Chapter Eleven
August Rain
"Nee-san, as much as I want to see you, I can't. I'm booked till afternoon." Enishi evenly spoke on his mobile phone as he headed towards the meeting room. He glanced down at his watch and noticed there are only a few more minutes before the meeting of board directors starts.
Tomoe sighed on the other line and replied, "How about lunch?"
"Is this really important?" he asked.
"Yes." Tomoe stressed out her answer.
"Ok then, see you at lunch."
"Meet me at Murray's, twelve sharp."
"Hai."
It was lunch break when Megumi decided to sought Kaoru. She arrived just in time and saw her friend exiting her Algebra classroom. But as she walked closer, she noticed something odd on Kaoru's usual bright attitude. She almost didn't notice her if only she hadn't called her name and approached her.
"Oh, Megumi…" she greeted back, her shoulders drooped and her eyes looked very, very tired.
Megumi furrowed her brows, "What's with the long face, Tanuki?" she asked, stopping so she could examine her friend more.
Kaoru sighed and waved a hand, "Long story."
"I'm having lunch with you. Sano's away with his car again, so I'm all yours. You can tell me." The dark-haired beauty suggestively spoke, nudging her friend, trying as much to make her smile on the least.
Finally, Kaoru nodded and started talking. "I was up all night."
"Is that all?" Megumi incredulously asked.
Kaoru shook her head, "No." her tired face contorted in anger as she went on, "That bastard made me clean the whole apartment last night! He said I wasn't able to do my chores last Saturday since we attended this dinner party and that I have to make amends!"
"He did that?" Megumi unbelievably asked.
Kaoru nodded, "And that's not all! I woke up early today to fix him his breakfast since that's his prerogative, only for me to find out that he left earlier to attend an emergency call from the hospital!" moaning, she angrily stomped her feet, "I only slept for three hours, Megumi! Three hours! And now when I attended my Algebra class, I fell asleep. That's why my professor deducted points from my grade! Aww… I feel so horrible!" she crunched her face, her hands shaking in anger as she imagined crushing Aoshi's head between them. "Oooh, wait till he gets home! I'm so gonna kill him!" she swore, earning a giggle from the other.
Megumi amusedly watched her friend and then draped an arm around her shoulders, "C'mon, if it makes you feel better, I'll treat you a silver butter knife steak at Murray's, what do you say?"
Kaoru in return raised her brows, "Seriously? I thought you're a vegetarian?"
"Of course I am and am still. That oily carcass you call food is the only way for you to reach salvation. That's why you need to have that for lunch." the med-student replied.
Wincing, Kaoru spoke in pure disgust, "Now if that's the way you put it—I'd rather decline the offer."
Megumi only smiled, "I'm just joking, Tanuki."
"Haha, I know. Umm… let's go?" Kaoru happily suggested.
Megumi nodded and the two strutted their way towards the entrance hall.
Enishi found his sister sitting on the far corner of the restaurant and immediately, he walked towards her. He dipped his head low and kissed his sister's cheek, earning a faint smile from the other. He sat across her, casually crossing his legs as he glanced down on his wrist watch. "I hate to say this, nee-san, but I only have forty-five minutes to spare."
Tomoe gradually smiled and said, "This won't take long, Eni-kun. I just need to tell you something… concerning our cousin, that is."
He questioningly looked at her and then worriedly asked, "What about him? Did something happen to Aoshi? Is he alright?"
She shook her head and replied, "No, Aoshi's fine. I just need you to do something for me."
"What is it?" he thanked the waiter who brought him water and reached out to take a sip.
"I want you to date Kamiya Kaoru." she casually spoke.
Enishi almost spat all the contents of his mouth upon hearing this. He swallowed and profusely coughed, "Excuse me?" did he hear her right? Did his sister asked him to date Kamiya Kaoru? The girl he met in Asako's dinner party? Kenshin's best-friend and Aoshi's housemaid... Is she referring to that Kaoru?
Sighing, Tomoe repeated what she had said, "It's not that I want you to date her for courting purposes. I just want you to help Aoshi and Kaoru's platonic relationship to go one step higher."
"Nee-san, I don't fully understand—"
"Enishi, I'm doing this so Kaoru-san would stop following my Kenshin around. I want her to fall in love with Aoshi and not on my fiancé."
"So, are you saying that you're going to use me and our cousin for the purpose of protecting your relationship with that git?" Enishi didn't like this idea. He doesn't like the fact that he's doing this for the benefit of their relationship. He hated that man despite of the fact that he's his sister's beau.
"Enishi…" Tomoe was half-expecting he'd react like this.
Enishi profusely shook his head, "No. I'm not going to do it."
"But—"
"Nee-san." He warningly stared at her. He wouldn't fall for his sister's begging eyes. He will never lower himself into helping his sister and Kenshin's relationship. Ever since Tomoe started seeing Himura Kenshin, he immediately despised that man. To him, Himura Kenshin was nothing but filth. He was so angry at him for taking his sister away from him and Akira, Tomoe's first boyfriend.
Tomoe imploringly looked at him and said, "Please, Eni-kun… do this for me?"
"No." he resolutely stated.
"Then do this for Aoshi instead."
Enishi narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why should I?"
Tomoe rolled her eyes and sat back, "Oh come on, Enishi! Aoshi stopped dating since—since he broke up with—who's that girl again? The blonde one—"
"Yui?"
"Yeah, Yui. That girl from Akihabara."
"They broke up almost a year ago."
