08.03.11
A Ninja Girl's Romantic Story
~ Chapter 10 ~
Transition
Aoshi stood at the far back of the crowd. The day of his ward's college graduation has finally arrived and he is just in time for the university ceremony. Each college has two ceremonies, the first one is held inside the students' resident colleges, and the second one is like a joint celebration of sorts, held outdoors in the university grounds because of the huge crowd that consists of all university students and their families. There at the center of the grass field is a huge platform stage that divides the rows and rows of seats for the students and for their guests. Aoshi is situated in the area reserved for the guests, but because he didn't inform his ward of his attendance, he is forced to stand along with the rest of the crowd with no seats. His tall frame and immaculate suit covered by an expensive-looking beige trench coat may be difficult to ignore, but aside from that, he is where he want to be, blending inconspicuously with the sea of people.
He indulged in watching Isa from afar. His eyes may be covered with the light shade of his sunglasses, but the tiny raise at the tip of his mouth cannot hide the fact that he is happy. Being a top student himself, he cannot deny the smug feeling swelling up inside him at seeing his ward following his footsteps. Isa's awards had given her the privilege to step again on stage, in front of the whole school this time, and Aoshi is glad by both her achievements and the pleasure of watching her in plain sight. He had to admit, though, that despite graduating with a degree, his ward is still small compared to the other students. He just had to smile to himself at that. But if he didn't know any better, he'd say she's the most attractive being he has seen in such a long while. She is a complete mixture of beauty, intelligence and confidence. The person he sees now is definitely a grown woman, despite her height, and from the distance, he find it difficult to trace the little girl that he has raised. He didn't know when he stopped thinking like the uptight man that he was. All he knows is he enjoyed the view, and for the rest of the ceremony, that is all that matters.
As soon as the ceremony came to an end, Isa ran towards the edge of the crowd of guests littering the grass field. She was sure she saw Aoshi when she went onstage! She was sidetracked, however, when a guy whom she knew as one of her former seatmates grabbed her arm and requested for a group picture. It was not later than that when a few other guy classmates appeared as well and they all exchanged congratulatory hugs while stepping beside her one by one to have their pictures taken with her. It is true that she's been careful of people since she started working for Shishio, but seeing her carefree male acquaintances happy to have their pictures taken with her made her joyful inside. They have not forgotten her despite her distant attitude during the last of her college years and without realizing it, she is already sincerely smiling for the pics and telling them that she will remember their brief moments of being in class together.
Once the happy chatter has subsided, she heard a shout nearby and turned her head to see her friend, Megumi. This made her elated, once again. Not only because she saw her friend, but because that friend happened to reveal another surprise for her during their ceremony.
"MY GOD, MEGUMI! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WE WERE BOTH GRADUATING THIS TERM? We should've partied or something!"
"Ohohohohohoho! This is why I never told you! You should've seen the look on your face when I was called and we met on stage!"
"I know! I honestly didn't see that coming! What miracle did you do, woman?"
"Nothing, really. I was really expecting to graduate on the same year as you, but things were a little rough, so I kept it to myself in case things go wrong. Now that we're both here, I'm just glad we finally have our degree!"
"Well, congratulations to you! I am so happy for you! Now that the three of us are officially graduates, I guess this is the start of a new life for us. Any plans yet?"
"Now that you mentioned it," Megumi paused to exaggeratedly flip her long hair. "I actually got an offer to work with a well known doctor in Kyoto. Not only is he going to guide me, he is offering me to join him in his monthly trips to abroad to conduct seminars, would you believe that? It's far from here, but it's a good break for a beginner like me. My parents are so proud that they actually allowed me to move there if I wished to. Isa, I can start my own career and make a name for myself if I moved there! I won't have to rely on my family name anymore, I'm so excited!"
"Are you crazy? That is so where I live!"
"Ohohohohohohohohoho! I know, right?"
With a new found glint in their eyes, Isa voiced their main thought, "We are SO gonna bond when you move there! I bet Kaoru will be jealous if we meet all the time."
"Speaking of the devil… Ohohohohohohoho!"
Isa followed Megumi's line of vision, and there, they saw Kaoru fighting her way through the crowd, a big smile plastered on her face as she hurriedly pushes off the people around her to meet them.
