A/N
It's me again!!!! Heh … I would firstly like to thank everyone for their reviews! I was having some doubts about that last chapter, and didn't want to continue this story for a while – thinking I had finally gone off track – but you proved otherwise! Thank you, thank you, and thank you! Here's chapter nine, and I hope u like this too!
Kitsune Kenshin: Heh … I must admit, I was surprised with myself too, about updating this soon, but I thought I should continue to do so, 'coz school starts on the 25th of August (yikes, that's only 20 days away!). Yes, I am hoping that Aoshi and Kaoru will get along together when they find out what's going on – then again, I should know what's going to happen for sure, shouldn't I? I also thought that, even though Mr. Kamiya was a bit … too harsh, that he had some reason. I mean, if he's thinking that his wife may have … I dunno, had another affair or something, that would make him angry, wouldn't it? Oh well, thanks again for the review! And I wish I was Misao, to have Aoshi coming to my rescue two days in a row! Heh … enjoy!
Leila Jenkens: Thanks for the review, and here's the update! Enjoy!
Oniwabanshu: Heh … I'll try not to die in the middle of this! Heh … hmm … how is Aoshi related to Kaoru? I hope this chapter will make it clear – I did my best to hint at it, instead of directly saying until this chapter … and I hope it becomes clearer now. Thanks for your review and compliments! (although I wonder if I deserve them). I hope this chapter is what you expected! Enjoy and thanks once more!
Chapter Nine: Flashback
"Oooohh … and then?"
"What did you do?" She growled under her breath as she listened to the high pitched female voices exclaim, and rolled her eyes. Honestly, they treated him like some kind of god …
"Did you let him do that to you?"
"Sagara kun, you showed him didn't you?"
"Heh … of course I did. After all, I can't let him think that he can do things like that to me and then get away with them, can I?"
"Of course not!" She twitched, unable to stop the voices from reaching her ears, and also unable to finish the last chapter of the book they had to read for their literature homework. She felt a few veins pop out on her head. Couldn't he just drop it?
"Yeah! We would have beaten him up anyway. How dare he lay a hand on you?"
"Exactly. Do you know what I did then?"
"No."
"I took a step forward …" He smiled at the attentive female faces crowded around his desk. "And I looked him directly in the eye … and told him …" he paused for effect, smiling inwardly despite the irritation he felt with the certain person. "And I – "
SLAM
Sano stared at the two slender hands that slammed hard on his table, cutting him off. The rest of the girls around him stared at the owner of the hands, surprised. He looked upward, finally letting his gaze linger on a pair of narrowed eyes …
" – Ah, kitsune, you want to – " he grimaced as he was whacked on the head.
"I … am trying to get some work done here …" said Megumi, coldly. "And it would help if you … shut up." Sano grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry kitsune," he said. "Er – I mean, Megumi. I was just telling them about our wonderful athletics practice yesterday." Megumi's eyes returned to their normal size and she chose to stare at him for a second, before letting out a deep breath.
"I am sure that nothing exciting happened … so there's no reason for you to make such a big deal about it …" she said at last.
"Oh yeah … but you don't know what happened, do you?" asked Sano, suddenly turning serious. Megumi sighed. She nodded slowly.
"Yahiko told me most of it," she said. She looked back at him. "Is your back alright?" Sano nodded.
"Yeah, it was nothing, really," he said.
"It was a good thing that Soujirou and Aoshi were there …" said Megumi, meaning it. "You'd have been flattened if it weren't for them." Sano glared at her.
"I was just … caught off guard," he grumbled. Megumi said nothing.
"I just can't believe that he would say that … about Soujirou," she said, softly. "Despite everything you guys told me, I didn't think that he was that bad."
"Did you see Soujirou in school today?" asked Sano. Megumi shook her head.
"I saw Yahiko though – just before I came up here," she said. "Come to think of it, Kaoru wasn't there either …" Sano brushed it off.
"They'll come," he said. "They probably went to see Misao again and woke up late or something." Megumi hoped that was it. Sighing, she went back to her desk, ignoring the glares the girls were giving her, for interrupting their conversation with their precious 'Sagara kun.'
Soujirou yawned as he walked out of the class, heading for the chemistry lab. They had five minutes to make it to the lab – in time for their lesson.
"Did you go to see Misao again?" asked Yahiko, watching him.
"No … I thought that she would be resting," said Soujirou, scratching his head sheepishly. "Actually … I kind of fell asleep early …" Yahiko smirked.
"Aww … ickle Sou can't stay up late?" he teased. Soujirou grinned.
"Ha ha," he said. They approached the building the lab was in.
"Soujirou … I need your help …" said Yahiko, at last. Soujirou looked inquiringly at him.
" … Er … what for?" he asked.
"Well … he told me yesterday that I didn't need to come for practice again right?" asked Yahiko. "So does that mean that I don't need to come at all?" Soujirou sighed. Why did Yahiko have to bring that up? Just when he was trying to forget him and what he had said.
"To be honest …" he said, as they approached the lab. "I don't know." He paused. "On one hand, since he told you not to come, there's no reason for you to come." Yahiko nodded. "But on the other hand, you don't know whether he was being serious or not …"
"He told Sano to take a week off too, didn't he?" asked Yahiko. "I'll ask him what he's doing …" Soujirou nodded. Yes, that was best.
"By the way, do you know why Kaoru's not in school today?" he asked. Yahiko shook his head.
"Nah … is Kenshin in school?" he asked, grinning. Soujirou nodded, smiling. "Oh … Aoshi?" Here Soujirou sweat dropped.
