Oh god, it was hot.

Sweat dampened the back of my neck, matted together strands of my hair, stuck my shirt to my back through the bandages. Puffs of dust rose as I scuffed my way over the graveled path. White flares of sunlight stabbed into my eyes and beat on my head, and the reflections off cars were dizzying.

For the fifteenth time I wondered how everyone had roped me into getting drinks. The machines were an eternity away from the gym - and predictably close to the staff rooms. But the end was in sight!

Bottles and cans winked merrily at me behind their protective sheet of glass. My brow wrinkled as I tried to remember just what exactly everyone had ordered.

"Let's see...Aoshi-sama wanted that revolting brown tea as usual...." Clink went the money. Whir went the machine. Clunk went the bottle.

"Megumi wanted a peach fanta..." Clink. Whir. Clunk.

"Sano wanted that energy drink....But was it red bull or V....Oh well." Clunk.

Everyone's drinks fell in quick succession. I gingerly gathered up the bottles, wincing slightly at just how shockingly cold they were to my poor flushed forearms. I should've bought a bag or something - it would be easier to carry, and the drinks would've stayed colder anyway. Damn.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

I would have spun around, but spinning is not conducive to keeping your armful of drinks in your arms. I turned slowly, then gulped.

A sizable number of muscle-bound men had surrounded me in a menacing ring, complete with leering grins. And at the front was the guy I had just defeated, Hiruma Gohei.

Meiji Heights
By Aishiteru
Part 8: Narrow Escapes

I gulped. And then I carefully set my drinks down. "Hi," I managed to squeak out.

Gohei smiled. A smiled that suspiciously reminded me of that of a shark. "Hi."

We eyeballed each other for a while. I was very conscious of his cronies lounging around. It was all of Rakinmura's kenpo team and more! And they were all at least a head and shoulders taller then me. Most of their thighs were as thick as my waist. I could see the headlines already:

BOY FOUND DEAD BY CAN MACHINE AT MEIJI HIGH
Faculty say they are not to blame!

AUTOPSY FINISHED: BOY IS GIRL! SCANDAL AT MEIJI!
"I wouldn't let my children go there." -Investigator Conan-
And Makimachi Misao's grieving grandfather speaks out!

Wah!

"You did really well in the tournament today, Makimachi."

Nervous tug of my collar. "Thanks." My voice squeaked again.

"I just....wanted to show my appreciation."

My eyes widened, as he gestured to me with a lazy wave of his hands. "All yours, guys. Cute isn't he?"

CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even as they closed in on me, I sprang straight up, and came flipping down hard on my first assailant's head. The impact made me wince in sympathy, and enraged cries came from around me, but it did give me a lovely leverage to spring straight up and across the gang's heads. I slipped as I landed, and staggered a little, but took to my heels. They stampeded after me, screaming for my blood.

"Help! Please!" I wailed.

I crashed into something very hard. Something that felt either like a wall, or...

"AOSHI-SAMA!" I cried. Thank you, God. His eyes narrowed, blue-grey acquiring a steely tinge as the herd of Rakinmura guys slid to a stop around us. He thrust me behind him, hand bruisingly tight on my wrist for one instant, and I collided into someone else decidedly familiar.

"Sou-kun!"

He smiled at me distractedly, then stepped up next to Aoshi-sama, his shinai in hand.

Gohei's crowd had looked already pretty intimidated, just by Aoshi-sama making an appearance. And when Sou-kun appeared from behind him, small, cute looking Sou-kun, in light grey and blue formal kendo gear, amazingly, eyes widened, and fists were clenched. Before I could blink -

-They were all down, groaning, either bearing marks of Aoshi-sama's fists or boots, or of Sou-kun's shinai.

And I had only gotten one blow in!

I stalked over to where Hiruma Gohei lay, behind sticking out prominently in the air, face in the dust. "Thanks for the appreciation! HAHAHAHAH!!!" I planted a foot squarely on the huge target his butt made.

"Mi-chan..." Soujirou was giving me a very flat-eyed stare, one hand slapped against his forehead. "You really haven't changed at all...."

Abruptly my brain registered just who was in front of me.

