Hello dear Readers! I've got the next chapter for you. It's kinda long, so bear with me.
Please read my ramblings at the bottom, I got some messages for some people.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. In a perfect world I would, but I live in the real world…and sadly I ain't got no money…so, it's utterly useless to sue me…but for good measure: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, but Nobuhiro Watsuki and a bunch of other people do…
And the madness goes on…
Promises from the PastBut Sayuri had gone quiet, then looked at Kenshin and said, "Actually, there's another thing I came here for."
Kenshin saw the expression on Sayuri's face and asked, "What's that, Sayuri-dono?"
Sayuri took a deep breath and exhaled, "I was wondering if you would come to Kyoto with me."
Moonlight and Foxes"Oro?" was Kenshin's startled reaction. The group had gone quiet. Three persons were looking from Kenshin to Sayuri.
Sayuri looked at the four people staring at her. Sano's expression was speculative, Yahiko's expectant, Kenshin's confused and worried, and Kaoru's was…murderous?
Sayuri looked at Kaoru again…Yep, definitely murderous. But why? She replayed her last sentence in her head. Then something went 'click' and Sayuri made the connection.
"You must have misunderstood me," Sayuri said, particularly to Kaoru, who looked the most menacing.
In an instant, the expressions went confused, except for Kaoru, who still had the slightly menacing, murderous look.
It was Kenshin who voiced the question, "What do you mean, Sayuri-dono?"
Sayuri sighed and thought I should have known that nothing is ever uncomplicated with this group. Why would now be any different?
Aloud, she told the group, "I didn't mean you, as in Kenshin alone, but you, as in the group, to come to Kyoto with me."
This time the general reaction was stunned silence. Sayuri wanted the whole gang to go with her?
Again, it was Kenshin who voiced the simple question, "Why?"
"Well," Sayuri said, "I have to go to Kyoto to see somebody. And I thought that it would be easier if I had Kenshin along."
"Why would it be easier if Kenshin came with you?" Kaoru asked suspiciously. Suddenly, she didn't feel much like liking Sayuri.
"Because of the person I have to see in Kyoto," Sayuri replied.
"And who is that person?" Kaoru asked in the same vein as before.
Sano was right when he said that Kaoru's very possessive of Kenshin Sayuri thought.
"Wait a minute! When you said the whole group, did that include me?" Sano asked suddenly.
Surprised at the irrelevant question, Sayuri answered, "I guess."
Sano smiled his smug rooster-head smile, "Okay, when are we leaving?"
"Sano! I'm the one asking questions here," Kaoru said to him menacingly.
She turned to Sayuri and asked in a no nonsense voice, "Who are you going to see in Kyoto?"
Feeling like she was being interrogated by the police, Sayuri thought that the best course to take was to give direct answers.
"Hiko Seijurou!" she said, in the manner of a recruit answering to a drill sergeant.
A collective "What?" came from three people and another stunned "Oro?" from Kenshin.
"Why would Sayuri-dono want to see my shishou?" Kenshin asked.
Sayuri sighed and answered, "It's not me who wants to see the 13th Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, but my grandfather."
"Then why are you going to see him, instead of your grandfather?" came the simple question from Kaoru.
Sayuri sighed again, "Because Grandfather had been sick for a while and is not allowed to travel. Since I was already going to see Kenshin, Grandfather thought it would not be too difficult for me to go on to Kyoto and see Hiko Seijurou."
"But why?" Kenshin wanted to know.
"Why what?" Sayuri asked him.
"Why would your grandfather want to see my shishou?"
"I'm supposed to give him something," she said evasively.
"Give him what?" Sano wanted to know.
Sayuri looked at her lap, "I can't tell you."
She looked at the group and saw them thinking. Before they could formulate outrageous theories like the ones they did before, she hastily reassured them.
"Before you make your own theories, it's nothing illegal or sinister. I just can't tell you because Grandfather specifically instructed me not to say anything about it before I talked to Hiko-sensei."
Sayuri paused and sighed, "And it was my Grandfather's idea to ask Kenshin along. Although, come to think of it, I really would like all of you to come with me."
"That includes me, right?" Sano asked again.
Sayuri smiled at him sweetly, "Ask again, and it definitely will no longer include you."
Sano put his hands up and said to the ceiling, "I'll shut up now."
"Thank you," Sayuri said to him congenially.
