| Part 3: A Part of me that I finally met |
"What are you? BLIND?!! " The young lady screamed. But Soujiro can't react, same with the stranger…they both have knocked to each other's head so hard that it must have almost cracked their skulls with the impact. "Oohhh!!! It hurts so badly!!!" she complained, holding her head so tight.
"S-Sumisamen! I'm only trying to help!" he stammered, and the lady furiously looked at him. There he instantly felt a skip of a heart beat; he can't hear anything but the deep pounding in his chest. The young lady is furious, but she has the most expressive green eyes he ever saw. It's the eyes, they speak to themselves…he heard it from almost everyone he met in his travels. When he stopped over to the small eatery at Edo to pay his long over due debt of the packed squid balls he took off, the old woman there gave him advice. "They are the windows of the soul, and I can see thru your eyes that somehow you are a different man."
"It's been almost some time, old lady. People do change."
"But do you know, if you are looking for the right one…you could tell by just looking thru her eyes and everything suddenly feels different."
"Love at first sight? Soul mates? Not a chance, old lady." Soujiro said, "…so far it's not included at my plans for now."
"But you can never tell!!"
And right she was.
"Next time just mind you're…." Misao hollered, but upon looking to the Soujiro she trailed off. "…I never someone like you here!! Are you new?"
"Don't be so rude Misao; he is the new helper around here." Tei reprimanded, "We need a little man power to handle some chores, and it's hard to find honest helps these days."
"I am just about to stop the fight!" they both answered in unison, then looked at each other. "You?" Soujiro said, "Let me handle this, I can do it."
"Oh no you don't! Just because I'm a girl I can't fight!!" Misao pushed stubbornly to Soujiro, "I have been there done that, I defend this place a couple of times from those thugs!" Misao's noise is escalating scandalously that it's gathering attention. Even the starting troublemakers are snickering. "…and you are new here! You don't know what trouble these thugs could get to."
"Shhh....don't be so noisy! Just let me, take care of it…" Soujiro whispered, and he motioned Tei from the counter to get a wrapped staff leaning at the wall nearby. "I work here, it's the least I could do for getting to eat and sleep here for free."
"You are going to beat them with a wrapped staff? You must be crazy! There are like 10 of them!!!"
"Please, be quiet….don't let me do anything." Soujiro warned, tugging Misao close to his arm. "Just keep your voice down, or else…"
"Or else what?!"
He did the unthinkable; he grabbed her by the waist then passionately pressed his mouth to hers just to silence her for a while. Everyone who must have been there fell from their seats upon seeing the scene. Someone indeed kissing Misao, in public! Sanosuke who happened to just enter the establishment to ask Tei what is the morning special, saw it and his eyes bulge like saucers. "W-what the HELL is that!? It's too early for a full- moon!" he cried out to the equally surprised Tei. She usually has chinky closed eyes but seeing the scene with her helper kissing Misao is enough to make it open wide equally to Sano's.
Misao who is caught unaware all of a sudden quickly feels violated, but instead of struggling by self-defense she suddenly felt weak in the knees. She is infuriated by the stranger's sudden invitation of the mouth, but like wine she finds it intoxicating and finds herself wanting for more, she never been kissed in her whole life and this is the first kiss she could ever dream possibly with someone (presumably Aoshi!). But before she knew it, Soujiro quickly let her down and she dropped to her knees as the floor. Still dazed, the youth made a short curtsy bow in front of her and went to the trouble maker's direction. Upon unwrapping the staff, she noticed it's a sheathed gleaming sword.
"He is a ronin, and also a wanderer. He rarely uses that sword and put in here for just safe keeping." Tei spoke, then looking at Misao. "But he is unpredictable, why he has to kiss you just to keep you down!"
"She seems to like it, and it looks like she is still in shock," Sano whispered to Tei, but Misao is not really in shock…surprised maybe. She is staring in awe as Soujiro barely pulling his sword from the sheath do remarkable offense and defense so smooth and excellent she swore the last person she saw like that is Himura.
"…and don't come back ever again!!" Soujiro shouted, as he kicked the last of the group of thugs out of the eatery.
