===
Ep. 9: Complications
===
"Hey you woman!" Enishi barged in at her door.
"Hey stinky." She smiled looking up from her book calling him by the pet name she gave him.
"Kaoru wanted to ask if I can be spared from the auction seeing as I have a girlfriend and all." He huffed falling on her bed.
"Its nonnegotiable." She said returning to her book. "I'll talk to her if you want."
"Nah its ok." He said watching her. "Hey oneechan?"
"Yeah?" she looked over at him.
"Next year you'll be leaving to go to college huh?" he said a little sad. He and Tomoe had always been together, they've never really been apart. She would always take care of him, washing his face before he went to bed. Making his bowl of cereal in the morning, always holding his hand so he wouldn't get lost as a child. Once he started to be taller than her he had decided he would be the one taking care of her which was why he was so protective of her. Now that she was leaving he was once again lost. He would be lost without her.
"Why are you going to miss me huh?" she smiled pinching his nose.
"NO! I can't wait for you to get out of the house so I can use the car." he swatted her hand away.
"Hey Enishi?" she said being serious again. "Are you gonna come visit me once I start living in the dorm?"
"Sure..." he smiled. "Hey can I stay here a while?"
She smiled. They had always done their homework in her room. Enishi had stopped going there once he started junior high.
Leaving him behind was going to be hard. She remembered that summer when she had to go to camp. He stood by the bus furiously rubbing his eyes so he wouldn't cry.
Sometimes she hated her parents for never being around, for leaving her to take care of Enishi. But now that she thought about it she was thankful for the love that had grown between the two of them. Enishi had been her entire world. She would do anything for him.
"Who will take care of you when I'm gone?" she asked quietly.
"I can take care of myself!" he said blushing.
"I don't think so..." she smiled.
===
"Wow I never thought acting could be so much fun!" Tari beamed walking out of the classroom they were rehearsing in.
"You're not bad for a beginner. I think you're a natural actor!" Soujiro smiled.
"Actresssssss..." he stressed.
"Ah sorry, actress."
"Anyway uhm Sou..." he started unsure.
"Yeah Tari?" Soujiro asked not really paying attention, looking over the script.
"Uhm the kiss..." Tari said blushing unable to look at his friend in the eye.
"What?" Soujiro said looking at him.
"There's a kiss in the end. I was wondering if we're still going to do that." He stopped.
"We don't if you're uncomfortable with it."
===
"Did you hear? Sano and Makimachi were making out in the closet the other day..."
"No way!"
"I heard they had a secret affair! Ever since sophomore year!"
"I heard they were childhood sweethearts!"
"Aren't they engaged?"
"That bitch!"
Misao sat in her chair, adamant not to look at any of her classmates, her ears turning red. She had entered the school amid cold stares and hushed tones, which only signaled one thing, there was gossip about her. And she found out from none other than Soujiro himself. He asked her why she never told him about her relationship with Sano when they had been as close as siblings.
This hit Misao like a ton of bricks, one that she could be associated with someone as uncouth as Sagara, two that it presupposes that they have been together a long time and three Soujiro had heard about it. Not to mention he reiterated to her that he looked upon her as nothing but a little sister. All she could do was shake her head and ran sobbing to the bathroom, where she promptly heard the rest of the rumors.
Now she sat there waiting for the bell to ring so that the talk could finally die down. Somebody stopped in front of her table. She looked up and stared into Tanada's unreadable eyes. Then he stepped passed her and moved on to his chair at the end of the room.
===
Aoshi looked over at Tomoe. She was writing something in her notebook. His mind shifted to the other day, seeing her bent over a sleeping Himura with a fond look on her face.
He sighed.
===
Sano entered the classroom late. Whispers began the moment he stepped into the door. Now this wasn't an unusual thing for him since he was used to the attention.
"Ok what's the damage this time?" he asked sitting beside Shiro. To his surprise his friend wouldn't even look at him. "Hey Tanada didn't you hear me?"
