~Chapter Ten- A secret hatred….and a secret love~

Karou stepped out of her room with a lovely purple kimono on…..one of her own she had packed away with her for this trip that was turning out to be horrible all of a sudden.

Yahiko leaned against the walls of the hallway outside Karou's door.

When he saw her walk out….with somewhat of a saddened look on her face, he worried a little for her.

"Hey Karou? I know I'm just a kid….but, mind telling me what's been bothering you? I mean…ever since yesterday, you've looked as if everything's going the worst….when it's not! Please tell me what's wrong!" He tired to convince her.

Karou only smiled weakly down at little Yahiko.

"Yahiko….I'm sorry….but….I'm really fine. It's alright. Please, don't pay any mind to the way I'm acting. Just worry about having fun here, ok?" She said softly, as she placed a hand on his cheek.

Yahiko blinked in shock! Karou was acting WAY too nice to him for a change!!!!

Nevertheless though….he somehow knew to keep is mouth shut form then on, because the look Karou gave him told him she couldn't explain whatever was troubling her so much.

"It's Kenshin….isn't it?" He said as he looked up at her with a sad expression.

Karou stared at the boy…who seemed so much wiser then a 10 year old should.

"Kenshin…." She said in a whisper.

Yahiko could see the pain building up behind Karou's protective wall.

Karou blinked a little….then knelt down and hugged Yahiko.

Yahiko just stood there for a moment, then returned her hug.

"But why?" He questioned.

Karou softly pulled out of the embrace and stood to her feet again.

She stared off into some other world Yahiko couldn't see.

"Why? Because…..Kenshin will never care about me the way I do for him…..because he treats me like a little child, who knows nothing…and who can't protect herself from the simplest of things." She turned away from that other world she was staring off to…and then began to walk past Yahiko.

The boy had nothing to say.

He didn't know how to help her suffering.

*Kenshin…..I don't understand you! Shouldn't you…..shouldn't you…..love Karou??!! You seem to always protect her…you seem to always be happy when she's around……and yet….you show no such feelings that Karou shows!!! I just don't understand……I just don't.* He told himself in thought as he stood there in the hallway for a while….puzzling over the matter.

~With Karou~

Karou walked down the staircase slowly.

What she had said to Yahiko the moment before had been completely unexpected!

She didn't know that she thought such things….until she actually spoke them aloud to someone!!!

It felt so empty again….as if Kenshin had died or something!!

But then….she remembered where she was to meet him…and there he stood.

At the bottom of the staircase, was were he awaited her.

She tried to make little sound as she walked down the stairs, but it was no use….for he heard her soft footsteps approaching him, and he turned around, the way he normally did, and stared up at her.

Karou tried to then avoid eye contact….but to her utmost astonishment….the look Kenshin gave her wasn't his normal gentle smile!!!

It was so different!

It was a look she had never in her whole life of knowing him….seen before!

It was a mixture of sadness…and longing in there as well…..and a happy look, but a disappointed look too!!! It was such a confusing expression…and she never knew a person could make such a face!

And all the more saddening….she turned away from the look.

She didn't want to see it.

She didn't understand it…and that's why she refused to face it, blue eyes to violet eyes.

She walked down and stood beside him.

Their shoulders touched.

Kenshin said nothing, and began to walk across the room, and into another….and of course, Karou followed.

He took her to the other side of the mansion, then into some sort of an office.

There, it seemed like a huge library….and Karou felt somewhat lost…but Kenshin continued walking.

He led her to the back of the office, where a small flight of stairs led up to a loft room near the ceiling.

Karou then realized that everything here was Mr. Orasumi's office, and where he worked most of the time…and where they were headed was his main desk of working!!

Kenshin climbed the stairs, and once he reached the top, he looked back down at her.

His expression had changed.

It was just a still look.

It read nothing.

He blinked a few times, a raised his right eyes brow at her!!

It was almost as if he was some sort of teacher…and she was the student…being taken to some sort of detention room!!!!

It just didn't seem like the Kenshin she knew at all.

She hesitated as she slowly crept up the stairs after him.

Once she got to the step before the top, she looked up at Kenshin…who was only inches away now from her.

She stared at him.

All she wanted to do was run away.

Her bottom lip quivered as she stared at her feet.

"Karou…." He said in a voice that didn't match his face.

She looked up at him, and he gave her the expression she hadn't seen before on a person's face.

"Come on. We need to talk to Mr. Orasumi now….before the others start suspecting things." He explained.

Karou took a moment to reply, but then she only nodded, and stepped up the final step, and Kenshin knocked on the door that laid between them and the inside of the loft room….where Mr. Orasumi sat in his desk, doing important counting.

"Come in." His old voice was heard from inside, and Kenshin twisted the doorknob and walked in slowly.

The look on Mr. Orasumi's face showed pure joy when he didn't see Karou walk in with Kenshin as well.

"Oh….has something happened to Miss Kamiya?" He questioned. In his mind…he thought that Karou had already been taken care of the previous night by the men he had assigned to do his dirty work.

But then, to his utmost anger and shock, Karou stepped into the room as well through the door, and stood behind Kenshin.

"No…Mr. Orasumi. I'm here." She hesitantly said in a quiet tone.

"Oh." Was all he could say.

Kenshin somehow read the old man's face, and he began to suspect Mr. Orasumi was behind the crime that had almost been complete the night before….but before he could start saying something, Mr. Orasumi covered his disappointment up with a happy smile.

"Oh well! That's wonderful. I had been worried…..quite worried, because you and Mr. Himura were not up for the breakfast I preformed for your friends! But now that I know you both are safe, I am very relieved." He said in a joyful voice.

Kenshin's suspicions were set aside then.

