HELLO! TOLD YOU I UPDATE FAST! I CAN'T WAIT!
I JUST WANT TO BRING THIS UP: AN ANONYMOUS REVIEWER ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT JAPAN IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY. WELL, SIR/MA'AM, YES I AM FULLY AWARE THAT AN EMPEROR OR A PRIME MINISTER RULES JAPAN. I JUST THOUGHT THAT WHAT IF JAPAN WAS A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY? BUT ANYWAY, THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO READ AND REVIEW THIS STORY. ARIGATO!
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN AND IF I DO, I'LL MAKE AOSHI FALL FOR KAORU.
NOTES:KAMIYA KOSHIJIRO – ABOUT 45 OR SO…(AGE)
GENERAL YAMAGATA – SAME AGE AS IN THE SERIES
SOUJIROU – 15 YEARS OLD
WORKING UNDERCOVER by Sutefani-chanCHAPTER 2
Kenshin woke up the next morning, shielding his eyes from the sunlight entering through his window blinds. He rolled to the other side of his bed and reached for the alarm clock on his bedside table. 7:00 AM.
He slowly got out of bed and fixed the beddings neatly. He was a neat freak, somehow.
Gotta do the chores now before we meet shishou, he reminded himself. With no further ado, he did the laundry, swept the floor and cleaned the bathroom. After a few minutes of rest, he took a bath.
Fresh from taking a bath, he went to the kitchen to make some breakfast. He decided to make hotcakes and bacon. He opened his cupboard. Much to his dismay, there wasn't a box of hotcake mix. He opened the fridge. There weren't eggs either.
I guess I also have to do the grocery now too, he sighed. He grabbed a toast instead (with marmalade and butter) and took his coat and keys and headed for the door.
With two brown grocery bags in his arms, he walked the floors of the mall looking exhausted.
"I never knew how the supermarket could be jam-packed with shoppers and it's only 9:00!" he muttered to himself, "and I have to be at the headquarters by 10AM! I should really get moving now. Fast."
As he was walking, somebody suddenly crashed into him and his grocery bags flew up in the air. Kenshin quickly caught them. Good thing he has good reflexes.
"Oro…" he muttered as he balanced himself.
"Gomen nasai! I didn't really mean to crash into you and oh, I'm really sorry about your groceries but I as I can see they're safe now. Anyway, I'm really, really sorry, sir."
He looked up. A girl stood in front of him, with black wavy shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a black peasant boy's hat, a pair of sunglasses, a white v-necked cheerleader style sweater and a pair of cream cargo pants.
"I'm really, really sorry, Mister," she apologized again while bowing down.
Kenshin finally managed to bring himself together.
"Maa, maa, it's all right," he said.
"Gomen, I didn't see you coming. I'm really sorry, mister -?"
"Himura, Kenshin."
"Mister Himura. I'm really sorry, sir."
"It's okay, miss." Kenshin at first thought it was strange for her to wear such dark sunglasses inside a mall, and it seemed to him as though she was running from someone.
"Uh, are you okay, miss?" he asked the girl who kept on checking her back every now and then as if someone was following her.
"Oh, me? I'm fine. Um, listen, Mr. Himura. If ever somebody asks you if you saw me or where I went, please don't give them any information, dozo."
"Oro?" his eyes widened in surprise.
"Just do it, please. Oops, gotta go now. Arigato. Bye!" she scurried off just as he was going to ask why. Just them, a large man in a black suit wearing dark sunglasses approached him. He looked like a bouncer to Kenshin, a bounder in some elite bar, perhaps?
What's with the dark sunglasses? He wondered, confused.
"Sumimasen, demo, have you seen a girl about an inch smaller than you, wearing a black hat, a white long sleeves shirt and cream pants?" the large man asked briskly.
"Uh…" he didn't know what to say. Just then, he remembered what the girl had pleaded to him earlier. "Don't tell them or give them any information…" He could still remember her telling him.
Who are these people? He wondered. What was going on? Why is the man who looks like a bouncer after the girl? Did the girl do something unlawful? Or is she a hostage and they're like the kidnappers who are trying to capture her, preventing her from telling the authorities that there are kidnappers on the loose?
