Xtreme Dating Challenge
Chapter 4: You Don't Have to Wear THAT Dress Tonight. . .
By Seabreeze
A/N: Nothin to say. Hello, all.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
~*~*~
"Here are the rules of the game," the small, energetic woman in front of Kaoru and Megumi said. "At first you'll have 'talks' with each of the 25 very handsome guys, and after you've talked with each of them, you get to vote 15 of them off. However, your friend, Megumi, and I, Makimachi Misao, each get to revoke one of your removals- guys we think would be good for you anyways. Each time you vote people off, that will happen." She gave them a big grin that Kaoru returned reluctantly.
"So you mean I'm not completely in charge?" she asked. Misao and Megumi nodded simultaneously.
"Hai! Megumi 'n me get to pick some guys for you. And trust me, Kaoru, they're all hotties. . ." Misao seemed to go off into her own dreamland, and Kaoru and Megumi exchanged looks.
"Um, Miss Misao?" Megumi asked, snapping the smaller girl out of it. Misao shook her head and grinned sheepishly at the two.
"Sorry! Its just that one of them was so yummy, I couldn't help but. . . sorry. Anyways! Tonight they get to meet you and find out the twist- they don't know that you hate guys, Kaoru. And so the three of us—"she threw her arms around Megumi and Kaoru's shoulders—are going dress shopping for tonight. It's a big banquet with you two, me, and the 25 hotties—Imean, bachelors. You guys ready to get stylin'? Its on the budget of TTN, so get whatever you want! Shopping spree!" Misao bound ahead of them towards a black stretch limo. Megumi turned to her friend in mock surprise.
"She's got more energy than you, Kaoru, no wonder she's the host of the show!"
"Shut up, Kitsune."
~*~*~
The three girls headed to the most expensive formal dress store they could find to get their evening wear. Misao, despite Kaoru's preconceptions of a TV personality, was fun and easier to get along with than Megumi even. Everything seemed to surprise her and bring her joy, and it was hard for the other two not to get caught up in that. She settled on the first dress she found, a sparkly dark blue reverse halter that ended a good foot above her knees and was slitted up the sides. It was perfect for her, and Kaoru was envious of the smaller girl's figure. She was TINY in a way that nearly EVERYTHING would've looked good on her. Kaoru's dress took a bit longer; she was unhappy with the first four or five. The sixth dress she tried on was perfect, in Megumi and Misao's opinions. It was a light purple silk tube top dress that flattered her slender body perfectly and showed off a good amount of cleavage (which was the one feature she wasn't sure she liked). Around her waist was a yellow obi and tie with purple butterflies. Megumi was the hardest shopper to please. After an hour and a half of Kaoru and Misao desperately offering dresses for her, she settled on one that epitomized the quote "is that a dress or a washcloth?". Red and strapless, the dress had virtually no back. It was even shorter than Misao's and the torso and bust seemed to be molded to Megumi so as not to fall off.
"Double-stick tape," the sales associate told them with a grin. Megumi grinned back but the thought made Kaoru nervous. She'd never wear a dress that might accidentally peel off if you moved to sit down. Misao wouldn't have chosen that dress for herself, either, frowning at its immobility. Each had to admit, however, that Megumi made it look good.
Once the dresses had each been found and bought, shoes and accessories had to be found. Misao picked a pair of tall black boots with a heel of a good 4 inches. With them on, she was taller than Megumi. Kaoru found a cute pair of yellow heels that she was comfortable enough in, and Megumi, chunky black sandals.
"Can we get jewelry at home?" Kaoru asked wearily, feet aching and throat dry. Misao giggled.
"You think the jewelry at home can be as good as the stuff THIS place has? Don't be silly. To the jewelry department!" with that, she grabbed a groaning Kaoru's arm and escorted her, Megumi on the other arm, to find jewelry.
~*~*~
Kaoru and Megumi waited nervously in Megumi's dressing room, fully decked out in all of the days' shopping to be called out—their first appearance on reality T.V., and their first meeting with the 25 most eligible bachelors in Japan. Misao had told them not to be nervous and rushed to makeup, because, as the host of the show, she had to be ready before anyone else. They could hear her excited voice echoing throughout the house in which most of the series would take place.
"And now for our bachelors! Come on out, boys!" They heard her dimly. Kaoru cringed, turning her back to the door.
"I'm so NERVOUS, Miss Megumi! What if I freeze out there, in front of the cameras?"
