AN: Normally special terms are defined at the bottom of a chapter, but I figure it would help you guys to visualize the movement if you knew what it was.
Chiburi: If a bloody sword is resheathed, it will stick in the scabbard and be useless. Removal of excess blood is done either by shaking or a whipping motion with the wrist (chiburi) or by wiping the blood off of the blade (chinugui). This operation must not be regarded as a formality. It should be done deliberately and menacingly. Above all, it must be done without showing any sign of weakness or lack of alertness.
The point here is that you are performing this act for the benefit of any onlookers who might be waiting for an opportunity to attack. So, at the very least, you must not look down.
Catharsis
chemistry
.:chapter fifteen:.
Foot pressed firmly on the excess slack of rope, she pulled with her uninjured arm. Sweat endangered her grasp, but she held tight. Grunting, she strained as she tried to hoist the heavy bucket full of water out of the well.
Another inch of success, and she prepared to pull again. Aching fingers curled stiffly around the rope. Try as she might, she couldn't maintain a good grip on the cord. She felt it slipping away and gasped. On reflex she yanked, but the effort did nothing to stop the decent. Fingers screamed in pain from the friction of the sliding rope. She released it automatically and seconds later heard the bucket splash into the water below. Ignoring her stinging palm, she struggled to squelch her frustration.
With a defeated sigh, she leaned against the well. 'Maybe I should just wait for Yuta to do this for me...'
"Excuse me," a gentle voice said from the road, disrupting her thoughts. She blinked at the unfamiliar young man and he offered a disarming smile. "Do you need assistance?"
She sensed his sincerity and grinned. "Yes, please."
He stepped forward and lowered his pack. Hand over fist, the bucket filled with water slowly made its way to the lip of the well.
"Thank you," she watched him work with a grateful expression. "I've had an awful time trying to get that thing up. Not an easy job at the moment," she gestured to her injured arm kept immobile in a sling.
He smiled. "My pleasure. I'm happy to help."
The bucket continued to ascend. She flexed her fingers and inspected her hand.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Oh, no," Her hand dropped to her side, "I just got a bit of a rope burn. Nothing serious."
The rope slack coiled at her feet. He was nearly finished. Thanks to him, she'd be able to make lunch. "You came along just when I was about to give up," she said, lips parting into a grateful smile once more. "Normally my son would do this for me, but he's helping a neighbor this morning."
He nodded, and set the water-laden pail on the lip of the well. He pointed at the empty canister beside her, "Do you want me to pour the water into this?"
"Yes, please."
As he poured she took the opportunity to study his unusual features. Red hair, violet eyes and a cheerful face marred with a scar. Young, too. She guessed he was probably in his mid to late twenties. Overall, he looked like a nice young man, but the sword he carried gave her pause. Swords were outlawed. The only people who were known to carry them were armed police or criminals.
'He doesn't look or act like a criminal,' she thought, eyeing him. 'And he seems too slight of build to be a police officer...'
"Where would you like me to carry this?" he asked.
Thoughts interrupted, she blinked and felt foolish for staring. "Oh! Umm... my house is that way," she said, pointing toward a worn patch of grass heading down a small knoll.
He lifted the container and together they made their way toward her home. His sincerity and kindness only fueled her curiosity about the sword. Unable to resist any longer, she finally gave in to her curiosity.
"Are you an armed police officer?"
He gave her a polite smile. "No."
She looked at him askance but he didn't volunteer any additional information. 'If he's not an officer,' she thought, 'then why would he be so bold and carry a sword around in public..?' A new possibility entered her mind and she asked, "You're on a journey then?"
Dimples appeared when his smile widened. "I've carried a sword for most of my life," he explained. "It would feel strange to be without it."
'Of course,' she thought, feeling foolish. 'He's a samurai. They still hold to tradition, even though the times have changed.' Her cheeks cast in a ruddy hue, she gave him an apologetic look for her rudeness. Who was she to ask such meddling questions of a man who had been kind enough to help her?
