o.o;;;;;;;

Yyyyup.

I told you guys… If I don't reply in less then a week, email or send me an IM and tell me to WORK! XD I mean, it's been like, six months since I last updated this one! ;;

..mostly because I didn't know what the next chapter would be about, but I think I have a good idea… heeheheheh…

I also just read practically all the chapters of this fanfic over again because I had absolutely NO idea where I was, so if I repeat anything or whatever, please tell me… ;.; I think I've improved since chapter seven, but if you'd like to look into that, I suggest checking out my second fanfiction, Sanctifying Rogues. That one isn't put in first person, so it's less casual than Return to Sender. Reviewwww pleeeeease. Reviews make me liiiiive. ;;
-Ditox-chan
Special thanks again to Lendra-chan and Tsuki-chan. -hugs both-


Now, I would've never considered myself as someone self-absorbed or overly vain, but apparently it seems that the opinions of others are completely different. I was talking to Sanosuke about the idea of the Kenshin-gumi during lunch and explained how, technically, I didn't fit anywhere else… Sano, being the natural idiot that he is, found this extremely amusing and couldn't stop laughing… Considering that he's not in any "groups" either, we loners tend to, um… "vary", personality-wise. Either way, Sano was in complete agreement with my idea, on the condition that "the Kenshin-gumi was exclusive and that he was the 'vice president'".

Vice-president? … Did I miss something?

Before I got a chance to give my own input on "vice-president", Sanosuke started rambling on about who would be in our group and who wouldn't and what we'd do weekly in order to make our little club … 'official'. Chickenhead still amazes me on how he comes up with this kind of stuff so quickly… Plus, he's pretty demanding, so he knows how to get his way, that he does.

I guess I wasn't really listening to him, though. I was thinking about who I wanted in the group, even though Sano was throwing out all sorts of names and descriptions. Surely Tomoe should be in it, if she wished, but it'd be up to her if she sat with us or not. She… might not like Sanosuke all that much.

I wouldn't dare invite Kaoru-chan.

I was pondering whether or not to invite Megumi-san as well, for Sanosuke. He'd especially be grateful if I did, but that woman was always really… sly. Besides being the perfect student and attempting to show off at all times, she always had her eyes pointed directly at me. I mean, she'd raise her hand in class and get the right answer, then very casually turn around and grin oh-so-innocently at me, give one of those little girly waves, and finally turn back around to raise her hand again and restart the entire process. As I once said before, I will never understand how women think…

But who else could I invite? Enishi hadn't gotten the chance to give me the pummeling that he'd apparently promised at one point or another, so technically it wasn't really safe to invite anyone. After all, who'd join the little "clan" of a guy who randomly gets beaten up by some sports geek? I guess I can admit that fighting makes me both excited and anxious at the same time – excited because I can stand my own, due to the fact that I was bullied all through grade school, but anxious because I don't dare to throw a fist. I'd be instantly suspended if caught for who knows how long and plus, varsity soccer rules clearly state I'd be benched for the remainder of the season if suspended.

Speaking of Enishi, he hasn't shown up for quite a few games now. The first day of school was a couple weeks ago, but it felt like nothing had happened since. I'm still completely lost in the school, getting strange looks from Seijuro-sama during study hall, and those girls are still giggling non-stop. But lately, I've been befriending a few more then before, mostly Tomoe's friends. They're all pretty snobbish and self-absorbed, so I'd prefer to avoid them, that I would…

One of the teachers overheard Sanosuke babbling about the idea very broadly and paused while walking by our table – I'm not quite sure who he was, but he intentionally averted his eyes to make it look like he wasn't listening to us. Sano, of course, didn't notice and could just as easily care less, but he also failed to notice my signs telling him to shut up. Nope, he just kept going and going. The teacher eventually carried on, but not before giving me a hellish death glare. Only then, when I shifted uncomfortably as he walked away, did Sano notice my anxiety and saw the teacher and, ultimately, burst out laughing.