"SOU-KUN!!!!!!" I squealed, and hurtled into his arms. He laughed breathlessly, as we tumbled together to the ground into the dust. I sat up on him, seizing the front of his gi, shaking it for emphasis on certain words. "What are you doing here? When did you get here!? You didn't tell me you joined the kendo team at your new school!? It's the kendo team right? I'm surprised your uncle Hajime let you enter! How's your new school? How's Okita? And your Aunt? And Eiji-kun?"

He couldn't stop laughing, anymore then I could stop my endless flow of questions. We hugged tightly, and I kissed him affectionately on one dust covered cheek. He got to his feet dragging me up along the way.

"Slow down, Mi-chan! Yes it's kendo, and I joined just recently, with Uncle Hajime's permission. Everyone's fine - Okita's here in fact, but then again he might have already left. His matches were yesterday. As for what I'm doing here, I was looking for you! Shinomori-san kindly agreed to help me find you."

I spun. Aoshi-sama was looking at me with the oddest expression on his face. "Ah! Aoshi-sama, this is my bestest friend in the whole world, Seta Soujirou. Sou-kun, this is my kenpo sempai, Shinomori Aoshi-sama."

Sou-kun coughed delicately, a cough that carefully concealed laughter. Soft brown locks tumbled forward to conceal mischievous charcoal grey eyes. "Mi-chan, we've already been introduced."

"Oh." I deflated a little. A reflection hit the corner of my eye, and I spun again. "Oh! My drinks!" A few went flying, which Aoshi-sama caught deftly, dead pan expression firmly back in place. I frowned.

"I didn't get one for you Sou-kun...But then again, I didn't know you were here, so how could I get you one?"

"Don't worry about it, Mi-chan." His eyes widened suddenly, and he slapped his hands over his mouth. "A...Ano...Masaru..."

"Try to be more obvious, Sou-kun." I said loftily. "It's fine. Aoshi-sama already knows."

Aoshi-sama's deep voice interjected itself. "If you like, I can take the drinks back, and you can...spend some time with Seta-san."

I spun around again. All this turning around in circles was making me dizzy. "Eh?"

Silence. Aoshi-sama had averted his gaze away from me, his face shadowed and expressionless. I bit my lip. I wanted to see the presentations of the awards - we had won the kenpo tournament after all. But I hadn't talked to Sou-kun for a couple of weeks, and I hadn't seen him in months, and who knew when I next would, with both of us boarding at school.

A watch alarm beeped into the quiet. Sou-kun looked at the time. "I'm sorry, Mi-chan. I've just seen you, and I already have to go. Maybe later...?"

"We're going out to the city tonight...you want to come?" I looked up at Aoshi-sama. "You don't think everyone would mind, do you?" He shook his head in mute reply.

"I'm going with my other friends as well...Maybe we can meet up. You've got my number on your phone Mi-chan. Just remember to switch it on for once."

"Yeah, yeah...See you later then, Sou-kun!" He waved as he hurried away.

Aoshi-sama was already striding down the path to the gym. "Wait for me!" I called, running after him. He cast a long shadow in the afternoon sun.

Having a shower today was an almost impossible mission. Floods of guys had been in and out all day because of the bizarre schedules. But at long last, they seemed to be empty. Thank god. And there would be enough time for me to have a nice long leisurely soak in the baths after my shower, and still be able to meet everyone on time. I crept in, and stripped off in the front room, stuffing my clothes and bandages into an empty locker, and hung my towel on a convenient hook. Armed with shampoo, conditioner, and soap, I peeped into the shower room. Still empty.

Ah, it felt so good! I scrubbed my hair vigorously, then soaped the grime off my body. After the tussle with Gohei and Co. I had gotten quite dusty, as Megumi had kindly pointed out to me. But at long last, I was clean. I let the cool water sluice over my aching body, then shut it off. The bath would be better for easing my pain. Hiruma's knee had left a lasting impression on my poor stomach.

