::Chapter 3: The Tenken::
Kaoru raised an eyebrow at the short man wearing a blue tailored shirt and baggy navy pants. "You're the swordsman? But you're so short . . ."
The man smiled. "With all due respect, Miss . . . you'd be shorter than me without those stiletto shoes."
Kaoru reddened. "How dare you . . ."
Aoshi cleared his throat. "Kamiya-san, this is . . ."
"Konichiwa." The man smiled and smoothed back his black hair. "Seta. Seta Soujiro."
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Seta-san is the famous martial artist? But he's so . . ."
Soujiro smiled again, even though the last smile hadn't faded yet. "Never judge a book by a cover, nor a person by his size!" He chirped happily. "And please, Kamiya-san, call me Soujiro."
Kaoru's eyes widened. "Wait, Soujiro?" She bit her lip. "Soujiro . . . your name sounds familiar . . ."
Soujiro smiled wider. "Really?" He tilted his head.
Kaoru snapped her fingers. "Are you the Tenken?"
Soujiro smiled and nodded.
"No, Really?" Kaoru shook her head in disbelief.
"Uh, Kaoru?" Sanosuke said, chewing on a toothpick. "Tenken?"
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Haven't you been to Shanghai with me?"
"Hai . . ."
"And took your nose out of food long enough to look around?"
"Eh . . ."
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "If you looked around at all, you'd have seen the posters about 'The Magnificent Tenken' all over the city."
Sano grumbled and returned to chewing on his toothpick.
"Well," Soujiro said, walking over, "I'm very glad to meet you." He put his hand out.
Kaoru hesitated, and then slowly walked forward and extended her hand to shake his.
Well, she would've shaken his hand if she hadn't stubbed her toe, broke the heel of her stilettos, and then tripped and fell forward on her face.
"Kaoru!" Misao shrieked, running forward. "Are you OK?"
"Mmph . . ." Kaoru moaned dizzily, face still buried in the fluffy carpet.
"My, Kamiya-san," Soujiro said, ever brightly, "It's a good thing you aren't involved with swords or anything. You would've hurt yourself greatly by now."
Kaoru blanched. Sure, she was occasionally clumsy, but . . .
"Seta-san," Aoshi said sharply, "Kamiya-san was wondering . . ."
"Aoshi!"
Aoshi looked at Kaoru."Hm?"
Kaoru stumbled over, and hissed into his ear, "I don't want Soujiro to teach me!"
Aoshi looked at her in surprise. "What?"
"I don't want someone famous to teach me!"
Even passive Aoshi showed mild surprise at this. "What? But you don't want . . ."
"I can't have my training be high profile! Just in case . . . you know, I get hurt because of my clumsiness . . ."
Aoshi nodded. He turned back to Soujiro, who was smiling curiously. "I just thought you would like to meet Kamiya-san," Aoshi said to him.
Soujiro nodded. "It's been a pleasure to meet Kamiya-san."
Kaoru walked (carefully) towards him, smiling in the smile the paparazzi knew so well. "Likewise, Soujiro. And please," she said sweetly, "Call me Kaoru."
"Very well." Soujiro smiled and nodded. "Kaoru-san, I was wondering . . ."
"Hai?"
"I need an escort to go with me to a . . . private party in two days. Kaoru- san, will you please go with me?
"Me?"
"Hai."
Kaoru shifted nervously. She already had a relationship with a famous guy, and that was Enishi. "Well . . . um . . . I don't know . . ."
"Ahem," Aoshi coughed. Kaoru turned to him. Aoshi nodded.
Kaoru turned back, a smile wide on her face. "I'd love to, Soujiro! Will you pick me up?"
"Hai!"
"Do you need my address . . ."
"Oh, no, I know where you live!"
Kaoru's eyes bugged out. "What?"
Soujiro smiled nervously. "No, no, not that way! It's just that everybody knows where you live, there are only so many giant mansions in Tokyo!"
Kaoru smiled. "Hai, well . . . I'll be at the white mansion, ok?"
Soujiro smiled and nodded. "Ok . . . Oh, please, pardon me," he said as his pager started beeping. He looked down. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I must leave now, an urgency came up . . . Shinomori-san, I shall have to reschedule."
Aoshi nodded. "No problem."
Soujiro turned back to Kaoru. "I'll be seeing you, then?"
"Hai. Sayonara!"
"Sayonara."
When the door closed, Kaoru turned back to Aoshi. "Why'd you nod yes?"
Aoshi said coolly, "Seta-san is very popular in China and Thailand. It would be terrific for your career in those countries."
Kaoru sighed. "Fine. I'll live with it."
