A/N: Hello my dear readers. Fuck my mom is such a stupid tart deleted my chapter.made me write a new one..fuck that stupid bitch. Anyway I still haven't thought of a good title for this fic..please help? Hehe ..hm The Tale of ____________ send me your ideas :D:D please I mean The Tale of Somehting is so dumb,.nvm lemme get on with the story

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The Tale of A Proper Marriage : Chapter 2

by white seraph

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It was a beautiful day, not too sunny, not raining, just the perfect day to go down town shopping. The breeze scrapped onto Kaoru's face, and if it were not for the sudden news from her parents, she would have enjoyed the day as much as her friend, Tae. She was her closest neighbor, both living in a secluded district for peers like their parents. They had been friends since their toddling years, and she truly loved Tae. But sometimes, sometimes, she wished for another best friend. And this was one of these times.

"Oh I so envy you!" Her friend giggled girlishly, slapping Kaoru on the shoulder, "So tell me, how's it like to be "soon-to-become-Mrs. Himura?" Tae taunted her friend, it was so great even if it wasn't herself, it'd be so cool to brag to the others that her best friend was chosen to be the Himura bride! The youngest, handsomest bachelor in town!

Kaoru licked her pink cotton candy boringly, half paying attention to her friend's excitement. What is there to be excited about anyway? Uh huh, she told herself, it's sure excited to be forced into marriage with a play boy. God he might have bedded every single Geisha in Kyoto.Kaoru was disgusted at the thought. Very disgusted.

Tae, as if not noticing Kaoru's uneasiness carried on with her long, long speech about the Himura heir. "Oh! The other day, Mina-chan went with her father to visit the Himura estates, she even had lunch with the family! And he was there!!" She squealed. "Even she! Mina-chan! You know? The snobby, stuck up girl who lives a few houses away? Even she said he was the sweetest looking guy she ever saw! Oh my God! I wish she took me with her that day!" Tae started jumping with glee.

"Never judge a book by it's cover, have you not heard? He's the town's most promiscuous playboy." Kaoru licked the last threads of candy before throwing the stick away, still not revealing any excitement or concern over the marriage. Okay fine, concern, yes, but it's completely out of repellence and reluctance over the marriage. She was concerned upon finding ways to extricate herself out of it, not how to be a good wife.

"So what!" the other girl snapped, "At least you get the title, being his official wife!" She made a sigh of sadness, which was overly exaggerated "If only my father found me a match as good as yours." She walked up to a small stall that sold little wooden boxes, and gingerly touched a dark brown one. But after examining the material, she turned her attention back to Kaoru. Her gaze suddenly stopped at the two girls behind them. The chaperones. The damn annoying chaperones. They were each carrying a tall stack of boxes and packets, all of which were the goods the two girls bought in one morning. "Hey, want to get rid of the chaperones?" She whispered into her friend's ears. An evil smile spread across Kaoru's face, loving the idea she suggested as well as relieved upon the fact that she dropped the annoying subject. Damn it, if she didn't stop soon, Kaoru swore, she'd explode with frustration, upon being accused of liking the idea of marriage.

But turning back to the little conspiracy, she slowed down, and made sure the girls behind were at hearing distance, then, raising the volume of her voice, she gave them a quick glance before saying loudly "Oh, Tae, did you know Mr. Takahashi got a new collection of Kimonos? Lets go have a look!" She gave the girls another look, making sure they heard it.

And Tae, in collaborating with Kaoru replied equally loud "Oh yeah sure! I need to by a new kimono for my cousin's wedding anyway!" She had always loved this little prank, not because it was funny, but also because both Kaoru and her hated to have people following them around like poor little puppies. Heh. Time to get rid of them. Nodding subtly to Kaoru as a signal, she pulled her layers of kimono to shin length and started a quick sprint.

The two girls ran as fast as they could with the high, heavy wooden heels, and multi-layered kimonos, but still, they managed to ditch the chaperoning girls, who were each carrying boxes of goods that climbed up to their shoulders. They quickly hid in the close end corridor just around the corner of the Takahashi Kimonos, watching the stupid girls run huffing and puffing to the shop, only to be rejected harshly by Mrs. Takahashi, who they knew well, sucked up to the peers, but hated servant girls.

They gave each other a high five, at their successful attempt in ditching them. "That was really close! Next time I should buy more boxes for her to carry before we go for the run!" Tae tapped her chest signaling her relief.

