A Date With A Senpai
Chapter 8
Quick notes:
I'm doing my best to finish this fic and hopefully Rabukome as well. I hope that you would all be patient about it. I'm guessing two to four more chapters before it's all done. C&C's are all welcome and I appreciate them all. I'm really, really sorry with the wrong grammars and everything. Oh, well, if I have enough time, I'll edit it for everyone's sake. I know how grammatical errors ruin a story. Anyway, I hope you all like this bit. (though, I really do think this chapter is one of the lamest thing that I have ever written, I dunno why, I just, kinda know....)
On to the fic.
A Date With A Senpai
Chapter 8
Autumn leaves falling
fluttering like little wings
like your graceful heart!
Kaoru held unto the tree for support, the laughter racking through her body made her belly ache. This was too much. She took deep calming breaths and tried not to laugh again at the expressions of Ichiro, Sano and Kenshin.
Oh, the men of her life!
From above her Yahiko was at lost for words. He hadn't actually thought that he would see a sight such as this. Kenshin was on top of Sano, red faced, desperately trying to get up. They hadn't been this clumsy, since when? Probably since the last time they were on the verge of puberty. He giggled at the thought.
Kaoru immediately caught sight of him by the trunk he was particularly hugging and called out, "Yahiko, you brat! Get down from there!"
Yahiko gave her a pleading look and pouted when she met it with a stern glare. He sighed, he knew that there was no way he was going to win over her, he let go of the branch he had been precariously holding on, (to save his dear life the moment he saw Kenshin and Sano fell) and looked down disdainfully. He smirked down at Kenshin and Sano who were still struggling to get up. "I must say," he said in a serious tone and then paused for effect giving Kenshin and Sano a bright smile, "this has got to be the most interesting night of my life and..." with a snort of disgust he looked directly at Sano and howled with laughter. "I think now, I HAVE seen EVERYTHING!" he said adding a wink.
Sano felt for his leg, silently thankful that it was still a part of him, raised it and gave Yahiko a condensing and thoroughly wicked grin then kicked the tree as hard as he can.
The shaken tree let down a shower of dark leaves floating across Kaoru's face and with the sound of Yahiko's scream piercing through the night, Kenshin, decided that Kaoru looked too beautiful to be true at that very moment.
"AAACCCCKKKKK!" Yahiko managed to let out, wildly groping the air hoping for a branch, anything at all to hold on and realized that he was falling helplessly, wishing that the ground didn't look as hard as he imagined it too be.
Sano immediately recognized his mistake because his brown eyes widened in horror as Yahiko's butt fell flat on his face.
Another attack of laughter bubbled into Kaoru's throat and she clasped her hands over her mouth, She doubled over in laughter clutching her stomach. "Oh, oh....gods...I...Yahiko....a-are you.....o-ok?" She asked wiping away the tears in her eyes. To see such great warriors who have faced so much adversary in their life fall off a tree and hear them scream like scared 6 year old girls, she had never imagined they'd go down like this. Wait till Megumi and Misao hears about this! She took deep calming breaths and looked at them with laughter in her eyes. "Well, that was quite a performance form the three of you!" She grinned again as she heard Sano cursed.
She turned to Ichiro with a darling smile and pointed to the ground. "Ichiro-chan, let me introduce my three adorable clowns." She swept her arms towards Sano's barely seen head, "Over there, is the infamous Great Zanza, Sanosuke Sagara."
Sano cursed again, this was turning out to be the night that he would forever remember in humiliation. The Great Zanza, fallen from grace...er...rather from a tree. His face pinned against the smelly butt of an eleven-year-old kenjutsu student of a lowly dojo! And worse, he couldn't feel his face. Man this reeks!
Kaoru continued on. Revenge was turning out to be sweeter that she thought. She had already began to piece the puzzle in her mind. Sano evidently, is the master behind this, seconded by Yahiko and how they managed to convince Kenshin on this one, escapes her, although a part of her was happy that he had followed her and spied on her. It was too sweet. "Sitting on top of Sano, is my student, Myoujin Yahiko."
Yahiko winced. Great, now Ichiro boy is going to think he was a total klutz. Well, he'll show him. Maybe he should convince Ichiro for a match, see who the real Kendo protégé here! He cleared his throat, "I want you to now, I'm not always falling off trees!" he announced indignantly, as he wiggled away from Sano's face, settling in Sano's chest.
