Chapter: 10 "A blossoming friendship, perhaps more."
Author: deltaop
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of it's characters, however, original characters and ideas are mine to claim.
Italics are thoughts.
Last Chapter
They walked in silence, something they seemed to do a lot. Suddenly Hiko posed a question that had been eating at his brain for some time.
"Why didn't you tell the police about the murders?" He asked.
Sumi stopped walking . . .
End of Last Chapter
Sumi weighed her answer carefully.
Hiko realized she had stopped, and turned to face her, finding the beautiful face he looked on bearing a pensive gaze.
She just couldn't tell him that she avoided the police in attempts to conceal her identity. But maybe he'd believe the latter reason for my actions that day.
"I didn't think it was right, you could have ended up in jail." Sumi explained. "You saved me . . . I couldn't compromise you," She continued.
Now it was her turn for a question. "Wait a minute!" She pointed at him for emphasis. "How did you know I didn't tell the police?"
"Uhhh. . . . My Secret. ." Hiko said as he rewarded her with his amazing smile, trying to hide the fact that he liked her ever since the moment he first saw her.
Sumi eyed him until he decided to confess.
"Ok, Ok… I checked on you…. to make sure you would be safe," Hiko informed her, as he shrugged his shoulders and tried not to make eye contact.
Sumi, obviously not convinced, only replied, "Riiiiiight," then laughed started walking again. Hiko wondered at the powers of feminine persuasion and what had made him confess.
He stared after her, amazed with the woman walking away from him.. "How can she do it, she goes from pensive one moment to laughing the next…what is it with her! She seems open to everything…I have to learn how she does it." he thought, then began following her.
They arrived at the gate door of Sumi's cottage and stopped. They faced each other waiting in anticipation of the other's next move … waiting to see what would happen in the last moments of this evenings encounter.
Sumi looked down, just staring at the ground for what seemed like an eternity. She was nervous, she had never been in a situation such as this before.
She looked up at Hiko, confidence regained, and said in a soft voice, "Thank you for walking me home."
It took Hiko nano-seconds to find one of his arrogant remarks in which to respond to her. "Well, I am your guardian angel…it's my duty." He said as he looked into Sumi's beautiful hazel eyes intently.
Sumi softly laughed at his comment. She heaved a sigh and walked up to him, pushed herself up on her toes, placed her right hand on his shoulder and planted a small kiss of gratitude on his left cheek.
She lowered herself to the ground, and slowly stepped backwards, away from the man she had just kissed. For the few seconds that she stared at him, gazing into his abstruse green eyes…full of indiscernible hazy covered emotions.
The sides of her mouth curved into a gently smile as she looked on him with care and said, " Thank you Master Hiko, we will meet again…. I promise you."
With that said, she left him with no room to respond. She turned, walked inside the gate and locked it….
Hiko stood there while the realization of what she had just done sank in.
Inaudible words to anyone else.. "…Promise…" he said, with hope as he walked away from the cottage in a lighter mood.
For the next week Hiko made it a ritual to visit Sumi at the Akabeko, to talk and walk her home. They would spend time talking about their interests, and other things, during Sumi's lunch break and after she got off work.
Hiko made it apparent that she would not be walking home alone, even if it was a short distance. The city was not safe enough in his opinion. He didn't admit to himself that it was just an excuse to be near her.
Sumi found this comforting, she had had bodyguards in the past, but they were paid to keep her safe, Hiko did it willingly. The protection from one such as Master Hiko was very much welcomed by her. Her father always gave her financial protection, but it just wasn't the same. Sumi didn't admit to herself that this was just an excuse to be near Hiko. It was easier to pretend it was those reasons, so she wouldn't have to admit she was falling for him.
Sumi hadn't met a real gentleman before...only the sleez bags that her father introduced to her. Businessmen, Government officials…anyone that could get him further in the political and economical worlds of Japan. Her father tried to set her up with the worst of the worst…she had never known a real, kind, and compassionate man before…or a more stubborn and arrogant one either. . . till Hiko.
