An awkward silence soon thickened around the school's courtyard. The pounds of hasty footsteps seemed to silence as Kenshin welcomed captivity to the corners of his mind. A lump of regret formed at the base of his throat as he flickered back to bitter pleasures of a suppressed past. He struggled to keep himself together, ashamed for being in that once vulnerable state of mind.
"I thought I told you Megumi…" Kenshin whispered. The volume of his voice soon maximized as he tried to emphasize a point. He stood up from the bench sternly pushing her prying fingers back to her side.
"I thought I told you that what had happened was a mistake! I thought I told you to forget about that!"
Tears burned in Megumi's eyes furiously, as if irritated by dust or pepper. Her eyes burned red with discontentment as Kenshin glared at her with patent disgust. "So then, I'm guessing that you hate me…" Her lips quivered uncontrollably as the words seeped through her lips.
"I just couldn't help but think about what happened. I just can't help but hope that that moment sprung forth a chance…"
"Don't even whisper it!" Kenshin thundered. "I don't want to hear those words escaping from your lips.
Kenshin crouched to the ground miserably tortured by his culpable thoughts.
"I don't regret what had happened Kenshin… the feel of your hands upon me that day…"
"I was drunk Megumi."
"I know that. But it didn't make much of a difference to me anyway." You see, I've always secretly cared about you.
Megumi moved to the other side of the bench slowly to arms reach of Kenshin's back. She lightly placed her hands upon his shoulders and pressed her face against his neck.
"I don't love you Megumi," Kenshin whispered calming down. "The fact that we slept together two weeks ago doesn't defy that."
He rose up from the ground coolly grabbing hold of her trembling hands. "My answer to your first question is yes. I am… I am in love with Kaoru…"
"So why did I see that look of indecision in your eyes? Why had you wandered out here in the first place?"
"Kenshin… Megumi… wha… what are you two doing?"
Kenshin dropped Megumi's hands to her lap instantly as he connected with the girl's eyes.
"Kaoru wait!"
His pleading yells fell on deaf ears as she immediately began running back in the opposite direction.
"If Kaoru hates me after this, I'll never forgive you…!"
He took off hastily to catch up with her.
Megumi sunk her face to her lap tearfully contemplating what choices to make next.
B r e a k
"Kenshin has been gone for thirty minutes now. I wonder if Kaoru found him."
"Who knows," Yahiko replied shrugging his shoulders. "I gave up thinking about those two a long time ago."
He stuffed a last slice of pizza in his mouth and pushed the chair away from the table.
"Tsubame and I have a class to get too. When Kenshin comes back, tell him that we'll meet up later."
Yahiko welcomed Tsubame under his shoulder wrapping his right arm around her waist.
"Talk to you later Sanosuke!" he shouted before he and Tsubame exited the cafeteria.
Come on Kenshin, Sanosuke thought. Where are you? I can't sit here and wait for you and the missy all day…
B r e a k
"Kaoru wait!"
Kenshin hurried behind Kaoru, chasing after each one of her breathless steps.
"I need to talk to you."
He quickened his steps behind her in an effort to calm her rebellious actions.
"Let go of me!" she shouted as Kenshin managed to pin her to where she stood. She slapped him across the face in anger struggling to escape from his secure grasp.
"What's the matter with you?" Kenshin asked bewilderedly. "Why are you acting this way?"
Kaoru turned her head away sadly avoiding the questioning gaze, which shone through his eyes.
"Look at me."
He pulled at her chin softly trying to stir attention towards his face.
"I don't… I don't deserve to love you," he whispered. "Kaoru, I can't understand how you could fall for someone like me."
"You never answered my question," Kaoru interrupted. "And then you took off like you always do when you think you're causing a problem. Why is that Kenshin? Why can't you just face me in your life, at least once?"
Hot tears dripped upon Kenshin's arms, which were still perched upon Kaoru's shoulders. He breathed out a long sigh of surrender before pulling her into his arms.
"I'm sorry."
He held unto her tightly savoring their embrace for a few more minutes.
B r e a k
Megumi sunk to her knees sadly keeping herself hidden from Kenshin and Kaoru. Vengeful thoughts penetrated her mind as she observed the couple's warm embrace. She longed to have what they had only to realize she had just thrown that away.
She found herself lingering on the past again remembering how she surrendered herself to Kenshin's warm embrace. Since then, her love for him had grown ten-fold, and she always wished to have him in her arms again. She coveted. She longed for what could never be her own. She cursed Kaoru frequently for ever coming into existence. She yearned for the couple to split up for good, to have Kenshin solely to herself forever.
"I never thought that I could think such sinful thoughts," she whispered.
"Such thoughts like what?" a male voice intruded.
Megumi turned around in surprise once disturbed from the intruder's voice.
"Sanosuke? Is that you?"
"In the flesh babe."
"What are you doing here?"
"Same thing I was about to ask you."
"Well… I'm just relaxing," she stammered embarrassingly.
"Relaxing? Seems like you're eavesdropping to me… eavesdropping on Kenshin and Kaoru."
"Hey Kenshin!"
Sanosuke shouted over to the two loudly seeking to alert them of his presence. The couple pulled off each other instantly on seeing Megumi and Sano staring at them from a distance.
"How ill-mannered of you two, to keep me waiting in the cafeteria for a full hour."
Sanosuke walked over to the couple irately, placing a hand around each of their shoulders.
"I had to come looking for you guys. Been searching the school's compound for thirty minutes."
"I'm sorry about that Sano," Kenshin apologized. "I seemed to have lost all track of time."
"Don't do that again. You hear me."
He squeezed them playfully, all of them giggling together.
"I wonder where Megumi ran off to," Sanosuke commented looking over to where she once stood. "Something seemed to be really bothering her. I sensed it when I was speaking to her a while ago. Ah well… no sense in pondering about it. We're already late for our evening classes you guys. So let's get out of the courtyard shall we."
"After you Sanosuke," Kenshin suggested.
B r e a k
A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed so far. I know a few of you have concerns as to where the relationships are heading for a few, if not all of the characters. I want to tell you but I'll just end up spoiling it for ya. All I can tell you is to read on and see what happens. Don't forget to review this chapter. It's your reviews that keep me writing.