"I don't think she likes Aoshi, Yahiko," he said.
"You never know …" said Yahiko as they entered the lab.
Aoshi was not in a good mood. Everyone walking by him could tell that. There was an almost murderous aura around him. Why was he in a bad mood?
Apart from everything that had happened yesterday … that morning, he had wanted to stay at home. Or rather, he hadn't wanted to go to school, but Kaoru had said that she was 'sick' and that she was staying at home. He didn't want Mr. Kamiya to blow his fuse again – which was what would probably happen if he stayed at home as well – so he had come to school.
That morning itself, he had walked into the dining room – thinking Mr. Kamiya had gone – to overhear him telling Mrs. Kamiya to find 'other lodgings' for him; 'him' meaning Aoshi.
Then there was the fact that he didn't even feel like talking to Mrs. Kamiya anymore … it wasn't his fault that he was rude to her. Wouldn't anyone in his situation be the same?
To top it all of, he had handed Amakusa Shogo the clothes he had borrowed from him yesterday, and unfortunately for him, when Shogo had asked if it had 'all gone well' some people had twisted it around and sent them horrified stares, thinking something was up between the two of them. It didn't help when Amakusa Shogo chose to exclaim 'my clothes!' in a loud voice.
Not to mention the strange dream he had had about a girl dressed in some sort of fighting costume, beaming at him, her hair tied back in a braid. Everything about that girl had made his subconscious mind scream 'Makimachi Misao!' but he was sure that couldn't be. Why would she be wearing a fighting costume?
Heck, why was he dreaming about her in the first place? Or at least about someone that looked like her?
He had geography next and he wasn't in the mood to go for the lesson. He couldn't help it; he just didn't feel like doing anything.
"I – I'm not a stranger …"
He frowned as he heard Mrs. Kamiya's words from the night before. She had said that she wasn't a stranger, in reply to him asking why he had to stay with strangers. What was that supposed to mean? Did it mean that, being his father's 'best friend' she wasn't a stranger, or that being his father's 'girl friend' she wasn't a stranger? Or maybe she had been more than a -
He cursed inwardly. Meditation … that's what he needed …
"You again." Aoshi bit his tongue, rendering it unable to say a string of rather … colourful words.
" … Hnn …" he chose to mumble, staring into tawny eyes. Saito stared at him for a while without saying anything. "As much as I'd love to stand here all day having you observe me, I have other things to do …" said Aoshi, at last, nodding curtly at him and moving forward. Saito stopped him.
" … Who are you staying with?" Aoshi glanced at him again.
"What?"
"Who are you staying with? You know … living with?" asked Saito, looking piercingly at him. Aoshi shrugged, his mind yelling 'Warning: This could be bad.'
"Some family …" he said, off-hand. Saito frowned – not angrily, but thoughtfully.
"Uncle Yuuji's best friend?" he asked.
" … Yeah …" said Aoshi, his face calm, but his mind asking one question. Why was Saito asking him this now? Had something happened? Had Mr. Kamiya called his Aunt and Uncle and asked them to take him back with them? If so … that meant he would be living under the same roof as Saito … how joyful.
" … What's his name?" Aoshi glared at him. Was this an interrogation or something? Saito seemed to have read his mind, for he said; "I just want to know …"
"Her name's … Kamiya … Kaeri san, I think," said Aoshi. He heard Saito's intake of breath and frowned. " … Is something wrong?" Saito said nothing.
"You don't know do you?" he asked. Aoshi narrowed his eyes.
"Know what?" he snapped. Saito, it seemed, had reverted back to his usual sadistic, annoying self.
"Oooh … we're snapping at people now, are we?" he asked, smirking. Aoshi's glared would have melted anyone standing in front of him. Unfortunately for him, Saito Hajime wasn't anyone.
" … Fine …" he said, at last. Without looking at his cousin, he walked past him, rather rudely. Saito watched him go, smirking.
" … Temper … didn't your 'mummy' teach not to get angry?" Aoshi continued walking away, pretending he couldn't hear him. "It's still not too late … she can still teach you a few things …"
That caused Aoshi to stop walking at once. Letting the comment rotate inside his head for a while, he turned around, only to see Saito walking away.
He scowled at his cousin's retreating back. What did he mean when he said 'it's still not too late?' Was his mother …
The sound of the second bell ringing – telling him he was five minutes late to class snapped him out of his thoughts. Though still rather confused, he hurried to his geography class, wondering how he was going to get through that day without either killing someone or killing himself.
Kenshin stood outside the staffroom, anxious as he waited for Nakamura sensei to come out. After yesterday's events – at the practice – and after Saito had informed him about Hiko Seijiro not attending practice for a while, he had gotten rather worried. Something … something was wrong … From what he knew, Hiko sensei didn't have any family … so he couldn't have gone to see them. Then who –
"Yes – ah, Himura … is something the matter?" asked Nakamura sensei, appearing at the entrance to the large staffroom. Kenshin smiled and bowed politely at the Head of the Sports Department.
"Sensei … I'm sorry to be disturbing you like this," he said, causing the teacher to shake his head. "Demo … do you have any idea where Hiko sensei has gone?"
Nakamura sensei looked surprised as Kenshin stared expectantly at him for an answer. "Hiko? Oh … don't you know?" Kenshin shook his head, his eyes widening slightly, hoping nothing had happened.
"Iie … we weren't told anything," he said.
"No one knows then?" asked Nakamura sensei. Kenshin shook his head again.
