(A/N: School's over!!!! I finally have a chance to write and update this
story. This week has been torture to me. *Sigh* The burdens of being a
high school student. To those who are wondering why the hell Jin is here,
I'm not spilling the beans, you guys'll have to wait and see. BWHAHAHAHAHA.
I'm so mean. Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to my cousin
SailorLonestar for her sweet sixteen birthday that was 3 or 4 months ago.
*sweatdrop* I'm a terrible cousin...)
Disclaimer: I don't own RK, never have, never will, end of discussion.
Key:
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
^~^~ Dream/Flashback ^~^~^
~~~~ Change of Scene ~~~~~
A Reason to Live
Chapter 4: New Home and Memories
Jin slowly opened his pale blue eyes blinking away the last remnants of sleep. Light flowed into the room from the opened shoji door. The chirping of bids signified springtime and the sakura petals floated daintily into the room. One of which landed softly on his open palm. He looked at the tiny little petal, scrutinizing it, noting it's fragility much like life was...fragile.
'It's been three days since my arrival at the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo and life has been so tranquil that I fear that it must be a dream.'
He looked at his healing wounds an fingered the bandages absent-mindedly. Most of the wounds had healed and he guessed that he was halfway through the road to full recovery. Jin realized the importance of rest in order for a fast recovery, but he couldn't stay in the room any longer.
*sigh* 'The effects of wandering for 14 ears...you become extremely restless.'
Jin sat up effortlessly and stood up fixing the futon from its disarray. He looked at his state of dress, which was a light blue yukata supplied by Kaoru from her father's wardrobe. It was loose fitting since it was quit large for him and it would have to suffice for the time being as at the moment, his clothes were being washed. He walked toward the dinning room to find it empty and sat at the table.
'It's been so long since I have been in Tokyo, it brings back memories...joyful ones as well as the one filled with eternal pain.'
The sound of wood clashing against wood echoed from the dojo and in curiosity, Jin headed toward the dojo where he once practiced his kendo skills...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^
Meanwhile, at the dojo... "KYAAH!!" "Yahiko, you're swinging your shinai like a wild animal!" "URUSAI BUSU!"
Yahiko makes a haphazard swing at Kaoru, but she dodges and crashes her shinai hard into Yahiko's back sending him sprawled on the floor muttering incoherent curses.
"Yahiko, we'll take a break, your frustration is clouding your sound judgment...at least what's left of it," Kaoru settles herself at the corner in a meditating position. Yahiko angrily punches the floor and violently hurls his shinai at Kaoru. Kaoru calmly picks up her bokken and deflects the oncoming projectile.
"BAKA! THROWING A TANTRUM ISN'T GOING TO HELP!" Kaoru was about to whack Yahiko with her ever-trusty bokken when the shoji door to the dojo slid open.
Jin walked in and saw the two in the midst of arguing and chuckled at their antics. 'Watching them reminds of Gi and Chi whenever they pull pranks on each other. Come to think of it...I never saw them on my journey here. This place...reminds me so much of home.'
Kaoru got up from the floor, "Oh Jin, you're awake...did we wake you up with our practice?" Yahiko sat facing away from them and grunted every so often.
Jin chuckled again, "Iie, I just got tired of lying on the futon for so long and decided to get up and explore."
"Sou ka, demo...are you sure you should be up? You're still recovering and..." Kaoru spoke with concern.
"It's ok Kamiya-san, I'm fine. Anou.where is everyone else today?" Jin was confused on why the dojo was so empty.
"Eh? Oh, Kenshin went to the market to buy some things, Sanosuke went gambling...again...and Megumi works at the clinic and said she'll stop by later to see to your wounds." Kaoru answered and noticed that seemed a lot brighter than when he had first arrived. His hair was now a slightly darker yellow and his eyes were not as pale.
'I think it would be a good time for me to pay a visit home...but I don't want them to worry...' Jin thought to himself. "Anou...Kamiya-san, I'm going to go around Tokyo for a while, it's been so long since I've been here."
"I guess that's alright...anou...do you need me or Yahiko to come with you? I believe Tokyo has changed since you were last here and I don't want you to get lost," Kaoru wondered why he wanted to leave all of a sudden.
"Hai...Tokyo has changed since then, demo, I believe I can find my way without any help and the place am looking for is not too far off from here. I promise that I will return before dinner." Jin smiled and headed toward the shoji door leading to the out to the front yard.
"Ja ne, Kamiya-san...Yahiko-chan," Jin waved good-bye and closed the door as Yahiko threw his sandal at him, only to hit the door.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^
At the marketplace...
"Hmm...let's see..what was sessha supposed to get today?" Kenshin thought as he looked at each of the shops.
"Ah...here, there's the tofu, well, that one down. I'm supposed to buy daikon radishes, carrots, and new clothes for Jin-dono." Kenshin began to look for the rest of the items and collected the daikon radishes and carrots. He started to look at the tailor shop for clothes. 'Jin-dono seems like a nice person, but then again there are several "nice" people that can be very deceiving, de gozaru yo. I have to find out his purpose for being at the dojo and soon. If his intent is to take Kaoru as his wife...well, he can't cause she's MY woman...well, not yet, but soon will be, de gozaru yo! I will not lose to Jin-dono, de gozaru yo!!'
"Oh, that looks nice de gozaru yo." Kenshin picks up the gi and hakama and purchases it and headed back home.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jin continued to walk and soon ended up at the edge of town and entered the forest. 'I've missed the smell of pine (A/N: is pine native to Japan?) and though its been 14 years, I can still remember this place like the back of my hand. I wonder if it's still there...'
