Disclaimer: La la la... I'm outta here!

Chapter IV

That night…

"Have I told you, there were a few interesting ones amidst them?", Kamatari stretched her feet atop the desk, earning the scowl of Seijuro Hiko. "How many times must I tell you to put your stinking feet away from my desk!", he growled.

She grinned mischievously, ignoring him. "Well.. anyway, the boss would be delighted to see the result, won't he? This episode is so different compared to others.. I never thought boss would suggest such thing…", the male cross-dresser who was thought to be female, commented lazily.

Hiko snickered despite the fact that Kamatari ignored his previous warning. "Hmm.. especially that Kamiya Kaoru.. definitely intriguing, how did she manage to go through the make up sessions with Yumi?", he wondered aloud.

The brown-haired she-male cackled evilly, "Well, you could say that Yumi's thoroughly beaten up. Putting make up on that girl's face was no easy feat.. I think I saw her asking for some aspirins just then.."

Hiko snickered in response, "Anyway, who will get eliminated at this stage?"

"Ah… that's up to Okina-san really..", Kamatari giggled. "He's quite taken with that raven-haired medical doctor from Aizu, by the way.. he's so fond of those girls, he kept whining at how hard it was to eliminate seven out of ten…"

"Hmmph..he always does that..lecherous old man.. they're just girls", Hiko remarked with a certain chauvinistic style , chugging some sake straight from the bottle at the same time.

"Hey, no drinking… where did you smuggle the sake from? boss won't be happy seeing you drunk", Kamatari glanced at him. "I have my ways", Hiko said arrogantly, turning away from his short-haired colleague. "You never change", Kamatari noted, amused. "Tch...look at yourself, would you? you still love wearing those feminine clothing…", Hiko said in dry tone. Kamatari chuckled light-heartedly, finding his remark inoffensive.

"By the way, I've got something to show you..", he took out a piece of photo from his pocket and threw it on top of the desk. Kamatari reached out to see it and her smile grew wider. "Did you show this to the boss?"

"Hnn…", Hiko replied absently.

"As a matter of fact, I asked for a copy of the un-cut recording for today's activities…care to have a look?", Hiko offered

Kamatari's eyes glinted with delight, "Why, with outmost pleasure..let's invite Okina along. Have you got some more sake?"

End of the 2nd Week

"Uh, Kamatari-san… is this another make up session?", she asked half-heartedly. Hiding her smile, Kamatari noted the girl's obvious dislike of make up. Not that she needed make-up, anyway, for Kaoru Kamiya was blessed with charming facial and physical features, smooth oval face, beautiful azure eyes that are blatantly expressive at times, pert little nose, high cheekbones and a pair of naturally lush lips without the help of collagen injection. Her long raven tresses that fall attractively to her waist is also to be envied by many. It was amusing that she believed otherwise. "No, actually, we're going for an ikebana lesson", Kamatari almost giggled at seeing the girl's face paled. "I…Ikebana?", she blanched.

Priceless… Hiko should have snapped a picture of her now.. Kamatari thought good-humoredly.

"…Kamatari-san… have I told you I have never done such thing..", she replied reluctantly. The other girl waved her hand relaxedly, "Shinpai shinaide, Kamiya-san.. it's quite fun once you know the basic.. anyway, for just a month stay in this place, a girl's got to learn everything..".Kaoru bowed her head down in defeat.

'Well, Kamatari did say it's gonna be short'…be it her only consolation…

"Oooooohh.. that girl! ", Yumi whined forlornly as soon as the raven-haired girl was out of sight. Taking a whole pack of aspirin, she gulped the lot as she would mints. Kamatari grinned, silently applauding Kaoru for ruining Yumi's day. After all.. Yumi has quite the bitchy streak. Their history went back to the days of fighting over her heart-throb, a striking stuntman Makoto Shishio, who later became Yumi's boyfriend, much to the other girl's dismay. So, as far as Kamatari was concerned, it was 'payback time..' Kamatari smirked victoriously.

Meanwhile, Okina was busy tallying up scores for each of the girl to be eliminated. "I really think this girl is pretty though…don't you think so?", he said, stroking his long wispy beard in the process."Hmm.. let me see.. ", a somber voice was heard. He examined the list of contestants closely. "… being pretty is not enough, Okina, you know better than that. So... that made up four of them. Announce these for tonight's first elimination", the middle-aged figure leaned back on his leather chair, sighing in relief. He never bothered to involve himself in his own tangled webs of TV shows, but this time he did, and boy, look at what he's getting into.

'Just for the sake of that brat'…He reminded himself as he smiled a slow, satisfied smile.

Elimination Night

"Quick, Kamiya-san, or you're going to be late if you walk like that!", Kamatari yelped, grasping Kaoru's wrist and pull her along rather forcefully.
" Kamatari-san, I won't be going like this! I gotta change!", she helplessly pointed out, her cheeks were suffused with pink hues, as she gestured to her clothing. She was wearing a formal traditional kimono, the much heavier kind than she was used to, complete with make up and ornamental hair pieces that were set atop her hair. She felt so unlike herself. "I can't turn up to tonight's elimination looking like this!" 'Ack, this is embarrassing!'

Kamatari glanced at her with critical eye and voiced out her approval, much to her dismay, "You look gorgeous, Kamiya-san.. now, let's go!", taking no for an answer, the girl was being dragged into the room.

