Disclaimer: I don't own RK.
OKay! So, here it is, Chapter six. You know, it's only now that I relized how fr I am from the ending. I checked out my notes and from the looks of it, this story just might reach chapter 40 or something. It's the longest I've written so far.
Well, anyway, I updated much earlier this time. So, here you go!
Chapter Six
'I can't believe I said that! I can't believe I was that mean!' I closed my eyes as I recalled Kenshin's face at the words I have said when I left him.
Great job, Kamiya! Now, he'll really start warming up to you!
'Maybe I should go back and apologize?'
"Right!" I said to myself and turned around to the school's direction. While walking, another thought passed through my mind.
'What if he's not there anymore? No reason to stick around, right? Besides, he was already about to go.'
I started walking away.
'Stop making excuses! Even if there's a slim chance that he's there, you have to at least try!' My conscience kept on berating in my head.
I started walking towards the school again.
I kept pacing back and forth like that for a couple of minutes that the people around me, started staring at me. It took me not long enough to notice this.
'Brilliant! Is this all I'm going to do all day? Look like an idiot?'
I quickly walked towards the direction I was facing.
(Kenshin)
'In case you're wondering why you don't have any friends, well, maybe now you know!'
Kaoru's words kept on ringing in his head over and over again.
'What do I know? Girls are twisted!' he thought with a vengeance.
So, yeah, he was only too aware that he had absolutely no friends. But, he couldn't quite connect what Kaoru said.
'Why am I even thinking about this? It's not that anyone's opinion of me had ever mattered much.'
'What does she know about me anyway? I gave her the book, I left, she chased me then she tripped. How is that my fault?'
He shook his head at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.
'Well, maybe, part of it is my fault.' he sighed then looked around and saw the people around him beginning to move to get into the bus.
But, before he could even move, he heard a loud screech and shouts from people. There was an accident. A speeding car hit a woman and a child. People quickly rushed to the woman and her child's aid while the driver of the car offered to bring the two victims to the nearest hospital. There was still a slight commotion even after the car sped away. Kenshin could only stare in complete shock.
He hadn't noticed that one hand had already flown to his scarred cheek and he was trembling violently. He stood like that for a while until a person bumped into him, bringing him back to his senses. He muttered an apology and started getting on the bus.
Absent mindedly, he looked for a seat, his hand feeling the faint cross scar on his left cheek.
'Everything was my fault...' he thought as the bus moved.
(Kaoru)
'He's not here anymore.' I sighed when I saw no sign of Kenshin at the school.
'Well, what did you expect, Kaoru? That he's stay rooted to the ground until you apologized?'
I felt really bad, honest. I'm not the type of person who would readily insult any person who comes across me. So, I really do feel guilty about what I said to Kenshin earlier.
Well, there's no use standing around here now, right? Obviously, he's gone and I might as well go home. Besides, I have a report to finish and a party to attend.
Saturday...
(Sayo)
Sayo Muto (sp?) fixed her hair for the umpteenth time and with a sigh applied blush on to her cheeks.
'I wish I didn't look so pale...' she thought as she checked herself out in the mirror. Honestly, she found herself very pretty indeed; it's her pale complexion that hints a certain sickness that she is worried about.
But, she had to admit that she looked immaculate in her pink flowery dress. 'If Sagara-san's jaw doesn't drop, then there's something wrong with him. It took me ages just to pick the right dress for this date, I even put on some nail polish and some make up.' she thought endlessly about what she'd done to prepare herself from the long awaited date.
She took out some earrings and tried on a pair and then another, then another, then another. She sighed. All of this work just to impress a boy. She doesn't want to look like she exerted so much effort for this, but, she doesn't want to look like she didn't even tried at all either.
Finally she settled for a pair of pearl earrings.
'There, simple but elegant.' she thought with some satisfaction.
'Megumi would be so proud when she sees me.' she smiled, but that smile was wiped away when another thought entered her mind.
