A/N
Hello!!!! Thank you SOOO much for the reviews, everyone! I was soo happy . . . ^_^ Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! And sorry for keeping Aoshi away!!! He's here though!
I - Wuv-Muffins : Yes, I originally put it so that they finished at 1:35, coz that's the time my school finishes after starting at 7:30. Of course, the days they (just like my school) that they have after school classes, they have to stay till 4:00 p.m. Thanks for the review!
Shin-no-shibo : Firstly, thanks for the list of names. I was wondering whether I should include Enshi or not as I don't know every single detail about what happened in the manga, but I really have no other option. Besides, I can change it a bit, can't I? Secondly, I realize that there was no Aoshi in the first chapter. Should I have included him? I didn't because I wanted to outline the typical school day of Misao, Yahiko and the gang . . . He's in this chapter though. And thanks loads for the review ^_^
LstCharmed1: Thanks for your review! I'll do my best for K/K, as I was planning on giving them a little bit of the spotlight as well. Hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the review!
Poppy2: THANK YOU!!!!!! Yes . . . imagine, Saito as the captain . . . don't worry, Aoshi's in this chapter. Thanks for the review!
Kashii: Thanks for the review and encouragement. Hope you like this chapter!
MoonPhoenix: * drumroll * enter Aoshi ^_^ thanks for the review!
KeNsHiN: Yes, there will be a bit of k/k along with A/M. Thanks for the suggestion (Katsu). Thank you for your review! Hope you like this chapter!
Dragowolf: Aoshi's here! Hope that pleases you . . . (of course, anything with Aoshi in it pleases me . . .^_^;) thanks for the review and I hope you like this!
Dynast: You got your wish! ^_^ Aoshi checks in here . . . thanks for the review!
Well, here it is, chapter two . . . hope you enjoy this!
Chapter Two: New Home
He looked around the room once more, making sure that nothing was left behind. Satisfied, he closed his suitcase and zipped it up. He was done. Lifting the suitcase up, he walked towards the door and opened it. Before walking out he took one last look at the room he had spent almost his whole life sleeping in. The pale walls were bare, having been stripped of their notices and posters, the cupboard stood open revealing it's empty interior and the bed stood clean and immaculate at the center of the room. The wooden desk was lacking its usual books and pencils. Nothing left in the room suggested that a once boisterous eighteen-year-old boy had lived there all his life. Then again, nothing about him suggested that he had been boisterous.
Turning his back to the desolate scene, he walked into the hallway closing the room door behind him. Without glancing at the room opposite his, he dragged his suitcase down the hallway and down the stairs. As he neared the living room, he heard voices of two people arguing.
"I'd love to take him in, honey, you know that," said a female voice, sounding pained.
"I know that, but why do you want to send him away then?" asked a male voice.
"I'm not sending him away! I'm taking him to his remaining family!"
"I thought we were his remaining family?"
"We are! But he has - he has other relatives . . . other close relatives."
"If you're talking about whom I think you're talking about, I'm putting my foot down. That woman isn't responsible at all. Surely, you of all people should know that?"
"She is not the type of person you think she is! Besides, it was - it was Yuu chan's last wish . . . and I promised him I would do my best! I'm NOT going to break that promise to my brother -never!" There was a small pause. He chose that moment to inform them about his presence.
"When are we leaving?" he asked in his usual voice. The two adults spun around, caught off guard.
"Ao - Aoshi," said the female, smiling up at him. He didn't say anything.
"Leaving? We'll be leaving now," said the male, looking sideways at his wife as she nodded.
"Well, if you're sure you've finished, Aoshi, we'd better get going," said the lady.
"Yes Aunt Kazuko," said Aoshi, his blue-green eyes showing them no emotion as he looked around the living room. Sighing, Aunt Kazuko and her husband followed him out of the living room and to the front door.
"We'll leave you to gather your thoughts, then, Aoshi," said his aunt, walking towards the car that was parked in front of the house. Aoshi stood on the doorstep, looking around the house. His eyes roamed every corner of it, as though trying to memorize every detail. After a few seconds, he stopped and dragged his suitcase to the car.