Kaoru still found it odd that Sayuri invited the whole gang to go to Kyoto and wanted to know her motives, "But why are you inviting all of us to Kyoto? All you need is Kenshin."
Kaoru suddenly stopped when she heard herself say the last sentence. What are you saying Kaoru? Are you now encouraging her to take Kenshin alone?
Sayuri sensed that Kaoru was not comfortable with Kenshin going with her to Kyoto alone. Sayuri wasn't comfortable with the thought of Kaoru's wrath upon her.
Sayuri gave the honest answer, "Well, it would be sort of weird if only Kenshin and I went to Tokyo, wouldn't it? I mean, I've only known him for a couple of hours or so."
But Kaoru pointed out, "You know all of us only for a couple of hours or so."
"Hey! She knows me a lot longer than that! Three days to be exact," Sano volunteered.
Sayuri and Kaoru glared at him.
"Okay, okay. I'm shutting up again," Sano said, defeated.
Sayuri couldn't argue with Kaoru's logic, but when she had thought of it earlier in her head it had all made sense, so she tried to explain it to them.
"I know that I know all of you for just a short while, but I thought that we could get to know each other on the trip to Kyoto. It sounds crazy, believe me, I'm aware of that, but…why did I let Grandfather talk me into this? I knew it would get complicated!" Sayuri said the last part in a huff.
Then she looked at the group, "Never mind. Forget that I asked. It was a stupid idea anyway."
But surprisingly, Kenshin said, "Sayuri-dono, sessha would be honored to go with you to Kyoto to see my shishou."
Kaoru glanced at him surprised, Kenshin wants to go with her? He volunteered? He'd be honored? Has he got designs on her?
Kenshin however had volunteered for three reasons. The first was because he felt he owed it to Ran that he'd look after her daughter. The second was because he was curious of how exactly his master and Matsuo Takashi knew each other. And the third was because he didn't want Sayuri to meet his shishou alone, knowing how Hiko Seijurou could get.
When before going to Kyoto only brought back sad memories, now it no longer had such a hold on Kenshin. He had made peace with it. Kyoto will always be a city of memories for Kenshin, but the memories no longer had the power to haunt him in the way they did before. He still had horrible dreams about the things that happened there, but now he had the solace of knowing that other people cared. Even if he didn't feel worthy of that care.
Sayuri was surprised as well that Kenshin had volunteered, "That is very kind of you, Kenshin, but I…" she glanced at Kaoru and her thoughts went I don't think I could survive the wrath of Kaoru if I went with you alone
She finished the sentence aloud with, "I really shouldn't have asked you. I'm sorry."
Kenshin insisted, "But it's no trouble, really."
Kaoru was glaring menacingly at him.
Sayuri saw that, so she hastily said, "But only if all of you come with me," then smiled at Kaoru, trying to get on her good side.
She really didn't want the woman mad at her. And she sincerely wanted to have them along on the trip, thinking it would be much more fun if they came. They could also get to know each other. She'd really like for them to become her friends. She genuinely liked the gang, even if she didn't know them that long.
Kaoru studied Sayuri for a moment and saw that she was being sincere about the invitation. She considered it for a moment and found that she was really curious to find out what Sayuri's business was with Hiko Seijurou. And a trip to Kyoto would be nice since she could see Misao again. But a trip to Kyoto would also be expensive and she knew that it wasn't in their budget.
So she said to Sayuri, "It's really nice of you to ask us
along, Sayuri-san, demo…"
Sayuri smiled warmly, "Please, call me Sayuri. Sayuri-san seems so formal."
Kaoru found herself smiling back, "Only if you call me Kaoru. But back to what I was saying…it is really nice of you to ask us all to go with you but I don't think that we can…" she tried to find the right words.
But Sayuri knew what Kaoru's argument was, so she said, "Of course, if you come with me, I'd be paying for the whole trip. It would be really gauche of me to ask you along and then make you pay for it. I just want your company…I'll take care of the rest."
But Kaoru was uncomfortable with accepting Sayuri's generosity, "We can't accept that… It's too generous of you."
Sayuri waved Kaoru's protest away with a flick of the hand, "Oh, come on. It's no big deal. And I really would like to have you along. Please say yes…"
"We really can't…" Kaoru said, but she was interrupted by an exasperated Sano.
"'Fer crying out loud, Jou-chan! The woman's offering a free trip to Kyoto! Can't you just be gracious and accept it? To refuse something free is bad manners!"
