"speech"
'thoughts'
THE ONLY ONES LEFT
Chapter 2
Probably an hour before the sun set, the guys were already in front of the dojo, waiting for the girls.
"I wonder what's taking them so long!!!" Sano said, kicking the fiftieth pebble for the past hour so far.
Yahiko just sighed and said, "Girls will be girls, I guess."
"That it is." Kenshin said in affirmation.
Just then, they heard voices from the inside of the dojo.
The guys looked at the dojo's entrance at once to see what the girls did that took them so long. After all, they haven't seen them since lunch time. That was four, five hours ago.
Just when Kenshin was about to open the door, Kaoru enthusiastically opened the door announcing, "We're ready!!"
Kenshin was taken aback not only by the sudden opening of the door but also by the beautiful girl in front of him.
Kaoru was wearing a forest green kimono, which complimented her eyes, with a few little sakura leaves printed on it. She also put her hair down unlike usual. She was wearing the slightest tinge of make-up, which brought out her natural and innocent beauty.
Kenshin stared at her for about another ten seconds before regaining his composure. "You look beautiful, Kaoru-dono... Uh.. That you do." Then he offered her a hand.
Kaoru took his hand and hook her arm around Kenshin's and said, "Well, thank you, Kenshin. You look good, too, like always."
"Uh.. If you'll excuse us, you two." Yahiko blurted out.
Noticing that the others were actually watching them, Kaoru said, "Uh.. Ehehe.. I'm sorry.. Oh! Where's Miss Megumi?? I told her to come out with me.. She was thinking twice if she looks good but..."
While Kaoru was blabbering, Megumi went out and said, "I'm right here."
Kaoru didn't seem to notice 'coz she wasn't facing the entrance so she kept on talking. "She didn't even want to believe me when I told her that she actually looks-"That's when she noticed that no one was listening to her anymore.
When Sano looked at Megumi, he was the one who finished Kaoru's statement.
"-Stunning."
Megumi was wearing a kimono with a nice shade of red, complimenting her eyes and her naturally-red lips. She was wearing no make-up at all because she insisted that she feels irritated with make-up on her face. Her kimono had silver speckles printed, scattered throughout and her obi was the darkest shade of red.
Kaoru looked at them a bit confused before facing the front door. That's when she saw why the others weren't listening to her anymore.
"Oh... Hehe.. See? I told you, Megumi!! Even Sano thinks you look good today!!"
That's when Sano woke from his reverie and said, "Ehem.. Ehem... Well, can we go now?? I'm kinda tired waiting for you guys, you know.." He looked down ashamed of being caught staring at the fox doctor. So he headed to open the gate.
When he opened it, he saw a smiling Tsubame standing in front of him.
"Oh! Have you been there for a long time? You could have knocked, you know!!"
"Actually, I just arrived." Tsubame replied.
A very effervescent Yahiko came running and pushed Sano aside. "You're just in time, Tsubame! I thought you won't come!"
"Well.. I wanted to surprise you.. Yahiko-chan.." Tsubame said shyly.
When Sano took in the situation, he walked pass the gate and said, "Okay, lovebirds, let's go.. let's go!"
The two teenagers just blushed at this and followed the older teenager.
When they caught up with Sano, he elbowed the younger boy and said,
"Nice move!" Then he winked at the boy before walking past him again.
Yahiko just shoot daggers at him with his eyes and innocently smiled at the girl beside him. That's when he noticed, "You look pretty, Tsubame-chan..!"
Tsubame didn't know what to say but, "Thank you.."
Sano took the lead of the gang until he looked back and noticed that Megumi, was of course left out again with the two pairs walking in front of her. So he walked a bit slower until the others were already walking past him. He walked beside the said lady and said, "So, that leaves the two of us together again, eh?"
Megumi faced Sano, who was actually looking forward with his hands in his pockets, and said, "Well, yes, I think.. For the umpteenth time.." Then she sighed.
Sano took note of the sigh and said, "Why? You don't want me to accompany you?"
Megumi, on the other hand, took not of the tone of sadness, regret and disbelief in Sano's voice and just replied, "No.. Not really.."
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They left it like that and headed to the town. When they arrived at the town square, a happy Misao came running to their direction with the usual icy Aoshi trailing behind her.
She immediately hugged Kaoru and exclaimed, "Oh, guys! I've wanted to see you for the longest time!!"
Kaoru hugged her back. Knowing what the younger girl meant, she replied, "We missed you too, Misao.." Then she nodded at Aoshi and said, "You, too, Shinomori-san."
Sano and Kenshin marched up to Aoshi and the guys lead the group to the newly-opened restaurant.
The girls followed them, with the youngest couple behind them.
When they entered the restaurant, they were welcomed by four waitresses lining in front of them. "Konnichiwa!!"
The guys entered first and they were immediately asked, "Table for eight, sirs?"
Aoshi just nodded and they were lead to one of the longest tables.
When the girls entered, the manager held out a bouquet of flowers to Megumi. This earned giggles from the other ladies.
Megumi was wondering what it was for but when she looked at the manager, he said, "You're our thousandth customer, Ma'am! And your meal is on us!!"
Megumi took the information in first and then gestured to her companions.
The manager understood this and said, "Yes!! Even the people you have with you!"
Kaoru, Misao and Tsubame clapped their hands and said, "We're so lucky!!"
Sano, hearing the commotion, turned to look at them and saw Megumi talking to a really handsome, not to mention modest guy, with a bouquet of flowers in her arms. He was angry at first but since he was in a public place, he thought, "Wait.. Breathe, Sanosuke Sagara, you have no right to be angry!! Why are you angry in the first place??"
But when he heard the other girls applaud, he thought again. 'We are all lucky? Hmmm.. I wonder why...' With that, he approached the others in the entrance. When he walked away, Kenshin and Aoshi noticed the hoopla and followed him.