I slid into the hot water, sighing a little. I loved public baths. They were always so huge, and while not quite as good as an onsen, at least they didn't stink of sulfur. This school bath was exceptionally big, a little bigger then a normal pool actually, and deeper then I was used to. Then again, it was the boys bathroom, and usually served taller people. The whole thing was tiled with bright blue glass that sent brilliant refractions dancing along the ceiling. I leaned my head back to study them through half closed eyes. This was the life.

The award ceremony had been nice and short. Saitou-sensei had made a three sentence speech, then handed the medals out. Then there had been a storm of clapping, and that was it. After that, the students from Tokugawa, Rakinmura and Kaio High had left, and we had been stuck with cleaning up. But now we were free!

"-I really need a shower. I hope those Rakinmura guys didn't dirty the bath water. I wouldn't put it past them not to wash properly just out of spite!" [1]

"Sano. Really."

"Honestly, Kenshin! They were dirty enough to gang up on that little weasel when he was on his own, weren't they?"

"But Sano, they can't all be bad. Wasn't Makimachi-kun's friend from Rakinmura as well, Aoshi?"

"A~a."

I gulped. This was bad. This was really bad. What was I supposed to do? There were a few things I knew they were bound to notice! I looked around frantically for another exit. No good anyway! What would I do without clothes?

The door opened. I dived for the other end of the pool, and curled up there, my legs as tight as they could go up to my chest, and my feet against my thighs. I hunched.

"It's finally empty...Eh? Oh, hi weasel. What are you doing in that corner over there?" I looked up, then immediately slammed my eyes shut.

Oh. My. God.

I tried to cover my reaction with a wide smile - a smile that gave me a reason to keep my eyes closed. "It's hotter over here, rooster head. That's why I'm over here, baking the aches out." My voice wavered uncertainly, forced into the higher octaves at the end. It was squeaking again.

My mind was busy running around in frantic little circles. Sano, Kenshin, Katsu, Akira, Beshimi, Hyottoko, Shikijo, Hannya, Shiro, Kuro, and Aoshi-sama were all there. And they were all stark naked! There wasn't a safe place for me to look anywhere!

Why.......

I shut my eyes tightly, firmly quashing any curiosity. It came to me that many girls would be deliriously happy if they were in my shoes right now.

I am not going to look. I am not going to look. I am not going to look.

Splashes from the showering, and random talk echoed through the room. "Hey, weasel, can I borrow your soap? I forgot mine."

"Go ahead!" I yelped.

"Thanks!"

One by one, the showers turned off, and more splashes heralded people sliding into the bath. I cautiously opened my eyes. I was just going to look at their faces. That's all. I wasn't going to look at anything else. Besides it would look weird if I kept my eyes closed for the whole time. Wouldn't it?

"God, this feels good," Sano groaned.

Katsu glared at him, wiping water out of his eyes - water that rooster head had just splashed. "You didn't even do anything today, Sano."

"It still feels good!"

"Maa maa....So, what are we doing tonight, everyone?" Kenshin interceded hurriedly.

"Party!" Sano cheered, half-rising out of the water. I flinched. Kenshin oro-ed.

"Ano..." I interrupted. I didn't want to draw attention to myself, but this was a good time to ask. "Is it okay if my friend and his buddies meet up with us?"

"Sure."

"Whatever."

"Of course, Masaru-kun."

I sighed in relief. It was that easy. I should've known.

And in my relief, I finally looked at where Aoshi-sama was sitting.

Oh my god!

I shut my eyes quickly. Oh my god. Oh my god.

Black bangs clung damply to his face, watery light reflecting off fine features. He was submerged only up to his ribs, and I saw every bit of muscle on his chest and arms. I had had time to look and wonder slightly on the scars on him, before-

He had looked at me! The blood flooded up to my cheeks. Aoshi-sama had caught me peeking...

"I think I've had enough," he said quietly. I quickly sneaked another look through me eyelashes, and saw the red that tinted his cheekbones. And I didn't think it came solely from the temperature of the water. That was all I had time to see, before he began to stand, and I hurriedly shut my eyes.

"Yeah, it's getting a bit much."

"Plus, we have to round up the girls."

"Yup. That always takes ages."

"Coming, Masaru?"

