A/N: *appears out of nowhere* Hey… so it's been a long time uh?
Yeah… my life hasn't been good.
I want to explain something about you guys receiving an alert that I updated, actually I had posted an author note that I was going to give up on this story, because that time I felt like shit and I really didn't had the happiness or motivation to write a new chapter.
But you know what happened? I checked the reviews.
Oh my God, first of all, I love you guys so much. So much positivity, encouragement…
I have almost 400 reviews; I have 145 favorites, 199 followers and 54,017 VIEWS?!
WHAT?
I thought to myself, 'damn I'll disappoint a lot of readers'. So I re-read my story carefully. I don't wanna sound vain by saying that I laughed and also cringed at my grammatical mistakes. But reading my own story made the sparkle that died appear again, that same sparkle that was on a younger me when I had the idea for this story just because I had a conversation with a young boy on a bus.
My life still sucks, but I'm back.
This story is back.
But I have to tell you something guys, I have college now and I'm trying to find a job so I'll promise to at least upload once a week. I'm begging you guys to be patient; even if I break my promise (again) I want you guys to know that this story will have an end.
*drops mic*
Enjoy this chapter. *leaves stage*
(Quick reminder of the character's ages and the current timeline)
The date is December 17th, 2014.
Natsume: 30 years old. (He started with 29)
Isamu: 8 years old. (Started with 7)
Mikan: 26 years old.
Kenshin: 7 years old.
Ran: 7 years old.
Reo: 27 years old.
Luna: 30 years old.
"Dad this is my seat!" Isamu said as he pulled Natsume's hand, "I sit next to Ran." He smiled as he sat down on his desk, "Do you like it?"
Natsume was flabbergasted, his son was literally excited because of his seat, normally Isamu didn't even talk about school before they moved, "Yeah I like it. I also used to sit in the back of the class."
Isamu tried to imagine his dad being young but the image never formed, "Dad that's weird."
Natsume smiled fondly and patted his head, seconds later a smiling Mikan appeared in the scene with a pouty Kenshin holding her hand.
"Shin-chan said that he has cooties." She told Natsume amusedly.
"Oh really? Why?" he arched a brow.
Isamu snickered, "Akemi kissed his cheek."
Kenshin immediately glared at him, "Shut up!" he snapped, "It was yucky!"
"Yeah right, that's why you looked like a tomato when she left." Isamu retorted.
Ran joined the conversation, "Akemi-san did what?"
Kenshin jolted and Isamu grinned, "She kissed Ken's cheek."
Ran giggled, "Oh she has a crush on you!"
Mikan and Kenshin gasped at the same time, making Natsume blink at them.
"How do you know that?!" Kenshin almost yelled all flushed.
"Because she told me." She simply said, "She asked me if I was your girlfriend and I said no so now she wants to be your girlfriend."
"You guys are too young to be dating!" Mikan panicked, Natsume chuckled.
"Why Mikan, it's all innocent."
"There was no this is innocent Natsume!" Kenshin snapped, "Girls are scary and they always have some sort of dark side full of cooties!"
"Cooties don't exist!" Isamu and Ran said at the same time.
Kenshin pointed at Isamu, "Liar! You changed since Ran kissed you!"
Natsume's eyes widened, "What?"
Isamu stood up from his seat and glared at the brunette; "Shut up Kenshin!" he sounded nervous, "That was just an experience to shut you up! You're just jealous!"
"Oh dear." Mikan mumbled.
"Boys stop fighting!" Ran scolded with flushed cheeks.
Natsume pulled Mikan aside while the children talked, they shared a blank expression before both smirked.
"So… your son is stealing Ran-chan from Shin-chan?" she giggled.
"What? I don't even know." He said, "I can't believe he already had his first kiss. Damn… this girl is really that good? I mean she's cute but why does she mean so much to them?"
"Ran is very smart and has a motherly side; I think our boys like her because she's mature and doesn't act like the other girls." Mikan explained, "Between other things of course, it's only between them."
Natsume paused, "Maybe I should have 'the talk' with Isamu."
She blinked confusedly, "The talk? What talk?"
"You know… the talk." Natsume pushed with a suggestive smirk.
Mikan's cheeks flushed and her eyes widened, "That's too s-soon! He's still a kid!"
"I'm only kidding Mikan." He chuckled.
"Oh thank God…" she glanced at the children and sighed in relieve.
"Maybe next year." He added quickly.
"Natsume!"
The talent show was being extra boring for Kenshin, for some reason he had to watch Nana sing, she actually wasn't that bad but she still sucked as a person. Then some fifth graders played an original song from their band, it was awful, they thought they were a rock band so it was really loud, but nevertheless polite applause was heard and they left the stage.
At a certain point he poked his mother's arm, "Ma I need to use the bathroom."
"Can you go by yourself?" Mikan asked.
"Of course." He hopped from his seat and walked the row towards the exit, when he got outside he took a deep breath, it was really hot inside the auditorium.
Kenshin looked around, there was complete silence. Only the muffed sound coming from the doors behind him were the only noise. Shaking his head, he paced to the bathroom nearby. He did his business and he started to wash his hands, when he was done he heard a chuckle coming from outside.
He left the bathroom and saw a woman staring down at him, she was smiling, "Hello there. What are you doing here?"
He looked at her weirdly, "I needed to pee." He started to walk away but she continued to talk.
"Are you enjoying the talent show?" she asked.
He stopped walking and looked at her, "Ma says that I'm not supposed to talk with strangers."
"And your mother is certainly right. Mother knows best." She smirked.
"I know."
"But are you having fun sweetie?" she asked too sweetly.
He frowned, "Yes. I have to go." He turned again and decided to walk away faster.
"Enjoy it while you can!" she yelled behind him, Kenshin felt his stomach drop so he started to run with a scared expression.
