A/N: Hello everyone! Yes, I'm already updating the second chapter, but I can't help it! I'm already in love with this story!
Oh, don't worry, I'll continue my other stories!
Note: Everyone, PLEASE REVIEW! I'm getting around 342352436464354236 hits while I'm getting around 3 review :(
PLEASE BE KIND AND REVIEW:)
LAZY BUTTS!
Yeah…OR, OR ELSE I'LL NOT….um…UPDATE IN A LOOOOONG LONG TIME!
OR I'll not continue at all! How 'bout that! (evil grin)
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Dear Diary
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Chapter 1 – Daily Life
Kaoru lay sleepily with her belly face down on the mattress of her apartment bed. Her thoughts and movements occupied, she furiously scribbled down the last personal thoughts in her diary entry with her favorite azure gel-pen. Then, once done scanning the writings with her sapphire eyes in an editing touch, she finished off the bundle of individual opinions, judgments, and reflections on life with a neat signature of her name and happily slapped the little diary closed, then placed it secretly under the hidden compartments of her mattress in which the little book was kept hidden from greedy eyes.
And as if on cue, a polite knock was sounded on her door just as soon as she had re-hidden her precious journal. She quickly readjusted on her bed and fell into a more relaxed position before answering the gentle tap on the wood with a small 'come in!'
Almost sheepish to be in her presence, the red head on the opposite side of the door hesitated before opening the entry way to her room, but only just enough to peek a curious violet eye in, and then followed his head, once he judged that all was well enough to, at the least, poke his head in.
"Ma'am, breakfast is ready."
Kaoru groaned as she took a pillow from behind her and chucked it at her door harshly in attempts to wallop her violet eyed assistant with the cushion, but to her dismay, his quick reflexes aided him with a simple close of the door and then another additional simple action of re-opening it in an almost mocking nonchalant manner.
"Kenshin, I've told you I don't know how many times to stop. Calling. Me. Ma'am.! For Pete sake, you're older than me!"
Her shy assistant, Kenshin, only chortled and nodded in understanding.
"Yes, I know, but only by a year and eighteen days!"
Kaoru just nodded her head half heartedly before pushing herself off her bed and onto her feet with a small stretch of her cramped limbs, and a scratch at her side. She yawned slightly in unison with her morning stretching while slipping on her fluffy yellow duck slippers placed loyally by her bed side, that also matched her flannel ducky pajama tops and pant bottoms.
As she glided her heavy feet across the carpeting of her room and to the exit, she thanked Kenshin as politely as she could while he held the door for her, fighting against the curse of her hatred for early mornings. While Kenshin seemed to be just the opposite. He was quite the early bird. Always up a the crack of dawn and prepared for even the world to end, if possible.
Kaoru couldn't help but snort. She wouldn't be surprised if Kenshin would be prepared for the word to end. He was prepared for almost anything. While he hopped about the kitchen in all his sun shining glory, humming a little tune with his melodic voice and pouring her much desired coffee with his skill full hands, Kaoru had managed to drag her protesting body over to the counter top and plop herself lazily on one of her chair-stools.
She scanned the kitchen in a daze and found that her laptop was still placed on the countertop, from where she'd left it the night before. Fatigue rearing its ugly head, Kaoru sloppily reached for the laptop but was stopped when a masculine palm caught her own slender one.
"Ah, ah, ah. I don't think so. You've already stressed yourself out enough yesterday. Today, you take a break."
Kenshin's voice was soft, but scolding. Kaoru groaned at his almost torturous demand while griping for the coffee he handed to her in exchange for the computer. Deciding that she had a firm grasp on the mug handle, Kenshin jolted over to the refrigerator and grabbed a small pitcher of cream and brought it over to Kaoru with the compliments of a spoon while then zipping off to fetch the sugar.
While Kaoru had accomplished to pour the right amount of cream into her coffee for once, and stir it at least a third in with the rest of the hot beverage as a bonus achievement that luck-filled morning, Kenshin had thrived in fetching her sugar, returning the cream pitcher to the fridge, place her share of the pancakes onto a plate and even pour the right amount of maple syrup onto the steamy cakes as well.