"That's nice of you, Soujiro! For that, I'll give you a raise!"
"Oh no, Tei…it's fine, really. I'm just doing my job."
Did she just say Soujiro? Sano wondered, and looked at the long haired youth. He inspects him closely from a certain view, if he just have short cropped hair…probably a smaller build, a blue kimono instead of a teal gray one and…
"I know those eyes!!" Sano screamed, pointing wildly at Soujiro. "You are THAT Soujiro!!!"
"You knew him?" Tei looked up startled,
Soujiro turns white, and noticed that Misao is looking strangely at him. If it's about the kiss from awhile ago, it's okay. But she seems far more disturbed the fact Sano suddenly panicked at the sight of him. Of course! He remembers Sano from a couple of years back, he was there when he and Himura fought to the finish, and he was as noisy before as he was now.
"Sanosuke, it's not what you think!"
"How dare you still recall my name?" Sano spat, "…You…you are taking advantage of her! I've seen it with my very own eyes!"
"Calm down, Sano!" Tei pleaded, "Please, not in here. He has been a good help these few months…"
"Do you know his actual name?"
"He just wants to be called as Soujiro…"
"It's Soujiro Seta! Kenshin let him escape four years back, giving him a second chance. But are the thanks we will get? RAVISHING her?"
"I am not ravishing her!" Soujiro objected,
"Then what does it look like? It's plain for everyone to see. Taking advantage of one of our comrades! "
"Y-Your comrade?"
"Everybody just SHUT UP!!" Misao shrieked, "I'm getting confused already!" then turning her attention to Soujiro, "Is it true on what he said?"
"Yes. I am Soujiro Seta…" he trails off, "but really! It's not what you think! I don't know wh…"
And he received a strong slap at his face, and then she runs off. "…Wait!! Listen to me please!" Soujiro swore that she sounds like a crying child rushing to tell someone else.
"That's tough, that is Misao's first kiss and it happens to be from YOU." Sanosuke tartly remarked, "I know she is just almost your age, but she is still like a young sister among us."
"Who do you say she is?" Soujiro looked at Sano straight to the eye,
At this point, Sanosuke recollects that this former assassin did not know of Misao, actually he never even gets a chance to see her. All he knew was her name and being a part of the Oniwabanshus. "Her name is Misao. You must have at least heard about her from Aoshi before."
"Misao… you mean the Makamachi Misao, the one with the paltry force that defeated our troops before?"
"Yes she is." Sano said, "By the look of it, she is going to tell everybody knows what happened and you are a goner for sure!"
What have I done? I don't who she was…how could I know? Soujiro trembled, He had fallen in love at first sight to the person he never knew was once his swore enemy; he took her into his arms and kissed her out in the open for everyone to see. His only love, used to be a part of a group he hate.
"That's enough, Sanosuke!" Tei exclaimed, pushing Sano by the door. "Just come back if you are going to pay your debts! I'm going to take care of the situation here."
"But you don't know him! T-which man used to be…"
"Kenshin won't give him a second chance if he doesn't trust him, now see you later!" Tei slammed the screen door to Sano's face. The tall 6-footer starts making protests and rambling noise outside, but Tei seems not to bother. She observed that Soujiro is banging his head lightly at the wall, muttering how stupid of him to do what he just did.
"No one can blame you for what happened, Soujiro." Tei tapped him comfortingly at the shoulder. "You don't know who she really was, and honestly…" she smiled, "…I can see that you have a liking to her too."
Soujiro looked up; a small pink mark is prominently at his forehead. "Are you not scared? I mean…on who I am?"
"Why should I? I heard about you from Kenshin-san, he is a pretty wise and warm-hearted person. I know he can be trusted in understanding and knowing a lot of people even if they are enemies. He gives us a reason to open up our eyes that everyone is just a human being that makes mistakes."
"Thanks." He mumbled, "It is good that you understand…"
"But tell me, is it true…that you like Misao?" Tei smiled mischievously, Soujiro paused for a moment, "...like her?"
"Yes, if you like her."