"Sano..." Kaoru said shaking her head.
"What the hell is going on?" he said a little too loud.
===
"Is something wrong Aoshi?" Tomoe asked during recess.
"Why do you ask?" he asked not really looking at her.
"You seem different." She said concern on her face.
"What do you mean? I'm fine." He said moving away from her. Being around her hurt too much. Of all the twelve years they've known it each other, today was the only day he didn't want to be with her.
He thought she was pretty while she was holding a kitten in their neighborhood when they were six. He thought she was sweet when she would sit with Enishi during lunch when he first came to school. He thought she was smart when she beat him at their sixth grade spelling bee. He thought she was perfect when she laughed at his lame jokes. And he had fallen in love with her last year when one morning she sat down beside him and smiled. A smile that made him see her in a different light. A smile that was meant only for him.
It was funny to think that of all the girls that were hounding him, the one he had to fall in love with was his best friend. This single fact prevented him from admitting to her his feelings. He wasn't sure if she felt the same way. So he contented himself with having her in the proximity, never really having her but it was better than nothing.
He didn't want to lose her.
===
"Tanada..." Misao approached him after the classroom had almost emptied. She couldn't work up the nerve the entire day. The rumormongers were quick and vicious. She was so embarrassed to be caught up in such a scandal that for the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say.
She thought Sano had already told him the truth but for some reason he didn't. Their usual banters in class were silenced since they weren't speaking to each other. Even Mr. Himura noticed and had asked her about it. And she knew either Mr. Himura was oblivious to the degree the faculty gossiped (which was worse than the study body) or he was not well liked. Which was a shame since he was such a nice guy...
"You don't have to say it Makimachi." He said gathering his things and bringing her back to the topic at hand.
"But you don't understand..."
"My mother forced my father to marry her." He said suddenly. "She made my grandfather pay the owner of the team to terminate his contract, he paid off the other teams not to take him in. All because my mother decided she wanted to marry him. And my father lived the rest of his life miserable because of it."
She couldn't speak. She wanted to tell him it was all lies, but hearing his story broke her heart.
"I won't force anyone to love me." he said leaving.
It took her a couple of seconds to get her voice back. All day she wanted to shout out 'IT'S NOT TRUE' and yet all she could do was whisper it to an empty room.
===
"Sano-kun?" He looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw Tsubame walking over to him with a pile of papers in her hand.
"Hey Tsubame-chan."
"Don't you have practice?" she asked confused.
"I skipped it. Where are you going?" he asked pointing to the papers.
"I have to put up these posters, class president duties." She smiled, her dimples showing.
"I'll help you." he said getting up.
"Oh no that's ok I can manage." She blushed, normally she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to be with Sano but ever since she started high school her feelings have changed. Somehow it became deeper than a crush and having him around just made her feel uncomfortable.
"I'll help besides you might not be able to reach." He laughed patting her on the head.
She sighed, was that all she'll ever be to him? A little sister?
"Thanks Sano-kun too bad I never had a big brother like you." she started to walk.
He stopped. Big brother, of course how could he forget? But watching her try to reach as high as him as they put up the posters and laugh at his stupid jokes, made him wish he could forget.
"Why don't you have a boyfriend yet? You're so pretty!" he commented hearing the staple gun click. "I swear I think my baby brother might be gay not seeing you when you've always been in front of him." he stopped. He could've been talking about himself as well.
"Me and Yahiko aren't like that." She said hesitantly. It never occurred to her that Yahiko might have feelings for her. He's always been there and she considered him her best friend but that was it. And yet she couldn't imagine being without him.
"What about you Sano-kun? Why don't you ever settle for one girl?" she asked changing the topic.
"Coz I haven't found anyone worth settling for." He said looking at her. She blushed. "Tsubame..."
She stopped; he's never called her without adding the -chan in the end. It kept things informal between them.
"You think you could ever fall for..."
"Yahiko!" she blurted out. Down the corridor with an unreadable look in his eyes stood her best friend. He walked out of the door silently.
