**Pechan doesn't own the Rurouni Kenshin characters.
~ Kenji's Resolve ~
"Kenji? Ah, are you alright?"
Kenji didn't look up from his bowl of rice.
Kenshin smiled, "I'll admit, plain rice isn't much of a meal, but it'll be a while before I can work here."
Kenji sighed, "No dad, it tastes great. Better than the way mom makes- well, anything is better than what mom makes."
Kenshin sweated, "Ah, the truth is sometimes very hurtful, that it is. Don't tell her that."
Kenji nodded, and ate a few mouthfuls. After a ten minute of silence, he asked, "Dad, uhhh, did you have any problems dating with mom?"
"........................................ No," he simply smiled. "Well, actually, your mother was very mean to me at first. Why, do you.....?"
Kenji nodded.
"Oro! Kenji! I had no idea!" Kenshin smiled, putting down his bowl, "When did this happen?"
"Uhhh, well........ I don't know if I should tell you, uhh..... it's kind of weird."
Kenshin nodded, "Ah, I see. well, I'm sure she's a very lovely girl, that she is."
Kenji tapped his chopsticks a bit more, then slammed them down, "Ah, dad! The girl's great. She's perfect, I mean, I mean she's very skilled at swordsman ship, she's funny she's smart, she's... oh, she's so beautiful dad, but...... "Kenji sighed, "I can't see her again."
"Oh, why not?" asked his father, "Kenji, I hope your not dating someone else's girlfriend-"
"Dad, no! It's, it's her family."
"Oh, her family. I see......... well......" Kenshin sweated, not knowing what to say. He never really had a situation like this dealing with anyone he knew personally, "Ahh, who is this girl, anyways?"
"Her name's Minami. Mina, for short. And she likes it when I call her Miss Mina," he sighed, "She's gets so happy when I say that. It's like, she's never had anyone address her politely her whole life!! And then her brother Ryu hates my guts!!"
"Why is that?"
"Because I like his sister!!"
Kenshin finished his rice, "Ah, that is a problem. Well, have you ever tried talking to Ryu?"
"................... Dad, I'm afraid if I even look at Ryu, he'd kill me. He practice's swordsmanship too."
"Really? They both go to the same dojo?"
"They're dad owns the dojo."
Kenshin picked up his plate, "How interesting. Are you done with that, Kenji?"
"Are you even listening to me?!" he shouted. Then he quickly shoved a few more mouthfuls, and handed him the bowl. "Done. But dad, I..... I mean, I really like her! Mina's the best girl my age I ever met. She's not shallow, she's not conceited, and.... Dad, she's so pretty."
"You keep saying how pretty she is. Are you sure you like her, not her face?"
"Dad, I'm sure. I could have been blind and fallen for her."
Kenshin sighed, "You really are serious.. that you are"
"Of course I am! Weren't you serious with your first crush?"
"Oro? First crush?"
"Well, unless, mom was your first......?"
Kenshin smiled, closing his eyes, "Well, to be honest, I did like a woman before your mom. And I admit, perhaps I see the way you feel," he turned, to wash the bowls.
Kenji followed, "But, can you help? I mean, maybe if you go to their house or something..........?"
"Kenji, I don't know how I can help you out."
"Your right, I guess........." Kenji sighed, "Oh man, she was so cute!"
"Well, do you tell her that?"
"No! I never had a chance to! Her dad threw me out of the house when..........."
"....................when?"
Kenji gulped, "Well uhh, you see dad. I didn't think she liked me that much. I thought she was being very nice to me! So I thought, if I told her how I felt, she'd maybe like, you know, consider liking me. You know?"
Kenshin sighed, "Something tells me it didn't go as planned."
Kenji laughed, "It.... It went more than planned. When we got alone, and I was about to tell her, she..........she kissed me!"
Kenshin widened his eyes, "Oh! .......................... uhhh........... good job?"
"Dad, it..... Oh, you know what a kiss is like, you know? I mean, I was seeing fireworks!! And all that other stuff I thought was made up, but it wasn't, it was real!! And what more, dad, she likes me!! Dad, I thought with her being so pretty and likable and-and.... imagine, out of all the boys, she picked me!"