**********
"Okay, hold it there. Soujiro, how can I understand your story when you won't tell to me who she was?" Kamatari complained, they are still reminiscing by the dock with Soujiro telling his tale how he met the woman he felt was his destiny. "You keep on saying, she is an important -comrade -of- our- former- enemy!"
" Because you won't believe me if I tell her who she was." Soujiro explained, " I already gave you a hint."
" Like hello, we made A LOT of enemies during our time!" Kamatari waved his hand in disbelief.
"Kamatari…I will tell her who she was once I finish telling the story." He smiled, " You will be very surprised."
" Okay, surprise me. Go on."
**********
He took to himself to make an apology, but it feels very unnerving and ironic to walk through a former enemy's stronghold. He took a deep breath, hoping to talk first to Okina, knowing he would be more understanding than Aoshi… who is by the way has less care of the world meditating at the temple almost everyday.
"Ohayo! Good day!" he waves at one of the oniwabanshu's cleaning the porch, " Is Master Okina, home? It's important that I have to talk to him. "
" Well, who is it?"
" An old friend,"
At this rate, Okina himself have opened and lay prostate by the screen door. " Master Okina! This young man claims to be an old friend…he wants to talk to you."
But Okina seems cold and suddenly morose, " I know him, and he is not an old friend." Behind him, Soujiro noticed the still furious looking Misao and it seems she is drying up her tears. Sanosuke is right, Misao DID tell. " Okina…it's not what you think it is…"
-MEANWHILE-
Sanosuke grumbled as he made his way back to the inn nearby to where Kenshin and his small family and the rest are staying for a week in Edo, "How could Tei do that? It sounds she trusted him than I am…'side's maybe coz he is barely recognizable these days.. "
He jolted out his self-contemplating when Yahiko is shouting and running to his direction. The little squirt has grown considerably for some time, and is starting to catch with the height. In few years, he would be as tall as Sanosuke. Even his voice is not the annoying shout anymore, it developed to a much toned and deeper yell. " Sano! Sano!! You got to come with us quick!!" he pants, " Kenshin-san says something is going on Okina's place!"
"Did Kaoru know where we are going?"
"Yes, but she is staying to look after Kenji."
The two hurry to catch up with the red-haired hitokiri at Okina's residence. But what greeted them is Kenshin just standing there, with his jaw dropped and his face with that super deformed "oro" expression.
"WHY are you not doing anything?! I thought something is going on!!" Sano grabbed him by the collar, but Kenshin's head just snapped to and fro with his eyes going on spirals.
"Umm…Sano, look over there by the trees." Yahiko pointed out,
There at the tree, is a young pony-tailed youth atop of it. It's Soujiro, he realized…and it seems he won't go down for Okina is raving madly below, throwing things and attempting a few martial arts moves himself but his body seems not as fast as before. The rest of the Oniwabanshu's are trying to hold him down but he was very persistent, "No Master, not the axe!!!" they pleaded, as Okina swings it to the tree's direction. " The poor youth is going fall down and get hurt!"
" Who cares?! Do you know who he is? That boy is Seta Soujiro!" Okina screamed, as he drives the axe to the trunk, One of the Oni's tried to fought of the axe from his grip, " But Master, that was four years ago! He could have changed already…look at him, he is not fighting you he is just up there the tree!!"
" Okina, I don't want to fight!" Soujiro yelled atop as he tries to scrimp himself from the top branch, " Let's settle this down peacefully!!"
" Peacefully?! You want to know how peaceful I could get when I learned you ravished my little angel? !! "
"No way! I can't believe what I'm hearing! " Yahiko exclaimed out loud, hearing the shouts from the scandalous scene from a distance. "…he RAVISHED Misao?"
" Okina is exaggerating, he just kissed her." Sano remarked, although the scene will induce him a headache. Misao changed little considerably in four years, she grown a little plump and taller…but nothing much to strike even a weary vagabond's fancy like Soujiro.