Sumi and Hiko's talks were productive to their newly found friendship. She learned that her guardian angel was a very powerful man. Not politically powerful, or economically powerful, but physically powerful. She discovered, through little questioning, because he was quite arrogant and proud, that he is the 13th Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu sword fighting style. Sumi had to admit that she was impressed…as arrogant as he was, he did have the bite to match his bark. She admired that. She also found out that the nut case, whom to which she had grown to care for, makes pottery… "He's such an enigma," Sumi would constantly say.
She had also learned that he too was from Kyoto…though she often wondered if they might have seen each other before.
He asked about her past many times, asking her why she left Kyoto, and why she came to a town without security. She simply smiled, avoided the questions and changed the subject. He gave up after awhile, deciding it better to let her keep her secrets till she decided there was enough trust in their friendship.
Hiko divulged information about Kenshin and Kaoru. She now knew that Hiko had raised Kenshin, and that Kenshin had been Hiko's student, at one point in time. She smiled as he told her the nickname he gave Kenshin, "baka deshi." Sumi found the relationship between Hiko and Kenshin endearing.
Hiko saw that Sumi was fascinated with Kaoru, even though she was younger than Sumi. Her independence, determination, her spirit. All were qualities that Sumi wished to possess.
Sumi had much time to herself, living alone as it were. She noticed her new life changing everyday. She had had very few friends as a child. Her father did not allow her to talk to common children. She was only allowed to speak with the children of his business associates for fear that commoners would ruin her sense of propriety, he thought commoners were low class. Sumi knew he was wrong. Now, she was surrounded with people cheering her on in her independence.
Hiko's constant attendance in Sumi's every day life had impacted her. She noticed that he was, just like Tae, trying to help her, in his own way. Even though things were changing around her, Sumi still had nightmares about the murders intermingled with pleasing thoughts of Hiko saving her.
Other than Takara, Sumi had only one real friend growing up. A boy two years older than herself. He was an orphan, named Aorian. Takara used to take Sumi to the children's orphanage in Kyoto, where she met Aorian, when her father was out on business. She had not seen or heard from him since he left her when she was 11 years old. She often wondered how he was doing and if he was successful in his own life.
If only Sumi knew her new life in Tokyo wouldn't be as easy as she had hoped. Trouble was on its way.
"Umph. . ." Boy did Sumi hate getting water from the well. Especially when she lost her grip on the rope, as well as her balance. She would fall back, not so gracefully, and land soundly on her posterior
She rose and attempted to draw water again. If only they hadn't been so busy today. Hideya, one of the cooks, normally helped Sumi whenever she needed to get water. She knew he was just too busy to help her, so she decided against bothering him and she wanted to try it herself once more.
As she was pulling up on the rope, the weight suddenly lifted. She looked down into the well to see if something had dropped then she noticed the presence behind her. Slowly looking up and turning face, she saw a helpful Hiko leaning over her holding the rope.
"What a wonderful surprise, Hiko," Sumi spoke as she moved out of his way, letting him bring up the drawn water.
He stopped and just looked at her with a purely stunned look on his face.
Not knowing the explanation behind the look, she checked around her to see if anything was amiss. "What's wrong," she asked, puzzled.
"That's the first time you just called me Hiko! No Sir or Master. Just Hiko." He smiled, what used to be a rarity.
"Oh, would you prefer I not?"
"No…I mean, please do."
Sumi's mouth twisted into a pleasant grin as she Hiko resumed retrieving the pale of water.
"My lunch break isn't for at least-"
"Half an hour…. I know. I'll wait." He cut her off.
"Well then, I should get back," she gathered up the pale of water with effort. "I'll see you then Hiko," she passed him smiling.
Till then…
With Sumi now back to work, Hiko had to find something to occupy his time…
"WHAT?"
"I'm sick of doing your errands Etsuya, Izo and I are not your errand boys." Enishi said irritably as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. "Why are we here now?"