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Soujiro walked out and unlocked his black Mercedes. He opened the door, and paused. "Shishio-san," he said cordially, turning around slowly, "What a surprise!"
A tall man wearing a black suit and a black trench coat chuckled deeply. He raised the brim of his hat, showing his heavily bandaged face and neck. "Nonsense, Soujiro, you knew I would be here."
Soujiro grinned. "You always knew me best!"
Another deep chortle came from the man. "So, did you snag her?"
"Yep! It was rather easy!" Soujiro smiled wider. "But, Shishio-san, I don't understand, why her?"
Shishio turned around, pulling the hat down, hiding his face from view. "Who else?"
~~~~ end chapter ~~~~
Ah! I can NEVER get better at cliffhangers! ;;; hehheh! Sorry for the relatively short chapter, but I need to get off the computer soon and I thought I'd finish it off.
Thanks to all the people who reviewed it, thank you very much!
MP1: As you've read, Kaoru isn't tall; she's about 5'2" in here! Of course, being a sparkly celebrity, she can wear all those tall shoes that levitate a poor soul five inches higher than usual. ^^ Thanks for reading!
Flyinangel777: Darn, you knew about my plan to make it someone other than Kenshin even before I wrote it! XD And, of course, you're right.
L3al3yanime: Yep, extremely high stiletto heels. Hehe, sorry if that wasn't clear enough. Hope you liked this chapter!
Missaw: Ah, yes, the rich and famous often tend to be rather uncivil in real life, ne? And your idea for a cliffhanger is much better. XP I lack the genetics to write cliffhangers, I think.
Setine: Thanks! ^^ Hope this chapter didn't change your opinion about it, hehe.
Icebluedragon: Ah, don't do this to me . . . no . . . AW fine I can't resist puppy eyes! * gives in and starts typing * There you go! Now, don't ever brandish those evil puppy eyes again! They're my ultimate weakness. XD
AnImEfREaK34: Interesting, ne?
Lavender Gaia: Yes, we must ponder the wonder of stilettos. =) Thanks for reviewing; I thought that Megumi was OOC, though, she'd never back down to Kaoru!
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
As you probably all know, well, school is starting soon! And, well, let me tell you, high school and overly-grade obsessing parents do NOT mix well. I won't have time to update as much as I'd like, even less time than I do right now! ^^ I'm very sorry, but I'll try to update as often as I could (This goes for all my stories), oka? Thanks thanks!
Kaoru raised an eyebrow at the short man wearing a blue tailored shirt and baggy navy pants. "You're the swordsman? But you're so short . . ."
The man smiled. "With all due respect, Miss . . . you'd be shorter than me without those stiletto shoes."
Kaoru reddened. "How dare you . . ."
Aoshi cleared his throat. "Kamiya-san, this is . . ."
"Konichiwa." The man smiled and smoothed back his black hair. "Seta. Seta Soujiro."
Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Seta-san is the famous martial artist? But he's so . . ."
Soujiro smiled again, even though the last smile hadn't faded yet. "Never judge a book by a cover, nor a person by his size!" He chirped happily. "And please, Kamiya-san, call me Soujiro."
Kaoru's eyes widened. "Wait, Soujiro?" She bit her lip. "Soujiro . . . your name sounds familiar . . ."
Soujiro smiled wider. "Really?" He tilted his head.
Kaoru snapped her fingers. "Are you the Tenken?"
Soujiro smiled and nodded.
"No, Really?" Kaoru shook her head in disbelief.
"Uh, Kaoru?" Sanosuke said, chewing on a toothpick. "Tenken?"
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Haven't you been to Shanghai with me?"
"Hai . . ."
"And took your nose out of food long enough to look around?"
"Eh . . ."
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "If you looked around at all, you'd have seen the posters about 'The Magnificent Tenken' all over the city."
Sano grumbled and returned to chewing on his toothpick.
"Well," Soujiro said, walking over, "I'm very glad to meet you." He put his hand out.
Kaoru hesitated, and then slowly walked forward and extended her hand to shake his.
Well, she would've shaken his hand if she hadn't stubbed her toe, broke the heel of her stilettos, and then tripped and fell forward on her face.
"Kaoru!" Misao shrieked, running forward. "Are you OK?"
"Mmph . . ." Kaoru moaned dizzily, face still buried in the fluffy carpet.
"My, Kamiya-san," Soujiro said, ever brightly, "It's a good thing you aren't involved with swords or anything. You would've hurt yourself greatly by now."
Kaoru blanched. Sure, she was occasionally clumsy, but . . .
"Seta-san," Aoshi said sharply, "Kamiya-san was wondering . . ."
"Aoshi!"
Aoshi looked at Kaoru."Hm?"