"And of course, the tori-atama here has the best manners, since he would never ever reject something free," Yahiko said.
Before a fight could start, Sayuri jumped in, "The tori-atama is right! It would be bad manners to refuse something free!"
Kaoru looked at Sayuri as if she had gone mad, so Sayuri hastily said, "I'm joking! It wouldn't be bad manners if you refused me but it would prevent me from begging you to come with me…"
Kaoru still wasn't saying anything and was staring at Sayuri, so Sayuri looked at her with what almost looked like puppy dog eyes and pleaded.
"Please, please, please, please, please say yes. Please! Have mercy on a previously dignified woman making a fool of herself in front of all these people and say yes! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!"
But the truth was, Kaoru had been thinking of the merits of saying yes to the trip and found that she really, really wanted to go. And that she really liked Sayuri, even if for a moment back there she had been thinking of scratching her eyes out. The fact that Sayuri didn't mind making a fool of herself in front of all of them, made Kaoru realize that it would be fun getting to know Sayuri.
Besides, if she went along, she could keep and eye on Kenshin and Sayuri. She liked the woman, but not enough to willingly surrender Kenshin to her.
So Kaoru gave in with an, "Alright, we'll come with you!"
Both Sayuri and Sano reacted with throwing their hands up and a triumphant "Yes!"
Realizing how undignified she had been acting, Sayuri put her hands back on her lap and chuckled, "I must have acted like an idiot back there. But thank you for agreeing to come with me. You won't regret it."
Then the whole group started making plans. They agreed to leave in two days, since there were still things to be done at the dojo before they could go on a trip to Kyoto. It would also be better, since Sayuri had to make reservations on the train the next day. At the mention of the train, Sano went a little pale, but thinking that the trip was free, he could manage his fear of traveling on that steel contraption.
Besides, he didn't want Sayuri to find out that he was a bit scared of trains, considering that she didn't have a very high opinion of him.
It was also agreed that for the meantime, Sayuri would stay at the dojo. Sano and Yahiko went to the inn with her to get her things, while Kenshin and Kaoru made their way home to get Sayuri's room ready.
***
The night was nice and warm. The moonlight bathed everything in an enchanting glow.
Especially Kaoru Kenshin thought as he glanced at the woman walking beside him. Then he looked ahead and in the silence reflected on the day's events.
It had been a pretty crazy day at the Kamiya Dojo, especially after the weeks when everything seemed to have finally settled and there would be no more surprises to trouble the gang… especially surprises that turned out to be some nut bent on getting revenge on Kenshin.
But today's surprise had been pleasant because it was connected to a happy memory. Kenshin smiled as he thought of Ran's daughter, how alike and unalike she was to her mother.
She had her mother's grace and good humor but she also had this completely other side that came out when she was bantering with Sano
He let the thought go to say to Kaoru, "Sessha is glad that Kaoru-dono agreed to come to Kyoto."
"I couldn't let you go alone with her, now could I?" Kaoru said, glancing at him.
Kenshin gave a startled "Oro?" and Kaoru blushed after realizing how possessive that must have sounded.
But the truth was, Kaoru did feel possessive when it came to the rurouni. Probably because she was completely and hopelessly in love with him.
More on the hopelessly she mused.
After three years of being together, their relationship hadn't progressed beyond a steady friendship. Sometimes Kaoru felt like beating a confession out of the rurouni so that they could just get it over with… but she was afraid that Kenshin would react by either running away from her or confessing that he really didn't love her they way she wanted him to.
So Kaoru kept on waiting until Kenshin would make the first move. It had occurred to her that she could confess her love for him first but the thought of the same two reactions kept her from doing so. Kaoru knew that everyday she waited could mean a chance less for them to end up together. After all, they met new people everyday. Kenshin could fall in love with any one of them… like today. That is why Kaoru found herself asking this question.
"You like her, don't you?"
Kenshin knew that Kaoru was asking about Sayuri. So he nodded and said, "Hai, Sessha likes Sayuri-dono very much."
Kaoru stopped and looked at Kenshin, who kept on walking. Maybe he'll never tell me how he feels about me was her sad thought.
Then Kenshin stopped and looked at Kaoru with his sweet rurouni smile and said, "But not as much as Sessha likes Kaoru-dono."
He turned and continued walking. Kaoru stood there for a second and then ran to catch up with Kenshin. She took his right hand in hers and they continued walking in silence.
