Disclaimer 1: Rurouni Kenshin and characters © Nobuhiro Watsuki, ViZ Comics (Shonen Jump), Fuji TV, Studio Gallop, Studio DEEN, and other parties whom have claimed Rurouni Kenshin as their own
Disclaimer 2: Any other fictional characters © Eileen Setiawan and other aliases she assumes (H-san, hina-chan, etc)
Disclaimer 3: I do not endorse this product as official. This will not be used for profit or in any way derogatory to the series. This is only for the sole purposes of killing time and boredom (and study time).
Author's Note: And chapter 3. I know what you're all thinking: here it comes, the "Tomoe" obsessed side of Enishi. But, what's an Enishi story without it?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BREAKING THE ICE
The Story of a Tormented Boy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nearly two decades ago, an eleven-year-old boy watched as his sister died at the hands of the infamous Hitokiri Battousai, an assassin and his brother-in-law. Believing that Battousai had purposefully intended to murder his sister, he sought to gain Jinchuu, believing that his hands must punish this hitokiri, as the heavens had not yet given the justice he believed his sister deserved. He spent many years loathing Battousai, this hatred consuming him. Slowly, when he gained both power and wealth, he planned his final stage of revenge. His final act of Jinchuu.
But all did not go to plan.
After facing loss by the hands of Battousai, now known as Kenshin, Enishi Yukishiro was captured by police. As he boarded the ship bound to his life in prison, Kaoru, Kenshin's dearest, gave to him a diary belonging to that of his sister: Tomoe Yukishiro. In it, revealed to him was the truth. The truth of his sister, the sharp taste of reality, and a deep, disheartening despair; however, there was also hope. Hope that one day he would be able to finally grasp the sense of closure that was triggered through Tomoe's diary. With this in mind, he jumped the ship and swam all the way to Tokyo, with only the clothes on his back and Tomoe's diary as his belongings. He reached the Village of Lost Souls, and there he met a kindly man named Oibore. He remained with him for two years, recuperating and grasping the truth behind Tomoe's words.
It is now the 13th year of Meiji.
Enishi had a few moments to himself as his meal was being prepared. In that time, his mind wandered to his sister and the diary. The words, her words, scrawled along the paper's surface seemed so little, yet held such wonder.
Tomoe was like that: she gave the world a quality that no one else could ever bring. Despite Enishi knowing that Tomoe was happy for him now that he had come to his senses, another part of him, that part that despised Battousai still, longed for Tomoe's smile. Not a smile from beyond the grave. But a real smile.
The smile he longed for most.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3: The Scent of White Plum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You know him, you know him, you know him, you know him…" Sakura repeated the three words over and over in a singsong voice, annoying and embarrassing Hatoha at the same time.
"Sakura-chan…" groaned Hatoha, giving Sakura a disparaging look.
"Well you do!" came her childish reply, her voice still holding that singsong quality.
Hatoha sighed awkwardly, warming up the sake for Enishi. Sakura had been poking fun at her all the time they had been making the meal, and despite the task taking a short while, it was still highly embarrassing, as she knew that Gendo, Sakura's father and her boss, was listening in on the conversation. He just hoped he would not intervene.
"So, Hatoha's got herself a lover, eh?" questioned Gendo, waltzing over with bowl and cup in hand. He filled the cup with sake and bowl with beef hotpot and then turned to Hatoha. "Guess this means you gotta do the serving eh?"
"Hah? Wha?" stuttered Hatoha, completely stumped as to how the matter had sunk into this.
She heard a familiar laugh behind her… or two familiar laughs. A sweat drop forming and sliding down the back of her head, she turned to see Mikara and Sakura, mother and daughter, laughing, their hands over their mouths and their eyes closed in foxlike mischievousness.
As she carried the tray with beef hotpot and sake on it towards the customer's tables, she sighed, glancing back at the family, who were all laughing the same. The whole family was out to get her.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Uhm… sir?" came Hatoha's meek voice.
Enishi looked up, seeing the familiar face from yesterday. She worked in this restaurant, that much was obvious. "I've already been served."
