Dear readers, thanks for your support so far. I know I'm not suppose to be updating as yet because I have a test to study for, oh but I so could not help the ideas that were flowing through my mind. I hope you guys like this chapter. Flames, suggestions, comments, and questions are all welcomed in you're your review. Thanks so much for your support and please wish me the best of luck for my big exam!
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. I wish I did but I don't.
New Bargaining
Chapter Eight
A few years had passed since Aoshi and his sister first moved into a nice residential neighborhood. At first it took them what seemed like forever to fit in into their new neighborhood, but eventually they got over it. All the feelings Kaoru had almost killed the essence of her very soul. She couldn't live with so much grief in her heart. Later on he figured the reason for Kaoru being in her state. She loved someone who didn't return her love. In the ending he made her what he was. He made her move on with her life.
Aoshi walked into a bar. Tonight he dressed very decent; his long trench gave him the aura of mystery. Many people wanted to know who he was as he walked pass them to the bar stand. He never gave away an expression. His face remained passive at the numerous glances he received. The nonchalant upbringing he trained himself to be always brought him the seeking attention he wanted.
"Can I get you anything sir?" asked the bartender as she was done serving the other men at the other side of the bar stand.
"Give me the finest red wine you have," he replied, his voice remained neutral, however it only enhanced his mysterious looks.
"Coming up sir." Aoshi took his seat; he watched his watch to see if his he was on time for his first mission. His mission was to seek information on the guy who he was hired to nab from the very beginning, but he failed that mission. Now he continued that mission from a long time ago, only because collaboration was to key to having a successful mission.
"Here, the finest red wine we have in the house."
Aoshi nodded his head in thanks. A reticent person remains silent, if there was nothing to be said. He waited for the malefactors in silence. As he waited at his seat in forbearance, he saw two large, bulky men enter the bar, with mockery look on their faces. Their eyes shined with rancorous, promising to defame others who stood in their way. As they crossed their paths in the bar, many people scurried away from them in fear. Aoshi was disgusted by their vigorous ways. He turned around to see the woman who served trembled in fear. She left her place behind the counter, walked up to them in a tremulous state, hoping that they wouldn't harass her like they did last time. Aoshi felt a little pity for the woman. If only she knew who he really was, she wouldn't have to be afraid of them.
The woman feigned a delightful expression on her face as she took their orders, but Aoshi noticed they didn't mess with her. Tonight looked like they had another plan to meddle with such small affairs. That only left him wondering what they had planned.
"I was talking to Master Makoto and you wouldn't believe the incredible idea he came up with," said the first man. His grey hair fell right in front his face covering one of his malevolent eyes.
"And what did he come up with Jineh?" asked the other man, with an evil grin plastered on his not so good looking face.
"He wants us to do him a little favor, a favor that provides us not only doing something we love to do, but we would be making mucho dinero," said Jineh as he picked up his glass of whiskey.
"Muy mucho dinero?"
"Si, si a lot of money Gohei."
"How is it we're going to making all of that?"
"You ask too many questions, but if you're dying to know so badly, I can tell this much information that I already received from him. You know the corporation called Shinta Inc.?"
"Yeah what of it?"
"The owner of the company made a new computer software which released just a few months ago called 'Excel Perfect Wording' where you can make web designs, computer graphics, type anything from stories, to resume, to making cards, plus you can do research there, because the icons are much easier to use then the regular internet. What the owner did for this computer generation was made it easier for people like us to access any information we want, even the private information is achievable on the computer software."
"But if we want that private information, don't we have to know the valid password? The computer can reach out to the whole world, plus get into the private government's information, but before doing so, we have to know the valid password."
"Don't worry about that part. Mr. Makoto will get to know the valid password, and we can use it as long as we do what he wants us to do for him."
"What exactly does he want us to do?"
"Kill the owner of Shinta Inc. Corporation will leave him the daughter who will rightfully inherit the business. If we kill her guardians, then Mr. Makoto will rightfully get his chance of not only being her guardian, but also inheriting the business."
"How old is she?"
"Now she will be six years of age. Mr. Makoto doesn't want to own the business for long, what he really wants is the password for his own personal reasoning, while we can use that password for our own personal reasoning, if you get what I mean?" replied Jineh. He slammed his cup down onto the table, got up from his seat with Gohei and they left the bar together.
Aoshi stood up, paid his bill, plus left a generous tip for the bar tender. As he left the bar, for the first time that night he smirked for a job well done
It was 9:10pm. Aoshi made it later then usual. He knew his sister was going to be mad at him. Before he left to go to the bar, he promised her, he would make it in time before having tea with her and their father, but he broke another promise again.
He parked his new Grand Cherokee SUV in front of his home, got out the car and rushed to the front steps of his door. He checked his watch again. It was 9:17pm. He slapped his forehead for taking seven minutes to find a parking before hitting the front door. He prepared himself for one of Kaoru's angry assaults.
As he entered the house, he could hear sounds coming from the television. He smelled delicious food waiting to greet him in the kitchen, saw how clean the house look, but he saw no signs of her or father anywhere. He slowly approached the living where the television was left on. Aoshi hoped to see Kaoru there waiting for him with a bokken in her hand, however he saw no signs of her ever being in the living room.
Is there anyone is this house? Where is everyone? he mentally asked himself. There was no one in the dining when he walked through it. He checked in the closet to see if they by any chance were hiding from him. There he saw no one. Finally the last place he didn't check, which he hoped they were in was the kitchen. Slowly and carefully without making a peeping sound, Aoshi entered the kitchen only to find Kaoru serving a cup tea to their father.