Maybe there's hope after all she thought.
***
Meanwhile at Sayuri's inn, Sano and Yahiko were carrying a large trunk to the coach she had hired to bring her stuff over to the Kamiya dojo. Although her stuff consisted only of the trunk Sano and Yahiko were carrying and a western leather satchel, the two were wondering what she could have crammed in the large trunk to make it so heavy.
Carrying the satchel herself, Sayuri placed it inside the coach, then went back to the inn to pay the innkeeper and thank the woman for the hospitality shown to her during her stay there.
Walking outside, she saw Yahiko and Sano standing beside the coach waiting for her. Yahiko graciously assisted Sayuri into the coach, and she smiled at him in gratitude. Yahiko beamed and Sano rolled his eyes. Then Sayuri asked Yahiko to sit beside her and the grin on his face became even bigger.
The woman sure knows how to charm a guy Sano thought as he stepped into the coach and took the opposite seat.
The coach started rolling and they were on their way to the Kamiya dojo.
"Tell me about Kaoru and Kenshin," Sayuri said to Yahiko.
"Oh them! I've never seen two grown-ups act so stupidly around each other," the boy said, "'xcept for Sano and the fox of course."
Sayuri chuckled at Yahiko's words as Sano kicked the boy in the shins. Yahiko kicked right back and the usual fight would have ensued, if not for Sayuri's next words.
"She loves him very much, doesn't she?" she asked.
"Who? Busu? Yeah, she loves him all right. She always makes silly cow's eyes at him when she thinks nobody is watching her."
"Shouldn't that be tanuki eyes?" Sano quipped.
But Sayuri admonished the two, "Don't be mean. She is a very beautiful woman… and very nice. I can see why Kenshin loves her so much too."
Sano snorted, "You got that right. But between the two, I think he's worse."
"The tori-atama is actually right… I mean, for a guy who used to be the Hitokiri Battousai, he sure can be a duck when it comes to admitting his feelings for Kaoru."
"Isn't that supposed to be 'chicken'?" Sano asked.
But before anything could get started, Sayuri said, "So you mean to say that the two have been in love with each other all this time and never told each other?"
Sano scratched his head, "Well, yeah."
Yahiko rubbed his nose and said, "It's not like they have never expressed that they care for each other, but I guess it never went any further than that. It's like both are waiting for the other to say it first."
"If you ask me, they should just go ahead and do it and get it over with," Sano drawled.
"Ewww," was Yahiko's reaction.
"Really, Sano, don't be such a smut-brain. There are kids present," Sayuri admonished.
Yahiko turned to Sayuri to say something but stopped when he saw her wink at him. He smiled, understanding that she only said it to get at Sano.
"It's not like the kid's naïve or anything," Sano grumbled but refrained from saying more.
Sayuri continued the earlier conversation with a question, "So none of you have ever tried to get the two together?"
Sano sat up and said, "Oh, we've tried, woman, we've tried. It's not our fault when the two people we're trying to get together act like idiots."
"The only thing you'll get for your effort is gray hair," Yahiko put in.
Sano looked at Yahiko's hair, "I don't see any gray hair on you."
Yahiko lifted his chin, "That's coz I wised up and figured that it was hopeless. Better to let nature take her course."
"Yeah, and how long would you think that'll take? A hundred years?" Sano drawled.
Yahiko looked thoughtful for a second before saying, "The tori-atama might have a point there."
Sayuri sighed and said to the two, "You know, the two of you as matchmakers might even be more hopeless."
Yahiko and Sano glared at her and said in unison, "You think you can do a better job?"
Sayuri shrugged her left shoulder and confidently said, "Of course!"
"What makes you so sure?" they asked again.
She looked at the two and superiorly said, "I'm female. Matchmaking is in my nature."
Sano and Yahiko wisely refrained from saying anything in reply. But they both secretly though Good luck woman! You'll need lots of it to get the two together
Sayuri was looking out the window, seemingly lost in her thoughts. And so they continued the ride in silence.
***
The next day, Sayuri went to town to make the ticket reservations and Sano went with her. Kaoru also went with them as far as the clinic. She wanted to ask Megumi to look after the dojo while they were gone.
Megumi was writing something when Kaoru found her at the clinic. Looking up, Megumi smiled her fox's smile and said, "Well, well, well… look who's come to visit me."
Kaoru sighed and said, "Hello to you too, Megumi."
"What brings you here?" the lady doctor asked.
