To Draw A Sword

By: Misumi Kanegawa

Disclaimer: I STILL do not own Rurouni Kenshin-I don't own anything I didn't make up. x

(By the way, this is my 1st RK fic...)

Chapter 17: Level C


"Hey Misao-chan…"

"Hai Kaoru?"

"Am I really in the Guidance office right now?"

"Hai…"

"With pen in my hand?"

"Hai…"

"And a slip in the other…"

"Hai…"

"With something that says "Detention Slip" on it?"

"Hai…"

"So…"

"So?"

"WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE!" Kaoru screamed at Misao, whacking her with her math notebook.

"Ite-Ite! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Misao cried, shielding herself from Kaoru's furious blows with her arms, "But we have to- remember!"

"How did I agree to do this!" I'm not a delinquent!" Kaoru screamed as the guidance counselor in front of them sweat dropped, "What have I gotten myself into!"

"Kaoru! Snap out of it!" Misao screamed at the top of her lungs as she slapped her on the face.

Kaoru stopped immediately as Misao sighed, giving a crumpled yellow slip to the guidance counselor.

Kaoru handed him another slip as she tried to compose herself, rubbing her painful cheek at the same time.

The guidance counselor just looked at her cautiously, preparing for another moodswing.

'Damn that bastard…' Misao grumbled with disgust as she said to the counselor.

"What level and from who did this slip come from?" The counselor asked, browsing his student records from the computer next to him.

Misao frowned as she replied, "It's a level C… from Seta Soujiro…"


-Flashback-

A while ago at PHEM…

"Hey, do you think the stupid smiley guy's coming today?" Misao asked Kaoru in a whisper.

"I hope not… I don't want to face any of those F4 people for a while…" Kaoru mumbled back as she concentrated hard to finish her goal of fifty swings right before class.

"Demo… Kaoru-san! Don't you want to go seek revenge? For Yahiko?" Misao asked, warming up with a stretch.

"Not now… I'm trying to practice here you know…" Kaoru replied, continuing her swings, "Besides, I need to lay low for a while…"

"What! Why!" Misao asked as she started doing the sit-ups, "After everything they've-"

"Jeeze…Didn't you say so yourself before? I need to lay low if I don't want to die yet…" Kaoru grumbled, "Now stop bothering me… I'm practicing… 35… 36… 37…"

"Demo… Don't you want to kick smiley boy's ass?"

"Kick whose ass?"

"You know… the stupid happy-faced dude…"

"Stupid happy-faced dude?"

"Yeah… stop acting stupid… I'm talking about that idiotic Seta!"

"And why are you talking about me, Makimachi-san?"

Misao froze midway from her 20th sit-up. Kaoru stopped her shinnai at her 44th swing. Both of them stared at Soujiro, who still had a smiling face plastered on his face. The rest of the class turned to look at them as both Kaoru and Misao turned to stone and crumbled anime-style.

"It seems you like to make fun of people behind their backs! How wonderful!" Soujiro exclaimed, still beaming at the girls, "Would you like to share your thoughts with us? Makimachi-san?"

'Ooh… I just hate his sarcasm… especially when he says it while smiling… agh' Misao thought inwardly as she turned away from Soujiro with embarrassment.

"Not good! Not good!" Soujiro said with a sigh as he firmly turned the surprised Misao to face him squarely in the face.

Misao's face went white in horror as Soujiro's smile disappeared. To Misao's dismay, his face now seemed like a blank. Misao knew, that if Soujiro kept this emotionless face, she knew more than anything that she was in big trouble. His grip on her face slowly began to tighten… and hurt.

"You should know… that someone like me doesn't usually pick on young ladies such as yourself…" Soujiro said slowly, in a low monotone voice, "But in this case, I might make an exception…"

Coldly, Soujiro shoved Misao unto Kaoru, making them loose their balance and fall on the floor with a thud. Soujiro eyed them with an emotionless expression as the two young ladies groaned in pain.

"I'm hating this guy even more…" Misao hissed to Kaoru as quietly as she could while helping Kaoru back to her feet.

