Chapter 6: Getting Settled In
Sanosuke ambled down the busy Tokyo street, glancing lazily at the several shops and people strolling around and buying thing. He noticed the Akabeko and vaguely wondered if any of his friends would be there right now, then decided to change his course and head for the shop. He walked in, ducking under the flaps with his hands shoved in his pockets, then skimmed the tables with his eyes. No one here, he noticed, maybe he'd get Kaoru to take them out to dinner tonight.
"Oh, Sanosuke-san," a feminine voice said from behind him. "What brings you here?" Sanosuke turned around to see Tae, one of the waitresses and daughter of the owner of the Akabeko.
"Oh, hey Tae," Sano responded. "Just seeing if anyone was in here."
"There's no one here besides Kyouri," Tae smiled politely.
"Kyouri's here?" Sano asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"Yes, didn't you know she was working for us? She has been for almost a week now, as a cook."
"Oh, yeah, I think I remember her mentioning something about that…" Sano mused.
Tae gave him an exasperated smile, "Well, her shift is about done. Would you like me to call her out? You could walk to the dojo together."
"Yeah, sure, thanks," Sano grinned.
Tae smiled as she turned, "Kaoru-chan and Kenshin-san haven't dropped by in a while, please tell them to come by when they can."
"Sure thing."
Soon after Tae had disappeared behind the door Kyouri appeared, smiling as she trotted up to Sanosuke.
"I'm surprised you'd come and pick me up," she said cheerfully.
"Hm, I had forgotten you worked here. I was just heading to the dojo, so I thought I may as well see if anyone was around," Sano shrugged, grinning as he turned to walk out of the restaurant.
"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically as she followed, and they began walking down the road towards the dojo.
"It's been more than a week, huh?" Sano asked. "How're you doing?"
"Pretty good," Kyouri responded happily. "It's actually been a lot easier than I thought to get into the stride of a working life, I thought I'd be a lot more miserable without them."
"I think they're probably the ones miserable without you," Sano said, "Remember how long it took for them to say goodbye?"
Flashback-
"So this is really it?"
"Yep."
"You're sure you wanna stay here?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"We're really gonna split up?"
"Looks like it."
"Awww, Kyouri-chaaaan!"
GLOMP!
"Gah!" she gasped as the air was squeezed out of her lungs by the two over emotional twins.
"We're gonna miss youuuu!" Sachi whined as she dislocated her friend's back.
"It just won't be the same!" Shousei exclaimed sadly.
"Uh huh…" Kyouri managed to squeak through the rib breaking double embrace as her face turned a shade of blue. The two girls finally let the third go, and she took a deep intake of well missed air.
"You sure you don't wanna come?" Shousei asked. "I'm sure Yamainu would love for you to see his old village!"
"Eh, no thanks," Kyouri smiled apprehensively. "Cats and dogs, you know?"
"Cats and wolves," Yamainu corrected as he walked up to them.
"Right," Shousei said, turning back to Kyouri and ignoring Yamainu. "But you could come and meet our parents and family!"
"Yeah," Kyouri said, a tone of sarcasm in her voice. "I could see your parent's reaction for bringing an indecently garbed noneko home with you: it involves your mom having a heart attack and your dad mauling me."
"Aww, they're really not that bad!" Then Shousei added nervously, "… I think."
"Oh well, it doesn't matter!" Sachi exclaimed suddenly. "We'll send you a letter when we get home!"
Kyouri beamed, "Okay, I'm looking forward to it."
Sachi sidled up to Kyouri, whispering in her ear, "And I'm looking forward to coming back and seeing lots of little Kyouri's and Sanosuke's running around."
"Okay then!" Kyouri exclaimed a little too cheerfully, a vein throbbing on her head. "Time to go, don't you think!" She pushed both twins as Sachi grinned mischievously toward the gate. Yamainu looked on, and sighed heavily.
"Kyouri?" he asked as he walked up to her, a strangely soft look in his usually stern slate blue eyes. Kyouri looked up at him, and felt a bubble of sadness inflating inside her. She turned towards him then reached up and hugged him tightly, the tips of her toes coming off the ground as she held on. He seemed a little surprised, but hugged her back warmly.
"You take care of yourself, okay?" Yamainu said as they parted from their embrace.
"Of course!" Kyouri exclaimed happily, although there was a sad look in her eyes. "You too, try not to get into too much trouble, please?"
He smiled, "Yeah, I'll try."
