Nice To Meet You, Ken-chan…
Chapter: 2-Hajimemashite, Ken-chan…
By: Chibi Akane-chan2
A.N.-There's really not much to say about this chapter. As for ppl who e-mailed me asking if there will be romance involved, I'll have to think about that; I don't like the idea of Kenshin being a pedophilic person. But I'd also like to take in consideration of the readers, so I'll think about it ^_^
Disclaimers: I created Tomoe Yukishiro!!!! MUAHAHAHA!!! ::audience snickers:: Wha---?? I did!! Well…sort of…. ::audience starts throwing tomatoes and what not at the author:: AHHH!!!! I'm serious! C'mon!!! ACK….
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"This'll be your room, Tomoe-chan! Saa! Kudasai ne!" Kaoru enthusiastically stated as she slid the Japanese door opened. The room was surprisingly spacious considering that Kaoru wasn't exactly opulent. There was an extra tatami mat rolled neatly waiting for someone to sleep in, a little lantern, and a closet.
Tomoe mildly gawked at Kaoru's hospitality…it was not in her ability to actually gawk in the first place. She absentmindedly fingered her white yukata…well, more like the undercloth of a yukata at least; it was not her place to wear an actual yukata and she knew it too. Her father and mother worked so hard to get a yukata for her since she was a girl and a descendant from a samurai family...her samurai family….
She hated it…
But their owner, in blind rage, ripped the beautiful outside cloth of it and at the same time sneering that a worthless girl for a slave like her didn't deserve anything. He had tossed it to the floor in a heap in front of her kneeling parents as he stalked away, whipping the floor at another slave who seemed to be resting because of a stomachache from malnutrition. As she turned her head to her parents, there were tears at the corner of their eyes and she realized how hard they had worked for it. She had walked slowly up to her kneeling parents….
~*~Flashback~*~
"O-otousan…? Oka-okaasan…? Dai—daijoubu de gozaru…ga…?" she quietly asked.
There was no reply as they were still kneeling there, heads still hanging. She slowly bent down and picked up the soiled and torn yukata in both of her hands. She looked up and saw the fearful yet weary eyes of her most beloveds. She smiled gently with closed eyes and said,
"Arigatou…"
Her father's eyes shimmered in guilt,
"Gomen nasai, Tomoe-chan…kono yukata wa—"
"Iie," she interrupted, "I love it so very much! Ureshii de gozaru yo! Even though the outside is torn, I can always wear the inside of it…see? It's a bit soiled but it's not the least bit damaged,"
Both of them opened their mouths then slowly smiled appreciatively toward their only daughter.
"Dou itashimashite…" they both replied in unison.
~*~End Flashback~*~
"Oisuuuu?! Earth to Tomoe-chan!!" Kaoru called as she waved her hand at Tomoe's face. After she introduced her to her room, she instantly spaced out. Then her eyes formed a very cryptic expression…it was just like the one she saw once she met her; distant and empty yet emotional. Tomoe started, as she blinked rapidly,
"Ah! Su-su-sumimasen de gozaru…wha-what were you just saying?" Tomoe stuttered as she blushed in embarrassment.
"I was just introducing you to your room and then you went out on me,"
"Naru hodo…gomen ne…" she quietly apologized.
"It's alright, Tomoe-chan! No harm done!" she exuberantly spoke up as she gave her a big slap on the back causing her to topple over…and then fall on somebody.
"Oro!" Tomoe cried out, her voice muffled.
"Daijoubu de gozaru ga?" a concerned voice addressed to her.
"Eh…?" she wondered aloud as she stood up to take a look at who stopped her fall.
It was Kenshin.
"Ah!! Gomen ne, Tomoe-chan! Daijoubu?!" Kaoru cried out as she rushed by her side.
"I'm ok…an-shin shite, Kao-chan," she replied with a smile.