"I'll be there to pinch you, Tanuki." Megumi said seriously with a fox-like grin on her face. "Now calm down! You don't want these guys thinking you're some nervous child, do you?" Kaoru straightened, lifting her head.
"No, you're right. I want them to be intimidated by me." She rolled her shoulders back, loosening them. Megumi rolled her eyes.
"Right, I always forget how much of a tomboy you are. . ."
"What's THAT supposed to mean, Megumi??" Kaoru demanded, face flushing in anger. Megumi grinned wickedly.
"Nothing, noth—"
There was a knock on the door and both girls jumped about 4 feet in the air.
"Miss Kamiya? Miss Takani?" the voice was polite, older, and male.
"Yes?" Kaoru asked hesitantly.
"She's about to introduce you. The men are already all out there. Its best you wait off camera so you'll be ready."
"Thank you." With a heavy breath, Kaoru turned to Megumi.
"You ready for this, Tanuki?" Megumi asked gently.
"Of course not." Kaoru replied primly, turning on her heel and leading Megumi out of their dressing room. The man led them to the door that would lead to their entrance, on camera, in front of 25 men and all of Japan. . . Kaoru's stomach rolled. "Oh, Megumi, I think I'm gonna be sick."
"You'd better not. Don't worry, though, its not live." Megumi put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and both girls took deep breaths.
". . .and now to meet your Bachelorette's best friend, the woman who has more influence on her than you know, Takani Megumi!" the bachelors clapped and without so much as a word to Kaoru, Megumi was out of the door and on camera.
"Oh dear gods," Kaoru gasped. "I can't do this alone."
"All you have to do alone is walk out there." Kaoru jumped, forgetting the elder man was still there. "Once you get out there you'll be with your friend and Misao." He smiled at her, and before she could respond, Misao had announced her.
"Thank you!" Kaoru hissed over her shoulder, flinging the door open with all her might—into lights. Everywhere all focused on her. She stopped and blinked for a moment, adjusting to the lights, and was aware that there was clapping to her right and ahead. There were a few whistles and she blushed. Turning her vision slightly to the left, she glanced the sparkling red and blue of Megumi and Misao's dressed, and made a beeline for them. Instinctively, both Misao and Megumi reached out for their shaking friend's hands and squeezed them. Kaoru gave a heavy sigh of relief. This wasn't so bad.
"There's one twist that none of you bachelors have heard yet," Misao said with an ornery grin directed at Kaoru, who weakly returned it. "My friend Miss Kamiya is not your average bachelorette." At this, Megumi snickered, and Kaoru glared at her. Misao looked at them and grinned. "Gentlemen, this bachelorette, the woman you are competing for? She's a man- hater." Followed by this was shocked silence as most of the clueless men exchanged frightened glances. Things had just gotten harder. The cameras focused on them, and Kaoru let out a heavy sigh of relief—self-revelation, she thought, I hate cameras.
The cameras focused back on Misao and she grinned again, absolutely loving the fact that she knew what most of these people had just found out.
"Alright then, lads, lets get to dinner! Starting with Kaoru, we will all introduce ourselves and tell a little bit about what we do." 28 bodies moved to seat themselves at a long table, Kaoru at the head with Misao and Megumi on her left and right. In the 25 other seats were the bachelors of all shapes and sizes, and all handsome, Kaoru had to admit. When Misao gave her the signal, she nervously addressed the table.
"My. . .my name is Kamiya Kaoru. I am 19 years old, currently attending Tokyo University part time. I am the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin style at my father's dojo." Relieved as all hell that she was done, she relaxed. Megumi went next.
"I," she said, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder and smirking with bright red lips, "am Takani Megumi. I'm 21 years old and I work as a doctor with Dr.Genzai's Practice at the Tokyo Hospital." She was done. The man next to Megumi, a tall, spiky haired rooster, nodded at the cameras.
"Name's Sagara Sanosuke, or Zanza. I'm 20 and I'm a self-made millionaire." He smirked at the table, and when the camera had moved on he eyed the three women close to him.
'Question is,' he thought to himself as his glance went from Kaoru to Megumi, 'Why waste time on a bitter old hag like Missy over there when you could go for the fox sitting on my right?'
The other men introduced themselves, and Kaoru listened politely, smiling distantly at each one and nodding when they directed a comment at her. After a while, though, she began to lose interest and her mind and eyes began to wander. One of the men seemed entirely out of place—he was short and thinner than the others, though not weak-looking. His hair was a vibrant red and his eyes were, strangely enough, violet. Even odder was the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. Everything about this man screamed for you to look at him, though he wasn't at all aiming for attention. On his face was a placid smile that never seemed to go away.