Ichiro could not hide his smile. Sano and Yahiko, he'll sure remember those names. He hadn't seen anything looking as closely ridiculous to this one. In their attempt to disentangle themselves from each other, they had managed to create a far more severe tangle of limbs and arms.
"And, of course, not to forget," Kaoru said, turning at Ichiro and winking at him, "My rurouni. Himura Kenshin."
Ichiro's smile vanished from his face. 'This is the guy Kaoru-chan is in love with?' He asked himself, peering closely at the red-haired who was struggling to get Yahiko's leg off his chest. "Well, um...nice to meet you Himura-san, Yahiko-san and Sagara-san" He said slowly trying to decide whether he should bow. He stood there instead, rooted to his place not wanting to think and not knowing what to think.
"Well aren't you going to get up now?" Kaoru asked in a merry voice. She heard a grunt of replies, but it was only Kenshin who seemed ready to stand up. These men have survived almost anything imaginable, a little fall couldn't cause too much damage. Can it? "Hey! Are you alright?" She asked a little worriedly.
"Jou-chan, try getting someone's ass shoved in your face and then tell me if you're anywhere near alright!" Sano said as he tried to get Yahiko's butt off his chest.
"Busu, you asked the most stupid question!" Yahiko cried trying to stand up and immediately regretting the sudden movement. "Ow!" he hissed. "My back hurts!" He murmured to himself.
Kenshin had managed to untangle himself and was sitting cross-legged, trying to catch his breath and his wits when he caught the look of pain in Yahiko's face. "Daijoubu Yahiko?" he asked glancing at Kaoru who also saw Yahiko's wince.
"I'm fine. I'm fine..." he stood up at stretched a little, "I think I juts hurt my back a little." His free hand was firmly pressed on his back, supporting it and trying to ease the pain.
Sano remained on his back at the ground, staring at the vast midnight blue sky and then loudly asked, "What could have possible hurt you?" he asked. "I fell first on the ground, if I may remind you and Kenshin made a cushion out of me and you...you had your ass..."
"Sano..." Kenshin began, glancing at the worried face of Kaoru.
"What? I'm just stating a plain simple fact here!" Sano exclaimed. "And to anyone who is interested, I think I might have twisted my ankle and I...uh...I can't get up." His voice getting softer until it's barely audible.
Kaoru looked at him with big blue eyes, Sano couldn't decide whether she was sorry for him or she was actually thinking that he deserved it. Well, maybe he does. This was going to be last time he would ever try to interfere with someone's life. All he wanted as for Kenshin to go and tell Kaoru his feeling. Was that too much to ask? He glared at Kenshin and decided that yes, it was obviously too much to ask for. He was never going to try and solve other people's problem, especially those concerning about love. Or, as in this case, unrequited love.
"Great. Just great. This is just what I need. You spied on me on my date, fell of a tree, then injured yourselves. Absolutely fantastic." She said sarcastically helping Yahiko to stand up. Kaoru looked at Kenshin, "And don't you dare take full responsibility for this!" She eyed Kenshin and shook her head. "Ichiro, can you please help Kenshin with Rooster Head there."
"Jou-chan!" Sano complained. He did mind being called Rooster Head, and he did especially mind being called that name in front of total strangers. He pouted at her, trying to win her over. No such luck. He groaned out loud when he sat up and heard the soft cracking sound his ribs made. 'Hell, Megumi's gonna have a field day tonight...' he thought darkly and for the first time, he had ran out of idea on how to annoy medicine woman. No one can top his blunder of falling off a tree... he winced at the thought. It was the kind of thing stupid boys do, fall off a tree at night, spy on a friend on her first date, bully Kenshin into coming here, get his ankle twisted...damn, he will never be the same person again.
Really? Who would've thought Sagara as such an over acting, melodramatic punk?
He cast Yahiko an evil eye and blamed the kid. 'He should have stopped me', he thought bitterly. But what did the kid do? 'He urged me to go on with this plan! And to top it all off, it was his idea that he climbed the damned tree.' Payback, he vowed, must be fun for him. He couldn't wait.
Yahiko grounded his teeth; he tried to shut the reprimanding voice of his Busu-sama. There was only one person responsible: Sagara Sanosuke. And already, he was concocting up dozens of plans to get his revenge. 'Why had he let Sano talked him into this mess?' And now, he might be injured. Che, stupid rooster head punks are always trouble, no matter how good their intention might be.
