--
He was blind. Blinded by the fact that she no longer needed him, no longer trusted him. He didn't care.
"Kaoru!"
He yelled, before losing sight of her again.
"Kaoru!"
--
Kaoru panted as she slowed down. Looking behind her to make sure that Keitaro wasn't following her anymore, she leaned against the wall and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Why am I running away from?"
Hurt. Fear. Memories of the past...
A hand landed on her shoulder.
"Kaoru?"
"YAAAHH!" She screamed and spuned around, her fists coming up to meet that unwelcoming hand, but to find that her fist just swung over a short old man and two bubbly children beside them.
"Genzai-sensei!" She widened her eyes.
He smiled. "Konnichi wa Kaoru. I was thinking dropping by your dojo this afternoon. Do you mind?"
Kaoru sighed inwardly. She had frightened herself for no reason at all. She must be going crazy. Anyway...
"You're welcome to, Genzai-sensei. My dojo is always open to you." She smiled as the girls cried out "Ken-nii! We're going to see Ken-nii! Wai wai!" And ran around her legs.
--
Keitaro closed up to a familiar figure of a girl leaning against a wall. Hidden in the crowd, he was safe from being discovered. Watching her, he took in the sight of her. Somehow... his tensed mind relaxed as her face brightens as an old man with two young girls approached her. Seeing her smile with them around brought a sense of peace within him, and also a tinge of jealousy that he wasn't the one to make her smile.
"Kisama... if I shouldn't..."
He wanted to know how she was faring. How her life was. And how sensei was...
"Keitaro!" A shout rang out as he saw a guard belonging to his family came rushing towards him.
He didn't want to go back yet.
Keitaro ran and hid in the nearby dinghy alley as he looked around for any disguise. Surely his distinguished outfit would definitely attract many rumours, as well as he would be spotted easily. As Fate would have it, a beggar came into the alley, limping as he walked. One disgusted look at him, and with the beggar looking back at him with fear, he drew back his fist and landed on the beggar's stomach. Stripping the beggar of his clothes, he put them on, but not without keeping his own clothes intact too.
One cold look at the naked man, he swept away, careful to linger amongst the crowd and at the same time, following behind her in the shadows.
--
Genzai entered the dojo as Kaoru opened the door for him. On cue, Kenshin appeared, walking towards them.
"Okaeri, Kaoru-dono... Konnichi wa, Genzai-sensei." He bowed. The young man was always not without his formal conduct, and it was very rare to find any other to be as patient and polite as he was. He glanced at Kaoru who was smiling at the scene where Kenshin was, playing with the children.
"Kaoru-dono." He looked up. "Your bath is ready."
And as caring as he was to Kaoru, meeting her every needs, understanding her, knowing her.
"Genzai-sensei?" He looked at the red-hair man. "Please, come in." He smiled and followed the swordsman as he led Genzai to the back of the house, not even noticing Kenshin glancing back to the open door of the dojo. Amber eyes flashed dangerously before they were averted back to the girls, turning to violet orbs the instant they meet with brown, wide ones.
--
Keitaro stood outside the doorway. Anger and confusion filled him. Cold eyes stared hard on the ground.
"Damnmit."
He had seen her with the old man and had thought nothing about that. But as he neared, he expected for sensei to greet her, old and aging. Instead, a scarred man had approached her. Moreover, he was carrying a sword.
He tried to interpret and guess the relationship between the swordsman and Kaoru. But emotions were hidden so well that he couldn't even decipher.
Is he just a plain servant showing care and concern?
Is he a friend of sensei?
Matte!
The story his father once told him... when his father was an undercover for the Shinsengumi... he had met this man before.
A crossed scar.
Red, flaming hair.
Amber eyes.
And remarkably fast and an expert with the sword.
Battousai?!
In Kaoru's house?
He can't be certain... he need to find out more.
Cold green eyes narrowed as he turned away, ripping away the beggar's clothes from his body.
"Filth." He spat, and strode down the road, and to a familiar area.
--
Kaoru soaked in her bath, the hot water relaxing her tense muscles. Sighing, she sank deeper into the tub, letting the water reach her neck and touching her earlobes. Wrapping arms around her naked body, she sat there and cried.
It was so painful to run away from a friend.
To hate a friend.
And to revive memories that once lay in the depth of her mind as she worked and practised her Kendo everyday.
--
Kenshin squatted outside, feeding the fire with wood. He knew how big the fire Kaoru wanted it to be. Once he finished, he heard some sniffling from inside.
She's crying.
Of what?
Deciding to ask her later, he finished with the work and moved on to warm up the food.
Who was it? Such foreign aura... I'd never sensed it before in my life...
His eyes narrowed as he stirred the soup mechanically. Why is he here?
This is not good.
He closed the pot and moved on.
He had to be extra careful from now on...
No matter what Kaoru decides or object to... no one must get hurt.
Then, he gathered the things and headed to the dining room.
"Anyone ready for lunch?" He chirped cheerfully as he slide open the door.