" You were there?!" Both Yahiko and Kenshin said in chorus,
" Yeah, don't even ask about it." Sano replied, " but I think Soujiro did that because Misao is creating quite a ruckus at Tei's." and they all looked at the direction, " I think it wouldn't be easy explaining that to Okina with the current situation." Kenshin sighed, Okina devoted himself looking after Misao even if she is already ripe in age…no wonder that he snaps upon hearing the news on Soujiro kissing her.
" I just kissed her! I did NOT ravish her!" Soujiro called out, he can't climb any farther and Okina is still vent in chopping the tree down as the Oni's looked over in dismay. " Misao! Tell him, I didn't ravish you…it's the truth!"
"It's still the same thing!!" she screamed,
The commotion is now quite loud for almost everyone within the residence premises to hear. So loud, that Aoshi have to come down from the temple to see what is going on. But what greeted him are three pale-faced Sanosuke, Yahiko and Kenshin. It's obvious something is going on, and that the hitokiri rushed to their place for some aid…but it looks they are all too dumbfounded to think what to do.
"What is going on? What's the noise near the woods?"
" Remember Seta Soujiro, one of the two escapees about four years ago? His presence seems to agitate Okina…" Sano's voice trail off, "…and it would make it worse if you go there too, believe me!" Kenshin nudged him by the side, shaking his head as if to tell to just let him talk instead.
"Then what do Soujiro want and he came back after four years? I don't have any preposition with him."
" It's not with you Aoshi," Kenshin finally spoke, " It's with Misao. He gets himself involved with her…and Okina does not like it." The mention of Misao caught the former Oniwabanshu's leader attention, and he does not like the word "involved" and "Soujiro" in a sentence. He turned around and quickly faced the small hitokiri.
" What did he do to Misao?" he demanded,
" W-we don't know. But we just heard the commotion, and what we saw is Okina madly screaming chasing Soujiro up a tree."
It's strange and unusual, that Okina will throw up a sudden fit of rage. The old man is wise and calm in doing his judgment, the times he loses control is when he is seeing young beautiful women, and aside from that nothing much more serious. Aoshi hastily leaves the scene to down below by the dojo and nearby woods. The three followed hoping, that what will Aoshi here and see won't cause him to snap as much the state Okina is in right now.
**********
"What are you? BLIND?!! " The young lady screamed. But Soujiro can't react, same with the stranger…they both have knocked to each other's head so hard that it must have almost cracked their skulls with the impact. "Oohhh!!! It hurts so badly!!!" she complained, holding her head so tight.
"S-Sumisamen! I'm only trying to help!" he stammered, and the lady furiously looked at him. There he instantly felt a skip of a heart beat; he can't hear anything but the deep pounding in his chest. The young lady is furious, but she has the most expressive green eyes he ever saw. It's the eyes, they speak to themselves…he heard it from almost everyone he met in his travels. When he stopped over to the small eatery at Edo to pay his long over due debt of the packed squid balls he took off, the old woman there gave him advice. "They are the windows of the soul, and I can see thru your eyes that somehow you are a different man."
"It's been almost some time, old lady. People do change."
"But do you know, if you are looking for the right one…you could tell by just looking thru her eyes and everything suddenly feels different."
"Love at first sight? Soul mates? Not a chance, old lady." Soujiro said, "…so far it's not included at my plans for now."
"But you can never tell!!"
And right she was.
"Next time just mind you're…." Misao hollered, but upon looking to the Soujiro she trailed off. "…I never someone like you here!! Are you new?"
"Don't be so rude Misao; he is the new helper around here." Tei reprimanded, "We need a little man power to handle some chores, and it's hard to find honest helps these days."
"I am just about to stop the fight!" they both answered in unison, then looked at each other. "You?" Soujiro said, "Let me handle this, I can do it."
"Oh no you don't! Just because I'm a girl I can't fight!!" Misao pushed stubbornly to Soujiro, "I have been there done that, I defend this place a couple of times from those thugs!" Misao's noise is escalating scandalously that it's gathering attention. Even the starting troublemakers are snickering. "…and you are new here! You don't know what trouble these thugs could get to."
"Shhh....don't be so noisy! Just let me, take care of it…" Soujiro whispered, and he motioned Tei from the counter to get a wrapped staff leaning at the wall nearby. "I work here, it's the least I could do for getting to eat and sleep here for free."