While Kaoru finished stirring in the rest of her desired amount of sugar into her life-support drink, Kenshin discarded of the apron that was previously tied around his waist and filled the hot frying pan full of water and also delivered a flourishing performance of a delicious looking breakfast.
Kaoru only stared at the steaming breakfast pastries with a lazy gaze, taking small, extended sips of her coffee in between her staring. And while she stared at her breakfast, Kenshin stared at her.
He stood loyally by the countertop with his hands laced in with each other, waiting patiently for her approval of his hardy work. He didn't voice it out, but it pleased him dearly to see her delight in his accomplishments. With her prolonging silence, his heart slowly sank down in his chest as his proud violet eyes drooped.
"You're…not happy with the meal?"
With his voice, Kaoru seemed to snap out of her trance while she quickly lowered the coffee mug from her lips and jerked to him, choking on her coffee that was already heading down her throat, in the process. Coughing slightly from the unwanted liquid in her lungs, Kaoru fervently tried to reassure her helper of his false inquiries.
The gentle pat on her back had helped quite a bit, and once she had managed to gain her breath back, she quickly used that time to correct the red head.
"No, no. I was just wondering exactly how you manage to just…do all of this like it's a piece of cake."
His first assumption, along with his slightly injured expression washed away from his face while a look of slight surprise proceeded over his features.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Kaoru snorted as she placed her cheek in the palm of her hand that was propped up by her elbow. Looking down at her coffee and stirring it unenthusiastically with her spoon, she answered him.
"How you get up in the morning, how you cook breakfast, do laundry, clean up, everything. You're so good with working! You're the work type, and yet you're 'working' for me and not getting paid, while I'm looking for work to get paid. It just puzzles me."
Kaoru shook her head in an obvious clue that she had given up on trying to figure out exactly how his mind worked. Kenshin only returned her chatter with a chuckle as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Kaoru. You must understand that, for one, enjoy working here. Besides, I need to pay you back, remember?"
Using her name was something that happened maybe once a week and Kaoru wasn't used to hearing him use her name. But the way he said it, there was just this ring in his tone that couldn't help but bring a smile onto her face.
"Kenshin, that was before we became friends. You've been living here how long?"
"Three years this coming December."
"Exactly." Kaoru nodded as if to exemplify her point. "You see, in the beginning it was just paying off your share of the rent. But you see, you've done that and even more so, to boot!"
Kenshin only shook his head in disagreement.
"You forget, Ma'am. Two people live in this apartment, so two people share the burden of paying the rent."
Kenshin corrected her with a flick of his finger and a small tease with the much hated 'ma'am' while Kaoru simple glared at him and continued on sipping her coffee in annoyance.
"Stubborn mule."
Kaoru's small mutter didn't go unheard as she thought. With a small grin, Kenshin swayed onto the other side of the counter and pushed the fresh plate of pancakes toward Kaoru.
"Now dig in."
Kaoru rolled her eyes at him and snatched the fork he had presented to her and answered him with an irritated stab of the pancakes from her fork. Which if wanted, could be used for a weapon. Just to be safe, Kenshin edged away from her with a small step.
One could never be too cautious. Kaoru with a fork and an addition of early mornings were a positive chemical ingredients for an exploding recipe.
"M-miss, I could hail a cab if you like!"
Kenshin held his hand high in the air in proclamation of proof to back up his word while he quickly trotted after the fast walking girl in front of him, pushing past people to keep his eye on her while also muttering speedy apologies to the people who'd retort back to him about not shoving and to watch where he was going.
Finally breaking through the crowd of people that had swarmed against him, Kenshin had to make an emergency break before he did a face plant into the back of the one he was desperately trying to keep up with.
"Two. Years!"
Kenshin blinked in mystification as she held up two of her fingers, not turning to face him. But quickly change her mind with a whipping of her body and the irritated pose with one hand on her hip.
"Two years you've been living in the same apartment as me, and you still call me 'ma'am' or 'miss'. I swear to god, Kenshin, one of these days I'm going to strangle you!"
Kaoru snuffed and turned around once more in a huff before quickly picking up her pace once more, working her way up the busy side walk of New York City. Kenshin stood there for a few seconds with a blank expression before quickly springing into a sprint to catch up with her, a tiny grin on his face while his eyes caught the beam that Kaoru had, most likely, unconsciously flashed.
