co·op·er·a·tion | \ (ˌ)kō-ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən:

1. an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action

2. the association of persons or businesses for common, usually economic, benefit

Chapter 3: New Student

Taking a deep, fortifying breath, Kaoru turned to face her visitor. "I'll take your bokken and then we can talk," she said. Thankful for the mundane task to cover sudden uncertainty as to what to say, she accepted the wooden sword and took her time to wipe it down and hang it back on the rack at the wall. Kaoru tried not to react as she felt Himura's eyes watching her with a hint of a wild predator studying the movement of its prey.

Did she feel like prey? Kaoru didn't understand the man in front of her. Despite how easily he read her emotions and how he demonstrated some considerate behavior, she didn't know if this was an act or his true self. Did he only react as he did because he knew she would fall for it? Or were his actions genuine? It bothered her that she couldn't tell.

Himura finally spoke, breaking the ice between them. "Your skills are as impressive as your biography made it out to be."

Relieved at the neutral topic, Kaoru cast him a confused glance. "Biography?" she echoed.

"From the webpages about your university kendo team and the dojo instructors."

That comment startled Kaoru. "You looked at our website?" And then another thought struck her. "Wait, I graduated from university two years ago. There's no way the kendo team would still have information up about me!"

Himura looked mildly smug. "Once on the internet, always on the internet. A paralegal found it easily enough." His eyes slid around the room as if inspecting it, then he wandered over to the wall containing a few pictures of past tournaments that showcased her participating students. He spoke as if ticking off a mental list. "Four-time All Japan Kendo champion, two-time World Kendo Championship team member, countless regional and local trophies. And now, the successor to the Kamiya Kasshin ryu." He glanced at her. "Am I forgetting anything?"

Kaoru folded her arms across her chest, regarding him with narrowed eyes. She couldn't show how disturbed she was about him looking up information about her, which made him more prepared for a confrontation than she was. It was such a cutthroat business maneuver, to study one's opponent. It was also, admittedly, an important aspect of the kendo discipline. "How about 'annoyed instructor whose class got hijacked by a self-entitled company head who thinks he can prance in here whenever he wants to'? Why are you here anyway?"

"I told you, I'm here for lessons." For a moment, a dark look flashed across Himura's face as he added, "You heard my Shishou, I'm apparently a disgrace to him. Again."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, she rubbed her temples in an effort to alleviate a slow throbbing starting to expand all over her head. "You know Hiko-san is just pushing you to be better than you already are. He doesn't really mean his crabby comments. Much."

Himura turned around to face her. "So you think you know him better than I do?" he asked, a hint of asperity in his voice.

"I know him in a separate role than you do," she pointed out. "I was never his student so of course he'd treat me differently. And as a fellow instructor, I see some merit in his way of teaching, though it's not my personal preference." Kaoru shrugged. "Obviously he's not concerned with polite mannerisms, but Hiko-san is honest and willing to help if you have the right motives and he cares about you."

He continued to watch her, violet eyes scrutinizing every inch of her face. "Is that why he's here? Because you asked him to teach a class and it was for a good reason?"

Kaoru snorted. "Of course not! He's here to have his ego stroked by lovesick women and get paid for it while dispensing the occasional and annoying but wise insights, whether we want to listen to it or not. Even though he apparently doesn't need the money."

At that, Himura cracked a small smile, possibly the first genuine one she had ever seen from him. "I guess you do know a little bit about him after all."

"It sounds like you two haven't seen each other in years," she commented carefully, hoping for a clearer picture of their relationship. A relationship she hadn't known existed until just yesterday. If Kaoru hadn't witnessed their brittle interactions firsthand, she would have wondered if Hiko had been trying to worm his way to her good graces so he could influence her to sell the dojo land to Himura. At the very least, it would be good to get some more information about this man who refused to go away quietly.

"We see each other as much as we can," he responded vaguely. "Did something happen?"

