Standard Disclaimers Apply

Love Rule # 6: Some things are better left unsaid.

While Kaoru was changing her clothes upstairs, Kenshin took the opportunity to run back to his house. As soon as he had arrived in his place, he called Kaoru, informing her that he was just going to change into something more appropriate.

The young shihondai agreed, asking him to pick her up at by 7:00 pm. It was a really formal place and she did not want to rush her preparations for her so-called first date.

Kaoru closed her eyes, smiling widely. Here goes nothing!

~~~~~

At exactly 7:00 pm, Kenshin knocked on Kaoru's door. He took a deep breath, trying to soothe his raging nerves. He didn't knew why he was getting all worked up on his date with Kaoru. It wasn't as if he hadn't dated before. But something inside him betrayed him. His stomach back flipped, his heart bungee jumped, his hands scrimmaged.

To say that he felt nervous was an understatement.

Cold sweatdrops streaked down his face as he awaited his date.

Moments later, Kaoru partially opened to door, tilting her head on the side to peer at the handsome editor coyly. She eyed him from head to toe, a smile forming on her face as she noted how gorgeous he looked in a dark blue suit.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Kaoru nodded, biting her lower lip in nervousness as she opened the door wider.

"Beautiful," Kenshin stammered upon seeing the lovely goddess before him.

Kaoru blushed deeply when she heard Kenshin's compliment. Nobody had ever said that to her before, at least not in that sincere and heartfelt manner. At that moment, she felt as if she wanted to cower behind the door once again to avoid his penetrating gaze.

Kenshin continued to stare at her, unable to tear his eyes off him. If he were to describe her in four simple words, it would have been, Simplicity at its finest.

Kaoru held her hair up in a neat ponytail and wore a silver pink haltered dress. Her short dress revealed her curves, which were often hidden by her training gi and hakama. She used no make-up at all, bringing out her natural beauty.

Finally regaining from the visual overload, Kenshin turned his head to hide his looming blush as he held out his hand to her to escort her to his car.

Not used to that kind of treatment, Kaoru shrugged and played along. While they were walking, she told him the directions to get there as she allowed him to open the car door for her.

It was a short trip but while they were driving, Kenshin felt at a loss for words. The silence and awkwardness was killing him but he did not know what to do.

Or what to say for that matter.

On the other hand, Kaoru fidgeted nervously on her seat, asking herself if she made the right decision on accepting his offer.

After all, it was her first date.

A part of her told her that she was just wasting her time. Yet another part of her assured her that it would be a night to remember. Though little voices in her head told her contradicting things, her whole being knew that whatever happened, everything would be perfect because she was with him.

Love.

"So, Kaoru, how did you know this place?" Kenshin asked, snapping her out of her musings.

"What?" she replied absent-mindedly, returning her to reality. Kaoru wanted to slap herself silly for that last thought, which until now, lingered in her head.

"How did you find this restaurant. This place seemed pretty um…" Couldn't find any other better word, he settled for, "secluded."

"Well, it is meant to be that way," she smiled as the air of tension slowly dispersed. "My friend, Gypsy-chan, along with her friend, built this with a vision."

"That is?"

"To provide escapism to its customers. They didn't want to build this in the center of town where the usual hubbub and hustle-bustle takes place… they wanted a serene surrounding to set the mood and ambience. To give comfort to their customers."

"Oh…"

"So, what do you think?" she asked, beaming widely.

"I think it looks…" expensive, he trailed off. "… great!"

"Come on, let's come inside!" Kaoru exclaimed as she stepped out of the car, not waiting for Kenshin to open the door for her as he did before.

Kenshin ran to catch up with her, offering his arm to link it with hers.

"Welcome to Indulgence!" A tall, green-eyed waitress welcomed them with a huge smile plastered on her face. "Hi I am Sae, your hostess for tonight! Table for..?"

"Two."

Just then, her mouth opened, forming an 'O'. She discreetly stepped forward towards Kenshin side and whispered to his ears, "Pretty girlfriend you have there. Is this your anniversary?"

Kenshin was stunned.

Upon seeing his reaction, Sae giggled in much amusement, "Ohh… That is so sweet! For that I will give you the best seat in the house."

"Oro!" he blurted out. "Miss, you don't understand," he whispered back, praying silently that Kaoru did not hear their conversation.

"Don't worry, hunk-a-doodle," she winked, giving him two thumbs up. "I'll make sure everything run smoothly. "Waiter!" she called out. As soon as a stuffy looking Englishman came in view, she ordered, "Escort this pretty couple to our loveseat."