'Hmm.' Kaoru thought with pursed lips. 'Well.' At that, she turned her attention to the current speaker, a dark and silent man with black bangs that hung in his face. He seemed entirely mysterious.
"I am Shinomori Aoshi. I am 24 and the president of Shinomori Electronics." Kaoru noticed that the man didn't seem keen on sharing very openly, and also that Misao to her side was practically drooling into her appetizer. Stealthily, with only the slightest of smiles on her face, Kaoru tapped Misao's chin. Snapping out of it, Misao's eyes widened and she snapped her jaw shut, giggling and blushing. Aoshi shot her a look that would've killed a bird, and Misao only giggled more. Megumi rolled her eyes, and the next man went.
For someone who hated men, Kaoru had to admit some of them were interesting. Seta Soujiro, for example, was constantly smiling and his voice was cheerful. Though she found many of them interesting, Kaoru knew that there were none she was interested in. She sighed, only pretending to listen, until the scarred man's turn came up. She wasn't even aware she was paying attention to him, but his gentle, friendly voice pulled at something in her.
"My name is Himura Kenshin, and I'm a wanderer, that I am. I'm 28." He smiled at her and everyone else, but for that moment when he was smiling at her, she felt like. . . just for once, she was the most important thing. . . shaking her head, she raised an eyebrow.
'28? Holy cow, that's old!'
~*~*~
A/N: Rooooooooxxxaaannne, you don't have to wear that dress toniiiiiight. . . heh. They're all already into their prospects. Muahaha. Though that may change. . . de gozaru.
ESP- Gee. . . um, thanks?
Leiko47seta- Not a problem. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing (
The-Lone-Lemon- hehehe, glad to surprise you. It actually kinda surprised me, too. Thanks for the enthusiasm!
RK-128- My one and only bouncer buddie. I'm flattered you think so highly of me and this story, however, I can't exactly agree. * shrug * It'll be fun to write, and if anything, writing for so long has led to improvement. LOL, like what we were talking about. . . I seriously can't read anything I wrote over 6 months ago.
ME!!- Wow! Thanks for the enthusiasm!
Chapter 4: You Don't Have to Wear THAT Dress Tonight. . .
By Seabreeze
A/N: Nothin to say. Hello, all.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
~*~*~
"Here are the rules of the game," the small, energetic woman in front of Kaoru and Megumi said. "At first you'll have 'talks' with each of the 25 very handsome guys, and after you've talked with each of them, you get to vote 15 of them off. However, your friend, Megumi, and I, Makimachi Misao, each get to revoke one of your removals- guys we think would be good for you anyways. Each time you vote people off, that will happen." She gave them a big grin that Kaoru returned reluctantly.
"So you mean I'm not completely in charge?" she asked. Misao and Megumi nodded simultaneously.
"Hai! Megumi 'n me get to pick some guys for you. And trust me, Kaoru, they're all hotties. . ." Misao seemed to go off into her own dreamland, and Kaoru and Megumi exchanged looks.
"Um, Miss Misao?" Megumi asked, snapping the smaller girl out of it. Misao shook her head and grinned sheepishly at the two.
"Sorry! Its just that one of them was so yummy, I couldn't help but. . . sorry. Anyways! Tonight they get to meet you and find out the twist- they don't know that you hate guys, Kaoru. And so the three of us—"she threw her arms around Megumi and Kaoru's shoulders—are going dress shopping for tonight. It's a big banquet with you two, me, and the 25 hotties—Imean, bachelors. You guys ready to get stylin'? Its on the budget of TTN, so get whatever you want! Shopping spree!" Misao bound ahead of them towards a black stretch limo. Megumi turned to her friend in mock surprise.
"She's got more energy than you, Kaoru, no wonder she's the host of the show!"
"Shut up, Kitsune."
