Disclaimer: I'll skip this part this time. Nuff' said.

Chapter VIII

Even the host of the show was struck speechless. "We..well.. we certainly do have a surprise here.." Before the audience could react, he stood up on and grabbed the massive floral bouquet that was reserved for the first prize winner.

"I thought I would receive a handshake and a dazzling smile…", he said, a teasing glint surfaced on his face.

Suddenly there was multi colored confetti and balloons clouding the whole studio as the winner of the show was announced. The whole studio audience were clapping incessantly as the 'Extraordinary Joe' approached the victor.

"I..ah.. it must be a misunderstanding…", she said in a hoarse whisper. She took in the appearance of a formally attired, very much wicked-looking platinum-haired guy whom even his name she has no knowledge of.

'He's... the first prize of this show?'

The second curtain opened revealing an envious Takani Megumi. But before she could even speak, Okina took both of her hands in tight grip. "Congratulations to you too, Miss Takani! You just won half a million yen! Before he could hug her, she swatted his hand off hers. Scoffing lightly and ignoring the worshipful look on Okina's face, she approached the winner. "Congratulation, Kamiya-san… it is indeed very surprising to have won the hands of Oibore Enterprise's only son", she said viciously.

Thankfully, sensing the change of tone in Takani Megumi's voice, Okina swiftly lead the attention of the audience back to him. Letting the crew pull down the curtain to cover the three from the audience's sight. he exclaimed, "That's it for tonight, folks! We've had a special "extraordinary Joe" coming to entice Miss Kamiya Kaoru, our winner this week!" Let's give them a moment of privacy for now, and we'll see you next week with a brand new episode! Good night!"

Behind the stage

Kaoru's face blanched in surprise. 'Oibore Enterprise's heir?'

'This guy is the heir of one of the most successful businessmen in Japan?'

She glanced at the person standing next to her. He grinned widely. 'Is this some kind of a bad joke?' She blinked her eyes in confusion. Yukishiro Enishi stood tall next to her, looming over the girl and while he gently thrusting the bouquet of flower in her hands, he leaned down and bestowed a kiss on her cheek. "Nice meeting you too, Kamiya Kaoru!", he said, ignoring the scornful remark of the other woman.

Kaoru blushed ten shades of pink. She was rendered speechless yet again.

"The question is, why would a millionaire's son involve himself in such show?", Megumi said derisively. Enishi glanced at her, "Well, let me ask you, why did you join in this show, Takani-san?", he said levelly, "Is it not because you want to earn the victor's crown?", he smirked teasingly. The foxy lady stayed blessfully silent in the minute that followed. He continued coolly, "Well, same here, I'm here because I want to earn the right to charm Kamiya-san..", he glanced at Kaoru attentively.

Kaoru was positive she was going to faint.

'Ooo-kay, anytime now', her conscience pricked her brain.

But that never happened. Before she could think clearly, she turned around, barely mumbling 'excuse me', as she made a mad dash out of that suffocating spot. Thanks to her kenjutsu training since she was a mere kid, she could outrun most people. Before she realized it, she gained quite a distance from the TV studio where she was.

Overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions, she looked down at herself and laughed as a couple of tears trickled down her face, "Look at me… running around in a stupid flimsy dress in the chilly autumn night, running away from the show, and carrying nothing too.. excellent, Kaoru! You've done yourself proud… Kenshin and Yahiko would be so proud of you!".. she talked to herself, as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"I just want to go home….", she whispered miserably, suddenly realizing the fact that going home is not an option when she has no money to buy her train fare.

Trying to hold back tears of disappointment and frustration, she bit her lower lip and blinked her eyes as she walked in the cool autumn night, trusting her feet to bring her wherever they please.

Meanwhile..

"But I told you to depart with an earlier train, you didn't listen to me", Yahiko exploded in rage. "Maa, maa.. Yahiko, calm down, we'll never be able to find her if you don't keep your cool", Kenshin sighed warily. He was trying to keep his cool as well, but the teenager seemed to make it more and more difficult..

"Let's just ask someone where the TV studio is", Kenshin said.. but he halted his step completely, causing the teenager to bump into his back.

"What's the matter now?", Yahiko moaned in distress.

"Er, Yahiko, do you know the name of the show?"

Yahiko blinked. Uh…."How the heck am I supposed to remember that!"

Kenshin sighed in defeat. 'Where would she be? How much luck do we have now?'

Both the redhead and the smaller spiky-haired teenager resumed their paces slowly, not knowing where to go.

"If I knew the son of Oibore Enterprise's going to be involved in that show, I'd do whatever it takes to join in!", one girl said, pouting all the while.

