Once I was safely out of sight from the others, I let loose with some of Shishou's famed 'god-speed'. The night shrouded school flashed past me, dusky light reflecting off silent classrooms. It was eerily silent, the only sound my shoes touching down lightly on the gravel every now and then, and the wind whistling past my ears, numbing the tips.

I reached the gym all to quickly, and cocked my head upon seeing the back storeroom's light was open, in the otherwise dark gym. And quiet hushed voices.

"Did you ever consider that this is really stupid? Fighting in the dark? Remind me why we're doing this in the dark again?"

"Because those great big bloody main lights will bring everyone to the building, moron. If we want time to duel, we have to fight like this."

"Feh."

Duel? In the dark? What on earth is this?

I peeked through the doors, eyebrows feeling like they were about to reach my scalp. Yahiko and Enishi had squared off, silhouettes of black on yellow-grey. Each had a peculiarly familar sword in hand... Kamiya-san and Yukishiro-san were so worried, and their little brothers have been hiding to fight? With my swords no less?

"We've already tried a couple of times though! Its not working! We keep on tripping on the bloody gym mats!"

"You keep on tripping on the gym mats."

"Why do I have to use this weird sword anyway? The blade's reversed, and the balance is all weird!"

"Well, I'm not used to using a wakizashi either, so we're even!"

I stepped through the doors, not bothering to conceal my presence. "I believe those are my swords, that they are."

Both boys' heads swung my way, mouths ajar.

Meiji Heights
By Aishiteru
Part 10: Kenshin's Girls

I shook my head wearily at Megumi-san's question. "I had my swords last night, because I took them off Kamiya-san and Yukishiro-san's younger brothers. I left them in the gym for people to view after the kendo matches and they found them....They were quite intent on using them too, that they were."

"Ara! Such a pair of boys....I don't know how Yukishiro-san and Kamiya-san manage. My little sisters are balls of mischief, but at least they're fairly obedient."

I laughed. "I'm sure I caused Shishou some distress during my childhood, that I did. He swears I'm the reason he never married."

Megumi laughed as well, tossing her long hair silkily over one shoulder. I always thought she had such force of character - it was a tangible strength. "Ken-san," she began. I had the oddest feeling she was about to ask me about something, when first a madly cackling Sano crashed between us, followed closely by an infuriated Masaru.

"Saaaaaaaano!!!! Give my homework back!"

"Make me, weasel! I'm not giving it back until you tell me where you were last night!"

I watched, bug-eyed. Surely even Sano can't be that thick, is he? Surely not....

"He really is a rooster head," Megumi muttered, hands on hips.

Successfully evading, Sano crashed right in Aoshi, who calmly snatched the hunted homework from a flailing hand. Sano crashed to the floor. "Dammit! Jeez, Shinomori..."

Megumi-san and I elected to turn around, and take another route to the labs.

"Ken-san," Megumi began again. She hesitated for a split second. "Do you..."

"Do I?" I cocked my head in her direction, and groaned mentally. Why did I have to be so short? Taller girls like Megumi and Tomoe were all above my height, and my being short certainly didn't help with people mistaking me for a girl.

She shook her head slightly. "Do you really think that Masaru-kun...and...um, Misao, and Shinomori-san...well..." her words floundered.

"The bruises, and the startling....resemblance between the...cousins, you mean?" I asked dryly. "I'm sure Aoshi and Masaru-kun have a reason. They'll tell us when they're ready."

I trusted Aoshi's judgment. Even though everything seemed extremely peculiar, he would have his own reasons.

"If you say so..." Megumi replied somewhat doubtfully, and absently twirled a long strand of hair around a finger. "Anyway, let's go, we're going to be late!"

As if to prove her point, the second bell rang.

"Faster, my idiotic pupil. I'm starting the count again."

I groaned to myself. Shishou was truly a sadist - armed with a jug of sake and a stopwatch.

"Ryuu Shou Sen. Ryou Kan Sen."

I whirled, weighted shinai blurring in my hands. It was strange using the practice tool - it never felt the same as a real sword. While they might be weighted exactly the same, a steel sword just had that added heft, imaginary or no. My breath was starting to come faster, though I struggled to keep it deep and measured, filling my lungs to the utmost. Deep and steady, through the nose, out the mouth. The moves were simply flowing into each other, and my mind drifted into the drill, shishou's droning voice calling out the moves receding into the distance.

Kamiya-san and Yukishiro-san's younger brothers had looked so surprised when I had disarmed them so easily. The thought of their shocked faces as I grabbed them by their collars and slung them under an arm each brought a smile to my face.