"I came to ask for a favor," Kaoru said.
When Megumi motioned for her to go on, Kaoru continued, "I was wondering if you could look after the dojo for a few days while we are in Kyoto."
"Why are you going to Kyoto?" Megumi wanted to know.
"Sayuri asked us to go. You've met her, right?" Kaoru answered.
"Sayuri, as in Kenshin's long lost fiancée?" Megumi asked in surprise.
"Who?" Kaoru asked in confusion.
"She's Kenshin's fiancée, right?" Megumi persisted.
Kaoru laughed, "No she's not Kenshin's fiancée. Where did you get that idea? … Oh, wait. Sano had thought the same at first…so it figures."
A little lost, Megumi asked Kaoru, "So if Sayuri isn't Kenshin's fiancée, what did she want with him?"
Kaoru gave Megumi the abbreviated story. When she was finished, Megumi was shaking her head.
"What a shame! And I thought she was Kenshin's fiancée," Megumi said.
"She's not Kenshin's fiancée!" Kaoru was getting a little tired of Megumi.
But the fox was in a teasing state of mind and continued, "They would have looked so great together, don't you think?"
"No, I don't think," Kaoru growled.
"Oh, but they would have," Megumi continued, " She's very beautiful, don't you think?" Megumi wanted to see Kaoru's reaction, knowing that the girl never liked to be teased, especially if it was something about Kenshin.
Kaoru knew that Megumi was teasing her, but it still got to her. Then she had an idea to get back at Megumi.
"Sayuri is very beautiful… Sano certainly seems to think so," Kaoru said innocently.
Megumi looked at her, "Sanosuke?"
Knowing that she had hit a nerve, Kaoru continued, "Yes. He seems really enchanted with her."
"Really?" Megumi asked. She was struggling not to show any emotion other than mild interest, but inside she was getting worried.
Kaoru was observing Megumi carefully and didn't miss a thing, "Actually, I think he has a crush on her."
Sano has a crush on Sayuri? Megumi thought I didn't know that it was like that!
Aloud, she nonchalantly asked, "Oh? What makes you think he has a crush on her?" How dare that tori-atama have a crush on her!
Oh, I got you now, fox Kaoru gleefully thought.
Nonchalantly, Kaoru said, "Oh, I don't know. I guess it's the way Sano acts around Sayuri."
"How does he act around her?" Megumi asked, barely keeping the curiosity out of her voice.
"Well, he constantly argues with her," Kaoru said, "You know that Sano is like that when he likes a girl. He used to be like that with you…"
Megumi remembered Sano and Sayuri's bantering when she first met them. He really had seemed to be taken with her.
Kaoru saw Megumi thinking her words over, so she added, "He also shows his gentlemanly side when he's with her."
"He does?" Megumi said, thinking of how Sano had carried Sayuri to the clinic and then insisted that the service would be free. She had thought it unusual then, that Sano was being nice.
"Yes. Like today, he 'insisted' that he'd accompany Sayuri to get the tickets. Sayuri refused, but he said that she needed someone to protect her, being a lady and all. I thought that it was very sweet of him," Kaoru said, enjoying teasing Megumi.
He insisted on accompanying her? Megumi thought. Maybe Sano really did like Sayuri. The signs were there.
But Megumi didn't want to believe it. She knew that Sano wanted her. He had been after Megumi ever since they've met. He wasn't going to just give up on her now, was he?
At exactly that moment, two arguing voices could be heard from the outside.
"I can't believe how much trouble you can get into by doing the simplest things," Sano was saying.
"I was not getting into trouble!" Sayuri replied heatedly.
"Oh no? And that guy back there wasn't trying to paw you?" Sano asked her sarcastically.
"He was not pawing me. He was holding my elbow to assist me to the ticket window," Sayuri said.
"Oh… and since when did the waist become the elbow? Because I wasn't informed of that!" came Sano's sarcastic reply.
"He was not pawing my waist!" Sayuri yelled.
"I know! It was more in the vicinity of your breast!" Sano yelled back.
"How dare you say that?" Sayuri hissed.
"Because it's the truth, woman!"
"And who made you the guardian of my body parts?" Sayuri asked haughtily.
"Nobody! But I figured somebody had to take the job, since you insisted on advertising yourself so blatantly!" Sano said, exasperation in his voice.
"I was not advertising myself!" came the indignant reply from Sayuri.
