Author's Note: Alright… let's get this thing started! If you have any questions, do feel free to inquire bout them. ;p
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Disclaimer: We do not own Rurouni Kenshin.
Chapter 17: Raging Emotions
"Okay… what's up?" Aika asked, cheerful to have this time with Aoshi – alone.
"I was just wondering… where are we going to get clothes to wear tomorrow? You should've informed us in advance if-"
"Ah… no problem, I've got it all covered! I'm taking everyone to Mother's shop tomorrow, and as you know, Mom's got the best clothes so you don't need to worry about a thing!" Aika said proudly, smiling happily.
'I'll get to see her in a gown tomorrow…'
Aoshi smiled warmly, he was excited beyond words.
"Thanks…" He said a little too loudly, his excitement and joy evident in his voice. Understanding that to be for her, Aika's eyes glistened happily. Aoshi then left, leaving Aika dreamily entering the room, as if she just encountered something extraordinary and special. Just as the two left the hallway, a figure emerged from the stairs, overcome with sorrow.
'I saw everything…' Misao thought grimly. The warm look of Aoshi, the excitement in his voice, the dreamy look of Aika… there's no mistake about it, right?
Aoshi and Aika…
…they like each other…
"Kao-chan…" Misao wearily said. Kaoru rolled her eyes.
"Misao… stop being so pathetic! There is absolutely no way Aoshi likes that… that… woman!" Kaoru exclaimed, eyeing Misao.
"B-But… his actions say otherwise…" Misao insisted.
"Misao…" Kaou said, glaring at her. Misao sighed heavily in defeat.
"Fine, fine… whatever you say…" Misao said, making Kaoru beam at her.
'GAH! This pisses me off… I'm so confused…!'
Soon, they were about to leave to go to the 'boutique'; everyone was gathering outside the house.
"Oi." Misao looked up to see a pair of ice blue eyes staring back at her.
"Uh… hey…" Misao said, still a bit frustrated.
"What's wrong? You sound upset…"
Misao's eyebrow twitched.
"Ah, no… I'm fine, perfectly fine…" Misao said, trying to calm her nerves. Aoshi raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior.
'Aoshi… darn it! I don't understand you! First you go to Aika and flirt around with her… then you're coming to me! What are you doing! I bet you want to confuse me more, eh? Well, I-'
"Well, okay… if you say so… catch you later then." Aoshi said, patting her shoulder. The touch was like electricity, surging throughout her whole body. As she watched his back walk away, she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. She calmed down.
'Oh, Misao, you idiot… he's not at fault… he didn't do anything wrong… heck, he was even worried about you…! Gosh, and I acted so mean…' Misao could feel the moisture gathering at the edges of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. Without warning, she was suddenly pulled to the side – roughly.
"Misao, may I… ask you a question…?" Aika said rather angrily.
"Uhm… sure…" Misao said.
"What's your relationship with Aoshi?" Aika asked, smiling sweetly – too sweetly.
"Uh… well, we're-"
"Ah, yes, I know – friends, right? Well, I suggest you start acting like friends and not lovers. Thanks!" Aika said snobbishly, walking away. Misao could feel her eyebrow twitching again.
'Patience… patience… that pathetic… grr! AHH! What the heck am I thinking? That was our… host, sponsor, birthday girl… patience, patience…' Misao took a deep breath.
"…Patience complete…" she said, letting out a breath.
'Well, one thing's for sure… Aika likes Aoshi. And I have a pretty bad feeling about that fact…'
At the humongous boutique…
'Haay… why am I so jealous? I don't have any right to be… I mean, it's not as if I own Aoshi! But, duuudee… I knew this was bad…'
Flashback…
"Aoshi! You need help in choosing a suit?" Aika said, clinging to Aoshi.
"Uhm… no thank you, I-"
"OF COURSE! A new suit just came in and the color suits you perfectly! Come on, let's try it on you!" Aika squealed enthusiastically, dragging poor Aoshi away.
End of flashback…
'Aika is going too far… I think she's doing it on purpose just to make me suffer…!' Misao gripped a metal hanger tightly, almost breaking it but Kaoru intervened before she could do any damage.
"Uh… Misao, you okay?" Kaoru called. Misao snapped out of her rage, looking at Kaoru.
"S-Sorry… but it's just that… haay… I think Aoshi and Aika-"
"Don't even go there, Misao-chan… I thought we've talked about this… that isn't true, okay? Aoshi does not like Aika… Aika, I can understand, but Aoshi definitely doesn't. Got that?" Kaoru said firmly.
"Well… I… guess you're right… I hope you're right…" Misao said, her tone filled with sorrow. Kaoru pulled her up, forcing Misao to look at her.
"Misao-chan, we can worry about that some other time, 'kay? Right now, let's choose our gowns first. Ne?" Kaoru said, trying to cheer her cousin up. Misao smiled and nodded. The cousins then went away, forgetting about their problems as they chose gowns.
Midnight struck and the Kensatsu Mansion hushed into slumber. Its inhabitants were tired out from the activities of the day, each of them drifting to deep sleep. Well, except for a certain Makimachi Misao, whose mind was active and awake from thinking. Fears, possibilities, worries plagued her, disabling her from sleeping soundly. Shaking her head, she stood up from her bed, exiting the room. She decided to take a walk to think more properly.
'Aoshi… why on earth do I have to fall for you? Why you? Why can't it be other attainable guys like… like… Enishi? He's handsome, too… talented, funny, outgoing… but… he's just… not… Aoshi. I don't know why is it that I'm so affected… it's annoying, it hurts… I guess all I can do is hope… and wait.'
The mansion was gorgeous during nighttime, soft beams of moonlight pouring into the rooms through the various windows of stained glass, making it look heavenly, like a soft myriad of colors. Entering an open room, Misao's eyes warmed as she spotted something familiar –
A black grand piano.
