Author's note: Thank you, nes forreviewing my piece before it goes public. She did a great job in helping me to improve. Thank you.
Disclamer: I do not own any character in Rurounin Kenshin. I just borrowed them to improve my vocabulary and grammar.
"Morning, Kenshin. Breakfast is ready" Kaoru greeted Kenshin the moment he stepped out from his bedroom.
"Morning, Kaoru. There is no need for you to get up early to prepare breakfast for us" Kenshin said, amazed to find Kaoru, not usually known as a morning person, up this early. He walked to the dining table and found himself staring at a typical Japanese breakfast with rice, miso soup and omelet. "What time did you get up to prepare this?" Kenshin was curious.
"It doesn't take that long to prepare" She lied through her teeth. It was true that it should not take long to prepare a simple meal but Kaoru got up at 3.30 in morning to cook silently. By Kaoru's standard, it took her 3 hours to cook. She cooked on a trial and error basis. She was thankful that her final attempt on the omelet and miso soup worked out nicely before Kenshin woke up. She did not have problem with the rice as she successfully figured it out last night with much effort.
Kenshin sensed that she wasn't entirely honest with him but did not say much. He saw dark circles that should not be under her eyes. 'She either got up really early or she did not sleep well last night'
Kenshin had guessed both correctly. She kept worrying about destroying breakfast that for the rest of the night she mentally went through step by step procedures preparing breakfast as Misao had instructed. She barely slept due to all the anxiety.
"Hurry up. Clean up and have breakfast. I'll wake Sano up" Kaoru said, motioning Kenshin to the bathroom.
"Sano! Get up. It's sun rise already" Kaoru said, as she drew his curtain opened allowing the sun to shine in. Sano woke up, not pleased at the sight of a fusspot housewife and mother like Kaoru. "Kaoru, you can't just barge into a guy's room like that. What if I slept naked?" He tried to reason with her but she simple ignored his comment. 'Lock the door… Remember to lock the door…. Lock the door ' He chanted in his head.
"Breakfast is ready." She said and he immediately brightened up at the magic word.
They sat and ate their breakfast together. Both Kenshin and Sano were, again, amazed by Kaoru's ability to present an edible meal. They started to welcome the idea of Kaoru cooking for them.
"Kenshin, would it be alright if you ride with Sano until I manage to get myself a car?" Kaoru asked all of a sudden.
"Sure. Not a problem. You could use it as long as you want to" Kenshin smiled. In his mind he cracked his head thinking of how to get home as he did not wish to hang around wherever other than home with Sano after work. 'Taking the public transport would be an option. How difficult can it be?' Kenshin had never taken a public transport as long as he could remember.
"Thank you, Kenshin. You're great" She grinned and mentally started to plan her day ahead.
Sano looked at both of them. 'How come I don't get to say anything on matter? Why do I feel that I am invisible to the both of them? Maybe it is time for me to move out.'
XooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
"Here" She handed them each a bento lunch box as the guys were about to leave for work.
"Y-You made us lunch as well?" Kenshin asked astonished as he looked at his lunch box and back at her smiling face.
"Yes, it appears so. Now, hurry up and leave already or you'll be late" She opened the door and hurried them out of the apartment like a mother goose hurrying her duckling.
"Have a nice day at work" She waved to them before closing the door behind her.
"Kenshin, do you feel that we have just gotten ourselves a surrogate mother? It feels kinda weird" Sano had never taken lunch box to work. He had a mixed feeling of between grateful and shameful. He imagined how holding a nicely wrapped lunch box could destroy his image as the 'cool bachelor guy'.
Kenshin on the other hand grinned foolishly like he was the happiest guy in the entire universe.
XooooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
"Ok! Now, what should I do first? Ah yes, the dishes." She reminded herself of what was remnant of breakfast on the dining table. She would not even let the guys to bring the plates and cutleries to the kitchen – risk having them to open the trash bin to dispose the scrap food. She remembered the night before how Kenshin almost found out about her struggle. It was utmost embarrassing should they learned how hard had she tried to please them with her cooking skill.
