Disclaimer: My only consolation is that, I no longer have to write this silly stuff… now that the story is finished. Err.. original characters are Watsuki's. The rest are mine.

Chapter IX

Tokyo

Everything was back to normal. 'Well, almost…' Kaoru sighed as she thought of Yahiko's new antic of following her everywhere, just to ensure that Kaoru won't run away anymore. He escorted her to the little café where she performed her part-time job as a café singer, he walked next to her when she went to the market, he was eyeing her when she checked for mails in the mail box. He was simlpy pestering her and Kaoru started to feel annoyed, although she understood his good intention.

Sometimes though, she still felt something was missing, '..An unfinished business'..

Perhaps one day she would go back to Kyoto and look for that guy, Yukishiro Enishi and apologized for leaving so abruptly without as much as a goodbye bid.

'Perhaps one day, when her siblings become more lenient towards her once again..'

She was loathe to admit it, but she did feel a string of disappointment tugged at her heart when she first realized that the platinum-haired guy didn't make any effort to run after her. 'Who are you kidding, Kaoru! That guy's just one of the showbiz people.. all they think is how to make more and more money.. he won't be attracted to you! And he's the heir of Oibore Enterprise.. '

ha, ha.. more laugh for her..

Still, even if she tried to convince herself that, she could recall the same turquoise-eyed guy bending down to plant a kiss on her forehead, and said, " ..I want to earn the right to charm Kamiya-san.." her heart fluttered at hearing it.

' Aaargh… Baka Kaoru!'

Anyway, She had apologized to her siblings when they got back from Kyoto and told them she would never do anything foolish like that again. Kenshin just smiled and patted her on her shoulder lovingly, whilst Yahiko scoffed right away. They have returned to their daily routine; Kenshin as a teacher and tutor of Japanese literature at a small college, Yahiko as an errand-boy at Akabeko restaurant, and Kaoru as a part-time café singer at Yahachi café. Life should be business as usual, but it wasn't the case for Kaoru.

"Oy Busu… you're not going to work?", the little brat that was her brother called out to her. She glared at him, "I am …and for the umpteenth time..don't call me that! Consider yourself lucky I don't bring a bokken with me now..", she warningly said, earning an unrepentant grin on his face. "Aww.. touchy, nee-san?", he teased.

"Whatever… I'll get going now", she turned around in her blue yukata with yellow flower blossoms, not waiting for him to follow suit. After all, she wanted him to cease following her.

Her luck deserted her once again.

"Busu, wait for me!", he called out in front of the entrance to their house.

Kaoru clenched her teeth. Kenshin, their cool-headed mediator was out teaching, and no one was there to calm her down. Kaoru counted to ten to keep her cool. …Eight, nine.. Ten!

It simply didn't work.

"Yahiko, stop following me around. I know where I'm going, and didn't I promise I will never go to Kyoto anymore!", she pouted in her anger. Her delicate face was outraged, her expressive pair of azure orbs display great speckles of fire in them, her silky raven bangs swung abruptly as she turned her head to warn him.

"Dare I say I'd be disappointed at hearing that?", a deep voice remarked, halting the two siblings.

Yahiko was so surprised at hearing a stranger voice butting in their conversation.

Kaoru froze in her rage. As if in trance, the two siblings turned around to see a tall guy standing casually against a wooden post a few metres away.

The same teasing turquoise eyes, the same striking platinum bangs, the same mischievous smirk, and the glinting of the now familiar looking earring came back to her, overwhelming her senses.

She didn't know whether she should smile or frown at seeing him.

Yahiko was struck speechless as he saw the guy approached them, and bringing forth a great big bouquet of cream colored jasmine and pink freesias to thrust into Kaoru's hands.

"Tell me you weren't serious when you said that, Kamiya…san", he leaned closer to her, ignoring the teenager completely.

"Ah, eh.. Yukishiro-san? I.. why are you here?", she looked down at the beautiful bouquet in her hands and looked up with a questioning expression in her face.

"Why, I'm visiting up my girlfriend in Tokyo, what else…", he shrugged casually, smiling widely now.

"Oh… I.. I see", her heart plummeted downwards at hearing his reply.

'See, baka! he has a girlfriend and even admits it openly..'

"Um… then, why..why are you here..?", Kaoru asked him.

Yahiko was still speechless, watching his sister converse with the stranger. 'She knew him!' A curious look suddenly was on his face.

A fleeting smile was displayed on his lips as he gently said, "Let's go, come with me..", avoiding her question, he took her wrist and pulled her with him. Kaoru was wide-eyed. 'What does he have in mind..?'

Yahiko snapped out from his spell-bound state of being.

"Waitaminit, Mister! Who are you, and what are you doing to my sister? Let her go at once!", every chivalric bone in his body screamed out to the stranger. He was vast regretting his decision of not bringing his bokken along this time. 'But now it'll be too late to get it'.. he quickly reasoned.

Casting him an amused look, Enishi turned to her, "Your brother?"