Ignoring her comment Kaoru heard her stomach grumble "Hey I'm hungry lets go to the beef stew restaurant up the street." Kaoru pointed to the direction, just for the sake of pointing, they both knew the restaurant pretty well, actually it was the only restaurant they knew of around. They mostly ate at home, or if not, some restaurants at the city centre, but she would always take the family carriage and wouldn't know how to get there just by feet.

"What? huh?" Tae gave her a perplexed look, as if she were speaking in alien language.

Kaoru rolled her eyes, was she that ignorant? Or was she just pretending? "You know? THE beef stew restaurant? Or have you forgotten?" Kaoru paced in front of Tae, "Let me take you there."

But her friend quickly pulled her hand back, "Kaoru! Of course I know what you're talking about! But that restaurant closed down two weeks ago" She sighed, and then added "said they didn't make money."

Now Kaoru was shocked. "closed? No way! They had the best beef stew!" Kaoru cried, knowing that no restaurant meant no food, and no food meant hunger. "Nooooooo" she wailed "please say you're kidding" She pulled onto Tae's sleeves.

"I'm not, you can go see yourself" the brunette replied calmly.

"But.but." Kaoru sputtered, unable to think properly. The words 'no food' still rang, a bit too loudly in her head. "okay fine, Tae, lets go home. The cook can make us food." She pulled he friend's hand, but again, it was pulled away. A little annoyed, Kaoru turned back "Tae, we're going home okay?"

But she shook her head "No! My mother is inviting her sisters over today! I'm no way going to face those women, no no no and no!" Tae was very persisting on the matter, of course she was, ever since the first time her mother asked her to stay and welcome her sisters, they pinched her face, pulled her hair pulled her into suffocating embraces. Just by recalling the experience was horrid. Suddenly, as she flicked through episodes of memories, she suddenly came up with a new idea.

Hammering a fist to her hand Tae exclaimed gleefully "Lets take a public carriage [A/N something I made up lol, just think of ancient cabs] down to the city centre! There would be more restaurants there!" It would be perfect! Why had she not thought of that before? How boring was it to stay and walk through the same street that had known for years.

Kaoru seemed to like the idea very much too. "It sounds good to me!" She said before jumping off the curb to the main road, catching the nearest public carriage.

* * * * * *

"Wow!" Kaoru's jaw's dropped in awe and amazement at the site of the swamp of people down the streets of the city centre. "How are we going to get through?" She asked herself, before pushed off the tall carriage by the friend behind her.

"What are you taking about?! This IS the city centre! It's what you expect!" Tae hissed a little harshly, but really we can't blame her. The carriage boy was waiting to get the pay so he could move on, Tae couldn't get her purse because Kaoru was sitting on it, people behind were pushing and shouting for the carriage to take a move..

But Kaoru seemed to ignore her spiteful tone at the sight of the long line of restaurants down the street. "Oooooh, the food smells so nice! Lets try this one!" She pointed at one just around the corner where there were less people. She hopped off with anticipation not waiting for Tae, who hurridly paid the lad and jumped off after Kaoru.

"Hey hey! Wait up!" She called after he raven haired girl. "Kaoru!" She shouted, attracting many people's attention as well as the girl she sought after.

But Kaoru only turned to indicate that she heard her friend's call, pointed at the restaurant she was going to and hopped in without looking at the name of the shop. Tae, too, ran, in attempt to catch up with her friend yet remain ladylike, went into the restaurant with not one glance at the board that hung at the top of the bambooed doors, saying 'Haragushi Teahouse" And in a smaller font size "You're favorite rogue house"

* * * * * *

The inside of the 'restaurant' was nicely decorated with beautiful water paintings, the furniture were beautifully carved, and there was a strong smell of perfume, nothing like the normal beef stew restaurant they were used to. But the naïve girls took none of these hints; they only pushed it aside with the assumption that this was the new style of restaurants in the city centre.

A fairly mature woman with much make up approached them at the door way just after they removed their wooden shoes. "Hello girls, may I ask, which house are you from?" This tea house was quite a famous one, being in the centre of the main street attracted many people, mostly the wealthier ones who are able to afford the high pricing and couldn't be bothered to walk down the more deserted streets where the majority of the other tea houses were, and because of this, the house was able to attract many beautiful and successful geishas to come and work. No women came here for the 'fun' of course, so the lady only assumed that these girls were new geishas coming to work.

"House?" Kaoru looked at her, perplexed, not understanding a bit of what she was saying. Why did she want to know what house she was in anyway? Did they have to serve according to these "houses?" Kaoru asked herself silently

Tae nodded "Yes, what do you mean by 'house'? Do you mean where we live? In that case we're from the Sakurachi District [yup made that up as well].