"It's girly man!"

"Your swords? Hah!"

Thwack.

"Ow!"

I rubbed my face, where Shishou had thrown the stopwatch with unerring accuracy. "Keep your mind on things, idiot."

"As you say, Shishou," I sighed resignedly, and we began again.

Something told me he had been notified of the tournament again. Normally, things still hadn't been scheduled out exactly - but they would be in the second phase of planning probably.

"Again!"

"Shishou!"

"No whining!"

Why did I even bother coming home every Friday?

I usually found History quite interesting, but Shishou had given me such a vigorous workout all weekend - and very little sleep - that I found myself nodding off all day.

"Himura-kun. Himura-kun!"

I jerked up to the sound of Yamagata-sensei's increasingly irritated voice, and some quiet snickers from my friends. Great.

"Please take one." Sensei's disapproving voice, a box full of torn up slips of paper. Oh. There must be group assignments. I took one, and Sensei continued around the classroom, shooting a warning glare over one shoulder.

I did my best to stay awake.

"Boys, please read out your partners. Girls, read out your topics, once you know your partners, and I will record who is doing what."

"Kiyosato Akira, sensei." First row, on the right. "I'll be working with Kamiya Kaoru."

"We have The Origins of the Tale of Genji, sensei."

"Right. Next."

"Sagara Sanosuke." Rustle of unfolding paper. I hurriedly unfolded mine too, then just stared. "Amakusa Sayo."

"Christianity in Japan."

"Shinomori Aoshi." Aoshi's usual deadpan voice. "Sekihara Tae."

"Western influences in the Meiji Era."

"Makimachi Masaru and Takani Megumi."

"The development of traditional medicine in Japan."

Me next. "Himura Kenshin." My voice cracked, but only a little, and I didn't think anyone would notice. "Yukishiro Tomoe."

Yukishiro-san's voice sounded amazingly calm. "Famous figures of the Bakamatsu."

"Katsuhiro Tsuikioka and Sekihara Sae."

"The development of art in Japan."

On an on, partners and topics were read out.

"In researching, please refer to the guidelines I have given on the sheet - these are very open topics, and we do not want you doing too much or more likely, too little." A sharp bite to Yamagata-sensei's words - his moustache quivered indignantly. "I will remind you that this assignment accounts for thirty percent of your grade. Now, next lesson we will be in the library. Please remember to record all bibliographic details; let's go over the process again...."

I tried to resist the urge to sink my poor sleep deprived head on my arms. There was a quiver of anxiety in my belly, as I glanced at the scrap of paper bearing Yukishiro Tomoe in neat script.

Why on earth was I so nervous at the prospect of working with her? It wasn't that I was afraid she wouldn't do her fair share of work, or take the project over entirely. Yukishiro-san was an incredibly thoughtful person.

So just why was I so nervous?

"Make way!" Kamiya-san bellowed down the corridor, peering precariously around a huge stack of fliers. I would have helped her, except I held a similar stack already.

Meiji High's formal was in two weeks. It was earth shaking news! Really!

Well, to most of the female half of the school, it was, I guess. Most of the guys were either groaning at the thought of getting into formal clothes. As Sano had said, "What? I can't wear my sneakers? And I have to wear a tie?"

That was a perfect example of how most of them felt. The other half was agonizing over whether or not they should actually ask the girl they liked out. The love letters fell thick and fast out of shoe lockers[1] at this time of the year. Naturally, that lead to sobbing dismay or joyful exultation depending on whether or not the letter was accepted. Every year I had to turn some girls down. Previous years, I had been able to escape by not going to the formal at all, but this year, Shishou had told me quite firmly it was 'the appropriate time for me to go.' What did that mean?

What was I going to do? I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings...

"Wait! Look at all these bulletin boards, Kenshin. Let's put some posters up."

"Good idea, Kamiya-san."

"Kenshin! I told you to call me Ka-o-ru. Or at least Kaoru-san, if you have to be polite." She smiled cheerfully, taking out any sting that might have been there out of her words. What could I do, but smile back at her?

I began to staple posters up, strategically placed along the bulletin board. My sleeves fell back, and I irritably shoved them back down, but not before Kaoru saw...

"Kenshin! What happened to you!?" She grabbed my arm -but carefully- and slid the sleeve up. I looked down with her, long bangs falling into my face, stripes of ignored crimson in front of my vision.