Humbled, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
"That's alright," he adjusted his hold on the container. "People don't normally carry swords anymore. I understand your curiosity."
She nodded and said nothing more. Her own faux pas keeping her lips sealed.
"But to answer your question," he said, ignoring her folly. "I am just passing through. I'm on my way to visit a friend in Tokyo."
"By foot?" she asked.
He nodded.
"But Tokyo is at least a four-day journey on horse..."
"Five," he corrected. "If you properly rest the horse."
She smirked, "You do this a lot, don't you?"
"I was a rurouni for ten years," he said.
His admission brought a whole new set of questions to the surface of her mind. Not wanting to be a snoop again, she kept those queries to herself.
"Well, no matter how you get there, you're in for a long trip," she said, as they passed the small herb garden in front of her home. Seedlings were just beginning to push their way out of the soil and into the spring sunshine.
"You can put the jug there," she pointed to a spot near the door.
He carefully lowered the container, then straightened his gi.
She smiled warmly at him, "Thank you for all your help, mister...?"
"Himura Kenshin."
"I'm Sato Noriko," she offered a polite bow. "Thank you for your help, Himura-san."
Kenshin bowed in return.
"My son should be on his way home now," Noriko said. "I wanted to have lunch ready for him when he got back. You're welcome to stay and have a hot meal, if you like."
"I don't want to be any trouble," he said.
"It's no trouble," she smiled as she opened the door to her home. "You already did the hard part. Besides, you need to eat well when you travel long distances."
He hesitated.
"Really," she reassured him. "It's no trouble at all."
His eyes twinkled with a grateful smile. "Thank you, I appreciate it."
• • •
The tea had long gone cold, but Kaoru hardly noticed. Observing Enishi practice was more entrancing now than it had been when he kept her on the island. Back then, she had regarded him with a sliver of fear. Every slash of his sword as he moved through his kata was a potential death blow for Kenshin. Now that Enishi had given up his jinchuu, she could let herself enjoy his grace.
Watching him practice was a guilty pleasure she did her best to hide.
Enishi's preferred time to practice was in the early morning hours. Wanting to sneak a peek at him during those moments, Kaoru made an effort to wake early and gaze at her house guest without alerting him to her presence. Unfortunately Yahiko had become a light sleeper since Enishi's arrival and Kaoru found it difficult to avoid him in the mornings. Today, however, fortune had smiled upon her and her student remained in a peaceful sleep as she tip-toed out of her room that morning.
Her lips curled into a smile as she watched Enishi move through his routine. It really was a nice way to start her day. His style was so different, so fluid. Without Yahiko's incessant presence she could relax and enjoy the way he moved without feeling guilty or on edge the whole time. But more than that, the quiet time gave her a chance to contemplated her guest. Enishi was changing. His anger was receding, his heart was mending... Since inviting him to stay in her home, he seemed much more open and relaxed. He actually had conversations with her, something he never did when she was his captive. Of course, those conversations were almost always overshadowed by her young escort, but the attempt to garner her friendship was there.
After weeks of feeling rejected by Kenshin, the attention Enishi paid her felt good. Really good. His mindfulness toward her was exactly what she craved from the rurouni. His focus centered on her, his smiles were for her. Kaoru felt attractive around Enishi. Wanted. And there was no denying the fact that he was a good-looking man. Tall, muscular, wild hair, mischievous eyes...
'Stop that, Kaoru,' she chastised herself. Just thinking about his attributes quickened her heart and cast her cheeks in a ruddy hue. Physical attraction was all well and good, but it couldn't go any further than that. She had to be his friend.
Nothing more.
"What are you doing out here?" Yahiko asked from behind, giving Kaoru a sudden start.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she hissed.
"I wasn't sneaking," he gave her a hard stare, his lips pushed down into a frown. "You were just too busy drooling to notice me."
She felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. "I wasn't drooling."
"Right," the boy snorted and rolled his eyes. "How long are you planning to moon over him? I'm hungry."