Kenshin just smiled, watching his son revel in the delicious feeling of love.
"I mean, it wasn't just a quick kiss, I mean, she put her hands on me!! It was a hug kiss!! And................." Kenji's face fell.
"........ oro? And?"
Kenji rubbed his head, "Well, she was.... Kissing me for uhhh, a while, and when Ryu opened the door and found us, he uhhhh, well, got mad."
"Oh, what a bad ending."
"Tell me about it. Her dad scares the heck out of me."
"What is her father's name, anyways?"
"Hmm? I forget. Anyways, that's not important. The thing right now, is that I can't see her again. Oh man, and here I was getting all excited about living here, and.... And seeing her smiling face every time I head into town, I......" he sighed. "I just want to see her again. At least, this way I could at least tell her how I feel. Well, actually, I think she took the hint, but, I still want to tell her verbally."
Kenshin nodded, "I see. Well, perhaps you should go back to their house, that you should."
"Back to the....? Yeah, I guess, if I wanted to die today."
Kenshin frowned thinking, "Well....... I really don't know what to do about that Kenji. But if you like, perhaps one day you'll let me meet her parents. I'm sure they're very nice people."
Kenji chuckled, "Her mom's a blast. It's her dad..... and brother that scares me."
Kenshin patted his son's back. He never realized how fast his son grew up. Imagine, he was already in love! And the one he loved had made the first move. Such a shame to have it interrupted this way. "Whatever you decided to do, Kenji, I'm sure it will be the right thing."
Kenji nodded, "Yeah, thanks dad."
~~Next Two Days~~
Kenji had resolved to go see her, whether her family didn't want him there. He dressed himself, but when he picked up his kendo stick, he stopped.
Perhaps, if he came with no weapons, and show them how serious he was, maybe they'd let him in. Ryu had pointed out he didn't like seeing Mina with a boy that held a weapon constantly. So, just for today, and for the first time since he began to swing a kendo stick, Kenji left it resting against the wall.
As he walked to Mina's house, his stomach began to tremble. Was it such a good idea, going in there unarmed? What if Ryu charged at him with his kendo stick? Kenji gasped, or worse, what if the father went after him?
He crossed his arms, walking a little faster. Well, why should he care? He loved Mina, not necessarily them. And if they didn't like it, too bad!!
He sighed, but then again, he didn't want to look like the jerk taking away the daughter. He wished he could be friends with them, like the mother was. Come to think of it, the mother was very nice to him. She seemed to be on his side when he was there. And she was just as pretty as Mina..........
He shook his head, stop thinking about how pretty they are!! Concentrate on how much you love her, how you'd give anything to see her again. Just tell them you want to tell her something, and that is it. In fact, if they want to watch him tell her he loved her, he didn't care. Why should he be ashamed of loving a girl as perfect as her?
He smiled, and walked a bit more briskly. Yeah, that's exactly what he'd do!! He'd go up to Ryu, and say 'Ryu!! Step aside, for I must tell Mina how much I love her!! And if you value her feelings, you will not break her heart by casting me away!!' or something like that. He tried thinking up a better line than that, before he got there.
He sighed, smiling. 'You know,' he thought, '..maybe after they saw how serious I was, they'd let us see each other as friends. Oh, just to see her again would be enough.....'
He was already marching proudly, when he stopped at the dojo's door.
Ryu was waiting right there, wearing black and blue yet again. The same colors he was going to pound into Kenji.
Kenji gulped, then frowned, stepping up, "Ryu, I"-
Ryu growled, whipped out his kendo stick, and charged at Kenji.....
Kenji, no stick in hand and lost at words, suddenly started thing this was the stupidest idea in the world, turned around, and ran screaming.
Ryu shouted, "Yeah, you better run!!"
"G-Geez, Ryu!! You're not even going to hear me out?!"
A carriage was approaching at the intersection, and thankfully Kenji darted past it. He stopped, catching his breath, only to see Ryu roll underneath it, landing right in front of him.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me...." Kenji panted incredulously.
Ryu got up, flicked his hair out of the way, and charged again.
Long story short, Kenji had to jump into the trees and stay there until Ryu was bored of waiting for him to come down to kill him.