Kaoru stumbled over, and hissed into his ear, "I don't want Soujiro to teach me!"
Aoshi looked at her in surprise. "What?"
"I don't want someone famous to teach me!"
Even passive Aoshi showed mild surprise at this. "What? But you don't want . . ."
"I can't have my training be high profile! Just in case . . . you know, I get hurt because of my clumsiness . . ."
Aoshi nodded. He turned back to Soujiro, who was smiling curiously. "I just thought you would like to meet Kamiya-san," Aoshi said to him.
Soujiro nodded. "It's been a pleasure to meet Kamiya-san."
Kaoru walked (carefully) towards him, smiling in the smile the paparazzi knew so well. "Likewise, Soujiro. And please," she said sweetly, "Call me Kaoru."
"Very well." Soujiro smiled and nodded. "Kaoru-san, I was wondering . . ."
"Hai?"
"I need an escort to go with me to a . . . private party in two days. Kaoru- san, will you please go with me?
"Me?"
"Hai."
Kaoru shifted nervously. She already had a relationship with a famous guy, and that was Enishi. "Well . . . um . . . I don't know . . ."
"Ahem," Aoshi coughed. Kaoru turned to him. Aoshi nodded.
Kaoru turned back, a smile wide on her face. "I'd love to, Soujiro! Will you pick me up?"
"Hai!"
"Do you need my address . . ."
"Oh, no, I know where you live!"
Kaoru's eyes bugged out. "What?"
Soujiro smiled nervously. "No, no, not that way! It's just that everybody knows where you live, there are only so many giant mansions in Tokyo!"
Kaoru smiled. "Hai, well . . . I'll be at the white mansion, ok?"
Soujiro smiled and nodded. "Ok . . . Oh, please, pardon me," he said as his pager started beeping. He looked down. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I must leave now, an urgency came up . . . Shinomori-san, I shall have to reschedule."
Aoshi nodded. "No problem."
Soujiro turned back to Kaoru. "I'll be seeing you, then?"
"Hai. Sayonara!"
"Sayonara."
When the door closed, Kaoru turned back to Aoshi. "Why'd you nod yes?"
Aoshi said coolly, "Seta-san is very popular in China and Thailand. It would be terrific for your career in those countries."
Kaoru sighed. "Fine. I'll live with it."
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Soujiro walked out and unlocked his black Mercedes. He opened the door, and paused. "Shishio-san," he said cordially, turning around slowly, "What a surprise!"
A tall man wearing a black suit and a black trench coat chuckled deeply. He raised the brim of his hat, showing his heavily bandaged face and neck. "Nonsense, Soujiro, you knew I would be here."
Soujiro grinned. "You always knew me best!"
Another deep chortle came from the man. "So, did you snag her?"
"Yep! It was rather easy!" Soujiro smiled wider. "But, Shishio-san, I don't understand, why her?"
Shishio turned around, pulling the hat down, hiding his face from view. "Who else?"
~~~~ end chapter ~~~~
Ah! I can NEVER get better at cliffhangers! ;;; hehheh! Sorry for the relatively short chapter, but I need to get off the computer soon and I thought I'd finish it off.
Thanks to all the people who reviewed it, thank you very much!
MP1: As you've read, Kaoru isn't tall; she's about 5'2" in here! Of course, being a sparkly celebrity, she can wear all those tall shoes that levitate a poor soul five inches higher than usual. ^^ Thanks for reading!
Flyinangel777: Darn, you knew about my plan to make it someone other than Kenshin even before I wrote it! XD And, of course, you're right.
L3al3yanime: Yep, extremely high stiletto heels. Hehe, sorry if that wasn't clear enough. Hope you liked this chapter!
Missaw: Ah, yes, the rich and famous often tend to be rather uncivil in real life, ne? And your idea for a cliffhanger is much better. XP I lack the genetics to write cliffhangers, I think.
Setine: Thanks! ^^ Hope this chapter didn't change your opinion about it, hehe.
Icebluedragon: Ah, don't do this to me . . . no . . . AW fine I can't resist puppy eyes! * gives in and starts typing * There you go! Now, don't ever brandish those evil puppy eyes again! They're my ultimate weakness. XD
AnImEfREaK34: Interesting, ne?
Lavender Gaia: Yes, we must ponder the wonder of stilettos. =) Thanks for reviewing; I thought that Megumi was OOC, though, she'd never back down to Kaoru!
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
As you probably all know, well, school is starting soon! And, well, let me tell you, high school and overly-grade obsessing parents do NOT mix well. I won't have time to update as much as I'd like, even less time than I do right now! ^^ I'm very sorry, but I'll try to update as often as I could (This goes for all my stories), oka? Thanks thanks!