"Finished so soon?" asked his uncle, surprised. He nodded wordlessly as he put his suitcase in the boot and got inside the car. He saw his aunt turn around in her seat to look at him before the drove away. He said or did nothing, choosing to stare at his hands instead. He knew she expected him to say something - to feel something. Little did she know that there was nothing left in his heart to feel anything. He continued staring at his hands as they drove away, leaving the place he had once been able to call 'home' behind.
He had no idea where he was going, or what they were going to do with him. He supposed he should be grateful if his aunt and uncle were going to let him stay with them, but, after hearing their conversation in the living room, he doubted that he was going to be staying with them. Shaking his head, he glanced at the building flashing past. He didn't care where they were taking him . . . not anymore . . .
Kashiwazaki Residence
She hopped out of her room, humming to herself. She was rather proud of herself. She had finished all her homework AND had managed to catch a few hours of studying at the same time. Her grandfather wouldn't consider it as anything much, but for her, it was a big thing.
A week had passed since Kenshin had rejoined their athletics team, and everyone was already feeling a difference in their attitudes, as they become slightly more positive about the upcoming tournament. The only thing that dampened their excitement slightly, was the fact that they knew nothing about the new captain that was supposed to train them from tomorrow onwards. She herself couldn't help but wonder if the new captain - Saito Hajime - would be . . . nice . . .
"Quit that, baka. Think positive. Who knows, he might be just like everyone else," she told herself, hoping she was right.
She was almost down the stairs when the phone rang. She jumped down the remaining few steps running towards the phone. Her mother got to it first.
"Moshi moshi, Kashiwazaki residence," she said, brightly. "Hai, hang on." Turning to Misao, she held out the receiver to her. "It's Kaoru chan." Misao took the phone from her mother, wondering what was up to make Kaoru call her, when all she needed to do was to jump over the fence that separated the Kamiya and Kashiwazaki residences.
"Kaoru chan? It's m - "
"You won't believe what a good week this has been for me! You didn't even tell me, you horrible girl! I was so shocked!" came Kaoru's voice, sounding breathless.
"Er - Kaoru? You okay?" asked Misao, a question mark appearing beside her head.
"Okay? I'm - I'm FINE! The best I've been in a long time! Oh, he's still the same cute guy he was before!" sighed Kaoru. "I missed hearing his 'oro's soooooo much . . ." It finally dawned on Misao what her friend was going on about.
"Ahh, Kenshin," she said, trying not to laugh at how stupid Kaoru sounded - especially when she was going on about Kenshin.
"Yes, Kenshin. Who else did you think it was, Yahiko?" snapped Kaoru.
"I dunno . . . speaking of Yahiko, you did like him at one point, didn't you?"
"MISAO!!!! I NEVER LIKED YAHIKO! DON'T EVEN SUGGEST SOMETHING LIKE THAT! IF ANYONE HEARD YOU - " Misao held the receiver away from her ear, watching as her grandfather walked past her, his eyebrow raised.
"Kaoru, I get the point, I'll never mention - KAORU, I WON'T MENTION IT AGAIN, SO SHUT UP!" she yelled, stopping her friends' yelling.
"Good. Now, what was I saying? Ah - yes, a we're going to Sano's place for the weekend - after you guys finish your precious athletics practice, of course," said Kaoru, emphasizing on the precious. "It'll be you, me, Yahiko, Soujirou, Kenshin, Megumi - she might come, we don't know, and of course, Sano himself . . ."
Misao tuned out Kaoru's voice, her face falling. There was no way she was going to be allowed to go with them . . .
" - Misao? Misao?"
"Er - yes, I'm here," she said, uncomfortably.
"Good. We're going to be celebrating Kenshin's arrival as well. We'll just be watching movies and stuff . . . you know, all the usual stuff we do when we get together," continued Kaoru. "We girls will be getting the room next door to Sano's parents . . . according to Sano's mum, and the guys will be getting the downstairs room. It's gonna be so much fun, don't you think so, Misao?"
Misao didn't feel quite so cheerful anymore. She felt her stomach squirm.