"Awww…." Sachi and Shousei sighed, tears welling up in their eyes, making both Yamainu and Kyouri cast them strange looks.
"One last thing," Yamainu said, striding over to Sanosuke, the familiar sternness back in his eyes. He got in real close, so that their noses were inches apart, then growled quietly, "If I hear one thing out of Kyouri, I'm gonna shove a stick up your ass, cook you up rotisserie style, and feed you to my village."
"OKAY! TIME TO GO NOW!" Kyouri yelled, beads of sweat on her face and a vein throbbing slightly on her forehead. Yamainu snorted threateningly and gave Sanosuke the death glare from hell as he backed away, leaving a very perplexed looking Sanosuke.
"What the hell's his problem?" Sano muttered, frowning as Kyouri and her friends stood by the gate.
"You guys can come back anytime," Kaoru said happily as she and the rest of the Kenshin-gumi joined the group for final farewells. "We're always willing to have a few more helping hands here!"
"And a few more people who can actually cook," Yahiko muttered. Kaoru heard him and knuckled him over the head briskly.
"It was very nice to meet you all, de gozaru," Kenshin smiled as Yahiko rubbed his head and flashed angry looks at his sensei. "I hope you have safe trips."
"Yeah, thanks," Yamainu grunted, although in a more cheerful way.
"Take care of Kyouri for us, Kaoru-chan!" Sachi winked as Kaoru giggled and Kyouri felt conspired against.
"See you guys later," Sano smiled at the girls, though he ignored Yamainu.
"We'll keep in touch!" Shousei smiled. "Look for a letter in the mail!"
"I don't know how long it'll take for us to get home," Sachi said, "Since I have no idea how we're gonna be received by Yamainu's village, then there's how long it'll take for the letter to actually be delivered…"
"Can we get going already?" Yamainu hissed, cutting her off and looking harassed.
"Aww, fuzz-head's anxious to see his family," Sachi grinned. "Let's go!"
And like that all three of them disappeared behind the gate, Yamainu's exclamations of "I'm NOT fuzzy!" and the twin's laughter dying down as they ran down the road.
End Flashback-
Kyouri laughed, also remembering their goodbye, "Yeah, I can't wait to hear about how Sachi and Shousei drove Yami crazy during their trip." Kyouri sighed happily as she played with this thought in her head.
"It must be hard," Sano said, his voice taking a shadier tone, although Kyouri didn't seem to notice. "You've been with them for, what, ten years?"
"I met the twins only a few years ago, but I met Yamainu almost immediately after I left the Sekihoutai," she responded. "He looked out for me when I felt completely lost, when I found out the Sekihoutai had been disbanded." She looked up at Sanosuke. "And when I thought you had died."
Sano stopped walking, looking at her with surprise, "You thought I had died?"
She grinned sheepishly, and a little sadly, "Yeah, but… he helped me through it, he wouldn't let me give up. Yamainu really was like a big brother to me."
Big… brother?
Sano laughed suddenly, feeling a burst of cheer wash over him unexpectedly. He grinned at Kyouri, "You thought I had died? Why?"
"Hey!" she remarked, taking his laughter for mock. "It was a completely reasonable deduction! A lot of the Sekihoutai was attacked and killed!" Sano kept laughing, not necessarily about what she had said, but he couldn't help feeling happy for some reason. "Stop laughing!" she yelled suddenly, and he noticed she looked disturbed, almost angry. "You don't get it… how hard it was to think you had died… I really thought I had lost everything…"
Sano's laugh had long died out, though it rang in his ears as he looked at Kyouri with shock as she glared back at him. She snorted angrily after he didn't say anything, and began storming down the road leaving him standing there.
"Hey… Oi, Kyouri! Wait!" Sano yelled, catching up to Kyouri. "Hey, come one, why're you so angry?"
She whirled around angrily, "Go back and die!"
"Eh?" Sano muttered as she turned and stomped off. "Oi, don't be like that! What'd I do?"
"Insensitive bastard," Kyouri mumbled irritably. "I can't believe you'd laugh like that. I seriously thought you were gone, and you were laughing." Sano stopped, grabbing her by the wrist and halting her.
"Let go," she growled, piercing him with a furious glare. He didn't flinch, however (even though he felt a chill run down his spine), and kept his grip steady on her wrist.
"You weren't the only one…" he said quietly, his brow furrowing and his honey brown eyes glowing softly in the afternoon sun. "I looked for you, I'm sure I looked everywhere… but I couldn't find you…" Kyouri's anger ebbed away as quickly as it came with this turn of events. "After that, I arrived at Tokyo, and I gave up…" He gazed steadily at her. "Sorry."