"Wai! Ken-nii!!! I am, I am!" The girls yelled and ran to him, pulling the leg of his hakama.
--
Sanosuke helped Megumi till noon when a loud growl was heard.
"I'M HUNGRY, KITSUNE! CAN I STOP NOW?" He yelled to her over the piles of medicine he was supposed to sort.
"As soon as I finish with this!" Megumi's voice shouted back and the thumping of footsteps was heard as she ran past to the operating area.
"Kisama..." He swore under his breath and looked helplessly at the herbs.
"How would I know which to sort?" He scratched his head, before coming up with a brilliant idea.
"This would teach you a lesson, Kitsune, to treat me better..." He grinned evilly before setting to work.
--
Megumi finished treating the man who was sent in. She pitied the man. How hard it is to be a beggar in the streets, where everyone treats you like a dirt. But this is the worse case she had ever seen. Scratches, bruises, a bump on the head, and neck. Neck! Of all places... the attacker must be really skilled. And worse of all, he was stripped naked. This was only when the police found him and brought him here, unconscious.
Tired of the morning's work, she closed the clinic before headed back to the room where Sanosuke was helping out to sort the herbs. Not expecting much to come out of him, she entered the room, expecting a huge pile still waiting to be sorted. She looked around and saw rooster head was snoozing in one corner, while the table which held the herbs where... was neat and free of herbs.
He really did this?
Surprised, she looked into the containers... and screamed.
"TORI ATAMA!" She yelled, face red in anger as she pulled him by the ear to the standing position. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE HERBS?!"
Sanosuke stretched lazily and rubbed his ear. "You needn't shout, anyway, I just added some more "enriching" things to the herbs, that's all."
"ENRICHING?! YOU URINATED IN THEM!" She was freaking out, pointing desperately to the containers. "GENZAI-SENSEI WILL KILL ME! THEY'RE WORTH A LOT OF MONEY, YOU BAKA..." And she ranted on angrily.
--
Sanosuke liked the way he made her agitated. And was even more surprised that she was freaking out because of some fake herbs he's added to them, well, including his pee.
"Maa maa..." He gestured as she started to hit him. "Those are not the real herbs."
"Ah? Honto?" She winced, then pinched her nose and looked into one of the containers.
"SANOSUKE!!!" After moments of studying. An angry vein popped into her forehead. Sanosuke swallowed. Hard.
And there was a commotion between the rooster and the fox in the clinic. And then a rooster came running out of the clinic, grinning happily all the way as the fox chased him to the dojo.
TBC...
He was blind. Blinded by the fact that she no longer needed him, no longer trusted him. He didn't care.
"Kaoru!"
He yelled, before losing sight of her again.
"Kaoru!"
--
Kaoru panted as she slowed down. Looking behind her to make sure that Keitaro wasn't following her anymore, she leaned against the wall and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Why am I running away from?"
Hurt. Fear. Memories of the past...
A hand landed on her shoulder.
"Kaoru?"
"YAAAHH!" She screamed and spuned around, her fists coming up to meet that unwelcoming hand, but to find that her fist just swung over a short old man and two bubbly children beside them.
"Genzai-sensei!" She widened her eyes.
He smiled. "Konnichi wa Kaoru. I was thinking dropping by your dojo this afternoon. Do you mind?"
Kaoru sighed inwardly. She had frightened herself for no reason at all. She must be going crazy. Anyway...
"You're welcome to, Genzai-sensei. My dojo is always open to you." She smiled as the girls cried out "Ken-nii! We're going to see Ken-nii! Wai wai!" And ran around her legs.
--
Keitaro closed up to a familiar figure of a girl leaning against a wall. Hidden in the crowd, he was safe from being discovered. Watching her, he took in the sight of her. Somehow... his tensed mind relaxed as her face brightens as an old man with two young girls approached her. Seeing her smile with them around brought a sense of peace within him, and also a tinge of jealousy that he wasn't the one to make her smile.
"Kisama... if I shouldn't..."
He wanted to know how she was faring. How her life was. And how sensei was...
"Keitaro!" A shout rang out as he saw a guard belonging to his family came rushing towards him.
He didn't want to go back yet.
Keitaro ran and hid in the nearby dinghy alley as he looked around for any disguise. Surely his distinguished outfit would definitely attract many rumours, as well as he would be spotted easily. As Fate would have it, a beggar came into the alley, limping as he walked. One disgusted look at him, and with the beggar looking back at him with fear, he drew back his fist and landed on the beggar's stomach. Stripping the beggar of his clothes, he put them on, but not without keeping his own clothes intact too.
One cold look at the naked man, he swept away, careful to linger amongst the crowd and at the same time, following behind her in the shadows.
--
Genzai entered the dojo as Kaoru opened the door for him. On cue, Kenshin appeared, walking towards them.
"Okaeri, Kaoru-dono... Konnichi wa, Genzai-sensei." He bowed. The young man was always not without his formal conduct, and it was very rare to find any other to be as patient and polite as he was. He glanced at Kaoru who was smiling at the scene where Kenshin was, playing with the children.