Jin came up to an old wooden fence and saw a house up ahead. He opened the door and it creaked loudly. 'The place is still like it was when I left it.'
He entered the premises and saw that it was still empty and abandoned.
'I'm not too surprised that no one's been here since then, it's cut off from the city giving us privacy.'
Jin continued and tripped over something. He got up and looked down at what he had tripped over. His eyes widened a bit as he saw a skull and several bones lying on the ground. 'These...must be okaa-san and otou- san..."
He found a barren spot in the yard and dug a large hole and placed the remains of his parents into it and buried it. He found a large stone and heaved it to the mound. Jin put his hands in a prayer. 'Rest in peace...'
Jin began to wander around the house reminiscing about the past. He came to the backyard and looked the at the barren patch of dirt.
'This is...'
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ^~^~ (Flashback)
"KYAHH!!"
"Move your back foot forward a bit! That's right! There, you got it!" Shin yelled to Gi as they practiced their katas.
A young Jin watched in wonder as his older brothers practiced Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. He barely noticed that his older sister had sat down next to him.
"Ohayo Jin-chan! Watching them spar again ne?" His sister startled him from his observations.
"Eh?! Oh, ohayo Rei-nee-chan! Gomensai, I didn't see you there," Jin turned to smile at her.
Then, silence fell between them and all they could hear were shouts and clashing wood.
"Anou...Rei-nee, do you think I'll ever be as strong as they are when I get older?" Jin asked as he continued to watch his brothers spar.
"Of course you will, Jin-chan! You'll probably become even more stronger then them! Why are you so worried?" Rei looked concerned at her youngest brother's lack of self-confidence.
"Well, you see...Shin-nii-chan has been acting kind of weird lately...he acts sort of cold toward me nowadays and always makes some sort of excuse that I shouldn't practice with him," Jin stared at Shin and became lost in his own thoughts.
Rei frowned and wrapped an arm around Jin whispering, "Daijoubu Jin-chan. You're strong and you'll overcome this..."
(End of Flashback) ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Jin smirked at the memory, "You were right, I became strong...demo...you're not here to see it though, I know you are proud of me."
He continued into the dark house visiting each room and then into his parents' room...
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
(Flashback)
"Ohayo okaa-san! Did you need me for something?" Jin ran into the room and tripped onto the futon.
His mother giggled, "Iie, Jin-chan I have something for you."
"Hontou ni?! Where? Where is it?" Jin began to search around the room and the futon for his gift.
Jin's mother giggled again and took out a small bag out of the sleeve of her yukata. Jin immediately stopped tearing through the room and sat in front of his mother and stared at the small bag.
"What's inside it okaa-san?" Jin poked and prodded the bag feeling the small lumps of the objects hidden inside.
His mother opened the bag and poured out its contents revealing seven marbles each of them unique in color. Jin looked at each in wonder and giggled in delight. At that moment, his father walked in, "I see that Jin- chan has found his birthday present."
Jin smiled up at his father and hugged both of his parents yelling, "DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU OKAA-SAN, OTOU-SAN!!!"
"Tanjobi omedetou gozaimasu, Jin-chan!" His parents shouted together.
He sat on his mother's lap looking at each of the marbles. He picked up a dark green colored marble and looked up at his mother, "Okaa-san, this one is otou-san!"
"Oh, and which one is me, Jin-chan?" His mother smiled and hugged him tightly. His father sat next to them observing his actions.
Jin picked up clear marble with bubbles and a silver swirl in the middle, "This one is you, okaa-san!"
He looked at a dark blue marble and pointed at it, "Shin-nii-chan!"
Then he named the rest of the marbles, "The red one is Rei-nee-chan, the green one with the red fire in it is Chi-nee-chan, and the green one with the yellow bubbles is Gi-nii-chan!"
"Let me guess, this baby blue one is you ne?" His dad picked up the baby blue marble and held it in the light as he smiled at Jin.
"HAI!!" Jin smiled wide and jumped into his father's arms. His mother put the marbles back into the bag and put it the straps of the bag on Jin's wrist. His father carried him outside and sat down on the porch and together they watched the other children play in the yard.
"Otou-san? How come I look different from everyone?" Jin asked as he watched his older brothers and sisters play with a ball.
"Eh? Jin-chan, you look different because you are my special son. You are a gift to us from Kami-sama and just because you look different from your brothers and sisters doesn't mean you are not my son and not part of this family. Understand that we love you and that is what a family does whether or not we are alike," Jin's father told him as he hugged him.
"I understand otou-san. Domo arigatou!" Jin smiled and went off to play with his brothers and sisters.
(End of Flashback) ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Jin smiled sadly, "Otou-san, not only were you a good father, you were a good friend too."
He wandered back out to the front yard and looked at the front of the house once more.
"I wonder...if they're still there," Jin walked to the corner of the house and lifted one of the wooden boards to reveal a hidden compartment with a small and slightly worn bag. He grabbed the bag and closed up the hiding spot. As he backed up he came in contact with a small form and quickly turned around to see the trespasser to dared to step on the land he held sacred. Jin turned to see Kaoru staring up him slightly startled by his actions.
"Kamiya-san...what are you doing here?" Jin whispered as if fearing to awake the dead and his eyes softened at knowing that it was her.
"Gomenasai...I followed you all the way here. I was worried since you left so quickly. Daijoubu?" Kaoru looked at him with concerned eyes.
"Aa...daijoubu. Anou..gomenasai for worrying you, I was just in a hurry to visit this place," Jin patted Kaoru's shoulder.
"Sou ka. Anou...is this your house?" She looked around at the house.
"Hai, this was my home," Jin smiled sadly.