Being the mindless guy that he was, Sano asked them immediately, "Oi, guys! Mind telling us what this commotion is all about?"
Misao immediately jumped from her position and said, "We're so lucky!!!"
Sano sighed and said, "Yah, I've heard that earlier. Mind telling us what we're so lucky about?"
Kaoru joined in and said, "You see, Miss Megumi here, is the thousandth visitor of the restaurant and we get our meal for free!!"
Upon hearing the word 'free', Sano grinned and said, "That's great!"
Kaoru replied, "It is great since I was supposed to be the one to pay the bill!! I'm so glad!!"
The manager extended his hand and told Megumi, "Uhm.. Excuse me.. Can we now lead you to your table?"
Megumi took it as an invitation so she replied, "Hai!"
They were lead to the second floor of the building there was an extension of the restaurant in the terrace. The spot was breath-taking. There, you could smell the fresh air and see a perfect view of the on-going festivity.
The manager then pulled out a chair for Megumi to sit on. She took the sit and looked at the magnificent view. The manager then gestured for the others to sit down. When they were all seated, he said, "A waiter will come shortly to take your orders."
When he was gone Megumi took her eyes off the view and to her companions. She saw all of them taking in the nice view as well. Well, except for one. She saw Sano looking evilly at the manager's back.
"Oh, don't worry roosterhead, I don't like him! He's too.. uhm.. clean!" Megumi said.
Sano looked at her with fake disgust and said, "Like I care if you like him or not!"
Megumi just laughed her trademark ohoho's and you could just imagine fox ears growing.
"Hmmph.. You tricky kitsune-onna!" Sano said.
And then the waiter came and gave them a list of the menu. After about fifteen minutes, they have all ordered. It took them a while because there were new dishes they haven't tried before.
After that, they ate thankfully. Nothing could taste more delicious than a free meal at a newly-opened prestigious restaurant.
When they were through, they thanked the waitresses lined up in the exit and headed to the town square. There were lots of exhibits there. The displays were all so colorful and there's a program going on in the center stage.
After about two hours of going around...
"Hey! I heard there's a fireworks display near the river later this evening!! Let's go there!" Kaoru said.
At the thought of fireworks, Misao said, "Yeah! Let's!"
Sano felt indifferent with fireworks so he said, "If it's happening later this evening, then can we just go later??!"
Kaoru pouted and said, "You're no fun!!" Then her innocent look turned into an evil one. "You stupid baka! If we go there now, we could get a seat near the riverbank. That way. We'd see the fireworks more clearly!!"
Megumi backed her up and said, "If we go there later, the place will be filled with people that it'd be no use trying to get a better view."
Sano raised his hands in defeat and said, "Okay! Okay!! Don't gang on me!!"
With that, the girls lead them to the river.
Aoshi patted Sano on the shoulder and said, "You'd never win against women."
Sano was shocked to hear a remark from Aoshi but then again he thought, ' Yah. Aoshi should know. Misao talks a lot and since he's always with her... Hehehehe..'
When they arrived at the riverbank, there were only few people and they got to sit in the front. They could already see people from the other side of the river setting up the fireworks for the display.
Misao immediately pulled Aoshi with her and they sat down. Kaoru did the same with Kenshin and well, Tsubame didn't need to pull Yahiko for they've been side by side since they left.
That left the rooster and the fox alone.
So, to prove that he's man enough, Sano approached Megumi and held out his arms for her like Kenshin did before they left.
Megumi took it and said, "Thank you.. Tori-atama!!"
Sanosuke coldly told her, "Hey, Megitsune, don't be all thankful! I'm not doing this 'coz I like you or something... I'm doing this 'coz we're the only ones left."
Megumi couldn't help but feel a bit hurt. 'Oh well.. Like someone would actually like being with a boring doctor like me... sigh'
But she hid it and said, "I know! Of course!"
So they sat beside the others in the riverbank.
After a few minutes, the crowd doubled and doubled until you can't drop a needle anymore between the people.
The fireworks started. Fireworks of different colors and patterns were displayed and you could hear "Oh!!'s" and "Wow!!'s" everywhere.. Every time a new one fills the night sky, the people couldn't help but be amazed at the sight.
The fireworks went on for about half an hour and after that, the crowd dispersed rather fastly.
That's when Sano noticed that the other pairs in their group are cuddling to each other.. 'Che! I hate witnessing public displays of attention!!'
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his 'partner' whisper, "It's getting cold."
He didn't look at her but he continued looking at the others with disgust. "Yeah, I can see that.." He can actually observe that due to the cold weather, the others were seeking warmth in each other.
Megumi just shrugged at his indifference. She continued looking at the river like there's an invisible program going on. She was thinking, thinking and thinking until drowsiness visited her.
Sano was shocked when he felt weight over his shoulder. That's when he noticed that Megumi was now fast asleep.
'She looks like an angel... Wait! Fox doesn't go well with angel and angel could never go with fox..!!'
And then, Kenshin stood up and told him, "We should go now. It's getting late. That it is." Then he went to wake up Yahiko and Tsubame.
The two teenagers awoke, and realizing that they slept leaning against each other, they blushed and stood up immediately on impulse.
Then, Kenshin gestured to Aoshi and carried Kaoru in his arms. Aoshi understood what he meant and so, he carried an also sleeping Misao.
Sano looked at them and said, "What now? What do I do with Megitsune?"
Kenshin said, "You can take her to her home, that you can. Shinomori-san and Misao are going to sleep in the dojo."
Sano thought this over and thought that it's rather rude of him to wake the sleeping doctor up, he just mimicked what the other two guys did and nodded. Then he said goodbye to the others since the path to the dojo and the path to Megumi's house were different.