"Shut up- if he hears you…"

"Oh- I heard you alright…" said Soujiro's cold voice, "Quite perfectly if I do say so myself…"

The whole room became silent. No one dared to make a sound as Soujiro eyed the two young ladies before him. Misao quivered at his gaze, but Kaoru just eyed him back with determination in her eyes. Soujiro raised a brow at Kaoru as she placed herself in a fighting stance. The room was silent for a while as Soujiro and Kaoru continued to stare at each other.

To everyone's surprise, Soujiro laughed! This was something that he wasn't meant to be doing! Sure, he smiles a lot… but to see him laughing! No one has ever heard that happen before! Why is he even laughing!

Kaoru eyed him weirdly as if he was an unimaginable lunatic while Misao's mouth, and everyone else's mouths, were hanging open in shock.

"This- this is quite amusing… very VERY amusing…" Soujiro mumbled trying to stifle his laughter as he handed them detention slips from his pocket, "It's detention! Detention for a month! GO- To the Guidance Office… Tell them… Tell them…"

Everyone sweatdropped as Soujiro continued his weird battle with his uncontrollable laughter. This was too weird… seeing the weirdest member of the F4 LAUGHING in front of them… It was as if the devil had finally found something amusing to play with.

"Tell them it's from me- and… and tell them I want you to do… maybe just level C detention…" Soujiro said in between laughs.

Misao made a face showing her deep hatred for the guy. But Kaoru just glared at him angrily, grasping her shinnai hardly.

In their school, there are 4 levels of detention. Level A is only for light punishments…usually it's just a lot of homework for a specific subject, or maybe an essay on how not to break a specific rule.

Level B detention is usually reserved for those people who keep on breaking a specific rule over and over again. It usually means cleaning the classroom, BOTH the men's and women's toilet, or cleaning the gym.

Level C is much harsher than Level B because it means you do everything; homework overload, the cleaning of the classroom, the gym, the toilets plus the hallways. This is reserved for those die-hard delinquents because if the work is not done, it's a suspension from school.

And last but not least, Level D detention is very special since only the F4 members are allowed to use it. But then, since they prefer their so-called "red tag", perhaps because they have forgotten about this level of detention, this isn't very common. In a Level D detention, one may do anything to the recipient of the detention for as long as they like, until they're satisfied that the person is punished to the fullest. Everyone fears this level of detention especially because of the group's terrifying reputation. Who knows what they would do!

She turned to Soujiro who finally stopped himself from laughing. Her eyes were blazing in anger. How dare he treat her like a delinquent! In her mind, the only delinquent present in the room right now… was him.

"You can't give us Level C detentions! I haven't done anything wrong!" Kaoru yelled at him while Misao glared at Kaoru. Kaoru sweatdropped at Misao's gaze adding, "And she's… well… she did make fun of you but…IT WASN'T HER FAULT SHE TALKED ABOUT YOU LIKE THAT!"

Everyone gasped at Kaoru's outburst of anger! This was the second person who had yelled at an F4 member, and they all heard how horribly they've treated Yahiko who was currently dying at the hospital (a rumor that was spread around by some unknown person). They shivered at the thought of what may befall the poor Kamiya Kaoru.

Soujiro just looked at her straight in the eyes. He looked expressionless as he was before he had madly laughed his head off. A chilly feeling went down Misao's spine as she turned to look at Kaoru. She was still in her fighting stance… but her eyes… all her determination and anger have left them. Her eyes showed her fear; and this, Soujiro noticed quickly.

"You talk high and mighty like that, but you're obviously scared…" Soujiro said to her as Kaoru took a step back in surprise, "Scared that you might meet Myoujin-san in the hospital sooner that you thought?"

Kaoru's eyes widened, her hands where quivering slightly as she tried to hold her shinnai better.

'This is not good… did he find out about that night when Yahiko was attacked… by that drunkard!' Kaoru thought, still eyeing Soujiro carefully, 'That drunkard must've told him about me… Seta must've recognized me right away because I'm in this stupid class… Damn that whateverhisnamewas!'

She cursed herself inwardly when Soujiro suddenly grabbed her roughly by the neck and brought her closer to him; His mouth was now inches away from her. In her surprise, she dropped her shinnai and tried to pry his hand off her neck.

Everyone started screaming and running out the room, thinking that he was going to kill her. Misao fell back in fright as she tried to move away from the pair while keeping her eyes on them. The room was silent except for Kaoru's struggle for air.