"Anou...what's that bag in your hand?" Kaoru pointed at the worn bag in his grasp.
"This was a gift from my parents when I was a little boy," Jin emptied the bag to reveal several multi-colored marbles.
"Kirei..." Kaoru picked up each marble and examined them in wonder.
"They are supposed to represent each of the seven members of my family," Jin explained.
"Anou...there are only six marbles here, which one is missing?" Kaoru counted each of the marbles and wondered which one was Jin's.
"Eh? Oh...mine is the one missing from the collection," Jin explained.
"Naze?" Kaoru asked.
"My onii-chan threw it away into the river," Jin replied looking at the marbles again.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ (Flashback)
"What do you have there Jin-chan?" Shin asked him eying the bag hanging around Jin's wrist.
"Aa...it's otou-san and okaa-san's birthday gift to me," He emptied the bag to show them the marbles, "they're marbles and they represent each of us."
"Which one is yours Jin-chan?" Rei asked him.
"Mine is the baby blue one Rei-nee," Jin lifted the marble in his right palm to her face to let her see.
"Let me see that," Shin snatched the marble from his hand and leered at it, then he threw it forcefully into the river.
"IIE!!!!!!" Jin said running after it.
Chi held him back, "Jin-chan, don't go into the river! You can't swim!"
Gi jumped into river to search for the marble. Shin just looked away in disgust at their concerns for a petty little marble. Gi rose from the water, "I couldn't find it Jin, gomenasai."
Jin's eyes watered up and he began to cry with rivers of tears streaming down his face.
Rei got up and slapped Shin squarely on his cheek leaving a large red handprint on his face.
"BAKA! What's gotten in to you?! Why did you do that to Jin-chan?!" Rei yelled.
"Che," Shin snorted, "it's only a marble, I can't believe you guys are making such a big deal over such small thing. Let's go, it's getting late."
Shin started off toward home with Chi and Gi trailed silently behind him. Rei stayed by Jin's side trying to calm him down.
'Shin-nii...what's happened to you? Why are you so mean to me now?' Jin thought as he cried some more.
(End of Flashback) ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ^~
"Anou...I think we should be heading back to the dojo now. It's getting dark and Kenshin will be worried about us being gone for so long," Kaoru snapped Jin out of his thoughts.
"Aa..Hai, you are right," Jin took hold of Kaoru's hand not noticing Kaoru's blush.
'I wonder why he's holding my hand? Could it be that he has feelings for me? Mou...this is embarrassing!' Kaoru looked up to Jin's face to see if he had any reaction to the sudden action. She noticed that they had stopped walking and Jin was looking at the house with sad smile and a lone tear making its way down his face. Kaoru almost missed it, but she heard Jin whisper "sayonara" before wiping away the salty droplet.
"Let's continue on, shall we Kamiya-san?" Jin and Kaoru continued to walk hand in hand back to the dojo as the sun began to set.
"Hai," Kaoru squeezed his hand slightly to comfort him and he smiled back at her.
'Kaoru...she's been so kind to me and so have the others. She is in many ways just like Rei-nee. Well, sayonara, otou-san, okaa-san.'
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^
Back at the dojo...
"Where's busu and that jerk?! I'm hungry, can't we just eat without them Kenshin?" Yahiko whined.
"Iie Yahiko, we must wait for them to return. I wonder where Kaoru-dono and Jin-dono have gone to?" Kenshin was about to get up to go find them when he heard saw them walk into the room hand in hand.
'ORO?! Since when did they become so intimate?! What have they been doing this whole afternoon during my absence?' Kenshin struggled to think clearly and rationally rather than trying to strangle Jin to death.
Kenshin stared (A/N: yea right...more like glared) at their intertwined hands. Kaoru noticed the direction of his stare and quickly let go of Jin's hand blushing furiously. Jin frowned slightly at the loss of comfort, but put on his smile quickly afterwards.
"Konbanwa Himura-san, Yahiko-chan." Jin greeted them.
"Gomenasai for being late Kenshin. I hope we didn't worry you too much," Kaoru took a seat beside Kenshin.
"Iie Kaoru-dono, I wasn't too worried," Kenshin said, mentally twitching at the lie.
"BUSU! What took you and the jerk so long? Did you guys spend the day making out or something? EEWW, just THINKING about you guys together just creeps me out!" Yahiko began to rant knowing he would get clobbered for it.
Jin and Kaoru blushed furiously and Jin looked down at the floor. "NANI?! Yahiko-CHAN you have SOME NERVE to say that in front of our guest! I'm really going to kill you for this!! COME HERE SO I CAN PUNISH YOU PROPERLY!!!" Kaoru took her bokken and began to chase Yahiko around the room.
"NO WAY BUSU AND I'M NOT A CHAN!!" Yahiko hopped over the table in haste to away nearly knocking over all the food.
Jin took a seat opposite to Kenshin with a sigh. Kenshin couldn't help but sigh also.
"Himura-san, are Sanosuke and Megumi-san joining us for dinner tonight?" Jin asked in the midst of the chaos occurring in the room.
"Hai, they are and they are late as well, demo they should be arriving soon de gozaru yo," Kenshin answered.
"Anou...I'm curious, Jin-dono...where did you and Kaoru-dono spend the day?" Kenshin was plagued by this question and if he didn't ask soon he felt like murdering a certain someone in the room.
"Aa...Kamiya-san initially wasn't with me, she followed me and I didn't notice her. We went to my old home before I left the country." Jin said staring at his empty bowl.