===
"Mr. Himura? About the contracts?" she asked entering the faculty room. She was stunned to see it was deserted.
"Eh everyone bolts once the last period bell rings." He answered her confused look. "You think they were being caged or maltreated here with the way they run out of here every afternoon." He stopped, they were sorta caged AND maltreated.
"Oh yeah." He leaned over his desk to take the folded jacket out of his drawer. "This belongs to you I presume."
"Yes."
"I'm really sorry about falling asleep. You should've woken me up."
"You looked so peaceful and tired I decided not to." she said taking her jacket from him.
"Anyway I've looked over the contracts and its ok mostly. Although you should put that they are under no obligation to have physical contact with the person that bought them. You know kisses and stuff?" he blushed handing her the contracts she had left beside his drooling head the afternoon before.
"Ok." She smiled. He was so cute, he still blushed at things like that. "Anything else?"
"Ah..." he stopped distracted for a moment as she tucked some of her hair behind her ears. My god she's beautiful!
He hit himself on the head and told himself not to think like that! She was his student!
She's just seventeen!
"Uhm eighteen sir." Tomoe corrected him.
Kenshin paled, was he thinking out loud again? "How much did I say?"
"She's just seventeen." She repeated. "Don't worry we know about things like that." She said referring to what he said about kissing.
Oh thank goodness for vague thoughts! He wanted to jump for joy at his unexpected save.
"Well that's about it I guess."
"Ok." She said placing the papers in her bag.
"Ok I'll expect another draft this week." He said turning from her.
"Why is it that sunsets all of a sudden seem sad?" she whispered absently looking out the window. "Or is it just you Mr. Himura?"
He turned around to look at her, startled at her question.
===
Tsubame looked at the old pictures of her grade school. Almost all the time she and Yahiko were side by side.
She laughed as she saw a photograph of her crying her eyes out with Yahiko beside her teasing her with a snake. She sighed.
No matter what she would not hurt her best friend.
===
Ep. 9: Complications
===
"Hey you woman!" Enishi barged in at her door.
"Hey stinky." She smiled looking up from her book calling him by the pet name she gave him.
"Kaoru wanted to ask if I can be spared from the auction seeing as I have a girlfriend and all." He huffed falling on her bed.
"Its nonnegotiable." She said returning to her book. "I'll talk to her if you want."
"Nah its ok." He said watching her. "Hey oneechan?"
"Yeah?" she looked over at him.
"Next year you'll be leaving to go to college huh?" he said a little sad. He and Tomoe had always been together, they've never really been apart. She would always take care of him, washing his face before he went to bed. Making his bowl of cereal in the morning, always holding his hand so he wouldn't get lost as a child. Once he started to be taller than her he had decided he would be the one taking care of her which was why he was so protective of her. Now that she was leaving he was once again lost. He would be lost without her.
"Why are you going to miss me huh?" she smiled pinching his nose.
"NO! I can't wait for you to get out of the house so I can use the car." he swatted her hand away.
"Hey Enishi?" she said being serious again. "Are you gonna come visit me once I start living in the dorm?"
"Sure..." he smiled. "Hey can I stay here a while?"
She smiled. They had always done their homework in her room. Enishi had stopped going there once he started junior high.
Leaving him behind was going to be hard. She remembered that summer when she had to go to camp. He stood by the bus furiously rubbing his eyes so he wouldn't cry.
Sometimes she hated her parents for never being around, for leaving her to take care of Enishi. But now that she thought about it she was thankful for the love that had grown between the two of them. Enishi had been her entire world. She would do anything for him.
"Who will take care of you when I'm gone?" she asked quietly.
"I can take care of myself!" he said blushing.
"I don't think so..." she smiled.
===
"Wow I never thought acting could be so much fun!" Tari beamed walking out of the classroom they were rehearsing in.
"You're not bad for a beginner. I think you're a natural actor!" Soujiro smiled.
"Actresssssss..." he stressed.