'That is, if she didn't know for whom I'm doing all this for...'
'I feel like I'm betraying a friend, but how can I feel so bad when I'm only being honest with myself? I wish Megumi didn't hate Sano as much.'
With that thought she closed her eyes and uttered a small prayer.
She made the sign of the cross then sighed.
Her brother, Shogo, saw her praying and decided not to disturb her. He watched her as she looked in the mirror again and took off her earrings then put on her favorite cross necklace. He smiled as she smiled at her own reflection. Finally she noticed him and turned around to face him.
"So, what time should I pick you up from Takani-san's?"
"Hmmm... around eight, I guess..." She smiled at his grim face.
"No, I'll pick you up at six."
"Seven? please?" she smiled pleadingly at him. He smiled then nodded. He was leaning against the doorframe and examining her look.
"So, what time does this Sagara come to pick you up?"
"Ummm... he should be arriving anytime soon."
"Oh, really?" He checked out his watch.
Sayo wished her brother wasn't so strict. Their own parents aren't even this strict with her. But, nevertheless, she was grateful. They heard the doorbell ring. Her brother answered for him and Sagara Sanosuke entered.
(Megumi)
Megumi fixed all the things she would need later for her party. She had already chosen what jewelry to pair with her dress and was now thinking about which pair of shoes would look best. She heard her mother give out orders for preparing for her party, she glanced around their spacious home and her perfect brows knotted at the absence of her father.
"Uh, mom, where's dad?"
Her mom, looking as elegant as ever, turned around to her and smiled. "Your father had to attend an emergency board meeting, but, he'll surely be back in time for your party." She kissed Megumi in the cheek.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Megumi smiled at this. "Yes, in fact, I was having a hard time on thinking what to do with my hair. Should I leave it down? or maybe a French knot would be a good idea?"
"Well, you'll look pretty no matter what." She went to brush her long hair as Megumi chatted endlessly.
"Sayo said she would be a bit late, but she'd still make it. I just hope to God that Kaoru decided to wear a dress for the party. I've been trying to tell her on and on about how much better she'd look if only she knew how to fix herself. Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with her. It's like she's allergic to make up or something. Would you believe? She doesn't even apply powder!"
"Is that so?" Her mother fondly brushed her hair and urged her to go on.
"We've been trying for ages to give her a makeover. I don't know why she refuses. We did it to Tsubame and she turned out great! She even has a few admirers now. And would you believe? She's taken a fancy on Shinomori-san. She probably thinks that she'd be able to get him with her smarts."
"Well, maybe she could."
Megumi turned to face her mother.
"Mom. Whose side are you on? I only want to make everything better for Kaoru. She's class president now. And you can't expect people to listen to her when she looks like a goof all the time. Well, maybe she thinks she could get away with her weird fashion sense because we're in uniforms, but, what will our classmates say when they see her outside school? Like during my party. I don't think she realizes the gravity of the situation."
"But, she doesn't seem so bad on the looks department at all, sweetie."
"I know! But, she'd look so much better if only she'd let me work on her."
"Well, maybe she will, someday. Just not now. Boys aren't exactly on the top of her list."
"Yeah, She acts all goofy about Shinomori-san but doesn't do anything about it."
(Kaoru)
I sneezed for the nth time that afternoon. Geez! What's happening to me? Well, anyway, I'm in my room trying to 'fix' myself. And I mean it literally. I need to fix myself. Before I went to sleep last night, I took a shower to relax my muscles. I've been reading on my report, I was almost sure that it would be an all-nighter. But, hey! I finished just before the clock struck midnight.
But, one thing I forgot about going to sleep with your hair wet or damp is that they make a hell lotta mess in the morning! My hair has been sticking up for ages now and no comb is up to the challenge of taming my wild locks.
Geez! Megumi would kill me if I showed up at her party looking like a total 'goof' as she puts it. Although, I can't say anything bad about my fashion sense. I think I look okay. I mean, I'm not drop dead gorgeous like her and Sayo but, at least, I look human, I think.