"Kaoru chan, I - I need to go now. I'll call you back later, ok?" she asked, suddenly.
"Go? Now? Oh, if you say so. Okay, see you," said Kaoru. "And you will come, won't you?"
"I'll - I'll try. Bye," said Misao. She put the phone down, sighing heavily. She knew, even without asking, that she wasn't going to be allowed to go.
"Misao? Are you okay?" asked her mother who was about to walk into the kitchen when she 'heard' Misao say she needed to go and hung up on Kaoru. Misao turned around, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, I'm okay," she said. Her mother frowned.
"You'll have to do better than that to fool me young lady," she said. "Speak up."
"Kachan, everyone's going over to Sano's place after practice tomorrow - for the weekend. Kaoru chan wanted to know if I could - if I could come . . ." said Misao, watching as her mother's face softened.
"Oh. Oh Misao . . . I know what you're thinking - I'd love to let you go . . . but you have to - "
" - Ask Otosama for permission?" finished Misao, rather sourly. Her mother nodded.
"I'm sorry darling, I know you don't want to ask him . . . but - well, you know what'll happen if I let you go without him knowing," she said.
"Yeah . . . don't I know what'll happen," muttered Misao, turning around abruptly. She dragged her feet up the stairs and into her room, feeling miserable. Her mother stared after her, sorrow welling up inside her. She really wanted her daughter to be happy . . . but she was powerless against her husband - Misao's father.
The next day, after school:
Everyone was murmuring as they made their way to the racecourse. They were murmuring, of course, about the new captain who was supposed to be there that day.
"Do you know what he's like, Kenshin?" asked Yahiko, looking at their red headed friend. Kenshin did his best to smile brightly.
"Er . . . not really," he said, causally.
"What do you mean 'not really'?" asked Sano, immediately.
"I don't er - know him really well," said Kenshin.
"Liar. You know ALL about him, Ken san," said Megumi, popping out of nowhere, right next to Kenshin.
"Oro?"
"Ken san, come on, tell me, what is this new guy like?" she asked, linking his arm with hers. Glancing at Kaoru's face, Misao grinned to see that it had turned green.
"Heh, kitsune, get your hand away from him, or things are gonna get violent," said Sano, smirking at Kaoru.
"Why?" asked Megumi, moving closer to Kenshin who turned red.
"Oro?"
"You are so cute, Ken san," said Megumi, giggling.
"EXCUSE me, Megumi san, but I happened to be walking next to Kenshin first," snapped Kaoru, walking in between them.
"Really? I didn't see you. Did you, Ken san?" asked Megumi.
"Er . . . yes, I believe I did . . . " said Kenshin, scratching his head. Megumi's eyes flashed.
"Oh." Soujirou, Yahiko, Sano and Misao shook their heads.
"OI! YOU FIVE! GET YOUR ASSES HERE!" yelled the voice of Hiko Seijiro. They all ran up to join the crowd that had formed a large circle around him.
"I can't see him . . ." muttered Misao, trying to peer over the head of a taller athlete.
"I can glimpse black hair," said Soujirou, who was slightly taller than her. "What can you see, Sano?"
"A tall guy with black hair who looks like a slimeball," was Sano's abrupt reply. Kaoru laughed.
"A better description, Sano?" she asked.
"That's the only good description I can think of," said Sano, frowning slightly.
"Kenshin? Where are you?" called Seijiro sensei, scanning the crowd for the vie captain.
"Over here, Sensei!" shouted Kenshin, waving his hands. He was beckoned forwards.
"Kenshin, I heard you've already met Saito Hajime," said Seijiro sensei, glancing at him.
"Hai, sensei," said Kenshin, looking at the new captain. He was tall - much taller than him, and had short black hair. His yellow eyes were glancing mockingly at Kenshin.
"Long time no see, Himura," he said, sneering.
"Same goes for you, Saito," said Kenshin, forcing a smile. The tension that had formed in between them didn't go unnoticed to Seijiro sensei.
"Right, everyone, this is your new captain, Saito Hajime," he said, looking around the team. "He is experienced in what he has to do, so I warn you that if you don't do whatever he says, there will be trouble." Everyone nodded slowly, looking cautiously at Saito.