Kaoru winced in pain as Soujiro's grip around her neck became tighter and tighter. She couldn't get his hand off her neck; she was suffocating… her mind was getting blurry. She gasped and wheezed for air.

"S-S-Stop…" she gasped as Soujiro squeezed her neck even tighter.

"I suggest for your own good… that you should just shut your mouth… bitch…" Soujiro mumbled to her as he ran his free hand on her mouth, "Don't get in our way… or else…"

Misao screamed when Soujiro suddenly punched Kaoru in the stomach with his right hand. Kaoru groaned in pain as Soujiro finally let go of her. She dropped to her knees, before she dropped down on her stomach. He eyed her with no expression whatsoever as she turned to her side and coughed out blood. Kaoru was still trying to get her breath back as she curled up on the floor in pain.

Misao squirmed, shaking madly, trying to get away when she saw Soujiro look her way. But she was trapped in a corner! There was no way out!

Slowly, Soujiro walked up to her and grabbed her by her hair. Misao winced in pain as Soujiro stared into her fearful eyes. He pulled her up to him when Misao tried to get away from him. This caused Misao to cry in pain.

"Next time…" Soujiro whispered to her ear before he shoved her right to a shinnai rack close by, "Don't mess with me…"

Misao hit the rack with so much force that the shinnais came falling down on her.

Soujiro stared at her for a while before turning to the door.

"Well… Don't forget your level C detention… I'll be making sure that you've gone to the Guidance office…" Soujiro said looking back at them with a smile forming on his face.

There was no reply.

He took just one last look at the two ladies sprawled on the ground before walking out of the room whistling happily.


Kaoru's POV

I felt as if I was back in bed again. As if I was in some sort of a dream. Seta humiliating me and Misao in front of the whole class and then beating us up…

It all seemed like a dream… a horrible dream…

A nightmare…

Then I realized that it was a nightmare… a real nightmare for a felt a jolt of pain as soon as I realized that I was waking up.

I groaned as I tried to open my eyes; but the pain in my stomach prevented me from doing so.

I tried to massage my aching stomach, but to my disgust, I felt something slimy on them. It felt sticky too!

Eeew…

I tried to pry my eyes open. I wanted to see the bastard who placed this nasty stuff on me; he's sooo gonna pay for touching me…

Then I realized… maybe Seta did this to me… it might be some kind of poison to kill me…

I groaned at the thought… and the pain on my stomach.

That guy was going to pay… big time!

I was ready to meet Yahiko in the hospital as long as I could take the asshole down with me!

I wasn't scared of him…

Maybe just of the katana that he was secretly holding on to when he was talking to me.

Seriously! I'm not blind like some people! He was letting his guard down by not hiding that fact well enough! Or maybe he isn't really a good swordsman like he was supposed to be…

But then I'm also stupid for not moving quickly enough to evade Seta's "choke of death". How can I be so blind not to see that coming! Argh! I'm such an idiot!

If only I cleared my mind…

If only I had stopped thinking of Yahiko for a second…

I wouldn't have been beaten up like that so easily!

Argh!

This just sucks…

My mind swirled as I tried to sit up.

I squinted… but my vision was still blurry.

All I could see was a shadow… walking up towards me.

I closed my eyes shut quickly.

Has someone come to kill me? Is this Seta?

I waited for a horribly painful impact in any part of my body.

But then, I screamed…

Someone seemed to be applying the same nasty stuff I touched earlier!

I snapped my eyes open.

To my surprise, I found myself staring at an angry Megumi.

"You idiot, this is the school clinic!" She hissed, applying a clear cream-like medicine on her stomach, "Screaming like that-"

"Where am I?" I asked her, glaring at the medicine she had on her hand.

"I just told you- the school clinic!" She replied hotly, "Is there something wrong with your ears too!"

I sweatdropped as I tried to sit up. But then, my arms gave way, I landed on my pillow in an instant.

"Stop moving for a second… I need to put this on you to soothe your stomach…" Megumi told me while I made a face.

"But it's nasty!" I complained when she suddenly glared at me.

I decided to let her do what she wanted. At least she wasn't Seta…

But then… now that I think about it… how did I get here anyway? And where's Misao?

I looked around the room and found Misao munching happily on an apple. She was sitting on one of the clinics' beds, and for some reason, had some bandages on her face.