"Tough," Kaoru said, pointedly looking away from him. "Fix your own breakfast."
She felt Yahiko's scowl, but ignored him. He swore under his breath, then plopped down next to her. Arms crossed over his chest, he glared angrily at their white-haired guest.
• • •
The gate bell rang loudly, disturbing the mid-morning quiet. Enishi paused in his exercise routine to watch Kaoru answer the summoning. The way his eyes lingered on his sensei gave Yahiko the creeps. He was still an obsessive freak, except instead of Kenshin, he was intent on Kaoru.
The sound of Tae's voice pulled Yahiko's attention away from his nemesis. Guilt turned his stomach over as he watched the two women talk. Without being able to hear their words he was certain that they were discussing him. The sidelong glance Kaoru threw in his direction a moment later confirmed it.
Rising to his feet, Yahiko approached the women. He hadn't shown up for work since Enishi arrived nearly three weeks ago. He had initially told Kaoru that Tae didn't need him, but that had been a lie. The truth was he just couldn't bring himself to leave her alone with him. And now Tae was at the dojo, undoubtedly because of his serial absences.
He swallowed hard as he stood before them. Kaoru looked pissed already.
"Hi, Tae," he said meekly as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Good morning, Yahiko." Her smile was wide and sincere. "We've missed you at the restaurant."
He flinched, just barely, but said nothing. Her words should have been said with an edge of anger or disappoint, instead she seemed just as friendly and kind as normal. The guilt rolling around in his belly surged and he opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, wondering what he should say or do next.
"Yahiko, you told me Tae didn't need your help," Kaoru said, eyes hard. "You said she was okay with you taking time off."
He opened his mouth to reply when Tae said, "Kaoru, he did have Tsubume explain the situation to me. I just didn't expect him to be gone so long."
Kaoru clenched her jaw and exhaled out her nose. "He should have told you himself!" she snapped. Hands on her hips, she glared down at him, "Besides, the 'situation' doesn't require him to ignore his responsibilities."
"I didn't ignore my responsibilities," Yahiko said defensively. "I just-"
"Yes you did!" Kaoru interrupted. "How can you deny it?!"
"Kaoru, I'm not angry at Yahiko," Tae said, trying to smooth things over. Buso didn't even spare her a glance.
"Tae hired you to do a job, Yahiko," his sensei said, voice hard. "That's a responsibility. You decided to stop doing that job and left all of your co-workers at the Akabeko without the help they need." Kaoru narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "If that's not ignoring your responsibilities then what is?"
Hands clenched tightly at this sides, Yahiko snapped. "I wouldn't have had to skip out on work if you weren't totally insane!"
Kaoru leaned down toward him, her eyes burning with ire. "Are you actually trying to blame me?" she hissed.
Student and sensei exchanged tight-lipped glares as Tae fidgeted uncomfortably with the hem of her sleeve.
"Y- yahiko," the restaurant owner said almost timidly. "Just... let me know when you're able to work again and I'll see if I can find a place for you at the restaurant."
He didn't look at her. He wouldn't be the first one to break eye contact with Kaoru. "Thanks," he said.
Tae inched her way toward the gate. "I'll... let myself out."
Kaoru's expression flickered as she reined in her anger. Forcing a smile, she turned toward Tae and said, "Thank you for coming by, Tae. I'm so sorry you had to go to all this trouble on Yahiko's account."
The boy grunted and folded his arms over his over his chest. Tae smiled politely and nodded, then quickly let herself out. With their unexpected visitor gone, the arguing began anew.
"You lied to me, Yahiko!"
"I didn't lie—"
"Yes, you did!"
"I didn't lie!" Yahiko repeated, sparing a glance at Enishi. He stood only a few feet away as he watched the exchange between teacher and student. He scowled at him before turning back toward Kaoru and muttering, "I just didn't tell you the whole truth."
Kaoru threw her hands up in the air and began to walk away. Five steps away from him, she rounded on him. "I can't believe you! You're better than this, Yahiko! What's gotten into you? Tae is a friend. If you didn't want to work at the restaurant you should have at least had the decency to tell her."