"Kaoru-dono." He looked up. "Your bath is ready."
And as caring as he was to Kaoru, meeting her every needs, understanding her, knowing her.
"Genzai-sensei?" He looked at the red-hair man. "Please, come in." He smiled and followed the swordsman as he led Genzai to the back of the house, not even noticing Kenshin glancing back to the open door of the dojo. Amber eyes flashed dangerously before they were averted back to the girls, turning to violet orbs the instant they meet with brown, wide ones.
--
Keitaro stood outside the doorway. Anger and confusion filled him. Cold eyes stared hard on the ground.
"Damnmit."
He had seen her with the old man and had thought nothing about that. But as he neared, he expected for sensei to greet her, old and aging. Instead, a scarred man had approached her. Moreover, he was carrying a sword.
He tried to interpret and guess the relationship between the swordsman and Kaoru. But emotions were hidden so well that he couldn't even decipher.
Is he just a plain servant showing care and concern?
Is he a friend of sensei?
Matte!
The story his father once told him... when his father was an undercover for the Shinsengumi... he had met this man before.
A crossed scar.
Red, flaming hair.
Amber eyes.
And remarkably fast and an expert with the sword.
Battousai?!
In Kaoru's house?
He can't be certain... he need to find out more.
Cold green eyes narrowed as he turned away, ripping away the beggar's clothes from his body.
"Filth." He spat, and strode down the road, and to a familiar area.
--
Kaoru soaked in her bath, the hot water relaxing her tense muscles. Sighing, she sank deeper into the tub, letting the water reach her neck and touching her earlobes. Wrapping arms around her naked body, she sat there and cried.
It was so painful to run away from a friend.
To hate a friend.
And to revive memories that once lay in the depth of her mind as she worked and practised her Kendo everyday.
--
Kenshin squatted outside, feeding the fire with wood. He knew how big the fire Kaoru wanted it to be. Once he finished, he heard some sniffling from inside.
She's crying.
Of what?
Deciding to ask her later, he finished with the work and moved on to warm up the food.
Who was it? Such foreign aura... I'd never sensed it before in my life...
His eyes narrowed as he stirred the soup mechanically. Why is he here?
This is not good.
He closed the pot and moved on.
He had to be extra careful from now on...
No matter what Kaoru decides or object to... no one must get hurt.
Then, he gathered the things and headed to the dining room.
"Anyone ready for lunch?" He chirped cheerfully as he slide open the door.
"Wai! Ken-nii!!! I am, I am!" The girls yelled and ran to him, pulling the leg of his hakama.
--
Sanosuke helped Megumi till noon when a loud growl was heard.
"I'M HUNGRY, KITSUNE! CAN I STOP NOW?" He yelled to her over the piles of medicine he was supposed to sort.
"As soon as I finish with this!" Megumi's voice shouted back and the thumping of footsteps was heard as she ran past to the operating area.
"Kisama..." He swore under his breath and looked helplessly at the herbs.
"How would I know which to sort?" He scratched his head, before coming up with a brilliant idea.
"This would teach you a lesson, Kitsune, to treat me better..." He grinned evilly before setting to work.
--
Megumi finished treating the man who was sent in. She pitied the man. How hard it is to be a beggar in the streets, where everyone treats you like a dirt. But this is the worse case she had ever seen. Scratches, bruises, a bump on the head, and neck. Neck! Of all places... the attacker must be really skilled. And worse of all, he was stripped naked. This was only when the police found him and brought him here, unconscious.
Tired of the morning's work, she closed the clinic before headed back to the room where Sanosuke was helping out to sort the herbs. Not expecting much to come out of him, she entered the room, expecting a huge pile still waiting to be sorted. She looked around and saw rooster head was snoozing in one corner, while the table which held the herbs where... was neat and free of herbs.
He really did this?
Surprised, she looked into the containers... and screamed.
"TORI ATAMA!" She yelled, face red in anger as she pulled him by the ear to the standing position. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE HERBS?!"
Sanosuke stretched lazily and rubbed his ear. "You needn't shout, anyway, I just added some more "enriching" things to the herbs, that's all."
"ENRICHING?! YOU URINATED IN THEM!" She was freaking out, pointing desperately to the containers. "GENZAI-SENSEI WILL KILL ME! THEY'RE WORTH A LOT OF MONEY, YOU BAKA..." And she ranted on angrily.
--
Sanosuke liked the way he made her agitated. And was even more surprised that she was freaking out because of some fake herbs he's added to them, well, including his pee.
"Maa maa..." He gestured as she started to hit him. "Those are not the real herbs."
"Ah? Honto?" She winced, then pinched her nose and looked into one of the containers.
"SANOSUKE!!!" After moments of studying. An angry vein popped into her forehead. Sanosuke swallowed. Hard.
And there was a commotion between the rooster and the fox in the clinic. And then a rooster came running out of the clinic, grinning happily all the way as the fox chased him to the dojo.
TBC...