"You are going to beat them with a wrapped staff? You must be crazy! There are like 10 of them!!!"
"Please, be quiet….don't let me do anything." Soujiro warned, tugging Misao close to his arm. "Just keep your voice down, or else…"
"Or else what?!"
He did the unthinkable; he grabbed her by the waist then passionately pressed his mouth to hers just to silence her for a while. Everyone who must have been there fell from their seats upon seeing the scene. Someone indeed kissing Misao, in public! Sanosuke who happened to just enter the establishment to ask Tei what is the morning special, saw it and his eyes bulge like saucers. "W-what the HELL is that!? It's too early for a full- moon!" he cried out to the equally surprised Tei. She usually has chinky closed eyes but seeing the scene with her helper kissing Misao is enough to make it open wide equally to Sano's.
Misao who is caught unaware all of a sudden quickly feels violated, but instead of struggling by self-defense she suddenly felt weak in the knees. She is infuriated by the stranger's sudden invitation of the mouth, but like wine she finds it intoxicating and finds herself wanting for more, she never been kissed in her whole life and this is the first kiss she could ever dream possibly with someone (presumably Aoshi!). But before she knew it, Soujiro quickly let her down and she dropped to her knees as the floor. Still dazed, the youth made a short curtsy bow in front of her and went to the trouble maker's direction. Upon unwrapping the staff, she noticed it's a sheathed gleaming sword.
"He is a ronin, and also a wanderer. He rarely uses that sword and put in here for just safe keeping." Tei spoke, then looking at Misao. "But he is unpredictable, why he has to kiss you just to keep you down!"
"She seems to like it, and it looks like she is still in shock," Sano whispered to Tei, but Misao is not really in shock…surprised maybe. She is staring in awe as Soujiro barely pulling his sword from the sheath do remarkable offense and defense so smooth and excellent she swore the last person she saw like that is Himura.
"…and don't come back ever again!!" Soujiro shouted, as he kicked the last of the group of thugs out of the eatery.
"That's nice of you, Soujiro! For that, I'll give you a raise!"
"Oh no, Tei…it's fine, really. I'm just doing my job."
Did she just say Soujiro? Sano wondered, and looked at the long haired youth. He inspects him closely from a certain view, if he just have short cropped hair…probably a smaller build, a blue kimono instead of a teal gray one and…
"I know those eyes!!" Sano screamed, pointing wildly at Soujiro. "You are THAT Soujiro!!!"
"You knew him?" Tei looked up startled,
Soujiro turns white, and noticed that Misao is looking strangely at him. If it's about the kiss from awhile ago, it's okay. But she seems far more disturbed the fact Sano suddenly panicked at the sight of him. Of course! He remembers Sano from a couple of years back, he was there when he and Himura fought to the finish, and he was as noisy before as he was now.
"Sanosuke, it's not what you think!"
"How dare you still recall my name?" Sano spat, "…You…you are taking advantage of her! I've seen it with my very own eyes!"
"Calm down, Sano!" Tei pleaded, "Please, not in here. He has been a good help these few months…"
"Do you know his actual name?"
"He just wants to be called as Soujiro…"
"It's Soujiro Seta! Kenshin let him escape four years back, giving him a second chance. But are the thanks we will get? RAVISHING her?"
"I am not ravishing her!" Soujiro objected,
"Then what does it look like? It's plain for everyone to see. Taking advantage of one of our comrades! "
"Y-Your comrade?"
"Everybody just SHUT UP!!" Misao shrieked, "I'm getting confused already!" then turning her attention to Soujiro, "Is it true on what he said?"
"Yes. I am Soujiro Seta…" he trails off, "but really! It's not what you think! I don't know wh…"
And he received a strong slap at his face, and then she runs off. "…Wait!! Listen to me please!" Soujiro swore that she sounds like a crying child rushing to tell someone else.
"That's tough, that is Misao's first kiss and it happens to be from YOU." Sanosuke tartly remarked, "I know she is just almost your age, but she is still like a young sister among us."