"Man, he looks evil," said Misao, as the person who had been obstructing her view moved away from her and she caught her first glance of the new captain.
"Humph . . . you'd think they'd chose someone good looking," huffed Megumi. "I mean, why do we have to have a captain that looks like a - like a wolf's backside, when Toriyami's captain Yukishiro looks like a dream boy?" The people standing around her glared at her.
"You think Yukishiro's good looking? You need glasses, kitsune," said Sano, scowling at her.
"And how do you know what a wolf's backside looks like anyway?" asked Kaoru.
"It was a figure of speech, darling, a figure of speech," said Megumi, as everyone laughed at her.
"Can we keep it down, please? Before Seijiro sensei loses it?" pleaded Soujirou, sounding very distressed. Sure enough, their coach was glaring daggers at them.
"AS I WAS SAYING, Saito will be marking the register in a few minutes, to find out who is who. Afterwards, we will get into the groups of four we were in before and start practicing, while he checks up on you. Got that?" he asked.
"Yes," chorused everyone, not particularly anxious to be 'checked up on' by Saito. Seijiro sensei handed Saito a large brown book - their register. After discussing something for a while, Saito opened it and started reading the names out.
"Arizuka Shihiro." A short, rather plump boy walked up to him hesitantly. Kenshin bit his lip as he saw the smirk on Saito's face as he surveyed the boy. He knew what Saito was probably thinking, and he didn't like it at all. Luckily, he didn't say anything to Shihiro - due to the reason that Seijiro sensei was standing with them.
Misao hopped from one foot to the other as Kamei Kyoko was called up. She was next. She couldn't stop herself from feeling nervous.
"Makimachi Misao."
"Good luck," whispered Kaoru as she watched Misao walk forwards slowly. She stopped when she was right in front of Saito. Kenshin, who was standing behind him, smiled encouragingly at her. Saito sneered as he looked at her. She was of average height, and looked light - a good quality for an athlete. As he looked at her, his mind screamed the word 'WEASEL' over and over again.
Misao scowled as he sneered at her. She knew, from then, that she wasn't going to like their new captain very much.
"Get lost," muttered Saito, at last. "Myoujin Yahiko." Glaring at him, Misao walked past Kenshin to where people were waiting for Saito to finish going through the register.
"Sano was right. You are a tall, black haired slimeball," she thought to herself.
At the same time:
He stood outside the house with his aunt and uncle, wondering who it was that lived here. Sneaking a glance at him, his aunt raised her hand and rang the bell. Aoshi could feel the tension between his aunt and uncle, even as he stood behind them. The door was opened.
"Konnichiwa - " The lady stopped in mid sentence as her eyes went from his aunt and uncle towards him.
" . . . Kaeri?" asked his aunt, tentatively. The lady's blue eyes widened.
"Kazu - Kazuko?" she stammered, placing her hand over her heart. Kazuko smiled at the black haired lady.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Kaeri?" she asked. The lady's eyes turned towards Aoshi, taking in his tall frame, black bangs and ice blue eyes. Aoshi stared coolly back at her.
"Kaeri - can we come in?" asked his aunt, suddenly. The lady tore her eyes away from Aoshi.
"Of course - sorry - come in," she said, stepping aside to usher them inside, her eyes falling on Aoshi as he entered last. Closing the door behind them, she led them into the living room. There were framed pictures in the living room - pictures mostly of a black haired girl. What surprised Aoshi slightly, was the fact that some part of the girl's face looked like - looked like his. That couldn't be . . . could it?
They sat down - Aoshi in between his aunt and uncle, and the lady opposite the three of them. Nothing was said for a few minutes.
"That's your daughter, Kaeri?" asked Kazuko, having noticed that Aoshi had been looking at the pictures in amazement. The lady nodded, a small smile reaching her lips.
"Yes, Kamiya Kaoru," she said, smiling. She obviously loved her daughter a lot - something, which Aoshi, who had no mother he knew of, was quick to notice.