Kaoru simply nodded. Slightly embarrassed at his outburst and her, earlier on. "Ah, Yukishiro-san.. pardon me, I have to go to work..I will be late otherwise". She wriggled her wrist from his grip, immediately regretting the loss of warmth.

He angled his head casually, "Let me escort you, then", he offered simply, like it was the most natural thing to say.

Yahiko fumed at being ignored. "Hey, I asked you question! And no, you can not escort her, it is my job", he replied contemptuously.

The platinum-haired guy looked at him half-heartedly as he said "Well, I will take your sister to her workplace, I'm her friend, and will not kidnap her…although I'd love to. I'll bring her back safely after she finished working", he added with a smirk, toying with the teenager's already pricked emotion. To Yahiko, It was not convincing at all, and he still showed an undeterred look on his face.

Anxious as she was getting late, Kaoru spoke up, "For goodness' sake, Yahiko, I'm going to be late!", she frowned at him, then turned to her platinum-haired acquaintance, "And Yukishiro-san, you don't have to escort me.", she said meekly. He shrugged yet again, "I don't have anything better to do now"

Hesitantly, she nodded, thrusting the bouquet to Yahiko's hands, she told him, "Please help me put this in a vase, Yahiko.. I'm off to work now"

With that, the two of them walked side by side to Yahachi café.

Yahiko eyed the bouquet with disdain, then he looked at the two, feeling useless out of the sudden.

With a frown, he watched them disappearing at the corner of the street.

Meanwhile..

…. "You're a part-time singer, aren't you?", his voice was heard.

Kaoru nodded mutely, then she looked up, remembering something "You haven't told me how you're able to find me here..", she said in a curious tone.

"Oh, you left your bag in Kyoto..if you remember that".. he smirked at seeing her bowing her head in embarrassment.

Drat… I'm such a baka! "Um.. Yukishiro-san.. I apologize for running away from the show back then.. ", she said in a small voice.

He smiled at her, "Why must you bear with formalities, you can call me Enishi, and don't be troubled, it was difficult to talk to someone like Takani-san"

Ah.. there goes her name again.. the bitchy lady..

She stayed silent for the rest of their walk. "Ah, here we are, thank you for your kindness and the beautiful bouquet, E..Enishi-san.. and please say hi to your… girlfriend…" she bowed courteously.

There was a slight pang of some unnamed emotion as she said it.

'This can't be jealousy! I am not jealous!'

'Oh, I'm talking to myself.. how fabulous!' Kaoru cursed silently.

"Oh, I have plenty of time still…I'll send you in there…", he replied coolly.

Kaoru gulped as she let him in.

'Who was she to tell him off.. He has every right to go to whenever he pleases..'

She was preparing her favorite song to sing tonight, and as she was walking to the humble stage, she glanced at the crowd of the café that night, and saw her platinum-haired company smiling at her from a table close to the stage. Blushing furiously, she threw her glance elsewhere as she gripped her microphone tighter.

"Good evening, ladies and gents.. thank you for coming to Yahachi! tonight I will sing for you my favourite song. Then, if you would like to request songs, you're most welcome to.."

Clearing her throat and inhaling a deep breath nervously, she opened her mouth to sing a familiar tune that was one of her favorites..

…

atarashii doa akete shiranai basho e dete
shimatte mo watashi wa watashi da to ii kiru kara
soko ga donna basho demo ikinuite miseru yo
isshou ni ichido no tatakaiidomu tame

kako wa kitto ima to wa kurabe mono ni naranai
da kedo ima ni mirai ga kateru wake ja nai sa

tsugi no shingou ao ni nattara hashiridasu koto ni kimeta n da
kiiro ni natte aka de tomatte kokoro no junbi wa ii kai?
...

Her voice was like a beautiful tinkling of bells that awed the crowd. And Enishi smiled as he observed her from afar, looking at her expressive azure eyes from behind his dark shades.

During the course of the night, she saw that girls were trying to flock at his table, busy trying to strike a conversation with the enigmatic man. He rejected all their advances, Kaoru noted, by saying something, and placing what looked like a photo by his side.

That must be his girlfriend.. she thought quietly, not wanting to delve deeper into the topic.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, the platinum-haired guy glared daggers at the guys who were trying to check out the singer in blue yukata. He was quite relieved, that by the end of her shift, he was there to accompany her. Somehow, her little brother was right. She needed an escort quite badly. He smirked at his own thought. He took the photograph back into his wallet as he stood up to approach her.

10.00 pm, outside Yahachi Café..

"Thank you, Enishi-san for coming… ah..anou, is your girlfriend not upset that you haven't come to see her yet? It is rather late…", she commented, mentally kicking herself for her own comment as soon as it left her lips. 'Why can't you just mind your own business, Kaoru? Stop asking him.. '

Enishi grinned as he saw the girl in pure distress. He decided to tease her a little more. "Well, I don't know, really, would she be angry at me?"

Kaoru blinked in surprise. 'Why is he asking me such ridiculous..'

"mmm.. I guess I gotta ask her then… ", he added lazily, with both hands clasped behind his spiky head.

