A/N: Next chapter up! Enjoy! TDR!

"Kenshin just come out of there!" Kaoru said.

"I don't want to!" Kenshin said.

It was after school two days after Sanosuke's suspension, and rehearsal was about to begin. Kenshin was in a closet and Misao and Kaoru were waiting for Kenshin to come out.

"Well Kenshin it was either getting in the outfit or getting your hair cut." Misao said.

Immediately, Kenshin opened the door. He was in the standard Host Club uniform. Kaoru's eyes grew wide.

"How does it look?" Kenshin asked tugging on his tux.

"You look cute." Kaoru told Kenshin. He smiled.

"Thanks." He said.

"Aw!" Misao said. "That's the first compliment I've heard you guys give one another in days! Let's keep it that way shall we?"

"Ok." Kaoru said.

Kenshin smiled. "It's a deal."

Tamaki came out of another room. "Ready for today Kenshin?"

"I guess so. What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Well really you're only a temporary replacement, so what you'll really be focusing on more is the play rather than anything else." Tamaki said.

"Oh I see." Kenshin said.

"So you'll be practicing your lines with Tomoe a lot." Kyoya said.

Kaoru frowned. "Don't remind me."

Misao looked at Kaoru. "Cheer up Kaoru! It won't be so bad!"

"I don't know Misao." Kaoru said. "It's just that something tells me that Kenshin and Tomoe rehearsing their lines together just seals the fate of this whole relationship thing we could possibly have going on."

"Well if you're so worried Kaoru, why don't you just get a job as a set designer?" Misao asked.

"I can do that?" Kaoru asked.

"Sure! I do it so I can spend more time with Hikaru, so I don't see why you wouldn't do it for Kenshin!"

"True. Speaking of boys, how's the whole Aoshi thing going?"

"Oh that?" Misao asked. "Great! Just… awesome."

Kaoru stared at Misao for a moment.

"Misao!" Hikaru said.

"Boyfriend alert. Gotta go!" Misao quickly said. She got up and left.

"That was odd." Kaoru said.

Tamaki walked up to Kenshin. "I forgot to tell you one thing."

"Hmm?" Kenshin said.

"Tomoe doesn't know that you're replacing Sanosuke yet."

Kenshin sighed. "Great." He said sarcastically.

"Sorry buddy." Tamaki said.

"Speaking of the devil." Misao said.

Tomoe entered the Host Club.

"Hey guys!" She said cheerfully. "Um. Where's Sanosuke?"

"Um." Tamaki started.

"Sanosuke got suspended from school for getting in a fight with Mori two days ago, which you should have noticed, but now that I remember you weren't there. Why is that?" Kyoya asked.

"Um… I left out the back door because I was excited that I got the part?" Tomoe said.

"I'll buy it… for now." Kyoya said.

"Well then who's going to be my replacement?" Tomoe asked.

"Kenshin." Haruhi said.

Tomoe's facial expression when from happy to angry. "Great." She said sarcastically.

"Same thing I said." Kenshin said.

Misao giggled. "Well it doesn't look like they're getting along right now anyway!"

"I know!" Kaoru said excitedly. "Guess I better ask Tamaki if I can help make the sets."

"Ok!" Misao said.

"Ok everyone participating in the play, move out to the auditorium!" Tamaki said.

Everyone was left except for Haruhi and Kaoru. Haruhi walked up to Tamaki.

"You ok?" Haruhi asked.

"Yep." Tamaki said. "I'm not even worried about the whole Éclair thing right now. I'm just focused on the play."

"Good." Haruhi said. She turned around and began to exit the room.

"Hey Kaoru!" Haruhi said.

"Hey Haruhi!" Kaoru said.

Haruhi left the room, and Tamaki entered a closet.

"Hey Tamaki?" Kaoru asked.

"Yeah?" Tamaki asked from the closet.

"I was wondering if-"

"HUH?" Tamaki said loudly.

"I WAS WONDERING IF… wait why am I yelling?" Kaoru asked.

She went into the closet with Tamaki.

"I was wondering if I could help build the set with you guys."

"Oh sure!" Tamaki said.

He took a box off the top shelf inside the closet, and turned around. He and Kaoru were close, bodies pressed against each other. The two stared at each other and blushed, then they both shook their heads.

"Sorry." Kaoru said.

"…Don't be." Tamaki said.

Kaoru tried moving out of the closet, but the two were stuck.

"Rotate." Tamaki said.

