Silent Hearts:
Chapter Four: Yukimura
Kenshin woke the next morning and had a quick breakfast before heading out again. He had not clue where he was going. He was just wandering. He was trying to figure out how he could possibly deal with his love for Kaoru. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't face it if she rejected him, but even if she did love him back, he could not allow her to be with him. She was so young and innocent. He did not deserve such a sweet girl as her.
Kaoru woke the next morning achy and groggy. She hadn't slept very well last night. She couldn't stop thinking about her newly discovered love for Kenshin, but how did she know it was true? How could she possibly tell? Kaoru stood up and carefully got dressed into a pale lavender kimono since she was going to the market today. She had burnt up all the rice that they had when she attempted to make supper last night.
When she reached the yard Yahiko ran up to her, a question on his face. "Why are you dressed like that? Aren't you going to train me this morning?" Yahiko asked his bokken slung over his shoulder.
"I'm going to the market. We can train later!" she said irritably and walked out of the dojo without a second glance.
In the marketplace Kaoru quickly bought the necessary items. She didn't want to linger in the crowds for long. She hurried down the streets, the dust settling onto her kimono, annoying her even more. Then out of now where came a man standing right in front of her. She wasn't fast enough so she ended up running right into him. All the things she had just bought went flying out of her bag and onto the floor.
Kaoru sighed and bent down to pick up an item at the same time the man did. Their hands touched for a second and Kaoru blushed and looked up to see just who this man was. He was a tall, skinny man if maybe 22 or 23. He had long black hair held back in a ponytail that accented his friendly blue eyes. She couldn't help, but notice how handsome he was and she felt kind of guilty.
The man smiled and handed her back her bag. "I'm truly sorry for that miss." He said softly. She could tell he had a kind soul.
"It's..ok.." Kaoru mumbled blushing deeper and clenching her bag tighter in her hands.
"May I walk you home?" The man asked as he helped her stand back up.
"I'm not sure." Kaoru said hesitantly.
"I insist, my lady. It's the least I can do." He said, his eyes sparkling.
Kaoru looked him over and there was nothing in the least bit threatening about him. "Well.ok then..but call me Kaoru."
"Kaoru what a beautiful name. Mine is Yukimura." He said as they began to walk.
Kaoru blushed even hotter and walked quietly along his side. She couldn't help, but feel she was betraying Kenshin by walking with this man. But then again it wasn't like she asked him to. He was the one who insisted on walking with her.
"So what does a pretty girl like you do anyway?" Yukimura asked politely as he took her bag from her to carry.
"Umm.I'm the assistant master at the Kamiya dojo." She said shyly.
"Oh. That sounds interesting. What's it like to teach students?" he asked.
Kaoru looked into her face. He looked truly curious about her.
"Well.I have only one student now, but.."
Yukimura and Kaoru talked politely all the way to the dojo. He was kind and good spirited and quite funny also.
They stopped at the gates of the dojo. Smiling, he handed her back her bag.
"Goodbye, Kaoru. I hope you have luck in finding more students." Yukimura said as he turned to leave, but Yahiko burst out to greet them.
"Ugly! Where has you been? I've been waiting for hours." He said. Then he noticed Yukimura. "Hey, who's that guy, Kaoru?"
Kaoru flushed, embarrassed. "Yahiko this is Yukimura, and Yukimura this is Yahiko, my apprentice."
Yahiko looked at him suspiciously. "Where'd you met up with him?"
"I happened to bump into Kaoru in the market and offered to walk her home." Yukimura said kindly.
"Well, I better go inside and get lunch started so." Kaoru began, but Yahiko interrupted.
"I don't think I can stand you horrible cooking one more time!" Yahiko complained loudly.
Kaoru blushed and trembled trying to control her anger in front of Yukimura.
Then Yahiko got an idea. "Hey, Kaoru, how about Yukimura stays for a while and maybe cooks lunch for us?"
"Don't be so rude Yahiko! We could never ask him to do that." She said embarrassed that he would even suggest something like that.
"I would love to Yahiko, if that would be all right with you, Kaoru." Yukimura said much to Kaoru's surprise.
"Well.Ok then." Kaoru said still shocked.
Yahiko cheered. "Yay! No more charred rice!"
Yukimura laughed and they all went into the dojo..
