Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin…no matter how much I want to own Kenshin and Saitou….and Aoshi and many more!

Hello again. Sorry , but this fanfic is not a Kaoru and Kenshin pairing. I am writing another story of Ken/Kao pairing called Rising Sun. But this will be a SaitouKaoru pairing, so sorry KaoruKenshin fans!

And, I want to thank ALL reviewers for your support and enthusiasm. Thank you all very much and I hope u guys will enjoy this chapter!

Anonymous miss: Hmm..Kaoru is going to meet Kenshin later, but Kenshin won't play a big part in this fic. It's going to be a SaitouKaoru pairing.

Scarlet Rayne: It's going to be a Saitou and Kaoru pairing, though there is going to be triangle love situations.

unKnown: It's going to be a Saitou and Kaoru pairing.

Healing by KatsunoCZ

Chapter 3

It was 4.10 pm and the last class of the day was not over yet. Kaoru stared lazily at Professor Kawakami Sada, drowning all of them in her slow, drawling voice. What? Didn't she know that it was well past four already? Kaoru couldn't wait to pay another visit to Amakusa Shougo, the earlier meeting was hasty, she had so much more that she wanted to know about him.

Finally, an outrageous student raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr.Chou?"

"Aren't this class finished? It is 4.15pm, and I am freaking hungry."

Professor Kawakami's mouth dropped opened in disbelief at the student's rude behaviour.

"All right. You can all go now."

Chou shouted happily then the professor added, "Mr.Chou, you'll stay."

The rest of the students rushed out of the lecture theatre quickly.

"Why?" Chou demanded.

Kaoru rushed out before she was able to hear more. Immediately, she mounted her bike and ride off as fast as she could to the art building. Hoping that Shougo will still be there.

She was panting when she arrived and the art students were just leaving. They stared at her curiously. She walked quickly to the art studio. The door was opened so she went in. Amakusa Shougo was working on the painting of the nude woman with her drawing still on the wooden stand next to him.

"Sir?"

Shougo turned and saw her. His stern, critical expression made her nervous all over again.

"Kaoru , right?"

"Yes."

He got up from his seat and beckoned her to come nearer. When Kaoru was standing next to him, he pointed at her drawing. "Tell me, what were you thinking when you drew that?"

Kaoru felt more nervous than ever. Is that a trick question?

"I am not thinking about anything."

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"How about feelings?"

'I felt a little nervousness but most of the time I was concentrating."

"Oh," that was all he said. "Sign it."

Kaoru was surprised, she picked up the pencil and wrote 'KK' on the portrait.

"Sir, are you an art professor here?"

"No. I am more of an advisor here. I am a professional artist. Professors don't get their own studios in Universities. They have studies."

"Oh."

"I am fascinated by your artwork. Where did you learn to draw like that?"

"At home."

"At home? What does that mean?"

"I learned to draw at home."

"Okay, with an art teacher I suppose?"

"No, my father does not allow that."

"Oh. So you learned , all by yourself?"

"Yes."

"If you have time, you can…" he was cut off by the phone ringing. He picked it up. "Hello? Oh, hi. Long time…yeah. Coming? All right, I'll be there. Okay, bye…"

Shougo hung up.

" As I was saying, if you have time, you can come over to this studio anytime. You can work in here."

"Thank you."

And again, their time was up. It was 4.45pm. She had told her father that she'll be there at 5pm. She said her goodbyes and rushed out once again. The hospital was not far from here, maybe 20 minutes on the bike? Or is it 15 minutes?

Saitou stride into the campus in his black suit and long black coat. A cigarette was hanging from his mouth. He had not seen his best friend for a long time. These days, he was beginning to feel lonely.

Just when he reached the building where Shougo was working at, a young woman rushed out bumped into him with such intensity that they both fell to the ground. His cigarette was knocked out off his mouth. Saitou got up quickly but saw that the woman was still on the ground, hurting. Her left hand was scratched badly and blood was pouring out. He had wanted to scream at her but seeing the state she was in, he controlled himself.

Tears were forming in her beautiful, bright blue eyes. Saitou noticed that she was pretty. She was not particularly exquisite, but something about her was special and very unique. She in her tight jeans, fitting her slender long limbs perfectly and the adorable red sweater she was wearing.

He snapped back to reality when she got up from the ground and saw that the coat she was carrying with her arm was torn at the sleeves from the fall. It was freezing outside. She , however did not shed a single tear no matter how much her hand was hurting.

She gathered her things back to her bag and bowed low to him. "I am so sorry."

She proceeded to her bicycle but stopped when Saitou took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. She seemed surprised.

'Thank you sir, but it's all right. Please, take it back. You'll need it."

"You'll need to treat your hand quickly," he said ignoring her comment.

"Yeah, I'm going off to the hospital now anyway. But, please, thank you for your kindness, I don't need your coat. You'll need it." She said again.

"No. I think you'll need it more than I do. Keep it for now…return it to met when the time comes."

Kaoru smiled gratefully. And that smiled was damn sweet. Lighting up her beautiful face even more. She nodded eagerly. "Thank you very much, sir."

"I'm Hajime Saitou."

She smiled again. " I'm Kaoru. I'll return it to you. Thank you."

Then, she walked to her bicycle and rode off.

"You're late," her father said, glowering at her.

"I know."

"And who's coat is that?"

"I took the wrong coat in the coat room." Kaoru lied.

"And what's wrong with your hand?"

