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Orphan's Paradise
By: Mystic Song
Chapter 5 – On the Lake
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7:03 am. Daylight filtered through the locked windows and flooded the room, seeping through the curtain and splaying across a sleeping girl. Kaoru smiled sweetly and enjoyed the moment; the clean linens, the enormous room, the warm comforter, the pretty decorations, the bright colors, the door quietly inching open, someone sneaking into her room….
Suddenly Kaoru remembered the incident last night when her window slammed shut. She could have sworn that somebody was watching her. Was this the same person? She squeaked and sat up straight in her bed. "Who's there?" Kaoru demanded.
"Aw, man!" Misao whined, leaping onto the bed. "How did you know I was in here?"
Kaoru eased back into the pillows and let a smile surface. "I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't staring at the door." She looked sideways at Misao. "Hey Misao, were you outside my room last night?" She prayed she was.
"Um….no. Don't think so. I don't usually come on this side of the hallway since Himura's room is right next door." Misao replied casually. "Why?"
Kaoru felt uneasy. Kenshin was sleeping in the next bedroom over? She had a nasty feeling that Kenshin was the one outside her window. "Um, no reason, really. I just thought I heard someone, that's all."
Misao smiled, knowing that there was more to the story that probably did have to deal with Himura. But she didn't want to press things. Instead she jumped off the bed and tugged at Kaoru's arm. "Well, come on, Kaoru! I told you we were going to spend all day on the lake. Let's go!"
Kaoru smiled and pushed herself off the bed. She had never been on the lake before, and it looked so pretty from the house! Kaoru looked at Misao, who was dressed in a cute, triangular top bikini with orange and yellow stripes and matching boy bottoms. It definitely showed Misao's jovial side.
Kaoru looked wearily at her closet, wondering what kind of swimsuit she'd find. She walked in, glanced around the hangers and finally approached the dresser. Pulling open the top dresser drawer, she found two neatly folded bathing suits. One was a black, skimpy string bikini. The other a sportier one with the same cut as Misao's but was black with light blue flower prints. Kaoru opted for the second one.
Kaoru looked back at Misao. "Come on! Time's a wastin'!" She called back, brimming with excitement.
"But I still have to take a shower." Kaoru said uncertainly.
"You're gonna be in the lake all day!" Misao giggled, "Now get dressed, I've got some sunscreen down at the pier."
Kaoru shook her head, Misao could be so hyper. She stepped into the bathroom and changed into the bikini. She glanced over at the mirror and found her reflection to be quite attractive. Kaoru was fit with a few curves, and the bathing suit just highlighted every good aspect of her body. She smiled and pulled her hair into a tighter ponytail. This was going to be a fun day. She stepped out of the bathroom and smiled at Misao who whistled playfully.
"That looks good on you, Kaoru." Misao complimented while heading towards the bedroom door.
"Thanks," she said modestly, following Misao out of the room. They walked barefoot down the steps and through the glass doors where there was a sitting room. There was a back door to that room where they stepped out onto a patio and walked across the grass and onto the pier.
It was hot outside, though a gentle breeze kept Kaoru cool. She sat cross-legged on the pier, grabbing a nearby bottle of lotion and spreading it across her body. She then stretched out her legs to dip her feet in the water. It was neither too cold nor too hot but rather refreshing. She leaned back on her arms and let the sun warm her as Misao lowered two skit jets from their lifts into the water.
"Have you ever ridden on one of these before?" Misao asked as she pulled the jet skis around the pier and closer to Kaoru.
Kaoru laughed. "I've never left the city in all my life." Misao looked at her in disbelief. "My mother died in childbirth, and my father raised me in this small apartment. He used to teach me sword fighting in his free time. But he became very sick, so sick that I couldn't take care of him anymore. Yumi, the caretaker of the orphanage, took me in and made arrangements for me to live there when my father died." Kaoru explained.
"Yumi?" Misao asked, "Why, she took me in, too. But I was never around. I snuck out so often that Yumi became so frustrated she just stopped acknowledging me. But when the opportunity came, she couldn't wait to get rid of me. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, really. I got to meet my Aoshi-sama. He has taught me so much."