"See? You're cousin hadn't been dating for almost a year! Don't you think you'll be doing him a favor if you help him out in pursuing Kaoru? And at the same time, you'll be helping me in keeping Kenshin away from her. It's like hitting two birds in one stone."
Enishi looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "I still don't see my purpose here, nee-san."
Tomoe smiled and crossed her legs, "You're purpose is to make Aoshi jealous."
Make Aoshi jealous? He grimly thought, "The question is... is Aoshi interested in Kaoru?" Enishi would like to know this and so he asked.
"Of course he is!" Tomoe answered, "You know how good Aoshi is when it comes to hiding his emotions. But he's our cousin and I had been around him for so long I can almost read his mind."
Enishi once again found himself in quandary. He would be delighted to help his cousin with his lack of interaction with women. But the thought of pushing his sister more to Kenshin troubles him. If I say yes, I'd be doing this for Aoshi and Aoshi alone. I'm not doing it for red-head; I'm not doing it for red-head… damn that ass-wipe! He continuously chanted this inside his head like a mantra.Nodding to himself, he looked up and said to his sister, "Alright. I accept."
A satisfied smile crossed Tomoe's once troubled face and happily spoke, "I'm glad."
Somehow he felt pleased seeing his sister smile like that. Not the usual small smiles she's showing. I made nee-san happy. He thought, satisfied to know that he was able to please her. A scowl crossed his features as he said, "Don't think I'm doing this to keep you and that ass wipe together, alright? I'm only doing this for Aoshi."
Tomoe nodded, "Deal." She reached out and offered him a hand.
Enishi looked at her hand and then reach it to shake hands with her. "Yeah, deal."
And as they shook hands, Tomoe's attention was immediately caught by a certain black-haired woman entering the restaurant. A smile once again crossed her face as she muttered, "Speak of the devil, here she is."
Enishi looked over his shoulder and saw the familiar figure of Kamiya Kaoru entering Murray's along with a dark-haired woman on her trail.
"This is your chance, Enishi." Tomoe winked at him and then stood up.
He looked at her in utter surprise, wondering what she's up to. "Where are you going?"
Tomoe glanced on her watch and said, "You still got thirty minutes left. Ask her out before you leave, okay?" she dipped low and kissed him on the forehead, "Bye baby brother. I'm expecting good results from you." With one last smirk, she turned on her heels and exited the restaurant.
Enishi snorted at her and sat back, "Girls." He looked around and saw Kaoru and her friend sat a couple of tables away from his. Time to make his move. Funny, it seems like he's the predator and Kaoru's his prey. He snapped his fingers and immediately, a waiter moved towards his table. "I need a pen and paper. And a bottle of Verdello too."
Kaoru skimmed the menu and then looked over to Megumi who's doing the same as well. "What are you having, Megumi-chan?" she asked.
"Hmm…" Megumi continued to skim the menu until her finger stopped at the mid-section of the salads. "Tomato, pepper and onion salad, please?" she said, her eyes never leaving the menu.
Kaoru unbelievably gaped at her friend, "That's all?"
Megumi looked at her through the menu and nodded, "Yes, why?"
Kaoru shook her head in disbelief, "I'm not gonna survive with your way of eating."
Megumi giggled in return.
"And you miss?" the waitress asked Kaoru.
"One of your famous steak, please?"
"Ah, one silver butter knife steak." The waitress supplied, scribbling on her notepad. "How about desserts?"
Kaoru immediately happily smiled at the mere sound of the word dessert. "I'd like to have one piece of New York cheesecake, please?"
The waitress scribbled and then turned towards Kaoru's companion, "And you miss?"
Megumi closed the menu book and looked up, "Do you happen to have non-fat yogurt 'round here?"
"Oh yes, we do." She finished scribbling on her notepad and asked, "Anything else?"
"That'll be all." Megumi replied and the waitress walked her way towards the kitchen.
Kaoru incredulously stared at her, "Non-fat yogurt?"
Megumi smirked and replied, "Fat or no fat, it's all the same."
"Nu-uh! The taste is different! A normal yogurt taste good. Non-fat yogurt taste—well—nothing!"
"And this coming from someone who ordered steak for main course and cheesecake for dessert."
"Hey!" Kaoru warningly said.
"Keep off of my food and I'll keep off of yours." Megumi ended the conversation by leaning back on her chair and crossing her legs as they waited for the food they ordered.
"Aren't you exaggerating with this diet thing, Megumi-chan?"
"Tanuki, I'm a med-student. I know exactly what's good for me or not." Megumi defensively replied.
Kaoru resigned and leaned back as well, "Fine."
Fifteen minutes or so, their food arrived and the two started delightedly at their lunch. Not long enough; a waiter approached their table with a bottle of white wine on his hand and a small note on the other.
Megumi looked up and saw the wine. She exchanged glances with Kaoru and noticed that she too was confused. "We didn't order that." Megumi said to the waiter who placed the bottle on their table.
Kaoru looked up and then received a small note from the waiter's hand. "This came from the man sitting on that table." He pointed over to the far end table but unfortunately, they saw no one. "Well, I guess he already left. Oh, and by the way. Your bill's already paid. Excuse me." He said as he bobs his head and then walked away.
"Who's it from?" Megumi curiously asked, looking at the note on Kaoru's hands.
Kaoru opened the paper and then silently read,
To the beautiful woman reading this,
I must tell you that I am very pleased with our first encounter back from Tachibana-san's dinner party and I am hoping to talk to you much more. If you won't mind, I'd like to have dinner with you tonight, eight o'clock at Le Cuisine. I highly appreciate your company.