*I shouldn't start in blaming people as honest as Mr. Orasumi….or else I'll be led down the wrong path! I must stay focused, no matter how much I wish I find whoever wants Karou's life, and stop them for good.* He thought to himself.

"So…Mr. Himura, Miss Kamiya? What brings you to my office? It's a beautiful day out today…and you should be out enjoying the warm summer day on this vacation of yours! There's no reason to stay indoors on such a fine day as this!" Mr. Orasumi motioned towards his window on the side of the loft room, and smiled.

Karou walked to the window, and stared out at the blue sky.

She looked down and saw Misao and Yahiko running towards the forest, laughing, and carrying what looked to be swim outfits.

They were no doubt headed towards the lake to swim.

Kenshin watched Karou for a moment, then turned back to Mr. Orasumi.

"Well…..actually…..we're here because….last night…….Miss Karou was stalked and practically run down by a man who is apart of a group, who wants to take her life." Kenshin said, trying to stay serious.

Mr. Orasumi pretended to be shocked.

"You have to be kidding me, Mr. Himura!!! Are you completely sure it wasn't just a dream!!! My mansion is heavily guarded with great security! How could a man of such low profile get into the house…let alone into Miss Kamiya's room, and try to kill her??!!" He exclaimed as he stood up from his desk, and pounded his hands on the table hard.

Kenshin turned to Karou, and she just stood there by the window….watching and listening to them.

He turned back to Mr. Orasumi.

"It wasn't a dream, that I can assure you, Mr. Orasumi. What happened last night was all too real. Miss Karou was even severely injured because of this incident!" Kenshin continued on.

Mr. Orasumi turned to Karou, and she lifted up her kimono a bit to show her right leg bandaged up, the blood stain leaking through the white wrapping and revealing how badly she had been hurt.

"Oh my!!! I can't believe this!!!! But what do you expect me to do, Mr. Himura?!!" He stated as he sat back down into his seat.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed.

"Perhaps it would be best….if I took my friends, and left here before things get worse, and Miss Karou, or someone else, is severely hurt once again…or even killed!"

Mr. Orasumi shook her head.

"No no. You mustn't do that! Why let something get to you that can be fixed easily! Continue to stay for the remainder of your vacation…I insist. I promise you, Mr. Himura, that the group of men that are after Miss Kamiya's life…will be dead before sunrise tomorrow!" He proclaimed.

Kenshin stood there for a moment…then sighed.

"Very well. But…..what about for the rest of today…and tonight as well? Miss Karou could be killed at any place at any moment…..what will you do to protect her?" Kenshin continued.

Mr. Orasumi stared at Karou, who stared back at him.

As she stared, she noticed a sharp look in his eye. A look of a secret hatred!!

She blinked a bit, and so did he, and then the tiny sharpness vanished.

"Ah, Mr. Himura. I have an idea. For this afternoon, she will be with you and your friends….and so I'm positive that she'll be safe. But when night falls, I'll have her entire room surrounded by the best of my guards. They were stand outside her door, and line the hallways, as well as the staircases, going up, and down. I will have the outside guarded as well…..around her window down below, and around her window up above. No one will be able to get in…and she can sleep in peace. While she's asleep, and being well protected, I will send my most trusted warriors of my protection….to seek out the group, and kill them all. By this time tomorrow….Miss Kamiya will be safe again…and all will be well again. Do we have an agreement?" He stated, as he held out his hand to Kenshin.

Kenshin looked at Karou.

Once the eye contact was made, she turned away, and looked out the window again.

"We do." He finally said, and shook hands with Mr. Orasumi.

"Well…now that that's settled, why don't you and Miss Kamiya go out and swim in the lake, or take a peaceful walk! I'll start getting ready for tonight." Mr. Orasumi explained with a grin.

Kenshin nodded, then bowed to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Orasumi. This means a lot to me."

Mr. Orasumi nodded.

"It quite alright, Mr. Himura! Anything to keep the beautiful Miss Kamiya out of harm's way. Right, Miss Kamiya?" He turned to Karou again.

She looked into his eyes,

The sharpness was there for just a moment, then it went away again.

She lowered her head.

"Yes…Mr. Orasumi." She said timidly, then walked to the door that Kenshin held open for her.

As the door began to close, Mr. Orasumi decided to add another comment in.

"Please don't worry about a thing, you two! Just enjoy yourselves!"

As soon as the door was shut though, Mr. Orasumi exploded with anger!!!!

"Tomodiku!!!!" He yelled to a side door on the other side of the room.

The very man that had almost killed Karou the night before, stepped out and bowed to Mr. Orasumi.

"Yes? What is it, sir?" He questioned.

Mr. Orasumi stood up and glared at him.

"You fool!!!!!!!! You failed to kill the girl last night!!!!!!!!!!!!! I trusted that your power was invincible, as you said….and yet and you failed miserably!!! How dare you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He cursed.

The man, now known as Tomodiku, bowed again.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Orasumi. I'll defiantly take her life tonight, I swear it. But I did managed to injure her a bit!" He stated.

Mr. Orasumi huffed a bit.

"You hardly hurt her at all! It was just a simple thrash in her leg! I thought you to do better then that!! A child could do better!" He continued to curse.

"Yes, but now, Mr. Orasumi, the girl can not run as well as she could last night, therefore, I'll be able to run her down much easier, if I have to." He explained.

Mr. Orasumi nodded, and sat down.

"Yes….that's true, Tomodiku. But still…..now we have two things to take care of. It's rather annoying." He pouted.

Tomodiku blinked.

"What else do my men and I have to do, Mr. Orasumi?" He wondered aloud.

Mr. Orasumi smirked a bit.

*Mr. Himura……* He thought in his mind.

~Geez!!! This dude isn't very nice, is he!!! Hehehe…keep going friends!!~

~Smile B~