Well, so, I haven't really much time to plan on what to dress for Megumi's party. Should I go casual? Or maybe I should wear dress? I smirked at this. I looked through my closet. It had anything but a dress in it, I made sure of that.
"Oh well, I guess it's jeans again for me! After all, it's not going to be a snotty formal party I'm going to." I chirped happily. I laughed to myself as I rehearsed my explanation I would give to Megumi once I showed up to her party not looking all glammed up. She told me ages ago to buy at least one dress for this party and I would just tell her that I simply forgot.
After all, I was so psyched this week about my being class president, chasing Kenshin around, student council business and stuff. So she couldn't really blame me for being busy and just not having the time to look through girly-wirly dress shops.
Hahahaha!
I am a genius. I need a pat in the back.
Of course, I thought about Kenshin. How I hurt the poor guy yesterday. And I finally found the solution to my problems with him. Looking back, I realized I haven't really been very sincere in my efforts of making friends with him. I mean, I looked at the whole situation like it was some kind of a job.
Babysitting, that is.
But, from now on, I will give it my sincerest best. I'll be nicer to anti-socials like Kenshin Himura. I will keep my mouth shut and not say anything that pertains to his absolute idiocy. I will not blame him about my public humiliation yesterday which would most probably scar me for life, or at least make me stay away from the library for a couple of weeks, or possibly months.
Darn! I did it again!
I was just thinking a while ago that I wouldn't judge him and start being the nicest person he's ever met. I will not be bitter about his unresponsiveness.
In short, I'll be really nice to him. Even if he ignores me.
There, simple pimple.
I sighed as my hair looked in its suckiest ever.
"Well, I think it's time for Operation Hatta-Hatta."
And by hatta-hatta, I mean, I will wear a hat.
I may not be very enthusiastic about dresses and jewelries and make up but I do have a vast collection of hats and ponytails and ribbons.
All in the name of a desperate effort to tame my hair.
I tried on a beret. I looked like an absolute prat. Ooohhh, maybe a newsboy cap would be great!
I looked in the mirror and tossed the hat away.
That look spelled 'goofy' in Megumi's language. What do I do? A top hat is out of the question and Megumi would surely kill me if I wore the cowboy hat.
What to do? What to do? What to do?
I took out my patchwork jeans. Low waist, I tell you and a mini pullover with flared sleeves and aha! my wool cloth cap. There! I look absolutely great! In my opinion anyway.
I went outside to say goodbye to my father, who just said "Nnnn...", by the way and passed by Suzume and Ayame.
"How do I look?"
"Great!" they both gave me two thumbs up.
Aaahhh... I love kids. They're so easy to deal with unlike Megumi... and Kenshin.
(Sano and Sayo)
Sayo couldn't help but look at Sanosuke as he seem to have convulse at a certain scene in the movie. It was her choice of movie. She actually chose to watch Pride and Prejudice and Sano doesn't seem so keen on watching it.
'What's wrong with it?' She thought the movie was fantastic, but, from the look on Sano's face, it seemed like he would rather be anywhere else.
'I thought it was OK.' she continued thinking while still looking at Sano. He did seem to notice her staring at him and gave her a smile.
"Would you like me to get something to drink?"
She shook her head. "Don't you like the movie?" she asked.
Sano immediately begun sputtering. "O-of course I like it! It's awesome!"
Sayo didn't believe a word he said.
"You're lying."
Sano sighed and with resignation, told her the truth.
"I just wanted you to enjoy this date."
"It wouldn't be fair if I'm the only one enjoying it." she said.
Sano shrugged and gave her a smile. Sayo blushed at this although the dark hid it well.
"Okay, I'm just not a fan of movies with guys in frilly shirts and tights in it."
Silence. Finally, Sano started another conversation.