The two turned around until Kaoru was at the exit of the closet. She ran out, and then turned around.

"Thanks…" Kaoru said. "For letting me work on the sets."

"Don't mention it." Tamaki said.

Kaoru smiled and walked out of the room.

"What just happened?" Tamaki asked himself.

(At the auditorium….)

Misao and Hikaru were looking at each other smiling while painting the set.

"You're supposed to be focusing on getting that sky painted. Not each other!" Honey said.

Hikaru and Misao quickly went back to painting the sets.

"Wow Honey, I've never seen you like this before." Haruhi said.

"It's always been like that." Mori said. "Give him a little power, and he'll end up taking it to another level."

Haruhi laughed. "Well it may be that kind of leadership we need to make this play a success huh?"

"I would think so." Mori said. "So… I have a question?"

"What is it?" Haruhi asked.

"Are you really over Tamaki?"

Haruhi was surprised. "What? Of course I'm over him! Why wouldn't you think I wasn't?"

"It's because of last year…"

"Well a lot of things can change in a year you know Mori." Haruhi snapped back at him.

"I didn't mean to make you upset." Mori said.

Haruhi looked guilty. "Sorry Mori… it's just. I don't know. I thought I was over it. I really did! But what Éclair's doing to him… him leaving… and for me? I just don't think I couldn't not fall for him all over again. The thing is I still want to give Yahiko a fair chance because I care about him."

"The honest truth is after making the Tamaki realization is that Yahiko is never going to have a real chance with you."

Haruhi looked at Mori surprised.

"As long as you love Tamaki, Yahiko's just going to be led on. You have to make your pick before someone gets hurt."

Haruhi was silent as Kyoya watched the two from the back.

"About time someone finally said that to her." Kyoya quietly said.

Behind the curtain, Kenshin was reading his lines to his self, and Tomoe was staring at him angrily.

"I can't believe I have to rehearse with you." She said pouting.

"Ok that's it." Kenshin said. He threw his script on the ground. "I am so sick of you always complaining about something!"

"What are you talking about?" Tomoe asked.

"Me being some killer, you having feelings for me one moment and the next you don't, AND this play! Do you think I honestly want to do this? No I don't! So shut up, memorize your lines, and just act ok?"

Tomoe stared at Kenshin. She was about to say something, but stopped. "Fine." She said simply.

"Thank you." Kenshin said. He picked his script back up and began reading it. Tomoe stared at him again, but was smiling this time.

(In the hallway…)

Kaoru was walking down the hallway when she reached the Swordsman club. Enishi had been leading all of the students since Tomoe and Kenshin had been busy with the play. Enishi saw Kaoru standing in the doorway.

"Take five students." Enishi said. He walked over to Kaoru.

"What took you so long? I can't train all of these students. Especially since I don't know your Kamiya Kasshin style."

"Yeah about that." Kaoru said.

"Let me guess. You're going to need me to cover your students because you're going to go help with the play, but it's only really to make sure you can keep an eye on my sister so she doesn't take your boyfriend."

"Can you stop doing that?" Kaoru asked.

"It figures you'd leave too." Enishi said. "But no, I won't be teaching your students."

"What?" Kaoru asked.

"I don't know the Kamiya Kasshin style! Why don't you get Tsubame to teach? She's actually gotten better."

Kaoru looked over to see Tsubame by herself training with her wooden sword. Kaoru's eyes widened.

"She is getting better." Kaoru said.

"So why don't you get her to fill in as a substitute."

"That's a good idea." Kaoru said. She walked over to Tsubame.

"Hey Kaoru!" Tsubame said.

"Hey Tsubame. I'm going to need you to do me a huge favor."

"Anything!" Tsubame said.

"You think you can teach the class for a couple of weeks?"

"Me?" Tsubame asked. "I don't know Kaoru."

"Tsubame, you've gotten good these past couple of weeks! You could be a really good teacher!"

"I don't know. I've never really led anyone before. I'm not much of a leader."

"You're nice, smart, strategic, and you can get serious when you need to." Kaoru said. "Those are the perfect qualities of a leader."

Tsubame looked over at the students and back at Kaoru. "Uh…" She started.

"Hold on." Kaoru said. Kaoru walked over to the group.

"Hey! Can all my students please come to me please?"

Kaoru's students walked over to her.

"Would you guys be ok with Tsubame being your teacher for a while?"

"Oh yeah!" One student said.

"Sure!" Another said.

"Why not?" Another student said.