From the guy in the elevator
Kaoru closed the letter with wide eyes and mouth agape. "Enishi." She muttered and then quickly whipped her head towards the entrance and saw his tall form and white hair exiting the restaurant. His hands tucked on his pockets as he casually walked away. A small smile pulled the corners of her mouth as she watched his retreating back.
"Tanuki?" Megumi called her name out of confusion and concern.
She turned her head towards her friend and grinned, "I got a date tonight, Megumi-chan!"
Kaoru hastened her way back to Aoshi's apartment after finishing her gastronomic class. She entered the apartment and ran her way upstairs but immediately stopped when she noticed the blue-eyed doctor sitting on the dining table. She turned to him and noticed that he's quite busy contemplating that piece of file in his hands. He had his glasses on which means he's seriously doing a research. "Good evening, doc." She bobbed her head and greeted. She was a little out of breath but she still managed to form words out of her mouth.
Aoshi looked up from the files he's studying and then said, "From a moment there I thought there was an earthquake. The floor's shaking and then you appeared. Have you been running around my apartment, woman?" he may look serious but something in his tone and the words he said promptly irritated his young housemaid.
Ignore it, Kaoru! You have no time for this! She mentally scolded herself, closing her eyes to prevent herself from snapping out. "Have you eaten dinner yet?" she asked instead.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Well in that case, you'll have to make your own dinner yourself." She didn't bother listening to his reply and went straight to the second floor.
Aoshi watched her ran away, "What?"
Taking various clothes out of her dresser, she noticed that she had no idea of what to wear. Panicking, she started rummaging through her drawers, cabinets, anything that contains her clothing. "Shoot." She muttered, still in the process of finding herself a decent evening wear. Finally she found three garments, two cocktail dresses and formal attire. "Hmm…" she contemplated and then reached out and grabbed the floral cocktail dress. She smiled and said, "I'll try this one first!" she grabbed her shirt and then was about to pull it off when suddenly, her door burst open revealing a very upset doctor from the other side.
Luckily, Kaoru wasn't able to pull off her shirt before he came in or he could have seen her half-naked. She protectively crossed her arms against her chest and yelled, "What the hell are you doing here? At least have the decency to knock before entering someone else's door!"
Aoshi ignored her protest and went on with his interrogation, "What do you mean by I have to cook my own food?" he angrily accused, his tone almost a notch higher than the usual.
She rolled her eyes and sarcastically replied, "It means you have to cook food for your self since you're the only one who's gonna have dinner tonight."
"What?" he furrowed his brows and asked.
"I have a date tonight, doc."
"A date?" Aoshi sternly asked, despite of the rage he's undergoing right now. "You have a date? Are you kidding me?" he teased, sneering in the process.
"I'm not." Was her nonchalant reply as she turned around and browsed her clothes again.
I can't believe this. He bitterly mused, not knowing why he's acting so strange for the fact that his housemaid's seeing someone else tonight. She can't see anyone. I will not have it! He determinedly thought and then asked, "Who asked you out? I bet he's out of his wits. No normal person would ask some plain, ugly, nasty little thing like you." he mocked, scoffing as he irritatingly watched Kaoru ignore him.
"Your cousin."
"My cousin?" his face suddenly filled with curiosity. "Who? Enishi?"
"No, it's Tomoe-san." Kaoru sardonically rolled her eyes again and exclaimed, "Of course it's Enishi! Who else?"
"Enishi asked you out?" Aoshi could not understand it. Why would his cousin ask Kamiya out? They only just met in the party. It's not like Enishi's planning on courting her, is he? Enishi would do anything to get the things he wants. Kaoru's no exception. He looks rather interested in her back at the dinner party. He thought, something igniting within him at the thought of Enishi and Kaoru together. Jealousy. No. I'm not jealous. Definitely I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous? He shook his head and then turned towards his silent housemaid. "You're not allowed to go out." He firmly stated, pleased to see Kaoru's head whipping towards him with her whole face scrunched in disappointment.
"What? Are you serious?"
He arched a fine eye brow, "I am."
She stomped her foot and moaned, "Mou! You can't do this!"
"Yes I can."
"But, he's your cousin!"
"I'll tell him that you won't be able to make it because you're sick."
"But I'm not!"
"You're not going." He said, crossing his arms in full determination. "And besides, you got chores to attend to and things to do. You can't just leave it all behind."
She narrowed her eyes and dangerously glared at him, "I can't believe this. First, you enslave me and now you're trying to control me?" she scoffed and said, "You have no right to do this to me!"
He smirked in triumph, liking the scowl spreading on Kamiya's face. I call this, the masterpiece of torture. He thought, mentally nodding in appreciation of his work. "Quit playing dress-up and go down stairs. Prepare dinner," he placed a hand on his stomach and said, "I'm starving." With that, he turned on his heels and went outside her room with a victorious smirk never leaving his face.
Muttering a few curses, Kaoru begrudgingly fixed her clothes back to the dresser.
She carelessly placed the plate in front of him that almost jolted the stoic doctor by the mere sound of China hitting glass. He looked down and saw a speedy microwave chili in front of him. "What the hell is this?" this was unusual. Kaoru usually cooks different kinds of food for his gastronomic class. But this meal was oddly—unlikely and disappointing.
"It's called food." Was her only reply. Then without as much of sparing him a glance, she turned away and walked inside the kitchen again.
Aoshi looked down and without as much of a choice, he ate the whole thing up.
