Chapter Five-Lunch Time, aka Story time.
"As you two know this is Aoshi Shinomori. Aoshi, this is Megumi and Misao. Girls, Aoshi's father and mine are long time friends so now they wish that Aoshi and I continue the same relationship that they have. So from now on Aoshi will be eating lunch with us until he decides not to."
"Yeah, the Ice-man has decided that he will be Kao-chan's best friend from now on."
"Sorry Sagara, do you already fill that position?"
"Aoshi, Sano," I growled in a warning, "I can't always baby-sit you two like this, so stop it." Watching the two of them act like this was frustrating. I threw up my hands. "Misao, Megumi, will one of you or perhaps the pair of you like to deal with these block heads for the rest of the day?"
"I would! I would! I will! Leave it to me Kaoru-chan and things will be safe in my hands!" She blushed when she realized how loud she's just been. Anxiously she turned and looked and Aoshi and Sano to realize that they were still occupied in their heated glare battle.
"Thanks Misao I knew I could count on you."
"Kaoru, since when have you started using terms like 'block heads?'" Megumi asked while popping a piece of tempura into her mouth.
I laughed and rubbed my cheeks in embarrassment, sure that they had turned red. "I think I must be picking it up from Kenshin. He uses strange sayings like that all the time." It seemed like Kenshin's name was the magic word, used to break the spell that still bound the boys.
"When was the last time you saw Ken?" Megumi asked, as I could swear the fox ears popped on top of her head and she glanced at Sano for a chance to make him jealous.
" Yeah, when was Himura around last?"
"Well, I think it was about two weeks ago. He came over and we went to the park with a packed lunch and a pair of kites. It was fun. By the way he asked that I tell you guys that he said hi." I continued eating, oblivious to Aoshi's questioning glance.
"What she is neglecting to mention is that Kenshin Himura is her long time crush and may be the love of her life," Megumi stated in a teasing tone.
"Ha! That is so true. Kaoru, how long have you been in love with Himura?" Misao just had to continue to add her two cents worth.
Sure that I was blushing brighter than a cherry tomato, I tried to reply, "I am not in love with Kenshin. He is one of my oldest friends and I admire him very much."
"Old is right, Aoshi, this guy they are talking about, he's cool and all, but he is old. He is like twenty-seven or twenty-eight."
"Your father allows you to be friends with people of that…age?" Aoshi looked a little more than confused for a split second before he steeled his features into something more passive.
"He's not that old! Besides, it's not as though Dad has much choice in who my friends are. I mean, would he really want me to be friends with Rooster-head here?" I jerked my thumb over at Sano.
"Hey! I resent that remark!"
"Don't you mean, you resemble that remark?"
"Weasel, don't get me started."
While they spent time arguing I told Aoshi a bit more about Kenshin. "One time I wandered out by myself after school, about…hmm…eight years ago? I was just ten and out of primary school. I went with some friends to an arcade and when it came time to go home, I found that I had left my things at school. I headed back and along the way saw a man sitting on a park bench seeming to be half a sleep. Curiosity got the better of me and I went to see if he was all right.
Turns out that he was just a graduate of medical school, in his first year of residency and had fallen asleep on the bench during one of his rare breaks. To thank me for my kindness he walked me to the school to collect my things since it was beginning to get dark and he said that no one should be out in the dark alone. I went home that day thinking that I would never see him again, but as it so happens my uncle came for a visit the next day and mentioned something about his 'baka denshi' being in town. My uncle told me that this baka was the only person that he had almost completely trained in his sword style and he asked me if I'd like to tag along and meet the baka.
So I went with my Uncle Hiko and you can only imagine my surprise when we met with Kenshin, the man from the park. Since then we have been good friends. And no matter what the others say, Kenshin and I are not romantically involved, nor are we ever likely to venture down that path. Right now he has a couple women that he's been dating, but I think he's getting to be really serious about this one, Tomoe. The only problem with that is the fact that she is all but engaged to a man by the name of Akira." I took a sip of my cold drink, and then took a deep breath as if I was going to continue, "That's pretty much the story of our friendship. Sorry the story took so long to tell."
"No, it is perfectly all right. I have some friends that I met in the most peculiar circumstances."
"Oh yeah? Please tell us. Tell the story Aoshi-sama!"
"Misao, did you just call Aoshi-san, Aoshi-sama? Oh hohoho! That is priceless!"
Misao had the decency to look a little ashamed as she quickly covered her mouth with both hands, and seeing as I was glad that she'd taken the attention away from me I was willing to cut her some slack.
"Guys, leave her alone. It was just a, uh, what was that Misao?"
Aoshi cut in, "It's odd that you should call me that Misao-san. My four friends that I was mentioning call me the same thing. Their reason behind it is linked to the story of how we all met. They were playmates for the Japanese-English Ambassador's son, and one day I was with my parents at a state function, met them, had an unforgettable experience, and made four great friends that insisted that I let them call me Aoshi-sama." Misao was about to try and pump him for more information when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
"Anyone up for something after school? I am thinking that we should show Aoshi some of the more interesting things to do here in Tokyo."
"Kaoru, we'll discuss this in class. For now, it's time to go. We will be seeing you later Aoshi-san. Bye Rooster head. Come along Misao." Megumi took the lead as Misao and I followed her to our next class, sparing the boys only a moment for a wave good-bye.
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"Kaoru, I know that there is more than you are letting on about everything. Rooster head may be your best friend, but there is only so much a boy can read. I on the other hand," I watched as Megumi threw her hair over her shoulder, "am quite intuitive and have a sense about me. Now spill. It's just you and me and whatever random patient comes into the office."
Megumi and I somehow landed nurse office aids the same period. It works for Megumi because she wants to be a doctor some day and even helps out our local doctor on the weekends, but for me, I think it's just a way to instill some patience in me. My teachers all love my enthusiasm, yet all comment that at times they wish I would just settle down. So here I was cornered in a position that would allow Megumi to grill me for the next hour.
"Well, do you remember that funny anime we used to watch, the one that led to us meeting Misao?"
"Ranma? I think I still have a poster of that somewhere in my room. Why?"
"Well, last night I experienced a little scene from that particular anime. My dad engaged me to his friend's son, who in this case happens to be Aoshi-"
"Oh my goodness. Really? No way. Your dad wouldn't do that would he? When you get married, I demand to be a bridesmaid. Here I thought that you would marry Ken-san. Oh wow."
"Megumi, stop doing your Misao act for a moment. We aren't getting married. We are simply trying to bind our time until our dads regain some semblance of sanity before we make them change their minds. It is simply ridiculous." I spun around to face her. "And you may not, I repeat, may not tell anyone, especially Misao about this. Sano knows because my dad said he could be there for the announcement. Megumi, you know that I don't know anything about stuff like being a wife or even a girlfriend, what is my dad thinking?" I sighed, and so did she.
"I don't know Kaoru. I don't know."
AN: Do you think that Kaoru should end up with Aoshi, Sano, or Wild Card. Let me know and maybe I will get this finally finished.