The Memory of Trees
The Girl
Discrimination puts one
A step above his counterpart
But how high the step is
Is a different question
Yukishiro Enishi lay on the cold, hard floor of his cell, the heavy ball chained to his ankle, and his hands restrained. His eyes were glazed, and his breathing heavy, as he rolled over to stare at the blank ceiling.
That was the third time he had tried to escape that month, but the Mibu Wolf had always stopped him before he could succeed. Saitou certainly was not useless.
¡°I¡¯m sorry, onee-san. I couldn¡¯t find Battousai,¡± he whispered softly.
Tomoe. Slaughtered by Battousai. She had loved him, but he had returned her love with death. Enishi felt his blood boil as he recalled the night before her death.
¡°Really, Enishi, Kenshin is a very wonderful man. He¡¯s funny, he¡¯s caring, and he¡¯s kind...¡± Tomoe told Enishi beseechingly.
Enishi looked up from his soba. ¡°Be careful, onee-san.¡±
And then she had died the next day.
Enishi was jerked from his thoughts by the high-pitched call of no one other than Makimachi Misao, who was in charge of meals.
¡°Yukishiro-san! It¡¯s time for lunch! Saitou-san said you weren¡¯t to have any, but Aoshi-sama said that I was to give you some,¡± Misao babbled.
Slowly, Enishi got up from the floor and went to the drawer. Misao had already placed his lunch there, and he pulled it to his side.
¡°Thank-you, Misao-chan.¡±
¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing, Yukishiro-san! And I heard you escaped again on Monday! How exciting!¡±
¡°Misao-chan, if I escaped, you wouldn¡¯t be talking to me,¡± he said dryly.
¡°Oh, oh... Yeah. Umn, I guess you tried. Saitou-san isn¡¯t very happy, though.¡±
Enishi chose to keep silent.
¡°Yukishiro-san?¡±
¡°Yes, Misao?¡± Enishi asked tiredly. Damn, this girl talked more than Tomoe.
¡°When are you going to be released?¡±
Enishi sighed. ¡°Ten years later, at the earliest?¡± He was lying. He had been given a lifetime sentence.
¡°TEN YEARS! You have to be joking, Yukishiro-san. But I expect they¡¯ll put you on parole sometime. You have to stop es- sorry, trying to escape, if you want to be put on parole anytime soon. Let¡¯s set a target, Yukishiro-san. What about... say, in one years¡¯ time? I think by that time I¡¯ll be getting married to Aoshi-sama, and you can attend our wedding! Won¡¯t that be wonderful?¡± Misao closed her eyes wistfully.
That girl was irritating in an endearing way. ¡°Anything you say, Misao-chan,¡± Enishi said. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the way she fantasised aloud. If not for Misao, Enishi would have already become like some of the criminals in the other cells, despondent, disillusioned, and bitter.
¡°What kind of ring do you think Aoshi-sama would give me? Will we have a western wedding, or a Japanese wedding? Oh, Yukishiro-san, I can¡¯t wait!¡±
Enishi almost laughed out loud. As far as he knew, Shinomori Aoshi was making no moves, not even to date Misao, not to say marry her.
¡°Oh, look at the time! I¡¯m sorry, Yukishiro-san, but I have to go now! It was wonderful talking to you!¡± Misao rattled off before pushing the food trolley to the next cell.
Enishi shook his head. Misao had never worked anyplace else except for this prison, and she needed a look outside. Maybe if he ever escaped, he would take her with him as a favour returned for all the food.
...
Kenshin never dared to look straight at Kaoru anymore. Not since the time he had vomited all over her, and Ithen/I proceeded to cry into her shoulder. No, he didn¡¯t deserve to talk to her, or even look at her. He could tell, from the faint prickling of the hair on the back of his neck, that she watched him, but he could never bring himself to turn and face her.
He still had not told her about his past, and she had not had the chance to ask him. But it was better that way. There was no point in raking up the leaves, especially when they had settled. Ever since that Monday, Kenshin stopped having those horrible fits of his. Megumi said he was improving. Everyone said he was improving. Kaoru knew he was improving.
But was he?
You¡¯re not improving one bit, Himura. I¡¯m still as strong as ever.
Evidently, Kenshin was not exactly doing so.
¡°Kenshin?¡±
Kenshin was walking down the corridor, a basketful of laundry in his arms. He stopped, but did not look at Kaoru, who was standing behind him. Instead, he looked to the ground- or more to the laundry.
¡°Kenshin?¡± Kaoru asked again.
¡°Y- yes, Kaoru-dono?¡± Kenshin¡¯s voice was barely a whisper.
¡°Why are you ignoring me?¡± Kaoru sounded hurt.
¡°I am?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry about that time-¡± Kenshin began, but was cut off.
¡°I don¡¯t really care about whether I got dirty or anything. Trust me, Kenshin- it¡¯s fine.¡±
¡°Are you sure, Kaoru-dono?¡±
¡°Yes, definitely.¡±
¡°Thank-you, Kaoru-dono. Is there anything else?¡±
¡°Nothing. Nothing much. It¡¯s visiting day tomorrow, and I just wanted to ask if... if anyone was coming to visit you tomorrow.¡± Kaoru immediately turned red.