The sun beat down heavily on Kenshin as he walked down a dusty road. He sighed and brushed his long bangs out of his eyes. He was surprised to see an elderly woman sitting on the side of the road. He approached her slowly.
"Excuse me, madam, are you all right?" He asked, concerned for her.
The old woman smiled up at him. "Such a polite you man. If you have the time, do sit by me." She said patting the ground next to her.
Kenshin set his pack down on the ground and sat down. The woman noticed the sword at his side and cackled a laugh. "A swordsman, are you? You seem too nice a fellow to be such, but I guess you have your reasons. So what's your problem? I can tell you one."
"Oro?" he said in confusion.
"I mean, what's your story. Why are you wandering around these parts? Come on boy, everyone has a story. I may hear things, but I never tell them." The old woman said with another laugh.
Kenshin blinked a couple times, and then began to speak.
"I did some horrible things in the past, things that I cannot possibly repent for. I became a wanderer, and traveled by myself for ten years till I met up with Miss Kaoru" he said wondering why he was revealing all this. He didn't even know this woman.
"Ahh... I can see where this is going. Continue." The woman encouraged.
"Miss Kaoru was a wonderful person, determined and brave. She let me stay at her dojo. Then Yahiko came along, now her apprentice and then Sano. It finally seemed like I had a family, a home that I belonged to. But then Miss Kaoru got hurt because of me, because of my past. I can never forgive myself for all I put her through when I was forced to go off to battle. So now I decided to take a journey to figure out some answers of my own." Kenshin finished.
"Hmm, I have one question for you, boy. Do you love this Kaoru?" the old woman asked.
Kenshin paused for a moment. "..Yes..I do, but I am not worthy to be with her. And anyway she can't possibly love me back." Kenshin said his head lowered and his voice saddened.
"Oh fiddlesticks! You are worthy of her! You seem liked such a nice boy. I can't see why she wouldn't love you. You have to tell her how you feel, before it too late and you lose her forever. Believe me, I know." The woman said her voice turning bitter.
Kenshin mulled over those words in his head. His confidence was growing, fueled by the woman's words. He stood up and grabbed his pack.
"Thank you for your wise words, but I must be going now."
The old woman laughed to herself as she watched him leave. "Good luck, Shinta."
Chapter Four: Yukimura
Kenshin woke the next morning and had a quick breakfast before heading out again. He had not clue where he was going. He was just wandering. He was trying to figure out how he could possibly deal with his love for Kaoru. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't face it if she rejected him, but even if she did love him back, he could not allow her to be with him. She was so young and innocent. He did not deserve such a sweet girl as her.
Kaoru woke the next morning achy and groggy. She hadn't slept very well last night. She couldn't stop thinking about her newly discovered love for Kenshin, but how did she know it was true? How could she possibly tell? Kaoru stood up and carefully got dressed into a pale lavender kimono since she was going to the market today. She had burnt up all the rice that they had when she attempted to make supper last night.
When she reached the yard Yahiko ran up to her, a question on his face. "Why are you dressed like that? Aren't you going to train me this morning?" Yahiko asked his bokken slung over his shoulder.
"I'm going to the market. We can train later!" she said irritably and walked out of the dojo without a second glance.
In the marketplace Kaoru quickly bought the necessary items. She didn't want to linger in the crowds for long. She hurried down the streets, the dust settling onto her kimono, annoying her even more. Then out of now where came a man standing right in front of her. She wasn't fast enough so she ended up running right into him. All the things she had just bought went flying out of her bag and onto the floor.
Kaoru sighed and bent down to pick up an item at the same time the man did. Their hands touched for a second and Kaoru blushed and looked up to see just who this man was. He was a tall, skinny man if maybe 22 or 23. He had long black hair held back in a ponytail that accented his friendly blue eyes. She couldn't help, but notice how handsome he was and she felt kind of guilty.
The man smiled and handed her back her bag. "I'm truly sorry for that miss." He said softly. She could tell he had a kind soul.
"It's..ok.." Kaoru mumbled blushing deeper and clenching her bag tighter in her hands.
"May I walk you home?" The man asked as he helped her stand back up.
"I'm not sure." Kaoru said hesitantly.
"I insist, my lady. It's the least I can do." He said, his eyes sparkling.
Kaoru looked him over and there was nothing in the least bit threatening about him. "Well.ok then..but call me Kaoru."
