Behind a Smile: 06: Kurisumasu Shotai
Author's notes: Hyaaa!! School's back!!! Nooo!!! I don't wanna go wear my uniform, wake up early, do homework and school stuff! I wanna stay at home…Besides, school already started…=.=
How come you just start feeling that summer just begun when it's already gone?
Anyway, I've been having problems with FF.net with chapter 5, since it won't accept it. So I'm here listening to Sanosuke's Theme as I write this chapter. Heeheehee.
***
06::Kurisumasu Shotai//Christmas Invitation::06
***
Waking up with a jolt, Soujiro stared innocently before him, not knowing where he was. It took a few seconds for him to realize that he was in the guest room, with the guest sleeping before him, a pool of black surrounding the figure.
"I must've fallen asleep…" he muttered, looking down at himself, since he fell in slumber's deep embrace while sitting on a chair. Soujiro smiled as he ran a hand through his tousled hair, standing up from the chair before smoothing out the sheets. Satisfied, Soujiro straightened up and walked away from the room after opening the window beside the bed.
"I better go call Omasu-san for some clothes…"
He looked down himself one more time.
"After I take a shower."
*
The bright rays of sunlight shone gently on her form, the long locks of black shimmering around her as the light bounced off the strands. Birds chirped joyously as the light continued to wrap the girl in its ethereal beauty, making her glow as well.
Emerald green eyes opened, revealing its deep color as she took in her surroundings. She didn't know where she was, so she sat up in curiosity, pulling the warm white sheets up for a second to see if she was decently dressed. Sighing a relieve sigh, and knowing that only her shoes were taken off, Makimachi Misao smiled and swept the sheets away from her.
"Must be the guest room…" Misao murmured to herself, putting on her shoes after remembering what happened last night. She started to walk towards the door to look for her best friend, but apparently someone beat her to it.
"Misao-chan!!" said a surprised voice, making Misao look up to see Shishio Yumi standing in the doorway with a change of clothes. "You…look…"
Raising her eyebrows, Misao looked down at her clothes. "Look what…?"
"Marvelous!!" Yumi exclaimed, a joyous smile spread wide across her green-tainted lips. Misao wondered how the hell Yumi could use green lipstick but look so elegant and wonderful at the same time.
"Ma-marvelous…?" Misao asked, still looking down on herself.
"You should always let your hair down!" Yumi pointed out, absolutely astonished on how beautiful Misao's long ebony locks were. "If you do, you'll get more guys hanging all over you, Misao-chan!"
Emerald eyed widened at the comment. So that was the factor that made Yumi so surprised.
Shaking her head a little, with stray maroon strands swaying with the movement, Yumi handed Misao the change of clothes Soujiro requested from Omasu. Misao thanked her best friend's keeper, heading to the bathroom once she was gone.
**
Sagara Sanosuke's scream of success rang throughout the hallway.
"I guess that birdbrain passed through a miracle." Takani Megumi remarked, sneering at the spiky-haired Sanosuke. Himura Kenshin smiled sheepishly as Kaoru beamed, happy about the results of their exams. Seta Soujiro, meanwhile, was content with his scores – besides, who wouldn't be if their scores were one of the ones who were the highest among the batch? Meanwhile, Makimachi Misao was ranting about how lucky she was.
"Oh my, what will Aoshi-sama say?" Misao suddenly blurted out loud, apparently not aware that she was speaking her thoughts out loud. "I wonder if he passed his tests…well of course he would – he's Aoshi-sama! But what if he was the highest among them…? My scores are just nothing compared to his…" Her eyes started to widen and be filled with tears.
Exhaling a bit, Kaoru peered at the worried girl as if to comfort her. "Don't worry, Misao-chan – I'm sure Aoshi will understand."
"But…" Misao started to stammer, gaining the group's attention.
"Oh don't worry about him, Misao-chan." Soujiro said reassuringly, patting her on the back. "We're proud of you You got one of the highest scores in class – you always get one of the highest scores in class! Don't worry about a single thing, Misao-chan."
Misao began to interject, but Soujiro beat her to it, making the whole group stop in the midst of walking.
"Ano ne…" Soujiro began, looking at each one of them. "This Christmas, if it's alright with you guys, Yumi-san and Shishio-san permitted me to invite you to our onsen up at Hokkaido for one week, including Christmas."
The only responses he got were widened eyes.
"Eeeh…? Hokkaido?!"
"HOKKAIDO?! I'll be happy to go, Sou-kun!!! I'll be more than happy to go!!!"
"Oro…? Onsen…? We'll go to a hot spring resort? Your hot spring resort? (pause) Sure my dad has one up in Hokkaido, but I'll go anyway, Soujiro-dono."
"Onsen? Lots of ladies…hmm…wait 'till that brat Yahiko takes a load outta this…"
Soujiro smiled, seeing that it was alright with his friends. Well, except his best friend. Everyone looked expectantly at Misao for her answer.
"Ano…"
She was cut off by someone tapping on her shoulder.
"Misao-chan?"