"Iie … our captain told us that he went for some 'personal' thing …" he said. Nakamura sensei shook his head.
"Well … yes, I suppose it can be considered as being personal …" he said. Kenshin could no longer stand it. Hiko Seijiro had been the closest person to a father he had ever had.
"Did something happen to him Sensei?" he asked.
"Himura, you will not repeat this to anyone else, do you understand?" asked Nakamura sensei, his brown eyes hardening. Kenshin nodded slowly.
"I … I won't," he said.
"You know Eigamura High school right?"
"H … Hai …" said Kenshin, wondering why the name sounder so familiar.
"Hiko's been offered a position there – as the head of Sports …" said Nakamura sensei. It took a few minutes for the statement to reach Kenshin head, and when it did … his eyes widened.
"He's – he's gone?" he asked, weakly. He didn't want to believe it. Hiko Seijiro had left them … for some position in Eigamura. Their coach would never come back again … which meant that … that Saito would have supreme control over –
"Well, yes," said Nakamura sensei. "But we don't know whether he will accept the position or not …" That made Kenshin focus again.
"Did he … say anything before he left?" he asked. Nakamura sensei shook his head.
"He didn't say anything about his 'answer.' He just said that he's leaving his team in the hands of its captain and vice-captain," he said. "That reminds me, the inter high school tournament is nearing, isn't it? The application forms have arrived … you should get together with your captain and go through them …"
Kenshin nodded slowly, the smile on his face feeling rather fixed. Hiko sensei was probably gone for good … and he had to work with Saito? That was …
"Oh, and just so that you know, Kayo's saying that his team will be victorious again. Apparently, there's no real competition for his team …" Kenshin sighed. Coach Kayo of Toriyama High School … really knew how to annoy people.
"Sou ka …"
"I am hoping that Mitsurugi High School will emerge victorious this year … we need that victory," said Nakamura sensei. "Well … is that all you wanted to ask me?" Kenshin nodded hurriedly, smiling his thanks at the teacher.
"Hai, arigato gozaimasu, sensei," he said. Nodding, Nakamura sensei walked back inside the staffroom, leaving a rather burdened Kenshin behind.
ToriyamaHigh School:
He barely paid any attention to Kayo sensei as he spoke. His mind was fixed on other things. Things that to him, were much more important than just winning a stupid tournament.
" – we then … Yukishiro! Yukishiro, are you listening to me?" He looked at his coach hurriedly.
"H – Hai, sensei …" he said. Kayo sighed. He sometimes wondered why he put up with this team – apart from the fact that they were a group of the best teenage athletes he had seen for sometime.
Leaning against a tree, looking rather bored, was Sawagejou Chou – a second year senior. He wasn't the best athlete on his team, but he was fast. That was what counted.
"From the information I received, Mitsurugi have quite a few talented players their team this year," continued Kayo. "For various age groups."
"Even for the girls?" asked Shura, a first year with long brown hair. Kayo nodded at her.
"Apparently so," he said. "Though most of the girls are pretty average, there is one that could pose a threat …" He sighed. "Makimachi Misao, I think her name was."
"Doesn't sound impressive …" commented Misanagi, a third year that liked to show off her authority – and a lot of other stuff too. Whatever else she did, she was the fastest female athlete available for miles … so he needed her on his team.
"There's a Seta Soujirou for the Under 17 age group. He's supposed to be very fast …" he continued, looking pointedly at the pale haired second year he had been talking to at the beginning. " … You get my point Yukishiro?"
Yukishiro Enishi stared at his coach through his square glasses, a look of boredom on his pale face. "No one can match my speed …" he said, lazily rubbing his head. " … Is that all?" Kayo glared at him. True, he was his fastest and best athlete … but sometimes, he really questioned his sanity. He was the type to blank out in the middle of practice or a conversation … and suddenly look as though he was ready to murder someone when he came back to reality.
He guessed the death of his sister had really hit him hard.
"Oh, and for the Under 19 age group, Mitsurugi have apparently got back their star athlete …" he said. That caught everyone's attention.
"Who?" asked Misanagi.
"A girl or a guy?" questioned Shura.
"A guy … Himura Kenshin I think his name was …" said Kayo. Enishi glanced at him hurriedly.
"What?" he asked his voice low. Kayo nodded.
"I know … disastrous as that sounds, we will overcome – " he was cut off when Enishi stood up straight. His eyes blazed with fury as he 'blanked out' again. " – Enishi?"
"So … he decided to get on with his life again … did he?" growled Enishi. " … After destroying a 'happy' family …" Misanagi stared at him.
"Oy, oy … what are you talking about?" she asked. He continued to glare at no one in particular.
"We'll see … I'd rather die than have … Himura do anything that satisfies him …" he growled, threateningly.
"Enishi … snap out of it," said Shura getting a little worried at her teammate's behaviour. "ENISHI!" He looked at her, hurriedly, his eyes glazed over.
" … Nanda?" he asked. Shura shook her head. What was up with him?
"Well … that's about it that I have to say for now," said Kayo, wondering if anyone was listening to him. "Right, now let's practice with the hurdles." There was a series of groans from the members of the team. "Let's see … Team A will consist of Enishi, Shozo and Fujitaka. Team B will consist of Kamatari, Usui and Chou."
"Hai, hai …" said Houjo Kamatari, as cheerfully as he could.
"Girls, I want you to divide yourselves into two teams and practice your relays," said Kayo. Misanagi nodded, sighing. She walked over to one end of the field, with Shura and the other girls following her.