"I fell from the bicycle."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She was tired, too tired to argue with her father. Usually, she would be talking back rudely by now.

Kamiya Koishijiro glared at the bad scratch on his daughter's hand and at her messy hair and slightly muddy red sweater.

How is she going to make a good impression looking like this?

Suddenly, an idea came into his mind. His daughter, unaware of anything had actually made things easier for him.

He pressed a button on the intercom.

"Postpone the meeting to 5.30pm, and send Dr.Yukishiro to my office."

"Yes, sir." A voice from the intercom said.

"I am going to send someone to take care of your hand."

"No, it's okay. Just give me a first aid kit, I can do it myself."

"I've sent for him already. And please, tie your hair again, it's in a mess."

Kaoru pouted but did not move. She was too lazy to tie her hair again, but mostly it was because she hated her father giving her orders. It's not like as if I was trying to impress anyone…it's not even that messy.

"Tie your hair again, Kaoru," he said again, much more firmly this time.

"No." Kaoru retorted. "What difference does it make? I am messy all over already."

"Kaoru, tie your hair…"

He was cut off by someone knocking on the door. "Come in."

Yukishiro Enishi walked in carrying a first aid kit. He saw Kaoru sitting on the chair and smiled. He recognized her from the photo. She was much prettier than he expected. Some of her hair had come out of her ponytail, making her looked delightfully sexy and childish at the same time. And her bright blue eyes are so deep and intense that he felt himself drowning in them. His eyes travelled to her lips, pink and soft, so sensual with the slight quivering due to nervousness of him staring at her.

She stood up uncertainly. Koishijiro stepped forward and grinned at Enishi, he had seen the look in Enishi's eyes. Admiration, excitement…and lust, perhaps?

"This is my daughter, Kamiya Kaoru."

Kaoru bowed politely. "Hello."

"And this is Dr. Yukishiro, one of the senior doctors in the hospital, you're lucky to have him treat your hand."

"No. Father. It's all right. I can take care of my hand myself."

"It's all right, Ms.Kamiya. I do not mind doing it, it's what I do." Enishi said kindly.

"But…"

Enishi took her hand and begun to clean the scratch.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I fell off from my bicycle."

"Oh, that must have really hurt."

"Yeah. It freaking hurts a lot."

"Kaoru!" Koishijiro said disapprovingly.

"What?" Kaoru asked innocently.

Enishi laughed, he like her outspoken personality. She was not shy or obedient like he had expected, considering what an intimidating father she has.

He took care in bandaging her had and noticed that her hands were so small and delicate compared to his. He was already falling for her. I am going to marry you, lady.

When he was finished with her hand, he smiled at her again. Kaoru felt uneasy with the look in his eyes.

"Thank you very much," she said, smiling back at him weakly.

"Thank you," Koishijiro said to Enishi. "I'll see you at the meeting later."

"Yes, sir." Enishi replied, going out of the office.

Koishijiro turned back to Kaoru. "Tie your hair again. You're going to meet some very influential doctors at the meeting later on. Try to look presentable."

"Doctors? Meeting? Aren't I not suppose to go in? I am not yet a doctor,father. I don't even work here."

"It doesn't matter. It's not really a formal meeting anyway, it's more like a small gathering. Think of it as a relaxing tea time."

"Right." Like it is so easy…

Kaoru followed her father to another room and saw at least 30 doctors inside. Small gathering? Small gathering your head!

There were tea and coffee served with cakes and pastries. Conversations ceased when they entered. They looked up respectfully at her father and gazed at her with curiosity. Koishijiro ushered her forward.

"This is my daughter Kamiya Kaoru."

"Hello." Kaoru said nervously, bowing to all of them.

The doctors nodded and said their greetings back. They turned back to their conversations. Her father went off with another group as well. Kaoru looked around, lost.

"Kamiya-san!"

Kaoru turned and saw Enishi. She smiled. "Hello, Dr.Yukishiro."

"Come and sit with us at that table."

Kaoru glanced at where he was pointing at, there were several young doctors sitting there. She nodded and followed Enishi to the table. Enishi immediately went off again to get her tea for her. So she chatted with the others. She begun to relax, they were so kind and friendly to her.

Saitou walked over to where Shougo was painting and looked down at the art piece.

"Nice. How much do you think this will sale?"

"I don't know yet, not too little I hope."

"You're still the same. You haven't change one bit."

"Oh?"

"You're still wearing those glasses and still is a stuck-up bastard who thinks he is better than everyone else."

Shougo ignored him and continued painting. Saitou walked over to the portrait that Kaoru had drawn. "You drew yourself?"

"No."

"What? Is this your new style of drawing…this is not your style. It's too delicate."

"I did not draw that. Look closer."

Saitou bent down and saw the initials "KK?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, so you are not so alone after all. Who is KK?"

"I don't really know myself. Her name is Kaoru though…she told me her last name..but I forgot."

"Kaoru?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I met a girl outside, her name is Kaoru too."

"Oh."

"How did come to know her?"

"She just came to my studio one day and I made her draw this. She is very talented, and very good with her hands…she reminds me of Sayo."

"Oh, you still haven't hear from Sayo yet?"

Shougo remained silent. Saitou looked at the portrait again. He had to admit that it was a magnificent piece of work. He begun to wonder if it might be the girl he met just now.

Okay! That's all for now. I want to thank all reviewers again, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Pls read and review!!!!!!!

I wish You All A Very Prosperous and Happy New Year!!!!

Katsuno