The last of her anger disappeared, and she sighed ruefully as she saw him give her that remorseful look, "Baka, there's nothing to apologize for." She smiled. "At least we're here now. The present is all that matters."
"Right," Sano grinned. He let go of her wrist and began walking again. "Anyways, come on, we've wasted enough time chatting."
" 'We'? You're the one that started the conversation," she replied, evening her stride with him and looking at him with half lidded eyes.
"Yeah, but you're the one that got all 'emotional' and started freaking out."
Moosh.
"Say that one more time and you'll end up with more than a bump on your head," Kyouri growled as she left a stunned Sanosuke in the dust with a throbbing head.
"Okay, now you cut the fish," Kyouri said as she held out the knife for Kaoru to take. "And I'll roll the vinegared rice."
"Okay," Kaoru nodded determinedly, taking the knife and looking at the slab of fish before her. Kyouri had insisted on starting their "cooking lessons" today, and Kaoru had already caused her share of mayhem by accidentally dropping an opened bottle of spice into the soup, mistaking cooking wine for vinegar, and, of course, burning the rice. Still, Kyouri had yet to lose her temper and Kaoru was starting to relax a little more with her constant reassurances.
Sort of.
"You're cutting the fish too thinly," Kyouri stated as she looked at her friend's progress. "It won't give the sushi and flavor and all everyone will end up eating is vinegared rice balls." Kaoru cut another piece. "Now that one's too thick. If you have too much fish the taste will be too strong." She smiled at her determined looking friend who was chewing on her lip with anxiousness. "It's all about balance, Kaoru-chan! You should know this stuff, being a kenjutsu teacher!"
"Kenjutsu and cooking are completely different things!" Kaoru exclaimed, her voice escalating along with her panic, waving the knife in her hand around dangerously. "If cooking was as easy as kenjutsu, I'd be assistant master of the kitchen!" She slammed the knife down on the cutting board angrily as her frustration mounted. "Who CARES about cooking anyway! I'll just get Kenshin to do it!" She looked at Kyouri, a fire burning in her eyes as Kyouri backed away, deciding that her friend just needed a little room. "You know what! I've got enough to worry about! Between trying to save my father's sword style, making sure that baka Kenshin doesn't get killed, and feeding all the freeloaders, cooking should be the least of my problems!"
"W-well it's not like you're gonna be a master chef or anything," Kyouri said as she smiled anxiously. "But everyone should know how to make a decent meal every now and then. Besides, what if Kenshin isn't around?"
"Who said he was leaving?" Kaoru growled, narrowing her eyes. " 'Rurouni' my foot, he should stay here with me! After all I…" Kaoru stopped suddenly, slapping her hand over her mouth as her face turned beet red.
"Yes?" Kyouri asked, arching her eyebrows and grinning in a very Sachi-ish way.
"N-nothing," Kaoru tried to say firmly as she looked away.
"And so it all comes together…" Kyouri grinned, causing Kaoru's face to redden even more.
"What?" Kaoru asked with a challenging air.
"Nothing," Kyouri smiled happily. "Anyways, if you want, I can finish up dinner."
Kaoru sighed heavily, having finally calmed down, "No, you're right, I should at least be able to make riceballs…" Kyouri laughed, patting Kaoru on the head reassuringly.
"That's the spirit!" she said cheerfully. "All right then, how about we switch jobs? You'll make the riceballs for the sushi and I'll cut the fish."
Kaoru smiled, "Hai!"
"….Well…?" she asked anxiously as Kyouri slurped the soup from the ladle. Kyouri straightened, then looked thoughtful as she licked her lips.
A few expectant seconds ticked by.
"Not bad!" she replied happily. "Interesting flavor, I think those spices did more good than harm!"
"YAY!" Kaoru exclaimed, throwing her hands up in success. "I made something that doesn't turn people green!"
"Yay!" Kyouri exclaimed as well, mimicking Kaoru cheerfully. Both girls laughed, as if they had been doing this for years.
Kaoru sighed happily, a look of pride and relief in her eyes. She looked at Kyouri with a grateful expression, "Thank you."
Kyouri chuckled as she set the sushi onto a large plate, "No problem, Kaoru-chan. Besides, you've been feeding that freeloader all this time, it's the least I can do."
"Ah, and so it all comes together…" Kaoru giggled, echoing what Kyouri had said earlier.
