Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
Chapter 21: Meeting Again
It was that man again. The man with the long, vibrant red hair. He was right in front of her, his back turned towards her. They were at the seaside along the beach. Kaoru noted that it was still dark and the clouds seemed to light up in the sky. She could felt the soft sea breeze blowing against her, teasing her skirts.
"Wait," Kaoru called out to the red-haired man but he did not seem to hear her, instead, he started walking away from her, like she wasn't there at all.
"Wait!" Kaoru cried desperately, "Who are you?"
But he kept walking and she started running, trying to catch up with him. But no matter how fast or how far she ran, he just kept getting further and further away.
Kaoru awoke with a start, cold sweat dripping down from her temples. It was the same haunting dream again. These dreams of the same red-hair man kept recurring over and over again. They were always different. But they always represented the same thing: he was getting further away from her every time.
She had not say anything to Enishi yet about the dreams, but now, she thought that it was about time that she meets some of the friends that he mentioned. Maybe the red-hair man was one of them. Why does he keep appearing in her dreams? Why does he remind her of someone?
Kaoru closed her eyes, but yet she could not sleep.
The phone rang and Kenshin picked it up immediately.
"Hello?" he said into the phone.
"It's me, Enishi. You sure have made an impression onto Kaoru. Ever since she saw you at the mall, the image of you has been plaguing her dreams. She's getting anxious and she wants to meet the friends that I told her about."
"When?" Kenshin asked, he could feel his heart hammering.
"How about this Thursday? You can come over my place, let me tell you the address…"
"Don't worry about it, I know where it is."
Enishi chuckled, "Right, so I'll see you at 3 o'clock, Thursday?"
"Yeah."
"Make sure you bring the others with you and please don't try to make her more miserable or try to confuse her."
Kenshin grunted and thanked Enishi. Then, he hung up the phone. He disliked Enishi but yet he knew that he shouldn't be rude to the man because after all, he had saved Kaoru.
Kenshin walked out of his room to announce to the others that they were going to pay Kaoru a visit. Together they listened closely to his Do's and Don'ts.
Kaoru searched through the wooden wardrobe in her room for the outfit she was going to wear today. It was Thursday, the day that she was going to meet her friends from her past. She didn't know what to expect of them. How would they act around her? How should she talk to them? Would she remember them when she sees them? And more importantly, would she see that mysterious man in her dream again?
Her mind was in utter confusion and yet she knew that this was what she wanted. She had pleaded with Enishi to let her meet them and at first he totally forbade it. He said that it was too early, and that seeing them would confuse her even more. But Kaoru needed to see them; she did not want to be haunted by the same feeling of lost and loneliness every night.
Finally, she picked out a white dress that she had never worn before. Kaoru decided that she would put her thoughts behind now and take a hot bath to sooth her nerves.
Kenshin looked at himself in the long mirror and decided that he looked nice. He wanted to look nice. For Kaoru. He was wearing long khaki pants and a casual blue striped shirt. He didn't want to look too sophisticated. He was going to do everything in his power to make her trust him again…and maybe possibly, love him again.
"Oi, Kenshin! You ready?" Sano called from outside the door.
Kenshin took one last look at the mirror and walked out of his room. "I'm ready."
Sano smiled, "Let's go get Jou-chan."
Kenshin found himself smiling back at the taller man.
They were all waiting outside the door of Yukishiro Enishi's residence and they had pressed the doorbell twice and no one had answered the door.
"Mah!" Yahiko exclaimed, "Let's just break in and get Kaoru!"
Then, at that moment, the wooden door opened revealing a grim Enishi.
"I see that all of you have come," he said, "Come in, Kaoru would be ready in a while."
Okina, Hiko, Soujiro, Megumi, Sanosuke, Yahiko and finally Kenshin all shuffled into the house. They sat down awkwardly at the sitting room where Enishi had gestured to them and then, he disappeared again.
"Kenshin!" Yahiko whispered urgently.
Kenshin turned his head, "What?"
"Do you think that this may be a trap? Maybe Kaoru isn't here at all."
Kenshin just looked at him and said firmly, "Let's wait for Kaoru."
So they all sat there in silence, none of them betraying the nervousness they felt in their hearts. Well, except for Yahiko, who was fidgeting in his seat.
Kaoru walked in to the living room slowly, one hand holding onto Enishi's tightly. She was so nervous that her heart was beating so wildly that it felt like it would jump out of her chest any moment.
