THE IMPOSSIBLE

By: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though. No stealing please.

A side story to WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It becomes almost impossible to take care of such a demanding individual, how can one possibly make the heart love instead of hate even with an attitude like that?

Warnings: None. Please enjoy

Chapter 3: - School-

Hiko had been a bit concerned about where to place him for school. First, he had sent Kenshin to a common school close by, so as not to draw too much attention to him. He wanted the child to grow up like a normal kid, with normal friends, instead of having friends that were all stuck up snobs.

That didn't quite work. In fact, it was the opposite: Kenshin made more enemies than friends.

One day he had just returned home without telling anyone at the school. He was found later in his bedroom, curled in the corner.

The next school he went to was a public school, where everyone had to wear uniforms. Hiko liked that thought: no one could question his expensive outfits like they had in the recent school the child had attended. But this time, Kenshin was teased because of his red hair and his status that he had no mother or father. He came home crying every day.

By the third school in that same year, Kenshin was tired of having people make fun of him. He instead tried to make friends using the money that he owned. That didn't work: he made no true friends at all.

Hiko pulled him out of that school right away, and had settled for the time being with a private tutor. Unfortunately, that did not go as expected. Kenshin, tired of all the switching, was reduced again, to his silence.

Nakamura fixed Kenshin's t-shirt. "You have got to behave, Kenshin. I don't want you throwing your crayons at your tutor again, do you hear me?"
Kenshin stuck out his bottom lip. "I don't like him. He doesn't like me."

Namakura ruffled his hair. "Of course he likes you, silly. Everyone should, you're a charm." She hoisted him off the bed.

He stared up at her with those beseeching purple eyes. "I want to make friends, Nakamura-san……."

She stopped her administrations before taking him by the hand. "You will make friends Kenshin. I promise you. Now, come along." She led him to the ballroom, where his instructor sat by the piano, waiting for him.

Heaving a sigh, the child came over. For Nakamura-san, he'd go on his best behavior………but he refused to talk.

Nakamura-san, on the other hand, made her way to Hiko's study. He was engrossed in books, and had his laptop on. He looked up when she entered. "I'm busy." He told her.

"I'm worried." She shot back.

He leaned back wearily, rubbing at his temples. "What is it this time?"

"It's Kenshin."

"The brat again?" Hiko mused fondly. "What has he done this time?" It was rather amusing to hear that Kenshin had argued with his teacher that 1 + 1 3.

Nakamura leaned against the doorway. "I'm really sorry for interrupting you, Hiko-san, but I am really afraid that Kenshin will grow up eccentric. He told me he wants to make friends."

Hiko scowled. "Obviously, people don't want to make friends with him."

Nakamura rolled a shoulder. "Perhaps he will fit in with those who are already like him. It is better that way, so that he can't be teased and he can't be alienated." She waved her hand in the direction of the ballroom. "You gave him a private tutor, so give him a private school, where only a child of his class should be."

She made sense.

And so, that was what it all boiled down to.

"Himura Kenshin."

He always wondered why his name wasn't like his Uncle's or like Nakamura's. For a little while he had begun to believe that they were his real parents, but Hiko had been clear about who his parents were. He wasn't about to lie to the kid.

Nakamura had always told him that he was a very special little boy: that his mother loved him very much, and his father loved him so much as to give him to his Uncle for keeping. They were gone now – and Kenshin could hardly remember them.

It was a private school this time: the topmost pristine school there was. It was called Kojimachi Private Institute. Or something like that. Kenshin couldn't read the kanji writing but Nakamura-san had told him all about it.

He was dressed in black shorts, a red tie and a white collared shirt that held the symbol of the school displayed proudly. Everyone else in the class had the same clothing, except the girls had skirts instead of shorts.

He had always liked the first day of school. He smiled widely at the sea of people looking at him.

"Class, I'd like to introduce to you Himura Kenshin, our newest pupil."

Ceremoniously, everyone rose in their seats and bowed. "Good morning Himura-san."

Kenshin's smile widened. He shyly nodded back.

He made up his mind: he liked this school better than the rest of his other ones……… they all seemed….well….. like him…….

He enjoyed his first days at school – he always tried to make a fresh start. This time, he was determined to make it through. He had made up his mind.

He sat next to a boy who was biting his pencil thoughtfully. He had chocolate brown eyes and hair that was combed back neatly. His front two teeth were missing already. His fingers were drumming the desk. It fascinated Kenshin to see someone fidgeting so much.

Kenshin gave him a shy smile, wondering if he should speak first. The boy did first though, blinking at him earnestly.

"What does your father do for a living?" he demanded.

Taken aback, Kenshin replied the only thing he knew. "My father is dead."

"Your mother?"

"Dead too."

"Oh………" The boy once again started drumming his fingers on the table. "Your name isn't familiar."

Kenshin smiled again. "I live with my Uncle, Hiko Seijuro."