'That's why I never saw her around.' Kaoru concluded. She looked up at Misao, folded her arms and gave a 'hmph.' She pushed herself off the ground so she could stand next to Misao by the jet skis. "Too bad I can't learn anything from Kenshin Himura. He was so rude to me last night."
Misao giggled. "Trust me, Kaoru. I've never seen him act like that in all the time I've been here. You not only impressed him, you astounded him!"
"But I didn't do anything!" Kaoru complained.
Misao tossed Kaoru a sleek black lifejacket that looked as stylish as a lifejacket could get. She looped her arms through and zippered up the front as Misao mounted her jet ski. Misao then reached out her hand and steadied Kaoru as she mounted the other Jet Ski.
"Hey, don't be complaining." Misao advised once Kaoru was seated. "You should be flattered. I would like to see how he acts around you tomorrow since we won't be around for dinner tonight."
"Just what are we doing today?" Kaoru asked curiously.
"I'll show you around first. Then we'll stop and get some lunch. I grabbed some clothes and put them in that cubbyhole in the Jet Ski as well as a pair of sunglasses. After lunch we'll meet some friends on their boat to go tubing. Don't worry about them; they're good friends of Aoshi, too. We'll probably have dinner on their boat, so we probably won't get back until late."
Kaoru smiled. "Now how do I start this thing?"
"Push the button and then use the lever on the handle for gas." Misao did such, accelerating to the end of the cove, performing a tight turn and came back, beckoning Kaoru to follow.
Kaoru pushed the button and lurched forward. She was surprised and let go of the handle. Trying again, she gently accelerated, going slow. So slow that the tip of the jet ski rose until it became almost perpendicular with the water.
Misao laughed, speeding out of the cove. "You have to go faster for it to level out!" She called back.
Kaoru concentrated on going faster and soon leveled out, feeling the wind brush through her hair.
"That's it!" Misao cheered, standing from her idle jet ski and pumping her fist into the air.
Kaoru grinned wickedly and accelerated towards Misao, swerving in front of her at the last second and sending a wave of water in Misao's direction.
"Oh no you didn't!" Misao called out, wiping the water from her face and tossing her wet braid over her shoulder.
She chased after Kaoru, weaving around her and jumping the waves in her wake. Kaoru caught a couple of Misao's waves and launched into the air, cheering as she went.
Misao smiled broadly. "You're really getting the hang of this! Let's go out to the main water so we can jump the waves of some bigger boats!"
Kaoru nodded and zoomed along side of Misao, catching glimpses of the locals stretched out on the piers or putting along in their boats.
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Kenshin pushed himself out of bed, feeling even more tired than when he went to bed the night before. It had been like that now for the past few nights actually. He was exhausted but afraid to close his eyes because once he did; he was plagued by the images of Tome's mutilated body and of Akira's horrified face. His mind was racked with Tomoe's scream of terror and pain and of Akira's strangled cry. Their last moments would forever be replayed in his mind. Kenshin couldn't help but feel guilty. He was the intended victim but somehow became the twisted victor.
Kenshin's darker self kept him going, reminding him that Tomoe had purposefully seduced him to use him. And that Akira was hired to attack Kenshin, and did not just appear out of a jealous rage. They knew what they were getting into and had no other choice but to face whatever consequences may come, even if it meant death.
But the nightmares….
How could one ever forget such a heartbreak. Such a calamity.
He slowly walked towards the bathroom, peeling his clothes off along the way. He then stepped into the lavish bathroom and flipped on the shower. He stepped inside and stood stiffly beneath the heavy pounding of the burning water. Slowly, he let it unfurl him, let it relax his muscles and wash away his nightmares.
True, it was important that his image needed saving. But more importantly, his conscience needed saving. He needed someone who could revive him back to his cheerful self, someone that could make him smile again. Someone that could let him love again, despite the consequences of the press and the public.
Kenshin finished getting dressed and walked downstairs. He passed through the glass doors and the family room, plastering a fake smile on his face when his servants looked up at him in awe. He crossed into the dining room, taking a seat next to Sanosuke.