Thrown off guard by the sudden change in topic, Kaoru blinked several times. "Ah, what?"

Himura stepped closer to her, studying her as if she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. "You had this burden on your shoulders earlier. What happened?"

So he had noticed the tension from her after all. Kaoru shook her head, unwilling to share such a private matter with a complete stranger when she couldn't even tell anyone else. Aoshi would also be extremely unhappy with her sharing his past which was still technically a secret. "It's none of your concern. Thanks for asking."

He continued the slow scrutiny which made her shift uncomfortably under the steady gaze. If he interacted like this in all of his business dealings, no wonder he was so successful. His razor sharp gaze made her feel like she was some sort of exotic specimen he was interested in dissecting to see what was inside. "Sometimes, it's easier to share things with a stranger than someone you know," he said finally.

His words were at odds with his expression. Which one was the real Himura Kenshin? For a variety of reasons, Kaoru was afraid to find out. So she shook her head again, this time more firmly. "Thank you, but I'm fine. Let's turn this conversation back to my original question."

It was hard to understand the disappointment written on his face since he didn't know anything about her, minus her short biography from the internet. Why was he willing to listen to some stranger's problems? Kaoru couldn't imagine him being so kind to anyone else. Either he was desperate enough to get the land by pretending to care, or he had an ulterior motive up his sleeve. Whatever the reason was, she told herself to stay on guard against any machinations from Himura.

He, at least, didn't press her further on the matter. "What question is that?" he asked, dutifully allowing the change in subject.

"Why are you here? If you want to get back into kendo, why don't you just ask Hiko-san to help you? Why start a completely different style?"

Himura snorted. "When I said we see each other enough, that includes any and all interactions. We'd kill each other before the week was out. And anyway, I'm intrigued by your family's philosophy of a sword that protects."

It was her turn to study Himura's face but she couldn't see any sign of lying or pretense. Just what was he up to? Did she really want to know? "Well, dojo policy is that we don't turn anyone away who wants to learn the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," Kaoru said finally, wishing it was otherwise. "However, since you're not familiar with our style, you'll need to start with the beginners class."

Himura waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not really interested in joining a class, Kamiya-san. I want to sign up for private lessons. With you."

Kaoru stared at him for several long seconds, unable to process his words. Surely he didn't mean what she thought he said. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Private lessons," he repeated with far more patience than she gave him credit for. But then he had to spoil the impression by lifting a brow and adding, "I assume your dojo offers them. That's what your website said anyway."

As soon as Himura left, Kaoru was going to tell Katsu to take the damn website down so no one could use the stupid thing against her again. Could he also delete any information from the internet on her too? She'd have to ask. "Well, yes, of course," she began slowly, trying not to stutter as her mind raced with suggestions on why it would not be a good idea. Because she couldn't imagine having to teach Himura her family style by herself, for an hour, however many times a week he wanted. What if he wanted to talk about selling the dojo land again? What if his arrogance rubbed her the wrong way and she ended up accidentally-on-purpose braining him with her bokken? That wouldn't be good for business at all.

And from the smirk on his face, he sensed her reluctance and was enjoying it. "Then I don't see a problem, do you?"

"Time!" she blurted out. She latched onto the flimsy excuse as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry, but I teach every night and since you work during the day, it seems like our schedules won't mesh."

"That won't be a problem," Himura replied easily. "I am the head of my own company, after all. I'll just clear an hour during my day, probably around lunch. I'm thinking that three days a week should work. How does that sound?"

It sounded like torture. Why did the man have to have an answer for everything? "Private lessons are rather expensive," she protested half-heartedly. Even her advanced class students wouldn't pay that much for one-on-one instruction, no matter how serious they were about kendo.

He lifted a brow again and pointed to himself. "Head of a successful company?" he repeated.

