Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin...

Author's Notes: Haha!!! School is finally OVER!!!! YES!!! But I still have musical rehersals to attend and chemistry tuition. Ahhhhh Haha!! Okies!! I feel okay these days, surfing through the net and reading amazing fanfiction from Ravyn and BelleDayNight, I really recommend their stories!! FREAking nice.Hohohohohoho! (Sound familiar?) haah!!

under-deranged: Thank you for your review! Yes, I started this fanfic, wanting it to be very original with lots of romantic scenes that have played in my mind forever that I'll finally get to write it down. I am so glad that you like my fanfic, really HaPPY!! Make me feel all warm and lucky!! Okies, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!

gaby (hyatt : thank you for reviewing!! REALLy truly appreciated!! Thank you!!

Beowulf31486: Thank you for staying with this fanfic!!! And thank you for writing down your thoughts! Haha!! More about Megumi and Kaoru's relation will appear in later chapters!! Haha

Okies, people!! I hope you guys like this update and PLS read and review!! Reviews make me very happy!! )


Chapter 8

"Jiya!"

A young woman was descending down from a mansion, waving her hands frantically at Okina. Kaoru looked up and saw that the woman has bright blue eyes and a really long braid coming from the inside f her much shorter hair. She was wearing denim shorts and a plain white t-shirt.

"You are about to meet my daughter, Misao..." Okina warned as Misao ran over to them with a mischievous grin on her face. She walked right up to them, hands on her hips and stared at Kaoru questioningly.

"Jiya!" Misao said again.

"Don't call me Jiya...I am not that old yet, in fact I am your father Misao." Okina sighed.

"Whatever, you're old enough to be my Jiya!" she retorted, and glanced at Kaoru. " Stop flirting with young woman! I don't want any younger siblings!"

Kaoru blushed bright red and Okina shook his head and sighed again.

"You've made Kaoru here very embarrassed her, my dear Misao..." Okina said.

Misao laughed and stuck out her hand at Kaoru. "Hi, I'm Maikimachi Misao."

"Kamiya Kaoru..." Kaoru said shyly, taking Misao's hand.

"Are you here on holiday?"

"Yeah..."

"She is staying in Hiko Seijiro's, in fact Himura has returned and had brought his friends with him..." Okina added.

"Himura?!" Misao exclaimed. "Ohhhhh! So Kamiya-san, you are one of Himura's friends?"

"Yes..."

Misao looked at her unbelievingly and stared at her with narrowed eyes. She looked at Kaoru for a long time.

"Misao, it's getting hot out here...let's invite Kaoru into the house..." Okina said, uncomfortable with the awkward situation. But before he could steer them away from the garden, Misao grabbed Kaoru's hands and ran towards the garage.

"Misao! Where are you going?!" Okina shouted.

"I want to bring Kamiya-san to shopping!" Misao shouted back, already getting into a car.

Okina looked away and sighed again.

Something is going on...it is not often that I see the spark in Misao's eyes....something is up...and I don't know about it...


Misao sped off onto the road and turned on loud, banging rock music. Her eyes sparkling for excitement.

The Aorta....!

"Misao-dono! Could you turn down the music PLEASE!" Kaoru shouted over the music,.

Misao immediately lower the volume.

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

Misao did not reply.

"We are not going shopping are we?"

"No, we are not." Misao said grimly and turned into a parking lot with many guards. The place appeared to be a restaurant. Kaoru cannot believe there were such restaurants with this kind of security...it is not like people needed so much protection as they eat...


They were sitting in an enclosed room, their food on the table.

Misao looked at her hard and finally spoke.

"So, are you in The Aorta too?"

Kaoru looked at her shocked. How did she know about the Aorta?!

"It's okay, you know...I use to work for The Aorta as well. I know that Himura was one of them...his code name was Battousai..."

"You're an assassin too?"

"No, do I look like one? The Aorta is not made up of all assassins you know. I was in charge of the operating computers...so, what do you work as? You sure don't look like an assassin...too frail to be one...no offence.."

"No, I have never work for The Aorta. I am Himura's friend after he left The Aorta..."

"Ohh...I thought what...okay, now that I know...sorry for grabbing you and bringing you here. It is rather rude, I apologise..."

Kaoru smiled and laughed it off.

