Left Behind

Disclaimer! Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me, but to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Darn, maybe some day ^_^x

Sorry for the long wait! School has been murder! But in return for your patience, a slightly longer chapter than usual!

Left Behind-Chapter 4: A New Beginning

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I was pretty much in shock when Keshin told me he was marrying Tomoe, but I was his so-called 'best friend'. So I did what a best friend would. I wrote him back, congratulated him, and told him that I wouldn't miss it for the world. While I was at it, I told him all about the happenings in Tokyo.

I left soon after to Tokyo University. I wanted to get settled in my new apartment before I went to the freshman orientation.

My apartment was small, just the right size for me. I had order some new furniture, but for the most part, I had just moved my old stuff into my new apartment. A week later I was done. It's hard express exactly how I felt. I was happy, excited, and at the same time a little sad. I guess it was leaving everything I had at home. All my friends, scattered across Japan, all gone, nobody was with me anymore. I was alone, but I realize now that it was better that way.

I had started working at a restaurant called the Akabeko. Tae had told me that it was close to the university and you made a decent amount of money. She was right, my boss was nice and I made a lot in tips.

Freshman orientation was in two days and since I had some extra money burning in my pocket, I decided to go shopping. I needed some new clothes anyway. It took me two hours, but I finally found a pair of dark denim jeans (I loved those) and a sapphire blue button-down shirt (the saleswoman said that it set of my eyes).

It was almost time to go. I smoothed my shirt and looked at my reflection once again. My hair was in its traditional ponytail, tied with my favorite indigo ribbon. I slipped on my black loafers and set off the orientation.

"Hi!" A girl with ocean blue eyes and an extremely long braid stuck her hand out. "I'm Makimachi Misao. And this-" she said, gesturing to a tall handsome man behind her, "is my boyfriend, Shinomori Aoshi."

"It's nice to meet you two. I'm Kamiya Kaoru." I replied shaking my hand with Misao's, she seriously has a death grip. "So, where are you two from?"

"Kyoto." she said.

"Kyoto?!" I gasped.

"Huh? Is there something wrong?" Misao was obviously confused. And why wouldn't she be?

"Did you know anyone named Himura Kenshin?"

"You know the Battousai?" Aoshi finally spoke up.

"Aoshi!!" Misao scolded. "Don't call Himura that!" she turned to me. "People used to tease him about looking girly and that he was too wimpy to know how to use his sword, and stuff like that, you know what I mean?" I nodded, even if I didn't know what she really meant. "After, like, six months, he finally snapped and attacked those guys, but I guess they deserved it."

"Wow" I couldn't believe that Kenshin did that. "Nobody in Tokyo had a problem with that."

"And even after the some people still bothered him about it, and they calling him 'Battousai' he was really scary." she shuddered "but of course he wasn't mean to me and there was always this other girl, she always stopped him from hurting those guys."

"That was Tomoe." I said, almost automatically.

"Huh?"

"His fiancee."

"He has a fiancee?!?" The look on her face was pure surprise.

"Yeah," I sighed softly. "I'm going to their wedding next year."

"How do you know Batto-I mean-Himura?" Aoshi asked again.

I let Misao scold him once more about calling Kenshin 'Battousai' before I answered. "I was his best friend"

"Oh" Misao changed the subject. "So, want to do something later?"

"Sure" I gave her my address.

"Kami-sama! Aoshi and I lived a few floors above!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! We're in 6c, and your in 3e. That's so bizarre!"

That year, Misao and I became best friends. Aoshi and I talked a little, but I guess you could say that's we're friends as well. I got a job at Tokyo Today, the local newspaper. My boss was happy with my work and I had a few stories that week. I still worked at the Akabeko, but only part time

Many time Misao would always tell me that I should get a boyfriend. I often wondered why she would say this. I had gone out a few times, but none of them ever held my interest. I always had a feeling that I would grow up to be an old maid. But, if it was to happy, I would be an old maid, with an extremely successful career.

"Kaoru, you really should date more. You're working like crazy! You should quit one of your jobs and get out more! Aoshi and I are worried about you!"

"No way, I'm not quitting any of my jobs, it keeps me busy." I said, yet again. So I really have to go through this everyday?

"We'll set you up with one of Aoshi's friends, ok?"

"No!!!" I practically screeched. "Remember the last one?"

She frowned. "Oh yeah, but don't worry! This one will be much better!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No."

"The come to the club with me and Aoshi tonight. Please? No other guys, just me, you, and Aoshi. We'll be celebrating the end of the year!" She frowned a moment. "Oh yeah, our friends from Kyoto are coming too." She looked at me. "You remember them right?"