"Sure you weren't…standing there… attracting men like a beautiful flower attracts bees," Sano said grumpily.
Sayuri smiled at Sano, "You think of me as a beautiful flower?"
At the totally irrelevant question, Sano stopped and asked, "What?"
But Sayuri was already asking another question, "What kind of flower do you think I would be?"
Totally confused, Sano scratched his head and asked, "What's with the flowers?"
Sayuri was ignoring him, "You know my name is that of a
flower…but lilies don't attract bees. Maybe I should be another flower…like
a…like a…"
"Woman, you're changing the subject here! We're not talking about flowers!" Sano finally said, catching on.
Sayuri looked at him earnestly, "Sure we are. You started it!"
"I did not!" Sano yelled, frustrated.
"Sure you did. It was you who compared me to a beautiful flower," Sayuri said to him.
Finally realizing how the whole flower thing started, Sano said, "That was an analogy, not the main subject!"
"What was the main subject?" Sayuri asked innocently.
Sano was about to pull his hair out, as he said, "I don't know why I even bother with you. A guy tries to be a gentleman and look after a lady so that she doesn't' get accosted by strange men, and what does he get? He gets said lady mad at him because he actually did protect her. Does the lady thank him? No. The lady goes ahead and protests that she wasn't being pawed, when clearly she was being pawed by a strange man... who by the way, had been encouraged by the lady's flirtations."
"Okay, okay, I admit that you did save me from that man back there. But in my defense, I wasn't flirting with him. I just didn't think that being rude would have helped me," Sayuri said contritely.
Sano sighed and looked at her, "I guess you're right. Being rude wouldn't make you less beautiful. That's not your fault."
Sayuri beamed at him and teasingly asked "So you do think that I am beautiful?"
Sano glared at her, "I may be a lot of things, but blind isn't one of them!"
Kaoru and Megumi had heard the whole argument. At Sano's last words, Kaoru glanced at Megumi and was surprised when she saw the woman looking jealous and oddly hurt.
So the fox really does care about that tori-atama Kaoru thought and suddenly felt a little bad about teasing the lady doctor. Although, Kaoru did feel that after all the teasing she had to endure at the mouth of Megumi, the fox did kind of deserve it.
Sano now was calling, "Jou-chan! We're here! Let's get a
move on!"
Sayuri gave him a shove and said, "Idiot! We have to say hello to Megumi first."
Megumi and Kaoru were coming out of the clinic.
Megumi looked at the two people standing there and thought that they really looked good together. Sano, tall and manly. Sayuri, small and delicate. An emotion very close to fear rose up in Megumi as she realized that this woman could be a threat.
I guess I really do have a thing for that tori-atama she thought Why I do, is a whole different mess! I know I could do better than Sanosuke! Maybe I should look for someone better than Sanosuke! she finished angrily.
"Hello, Megumi-san," Sayuri greeted the doctor with a smile.
Megumi looked at the woman, and felt the urge to scratch her eyes out, but she civilly replied, "Hello." Sano, she more or less ignored.
Sayuri saw Megumi glance at him and then turn away with a "Hmmph." Okay, what's that about? Sayuri thought.
To Megumi she said, "I'm sorry that you must hear about the trip to Kyoto this way. But if you would like to come with us, it would be no problem," and she smiled encouragingly.
But Megumi just shrugged her shoulders in that way she does and haughtily said, "I have other things to take care of and no time to go traipsing around Japan."
Sayuri now felt that Megumi's bad mood seemed to be directed at her. What did I do?
Kaoru had noticed that Megumi was acting coldly towards Sano and Sayuri and was regretting her teasing earlier. She didn't think that Megumi would take her so seriously.
Megumi turned to Sano and said haughtily, "I see the tori-atama here could not turn down a free trip."
Sano, who was used to Megumi's ways, was totally oblivious to her mood, "Well the woman here," pointing at Sayuri, "needs someone to keep her out of trouble."
Megumi had wanted Sano to react with heat so that she could get into a good argument to vent her anger and jealousy, but his reply infuriated her even more.
So she snidely commented, "Of course, you are the best man qualified for that job."
"Actually, I don't think that anybody would be best qualified for the job," Sano drawled, then looked at Sayuri with something close to affection, "The woman's just too much trouble."
Sayuri just rolled her eyes, but Megumi really felt like scratching Sayuri's eyes out now. She was completely jealous of the woman. Probably because she never ever felt that she had competition for Sano's attention. Now this petite brunette was posing a threat.