Later, she pottered herself with household work. She even made Sano's bed. She did not realized how energy consuming housework could be till then. However, she did not stop no matter how exhausted she was as she had much more in mind to perform for the day.
XooooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooooX
Kenshin hid himself at the roof top to enjoy his first ever lunch box prepared by none other than sweet Kaoru. He did not want anybody, not even Sano, pry or interrupt his private time with his lunch box. The crank joke that the guys made in the morning was enough for the day.
He slowly and carefully unwrapped his bento box with a smirk. The lunch box had been wrapped and arranged with great care and delicacy. He did not know that Kaoru possessed the quality of a typical Japanese housewife. In which got him to wander why indeed Kaoru behaved like one. In the years that he had known her, she has never appeared to be a dainty lady. But it did not really mattered as he thought 'I can get used to this idea. For life'
A warm cozy feeling overwhelmed him as he ate his lunch basking in the sun.
He quickly answered his mobile phone when it rang. He knew very well who it was by the ringing tone.
"Kenshin, how's lunch?" Kaoru asked once the line was connected.
"It was great. Thank you for your effort" Kenshin looked at his lunch with his tendered-eyes/tender eyes.
She was enthralled at the tone of his voice. "What time will you be getting off work today? I will be heading the supermarket and I'll stop by to pick you up from work. How's does that sounds?"
"Sounds good. I'll see you at 5.30" Resolved Kenshin's problem of having to take a public transport. He hoped that there would be no case to stop him from leaving early for the day.
XoooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
God had been kind to Kenshin as another peaceful day had passed. Kaoru was already waiting for him in the car when he reached the front desk.
Kaoru moved over to the navigator seat as she saw Kenshin approaching. Kenshin got into the car, gave her a big smile before he pulled down hand break, stepped on the accelerator and speeded off.
XoooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
"Hey Sano? I just saw Kenshin drove off his car with a girl. Who is she? Was she the one who made the lunch boxes?" Asked a colleague.
'So, Jou Chan came to pick him up. Interesting progress….' Sano merely shrugged with a smile to his colleague.
XoooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
Kenshin liked how things were at the moment, driving his car with Kaoru next to him, who would occasionally throw him a glance and a whole lot of grocery bags behind them. They sat at a very comfortable silence. The idea that Kaoru came to pick him from work gave him sort of a light hearted feeling. He looked at the rear mirror and caught a glimpse of the bags of grocery which got him to ask her "What did you get from the supermarket?"
"Lots of food stuff" She was excited and contended with her purchase. She went on rattling on the item that she had bought for the household.
Kenshin nodded at every interval of her sentences until his mobile phone rang. "Hello?"
"Baka-deshi, I'm coming over for dinner tonight. Expect me by 8. Don't answer the phone while you are driving, baka." Hiko hung up after delivering his message. He did not even bother to give Kenshin the time to respond.
Kenshin lowered his phone with an unreadable expression on his face that Kaoru could not read.
"What's wrong Kenshin? Who was that?" She queried softly.
"My uncle is coming for dinner tonight." Uncertainty masked his face.
"Oh…" She began to understand Kenshin's facial expression. A sudden rushed blood flowed through her vein as she wasn't ready to have dinner with his uncle, not yet. She could not just walk away from tonight's dinner, either. Like or not, she had to meet Kenshin's uncle in person on this fateful night. 'Oh no… what am I going to cook? We are just having of spaghetti Bolognese tonight!' She panicked. She had actually pre-cooked the sauce before she went shopping so that she won't have to fumble with her inept cooking skill in front of Kenshin.
"Kenshin, I only have spaghetti tonight" She looked worried and pleaded for guidance from Kenshin.
"It's ok. He is not fussy about food" That was the least of worry he had in mind. 'I did not tell Hiko that Kaoru was here, did I? Things are getting a tad more complicated now.'
Kenshin brought his phone to level with his eye and dialed.