She looked at them, and saw the unfamiliar faces. She couldn't recognize any of them! Then, her eyes came to rest on the last person, sitting the furthest away from her. It was that man from her dreams and right now, he was looking at her openly, his amber eyes looking deeply into her own.
"Hi," Kaoru managed to say, her voice didn't sound like her own and she looked back at Enishi worriedly. She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable.
"Hi Kaoru," Soujiro started, smiling kindly at her, "How are you? We haven't seen each other for a long time."
Kaoru smiled weakly at him, "I'm fine…yeah."
"We understand that you've lost your memories," Soujiro continued, "But it's okay. We'll always be here for you when you need us."
Kaoru nodded uncertainly, "Were we good friends?"
Soujiro nodded at her reassuringly, "Yes, we were very close. In fact," Soujiro then gestured at Megumi, "Megumi here is your step-sister, Kaoru."
Megumi smiled at Kaoru, "Hello Kaoru."
"And this is Sano," Soujiro said, pointing at the man beside Megumi. "Megumi's boyfriend. And this is Yahiko, that is Okina and Hiko. And," Soujiro paused, "the man sitting at the end of this sofa is Kenshin."
Kenshin nodded at Kaoru politely and smiled, "Hello Kaoru."
Kaoru felt her breath caught up in her throat, so his name was Kenshin, the man with the flaming red hair. Had he known it was her when he turned to look at her so meaningfully that day at the mall when she first saw him?
"Hi…" Kaoru murmured, unable to tear her eyes away from his. His fiery gaze had locked with hers and he seemed to be telling her something, even though she could not make out what. He was making her feel uncomfortable.
Okina smiled at Kaoru kindly, "Is there anything you would like to ask us dear?"
Kaoru nodded, "Could you tell me more about myself, please? I don't remember anything. All I know is my name, my age and a bit about you all."
"We met one day while you were running along the beach and I was digging in the dirt just after an arm operation. I was in pain and you came to help me…"
Then, Okina told her about what happened later and very soon everyone was involved in the conversation, telling her one by one how they met and what words they had exchanged. Even Kenshin joined the conversation though everyone left out her romantic history with Kenshin. Unnoticed by Kaoru, they were exchanging uneasy glances with each other, they were all very shocked that Kaoru truly didn't remember anything at all. And realized how hard it must be for Kenshin now. Then, Kaoru asked the question that created an awkward pause.
"How about my family? My parents?" She asked, innocently.
"Well," Sanosuke said, "Kaoru, your parents are dead."
"Dead?"
"Yes," Sanosuke replied, "Your mother died when you were very young and your father just died recently."
"Did I know of my father's death before I lost my memories?"
"No, you see Kaoru, your father died because he became a bad man. He was trying to use the unique powers that you possess which you inherited from your mother." Sanosuke explained slowly, watching Kaoru's face as she was taking it in.
"Kaoru, your father was the head of The Aorta organization I told you about," Enishi cut in. "He left you when you were young and disappeared. Soon he formed this illegal organization which threatened the people and the government. I used to be one of them."
Kaoru looked at Enishi, and he could see that she was becoming scared of him. He hadn't told her that he was one of The Aorta before.
"I was one of them too, Kaoru." Kenshin added. And Kaoru whipped her head around to look at him, "You were too?"
Kenshin nodded, "Yes, but if I left the organization years ago though they had always been hunting me."
"I was one of the people in charge of hunting him," Soujiro said, looking at Kaoru earnestly willing for her to understand.
Kaoru looked at Soujiro and could not believe that the warm, kindly man in front of him used to be an assassin. She looked at the others uncertainly, "Were you all in the organization too?"
Hiko, Okina, Sanosuke, Yahiko and Megumi shook their heads violently.
"I'm Misao's father," Okina offered "and the neighbour to the villa we were telling you about. The one you all vacationed in."
"Yeah, I heard a lot about Misao," Kaoru said, "Where is she?"
"She couldn't come yet, she is busy. She will be coming soon, I promise."
"And I'm Kenshin's father, the owner of the villa where you all youngsters were vacationing in." Hiko said.
"Oh," Kaoru said. She began to piece together the information in her head though it was all a bit too much for her. She seemed to have a very complicated past. And while she listened to all their stories, she couldn't help but feel that they weren't telling her something. She was missing something but she didn't want to ask yet. They were all sitting around her, smiling at her and speaking so kindly to her and yet she had no memory of them whatsoever. And Kenshin was observing her like a hawk. She could sense his eyes on her all the time, and if he wasn't so handsome with his glowing golden eyes and deep, smooth voice, she might not feel so uncomfortable under his scrutiny.