Kaoru was afraid that the situation could turn ugly, so she intervened hastily by initiating the goodbyes.
When the three were walking home, Sayuri and Kaoru together, and Sano a little behind them, Sayuri asked Kaoru.
"Back there, at the clinic, Megumi was acting a bit strange, wasn't she?"
Kaoru just shrugged her shoulders.
"She's jealous of me, isn't she?" Sayuri wanted to know.
Kaoru looked at Sayuri and by the look, Sayuri knew that she was right on target.
She glanced back at Sano and said to no one in particular, "Maybe there's hope for that rooster-head after all."
***
That night, when everybody had settled down to sleep, Sayuri felt wired and restless. She always felt like that when she had to go on a trip. Knowing what she had to do at end of this trip made her even more wired and restless. A walk had always helped in the past.
So she got out of her room and walked towards the back of the dojo, where Kenshin's vegetable garden was. There was a path leading to the woods, and Sayuri was heading for there.
Although she was alone and the trees made it hard for the moon to shine through, Sayuri wasn't afraid. She felt the gloom soothing…familiar.
She had been walking for a while and just now realized that she had gotten very far from the dojo. She had decided to turn back, when a small glow to her right made her stop.
There was somebody else in the woods with her.
When the normal reaction would have been fear, Sayuri wasn't afraid of the stranger.
Because he wasn't one.
Sayuri knew exactly who it was.
Turning towards the glow she said, "So, wolves really are night creatures."
To be continued…
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Saitou's going to be in the next chapter…(duh!)…Will Sayuri play matchmaker?…Well…you'll see…
I know I could have ended the whole story in the previous chapter… but believe me or not, we haven't gotten yet to the parts that contain the original idea that made me write this fanfiction. And you know what's scary? The whole part of the story that I've already done (and you've already read) may turn out to be better than the part where my original idea is going to be.
Maybe I should just quit while I'm ahead…but because I promised you and myself that I will finish this piece, I'm going to write all the chapters until this story's finished, may they be good, bad or worse. I just ask myself sometimes why I'm making my first published fanfiction so long…I'm definitely crazy.
Oh, and sorry if the RK characters are all OOC, but they are in my story, so they'll damn well act the way I want them to! (I got control issues.)
And I have nothing against Sano (though I let Sayuri pick on him the most) nor anything against Megumi (but I thought Kaoru deserved to get back at her a little) and I know the whole clinic scene must've been stupid but I just felt like writing it. Sorry if I gave you a migraine because of that.
Anyways, here are some things I want to say to my wonderful, wonderful, wonderful reviewers:
To WhiteRabbit5: Thank you for telling me that I wrote Sayuri instead of Ran a couple of times. It gets really confusing in my head sometimes, since when I think of the two, the same image comes to mind. I know I got a lot of grammatical errors and other typos in my chapters even if I have my computer do the spell check thing and I edit it at least two times. I just miss a few things here and there. I'm only human, you know. And thank you for reading my story.
To Houndingwolf: I may have my animés crossed, but I was referring to the episode where Kenshin and Kaoru had gone to a play (or something) and Kaoru asked Kenshin if he had enjoyed it and the idiot answered no coz he'd been to occupied with thinking about his chores (or something). Then there was a commotion and he ended up helping a prince (or King? I don't remember really, only that he was royalty) and his old guardian. The prince looked exactly like Yahiko, and Kaoru at first got really mad at him thinking it was the brat. Anyway, the prince was suffering from dehydration (well he was sick with something), so his guardian asked Yahiko to impersonate the prince at a banquet (or something) because it was really important. Of course Yahiko ended up playing the royal pain in the you know. What I remember clearly from the episode is that the whole gang wore different clothes and Kenshin cut his steak with his sakabatou, using the techniques of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Anyway, I hope that's a clear enough explanation. And thank you for reading my story.
To Fireruby: My brother played "Pretty Fly for A White Guy" on his stereo today (he was going through his collection). When I heard the song I ended up singing "Pretty Fly for Battousai!" instead of the original "Pretty Fly for A White Guy". And now the darn phrase is stuck in my head and I find myself randomly singing it at the most unlikely times! Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that silly thing coz I really liked that story of yours and coz you've been loyally reading and reviewing my piece…thank you for that.
If you haven't reviewed yet, please do now. And thank you for doing so!
xoxo
Lillienne