My arm was not a pretty sight. Livid with old and new bruises from the intense training Shishou had begun to give me, my arms were perhaps the most bruised part of my body. I couldn't always block Shishou with my sword, but I was fast enough to block any that came through with my arms. Although Shishou always said that was a damned good way to get my arms cut off when I faced someone with a real sword in the arena, it saved me from aching ribs and shoulders. There was a particularly fine pattern of blue, black and vague purple, an almost perfect impression of the cane that made up the shinai Shishou and I had sparred with this weekend.

"Kenshin, has someone been beating you?" Her clear blue eyes had darkened to midnight in concern, brow furrowed.

Hurriedly I snatched my arm away from her. "It's nothing. Please don't worry about it, Kaoru-san." She would never believe I was perfectly capable of defending myself, not with my slight physique and the performance I had given during the kendo matches.

We resumed posting the fliers around the school, but I could feel her troubled gaze. I avoided it as best as I could.

"The arrangements for the decorations - Kenshin, I can't find the form."

I riffled through my folder, then oro-ed. "Kaoru-san, I'm afraid I left them in my shoe locker this morning."

"Mou! Let's go get it then." She jumped easily to her feet. We wound our way around everyone - the Student Council had it's hands full for organizing the formal. I was just glad that I had Kaoru to help me with the decorations, and equally glad I wasn't responsible for the food. Sano and Megumi were in charge of that, and there had been much (figurative) hair pulling.

We trooped down to the lockers, and I opened the door only to have a small mountain of scented stationary flutter down to my feet. I blushed, and groaned silently in chagrin. How many letters would I get? I hurriedly picked them up and stuffed them back into my locker, after getting out the appropriate forms. I didn't know what to say to Kaoru-san.

She laughed suddenly. "Kenshin," she choked. "You've gone completely red."

"Oro!"

"I-I didn't," choke, giggle, "know you were so popular Kenshin!"

"Kaoru-san!" I exclaimed indignantly. "Stop teasing me, that you are!"

She managed to calm herself down. "I'm sorry Kenshin, but it's just sweet how you went so red. I thought you would be used to that kind of thing by now."

"Used to it!?" I yelped. "How can I get used to it? Every year I have to tell all these girls I'm not interested, and they always looks so sad. It's the worst when they actually start to cry, and then I feel like a jerk."

"Ne....Why don't you accept any of them?"

I frowned thoughtfully. "I guess...I don't really have time for a relationship. And I don't really want to date someone I don't know - I mean why do they want to go out with me?"

"I see."

We continued back up to the student lounge.

"Ne. Kenshin."

"Yes?"

"You don't have a date for the formal, right?"

I shook my head.

"Would you...like to go with me? Just as friends," she said hurriedly, as I looked at her in surprise.

My brain took a moment to process, my eyes wide. Then I simply smiled. "I would be honored to escort you, Kaoru-san."

It was her turn to go red, and then we both began to laugh.

[1 ] Love letters in shoe lockers: It's sort of a custom to leave a love letter in the person you like's shoe locker. In Japanese schools, students have one set of indoor shoes, and one set of outdoor shoes. You go around school in the indoor ones, and keep the floors (sort of) clean, and come to school and go home in some other sort of pair of shoes. Visitors wear slippers, and westerners usually have all sorts of trouble, because we have bigger feet. Oh no.

Author's Note: THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of you, no two of you guys nominated then seconded me in the RK Awards! Or possibly four of you, 'cos I'm in AU and Humour! I was just blown away by it - thank you all so much!! That's the biggest compliment anyone has ever given to me! If the people who nominated me would like to come forward, maybe I can do something for you - write you a thank you fic or something. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On a less pleasant note, it's been two months since I updated. A long time, ne? I apologize to all the readers for this, but it's really beyond my control. (Oh no I sound like John Malkovich). I have a lot of things that simply have more priority to fanfiction writing, as much as I would like it to be otherwise. Schoolwork has to take precedence. But, my exams just finished - I get a six day weekend! Hurrah! And three weeks after this, I have two weeks holiday. So I'll try to squeeze out some chapters. Be warned though - I'm also trying to start up my very own webcomic, and that's also biting into my spare time and creative energy. Anyway, when I've got something I can show you properly for my webcomic, (as opposed to huge 300 d.p.i pictures) I'll post a link somehow, and show what I've been working so hard on.

Anyway, this chapter is rather shorter then the norm, (by about 1000 words) mainly because it's just a 'setting things up' kind of chapter. I thought about trying to bulk it up for you guys, but it would be kind of pointless. It did everything I needed this chapter to do, so...Quantity is not Quality, and all that crap. Did I mention something about Meiji High's school formal in a previous chapter? I'm sure I did, but I re-read, and stuff, and I couldn't find it. If you guys find the reference, please tell me. Anyway, a lot of the stuff in this chapter leads onto the more plot - the history joint assignments, the formal, Kaoru noticing Kenshin's bruises, etc.