Kayo watched them walk off, a smile forming on his face. His team would win again … there was no doubt about it. Not even Mitsurugi High School would stop his team from winning.
Misao gazed out of the window as Kaoru's words kept on repeating themselves in her head. She couldn't believe that Saito Hajime had said that to Soujirou. She shook her head. Despite the fact that she had known their captain was awful … she had never thought that he'd be as awful as that.
And as for attacking Sano … Misao guessed that it was probably Sano's fault for charging at him first, but come on, if she had been Sano, she would have been very near to kill him. She shook her head again. No, she would have killed him.
Stifling a yawn, she turned her attention to what Kaoru had told her about the 'events' that had taken place at the Kamiya Residence the previous evening. She couldn't believe that Mr. Kamiya had thought that Aoshi had tried doing stuff Kaoru. She frowned as she remembered how she had dropped the book she had been reading when Kaoru told her that her father had thought that Aoshi had been trying to touch her leg. She had turned deep purple, causing Kaoru to get rather worried.
She was really starting to get confused about … well, about herself. A few days ago, she would have shrugged, beamed, and thanked anyone that helped her when she needed the help. But when she did get help – yesterday and the day before that – she found herself blushing, feeling light-headed, self conscious and awkward.
What was going on with her? It was only Shinomori Aoshi … Kaoru's mother's best friend's son. There was no need for her to get all flustered and awkward. She was Misao … she could talk to anyone without getting flustered – or, to put it correctly, she could talk to anyone that helped her without getting flustered.
Then why was she acting like this? Why was she … thinking like this? Why did her insides squirm when she saw Aoshi? She rubbed her head with her knuckles, desperately wishing that she could knock some sense into her own head. There had to be a logical explanation about all of this. After all, almost everyone she knew said that everything that happened in the world could be explained – logically.
The more she thought about it, the more agreeable the idea sounded. Yes, there had to be a logical explanation for this. Maybe she was feeling a sense of déjà vu. Maybe she had met Aoshi somewhere … and was able to recognize him. That would explain the weird feelings she felt in her gut whenever he was nearby.
Or … or maybe he just had that effect on people. She knew that people always spoke about her as someone that 'brightened up every atmosphere' wherever she went. She didn't know whether she actually did that – although she did want to cheer up people that were depressed or down. Getting back to the point, maybe Aoshi had the gift of making people feel … uncomfortable and awkward wherever he went.
Boy … that had to be an annoying gift. She didn't even know if such a gift existed. She nodded hurriedly, trying to clear the doubts entering her mind. Yes, perhaps that was it. That certainly explained her strange behaviour, sudden flushing and the squirming inside of her. She nodded again, trying desperately to convince herself that this was nothing serious.
Then what about the freaky dreams?
Misao mentally beat up that inner voice of hers as it reminded her about her dreams. Fine, she had to admit that she had had some freaky dreams. Dreams that included her being … saved from a life threatening situation by … (drum roll) none other than a boy with ice blue eyes and black hair. She shivered as she remembered how –
No, no NO! This was all WRONG! She SHOULDN'T be thinking about those stupid dreams. They would only increase her confusion.
Aha … she had come to 'logical explanation' no. 3. Maybe she was just watching too much anime; too much anime that included 'cool and silent' Bishonen that always had people falling in love with them and whose hearts were always captured by the least likely people – people who weren't like them.
"Aaaarghhh … I need to go see a psychiatrist …" she groaned, shaking her head lightly to get rid of the thoughts that were currently plaguing her mind. She thought about her leg – and her prayer was immediately answered as her thoughts turned to the unbearable pain she had felt throughout the previous night.
After her little 'stunt' she hadn't been able to move at all. The painkillers her mother had given her had not worked – either that or the pain in her leg was too much – and she hadn't been able to sleep for more than half an hour the most. Why? With pain as indescribable as that flooding through her whole body … wasn't it only natural that she would have stayed up the whole night?
The only regret she had about that was that her mother and grandfather hadn't been able to get any sleep either. Her mother had, after around three hours of having to run into her room each time she moaned, stayed in the room, sitting by her bed, and she was sure that her grandfather had checked on the two of them every now and then.
The pain was better today … it only hurt when she moved her leg around a lot, and besides, if she didn't think about the pain, she wouldn't feel it – OUCH … no, she took that back. She did feel it.
That's no excuse to stop trying to figure out why you're thinking about HIM.
Misao ignored her 'inner voice' wondering if there was anything she could do to get it to shut up. Inner voices, she thought, shouldn't have bee allowed. They were annoying … very annoying.
How about logical explanation no. 4?
Misao hummed to herself, trying to drown out the voice of her inner voice, speaking inside her head. She shook her head, smiling. She really needed an appointment with a psychiatrist … soon.
Maybe you're in love with him.
Kamiya Residence:
"And what is Ms. Kojima unnecessarily worrying herself about on a day as bright as this?" She turned around, her long black hair following her head's movement. Her dark blue eyes found themselves looking into another pair of blue eyes, although these were striking, ice blue.
"She's wondering why Mr. Shinomori asked her such a question, on a day as bright as this," she replied, a smile beginning to form on her lips. The 18 year old owner of the ice blue eyes laughed pleasantly, doing much to increase her smile.
"Must be my influence," he said, winking at her. The girl's smile disappeared as she turned back to her desk by the window. He frowned slightly. "Kaeri?"
"It's not funny Yuuji," she said, quietly. "Otosama … really does think that your influence on me is bad …" Shinomori Yuuji sighed inwardly, running a hand through his black hair.