"Okay, so who's that guy again?" he said pointing to the screen.
"That's Darcy."
"Darcy, huh? What a name." he chuckled. Sayo couldn't help it, she laughed too.
Sano checked out his watch. It was nearly two pm. Sayo should be on her way to Megumi's party already. He reminded her of this.
Sayo just sighed and said, "Just a little while longer." then leaned her head on his shoulder.
(Kaoru)
I'm worried. Why? Because Megumi was already fuming behind my back and Sayo still hasn't arrived. I checked out my watch. 3:30pm.
Where is Sayo!
"Kaoru." I heard a dark voice call from behind.
I turned around and there she was. "Oh hi, Megumi. What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be inside? Your guests must be wondering where you are."
"I left them with Tsubame, they seem so keen on listening about her trip to Germany. What are YOU doing here?" she said the words oh-so-pointedly.
"I was waiting for Sayo. I wonder what's taking her so long."
"She already told me she was going to have another check up. Who knows what the hell she's going through."
I don't know why, but, I got the feeling that there's a certain hint of bitterness in her voice just a while ago.
"But, I am a very understanding person, Kaoru. You know that."
Oh no! She's eyeing my pants! Why can't Megumi just leave it alone?
"I'm sorry, Kaoru. But I was under the impression that you were going to my party in a dress, just like what I told you."
She didn't even give me the chance to say my well-rehearsed explanation.
"And goodness! What were you thinking wearing that hat! It's horrible!"
That stung. I looked at her orange mini-dress. It fit her perfectly and she had her hair tied up in a high ponytail. She reminded me of one of the girls I see in the Austin Powers movies. But, even I had to admit that the dress looked cute. Don't mistake me, though, I can appreciate beautiful clothes but that doesn't mean I'd get my hands on it and wear it! It's just so not me, I guess.
Megumi moved to remove my wool cap from my head and when she finally saw what my hair looked like, I don't know how to describe the look on her face. It was just an intense revulsion.
"Kamiya Kaoru, go to my room and fix your hair, right now!" she demanded loudly.
What was I supposed to do? I slumped my shoulders and went inside the house. Before entering, I turned back and took my wool cap from her. She wouldn't budge.
"Please? I need something to hide my hair in. You wouldn't want those people staring at me as the human bird's nest, do you?"
Finally she let go and I went obediently to her room.
Great party, huh?
(Kenshin)
Kenshin Himura was alone in the park, kicking some stones. His mind was off wandering somewhere else. Today, he didn't feel like being around with anyone. He snorted. He couldn't possibly be annoyed with people or friends. He didn't have any, he reminded himself.
He kicked another stone and watched it until it landed back on the ground and rolled until it reached a man's foot.
Curious, he looked up to see who the man was and recognized his classmate, Sanosuke Sagara.
"Hey, what's up?" the other man said. He was just sitting on the swing with his arms dangling limply at his sides. He had the best time with Sayo and was now hanging around for the simple reason that it's too early to go home.
Kenshin only stared at him and with a hint of annoyance, looked away. Why was he in the park again? Oh yeah, to avoid people. And look who he just stumbled into?
He felt himself getting even more irritated when he heard Sanosuke footsteps closing in.
"Aren't you Kenshin Himura? The boy who sits in front of me during Saito's class?"
That got him. He didn't think anybody would remember him. He has always been so distant. But Sano answered that question of his.
"It's not hard to miss, you know. With that red hair and all. Did you dye it?" Sano begun inspecting his beautiful hair.
Kenshin just stared incredulously at him, but didn't say anything. He instead, found himself shaking his head.
"Oh? You mean to say this is natural?" Sano's hand flew to his head. And despite Kenshin's irritation, patted it as if he was a kid.
"Cool."
Kenshin was really annoyed now. And, without a word, turned on his heel and made to walk away. But then, something popped into his mind.
'In case you're wondering why you don't have any friends, well, maybe now you know!'