"I know you must be wondering what we're doing here, Kaeri," said Aunt Kazuko, sighing as her husband glared at the lady. She nodded.
"Yes - not that I mind, but - after all this time - I just wondered - " Her voice broke off as her eyes landed on Aoshi again. Dark blue eyes locked into ice blue ones, trying to figure out what was going on.
"You wondered? That's a surprise. To think you remember us, when you left your - when you left him behind," snapped Aunt Kazuko's husband, narrowing his eyes at the lady. Aunt Kazuko glared at her husband.
"I'm - I'm sorry . . ." whispered the lady, looking down at her hands.
"Please ignore Tooru, Kaeri," said Aunt Kazuko. "He's still - well, he doesn't understand . . ."
"I understand quite well, Kazuko, to realize that this - this woman has no heart. If she had, she wouldn't leave - "
"Tooru that's enough!" snapped Aunt Kazuko, clenching her fists. "That's enough!" Aoshi glanced from his uncle's angry face to his aunt's angrier one, mentally yelling at them for bringing him here if all they were going to do was yell at each other and the lady whose house they were seated in.
"I'm afraid he's right, Kazuko," said the lady, laughing softly. "I don't have a heart . . ." Aunt Kazuko shook her head.
"You're not heartless. I know that, my brother knew that, and you should know that." Aoshi glanced at his aunt as she mentioned her brother - his father. Did this lady have anything to do with his father? The lady sighed heavily.
"Kazuko," she started, looking at Aoshi. "If you don't mind me asking - "
"You want to know who he is?"
"Yes." Aunt Kazuko smiled.
"Aoshi, I'd like you to meet Kamiya Kaeri. Kaeri, meet . . . Shinomori Aoshi . . ." Kamiya Kaeri clapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes growing wide. Aoshi stared at her, as coldly as usual. Was there something wrong with him? Kazuko frowned when she saw Kaeri's eyes start to fill up with tears as she stared at Aoshi.
"Shinomori . . ." whispered Kamiya Kaeri, her eyes full of tears. "Kazuko . . . Yuu - Yuuji . . . did anything happen -?" Aoshi contended himself with staring at the dull red carpet near the sofa they were sitting on. Questions were hurtling through his mind - how did this lady know his father? What were they doing here in the first place?
"He - his cancer fi - finally caught up with him . . ." he distantly heard his aunt whisper, before attempting to tune their conversation out. He heard another gasp.
"N - no . . . he - why didn't - I didn't know . . ." said Kamiya Kaeri, a tear flowing down her cheek as she understood what they were doing here with Aoshi. Shinomori Aoshi . . .
"Kaeri, you understand now what we're doing here, don't you?" asked Kazuko, looking imploringly at the black haired lady. "You know what I'm - what I want to ask of you, don't you?"
"You - you want me to look af - but my husband and daughter - "
"Kaeri, he has no other home to go to - no other relative to stay with!"
"He has - he has you - "
"I told you it would be useless, Kazuko. She has no sense of duty - or honour. She doesn't care what would happen to him! I don't know about you, but I've heard enough. I'm going. He's staying with us," half-yelled Uncle Tooru, snapping Aoshi out of his distant thoughts. They had wanted him to stay with - with a person he knew NOTHING about? His uncle stood up to leave. His aunt stared pleadingly at Kaeri.
"Kaeri please - he has no one else . . . he needs - he needs you, Kaeri . . . he needs what he missed out on, seventeen years ago!" she said, softly, her voice quivering.
"Kazuko I - don't make - please Kazuko . . . you don't understand - I - "
"Kazuko! Are you coming or not? Come on Aoshi, we're leaving!" Aoshi half stood up, ready to follow his uncle, his mind whirling with questions, not really understanding what was going on. What did he miss out on seventeen years ago?
"No! Aoshi, wait!" called his aunt, pulling on his hand.
"Aoshi, Kazuko, COME ON!" exclaimed Uncle Tooru, grabbing Aoshi, who was torn between listening to his aunt and waiting, or listening to his uncle and leaving. His eyes rested for a brief second on Kamiya Kaeri. Her blue eyes were wide with shock and grief as she stared at everyone in front of her.