"Do you think I'm a bad influence on you?" he asked. Kaeri glared at him.
"Of course I don't!" He smiled, bringing his face down so that it was level with hers.
"Then what's the problem?" he asked, smirking at the faint blush forming on her cheeks as she stared at his face. "If you don't think so, why are you getting so worried?"
"Because Otosama will … do something …" she mumbled, averting her gaze.
"Do something? To me?" asked Yuuji. She shook her head hurriedly.
"I won't let him do that," she said. "It's just that … he …" She paused, taking a deep breath. "I want – he doesn't – " Yuuji grinned mischievously.
"I understand that my presence next to you makes you flustered, but is that really a reason for you to get tongue-tied?" he asked. Kaeri blushed again, as she tried to glare at him. Looking at the clock on the wall of the class, she saw that it was 7:12. Registration was at 7:30 am. A glint entered her eyes as she turned to her best-friend again.
"Yuu-chan, do you plan on doing any work today?" she asked. Yuuji was somewhat startled by the question.
"Er … is there ever a time when I plan on doing work? I'm just forced to work," he said. Kaeri smiled, standing up and taking her small bag with her. Yuuji stared at her, slightly confused. What was she – She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the door. "H – Hey – hang on! What are you – "
"Just come on," said Kaeri, smiling at him and leading him out of the class, down the corridor, through the school gate, down the street, and to the park.
He stared at her as she dropped her bag down next to a thick tree, and as she moved towards the kid's slide that had been built in the 'kids' section of the park.
He smirked as she tried to get to the top of the slide without using the small ladder behind it, and lost her footing and fell in a heap on the ground. Glaring at herself, she moved to the ladder and sat down on top of the slide.
"Well? I don't bite, you know," she said, seeing him stand where he was. Shaking his head and keeping his own bag down, he walked up to her, choosing to stand by the slide instead.
"You decide to skip class - dragging me with you - and your father says I'm a bad influence?" he asked, ducking as Kaeri aimed a blow at his head.
"Oh shut up, Mr. Goody Two shoes," she grumbled. He grinned.
"Want me to show you the 'Mr. Baddie Two Shoes' side of me?" he asked, lowering his voice. She glared at him, knowing that the tinge of red on her cheeks was visible.
"Do you know what Otosama plans on doing?" she asked, at last.
"Something along the lines of 'exterminating Shinomori Yuuji from the phase of the world?"
"He doesn't want me to go to university …" Yuuji glanced hurriedly at her.
"What?! That's absurd! You've always wanted to go to University … and get a job …" he said. "And get married …" he added, as an afterthought. "Besides, we need to hand in the university applications were given sometime next week! If you don't do that … your dream of going to – "
"That's what I want to do Yuu-chan," she said, smiling sadly. "Not what Otosama wants me to do."
"So you plan on listening to him and not going to university?" She saw the anger mixed with confusion in Yuuji's eyes, and she closed her eyes.
"That's not all he's planning …" she said.
"There's more?" She smiled.
"He wants me to get married to – to some businessman's son …" Yuuji's face darkened for a second, before a small smile found itself on his face again.
"Ah yes … better marrying his daughter off to some big businessman's son as opposed to some average, engineer's son … right?" he asked. When Kaeri turned to look at him, her face was distraught. She gripped the side of the slide hard.
"I don't want to, Yuuji! I don't want to get married …" she exclaimed. "At least … not to anyone Otosama chooses …" She never took her eyes away from him. "I – I wanted to … to go to university and … and finish with a degree, get a job and … and marry …" she turned away from him, opting to stare at her lap. "And marry my best-fried, Shinomori Yuuji …" She laughed. "But how can I do that?"
Yuuji stared at her, compassion flooding his heart as he listened to her – it was during these moments when Kojima Kaeri shared her true feelings with the world, instead of thinking she had to act differently to please someone.
"And I want to go to university, get a degree, a job … a great girl as my wife and live happily ever after too," he said, smiling at her. Kaeri felt her eyes flooding with tears and she stubbornly willed them away. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to –
Yuuji raised his hand to cup her cheek and turned her face gently to face his. Her watery blue eyes met his ice blue, full of compassion and love.
"Are you going to give up, Ka-e-ri?" he asked, saying her name the way he used to say it when they were small. She said nothing. "Are you going to let go of the dream you have created for yourself over the past 18 years of your life?" He smiled gently. "I thought you never give up, Kaeri. I thought you would never give up until you achieved your dream … unless …" His smile wavered. "Unless … you don't want that dream any longer …" He took his hand from her face slowly.
She saw the brief flash of pain in his eyes. She knew that he was thinking that she didn't want … him anymore. A tear rolled down her cheek as she realized that … he wouldn't stop her from leaving him … and marrying another man – if that would make her happy.
"I – I want to marry you …" she said hoarsely, two more tears rolling down her cheeks. "I … I love y – AAAARGHHHHH!!!!" Yuuji watched her in amusement as she waved her arms around, feeling herself sliding down the slide. Unable to grip the sides of the slide hard enough, she slid down it, landing, once again, in a heap.
He chuckled as he heard a string of rather 'colourful' words issue forth from her mouth. Brushing off the droplet of water that had leaked out of his left eye, he walked over to where she was still lying, growling about 'gravity ruining special moments' before he extended a hand to help her up.
Kojima Kaeri … he wondered what he would do if she was married off to a 'big businessman's' son … What would his life be like without her? He shuddered. He didn't want to even think about it.