"Yes, ma'am." The waiter wearing a penguin suit escorted them both to the secluded 'lover's corner' near the stage. As soon as they were both seated, he handed out a menu to both of them. "Here are the menus, madam, mister."

Kenshin scanned the unintelligible list of delights, eyes almost bulging when he saw the prices adjacent to the food. Clearing his throat, he began nervously, "Umm… Kaoru, what do you want to order?"

"I don't really know…" she shrugged. "I was craving for pasta a while ago…. But I don't know." Looking up at him, she asked, "What about you? What do you want?"

"Let's see…" he returned his eyes to the menu, rubbing his chin in deliberation.

Seeing the couple's difficulty in choosing their dinner, he smiled at them both and said,  "Might I suggest the House Specialty for the day."

"What is that?" Kenshin asked casually. It was his first time to eat at that restaurant that is why he was unfamiliar with the type of dishes they had served. When Kaoru had mentioned earlier that Indulgence served great pasta, he automatically assumed that it was an Italian restaurant. But his guess was wrong when he saw that the restaurant had magnificently and elegantly clashed Asian and Western influences not only in the architecture and design but on the food as well.

"It is a complete gourmet meal from appetizer to desert. The main course for the day is Crab Szeychuan a la Michiavelli," came the waiter's reply.

Both Kenshin and Kaoru turned to him with a questioning look on their faces.

They didn't need to ask for most customers who ate there held the same expression on their faces as soon as they heard that.

 "Crab Szeychuan a la Michiavelli is the restaurant's bestseller. Absolutely delicious! It is red crab cooked with onions and sits with special Szeychuan sauce," his lips curved up into a smile as he delivered his practiced line with much commercial precision.

"So, what do you think?" Kaoru asked, seeking Kenshin's approval.

"I don't know. You make the choice," he pointed at her.

"No, you."

"You are my date," he reasoned.

"But…" she muttered, giving him a cute pout.

"Alright," he sighed in resignation. "Tonight's house special sounds good."

The waiter took note of their order and headed back to the kitchen.

As soon as they were left alone, Kenshin and Kaoru gave each other furtive glances, waiting for the other to break the silence.

However, that was not to be.

They shifted uncomfortably in their seats, trying to make themselves seem busy. Kaoru watched the other customers, brushing their nails against her clothes. Meanwhile, Kenshin pretended to be busy with his Palm Pilot.

"Psst… Psst…"

Kenshin turned his head from side to side, trying to see who was making the fuss.

"Psst," hissed Sae from behind one of the posts.

"Huh? You calling me?" Kenshin mouthed, pointing his finger at himself as he gave her a quizzical look.

"Yup, auburn hunk. Come here…" she nodded, waving her hand in invitation.

Kenshin nodded, uncertain why he was called. If his instincts served him well, their conversation would be about a certain raven haired beauty sitting across him. "Excuse me, Kaoru," he said as he pulled back his chair. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Kaoru nodded, not a single word coming out from her mouth. She didn't know why but she felt as if she had swallowed her tongue or something.

Kenshin approached Sae, standing in just the right angle behind the post so that even if Kaoru looked back, she wouldn't see him conversing with another woman during their date. "What is it Sae-san?"

Sighing dreamily, she began, "I have a special plan for you and your girl friend. I want your anniversary to be special. I mean, this is what Indulgence is all about… we make sure that your visits here are most unforgettable."

"But she isn't my girlfriend," he protested, cheeks blushing deeply.

Surprisingly, Sae rolled her eyes and quipped, "Well, she won't be if you won't follow my plans little boy."

"Oro?"

"Listen to me," she said in an almost commanding tone, boring her eyes in his. "Now, after eating your dessert, Souji Okita will call you to the stage. He will sing you a wonderful song and I want you to dance with her…"

"Oro?" his mouth dropped.

"…After the dance, you will take the microphone from him and declare your undying love for the woman you are with."

At that, his eyes almost bulged out from their sockets as he whimpered, "Orororororo!"

"Stop saying oro and do as I tell you!" she snapped, narrowing her eyes. "If I were you I won't let a girl like that slip away"

Kenshin looked down, allowing her words to sink in.

Slip away.

Could he let her slip away?

Knowing the answer deep inside him, he returned to his seat, giving Kaoru a wide smile.

This night was going to be perfect and nothing would ruin it.

"What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing!" Trying to digress the conversation, he asked, "Shall we start with the salad?"