The cameramen were there, moving and recording every move of the beautiful participants who gathered in the room. Ladies in their formal attire, each looking out to outdo the others. "Ladies, tonight is the event that we've been waiting for.. after numerous activities from the past two weeks,…here's the first round of elimination!", Okina announced. "Although we must admit we've had such a difficult time to pick those to be eliminated…why, you're all beautiful and talented..", he winked perversely.

The sound of the door being opened loudly by Kamatari halted Okina.

The grin she bestowed on the rest of the group was immediate. "Apologies, I'm escorting the last girl..", she said, dragging the mortified-looking girl from behind her.

Kaoru wanted to vanish into thin air. She felt herself squirming in her embarrassment, but she has yet to vanish. "I apologize for being late", swallowing hard, she spared a glance at the suddenly vicious faces of the girls around her. 'What's the matter?', she thought warily.

"Ah, Kamiya-san.. welcome back, you look exceptionally pretty tonight!", Okina rambled on, grinning widely. His careless remark earned more scowls from everyone around her. 'Kami! Help me!', Kaoru grimaced, feeling the nasty stares directed toward her. If only she could blend in with the walls..' Reluctantly, she stepped in next to Sayo-san, who by the way, looked beautiful in her one-piece dress, smiling at Kaoru in a 'don't-let-them-bother-you' kind of smile.

"Alright.. let's carry on!" Okina resumed the lead once again.

Kaoru's was in her 'scatter-brain' mode, unable to concentrate fully as the names of the eliminated ladies were called out. 'I better listen, or else I wouldn't notice when they call out my name', she thought.. 'oh well.. so much for coming here.. sorry guys, I won't be able to get the prize money..' she sighed softly.

…

… Kumiko Nagami…

…Yukina Kuro..

…Mimosa Hiroshi..

…Reina Kuwata..

…

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms enveloped her in tight hug, cutting her air supply all at once. 'What the heck..?' she frantically gasped for some air.

"Kaoru-san… we've made it!", a trembling voice of Sayo-san was soon heard amidst the noise in the room. Kaoru was flabbergasted. ' huh? Really! ' She looked up to see Sayo was displaying an enthralled smile..

She looked up to see around her, and a few emotional looking girls were personally escorted by Okina to the door, to behandedinto the hands of some ladies in black dresses.

'Huh? I made it to the second round..' she thought, finding it hard to believe. Discreetly glancing at her right side, she saw Sayo-san, Erika-san, Yukina-san, one other girl that she didn't know the name of, and Megumi-san standing tall.

The following two weeks were equally packed with tight schedule, so tight that Kaoru felt she's going to burst out like an over-inflated balloon, especially when dealing with the condescending peacock, Seijuro Hiko, the photographer, and the freaky make up artist, Yumi Komagata. 'Heck, that Yumi even resorted to tying her in the chair just to keep her still as she worked her witchcraft with her face'. She must reluctantly admit though, that she could look rather… feminine… with a touch of make up.. although she'd die first before she'd admit such thing to Yumi-san.

At her breaks, Kaoru would go out and venture the whole estate, marveling at the beauty of it, and was ecstatic to find a rather old, but well-maintained training hall at one end of the estate. It was a medium-sized building, with polished wooden floor and Kaoru squealed with joy as she found a rack of training bokken and a vast collection of Japanese swords adorning the huge mahogany display rack at one side of the room.

Feeling more at home with bokkens readily available to use, and no one was around most of the time, she came to use the place for herself. Only with no Yahiko around, she felt rather ..alone.. and with no spiky head to whack her bokken onto… She sighed..

Turning around as she wiped her forehead, she let out a startled yelp when she saw a stranger standing next to the sword rack, looking at them with a affectionate look.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize I startled you..", a cool voice replied, devoid of guilt at causing her to have her first heart attack.

"Aa…ah… you".. she stuttered, her eyes widen in realization at seeing the handsome face of a turquoise-eyed guy with spiky hair and an earring on his right ear.

He casually stepped forward, approaching her "Ah, if it isn't the lost girl that I stumbled upon last time… I didn't know you practice martial arts", he said, eyeing her with some.. 'what was it? Curiosity in his eyes?'

"Oh, a, yah.. my father taught me.. just a little..", suddenly she bowed her head in embarrassment. Having been caught training with bokken in the training hall that's not her own, one of which she probably was not allowed to enter.. and have been caught red-handed by him, of all people…

"I… ex..cuse me.. I have to go", she said, avoiding his stare.

He smirked, "You were still practicing, were you not? .. or is it my being here that bothers you?" his mischievous smirk grew bolder.

'Jerk!' Before it was onlyone pompous Seijuro Hiko… now.. now this stranger.. 'What is his name?' She frowned, torn at wanting to flee from the place, and at the same time,ask for his name… for what.. she didn't know.

She was still silent when he spoke up, "Anyway, feel free to use it. I used to play in this hall before, but no longer.. oh, by the way, if you need a training partner, do tell me..", he winked and turned around to leave her rooted on the wooden floor, with a mortified-looking face.

"I.. I.. don't need a training partner!", she squeaked out in defense..

His laughter as he disappeared from the entrance door was that of pure amusement.

'Entertaining, is it? darn it if she liked to be made fun of.. darn darn darn…' she chanted, gripping the bokken with a renewed surge of anger.

A/N: Kaoru has to keep fit for the competition, ne :P