Mrs. Kamiya opened her eyes with a start. It took her a few moments to register in her mind that she was in her room – at the Kamiya residence, and not at the park.
She sat up slowly, watching the ray of sunlight filter lazily into the room, alighting on the furniture in it. She massaged her head lightly, her mind still whirling as she thought about the old memory that had suddenly entered her mind, having 'escaped' from the barricade she had built to keep it and all her other memories from entering her mind again.
Yuuji … She smiled. She had been very lucky to have someone like him as a best friend. She just … she just regretted not being able to make him understand that. Her smile faded as she remembered her father and how he had forbade her from talking to him anymore. For her father, the only important thing he had to do for the family was to get his daughter married to a well-off man, and see to it that she would live a comfortable life with everything she wanted.
It didn't matter to him if that meant forcing her to marry some big businessman's son – whom she didn't love, instead of to an average man, whom she loved with all her heart. Her father had made her do what she did, whether or not she loved the 'businessman's' son.
Her eyes widened.
Whether or not she loved the 'businessman's' son.
Did she … really feel that way? Even now after all these years? Her face paled. Was she saying that she didn't love him ...?
What is wrong with me? I shouldn't say that … he's my husband. Of course I love him. How could I –
- But I didn't want to marry him, did I? I wanted to finish school, go to university, get a degree, get a job … and marry … and marry Yuuji …
She shook her head hard. She shouldn't dwell on events of the past. She was … Kamiya Kaeri now, Kamiya Kaeri with a responsibility to look after her husband and child – not Kojima Kaeri who wanted to challenge the world and try new things.
But Kojima Kaeri led a happier life, didn't she? She never had to worry about her 'husband' getting angry with her, or shouting at her …
That was true … but Hisashi had every right to get angry with her. Here she was, keeping some 'unknown' boy in their house, with their 16 year old, innocent daughter. Something was bound to happen …
A picture of Aoshi flashed through her head. His face was expressionless and his ice blue eyes stared directly at her. She smiled unconsciously. He looked extraordinarily like his father … like … Yuuji …
"Why do I have to stay with … strangers?"
She massaged her head again as Aoshi's words from the night before entered her mind again. She remembered getting upset hearing them … but now that she thought about it, what he said was … acceptable. He didn't know who she was, why he was living with her instead of with his Aunt (his father's sister) … and it was unfair of her husband to ask him to leave and treat him like trash.
She closed her eyes as she remembered the argument she had had with her husband the previous night, after they had had a rather tense dinner. Aoshi had refused to eat anything and had gone straight upstairs, probably knowing that her husband would try saying something to him again. Kaoru's pale face and red eyes told her that she had been crying, and her husband's grim face did nothing to lighten the atmosphere.
Hisashi had told her firmly that Aoshi had to go. He had said that it was either Aoshi or him and Kaoru. She had to 'choose' who she wanted; her husband and daughter, or Aoshi. She had reasoned with him, the best that she could, telling him that Aoshi had no family, and that he had already switched schools and if he continued to do this, he wouldn't get a stable education.
She had ended it by saying that her 'best-friend' would have looked after Kaoru without any second thought if she had been brought to him, if her parents had died. She also chided him for making that comment about Aoshi's mother.
"So you said that his father died, what about his mother? Why can't he stay with his mother? Or wait, did his mother abandon him? I must admit, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that that's the real reason as to why he's here …"
She couldn't help but smile as she wondered what he would say if he knew that he had been almost a hundred percent correct. Aoshi's mother had 'abandoned' him … but it wasn't because she didn't love him. That was far from the truth. She had loved … Aoshi's father as well … but … fate didn't always go the way people wanted it to.
In any case, she had managed to calm her husband down, and he had said that he'd put up with Aoshi – only because she was begging him to. He had also agreed with her that he shouldn't have brought up the thing about Aoshi's parents. However, he had said he wasn't going to apologize to him. At least agreeing to let him continue to stay with her was something, so she had let the issue drop.
Maybe she should tell Aoshi the truth. The truth as to why he was staying with them instead of with his aunt and uncle. The truth as to why he … thought his mother was 'dead.' The truth as to why –
No, she couldn't tell him. Who knows what he would do once he found out the truth? She sighed, feeling her head throbbing lightly. She had known from the day that Kazuko and Tooru had brought Aoshi to her house that she would someday have to face some problem or the other. She didn't mind Aoshi staying with them – how could she?
She just wondered … how he would react if he learned the truth. Would he start hating her? She smiled sadly. He had every right to hate her. Who wouldn't? She guessed that Kaoru would most probably hate her too … for lying to her all this time – and Hisashi … she shuddered, not wanting to think of how he would react.
"Okasan?" She looked up hurriedly, hurtled out of her thoughts. Kaoru was standing at the doorway, looking slightly worried at her.
"K – Kaoru …" she said, putting on a bright smile for her daughter. "Is something wrong?" Kaoru shook her head slowly.
"I was going to ask you that, Okasan," she said. Mrs. Kamiya managed to raise her eyebrows at her daughter.
"But … you're the one that's 'sick' right?" she asked, innocently. Kaoru flushed.
"Er … right …" she said. She walked up to her mother and sat down on the bed beside her. "Okasan … can I ask you something?" The first thought that entered Mrs. Kamiya's mind was that she had somehow found out about Aoshi … She shook her head inwardly. That was fairly impossible.
"Of course …" she said, keeping her voice steady.