Kaoru bit back a heavy sigh. He had her cornered. How could she refuse to give private lessons three times a week? The tuition alone would easily pay for upkeep on the dojo and her fellow instructors' salary. She didn't consider herself greedy, but as a small business owner, she couldn't afford to turn down a serious source of income. Not to mention that Himura's presence would probably offer some positive and free publicity. Apparently he had used his snake-like charm and was well admired in the city. The rumors of him taking lessons from her would probably spread like wildfire and could only enhance the dojo's reputation.

Feeling mercenary despite her silent insistence that she wasn't, Kaoru grumbled, "Fine. We'll set up a schedule for the daytime."

Himura flashed a triumphant smile at her, his eyes glowing with victory. "I look forward to it...Kamiya-sensei."

The front classroom that also served as the lobby had emptied by the time Kaoru led Himura out of the studio. Only Hiko and Aoshi remained with the emergency lights to illuminate them, standing apart and saying nothing to each other.

"Took you two long enough," Hiko grunted. "Baka deshi, take me home."

Himura exhaled softly, the only sign of his exasperation. "Why didn't you just go home with your driver like usual?"

Shrugging his broad shoulders, the older man replied, "Why do I need him when I have you?" Without waiting for an answer, Hiko nodded to Kaoru and strode towards the door. "Let's go."

Kaoru watched the two men leave before turning around. She realized Aoshi was glaring at her. "What?" she snapped, annoyed at being blamed for anything that had happened in the past forty minutes.

"Did you enjoy your time with Himura?"

She rolled her eyes at the typical Aoshi response which didn't answer her question or explain why he was asking ridiculous questions. "You mean our sparring match which I didn't know was going to happen?"

"That wasn't a sparring match. That was you flirting with him."

Kaoru turned bright red in her cheeks at the accusation that came from nowhere. "What? No it wasn't! Why would you say that?"

Aoshi leveled a look at her. "You can deceive yourself but you can't deceive me."

Folding her arms across her chest, Kaoru scowled at him. She'd admit Himura was attractive, but only if forced to and only in the physical sense. Why Aoshi would think she was interested in somebody who had been the cause of her headaches for the past month, she had no idea.

At least one good thing happened tonight: their unease from last night's discussion seemed to disappear in the face of a mutual enemy and this equally bizarre conversation. "There's no deception going on. You're just overreacting to something only you can see. Do you think Hiko-san wouldn't say anything if I was flirting with Himura? And what's with that anyway? Did you know about their relationship as master and student?"

"Certainly, because we're so close Hiko-san always shares personal information with me," he deadpanned.

Kaoru threw her hands up. "Argh! I'm going home. You can lock up the dojo and take your crazy accusations with you." Exasperated, tired, and more than a little annoyed at how the evening turned out when she had hoped for relaxing familiarity of teaching, Kaoru pivoted on her heels and stomped to her office to get her keys and cell phone. On longer instruction days like today, she would try to shower and change at the dojo before going home. But tonight, Kaoru needed the comforts of her familiar things and the pint of chocolate ice cream hiding in her freezer called to her like a siren. When she returned back to the front door, Aoshi was still there.

"I'll walk you home."

He did that sometimes, when he thought she needed some company or when he was worried about her safety. Since Kaoru had made it clear she wanted to be left alone, she assumed it was the latter. "I don't want to know why you think I'm in danger," she muttered but stepped outside and waited for Aoshi to set the alarm system and lock the door behind them.

A cool wind swept down the street and it felt good as it brushed past her sweaty body. The sparring match with Himura had stretched her skills for the first time in a long time and her muscles ached pleasantly with every shift of muscles. She would have to ask Aoshi or Hiko to practice with her to keep up her own skills, especially if she was going to be training Himura who, no doubt, would pick things up quickly.

Glancing up, Kaoru took a moment to appreciate the clear night sky, allowing thousands of glittering stars to twinkle against the velvet expanse. A crescent moon hung far away, pale and weak when competing against the powerful street lights. At this late hour, the mostly residential neighborhood had settled in for the night, but the faint noise of cars several blocks away reached her ears in the comforting sounds of suburbia. She had moved to her apartment, located a half a mile away, four years ago after her father died. It was the only way she could escape the rush of grief at being along in her childhood home situated behind the dojo. So many happy memories attached to every square inch of the house and dojo made it hard for her to even think of anything else except she was now all alone.