"Ha…ha ha.. inconceivable. You really are an unappreciative brat. I revoked your execution order, had you removed from jail and made your records disappear… and you dare to tell me that you are not my errand boy. Ha ha." A tall man said as he sat behind a large wooden desk. A grave, dark look emanating from the aged features of his visage. Gray hairs making appearances sporadically through his dark brown hair, and mustache.
"I never wanted out, I didn't deserve it after all I've done. And now you keep me in the same world that made me beg for freedom. Keep your favors…. Send me back." Enishi spat back.
"You must have a horrible memory. Every time I call you into my office you forget whom you are dealing with. I, Etsuya Kioshi… control this town, I own it! And I own you. So don't think even for one second that you can come in here and insult me like that. Ha ha, your execution can still be arranged, my friend." The angered politician said as a large frame, belonging to one of his many bodyguards, stepped out from the shadows to stand beside his chair.
Enishi was outraged, how could such a vile man as Etsuya Kioshi control him. He may be one of the most powerful men in Kyoto, but he couldn't match Enishi in a battle. All he really is is a coward, hidden behind men as vile as himself. Protected by the foolish government that the people of the country believed in. If only the people really knew… They will someday…I owe you that Mr. Kioshi…I owe you that.
Enishi hardened his face and covered his anger, he wanted to get through with this as quick as possible. "What are the specifics of our assignment?"
"Huh," Etsuya huffed in amusement. "Go back to Tokyo, your contact will be…" he looked at a slip of paper for the name. "Katashi. He will give you the full specs of your assignment. Here is the rendezvous information." He said as he slide a small piece of paper across his desk, motioning for Enishi to retrieve.
"Now go."
Enishi just bowed his head and walked out of the room, resisting the urge to unsheathe his sword and decapitate the vermin on the spot, he'd have no trouble with the bodyguard. I'm certainly not the most honorable person in the world, but I'm definitely not as bad as him. Degrees of evil, how we reason our sins away. He thought as he closed the doors to the office and turned to look at Izo, whom was lounging against the wall, eyes closed…as usual.
…Sigh… "Time to get moving," Enishi said in a tone that Izo knew meant that they probably weren't going to like this mission.
What Enishi didn't know was that Izo heard every word spoken in that office. Don't worry Master, this arrangement won't last long. Not long at all.
Izo followed his master out of the building and into the dark back streets of Kyoto. The perfect time to meet was at night, no one would see them and they didn't have to exist. That was the way Etsuya liked it.
"Seems we have to take another trip to Tokyo, Izo," he said in his usual irritable tone. Everything about Etsuya irritated him.
"We leave in the morning?" Izo questioned, though he already knew the answer, he just wanted to get Enishi's mind off of the politician.
"Yes." Stopping to let a carriage pass, a strange thought popped into Enishi's cluttered mind….I get to see her again. That'll be nice. Maybe it won't be such a bad trip after all. "How about a drink Izo? I owe you for last time anyway," he said as they walked towards one of Kyoto's many underground clubs.
"Absolutely." He could definitely use a stiff drink.
Thank you for those who have reviewed. If you want to get an e-mail from me letting you know when I've updated, leave your e-mail address and name in a review. Thank you.
Review Responses
Female Sesshoumaru: Yea, that really is Hiko. He'll make his move soon…. Thank you for the review. I loved the end of The Female Shinsengumi A Battousai?..! Fantastic! Those two! Haha!
SukiLovesAnime14: Thank you so much! I haven't had a chance to read anything lately, but now since I graduated I have so much more time. I am going to jump all over your stories and review like crazy(I mean that in a good good way. Hehe). Watch out! Hehe
kagome-angel2000: Ohh hehe I won't give up, I just get overwhelmed really easily. I'm hoping that the outline will keep me in line! Thank you!
Redrummaker: Absolutely, Paine is hardcore! We gotta catch a flick this next week… miss ya guys.
Ochita : hopefully I will be updating more frequently now.
crazyforHiko: Hehe, he's an original character my best friend created. Thank you!
D-Chan3: yes, I'm very sorry about that. had just made the rule that you could not post anything without chapter content. So, to be able to send out a message, I had to put something. I'm terribly sorry. Forgive me?