"It's all right."

"So, are you Himura's girlfriend?"

Kaoru blushed a deep red and shook his head furiously. "No! Of course not!"

"Oh...good for you if you are not involve with him..."

"Why?"

Misao leaned confidentially and said:

"Himura was the top assassin in The Aorta, killing thousands or more than that. He is heartless, having no emotions at all. He had lots of girlfriends and after he used them to the most, he just dumped them ruthlessly. He is dangerous...lots of women fall for him despite all the warnings. He is irresistible you know...though he is not a bit as good looking as Aoshi-sama..."

"Who is Aoshi?"

"Another top assassin, though not as good as Himura...but he is so tall, so manly and beautiful...." Misao said sadly. "Can a man be beautiful, Kamiya-san?"

"Yes, that is possible...and call me Kaoru, Kamiya-san is too.."

"So, Kaoru, has Himura tried to hit on you yet?"

"No, in fact, I think he really dislike me."

"Why?"

Kaoru made Misao swear to secrecy and told her everything that had happened the past few days, though skipping the parts about herself and the powers she used to fight the Aorta.

"So, we are his so-called-friends who are visiting...and I lied to Takani-san that I am an interior designer.."

"Megumi? That bitch!"

"Well..."

"She is the worst female ever. That slut, she slept with all of the male population, I swear. She is a back-stabbing, man-eater , devious woman, you better watch out for her Kaoru..."

"Yeah, I think she really hate me as well, she pratically 'attack' me last night..."

"Of course! You are a girl that Himura brought back! She is Himura's fiancé, you know...their marriage has been arranged since they were kids..."

"Yeah, I know..." Kaoru sighed. She was even more confused than ever. Hearing about Kenshin somehow made her feel downhearted. Misao studied her quietly and finally exclaimed:

"Kaoru, let's go shopping!"

"For real?"

"Yeah I mean, the sale is on and I think we can bulk you up with some clothes!"

"Well, I don't think I am appropriately dressed and I don't have money to shop..."

"Oh, let me worry about the money! And you just fine in the tank top and shorts!"

"But, Misao..."

Misao ignored Kaoru's protests and grabbed her hand again, humming to herself as they walked out of the restaurant and to Misao's Porsche.


Kaoru arrived back at Hiko's villa at around 7pm and she sneaked in stealthily. She felt uneasy again...Misao was great buying her clothes and nice accessories and Kaoru had promised to pay her back. She learnt a great deal about Enishi and the rest of the wealthy people around here. She found out that Misao is only 18 years old and Okina had always been a playboy, and because of his immense wealth, young women is always flocking near him. He had many young wives and Misao's mother was his fifthe wive...

She was climbing the stairs when Sohjiro's voice called from below.

"Kaoru! Where have you been? Himura-san have been looking for you!" Sohjiro said, standing infront of Kaoru.

"I was with a friend and we went shopping...sorry I didn't let you guys know, things just went out of control..." It's true...things were out of control with Misao's shouting and her forever non-withering energy.

"It's all right! We're all going to dinner with Himura-san and his friends, you better hurry. I'll tell them to wait for you."

"Okay. Thanks Sohjiro."

Kaoru went into her room and and ran a fast shower and slipped on a black cock-tailed dress. She inspected herself in the mirror and put on more lipstick. She rushed out quickly and down the stairs. Then she saw Sohjiro, Sano and Yahiko waiting for her.

Sano looked up and whistled. And Kaoru blushed in embarrassment. The cocktail dress was a new one that Misao had bought for her today. She feel that it looked to revealing but Misao had insisted that she is too conservative and she MUST buy it or regret later.

"Kenshin had left first with his friends...but his driver will take us there." Sano said.

Kaoru felt disappointed, from what she had heard from Misao...Kenshin is a playboy, breaking women's hearts. He didn't even find me attractive.... Kaoru shook her head and reminded herself that she is better off without any attention from him...yet she knew that deep inside her heart...she wanted him to want her.


Her presence would not have bothered him except that she was beginning to intrigue him. For one thing it was difficult not to notice that the delicate, black-haired beauty seated across from him in a sexy cocktailed dress was the same woman who had burst into a bright light with violence. She was an enigma...her presence tempting him to know her and to do so much more....

