Chapter Three- Hasn't this been done before?
Disclaimer: This is the last one. I don't own RK.
After showing him the entire house, I decided to show him our dojo then proceed to the gardens. All of a sudden Sano smashed his fist into his hand. "I know who you are, you're the new kid at school. 'jou-chan this is the jerk everyone's been salivating over." This seemed to stop all further movement.
"Sano! That's not a nice way of saying things." I glared at Sano. "I apologize for my friend's outburst, he's just jealous that all the students, well, mostly all the female students at our school show a preference to you over him."
"Whatever 'jou-chan. It's just because he's new, give it a month, then we'll see who's one with the ladies Kaoru."
"I don't like the attention." I quickly turned my head to catch Aoshi utter the last word of his sentence. His voice was soft as if rarely used.
"It's okay. Like Sano says, hopefully the interest will wear off soon." I giggled, "Although I don't think he'll ever be that popular with 'the ladies' as he refers to them."
Aoshi nodded while Sano glared at me. "So why have you transferred to our school?" For some reason I wanted this boy to open up. I think it was mostly because my voice hurt so much from being the only one talking. Normally the title of endless chatter belonged to Misao.
"My father."
"Is that it? Do you miss your old school? What about your friends?"
"Were the girls cute at your old school?" I whacked Sano for that comment. "You were quizzing him so I thought I might as well ask."
"Whatever. Sorry Shinomori-san for quizzing you. If I ask too much, please tell me. I'm curious.
"I don't normally talk much." Sano and I exchanged glances of bewilderment. Aoshi let a breathless sigh escape his lips. "I assume that I might make an exception. But first let me ask you a few questions."
"I guess that's fair. Go ahead, fire away."
"Do you know why my father and I are here?"
"Truthfully no, but I'd like to know."
"I think I know, but we'll know for sure soon enough. Are you and Sagara seeing one another?"
He and I looked at one another and burst out laughing. Sano answered for the both of us. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It might just help me if I knew."
"Nope, Kao-chan is like a little sister to me. Besides she'd never be able to admit how in love with me she is seeing how stubborn she is."
I scoffed. "Yeah, Sano. 'I want you; I need you; oh baby; oh baby.'" I turned back to Aoshi, "Any more questions?"
"Are you persuasive when it comes to your dad?"
"Not really, he's strict with me."
"Kaoru, are you crazy?" Sano turned from me to Aoshi. "She has so much leeway with her dad and pretty much everyone she knows. This girl just doesn't take advantage of her amazing abilities."
"Hush Sano," I was sure I was blushing. "I just have very kind friends. You included."
"Okay, I'm done with the questions. I would tell you what they had to do with our visit, but it would deem hopeless." Aoshi then seemed to visibly draw within himself and create a shell. It was creepy to say the least.
"First question. Why don't you talk much? Is that why you don't like all the attention? Would you like to have lunch with me and my friends until you find people you'd prefer to sit with?"
"I never had a need to talk much. I don't like the attention because that makes it hard to do what I want to do. I don't want to be a burden on you or your friends."
"Misao-chan and Megumi would love to have your company and Sano?" I turned to him questioningly.
"Huh?" He had taken to chewing on a piece of fish bone leftover from last night's dinner. "What was that?"
"Would you like to have Shinomori-san sit with us at lunch?"
"Aoshi, please."
"Pardon me?"
"Call me Aoshi."
"Sure Aoshi. Call me Kaoru, or if you're daring, Kao-chan." I smiled at him. "So what do you say Sagara?"
"I don't mind. Maybe some cute girls will be willing to sit with us if we have Mr. Mysterious sit with us."
"Hey! Are you saying that Misao, Megumi, and I are not cute!" I looked at Sano daringly with my fist in his face.
"Whatever. In the immortal words of Yahiko, 'busu.'"
"Sano, run." The warning that Sano got came from Aoshi, not me as I began to chase after him. We quickly arrived at the dojo and I ran inside and grabbed my practice sword. I was planning on ramming it into his skull when we heard laughter. Sano stopped and I stood right next to him. We both turned to Aoshi, the origin of the noise.
"Hey ice man, aren't you melting the cold façade that's been in place all day?"
"Sano, when did you learn that what façade means? I thought that your head was too thick to let anything in?" I started to poke his head to as if prove my point.
" 'jou-chan. Don't push it." My dad chose that moment to walk around the corner with Shinomori-san, Aoshi's father behind him.
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We were all seated at the low table in the parlor room. The two fathers sat on one side, while I sat between Sano and Aoshi on the opposite side.
"Kamiya are you sure that you want that boy to be here during this," Shinomori paused as if searching for a word, "revelation?"
"Yes, Sano may stay. Children, I know you are very curious as to why we have all gathered here. Although you may not know it, Shinomori and I are long time friends and have know each other since grade school. We both opened our first dojo together but since have pursued other interests. Shinomori deals with major business corporations and handles most of the legal aspects of each. I on the other hand chose to continue with the dojos, opening a chain and continue teaching part-time."
Shinomori looked at us and nodded, and I turned to Sano and Aoshi to see if they had a clue as to where this conversation was leading. Aoshi sat there as still as a stone, where as I could read Sano's emotions, yet he didn't look anywhere as confused as I was feeling at that moment. My father continued, and I noticed Tae slip through the door. "When Aoshi-kun was born Shinomori and I decided to make a pack to allow our future progeny the opportunity to continue the friendship that we share. That day we decided that the Shinomori-Kamiya lines would be forever tied together. The only question was how. So far my wife and I had been blessed with no children and with her failing health I was more concerned with her than a pact."
"The answer came in you, Kaoru. One day your mother announced to the two families that she was and had been pregnant for some time. When you were born, you were a beautiful baby girl. You made your parents very proud. I decided and your parents agreed that when you and my son were old enough, you would be told of the arrangement."
"So Aoshi-san and I only have to be friends?" I let out a relieved breath of air. "I thought that something awful had happened to make you two come together like this and announce all this history and story about 'the pact.'"
"I don't think they're finished Kaoru-san."
"Wha-?"
Sano put a firm hand on my arm. "Just let them finish Kaoru."
Shinomori nodded at the boys as if they were correct in their assumptions. It was, however, my father who continued talking. "The day you were born Kaoru, we decided that the Kamiya and Shinomori lines would be joined together by marriage. From this day forth, Kamiya Kaoru and Shinomori Aoshi, you are engaged to be married."