Kaoru rolled her eyes and helped steady a sulking Yahiko. She could tell that from the looks Sano and Yahiko were exchanging, the blaming game would soon start. Just give them a while to think of something nasty to say and then, they'll have the whole night arguing on who's at fault. She shook her head again and had a fleeting feeling that she would be doing it for the rest of the night. 'Falling off a tree? It had been funny, especially when she saw their reactions and it was as good as a punishment already for spying at her, but not when someone ended up hurt. She averted her gaze and watched as Ichiro assisted Kenshin in helping Sano stand up.
Kenshin had chosen the left side of Sano, the side where his ankle was twisted and was carrying most of Sano's weight. She sighed, always the gentleman. Too bad his heroics wont merit much today. They were spying on her. Now that she had gotten a hold of herself, she was annoyed that they would invade her privacy this way and even risk injuring themselves.
She turned at Yahiko, who already know what was coming. "I want an explanation later, and it better be good."
"Can I try for: I was star gazing?" Yahiko asked hopefully.
Kaoru tried to hide her smile. "No. Better than that. We have to drop by at Megumi's clinic first and have her take a look at you." She paused when she saw the dejected looks on the three. "Mou! The things you do! Really, it's bad enough that you're mooching away food from me, but do you really have to turn my hair gray. I'm no mother you know!" She said, lightly patting Yahiko's head.
Yahiko took it, as an opening to take a jab on Sano, "Don't blame me! Sano's the one who got the bright idea to follow you around!"
"Me?" Sano said, almost hanging between Kenshin and Ichiro. "You're the one who suggested to climb the freakin' tree!"
"Oh, so now, it's my fault. That's just so you! Blech!" Yahiko said wiggling his tongue out at Sano.
"Brat!"
"Punk!"
"Your fault!"
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
"If you hadn't thought of this stupid plan about getting Busu and Ken...." Yahiko started
"What's wrong with my plan? It was as close to perfection. Blame him!" Sano interrupted hotly, looking pointedly at Kenshin.
"Oro!" Kenshin exclaimed. 'Not now! Not in front of Kaoru and Ichiro!' He silently begged.
Sano rolled his eyes at the pleading look Kenshin gave him. 'You don't want her to know?' Well that's too bad, coz she'll eventually know.' He turned a way form Kenshin and smugly announced to Kaoru, "It's his fault! If he hadn't been so difficult to deal with we could have...."
"Hey, cut it out." Kaoru interrupted. She sighed, "Not one word from either of you..." She looked at Kenshin, "and no 'it was sessha's fault....' from you too." She ran a hand on her hair and shook her head. "Can we just go to Megumi-san's clinic, quietly? You know, try not to attract too much attention, ne?
They silently nod their head. And thus, began their silent trudge along the clinic. Not a word from anyone. Probably lost in their own little worlds.
Megumi was hurrying over at the Akabeko. After thinking things over, she had decided that letting Sano and Yahiko 'take care' of things was probably the worst thing she could ever let them do. She had tried looking for them at the dojo, thinking that they would take some time to sort things out a little before they decide to talk to Kaoru and Ichiro. Really stupid of her to think that Yahiko, and more importantly Sano would be rational about it. Of course they had went ahead with the plan and had dragged Kenshin with them.
She shouldn't have left them, especially when Kenshin seemed out of his mind and not ready to make logical decisions. She couldn't blame him, jealousy was probably already eating him up alive. She could see it in his eyes and even in the way he moved. His body language spoke louder and if Tanuki-chan had closely paid attention, she should have seen this coming.
Well, sure she had pushed Kaoru to this date, but she had never told her to accept any proposal or whatsoever. Not even a kiss, because she was sure that this would set a real bad chain of reaction. And now this.
Marriage? How could Kaoru been so hasty minded. It wasn't like her at all. She had been devoted to Kenshin for the last many months. And Ichiro looked liked a boy in love, but not exactly husband material. They we're too young. At least for the two of them, whereas Kenshin's maturity could easily help a lot for an early marriage for Kaoru. And really, they don't have to be that fast. If there was anyone who should be married, it was her.
''Mou!'' She muttered to herself. She shouldn't be thinking about that. If she was destined to live as an old maid with dozens of cats leaving with her, that was fine. She could deal with that. 'Yeah right. So why are you always thinking of having children with warm brown eyes and spiky hair?' The familiar voice in her head asked her again.
She paused and tried to concentrate. And then said out loud, "First of all I do not want spiky hair like Sano's..." and then stopped when she realized what she had said. "I can't believe I'm thinking of him. No! It can't be! It just can't...."