He was running fast so when he bumped into someone, he fell on the ground with a nasty sound and heard a yelp in front of him. Kenshin looked at Akemi, she was sitting on the floor with a pained expression, but seconds later she stared at him and her expression grew surprised.
Feeling suddenly nervous, he stood up and helped her up. That made her smile and "accidently" she hovered onto him.
"Oh Kenshin, I think I hurt my foot…" she sighed with a pout.
He blinked and looked down, her leg seemed nice but how could he know if it hurt?
"Sorry…"
"Why were you running silly?" she looked behind him, "Was someone chasing you?" she added a giggle and Kenshin felt the urge to roll his eyes.
"No." he lied, "I just want to hurry back."
"Can you carry me?" she asked sweetly.
He shot his eyebrows up, "Are you crazy?!"
She sniffed, "You bumped into me and now my foot hurts, are you going to leave me?" she covered her face, "I thought you were nice."
He rolled his eyes for sure this time, "Fine, but only to the infirmary."
She cheered and wrapped her arms around his neck, Kenshin instantly screamed in panic.
"W-What are you doing?!" he looked at her horrified.
She blinked, "How are you going to carry me? I'm helping you."
"No! I'll give ya a piggy back!" his cheeks flushed. He had only given a piggy back to Ran.
"But I want you to carry me like a bride~" she smiled smoothly.
His amethyst eyes widened, "Bride?! You're not my bride!"
She chuckled, "No silly, I'm saying that I want you to carry me in your arms." She blushed, "And I would make a perfect bride!"
"You have cooties." He snorted, "And I'm only carrying you in piggy back." He turned around and bent over with his arm ready to carry her legs, "Can you jump to my back?"
She huffed and obeyed, "You're lucky you're cute."
"Don't do something stupid like kissing my cheek; I think you passed me cooties. Maybe that's why I'm carrying you." He mumbled with a pout. Kenshin just wanted to go back.
She giggled close to his ear; he made a disgusted face, "Did you like my kiss?"
"No. Did ya like the cookie?" he retorted with a smirk.
Akemi gasped, "You think I did it because of a cookie?" she sounded hurt.
"Yep." He replied without hesitating.
Kenshin could be naïve, blunt and a little slow but sometimes he could improve the opinion that people had on him by suddenly being smart about something. After Akemi left, he looked at his plate and saw the missing cookie, he was angry when he thought that Akemi passed him cooties only because of a stupid cookie, but then he felt another feeling that he couldn't describe, was he disappointed? Sad?
"You're a meanie." She mumbled, suddenly going quiet.
He didn't get girls, honestly. Ran was awesome; she wasn't like other girls even though she still had cooties, she would always say something interesting. Nana was always being mean and he didn't know why, she would show off and bully Ran, it seems like she always got acceptance by doing it so she gained followers, and soon she became really popular. The other girls were the same, they could only walk in group, call boys pests, play house and forcefully make a boy the husband, for Kenshin they were gross.
And then there's Akemi Chihiro.
She came from an Estate, so she's like a princess. The youngest of a large family and raised surrounded by wealth. Then why was she in this school? Why did she suddenly started to stare at Kenshin during classes, smile whenever he looked at her, try to get his attention and even pass him notes. Honestly Kenshin didn't mind, she befriended Ran and actually protected her a few times, he was glad for that so he put up with Akemi, but she crossed a dangerous line when she kissed his cheek.
Kenshin hated cooties.
Isamu had them, but Kenshin supposed that his were worse because Ran kissed his lips. Maybe Kenshin had hope since Akemi only pecked his cheek, maybe it would disappear after a bath. He sure hoped so.
He turned a corner and soon the infirmary doors appeared.
"We're here, now get out." He mumbled.
"W-Wait, can't you take me inside?" she sounded scared.
Kenshin made a weird face, but then he looked around. Everyone was watching the talent show so there was nobody around, his school so quiet actually looked…scary. He gulped, "Aye." He walked more and knocked on the door. Kenshin realized that Akemi wasn't even heavy.
Nobody opened the door.
He sighed and opened it anyway, it was unlocked.
"Hello?" he peeked inside, the infirmary was a small area with two beds, a sofa rested against the wall and two cabinets with the objects needed for minor injuries. He walked inside and looked around, the room smelled like disinfect. He walked to one of the beds and turned around, "Here, sit there and I'll look for the nurse."
Akemi obeyed but grabbed the back of his elf shirt before he walked away, "I'm scared."
He rolled his eyes again, "Akemi don't be a girl."
"I am a girl!" she pouted.
He smirked and walked towards the door, but when he was to leave he heard a voice. Thinking that it was the nurse he exited the infirmary and followed it, when he was about to cross a corner her saw the back of a woman, Kenshin's eyes widened.
It was that creepy woman from the bathroom.
He stepped back and hid behind the wall. She was talking with someone in front of her; from his spot he could see a man.
"So how long is this going to take?" the man asked.
"The principal told me that the show will end in twenty minutes." She replied. Kenshin shivered to her voice. Too sweet.
"Great, I can't wait to see their faces." The man chuckled.
"Yes~ It is indeed a big surprise darling. You're such a good man." She hugged him.
Kenshin easily saw the man's face, he recognized him from somewhere but he didn't know where.
"Of course they will it's not every day that you get a free concert from Reo Mouri himself." The man smirked as he kissed her neck.
A/N: Well that felt good.
Reo is in the same building as Kenshin.
What will happen? What do you think of Akemi being all over Kenshin?
It's good to be back! Let me know what you think.
Reviews are always good but right now I just wanted to revive this story.
Pool results:
Kenshin: 7 votes.
Isamu: 7 votes.
Other boy: 1 vote.
Thanks for reading!