"Wow did you sleep in late." Sano greeted Kenshin with a mouthful of toast.
Kenshin smiled and ordered his breakfast. "What time is it?" Kenshin asked.
"11:30." Sanosuke replied.
He was right, that was pretty late for him. "Well, that's pretty early for you."
Sano shrugged. "Megumi came barging into my room this morning wondering where the two misses were. I couldn't sleep after that."
A worried look crossed Kenshin's face. "You mean Misao and Kaoru-san? Where are they?" He had the sudden image of a strangled Misao and maimed Kaoru cross his mind.
"They took two of the jet skis and are somewhere out on the lake. They're fine. The press won't know about her until tomorrow morning."
"But what if something happens to them out there?"
Sano laughed. "Geez are you acting like an overprotective parent. C'mon, Kenshin, it's Misao. She wouldn't let anything happen to Jou-chan. And they're probably with Okon and Omasu. They're all ninjas, they'll be fine."
Kenshin finished his breakfast uneasily. There were too many questions unanswered for it to be safe to let his guest roam about freely outside.
"I think I'm going to go bring her back." Kenshin said decidedly just as his breakfast was brought out.
"Are you serious?" Sano sputtered. "Just let her have some fun, Kenshin. She deserves the right to enjoy herself. She's a headstrong girl, she'll be alright. After last night she needs to have a fun day."
"What do you mean?" Kenshin asked defensively.
"Well, it didn't help that you didn't greet her yesterday when she arrived. And then at dinner she felt left out and humiliated. You, well I don't know what you did. You didn't quite ignore her since you were staring at her the entire time, but you didn't acknowledge her either. And last night, she was so on edge that she screamed when I knocked on her door. She's frightened of you, Kenshin. You need to fix that, or else she won't be able to do anything to help your image, if that's all you care about." Sano said heatedly.
Kenshin bowed his head so that his bangs covered his amber eyes. "My image is not what I care about. It's what Hiko and Shishio care about. I just don't want what happened to Tomoe happen to Kaoru." And with that he stood up decisively from the table.
A strong arm held him back. "No, Kenshin. Don't. She would be hurt even more if you ruined her day out." Sano said.
"But I will not let her stay out for an entire day when we don't know who is out there to get me. For all we know, he may already know that Kaoru is here." Kenshin replied, his voice deep and dark.
"Well, at least let Jou-chan enjoy her afternoon. You can go looking for her in a few hours if you still feel so strongly against it. But I warn you, Kenshin, that this might hurt her more than help her."
Kenshin nodded curtly and sat down roughly to finish his breakfast, an awkward silence resting between him and Sanosuke.
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"Thank you for coming, Gohei." A sinister voice greeted in darkness.
A burly man bowed. "Of course, anything to help you."
The man in the dark gave a leering smile. "That girl has arrived on the Himura estate. I believe you may find her out on the lake. You know what to do."
Gohei shouldered a camera bag and bowed one last time, exiting the dark room.
The man shrouded in darkness laughed maliciously, walking towards a window that overlooked the lake. Outside he could see two young women on jet skis chasing each other as they headed out towards the open, unprotected waters.
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Kaoru was airborne at the moment, a surprised expression on her face. A speed boat had just passed her and she had crossed its wake, shooting her up into the air. She could hear Misao laughing nearby as she accelerated to jump the same wake.
Just as Kaoru landed, Misao sailed past, standing on the Jet Ski, braid whipping behind her. Misao landed with a small splash and circled towards Kaoru.
"Do you want to get some lunch?" Misao asked. They had been out for a few hours and their fuel tanks were getting low. "There's a place nearby with a gas station and a little restaurant."
"Sounds good." Kaoru nodded and took off after Misao across the main water and towards a cove.
There was a bridge up ahead with a 'No Wake' sign above it. Kaoru pulled up next to Misao and drifted underneath the bridge.
"How are we going to pay?" Kaoru asked as they putted along through the no wake zone. "I didn't think you had any money on you."