"Alright." Kaoru smiled. At last, the blanket of silence between them is gone. They could now engage in a meaningful conversation and get to know each other better.

However, as soon as both of them took a bite from their appetizer. Tension cut off their tongue, leaving both of them irritatingly speechless for the entire duration of the meal.

Inside, Kaoru was seething. How could Kenshin allow their date to go on like that? Surely, he had something more interesting to talk about than just petty questions that would be answerable by a yes or no. He was a writer, for crying out loud. Writers are supposed to be full of insights, have stories to tell, questions to ask and the like. She just couldn't understand why he was acting that way. Didn't he enjoy her company that he would rather watch other people eating than to actually talk to her?

No matter how she tried, she couldn't understand why he was suddenly so silent. She tried to reason with herself but she just couldn't justify his actions. She thought of every possible cause except for one…

…it never crossed her mind that he was nervous.

For the umpteenth time that evening, Kenshin whacked his head, desperately searching for a topic that would get their conversation going. He felt that he had used up all his skills just trying to get a date with her, and now his brain-mouth coordination had definitely slowed down. He wasn't really smooth when it came to girls. Actually, he didn't know how he managed to get a date with Kaoru. Maybe it was the spur of a moment sort of thing. Who could not get carried away in that situation? He and Kaoru were talking about really mushy stuff. And to add on to that there was…

Kaoru and her partially opened inviting lips.

Kaoru and her most penetrating eyes.

Kaoru and her dreams.

Her fantasies.

He knew it was too fast but his whole being screamed out that he loved every part of her. That he must never do anything so that she wouldn't slip away.

But of course, in order to have her in the first place, he must start with a conversation. A simple conversation would do so that they would at least get to know even the most trivial things about each other. What would they talk about?

School? –Nah, sounds geeky.

Sports? –Too much of a jock topic.

The beauty pageant? – Work related.

Her clothes? – Ulk! She might think he was gay!!!

Unable to come up with something better, he resorted to the most obvious, simple and cliché question he could think of, "How's the food, Kaoru?" Kenshin bit his lip, expecting that she would shrug or mutter alright.

Contrary with his thoughts, Kaoru's eyes lit up at his question as she said enthusiastically, "I love this! Chocolate mousse is my favorite! Well, anything chocolate-y for that matter. It is my weakness."

"Oh, really?" he smiled. Success!!

"Well, yeah."

Just then. They were back to where they started.

Silence.

Fortunately for Kenshin, Sae's plan had already began. Souji Okita went up the stage causing the regular customers to give him a standing ovation. He waved his hands in greeting and appreciation as he took the microphone from its stand. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Today is a special day for two of our fellows guests here in the Indulgence." Turning to the special love seat, he gave Kenshin a wink, causing the redhead's heart to thunder a hundredfold. This was it. "Kenshin Himura, will you please come up the stage with your beloved girlfriend."

At that, time stood still for both Kenshin and Kaoru as they stared at him with stunned  faces.

"They're not yet a couple, baka!!!" Sae whispered to Souji from behind, steam coming out of her ears.

"Oops!" he grinned.

"Girlfriend!?" Kaoru demanded as soon as she had recovered. "You told them that I was your girl friend!?"

"Kaoru, wait! You don't understand," Kenshin reasoned, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Kaoru glared back at him and sneered, "You don't have to. I think I understand pretty well. I accepted one date and then you automatically assumed I was your girlfriend? I'm not that easy! Ugh!"

Kenshin looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

"You guys are all the same! Stupid me for actually thinking you were different." She gave him one final glare and then, she walked out.

Kenshin stared at her retrieving figure, not having the heart to follow her. He sat down, thinking bitterly, At least, I have this one date with her… I'll fix everything tomorrow morning. Right now, she needs to cool down because even if I tried to explain, her rage would block out any rational thoughts, shutting out her mind on the matter. Things couldn't possibly get any worse. Looking up, he gestured, "Bill please."

Upon receiving the bill, blood drained from Kenshin's face as he stared blankly at the wall trying to assess his situation. Slowly, he took out his cellular phone.

"Kenshin," came a voice from the other line.

Kenshin swallowed a large lump of pride blocking his windpipe and whispered, "Aoshi, can I borrow some money?"

"What!?"

Things couldn't get any worse? Me and my big mouth!!! he slapped himself.