"Oi! Kenshin, my man. Want me to get my own dinner and don't come back for the night?" Sano teased the moment he brought mobile to his ears.
"On the contrary, Sano, Hiko'll be having dinner with us at 8. And could you please get some sake on your way back."
XooooooooooooXooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooX
Hiko was perturbed by Kenshin's call two days ago and decided to pay him a visit – so to check on him. It had been almost 3 weeks since he last saw him. He placed the phone receiver back to its place. He looked out the glass pane window behind where he was seated from his luxury 200 square feet office room. Baka, how many times I have I told him never to answer his call while he is driving?
Hiten Corporation's building stood tall in the heart of Tokyo. From the stock exchange board, Hiten Corporation was a conglomerate which involved itself in well diversified profitable business. Those who were associated with the underworld knew that there was more than what meets the naked eye. Hiten Group owned and ran by one of Japan most reputable yakuza – Seijiuro Hiko, the Managing Director. In short, Hiten Corporation involved itself in legal as well as illegal activities.
As Hiko's fingers strummed against his large oak office desk, his mind wandered of to his one and only son – Himura Kenshin. His son was the only living memory that his beloved, Himura Hitomi, left for him to keep. Kenshin carried so much of her features that Hiko saw her in Kenshin. He felt joy and yet pain stabbing his heart whenever he looked at his son. Regardless he loved his son dearly.
Hitomi was an ordinary girl with a love for peace. She was a social worker with simple needs even after she met Hiko. She knew of his occupation and did not despise him but what she did not expect was to fall in love with him. Cupid sometimes worked in a funny way. How did two people from different ends of the world find love and comfort with each other? As she was blinded by notion that 'with love, anything is possible', against all odds and her principles, she stood by him. Watched him took lives of others with a blink of an eye, with no mercy. Watched him bent the bidding rule of the law that was intent to keep the country's peace. Watched him gained his own interest at the expense of other's suffering. Because she loved him, she thought that she could slowly direct him to the virtue of righteousness. Because he loved her, she thought he would change for the better future.
All hope came crashing down into debris when his enemy made an attempt on her life to break him. She watched him massacred the entire gang because of her. Yes, love did wonders but not in the way she wanted to. She feared for him - what it would do to him should she died in the hands of his enemy. She feared for the growing fetus in her belly -this child will not get a chance to see the beautiful colours of the world. She and her unborn child was a burden to him. Reality sank into her when she realized that love alone would not ensure survival. Because she loved him, she left with her unborn child. She changed her identity and gave her child her maiden name to remind her of her roots.
A leopard would never lose it spots. A yakuza would remain a yakuza. No matter how much he wanted to change for the better, the people surrounding him would not let him turn over a new leaf. The life of what was precious to him was at a constant threat. His will to protect, his love for her, only made him stronger and more violent. There was no way of turning back to lead a normal ordinary life that she hoped for. When he found out that she had perished herself from his life, he practically turned over the entire Japan in searched for her but with no avail. He never stopped his search. Ironically he wished that he would never find her - if he didn't, neither would his enemies.
His quest ended six years later when a social worker called to inform him that a Madam Kahari Midori, his long distance cousin had died from a chronic illness and had requested specifically for him to be the guardian of her son, Himura Kenshin.
Hiko was devastated by the news of Hitomi's death. When he first took a look at Kenshin, he almost broke down in tears. He knew that Kenshin was his flesh and blood and he willed him to live on for sake of Kenshin – a product of his and Hitomi's love. He swore on Hitomi's grave that he would keep their son away from harm. To avoid having history to repeat itself, he distanced himself from Kenshin. He acted as Kenshin's guardian to only clothed and fed though he truly wanted to give the boy his fatherly love. He acted as if he could not give a damn about the boy when his world centred on Kenshin.
Hiko raised Kenshin in the small peaceful community at the outskirt of the Tokyo which city people almost never knew that the town existed. He placed Kenshin under the care his good friend's widow, Tae. She, like Hitomi, wished to rid herself from the underworld when she lost both her husband and son to the dark world. In a way, Kenshin's present had given her a reason to re-live the life she wanted most.