That wasn't the only cruel thing she did for payback. She ignores him the whole time she did all her chores. Out of frustration, Kaoru finished her chores sooner than expected.
Tiredly, Kaoru stood in front of Aoshi who was silently reading a book on the couch. A broom was held on her hand and a duster on the other. "Oi!" she angrily called; fuming as the doctor slowly raised his head and looked at her.
"What is it?"
"I'm done with the chores. Can I go now?" she imploringly asked, her breathing was quite erratic since she cleaned the whole apartment in haste.
Great, now she's done. What's next? Aoshi had to think of something to delay her from this date of hers. He closed his book and then stood up, not breaking eye-contact with her.
Kaoru on the other hand watched him as he walked around and then touched the furniture he encounters through his walk. She saw him wipe a finger on the each furniture and then cautiously observed it. He shook his head which made her really nervous. Finally he turned to her and said, "This won't do… Do it again."
Her eyes went wide and her jaw fell open, "What? Y-you w-want me to st-start over?" she was stuttering in complete disbelief and madness. "Are you serious?"
Aoshi merely glanced at her and then went back to the couch, opening his book to read again, "Yes." He noticed her still standing in front of him and from the corner of his eyes he could see her shaking. I must have really gone under her skin… good. He inwardly smirked with this thought and then said, "Do it now before I ask you to clean the bathroom again."
He—he's the most insensitive, thick-skinned, moron I've ever met in my entire life! How can he just sit there and watch me undergo these tortures? She was still shaking in anger and with that, she slowly turned on her heels and went back to her chores. As she took a few more steps towards the kitchen, an idea suddenly came popping into her mind. Aha! Why haven't I thought of that before? With a wide smile, she went up stairs and straight to her room.
Kaoru went down the stairs with a pile of laundry in her arms. She was glad the laundry was big enough to cover her outfit. She now wore a floral cocktail dress and her hair was now neatly tied back. She put little amount of make-up on her face and wore pumps to match her dress. As she walked down, she cautiously took a peek over to the living room where the doctor previously sat with his book. Just as what she expected, she saw the doctor lying on his back on the couch, sleeping.
Snickering, Kaoru placed the laundry on the floor and silently walked her way towards the door. She looked back and saw the doctor still slumbering. Her hand was about to reach the knob when suddenly, a familiar baritone voice spoke to her from behind.
"Where do you think you're going?" Aoshi was now half-sitting on the couch, looking over to Kaoru who dangerously stood next to the door.
Shit! She immediately opened the door and ran her way out.
"Kamiya!" Aoshi shot up from the couch and went after her.
Kaoru tightly closed her eyes and then looked back only to see her employer running after her. This is worst than a horror movie! I think I'm gonna have a heart attack! She continuously ran despite of the fact that her pumps were continuously torturing her feet. She looked back and saw the doctor running fast enough to reach her. He's much taller and he's way faster than her, which panicked Kaoru. I must find a way to escape him! But how am I supposed to do that?
"Kamiya, come back here!" Aoshi don't normally run out of the house and yelling someone's name like a madman. But Kamiya made him do this and he's determined to get her back. I swear I'll kill you when we get back to the apartment! He managed to run much faster and when he turned to a corner, he lost track of the girl he's chasing. What the—? He looked around and saw no one. The streets were deserted since it was already evening. Where is she? He once again skimmed the whole street but to no avail, he found no one.
Realizing that it would be useless for him to stay much longer, Aoshi angrily kicked in the air and then went back to his apartment.
Once he was gone out of sight, Kaoru stepped out from the shadows and sighed in relief from the success of her escape. She tightly held her chest, "Mou! I thought I was gonna die back there!" taking long deep breaths, she tiredly went to the bus stop and waited for the next bus to come.
Aoshi went back to the apartment, partly exhausted. Why ever did I run after her like that? What's wrong with me? He never resolved into doing careless things like that. What had pushed him to do it? Enishi. He thought and this brought him back to his pondering. Of all people, why would his cousin ask her out? It bothers him—no, that's not the right word…—it troubles him for the fact that his housemaid's dating his cousin. Is it possible that Tomoe told him about the charade? So what if she did told Enishi about the charade? It's not like Enishi's doing his part of it. This whole dating thing doesn't make any sense.
Deep in his thought, he was quickly brought back to reality when the phone rang. He stood up and answered, "Hello?"
"Aoshi, it's me."
Aoshi's brows furrowed and then he finally recognized the familiar voice, "Tomoe?"
Kaoru arrived at Le Cuisine a few minutes late and profusely apologized to Enishi. The white-haired punk shook his head and pulled a chair for her to sit on. She gladly took it and then observed the table they were in. "Er… Enishi-san, why do we have a table for four?" she asked, expecting to have dinner with him alone.
Noticing the confusion on her face, Enishi smiled and answered, "My sister wants to dine with us tonight along with a friend."
Tomoe-san's dining with us? This thought immediately worried her. "Ah…" was the only word she could manage to say.
Enishi smiled and then went to start a conversation, "Kaoru-san, I hope you don't mind me asking…"
"Hai?" Kaoru turned to him as she laid the napkin down on her lap.
"About you being my cousin's housemaid... how did it happened?" he saw the surprised look on her face and immediately he said, "My sister told me everything, Kaoru-san. You can tell me."
She slowly grinned and laughed, "Well—if that's the case." Then she began telling her story of misfortune. Some of them made Enishi laugh since Kaoru tends to exaggerate things when it comes to describing her experiences with her insensitive employer. Soon, Kaoru found her self laughing along with him and thought she did well in entertaining him. "I wouldn't call you're cousin a good employer at all, Enishi-san. I hope you don't mind me saying that."