And with that phrase, Misao was ready to melt on the spot. Because it wasn't the Kenshin-gumi who called her, it was Aoshi.
Pure joy ran through her veins, mixing with her blood as her heart pumped faster inside her chest. Her breathing came out as short and uneven, her emerald eyes locked with ice blue orbs, completely lost in the pool of dark navy.
"H-hai, Aoshi-san…?" Misao subconsciously murmured, still shocked with the first-name basis. Sure they've been going out for…two months, but they stuck with the last-name basis that Misao got used to it. Of course, Misao wasn't the one who was THAT shocked.
Warm sapphire orbs were widened to their fullest extent for a split second, the person not wanting to believe what he had just heard. No, it wasn't like he wanted himself to be the only one to call her 'Misao-chan', but to hear it from a total stranger that he thought knew nothing about Misao was the fact that surprised him. Sure he had been patient enough to endure Misao's rants about Aoshi – hell, he'd been patient enough not to burst out of jealousy when Misao goes out with him.
But no – Soujiro wasn't filled to the brim – not yet.
So he decided to play along and replace his face with a mask of a smile.
"I've been wondering – my father shares this onsen resort up in Hokkaido with a businessman, and my father has permitted me to use it for the Christmas Break. I would like to ask you to company me for a week up in Hokkaido to celebrate Christmas with me up there." Aoshi paused for a moment. "Is that alright with you, Misao-chan?"
Yet again, here was the question. The rest of the Kenshin-gumi stared at the girl, hoping that Misao had had enough and will go with Soujiro.
"Ano…" Misao said uncertainly, looking back and forth from Soujiro's faux smile to Aoshi's expectant eyes. Her palms began to sweat as her heart started to thump inside her chest, feeling the pressure that the situation was giving her. "Gomen ne, Aoshi-san, but Sou-chan invited me first."
Aoshi only smiled as Soujiro's smile dropped to a thin line. "Alright then, Misao-chan. I'll just see you in Hokkaido if there's a chance." The college sophomore only nodded towards Misao's friends. "Mata ne, Misao-chan."
Misao, in turn, faintly waved at the retreating figure of the 20-year-old.
**
A blanket of white snow replaced the warm-colored mantle of golden leaves once winter arrived in Japan. Flurries of white ice drizzled down gently as the barren trees enclosed the pathway, giving the walkway a beautiful coverlet of ice, making the visitors of the famed hot spring look up in awe. As the gray clouds danced over the sunlight's warm rays, the small group of six stepped onto the threshold of the entrance.
"Irrashai, Soujiro-sama." Said the lady in a kimono, opening the door for the group of teenagers. "Shishio-sama has informed us of your arrival."
Soujiro nodded in gratitude, smiling as the lady blushed slightly. Regaining her composure, the lady turned to the rest. "Dozo, ohairi kudasai."
The lady led the way, gesturing Soujiro to the reception desk as the rest of the Kenshin-gumi waited for him to finish talking with the receptionist. The inside of the hotel/hot spring resort was lavishly but simply decorated, with ancient Japanese scrolls hanging by each side of the reception desk.
"I have reserved two rooms for us," Soujiro started once he approached the seated Kenshin-gumi. "I hope you guys are comfortable with that."
Misao nodded as she energetically stood up, twirling once before speaking. "Let's go! I want to go to the onsen already!!!!!!!!"
Soujiro laughed light-heartedly at Misao's open confession, smiling as the four got up from the comfy seats. "Hai hai."
*
"Waaaiiii!!!" the green-eyed girl happily exclaimed, leaning out of the large, Japanese-style window frame that was placed on the edge of the room. "Kirei da yo!"
Megumi looked at the genki girl, holding a towel and other bath accessories in her hands. "Misao-chan, are you going to go with us to the hot springs? Me and Kaoru-chan are ready to go."
Misao turned around, jogging up to them with her own bath accessories in her arms. "I'm all ready! C'mon, let's go before it gets crowded!!" She opened the shoji and stepped outside, skipping downstairs towards the pathway that led to the hot springs.
"You know, Megumi-chan," Kaoru said, walking alongside the long-haired foxy lady, her eyes locked on the steps they were stepping on. "I spoke to the lady and she said there was another group that booked into this resort. She also said that one of the members of that group was the son of one of the owners of this resort."
The foxy lady turned to the supposed-to-be shisho of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, raising her eyebrows. "And…? What's your point?"
"Nothing…" Kaoru stated, smiling. "Just a thought crossed into my mind. Don't worry about that."
A faraway shout of 'Oh this is it – see, I still remember it!' signaled that Misao had already arrived at the pathway.
*
Light prints of three sets of straw sandals were etched across the shallow blanket, leading to three youths who were walking towards bamboo wall, looking at the entrance by it. Snowflakes continued to flurry down to the already snow-covered earth, with clusters of it resting on top of wide leaves and top of evergreen trees.
The soft sound of rushing water enveloped the silent onsen, or hot spring, as the three said men entered their appropriate spring. Cheery voices of the girls on the other side rang through their ears, smiles creeping on their lips as they set their things aside.