"Aa...sou ka," Kenshin nodded feeling slightly eased by his answer. Just then, Sanosuke and Megumi walked in bickering about something, but as soon as they took their seats, Megumi became silent and Sano began eating voraciously.
"HEY! DON'T EAT ALL OF IT!!" Yahiko made a mad dash for the table and began to eat as well.
"PIGS!!!" Kaoru began to eat as well. Kenshin and Jin sighed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In Jin's room...
"Your wounds have been healing quite nicely and you should be completely healed in a week or two," Megumi stated as she examined each injury and rewrapped them with clean bandages.
"Arigatou Megumi-san," Jin smiled as he tried to bandage some of his wounds on his own.
"Your welcome, but please keep any strenuous activities to a minimum to avoid reopening any wounds. In two days time I will see to your wounds again," Megumi got up and exited the room.
Jin sighed finishing off the last touches to his bandages and pulled his yukata back onto his shoulders tying the knot back into place. As soon as he finished, there was a knock on the shoji door and Kaoru's shadowy form could be seen through the thin rice paper.
"Jin-san, can I come in?" Kaoru asked.
"Hai," Jin smiled and watched as Kaoru opened the door and sat down next to him.
"How do you feel?" Kaoru asked as she place a tray down and poured Jin a cup of green tea.
"I'm fine, Megumi-san says that my wounds will be completely healed in a week or so," Jin took a cautious sip of the hot tea.
"That's good," Kaoru smiled as she poured a cup for herself and looked deeply at it while holding it in her hand. Her face then contorted to a scowl with several stress marks (A/N: err.I don't know what they're called only that they appear when someone becomes angry) popping out on her head. Jin was confused and a bit frightened at her sudden change in demeanor. Kaoru spun around quickly and threw the cup at the door earning an "oro" and few scampering feet from the other side of the shoji door. Jin relaxed realizing what had just transpired and felt sorry for Kenshin who continued to "oro" on the other side stumbling away before Kaoru decided to throw anything else.
"I can't believe they are spying on us," Kaoru fumed.
"It's alright Kamiya-san," Jin smiled, "if you don't mind me asking, why are you here exactly? It's really late and I doubt that you're here just to serve me some tea."
"Well," Kaoru began, "it was about this afternoon when we were leaving your house. I could feel that you were sad. I don't want to pry into your past and let you open up on your own. So, for now, please consider this place your new home okay?"
Jin sat there in shock with his head lowered and his light blond bangs hiding the emotions running in his eyes. Kaoru took the silence as her cue to leave and gathered all the cups into the tray exiting out the door saying "oyasuminasai" on her way out.
'Arigatou Kaoru...you always find a way to surprise me...you understand how I feel and you offer me comfort...hmm...my new home, I guess I can accept that for the time being...'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Japanese Dictionary:
Shoji - rice paper door
Dojo - school/practice area for martial arts
Yukata - a kind of robe Japanese people wear within the household
Kendo - practice of sword arts/swordsmanship
Shinai - practice sword made from bamboo
Urusai - Shut up/noisy (don't know if I spelled it right though...)
Busu - ugly
Bokken - wooden sword
Sou ka - I see
Demo - but
-san/-dono/-chan/-sama - a respective additive to names based on relationship
Anou - umm...
Hai - yes
Iie - no
Ja ne - see you/bye
Sessha - my unworthy self/Kenshin's description for himself
De gozaru yo - additive that comes after Kenshin's sentences (not too sure of distinct meaning)
gi - shirt
hakama - samurai pants
Okaa-san/-chan - mother
Otou-san/-chan - father
Onii-san/-chan - big brother
Onee-san/-chan - big sister
Ohayo/Ohayogozaimasu - Good morning
Gomenasai - I'm sorry/Sorry
Daijoubu - are you alright/it's ok/everything's ok (A/N: dependent on how you use it)
Domo arigatou gozaimasu/Arigatou - Thank you very much/Thank you/Thanks
Hontou/Hountou ni - really(?)
Tanjobi Omedetou Gozaimasu - Happy Birthday
Kami - God
Kirei - beautiful/pretty
Naze - why
Baka - idiot
Konbanwa - Good evening
Oro - huh?/Kenshin is in pain/Kenshin is in shock
Commentations:
Lady Satine Threepwood - Arigatou for reviewing. Yes, I'm happy for you.
Hotaru - I'm glad you like the story and I hope you like this update, it is a longer chapter like you requested though not initially intentional. Hmm...Jin a problem for K+K...Gomenasai but you'll have to wait and see but I'm sure he's making Kenshin a little nervous. There is going to be romance in this fic, but the for the pairings I'll leave it for the reviewers to decide. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm starting a whole mess of stories to come this summer so keep your eyes peeled for them.
KEn - Arigatou. Yes, I know there are a lot of errors in chapter 2 I'll fix them sometime and Jin will be explained as the story goes on.
SailorLonestar - GOMENASAI FOR CAUSING YOU PAIN AND UNHAPPINESS! Yes, the last chapter was a bit rushed because SOMEBODY couldn't wait. Glad to know that your grudge on Kamimura-san is gone...sorta. *sweat drop* I hope you liked this chapter, I'll try to get the next one out soon.
Ranma1517730129 - Arigatou...I think...*sweat drop*
Kamimura Kaoru - Kamimura-san, arigatou for reviewing, I always value you your reviews *SailorLonestar glares at Shojin* um...after my cousin of course. *sweat drop* Anou...my cousin knows you're sorry, she's just being silly. I hope you liked this chapter!