"Megumi-san are you ok?"
Megumi whirled around, embarrassed to the roots of her hair. "Tae-san! I didn't know you were here. I was um...just...I mean, I had been looking for you. Do you know where Kaoru and her date went off to?"
"Oh, I'm actually on my way there too." Tae answered, smiling softly. She didn't want the lady doctor to know the stupid mess she had started. When Sano and Yahiko left the Akabeko, she was suddenly overcomed with remorse...well, not that fast actually. She wanted to follow them to see what would happen, obviously a confrontation of some sort would ensure and she was hoping that by then Kenshin and Kaoru would have admitted their feelings toward each other. It wasn't when Tsubame approached her and asked if a certain rumor she had heard was true. Well, she couldn't lie to the poor kid and so she spilled the truth to her. Tsubame had been disappointed at her and had told her a load full of quotations about honesty and having the courage to undo what someone have started. And so that explained why she was wandering around town instead of staying at her restaurant. But it wasn't like she was going to tell Megumi that.
"Oh." Megumi said. Wanting desperately to ask her why she was also looking for Kaoru. But it wasn't her business and besides she wasn't ready to tell Tae-san that she had listened to a rumor and believed in it without confirming it and worse, she told it to another person too. The one person who wasn't ready to hear about it. And to top it all, she had let two ignoramus go and try to fix the problem. "So, um Tae-san..."
"Yes Megumi-san?" Tae asked nervously. She was starting to feel a bit queasy. A voice was screaming at the back of her mind but she couldn't figure out the words.
"I was just wandering, do you know something about...um...I mean..." Megumi tried to think of what to say that would not blow her cover. One wrong slip and Tae would know of what she had done.
"Megumi-san, I have something to ask you too." Tae said tentatively. Megumi nodded. She watched the doctor's eyes, which was brighter than usual and then for some reason; she understood what the voice in her had been telling her. She knew. Megumi already knows about the rumor. And if that were true then she would be in big trouble, because that might mean that Himura-san has already heard about it. And now there was now way she could ever do to try and fix this mess.
Suddenly, it all fell into place. She didn't know whether it was from the look of admission from Tae's face, or probably she had known it all along, but Megumi was sure it was Tae who started the rumor. Maybe with the best intentions in her mind, but not exactly the most wonderful idea.
They both gasped in unison.
"Tae-san!"
"Megumi-san!"
They both exclaimed at each other. Megumi sighed, this was turning out to be a very complicated life. Single women like her shouldn't be having problems as big as this.
"I was only trying to help. I just wanted everyone to be happy. I...kind of....I mean...I might have started the rumor about Kaoru-chan's engagement with Ichiro-san. Oh, I should have known better. This is the second time that I have done this...what would Kaoru-chan think?" Tea said unhappily.
"It's ok, Tae-san. I know she'll understand you. But we to find them quick."
"You mean Himura-san already knows?" Tae asked dejectedly and frowned when Megumi nodded. "How could he have known so quickly? Who could have told him?"
Megumi stared at her blankly. "Well, I kinda...I sorta...I might have told him about it. And now I know I shouldn't have. I just couldn't believe that Kaoru would be so hasty about these kinds of thing. And it wasn't even true and Sano just had this wonderful idea that Kenshin should tell Kaoru how he feels for her before it's too late. I think we're the ones who is too late." Megumi said with a sigh.
Tae grabbed her hand, "It's never too late. Let's go, I know where to find them."
"Wha - " Before Megumi could ask where Tae was taking her, she was already being dragged. She didn't know Tae could be so strong.
Somewhere on the their way to the clinic, someone must have spoken, Kaoru couldn't remember who exactly, it might have been Sano, Yahiko or her, but a full blown argument was now taking place. "I said quit it you guys." She said for what felt like a hundredth time.
"But Busu, I'm trying to tell you that it wasn't entirely my fault."
"That was exactly what I was saying!" Sano interrupted, suddenly remembering why they had spied on Kaoru in the first place. He glared at Kaoru. It was high time somebody told her that they weren't too happy about her decision and it wasn't like she consulted any of them. "I thought we were a family Jou-chan" he said bitterly. It was a blow to him that after all that they had been through, Kaoru never even thought of telling them first her plan. A family should be loyal and honest with each other, that were what Captain Sagara had taught him.
Kaoru's mouth hanged open. "Why are you giving me that look Sagara?" she asked coldly.