He shook his head and chuckled, "No, I don't. In fact, it amuses me to hear all these stuff about him. You see, my cousin's not much of a company. He much prefer sitting in a calm environment with nothing to do but read a book or do boring stuff like, researching. He's not very expressive; sometimes it's really hard to tell what he's feeling. He's not very approachable too. He only socializes to those he's acquainted with or to those who he thinks are smart enough to talk to… that's why it surprised me to know that he's doing these amusing stuff with you. Who would have thought Shinomori Aoshi would blatantly shout his thoughts on a cliff? That's very surprising." He was in the verge of not believing Kaoru's description of living with his cousin for the past six months. The Aoshi she's describing is a total opposite of the Aoshi they all know. Enishi then found himself staring at Kaoru in complete interest. What is it with this girl that pushed his cousin into doing things he's not used to? And why is his sister so threatened by her? These questions were left un-answered when she started talking again.
"Yes, you may find it hilarious. But to me," she snorted and then irritatingly looked away, "it's very offending."
"Why?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her face. Just by watching her facial expressions amuses him already.
She widened her eyes and incredulously gaped at him, "Being bossed around, insulted, teased and receive various physical injuries doesn't amuse me, Enishi-san. Would you still be amused if you're in my place?"
"I think my cousin's enjoying your company." He said matter-of-factly.
Kaoru blinked twice at him and the said, "Eh?"
Enishi reached out for his glass of water and took a sip before answering, "All the things you two have done together… Aoshi never would bring himself into doing that with other people. Not even with me or my sister. I guess he's giving you the special treatment every girl in this town dreams of having."
"Special treatment? Are you serious?" She again gave him a skeptical look.
He laughed and shook his head, "I guess not."
Kaoru nervously laughed too and said, "You're talking nonsense."
"But there's always a possibility that he likes your company. And probably… you do too." His eyes cunningly stared at her and saw her frowning. Man, he never thought convincing her would be this hard. This was just the first part of the plan. He must do better for the next step.
Kaoru suddenly found herself thinking over what Enishi said. What is he talking about? She hated it when people talk in clues. "I don't understa—"
"Oh, they're here." Enishi interrupted as he smiled and looked over Kaoru's shoulder.
She looked at him and then curiously followed the beeline of his eyes. She glanced behind and saw Tomoe along with their cousin, Aoshi walking towards their table. W-wait—that git's here too? Frightened and terribly nervous, Kaoru turned her head to avoid eye contact. Oh my God, what is he doing here? She felt her heart pounding on her chest again. I'm sooo dead.
Aoshi stepped out of his silver Porsche and then waited until Tomoe gotten off too. She took his arm and both went inside Le Cuisine, a famous French Restaurant around the district.
"What's the occasion?" he asked, still clueless of why his cousin asked him out for dinner. It didn't bother him though since he's still hungry. That microwave chili his housemaid fed him wasn't enough to fill his stomach.
Tomoe only smiled and lead him inside without answering his question. He'll be getting his answer soon as we get in. she told herself and then suddenly felt Aoshi pause in mid tracks. She looked up and saw her cousin looking agape as he stared from afar. She followed his eyes and saw the table where Enishi and Kaoru sat across each other. Another smirk appeared on her lips as she looked at the couple and back to her cousin who seems to be doing the same. To Enishi and to Kaoru, that is.
Why are they here? He glanced down at his cousin and curiously asked, "Did you—"
"This is a surprise." She feigned a look of stun on her refined face and then saw her brother look at their direction followed by Kaoru who appeared really astounded to see Aoshi with her. "I didn't know Kaoru-san would be here too. How nice." She then tugged on Aoshi's arm and forced him to follow her.
They walked towards their table and were greeted by Enishi who stood up to offer his sister a seat.
Aoshi looked at Kaoru and saw her constantly looking away. What a pitiful way of escaping. I still managed to find you, Kamiya. He menacingly glared at her as he sat on the chair across Tomoe's.
Kaoru felt restless when the two arrived. She kept her head low, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. Why? Why do I have to suffer like this? What have I done wrong? She cautiously moved her eyes and glanced at the doctor sitting beside her. From the second she saw his eyes dangerously glaring at her; she immediately looked away and turned her head towards Tomoe, which was not a very smart move. "Er… Tomoe-san, it's nice to see you again." She pulled a smile and bobbed her head.
Tomoe acknowledged her with a smile and then turned to her brother. "Enishi, why didn't you tell me Kaoru-san would be joining us for dinner?"
Enishi saw the mischievous glint on her eyes and he decided to play along. "Ah, does it upset you that I decided to bring a date for tonight?" that statement brought Aoshi and Kaoru's head shot up. The two looked at him and then exchanged glances until Kaoru managed to look away, again.
"A date?" Tomoe turned to Kaoru and smiled, "Oh no, I'm not upset at all."
Dinner was served and still Kaoru remained restrained as the three constantly conversed.
Aoshi on the other hand was quiet, only answering when he's asked and merely speaks a couple of words. That was odd, Kaoru thought. Watching him behave like this utterly surprised her. Where was the Aoshi she knew? Maybe this is what Enishi-san's trying to say. She thought and then mentally nodded as she ate her Beef Bourguignon.
Tomoe furtively watched the two, glad that her plan is working.
