Disclaimer - I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

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Toy Store

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Job Interview

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"Is my hair alright, or is it rebelling again?" Misao asked, straightening her business suit jacket.

"It's wonderful, Misao," Kaoru assured her. "You're going to do great on this interview."

"I can only hope. Thanks again for coming with me. I really want this job."

Kaoru smiled at her friend. "I'm here to help."

"Ms. Makimachi?" the receptionist at the desk called.

"That's me!" Misao said cheerfully.

"I'll meet you in the coffee shop downstairs," Kaoru told her.

"Okay," Misao said as she walked away to follow the receptionist back to her interview.

The place was nice. Kaoru thought Misao would definitely do well with this company if she were hired. As she walked to the elevator, she reflected that it was still unsettling that Kenshin Himura worked here, but she was still too happy that Misao had forgiven her for judging him harshly to risk commenting on that fact to Misao. She didn't mind letting her best friend exist in the happy bubble she seemed to move through the world in. Her sister said Misao lived with class, and her sister didn't compliment many women.

Even the elevators were nice, Kaoru reflected as she got in behind a couple businessmen on lunch break. Elevator music always reminded her of old black and white movies and made her smile. She glanced back at the floor where she'd left Misao just as the elevator doors were closing and met Kenshin's eyes. She hoped he wouldn't recognize her and willed the doors to close faster, but recognition dawned in his expression. His eyes widened and she heard him say her name just as the doors closed.

She really didn't want to see him. Misao had made her swear to apologize for yelling at him if she ever talked to him again. Kaoru had agreed, even though she still couldn't bring herself to forgive him or believe his ridiculous story. She had to admit to herself though, that one of the reasons she'd agreed, okay the main reason, was because she thought she'd never see him again. At least it was impossible for him to get to the ground floor before her. He couldn't possibly beat her with the stairs, he'd been on the tenth floor, so she took whatever time she had and rushed into the coffee shop. But maybe she was being vain. He was probably sick of her and wouldn't bother to follow her down.

Relaxing a little, she walked quickly across the lobby and into the coffee shop, where she told the waiter she was expecting one more – Misao, not Kenshin – and he seated her at a table for two. She sat with her back to the door, just in case, and thanked her lucky stars that the man sitting at the table closest to her was so fat he would have blocked a Clydesdale from view of the door.

He found her anyway.

"Can I join you for a moment?"

He got a couple points for perseverance. "Sure," she said, and gestured for him to sit down. "I saw you in the elevator, but I thought you were probably busy, you being at work and all." Great. She was nervous. She hated apologizing for things she wasn't sorry for doing.

"I'm on my lunch break," he said, sliding into the seat across from her.

"So how are you?" Kaoru asked, because she didn't want him to direct the conversation. Maybe he'd leave in a while. He looked rushed for a man on his lunch break.

"Fine," he said, which wasn't an answer at all. "How've you been?"

"Alright," she said, which wasn't an answer either. Two could play that game. "I thought you'd be interviewing Misao."

"No. This is the last interview in the process. It's done by a junior partner in the company."

"Who, if you don't mind me asking?" she asked almost before he was done speaking. She didn't want to know why he'd followed her to the coffee shop.

"Aoshi Shinomori. Look, Kaoru-"

"Never heard of him," she cut him off, "but then again I can't think why I should have. I guess Misao will tell me about him later. She's a real talker when-"

"Kaoru, I need to talk to you. Why are you so nervous?"

"Because I don't want you to say what you're going to say," Kaoru moaned. "So can't you just not say it?"

"Kaoru, I-"

"I can't believe you about Megumi, Kenshin! I trusted you before that, and I can't bring myself to again. I just can't, okay?"

He looked hurt, and disturbingly, she cared that he looked hurt, that he obviously was hurt. He was probably going to say something, but at that moment that waiter came and asked what they wanted to order.

"A white chocolate mocha with a mint shot," she told him, suddenly miserable.

"And you, sir?"

"Nothing," he said, watching her as he stood. "I was just leaving." He made his way away from her table, towards the entrance.

"I take the menus then, Miss."

"No, I have a friend coming in a half hour or so," Kaoru told the waiter, turning a little in her seat to watch Kenshin leave. She'd broken her word by not apologizing, but worse, he'd left on his own this time.