"Ah sorry, actress."
"Anyway uhm Sou..." he started unsure.
"Yeah Tari?" Soujiro asked not really paying attention, looking over the script.
"Uhm the kiss..." Tari said blushing unable to look at his friend in the eye.
"What?" Soujiro said looking at him.
"There's a kiss in the end. I was wondering if we're still going to do that." He stopped.
"We don't if you're uncomfortable with it."
===
"Did you hear? Sano and Makimachi were making out in the closet the other day..."
"No way!"
"I heard they had a secret affair! Ever since sophomore year!"
"I heard they were childhood sweethearts!"
"Aren't they engaged?"
"That bitch!"
Misao sat in her chair, adamant not to look at any of her classmates, her ears turning red. She had entered the school amid cold stares and hushed tones, which only signaled one thing, there was gossip about her. And she found out from none other than Soujiro himself. He asked her why she never told him about her relationship with Sano when they had been as close as siblings.
This hit Misao like a ton of bricks, one that she could be associated with someone as uncouth as Sagara, two that it presupposes that they have been together a long time and three Soujiro had heard about it. Not to mention he reiterated to her that he looked upon her as nothing but a little sister. All she could do was shake her head and ran sobbing to the bathroom, where she promptly heard the rest of the rumors.
Now she sat there waiting for the bell to ring so that the talk could finally die down. Somebody stopped in front of her table. She looked up and stared into Tanada's unreadable eyes. Then he stepped passed her and moved on to his chair at the end of the room.
===
Aoshi looked over at Tomoe. She was writing something in her notebook. His mind shifted to the other day, seeing her bent over a sleeping Himura with a fond look on her face.
He sighed.
===
Sano entered the classroom late. Whispers began the moment he stepped into the door. Now this wasn't an unusual thing for him since he was used to the attention.
"Ok what's the damage this time?" he asked sitting beside Shiro. To his surprise his friend wouldn't even look at him. "Hey Tanada didn't you hear me?"
"Sano..." Kaoru said shaking her head.
"What the hell is going on?" he said a little too loud.
===
"Is something wrong Aoshi?" Tomoe asked during recess.
"Why do you ask?" he asked not really looking at her.
"You seem different." She said concern on her face.
"What do you mean? I'm fine." He said moving away from her. Being around her hurt too much. Of all the twelve years they've known it each other, today was the only day he didn't want to be with her.
He thought she was pretty while she was holding a kitten in their neighborhood when they were six. He thought she was sweet when she would sit with Enishi during lunch when he first came to school. He thought she was smart when she beat him at their sixth grade spelling bee. He thought she was perfect when she laughed at his lame jokes. And he had fallen in love with her last year when one morning she sat down beside him and smiled. A smile that made him see her in a different light. A smile that was meant only for him.
It was funny to think that of all the girls that were hounding him, the one he had to fall in love with was his best friend. This single fact prevented him from admitting to her his feelings. He wasn't sure if she felt the same way. So he contented himself with having her in the proximity, never really having her but it was better than nothing.
He didn't want to lose her.
===
"Tanada..." Misao approached him after the classroom had almost emptied. She couldn't work up the nerve the entire day. The rumormongers were quick and vicious. She was so embarrassed to be caught up in such a scandal that for the first time in her life, she didn't know what to say.
She thought Sano had already told him the truth but for some reason he didn't. Their usual banters in class were silenced since they weren't speaking to each other. Even Mr. Himura noticed and had asked her about it. And she knew either Mr. Himura was oblivious to the degree the faculty gossiped (which was worse than the study body) or he was not well liked. Which was a shame since he was such a nice guy...
"You don't have to say it Makimachi." He said gathering his things and bringing her back to the topic at hand.
"But you don't understand..."
"My mother forced my father to marry her." He said suddenly. "She made my grandfather pay the owner of the team to terminate his contract, he paid off the other teams not to take him in. All because my mother decided she wanted to marry him. And my father lived the rest of his life miserable because of it."
