True to Your Heart

By: Misumi Kanegawa

Chapter 1

Years later…

"Another day, another year…" Misao, a girl with long black hair made into a braid, sighed in annoyance.

"Hey! Don't worry! Everything's gonna be fine!" a girl with long raven black hair, held in a high pony tail, said, "Besides… this year's is our last year! We should at least try to bear it- right?"

"Yeah right… Really Kaoru… I don't you will be saying that for long…" Misao mumbled as they entered the school gates.

As soon as they stepped on school grounds, they saw a large crowd of boys running madly towards them! Some of them wearing their karate/taekwondo outfits- others were wearing boxing gloves, while some were carrying sticks, bokkens and different kinds of sport balls.

"See… those guys are still after you…" Misao smirked as Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"Not again…" Kaoru groaned in annoyance as she drew out a bokken from her bag, "Time to kick some butt!"

Kaoru charged over to the crowd as she dodged balls, rocks, sticks, maybe even a punch or two. Each time she passed a guy, she'd always hit each of them with her bokken in either their back or their chest, then dodges to her side to confront another guy.

"Baka…" Kaoru mumbled with irritation as she had beaten down the last guy after her with her bokken, "you people are just wasting my time, you know that!"

"I really can't believe you still put up with that…" Misao said, running to her side, "You're still a guy hater- up to now! Even when every guy in school-well, maybe not every guy- but when most of the guys in school want to date you so badly!"

Kaoru groaned as she hid her bokken in her bag. Not this again.

"Shut up… it's all your fault I had to endure all this for three year! And now this is going to be my fourth year of torture!" Kaoru snapped, "Why'd you have to tell every guy in school that I'd date them if they beat me in a fight!"

"Well… it's your fault that you agreed to it you know…" Misao said, rolling her eyes as the school bell rang, "C'mon, we need to be in the gym for the usual start-of-the-year announcements…"

"AH! Wait for me!"

Kaoru and Misao ran towards the gym as fast as they can. But as they turned into a corner, Kaoru accidentally bumped into someone, causing her to fall to the floor. Kaoru groaned as she tried to clear her vision. She looked up and saw a red head guy with lavender eyes and a cross-shaped scar on his face, extending his hand out to her.

Kaoru blinked at him for a few seconds, while gazing into the guy's lavender eyes.

'What the- Those eyes…I've seen those eyes before…'

"Gomen… Do you need any help?" he asked as Kaoru just glared at him coldly.

"No thank you!" She angrily snapped at him as Misao helped her up to her feet, "I don't want any help from a guy!"

"Oro?"

"Leave us alone!" Kaoru exclaimed as she quickly pulled Misao away from him and into the gym.

"Oro?"

"Hey Kaoru- that guy you bumped into- he was H-O-T!" Misao said softly while blushing as they headed to the line of their class

"Eww…. Please don't use such stupid language in front of me- I think I'm gonna puke…" Kaoru grumbled as Misao giggled slightly, "And stop giggling for crying out loud!"

"Anyway- good thing that we're classmates again! I hated my class last year! Those two snobs were in my class!" Misao replied, clinging on to Kaoru's arm.

"Well… I think you're gonna hate this year too…" Kaoru whispered to her, while pointing to two girls, giggling at the end of the girl's line, "It seems that Megumi and Tomoe are in our class…"

"What! Oh great…" Misao groaned as they reached their line, "There goes my dream of a wonderful year… right down the drain…"

"Did you see him? Did he talk to you?" Megumi asked Tomoe, who was blushing furiously.

"I only said hi to him- but he actually said hi back! He was soo cute! Especially with that smile of his!" Tomoe squealed softly in delight, "You should've seen him up close!"

"Oh jeeze… Don't you girls have anything to do with your lives! Don't you have anything else in your head but guys!" Misao snapped as the two snobbish looking girls glared at her angrily.

"FYI Makimachi! We didn't ask for you your opinion!" the older looking woman, with long black hair tied loosely by a small ribbon, snapped at Misao.

"Now now Tomoe… be nice to tomboy itachiis like her…" Megumi, a tall woman with long black straight hair said to Tomoe while smiling evilly.

"NANI! Who the heck are you calling a tomboy! You're just a baka kitsune!" Misao exclaimed in anger as Kaoru pulled her back.

"Stop it… The teacher might catch you…" Kaoru hissed as Misao stuck her tongue out at the two girls in front of them.

Suddenly, they heard the screechy sound of the microphone.

"Um…Eherm… Gomen about that…" a fat old man said, "Welcome Students, Faculty and staff… to another great, and wonderful year in Todai High!"

Well, after listening for an hour to the principal's boring speech, he finally said, "Now… let's give a warm welcome… to the three newest members to our school… Come up the stage please…"

Then, three handsome looking guys went up the stage. One was smiling happily at the crowd; the other was looking confused, while the last guy kept giving everyone a cold stare.

