A/N: ahhhh I'm so sorry, I haven't updated for a long time have I? I've been so busy for the last three week I've been living on three hours of sleep every night so I didn't have time to update but now it's beginning of my spring break. I promise, I'll update twice or three times next week… please forgive me. ;;

Chapter 16

Fustration

"Oh, hey, Kenshin," I say, straightening my clothes. "Umm…we bumped into each other by coincidence. It just so happens that they were eating at that table over there," I say, pointing to their table.

"Hey, Kenshin," says Sano, giving him a warm smile.

Just then, a felt a sharp jab in my ribs. "Ow!" I say, turning to look at Kamatari, who jerked his head in Kenshin's direction.

"Oh! Kenshin, this is Honjou Kamatari. Kamatari, this is Himura Kenshin," I say.

Kenshin raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "you guys look and seem fimilar. Are you two related?"

"Me? And him? No way, no how. Not possible," I say, shaking my hands in front of me, earning another sharp jab to the ribs from Kamatari.

"Hello, Kenshin. Nice to meet you, you're a cute one" says Kamatari, grasping Kenshin's hand firmly in a handshake while giving him a wink.

"Likewise," Kenshin said, quickly withdrawing his hand from Kamatari's tight grip. "So, are we ready to leave, Kaoru-dono?"

"Yeah," I say, picking up my bag. "Bye Sano, bye Kamatari-san," I say, giving each of them a hug. "Take care, all right?"

"Wait," says Sano suddenly. "I'll be having a dinner this coming Friday night and I would like to extend an invitation to the both of you. Actually, the invitation cards will be coming around to you guys soon but I thought I might as well just tell you guys about it first."

"A dinner? What's the special occasion?" I ask.

"He'll officially be taking over Sagara Corporations on Monday," interrupted Kamatari said with his eyes sparkling.

"Really? Awww, Sano…you're a big boy now!" I say, giving him another hug. "Congrats! Just don't keep that girl-looking-hair and you'll be fine. I'm sure SHE'll like you better if you return to your little rooster hair and brain."

"Thanks... hey! Rooster brain," he says, blushing a little while giving a small pout. "Make sure you come, okay, Kaoru?"

"I will. Anything for you, Sano," I replied, grinning.

"Oh, and tell Soujiro, Akira and Aoshi for me, okay?"

"Sure thing!"

"Thanks for the invitation. I'll try to be there," says Kenshin tightly.

After that incident with Sano and Kamatari back in the restaurant, Kenshin seems to have undergone a whole personality change and had reverted back to the old Kenshin with his golden eyes. Throughout the entire journey back to the office, the tension in the car was so thick, you could practically cut it with a knife. I tried to rack my brain for what I might have said or done wrong but I always came up with nothing. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eyes. He was expertly weaving in and out of traffic, his eyes fixed on the road in front of him and his jaw clenched really hard, a frown marring his features. He swerved into a parking space in front of Himura's (I'm tired of typing Mitsugri stuff, I don't even know if I'm spelling it right.) Corporations and slammed the door behind him after he had gotten out. Doing the same, I put my hand out to stop him just as he was about to pass me by. I was mildly surprised that he actually stopped as I had half expected him to continue walking.

"Kenshin, what's wrong? You weren't like this earlier," I say softly.

"It's nothing," he says, jerking his arm out of my grasp.

"Look, if I said or did something to offend you or anything, I'm sorry, okay?" I say, a little irritated at his behavior. I made an attempt to stalk past him, but before I could even get a few feet away from him, he grabbed me by the arm and whipped me around roughly.

"Is there something going on between you and Sagara Sanosuske?" he asks, his gaze piercing me.

"What?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"Is there something going on between you and Sanosuske?" he repeated, his voice steely.

"What kind of a question is that? Sano and I are close friends. What's it to you anyway?" I ask, trying to free my arm from his grasp.

"Do friends go around saying stuff like, 'anything for you, Sano? Do friends go around hugging each other so often? I don't think so!" he says, his face hard as his vice-like grip tightened some more.