~~~

Aoshi strode into the restaurant and found his best friend slumped over a secluded table. Kenshin didn't even lift his head when he approached. "I didn't think you were idiotic enough to go to a date without bringing money." He placed the bills in front of Kenshin and took a seat opposite him.

Kenshin groaned. "If I had known that you were going to give me grief about it, I would have called Sanosuke. He owes me."

"If you think you can bum some money out of that gambler, you're even more idiotic than I thought," Aoshi replied solemnly, without a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"You don't know half of it," Kenshin said. The whole story of his date with Kaoru Kamiya came pouring out, and Aoshi shook his head at his friend's predicament. For all intents and purposes, the guy was brilliant and quick-witted. He wondered why his brain suddenly turned to mush at the mention of Kamiya's name.

Kenshin really looked torn up by his ruined date with Kaoru. Aoshi didn't think that he had seen his friend this affected before. Women, who needed them? It was enough that he had so many responsibilities as student council president. He didn't need the grief from a woman to further complicate his life. An image of that short girl, Misao Makimachi, flashed through his mind, and Aoshi was quick to push the thought away. A girl like that could only mean trouble. A girl like that needed to be taken cared of, needed to be watched over, needed to be treated to expensive places like this—

What the hell was he thinking?

"I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy," Kenshin chanted rhythmically, banging his head repeatedly against the table.

