Chapter 13: Sano's Idea!

"Hey, I was going to go to the mall after school today. Do you wanna come?" Kaoru asked as she put her books in her bag.

"Huh? Oh, okay!" Misao said, smiling as she shoved her pom-poms into her backpack. "Are you looking for your prom dress, Kaoru?"

"I guess I could take a look around," Kaoru shrugged. "-but the prom is still a ways away."

"Yeah, I guess," Misao said. "-but better to get it early than late, huh. So, who do you want to go with this year, Kaoru?"

"I--- I don't know…" Kaoru blushed, playing with her hair. "Who are you wanting to go with?"

"Well… DUH! Aoshi-sama!" Misao said, sparkly eyed, as she pulled her backpack over her shoulders.

"-but every year he hasn't even come… He never even asks anyone," Kaoru said as she pulled her backpack over her shoulders as well.

"Well, that's why I'm going to ask him this year," Misao said.

"-but-"

"Hey, no one ever said that I couldn't. I bet Aoshi-sama is just shy. If I ask him, I'm sure he'll say yes," Misao skipped around Kaoru, imagining her and her prince dancing.

"Hey, I could go with that new guy, Kenshin!" Kaoru said. I mean, I'm sure it'd make him feel at least a little better, right? How do you get over something like that?

"Uh… Kaoru… Maybe you should avoid that Himura guy…" Misao said, chewing on her lower lip afterward.

"What? Why?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh… well… I think he -might- be hanging out with the wrong crowd… or at least he's not at peace with them."

"What are you talking about? Kenshin hangs out with Sano and Yahiko and Megumi, and he's a really great guy! You don't even know him!" Kaoru said.

"-but… Well, uh… How do I explain…"

"I know… I know… I don't know him all that well either… but it's not like a romance date or anything. I just… feel a little sorry for him… Call it warrior's compassion."

"Feel sorry for him? For what?" Misao blinked twice.

"Ah--" Kaoru looked down at the floor. "Something really bad happened to him…"

"What?"

"His… parents… they…"

The door flew open. Aoshi stood in the doorway.

"Aoshi-sama!" Misao greeted happily, running to him and hugging him.

"…"

"Where'd you go, Aoshi-sama?" Misao asked as she let go.

Aoshi looked down at her. "…I was just going to the bathroom."

"Oh… okay," Misao said, reading his eyes. She leaned up against him. "Himura, right?" She whispered. He nodded stoutly.

"Aoshi, do you want to come with us to the mall?" Kaoru asked.

Aoshi stared at her for a long time. "I suppose."

"YAY!" Misao cheered, secretly knowing that the only reason he was coming was to discuss important matters while Kaoru was in one of the stores.

-

"They held a dagger to my face, Sano!" Kenshin said seriously.

"So?"

"SO?!" Kenshin was stunned.

"It's to be expected, man. They're evil ba--- HEY! It's Yahiko-chan!" Sano yelled.

"Grrrr… STOP THAT!" Yahiko yelled as he ran up, jumping on to Sanosuke's shoulders and biting his head. Megumi stood back and let him do it, smirking slightly.

"Hey, get off my head you little parasite!" Sano yelled.

"oro…"

"Ken-san, hello!" Megumi said.

"Oh, hello, Megumi-san," Kenshin smiled. "Sano and I were just having a discussion, de gozaru yo."

"Hey, is anyone else hungry?" Sano asked suddenly. Everyone stared at him.

"I'm starving!" Yahiko said, jumping off of Sano. "We should go change and then go out to the mall!"

"I'll drive," Megumi said. "My car's out in the parking lot."

"Oh… I don't know, guys… I-" Kenshin began, but was stopped when he was dragged out the door. "HEY, WAIT!" He cried, but the rest of them giggled and laughed.

-

Megumi's car was very nice, a red convertible with white leather seats. The stereo blared some J-pop station while Sano sat in the passenger side (since he had called shotgun), and Yahiko and Kenshin sat in the back. Yahiko was showing Kenshin his broken watch, talking about how he needed to get a new one.

"So," Megumi said. "Which way's your house, Ken-san?"

"Oro?" Kenshin looked up.

"Don't you want to change?"

"Oh, yes… I suppose… I live next to Kaoru-dono… if you know where that is."

"I do… but isn't that Hiko-san's house?"

"Hai," Kenshin said.

"Dude, you're livin' with Hiko?" Sano turned around in his seat.

"Yes, I am…" Kenshin said.

"How come?" Yahiko asked.

"I… really… don't want to talk about it…" Kenshin looked out at the road, avoiding eye contact with them to let them know that the conversation was done.

"Hmm…" Sano said.

-

Kenshin ran into his house, kicking off his shoes. He was yanking his jacket off at the door and sliding across the kitchen floor in his socks. Hiko was sitting on the couch watching television. "Where have you been?" He asked as Kenshin entered the living room. "You didn't show up at the car so I left without you."

"I'm going to the mall with my friends, de gozaru yo," Kenshin said, heading up the stairs.

"Whatever… Just come back, 'cause I'll be hungry around six o' clock…"

"I'm not your slave!" Kenshin yelled as his feet made noise up the stairs.

"Yeah, you're my chef!" Hiko laughed.

"oro…" He heard.

-

Kenshin had slipped on a pair of dark denim jeans, a black t-shirt, and then pulled a white button up shirt over it, since it was cool outside. He examined himself in the mirror for a few minutes when his eyes met with the reflection of the back wall.

"The… sakabatou…?" He turned around to look at it. Was he getting a strange feeling from it? He slowly stepped up onto the bed and examined it as it hung on its hooks. He reached out and was just about to put his hand against the sheath when-

"Cool place you got here, Kenshin!" Sano said, running in. "Are you ready yet?" Sano had apparently brought his spare outfit with him for he was halfway through getting it on. His shirt was unbuttoned still, and he had a sock in his right hand.

"Oh… um… yeah," Kenshin hopped off the bed as Sano sat down on it to slide his sock on. He then began snickering. "What's with the girly scarf?" He pointed over at his dresser where the lavender scarf sat.

Kenshin stared at it forever it seemed. "…Tomoe…" He muttered.

"What?" Sano asked.

"Oro?"

"Who's Tomoe?"

"I don't know, who is she?" Kenshin figured it was some kind of joke.

"Deh… oh, nevermind," Sano said, standing up. "Let's go pick up chicks at the mall!"

"Oro…"

Sano laughed as he ran down the stairs. "H-hey! Wait for me!" Kenshin yelled, running after him.