"But…But--"
Catching up with her once more, he was cut off with another abrupt stop, this time for a crossing of the street, before quickly returning to his fast pace in order to stay hot on the heels of his irritated superior.
"Kenshin, you're my roommate not my slave!"
Kaoru spoke hotly over her shoulder, not giving him the luxury of looking at her face fully, and giving him the small hint of the cold shoulder. Kenshin ended up with a small pout and a knitting of his eye brows as he stopped for merely a moment, then quickly caught back up with her.
"Hey, I don't call you master, do I?"
Kaoru snorted and waved her hand at him.
"Just about!"
"Hey, you know that's not true!"
Kaoru grunted in sarcasm and spared a small glance to a large, familiar music department building before turning back to the hustling of the busy side-walk in front of her.
Wait a minute!
Quickly coming to a complete halt, Kaoru swiftly turned her gaze back to the reflection glass windows of the large sky scraper and scanned over the glass. Due to her sharp stop, Kenshin had nearly tripped over himself in means to break along with her and almost lost his balance in the process. But regaining his balance once more, he skittered over to where Kaoru stood.
"Why the sudden stop…?"
His question didn't seem to reach her as she continued to stare intensely at the large entrance of the department. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she quickly rushed over to the transparent glass door and pressed herself against it eagerly.
"There!"
Kenshin, quite lost at that particular moment, followed after her.
"What are you talking about?"
Kaoru pointed excitedly at a small plastic frame that held a sign, hanging neatly near the check in desk of the department's lobby.
'Replacement Secretary Needed'
Kaoru drew her bottom lip into her mouth excitedly as she shrieked.
"Finally!"
Suddenly pushing off of the glass of the door way, Kaoru wasted no time in rushing back the way she had come. On her normal run of the side walks to get a glance around what ever might be going on in New York that she just might happen to snatch a job with, she couldn't recall ever being as successful as that.
Kenshin was once again left in the dust of Kaoru's speedy withdrawals as he still remained pressed against the Music unit's glass structure. He sighed as he looked back at the paper just a moment more, then proceeded in his usual game of follow the leader until his mind finally registered what was written in the fine print below the advertised sign.
"Uh-oh…Ma-…Miss!"
Stumbling into a racing speed, Kenshin dashed after the ecstatic soon-to-be 21 year old girl. He desperately tried to weave his way through the current of people working against him, but was resulted with being knocked down by a much taller man then himself.
"Whoa there! Don't kill yourself!"
There was a certain mirth in the man's voice as he lent a hand to help Kenshin off from the degrading spot on the dirty concrete ground. Kenshin groaned and took his offer and was pulled up to his feet quite easily. Letting go of the friendly stranger's wrist, Kenshin took that time to dust off his pants and straighten out his shirt while fiddling with his hair that had became somewhat loose from it's clasp at his neck.
"Thank you."
Kenshin's expression of gratitude was forlorn, but his apology still held true to it's meaning. Looking up into welcoming cinnamon eyes with his violet, Kenshin got a curt but sociable nod from the man, now identified as a young man. He couldn't be older then Kenshin himself.
He lifted a tentative hand and threaded it through his thick brunette locks that stood in an upward fashion, jutting out in places, defying gravity in ways.
"Well, I hope I didn't delay ya too much. I was in a hurry m'self and I- Oh shoot!"
Glancing at the clumsily put on watch that was barely hanging onto his left wrist, the brunette became a frantic mess and quickly uttered his goodbyes then zipped off in a panicked rush in the opposite direction Kenshin was headed.
Kenshin watched as he dashed off and stared a moment before shaking his head and smiling slightly.
"What an odd fellow…! Oh yes!"
Quickly remember his own haste, Kenshin took no time in quickly shifting his gears into overdrive. He commented to himself mentally that he should seriously consider a speed policy when with Kaoru and on the side-walks.
"Oh Kenshin, it's the perfect job! All a secretary does is take notes and keep stuff organized! I can do that!"