Unfortunately, Kaoru's next move surprised her when she turned to her and asked, "How's Kenshin doing?" she looked at her, eyes slightly wide at the mention of her fiancé's name. She noticed everybody's eyes settled on her as they waited for her to reply. Aoshi looked at them and then glanced at Kaoru, wondering why she would ask for his cousin's fiancé's well-being. Enishi on the other hand, watched his sister as she contemplated on what to say.
"He's doing fine, Kaoru-san. I'm glad you asked." Tomoe knew Aoshi had no idea where Kaoru came from and what relationship she has with Kenshin. And of course, he wouldn't endanger her plan with this petty question. She must succeed, she must not ruin it.
Kaoru noticed the stern voice behind Tomoe's answer and then she noticed Aoshi's watching this exchange. Oh yeah, he's here… shit! I'm so stupid! I shouldn't have asked that! Again, she found herself lowering her head and silently eating her food.
"Kaoru-san, are you alright?" Enishi worriedly asked across the table.
Aoshi turned to look at Enishi and then back to Kaoru. He doesn't like this and found himself glaring at his housemaid. He was bitterly thinking of what else to do to keep Enishi's attention away from his housemaid. A payback would be nice… he mentally nodded and then finally spoke, "Kamiya-san, why do you refrain from lowering your head like that? Is something wrong?" he mockingly gave her a worried look which immediately brought a look of horror on Kaoru's face.
She bit her lip, keeping herself from exploding. She gave him a hard cold glare and felt much angrier when she noticed him inwardly smirking at her. How dare you ask me! She wanted to smother his plate on his smug looking face. Instead, she turned to Enishi and replied with a forced smile, "I'm fine. Just feeling a little bit dizzy." She lied. Well, what am I supposed to tell him?
"Oh," Enishi wasn't expecting that. "Do you want me to drive you home?"
"Don't mind her." Aoshi interjected and dismissively waved a hand at her, "She's lying." He nonchalantly said and ate a piece of his glazed chicken thighs.
Kaoru gaped at him as if he just danced YMCA in front of her. Enishi raised his brows in wonder as Tomoe inwardly smiled and watched this exchange in complete amusement.
Aoshi felt really pleased to see Kaoru staring at him in disbelief. Her mouth moved like a fish, her face flushing in mix embarrassment and anger as she exclaimed, "Are you calling me a liar?"
He turned to her and spoke in calm, irritating tone, "Kamiya, if you're not feeling well then why ever did you persisted on going out when I told you to stay?"
"That's none of your business." Kaoru irately replied, angrily slicing a piece of meat and shoving it right into her mouth. Her eyes never wavered from its glare.
They fought over this dinner? Enishi looked at the two, wishing they would stop bickering before they embarrass themselves.
Tomoe on the other hand appeared uninterested. Her eyes would constantly look at the two and then continue on with her dinner.
"None of my business?" Aoshi shot back, "I'm your employer, Kamiya, in case you've forgotten."
"I haven't."
"Then why do you keep on disobeying me?"
"For your information, I did everything you told me to do before I went out. But ordering me to clean the whole apartment for the second time is too much!"
"You deserve it."
"Wha—" she could not believe what she's hearing. Scoffing, Kaoru dropped her fork and knife, crossed her arms as she tried to look away and ignore him, Argh! You're driving me crazy!
Enishi coughed and promptly caught everyone's attention. He pulled out a smile and said, "Are we all done? Let's proceed to dessert, shall we?"
Taking a spoonful of White Chocolate Mousse, Kaoru happily opened her mouth and devoured the sinful sweet dish. "Yum! This taste really good…" again, she dipped her spoon and swirled the white chocolate until it ended up straight to her mouth again.
Enishi smiled and nodded, "Le Cuisine's well-known for their desserts."
She nodded and studied the whole wonderful mixture as she said, "This is very well-made."
"Really?" Tomoe feigned to be amused, "How could you tell?"
Kaoru knew Tomoe's pretending not to know the answer to her own question. They must pretend that they knew nothing about each other since to Aoshi; they only just met in Tachibana's party. "It's not flaky… just absolutely flawless. Creamy in texture, pure perfection… No doubt Le Cuisine's renowned for their desserts." Truth be told, she was enjoying this conversation. Sharing her opinion and having people around you who truly listens pleases her. Well, except for Aoshi, that is…
"Your descriptions are very well-detailed. How so?" it was Enishi who asked this. He knew nothing about Kamiya Kaoru before the party and surely he's not feigning innocence towards this. He was really curious.
She brightly smiled and replied, "I'm studying Culinary Arts in Tokyo University… I'm in my last year now."
"A culinary student." Tomoe spoke and then turned towards her apathetic cousin. "I can't help not to envy you, Aoshi. You got your very own chef in your own apartment."
Aoshi sent a glare towards Kaoru and she decisively glared back. "Lucky indeed." Sardonically, he replied.
Enishi stole Kaoru's attention as he spoke, "I would love to taste one of your home-cooked meals someday." He knew this statement would somehow alarm his cousin. And that he did. Aoshi looked at him; surprise was evident within his eyes. Although he immediately backed down and looked away. He inwardly smirked, starting to enjoy this little game his sister started. If I can drew out that kind of reaction from him, I'd be willing to participate more. As if reading his mind, Tomoe turned to him and subtly smiled.
Kaoru on the other hand flushed and looked down. "H-hai… If you want, you could come by Aoshi's apartment and I'll cook a special meal for you." And then she immediately turned to his sister and profusely added, "You can come too, Tomoe-san."
"That's very nice of you." The black-haired beauty replied.