"Did you see how good looking the guy was? And filthy rich too.. It was so lucky of that girl… what's her name?…er.. Ka..ya? Ka.. or u, or something like that…",the group of girls chatted amiably, passing by Kenshin and Yahiko.

Talking about the luck of the devil..

Yahiko jumped as if he's just been burned, "Excuse me, you said...Kaoru? Did you talk about the show? that reality show?"

The girls looked at him strangely,"Uh, yeah… it's called "Extraordinary Joe for Ordinary Girl" special episode…"

Ecstatic to hear the turns of event, he yelped, "Ah, that's it! …Er.. did you say, the girl named Kaoru,.. she actually won?", the teenager blanched.

"…uh um, yeah… she won alright…", one of the girls answered him, puzzled.

"Um, oh, eh..thanks…", he muttered dumbly, then he turned to face a concerned Kenshin. "Did you hear that?", Yahiko wryly asked him.

Kenshin just nodded. He had no more strength to say anything. He felt rather.. numb.

"Darn it, Busu will never come back to us.. she's freaking rich now", Yahiko upsetly mumbled.

"Yahiko….", Kenshin forced himself to say something. The teen's mood seemed to deflate within a few seconds.

"Let's just go back to Tokyo, Kenshin, my sister no longer cares for us, anyway…not once she called us in the past few weeks..", he dejectedly added. Turning around, his pace quickened, leaving the red-head to trail behind in a matter of seconds.

Kenshin let out a deep breath. "Now wait a second, Yahiko… we should"

BUMP

"Ouch… look where you're going!", Yahiko snapped rudely.

"Ah, g..gomen..", a timid voice was heard. She bowed her head curtly.

'Wait... a she?'. The girl was wearing a formal gown. Impossible.

Yahiko narrowed his eyes. Her voice sounded so familiar

'…could it be?'

"Busu…?", he called out hesitantly.

The girl whipped her head in utter surprise. "Y..Yahiko? You're in Kyoto? Ken..shin too? My goodness…why..oppffff…" Her slim frame was being embraced tightly by her younger brother.

"Baka Kaoru! Never, never ever do this kind of thing again… we were worried sick about you!… Look at you in a dress..er… why are you here? We just heard you won the competition or something… why are you here by yourself?", Yahiko bombarded her with questions.

Kaoru couldn't be happier to see them both in Kyoto. Her luck seemed to leap up in all of the sudden.

But when Yahiko asked her all those questions, she simply shook her head slowly. "Go..menasai, it was all a mistake.. the stupid show was a mistake… I want to go home…to Tokyo…" her tears once again threatened to fall down. 'Why do I feel like crying?', she thought, thoroughly confused at her own actions.

Kenshin stepped forward to embrace his cousin in a soothing embrace in an attempt to calm her down. It worked. She leaned on his shoulder, half relieved to be finding her siblings in the middle of Kyoto, and half.. what? She wouldn't want to say regret. Kamiya Kaoru didn't regret her decision to run away from that blasted TV show.

Yahiko restrained himself from asking her too many questions for she looked quite distressed. Kenshin did the same. Needless to say, that night, the three of them boarded another train back to Tokyo at once.

Enishi kicked the door furiously, earning a thoughtful look from Yukishiro Oibore.

"Why are you so upset now? You regretted being in the show?", the older man eyed him cautiously.

"Well.. the show was okay, but I'm losing tonight's victor", he grumpily replied.

"Ah? What has happened?", a concerned look flitted across his wrinkled face.

"The girl's missing, Tou-san… tonight's winner..Kamiya-san"

Looking at his disturbed demeanor, Yukishiro Oibore almost laughed. So, his son has been charmed by the little raven-haired girl…'Who could've guessed? His icy-cool and indifferent son, so the tabloids say, has got a heart after all..'

'And here they thought that nothing good comes out of reality show…' he mused quietly.

"Did she leave anything by any chance?", he asked thoughtfully.

Enishi shrugged his shoulder. "Not sure, she left abruptly while we were still in the studio.. let me ask Kamatari about her belongings", he swiftly walked to the cordless phone set and dialed.

"Oibore Enterprise, Kamatari speaking", a feminine voice answered the call. The rest of the filming crew have departed from the studio, but Oibore's own staff members were still around, looking for the first prize winner who mysteriously disappeared.

"Could you check whether Kamiya Kaoru left anything in her room?", the turquoise-eyed commanded.

"Sure, Yukishiro-san…", she replied dutifully.

Soon enough, Kamatari called back. "Sir, her handbag is still there in her room"

Smirking widely, Enishi said, "Good, bring it here"

A/N: Uh... this is quite a long fic... to think it was meant to be a one-shot.. hahahha... oh, yeah, sorry, I always seem to make Enishi rather OOC.