Aoshi didn't bother to contradict him. He was too busy with the leftover Crab Szeychuan. After all, he was paying for it.

~~~

Love Rule # 7: A true Prince Charming will catch you when you fall.

"…and the guy had the gall  to tell absolute strangers that I was his girlfriend! After one date? I had never been so humiliated." Kaoru seethed in irritation the next day, as she and Misao hurried off to pageant rehearsals. For the next few weeks, they were excused from their club activities so that they could participate in the pageant She had been so tired and frustrated last night that she forgot to call Misao, and her best friend was only getting a quick rehash of their date.

"So what did you do?" Misao asked.

"What any normal girl would do," Kaoru replied in a huff. "I went to the washroom to compose myself." She took short quick strides on her way to the auditorium where rehearsals were going to be held, her mind going back to the events of the previous night. "I felt like I needed to breathe, you know? I really thought he was different. Maybe I just got carried away with the moment, when he asked me out and I accepted eagerly. Serves me right." Kaoru scowled to herself. "I must have spent nearly thirty minutes in that washroom, then I left."

They had reached the entrance to the auditorium when Kaoru suddenly remembered something. "Oh, which reminds me, that crush of yours, the student council president?"

Misao's forehead wrinkled in curiosity. "Aoshi. What about him?"

"I saw him entering Indulgence just as I was on my way out," Kaoru answered casually.

"What?!" Misao screeched. "What's my Aoshi doing there?"

Her friend shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe he was checking the place out. Or maybe he was there with his family. Or maybe he had a date," she mused out loud.

Misao clamped a hand to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her scream but it was already echoing through the auditorium. Heads turned their way, but Misao kept her eyes on Kaoru. "How can he do this to me?"

"Calm down, Misao. I said maybe, remember?"

But she wasn't listening. "Am I not enough for him? Does he have to go chasing after other girls?"

"Uh, Misao--"

"Don't my blue-green eyes turn him on?"

"Misao--"

"Just because he's gorgeous and he's brilliant and has the cutest butt a student council president can have doesn't mean that--"

"Ahem," a new voice interrupted.

Misao felt the blood drain from her face. "Don't tell me he's right behind me."

Kaoru gritted her teeth in a forced smile that looked more like a grimace to Misao. "Okay, I won't."

"You're blocking the entrance," the same voice continued. Misao knew that the speaker wasn't Aoshi, but she turned just the same. She was even more embarrassed to see the student council adviser, Mr. Hajime Saitou standing there with an expressionless Aoshi at his side. "The cute butt can't get in," the professor continued with a smirk.

Please, Kami, let me die now.

Misao glanced at Aoshi just as Kaoru pulled her away. Was he just as embarrassed as she was? Nothing seemed to faze him. He didn't even look at her as he followed Saitou-sensei up the stage.

Her heart sank. She was proud of the fact that she didn't get embarrassed often. Her doting grandfather had always encouraged her to face the consequences of her actions and it was this attitude that gave her resolute and optimistic nature. But this time was an exception. Aoshi's expression really bothered her, reminding her that she was someone he could just easily ignore.

"Hey," Kaoru said softly, patting her arm. "It's okay, you know."

Misao was touched by her friend's gesture. What's done is done. End of story. Besides, it was just harmless girl talk. She shouldn't let herself get too affected. She allowed Kaoru to lead her to the front of the auditorium where the contestants and the rest of the crew were gathered. She caught sight of Kenshin standing off to one side, just below the stage. The poor guy was looking forlornly at Kaoru but her friend was pointedly ignoring him. She also saw Saitou-sensei by the wings, arms folded authoritatively.

And Aoshi?

He was talking to the professor with his back to her, a clipboard discreetly hiding his butt from view. When he turned to them Misao thought she saw the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

She smiled. She had gotten to him after all.

But when he spoke, he was all authority again. "I'd like to welcome everyone to our first day of rehearsals. Before we start, I'd like to introduce you to everyone who will be working hard to make this pageant a success. As student council president, I'll leave the production side to those who are more capable. I will only be overseeing the logistics and other preparations, so I won't be here often."

Aoshi looked straight at her when he said that line. It was only a brief glance, a few seconds tops, but Misao was sure that he was addressing her. Her heartbeat quickened.

On stage, Aoshi gestured towards Saitou-sensei. "Our student council advisor, Saitou-sensei, has volunteered to be the consultant and to take care of administrative matters for our pageant." There was a splattering of applause as the young teacher merely nodded at them. Kaoru and Misao only knew him by his reputation as the strictest teacher ever to walk the halls of Meiji High. Rumor had it that he had once stubbed out a cigarette on a student's open palm. They had often seen him smoking off campus and they wondered just how much of the rumor was true.

Misao jerked her attention away from the teacher to concentrate on her Aoshi, who was speaking again. "Our pageant director this year is from class 3-B, Makoto Shishio."

A tall, lean boy with his arm in a cast stood up from the front seat. His build was rigid and imposing, and is eyes held a mischievous twinkle. She and Kaoru exchanged looks. This guy was the recognized leader of the Juppongatana, but he didn't share their weird obsession of Kaoru-chasing. Misao figured it was because he wasn't around much in the first place – the guy was known to be in and out of the hospital. Apparently he was considered to be the fastest pitcher on the baseball team and the best forward on the basketball team, but no one outside of the varsity squads had ever seen him in action. He spent every season on the sidelines because of one injury or another. Misao took note of the cast on his right arm. Things didn't seem to be any different this time around.

"To assist him is our stage manager, Sanosuke Sagara."

This time, the real star of the baseball team stood up. Misao was surprised to see him there when the guy was a well-known troublemaker who didn't take an interest in any school activity outside of sports.

Aoshi rattled off a list of students who had various roles in the production. Kenshin, she noted, was in charge of publicity. But the real surprise came when Aoshi announced their choreographer.

"Oh. My. God."

Misao placed a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders as the source of her sudden shock came prancing on stage.

Kamatari.

"I must be cursed," Kaoru muttered.

Misao recalled her own afternoon. "Tell me about it," she sighed.

But then she realized that she wasn't alone when she said it. She looked to see who had spoken, but no one appeared to be listening. The closest person was the reigning title holder, Megumi Takani, who sat two rows behind them. But Misao couldn't imagine why Megumi would be listening to them in the first place, or why she would even agree.

Shishio wasted no time in getting them all onstage once Aoshi was done talking. He addressed the girls, "Kamatari has approached me with a dance routine that we can use for an opening number," he rasped. Misao wondered if it was just her, or Shishio really had one scary voice. "I'd like to request all the girls to come on stage so that we can begin."

Misao shrugged and got up, but Kaoru remained firmly in her seat. She looked like she didn't want to be within three feet of Kamatari, so Misao used all her might to pull her friend out of the seat. They joined the rest of the girls gathered there. One of them, Tokio Takagi, smiled at them pleasantly before turning her attention to Kamatari, who had begun dancing – a little too wildly, if she may add – to a fast-paced pop tune.

"Can you imagine us doing something like that?" Misao whispered to Kaoru, as Kamatari executed a series of cartwheels across the stage. "Who does he think we are?"

When Kaoru refused to answer, Misao turned to her. Her friend seemed lost in thought, looking at where Aoshi sat talking to Kenshin. She narrowed her eyes and asked menacingly, "Are you staring at Aoshi-sama?"

"Of course not!" Kaoru replied incredulously.

"Well, you sure are staring at something in his direction!" Misao pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Misao, I am not staring at something in his direction. I was just thinking. There is a big difference between staring and thinking," the blue-eyed kenjutsu instructor corrected.

Misao gave an audible sigh of relief and grinned, "For a second there I thought you had fallen for Aoshi-sama…"

Kaoru gaped open-mouthed.

"…Don't worry. In case that happens, I won't be mad, it is perfectly understandable…"

 "Misao!" Kaoru protested.

 "…Aoshi is a big hunk…"

"Misao!"

"…It's okay for me to share him but he's mine I tell you. I won't let you steal him away from me! Got that?" Misao winked.

Kaoru tried to pull her aside but she was too late. Kamatari, doing one of his cartwheels, flipped too close to Misao. His leg caught her squarely in the chest, propelling her to the orchestra pit.

"Misao!" Kaoru cried out.

Misao flailed her arms to regain her balance but she was already falling. But just when she expected to hit solid ground, she felt a soft body cushioning her fall.

She blinked, aware of the hard muscles beneath her, the strong hands wrapped around her waist, the warm breath on the back of her neck, the ice blue eyes that stared down at her.

Makimachi Misao could survive cartwheels and five-feet high falls. But not this.

She fainted.

