Warnings: Sexual innuendos, violence, and language. Rurouni Kenshin is copyrighted, so I don't own them of course.
Boxers' Café.
Chapter 3.
"It hasn't been that long," Enishi snickered, leaning against the nearest wall, crossing his well-muscled arms, "Too short if you ask me."
"And when did you plan on reconciling?" Aoshi joked, sipping the red wine.
"Oh I don't know, maybe never?"
"You're so cold nowadays, what's happened?"
"Cut the crap, Aoshi. What do you want?" Enishi growled as Aoshi waved off some men as he placed his glass of wine on the side table, smirking. The muscled men one by one marched up the stairs and out of the cold dungeon-like room.
"Oh, I just wanted to catch up," Aoshi casually replied, grabbing his tank top from the ground, throwing it on, while draping the trench coat on his shoulders as he nodded over towards a secluded door on the corner, signaling Enishi to follow him, "Let's go in here. It echoes here." Enishi snorted to the 'catching-up' part as he quietly followed Aoshi, wondering what could Aoshi possibly want after all these years of disregard to his existence. Entering upon the room, the office was neatly decorated with European hand-made draperies and Persian carpets. His desk was made of fine wood and paintings of several mediocre pictures with leather chairs. Aoshi was always good at presenting a good impression to the unaided eye of art.
"Sit down, please," Aoshi gestured toward one of the two seats in front of his desk, "I have a proposition for you today."
"Whatever it is, no," Enishi answered, glancing at all of the small relics that distributed around the room like one of those home-study quarters. Aoshi raised an eyebrow as he folded his hands together in front of his face, staring intensely at Enishi. Enishi knew that Aoshi was waiting for him to give a direct gaze, but instead, Enishi glanced around the study hall with a counterfeited fascination to avoid Aoshi's eyes. Giving up his charade, Enishi stared at Aoshi straight on, Aoshi sighed.
"Just listen," Aoshi stated before he began shuffling papers on his desk, placing them in a neat pile at the corner, "Do you remember who killed your sister?"
"No." Enishi didn't even flinch as he narrowed his eyes. Lighting a cigar, Aoshi prolonged the silence before speaking again.
"As you know, I have that knowledge that you've been seeking for," Aoshi continued puffing smoke into the room, "I'll give you the information, but in return I want something back from you."
"You didn't offer this before, why are you offering it now?"
"There is someone I want to defeat," Aoshi brooded, his eyes lighting up with a fire that Enishi hadn't seen in him since high school. Enishi grinned, slouching back onto the chair as he glanced at Aoshi.
"And you think I still want to know who killed my sister after all these years?" Enishi knew by the look of Aoshi that he wasn't buying what he just claimed.
"If that were the case, you wouldn't have come to see me at all, you still want to know—that's why you came. Now if you're going to be serious, shut up and listen for once," Aoshi carried on, "there's a boxing tournament coming up in approximately six months. We fight in teams of two. I recall you being the President of the Boxing Club in high school and I am almost a hundred percent positive that you haven't stopped retaining that skill if not, have improved. Guarantee me a win and I'll hand that man over to you on a platter," Aoshi affirmed. Enishi let out a breath of air as he threw his head back onto the cushion of the chair. It had been ten years since high school—when his sister had been murdered. He had been searching and searching, coming up with clues and hints that always led to a dead end. He couldn't hide it from Aoshi. They both knew it and understood it completely. Aoshi was the only person who knew the killer of Tomoe, but adamantly refused to confess to Enishi. It was the cause of the depreciation of their long-term friendship of twelve years. They had not conversed since and now was the only chance he would have to find out the killer of his own flesh and blood. His blood boiled every time Aoshi brought it up. He couldn't deny the desire to know back then and he couldn't deny it now.
"I accept."
"Good," Aoshi responded vacantly.
"However, why do you need to defeat this person so badly? You never were the one to compete," Enishi questioned.
"It's a matter of pride and honor. Four of my men have passed away due to this competition. We will win it for them," Aoshi rumbled, his voice wavered ever so slightly with an inscrutable emotion.
"I see." Enishi had not offered any words of condolences as he continued to observe Aoshi stature.
"Getting back to the plans, our objective's identity isn't known, so we'll have to keep on training just in case he is tough. We can't afford miscalculations," Aoshi began, thinking aloud as he tried to remember what he had wanted to ask, "Oh yes, are you in top condition?"
"I'm better than when I was in high school, but not the top obviously. I haven't been to an underground boxing match for god knows how long. It'll be nice coming back," he reminisced.
"We can't train together nor can you been seen here ever again until April. It's to eliminate the possibility of people spying on me. I don't want them to figure out whom I've requested. If they assess you, the objective will have the upper hand in figuring out how we train etcetera. I don't want to take the chance." Enishi looked mildly confused as he sat straight up from his slouch just to hunch over.
"How the hell are we going to train, if not together?"
"You're not fighting me, so I'm not a complete necessity for you to have. You're quite the wealthy man if what I read in the newspaper is right. Find someone to be your punching bag. I'm sure there are many 'professionals.' As for me, I will be training with Sanosuke. Though I do highly recommend you call up Anji, he is a perfectionist, but unfortunately for me, he doesn't participate in illegal transgressions such as this," Aoshi implied before standing up from his seat and wiping out the cigar, "I will provide you a messenger that will live with you and don't worry about her expenses, they will be paid by me. She works at this café, so her presence is not unusual around here unlike yours. She will take my instructions from me and if you have any questions, send her and nobody else."
With Aoshi's instructions perfectly memorized, Enishi had one last question, "A female?"
"Yes. Her name is Makimachi, Misao. She is my personal aid or secretary, whatever you call them these days. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll be coming to your home at midnight. I can't risk you two being seen together around here, so be prepared." Enishi internally moaned as the image of the spunky girl was imprinted in his head like a stamp. Six months with a kitten, just wonderful he thought sourly. He hated to live with roommates.
"Misao, huh..."
Author's Note:
Review please! =)