Chapter 3
"Thank you so much, Megumi-san," said Kaoru, walking back to the dojo. "Do you really think this will work?"
"Of course it will. Besides, there's always my backup plan," she said slyly.
"Oh...oh my God!!! There he is!!! It's Kenshin!!" Kaoru leaped behind Megumi, hiding as best as she could.
"Stop it! You'll ruin your make-up. And it's not him, it's just Sanosuke."
"Well, I don't want him to see me either. He'll make fun of me," she insisted.
"He will not. Quit acting like a child." Suddenly, she gasped and took Kaoru's hand.
"Hey, let's test you out."
"What?!?"
"Just walk in front of him. You don't have to say anything. I just want to see if you get a reaction from him."
"I can't do that!"
"Will you do it if I come with you?"
"Well...I guess so."
"Okay! Just act natural." With that, she shoved Kaoru in front of her, prompting her to walk. Sanosuke was sitting on the porch, chewing on his trademark fishbone. She gulped and tried to straighten her shoulders.
"Sway your hips a bit more," Megumi whispered, keeping up with her. She complied and sauntered past the ex-streetfighter. Her movements caught his eye and, amazingly, he raised his head and smirked, his attention completely on her.
"Hey, Fox-Lady, who's your friend?" he asked smoothly. Megumi threw a smile over her shoulder and winked.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she teased. Sanosuke frowned and jumped up, stepping in front of them. Kaoru panicked and hid behind Megumi, peeking over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I would like to know," he answered. He pushed Megumi out of the way to get a better look at the mystery girl. Kaoru's eyes widened as he took one of her hands in his, doing his best to act like a gentleman. She tried her hardest not to giggle.
"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, beautiful?" If she wasn't wearing so much make-up, her face would be as red as Kenshin's hair. Should I answer him? Should I make up a fake name? Oh, what do I do now??
"Sanosuke Sagara, you should know better than to be so inquisitive of this young woman," Megumi scolded. "Besides, we have to get going. So much to do and so little time."
"Wait, I'll go with you. Who knows what could happen to such a gorgeous angel as yourself."
"Oh, Sano, you're so sweet. I didn't know you thought of me that way," gushed Megumi.
"Did it look like I was addressing you? I was talking to the pretty lady..." He was back at Kaoru's side, holding her hands again. Megumi's eye twitched.
"I'll have you know that she's not your type!" she exploded. Sanosuke winced at her tone, but was still looking at Kaoru.
"How do you know? She could be into incredebly handsome guys like myself." Kaoru giggled, unable to hold it in any longer.
"I'm very sorry, Sanosuke, but I'm taken," Kaoru laughed, seeing the look of surprise on his face.
"Huh? What do you mean 'taken'? Do you have someone you love already?" Kaoru nodded, and added,
"Actually, I'm married." His face fell and he let go of her hands, noticing the silver wedding ring on her finger.
"Oh, figures," he murmured. This time, it was Megumi who laughed.
"You're so typical, Sanosuke. As usual, you don't have a clue to who you're talking to."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why don't you take a better look, hmm?" He sighed and gave Kaoru a once-over, looking carefully at her hands. Were those blisters from handling wooden swords? It couldn't be...
"Oh no..." he stepped back, seeing the full picture, "Missy? Is that you?" She nodded and smiled again.
"Wow, you fix up real nice--OW!" he cried as he received a huge smack on the head from both of them.
"Don't talk to her like that! This is for Kenshin, you know," Megumi chided, shaking a finger at him.
"Sorry, but she does. I'm just telling the truth."
"Well, you might think that I look nice, but will Kenshin think so?"
"Believe me, if I thought you were stunning, so will he. He's not that oblivious that he wouldn't notice a beautiful woman, much less his."
"Thank you very much, Sano. I'm glad I got your opinion." Kaoru bowed and went inside with Megumi. Sanosuke sat against the porch again, letting out an small groan.
"I need a drink..."