Kaoru was pacing about the room with a glow in her eyes that just couldn't let Kenshin bring himself to tell her exactly what the paper had stated. He cherished her bright moments and always remembered to jot them down in his little diary.
But he knew he needed to tell her.
"You don't need to know all this scientific stuff, or any of the stuff I learned in college! I did tell you that I skipped first and second, right?"
Kaoru continued to rant off happily, continuously walking back and forth and Kenshin could have swore he saw some of the wood that was under the rug from her walking back and forth, wearing the carpet.
"Yes, and that you started college when 16, and ended just last year. I remember. But…Ma'am…"
Kaoru didn't notice his small intercede and continued to sputter jovially about her success at finally getting the chance of a simple job.
"M-Ma'am!…"
"And it's one of the biggest Music Seller Department of the whole region! That's big, Kenshin!"
Kenshin gave off a small sigh before taking it to 'desperate measures'.
"Kaoru!"
With that, as if the magical word, Kaoru ceased her pacing and stopped her chatting, along with the bonus of looking at him.
"What?"
Kenshin bit his lower lip sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head.
"The secretary spot for the job isn't just some run of the mill spot…"
Kaoru cocked her eye brow upward as she gazed at Kenshin, perplexed. Shrugging her shoulders imperturbably, Kaoru shifted her position so that her weight was more on one foot then the other, effecting her posture unsophisticatedly.
"So?"
Kenshin felt like slapping his forehead. Knowing this girl, she wasn't going to get the job. And if she did, by some miracle happening, she wouldn't come out alive.
"Ma'am, you have to-"
Kaoru growled as he used that name and Kenshin put his hands up apologetically.
"Sorry…But… you have to be the replacement of the Chief's secretary."
Kaoru's easy expression suddenly deadpanned. Her mouth hung slightly agape while her face slowly became a bit pale.
"…You mean…the boss ?"
Kenshin nodded.
"Yep. You've got to replace the secretary that was good enough to work right next to The Big Guy. The runner of the biggest Music Company…Miss, it's not going to be an easy task."
Kaoru had let the 'miss' escape her mind as she leaned against her counter for support. Slowly she brought her hand up to rub her forehead. After a couple moments of an uncomfortable silence, Kaoru swiftly brought her hand down.
"I don't care. I'm going to do it. I'm going to walk in there and I'm going to say, 'I'm Kaoru Kamiya, and I'm here to earn my rightful place as Head Secretary!"
Kaoru held her chest up high and mighty, building up what ever confidence she could muster and she snuffed at the idea of other women just pushing her aside. She was a Kamiya! If there was any competitive players in the game, she was definitely not one to push aside!
While Kaoru continued to build herself up to the courage to face that of a fierce lion, Kenshin watched her from afar. He sighed as he let a sheepish smile slip onto his face.
If it wasn't her bubbly nature, innocents, or her determination, her fiery, competitive spirit was definitely something he marveled about his roommate. She never did seem to be the one to just give up.
Smiling to himself, Kenshin slowly let Kaoru build up on her own, retreating to his own room down the hall that bled into the living room. Quietly resigning to his bed, he reached under his mattress and retrieved a small key. With the small key clenched in his palm, he shifted over to his night stand and placed the key into the small key hole that was just above the handle of the small table's drawer and unlocked it. Placing the key safely back under his mattress and reaching into the open drawer, he drew out small book.
His book, unlike Kaoru's which was neatly and in mint condition, was battered and torn due to his use of it. His cover was a shabby strip of maroon leather while the binding was ready become detached. But due to his clever thinking, he had somehow threaded a few strands of string through the leather bind and the pages, saving it from it's almost assured detachment.
Smiling while fetching his pen from his stand, he opened up to his last written page and started to submit another entry to his spoiled diary pages.
Lendra-chan: Hi everyone! Hope you liked the second chapter!
REVIEW YOU LAZY BUTTS!
Or eeeeelse! (holds mouse arrow over the 'delete story' button)
No, no. But seriously guys, PLEASE review! For the sake of the story!
Let it Thrive!
Oh and, I need some help on just who to make Kaoru's boss.
Who should be Kaoru's Boss? –
Aoshi Shinomori
Or
Enishi Yukishiro
Please vote!…and that means REVIEW!