She ran her hands against the smooth, unused, cold ivory keys. All this thinking was definitely not helping her. She needed to divert her energy and attention.
"You're so beautiful… how do you sound, I wonder?" Misao said softly, pulling out the seat. Slowly and gracefully, her hands wandered across the piano, her fingers playing a familiar tune. Yes, she would always play the piano whenever her emotions were in turmoil. This was her little sanctuary. The grand piano sweetly sung the various notes she played, the different tones melted together to form a perfect harmony, the sound ever so exquisite.
'Whoa… impressive… '
Smiling softly, she continued to pour out her feelings onto the piano…She was so graceful and beautiful this evening, anyone who'd pass by would be entranced and shocked. Her feelings flowed into the wistful piece she was playing, the soft melody resounding throughout the mansion…
The next day…
"Oi, Aoshi! What's up with you? You look nasty…" Enishi commented.
"…didn't get much sleep…" Aoshi muttered softly. Enishi waited for his explanation, but it seemed like Aoshi wasn't going to give any, so Enishi finally asked,
"Why?"
"Because…" Aoshi paused to recall the beautiful piece he heard the night before, imagining gentle, graceful, skillful fingers playing each note carefully, with so much feeling…
"Uh… Aoshi? Aoshi!" Aoshi was startled by Enishi's fingers snapping in front of his face.
"Wha-?" Aoshi stammered. Enishi was getting impatient.
"You were telling me why you didn't get much sleep?" Enishi said sarcastically, raising his eyebrow.
"O-Oh yeah… heard someone playing the piano… the piece sounds familiar, but… I can't quite pinpoint it… it was a really… beautiful… piece…" Aoshi said, going to a 'trance-like' state when…
"AOSHI! So you heard me playing! Wasn't it great? I mean, honestly! You loved it, right?"
"Y-Yeah… I… I… didn't know you played the piano…?"
"O-Of course I do! I'm so hurt that you didn't know!"
"Uh… well…"
"I mean, c'mon! We've known each other since, like, what, since we were kids!"
Aoshi's POV
I didn't know Aika could play… that's a shock… I though she told me once it 'wasn't her type'? Hn… maybe she changed her mind? But I feel that it's not her who played that song… hmn… odd… but why would she lie about that, then…? Guess it really is her…
Aika's POV
YEAH! Aoshi liked that song that whoever played! Now I will gain his favor! But I feel kinda bad… ah, at least Aoshi will like me!
Whoosh! A door swung open, soundless. Misao walked out of the living room in time to hear Aoshi say; "Aika, you're really great." When Misao heard this, she was devastated. Something was tugging at her heart painfully. Fatigued physically and emotionally, Misao's mood fell. She quietly left and went towards her room. She went in and saw Kaoru frantically looking at gowns. Kaoru, hearing the door open, said,
"Hey, Misao, help me pi-" she abruptly stopped when she saw tears in Misao's eyes.
"Aah! Misao, what happened!"
"Huh? Oh, uhm… nothing, why do you ask?" Misao asked softly, a tear running down her cheek.
"You're… crying." Kaoru remarked bluntly.
"I am? Oh… I didn't know…"
"Misao… tell me what happened…"
Hearing Kaoru's soft words, Misao couldn't hold it in anymore, her tears broke out freely. Kaoru rushed to hold her, listening to Misao tell about what she saw and heard.
After a while, Misao calmed down, feeling better after pouring it all out.
"I'm confused, Kao-chan…" Misao said softly, looking at her hands.
"Misao-chan… I am, too…" Kaoru said. Before they knew it, the two friends burst out in laughter, chasing the gloomy mood away.
"Ah, well… that's life; we just have to persist… it'll all be clear to us one day, so let's stop wasting our time worrying. This, too, shall pass, right?" Kaoru said, smiling at Misao.
"That's right… Saa, let's go pick that gown of yours!" Misao said, her mood brightening. Kaoru and Misao soon forgot about their anxieties, completely immersed in choosing gowns once more.
"Hey guys, we have to leave real soon, c'mon!" Aika called, exiting the house. The others soon followed, a tired Misao lagging behind.
'Augh… I can't stay like this… but my energy's sapping away… I have to perk up!' Misao urged herself. Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't the only one lagging behind…
'GACK!'
"E-Er… Hey, Aoshi…" Misao greeted upon noticing him.
"Hello, Misao. Have they left yet?" Aoshi asked, walking beside her.
"No, we're just about to leave…" Misao said. Aoshi noted Misao's rather… quiet and demure nature. She also seemed weary. Did she stay up late? Aoshi's eyebrows creased with worry.
"What's wrong? Did you get enough sleep?" Aoshi asked, worry evident in his voice. Misao smiled softly.
"Ah… not so well… I couldn't sleep…" Misao said.
'Couldn't sleep…? Then… maybe… no, wait… Aika said it was her… Hmn…'
Glancing at Misao, he noticed that her eyes were… a bit puffy and very slightly pink. Had she been crying…?
"Are you really okay, Misao?" Aoshi asked softly.
"Uh… yeah…" Misao said. Aoshi looked at her, still unconvinced.
"Hey! Aoshi! There you are! IKOU!" Aika shouted from a distance.
"Well, let's hurry it up…" Misao said, jogging ahead of Aoshi.
'Misao…'
Slowly, Aoshi made his way to the minivan, everyone heading off to fix themselves up.
Author's Note: Hmn… I don't know if it's long or short… bah, this chapter's so angsty. And annoying. Wehehe. Do not fret; there's still more to come, but we're ending it soon… (2-3 chapters left) it's getting really dragging… gahaha. Sorry 'bout that.