When he listen to her chatting with Sohjiro or Sanosuke , Kenshin couldn't imagine how he'd mistaken her to be a weak, lying female, but if he ask her a direct question himself, she seemed unable or unwilling to piece together a long sentence. If he don't speak directly to her, she avoided looking at him altogether.

If he hadn't been made to feel like an outsider, he would have found the evening quite fascinating. The women were crawling about him and he could barely stand Megumi's soft coos. She had shot insults at Kaoru again tonight but Kaoru just good-heartedly answers her or laughed it away. He wondered how she could even take Megumi's outrageous insults with a smiling face. He usually didn't mind Megumi's teasing and touches but tonight, he found it frustrating... as another black-haired beauty had completely ignored his presence.

The dance floor at the restaurant was separated from the dining room by a trellis covered by tropical flowers, and while they were waiting for dessert to be served, Kenshin decided that he'll get Kaoru onto the dance floor where she cannot ignore him so easily.

He got up and walked over to her seat.

"Kaoru-dono, would you like to dance?"

Her head jerked up and she stared up at him in surprised, she looked at his hand with widened eyes.

"I don't think so...no, thank you." She said.

"Kenshin is going to look like a wallflower if you leave him standing there. Come on Jou-chan, you ought to try to have fun." Sanosuke teased.

Kaoru flashed a 'you-are-so-going-to-regret-you-said-that' look.

"Come on Jou-chan!" Sano said, ignoring Kaoru's disapproving glare.

"Mou!I am having fun!" Kaoru complained. "I don't know how to dance..."

Gasps and giggles came from the girls that have been surrounding Kenshin.

"You don't even know how to dance? What are you..." Megumi said acidly, laughing at Kaoru.

"It's all right, I'll teach you..." Kenshin said gently, interrupting Megumi's attack.

Kaoru ignored Megumi's comment. Kenshin noticed how slowly and reluctantly she stood up , and he noticed how she seemed unaware that every men stared at her as she walked towards the dance floor. In his experience, beautiful women were always conscious of their appeal but Kamiya Kaoru seemed ignorant of anything about her own appeal. Either she really don't know or don't care... Suddenly, Kamiya Kaoru seemed even more alluring than ever.

When he took her in his arms, she held herself as far from him as possible and kept her gaze focus on the third button of his shirt.

Kaoru was so tensed that her body felt like a piece of plywood. Himura Kenshin had been watching her like a hawk all evening , and now she was forced to dance with him. He made her so nervous that she couldn't stop stammering when she answered him, when he asked her a question. He was so incredibly good-looking that women had given her envious looks on the way to the dancefloor. He could be someone else's dream but he was Kaoru's nightmare. She does not need a distraction...

She realized that the more she ignores him, the more interested in her he seemed to become. She thought that maybe if she wanted him to stop questioning her, she will act like she is interested in him as well. Except that Kaoru couldn't do that, she couldn't bring himself to look up at him.

Kenshin moved automatically with the music, trying to remember the last time he danced with anyone who was as distant as Kaoru.

"Tell me something?" Kenshin said teasingly.

"I'll try..." Kaoru murmured, still keeping her head down to avoid looking at him.

Kenshin touch her chin lightly and tilted her face upward so that she faces him. Deep, intense blue eyes look at him in surprise.

"Why is it that you are perfectly able and willing to carry on a conversation with anyone but me?"

"I don't know..." Kaoru replied, feeling very stupid.

"You don't know?"

"I can't explain it...."

"But do you notice it?"

Kaoru nodded.

Kenshin looked down at the long-lashed eyes that she finally raised to him, and he forgot how frustrated he felt a moment before. He smiled. "What can I do to help you relax?"

He was teasing her, trying to make her feel intimidated...she knew that he treated her like she was just another 'conquest', and that unnerved her.

"Are you flirting with me?" She asked bluntly, very annoyed.

"Not very successfully," he replied just as bluntly.

"I wish you wouldn't try." She said honestly.

Kenshin stared at her with disbelieve, very insulted.

"Let's revert to silence, my ego can't handle anymore of this."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I," he said curtly. He took her back to the table the instant the song ended and Kaoru knew he never intended to bother with her again. She should have felt very relieved. She felt...let down.


Okay! This chapter is done for now!! Just press the button down there and leave a review!! Hehe!!