He kept Kenshin's existence as low as possible until Kenshin entered varsity in University of Tokyo. Kenshin's profile was captivating with his feminine features and flaming red hair. Moreover, Kenshin excelled in kendo ranking first in the country. Hiko had to erase all traces of Kenshin to him. After Kenshin graduated, Hiko bought him an apartment in a community which consisted of mostly retired folks. A community as such would be at least free from the underworld influence and hence facilitated Hiko to visit his son. He would not allow the world to recognize their blood ties. Not until when the time is ripe.
Hiko taught Kenshin martial arts for self defense purposes. He also taught Kenshin to wield a katana under the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Kenshin had a kind heart from his mother, therefore he was not worried that teaching Kenshin a deadly skill would rot Kenshin inwardly.
Like his mom, Kenshin loved the peace and quiet revolved around him. He joined the squad; as part of his contribution to maintain the city's peace. Members of the Special Squad Unit had a lower profile as compared to the police force. Thus, Hiko did not object. Hiko let out a small laugh at that thought. Even if Hiko was to object, that wouldn't change a thing. Kenshin did inherit Hiko's trait - stubbornness.
"Mr. Seijiuro?" The soft voice coming from his secretary brought Hiko back from his nostalgic reminiscence to present time. He turned to the voice and looked at her, gesturing her to continue.
"Mr. Seijuiro, your limo is waiting for you. It is time to leave for the function" She informed him.
He stood up straighten his suit and walked out his room with his secretary trailing behind him.
XoooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
Sano left headquarters immediately after the phone call. He stopped by the liquor shop to grab the highest quality sake. Hiko, the man with exquisite taste for sake, won't allow any sake other than the best to wet his lips.
Sano respected Hiko for he owed Hiko the life he was leading now. Sano was an orphan who felt that orphanage was imprisoning him. He escaped his so called prison when he was eight and rather lived on the street as a vagabond. He fended himself as shoe shiner and part-time pick-pocket. He was young and there was hardly any job that could be offered to his small hands. He understood the rational of survival and against his virtues, he picked pocket. He comforted himself into thinking that he was, like Robin Hood, only stole from the rich for the poor. In his case, he was the only poor kid to distribute the loot to. Occasionally, he acted a little more heroic and shared his scarcely gains with the needy, if his little stomach permits so.
Sano was trying to steal from Hiko when they first came to meet each other. Of course Sano did not know then that his targeted victim was 'the' Hiko Seijiuro. All he worried about was his growling stomach back then. Inevitably Hiko caught him red handed but decided to let him off the hook with 10,000 yen stuffed into his small hands. Sano looked at the money in hands and all of a sudden felt ashamed of his act. That was not how it was supposed to be, Sano thought to himself. Sano was supposed to fend for himself and not pitied by anyone. He felt insulted by Hiko and threw the money back at Hiko before he ran off.
Hiko was clearly taken aback and intrigued by the brown spiky head kid. Acted on impulse, he walked the direction where the kid had sprinted off. He found Sano's hideout place behind some dark alley. There were several other kids that took the alley as their home.
Hiko observed Sano sharing his slightly moldy miserable piece of bread with a scrawny looking kid who sat beside him. Both kids happily chatted away, oblivious to their poor and unhygienic living condition. The scrawny kid got up and started to walk to the deeper end of the alley when a gang of kids picked on him. The gang pushed the scrawny kid to the hard ground and started kicking him. Sano rushed himself to the scene when he heard the cries of the scrawny kid. Sano roughly threw his weight at kids that were bullying his friend. Much to Sano's dismay, the desired effect to throw the gang of kids of guard did not materialized as he was too light skinny. Sano then started to push and punch the other kids. Sano realized that there were just too many of them for him to fight off; therefore, he did the next best thing that he could think of. He protectively covered the crying kid on ground with his body and took most the kicks attacking from above.