"I don't." Misao answered. "But this place has a tab that I can use. You see, these jet skis are unique. All the locals know they belong to the Himura Estate because of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Company logo on the front."
Kaoru leaned forward to look at the logo; two crossed swords with Hiten Mitsurugi written underneath in Japanese characters. "Well don't people get suspicious if we're going out in public on Himura's jet skis?"
Misao shrugged. "Not most the time. See that dock over there? That Jet Ski belongs to a retired actor, but he never takes it out. It's not often that you find somebody famous out here."
Kaoru nodded and followed Misao to a pier several meters away from the no wake zone. A man a few years old than them stood on the pier, arms outstretched to pull their jet skis alongside the boards. He steadied their Jet Skis as Kaoru and Misao dismounted onto the pier, tying the jet skis to the side.
"Will this go on Himura-san's tab?" The man asked, eyeing the logo on the jet ski.
Misao nodded. "That's right. We're going to go get something to eat real quick." She reached down into the cubbyhole of their jet skis and retrieved some clothes and their sunglasses.
"Your jet skis will be fueled and ready to go by the time you get back." The man reassured them.
Misao waved her thanks as they headed up the ramp to the restaurant. Outside the door, Misao handed Kaoru a pair of flip flops, her sunglasses, and a skirt. She slipped them on easily and put the sunglasses atop her wind swept hair in an effort to make it look presentable. Misao pulled on the same and together they stepped into the restaurant and stepped up to the counter.
"Hi," Misao greeted the girl behind the counter, "I would like a chili cheese dog. Hey Kaoru, what do you want?"
Kaoru glanced at the menu against the walk quickly. "Um, a bacon and cheese dog."
Misao repeated it to the girl behind the counter and asked for an additional order of cheesy fries and asked to put it on Himura's tab. A few passersby looked at Misao quizzically but didn't say anything. The girl behind the counter gave Misao a number and Misao and Kaoru sat down at a seat by the window that overlooked their two jet skis.
Misao stuck the plastic number on a stand in the middle of the table. "The food here is really good, even though they only serve hamburgers and hot dogs."
"I can tell." Kaoru said, "There are certainly a lot of people here for such a small place."
Misao nodded in agreement and glanced around the room. "Oh no," she murmured, looking at a brusque looking man on the other side of the room. "Why is he here?"
"Who?" Kaoru asked curiously, searching for the man Misao was looking at.
Misao jerked her head at the bar towards the window. The man was so surly that Kaoru couldn't miss him. "Who is he?"
"His name is Gohei, and he's with the press. Good thing they don't know about you yet. But I guess it couldn't hurt, it's not like Himura or Aoshi is around so they wouldn't suspect you." Misao whispered.
Kaoru looked uneasily. "I don't want do anything to ruin Kenshin's image before I even get the chance to fix it." Kaoru imagined the next day's tabloids announcing a false accusation to Kaoru and Kenshin's relationship.
"Just keep low and don't draw attention, that's all. It shouldn't be hard." Misao said with a wink. Kaoru didn't doubt her; after all, she was a ninja.
The food was brought out then. The two girls ate it quickly, one because they were starving, and two because they wanted to get out of there as soon as they could. Misao kept one eye on Gohei and another eye on the door.
"Kaoru," she whispered as Gohei looked around. "Quick, duck underneath the table."
Kaoru grabbed a cup full of French fries smothered with cheese and dipped beneath the table.
"What's going on?" She whispered. The floor wasn't especially clean and Kaoru didn't like crouching in tight places, especially if the ceiling had gum stuck to it.
She heard Misao gasp. "Uh oh, he saw me! Just keep quiet, I think he's coming over here."
As if on cue, heavy footsteps headed over to their table. All Kaoru could see was a pair of sandals and some very hairy, very ugly feet with pieces of fuzz stuck between the toes. Kaoru had the extreme urge to gag but chose not to since the man was standing right next to their table.
"I thought I saw you outside, Misao." The man said in a deep scratchy voice.
"It's Makimachi-san to you." She greeted coldly. "And what brings the likes of you all the way out here. You usually stay on the other end of the lake."