"No Tooru - Aoshi - Kaeri, please. Think about Yuuji - what would he have wanted you to do? Are you going to deny Aoshi the only living soul that he is a part of?" asked Kazuko, her voice shaking. Kaeri let out a dry sob.
"Aoshi, we're going," said his uncle, walking away from the sofa and heading towards the hallway. Aoshi looked from his aunt to the lady in front of him, wondering what in god's name he was supposed to do. Uncertain, he took a small step forwards. His aunt's hand on his fell away, as though she was accepting defeat. She glanced reproachfully at Kaeri.
"I thought - I thought you would have cared," she said, holding back tears as she too started to stand up. Uncle Tooru had almost reached the hallway, Aoshi half way behind him, when Kamiya Kaeri spoke.
"He - he stays." There was a pin drop silence as the two words echoed in everyone's heads. A smile started to form on Kazuko's face as she realized what her friend was saying. Aoshi halted in silent shock. He didn't even know who this lady was, and they wanted him to stay with her? Uncle Tooru turned around slowly, as though daring for the lady to repeat what she just said.
"He stays," she said, closing her eyes. " - Aoshi stays here."
"Kaeri!" exclaimed Kazuko, greatly relieved. Kaeri didn't respond immediately.
"My husband will not let me keep him here - if he knows who he is . . ." she said, quietly. "I will refrain from telling him about - about the truth. He may stay as the son of a - of a very good childhood friend of mine."
Uncle Tooru looked suspiciously at her.
"How do we know you'll treat him well? How do we know that you won't throw him to the dogs once we leave?" he asked.
"I - I have my own sense of honour just like you do, Saito san," she replied, coldly. "I do not throw helpless children to the dogs - regardless of what other things you may think I do." Aoshi could tell that his uncle was taken aback.
"Kaeri - you're doing the right thing," said Kazuko, walking up to her and hugging her. She said nothing. Pulling away, Kazuko looked at Aoshi, smiling. He averted his eyes from her smiling face, not understanding what was there to smile about upon hearing the news that a complete stranger was going to take care of him - unless - his eyes widened at the thought.
Unless they don't want you in their house . . .
He knew that it was a stupid thought. He didn't really care much about his uncle, but his aunt - his father's elder sister - had been a motherly figure to him, since he didn't have a mother he knew of. He knew that his aunt wouldn't even think of such a thing - about leaving him with a stranger . . . but that was the only explanation he could come up with . . .
Uncle Tooru sat back down on the sofa. After a few minutes of silence, he glanced at Kamiya Kaeri.
"Right. Yuuji gave me - gave me instructions about what to do - on financial matters," he said, his tone becoming very business like.
"I don't want money for looking after my s - " Aoshi glanced at her, ever so slowly. Had she been about to say what he thought she had been about to say?
"I know you don't, but I don't think your husband will be willing to pay for your 'best-friend's' son's education, do you?" asked his uncle, slowly. "Yuuji knew of the problems that you two might face - he's left everything for Aoshi's education, personal purposes . . . and some for you."
Her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't help it. Yuuji . . . even after all those years . . . he had left her part of his - she blinked back her tears.
"I will take the money for Ao - Aoshi's education, but not the rest. I will keep that aside for Aoshi," she said, firmly.
"But - "
"He left it for me, you said?" Uncle Tooru nodded. "Good. Then I decide what to do with it - leave it for Aoshi." Kazuko smiled gently as she watched her nephew's face cloud over while listening to everything that was going on. She knew, after eighteen years of being with him, that he wanted to know what the hell was going on, but didn't want to show that he cared about what was happening. He reminded her of his father - her brother . . . her late brother . . .
She closed her eyes, still smiling. She felt that she had kept her promise - the last promise she had made to her brother as he awaited the darkness to conquer him.
Yuu chan . . . where ever you are, I just want to say that it's happening - at last . . .
A/N
Well???? I hope it was okay . . . . shivers anxiously please, please, review and tell me what you think. I hope this was up to what you wanted it to be . . .
Thanks for the reviews, once again!
siriusgirl