Finally the night was over and the four waited in front of Le Cuisine for the valet to deliver their cars. Enishi's car arrived first. He glanced over to Kaoru and suggested, "I'll drive you home."
Kaoru smiled at his offer and nodded, "Hai."
"No need." Aoshi interjected and grabbed Kaoru's arm only to pull her aside, "We're living in the same apartment. I'll take her home."
Enishi shot him a challenging glare and said, "I was asking Kaoru-san, Aoshi."
Aoshi simply glared back at him and replied, "Definitely she'll say no."
"No I won't!" Kaoru immediately protested but was silenced when Enishi replied.
"Why?"
"Because she'll be a hassle to you, that's why."
Kaoru whipped her head towards the doctor and menacingly glared.
"Why ever did you think she'll be a hassle to me?" he took Kaoru's other arm and pulled her towards his side. "I insist, cousin. I'll take her home."
Aoshi scowled and pulled her back to his side, "I'm telling you, she can be a handful. She's very talkative, you'll get irritated for sure, trust me."
"Hey!" Kaoru was about to object but she was again dragged back onto Enishi's side.
"If that's the case then, why do you persist on taking her home instead?" Enishi countered, not liking the tone of his cousin's voice.
Tomoe looked over to her brother's face and frowned. Is this still part of the plan? That, she didn't know. Enishi was acting so well that even she could not tell if he's just pretending or not.
"I have to. She's my responsibility." Aoshi replied, tugging on Kaoru's arm again, this time forcefully. She was carelessly drawn back, almost tripping over her own feet. "She's my housemaid, so don't trouble yourself."
"But—" he was cut-short when Tomoe stepped into the argument and coolly addressed him.
"Eni-kun, it's getting late. I'd like to go home now." And with that, she walked pass between them and stepped inside Enishi's Lotus Elise.
Enishi thought it'd be useless to argue more since his sister decided to go home with him. Sighing, he turned towards Kaoru and bid her good night, "So long, Kaoru-san. Oyasumi."
Nodding, Kaoru bobbed her head and said, "Hai. Oyasumi-nasai."
Enishi begrudgingly turned towards his cousin and bobbed his head. Aoshi did the same thing, watched him step inside the car and drove off.
"I can't believe you did that." He turned and saw Kaoru disapprovingly staring at him.
He saw this coming and chose to remain silent instead. He won't be answering nor hearing any of her questions or opinions. He's tired and disappointed. All he wanted to do right now was to go home and rest… and punish Kaoru for her disobedience before going to bed.
Noticing that he's trying to ignore her, Kaoru stepped next to his side and looked up at him. "Doc, is something wrong?"
"Nothing."
She scowled and shook her head, "This doesn't look nothing to me." She pointed right into his brooding face.
Again, he didn't answer.
Sighing, she crossed her arms and slyly asked, "Are you upset because I went out with your cousin?" she inwardly smirked when she heard him scoff.
"No."
Oh, this is going to be soo good… grinning, she playfully rocked back and forth as she asked, "Are you jealous?" she saw him stiffen on that question and it took all of her will-power to keep herself from laughing.
"Of course not. Why would I be?" he nervously coughed and looked away, cursing and hoping for the valet to arrive.
Stubborn as a mule, Kaoru went on with her teases and playfully elbowed his side. "C'mon, you can tell me!"
"…"
"Aoshi-sama is jealous… Aoshi-sama is jealous!" she said in a singsong, almost in the brink of annoying Aoshi the shit out of him.
He furiously turned to her and warningly said, "Will you just shut up?"
Deeply offended, Kaoru turned to him and bitterly asked, "What's your problem? You know, I'm the one who's supposed to be mad at you, not the other way around!"
"Then be mad at me. That's much better." He haughtily replied.
"Oh yeah?" she planted her hands on her hips and angrily said, "Fine! If that's what you want!"
And just in time, Aoshi's car arrived. He furiously took his keys and walked around to step inside the silver Porsche. He noticed her still standing there without moving an inch. "What are you waiting for? Get in." He ordered but much to his surprise, Kaoru disregarded his command and started walking away. He frowned and then realized what she's trying to pull at. "Oi, Kamiya!" but still, she ignored him. She was getting away, stubbornly walking her way towards the isolated street. "Damn wench." He muttered and immediately stepped inside his car, starting the engine and drove slowly so could keep up with her. He opened the window and called out to her, "Kamiya, get inside, now." His voice was grave as he spoke.
"No." she spat, briskly walking in attempts of avoiding him.
He groaned, not knowing what to do with her stubbornness. "Are you planning to walk your way home? Honestly, Kamiya, I'd never thought you'd be this stupid—"
"I am not stupid!" she shrieked, stopping as she angrily stomped her foot.
Aoshi stepped on the breaks, surprised on her sudden outburst. This was the second time of the day she snapped at him.
Instead of consoling her, he sneered and went on with his tactless teasing, "No normal person would walk four miles just for the sake of being stubborn. Is there any limit to your stupidity?" He glared at her and yelled, "Now stop doing these childish tantrums and get inside!"
Kaoru was so furious; tears were threatening to spill down from her eyes. No! I will not cry in front of him! Hold it all back, Kaoru. Hold it all back… she allowed him to torture her, to ignore and spat at her. But never would she allow anyone to call her 'stupid'. And this insensitive doctor's no exception of it! She had enough of compromising and her patience is wearing thin. She can't take it anymore. She's fully loaded with his insults and she won't allow him to continue on treating her like this. I've had enough.
