Disclaimer: Never will acceberflame own Rurouni Kenshin

Hidden Secrets.

The dawn's beams crept into the room slowly, filling the room in a yellow brilliance. Kaoru shielded her eyes before the light could blind her. She felt much better than before, now that she had fed on the old man's blood. The luster had returned to her black hair, and her face was now flushed and glowing. But Kaoru still felt bitterness at the unfairness of all of it-why did she have to kill to live?

She was tired of it all-tired of the life of a vampyere. All she had ever wanted was a normal life. But how could she? She was a leech-a blood sucking leech, and the last of her kind. She could tell no one her secret.

Kaoru sighed. It had been a long time since her last feasting. Yet the taste of the sweet blood still left a bitter taste in her mind. She really shouldn't have…But how would she survive other wise?

It was good that no one around her-her friends and elders-could tell that she was one of the undead. They were all too blinded by the myths and stories they read now in the modern world. Of course Kaoru didn't sleep in a coffin, and why would she disappear in sunlight? And her fangs? They only appeared when she was feeding. So in the end, it really was just rubbish. Kaoru could pass for a human-could be a human, if only she didn't have to feed on blood.

The telephone ringed in Kaoru's small apartment room. She snatched it up.

"Hey Kaoru!" exclaimed an excited, bouncy voice at the end of the other line. "Are you still coming to school today? You were so pale yesterday that I thought you were sick!"

"Yeah, Misao. I'm going to school today. I guess all the work that we have in high school just sort of tired me out." Kaoru said to her best friend.

"Cool! Then I'll see you really soon, at school!" Misao chirped.

After a few minutes in the bathroom, Kaoru was ready. She wasn't hungry-her banquet last night had already been enough. As usual, Misao was waiting for her at the bus stop.

"You're looking a lot better Kaoru! Now Megumi can't tease you about how pale looking you are!" Misao said eagerly.

"Who says I can't?" Megumi asked as she walked towards them.

As usual, Megumi's straight, perfect hair was flowing down her back, and she had her typical proud smile pasted on her lips. Still, the trio were the best of friends, and Kaoru could not help but be proud of her human companions.

"Hey, who is that hottie over there?" Megumi whispered as she leaned over to Kaoru's ear.

There, standing by himself, was a living perfection. Kaoru could not help but feel envious that she was not a human girl, for if she was, she would run directly to him, and ask him out. His pale, sharp face was surrounded by tresses of red hair, and his eyes were lavender, with specks of tiny gold floating in them.

"I know him! Aoshi-sama was talking about him to me yesterday!" Misao whispered loudly. "He's like a genius or something! He's only twenty three, but he graduated from college when he was sixteen! And he's going to be the kendo teacher at our school!"

Kaoru could sense something about him however. It wasn't bad…not exactly, but it was the smell of long dried blood…Kaoru sniffed the air uncertainly.

That was when the man walked over.

"Hello ladies," he said in a voice like a tiger's purring, "Do you all go to the same high school?"

Kaoru nodded along with her friends. She felt his eyes run over his face, and she knew he was different from the others. But how did he know? The bus rumbled over, and Kaoru picked up her bags. She got into the bus as it finally reached the stop, pondering.

He knew there was something wrong about her. She was different from her friends-quieter, and older. Not in ages, but in understanding. But she was beautiful too…in a way different than Tomoe….but there was something somewhat scary about her…something about the eyes…They were so beautiful and clear…yet they resembled the eyes of a vampyere so much that Kenshin had to glance away, and clear his mind. She can't be, he thought, She's much too innocent. Or was she?