'Hey! It's that jerk who bumped into me a while ago!' Kaoru thought, glaring at the confused looking red-head, 'I hope he falls of the stage…'

'That guy's cute…' Misao thought, blushing madly as she gazed at the black haired guy next to the red-head guy.

"Now as our school's tradition, a person from the class of each of these students would show them around for a whole school week…" the principal said through the microphone, "And to announce all this, we call upon Ms. Takada to do us the honors…"

The crowd stayed unusually quiet- waiting eagerly to see which classes the 3 hot guys would be placed in; well, for the girls that is…

"Seta-san will now be part of class 4-B with Kamiya Yahiko-san from the same class to be his first week's guide…"

Everyone cheered as the ever-smiling guy on the stage went over to his new class.

"Next- Himura-san… who'll now also be part of Class 4-B…is having Kamiya Kaoru-san as his guide for his first week…"

"NANI! ME! YUCK! I'd rather die!" Kaoru cursed under her breath as the people in the gym applauded while the red haired guy walked down towards their class.

"And lastly… Shinomori-san is now part of Class 4-B, with Makimach Misao-san as his guide for the week…"

'Alright!' Misao cheered silently as the students in the gym clapped as the last new guy walked lazily towards his new class.

Class 4-B…

The bell just rang signaling the end of the last subject before lunch…

"Okay you two guys! Listen up!" Misao said to the two guys sitting in front of her, "We're supposed to show you now to your lockers!"

"And… you are?" Shinomori, who was sitting directly in front of Misao asked as Misao flushed.

"I'm Makimachi Misao! I'm supposed to be your guide for the week!"

"Not his…" Mr. Shinomori said, pointing to Mr. Himura sitting next to him, "His guide is Kamiya-san someone…"

"Oh- hello! And your name is?"

"Himura, Himura Kenshin…" the red head replied as Misao giggled.

"Well, I hope you get a long with your guide… you're gonna have a rough time doing that though…"

"Um… Okay… May I know who my guide-" Kenshin asked as someone hit him on the head, "ORO!"

"I'm your guide you good-for-nothing baka!" the girl beside him said angrily, holding a meter stick in her hand, "And I still don't like you!"

"Oh… so that's why you kept glaring at me the whole time a while ago-" Kenshin said, massaging his head as Kaoru just glared at him some more.

"Hey Busu!"

Kaoru quickly turned around and slapped a guy, with brown hair sticking out everywhere, with the meter stick on the head.

"Ah-'Uh oh' Gomen Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru exclaimed hiding the meter stick behind her as Yahiko fumed.

"What the heck did you do that for!" Yahiko bellowed as Kaoru cringed away from him while she sweat dropped, "And stop calling me little!"

"Are you guys' twins?" a tall light brown haired guy, with a smile pasted on his face, asked from behind Yahiko.

"Hai- they are- who are you anyway 'I know you're Seta- but what the heck is your first name!'" Misao beamed as the smiling guy behind Yahiko replied, "I'm Seta Soujiro… and… you are?"

"I'm Makimachi Misao… and these are my two friends Kaoru and Yahiko…" Misao replied as the red haired guy stood up from his seat.

"May I ask where the cafeteria is? I am quite hungry, that I am…" Kenshin said as Misao pouted.

Kaoru just glared at him before saying, "What's your locker number- I need to show you your locker first- not that I want to anyway…"

Kenshin just looked at her blankly before giving her a small piece of paper.

Kaoru stared at it for a while, before her eyes widened in surprise.

"409! But-But- I'm next to you!" Kaoru gasped in horror as Kenshin sweat dropped, "Oh man! That just sucks!"

"Oro?"

"Lemme see yours!" Misao and Yahiko said at the same time, quickly snatching the locker numbers of the new kids.

"Cool! Shinomori-san's 415! And I'm 414!" Misao cried in delight.

"Hmm… Seta's 411! He's next to BUSU!" Yahiko gasped as Kaoru hit him again with the meter stick.

"Demo… what's your locker number then Kamiya-san?" Soujiro asked Yahiko as Yahiko sighed.

"I'm in 413…" Yahiko replied, "And please- stop it already with the Kamiya-san! You're gonna mix me up with my twin just like everyone else- Just call me Yahiko for crying out loud!"

GROWL…

Everyone turned to Kenshin in surprise.

"Um… can we eat now? I'm really kind of hungry, that I am…" Mr. Himura said as he sweat dropped.

"Well then, follow us to your lockers!" Misao exclaimed leading them all out of the classroom.

When they reached their lockers, Misao and the other guides handed the new students their locks for their lockers. They placed their things in it, and then locked it up again. Then they headed for the school's cafeteria. They bought their food and found an empty table for the six of them to share.