"You're late again," said Kaoru with a cold voice. She didn't even bother to look at him, while she was serving father some tea she made.
"Look, I'm sorry, but I ran into some business before getting here. I'm sorry for coming home late," said Aoshi defensibly. He knew he made the same excuse over and over again, but what else can he say? He promised Kaoru many things, but he just couldn't keep them.
Kaoru looked at him with a defiant look in her sapphire eyes. Her hand went on her hips in an unpleasant manner. Her sapphire eyes bore into his now warm blue eyes. "It's the same excuse over and over again. You beguile me with promises you can't even keep. You rebuke in your ways about safety and timing, when the truth between you and me is you're spurious."
"Look…" Aoshi tried to imply but Kaoru came closer to him, poking her finger at him.
"You think you can dupe me as easily as you did before. You depreciate me when it comes down to work. You worry about me endlessly, and always try to make someone else do my work, when I can do it for myself. You revile me in front of others, just to make me look bad. Look I'm sick and tired your dolting nonsense."
Aoshi couldn't take it anymore. Kaoru broke her boundaries, she crossed her line. No one ever insulted him as much as she insulted him. Usually when someone said something disparaged him of his reputation, he castigated them. He wouldn't let Kaoru get away for denouncing him of something he didn't think it was true.
"That's it, Kaoru you went too far. You crossed limits, and now let me help you get back to where you came from once again," replied Aoshi calmly, softly, but his posture betrayed the look he had in face and in his eyes.
Kaoru stepped back in fear. He was right. She crossed a limit which she never crossed. She knew better then to try to speak her mind. Usually she was reticent rather then loquacious. She acted upon her mother's grace, to keep an urbane posture. When she acted or did something she shouldn't have done, she acted with a mercurial way to get away from her misdeeds. Tonight not even her witty charms can get her away from her brother's rage. Not even if she did apologize to him.
"You should think before you speak. You never know what your words can do to one's mind," said Aoshi dangerously as he took a step towards her.
Kaoru continued taking steps backward until she found herself hovering around the stove. She felt her back pressed against the kitchen cabinets. Her heart raced in fear as she stared into her brother's ice blue eyes. She made fists with her hands, as she watched him approached her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Kaoru knew what she had to do. If she was forced to fight him here in this kitchen, she would have no choice but to so. She didn't care if she lost her reputation in the household, but she promised herself to never be taken advantaged of by another person ever again in her life.
"That's it. Aoshi you better live her alone, or you will have to deal with me," said another fierce voice. Aoshi and Kaoru didn't have to crane their necks to know who said that. They knew who it was from the beginning. Aoshi turned his back on Kaoru, and left the kitchen like nothing ever happened.
Later on that night Kaoru laid down on her bed exhausted from another day of living her same life over and over again. She grabbed her pillow, brought under chin, and hugged it while a few tears sprightly developed from her eyes. In her reclusive nature, she found herself to be more emotional, then when she was around others. She believed her tears made her weak, not stronger. From the time when she first moved into this house, she knew she will forever remain incomplete. Her soul now shattered. What she did to her brother was unacceptable. She literally took out all of her feelings of rage and anger on him. In ways he deserved it. He breaks his promises and leaves her like a helpless child believing she would forgive him. But she was sick and tired of that same game, tired of acting like a doll, and being treated like one. Maybe it was time for her to move on, to leave this home and find her own place. Maybe she could go back into her past, her old home, and start a new future with her life.
No she couldn't leave her father, her brother. She couldn't leave them both behind. She couldn't go back to having her own life. She remembered when she first moved into this house, they changed her identity, by naming her Raven Dreamer. She went to college under that name to protect her. She answered by that name too, when she was in public places. Even her appearance changed. Instead of having straight beautiful silken raven hair, she now had beautiful waves of raven hair that fell down to her waist. She no longer put it in a high ponytail. She left it out, with only a headband to pull back her long strands of bangs that had a habit of falling in front of her face.
Kaoru lost herself deep in thoughts, that she never noticed when Aoshi walked into her room.
"Raven," he called out to her soothingly. He wasn't astonished when he saw tears animated from his sister's eyes. Her personality changed within the years. She was vivacious, she worked on her job trusting her intuitive. Her integrity, her tenaciously actions, her camaraderie style towards others changed throughout the past few years. She was known for being precocious in her earlier years. He loved her very much and was deeply sorry for his dangerous actions he took on her earlier tonight.
Kaoru looked up to see her brother standing by her bed side. Quickly, with all the speed she possessed, she wiped her tears, and sat up on her bed. Her sapphire eyes already flickered with fear.
"Raven I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanted to apologize for my earlier action," Aoshi replied.
"I also want to apologize for my earlier actions too. I didn't have the right to speak to you like that," replied Kaoru.
"Okay, but I already feel sorry for the guy who'll have to spend the rest of his life with you," replied Aoshi sagaciously.
Kaoru eyes flickered. From the intrepid look in her eyes, the diabolical smile she had on her face, she gave no signs of showing compassion towards him. Aoshi stepped back knowing Kaoru was in her witty, wicked mood to play a little. "Ah, but he won't have it as bad as you do."
"Why is that?" asked Aoshi stepping back until he reached her door frame. Earlier he might have won an argument, but Kaoru was going to win this war.
Kaoru just gave him a sardonic look, while she continued to smile her diabolic smile. "I thought you knew this already. Soujiro is my fiancé. You oops!" Kaoru brought up her hand to cover her mouth from saying anything further. She enshrouded her next upcoming words and only spoke her five words clearly for him to understand. She knew she won the war. "And you are my brother."