Chapter 3- Redhead
Sanosuke and Yahiko dug into the food the instant Tae set it out in front of them. Wisely, Kaoru sat back and waited. She knew that once they had enough stuffed in their mouths, they would have to slow down. Then, she would move in for whatever was left. However, she wasn't very hungry. She only wanted to eat because if she didn't, Megumi would find out and be on her about it.
"You need to stand up and take care of yourself!" she would say.
But Megumi had no idea how hard it was to just get out of bed in the morning. Kenshin's departure had left a seemingly permanent rain cloud pouring over her head.
As anticipated, the initial feasting died down. Kaoru snaked her hand in and grabbed a bowl of rice. "You two need to take it easy."
Sanosuke scowled. "Ah, relax Jou-chan. How often do I get some good grub?"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Rooster Head." Kaoru picked up little bits of rice and swallowed them down. They seemed to lodge themselves in her throat. She just had no appetite.
Yahiko cocked an eyebrow at her while sipping his tea. He could tell something was on her mind and had a pretty good idea of what it was. Still, the ten-year-old in him said that it was a bunch of mush. He kept on eating.
Sanosuke glanced around the table and scowled. "Augh! Tae! We need some more tofu!"
Tae sighed, shrugged her shoulders, and proceeded to the kitchen. She had become used to Sanosuke.
CRASH!
Everyone jumped. Kaoru nearly spit out her meal and swatted a hand over her mouth to hide it. "Urp! What was that?"
Yahiko was the first to stick his head out of the booth. Looking around to see what the noise had come from, his brown eyes suddenly settled upon a crowd of people. They were all standing stock-still, as though frozen with shock. Then came the quiet voice of a woman over the hushed throng.
"Sorry, but I told you to let me be."
Kaoru and Sanosuke peeked out over Yahiko, pushing him down to see better. Somewhere within the crowd, they heard a low moan, the sound of a drunk no doubt. Then, there came the clack of a sheathing sword.
"A sword? What the?" Sanosuke muttered.
Just then, a familiar face emerged, shyly pushing her way through the people. Yahiko blinked. "Oh! Hey Tsubame!"
Tsubame paused, spotted him, and smiled. "Oh hi Yahiko."
"What happened over there?" Kaoru asked.
The little girl turned towards where the people slowly began to file back to where they came from, disappearing into the booths. There was no trace of a fight. "It's strange. That lady had red hair. She looked almost like."
"Kenshin?!" Sanosuke gasped, eyes glued on something beyond the group.
Everyone spun around just as a lone figure ducked from one of the booths and headed swiftly out the door. Though it was a brief glance, there was no mistaking the bouncing auburn ponytail.
Sanosuke took off. "I'd know that redhead anywhere!"
Kaoru and Yahiko wheeled and followed him. Was it Kenshin they were now pursuing? Was Tsubame mistaken?
But when the two caught up with their street-fighting friend, he was just standing at the door. Their redhead target had vanished in what little time that had been given.
Tsubame joined them there. "It wasn't Kenshin."
"Are you sure?" Yahiko asked her.
She nodded, her short brown hair bouncing. "Yes. It was a woman. Plus she didn't have the cross scar that he has."
Kaoru watched as the villagers walked past. "But still.who could it have been?"
Sanosuke and Yahiko dug into the food the instant Tae set it out in front of them. Wisely, Kaoru sat back and waited. She knew that once they had enough stuffed in their mouths, they would have to slow down. Then, she would move in for whatever was left. However, she wasn't very hungry. She only wanted to eat because if she didn't, Megumi would find out and be on her about it.
"You need to stand up and take care of yourself!" she would say.
But Megumi had no idea how hard it was to just get out of bed in the morning. Kenshin's departure had left a seemingly permanent rain cloud pouring over her head.
As anticipated, the initial feasting died down. Kaoru snaked her hand in and grabbed a bowl of rice. "You two need to take it easy."
Sanosuke scowled. "Ah, relax Jou-chan. How often do I get some good grub?"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Rooster Head." Kaoru picked up little bits of rice and swallowed them down. They seemed to lodge themselves in her throat. She just had no appetite.
Yahiko cocked an eyebrow at her while sipping his tea. He could tell something was on her mind and had a pretty good idea of what it was. Still, the ten-year-old in him said that it was a bunch of mush. He kept on eating.
Sanosuke glanced around the table and scowled. "Augh! Tae! We need some more tofu!"
Tae sighed, shrugged her shoulders, and proceeded to the kitchen. She had become used to Sanosuke.
CRASH!
Everyone jumped. Kaoru nearly spit out her meal and swatted a hand over her mouth to hide it. "Urp! What was that?"
Yahiko was the first to stick his head out of the booth. Looking around to see what the noise had come from, his brown eyes suddenly settled upon a crowd of people. They were all standing stock-still, as though frozen with shock. Then came the quiet voice of a woman over the hushed throng.
"Sorry, but I told you to let me be."
Kaoru and Sanosuke peeked out over Yahiko, pushing him down to see better. Somewhere within the crowd, they heard a low moan, the sound of a drunk no doubt. Then, there came the clack of a sheathing sword.
"A sword? What the?" Sanosuke muttered.
Just then, a familiar face emerged, shyly pushing her way through the people. Yahiko blinked. "Oh! Hey Tsubame!"
Tsubame paused, spotted him, and smiled. "Oh hi Yahiko."
"What happened over there?" Kaoru asked.
The little girl turned towards where the people slowly began to file back to where they came from, disappearing into the booths. There was no trace of a fight. "It's strange. That lady had red hair. She looked almost like."
"Kenshin?!" Sanosuke gasped, eyes glued on something beyond the group.
Everyone spun around just as a lone figure ducked from one of the booths and headed swiftly out the door. Though it was a brief glance, there was no mistaking the bouncing auburn ponytail.
Sanosuke took off. "I'd know that redhead anywhere!"
Kaoru and Yahiko wheeled and followed him. Was it Kenshin they were now pursuing? Was Tsubame mistaken?
But when the two caught up with their street-fighting friend, he was just standing at the door. Their redhead target had vanished in what little time that had been given.
Tsubame joined them there. "It wasn't Kenshin."
"Are you sure?" Yahiko asked her.
She nodded, her short brown hair bouncing. "Yes. It was a woman. Plus she didn't have the cross scar that he has."
Kaoru watched as the villagers walked past. "But still.who could it have been?"