Not far behind the excited girl are the rest of her group which consists of her brother Yahiko, their new friend Tsubame, and Kaoru's adult student, Kenshin. Isa grinned like a cat when she saw the swordsman, using her graduation as one of his lame excuses to bond with Kaoru, but she was still too absorbed with her graduation high that she decided to tease Kaoru at a later date.
After saving Tsubame and buying her things, Isa talked to Kaoru about allowing her to stay with them. Kaoru had no problems with it since Tsubame promised to help around the house and look for a job to pay her rent, which she later found in a nearby restaurant called Akabeko. In fact, Kaoru's been ecstatic to live with another girl and promised to keep her secret safe, even from her nosy brother. Judging from Yahiko's continuous blushing and uncharacteristic stuttering around their new tenant, it was painfully obvious that he is not against the idea, as well. Ever since Tsubame moved to the Kamiya Residence, the two have quite gotten along well.
As for Tsubame, she had been sad at first that she's moving away from her 'lady-prince', but Isa assured her that she's safe now and that her new friends will be there to protect her. She may even be lucky because Kaoru agreed that it is only right to teach her some self-defense. To lift the younger girl's spirits, Isa promised her that when the complications in her life is over, she will come see her again so she can decide if she still want to live with her when that time comes. Tsubame understood Isa's troubles and was already more than happy that her saviour had given her that option.
As Isa recalled her deal with Tsubame, she suddenly remembered why they were gathered at the guests' area of the field. She quickly turned her head to where she last saw Aoshi, but he was nowhere in sight. Standing there, however, was a tall man of similar built. Isa laughed hard which called the attention of her friends back at her.
"Woman, what are you laughing at? Come here, we gotta take lotsa pictures of you and Megumi's moment. Better make use of your beautiful camera!" Kaoru piped up.
"Ehehehehehe. I was imagining Aoshi-sama was here. Oy… OY KAORU! When did you get hold of my EXPENSIVE BABY! Be careful with that, biatch! That's my grad gift from Aoshi-sama, I don't want it getting destroyed before my graduation day ends!" Isa shouted angrily, but playfully, and everybody just laughed. They knew the genki girl was just happy and missing her guardian.
"Hey, none of you are listening! I said give it back, ARGH! That's pretty because that's bought by Aoshi-sama, I can't wait to see him again!"
Kaoru was just responding with 'blah blah blah' expressions on her face.
"Ohohohohoho, we heard you okay." said Megumi while making an imitation of a ghost gliding towards Kenshin, who by now have sensed the situation and having sweatdrops forming on his forehead. "Ken-saaaaaan," she said seductively, "will you take the camera away from that brute Kaoru and have Isa take a picture of us? Ohohohohoho!"
"Oroooo, Megumi-dono… Sessha does not think…"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING BRUTE? STAY AWAY FROM KENSHIN!"
"I said don't pass around my camera like it's a cheap toy! Aoshi-sama won't forgive youuuu! Give it back to me, in the name of Shinomori!"
"Ohohohohoho~~!"
The chaotic rounds of conversation continued. Unknown to them all, the said Aoshi is still nearby, silently observing her ward interact with friends he has never met. He got alarmed at first when he saw men freely giving her ward what they call 'bear hugs', but as soon as he heard her bragging his name like the old days, he felt a little of the Isa he knew and suddenly he was at ease. He decided to walk away at that moment and leave her ward to her celebration. As he distance himself from the crowd, he was shaking his head lightly and thinking, so much of that beauty and intelligence that I am imagining while smiling, the people around him completely unaware that it is already one of those rare moments that they will see such man smile.
Dinnertime has arrived and Aoshi is absentmindedly twirling a fallen petal in his fingers. After doing an investigation of his own regarding the Sakamoto case, he decided to dine at some fine restaurant to have a break and dissect the information he has gathered. He didn't mind paying additional cash in order to get the most isolated table, even if he is alone, because 'quiet and peaceful' is exactly how he preferred things, except for when he is listening to his ward's cheerful antics. The restaurant manager gave him a table at the back of the room, but since their secluded booths are usually for eventful occasions and are not meant for a single person, the area appeared to be too spacious for him. It piped up the curiosity of the female waitresses and they keep on trying to peek inside his booth to steal a few glances at him, all wondering if he is expecting a female to arrive and join him. When the male waiter (thankfully) arrived to ask his order, Aoshi requested that the noisy and nosy females be put away and the waiter gladly obliged.