"Um, no." My face was starting to resemble a tomato again, I could feel it.

"Masaru-san?" That was Kenshin, looking at me. "You're looking a bit red...maybe you shouldn't stay in here for much longer."

"Y-yeah." I mumbled into the water, sinking further down into it. "I just have to soak in here a little longer, okay?"

They nodded - I think - and then there was more splashing, and they left. The changing room echoed with their idle chatter. I rolled my eyes. And they said that girls gossiped!

Finally, it all quietened down, and I stealthily searched the front room, then wedged a chair under the door that led outside. I was still blushing. I would never be able to take another shower without remembering this day for the rest of my life! Hastily, I jerked my clothes on, not caring that I was still half wet. The bandages could wait until I reached the moderate safety of my room to wrap my chest up. For now I settled for wrapping my towel around my shoulders, and holding it closed over my chest in the pretense of clutching onto my shoes and toiletries. Bare foot, I warily made my way back to the dorms without further incident.

The corridors were curiously empty. Normally, one could see boys running back and forward, playing football, or tag, or whatever in the halls, talking, swapping homework notes, or just loitering around. Naturally, on this day, everyone had gone out to celebrate victories, or drown woes. With a small sigh, I reached the haven of my room. Blessed be.

Dumping my load on my small bare study table, I stretched lazily, working the kinks of being hunched up for so long out. Then, looking rather distastefully at the metres of bandages that awaited, I undressed again, and began winding, sitting down on the nearest available surface, which happened to be Aoshi-sama's bed, the bottom bunk.

Around and around - dammit, my arms always cramped up at this bit - this was the most difficult part of the whole binding process, getting the first end tucked in flat. It fell out again, a long innocent string of pure white cotton. I ripped the rapidly loosening coils away from my waist, muttering underneath my breath. This sucked. This sucked. This really really sucked. Here I was, naked from the waist up, shivering from the draught that was blowing from the gap in the window that wouldn't close, trying to get this stupid end to stay flat!

Ah! Got it! Now all I had to do was-

The door opened. I snatched the sheet up against my breast, bandaged bedamned. Crap!

Aoshi-sama met my slack jawed gaping look of utter shock with a haze of startled blue-grey blinks. His own eyes had flared open in surprise, his whole face very still, mouth slightly ajar, as we locked gazes, and my cheeks burnt, and I prayed that he wouldn't look down. Not that I had much for him to look down on, but still.

"Shinomori? What's wrong? We've got to hurry, ne?"

"Aoshi? The keys?"

Sano and Kenshin peered over his shoulder, but only managed to get one quick glimpse of me, eyes bugging, before Aoshi spun, and slammed the door shut behind him. My cheeks were flaming like hot brands, but I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then almost immediately gasped another one in.

Crap. Crap. Crap. How the hell is Aoshi-sama going to explain why I'm- I'm like this? What am I going to say?

Outside in the hall, I could hear Sano demand in a slightly shrill voice, "Shinomori? Why is there a naked girl in your room!?"

[1] Dirtying the bath water. Well, if you didn't know, in Japan, people shower before bathing, because everyone uses the same bath water. Communal baths. And it would be quite gross if someone just jumped in all dirty into your nice hot bath.

Author's Note:

I know I know...I'm constantly apologizing for long periods of time between updates....I'm a bad little writer I know. Please don't hit, it was all above my control, like having no access to my computer for the last two weeks of the holidays, and now being staggered by an alarming amount of homework. My god, but homework sucks. Year 11 sucks. Double maths, Chem, IS, Japanese and English. Ick. Why didn't I pick art like my sister? Well, my mom would massacre me for one...Oh well. And I have to practice a lot of piano as well, but that's off the subject. Enough whinging. The whinging is finished, if you were bored and wandered off.

