Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is the creation of Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the manga and anime rights belonging to Jump Comics and Sony Entertainment, respectively. I'm just a fan and I'm just only using the characters just for fun so don't sue me.
AN: This is my first fic so please be gentle about it. Thanks
Glimpses
Deep in her thoughts, Kaoru didn't even notice that a wall is nearly infront of her. She keeps on walking and walking until she crashes on it. She stumbles down and lands on her butt. "Ouch that hurts, mou!" she exclaims. She lifts her right hand and touches the sore in her forehead and also in her butt then frown. "Why of all days it has to be this day! And why of all times why is it has to be this time!" she whispered to herself while she arranges her hair that is hanging infront of her face. She took out a mirror from her backpack and lifts it infront of her. She looked at her reflection and frowned all the more "now I have bruises to mark my stupidity" she told no one in particular. "At least Kaoru no one sees you to fall on your butt." She told to herself. She giggled first then she laugh loudly. The laughter would be the only source of noise in the deserted gym.
"Where is she? We are supposed to meet here and she's late! God forgive her" Misao cried out. She stomped her foot in frustration and looked at her watch, she's been waiting in the canteen all alone for nearly an hour. 'It would not take a person to walk from god knows where to the canteen in nearly an hour' Misao thought. She grabs her bag brutally and started to walk like a madman.
"Its' still hurts though, I really look like I've been in a fight." She mumbled while inspecting her bruise. She moved her head from right to left just to have a good view on it with the mirror. A loud thud was heard in the gym. Kaoru's heart gave a start. She whirled her head in the direction of the sound and gave a sigh of relief, it's only Misao. She resumes her inspection. Misao glared daggers at Kaoru's direction and trudge forward until she reached Kaoru's back.
"Where have you been Kaoru? I've been waiting in our meeting place for an hour and where were you. You cannot tell me that you are just here all the time?" Misao lashed out. She's getting redder and redder by minute.
Kaoru knew her bestfriend is getting riled up, so she chooses the only way to calm her instead of lashing at her too. She stood up and winced; she rubbed her buttocks a little and straightened out. "I was having a talk with Mr. Yoroshima about the project he gave us this morning. Then I went to my locker to retrieve my assignments. I used this gym so that I could go to our meeting place faster." She explained.
Misao calmed down, all her anger washed up in an instant but when she look at Kaoru and notice a black circle in her forehead, she gets infuriated again. "What has happened to you? Have you been in a fight? How come you have this bruise, I didn't saw it this morning?" she grabs Kaoru's chin and tilted it to the left to have a better look. Kaoru took hold of Misao's fingers and took it away. "I haven't been in a fight, and I'm certainly am not dumb to fight someone. Now cease this banter of yours it's just a minor bruise. I bumped myself right infront of this wall with by head slightly bowed. So there you now know what has caused this bump. Now let's head home or we won't see tomorrow's sunshine" Kaoru said brightly leading her bestfriend towards the exit door.
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"Oi, pal you've got to help me with this assignment of mine tonight or else I won't be alive the next day." Sano pleaded, holding the notebook in his both hands. Kenshin averted his gaze from his book to look at Sano, who is kneeling at his side, arms stretches infront of him and the head is bowed as if in prayers. He gave a loud sigh and nodded. Sano's somber face turned to a grin after he catches the nod from his buddy. "Thanks pal you're the best" Sano hastily stood up and went to the other side of the table to arrange his things and returned to Kenshin's side and grabs him at the collar. "Come on pal we have lot of things to do".
While both of them pass by the gym, Kenshin heard a commotion. He stopped, while Sano kept on walking, and tried to peer inside using the back door of the gym. He saw her sitting in the floor muttering some words that he could not decipher. Her hair cover most of her face that is why he can't see but it has the color of midnight black that is contrast to her soft and white skin. She arranged her hair. He looked at her face and was startled by the intensity of her beauty. Her skin is like a alabaster, her eyes are like wet blue velvet from the unshed tears, her cheeks are tinted with pink that emphasize her beauty all the more, his gaze dropped to her lips. Her lips are rosy red lips that rouse a sudden feeling for him to taste her and call that lips "mine". Then she raised her hand infront of her face with a mirror and blocked his vision. When he regained his wits he only just realized that he was gaping at the girl. He had an urge to go inside the gym and introduce himself and almost put it into action. Almost. He was abashed by his attitude and then he heard her laughter. It is music to his ears. He turned to look at the other way around but then he heard a loud thud that drew his attention again. When he looked up he saw another girl who glared daggers to the girl that was been sitting there for 5 minutes now. He heard the intruder shouted the girl's name, her name is Kaoru. He grinned despite that he is eavesdropping he found himself happy for knowing the girl's name. His state of mind went back to reality when he heard the intruder lashed out at Kaoru, he felt a little twinge of rage inside of him. He felt an unwanted urge to stride in that room to take Kaoru away from the girl's outrage, but he could not and would not do it. He turned his back on the door and fought his urge to calm himself. He remembers that he left Sano behind and went running after him. He silently thanked the intruder for making him realize that he almost did something that he knows he would regret someday.