~~~

Princess Rule #4: Size up your rivals to boost your confidence.

Amateurs. She was surrounded by amateurs.

Megumi sighed as people began gathering around the fallen girl – Misao, if she remembered correctly. Didn't they know that they were blocking her air? She pushed her way forward. "Back off. Don't crowd her too much," she ordered, trying to move people back as she took charge of the situation. She caught sight of Sanosuke from the corner of her eye. "Get her a glass of water," she said.

She watched Aoshi cradling the girl gently. "Daijoubu?" she asked, but she wasn't talking about Misao.

Apparently, Aoshi noticed. He met her eyes and gave her a look that said Don't even go there. Megumi hid a smile and backed off.

It turned out that they didn't need the water that she asked Sanosuke to get since Misao was awake after a minute. Megumi helped her get off Aoshi, although she sensed that both Misao and Aoshi were reluctant to let go.

"Is she okay?" Saitou-sensei asked, walking up to them.

"Shinomori-san broke her fall," Megumi replied on Misao's behalf, "and she seems okay." She glanced back at the shorter girl, who bobbed her head up and down. "I'm all right. Thank you for asking," she said with a bow. Then she turned to Megumi and bowed as well. "Thank you, Megumi-san."

"Don't you think you should let the school nurse check you first?" Aoshi asked suddenly.

Megumi had her suspicions before, but this confirmed them. Aoshi was a man of few words. When he was campaigning, he had let Kenshin and his track record do the talking for him. He only said things that he needed to say – like things he did for the student council. Hearing him now, Megumi knew that he wasn't talking as Aoshi the student council president, but as Aoshi the ordinary guy. She wondered what was it about the petite girl that brought out this side of Aoshi that people rarely got to see.

"I'm fine," Misao insisted. To prove her point, she made a quick cartwheel – one even better than Kamatari had done. She was so quick that no one got the chance to see what she was wearing underneath her short school skirt. Megumi was impressed. She didn't think she could ever do something like that.

But if Aoshi was, he didn't show it. Instead, he waved Shishio to continue with the rehearsals and walked back to his seat without another word. Drama forgotten, the rest of them climbed back onstage.

Sanosuke chose to come back at that moment, a plastic cup of water in hand, slipping next to Megumi. "Oi, fox, where is she?"

Megumi took the cup from him and drank the water. No use letting it go to waste. "There," she pointed out once she was finished, to where Misao stood chatting with Kaoru.

"Thought that was for your patient," Sanosuke protested.

"Trust me, she's waaay better now," Megumi replied, handing the empty cup back to him.

He scowled, but took the cup and crumpled it in one smooth motion. "Hey, since you got a free drink from me, does this mean that you're going to help me with tomorrow's homework?"

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Help? You're not going to fool me with your dumb jock act, you know."

"That was science," he grinned sheepishly. "You should see me in calligraphy."

"You don't need a tutor to study calligraphy!" she reminded him.

Sano drew up his chest a little smugly. "Tell that to Genzai-sensei."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "Oh please, rooster-head, you know fully well that wasn't part of the deal."