The group agreed to Tsubame teaching them and Kaoru turned around.

"So what do you say?" Kaoru asked.

"Well…" Tsubame said looking at Kaoru and the students. "Ok! I'll do it!"

"Yes!" Kaoru said. She hugged Tsubame. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"No worries!" Tsubame said nervously. "But what about Kenshin's students? They'll be working with Enishi still?"

"Don't worry about that." Kaoru said quietly. "I think working with them might teach them a few things."

"Oh ok." Tsubame said. "Well I'll see you later Kaoru!"

"Alright Tsubame! See ya!" Kaoru said.

"Ok class! Get into formation!" Kaoru heard Tsubame say. Kaoru smiled and exited the room. Enishi was on the outside.

"See you in a few minutes." Enishi said.

Kaoru stopped and turned around. "What do you mean? I'm going to help with the play!"

"Yeah, but you'll be back. We both know you will."

"What is your problem?" Kaoru snapped at Enishi. "I rejected you. Get over it."

"You want to talk about rejection?" Enishi asked. He laughed. "You and I both know that you're trying to avoid the obvious. You're such a hypocrite you know that?"

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kaoru asked.

"It means that you always tell Kenshin that he needs to wake up and realize he likes Tomoe, but you act as if you still have a chance. Newsflash Kaoru! You don't! I never had a chance with you, and you never had a chance with Kenshin."

"You don't know me!" Kaoru said. "What you're saying is wrong!"

'We're more alike than you think Kaoru." Enishi said. "And once you realize that I know exactly what's going to happen afterwards."

Kaoru was furious at this point. "You think you've got me all figured out, but I am NOTHING like you!"

Kaoru turned around and left. Enishi scoffed, and walked back into the room.

(Back in the auditorium…)

Tamaki had the megaphone in his hand again. "Ok people! Let's start the Ballroom scene!"

"Ok." Kenshin said.

"Sure." Tomoe said.

"Then yet…" Tamaki started. "I think I want to do the scene where Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time."

"So we're skipping the majority of the ballroom scene?" Tomoe asked.

"Yeah, so let's just get to the meeting part ok?"

"Ok." Kenshin said.

Both teens put their scripts away. Kenshin walked up to Tomoe. Kaoru entered the auditorium.

"Hey Kaoru, can you carry these boxes behind the curtains for me?" Honey asked.

"Sure!" Kaoru said. Kaoru picked up the box and kept walking until she saw Kenshin and Tomoe on stage. Kenshin and Tomoe failed to notice her.

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." Kenshin started.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this;
for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Tomoe said.

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again."

Kenshin and Tomoe kiss.

"You kiss by the book."

There was a moment of silence between the two, and Kenshin kissed her again. Kaoru dropped the boxes, and Kenshin looked to see what the noise was. By the time he looked, Kaoru was running out of the auditorium.

"Kaoru wait!" Kenshin said as he jumped off the stadium.

Haruhi was looking at Tamaki.

"Well the scene didn't call for Romeo to kiss her again passionately for a second time did it?" Tamaki asked.

"You're such an idiot." Haruhi said.

Kenshin caught up to Kaoru.

"KAORU!" Kenshin shouted.

"WHAT?" Kaoru asked. Her back was turned to Kenshin so she could hide her look of pain.

"I don't know what to say." Kenshin told her.

"Well now that the true feelings have come to surface, I can ask you this question again, and get a clear answer!" Kaoru said tears forming in her eyes. "Do you like Tomoe?"

"… I tried not to…" Kenshin said.

Kaoru had tears starting to run down her cheeks. "Ok then." Kaoru said as she ran off.

(A few minutes later…)

Enishi was in the dojo cleaning up with Tsubame.

"Want me to help clean?" She asked.

"No I'm good. Thanks anyway." Enishi said.

"Ok. See you tomorrow!" Tsubame said. She walked out of the building. Kaoru entered in a few moments later. Enishi stared at her for a moment.

"So now you know." Enishi said blankly.

"Rejection sucks." Kaoru said.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Enishi asked her.

Kaoru paused for a moment. She ran up to Enishi and kissed him. He kissed her back as the two stood in the middle of the dojo embracing each other.

A/N: Ok, so the Kenshin/Kaoru fans are probably going to hate me for this chapter while the Kenshin/Tomoe fans will rejoice lol. And the whole Kaoru/Enishi thing? Anyone see that coming? Well Enishi did! Lol, but anyway leave comments as usual and stay tuned for the next chapter! See ya!