"Oh? Then..You're here.." The lady drifted off, expecting them to finish the line. Really, if they were here as guests, then it would be the first time they had female guests. She tried to hide her smile upon this hilarious thought.

"To eat" Kaoru finished, certifying the lady's assumption ignorantly, and still, not understanding the implicit meaning of house. But it didn't matter, as long as they provided her food to fill her of her hunger.

"Alright then, please come in" The older lady laid her hand out welcomingly, they might be girls, but guests nonetheless, and the rule here is, no matter who the guest is, serve them with the best smile you can.

They were lead to a large room, with large units around the walls of the room, divided neatly by nicely decorate low wooden boards, and people sat on a mini bambooed porch. Now Kaoru saw the source of the pungent perfume. The restaurant was flocked with women as heavily made up as the owner they met before. People looked more like they were drinking and fooling around more than eating. But oh well, not like Kaoru was a nosey person; as long as she had her food, everything was going to be fine.

The lady, after escorting them to a unit just near the entrance, quickly shouted for another person to serve them "Yumiko! Come! We have guests!" She beckoned for a short, chubby girl to come over.

The girl looked at them with subtle amusement, coughing a few times before nicely asking to take orders. It was hard to conceal the humor; did they come here for the fun and experience? Or were they just totally ignorant about their whereabouts? "Okay dear, what do you want?" She asked them both, who after scanning through the menu written on the walls gave her their orders.

* * * * * *

Talk about patience. They had been sitting there for the past half hour, every time, stretching their head with anticipation as one of the waitress' carried a dish around, but never stopped at their unit. "God, what's wrong with the cook? Is he dead or what" Kaoru muttered, frustrated and hungry.

Her friend on the other hand was a bit too busy checking the guys out. Totally ignoring Kaoru, she drew close to her friend "Hey, hey don't you think that guy over there, that guy with red hair.don't you think he's just SOOO HOT?" She pointed allusively at the guy sitting at the unit behind Kaoru.

Naturally, Kaoru turned around boldly to see for herself the 'handsome guy' But all she saw was the back of someone's head.someone with red hair. No wait.Someone with red hair, and a group of women hovering around him. God they're so beautiful.Kaoru fiddled with the hem of her sleeves, for a moment feeling very insignificant. But she quickly resumed to herself, who cares; looks aren't everything, she told herself. Then, going back to the conversaition with Tae. "Wait, how can you say he's handsome when you've not even seen his face."

But she only giggled "Oh, you just wait till he turns his head!" Now this really aroused Kaoru's curiosity, not that she was really into men, but really, to see this person who attracted so many beautiful woman's attention, as well as Tae's praise must be a looker. Kaoru turned her head frequently, making it just a bit too obvious that she was trying to have a look at him.

It was a mistake.

"ooooh" one of the girls sitting opposite Kenshin, had noticed a certain raven haired girl, constantly turning her head back staring at him. "I think you've caught someone's attention." She giggled deliriously.

The half drunk man let a woman next to her feed him another cup. "Oh?" He asked drowsily. "Where?" He grabbed a woman next to her, "are you the one?" He laughed dangerously. Oh boy.. Am I that popular?

Kaoru, hearing the group converse casually immediately blushed with embarrassment and regret. She silently prayed they would let the subject drop, yet her efforts were futile.

"No silly! That girl there! The woman pointed at Kaoru, who had already facing Tae again, and not daring to turn back for the sake of embarrassment. And even without facing them, she felt the humiliation rushing up her face, she could imagine him turning to her.

"Eh? Are you the one? Would you like to come join us?" He laughed, seemingly happily, it was as if he liked to humiliate her, liked to embarrass her. Yet little did she know, he was a little drunk and thought she was but another geisha.

"Come join us-" He tried to grab for her over the wooden boards.

At the instant of the touch at her shoulder, Kaoru whirled around and hit the assaulter on the head, again and again "Get off me!" She yelled harshly.

Now, he was the one humiliated. Never in his life was he ever insulted the way he was now. No one ever hit him. "What the fuck was that for?" He bellowed with anger, attracting everyone's attention.

The mature lady who Kaoru remembered, the one who greeted them at the door, hurridly approached the red head. "Mr. Himura, We are very sorry, she is not a geisha, you are mistaken."

Upon hearing the mistress's shrilly voice calling the name, Kaoru's jaws dropped.

A/N first tiem I wrote such a looooong chapter.how was it? If it's too long next time I can shorten it. Or maybe they'll get shorter and shorter anyway.. Hehhe please review ///took me a whole evening to write this story TWICE! Thanks to my mom