~ Kenji's Resolve ~
"Kenji? Ah, are you alright?"
Kenji didn't look up from his bowl of rice.
Kenshin smiled, "I'll admit, plain rice isn't much of a meal, but it'll be a while before I can work here."
Kenji sighed, "No dad, it tastes great. Better than the way mom makes- well, anything is better than what mom makes."
Kenshin sweated, "Ah, the truth is sometimes very hurtful, that it is. Don't tell her that."
Kenji nodded, and ate a few mouthfuls. After a ten minute of silence, he asked, "Dad, uhhh, did you have any problems dating with mom?"
"........................................ No," he simply smiled. "Well, actually, your mother was very mean to me at first. Why, do you.....?"
Kenji nodded.
"Oro! Kenji! I had no idea!" Kenshin smiled, putting down his bowl, "When did this happen?"
"Uhhh, well........ I don't know if I should tell you, uhh..... it's kind of weird."
Kenshin nodded, "Ah, I see. well, I'm sure she's a very lovely girl, that she is."
Kenji tapped his chopsticks a bit more, then slammed them down, "Ah, dad! The girl's great. She's perfect, I mean, I mean she's very skilled at swordsman ship, she's funny she's smart, she's... oh, she's so beautiful dad, but...... "Kenji sighed, "I can't see her again."
"Oh, why not?" asked his father, "Kenji, I hope your not dating someone else's girlfriend-"
"Dad, no! It's, it's her family."
"Oh, her family. I see......... well......" Kenshin sweated, not knowing what to say. He never really had a situation like this dealing with anyone he knew personally, "Ahh, who is this girl, anyways?"
"Her name's Minami. Mina, for short. And she likes it when I call her Miss Mina," he sighed, "She's gets so happy when I say that. It's like, she's never had anyone address her politely her whole life!! And then her brother Ryu hates my guts!!"
"Why is that?"
"Because I like his sister!!"
Kenshin finished his rice, "Ah, that is a problem. Well, have you ever tried talking to Ryu?"
"................... Dad, I'm afraid if I even look at Ryu, he'd kill me. He practice's swordsmanship too."
"Really? They both go to the same dojo?"
"They're dad owns the dojo."
Kenshin picked up his plate, "How interesting. Are you done with that, Kenji?"
"Are you even listening to me?!" he shouted. Then he quickly shoved a few more mouthfuls, and handed him the bowl. "Done. But dad, I..... I mean, I really like her! Mina's the best girl my age I ever met. She's not shallow, she's not conceited, and.... Dad, she's so pretty."
"You keep saying how pretty she is. Are you sure you like her, not her face?"
"Dad, I'm sure. I could have been blind and fallen for her."
Kenshin sighed, "You really are serious.. that you are"
"Of course I am! Weren't you serious with your first crush?"
"Oro? First crush?"
"Well, unless, mom was your first......?"
Kenshin smiled, closing his eyes, "Well, to be honest, I did like a woman before your mom. And I admit, perhaps I see the way you feel," he turned, to wash the bowls.
Kenji followed, "But, can you help? I mean, maybe if you go to their house or something..........?"
"Kenji, I don't know how I can help you out."
"Your right, I guess........." Kenji sighed, "Oh man, she was so cute!"
"Well, do you tell her that?"
"No! I never had a chance to! Her dad threw me out of the house when..........."
"....................when?"
Kenji gulped, "Well uhh, you see dad. I didn't think she liked me that much. I thought she was being very nice to me! So I thought, if I told her how I felt, she'd maybe like, you know, consider liking me. You know?"
Kenshin sighed, "Something tells me it didn't go as planned."
Kenji laughed, "It.... It went more than planned. When we got alone, and I was about to tell her, she..........she kissed me!"
Kenshin widened his eyes, "Oh! .......................... uhhh........... good job?"
"Dad, it..... Oh, you know what a kiss is like, you know? I mean, I was seeing fireworks!! And all that other stuff I thought was made up, but it wasn't, it was real!! And what more, dad, she likes me!! Dad, I thought with her being so pretty and likable and-and.... imagine, out of all the boys, she picked me!"