"Kaoru what a beautiful name. Mine is Yukimura." He said as they began to walk.
Kaoru blushed even hotter and walked quietly along his side. She couldn't help, but feel she was betraying Kenshin by walking with this man. But then again it wasn't like she asked him to. He was the one who insisted on walking with her.
"So what does a pretty girl like you do anyway?" Yukimura asked politely as he took her bag from her to carry.
"Umm.I'm the assistant master at the Kamiya dojo." She said shyly.
"Oh. That sounds interesting. What's it like to teach students?" he asked.
Kaoru looked into her face. He looked truly curious about her.
"Well.I have only one student now, but.."
Yukimura and Kaoru talked politely all the way to the dojo. He was kind and good spirited and quite funny also.
They stopped at the gates of the dojo. Smiling, he handed her back her bag.
"Goodbye, Kaoru. I hope you have luck in finding more students." Yukimura said as he turned to leave, but Yahiko burst out to greet them.
"Ugly! Where has you been? I've been waiting for hours." He said. Then he noticed Yukimura. "Hey, who's that guy, Kaoru?"
Kaoru flushed, embarrassed. "Yahiko this is Yukimura, and Yukimura this is Yahiko, my apprentice."
Yahiko looked at him suspiciously. "Where'd you met up with him?"
"I happened to bump into Kaoru in the market and offered to walk her home." Yukimura said kindly.
"Well, I better go inside and get lunch started so." Kaoru began, but Yahiko interrupted.
"I don't think I can stand you horrible cooking one more time!" Yahiko complained loudly.
Kaoru blushed and trembled trying to control her anger in front of Yukimura.
Then Yahiko got an idea. "Hey, Kaoru, how about Yukimura stays for a while and maybe cooks lunch for us?"
"Don't be so rude Yahiko! We could never ask him to do that." She said embarrassed that he would even suggest something like that.
"I would love to Yahiko, if that would be all right with you, Kaoru." Yukimura said much to Kaoru's surprise.
"Well.Ok then." Kaoru said still shocked.
Yahiko cheered. "Yay! No more charred rice!"
Yukimura laughed and they all went into the dojo..
The sun beat down heavily on Kenshin as he walked down a dusty road. He sighed and brushed his long bangs out of his eyes. He was surprised to see an elderly woman sitting on the side of the road. He approached her slowly.
"Excuse me, madam, are you all right?" He asked, concerned for her.
The old woman smiled up at him. "Such a polite you man. If you have the time, do sit by me." She said patting the ground next to her.
Kenshin set his pack down on the ground and sat down. The woman noticed the sword at his side and cackled a laugh. "A swordsman, are you? You seem too nice a fellow to be such, but I guess you have your reasons. So what's your problem? I can tell you one."
"Oro?" he said in confusion.
"I mean, what's your story. Why are you wandering around these parts? Come on boy, everyone has a story. I may hear things, but I never tell them." The old woman said with another laugh.
Kenshin blinked a couple times, and then began to speak.
"I did some horrible things in the past, things that I cannot possibly repent for. I became a wanderer, and traveled by myself for ten years till I met up with Miss Kaoru" he said wondering why he was revealing all this. He didn't even know this woman.
"Ahh... I can see where this is going. Continue." The woman encouraged.
"Miss Kaoru was a wonderful person, determined and brave. She let me stay at her dojo. Then Yahiko came along, now her apprentice and then Sano. It finally seemed like I had a family, a home that I belonged to. But then Miss Kaoru got hurt because of me, because of my past. I can never forgive myself for all I put her through when I was forced to go off to battle. So now I decided to take a journey to figure out some answers of my own." Kenshin finished.
"Hmm, I have one question for you, boy. Do you love this Kaoru?" the old woman asked.
Kenshin paused for a moment. "..Yes..I do, but I am not worthy to be with her. And anyway she can't possibly love me back." Kenshin said his head lowered and his voice saddened.
"Oh fiddlesticks! You are worthy of her! You seem liked such a nice boy. I can't see why she wouldn't love you. You have to tell her how you feel, before it too late and you lose her forever. Believe me, I know." The woman said her voice turning bitter.
Kenshin mulled over those words in his head. His confidence was growing, fueled by the woman's words. He stood up and grabbed his pack.
"Thank you for your wise words, but I must be going now."
The old woman laughed to herself as she watched him leave. "Good luck, Shinta."