Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applied
AN: A little flashback to start the day?
I'm actually wondering if someone is still anticipating this story. It's been years and I'm an adult now. I barely write anymore so bear with me. Well, I have left the story at the end of the arc, and now the story has come to a new chapter/arc... Don't worry about the story going to a weird direction, because I have planned the story (and all of my long stories) before writing them, and I'm using that guide to write the new chapters (yes I keep the notes I wrote 5, 6 years ago haha), On another topic, I seem to like Yumi as a bar owner. I don't know why. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy the story, and please take a little bit of your time to write me a little (constructive) review. I'm so very rusty in writing (especially in English) that I need feedbacks and tough love (not too tough please or I'll cry) from all of you readers. This is not beta-ed coz I have no time for that, I'm so sorry. Please read, review and enjoy the story!
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The Intersection
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For young lady Kaoru, part of her life had just ended. She dragged her expensive leather suitcase on the pavement quickly, ignoring the blisters she developed from walking too long in her expensive shoes. She walked and walked and stopped at the bus station. Early on, she took a taxi, but after two hours of driving, she decided to start walking instead. Even with her own feet taking control, she felt lost. It was the first time she was ever alone. It was the first time she was ever without a purpose.
Her happiness was simple. If Kenshin smiled, it was enough for her even though sometimes his smile wasn't for her. She was bound by a chain, planted on her since she was born. She was the embodiment of what it seemed to be his ideals. She walked the way he liked women to walk. She talked the way he thought was appealing. Her likes, dislikes, none of them were hers. She sculpted herself into a work of art he might fight for during the auction.
But he didn't. He looked at her and saw a reflection of another woman. He did smile a lot to her, but the only time his eyes really lit up was when he saw that woman again. He did take care of her the way a husband was supposed to take care of his wife and more, but there was no love. It was his kindness as a person and his duty as the man of the house.
And so she started to crumble.
It didn't matter if they liked the same music, or read the same book, laughed at the same joke. He was always looking at someone else.
So she left. She wouldn't want to be someone who caused him pain.
She pulled her luggage and got on the first bus she saw. She didn't care where it took her.
OoooO
"You can hold your alcohol well." A feminine voice startled Kaoru, who was staring blankly at the glass in her hand, half-filled with whisky and a chunk of ice. She turned her attention from a ball of ice inside her glass towards the lady who sat beside her.
"The drink tastes bad." She commented while playing around with the ice inside her glass.
"Oh? How so? Aren't you drinking our finest whisky? Moreover, you've drank plenty enough." She asked with an expression which showed both annoyance and curiousity. Kaoru shrugged, not realizing the woman's tone, and began to move the glass around, causing the ice to roll around the glass.
"I'm drinking because I need to drink. Actually, this ice doesn't do any justice towards the expensive whisky you sell. There's something icky about the taste." She said, and the woman beside her raised an eyebrow.
"You seem to know a lot."
"That's because I drink a lot... One of the vodka-hiding-in-the-dresser kind of drinker."
"Ah, an alcoholic, you mean?" She commented in a patronizing tone, and Kaoru chuckled.
"Probably." She answered nonchalantly, and then looked at the woman. "Kamiya Kaoru." She offered her hand, and the woman stared at her awkwardly before returning her greeting.
"Komagata Yumi." She said, shaking Kaoru's hand. "I'm the owner of the bar." She continued, and Kaoru gasped.
"Oh my god! I'm sorry! I didn't realize it!" She said while covering her mouth. Yumi chuckled.
"What you said is interesting. We only sell the best spirits and liquor here, so either your tastebuds have gone bad from all the drinking you did, or we're doing something wrong here." She said, and Kaoru blushed.
"I'm so sorry... Really... It wasn't that bad anyway, it's just me..." She trailed off, took another sip and sniffed the glass. "The thing is, I think your ice smells." She continued, and Yumi grabbed her glass. She smelled it and frowned.
"Nothing smells bad here." She said, and Kaoru shook her head while standing up.
"Can I show you?" She asked, and Yumi nodded.
"Sure, I'm very curious now." She replied, and Kaoru walked into the inner part of the bar. She asked for a block of ice and an icepick, and with ease she cut off a chunk of ice.
"Lend me a three-prong ice pick and a knife." She asked, and Yumi took out her utensils, a three-prong which looked like a devil's trident and a big knife. Kaoru started carving the ice quickly until it looked somewhat spherical with the three-prong and smooth the spherical ice into a perfect ball with the knife in only a minute while Yumi and the bartender watched in awe. She took a glass, sniffed the inside and put the ice in it before pouring the same whisky.
"Try tasting the whisky you gave me and this one." She said, and Yumi did.
While adding the ice to the drink was already a blasphemy, adding a contaminated ice made it even worse. Kaoru was right, the drink tasted rather too ordinary for something so expensive, as if it was some cheap whisky people drank to get drunk. On the other hand, the one with the ice Kaoru carved tasted better, and smelled better too.
"How?" She asked Kaoru, who smiled at the woman.