He shrugged and shook his head, "Gomen, but I haven't seen anyone exactly like the one you've described. Gomen." He decided to just keep his mouth shut and let it go. He thought that he shouldn't let himself get more involved and left the man or whomever it is to find her.
The large man eyed him like he was assuming something for a moment then said, "Thank you, anyway. C'mon, men, this way. Snow White's still running away," he waved his hand in a "let's go" gesture and suddenly 6 men in black suits wearing dark glasses appeared stampeding before Kenshin. "Oro?" Snow White? And what's with the sunglasses, seriously?
He stood there, shocked, as he watched those weird-looking men in black suits go after the girl who accidentally bumped into him.
"Darn! I forgot! I still have to be at the headquarters by 10!" he realized and he hurried to the parking lot.
He carefully parked his blue Ford mustang in the parking lot before the building. He checked his watch, quarter to 10.
Good, he sighed. He took his keys, got out of the car and walked his way towards the headquarters.
He opened the door. There before him, Sano was sitting in his armchair and was snoring. A manga was covering his face clumsily.
You're early? Ahh, I get it, he snickered at the sleeping figure before him.
He went to his desk and sat on his armchair. He slouched back and closed his eyes. The incident that happened at the mall earlier invaded his mind once more.
Why were they after the girl? He marveled. Just them, a thought occurred in his mind. What if she's someone sort of a famous person and those large men are her bodyguards and she's trying to escape them? But then he thought, but why would she get bodyguards if she would just eventually run away from them? That would be really odd.
His thoughts suddenly lost focus when he heard a rough yawn. It looked as though Sano was finally awake.
"So you're finally awake? You're early today. Did shishou's threat scare you?" he teased Sano.
Sano glared at him, "You're quite the old man's pet, aren't you, deshi?"
"Oro…" he was a bit surprised, "you know I was only joking, Sano. Don't take it too seriously."
"I'll do chopsuey on you myself if you don't stop."
"Oro?"
Sano stretched and rested his head as he brought his two hands together on the back of his head. It was his favorite position.
"I was only kidding too when I said that. I know you have great respect for the old man."
"I know, Sano, you don't have to remind me."
Just then, the door opened.
"Good morning, rookies. Are you ready to receive your biggest and most challenging assignment yet?" Hiko told them.
"Rookies?" said Kenshin, quite offended.
"Rookies," emphasized Hiko.
"Whom are you calling a rookie, old man?" glared Sano, punching the table with his fist.
"No one, rookies, and if you don't mind we need to get going now. We don't want to keep the client waiting, do we?" said Hiko, "Wait. We have to get to the gas station since we're almost out of gas."
"You're driving us, shishou?" asked Kenshin. Hiko smirked at him.
"Iie, we're going to use your car. You'll drive."
Kenshin turned to his right. Before him, stood the massive presidential palace. He was utterly amazed. It was his dream to visit the presidential palace ever since Hiko had told him about it when he was still a kid, and now it had become a reality.
He pulled up to the gate. A guard in a black suit wearing dark sunglasses approached them. Kenshin rolled down his window.
"What business?" he asked briskly.
Just as Kenshin was about to speak, Hiko butted in from the passenger's seat.
"We're here to see the president," he told the guard.
Just then, the guard realized who it was before him and gave a salute, "Chief Hiko, sir."
"At ease," Hiko commanded him and the guard turned to his companions, "Open the gate."
They opened the gate and let them in.
"They're not going to search us?" Kenshin wondered aloud as he drove to his right to where the parking lot was.
"No, they're not going to. They're expecting us," Hiko answered.
"They sure know you, old man," Sano said as he noticed the way the guards acted around Hiko.
"And they sure know how to show respect to the old man, don't they, rooster-head?" said Hiko without looking at him.
"Why you!"
After Kenshin parked his car, the three entered the presidential palace's main door. When they were already inside, both Kenshin and Sano were amazed. They had never seen anything like it before. The floors and the marble pillars were brightly polished. Right at the center of the room, a beautiful fountain was built. The interior of the room was somehow western but still oriental style can be seen in it. It was their first time to enter the presidential palace.
