'Never
mind that my hair is a sopping mess. I'm lucky I can be close to her right now.' He dried himself quickly and waited for her
once again by the gate. She came back
with her purse, noting the rosy tint of his cheeks.
They
walked down the avenue in companionable silence, she leading him by a couple of
steps. Her eyes were transfixed at the
sky. He followed suit, seeing nothing
but a vast blue sky. Gazing back upon
her, he noted that her kimono stood out in contrast to the common surroundings,
and that included him. Humbled and
awed, he spoke.
"I've
never seen that kimono before. Did you
just recently buy it?"
She
stopped to turn around, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Obaachan Yamazaki gave it to me as a
present." She lowered her gaze to look
at her slightly raised arm. "You don't
think it's too showy, do you?"
"No, not
at all. It suits you well. It goes with your eyes."
"But… the
kimono is the color of rubies…"
"Yes, and
your eyes are blue like sapphires. You
look very dignified, Kaoru-dono."
"… Thank
you, Kenshin." Not quite the comment
she was hoping for, but she was happy the kimono made him take notice of
her. A few more seconds, she began to
think that he might have said that because he was conscious of his state of
dress. 'Dignified he said.' His clothes were worn, and one can notice the
repeated mending and stitching due to past swordfights. 'Great, he's probably self-conscious
right now.'
As they
came upon the bridge, they again saw the same two familiar figures at the
festival, along with the two children who were chasing each other with paper
cranes.
"Hey,
Kenshin! Care to introduce me to the
pretty lady?"
"Sanosuke,
it's only me."
The rogue
and the doctor looked at each other, then back at her. "'Jou-chan, is that you?"
"In the
flesh." She resisted the urge to
laugh.
"Kaoru,
you look wonderful! Is there a special
occasion?"
"Not
really… I decided to wear this present from Obaachan Yamazaki."
"How
generous of her!" The doctor pulled her
aside and began to chat about the old woman with Kaoru. So absorbed were they that the two men were
left alone with a discourse of their own.
"Good
grief, Kenshin! Jou-chan is gorgeous! But don't get me wrong, I don't like her that way."
The
reserved samurai smiled and replied, "Yes, she's very beautiful. Like a jewel."
"Did you
tell her that?"
"Something
to that extent…"
"Kenshin,
it's obvious that she's trying to get someone's attention. You better bust a move, because the moment
she goes into town, she will attract every living thing that can see." With quiet laughter, he left the slightly
uneasy swordsman to chase the little girls up and down the bridge.
"Kaoru, I
have to go. For some reason everyone's
afflicted with some sort uneasiness, you know, the kind of feeling that makes
you dizzy and warm. Like general
malaise."
'Like
love, perhaps?' She looked at her and
smiled. "It must be the spring
weather." Looking at the tall man
playing tag with the children, she recalled how fortunate Megumi and Sanosuke
were.
"Must
be." The doctor called to the giggling
children. They took each of her hands
and in unison bid them farewell, the tall gambler throwing a wave at them as he
accompanied them home.
They
walked into the hustle and bustle of town. The streets were filled with people and vendors were cooing loudly at
potential customers. As they walked by,
the samurai trailing behind her could hear the hushed voices and whispers of
the people standing by. It was no
surprise they were talking about his sapphire-eyed companion dressed in
rubies. He quickened his pace to walk
beside her.
"Which
shop did you need to go to, Kaoru-dono?"
"Ah…
actually, would it be all right if you buy the groceries right now and meet me
at the rice stand in half an hour? I
think it would be much more efficient that way, and I don't want you to wait on
me."
"Is there
anything you need me to carry for you? I mean, I can wait for you –--"
"No, it's
all right. I can carry it."
A bit
disappointed, he acquiesced. She waved
at him and weaved through the crowd like a silk thread through water. It wasn't hard to follow her with his eyes,
the ruby colored kimono made her stand out like royalty. And again he saw the heads of men turn as
she passed by. Something churned inside
him and urged him to follow, but instead he tore his eyes away from her
fleeting form and did as he was asked.
He stood
by the rice stand anxiously, peering constantly at the crowd for any sign of
her. It wasn't that she was late. He was just quick to finish purchasing the groceries,
thinking that she might already be waiting for him at the rice stand. 'Why the hurry? It's all right, she'll come.' A few minutes later his eyes caught sight of her emerging from a
clothing shop with a package in one arm and the other waving goodbye to the
shopkeeper. He smiled that she
considered his waiting on her to be unnecessary; perhaps she wanted her privacy
while she shopped. He then looked up at
the store sign and read 'Furukawa Fine Clothing for Men'.
She found
him gazing at her with the slightest hint of a wrinkled brow. "Were you waiting long? Was I late?"
'Why
would she be in a men's clothing store?'
"Kenshin,
are you all right?"
"What? Oh… I'm sorry. No, I just finished early. Shall we get the same amount of rice as before?"
"Yes."
The way
back home felt as if it were miles long. He carried the groceries along with the barrel of rice so easily, and
she wondered how a man of his build found the strength to do so. He even offered to carry her little package
that she kept close to her chest, but she politely declined. That day's impression left its mark well to
her observation, yet she had this unnerving sensation in the pit of her stomach
that made her think of hiding under a blanket. He was so quiet, she almost felt like she was walking alone down the
avenue.
So
immersed was he in his thoughts that he completely missed the gate to the
dojo. He did not wake from his worrying
trance until the second time her voice called to him. Embarrassed and apologetic, he went directly to the kitchen and
put the groceries away.
'You
better bust a move, because the moment she goes into town, she will attract
every living thing that can see.'
The
samurai suffered the jealous emotion that ripped through his insides and
stabbed through his chest. Many years
ago, dealing with women was different. Whether it was his reluctance to reach for the woman just behind the
wall of the kitchen or helpless ineptitude of confronting his feelings about
her, it was all the same to him: if he
opened his mouth to tell her, he was afraid he would lose his nerve and utter
some nonsense. 'I already act like a
fool, opening my mouth will just prove I'm one.' Many other younger men he thought would come along to say exactly
what she needs to hear. They would be
of the same era as Kaoru would be. True
Meiji people with no past to muddy them. He dreaded the thought of another man, another younger man
winning his blue-eyed beauty over. He
felt so helpless.
As he
prepared the ingredients for supper, he thought that the best way to deal with
it all was to act as normal as he possibly could and serve her the best way he
knew how: like royalty.