Sorry for the wait!

Review Replies:

SAabie: As you can see, my updates are getting increasingly sporadic...oops.

aya: Guy....? *mystified*

Rae Nakai: Yeah, sure you aren't. ^__^ Glad the update made you happy. Sorry for the lateness!

selene: Poor Aoshi! Heehee.

Kmye-chan: Fluff fluff fluff fluff....It should be called Meiji Fluff...Amazingly unrealistic you mean, that no one recognized Misao. I tried to address that in this chapter.

Innocent Dreamer: ^_^

Aishuu: I think your fics are beautiful. And what do you mean you can't write humour! *points indignantly to 'Lessons on how to make a bishounen snap, and Fan Mail*. Love the HnG stuff, keep it up! I would write for HnG...except....Sai was my favourite character and he .... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

Dragon Master Lytore: Who cares if you can't sing! The microphones all have that inbuilt echo to make you sound good anyway.

chibi-ken: Yup. Sano=Idiot. I still like him though. He provides convenient comic relief.

Mica-chan: You mean it was stupid, and plot holed and unrealistic? I agree. But I tried to address it somewhat in this chapter....Forgive me!

Bee: Thank you....Lovely reviewers like you who don't nag effectively make me feel really guilty....T_T

Phoe-chan: I know! In so many fics Aoshi's a big fat idiot, who does all this mean stuff to Misao, and WE KNOW HE ISN'T LIKE THAT!!!

JML: Of course I know Kamatari is a cross dressing guy! Wait and see...Rakuninmura I meant. That's a good idea though, using Rengoku...too bad I didn't think about it when I was brainstorming for names for the schools. I really can't be bothered going through and changing all the Rakuninmura's to Rengoku's though.

Fallen Virtue: Hehehehehe. I'm going to have fun with the Kamatari-Shishio-Yumi triangle...soon to expand. *laughs manically*

blue eyes: ......sorry! Still, Aoshi and Misao haven't really come out yet...

Eternity's End: Oooh! I might use that! Mwahahah!

Neko-chan: Yes ma'am! *types busily*

maryd: *grin* A lot of it is just spoofs of Kenshin, and the other stuff is just produced from a massive overload of shoujo manga.

linh: I know, A/M is so rare...*drowns in a sea of Soujirou/Misao fics*

Katisha: Quite right....bruise alert! To tell the truth, I conveniently forgot about her bruises...lucky you reminded me before a massive plot hole could develop. Yeah, it took me a while to like AU stuff as well - I got into it by reading stuff that changed little things in the actual series, then it took off from there. I really like A/M to, and there's not enough coverage on them!

Noa: *cheesy grin* perhaps...

tenshineko: You hentai! Aoshi is too much a gentleman to do that sort of thing! Yup, Kaoru is very lucky - but how long can her luck hold out? And Aoshi's friends are so evil...They're the Kenshingumi!

Megami no Ushi: WAAAAAAIIII!!!!!!! Lucky! You can actually buy the TCP manga!? Luckyluckylucky!!!! I'm still just waiting for the scanlations to come out....waaaaaaaaah! There's another good series, and it's all been scanlated, which is lucky for me. It's another gender crossing one, but it's a guy dressing up as a girl. It's called Minto na Bokura, and it had me snickering helplessly. Fluff and embarrassing scenes on the way!

dynast: Hmm...I don't really plan to cover that too much...you'll have to use your imagination. Sorry! And ah, MIRC goodness...

bittersweetandkandy: Well, you could call it WAFF. Heehee. 'Fraid I updated as soon as I could though, though that wasn't particularly quick.

Vesca: I would be truly afraid if I was Aoshi right now.

lebleuphoenix: It's in Chapter 4. I'm not surprised you forgot - everytime I start writing I have to re-read the previous chapters, and I still miss things.

Tiian: Plot...Excellent? Elements of a good fic? T_T ^________^. The characters are fun, but as for the other stuff...I don't know what you were reading, but thaaaaaaaaaank you!!!!!

saicho-18: Really!? He's not getting to OOC?