(A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update, I hope you like this chapter, cuz there's more to come. New stories will be out too. E-mail me if you have questions or wish to be on the e-mail list. Anyway, more good news, I'm going to the AnimeExpo. I'll be wandering around in costume for all four days I'm staying. Animeluverthatiam and SailorLonestar will be with me. If anyone else is going, maybe we'll bump into each other. Well, Sayonara...Until next we meet...)
Disclaimer: I don't own RK, never have, never will, end of discussion.
Key:
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
^~^~ Dream/Flashback ^~^~^
~~~~ Change of Scene ~~~~~
A Reason to Live
Chapter 4: New Home and Memories
Jin slowly opened his pale blue eyes blinking away the last remnants of sleep. Light flowed into the room from the opened shoji door. The chirping of bids signified springtime and the sakura petals floated daintily into the room. One of which landed softly on his open palm. He looked at the tiny little petal, scrutinizing it, noting it's fragility much like life was...fragile.
'It's been three days since my arrival at the Kamiya Kasshin Dojo and life has been so tranquil that I fear that it must be a dream.'
He looked at his healing wounds an fingered the bandages absent-mindedly. Most of the wounds had healed and he guessed that he was halfway through the road to full recovery. Jin realized the importance of rest in order for a fast recovery, but he couldn't stay in the room any longer.
*sigh* 'The effects of wandering for 14 ears...you become extremely restless.'
Jin sat up effortlessly and stood up fixing the futon from its disarray. He looked at his state of dress, which was a light blue yukata supplied by Kaoru from her father's wardrobe. It was loose fitting since it was quit large for him and it would have to suffice for the time being as at the moment, his clothes were being washed. He walked toward the dinning room to find it empty and sat at the table.
'It's been so long since I have been in Tokyo, it brings back memories...joyful ones as well as the one filled with eternal pain.'
The sound of wood clashing against wood echoed from the dojo and in curiosity, Jin headed toward the dojo where he once practiced his kendo skills...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^
Meanwhile, at the dojo... "KYAAH!!" "Yahiko, you're swinging your shinai like a wild animal!" "URUSAI BUSU!"
Yahiko makes a haphazard swing at Kaoru, but she dodges and crashes her shinai hard into Yahiko's back sending him sprawled on the floor muttering incoherent curses.
"Yahiko, we'll take a break, your frustration is clouding your sound judgment...at least what's left of it," Kaoru settles herself at the corner in a meditating position. Yahiko angrily punches the floor and violently hurls his shinai at Kaoru. Kaoru calmly picks up her bokken and deflects the oncoming projectile.
"BAKA! THROWING A TANTRUM ISN'T GOING TO HELP!" Kaoru was about to whack Yahiko with her ever-trusty bokken when the shoji door to the dojo slid open.
Jin walked in and saw the two in the midst of arguing and chuckled at their antics. 'Watching them reminds of Gi and Chi whenever they pull pranks on each other. Come to think of it...I never saw them on my journey here. This place...reminds me so much of home.'
Kaoru got up from the floor, "Oh Jin, you're awake...did we wake you up with our practice?" Yahiko sat facing away from them and grunted every so often.
Jin chuckled again, "Iie, I just got tired of lying on the futon for so long and decided to get up and explore."
"Sou ka, demo...are you sure you should be up? You're still recovering and..." Kaoru spoke with concern.
"It's ok Kamiya-san, I'm fine. Anou.where is everyone else today?" Jin was confused on why the dojo was so empty.
"Eh? Oh, Kenshin went to the market to buy some things, Sanosuke went gambling...again...and Megumi works at the clinic and said she'll stop by later to see to your wounds." Kaoru answered and noticed that seemed a lot brighter than when he had first arrived. His hair was now a slightly darker yellow and his eyes were not as pale.
'I think it would be a good time for me to pay a visit home...but I don't want them to worry...' Jin thought to himself. "Anou...Kamiya-san, I'm going to go around Tokyo for a while, it's been so long since I've been here."
"I guess that's alright...anou...do you need me or Yahiko to come with you? I believe Tokyo has changed since you were last here and I don't want you to get lost," Kaoru wondered why he wanted to leave all of a sudden.
"Hai...Tokyo has changed since then, demo, I believe I can find my way without any help and the place am looking for is not too far off from here. I promise that I will return before dinner." Jin smiled and headed toward the shoji door leading to the out to the front yard.
"Ja ne, Kamiya-san...Yahiko-chan," Jin waved good-bye and closed the door as Yahiko threw his sandal at him, only to hit the door.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^
At the marketplace...
"Hmm...let's see..what was sessha supposed to get today?" Kenshin thought as he looked at each of the shops.
"Ah...here, there's the tofu, well, that one down. I'm supposed to buy daikon radishes, carrots, and new clothes for Jin-dono." Kenshin began to look for the rest of the items and collected the daikon radishes and carrots. He started to look at the tailor shop for clothes. 'Jin-dono seems like a nice person, but then again there are several "nice" people that can be very deceiving, de gozaru yo. I have to find out his purpose for being at the dojo and soon. If his intent is to take Kaoru as his wife...well, he can't cause she's MY woman...well, not yet, but soon will be, de gozaru yo! I will not lose to Jin-dono, de gozaru yo!!'
"Oh, that looks nice de gozaru yo." Kenshin picks up the gi and hakama and purchases it and headed back home.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jin continued to walk and soon ended up at the edge of town and entered the forest. 'I've missed the smell of pine (A/N: is pine native to Japan?) and though its been 14 years, I can still remember this place like the back of my hand. I wonder if it's still there...'
Jin came up to an old wooden fence and saw a house up ahead. He opened the door and it creaked loudly. 'The place is still like it was when I left it.'
He entered the premises and saw that it was still empty and abandoned.