Anyway, the shower scene didn't turn out quite as I wanted it to, but I hope you all found it amusing. (If you found the line from Mulan, well done!) I know I made everyone expect a lot from it...sorry. I feel it had much more potential for torturing of characters, but ah well. Next chapter should be pure torture, as "Misao" is introduced to the gang, and the Juppongatana meet the Kenshingumi at a karaoke bar...heh. The next chapter...well, I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best. ^_^ (And I won't abandon my fanfiction, just because I have heard the siren song of roleplay....Ummm....Roleplay.....^_^)

Review Replies:

Fallen Virtue: Oh dear, I've used up my bait. Sorry for the looong wait...I too check some stories everyday, and know just how frustrating it is when someone won't update. *grins* Nagging myself works sometimes, because I'm quite enjoying writing this. It's nice and silly. Well, another Misao chapter for you! Next in an Aoshi one. I like writing him, because he says so little most of the time, but his thoughts....*grins evilly* I hope I haven't lost you as a reader because of the long absence!

JML: Maybe...she was a little flustered though. Give her a break. The naughty little gaki went off to gaki-land. Hehehe. You'll sort of find out in the next chapter, but I'll go into it in more depth in Chapter 9, which'll be from Ken-san's POV.

Carlin: And even MORE A/M. And next chapter should be BURSTING with A/M.

blue eyes: Thanks...That makes me feel better. And it's a pleasure to reply to reviews.

Tiian: We are all sooo guilty of slow writing, though I may have set a record here. Oooh! Someone re-read something of mine! *giggles like a three year old* And of course it doesn't mean anything...*looks shifty*

selene: Ah! You poor thing! That must of put you under so much stress, that BAKA.

JadeGoddess: The reactions are cooooming....HAHAHAH!

Kyme-chan: There you go. More A/M. And more coming, some very horribly fluffy A/M. Fluff Fluff Fluff. Wow, I seemed to have attracted the people that don't really like Kaoru. Interesting....What does that say about A/M fics and Kaoru lovers?

Phoe-chan: Oh, that's not really fair. *pouts* If you've only seen the anime, I guess one could say that Aoshi is pretty blah-ish towards Misao. But in the Jinchuu arc, he's sort of sweet to her, in that frustratingly indirect way of his. You can see he's starting to open up...ne? *giggles at the thought of Soujirou's face* Poor Sou-kun.

dynast: GOOOOMEN NASAI!!!!!!!!! I posted, and then I had to go away from my computer for a week!! So sorry! And guess what! I USED MIRC!!!!!! True, it was with the help of a very nice girl (thanks jestagal, if you ever see this) , but I still gooooot it......if i see you on msn, i'll hand it over. Chapter 26!

Innocent Dreamer: *bows piously* Yes, everything has it's price. ^_^

lebleuphoenix: *scratches head* another rushed chapter, despite the fact that I wrote it broken up over weeks...but the actual writing was rushed. Gomen. I'll see if I can make it flow better, but I figured you'd want the story to move more, rather then me endlessly tinkering with one chapter.

moon goddess: "Accidentally," eh? Don't worry, Kenshin gets to show off shortly.

Gochan: Shower Scene of Doom has arrived. Maa....Oh well, it's done now, and it will either disappoint, or make people laugh, Hopefully, the latter. Ah, see what an overdose of reading shoujo manga does to an innocent fanfiction writer...and to think I used to only read shounen manga.

Vesca: I have lots of experience to draw on. ^_^

tenshineko: *snickers* Poor bumbling Kenshin. And yes....Kaoru's dark side is coming out....HAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

megami no ushi: Ano...well...the shower scene.....*deflates* maybe I puffed everyone's expectations up too much. It is only a really short scene...and it was very hard for me to write. Sorry, everyone. And you should check TCP, it's easy enough to find. I guess I shouldn't be putting up too many links to my manga download places....I want them to be there, when I leech! HAHAHAH!!! But the link is manga-sketchbook.org okay? There ya go.

tigerlilly: You ENJOYED it? Praise the gods! Here comes more A/M action, headed your way...

nekonomiko: Sorry, you'll find very little K/K action here. Gooomen. Yup, A/M is what this fic is about....

Strife-07: Hai hai! Updated!

Thank you everyone, for reviewing! ESPECIALLY to all the wonderful people who review me regularly! Please don't give up, I AM still writing Meiji Heights. Next chapter should be niiiiice and long...this one was shorter then usual, though no where near as short as the Yahiko one was.