"You used a ball-shaped mold for the ice balls right? I suspect that the molds left some kind of stench into the ice." Kaoru answered. "I guess you should buy some new molds, or make your waiter carve the ice manually."
"He can't do that. He's a part-timer." Yumi said while looking at the bartender, who was staring at the two women. She then looked at Kaoru and smirked. "You can teach him."
"What?" Kaoru frowned, and then chuckled. "You're going to have to pay me." She said playfully, but then her chuckle stopped when she saw Yumi's serious face.
"I will. You can bartend here and teach all of the bartenders." She replied. Kaoru looked at her, a little surprised at the sudden offer.
"I just met you, you know." Kaoru slowly said. "Do you really trust me for that kind of responsibility?"
Yumi smiled. "What, there's no one trustworthy in your life? You're so skeptical for someone who looks like a rich, pampered lady."
"Yeah, being a rich and pampered lady mean that you're number one target for deceit and lies." She replied with a bitter smile. "That's what happened in the drama." She added when Yumi showed a weird expression.
"Anyway, when can you start?" She asked.
This bartending job was the first job she had ever gotten through her own power.
In a way, she felt a little happier than before, remembering that her whole life she was a pretty doll that was being passed around according to people's needs. On the contrary, she didn't blame anyone for that. She didn't blame her father who sold her in exchange of a business deal, or Kenshin who was forced to marry her, or even the girl Kenshin was carrying his torch for. She blamed herself, for various reasons. She blamed her inability to support her family, her narrow-mindedness, and million other things she could've changed.
She found a small apartment (she never knew that people had to pay a lot of money for a measly studio) and started furnishing it. Her new job didn't pay much, but enough to pay her rent. She started selling her expensive things one by one, and after a couple of month, she was Kaoru in cheap t-shirt and jeans.
Yumi and her weird boyfriend in bandages liked her a lot. She was diligent and she knew how to bring the bar up to the international standard, which Yumi had been trying to do for a while now. The only concern Yumi had was probably her drinking habit; sometimes she was found wasted near the dumpsters after the shift was over. Her paycheck was probably halved by her drinking habit as well.
Albeit some small setbacks here and there, her third month was passed without a hitch. Kaoru had started putting on weight, which Yumi suspect from her binge drinking and eating. She didn't exactly lead a healthy lifestyle, and it was getting worse as she seemed to have adapted to the area (which was full of bars and fast food). She also seemed to be sick most of the time, with the vomiting and the flu.
Apparently the unhealthy lifestyle was not the only thing that caused her everyday distraction, and fortunately both Yumi and Kaoru found out before it was too late.
It happened on the beginning of her fourth month of living alone and working for Yumi. She was resting at the back while watching TV after her vomit series, and Yumi was accompanying her, trying to figure out a way to talk to her about changing her lifestyle. They were talking until suddenly Kaoru froze, looking at the TV while gaping.
It was a normal celebrity gossip channel, airing some young heir's engagement and discussing about his colourful past life. Yumi saw the younger girl as she changed from being stunned to gasping for air.
"Kaoru?" She asked, a little worried. It wasn't until she saw Kaoru's jeans were covered in blood did Yumi screamed and ran outside to call the ambulance. She was hyperventilating and the blood kept on coming out even as she was put into the ambulace and was rushed to the hospital.
After a few hours of examinations and treatments, Kaoru have calmed down and the doctor sat with her, gently and carefully asking her a few questions before finally telling her what actually went wrong.
"Miss, you are about three to four months pregnant." The doctor said, and Kaoru froze. "We are still waiting for test results to see if the baby is unharmed."
The doctor proceeded to talk about the danger of drinking and binge eating for the baby, but Kaoru couldn't pay attention to him. Her mind went blank and she froze for a long time, sitting lifelessly on her hospital bed.
Only when the ward became quieter was she able to move her hand to caress her stomach. Thinking back, she only thought about herself, her misery, the tragic events she had to go through, how she had done nothing wrong but somehow her entire life were just a series of unfortunate encounters. She had never stopped to think about other people. How her father might have grieved for her disappearance, how devastating it was for her close friends... and now her self-pity and ego might have cost her another life, probably the most precious one in her lifetime.
"I'm sorry... Please don't leave me... I'm sorry..." She whispered as she gently caressed her stomach, tears falling onto her cheeks.
OoooO
Okinawa, Present Day
"TADAIMAAAA!" Kenji screamed his lungs out running towards their small shop, while Kaoru and Misao unloaded their suitcases and a few boxes of souvenirs and other stuff they bought in Tokyo from the taxi. Kaoru smiled as she entered the door, where she immediately greeted by her employees and her regulars.
"Minna! I have some stuff for you guys from Tokyo!" Kaoru said, and the employees ran outside, forgetting their job. They helped Misao carry the luggage inside while excitedly tearing some of the boxes out to get the souvenirs. Kaoru could only smile at their antics as she made her way to the back of the pantry.
"Yes, yes, just forget about why you guys were hired and let the boss do the work." She said with a mock angry voice while she washed her hands and went to her office in the back of the shop. She was about to take her apron, before stopping when she saw her Himura Kenshin wall. She sighed, smiled and ripped everything out.