"Who do you say she is?" Soujiro looked at Sano straight to the eye,
At this point, Sanosuke recollects that this former assassin did not know of Misao, actually he never even gets a chance to see her. All he knew was her name and being a part of the Oniwabanshus. "Her name is Misao. You must have at least heard about her from Aoshi before."
"Misao… you mean the Makamachi Misao, the one with the paltry force that defeated our troops before?"
"Yes she is." Sano said, "By the look of it, she is going to tell everybody knows what happened and you are a goner for sure!"
What have I done? I don't who she was…how could I know? Soujiro trembled, He had fallen in love at first sight to the person he never knew was once his swore enemy; he took her into his arms and kissed her out in the open for everyone to see. His only love, used to be a part of a group he hate.
"That's enough, Sanosuke!" Tei exclaimed, pushing Sano by the door. "Just come back if you are going to pay your debts! I'm going to take care of the situation here."
"But you don't know him! T-which man used to be…"
"Kenshin won't give him a second chance if he doesn't trust him, now see you later!" Tei slammed the screen door to Sano's face. The tall 6-footer starts making protests and rambling noise outside, but Tei seems not to bother. She observed that Soujiro is banging his head lightly at the wall, muttering how stupid of him to do what he just did.
"No one can blame you for what happened, Soujiro." Tei tapped him comfortingly at the shoulder. "You don't know who she really was, and honestly…" she smiled, "…I can see that you have a liking to her too."
Soujiro looked up; a small pink mark is prominently at his forehead. "Are you not scared? I mean…on who I am?"
"Why should I? I heard about you from Kenshin-san, he is a pretty wise and warm-hearted person. I know he can be trusted in understanding and knowing a lot of people even if they are enemies. He gives us a reason to open up our eyes that everyone is just a human being that makes mistakes."
"Thanks." He mumbled, "It is good that you understand…"
"But tell me, is it true…that you like Misao?" Tei smiled mischievously, Soujiro paused for a moment, "...like her?"
"Yes, if you like her."
**********
"Okay, hold it there. Soujiro, how can I understand your story when you won't tell to me who she was?" Kamatari complained, they are still reminiscing by the dock with Soujiro telling his tale how he met the woman he felt was his destiny. "You keep on saying, she is an important -comrade -of- our- former- enemy!"
" Because you won't believe me if I tell her who she was." Soujiro explained, " I already gave you a hint."
" Like hello, we made A LOT of enemies during our time!" Kamatari waved his hand in disbelief.
"Kamatari…I will tell her who she was once I finish telling the story." He smiled, " You will be very surprised."
" Okay, surprise me. Go on."
**********
He took to himself to make an apology, but it feels very unnerving and ironic to walk through a former enemy's stronghold. He took a deep breath, hoping to talk first to Okina, knowing he would be more understanding than Aoshi… who is by the way has less care of the world meditating at the temple almost everyday.
"Ohayo! Good day!" he waves at one of the oniwabanshu's cleaning the porch, " Is Master Okina, home? It's important that I have to talk to him. "
" Well, who is it?"
" An old friend,"
At this rate, Okina himself have opened and lay prostate by the screen door. " Master Okina! This young man claims to be an old friend…he wants to talk to you."
But Okina seems cold and suddenly morose, " I know him, and he is not an old friend." Behind him, Soujiro noticed the still furious looking Misao and it seems she is drying up her tears. Sanosuke is right, Misao DID tell. " Okina…it's not what you think it is…"
-MEANWHILE-
Sanosuke grumbled as he made his way back to the inn nearby to where Kenshin and his small family and the rest are staying for a week in Edo, "How could Tei do that? It sounds she trusted him than I am…'side's maybe coz he is barely recognizable these days.. "
He jolted out his self-contemplating when Yahiko is shouting and running to his direction. The little squirt has grown considerably for some time, and is starting to catch with the height. In few years, he would be as tall as Sanosuke. Even his voice is not the annoying shout anymore, it developed to a much toned and deeper yell. " Sano! Sano!! You got to come with us quick!!" he pants, " Kenshin-san says something is going on Okina's place!"