"Who?"

"Hanya, Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijou."

"I don't know. . ." I hated it when Misao set me up. They would always end in disaster. But knowing that these four were coming, I would feel a little better. Thank Kami-sama that they had girlfriends back in Kyoto, otherwise, Misao probably would have set me up with one of them.

"Oh come on, I'm not going to set you up with any of them."

"I know that"

"And I thought you made friends with them"

"I did!"

"Then why won't you come?"

"Becuase I'm tired of stupid pick up lines, guys groping me, and two timers."

"Oh." Misao's face fell. "Well, just please come so I'm not the only girl You know how those five get when they're together. I'm going to need extra womanpower! And besides, they're so funny when, they're drunk!"

A mental picture of Aoshi, Hanya, Beshimi, Hyottoko, and Shikijou walking in a zig zag, constantly bumping into each was enough to make me go.

"Ok, ok, you talked me into it."

"Yatta!" Misao looked so happy

That night Misao and I wore blue dresses. Hers had a silt on the left leg and mine was more flowed freely.

"If some guy so much as walks toward you, I'll get Hanya to beat him up, ok?"

"Misao! If anyone starts to bother me, then I'll get Hanya to him up."

She giggled. "That sounds like a plan.

We walked up the stairs to Misao's apartment and found the guys sprawled across the floor watching a kendo tournament. "Guys!" Misao yelled. "What are you doing? We're supposed to go to the club tonight!"

"Hey, Misao-chan." Hanya greeted her. "We're staying in tonight to watch the tournament."

"Can't you watch it some other time?" Misao asked, annoyed.

"It was Aoshi's idea." Beshimi said.

She raised an eyebrow. "It was?" She walked toward him, moving her hips in a seductive way. As soon as she go to him, she sat on his leg and put her arms around his neck. His arms instinctively went around her tiny waist. "Aoshi." she purred, her lips inches away from his. "Wouldn't you rather go to the club with me?" She brushed her lips across his. "Hmmm?" She placed a kiss on his lips. after a minute, he nodded.

I really have to hand it to Misao, I never though anyone could control Aoshi, but when it came to Misao, it was like he was a robot and Misao help the remote control.

And so we left for the club. Aoshi and Misao danced most of the night, while I danced with either Hanya, Beshimi, Hyottoko or Shikijou. Briefly I wonder what it would be like if Kenshin were here. Argh!! Kaoru no baka! He's getting married in less than one month! I did my best to get my mind off Kenshin the rest of the night.

I'm actually glad I went to the club that night. I did have a lot of fun and thankfully no one hit on me, otherwise, I would have hit him. Once I got back to my apartment, I began to think of Kenshin's wedding. It was June 15. His wedding was scheduled to be on July 6. I was to arrive on the 5th in the morning. and I planned to tell Kenshin that I had to rush home, because my boss would only let me off for a few days. I hoped that he would buy my story. I just didn't want to stay for the reception. It was already too much that he was getting married, but watching the newlyweds dance and give each other loving looks was too much.

And then it hit me. 20 days to the wedding, and I still needed a dress.

"You still need a dress for the wedding?!?!" Misao asked incredulously, obviously surprised. I nodded dumbly. "Well, let's go shopping!!" 18 days until the wedding. I silently counted off the days in my head.

"How about this?"

"Too blue."

"This?"

"Too plain.

"This?"

"Ew." Misao was very hard to please. She already rejected three dresses that took us an hour to find each.

"No, no, no, no, no, no" she flipped through a rack of dresses, rejecting them again and again. I mean, really, can't she just let me pick the damn dress? Apparently not. "Kaoru!" Maybe she finally found a dress that satisfied her? "I found the best dress for you!"

It was a sleeveless pale pink dress. Sakura blossom floated across the bottom, dancing almost. I tried it on. It stuck to my body, accenting my curves, up to my waist, where it then billowed out a bit and flowed freely down to my knees. "So what do you think?" I hoped that she would like the dress.

"Oh Kami. You look so good!" she began rambling on how I had to get new shoes, a new ribbon, new this, new that. So I let her drag me into a shoe store where I bought a pair of white heels. At the end of our little shopping trip, I had the dress and the shoes, whereas Misao could have bought out a store.

We went back and I planned to work myself silly for the next two weeks. And for more than one reason.

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A/N: Gah! I LOVED writing the scene where Misao 'persuades' Aoshi to go to the club. So kawaii!! Anyway, the next chapter will most probably be the wedding. I don't know when it will come out though, I'm juggling quite a few things right now.

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