"How … how did Aoshi san's father die?" Kamiya Kaeri's eyes widened slightly, before returning to their normal size. She felt a pang as she heard her daughter's 'innocent' question. If only she knew who 'Aoshi's father' was …
" … He had cancer …" she said softly, her voice sounding to her ears, as though it was coming from far away. She felt Kaoru stiffen. "It … apparently 'caught up with him' in the end … causing him to – " She didn't stop because Kaoru had understood. She stopped because she didn't want to say anything more. She didn't even want to think anymore … fearing that the tears would come again … the wound of grief of Yuuji's death causing them to re-form.
"Poor Aoshi san …" said Kaoru quietly, now understanding why Aoshi acted the way he did. He didn't want to get hurt again.
"That's why … that's why Aoshi is … " Mrs. Kamiya stopped. Aoshi was what – emotionless? Cold? Indifferent? Her daughter shook her head, knowing what her mother was trying to say. The 'favour' he did for her was fresh in her mind.
"He's not as bad as he looks, Okasan," she said, smiling. "He just acts that way to – "
" – Prevent himself from getting hurt again … yes, I know Kaoru …" finished her mother, sighing. Yet again he was so like his father. There was a short silence in the room. Until a question popped into Kaoru's head, making her smile again.
"Okasan?"
"Hai?"
"Why are we almost whispering about Aoshi san? He's not even here …" Mrs. Kamiya smiled. That was true, but – the sound of her daughter's stomach growling cut her off. Kaoru turned bright red and shook her head.
"I'm not – that wasn't – ignore that – "
"Come on … let's find you something to eat," said her mother, standing up and walking to the door. Grinning sheepishly, Kaoru followed her. As she walked down the stairs, Mrs. Kamiya's mind was still in a bit of a muddle as to what she should make of her life. She knew one thing for sure, though; she was glad that she had Kaoru with her …
Mitsurugi High School:
Kenshin sat down at the wooden table, concentrating on his breathing – a form of meditation. The figure seated on the chair opposite his, lowered the magazine he was reading, glanced at him once, before raising the magazine again. Kenshin sweat dropped. He didn't have to be that rude.
"Saito … Nakamura sensei gave me these …" he said, nodding at the sheaf of papers he had put down on the table. He heard a grunt, and smiled, despite the thoughts going around in his head. " … He said that these forms need to be filled up soon …" That caught the 'wolf's' attention.
"Forms?" he asked, without lowering the magazine. Kenshin nodded.
"Hai, application forms for the tournament," he said. Saito lowered the magazine and gazed at the forms, before turning to Kenshin, his eyes narrowed.
"Let me guess, the Captain and Vice-Captain have to fill them in …" Kenshin nodded.
"Exactly. The sooner we get these done, the sooner we see less of each other," he said. Saito smirked.
"Good," he said, grabbing the forms and looking through them as Kenshin sat patiently. "Hmm … Under 19, Under 18 and Under 17 … hurdles, relays, races …" A few minutes later, he glared at Kenshin. "Well?"
"Well what?" asked Kenshin, taken aback. Saito rolled his eyes.
"Tell me Himura, what do we fill up these forms with? Drops of blood?" he asked. Kenshin flushed. He was not going to let Saito get to him. He was not going to let Saito get to him. He was NOT going to let Saito get to him.
"I'll get a pen from the librarian …" he mumbled, standing up and walking up to the librarian's desk, asking her politely if he could borrow a pen. No one refused anything Kenshin asked for – they loved him that much. Sano used to tease him saying that if he asked the principle to step down and let him run the school, the principle might very well do that.
Sitting back down at the desk, he cleared his throat. "They said there's no blood in the ink," he said sarcastically. Saito said nothing.
"Hmm … Under 19 Boys 4 into 100 meter relay …" said Saito thoughtfully. "I would say … me …" Kenshin coughed.
"Er … but we do need another runner – in case …" he said. Saito raised an eyebrow at him.
"I assure you, I won't get delayed …" he said. "I will turn up …"
"That's not what I meant," said Kenshin. "You know we always assign a spare runner."
"Aoshi then," said Saito. Kenshin stared at him.
"What?" he asked surprised.
"Don't tell me you don't even understand English now …" sighed Saito. "I said Aoshi can be the spare runner." Kenshin nodded, colouring. He took the form from Saito and began filling it in.
"Saito Hajime and Shinomori Aoshi," he said, finishing with it and ticking the two names on the list he had prepared before hand.
"Hnn … Under 19 Girls 4 into 100 …" said Saito. "There's no one to take part in this, is there?" Kenshin was silent for a while.
"There is Mitsui Yoriko san …" he said.
"And backup?"
"No one …" he said, resignedly. "Honda Miyoko is in the Under 18 group."
"Well someone is better than no one," said Saito. Kenshin wrote the name down again. "Under 19 mixed relay … we need another girl on this team … for the under 19's." Kenshin nodded.
"I'll look into that," he said, wondering who would want to join the team now. "But apart from that, Yoriko san, you and Aoshi can do that."
"Excuse me, did I say I would take part in the relay?" asked Saito. Kenshin flushed.
"I just …" he stopped. It was no use. "Fine, Yoriko san, Aoshi and I then." Saito nodded.
"That's more like it." Kenshin left that form aside, until he found another candidate. "For all the Under 19 Girl's relays, it'll be that Mitsui girl and the new girl you find." Saito looked thoughtful. "Under 19 Boys 2 into 100; you can do that, and Aoshi can do Under 19 Boys 100 meters. I'll be backup for those."