"Sayonara." She said with a chuckle, but then took out a Polaroid picture from her purse. It was a rather blurred picture of her, Kenji and Kenshin posing at the airport, when he was seeing them off. He had promised Kenji to visit him as much as he could. She stared at the picture a little, before taking her apron and putting it on. "Okay then." She said to herself as she headed outside and started making her customers' orders.
As the sun was setting, the customers left the shop one by one. Kenji was exhausted from the trip and slept like a log in her office, while the rest of the employees were washing the dishes and mopping the floor. Kaoru sat at one of the bar stool and laid her head on the table. She was extra tired today, having just come back from an eventful trip and started working immediately. The tourist season seemed to be early, and all the tourists have started coming in.
She sighed and remembered the bar she used to work in. It was always quiet and laidback, she spent most of her time there watching TV or just spacing out. The owner, Yumi, helped her a lot during her tough times, and even when she decided to leave, she helped her find a place and helped her get back on her feet.
Her daydream was cut short by the sound of the door opening. She got up, feeling a little weird that a customer came at dinnertime, since they usually left after their afternoon tea and went for dinner.
"Welco-" She stopped as she saw the guy. The tall, good looking and rather stylish guy in front of him looked a little out of place in the middle of her modest store. He took off his shades and sat near the window, crossing his long legs casually as he lightly tapped the floor with his polished, expensive shoes. His hair was wild, gleaming silver under the dim light as he turned his head to look at his phone. Kaoru looked at her employees, who apparently were also as flustered as she was, were fighting among themselves to see who deserved to serve the guy. Kaoru chuckled and approached the customer.
"Welcome." She repeated politely while giving him the menu. He looked up and smiled, his eyes were golden, probably because of the sunset.
"Hello there." He said, taking the menu and skimmed through it. He then put the menu back on the table and looked at her with a stare that made her a little giddy. "This is my first time here. I've heard a lot good things about this place, so why don't you tell me, what's the best drink here?"
Kaoru coughed. "Well, we have some with alcohol and some without. The most famous one is the blended coffee. Although people were skeptical of my decision in using a canned coffee, it is, by far, the most wanted drink here." She explained. The guy looked at her, and smiled.
"Your decision? You must be the owner?" He asked.
"Ah yes."
"A young entrepreneur, I see? Beautiful and smart. What a gem." He commented lightly. "I'll have that coffee you suggested." He added. Kaoru nodded with a hint of blush on her cheek and went back to the kitchen.
The girls were very, very excited with their customer, giggling and sitting around Kaoru, who quickly made the coffee blend he ordered. Omasu was grinning and poking Kaoru's ribs.
"Kaoru-san... He seems very interested in you." She said, and Kaoru laughed.
"With my tired and dull look right now? No way." She replied. "Moreover, even if he's interested, he would back down after he knows that I have a child."
"Who knows, right? He might like kids." Okon added. "You wouldn't know until you try." She added. Kaoru bit her lips and looked at Misao, who was helping her grind some coffee.
"What do you think, Misao-chan?"
Misao looked up and smiled. "After the whole shitty thing that has happened, I think you deserve to have some fun, Kaoru-san." She said, giving her the ground coffee. Kaoru inhaled.
"You know what? He's kinda cute..." She said with a silly grin while finishing the blend and brought it to the customer. Kaoru waited until he took a sip, curious for his reaction. He looked at the coffee, sniffed it and then sipped it with a frown. The frown soon changed into a surprised face, and then a smile.
"Aren't you a complete package. Beautiful, smart, independent and make a great coffee." He said with a breathy voice. Kaoru pressed her lips together.
"The compliment isn't gonna get you some free coffee, Mister." She said with a thin smile, and he chuckled.
"Oh no, obviously I expect more than a free coffee, Miss..."
Kaoru smiled as she heard loud suppressed giggling from the kitchen. "It's Kaoru. My employee call me boss sometimes, and so does my son." She said with a grin. He lifted up an eyebrow, and Kaoru thought it was over.
"Just Kaoru?" He asked.
"Yeah, just Kaoru." She answered with a shrug, and he grinned.
"So, Miss Just Kaoru, do you feel like going out around town?" He asked.
"Are you sure you won't regret it? Even after I mentioned that I have a kid?" She asked back, and he laughed as if she just asked a ridiculous question.
"Most likely not." He answered confidently and Kaoru grinned. Her mind flew back to the memory of Yumi, scolding her with the same words she used to repeat over and over again.
"Go out! Have a laugh! Get a new guy!"
She chuckled as Yumi's annoying voice rang inside her head. It wasn't really one of those wise advices that could make people change their heart. It was just a light annoyance she used to blurt out every time she saw Kaoru drank and ate her life away. Who knew, she might wanted to follow that advice now.
"Okay then, tomorrow night?" She asked, and then looked at him as if she remembered something. "By the way, what's your name?"
For some reason, his smile grew into a smirk. "I'm Enishi. Just Enishi."