DISCLAIMER: I do not own any part of Rurouni Kenshin. I am merely using its characters for my own writing pleasure.
This is so great! I didn't expect this kind of response for my first chapter. I mean, I was just overwhelmed by the reviews! You guys are so nice. I' celebrated my first days as a high school graduate and tears were shed and smiles were received, friends will part but at the end of the road, we know we'd all be together still. Someone commented that my writing was simple yet elegant and said a bunch of other cool stuff that just warmed my heart, thank you. Because of what you said, I am determined to make every chapter of this story special. Please enjoy this chapter. It's kind of sad, though.
Looking around for any sign of the man, Kenshin stood cleaning himself up. Upon glancing at the face of the woman beside him, there didn't seem to have any sign of her knowing what had happened. Tilting her head, as if to ask why, she urged him to continue walking with her. Taking one final glance and seeing nothing he put on his fake rurouni smile and followed. He'll just teach that man a lesson when he ever showed his face. But it still bothered him, why didn't Kaoru notice that man leaning unto her?
Upon arriving home, Yahiko, after his usual bouts of insults, told them that a letter was waiting for Kaoru. Excusing her self to her room the envelope in her hands were quickly being shred as she, taken over by impatience, started to read. Her short travel came to an abrupt stop as she read on. One hand rose unconsciously to her mouth to stifle a sob as her eyes glazed over with grief.
Quick to her side was Kenshin trying to find any means of comfort for the unknown root of sadness. Placing a firm grip on her shoulder, he squeezed to tell her of his willingness to heal her but what was a helping hand was brushed away as she went for the gates in a rush leaving the man with his questions.
Realizing that it was already dark and was an ungodly hour for a woman to be outside on the streets, he followed her footsteps. Outside, he went looking for her in her usual places of hiding, but there was no Kaoru. Finally, the rurouni gave up and decided to come home having an inexplicable feeling in his heart that he would find her soon. When he went back home, though, she was already sitting by the porch. Her face was a mask of happiness, trying to conceal what lies beneath.
"Yahiko's starving. He said you went away for a while and obviously he doesn't want me coming anywhere near the kitchen and mess up dinner."
"Miss Kaoru. Are you okay?" she looked at him in a sort of surprised yet sad way. Upon looking at her face closely, one can see tell tale signs of tears that might've fallen.
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm fine." she bowed her head and Kenshin swore he could almost see the tears glistening beneath her eyes. What was he supposed to do? Why wouldn't Kaoru talk to him?
Without looking at Kenshin, she stood up and smiled. "You should cook dinner now, I'm really hungry..." then she went back inside. Not a word, not a clue...nothing. Kenshin finally resigned to her requests and went to prepare dinner for the groaning Yahiko.
When dinner was served however, Kaoru was not there. "Yahiko, have you called Miss Kaoru for dinner yet?"
The young boy looked at him then without swallowing the food he recently devoured he shouted for the lady of the house to "Come out! Dinner's ready! Or else I would eat it all!" But still there was no response. Her door remained shut and no noise came to indicate that she was getting ready to come out.
Now, this behavior really disturbed Kenshin. Kaoru was not the kind of morose person who could be this mellow and lifeless. Something was definitely wrong...
He first took Kaoru's portion of dinner and set it aside, making sure that Yahiko would not eat it. In front of her door, he knocked a considerable number of times but still, no answer. He called out, "Miss Kaoru?" but there was only silence. Finally, losing himself to his worries, he trusted his intuition to open the door and come inside.
There he saw Kaoru hiding beneath the covers. "Miss Kaoru, are you sleeping?" He decided whether to wake her up or not but it seemed unnecessary when he heard her soft voice saying, "No."
"Dinner is ready, Miss Kaoru."
"I'm not really hungry..." she mumbled. Kenshin wondered to himself why he didn't believe her. 'The letter, since she read that letter, she'd begun acting this way. Something was in that letter that upset her this much.
"Really? I thought you said that you were hungry a while ago..."
"I said that?" She said, still with the blanket covering her form. "I'm just really tired. I want to go to sleep."
Kenshin was not taking a word of it and setting boundaries aside he tossed the covers away from her. He looked at her face that was filled with awe, looked at her this way and that. She wasn't even ready for bed yet and her eyes were evidently red and her face was puffy.
"Miss Kaoru? You've been crying." It was no question, it was a statement. She bit her already red lower lip and didn't answer. One hand went to hers, squeezed it, trying to show her his support. Kaoru has always been there for him during his toughest times, and he would do the same to her. Finally giving in, she leaned on his shoulder and let her tears flow. How beautiful her eyes looked when that crystal like droplets flowed from her eyes. It was the only kind of beauty in her that Kenshin didn't appreciate and had wanted to wipe away. Finally, she left herself to be locked in his arms in a warm embrace that she needed most at the time. He had no idea what she was crying about but he didn't care. The only thought running through his head was how to comfort her on her sadness.
He tried rubbing her back, whispering words of comfort but all of it seemed to add to her grief. Finally, he was able to settle her for bed. She didn't want dinner and explaining was out of the question.
In the morning, she was a bit more cheerful but a little less visible. Kenshin hardly ever saw her around the dojo for the whole morning. When he went outside, what he saw surprised him.
"It's you..." Kenshin felt himself grow angry at the sight. How dare that man show his face to him!
Oh, man! Where do I even start thanking the reviewers!