Chapter Two – Birthday Gift

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A.N. I don't know the exact date of Kaoru's birthday….. all I know is that it is in June so just ignore whatever date I put if you know what the exact date is.

"KAMIYA KAORU TURNS 17 TODAY ! "

The mentioned 'birthday girl' sighed with exasperation as she read the title of a local newspaper's front page. She was extremely annoyed with the fact that her birthday was announced to the whole country and possibly the whole world. If it was once, she wouldn't have minded but it happened every year. And that pissed her off.

She tossed the current copy of newspaper in her hands aside carelessly. Then, she moved on to the other magazines and newspapers which all ended up on the floor once she caught a glimpse of the words "Kamiya Kaoru".

She stood and glared at the messy pile on the floor while thinking of a million ways to destroy it.

"Miss? Are you alright?" Her personal maid had just entered the room.

Kaoru jumped with surprise and immediately put on a smile as she turned to face her. She told her that she was jut spacing out and that she could dress herself.

Kaoru looked at what her maid had brought for her and sighed. Judging from what she was supposed to wear, she knew that she would have to face the press.

"…when can I stop keeping up this stupid demure and sweet image…"Kaoru muttered while she got dressed. It was taxing to have to always be cautious of what people thought of her. Not to mention annoying and frustrating.

Every step she took made a soft sound on the carpet. She was wearing a pair of boots that was stylish on the outside but comfortable on the inside. Comfortable they were but they were still stylish which meant heels.

"Happy birthday, miss."

"Happy birthday, miss."

One by one, all the staff in her home wished her a happy birthday. Kaoru smiled at them as a response to their greeting but the moment no one was looking at her, the smile vanished. She was still half asleep. Come on, who sleeps for only 4 hours and can be sincerely perky? And her own birthday would bring the word exhaustion to a whole new level.

Kaoru walked down the marvelous stairs of the Kamiya mansion and stepped into the dining area where she braced herself for a reprimanding that she was sure would come because of what she wore. It wasn't really what she wore….it was more of what colour she was dressed in. Her foster mom was superstitious…..VERY superstitious…

"What are you wearing? Do you not know how bad it is to be dressed in black especially on such an important occasion? It's dangerous and unlucky."

Kaoru hid her small smile. It was pretty amusing to see how worked up her mom could get over a colour when she could take on 12 annoying little kids at a party who won't stop asking questions and not once raise her voice.

"Kaa-san, it's just a colour. It won't kill me. Besides, I'm only wearing what was brought to me this morning," Kaoru calmly stated.

"You seem pretty pleased with the colour. And even though it was brought to you, you could have asked for a change of outfit."

"Mou! Kaa-san, what's done is done. I have to leave soon or I'll be late."

Kaoru's 'kaa-san' merely shook her head and smiled softly at her daughter's retreating form. Every word that they said to each other was precious to her.

Kaoru stepped out of the limousine that her 'tou-san' owned, her usually Ms. Sunshine facade already put on. She smiled, she waved and she played the part of her act perfectly.

She walked slowly, careful not to make any embarrassing moves that would definitely have her face on the front cover of every newspaper and magazine published. Entering the hall, she flashed yet another picture perfect smile at the photographers and the press who were waiting for her.

They fired question after question and made her feel as if she was being interrogated. When they got to the question of "Are you seeing anyone currently?" and when she told them that she wasn't, they asked "Why not?" and that made her clenched her jaws tightly and force a tight lipped smile out.

This 'process' was repeated for 8 hours. Get out of the car, smile and wave, enter hall, answer questions, get out, sleep or eat in the car and repeat it all over again.

Presently, Kaoru was seated on the seats of the car she was in, massaging her temples and silently cursing the press. Every year, their questions grew worse and more towards her love life which was, by the way, inactive.

She glanced at her watch and noted that she had been away from home for almost 12 hours. Peeking out behind the window of the car, she caught glances of children and high school students. Students from her former school.

Kaoru watched as a group of girls were waiting for the walking sign to light up. She didn't recognize any of them and guessed that they were juniors. Their giggles met her ears and she felt rather…envious. They were so happy and light headed with no care in the world save for their looks and cute guys. She almost wished that she was that carefree.

With a slight jump, she realized that they had reached home. Thanking the driver, she forced her tired legs to drag her to the door. She turned the doorknob and what she saw made her speechless.

Her normally spotless house was now covered in ….blood. All she could do was stare. She stood so stiffly that she could have been a statue on an island somewhere on a lake of the thick crimson substance called blood. Her legs that previously ached from exhaustion was now numb.

Kaoru nearly toppled over when the sudden sound of the police cars' sirens registered in her brain. She turned around and saw her driver who was now extremely pale.

What happened in the next 4 hours was blurred in Kaoru's eyes. She was still in a state of shock.

The next she knew. She was sitting on a couch in one of the officer's room, with a cup of coffee in her hands, trying to digest everything that they had told her.

Everyone who was in the house was killed.

She sipped the hot coffee in her hands and her eyes darted around aimlessly. She saw many pictures of a red headed man and guessed that it was his office that she was resting in. Kaoru saw pictures of him with people who were looked his age in the picture and guessed that they were his friends…she saw pictures of a young red haired boy scowling at some huge guy with long black hair.

She set the coffee down on the table nearby and thought about the Kamiya household. They were her family. 'Kaa-san' and 'Tou-san' were everything parents should be. They spent time with her, they spoiled her appropriately, they scolded her, they taught her….they were everything to her. They were the people she should have protected and they were the people that she loved.

She slammed her little fists onto the the couch she was sitting on, frustrated that she couldn't cry for them. She should have been mortified...she should have been crying until all her tears had dried up. But here she was, sitting down with dry eyes.

Kaoru tried to think of every depressing thing but all it did was increase the pain that she felt on the inside.

Frustrated, she gave up. Leaning back into the couch, she laughed aloud bitterly and whispered to the air," ….my 17th birthday present…"

When Himura Kenshin, owner of the office Kaoru was resting in went to check up on her, he found her asleep. He was about to leave when he noticed that her fists were curled up so tightly, her knuckles turned white and the expression on her face was far from calm and peaceful.

Shrugging, he assumed that she was having nightmares of that day's happenings and left her alone, where she could have his privacy.

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