"Don't drool," Hiko told both of them.
"We don't drool," Sano glowered at him.
"It's not our fault this is our first time to enter here," Kenshin sighed. Just then, a man in a uniform approached them.
"Ohayo de gozaimasu, Chief Hiko," the man greeted as Hiko faced him.
"Ah, General Yamagata. Long time no see," replied Hiko as he shook Yamagata's hand.
"Yes, chief. It's been a long time," said Yamagata. Then, he noticed the two behind Hiko, "And who are these men?"
"This is Agent Himura Kenshin and the other one's Agent Sagara Sanosuke. We're here to see the president."
Yamagata raised his eyebrows but then his face went calm again. "So they're the ones who were called?"
"Hai," he lowered his head and looked at Yamagata in the eye. Yamagata nodded back. Hiko turned to face the two.
"Boys, this is General Yamagata of the Ministry of the Army. He has done many honorable works for the government and is a good friend of mine."
"Nice to meet you, sir," said Kenshin as he shook the general's hand.
"Glad to see you, sir," Sano said as he waved his hand.
"The pleasure's all mine, boys. Ah, I see your guide has finally arrived."
He gestured the guide from his far left to come over. The three's jaws dropped. Their guide was a young boy, a young boy of about… fifteen.
"Gentlemen, this is Seta Soujirou. He will be your guide to the president's office. Well now, I guess I have to leave you gentlemen in his care. Soujirou, it's up to you now. Mata atadane, gentlemen. Sayonara," and he left the three in the care of Seta Soujirou. Soujirou turned to the three.
"Ohayo! My name's Soujirou and I will be your guide. You must be Chief Hiko of the Shinsengumi and you two must be Himura-san and Sagara-san," said Soujirou with a cheerful smile.
"He's only a boy," whispered Kenshin to Sano. "I know," Sano nodded back.
The boy named Soujirouled them to a hallway in the right and took them to an elevator. He pressed the button for third floor and closed the elevator doors.
Kenshin eyed at him carefully. He was only a boy, so what was he doing here? Shouldn't he be at high school studying? Wait. It's summer, school's out. But shouldn't he be hanging out with his friends instead of spending his summer time in the presidential palace?
"Anou… Seta-san," Kenshin muttered.
"Please call me Soujirou."
"Hai, Soujirou-san. Anou, may I ask you a question?"
"Hai, Himura-san," smiled Soujirou at him.
"Why are you spending your summer here when you should be hanging out with your friends?" Hiko and Sano became attentive and listened carefully. They were curious also as of why.
Soujirou gave his cheerful smile, which was already a trademark of him, and answered, "I live here."
Upon hearing it, the three went silent.
The bell chimed. They were already on the third floor. Soujirou first stepped outside just as the doors slid open and the three followed silently. Kenshin was dumbstruck. Soujirou lives here, in the presidential palace? And to think that he's only 15 years old? Well, maybe fifteen.
They turned left and came to a halt when they've come face to face with a shoji door.
"They're here, sir," Soujirou called out to somebody in the other side of the room.
"Bring them in," came out a man's voice. Soujirou slid the shoji door open. Kenshin and Sano were both amazed. There, ahead of them sat the President of Japan.
"Good morning, boys," greeted President Kamiya Koshijiro as the two felt the presence of power surrounding them.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: SO HOW WAS IT? PLEASE REVIEW! WEHEHEHE…
A BIG THANKS AND A BAG OF BERTIE BOTTS' EVERY FLAVOR BEANS TO THOSE WHO HAD READ AND REVIEWED! NAMELY: ingurlz, kao-chan, kimberlyann, devildog-90, kawaiimeeh:), (an anonymous reviewer) and enchantedsleeper.
Gomen nasai – sorry – of course you know that
Dozo – please
Sumimasen – excuse me
Demo – but
Anou – um – really it means 'uhm' or 'um'
Hai – yes – of course you know that, seriously
Mata atadane – see you later or meet you later
Sayonara – goodbye – yes, you know that