"This food looks utterly disgusting…" Shinomori grumbled in annoyance as Misao replied, gulping down her spaghetti, "Oh… you'll get used to it after a while… the only thing good here are their brownies…unfortunately, they're all gone!"

"Himura-san-" Soujiro said as Mr. Himura interrupted, "Dozo… Call me Kenshin…"

"Uh… okay… um… Kenshin?" Soujiro said, looking at the annoyed face of the girl sitting next to Misao, "I think you're guide's afraid of you…"

"AM NOT! Shut up Seta, before I hit you!" Kaoru snapped angrily, looking away from them.

"Oro? 'I think she has a grudge with everyone, that I do…'"

"Um… What's wrong with her?" Soujiro asked Yahiko, who was eating sushi next to him.

"Oh… don't mind her… she hates guys... including me…" Yahiko replied as he eyed the fuming Kaoru, "Well… She doesn't hate me as much as the other guys in school… she just gets annoyed by me sometimes…"

"I see…" Soujiro mumbled to himself as he observed Kaoru eat some rice cakes.

"Hey Shinomori-san! Do you have another name we can call you besides… you know… Shinomori-san?" Misao asked, looking up at the guy in front of her, "'Cuz… it's kinda long…"

Shinomori looked up at her coldly, before looking away from her again while muttering, "It's Aoshi- but I wouldn't like anyone else to know-"

"Hi Soujiro! Hi Kenshin! Hi Aoshi!" two girls said sweetly at the same time as they stopped by their table.

"Oh jeeze… it's the snobs…" Misao muttered as Megumi glared at her.

"Oh just shut up Makimachi…" she snapped as a tall guy with his brown hair standing up his head came up behind Megumi.

"Oh- hey Sano…" Misao and the Kamiya twins greeted as Sano just waved back.

Sano turned to face Megumi's angry looking face as he said, "Hey- can I not come with you? I'm gonna be late for my next class…"

"No way Sano… you promised!" Megumi pouted as he sighed.

"Fine… fine… let's just go right now then…" he mumbled as he and Megumi left the cafeteria.

"So… Kenshin… Soujiro… Aoshi…" Tomoe said smiling sweetly as she handed the three a piece of paper, "If you're looking for a girlfriend- or if you want to dump these loser girls, don't hesitate to call me… okay?"

Tomoe blew a flying kiss at them before she left.

"I hate her-" Aoshi grumbled, crossing his arms, "She's a disgusting woman…"

"Well… it's really nice meeting another student form here!" Soujiro said, pocketing the paper.

"Really Soujiro… I can't believe you can still be so happy even when you have a stalker!" Misao mumbled as Soujiro shrugged, "Especially and idiotic sluty girl like her…"

"Sorry… it's just a bad trait of mine… I just try not to show so much emotion…" Soujiro smiled.

"Right…" Misao snickered, rolling her eyes.

Soujiro smiled again as he continued to eat his food.

After they finished eating, the bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch time.

"What's our next class Yahiko-chan?" Soujiro asked.

"Art's next…" Yahiko replied, "And don't start calling me little!"

The Art room was already filled with students by the time the gang came. And for some reason, everyone was staring at them, especially the girls of the class…

"Okay class! I'm Ms. Kazuki- I'm your art teacher for this year…" a tall old woman said as the students found their seats, "Today… I want all of you to work on a painting… just to see how good your art skills are… I'd like a landscape and seascape portrait to be passed tomorrow before lunch ends…"

Everyone groaned as the teacher added sternly, "And don't you dare be late- or else!"

"Art is definitely not one of my favorite subjects…" Kaoru sighed as Kenshin glanced at her.

"It's looking great Kaoru-dono… just add something else into the sky besides the sun…" he said softly as Kaoru looked at him angrily.

"Shut up Himura! 'Don't you dare call me that again or I'll pound you-' I wasn't asking for your opinion!" Kaoru hissed as the teacher suddenly spoke, "Kamiya-san! No talking! Even if you are partnered to Himura-san- This is going to be your first warning…"

"Hai Kazuki-sensei…" Kaoru mumbled in annoyance as she glanced at Kenshin with flames in her eyes.

'This girl's scary when she's mad- that she is…' Kenshin thought, trying to focus on his work, 'Why did she have to be this one's partner?'

"Psst- Yahiko-chan…" Soujiro whispered as Yahiko looked at him with annoyance.

"Nani? 'Stop calling me CHAN!'"

"Your sister… does she have a boyfriend?" Soujiro asked softly as Yahiko looked at him in shock, feeling that he needed to hurl right a way.

"Ah- I really doubt that Soujiro," Yahiko whispered back to him in a hurry as he glanced at Kaoru who was sitting a seat away from them, "I did tell you didn't I? She hates boys!"

"Yeah, but… why?" Soujiro asked as Yahiko looked up at him helplessly.

"Gomen Soujiro… I… I can't tell you that… maybe she can…"

To be continued…