Hiko was deeply touched by Sano's action. Sano reminded Hiko of his son who loved standing up for others and got himself into trouble. Both kids seemed to carry Hitomi's legacy; that is helping others regardless of their own ability to help out.
Hiko walked up the beating scene. His mere presence scared the other kids away. Hiko picked up Sano who had passed out, mostly due to hunger than beating while scrawny kid timidly looked at Hiko.
"Can you walk?" Hiko asked the scrawny kid.
"Y-Yes sir." The scrawny was trying to assess whether Hiko was the good or the bad guy.
"Come with me then" The scrawny kid concluded that Hiko had to be the good guy and obeyed Hiko's command. The three of them disappeared from the alley to the busy street.
When Sano opened his eyes, he was greeted by a girl with a pair of violet eyes looking very closely at him. Sano quickly shot up from his sleeping position which resulted in a head to head collision with the girl in front of him.
"Itai!" Both whined at the same time with their hands landing on where it pained in the head.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Sano looked at the girl questioningly while rubbing his head. He looked around the unfamiliar but yet comforting and warm room surrounding him.
"Hi. My name is Kenshin. Himura Kenshin and you are in my house. You have been sleeping for 2 days. It's about time you get up" Kenshin put out his right hand to Sano while his left hand still rubbing his head.
Confused by the voice that came out from the kid which he thought was a girl, Sano asked "Are you a girl or a boy?"
"I am boy, your dork! What's your name?" Kenshin laughed with his right hand still out waiting to meet Sano's.
"Er.. Sano. Sagara Sanosuke. Are you sure you are boy?" Sano took Kenshin's hand and that marked the beginning of their friendship and childhood under the cozy house.
Even though Hiko was harsh to Kenshin, somehow or rather Sano knew that Kenshin was of importance to Hiko. He saw the looked on Hiko's eyes whenever Hiko looked at Kenshin. Sano felt obligation to look over Kenshin's shoulder, partly to repay Hiko's kindness and partly because Kenshin was like a brother that he never had. Though, never in his life, Sano would admit it out loud that he loved Kenshin.
XoooooooooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
Hiko looked at his watch indicating him that it was already ten past seven. He looked around function hall at everyone that busied themselves with one another. He casually left the function hall unnoticed and headed to the underground parking lot to a black mazda. He took out a set of keys, manually unlocked the car and got in. Once he started the car's engine, he set off to some old folk community.
The sun had begun to set, people on the street would not see who was behind the wheel of the black mazda as the window and wind shield of the car was tainted. By the angry roaring sound of the car, it could only be assumed the car was owned by some punk kid.
XooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
"Kenshin, are you sure it is alright to serve your uncle just spaghetti and potato salad? Shouldn't we at least prepare a more typical Japanese meal for him?" Kaoru asked the tenth time that evening as she and Kenshin set the table.
"It will do just fine. Sano has got what he really wants – sake. Besides, it's too late for that, isn't it?" Kenshin reassured her with a smile.
"Oi! Kenshin. Want to guess what will he be driving this time?" Sano shouted from the balcony. He enjoyed watching out for signs of Hiko's arrival. Most of the time he was fascinated by the various vehicles that Hiko came with.
"What was it that he drove the last time? Dark blue Thunder Bird? Ok. I got for dark tainted car" He thought for a while before answering.
"That is not guessing. He always drives something dark and tainted" Sano chided.
Kaoru was confused by the whole conversation. 'Why did his Uncle keep coming with different cars?' She wondered brieflybut she made no attempt to ask. She looked at the clock almost striking eight. She was getting more and more nervous by the minute. She felt as though she in a girl-meet-boy's-parent- kind of situation, only, Kenshin was not her boyfriend.
"Ahh…. He is here. With a cool mazda." Sano thought for a while whether he could swap vehicle with Hiko. He highly doubted the possibility of swapping and walked back into the apartment.
Kaoru took a deep breath before she glanced at herself in a final check on her appearance. 'First impression matters a lot' She reminded herself.