'I'm not too surprised that no one's been here since then, it's cut off from the city giving us privacy.'
Jin continued and tripped over something. He got up and looked down at what he had tripped over. His eyes widened a bit as he saw a skull and several bones lying on the ground. 'These...must be okaa-san and otou- san..."
He found a barren spot in the yard and dug a large hole and placed the remains of his parents into it and buried it. He found a large stone and heaved it to the mound. Jin put his hands in a prayer. 'Rest in peace...'
Jin began to wander around the house reminiscing about the past. He came to the backyard and looked the at the barren patch of dirt.
'This is...'
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ^~^~ (Flashback)
"KYAHH!!"
"Move your back foot forward a bit! That's right! There, you got it!" Shin yelled to Gi as they practiced their katas.
A young Jin watched in wonder as his older brothers practiced Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. He barely noticed that his older sister had sat down next to him.
"Ohayo Jin-chan! Watching them spar again ne?" His sister startled him from his observations.
"Eh?! Oh, ohayo Rei-nee-chan! Gomensai, I didn't see you there," Jin turned to smile at her.
Then, silence fell between them and all they could hear were shouts and clashing wood.
"Anou...Rei-nee, do you think I'll ever be as strong as they are when I get older?" Jin asked as he continued to watch his brothers spar.
"Of course you will, Jin-chan! You'll probably become even more stronger then them! Why are you so worried?" Rei looked concerned at her youngest brother's lack of self-confidence.
"Well, you see...Shin-nii-chan has been acting kind of weird lately...he acts sort of cold toward me nowadays and always makes some sort of excuse that I shouldn't practice with him," Jin stared at Shin and became lost in his own thoughts.
Rei frowned and wrapped an arm around Jin whispering, "Daijoubu Jin-chan. You're strong and you'll overcome this..."
(End of Flashback) ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Jin smirked at the memory, "You were right, I became strong...demo...you're not here to see it though, I know you are proud of me."
He continued into the dark house visiting each room and then into his parents' room...
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
(Flashback)
"Ohayo okaa-san! Did you need me for something?" Jin ran into the room and tripped onto the futon.
His mother giggled, "Iie, Jin-chan I have something for you."
"Hontou ni?! Where? Where is it?" Jin began to search around the room and the futon for his gift.
Jin's mother giggled again and took out a small bag out of the sleeve of her yukata. Jin immediately stopped tearing through the room and sat in front of his mother and stared at the small bag.
"What's inside it okaa-san?" Jin poked and prodded the bag feeling the small lumps of the objects hidden inside.
His mother opened the bag and poured out its contents revealing seven marbles each of them unique in color. Jin looked at each in wonder and giggled in delight. At that moment, his father walked in, "I see that Jin- chan has found his birthday present."
Jin smiled up at his father and hugged both of his parents yelling, "DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU OKAA-SAN, OTOU-SAN!!!"
"Tanjobi omedetou gozaimasu, Jin-chan!" His parents shouted together.
He sat on his mother's lap looking at each of the marbles. He picked up a dark green colored marble and looked up at his mother, "Okaa-san, this one is otou-san!"
"Oh, and which one is me, Jin-chan?" His mother smiled and hugged him tightly. His father sat next to them observing his actions.
Jin picked up clear marble with bubbles and a silver swirl in the middle, "This one is you, okaa-san!"
He looked at a dark blue marble and pointed at it, "Shin-nii-chan!"
Then he named the rest of the marbles, "The red one is Rei-nee-chan, the green one with the red fire in it is Chi-nee-chan, and the green one with the yellow bubbles is Gi-nii-chan!"
"Let me guess, this baby blue one is you ne?" His dad picked up the baby blue marble and held it in the light as he smiled at Jin.
"HAI!!" Jin smiled wide and jumped into his father's arms. His mother put the marbles back into the bag and put it the straps of the bag on Jin's wrist. His father carried him outside and sat down on the porch and together they watched the other children play in the yard.
"Otou-san? How come I look different from everyone?" Jin asked as he watched his older brothers and sisters play with a ball.
"Eh? Jin-chan, you look different because you are my special son. You are a gift to us from Kami-sama and just because you look different from your brothers and sisters doesn't mean you are not my son and not part of this family. Understand that we love you and that is what a family does whether or not we are alike," Jin's father told him as he hugged him.
"I understand otou-san. Domo arigatou!" Jin smiled and went off to play with his brothers and sisters.
(End of Flashback) ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Jin smiled sadly, "Otou-san, not only were you a good father, you were a good friend too."
He wandered back out to the front yard and looked at the front of the house once more.
"I wonder...if they're still there," Jin walked to the corner of the house and lifted one of the wooden boards to reveal a hidden compartment with a small and slightly worn bag. He grabbed the bag and closed up the hiding spot. As he backed up he came in contact with a small form and quickly turned around to see the trespasser to dared to step on the land he held sacred. Jin turned to see Kaoru staring up him slightly startled by his actions.
"Kamiya-san...what are you doing here?" Jin whispered as if fearing to awake the dead and his eyes softened at knowing that it was her.
"Gomenasai...I followed you all the way here. I was worried since you left so quickly. Daijoubu?" Kaoru looked at him with concerned eyes.
"Aa...daijoubu. Anou..gomenasai for worrying you, I was just in a hurry to visit this place," Jin patted Kaoru's shoulder.
"Sou ka. Anou...is this your house?" She looked around at the house.
"Hai, this was my home," Jin smiled sadly.
"Anou...what's that bag in your hand?" Kaoru pointed at the worn bag in his grasp.
"This was a gift from my parents when I was a little boy," Jin emptied the bag to reveal several multi-colored marbles.