"Stop it, Kenshin! Stop it!" I say, using my free hand to push him backwards. "Why does it matter so much to you what I said to Sano? Why does it matter so much to you how many times I hug Sano? I've been friends with him for more than six years already. Don't you think that we would be closer to each other? Giving him a hug once in a while shows him without words that I care about him. That I value our friendship. That I'll be there for him whenever he needs me. So what if I'm more open with my feelings towards other people? What's wrong with that?"

Kenshin was so stunned by her outburst that he was unable to speak.

"You know what? I am so sick and tired of all this. Just when I've finally made up my mind, I get second thoughts about it again. Stop being so capricious, Kenshin," I say, giving him one last look before walking away.

"Having trouble, Kenshin?" asks Tomoe, coming up to stand next to him after witnessing the little fight between him and Kaoru earlier, a smile playing on her lips.

"It's none of your business," snapped Kenshin.

"Oh, it is all right," she says, putting an arm out to stop him from moving any further. "I need to know what happens between the both of you."

"Why?" asks Kenshin sharply, turning to look her in the eye.

"Let's just say that it's a source of entertainment to me. Look at you now, Kenshin. You used to date models and girls from the upper class. You could get any girl you wanted without any difficulty. But you choose to degrade yourself and go after a non-entity girl named Kamiya Kaoru. It's pretty hilarious, don't you think? There are so many other girls out there who are way better than her. She isn't hot, she isn't rich. And honestly, I don't know what you see in her."

"Looks and money aren't everything, Tomoe. What matters most is her personality, what she is inside. Didn't anyone tell you that? And what happened to you, Tomoe? You weren't like this last time. Now, you're a whole different person."

"Oh, that's an understatement, Kenshin. I've always been like this. The only one who has changed, is you. Ever since Kamiya came back into the picture, you've avoided me like the plague. Why?"

"You know, I don't need to hear all of this. I've got better things to do," says Kenshin, shaking her hand off his arm.

"Just keep this is mind, Himura Kenshin. I don't take lightly to being bested by another girl. And you can't do anything to stop me from hurting her."

Kenshin stormed into his office and slammed his door shut so hard that the picture frames hanging on the wall rattled a little. He poured himself a quarter of a glass of vodka and downed the whole thing in one gulp, letting the liquid burn his throat and welcoming the warmth that spread through his entire body.
He settled down comfortably on one of the couches and picked up the latest issue of Internation and Tokyo's Business, which was on the coffee table. He flipped through the pages absently, his mind elsewhere. Just then, a picture of Sano smiling up at him with the caption 'Future President of Sagara Corporations' below it, caught his attention. He slowly scanned through the whole article, his browsfurrowed together in deep concentration.

President and founder of Sagara Corporations, will officially hand his business down to his adopted son, Sagara Sanosuske, this coming Monday. Sanosuske, is said to be a person full of caliber. During his teenage years, he studied in the prestigious Tokyo High School, which also produced many other successful people such as Himura Kenshin of Hiten Mitsurugi Corporations and Aoshi Shinomori (explaination below) of Shinomori Corporations. He then moved on to graduate from Tokyo University with First Class Honors, majoring in Economics and Finance. Not only does he excel academically, but he also does so in sports, soccer and tennis being his favorite. Apart from that, he also dabbles in…

He read to the end of the piece, and gaze for a few seconds at Sanosuske's picture, smiling confidently up at him. Then, in fury, he flung the magazine as hard as he could across the room, where it hit the wall and fell into a heap on the ground. He walked over to his window and looked down at the busy streets, something that Kaoru said earlier playing over and over again in his mind.

'Just when I've finally made up my mind, I get second thoughts about it again

I get second thoughts about it again.'

Had she actually decided to give him a chance? He clenched his fists and slanted his eyes broodingly at the thought that he had ruined it…all because of his temper. After staring out the window for a few minutes, thinking hard to himself, he finally made up his mind.

He was going to apologize to her.

And he was going to make sure that she listened to every single word, whether she liked it or not.

"Bye, everyone! I'll see you tomorrow morning!" I yell as I headed out of the office.

"Are you sure you don't need a lift?" asks Yahiko, falling into step beside me. "It won't be any trouble."

"Yes, I'm sure," I say, giving him a grateful smile. "Thanks though."

"But it's dangerous for a girl to be out alone at night," says Misao, squeezing in between me and Yahiko.

"You took the words right out of my mouth!" quips Brian, putting an arm around my shoulders.