"That's not it," he said, voice pitched for her ears only. She gave no indication of having heard him as her rant continued.
"Instead Tae had to take time away from the restaurant to come all the way out here to tell you that you're fired," she rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Why, Yahiko?"
Lips pressed into a tight line, Yahiko said nothing. With Enishi standing right there he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that the reason he skipped out on work because he didn't trust him not to hurt her. Plus, he was starting to doubt her sanity for allowing him to stay with them to begin with. The man made everyone believe he murdered her. It was crazy to believe anything he said, yet Kaoru did. He wondered sometimes if she hit her head or something while on that island because none of this made any sense to him.
Still, he held onto the hope that Kaoru would come to her senses. Until then, someone had to protect her.
"Well, I'm not going to get myself all dirty," Kaoru continued, pulling him from his thoughts. "You're going to have to go in the crawl space and get my grandfather's storage chest yourself."
The topic switch drew Yahiko's brows together. "Huh? Why?"
"I don't have a job, Yahiko. Neither do you," she turned on her heel and headed for the dojo. When Yahiko didn't follow her, she paused and further clarified her order. "I have to sell my grandfather's paintings so we can eat. Get it?"
Yahiko saw the spark of distress in his sensei's eyes when she said those words. It was obvious that she didn't want to sell her grandfather's paintings. He never thought anything of it before, but she was selling part of her inheritance. Was money really that tight? Yahiko chewed his lip and remembered Kaoru going into town just before Enishi showed up to sell two paintings and a few kimonos.
'Why didn't she tell me things were bad?'
He saw Enishi move toward Kaoru and his shoulders tensed, 'He's probably the reason why we're broke. Kick him out, Kaoru...'
"I have money," he said. Yahiko narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't mind giving you a loan."
Yahiko's stomach twisted in his gut painfully.
His sensei took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. The action was a clear sign that she was trying to calm her temper. "I can't let you do that," she said, anger still creating a slight edge to her voice. "I appreciate the offer, but it wouldn't be right."
'Good,' he thought. 'Now kick him out on his ass!'
"Okay," he said, sword resting against his shoulder. "How about I pay for my room and board? It wouldn't be a loan then."
"Thank you," she said politely. "But that's really not necessary."
His lips curled upward as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. "I insist."
The fake kindness in his tone made Yahiko want to scream. The guy was psycho. How Kaoru could go for so long without seeing it was beyond him. She kept insisting that Enishi wasn't a bad person. He was just very deeply lonely. He spent so much time concentrating on killing Kenshin that he forgot what it was like to just simply live.
Well, boo-hoo.
Granted, the guy had yet to do anything to reveal his psychotic nature. And he'd been watching the freak pretty closely. The worst the bastard did was goad him. On occasion, he even goaded Kaoru, but she would return the gesture good-naturedly whereas Yahiko just wanted to shove his shinai down his throat. It was exasperating to see Kaoru behave so amiable around him. The more he watched them interact, the more he suspected Sano knew what he was talking about back on the island.
Enishi tapped the blade against his shoulder and winked at his sensei. "How much do you charge a month for rent, Ms. Kamiya?"
Buso blushed and acted coy. She used to behave like that around Kenshin. It was disgusting.
'Oh, I think I'm going to puke...'
Kaoru twiddled her fingers along the hem of her obi as Yahiko clenched his hands into tight fists and fought hard against the urge to scream at her. 'She's seriously considering taking his money!'
"I don't know," she said hesitantly. "I've never charged anyone rent before."
"How about 5,000 yen a month?" he asked.
She balked. "That seems a little high!"
"For room and board? In Tokyo?" He smiled, "I don't think so."
"Enishi, you're a guest. I can't take your money. It wouldn't be right."
"I can't live off of you, Kamiya," he countered. "You invited me to stay here, let me earn my keep."