"Did Kaoru know where we are going?"
"Yes, but she is staying to look after Kenji."
The two hurry to catch up with the red-haired hitokiri at Okina's residence. But what greeted them is Kenshin just standing there, with his jaw dropped and his face with that super deformed "oro" expression.
"WHY are you not doing anything?! I thought something is going on!!" Sano grabbed him by the collar, but Kenshin's head just snapped to and fro with his eyes going on spirals.
"Umm…Sano, look over there by the trees." Yahiko pointed out,
There at the tree, is a young pony-tailed youth atop of it. It's Soujiro, he realized…and it seems he won't go down for Okina is raving madly below, throwing things and attempting a few martial arts moves himself but his body seems not as fast as before. The rest of the Oniwabanshu's are trying to hold him down but he was very persistent, "No Master, not the axe!!!" they pleaded, as Okina swings it to the tree's direction. " The poor youth is going fall down and get hurt!"
" Who cares?! Do you know who he is? That boy is Seta Soujiro!" Okina screamed, as he drives the axe to the trunk, One of the Oni's tried to fought of the axe from his grip, " But Master, that was four years ago! He could have changed already…look at him, he is not fighting you he is just up there the tree!!"
" Okina, I don't want to fight!" Soujiro yelled atop as he tries to scrimp himself from the top branch, " Let's settle this down peacefully!!"
" Peacefully?! You want to know how peaceful I could get when I learned you ravished my little angel? !! "
"No way! I can't believe what I'm hearing! " Yahiko exclaimed out loud, hearing the shouts from the scandalous scene from a distance. "…he RAVISHED Misao?"
" Okina is exaggerating, he just kissed her." Sano remarked, although the scene will induce him a headache. Misao changed little considerably in four years, she grown a little plump and taller…but nothing much to strike even a weary vagabond's fancy like Soujiro.
" You were there?!" Both Yahiko and Kenshin said in chorus,
" Yeah, don't even ask about it." Sano replied, " but I think Soujiro did that because Misao is creating quite a ruckus at Tei's." and they all looked at the direction, " I think it wouldn't be easy explaining that to Okina with the current situation." Kenshin sighed, Okina devoted himself looking after Misao even if she is already ripe in age…no wonder that he snaps upon hearing the news on Soujiro kissing her.
" I just kissed her! I did NOT ravish her!" Soujiro called out, he can't climb any farther and Okina is still vent in chopping the tree down as the Oni's looked over in dismay. " Misao! Tell him, I didn't ravish you…it's the truth!"
"It's still the same thing!!" she screamed,
The commotion is now quite loud for almost everyone within the residence premises to hear. So loud, that Aoshi have to come down from the temple to see what is going on. But what greeted him are three pale-faced Sanosuke, Yahiko and Kenshin. It's obvious something is going on, and that the hitokiri rushed to their place for some aid…but it looks they are all too dumbfounded to think what to do.
"What is going on? What's the noise near the woods?"
" Remember Seta Soujiro, one of the two escapees about four years ago? His presence seems to agitate Okina…" Sano's voice trail off, "…and it would make it worse if you go there too, believe me!" Kenshin nudged him by the side, shaking his head as if to tell to just let him talk instead.
"Then what do Soujiro want and he came back after four years? I don't have any preposition with him."
" It's not with you Aoshi," Kenshin finally spoke, " It's with Misao. He gets himself involved with her…and Okina does not like it." The mention of Misao caught the former Oniwabanshu's leader attention, and he does not like the word "involved" and "Soujiro" in a sentence. He turned around and quickly faced the small hitokiri.
" What did he do to Misao?" he demanded,
" W-we don't know. But we just heard the commotion, and what we saw is Okina madly screaming chasing Soujiro up a tree."
It's strange and unusual, that Okina will throw up a sudden fit of rage. The old man is wise and calm in doing his judgment, the times he loses control is when he is seeing young beautiful women, and aside from that nothing much more serious. Aoshi hastily leaves the scene to down below by the dojo and nearby woods. The three followed hoping, that what will Aoshi here and see won't cause him to snap as much the state Okina is in right now.
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