"I don't know. I thought you're a smart girl. Go figure it out." Sano said with the same coldness in his voice.
Yahiko stared at Sano like he had just eaten a live fish. "What's your problem?" Yahiko asked him. He didn't like the tone Sano had used on Kaoru. Sure, she could be a real pain sometimes, but she didn't deserve that kind of treatment from Sano - not from anyone.
"Well, I just remembered that she's also at fault." Sano said grunting as Kenshin twisted and glared at him too. He didn't like being mean to Kaoru, she had been like a younger sister to him, the last thing he wanted was to hurt her, but he felt betrayed. "What?" He asked him innocently, "I thought you have something to tell Kaoru, why don't you tell it now?" He turned his head at Ichiro and glared at him too.
Ichiro gave him a wide-eyed surprised look that Kaoru didn't miss. "Ok. What the hell is going on here?" She asked stopping in her track and facing Sano, Kenshin and Ichiro.
"Oh boy." Yahiko muttered under his breath. If he were able to run he would have been out of this place in no time. "Hey, we're supposed to go to the clinic. Clinic? My injury? Remember?" No one paid attention to him. It seems that history is now in the making as it looked like Sano's plan worked this time. He wanted a confrontation, now he has one.
"I just thought that you should know, we were spying on you for a very good reason." Sano said.
"Really? Tell me. I'm dying to hear." Kaoru said crossing her arms across her chest.
"Aw, don't play dumb Jou-chan. You know why we were there. Hell, I bet the whole town knows about it too." Sano replied.
"Sano." Kenshin said in a low voice.
"Ow, c'mmon Kenshin, this is what we planned. And I think we deserve to hear the truth and her reason about getting engag...."
"Truth? Reason? What the hell is he talking about Yahiko?" Kaoru asked totally perplexed.
Yahiko shot Sano a confused look. Sano also seemed thrown off balance at Kaoru's confusion. Either she was a great actress or she really didn't know what they were saying. "Uh, well...its about your um...your engagement with Ichiro..." Yahiko said, his voice barely audible.
It took a second for Kaoru to let the words sink in and now she understood why everyone was giving her that strange wide-eyed expectant look. For a moment she was at lost for words. Engaged? To Ichiro-san? Has the world gone totally mad?
"EXCUSSSE MEEEE! Did I hear that right? Can you kindly repeat what you have just said?" Kaoru said trying to keep her voice under control.
"You're engaged to Ichiro, right?" Yahiko repeated his voice lowered to a few more octaves that Kaoru wasn't quite sure that she heard it right..
"NANI!?"
"You mean it's not true?" Kenshin asked his violet eyes returning to its usual brightness.
"Yes. It's true, actually we're getting married in four days." She watched as the face of Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko fell. "Of course not you idiots! Where the hell did you get that idea?" Kaoru asked putting her hand in her head and trying to ease the headache that was starting to build. By the end of the night, she would have to kill someone.
Sano had never felt so relieved and embarrassed at the same time that he wanted to laugh out loud, bop Kenshin in the head, shake him senseless or leave town for a couple of days. He couldn't decide what to do first. He raised his head and was about to explain, when he caught sight of Megumi and Tae hurriedly coming their way. He smiled. Ha! Now everyone who was partially, directly and indirectly at fault in this night's fiasco was here, the real fun begins. "Foxy told us!" He said loud enough for Megumi and Tae to hear, pointing an accusing finger at Megumi.
'Oh great.' Megumi thought to herself. From her position she could clearly see Sanosuke blaming her. "Quick Tae-san. Damage control. That Chicken Head Punk is going to put all the blame on me."
Tae nodded and walked faster, her geta clicking together. They were almost out of breath and just in time to see Kaoru swirl turn around and stare at the expectantly. Waiting for an explanation.
This was going to be a very, very long night.
Notes: Ok, that's chapter 8. Can somebody please tell me what's wrong with this chapter. It's too boring and serious isn't it? I just read it twice and there's something missing, something wrong (it's not the grammar I'm talking about, I know I have tons of grammatical error here) whatever. I'll wait for your reviews and I'll see what I can do about this bit. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed that. I'm sorry for the turn out. I know it has been a while since I posted the last part. I'm trying to get my groove back (as if I had any) and I just finished my finals and we'll my brain is still not functioning as normal as I wish. I'm looking forward for the next bit, where hopefully I can give you a better chapter. Again, your reviews please. I appreciate them all.