"Kirei..." Kaoru picked up each marble and examined them in wonder.
"They are supposed to represent each of the seven members of my family," Jin explained.
"Anou...there are only six marbles here, which one is missing?" Kaoru counted each of the marbles and wondered which one was Jin's.
"Eh? Oh...mine is the one missing from the collection," Jin explained.
"Naze?" Kaoru asked.
"My onii-chan threw it away into the river," Jin replied looking at the marbles again.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ (Flashback)
"What do you have there Jin-chan?" Shin asked him eying the bag hanging around Jin's wrist.
"Aa...it's otou-san and okaa-san's birthday gift to me," He emptied the bag to show them the marbles, "they're marbles and they represent each of us."
"Which one is yours Jin-chan?" Rei asked him.
"Mine is the baby blue one Rei-nee," Jin lifted the marble in his right palm to her face to let her see.
"Let me see that," Shin snatched the marble from his hand and leered at it, then he threw it forcefully into the river.
"IIE!!!!!!" Jin said running after it.
Chi held him back, "Jin-chan, don't go into the river! You can't swim!"
Gi jumped into river to search for the marble. Shin just looked away in disgust at their concerns for a petty little marble. Gi rose from the water, "I couldn't find it Jin, gomenasai."
Jin's eyes watered up and he began to cry with rivers of tears streaming down his face.
Rei got up and slapped Shin squarely on his cheek leaving a large red handprint on his face.
"BAKA! What's gotten in to you?! Why did you do that to Jin-chan?!" Rei yelled.
"Che," Shin snorted, "it's only a marble, I can't believe you guys are making such a big deal over such small thing. Let's go, it's getting late."
Shin started off toward home with Chi and Gi trailed silently behind him. Rei stayed by Jin's side trying to calm him down.
'Shin-nii...what's happened to you? Why are you so mean to me now?' Jin thought as he cried some more.
(End of Flashback) ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ^~
"Anou...I think we should be heading back to the dojo now. It's getting dark and Kenshin will be worried about us being gone for so long," Kaoru snapped Jin out of his thoughts.
"Aa..Hai, you are right," Jin took hold of Kaoru's hand not noticing Kaoru's blush.
'I wonder why he's holding my hand? Could it be that he has feelings for me? Mou...this is embarrassing!' Kaoru looked up to Jin's face to see if he had any reaction to the sudden action. She noticed that they had stopped walking and Jin was looking at the house with sad smile and a lone tear making its way down his face. Kaoru almost missed it, but she heard Jin whisper "sayonara" before wiping away the salty droplet.
"Let's continue on, shall we Kamiya-san?" Jin and Kaoru continued to walk hand in hand back to the dojo as the sun began to set.
"Hai," Kaoru squeezed his hand slightly to comfort him and he smiled back at her.
'Kaoru...she's been so kind to me and so have the others. She is in many ways just like Rei-nee. Well, sayonara, otou-san, okaa-san.'
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^
Back at the dojo...
"Where's busu and that jerk?! I'm hungry, can't we just eat without them Kenshin?" Yahiko whined.
"Iie Yahiko, we must wait for them to return. I wonder where Kaoru-dono and Jin-dono have gone to?" Kenshin was about to get up to go find them when he heard saw them walk into the room hand in hand.
'ORO?! Since when did they become so intimate?! What have they been doing this whole afternoon during my absence?' Kenshin struggled to think clearly and rationally rather than trying to strangle Jin to death.
Kenshin stared (A/N: yea right...more like glared) at their intertwined hands. Kaoru noticed the direction of his stare and quickly let go of Jin's hand blushing furiously. Jin frowned slightly at the loss of comfort, but put on his smile quickly afterwards.
"Konbanwa Himura-san, Yahiko-chan." Jin greeted them.
"Gomenasai for being late Kenshin. I hope we didn't worry you too much," Kaoru took a seat beside Kenshin.
"Iie Kaoru-dono, I wasn't too worried," Kenshin said, mentally twitching at the lie.
"BUSU! What took you and the jerk so long? Did you guys spend the day making out or something? EEWW, just THINKING about you guys together just creeps me out!" Yahiko began to rant knowing he would get clobbered for it.
Jin and Kaoru blushed furiously and Jin looked down at the floor. "NANI?! Yahiko-CHAN you have SOME NERVE to say that in front of our guest! I'm really going to kill you for this!! COME HERE SO I CAN PUNISH YOU PROPERLY!!!" Kaoru took her bokken and began to chase Yahiko around the room.
"NO WAY BUSU AND I'M NOT A CHAN!!" Yahiko hopped over the table in haste to away nearly knocking over all the food.
Jin took a seat opposite to Kenshin with a sigh. Kenshin couldn't help but sigh also.
"Himura-san, are Sanosuke and Megumi-san joining us for dinner tonight?" Jin asked in the midst of the chaos occurring in the room.
"Hai, they are and they are late as well, demo they should be arriving soon de gozaru yo," Kenshin answered.
"Anou...I'm curious, Jin-dono...where did you and Kaoru-dono spend the day?" Kenshin was plagued by this question and if he didn't ask soon he felt like murdering a certain someone in the room.
"Aa...Kamiya-san initially wasn't with me, she followed me and I didn't notice her. We went to my old home before I left the country." Jin said staring at his empty bowl.
"Aa...sou ka," Kenshin nodded feeling slightly eased by his answer. Just then, Sanosuke and Megumi walked in bickering about something, but as soon as they took their seats, Megumi became silent and Sano began eating voraciously.
"HEY! DON'T EAT ALL OF IT!!" Yahiko made a mad dash for the table and began to eat as well.