She didn't know why but she was so attracted to Kenshin, and her stomach has the feeling of butterflies whenever they caught each other's eyes accidentally.
Soon she was beginning to feel tired, talking for so long and absorbing all that information at once. She needed a break. And the guests noticed Kaoru's eyes losing its sparkle and decided to make their exit.
Kaoru and Enishi went to sent them off at the door and then she watched familiar back of Kenshin walking away. It was exactly like dream that had been haunting her and she felt a cry escaping from her throat, "Wait!"
They all turned around and looked at her, and Kaoru covered her mouth, embarrassed. Why did she cry out like that? She didn't even realized that she was doing it until the word came out of her mouth, it just came out instinctively like it was what she was suppose to do.
"Yes, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, his golden gaze fixed on hers.
Kaoru looked at him helplessly, she didn't know what to say.
"Nothing," she finally managed, "Good bye and take care, Kenshin."
Kenshin smiled at her and nodded, "You too, Kaoru. We'll see each other soon."
Then, they continued to walked away and Kaoru stared after them, feeling lost.
When he saw her walking into the living room just now wearing that white dress of hers, it felt like he was brought back in time, where he first saw her in her garden, wearing that white kimono. She still possessed the same immortal aura about her and her footsteps were still light and floaty. She was exactly like what he remembered, only that she was even more adorable now.
All this while at Enishi's house he had watched her constantly and noticed her insecure gazes on them. He knew that she was afraid and that she knew that he was watching her. He thought her to be very brave, to take in all that they were telling her as it were and putting on a brave face. He had wanted to go over to give her a hug or to reassure her but he couldn't. She didn't even remember him, and their past together was hidden away as they told her about what had happened before. It was such a hard thing to face the fact that they really wasn't together anymore, and to listened to himself to be referred as Kaoru's close friend only.
But deep inside, he knew that she still remember him, and that desperate cry for him to 'wait' when they left proved him right. Deep inside her somewhere, he still hold a special place in her heart. And he hoped that she will remember, because if she doesn't, she might as well fall in love with Enishi as he spent more time with her now. She was living in his house, for Christ sake!
Kenshin had a hard time sleeping that night.
Kaoru was on her bed, brushing her hair slowly, her mind deep in thought with what happened today.
Then, there was a knock on the door and Enishi came in with a mug in his hand.
"I brought some warm milk for you to help you sleep," Enishi, "How are you doing?"
Kaoru smiled at him, "Thank you. I'm just thinking, that's all."
Enishi sat down on the edge of her bed, " What do you think of your friends?"
"I think that they are very nice," Kaoru said, "and…"
"And what?" Enishi asked.
"And they are not telling me something."
Enishi looked at Kaoru in surprise. So she knew…
"What make you think that they are not telling you something?"
"Although they've told me almost everything, there were still parts where they skipped and some parts seemed unclear…like they were hiding something. Do you know what it is?"
Enishi shook his head, "No."
"But they were your friends too, aren't they? You would know whether or not they are telling the truth." Kaoru insisted.
"Yes, they are my friends too," said Enishi, "but the truth is, I'm only closest to you, not to them. While you were at Hiko's villa, I wasn't there, I was at my own father's villa. So maybe they are hiding something from me too. Something I do not know as well."
Enishi knew that he was lying but how could he tell her the truth? The truth would just hurt her and make her more confused. She seemed to like her friends well enough and if she found out that Kenshin was the reason for her loss of memory and worsening of her illness, she would be in more emotional turmoil than she could handle.
Kaoru remained silent and seemed to be thinking on what Enishi had said, then, finally, she spoke again, "Will I be seeing them again?"
Enishi nodded, "They will be coming over this weekend, you don't mind, do you?"
Kaoru shook her head, "I actually want to go to that villa that they were all talking about. Maybe I can pick up something there, I want to remember, Enishi. I don't want to be so vulnerable anymore."
Enishi hugged her reassuringly, "And I'll always be here for you."
Kaoru smiled and whispered, "Thank you."
That night, the plaguing dreams continued. Only that this time, it wasn't Kenshin walking away. Theywere flashes of memory, places she had not seen and conversations she don't remember. She caught flashes of red and some funny images that she did not understand.
Kaoru knew that the dreams were trying to tell her something but she just could place the pieces together. The images were too murky and confusing. When will the dreams stop?
A/N: Hey, I finally updated. I hope you all enjoy and I thank those who stayed with this story. More action coming up. Do review to let me know what you think.