"I got a hunch that something is going down over here and I thought I'd check it out. Looking for something new." Gohei said gruffly. "By the way, I thought I saw another girl with you. Is she here? I'd like to meet her." The explicit undertones made Kaoru cringe.
"She's not here at the moment, sorry." Misao replied, avoiding eye contact.
"Oh but she was!" Gohei laughed. "Her food is still here."
"Well unless you want to go hunt for her in the ladies' room, you won't find her here. Now if you don't mind, I would like to finish eating in peace." Misao said, her words as sharp as ice.
Gohei laughed again. "Maybe I will go and check the ladies' room, thank you." And with that he walked off towards the bathroom.
Misao growled. "Isn't he suspicious? Come on, Kaoru. We're leaving."
Kaoru ducked out from beneath the table and crept out the front doors with Misao, leaving their trash on the table. Together they ran down to the pier and hastily untied their jet skis, zooming through the no wake zone and out of the cove.
"Should we return to the house?" Kaoru asked, still dressed in her flip flops and skirt and putting the sunglasses on her face.
Misao shook her head, zipping through the water. "No, he's probably even more suspicious now. He'll want to check out the estate next. But no worries, we'll just meet up with Okon and Omasu a little sooner than we had planned."
Kaoru nodded and followed Misao out to the main water and down stretches of water that they had passed through on their way there. They were pushing 55 mph zooming past mansions and catching the amused stares of passing boats. It wasn't long until they passed the cove in which the Himura Estate was in.
"It's not much longer…." Misao advised, standing on her jet ski and looking out ahead. Kaoru did the same. Misao abruptly swerved to the left, cutting in front of Kaoru who smashed into her wake. "Sorry!" Misao called back, slowing down to see if Kaoru was okay.
Kaoru smiled, water dripping from her hair. "That's what I get for splashing you earlier." She laughed.
Misao smiled too and beckoned Kaoru to follow her through an overhanging of trees that shielded this stretch of water from view. "The Aoiya is back here. This is where Aoshi and I train with the other ninjas. We're going to meet Okon and Omasu here and then go out tubing."
"Wouldn't that be risky?" Kaoru asked as they slowly made their way down the water.
"Everything is risky, Kaoru." Misao grinned, "But we're going tubing in this secluded place that's further down in front of us. He won't be able to find us."
"How do you know?" Kaoru asked, though it wasn't so much as a question as she was just smart-mouthing Misao.
Misao grinned wickedly. "Us girls go skinny dipping all the time out here. Believe me, if Gohei knew where this was, we would have noticed."
Kaoru laughed and looked up into the dense trees. It was so lovely and it smelled so nice. She looked out ahead and noticed what seemed to be an enormous log cabin and outdoor pavilion. There was a dock up ahead with a few boats and jet skis as well.
"This," Misao introduced, standing up on her jet ski, "Is the Aoiya."
They pulled up onto the dock and secured their jet skis. The atmosphere was pleasing and inviting. They walked up a path that lead up to the house and knocked on the back door. Kaoru made out two women approach the glass dressed in bikinis.
"Misao!" One said, throwing the door open wide. "You're early!"
The other smiled warmly at Kaoru. "You must be Kaoru. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Omasu, and she's Okon."
"Okon, you'll never guess who we saw!" Misao said, waving her hands in the air.
Okon smiled. "Who did you see? Not that Gohei…."
Both Kaoru and Misao nodded. "He was eating at the same place we were." Kaoru said.
"And I think he's suspicious of Kaoru!" Misao cried as if an entire plan were blown. Even Okon and Omasu exchanged worried glances.
"Well at least you two are safe here. Does Himura know where you are?" Okon asked.
Misao shook her head.
Omasu hissed. "He's not going to like that one bit. Let's just hope he doesn't know about Gohei."
Misao nodded energetically.
"Excuse me for asking," Kaoru but in guiltily, "But what would happen if Gohei knew about me before he should?"
Okon and Omasu stepped outside of the house and walked towards the dock. "Well, Gohei is a brute. He takes his work to heart and likes to sabotage anyone he can. He tried to do it to Misao last year, but Aoshi stepped in and settled things."