Before Sano could think of a comeback, Shishio clapped his hands to get their attention. Okay, maybe not exactly clapped – since one arm was in a cast, he more like pounded on his arm with a closed fist. Once all eyes were on him, he frowned at Kamatari. "Why don't we skip the dance practice first and decide on your positions on stage?"

Everyone murmured their assent. Megumi and Sanosuke parted discreetly; she, sliding back to stand behind Misao, he, swaggering over to stand between Shishio and Kamatari. The director had begun barking out his instructions. "You, you, and you," he said, pointing to Shura, Tokio, and Tae. "You stand on the right side."

He turned to Megumi, Kaoru, and Misao. "The three of you, on the left."

"What about me, Shishio-kun?" Yumi almost purred.

He took her hand and led her to center stage. "You belong right here, doll."

What the--

"Wait." The protest was short but firm, and Megumi was surprised that it belonged to Saitou-sensei. "You can't just do that."

"But she's my girlfriend," Shishio defended.

Saitou-sensei snorted. "That's no reason at all. You should put someone striking in the middle--"

Megumi straightened up. This could be it. She even took a small step forward to put herself in the teacher's line of view.

"Someone like her."

Megumi turned. He was pointing to Tokio Takagi, who was blushing at the attention.

But Shishio wouldn't be moved. "I want Yumi in the middle."

"Well, Takagi is a better choice," Saitou-sensei growled.

"Yumi."

"Takagi."

"Yumi."

"Kami-dammit, I said Takagi, and if you know what's good for you, you'll--"

A splitting whistle pierced the air, and everyone turned to look at the culprit. Sanosuke.

"Ahou," Saitou-sensei muttered. "What?"

Sanosuke spread his hands out innocently, palms up. "Look, they're going to be dancing, right? Who better to put in the middle but last year's winner?"

Megumi preened. Sanosuke may be a little rough around the edges, but the man had sense. And taste.

But he wasn't finished. "—I bet she can do a pretty mean cartwheel."

She shot him dagger looks that were lost in the crew's growing agreement. She had completely forgotten about that! The idiot knew perfectly well how she had fared the last time she did one. She took back everything she said about him having sense. But there was no protest from either Shishio or Saitou-sensei and before she knew it, someone had already led her to the middle.

"Hmmm, good call, Sagara," Shishio finally agreed. "She's the tallest one too, and everyone balances out well on both sides." Megumi turned to look at what he was referring to. Arranged by height to her right were Tae, Tokio, and Shura, who was almost as short as Misao. On her left were Yumi, Kaoru, and Misao. By all appearances, it did seem like a good decision.

"Okay, now that that's decided, we'll have Kamatari demonstrate his dance for us – this time, try to tone it down," Shishio advised.

 "Anything for you, Shishio-kun," Kamatari said in a good imitation of Yumi's purr.

As everyone fell into place, Megumi had a sinking feeling that her fate was sealed. She shot a look at Kenshin and Aoshi, to see if her classmates noticed anything wrong. But Aoshi seemed deep in thought, and Ken-san looked simply devastated. She turned to Sanosuke as a last resort. The rooster head grinned at her and mouthed, "Calligraphy later?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine!" she cried out, causing the other girls to look at her in surprise. Megumi smiled sweetly at them and tossed her hair over one shoulder to regain her composure. Turning to Sano, she mouthed her next words, "Just get me out of here!"

Sano gave her the thumbs up sign, but before he could speak to Shishio about the change in positions, Kamatari was already dancing to the music. It was turned up so loud that no one could hear anything above the pounding rhythm. Shishio, in particular, looked dead to the world – he only had eyes for Yumi, who was gamely trying to follow Kamatari's movements.

She cast a look at the other girls. Kaoru, despite her tomboyish reputation, was surprisingly graceful. Megumi tried the best she could under the circumstances. She wasn't going to give up. She was going to show them. She was the reigning queen, wasn't she?

Kamatari launched into a cartwheel, just one this time, instead of the series that he executed earlier. Megumi took a deep breath, raised her arms, and cartwheeled…

…straight into Makoto Shishio.

The guy flew to the orchestra pit, cast and all, much like Misao had done minutes earlier. This time, no one caught him.

They all turned to Megumi.

She smiled sheepishly. "Whoops?"

Amateurs. Definitely amateurs.

To be continued…