Kenshin smiled at the sight of Kaoru's nervousness before he opened the door.
"Good evening, Shishou" Hiko just stepped at the front the door.
'Shishou?' Kaoru thought inwardly
"Evening, baka" Was Hiko's usual response. However his eyes widened at the sight a young woman as he walked into the apartment. He stared intensively at the young woman causing her to flinch slightly.
Sensing that Kaoru was uncomfortable, Kenshin introduced her, "This is Kamiya Kaoru. She was my junior in Tokyo U and she will be staying here with us for a while. Kaoru, this is my uncle, Hiko"
Kaoru bowed politely to Hiko. Hiko returned the gesture before he turned to Kenshin and raised one of his eyebrows in question.
It appeared to Kaoru that they were communicating without having exchange of words. She did not know what to do next but stood there like an idiot watching them exchanging glances.
"Good evening, Shishou. Nice car today. Let's eat already" Sano came to the rescue.
"Evening, Sano. Still hungry as ever, I presume. Didn't I feed you enough in your adolescent years?" Hiko broke eye contact with Kenshin. Sano merely grinned at the Hiko's remark.
The four settled themselves at the dining table and dined. It was a rather awkward atmosphere. Kenshin busied his eyes with an uncomfortable Kaoru who kept her head low and Hiko stared down at Kaoru playing with her food. While Sano looked forth and back at the three of them.
'Why is he looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with me?... I am sure that he doesn't know who I am. Wait a minute… you don't think that he might take a liking of me right? Stop these silly thoughts at once, Kaoru! That is so gross! Hm.. To come and think of it, Kenshin's uncle does look kinda young and good looking. I was expecting someone really old with lots of wrinkles'
"Is there something that you wish to tell me, Miss Kamiya?" Hiko snapped Kaoru from her trains of thoughts. Kaoru did not realize that she was looking straight at Hiko when she was deep in her thought.
"Yes. I want to know whether dinner is serving you well, sir. You hardly touch it. Would you like to have something else instead?" She quickly turned to her wit and poured more sake onto Hiko's cup.
"No. Dinner is lovely" To Kenshin and Sano's surprised, Hiko actually smiled to Kaoru. They have seen Hiko snickered but smile? Hardly. It even surprised them further when Hiko actually emptied the food in his plate.
XoooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooXoooooooooooooooooooX
Kaoru was relived that dinner didn't went as bad as she thought it would be as she cleaned up after dinner.
Hiko looked into the night from the balcony with his sake while Kenshin stood beside him.
"Have you told her?" Finally came the inevitable question that Kenshin had been expecting from Hiko.
"No, Shishou. Not yet"
"Baka. I can't even begin to comprehend what is going on in that little head of yours. This is a simple matter. Do not complicate it and make things worse. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Shishou" 'I agree that you would not be able to understand.' Kenshin finished the remaining sentence in his mind.
"Baka" Hiko sighed at the sight of Kenshin and sipped his sake. 'Is this what they mean by generation gap?' Hiko questioned himself before he turned around and walked to the kitchen where Kaoru was.
"Miss Kamiya, this old man here had too much to eat. Would you care to take a walk with me around the area?" Hiko politely requested.
"H-Hai" Kaoru clearly did not expect that. She wiped dry her hand with her apron and later pulled the apron over above her head.
Kenshin heard of Hiko's unusual request and offered, "Shishou, why don't I walk with you instead?"
Hiko ignored Kenshin and led Kaoru to the door. Kaoru gave one last look to Kenshin indicating 'It is alright' before she left with Hiko.
'Now what?' Kenshin was rubbing his temple.
XoooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
The evening breeze was soothing. With the proper lighting, the beautiful landscape of the compound would be viewed with much delight. It would be a lovely evening walk if it was someone else that Kaoru was walking with. Kaoru walked silently beside Hiko, unsure of what to say to this man.
"Kaoru, you don't mind me calling you by your first name, do you?" He broke the silence once he knew that they were out of sight from some prying read head from his balcony.