Yahiko felt like his blood had turned into ice water as dread began to settle into his stomach. He knew where this road led. If Enishi started to pay rent, Buso would begin to become dependent on him for money. Just like his mother did with the yakuza.
'If I go back to the Akabeko, then Enishi will be with Kaoru alone all day.' He swallowed hard and stared at the gate, 'But if she starts taking money from him, he'll have even more reason to stay. He'll have leverage over her...'
"Alright," Kaoru said, a smile playing about her lips. "5,000 yen a month. Room and board."
The corners of Enishi's lips lifted. "Agreed."
His decision made for him, Yahiko took off after Tae without a word.
• • •
He hadn't held a bokken since he was a boy. It felt strange to have such an oddly familiar weight in his hand after years training with a sword. The way Kamiya was able to fight with the weapon gave him a new sense of respect for her skills. In spite of the disadvantage of using a wooden sword against a metal one, she was able to not only defend herself, but win. An impressive feat.
Kamiya wiped excess sweat from her brow and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Ready for another round?"
Smugness dominated Enishi's visage as he performed a chiburi. The gesture was done as a tease and Kamiya rolled her eyes, trying not to show her amusement.
"Am I supposed to take that as a yes?" she asked.
Eyes bright and bokken raised, the woman was clearly ready for another exchange. Her eagerness to challenge him and give him everything she had was a trait he found extremely attractive. If not a little arousing. The suggestion to spar with her had just been an excuse to get close to her. He didn't expect the routine to be as stimulating as it was. Nor as fun.
A wink, followed by a quick thrust toward her shoulder was the only response she received. She flowed into a parry, then countered. Bokken moving in a well-practiced arc, Kamiya forced Enishi to take a step backwards and move into a defensive stance.
Her strikes were very well controlled and precise. She moved with a natural grace most swordsmen struggled for years to acquire. Her ability to pivot smoothly was a benefit derived from her gender. Her center of gravity was different. If used effectively, that natural lissomeness could be used to her advantage in certain situations. She just needed to be reminded of that fact.
"There," Enishi said, causing an immediate pause in their exchange.
Kamiya froze in place and waited.
"All of your weight is on your left foot," he explained. "You're expecting me to defend against your counter by moving to the side, correct?"
"I... well... yes," Kamiya reluctantly said.
"If I choose to lower my stance instead," Enishi squatted down to illustrate his point, "and strike here," he tapped her thigh with his bokken, "you'd have one less limb."
He saw the gears turning in her mind as she processed the information. Anticipating the reaction of an enemy was always a risky venture. If Kamiya insisted on using non-lethal means to defend herself, she had to be aware of every potential flaw. Even if learning about it was a blow to her pride.
"The technique isn't wrong," he straightened and rested the bokken against his shoulder. "It's very effective, actually. The problem is, I can see it."
• • •
She hadn't had this much fun sparring in years. Probably not since her father was alive. She never would have imagined that Enishi would be a good sparing partner, let alone teacher. He told her up front that he would not teach her his style of fighting, but he would be happy to show her how she could improve her own. That was perfectly acceptable to her. After all, one did not improve unless one was challenged regularly.
As she moved into an offensive stance and prepared to strike, Enishi's voice suddenly forced her to pause, "There."
She wobbled a bit as she balanced her weight on the ball of her left food, then waited.
He stepped toward her, sweat trickling down his brow, and said, "All of your weight is on your left food. You're expecting me to defend against your counter by moving to the side, correct?"
She paused, then stuttered out, "I... well... yes."
He stepped closer to her and Kaoru felt her cheeks warm. "If I choose to lower my stance instead," he said as he squatted down in front of her, "and strike here" he tapped her thigh with his bokken, "you'd have one less limb."
That made sense, but she performed the counter correctly. Was she just too slow? She glanced down at him and caught him staring at her, a slight smile playing about his lips. She felt her heart quicken under his gaze.
"The technique isn't wrong," he said as he stood. He towered over her, his chest seemed only inches from her face as he held her gaze in his. Resting his bokken against his shoulder, he continued, "It's very effective, actually. The problem is, I can see it."