"Ne, Kaoru, are you angry at me for being here tonight?", he smiled a roguishly devastating smile that melted her heart to a gooey puddle of warmth.

'Nani?', she shot him a confused look. "Un…anou… no, no…it's not what I meant, Yuki…Enishi-san.."

"Then she's not angry, right!", he winked playfully.

Knotting her brows in confusion, she forced herself to say, "Uh, Enishi-san.. I don't understand.."

Her sentence was halted in mid-air as Enishi's figure suddenly loomed over hers, leaning closer to her, making her back down in surprise. "Me neither….", he said as his face suddenly come down right before her, and his lips claimed hers gently.

She was astounded beyond belief.

…..

….

'Why? Why did he kiss me?, she heard herself ponder.. not that she should complain… then she could ponder no more for the intensity of his kiss took all her brain power away.

'And he smelled nice… like Aqua.. by Hugo Boss.. '

She latched herself to the guy in front of her as he drew her closer, one strong arm snaking around her waist and the other stroking her face ever so gently.

"Enishi-san…?", she questioned, still dazed by their shared kiss earlier.

"You insist on formalities, Kaoru… why?", he asked in an amused tone.

Kaoru didn't answer him. 'How could she not, he has a girlfriend.. although that kiss was nice…'

'Kami, and she let him kiss her like that? On the street? In Tokyo? She must be going crazy… What if his girlfriend come and find out… Why the heck did he kiss her anyway?' Realization dawned on her and she paled considerably.

"I.. ah…I have to go…goodbye Enishi-san… ", she said, almost choking.

He snatched one of her wrists to hold her still. "Are you scared of me?"

'No, I don't want your girlfriend to find out, you dolt!'

She whipped her head, blurting out.."I…why did you kiss me? What if your girlfriend saw? I ..ah…never mind…" her face turning scarlet as she blurted it all out. Enishi was chuckling now. He was trying to stop when he saw her eyes sparked fire in them.

"Is it funny for you? You like making fun of me, don't you?", her voice has got an edge of bitterness in it, causing him to stop completely.

"No, it's not that..and before you complain some more.. ", he ducked his head to seal her lips with his once again.

"Uh…your..girlfriend..is waiting…", Kaoru started lamely, desperately wanting to say something.

"Right in front of me", he added, smiling widely, scattering little kisses on her cheek, nose and forehead.

"And I… huh, wha…what?", blinking furiously, her eyes rounded up cutely.

"I said you are my girlfriend.. why did it take you so long to get it? You do live in Tokyo, right?" he said jokingly.

Kaoru scowled at him, "But…how…the photo?"

His smile grew wider as he took out the photo he has been showing all night to the girls that had them backing down successfully.

Her breath hitched as he showed her…

It was her… Oh, it was her alright, looking gloriously upset as Hiko took a shot of her face.

'Kami, what an embarrassment! That.. stupid man, give this stupid photo to…' Her face was turning scarlet as the realization dawned. 'He has been showing that photo to everyone?'

She was supposed to be very angry now. She was supposed to strike his face with all of her strength for all the embarrassment he and his organization had caused her.

But, why, this fluttering feeling wouldn't stop?

Why did she feel her strength is quickly draining away?

She was really trying to say something, but his forefinger was quickly put atop her lips.

"Don't think you could get away from me now, Kamiya Kaoru.. I'm an extraordinary Joe, after all"…..he smirked arrogantly.

Kaoru couldn't believe her ears. 'He said..what?'

Casually, he draped his right arm around her shoulder, bringing her close to him.

"So.. I have to know… What should I do to win your heart, Kamiya Kaoru?", he asked, bestowing her with the most beautiful of smiles.

She caught her breath and unwittingly, a sheepish smile flitted across her lips.

"Nothing, just get me out of reality show, and I actually want a real ordinary Joe… not a fake one"

Enishi smirked condescendingly. "Sorry, can't doit, that's my father's business, not mine...but I'm real enough.."

Kaoru grinned despite herself.. "Get rid of that photo then…", she added in a small voice.

" I can't do that either, that is my most favorite piece…" he admitted with a naughty grin.

…

She smirked at his reply.

"So, is that a yes?", he asked teasinglywhile he gently pulled her closer.

'Later, maybe later, she would think how she could get this lucky..'

'Later.. she would think how to explain all this to her siblings..'

But in the meantime, only one thing crosses her mind.

'Sometimes… reality TV is for real…' she thought, smiling widely as she nodded her head.

VOCAB:

I open a new door into a place I don't know.
Even if I close it I'm still myself, so
no matter what kind of place it is, I'll show you that I can survive.
To have a once in a lifetime challenge.

The past isn't something you compare to the present.
But the future can't beat the present either.

I've decided to zoom off when the next light turns green.
It turns yellow, and stops at red. Am I ready for this?

(Signal by Ayumi Hamasaki)

A/N: Alright, done!Please review, your reviewis much appreciated.. Sorry, I left it rather open-ended at the end, to let your own imagination roam free. If you want me to write more about this E/K adventure with a slight Kenshin in it as a continuation, let me know. I'm open to suggestion.