"PIGS!!!" Kaoru began to eat as well. Kenshin and Jin sighed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In Jin's room...
"Your wounds have been healing quite nicely and you should be completely healed in a week or two," Megumi stated as she examined each injury and rewrapped them with clean bandages.
"Arigatou Megumi-san," Jin smiled as he tried to bandage some of his wounds on his own.
"Your welcome, but please keep any strenuous activities to a minimum to avoid reopening any wounds. In two days time I will see to your wounds again," Megumi got up and exited the room.
Jin sighed finishing off the last touches to his bandages and pulled his yukata back onto his shoulders tying the knot back into place. As soon as he finished, there was a knock on the shoji door and Kaoru's shadowy form could be seen through the thin rice paper.
"Jin-san, can I come in?" Kaoru asked.
"Hai," Jin smiled and watched as Kaoru opened the door and sat down next to him.
"How do you feel?" Kaoru asked as she place a tray down and poured Jin a cup of green tea.
"I'm fine, Megumi-san says that my wounds will be completely healed in a week or so," Jin took a cautious sip of the hot tea.
"That's good," Kaoru smiled as she poured a cup for herself and looked deeply at it while holding it in her hand. Her face then contorted to a scowl with several stress marks (A/N: err.I don't know what they're called only that they appear when someone becomes angry) popping out on her head. Jin was confused and a bit frightened at her sudden change in demeanor. Kaoru spun around quickly and threw the cup at the door earning an "oro" and few scampering feet from the other side of the shoji door. Jin relaxed realizing what had just transpired and felt sorry for Kenshin who continued to "oro" on the other side stumbling away before Kaoru decided to throw anything else.
"I can't believe they are spying on us," Kaoru fumed.
"It's alright Kamiya-san," Jin smiled, "if you don't mind me asking, why are you here exactly? It's really late and I doubt that you're here just to serve me some tea."
"Well," Kaoru began, "it was about this afternoon when we were leaving your house. I could feel that you were sad. I don't want to pry into your past and let you open up on your own. So, for now, please consider this place your new home okay?"
Jin sat there in shock with his head lowered and his light blond bangs hiding the emotions running in his eyes. Kaoru took the silence as her cue to leave and gathered all the cups into the tray exiting out the door saying "oyasuminasai" on her way out.
'Arigatou Kaoru...you always find a way to surprise me...you understand how I feel and you offer me comfort...hmm...my new home, I guess I can accept that for the time being...'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Japanese Dictionary:
Shoji - rice paper door
Dojo - school/practice area for martial arts
Yukata - a kind of robe Japanese people wear within the household
Kendo - practice of sword arts/swordsmanship
Shinai - practice sword made from bamboo
Urusai - Shut up/noisy (don't know if I spelled it right though...)
Busu - ugly
Bokken - wooden sword
Sou ka - I see
Demo - but
-san/-dono/-chan/-sama - a respective additive to names based on relationship
Anou - umm...
Hai - yes
Iie - no
Ja ne - see you/bye
Sessha - my unworthy self/Kenshin's description for himself
De gozaru yo - additive that comes after Kenshin's sentences (not too sure of distinct meaning)
gi - shirt
hakama - samurai pants
Okaa-san/-chan - mother
Otou-san/-chan - father
Onii-san/-chan - big brother
Onee-san/-chan - big sister
Ohayo/Ohayogozaimasu - Good morning
Gomenasai - I'm sorry/Sorry
Daijoubu - are you alright/it's ok/everything's ok (A/N: dependent on how you use it)
Domo arigatou gozaimasu/Arigatou - Thank you very much/Thank you/Thanks
Hontou/Hountou ni - really(?)
Tanjobi Omedetou Gozaimasu - Happy Birthday
Kami - God
Kirei - beautiful/pretty
Naze - why
Baka - idiot
Konbanwa - Good evening
Oro - huh?/Kenshin is in pain/Kenshin is in shock
Commentations:
Lady Satine Threepwood - Arigatou for reviewing. Yes, I'm happy for you.
Hotaru - I'm glad you like the story and I hope you like this update, it is a longer chapter like you requested though not initially intentional. Hmm...Jin a problem for K+K...Gomenasai but you'll have to wait and see but I'm sure he's making Kenshin a little nervous. There is going to be romance in this fic, but the for the pairings I'll leave it for the reviewers to decide. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm starting a whole mess of stories to come this summer so keep your eyes peeled for them.
KEn - Arigatou. Yes, I know there are a lot of errors in chapter 2 I'll fix them sometime and Jin will be explained as the story goes on.
SailorLonestar - GOMENASAI FOR CAUSING YOU PAIN AND UNHAPPINESS! Yes, the last chapter was a bit rushed because SOMEBODY couldn't wait. Glad to know that your grudge on Kamimura-san is gone...sorta. *sweat drop* I hope you liked this chapter, I'll try to get the next one out soon.
Ranma1517730129 - Arigatou...I think...*sweat drop*
Kamimura Kaoru - Kamimura-san, arigatou for reviewing, I always value you your reviews *SailorLonestar glares at Shojin* um...after my cousin of course. *sweat drop* Anou...my cousin knows you're sorry, she's just being silly. I hope you liked this chapter!
(A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update, I hope you like this chapter, cuz there's more to come. New stories will be out too. E-mail me if you have questions or wish to be on the e-mail list. Anyway, more good news, I'm going to the AnimeExpo. I'll be wandering around in costume for all four days I'm staying. Animeluverthatiam and SailorLonestar will be with me. If anyone else is going, maybe we'll bump into each other. Well, Sayonara...Until next we meet...)