~*~*~
The three girls headed to the most expensive formal dress store they could find to get their evening wear. Misao, despite Kaoru's preconceptions of a TV personality, was fun and easier to get along with than Megumi even. Everything seemed to surprise her and bring her joy, and it was hard for the other two not to get caught up in that. She settled on the first dress she found, a sparkly dark blue reverse halter that ended a good foot above her knees and was slitted up the sides. It was perfect for her, and Kaoru was envious of the smaller girl's figure. She was TINY in a way that nearly EVERYTHING would've looked good on her. Kaoru's dress took a bit longer; she was unhappy with the first four or five. The sixth dress she tried on was perfect, in Megumi and Misao's opinions. It was a light purple silk tube top dress that flattered her slender body perfectly and showed off a good amount of cleavage (which was the one feature she wasn't sure she liked). Around her waist was a yellow obi and tie with purple butterflies. Megumi was the hardest shopper to please. After an hour and a half of Kaoru and Misao desperately offering dresses for her, she settled on one that epitomized the quote "is that a dress or a washcloth?". Red and strapless, the dress had virtually no back. It was even shorter than Misao's and the torso and bust seemed to be molded to Megumi so as not to fall off.
"Double-stick tape," the sales associate told them with a grin. Megumi grinned back but the thought made Kaoru nervous. She'd never wear a dress that might accidentally peel off if you moved to sit down. Misao wouldn't have chosen that dress for herself, either, frowning at its immobility. Each had to admit, however, that Megumi made it look good.
Once the dresses had each been found and bought, shoes and accessories had to be found. Misao picked a pair of tall black boots with a heel of a good 4 inches. With them on, she was taller than Megumi. Kaoru found a cute pair of yellow heels that she was comfortable enough in, and Megumi, chunky black sandals.
"Can we get jewelry at home?" Kaoru asked wearily, feet aching and throat dry. Misao giggled.
"You think the jewelry at home can be as good as the stuff THIS place has? Don't be silly. To the jewelry department!" with that, she grabbed a groaning Kaoru's arm and escorted her, Megumi on the other arm, to find jewelry.
~*~*~
Kaoru and Megumi waited nervously in Megumi's dressing room, fully decked out in all of the days' shopping to be called out—their first appearance on reality T.V., and their first meeting with the 25 most eligible bachelors in Japan. Misao had told them not to be nervous and rushed to makeup, because, as the host of the show, she had to be ready before anyone else. They could hear her excited voice echoing throughout the house in which most of the series would take place.
"And now for our bachelors! Come on out, boys!" They heard her dimly. Kaoru cringed, turning her back to the door.
"I'm so NERVOUS, Miss Megumi! What if I freeze out there, in front of the cameras?"
"I'll be there to pinch you, Tanuki." Megumi said seriously with a fox-like grin on her face. "Now calm down! You don't want these guys thinking you're some nervous child, do you?" Kaoru straightened, lifting her head.
"No, you're right. I want them to be intimidated by me." She rolled her shoulders back, loosening them. Megumi rolled her eyes.
"Right, I always forget how much of a tomboy you are. . ."
"What's THAT supposed to mean, Megumi??" Kaoru demanded, face flushing in anger. Megumi grinned wickedly.
"Nothing, noth—"
There was a knock on the door and both girls jumped about 4 feet in the air.
"Miss Kamiya? Miss Takani?" the voice was polite, older, and male.
"Yes?" Kaoru asked hesitantly.
"She's about to introduce you. The men are already all out there. Its best you wait off camera so you'll be ready."
"Thank you." With a heavy breath, Kaoru turned to Megumi.
"You ready for this, Tanuki?" Megumi asked gently.
"Of course not." Kaoru replied primly, turning on her heel and leading Megumi out of their dressing room. The man led them to the door that would lead to their entrance, on camera, in front of 25 men and all of Japan. . . Kaoru's stomach rolled. "Oh, Megumi, I think I'm gonna be sick."
"You'd better not. Don't worry, though, its not live." Megumi put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and both girls took deep breaths.
". . .and now to meet your Bachelorette's best friend, the woman who has more influence on her than you know, Takani Megumi!" the bachelors clapped and without so much as a word to Kaoru, Megumi was out of the door and on camera.
"Oh dear gods," Kaoru gasped. "I can't do this alone."
"All you have to do alone is walk out there." Kaoru jumped, forgetting the elder man was still there. "Once you get out there you'll be with your friend and Misao." He smiled at her, and before she could respond, Misao had announced her.
"Thank you!" Kaoru hissed over her shoulder, flinging the door open with all her might—into lights. Everywhere all focused on her. She stopped and blinked for a moment, adjusting to the lights, and was aware that there was clapping to her right and ahead. There were a few whistles and she blushed. Turning her vision slightly to the left, she glanced the sparkling red and blue of Megumi and Misao's dressed, and made a beeline for them. Instinctively, both Misao and Megumi reached out for their shaking friend's hands and squeezed them. Kaoru gave a heavy sigh of relief. This wasn't so bad.
