Author's Note: HELLO EVERYONE! First of all, a big thank-you to all you faithful readers (and reviewers!) out there who so took their precious time off to read my fic! This includes meant2be (by the way, the 'M' rating is there just for the language and violence, blahblah. It's just there to be on the 'safe' side, if you know what I mean ;)), sanodevil, gabyhyatt, Sir Gawain of Camelot, and so many others! –bows-

Kitsune's Confession

Chapter Five: Truth Revealed

"Id better get going, then," said Kenshin, "Kaoru-dono will be furious if I don't get back in time to make dinner."

So saying, the swordsman left, leaving Megumi and Katsu alone. A slightly awkward silence fell upon the room.

Finally, Katsu broke the ice by commenting, "Sanosuke's really a fighter, isn't he?"

The lady doctor nodded, inwardly grateful for the fact that it was his strength that kept him alive and on the way to speedy recovery.

Fighter… he once beat up people for money, didn't he? The 'aku' on his back…the aggressive, couldn't care attitude that attracted unwanted attentipn amd getting him into senseless gang fights…

Why? Why do you have to get yourself involved in all these fights for nothing? Why did you get into all those brawls when you had the freedom to choose?

Her eyes lingered on his face, traveling down to the bruises on his body, then to the bandages wrapped around his calloused hand…

"Uh… Miss Megumi?" said Katsu, unsure of what to do with this strange lady doctor.

Megumi…

Megumi…

Sanosuke… she called silently, almost visualizing him getting up and…

"Megumi!"

Startled, she looked up, only to find his slightly-built friend Katsu staring at her wide-eyed.

"W-What?" she asked him, a little confused. Wasn't it Sanosuke calling her?

"Why were you looking at him like that?" he asked her. That woman is really strange, I honestly can't tell what he sees in her…he commented inwardly.

"Why was I looking…" she trailed off, unable to find a good response to his question.

"I wasn't!" she tried to deny it.

"Yes you were!"

"No I wasn't!"

"Yes you-" This time, he was outspoken by Megumi who had started pounding him hard with her fists, which was surprising for such a "gentle" lady doctor like her who was supposed to use her hands to treat her many patients.

"Oww! Okay, okay!" he cried, pulling away from her.

He fights all the time…

"That Sanosuke, I bet he got into one of those brawls again!" she remarked, dusting her hands from her obi. She was about to leave the room when Katsu stopped her.

"Uh, Miss Megumi, he started, "I've got something to tell you…"

"About what? I've to get back to my other patients you know." Secretly, she wished she didn't need to; she would much rather stay by his side.

"It's about the fight that caused his injuries…"

"Nani?" Slowly, she withdrew from the door. "His… injuries?" she repeated. "He was beaten up?"

By those people?

Seeing her shocked reaction, Katsu advised her. "I think you better take a seat."

…

Two men were walking on the lonely, too quiet road on the way home. One of them was tall and muscular, his broad shoulders cloaked in a white jacket with the word 'aku' inked in black across the back. The other, of a more slight built, tagged along behind him, trying to keep up with his fast pace.

"Come on Katsu, I wanna get back in time for some five-six!" the taller man urged, "Stop being such a tortoise!"

"All right, all right!" Katsu retorted, slightly annoyed but not hurt at his jibe. "You're one impatient rooster, Sanosuke."

"Uh, hey! Where did you get that name from?" Sanosuke frowned at him. "I told you, no one's allowed to call me that…"

"Except Megumi?"

Before the former Zanza could reply, they were interrupted by a shout that punctuated the night air, one that showed signs of drunkenness. Another shout followed, this time even louder.

"Oof!" One of them swaggered and collided with Katsu. "Watch it!" he glared. (The drunk dude, I mean.)

"Hey," Sanosuke grabbed the drunken brute by his sleeve and pulled him away from his friend. "Pick on someone your own size, you bug."

"Who you calling a bug?" It was one of the "bug's" gang member. He appeared to be sober and free from the effects of sake.

"Hey, isn't this the Seikihou guy?" commented another.

" Yeah!"

"I heard about his girlfriend!" he pronounced the tone with a mocking slang.

"You mean the drug dealer?"

At this, Sanosuke shouted, "Leave her out of this! Sh'es not a drug dealer! I know her! That girl will never stoop to your level!"

"Wanna prove it?"

…

"That's how it happened," Katsu finished.

Megumi felt herself grow slightly sick. It was because of her that Sanosuke was now in a coma…and all his injuries… was because of her…

Katsu, noticing how pale she looked now, reached out and hel her hand in his in an act of concern.

"Miss Megumi," he said, "He always warned me that he would break my head if I ever revealed this to you because he wanted to tell you this himself. But now…" his gaze turned to his injured friend.

"He… cares for you deeply, Miss Megumi. But he never told you because he kept thinking that you deserve someone better than him. But…"

Deserve someone better than him? But…there's no one better than him!

"He loves you."

"He… love me?" she stared at him in utter shock. All this time she had been secretly harbouring feelings of affection for him and it was also the other way round!

"Why didn't I tell him?" she burst out, unable to control or hide her feelings anymore. "I didn't know… I never knew… I kept hiding them until now, it might be too late!"

She sobbed, pearly tears forming shiny streaks on her pale cheeks.

Katsu looked at the distressed lady doctor, then walked over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he consoled her. "I'm sure he'll be back on his feet soon. You said so yourself, he's a natural born fighter."

As he patted her consolingly, he looked over at the unconscious Sanosuke who apparently was unaware of the heartbreaking scene taking place in the same room he was in.

You'd better get up soon.

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Auhtor's Note: Finished! This chapter's up! Yay! I shall now quote from R.K.Narayan's "The English Teacher": I felt as if I had dispensed some great duty dispatched to me by some eternal scheme…" I think it's correct. Literature text for my year. But really I've never felt more satisfied ever since term two started! Plus I think it's longer than the ones I've been writing recently… blehXD. Yeahs. Anyway, I better get started on my math now… seeing as I'm in the school library… got lots of studying to do for end of year… yeahs. Oh, and I passé my physics! Well actually it was only a fifty percent score, but still! Yay!

PS PLEASE REVIEW! I TOOK TIME OFF SO I COULD GET THIS IN! ARIGATO! –bows-