Was this what she was talking about? He stopped in his tracks and faced Sano again.
(Kaoru)
Okay, so finally, Megumi left me alone. She's given me some hair gel and a comb and some hairpins and some other stuff she puts in her hair. It surprises me. The amount of stuff you could put on your hair just to make it look fabulous.
"Goodness! If I used all these stuff every morning, I'll get a tardy every time."
And in my language, that is not good.
Especially when you're class president.
I just don't find the need to make myself look gorgeous when I go to school. The time I use in fixing myself up could be used to brush through a few notes or have some advanced reading. I don't really see the point. I really believe that what matters is what you have inside your head and not what's on it. Or maybe, I'm just too lazy to fix my hair.
But, this isn't school. This is a party. And all the other kids out there is looking their best. Perhaps, Megumi was right. I should really fix myself. If not for the purpose of uplifting myself, I could at least do it because Megumi would surely kill me if I don't go through with it.
But then, I heard something. Voices.
I peeked through the door to see who it was and was shocked to see Megumi's dad laughing and KISSING a woman.
I felt embarrassed at the thought of trespassing on Megumi's parents like that. But when the woman spoke, she didn't sound like Mrs. Takani at all.
In fact, it really isn't her.
About next chapter...
Hmmm... major changes are going to happen next! Actually that part about Megumi's parents just came out of the blue. I didn't plan that, but, it just seemed so brilliant to put it in there. Next Chapter, major confusion on Kaoru's part and Kenshin just might start being nicer and oh, what happened with Sayo and Sano. I guess that's it. I'm not saying more because I myself have no idea where this is going. No, actually I do, it just surprises me that's all. Weird, huh?
About this chapter...
About Kaoru's lack of enthusiasm about beautifying her looks, I think she's a bit like that in the anime' too. I mean, she goes on and on about how she's not ugly and there was even one episode when she said she thinks she's too cute. Ummm, well, I guess, Kaoru really wants to make herself beautiful (not that she isn't), but the problem is either (a) she has no time or (b) she doesn't know how. And that's why she's always teased as the sweaty tanuki by some people I know. In a way, she's like Hermione of Harry Potter. It's just not her priority. She thinks there are more important matters. In that aspect, we're the same. If I received money every time someone tells me that they want to give me a makeover, I'd be filthy rich. I get compliments like, "You're really cute and kinda sexy, if only you knew how to fix yourself." I get that everytime. And frankly, it's annoying. I have gotten by seventeen years of my life without the need to look cute, so, what's the fuss now?
Well, maybe I will, someday. And who knows even Kaoru here would realize that.
Advice
Someone asked for some advice regarding writing fics. I feel really flattered that anybody would want my opinion about their work. I know some other writers out there are way better than me, so thank you. All I could say is that enjoy what you're doing and you'll be suprised by the results. And oh, take your time. But, don't take too much time. Make every chapter the best it could be. I know readers want the writers to update more quickly but if doing so would jeoperdize your work, forget it. It's not worth it. If you do, you might end up not only disappointing your audience but also yourself. Just relax, enjoy Make every chapter worth the wait.
Believe it or not, I'm actually hanging on to this story I'm reading. The author hadn't updated for nearly a year, But I check out her story periodically. (I could be very patient sometimes) My biggest disappontment was when my favorite authoress discontinued what she was writing and just deleted the story altogether. It's sad.
some blah...
On my first fic, there were a lot of typos, wrong grammar and the plot was a bit confusing. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that someone is reading what I'm writing, that someone was actually hanging on. As long as I know someone's interested, I don't stop.
yada...yada...yada...
I actually didn't expect for this story to have good response. It's really awesome what you guys say about this story. It helps me get through the dull days. I'm sorry if I'm taking so much space with my babbling. I haven't talked (like really, as in talk) to anyone for nearly a month. Yes, me and my sad existance. Hehe... well, I hope you guys hang on. And please review. Seriously, I need it.