The stress of taking over the family business so suddenly weighed down on her and Kaoru did whatever she could to keep the dojo afloat, no matter how ridiculous or small. She had kept going without stopping for four years. When was the last time she had looked up and around? Of course, Kaoru knew exactly where everything was in the area, but it was a superficial familiarity and not the deep relational roots her father strove to create. Things had been so busy for so long she sometimes didn't remember how fast time passed. And now, just when she was starting to feel steady on her feet again, it appeared circumstances weren't going to let her live in peace.

They headed down the empty street together, quiet and lost in their own thoughts. Then, "You should find a boyfriend," Aoshi commented abruptly.

Kaoru almost tripped over her own feet but regained her balance before Aoshi had to catch her. "What?" she asked incredulously. He had never said anything like this to her before, never been the one to share his opinion unless she asked. And even then, it was usually on superficial things, like what he thought of the local tea shop that had recently opened up. Aoshi never tried to tell her who to date or say anything negative about her one and only boyfriend, even when he had broken up with her. The only exception was the one time when they mutually made it clear to each other that there was nothing but familial affection between them. Kaoru knew their respective parents had hoped they would fall in love, but they were simply too incompatible to make it work.

"When was the last time you were in a serious relationship? It's been too long. Our mothers would be upset."

Now sure some deranged demon spirit had taken over Aoshi's body, Kaoru shook her head slowly. "Don't bring our dead mothers into this. What's gotten into you? First, you accuse me of flirting with Himura, and now you're telling me I should find a boyfriend? Make up your mind! And if I should be looking for a partner, shouldn't you?"

Aoshi didn't respond, nor did he look at her. Kaoru stopped walking, realizing they were only fifty feet away from her apartment building. She watched him for a long moment before realization slowly set in. This was yet another way Aoshi was trying to take care of her before he left for his life-wrecking situation with Takeda. Outrage surged through every inch of her body, fast and sure, to cover the hurt. Anger she could handle; him leaving she could not. Kaoru marched over to slug Aoshi on the shoulder, turning with her hips and using her entire body to power the punch like he had taught her to. "You're such a jerk," she hissed, not even slightly mollified that he allowed the hit to connect when he could have easily dodged it. "Stop trying to take care of me like you're not coming back. I'm so glad you're throwing your life away for your friends who've been gone for seven years, but you're okay with leaving the one still alive with stupid, useless advice." She stomped past him, so furious with her heart aching that she couldn't even look at him.

"Kaoru."

"Leave me alone," she snapped without glancing back and used her key to let herself into her building. She wasn't sure how, but Kaoru made it to her apartment and stepped inside before the tears started to flow. Letting them stream down her face, Kaoru bit back a sob and turned on the lights before moving to the bedroom. First, a long hot shower and then her date with the ice cream and a mindless movie. And if she kept crying? Well, she'd deal with it as it happened.

But after she finished her shower and took out her only comfort from the freezer, the tears stopped long enough for Kaoru to hear her phone beep. Curious, she glanced at the time. It was almost ten-thirty. She tapped on the email icon to see who it was from.

It was from Himura's secretary, stating he had time tomorrow to start his lessons. What kind of secretary worked so late at night? What kind of boss made his secretary work so late?

Annoyed all over again, Kaoru dropped her phone on the counter and stalked to the living room to take solace in the magical world of cinema where she didn't have to think about anything. Not stupid friends and not stupid…whatever Himura was. Her new student, she supposed. In any case, answering work emails could wait until tomorrow.

AN: I'm enjoying reading what you all think Kenshin is trying to do. Let me know what you think of this latest chapter! 3

Next Chapter: The first lesson, Hiko being Hiko, and lunch