"Um, right," Kyouri responded, an anxious smile on her face, which Kaoru noticed.
"Kyouri-chan?" she asked.
"Hai?"
"Just…. just how much do you like Sanosuke?" Kyouri was silent, giving Kaoru a slightly surprised look.
"Well…" Kyouri said thoughtfully, putting her hand behind her head. "It'd be stupid to say I didn't care about the rooster, I really do, and always have…" A moment of silence passed between the two girls. Suddenly Kyouri looked up at Kaoru with a sheepish grin, "I guess he can be like a little brother or best friend to me, but I don't know if there's anything… beyond that. It doesn't matter, really, because I'm having such a good time here anyway that I'm glad I stayed, for whatever reason."
Kaoru's eyes widened in surprise, "Really?" She could've sworn Kyouri loved Sanosuke, and she was almost sure Sanosuke loved her, but did she really think of themselves as "close friends"?
"Yep," she answered cheerfully. "Anyways, we should hurry up and finish before everyone dies of hunger."
Kaoru smiled, "Right." A thought crossed Kaoru's mind, thinking of what her father had told her about the proper "marrying age." "Kyouri-chan, just how old are you anyway?"
Kyouri stopped working, looking up thoughtfully. "Um…" She frowned in concentration. "It's been a while since I thought of that…" She smiled. "I think I'm eighteen."
She "thinks"? Kaoru thought, perspiration mounting on her forehead. Sanosuke made the weirdest friends.
No, that's not right, Kaoru smiled. We're all a little weird, that's why we all get along so well.
"Kaoru-chan? Time to come back now," Kyouri said, waving her hand in front of Kaoru's face. "Almost dinner time, remember?"
"Oh! Right, sorry!" Kaoru smiled sheepishly as she set to work again. Kyouri smiled, also returning to the sushi she was placing. She tried to keep her appearance as cheerful as before, so Kaoru wouldn't think anything of it, but something had punctured the easy going happiness she had been feeling a little while ago. What she had said to Kaoru was true, it's just that she had left something out: the fact that she was actually holding back, kind of hoping she and Sanosuke would have the affection she and Yamainu shared.
She had turned these things over in her mind constantly over the past week, and she had come to a conclusion that she could never really love Sanosuke because she was always holding back. Not only was she still wary of the idea that her uncle could find her again and that she'd have to leave, but she knew she would never be able to give herself completely to Sanosuke as long as she kept her secret hidden from him.
Her hand subconsciously went to the red necklace around her neck. As long as she had this, she could always keep her secret.
Always hope that he would never find out…
As long as things are this way, a friendship with Sanosuke is the most I can hope for…
Note: GASP! I updated! (-looks around to see how many people have forgotten about this fic-).
I put in more hints about what her secret is, can anyone guess it yet? Anyone...?
Sorry about the long wait, guys, but man was I lacking in the creative juices! Seriously, I was considering killing of Kyouri or something just to end the fic since I couldn't think of anything to write! (-dodges onslaught of pineapples-) Point taken, I won't kill the main character… or will I? (-shifty eyes-).
Reviewer Responses:
WhiteRabbit5: Well, we're just gonna have to wait and see, ne? (-grin-). I'm glad you liked that scene! Balance, um, right, I was totally going for that! I know you don't like the whole "Kaoru can't cook" thing since it's overdone, but at least I made it so that she concocted something edible! (-grin, sweatdrop-). Another thing, you really need to hurry up with that summary, woman!
Omasuoniwabanshu: Thank you! (-bounces up and down-) I'm really glad you liked that scene too! And (-bows-) sorry, sorry, sorry, I haven't had a chance to read your updates at all! It really sucks, since I've been so busy (-glares at homework and teachers-), but I swear I'm gonna read it soon! (Must… know… what happens next…).
Haki: Japanese and Argentinean, very tricky (-nod nod-). Aw, give Sano some credit! He can be serious when he wants to! Yeahhh, I guess I should've been more specific about what part of the onigiri was burned… heh. Anyways, glad you're reading!
Bryttany: Thank you, and don't hope for quick updates too much. (-grin, sweatdrop-)
WolfDaughter: Seriously? You spent an hour of your valuable time reading this? Wow, thankies! (-grin!-)
Well, I hope you guys are still into this fic, seeing as I've suddenly gotten a burst of inspiration (okay, more like a trickle), so I hope I'll be writing more.
Thanks for reading!
REVIEW OR DIE!
(-innocent smile-)
