CHAPTER 5: Confusions and Questions
Sano didn't visit the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that.
Kenshin and the others were getting confused. It wasn't like Sano not to visit the dojo. They even say that he acts like he lives in the dojo. They tried to visit him at his own house, but he was never there. Even Tae and Tsubame are worried. It seems that he had stopped coming to the restaurant. Meiou started to get worried.
Ever since he kissed her, she never forgot it. She always thought about what he did. Always wondering what would have happened if he continued to kissed her. What would happen if they…
She would often blush at her own lucid thoughts. She became absent-minded most of time. Even the people at the dojo noticed it. Finally, Kenshin consoled her.
"Meiou-dono, you shouldn't be so worried. He will be fine." Kenshin said as they sat on the porch one night.
She sighed, " I know that he can take care of himself. What I'm worried about is what he could be doing."
"You are worried out of your mind, Meiou-dono." Kenshin said as he patted her hand. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Nee, Meiou-dono… would you like to learn how to fight without using a sword? Just to keep you from being preoccupied with thoughts about Sano."
The notion was rather weird, but Meiou had to keep herself sane. She nodded as she looked at him.
"Well, we'll begin the lesson right now, if you'd like…"
She smiled as she stood up. It may not be the best way, but she had to do something to keep herself busy.
"Hai… teach me everything you know, Kenshin…"
Sano was so drunk that he kept bumping his head into walls and poles as he went home, holding a lamp that threatened to burn any moment. He kept his eyes focused, but the sake was just way too powerful.
But of course, he needed the distraction. It's been a whole month since he had kissed Meiou on her neck. And every time he remembers the incident, he starts smelling flowers in bloom, wanting to touch the silky warmth of her neck, wanting to feel her silky tresses, wanting to kiss her in more than one place…
He cursed as his imagination ran wild and made him hit his head on a pole again. He tried to hit it with a fist, but his vision was so blurry he missed it by a good few inches.
"Chikuso…" he cursed as he kept walking.
Suddenly, a hard blow hit him hard on the head. He fell to the ground writhing, trying to clear his foggy vision and see who hit him. His eyes narrowed when he remembered who they were.
"Bakaero… you're the guys who tried to mug Meiou."
The leader smiled as he raised his baton, "Glad you remembered us, asparagus-head. Beat him up."
Three pairs of fists and feet descended in an unrelenting rain of pain on Sano. His head was too groggy to react, and the fact that he was lying on the ground is a big disadvantage. He coughed a great amount of blood, and he could feel his blood dripping from his nose and forehead.
He became aware of another thing… it had started raining. The cold water dripped down in heavy torrents as his assailants continued to beat him. It was kind of ironic, he thought to himself, ironic that his blood fell from his wounds and the rain was trying desperately hard to wash it away.
A flash of lightning cut the sky as the rain of punches and kicks stopped. Sano wondered what was happening, and he tried to open his eyes only to find that only his left eye opened, since his right one was swollen. Still he tried his best to open it to find out what was happening.
He was surprised to find that his attackers were now on the ground, their faces expressing that of surprise while their wide eyes stared right ahead. All three of them were unconscious, and as another lighting flash lit up the sky, he noticed a hooded figure near them. He smiled as he tried to speak, "Ken… shin… is that you… pal?"
The figure bent down near him, shook his head and said in a faint whisper, "Sanosuke…"
The voice was vaguely familiar, though he can't seem to remember where he heard it. He tried to reach out for the stranger, but the cold and pain from his recent beating made it hard for him to stay awake, "Anata… wa… desu ka?"
The figure touched his forehead and traveled down to his cheek. It felt like a warm piece of silk just touched him. "Sleep now, Sanosuke…" the stranger said, "You will have all your questions answered… but also remember to answer the questions of your own heart…"He could see the stranger's smile as he said, " Sleep now, dear Sano…"
Sano tried hard to stay awake, but the stranger's soothing voice and fatigue made him sleepy. He caught the smell of spring flowers and he whispered, "Me… Meiou…"
Meiou watched as Sano's head fell and he drifted off into sleep. For a moment there, she got nervous. She thought that Sano had recognized her. She was relieved to find out that he was only hallucinating. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and looped his arm around her to support his weight. She gazed accusingly at the crooks around her feet and started down the road to Sano's apartment.
She laid him down gently on the futon, making sure that he was still resting. She took a small bag of medicines from her cloak and gently administered Sano's wounds. He kept furrowing his brows from the pain, but he didn't wake. She bandaged him carefully, and when she finished, she covered him with a blanket. His color was much better, and some of his bruises were starting to get a little blue.
She smiled as she bent down and kissed him, her tongue tracing the curves of his lower lip, and pushing it to the point that the tip of her tongue touched his teeth. He groaned in his sleep, and Meiou stopped. She had to. She knew that he wasn't quite ready to find out about her.
She kissed him lightly on the cheek and whispered to his ear, "Remember Sano… You will have all your questions answered… but also remember to answer the questions of your own heart… good bye…"
Meiou stood up and walked to the door, smiling lovingly at Sano, before leaving his apartment and closing the door behind her.