The increasing volume of footsteps alerted the okashira of the return of the man serving his food and the lone petal fell from his fingers. He looked down at it for the first time and then at the flower resting inside the delicate-looking vase in which it is formerly a part of. It was then that the sight before him started to register.
She would love that.
"Excuse me, sir, here is your order." The waiter interrupted. "I hope you enjoy your meal."
He silently thanked the waiter with a small nod of his head and started his meal, his thoughts quickly changing to another pressing issue.
Start of Flashback
Aoshi leisurely walked along the port area, his suit jacket gone, his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The sun is high up in the sky providing warmth, but sprays of cold water is brought by the wind every now and then to create a soothing contrast. The weather is just right for an afternoon cruise. He could already see people boarding their anchored yachts and enjoying the good weather.
He decided to start his stroll in the most extravagant-looking part of the port. He deduced that the place is the nearest private property with personal yachts, so if the people involved in the murder that he is investigating have men on standby to look after the passenger ship to Korea, then this is where they will likely hang out. If Shishio is behind this, like they assume, then it isn't unlikely that he owns one of these extravagant yachts. He silently wondered why the police never thought of the involvement of people outside the ship, but then he knew it'd be pointless to dwell on it since he has no plans of teaming up with them or informing them of his theory. He continued observing what is considered normalcy in the area while approaching a group of men employees every now and then to casually inquire about boating, their maintenance and the benefits of spending some time in the waters.
On went his inquiries. On the back of his head, he is wondering if his ward would love such experience. He knew she loved the beach, but she has never tried cruising. When he realized that it has nothing to do with his current mission, and that he will always have thoughts of his little girl all the time, like she is an extended part of himself, he realized that he has walked a long way and he is now in the parking area reserved for less-extravagant yachts, mostly small and plain-looking ones ideal for boating alone or with a small group of people. It is there, however, that he has finally heard something new. Although it is far from being related to a murder case, it is the only thing he's heard of that doesn't involve boating hobbyists, rich people holding parties aboard, fishing, bragging about machineries and the like, to which to his Oniwabanshu instincts were all the same. Something told him he should take note of this one…
"Oy, oy, Shinji! You checking out girls again?" said one man who looks like an employee in the area.
"Ahahahaha, you caught me." This Shinji replied while scratching his head.
"Well, you're kind of predictable man, always looking for wild, liberated girls having a good time."
Shinji feigned hurt. "I am, aren't I? I can't help it; my experience abroad has really broadened my tastes. You have to admit, ladies playing amongst themselves look hot!"
"Ah, talking dirty now in the middle of work, eh? I assume you're talking about the lesbian couple we saw a couple of weeks ago."
"Hey are you talking about the kissing girls we saw the night before the murder broke out?" another man butt in.
At hearing this Aoshi's senses were on alert.
"Oh trust this man to be attentive when it comes to women." The first man teased.
"Well, who wouldn't forget a scene like that?" the third man replied.
Aoshi decided it was the best time to show himself. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but I happened to heard your conversation."
"Err excuse us, sir, these fellas of mine get carried away." Shinji replied. "Are you the owner of one of these boats?"
"No." Aoshi answered. "I just came from that area over there. I was admiring these boats when I chanced upon your conversation." To a stranger's ears, he sounded like he was really interested in the topic. Nobody noticed he was actually acting out of his character.
"Well, well, looks like sir here is another one for attractive ladies." The third man replied. Clearly he was pleased they had drawn the tall man's attention.
Aoshi allowed himself a smirk. "Why are they overflowing in here?" All men laughed at his joke.
"He he heh, well not really, it's rare to see things like that here as they usually do that when they're on the waters, not in these humble ports." Shinji spoke again, deciding by himself that he'd be the one to supply the information.
"What about the one you were talking about?" Aoshi started his real inquiry.
"Ah, that. One night we saw a steaming lesbian couple making out in one of these small boats. The yacht was anchored; it looked like they were just having a good time in the dark. We left them to their business of course." Shinji finished with a proud grin.
"They said their parents owned the yacht and they didn't want anyone to find out about their relationship, so we, being the gentlemen that we are, left them of course." The first man supplied.
"That is manly of you guys." To this, the men laughed. "I heard this happened during a murder?"
"Oh, nothing significant." Shinji brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "It was just the night before the murder in some passenger ship to Korea occurred, so we were able to remember the date."
"Is this the Sakamoto murder you were talking about, perhaps?"
"Ah, that's it! Hey are you an investigator or the like? Nobody has ever inquired here. There's nothing here, really."