The boy finally nodded. "Oh."

Faltering, Kenshin took out a pencil of his own, identical to the boy's sitting next to him. He took out a sheet of paper too.

"That means you're the richest kid here."

Kenshin shrugged. He liked the sound of that, but he wondered whether or not it would be accepted in that school, or used as something to throw against him. He kept silent, not sure if his response might make someone upset. The boy grinned.

He pulled his pencil out of his mouth; the blue wood had teeth marks. "My name is Sagara Sanosuke. But everyone just calls me Sano." He put his hands together and grinned up at the teacher as she walked by to check and see if the students were doing work. They were supposed to be writing the newest Kanji character she put on the board: water.

Kenshin already knew it, so he carefully wrote the symbol, making sure all lines connected. His tutor had told him that if they weren't connected, the character would make no sense.

Sanosuke leaned over. "I'll be turning 6 this November." He whispered excitedly. "Mom says she's going to get me my own computer at last."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. He remembered his Uncle had one in his room, and that he was always on it. All of a sudden, he felt jealousy rip through him: he wanted a computer too! He bit his lip, glancing away. He all of a sudden didn't want to become friends with his seatmate.

However, during art class, his mind changed.

They were asked to draw a photo of themselves, and what they wanted to be when they were older.

Really bad at art, Kenshin made a sloppy drawing of a boy who had one short arm and one incredibly long one, a lopsided smile and two pebble eyes. His legs were extremely short and it was all distorted. He hesitated when he was going to color the hair of his image red. He realized that red hair had never done him any service. He picked up the yellow crayon.

All of a sudden, Sanosuke dropped the red crayon onto Kenshin's desk. "I think you should use this instead."

Kenshin blinked his purple eyes up at him in confusion.

"Red hair – not yellow hair. You'd look weird with yellow hair." Sanosuke explained.

Kenshin made a face. "I don't like my red hair." He answered quietly, evenly. He was a short - tempered child and he didn't like people telling him what to do.

Sano shrugged. "I like it. I don't see anything wrong with it."

He couldn't help but stare. Had he just heard right? That was the first time anybody at any school had said that about his hair. Usually, the comments were about how rare red hair was. He felt an uncertain smile touch his lips. "Really?"

"Yeah. I think it's cool."

Sano slid back into his seat, intent on scribbling away at his picture. If Kenshin thought his was bad, his seatmate's was worse.

That night, Kenshin couldn't go to sleep. Nakamura-san hadn't been feeling well, and so she had retired to be early. Uncle Hiko was busy as usual, and so, he couldn't sit by Kenshin's bedside.

The child decided that if no one would come to him, he would go to them.

He peered into the room where Uncle Hiko sat reading blearily from a fat text. He tried to hide his glare. "Kenshin, what are you still doing up? You have school tomorrow."

Kenshin pushed the door the rest of the way open, sliding in. He was dressed in blue pajamas, with dark blue lines going down horizontally. His red hair fell up to behind his ears. He nervously played with his hands.

"Can I stay here with you?" He asked in a small voice. "I'm scared."

Hiko sighed, and allowed the child to clamber up onto his lap. He rested his big hand on Kenshin's head, ruffling his hair fondly. Kenshin leaned back against his Uncle's chest, putting his small arms around his neck.
Silence settled comfortably as Kenshin watched the elder read. "Uncle Hiko, I made a friend today."

His Uncle grunted his acknowledgement. "Really."

"His name is Sano. He's going to be my best friend."

"That's nice."

"He's getting a computer." His nephew said. "I want a computer too."

"When you're older." Hiko told him. Kenshin pouted and was about to complain but his Uncle shot him a warning look. He fell silent again.

Finally, when he closed the book, he asked Kenshin, "Do you like your new school? Are you happy in it?"

Kenshin yawned and rubbed an eye tiredly. "Yes. Thank you Uncle Hiko. You're the best." He hugged his Uncle as he got up to get Kenshin into bed. "You'll always be my favorite."

Hiko smiled. So the kid could have a rotten attitude sometimes, but he was sweet. At least it showed that he was raising him in a right way. He pat the child's back, giving Kenshin a small squeeze in return. "Thanks, Kenshin. You'll always….be my little boy." He said quietly.

He was just putting Kenshin into bed, when he heard a scream echo down the hall.

Not a second later, the red lights of emergency were flashing and a loud beeping sound began to screech.

His ears picked it up: he knew that voice. It was Nakamura!

She must have pressed the emergency button.

Kenshin awoke, and began to cry.

Someone burst into the room, a panicked look on his face. "Sir! There's an emergency! Udo Jineh has broken into the building!"

To Be Continued….

AN: I wanted to write a little piece that shows how Kenshin did have his troubles in school and that he wasn't always the popular kid. Also, to show you just how close his Uncle and he were when he was a little boy. I hope you guys liked it. Please review!

Thanks for reading,

-Chiki