"Hey Misao…"

Misao looked up from her apple and glanced at me. Then she smiled.

"Hey! You're awake! How are you?" Misao asked as she got of the bed she was sitting on, "Feeling better?"

"Somewhat…" I replied as Megumi finally closed the lid to the medicine in her hand.

"There… all done… you can sit up now Kamiya…" Megumi said to me while placing the medicine into a nearby medicine cabinet.

"What are you doing here Takani-san?" I asked, curiously.

"Me? I work here… part-time…" Megumi replied, arranging medicines in the medicine cabinet.

I watched her dumbfounded when Misao suddenly said, "It's for resumé… she said she

takes the school nurse's place here during lunch and break times…"

"Resumé?" I asked, still looking confused.

"Jeeze Kamiya, are you just stupid or what?" Megumi hissed, flinging her hair behind her shoulder, "I want to get a good job once I finish my schooling… having this kind of experience can prove useful…"

"Oh…" I said, trying to register everything she said into her head.

Misao bit into her apple, before she asked Megumi how both of us had gotten here in the first place. I was about to agree with Misao's question when Megumi suddenly hit Misao on the head.

"Oww!" Misao cursed under her breath as I sweatdropped.

"How many times do I have to tell you- don't talk with your mouth full!" Megumi said with disgust, "As if you're not a proper lady!"

"Like a care!" Misao grumbled, sticking her tongue out at her.

Before I could let Megumi pounce at Misao like an angry fox, I quickly asked her how we arrived here in the school clinic.

Megumi just rolled her eyes, then turned away from both of us. She walked over to a nearby table and took the water bottle sitting on top of it. She took a quick sip from it, before looking back at us again.

I was guessing this would be a long story, so I positioned myself to face her and prepared myself for the worst. Misao followed and pretty soon, we were both eagerly waiting for a long story.

"I don't know"

Misao and I fell anime-style, with me on top of her.

Megumi looked at us oddly as she took another sip from her water bottle.

Misao just shot up in anger. I was guessing that she was about to start screaming now.

Megumi though, as if she knew this was going to happen, raised her hand to Misao that indicated her to stop. Before Misao could utter a word, Megumi explained to her, "When I came to this room for my shift, I already found you two groaning on the clinic beds. No one was around- so I don't know how the heck you arrived here. I assumed that the two of you just dragged yourselves here and just fell on the beds in exhaustion…"

Misao opened her mouth in surprise while I just stared at Megumi in disbelief.

How could that possibly happen? I was knocked out after Seta punched me right in the stomach!

"Oh yeah… I found this in both your hands…" Megumi mumbled, handing Misao and I a slip of yellow paper, "You better go to the guidance office for that soon… or else whatever your detention is gets doubled…"

I glared at the small piece of paper in my hand as I recounted the events that happened earlier. Misao just scoffed and crumpled the yellow paper.

"Like hell- no way am I going to follow that son of a bitch's orders!" Misao firmly said as Megumi rolled her eyes.

"If you want to really feel their wrath- then fine! Don't follow them!" Megumi yelled at her, completely forgetting where she was.

Misao and I looked at her in surprise as Megumi just took a huge swig of water.

"I've seen people they hated beaten up badly to the core before..." Megumi mumbled, feeling a bit ashamed as she turned away from them, "So… I just… don't want to see that happening again…"

The sun shone down through the windows, directly covering Megumi with rays of light. I didn't get to see her face when she was saying this… but…

"Fine… Fine…" Misao grumbled, finishing the last of her apple.

Megumi didn't turn to look at us, so Misao just grabbed me by the arm and hauled me to my feet.

"H-Hey! Wait!" I said as Misao started dragging me out of the clinic.

"We're going before the drama queen cries…" Misao mumbled as she continued to drag me by the arm, "So stop whining!"

"You idiot! Hold on!" I yelled at her, "Your slip! You threw your detention slip into the trash!"

Misao stopped abruptly.

"Whoops!"


(A/N: ah… I finally got the time to update this… but then when I tried to write it… nothing would come out of my brain! Huhuhu….

But anyway, I hope you find this chapter acceptable… and I made some changes in the previous chapters because of my stupid mental block… sigh if you want to read it all over again, it's your choice… nothing changed much anyway… )