"Man, why would you say such thing? This handsome guy here could only be curious about the ladies!" the third guy said with a wriggle of his eyebrows.
Aoshi forced a smile "That is correct. I was just thinking they chose a perfect timing for their make out session. They must love the thrill, no?"
The men laughed again, and like old buddies, began talking to Aoshi about their job here and there and everything else that they have seen around the port while they're here, mostly about attractive women, to which Aoshi patiently listened.
Finally, when he believed there is nothing more to hear from these men, he faked a call from the phone on his pocket. "Excuse me guys, but I believe my phone is vibrating." He picked up his phone, pretended to ignore a call, and then said, "That was my boss' warning call, I should be back soon."
"Well, we had a good time talking to you, sir."
"You should really try investing on your own boat. Maybe we'll see you one day with a woman here. God, women love these romantic stuffs!"
"Indeed. Thank you for your time. As a parting gift, here is a card to a bar nearby. The place is good yet their prices are pretty cheap and most of all," Aoshi made a malicious grin, "they're popular among foreigners, so you'll most likely see more of your exotic women there, Shinji." Aoshi handed one of the colorful cards that a young saleslady had forcefully handed him on the streets. He was originally intending on throwing it or, perhaps, giving it to Shikijo..?
Shinji blushed and the men laughed again while waving their goodbyes. "Man, sir over there is really good."
As Aoshi walked away, he pretended to brush his fingertips on his non-existent facial hair. In reality, he is rubbing his jaw. Thinking in a manner similar to those men, he said to himself, "That grin hurt. Man, I have never talked this much in a long while. Thank kami, none of those men knew me."
End of Flashback
As he recalled his time at the port, he is beginning to doubt the relevance of the lesbian couple. He tried to bring it up again to those men, but they really couldn't say anything else as it was still too dark that night despite its nearing to dawn. Nevertheless, he will file this discovery. If those two ladies are of any relation to Shishio, then it must mean he is hiring women, as well, and they started the kissing scene to distract the witnesses. All his lackeys that he has heard of, however, are all males, but Shishio is not the type to discriminate people's skills based on their gender, so it is only right that he keep his eyes open on this possibility.
For the meantime, he deserves to enjoy his meal after a long day. He looked in front of him and reminded himself that he still have some errand to run before he go to his final destination tonight.
With a full stomach threatening to explode and ears bleeding from all the drunk shouting and loud noises from the karaoke, Isa went outside to have a break from the party. It was exclusive to her college batchmates, so her friend, Megumi, was not among the drunken crowd. She didn't mind, though, because she missed a lot of carefree fun when she's working on other things, so she felt it right to entitle herself to one wild college night before she leaves.
At least I have some good memories here. She thought with a sad, painful smile.
She sat on the wooden porch of the traditional Japanese rest house that her batchmates reserved for the event. This gave her a good night-time view of the beautiful garden and the glowing white crescent moon reflecting on the koi pond. The only sound she's hearing is the bamboo fountain and the muffled music from the karaoke inside which is now more bearable to listen to from a distance.
Kisetsu wa odayaka ni, owari wo tsugeta ne
Irodorareta kioku ni yosete sayonara
Ai wo kureta ano hito wa, kono hitomi ni yurameite ita
(The season calmly declared its end.
I gather colorful memories and I say goodbye to them.
That person who gave me love, was swaying inside these eyes.)
Isa sat down and leaned on a wooden pillar, one of her knees raised and her hand holding a cigarette resting on it. She thought about the last person on her hitlist, the girl named Makimachi Misao. They must be about the same age. That would make her a grown up like she is now and experiencing her own share of life troubles. She wondered as to what extent hers might be, because she will surely make her life more miserable once she entered her life only to end her existence.
Togirenai kimochi nante hajime kara shinjite nakatta
Utsuriyuku machinami ni torinokosareta mama,
yukikau ano hitobito ga, ima wa tooku ni kanjirarete
Zawameki sae usurete wa, tameiki ni kiete shimau…
(I didn't believe from the beginning in continuous feelings
Being abandoned in changing towns,
I can feel at the distance, those people who come and go
Even the noise goes down and disappears in a sigh…)
After all the bad things that has happened in her life, she could still be thankful that she's an orphan raised by a very kind, although not very expressive, man and not an heir of some big shot. She had the time of her life growing up with a teenager Aoshi and her ninja family, the man even gave her a surname she can be proud of. Of course, there's still the occasional feeling of envy. What does having a family bound by blood feel like? Will she have her own experience of it in the future?