Kenshin just smiled, watching his son revel in the delicious feeling of love.
"I mean, it wasn't just a quick kiss, I mean, she put her hands on me!! It was a hug kiss!! And................." Kenji's face fell.
"........ oro? And?"
Kenji rubbed his head, "Well, she was.... Kissing me for uhhh, a while, and when Ryu opened the door and found us, he uhhhh, well, got mad."
"Oh, what a bad ending."
"Tell me about it. Her dad scares the heck out of me."
"What is her father's name, anyways?"
"Hmm? I forget. Anyways, that's not important. The thing right now, is that I can't see her again. Oh man, and here I was getting all excited about living here, and.... And seeing her smiling face every time I head into town, I......" he sighed. "I just want to see her again. At least, this way I could at least tell her how I feel. Well, actually, I think she took the hint, but, I still want to tell her verbally."
Kenshin nodded, "I see. Well, perhaps you should go back to their house, that you should."
"Back to the....? Yeah, I guess, if I wanted to die today."
Kenshin frowned thinking, "Well....... I really don't know what to do about that Kenji. But if you like, perhaps one day you'll let me meet her parents. I'm sure they're very nice people."
Kenji chuckled, "Her mom's a blast. It's her dad..... and brother that scares me."
Kenshin patted his son's back. He never realized how fast his son grew up. Imagine, he was already in love! And the one he loved had made the first move. Such a shame to have it interrupted this way. "Whatever you decided to do, Kenji, I'm sure it will be the right thing."
Kenji nodded, "Yeah, thanks dad."
~~Next Two Days~~
Kenji had resolved to go see her, whether her family didn't want him there. He dressed himself, but when he picked up his kendo stick, he stopped.
Perhaps, if he came with no weapons, and show them how serious he was, maybe they'd let him in. Ryu had pointed out he didn't like seeing Mina with a boy that held a weapon constantly. So, just for today, and for the first time since he began to swing a kendo stick, Kenji left it resting against the wall.
As he walked to Mina's house, his stomach began to tremble. Was it such a good idea, going in there unarmed? What if Ryu charged at him with his kendo stick? Kenji gasped, or worse, what if the father went after him?
He crossed his arms, walking a little faster. Well, why should he care? He loved Mina, not necessarily them. And if they didn't like it, too bad!!
He sighed, but then again, he didn't want to look like the jerk taking away the daughter. He wished he could be friends with them, like the mother was. Come to think of it, the mother was very nice to him. She seemed to be on his side when he was there. And she was just as pretty as Mina..........
He shook his head, stop thinking about how pretty they are!! Concentrate on how much you love her, how you'd give anything to see her again. Just tell them you want to tell her something, and that is it. In fact, if they want to watch him tell her he loved her, he didn't care. Why should he be ashamed of loving a girl as perfect as her?
He smiled, and walked a bit more briskly. Yeah, that's exactly what he'd do!! He'd go up to Ryu, and say 'Ryu!! Step aside, for I must tell Mina how much I love her!! And if you value her feelings, you will not break her heart by casting me away!!' or something like that. He tried thinking up a better line than that, before he got there.
He sighed, smiling. 'You know,' he thought, '..maybe after they saw how serious I was, they'd let us see each other as friends. Oh, just to see her again would be enough.....'
He was already marching proudly, when he stopped at the dojo's door.
Ryu was waiting right there, wearing black and blue yet again. The same colors he was going to pound into Kenji.
Kenji gulped, then frowned, stepping up, "Ryu, I"-
Ryu growled, whipped out his kendo stick, and charged at Kenji.....
Kenji, no stick in hand and lost at words, suddenly started thing this was the stupidest idea in the world, turned around, and ran screaming.
Ryu shouted, "Yeah, you better run!!"
"G-Geez, Ryu!! You're not even going to hear me out?!"
A carriage was approaching at the intersection, and thankfully Kenji darted past it. He stopped, catching his breath, only to see Ryu roll underneath it, landing right in front of him.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me...." Kenji panted incredulously.
Ryu got up, flicked his hair out of the way, and charged again.
Long story short, Kenji had to jump into the trees and stay there until Ryu was bored of waiting for him to come down to kill him.