Timeless Tale Scene 3
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but I love it!
A/N: BONJOUR! Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long (almost TOO long) for me to upload this scene! A lot of things have happened lately, and I finally got a chance! Thank you all VERY much for your comments! They were very sweet, encouraging, and entertaining! I hope you like this scene:smile:
ACTION!
After the visit to the grave Kaoru found herself at Misao's inn where they usually pretended to study. Only this time they were shamelessly gabbing about the upcoming school play.
"Wow! Kaoru I KNEW you could get the lead! I mean you totally rocked!"
"Thanks Misao! I'm so glad you're going to be in it with me!"
This congratulating and complimenting went back and forth for a while. And then Misao brought up the other thing everyone was talking about.
"I wonder if they're really going to let Himura play the lead? I mean teachers have to participate, but as the lead?" She burst out laughing. "I mean, there's a love scene in there with the female lead–"
Their eyes went wide and Kaoru turned cherry red. Of course! How could the thought have slipped their minds! Kaoru had to do a love scene with her home ec teacher! Misao started to scream and bounce all over the room. The horror! All Kaoru could do was blush. It wasn't like it was totally unfortunate, right?
Several minutes later Misao still hadn't pacified herself so Kaoru yelled "IT'S ONLY A PLAY!"
Misao stopped and stared at Kaoru. "Only a play? ONLY a play! Kaoru, I hope you know you can fool everyone else, but not me!"
"What are you talking about?"
Misao smiled gently and her voice was soft. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at him."
Kaoru stared at the ground. She guessed she had made it a little obvious no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Yes! She had a crush on her Himura-san! So what? Students have meaningless crushes with their teachers all the time!
"Older men are the best aren't they?"
Kaoru looked up and nodded. When their eyes met they burst out laughing.
"I wish my Aoshi-sama was in the play!" Misao whined. Kaoru laughed some more.
The first day of rehearsal was the most laid back and the least productive. This was the only day that each group wouldn't be gathered together by their parts. They would split up from the second day of production and on into their parts of production, arranged by actors with actors, set designers with set designers, etc. But the first day was the only day everyone would be as one and all they would do is listen as Principal Tae told the story of the play.
Kaoru was one of the last people to make it to the assembly. She was lucky it was only the first day, so it wasn't too big a deal that she was a little late. She guessed she had taken a little longer than expected getting everything ready in the dojo. She made a quick scan of who was there already and who wasn't there yet. Himura-san still hadn't shown up. But she didn't even have time to think about his absence because as soon as she took her seat the lights turned off and Prinicpal Tae made her way to the microphone at center stage.
"Okay! I hope everyone is as happy to be here as I am to see you here!" Her introduction was met with waves of cheers and exclamations. "Great! Well as you all know the first day of rehearsals will be me telling you all the story of 'The Legendary Hitokiri' in case you aren't familiar with it, or even if you are! So let's get started!" More applause.
After everyone had settled down Principal Tae began.
"Back in the time of the Bakumatsu there was a legendary killer, the Hitokiri Battousai–"
Just then the doors the auditorium burst open and a flood of light shone through the rows of seats. Everyone looked up at the breathless silhouette.
"Right on cue, Himura-sensei". Everyone laughed at the principal's quip.
Kaoru smiled to herself. His entrance was pretty perfect, she thought to herself.
Tae continued. "As I was saying, during the Bakumatsu there was the Hitokiri Battousai, the most notorious manslayer. Quick as lightning, as mysterious as the darkness, the best hitokiri there was. One day after a fierce battle he found himself on the street in the light of day, something unheard of for the nocturnal life of the hitokiri. He couldn't be seen in the bloody and battered state that he was in so he stumbled into a rundown dojo to take shelter. Little did he know his place of hiding was inhabited by a teenage girl, the master of the dojo. She immediately identifies him as the Battousai by the cross scar on his left cheek."
Another freaky resemblance, Kaoru thinks. She is not alone in this thought.
"Their chance encounter blossoms into a complex story filled with battles, secrets, and love."
Kaoru felt her face grow hot at the mention of the "L" word. She felt it burn even more as people turned to stare at her and Kenshin and snicker.
"However their love ends in tragedy as the Battousai's past catches up to him and ends up being his death. During this last scene the girl and the Battousai promise one another that they will meet again in another time and place, and that they will always love each other."
The auditorium was silent, save the sound of some people sniffling at the tragic ending.
"Isn't that a great story everyone? I know that we will all work our hardest to express this beautiful tale to the fullest! Okay! You are free to go home now! Please get a good night's sleep tonight so that you can be rested and ready for the real first day of hard work tomorrow!"
Kaoru stood up as fast as she could before she was consumed by the swarm of people fighting to get out of the door. She needed to find Kenshin before he disappeared! She saw him near the stage and knew she couldn't make it to him going against the traffic of people. Misao had been watching her and came to the rescue.
"HIMURA! HIMURA! HIMURA!"
Kenshin looked toward the voice bounding towards him, which belonged to his energetic student.
"Misao-dono?"
"OUTSIDE! TREE! YOU!"
He smiled his little smile and nodded.
Kaoru mouthed a thank you and Misao winked and gave her the thumbs up. She was in on the plan.
He found Kaoru waiting for him at the tree next to the entrance to the school. "Oh! Kaoru-dono! I was expecting Misao-dono?"
"Oh, sorry. But she was just helping me! Um..."
She wasn't sure how to say the next words. "Um..."
"Oro?"
"Are you free right now?"
"Yes. With all this hubbub for the play I have nothing to grade or anything to do but rehearse. Why?"
"Um... could you come to my house right now?"
There. She had done it. She took a deep breath.
He smiled. "Of course, Kaoru-dono."
She exhaled.
He went through the creaky gate with Kaoru in tow. She lead him to the dojo.
"Kaoru-dono? What are we doing..?
"You'll see."
"Okay."
She slid the doors to the dojo open. The polished and shined floors betrayed the shabby exteriors of the building. It was beautiful.
"This dojo... it's beautiful Kaoru-dono!"
She beamed with pride. "I spent all night cleaning it, along with the bokutous."
"Why?"
"Training."
Kenshin looked up startled. Something in her voice seemed like she had something tricky up her sleeves. Her smirk further added to his suspicion.
"Is it true that you practiced kenjutsu when you were younger?"
Kenshin turned his head towards her again. "Why?" Kaoru was scared to respond, because he seemed so defensive.
"Well, there's a scene where the girl and the Battousai fight it out and I think we should practice. I need to know what levels we're on."
He seemed to relax. "Oh! Well I guess I was a little more than intermediate."
Kaoru rolled her eyes. It was just like the humble home ec. teacher to call himself "more than intermediate" instead of flat out saying he was advanced.
She took 2 of the bokutous down from the wall and threw him one keeping the other for herself. He smiled at the wooden sword in his hand as if to mock it. But that quickly ended and took the defensive stance.
Kaoru came at him.
CUT!
The next scene is being tweaked with as we speak, so get ready for it! Your reviews are always welcome, and I hope to read more of them! You are all just too cool! Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu! I mean, merci beaucoup! Hee hee!