Does this Misao now have a foster family who will grieve after her loss?
…Ato dore kurai darou? soba ni ite kureru no wa
Sou, omoinagara toki wo kizande ita yo…
(…How long will you be by my side?
So, while I was thinking, the time was elapsing…)
Seeing her thoughts going downhill, she stood up, stretched her arms a little, and figured that she needed more alcohol in her system.
She walked back inside the party room, the death stick still in between her thin fingers.
A highly intoxicated Isa managed to open her door before getting out-of-balanced and slamming herself on it face first. Pushing it close with a bang, she tried to stand properly on her own two feet while carelessly throwing her belongings on the nearby couch. It was when her keys fell on the coffee table overflowing with flowers settled on a large vase, has she only noticed that her whole flat, or at least everything that her vision can reach, was decorated with foreign flowers that she was sure were roses of different kinds. The assault of the fragrant smell on her senses immediately followed after this realization, but for some reason, her ninja senses were not on alert. And she was sure it wasn't because she's under the influence of alcohol.
A person immediately came into mind. She knows that person is well aware of her love for roses and would make use of it to please her from time to time…
…but he is in a completely different city that is far from hers and is probably busy at the moment with completely different things. It can't be possible that he travelled all the way here to surprise her,
can it?
The alcohol is again reminding her of its presence on her system and she felt her throat getting hot and dry. Not that she can form any words if it isn't.
Caught in a trance, she passed by the bouquets and bouquets of roses arranged in her living room and walked towards her bedroom, her unsteady footsteps getting faster as she reaches what now seemed like a faraway doorknob.
She silently opened the door, as if making the slightest noise would wake her up from her dream. The light was off; it was dark like the rest of her place, but her trained eyes and her hopeful heart did not fail her.
The person she loved the most is sitting in front of her.
The moment she laid her eyes upon her bed, she saw Aoshi sitting there at the edge. His head was bowed down a little and his arms were heavily leaning on his open legs. He looked like he fell asleep waiting, but she knew he was conscious of her arrival. To confirm her thoughts, his ice blue eyes lifted to look at her form and she felt it piercing her soul like a sharp icicle. It was absorbing all the light and glowing in contrast to the dark room. The tension was thick, yet it was sweet and welcomed. It didn't help that none of them moved to switch on the light. Isa took a few steps forward to test her courage and decided then and there to act purely on instinct.
With tears threatening to fall out of the corner of her eyes, the ninja girl leaped at her guardian, resulting in him being thrown in the center of the bed. Astonishment aside, Aoshi was fascinated at how his ward can look very grown up and yet still act like the genki child that she was all those years ago. Her body fit perfectly in his arms, like he's holding her for the first time, and he didn't mind one bit that it was warmed by the alcohol she has obviously consumed. In fact, he allowed himself to be enveloped by its heat. He felt tenderness seep inside him as he stares at her, genuinely smiling and hugging him for dear life. The situation gave way to his sudden recollection of his own share of relationships when he was younger, none of those lasted due to the women complaining that it's always "all about Isa" all the time, but somehow, at this moment, he knew he felt something different inside him. He could not put his finger on it, it seems closely related to his train of thought and yet not the same. Something tells him there's more, that it is a whole new level deeper than what he has felt before. The only thing he understood is that it is far more special and endearing now that they are together and enjoying the sweetness of their reunion. He continued looking into her eyes, trying to read there what it is that he's sure they are both feeling. When their close proximity and inappropriate position on the bed has finally come to his attention, it was too late. The child he has raised acted on that instinctive feeling and slowly, her soft lips were descending on his that it soon turned into an experimental kiss, as if telling him that she's no longer his little girl but his equal – someone ready to face what's ahead of them with newly formed maturity. And accept that, he would. It wasn't something that he could prevent from happening, anyway.
What he couldn't comprehend was why he was kissing her back.
Her breath, mixed with her natural sweet smell, smelled faintly of cigarettes and tequila and as odd as it sounds, he thought it smelt good coming from her. He might be intoxicated himself!
In the end, the gift of surprise was meant to be tasted by the two of them.
The song featured is Fourth Avenue Café by L'Arc~En~Ciel. It was the ending theme when Misao and Aoshi finally saw each other after eight (?) long years. :3
