. "So that means your siblings are all alone?"
She sighed sadly. "Yes. The poor kids. They're probably scared all by themselves. Yahiko was never good at taking care of them, so I can only hope that I'll be okay soon."
"Would you like me to go check on them?" Soujiro asked. "Just to make sure they're okay?"
Kaoru's grip on his hand was enough to tell him the answer. He gave her hand a squeeze, telling her he'd be back the next day with the news.
The day was clear and bright. It was early so none of the malls were open yet, and besides, Okita wasn't anywhere close to being awake - he liked to sleep in on Sundays. A few birds took to flight, calling out to each other in harsh tones, making a chill run down his spine as he stepped into his waiting limo.
He directed his chauffer to the address Kaoru had given him, and was surprised to see the house's drab condition. He remembered Kenshin calling Kaoru poor and he had thought that it had been a joke. He wondered if this were the correct address after all.
He was even more surprised to see Kenshin walk out of the house, a little girl perched onto his shoulders, and another little girl running after him, close on his heels.
Getting out of his car, Soujiro called, "Himura-san!"
Kenshin froze and turned around slowly, to see a very confused Soujiro staring at him.
"Ah...Soujiro! What are you doing here?"
His friend stepped forward. "I believe Himura-san...the question should be, what are YOU doing here?"
Kenshin opened his mouth to explain.
But how would he explain it?
Behind Soujiro, another limo came to a halt, and a familiar face exited.
Talk about embarrassing!
To Be Continued...
AN: Once again, your reviews are inspiring. I didn't end this the way I wanted to and I'm really dissatisfied with it, but you tell me: how was it? MAJOR THANKS GOES TO GYPSY-CHAN IN THIS CHAPTER! (Hugs) She came up with the community service thing, and I just had to put it in here. Again, thanks Gypsy-chan and thank you reviewers! Do you think Kenshin got what he deserved after those nasty pranks? PLEASE REVIEW I beg you!