"Aaah…ii de gozaru…" Himura Kenshin murmured once his body was fully dipped in the hot water. The tips of his carrot-shaded hair danced slowly in the water as he shifted his head, resting it on the stone edge.
"Ooh, hot, hot, hot!" Sagara Sanosuke exclaimed, jumping away from the edge after he dipped his toe in, holding a towel around his waist. "How come the water has to be so hot?!"
"It's a hot spring, Sano." Kenshin said, looking up at the spiky-haired teen.
"Aa." Soujiro agreed, his soccer-trained body submerged in the hot water, sitting before Kenshin. "Don't worry, Sanosuke-san – you're going to get used to the water." He added with a smile, making Sano inch away once more.
"Sou…that smile of yours – it creeps me out…a LOT." Sano confessed, pointing at Soujiro's curved lips.
Soujiro looked at the speaker, smile once again on his lips. "It does? How come, Sanosuke-san?"
"Because you just…SMILE A LOT! How the hell can someone smile a lot?! I mean, doesn't your jaw hurt from all that smiling?!" Sano ranted, still pointing at him with a twitching eyebrow. "Even Kenshin can't do that!"
"Oro?"
"Ara…" Soujiro spoke, an amused smile etched across his beautiful features. "Gomen nasai, Sanosuke-san. I didn't mean to scare you with my smile."
Silence passed, and after a few minutes, Sanosuke finally decided to jump in, not literally. As the three men got acquainted with the climate of the water, the supposed-to-be Hitokiri Battousai tried to open up a serious conversation.
"Ano…Soujiro-dono," Kenshin started, his purple eyes locked on Soujiro's smiling face. Opening his eyes, Soujiro looked thoughtfully back at Kenshin, with Sanosuke watching intently.
"Hai, Kenshin-san?"
"We've been wondering if you're still alright…about Misao-dono and Aoshi-dono." Kenshin silently queried, making Soujiro's lips once again curve up.
"It's been hard," Soujiro claimed, now looking thoughtfully down at the water. "But Misao-chan's been there to help me cheer myself up – you know, to push Misao-chan to the back of my mind."
The two were speechless, absolutely confused of what the supposed-to-be Tenken just said.
Smiling sheepishly, Soujiro reflexively raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. "Gomen nasai! The first Misao-chan's my puppy – the one the real Misao gave to me."
At that moment, certain shuffling of feet, probably three sets of them, was heard approaching the quiet little men's hot spring. Three unrecognizable voices entered earshot, and in curiosity, the three eighteen-year-olds shot their heads up to see who was coming.
"I'm going to ask her tonight." Said a voice Soujiro knew too well – the voice he somewhat despised and the voice his best friend wanted to hear.
The three other men stopped their conversation, seeing that Soujiro, Kenshin and Sanosuke were looking up at them in indescribable emotions. They were definitely talking way too loud.
"Oh, you're Misao-chan's best friend, right?" said Shinomori Aoshi, glancing thoughtfully at the blue-eyed boy, as if to remember his name. "Seta Seijurou?"
Sano's eyebrow twitched once more – this time of pure annoyance. Who does this Aoshi guy think he is?
Soujiro, meanwhile, only smiled and corrected the 20-year-old college sophomore. "It's Seta Soujiro, Shinomori Aoshi-san."
Author's notes: Finally, a chapter finished! So sorry if it sucks – I just got a load of homework. School's definitely back.
Special notes to special people!
Bishoujo-san: sorry. Di ka nagtatanong eh. ^^ o, I hope nagustuhan mo ung chap.
Varie-san: Oh thank you very much for reviewing! Yes, the world needs more Soujiro/Misao's. I hope you can keep on reading & reviewing!
Midaoru-san: Thanks! Ows talaga? It's coming along nicely? *blinkblnk* Thank you! Eep, ang laki na ng eyeags ko…! Heeheeheehee, thanks so much!
sophomoric genius-san: I know I already read your ficcie! *tries to think* Anyway, I'll just read it again and please, can you advertise Behind a Smile in your ficcie? Thanks! I hope you liked!
White Witch-san: Oi, long time no see! ^^; Yes, Misao IS dense, but don't worry. ^^ Yes! Si sou-chan yung nakalagay sa Soc. Sci. notebook ko! Anong year ko? Uh, II-6, kasama na section! Ikaw? Kung gusto mo sabihin mo pa school mo, but that's okay. ^^ Baka lang kasi magkaschool pala tayo, di lang alam. ^^ Hope you liked the chap!
regina-terrae-san: Thank you very much, I'm happy you had fun. Hope you liked!
ceres17-san: getting what out of hand? ^^ Hope you liked, or whatever you think about my fic.
Person: Don't worry, I will write more. ^^ I'll try to finish this by the end of June. ^^ I have to. Anyway, hope you liked!
Mitchy-san: Oh thank you very much. I'm getting over it. I will finish this!
I'll see you all next chap, and please, R&R! Authors need reviews!!! Thanks!
A. Pikachu