"No, it's all right. I can take care of it," I say, trying to convince them.

"Okay then, if you insist. But remember, never stop to talk to any strangers," says Yahiko.

"Avoid walking in back alleys and places that are dark," says Misao.

"Yell if anything happens to you. If not, just make a run for it," says Megumi cut in.

"Oh, and always be aware of your surroundings. Note all the suspicious people and make sure you stay away from them," says Misao holding up fingers to count the things I should remember.

"Guys, I can take care of myself! Honestly, you're making me feel as though I'm a six-year-old on my first day of school! I'm twenty-two, for goodness sake!" I yell, exasperated.

"True, but we can't afford to have anything happen to you. You're too precious to us," says Misao, giving me a warm smile.

"Awwww…I feel so loved!" I replied, grinning up at them.

"How come you guys never said any of these things to me last time when I took public transportation to work and back?" asks Megumi, glaring accusingly at both Yahiko and Misao.

"Uh, well…" begins Misao.

"You see…" says Yahiko, scratching his head and averting his gaze.

"You're…I mean…we…"

"What?" asks Megumi, glaring menacingly at them.

"Well…no harm would ever come to you, would it?" asks Misao. "I mean…"

"You're as strong as ten men," Yahiko said, "well maybe not, but you always carry a pepper spray and all that. Plus you're a doctor, just hit their nerves and they could be damaged for life. Which guy would be crazy enough to mess with you? Besides, rumor has it that you're taken by Sanosuske Sagara who is going to be taking over the Sagara's corp. if they mess with you, their family will all be out of job and in jair?" says Brian, ducking his head almost immediately to avoid Megumi's fist from connecting with his head.
"Say you're sorry! I am not going out with that ex-rooster head and not to mention WHO CUT MY HAIR. Making me look like a dumb tom boy. I am going to murder him." says Megumi punching both Yahiko and Misao while thinking of all the things she can do to Sano.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…we're sorry! We really are! Let go already! Don't take your anger on us, wait till you see him again." cried Misao, rubbing the spot where Megumi had punched, the flesh fast becoming red.

"No matter how pretty she is, she's such a she-man," Yahiko grumbled under his breath, darting furtive looks in her direction to see whether she had heard him.

"Right. Anyway, we'd better get going now. It's getting awfully late. Sure you don't want to hitch a ride with one of us, Busu?" asks Yahiko.

"Don't call me that. Yes, I'm sure. Now go already. Yahiko-chan"

"Don't call me CHAN!"

"Remember what we said earlier, okay? And give me a ring so that I'll know that you've reached home safely," says Misao, giving me a hug.

"Alright. I will. Bye!" I say, waving to them as I walked backwards, out through the glass doors into the cold, windy night. I whirled around so that I was facing the front again and stopped dead in my tracks.
Because there in front of me, stood Kenshin, leaning against his car, one leg crossed over the other, both hands in his trouser pocket and his gaze fixed directly at me.

A/N if you wanted to know why I called Aoshi "Shinomori"

I decided that I will give Aoshi a second surname that he uses for business things to avoid being stalked at home by weird girls who tries to leech off of him. remember how I said he doesn't have dates anymore in the first two or three chapters? That was because girls wanted his fame and stuff, but now he changes his name, he hopes when he's not in business and hanging out some people don't recognize him in his comfy clothing. (misao meets him as Aoshi Kamiya)

Next chappie: Kaoru's identiy starts to unravel, well the beginning… and don't want to give too much away.

Disclaimer: this is the LAST time i'm putting this up here... i did not quote on quote steal this story, i never claimed this plot to be my own, i said and told you ... think like hundred of time. i have edited this story but basically i have used some other story, i dunno why i can't do this cuz i'm not taking credit for anything, cept the changes... and memories, no i did not take this from memories, took this from a version of.. gah (4 years ago) forbidden love, or was it hidden love or something... i dunno... if you hate how i do this, fine, don't read it. i'm just trying to share this lovely story that appearently rowean some person wrote but i took from some other person not him... ok said and done enough, if you want a complete disclaimer, i'll post it in the end or something... i have to say, if i change stuff, other stuff fits in more... ah i'm tired and i'm off, but keep this in mind, i do not take any credit...!