Bumblebee-Queen: Pseudo shounen-ai....I flirted with playing with that, because it's just so damn funny (e.g Nakatsu and Mizuki in Hanakimi) but it just didn't really fit for Aoshi. I too know the frustration of plot lines too long drawn out. So I decided I wouldn't do it for too long in Meiji. Misao posing as a guy is just kind of the 'hook' to draw readers in - and then the plot should get deeper.

pratz: This is by far the most girly fic I have written. I write it when I've overloaded on girl's manga. Ah, my other account has all this dark violent stuff in it, and this one is all fluff.

alissa: oh be quiet, lala.

Princess Amelia: I updated as soon as I could! I swear!

Flame Angel: Heh...I tried, I really did. Do you like Flame of Recca by the way?

trickster: That would be a better excuse. But he just said the first thing that jumped into his mind...girl+naked+room=??? Heh. Plus, it makes the A/M stuff move along a bit more.

FlameSolo: That's okay - when I checked you had already solved everything! I hate it when ff.net does that...I guess it just shows us how popular the site is.

IYandKH4ever: Sort of. Well, not really, but he tried his best.

little chobit: Aw, thanks! I get my ideas when I read too much girl's manga - they're full of mush and weird scenarios like this. And I bet you can be - a lot of writing is just practice, and getting to know how to use the language to your best advantage. Fanfiction is very good practice for me, because you don't have to develop the characters so much - people already know what to expect from them.

Mai: I'm trying!

GOINCRAZY: I update as fast as I can!

Gochan: I do that all the time. Don't worry about it. Heehee. And I'll definately be voting for you in the humour section of the RKawards - Rurouni's Guide kicks ass all over the other humour stories, though I have to admit Rurouni Kenshin and the Holy Sakabatou made me giggle.

Ayako: Yes! The series is ten times better then my fiction! Although some other people's fics come pretty damn close to capturing the feel of the series...

mischief14: thanks for the compliments....I'm SOOOOOOORRRY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Erithe: I'm sorry...I haven't updated in so looong...

Eiko: Um. I'll try. The first POV limits that kind of thing, but I'll try.

TwinBakaNekos: Don't give up! WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!

nekonomiko: I STILL haven't been able to get that chapter. Argh! Nah, I don't think I'll have Misao sleep walk...Meiji has a lot of similarities to Hanakimi, bt I've never deliberately taken a part of the plot.

okiedokie: The "good" stuff huh? It's a high school fic, you ecchi!!!

snow blossums: Sou-chan? Maybe a little...But I really like Soujirou, so he won't be an ass.

maggs: Thank you! And you didn't nag me too...THANK YOU!!!

futago: I'm like that too, so I know how much it means for you to review something. I like reviews - they encourage me.

sawdust monster: Really? I've got a couple of other people lined up - the love triangle/quadrangle/dodecahedrons are going to get worse. Heh.

Dark Phoenix: I know they would typically be called the kenpo-bu, but you know how sometimes they give football teams at school names? It's that sort of thing. And I like Tomoe too much to kill her off, or make her.....bleeech. Poor Tomoe. And there's more of Saitoh coming up! Heehee. And of course Aoshi is smarter then that! I love One Half too. Hehehee...I had fun with the Kiyosato/Kenshin mess. You may be disappointed - I plan to rock the boat with Kiyosato and Tomoe, because Tomoe and Kenshin were just so damn sweet together. I love Soujirou too! And I wanted to show that him and Misao are quite close. I don't know...Aoshi's good at most things, he might be good at singing! There's on fairly well known fic on ff.net actually, that makes Aoshi the lead singer of a band, I seem to remember..."Straight Edge"...Am I totally wrong? And my god, you reviewed every chapter but 3! Amazing!

gautama: I know it turns readers off, but there are reasons why I can't get them out as quickly as I used to. 1) My plans ran out, and massive remodelling of the plot has to be done, before I run into holes. 2) I've got an increasingly heavy school work burden, and that takes up a lot of my time. 3) I'm trying to start up a webcomic, and planning, drawing and colouring that takes up a lot of my time and creative energy. When people say they're disappointed I haven't updated, believe me, I'm disappointed too. I just wish I had more time to allocate to my fics. I admit I've been neglecting Meiji Heights shamefully though. The characters of Gravitation kept on hogging my writing time.

Espi: Thanks for pointing it out! It would seem kind of odd - but they just kind of disappeared didn't they? I just assumed readers would think he put them away somewhere - and only Aoshi really noticed that he had them. The others were too caught up by the appearance of Yahiko and Enishi.

Whoa, I'm quite tired after replying to all those reviews. Thanks for all of them though! You all keep me encouraged, even the naggers. Too much nagging makes Aishiteru crabby though - I want to write as much as you guys want to read.