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That night Kenshin is trying his best to take off the image of Kaoru that has been haunting his mind ever since he laid his eyes on her. He either eats the food or trying to tease Sano who is diligently studying his homework. Kenshin knows that he is not a help for Sano but a burden. A grin flashed in his lips and widen. Sano looked up at Kenshin "Why are you grinning at me like that?" Sano asked turning the book to another page. Kenshin stood up without a word and went to their room and closed the door behind and flop himself to his bed. His step father would arrive in any minute now and he has to do his homework too.
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The next day, Kenshin went to school earlier than usual. He waited at his locker and look at every faces that passes by. He spotted her at the locker with her friend from yesterday and also with another 2 girls that he wasn't acquainted at. Without a warning the conversation between Kenshin and Sano just popped out of his head.
"I think pal I'm falling in love with a girl. She seems poised and proper. She has a raven hair that flows in her back like a satin sheet. She's so beautiful I wish she could be mine" Sano groaned and collapse in his bed while Kenshin is staring at the ceiling. "Are you listening to me pal?" "Hhhmmm" Kenshin responded. "You know pal you look like a man who is head over heels to a certain girl. Who is she?" Sano asked. "It's none of you business buddy" Kenshin said still not looking at him. Sano shook his head and smile over his friend's feelings. 'He sure as hell knows how to mask his emotions' Sano thought 'but even though he is the best in masking it I still know what is going on on his head'. He turned around to face the wall and closed his eyes.
The bell rang to signal of the start of the classes; Kenshin look at his watch and realize that he lost track of time, he look at her ones more and enters the classroom quickly. The class started
He hadn't intended to wonder off of when it comes to his favorite subject but he did. "I think that girl has a very good hold on me" he told himself. The bell rang for recess.
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"Misao how am I supposed to do this if I really don't know what it is" Kaoru groaned and handed back the thing to Misao. He took a mirror out of her pocket and put it infront of her. She looked at herself in the mirror and what she sees made her heart beat faster. She see a guy with a red hair 'it's rare to have a red hair' Kaoru though, not leaving her gaze at his back. Someone called him that made him turn, she saw his profile. When his back is turned she thought that he looks gorgeous but when he turned his face in the direction of the voice and the mirror captured his face, she described him mistakenly. He is not only gorgeous but strikingly beautiful. He has the softest eyes she ever seen, it is purple; his cheeks are sculptured perfectly as if some god had created him. His lips, oh god his lips could drive any woman to perfection. They are soft but hard at the same time and reddish, in short it is well chiseled, his chin has stubborn streak on it that made him more attractive. Then he looked at her, she blushed and hide the mirror in her pocket.
Misao noticed that Kaoru blush all of a sudden. "You're blushing my dear bestfriend, and why is that?" Misao teased. Kaoru's blush deepened all the more and Misao laughed. Megumi and Tae looked at Kaoru and break into a fit of giggles. "You thought that we didn't notice that the cute guy there didn't look at you?" Misao taunt all the more. If they describe Kaoru she is like a tomato because of her embarrassment. "Oh, oh there is my Aioshi-sama. I have to go no" She stood up and kissed Kaoru, Megumi and Tae at their cheeks and leave the table. Kaoru and the other were left behind. Megumi stood up next and apologize for her lack of manners but she also has to go for the physics project. Tae and Kaoru were left behind so they decided that the have to go now to their own classrooms.
"Oi, jou-chan aren't you coming in?" Sano asked the girl who stood at the door of their classroom. Kaoru got out of her stupor, she could not believe that he is her classmate, she bowed her head to hide her blush but stop all the same infront of Sano and spoke to him in a threatening voice "don't ever call me that" but of course Sano wasn't intimidated and Kaoru smiled saying that she likes that in a subtle way. And in that time a pact of friendship grew on both students.
Kenshin sat at his chair while admiring the girl who threatens then smiled at his bestfriend. He definitely saw a fire in her eyes when Sano used the Jou-chan but it was replaced by kindness. 'So she is somewhat fiery but kind all the way, he like that immensely' Kenshin though.
The teacher arrives at the room and gave the student's their sitting arrangements. Kaoru and Kenshin could not believe that they are seatmates and partners at the up coming project.
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AN:
Minna arigato for reading this chapter. I hope you've love it. ;)