Varsity practice starts about an hour after junior varsity's begins immediately after school, so I naturally have time to fool around and do whatever until heading for the field. It was particularly warm outside for an autumn day, so I chose to do the reading for chemistry out on the cement benches behind the school, not very far from where the baseball field is, beside the soccer field. Couldn't say that chemistry could be any more dull, but as I was beginning to nod off from the boring pages, I was suddenly bashed in the spine and thrown to the ground, though I landed on my palms with my book below. It was completely unexpected and caught me completely off guard,which makesthat inevitable shock rush through your veins. I quickly scrambled to my feet, balling my fists as I uneasily glared at the perpetrator. My back started to ache and I forced myself to relax – until I noticed just who the person before me was: Enishi.

"Enishi!" I growled, "What was that for! This one knows he was nodding off, but that was unnecessary…"

He viciously rippedhis odd purple glasses from his nose and leisurely tossed them over his shoulder before placing a foot on the cement bench I had been seated on and leaning forward onto his knee. He glared very ferociously, though a somewhat provoked grin still embodied his face. "You're gettin' on my nerves, Himura," his lowly voice creaked, "taking my spot on the varsity team and then goin' off after my sister. You know I don't allow anyone even gettin' near my sister, moron."

I was tense, but I had no intention of fighting him. "If you think that I will hurt her in any possible way, then you might after to look into that, Enishi." I forced myself to remain somewhat friendly. Maybe I could, um… avoid that future pummeling. If he did, though, I could get him suspended and thrown off the team… Hum, not a bad idea.

"I don't allow ANYONE by my sister," his voice grew even more ferocious. "Least of all a worthless pile of crap like you. Either you stay away from my sister or I'll rip your lungs straight out of your chest."

……
Ow?

"I don't want to fight you, Enishi." I purposely avoided having to answer his threat, considering that I had no intention of leaving Tomoe. I think it was a weird coincidence that brought us together and I'm not gonna go and break that.

He pounded his fist into his palm threateningly, a matching coy grin on his face. "I was sure you were gonna say that," he stepped over the bench towards me, although I scrambled back while trying not to look that intimidated… but I think I gave it away already. "I'll teach you how to leave my sister alone!" He very quickly rushed forward and seized the collar of my shirt. I gasped and clenched my teeth, readying myself for the approaching blows to the gut I knew I'd be getting. He pushed me against the wall and held me there and slowly winded up his fist… I couldn't help but close my eyes, trying to think 'happy' thoughts. Dunno if it would help or not, but heck, it's worth a shot…

"That's enough!"

I felt Enishi's grip on my shirt lose most of its strength as he stepped back to glare over his shoulder. I managed to peek out as well, somewhat curious of who had the authority to stop such a menace as Enishi's rage. To my own surprise, there stood the teacher whom I had seen at lunch, only now he was sending that hellish death glare straight at Enishi. And, beside him, was … Kaoru-chan? Oh no, she'd seen me… How… embarrassing

Enishi immediately released my shirt and allowed me to breathe and straighten myself out. I pretended that I wasn't paying attention by dusting my shirt off while the teacher began to scold the silent Enishi, saying that he'd be suspended immediately and listing all these other rules he was supposed to abide by. Kaoru looked absolutely infuriated at the entire incident, but very leisurely walked past her boyfriend over to me, wearing a very gentle smile. "I heard what happened while on the way to practice in the gym and got the first person I could find. Are you alright?"

I nodded, but tried to keep my face hidden due to the fact that it was red-hot and I was burning with humiliation.

Kaoru then smiled, "That's a relief, Kenshin-kun. Glad I could help." She then very innocently spun around and instantly regained the surge of rage, leading Enishi away while very angrily scolding him as well. She... knew my name...!

The teacher had pulled a small notepad from his pocket and wrote a few things before ripping it from the page and handing it to me. "Go see the guidance counselor. After everything that you seem to be thinking… and doing, you might be needing it." He then gave an appropriate nod and followed the arguing couple back to the main office, leaving me standing alone while completely baffled, holding a lone piece of paper in my hand. After trying to sort out what the heck had just happened, I managed to take a glance at it.

"Seta-sama,
this student appears to need a few sessions after school for a while. He seems to be fine, but has gotten in a fight and has been plotting some very strange things aloud and I believe he may need some counseling.
Thanks,
Yuukyuzuan-sama"

…Oh dear… What have I gotten myself into this time?