"Not at all, sir"
"Call me Hiko. 'Sir' seems too old for me" Hiko tried to break the tension between them. Kaoru merely nodded at his request.
"Tell me, Kaoru. Why are you here?"
"I just graduated…" Before she could complete her sentence, Hiko interrupted her.
"I heard that from Kenshin already, Kaoru. What I really want to know is your real purpose of being here?"
"………." Kaoru looked down at her hand in searched for an appropriate answer.
"I am aware of the crowd that surrounds Kenshin, Kaoru. You were raised and brought up in Kyoto under the care of the Shinomori, the co-owner of Aoiya International Hotel. They take good care of those under their wings. Meaning Kaoru, you should have no financial problem as Kenshin deemed that you do. You can always turn to Aioya Hotel, Tokyo. Why here with Kenshin? I highly doubt that you like staying in this community surrounded by majority of old folks. So, what is your purpose here?"
Seijiuro Hiko does live up to his reputation. What was I thinking that I could get away so easily? He knows so much about me already. Maybe he already knows my true identity. But that is quite unlikely. He already said so much, there is no reason for him to hold back. He would have told me straight in face if he did know. Kaoru analysed her situation but had yet to come up with a wistful answer. What am I supposed to say then? Tell him the truth and ruin all my plans? I don't think so. What am I supposed to say?
Both Hiko and Kaoru stopped walking. Hiko was facing Kaoru. He studied her facial expression and her involuntary action. She was clutching and twiddling her hands at the same time. She kept her head very low, avoiding any eye contact with Hiko.
Hiko put his arm around Kaoru to motion her to walk again. She was startled by sudden his move. Nevertheless she resumed walking with him.
"If you can't answer me now, it's ok. As long as you know what you are doing. But bear in mind, my dear girl, that paper cannot contain flame. Be careful with whatever plan you have in mind. You might get very frustrated if you continue to do what you are doing now." He patted her back.
Kaoru was very confused. Did he really know? In spite of, she was relieved that Hiko did not press on the topic further.
They walked for a little longer before Hiko directed them both back to his car. He bid his goodbye to Kaoru and looked up to find Kenshin watching them. He merely smirked at Kenshin before he entered his car and drove off.
Kaoru realized Hiko was not looking at her but behind her. She turned around and waved at Kenshin. Kenshin waved back with a smile though he was tormented by his own thoughts.
XoooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
Kaoru walked up slowly back to the apartment digesting what Hiko had just told her. She looked up and saw that Kenshin was already waiting for her at the front of the apartment entrance. 'I will make this work. I will fight for my own happiness. I will do what is best for us' She smiled to Kenshin.
"What took you so long" Kenshin tried to keep his tone neutral.
"Enjoying the evening walk." She smiled lazily. "We should do that more often, you and I…….. Hm.. Why don't you accompany me for another round of evening walk?" She gently looped her arms with his and pulled him with her as she walked towards the elevator.
Kenshin was baffled and wandered endlessly what did Hiko said to set off such light mood in her. He couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and asked. "What did he talk to you about?"
She turned to face him with her lazy smile and said, "Nothing much, actually. And he mentioned that he will be seeing us next week!"
'What!'
XoooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooXooooooooooooooooooooX
She was right, it had been a lovely evening walk and they had to do it more often. Kenshin had buried deep whatever worries he had in his mind. Who cares if some nosy old people decided to sneak peek Kaoru walking so close with her arms looped around his. Kenshin just wanted to enjoy this moment with her. He had hoped to be the only one to walk with her every evening for the rest of eternity – if eternity meant anything at all.
Very special thanks to:
Viax Infinito : Thanks your kind review. I had lots of help in improving. My beta reader did a great a job at pointing and correcting my error for me. I was rather worried that I might just bore my reader if i spend too much time in exploring the character. It was great to know that I manage the capture their pesonality nicely. Thank you.
nes: Thank you for leaving me a review and being so supportive. Thank you so much.