Kenshin hurriedly filled in the form handed to him. So far, Saito had sounded somewhat reasonable … At least he knew his job.
"Under 18 Boys … hnn … that kid, Sawakita – he'll do well here," said Saito. He was referring to the 2 into 100 meter relay. Kenshin frowned.
"The 4 into 100 will be perfect for Sano," he said. Saito turned his tawny eyes to him.
"Sano? Oh … the chicken brain …" he said. Kenshin said nothing. "I did give him a week of, didn't I? Who're our other second year runners?"
"Kaede and Sano," said Kenshin. Saito sighed.
"It seems we have no choice then," he said, sounding as though he didn't like it. "In that case … use them."
"For all the events?"
"Well … you just told me that there's no one else," said Saito.
"Yes …" said Kenshin, gritting his teeth as he entered the form. The 4 into 100 meter relay had Sawakita Kaede as the back up, whilst the others had Sano as the backup runner. "And the relay?"
"Before that Himura, we need to know about the girls …" said Saito. "Honda Miyoko is there as you said … is there no one else?"
"Kamei Kyoko – she's a first year, but she's already 17. By the time the tournament takes place, she'll be 17 years and around one month – "
"I didn't ask for her personal information, Himura, so stuff it."
" - Too old for the Under 17's …" said Kenshin, wishing that he wasn't the vice-captain, and that he hadn't returned to school. He filled in the form. "That's the team for the mixed relay then?" he queried.
"Well I don't think we have anyone else to use … so isn't it obvious?" Kenshin would have growled if he wasn't … well, if he wasn't Kenshin. As it was, he felt like punching the daylight out of the boy seated opposite him.
" … …"
"Under 17 Boys – oh, that's simple. Seta can do all of that." Kenshin gaped at him. Was he crazy? Soujirou was a fast athlete – that was pretty much obvious – but sending him for all of these, alone, was impossible. Each school had two athletes running each race – for insurance. Soujirou, despite his speed, would find it difficult to do everything by himself.
"He needs backup," he said, firmly.
"Oh?"
"Yes."
"Oh, and who are we going to use then? Arizuka Shihiro?" asked Saito, smirking nastily. "His weight is a bit of a problem is it not?" Kenshin glared 'reversed-edged blades' at him.
"It's not nice to make fun of his weight," he said. "And we can always use Yahiko." Saito snorted.
"I told the brat he didn't need to come for practice for a reason, Himura," he said. "We don't need him."
"Saito, what's more important here is getting a team organized – not personal grudges," said Kenshin, slowly.
"Ah yes … but I'm the Captain, not you," said Saito. Kenshin glowered at him.
"For Heaven's sake Saito, leave aside your stupid remarks and horrible nature and do something that'll benefit everyone instead of just yourself!" he said. Saito raised both his eyebrows at him.
"Oh? Then I presume that that's why you had your girl-friend killed two years ago?" he asked. Kenshin's violet eyes narrowed. "I've been wondering why people haven't been asking you about how you got that scar … when you escaped from the car accident, leaving you girl-friend to die."
" … If it could have saved her, I would have given up my life for Tomoe," said Kenshin, his voice containing a sharp edge to it. The aura around him had completely changed.
"I see …"
"I admit, I should have been more careful about it … but I didn't mean for Tomoe to … die …"
"Interesting though your messed up love life is, we do have some more forms to fill in," said Saito. "And I'd like to get them done sometime soon." Kenshin never took his violet eyes off the tawny ones as the aura around him dimmed to his usual one. When the anger was completely gone, he looked back at the papers. "Hmm … we'll have to see about Myoujin …" said Saito. "In any case, we will need to find someone for the girls …"
"Yes …" said Kenshin.
"The weasel … she will be fine in a month or so …" said Saito. "Put her down."
"We can't do that," said Kenshin. "We don't even know if her leg will heal that fast – "
"Put her down; she's our best bet for the girls so far," said Saito. "And meanwhile look for another girl to use as backup."
"But – if Misao can't make it on that day, we'll have to forfeit!"
"Himura, I'm not stupid," said Saito. "Her 'backup' will run for her in that case." He paused. "Aren't you going to write that down?" Kenshin growled again. "Well, since that's it – and you know what to do for the relays – I will, unfortunately be seeing you again." With that, Saito stood up and walked out of the library, leaving a seething Kenshin behind.
The taunt about Tomoe echoed in his head, making him growl again. Saito Hajime sure knew how to ruin someone's mood … and how to make even the most easy-going person an enemy of his.
In any case, he would need to find a few additional runners … the school wasn't at fault for Saito's horrible attitude – although they did choose him as captain. Sano would have made a better captain in his opinion. He didn't mind running … but he hoped he would be able to win – with his leg …
He'd ask Yahiko, Soujirou and Kaoru if they knew anyone that could join the Under 17 girls team – Speaking of Kaoru, he hadn't seen her anywhere …
Shrugging slightly as he turned his mind back to the tournament, he stood up. He had some searching to do.
A/N
YAY!!! Another chapter done … and I hope it went well. It wasn't as long as the other's … but I was getting a bit tired of typing for so long. Sorry 'bout that!
I hope the 'flashback' scene of Shinomori Yuuji and Kojima Kaeri was good. I kind of liked it. And the part about the Toriyama High School … I thought I should include some 'opponents' too. Houji Kamatari I included as a man here – well, he is a man, isn't he? Heh heh … and I might even include Tsubame chan somewhere in this story … I dunno … it depends though …
Anyways, hope you liked it!
See ya soon!
Siriusgirl1