Kaoru sighed in relief,
"Ahhh…yokatta na…I was too enthusiastic about you staying here that I sort of lost control,"
Kenshin looked down at the flushed girl thoughtfully. He observed that she tended to space out and would be very unalert when wariness was needed. He slightly frowned when Tomoe snuck a glance at him and then instantly turned beet red.
"Maa…I need to be going now…do be more careful, Tomoe-dono," Kenshin said before he made his departure out the dojo gates. There was something in the "do be more careful" part that turned Tomoe's spines and legs on a chill. She gripped her katana, unconsciously and then turned around while giving a last sideways glance towards Kenshin's direction. She then felt her cheeks with her clammy hands…they were fairly warm. Why was she blushing in front of him? She knew the reason…it was embarrassment, it was shame, and it was…
"Tomoe-chan! Come here quick! I want to show you the dojo!" Kaoru's voice called from a distance.
"Hai!" she called back as she ran toward Kaoru's voice.
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Kenshin strolled down the outside local Japanese marketplace with a basket of salmon in his left hand. He looked down in slight apprehension…why…he wouldn't know. There was something about that girl. She wasn't what she seemed to be; he knew there was more about her than she was letting on. Then he felt nostalgic as he closed his eyes. He continued on reprimanding himself that it was just a name. There should be many Tomoe Yukishiro's out there. He shouldn't feel so uptight about it nor should it involve Kaoru…
Kaoru-dono…
Now how did she pop up in his mind? Was it because she was talking to a girl who had the same name as his ex-wife? Was it because she kept on calling her "Tomoe-chan"? Why was he still feeling uneasy?
He continued to walk…toward the path of the Kamiya dojo, with only salmon in the basket…
There was something else he wanted to know about Tomoe…
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"Oi!! Jou-chan!! We're finished!" a low voice shouted from outside.
"Kaoru! We're home!" another voice called out, this time more boyish-like.
"Ah!! Sanosuke!! Yahiko!! Did it go by well?" Kaoru asked as she ran out.
Kaoru then sweatdropped.
Both Sanosuke and Yahiko's faces were blue…as if they had just seen a ghost.
"….Doushita no..?" she slowly asked.
There was a moment of silence before Yahiko spoke up,
"Aw, rather not talk about it right now…"
"Oh…I see…well, ok…I want you guys to say hello to Tomoe-chan,"
"Tomoe-chan?" they asked at the same time.
"Hai…" a girl replied as she walked out of the shadows and stopped behind Kaoru.
"Hey…you're that girl…" Yahiko started…then he stopped. Sanosuke seemed to have the same effect. She had some eyes! They were the perfect replicas for emeralds…almost unreal. Sanosuke recovered quickly as he addressed to Kaoru,
"Well…it's done and I know he'll rest in peace…" he quickly stole a glance to Tomoe's direction. She was looking at something so he dismissed her, "but oi…are you ok, Tomoe?"
"…"
"Hello…?! Anybody home?!" Sanosuke lingered.
Still no answer.
Kaoru, all of a sudden sighed in exasperation…
"What? Oi, Yahiko…what do you think's wrong with jou-chan this time? Yahiko? Ooooiiii…!"
He turned to face Yahiko and saw him staring at Tomoe, with his face crimson. Sanosuke grinned and was about to make a dry remark until he saw Tomoe was staring back at him…but there was something about her expression. There was no feeling to it. He turned back to Kaoru who nodded with a sweatdrop, indicating that that was what she was sighing about.
With one last glance at the enigmatic girl, he gave Yahiko a big thunk on the head.
"Ittaaaiii!!! NANI SUNAI YO??!!! Why do you keep on doing that, omae?!" Yahiko yelled as he jumped atop of Sanosuke's shoulders and chomped on his head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Tadaima de gozaru," Kenshin called as he went in the Kamiya dojo gates. Nobody was outside. He turned his head right to left wondering why it was so quiet. He then assumed that the place was empty…until he heard a…
"KYAAAHH!!!" Kaoru screamed.