Kaoru frowned, 'Yeah, but you're not like most swordsmen, Enishi...'
"You basically did the same thing when you sparred with the brat," he added.
"I see," she pushed her bangs out of her eyes and took a step back. It was hard to stay focused with him standing so close. She needed some space. "So I need to improve my reaction time."
"Mmm... well, that would improve your ability overall," he agreed. "But it wouldn't necessarily solve this particular problem."
A shiver of frustration worked up her spine. She performed that move exactly as she'd been trained, but it didn't matter. Enishi exposed a weakness that suddenly made her feel like a trainee again.
"Then what would solve the problem?" she asked.
"You've committed yourself to moving to the left, but you should be able to fall back to the right if necessary. Too much of your weight and balance is on one foot. Keep your weight more evenly distributed," he said, stepping toward her again. She wondered if he was aware how distracting his nearness was. "Use your hips more when you turn."
She forced herself to remain focused on the task at hand. Replaying the technique in her mind, she said, "If I put more weight on my right foot then I wouldn't be able to put all my strength into my strike when I complete the movement."
"You'll lose in a battle of strength against a man," he said. "You were trained swordsmanship by a man for men. But you're a woman. You have better balance and agility than most men. You should use that to your advantage and be able to change your position quickly and then strike when he can't dismember you. Put more weight on your right foot and turn your hips more. You'll see what I mean."
She lowered her bokken and rubbed her forehead. What he said made complete sense, but his suggestion was counter to what her father taught her. She couldn't help but wonder what he would say about Enishi's suggestion. She wondered if he would agree with him.
Sighing, she said, "But I do use my hips when I move."
Enishi nodded and 'hmmed' as he slowly began to circle around her. Brows furled, Kaoru questioned his behavior. "What are you doing?"
He stood directly behind her, his chest brushing against her back. She froze and he covered her hands with his. Then she felt his cheek brush against her ear.
"I'm going to show you," he said.
Goose bumps instantly rose on her flesh as she let him guide her.
"You turned like this, correct?" he asked.
She swallowed in a futile attempt to battle a suddenly dry mouth. "Y-yes..."
"Where is your weight?"
Heart pounding, she automatically glanced down.
"Never look at your feet," he chided softly. "That's the first rule of kendo."
Gritting her teeth, Kaoru raised her chin as she tried to stay focused. 'Get a hold of yourself, girl!'
"I know that," she said.
She heard an amused snort, followed by a barely audible whisper of 'Indeed.' The sound made her want to turn her face toward him, to look him in the eye, but she resisted. Doing so would bring her nose and lips against his cheek. She forced herself to remain still.
His voice teased her nerves, "You feel it, don't you?"
Kaoru tensed, breath caught in her throat.
He whispered, "Where is your center of gravity?"
His nearness was becoming overwhelming. She couldn't concentrate on what he was trying to show her. She couldn't concentrate enough to even talk. All she could do was feel, and his being was all she felt.
"I—" Voice caught, breath shaky and heart pounding hard in her chest, she didn't know what to do. The proximity was too much. Her body reacted to the adrenaline flowing in her system automatically and she stepped out of his arms, thus ending their lesson prematurely.
"I..." she glanced at the exit. "I should go..."
"We're not done," he said.
Already blushing cheeks burned crimson as she forced herself not to look away from him. "Yes, well..." Her lips quivered into a flustered smile, "I have... something to do."
He raised a doubtful brow and Kaoru cursed inwardly. Was he toying with her? Teasing her? Or was this flirting? Fingers fidgeting, she opened her mouth to make another flimsy excuse when Enishi spoke up.
"Another time then," he said, an enigmatic smile curling the corners of his mouth.
His expression made her insides flutter in a way that wasn't all together terrible, but it wasn't entirely comfortable, either. Something in his gaze seemed predatory and she wasn't sure what to make of it, but she would take his words as an opportunity to escape. Offering an embarrassed, red-faced smile, she exited the dojo as quickly as she could.