"There's one twist that none of you bachelors have heard yet," Misao said with an ornery grin directed at Kaoru, who weakly returned it. "My friend Miss Kamiya is not your average bachelorette." At this, Megumi snickered, and Kaoru glared at her. Misao looked at them and grinned. "Gentlemen, this bachelorette, the woman you are competing for? She's a man- hater." Followed by this was shocked silence as most of the clueless men exchanged frightened glances. Things had just gotten harder. The cameras focused on them, and Kaoru let out a heavy sigh of relief—self-revelation, she thought, I hate cameras.
The cameras focused back on Misao and she grinned again, absolutely loving the fact that she knew what most of these people had just found out.
"Alright then, lads, lets get to dinner! Starting with Kaoru, we will all introduce ourselves and tell a little bit about what we do." 28 bodies moved to seat themselves at a long table, Kaoru at the head with Misao and Megumi on her left and right. In the 25 other seats were the bachelors of all shapes and sizes, and all handsome, Kaoru had to admit. When Misao gave her the signal, she nervously addressed the table.
"My. . .my name is Kamiya Kaoru. I am 19 years old, currently attending Tokyo University part time. I am the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin style at my father's dojo." Relieved as all hell that she was done, she relaxed. Megumi went next.
"I," she said, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder and smirking with bright red lips, "am Takani Megumi. I'm 21 years old and I work as a doctor with Dr.Genzai's Practice at the Tokyo Hospital." She was done. The man next to Megumi, a tall, spiky haired rooster, nodded at the cameras.
"Name's Sagara Sanosuke, or Zanza. I'm 20 and I'm a self-made millionaire." He smirked at the table, and when the camera had moved on he eyed the three women close to him.
'Question is,' he thought to himself as his glance went from Kaoru to Megumi, 'Why waste time on a bitter old hag like Missy over there when you could go for the fox sitting on my right?'
The other men introduced themselves, and Kaoru listened politely, smiling distantly at each one and nodding when they directed a comment at her. After a while, though, she began to lose interest and her mind and eyes began to wander. One of the men seemed entirely out of place—he was short and thinner than the others, though not weak-looking. His hair was a vibrant red and his eyes were, strangely enough, violet. Even odder was the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. Everything about this man screamed for you to look at him, though he wasn't at all aiming for attention. On his face was a placid smile that never seemed to go away.
'Hmm.' Kaoru thought with pursed lips. 'Well.' At that, she turned her attention to the current speaker, a dark and silent man with black bangs that hung in his face. He seemed entirely mysterious.
"I am Shinomori Aoshi. I am 24 and the president of Shinomori Electronics." Kaoru noticed that the man didn't seem keen on sharing very openly, and also that Misao to her side was practically drooling into her appetizer. Stealthily, with only the slightest of smiles on her face, Kaoru tapped Misao's chin. Snapping out of it, Misao's eyes widened and she snapped her jaw shut, giggling and blushing. Aoshi shot her a look that would've killed a bird, and Misao only giggled more. Megumi rolled her eyes, and the next man went.
For someone who hated men, Kaoru had to admit some of them were interesting. Seta Soujiro, for example, was constantly smiling and his voice was cheerful. Though she found many of them interesting, Kaoru knew that there were none she was interested in. She sighed, only pretending to listen, until the scarred man's turn came up. She wasn't even aware she was paying attention to him, but his gentle, friendly voice pulled at something in her.
"My name is Himura Kenshin, and I'm a wanderer, that I am. I'm 28." He smiled at her and everyone else, but for that moment when he was smiling at her, she felt like. . . just for once, she was the most important thing. . . shaking her head, she raised an eyebrow.
'28? Holy cow, that's old!'
~*~*~
A/N: Rooooooooxxxaaannne, you don't have to wear that dress toniiiiiight. . . heh. They're all already into their prospects. Muahaha. Though that may change. . . de gozaru.
ESP- Gee. . . um, thanks?
Leiko47seta- Not a problem. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing (
The-Lone-Lemon- hehehe, glad to surprise you. It actually kinda surprised me, too. Thanks for the enthusiasm!
RK-128- My one and only bouncer buddie. I'm flattered you think so highly of me and this story, however, I can't exactly agree. * shrug * It'll be fun to write, and if anything, writing for so long has led to improvement. LOL, like what we were talking about. . . I seriously can't read anything I wrote over 6 months ago.
ME!!- Wow! Thanks for the enthusiasm!