"Thank you so much, Megumi-san," said Kaoru, walking back to the dojo. "Do you really think this will work?"
"Of course it will. Besides, there's always my backup plan," she said slyly.
"Oh...oh my God!!! There he is!!! It's Kenshin!!" Kaoru leaped behind Megumi, hiding as best as she could.
"Stop it! You'll ruin your make-up. And it's not him, it's just Sanosuke."
"Well, I don't want him to see me either. He'll make fun of me," she insisted.
"He will not. Quit acting like a child." Suddenly, she gasped and took Kaoru's hand.
"Hey, let's test you out."
"What?!?"
"Just walk in front of him. You don't have to say anything. I just want to see if you get a reaction from him."
"I can't do that!"
"Will you do it if I come with you?"
"Well...I guess so."
"Okay! Just act natural." With that, she shoved Kaoru in front of her, prompting her to walk. Sanosuke was sitting on the porch, chewing on his trademark fishbone. She gulped and tried to straighten her shoulders.
"Sway your hips a bit more," Megumi whispered, keeping up with her. She complied and sauntered past the ex-streetfighter. Her movements caught his eye and, amazingly, he raised his head and smirked, his attention completely on her.
"Hey, Fox-Lady, who's your friend?" he asked smoothly. Megumi threw a smile over her shoulder and winked.
"Wouldn't you like to know," she teased. Sanosuke frowned and jumped up, stepping in front of them. Kaoru panicked and hid behind Megumi, peeking over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I would like to know," he answered. He pushed Megumi out of the way to get a better look at the mystery girl. Kaoru's eyes widened as he took one of her hands in his, doing his best to act like a gentleman. She tried her hardest not to giggle.
"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name, beautiful?" If she wasn't wearing so much make-up, her face would be as red as Kenshin's hair. Should I answer him? Should I make up a fake name? Oh, what do I do now??
"Sanosuke Sagara, you should know better than to be so inquisitive of this young woman," Megumi scolded. "Besides, we have to get going. So much to do and so little time."
"Wait, I'll go with you. Who knows what could happen to such a gorgeous angel as yourself."
"Oh, Sano, you're so sweet. I didn't know you thought of me that way," gushed Megumi.
"Did it look like I was addressing you? I was talking to the pretty lady..." He was back at Kaoru's side, holding her hands again. Megumi's eye twitched.
"I'll have you know that she's not your type!" she exploded. Sanosuke winced at her tone, but was still looking at Kaoru.
"How do you know? She could be into incredebly handsome guys like myself." Kaoru giggled, unable to hold it in any longer.
"I'm very sorry, Sanosuke, but I'm taken," Kaoru laughed, seeing the look of surprise on his face.
"Huh? What do you mean 'taken'? Do you have someone you love already?" Kaoru nodded, and added,
"Actually, I'm married." His face fell and he let go of her hands, noticing the silver wedding ring on her finger.
"Oh, figures," he murmured. This time, it was Megumi who laughed.
"You're so typical, Sanosuke. As usual, you don't have a clue to who you're talking to."
"What are you talking about?"
"Why don't you take a better look, hmm?" He sighed and gave Kaoru a once-over, looking carefully at her hands. Were those blisters from handling wooden swords? It couldn't be...
"Oh no..." he stepped back, seeing the full picture, "Missy? Is that you?" She nodded and smiled again.
"Wow, you fix up real nice--OW!" he cried as he received a huge smack on the head from both of them.
"Don't talk to her like that! This is for Kenshin, you know," Megumi chided, shaking a finger at him.
"Sorry, but she does. I'm just telling the truth."
"Well, you might think that I look nice, but will Kenshin think so?"
"Believe me, if I thought you were stunning, so will he. He's not that oblivious that he wouldn't notice a beautiful woman, much less his."
"Thank you very much, Sano. I'm glad I got your opinion." Kaoru bowed and went inside with Megumi. Sanosuke sat against the porch again, letting out an small groan.
"I need a drink..."