"Ah!" his eyes widened in instant alarm as he dropped his basket in an instant as he ran to Kaoru's room and slid her door open quickly without thinking…to find Kaoru half naked in the middle of putting on her yukata. Her flower vase was toppled over and had spilt water on a heap of clothing. He immediately knew what happened…and then his mistake finally dawned on him…
"KENSHIN!!!! Are you completely shameless?!" Kaoru growled as she gave him a look that promised death so fast that he wouldn't be able to have time to pay for his funeral in advance.
"Ka-ka-Kaoru-dono…sukoshi matte…I can explain myself!" Kenshin stuttered as he put his hands up for fruitless protection, trying to avade his gaze off of Kaoru.
"Why aren't you leaving, you idiot?!"
"Ah! Hai! I forgot!" as he ran out and quickly slid the door closed behind him, sweatdropping.
"Why couldn't you have KNOCKED before you barged in, huh?!" Kaoru's voice came out from the room, "jeez…I just accidentally spilled water on my yukata so I had to change…why can't I get some decent privacy for once?!"
"Sumimasen de gozaru yo…it's my own fault…is there anything I can do to make up for what I have done?" he quietly said his back still facing the door.
There was a rustling of clothing and then a moment of silence. From inside, Kaoru could see Kenshin's outline profile and she looked down and sighed in weariness.
"Actually….there is…"
"Hai…?" Kenshin asked as he turned around.
She turned her head to the door as her expression softened,
"Will you talk to Tomoe-chan?"
There was an eight-second silence.
"…why…?"
Kaoru blinked as she tried to come up with a response and then she thought of something,
"Ah…I…….I mean…you don't hate her or anything do you..?"
"That's what I should be really asking you, Kaoru-dono…"
"What…? I don't think I understa—"
"You do not have to….I will go look for her…ja,"
She heard his footsteps and saw his profile leave.
"Kenshin…"
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Tomoe put on a rare smile as she cut the vegetables to add to the soup. Like Kenshin, she reasoned that since she was given a place to stay for free she may as well do the chores around the house everyday as a sign of her gratitude. She dumped the vegetables in the boiling pot of water and stirred. She went to another boiling pot to check on the everyday normal miso soup. She covered both pots with their lids and went outside to hang the laundry. She hung them quickly yet meticulously so as the clothes wouldn't fall off. It was like that back at the field….except that she was hanging up her owner's clothes and was being whipped at the same time for doing any little trivial mistake that had been done. She shuddered and closed her eyes tight in fear as a wave of nausea crashed over her stomach back and forth. She clenched onto the cloth tightly as she shook. She didn't want to go back…she didn't want anybody to hit her or touch her like that…she didn't want any of that…she wanted her parents back…she wanted a normal family life…she wanted to get out of this trauma…
Kenshin was walking outside the hallway looking for Tomoe and he turned his head to the left. He blinked and frowned with calculating eyes as he saw her clenching onto his sleeping hakama and shaking. His frown deepened as he approached to her slowly and put one hand on her shoulder from behind her,
"Tomoe-dono…?"
Tomoe shook…she wanted to get out of this…she wanted to live peacefully…she couldn't get that familiar raw feeling to hold back in…and when someone put a hand on her shoulder her eyes flew open.
All those years of training in secret…all those hardships…and everything that the owner did to her and her family…she gasped as she felt herself losing it. All her primal instincts and fear covered and muddled up her rationality and reason. She spun around, her eye color turning into blood red as all of "her" disappeared. A rare snarl formed on her lips as she used her right hand and grabbed her katana that was on her left side…
And with pure anger, she attacked…
"HITEN MITSURUGU RYU! RYUU TSUI SEN!!!" she screamed.
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A.N.-I'm glad that school will finally get out of the way for now…jeez…all that hw…it was killing me…I'm not sure when the third chapter will come out, but keep your eyes peeled ok? Sore ja! R +R!!!