"Hai, it's just that, I've got your meal," she said meekly.
Enishi once again peered at her. "Where's the other woman?" he asked, wondering why she was there in her stead.
"Ano… she's… preoccupied with family matters," lied Hatoha, setting down Enishi's tray. "I apologise for the inconvenience. I usually work out back. I'm… not used to customers."
"That's okay," he said, that charming smile crossing his face once again. Now he knew who she was: that girl from yesterday. "I take it you got home okay."
"Huh?" came her reply.
"Yesterday, you were running away from some men. I take it you got home okay," repeated Enishi.
The girl smiled, bowing low. "Yes, and thankyou sir. Enjoy your meal."
Enishi nodded, sipping the sake and opening the lid to the hotpot. As he began to eat, she walked away, her scent caught in the wind that wafted in through the door. Enishi stopped. That smell was… so familiar.
"Wait," he said, so suddenly that even he did not know what he was saying. She stopped short, turning to him with a puzzled look on his face.
"G – Gomen… is there something wrong?" she asked, concerned. This reaction was strange to her. Everyone loved the beef hotpot.
"Your scent," came Enishi's voice.
"My…" trailed Hatoha.
"What… what is it?" asked Enishi.
Hatoha blinked, clueless. She then looked to her hand, realising what he meant.
"White Tea and Bamboo," she said, wondering why he needed to know.
The customer went silent for some time, as if lulling this over.
"Gomen. You can go now," he said, his voice dismissive.
Hatoha bowed once again, turned on her heels, and left the customer, her saviour, to eat and drink as he pleased.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Enishi ate the beef hotpot his mind brooded. He could have sworn he smelt White Plum. White Tea… was it the same? Why did it bother him so much? Trying to shake the thoughts of memories, he sipped the sake, closing his eyes as he felt the warm wine wash his throat. Opening his eyes, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his forefinger, leaning his head on his palm as he brooded once more.
There was something… about that smell… that seemed so familiar to Tomoe.
Tomoe…
Why did everything remind him of her? Yet, he still yearned for the real her: her real smile, her real scent, her warm embrace…
He felt that part of him that hated Battousai swell in his chest. A deep black monster of hate. Swallowing another sip of sake, he let it settle before getting back to his meal.
He would enjoy this meal with peace.
Even if that meant having to forget his sister for that time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Hatoha walked back to the kitchen, she pondered over her saviour's strong reaction to her scent. Did it repulse him? Was it because he disliked foreign smells? She tentatively pulled a lock from her side, placing it behind her ear. As she continued walking to the kitchen, she could clearly hear the other three talking inside.
"Ano… Gendo-dono…" came Hatoha's meek voice through the window opening.
The family turned to her. Gendo invited her in, which Hatoha obliged to most willingly. Although, another part of her knew she was going to be interrogated. As she entered, closing the door behind her, Mikara approached her, her face one of impish recognition.
"So… who is he?" she asked, eager for Hatoha's response.
Hatoha sighed. The truth was better than complete lies. "I met him yesterday," she said trying to sound dismissive. She knew this would come back to haunt her some day.
"Oh Hatoha-chan, you little vixen!" came Mikara's response, although her expression had not changed.
It seemed 'some day' was today.
"He saved me from a group of thugs, it's nothing special," explained Hatoha.
"Oh, Hatoha-chan has a knight in shining armour!" gushed Sakura, blushing at the thought. Mikara also held the same wistful expression, both girls holding hands.
"Well," began Gendo. "If you want my opinion," he continued. Hatoha knew her boss well: his opinion, as he believed, was highly regarded. In most cases they were, but in this case, Hatoha would rather have sunk to the bottom of a nearby river than hear his opinion on men. "A man who can protect a girl is worth having. Especially one that looks as menacing as him."
Hatoha sighed as both daughter and wife nodded, agreeing with Gendo's opinion.
"Do we really have to talk about this?" muttered Hatoha. Her mind had already forgotten about the strange incident between her and her saviour.