Kenshin again lowered his eyes to the ground. ¡°No. No one¡¯s coming.¡±
¡°Oh.¡±
¡°No one¡¯s come to visit me in ten years, so don¡¯t feel that bad, Kaoru-dono,¡± Kenshin smiled sadly.
¡°What... what about... Tomoe?¡± Kaoru stammered out.
¡°Dead,¡± Kenshin said flatly. Before Kaoru could say anything more, he turned around and began to walk away.
Kaoru stood there in semi-shock. She had figured that Tomoe was someone from Kenshin¡¯s past, but she hadn¡¯t realised that the woman was... dead.
...
Soujiro¡¯s forehead creased slightly as he watched Misao talking animatedly to Yukishiro Enishi. It was definitely not healthy for her to be around such company. Of course, Shinomori-san never really said anything about it, but Soujiro could tell that the man had his worries.
Soujiro¡¯s mind flicked back to his conversation with Aoshi.
¡°Soujiro, I need you to help me,¡± Aoshi muttered under his breath.
¡°Yes, Shinomori-san?¡± Soujiro asked.
¡°I can¡¯t hang around Misao so much, so... so could you help me watch out for her?¡±
¡°Hai, Shinomori-san.¡±
Soujiro smiled ruefully. Sooner or later Aoshi would have to make a move. He couldn¡¯t just leave the girl hanging there. Or could he?
Soujiro was jerked out of his reverie by Misao¡¯s cheerful voice.
¡°Good evening, Sou-chan!¡± Misao chirped, pushing the cart, which was piled with empty dishes, in front of her at high speed.
¡°Good evening, Misao-chan!¡± Soujiro smiled, nodding. He gently nudged Misao aside and took hold of the cart. ¡°Don¡¯t go that fast, or you¡¯ll crash.¡±
¡°Thank-you, Sou-chan! But don¡¯t worry- I never crash. I¡¯ve been doing this since I was a little girl!¡± Misao giggled, taking the cart again.
Yes, but how old was she? Barely sixteen. She was still a little girl, was she not? Or at least Shinomori-san thought so.
¡°AOSHI-SAMA!¡± Misao squealed, as she spied Aoshi walking down the corridor.
¡°Good evening, Misao. You should be going home now,¡± Aoshi said quietly.
¡°Yes, yes, Aoshi-sama. I¡¯ll be going home now! Bye!¡± Misao waved energetically, but it didn¡¯t seem like she was going to leave anytime soon.
Aoshi padded softly down the corridor, checking the locks and bolts to every prison door.
¡°Soujiro, go over to the other block to help Sagara check the locks.¡±
¡°Hai, Shinomori-san!¡±
Aoshi did not pay any attention to Misao as he tested the locks for cell 461a.
Unfortunately, neither did he pay any attention to the movements of a certain Yukishiro Enishi directly behind him.
¡°AOSHI-SAMA!!¡± Misao¡¯s shriek was the last thing he heard before a large wooden plank impacted with the back of his head.
Enishi stood over Aoshi¡¯s prone figure and dropped the plank carelessly on the ground.
¡°I¡¯m free. I¡¯m leaving this place. Want to come, Misao-chan? No? Bye, then,¡± Enishi said, as if he was commenting on the weather.
Misao stumbled to Aoshi, tears blurring her vision.
¡°Aoshi... sama?¡± she asked. ¡°Aoshi-sama...¡±
Aoshi groaned slightly as his eyes snapped open. It was all black.
¡°AOSHI-SAMA! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re awake! Yukishiro-san escaped! Please, please tell me you¡¯re all right!¡± Misao screamed with joy.
Aoshi waved his fingers in front of his face. It was still black.
¡°Misao, is it just me, or did someone turn off the lights?¡±
A/N:
YAY! I¡¯ve introduced Misao! Okay, so she¡¯s kind of stupid. And NO! Don¡¯t kill me for doing that to Aoshi- it was inevitable! Or maybe it wasn¡¯t. But never mind, I think its temporary. Or is it? **Maniacal Laughter**
REVIEW THANKS:
FUUKO-SAN: The other way round? Sounds sweet and happy... Oooh... GREAT IDEA!! But no, I don¡¯t think I can juggle two stories with the same idea at the same time... heh. Anyway, thanks!
KAKARLENA TSUGOI: Really? Thanks!
CHIRUKEN: I think Kaoru just poked a bit too deep... heh. Anyway, thanks!
C-CHAN: You think so? Thanks!
POLKA DOT: I was watching the Matrix... You know, the part where Neo pukes white phlegm on the deck?
THE WEIRD ONE: It was confusing? Oh... okay... Sorry then.
BESHO: Thanks. Most people say that my imagination is retarded. :) It¡¯s nice to see someone who begs to differ.
KITTY FLARE: I do? O.o Thanks!