"By breaking his nose." Misao added cheerfully.
Omasu smiled and continued, "You see, he can use anything to manipulate you. Your clothes, your age, your background, anything. So it's better to let Megumi-san and Sanosuke-san do the talking and let them introduce you rather than having Gohei introduce you to the public."
"If Gohei did it, it would appear like some huge affair. That's not what Kenshin needs." Okon added helpfully.
Kaoru nodded, "Okay. I think I understand." But Kaoru still felt left in the dark. She didn't like the idea of being some girl that would just be shown off to the world. She didn't like the idea of being used. But at least Misao was around to make life fun. Kaoru wondered what it was like for Misao to endure all this by herself. Kaoru didn't think she could handle it.
Okon and Omasu had arrived at a boat with large tubes tied to the back. They lowered the boat into the water with Misao and Kaoru inside before jumping in the boat themselves. Okon took the wheel and steered the boat out of the dock and up stream to where this secluded lake was.
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Kenshin stepped into a pair of swimming trunks and quickly exited the house. He had waited for three hours for the two girls' arrival and he was beginning to get a bad feeling. He swiftly made a direct path to his own jet ski. It had a white base with purple and gold stripes lining the side and his company logo spread on a red background.
Wasting no time and leaving his life jacket on the pier, he jumped on his jet ski and rushed out of the cove. There were a few boats around, and Kenshin quickly glanced around to see if any of them belonged to the Aoiya. He wasn't sure if Kaoru and Misao would still be on jet skis, or if they had already met up with Okon and Omasu.
Not recognizing any of the boats, he took a sharp turn to the left towards the Aoiya. He sped off, glancing for the hidden entrance to the Aoiya. He hadn't visited there via Jet Ski in a long time and prayed that he still recognized the entrance. Behind him he heard the insistent hum of a motor boat. It was unusual that it was going in the same direction as him since the buoys forbade tubing and fishing past Kenshin's cove.
He made a sharp turn to face the boat, acting as if he were to catch its wake. But the top was covered and he couldn't see the driver. There was a window in the back, but he was too low to see it. He circled the boat, which slowed immediately, and Kenshin jumped its wake, shooting high enough to see through the window. What he saw made his blood turn cold.
It was Gohei Hiruma: one of the nastiest photographers for the tabloids he had ever met, and one of the most ruthless as well. Kenshin could always be optimistic and think that Gohei was simply passing through the area. But Kenshin learned that it was more dangerous to be optimistic than pessimistic.
Kenshin quickly turned back towards his house, and the boat turned around to follow him. Kenshin's gut feeling was immediately confirmed; Gohei must suspect something different in the Himura Estate, or else he wouldn't risk being so close to Kenshin's property.
Kenshin could either turn around to go back to his house, which would make him seem even more suspicious, or try to out run Gohei, which almost everybody did on a daily basis.
Kenshin decided to do the latter. Lucky for Kenshin, Gohei attempted to enter the cove, leaving him very little room to maneuver.
Taking a tight turn, Kenshin quickly slipped past Gohei's boat. It would take a few minutes just for Gohei to turn around. Kenshin zoomed off and headed around a bend, the hidden entrance to the Aoiya just a few meters away. But he couldn't leave any marks that indicated he had gone through those branches, or else Gohei would follow.
Kenshin sped past the entrance, leaving a wake that turned another bend. Then he turned off his engine, praying that Gohei was still trying to maneuver his boat out of the tight corner he had put himself in. Kenshin hastily paddled towards the overhanging that covered the hidden entrance, leaving a very small ripple that quickly dissolved. Just as he let the branches droop around him, Gohei's boat rounded the bend and followed the previous wake marks Kenshin had made.
Once the boat was out of view, Kenshin flipped on his engine and sped off towards the Aoiya. 'Those girls have a lot of explaining to do.'
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A/N: Sorry for the wait, I got back from the beach a couple days ago and my brain is still on vacation. Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner than this….it's not quite finished yet but will be soon enough.
Please R & R!