Just as then, raindrops started pouring and this immediately alarmed the doctor. A heavy downpour came as what was expected. He turned towards Kaoru and saw her still standing outside, both hands clenched. "Kamiya, if you don't want me to call you stupid, get inside the car." She appears to be taking no heed of whatever he's saying and with this he started to worry. He looked around and muttered a curse only to find out that he hadn't brought an umbrella along with him. Having no other choice, Aoshi took off his coat and stepped outside the heavy rain. He ran around the car and stood in front of her unmoving form.
"Kamiya." He grimly called. And as she slowly raised her head to look up, he noticed her eyes were red and puffed. She was sniffing, water dripping all over her. Had she been crying? Somehow, he felt utterly overwhelmed when she started sobbing. "Kamiya—"
She was so fast that he didn't saw this coming. She was now pounding on his chest as she cried, "Why do you always do this to me?" she failed to keep herself from crying. She couldn't help it. It was too much. She was too hurt to ignore this one. "How could you!" she continued weeping, "You have no right to insult me like that!" she shook her head, her pounding grown weak as well as her whole body. Aoshi took hold both of her wrists, preventing her to hurt him further. "No right…" she muttered and finally, she gave up. Before she knew it, she heavily fell against him and her head was already resting against his chest.
Aoshi never meant to go this far. Sometimes he just couldn't contain himself from saying awful things to her. He thought Kaoru wouldn't take them seriously since she always end every bicker with a smile and go on as if nothing happened. He felt terribly guilty. He pushed her too hard.
Hesitantly, he released her wrists and enveloped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him as much as possible despite of the rain. He soothingly rubbed a hand over her back as the other caressed her wet hair in attempts of calming her. With a deep sigh, he said, "I'm sorry."
Hearing his faint voice against her ear, Kaoru tried to stop herself from crying and slightly pushed her self away from his embrace. In arms length, he released her and found himself looking straight down into her eyes. Shock was evident within them and then suddenly it all disappeared and was now filled with innocence and curiosity.
"Stop crying…"
Kaoru did the same and observed his usual cold blue eyes. Somehow, his eyes don't look so cold anymore. Instead, they looked so sincere that she found herself not believing of what she's seeing right now. He's sorry… she thought and for some reasons, she felt pleased for the fact that Shinomori Aoshi actually apologized to her.
He found himself completely lost within those eyes, unconsciously raising his hand and softly caressed the contours of her face.
Kaoru didn't know whether to flinch or lean onto his exploring hand. Calloused fingers gently brushed the soft skin of her cheek. Her pulse racing at the tingling sensations sent through her veins. Her whole face warming at the mere contact and felt shivers run down her spine. What are you doing to me? She couldn't think clearly now, she's aware of nothing but the tall, handsome doctor with perfect hands caressing her face. "Doc—"
She never felt anything like this before. She knew she should feel shame for standing so close to him like this. No one, not even Kenshin nor Sano held her this close. This alien feeling… was so addicting that she wanted more… yearned more from his touch.
"Do you want to know why?" he suddenly asked in an almost guttural whisper. Rain be damned. He doesn't care if his whole suit's ruined. It's been so long since the last time he felt her body pressed against his like this. And he knew he regretted that night for not making any move to kiss her.
At first she was confused, clueless of what he's talking about. But her questions were immediately answered when he spoke again.
"I was jealous." He admitted, forthright without any hesitation.
He is? She blinked twice, not knowing what to say.
He chuckled and then found himself completely drawn on those rosy, parted lips. His thumb traced the bottom lip, wondering of how it would feel like to have those locked against his. "Kaoru."
Her eyes went wide as she savored his deep voice saying her name. This was the first time he ever addressed her by her first name. Am I dreaming? Is this for real? She dumbly looked up at him and stuttered, "I—you—my name—" and then that was the last of it when his lips descended upon hers and kissed her.
Her initial reaction was shock, of course. But she did not move away nor did she resist. This sent her nerves haywire, her mind spinning as her eyes drifted close and she leaned against him slightly, completely giving in.
Aoshi pulled her to him as she moved to encircle her arms around his neck, locking them. The kiss grew deeper and desperate. And none of them want to let go. Just the feel of each other's lips was enough to trap them within the depths of pleasure, desire and perhaps… love.
It's wrong.
It's absurd.
But it felt so right.
Her fingertips fondled the tips of his hair, eliciting a half-moan from the other. He in return, tightened his hold on her, crushing her chest against his, pleased to hear a moan coming from the back of her throat.
Kaoru tore her lips away from his and broke the kiss to regain all the air she'd lost. Aoshi looked down at her and loved the way she looked right now. She was gorgeous, breathing erratically, eyes half-lidded, mouth slightly parted and cheeks flushed from the aftermath of their shared, heated kiss.
His fingertips once again danced around cheek. She looked into his eyes and surprised to see them darker than the usual hue. She could have melted right then and there when he smiled down at her. A very rare smile where numerous of girls would swoon down onto their knees and kneel before him in pure worship.
He leaned down and kissed her gently, caressing her own just for the sake of savoring them and not devouring them whole. When they pulled away, Kaoru found herself completely hypnotized by the mere sight of his unearthly face, breathless and utterly overwhelmed.
He was the first one to recover and managed to find his voice first. His eyes lured hers as he spoke; "Your turn."
She innocently blinked her eyes and questioningly stared at him, "Eh?"
A sincere smile pulled the corners of his mouth as he found her completely endearing with her huge blue eyes naively looking up at him. "My name."
Kaoru's lips slowly formed into a wide grin as she replied,
"Aoshi."
And together they shared the sweet, August rain.
TBC