She couldn't speak. She wanted to tell him it was all lies, but hearing his story broke her heart.
"I won't force anyone to love me." he said leaving.
It took her a couple of seconds to get her voice back. All day she wanted to shout out 'IT'S NOT TRUE' and yet all she could do was whisper it to an empty room.
===
"Sano-kun?" He looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw Tsubame walking over to him with a pile of papers in her hand.
"Hey Tsubame-chan."
"Don't you have practice?" she asked confused.
"I skipped it. Where are you going?" he asked pointing to the papers.
"I have to put up these posters, class president duties." She smiled, her dimples showing.
"I'll help you." he said getting up.
"Oh no that's ok I can manage." She blushed, normally she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to be with Sano but ever since she started high school her feelings have changed. Somehow it became deeper than a crush and having him around just made her feel uncomfortable.
"I'll help besides you might not be able to reach." He laughed patting her on the head.
She sighed, was that all she'll ever be to him? A little sister?
"Thanks Sano-kun too bad I never had a big brother like you." she started to walk.
He stopped. Big brother, of course how could he forget? But watching her try to reach as high as him as they put up the posters and laugh at his stupid jokes, made him wish he could forget.
"Why don't you have a boyfriend yet? You're so pretty!" he commented hearing the staple gun click. "I swear I think my baby brother might be gay not seeing you when you've always been in front of him." he stopped. He could've been talking about himself as well.
"Me and Yahiko aren't like that." She said hesitantly. It never occurred to her that Yahiko might have feelings for her. He's always been there and she considered him her best friend but that was it. And yet she couldn't imagine being without him.
"What about you Sano-kun? Why don't you ever settle for one girl?" she asked changing the topic.
"Coz I haven't found anyone worth settling for." He said looking at her. She blushed. "Tsubame..."
She stopped; he's never called her without adding the -chan in the end. It kept things informal between them.
"You think you could ever fall for..."
"Yahiko!" she blurted out. Down the corridor with an unreadable look in his eyes stood her best friend. He walked out of the door silently.
===
"Mr. Himura? About the contracts?" she asked entering the faculty room. She was stunned to see it was deserted.
"Eh everyone bolts once the last period bell rings." He answered her confused look. "You think they were being caged or maltreated here with the way they run out of here every afternoon." He stopped, they were sorta caged AND maltreated.
"Oh yeah." He leaned over his desk to take the folded jacket out of his drawer. "This belongs to you I presume."
"Yes."
"I'm really sorry about falling asleep. You should've woken me up."
"You looked so peaceful and tired I decided not to." she said taking her jacket from him.
"Anyway I've looked over the contracts and its ok mostly. Although you should put that they are under no obligation to have physical contact with the person that bought them. You know kisses and stuff?" he blushed handing her the contracts she had left beside his drooling head the afternoon before.
"Ok." She smiled. He was so cute, he still blushed at things like that. "Anything else?"
"Ah..." he stopped distracted for a moment as she tucked some of her hair behind her ears. My god she's beautiful!
He hit himself on the head and told himself not to think like that! She was his student!
She's just seventeen!
"Uhm eighteen sir." Tomoe corrected him.
Kenshin paled, was he thinking out loud again? "How much did I say?"
"She's just seventeen." She repeated. "Don't worry we know about things like that." She said referring to what he said about kissing.
Oh thank goodness for vague thoughts! He wanted to jump for joy at his unexpected save.
"Well that's about it I guess."
"Ok." She said placing the papers in her bag.
"Ok I'll expect another draft this week." He said turning from her.
"Why is it that sunsets all of a sudden seem sad?" she whispered absently looking out the window. "Or is it just you Mr. Himura?"
He turned around to look at her, startled at her question.
===
Tsubame looked at the old pictures of her grade school. Almost all the time she and Yahiko were side by side.
She laughed as she saw a photograph of her crying her eyes out with Yahiko beside her teasing her with a snake. She sighed.
No matter what she would not hurt her best friend.
===