A/N: Yay..I'm so sooorryy for the long wait. I have not updated this for more than two years now and I feel bad. Really... ~_~ Well I still hope you would have the time to read and leave a comment on my story. Can I count you on that? Sore de wa...
More Than Just A Crush
By: Killua K.
Chapter 7: Shattered
Where…where am I?
Light flooded her eyes.
Misao instantly covered them with her hands and for a while did not move in her position. She realized that she had lost her consciousness back in the school's bicycle parking lot and even remembered that someone strangled her, knocking her out.
What that man said…earlier…
'You're still a girl, Makimachi...'
Huh! C-could it be that…?
She shook her head and tried to dismiss her thoughts. She convinced herself that perhaps it was only mere coincidence that her captor said the same words that Enishi muttered in their practice a while ago.
I don't believe this... She tried to fight the tears that were about to roll down on her flustered cheeks. Her whole body was shaking, trembling in an unfamiliar fear that crawled down her spine. She was trapped inside a small room, her hands and feet had visible rope marks on them. She tried to shout for help, but her voice was only drowned out by the thick walls that surrounded her in that prison-like area.
"H-HELPPP!"
She screamed.
"HEEEEEELPPPPP!"
She pounded on the cement wall before her, hoping that someone would hear her beyond that room. With clenched fists, she hit the wall with full force, attempting to apply what she learned in her years of Judo training and use it to somehow find a way to escape from that cramped place.
Damn it! I feel like I'm just wasting my energy...C'mon!
"SOMEBODY!" she shouted once more. She began to kick the wall in front of her although she knew that it would not be enough to break down the immense obstacle towering before her.
"DAAAAAAMNNN ITTTTTTTT!"
She cursed as she let out her last punch and struck the wall. Soon, tears started falling from her eyes and began to rush down her cheeks.
"Damn it.." She sat down on the floor and wiped her tears by her fingers as she sobbed like a lost child. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damnnnn..."
What did I do to deserve this?
Suddenly, something creaked.
A stream of light flooded the room. Misao stood up and saw an opening on what seemed like a huge metal door. She wondered why she did not notice it earlier when she pounded her fists on the wall.
"H-hello?" She approached the source of light and noticed that a pair of emerald green eyes was intently watching her from the hole.
"Hey..." she spoke, trying to stop herself from crying. "Please, let me out of here...Please!"
But hope would only prove to be elusive to her as the man on the other side of the door started to utter words that almost shattered her into pieces.
"Let you out? Are you crazy?" he spoke.
Her heart started to race inside her chest. It was her captor.
"Please...let me out! I didn't do anything wrong to deserve this," she cried helplessly.
But instead of pity, she only got mockery and insults from the man.
"Not in a million years, Makimachi...You're gonna rot in that place, and I'll make sure that you never step foot in the dojo again." The guy let out a wicked chuckle as he continued to stare into her ocean blue eyes.
"And your gold medal..." he said maliciously, "...is mine."
"You're telling me it won't work out?"
"Yes, I am."
"YOU, of all people in this school, are telling me that my plan is a total failure?"
"Yes, Kamiya-san..."
"BUT YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THAT THING IN THE FIRST PLACE! Don't you remember?"
"I think you're mistaken. If I can vividly remember, I only suggested that perhaps it would be to our best interest if we involve Shinomori in our endeavors. You, on the other hand, took this advice one step further and created a completely and utterly despicable idea of holding a documentary-date contest. I believe you know the difficult circumstances we're in right now."
"B-but..." Kaoru tried to reason out. Yet she was simply too tired to argue with Kenshin. It was a Saturday morning, and she didn't feel like wasting her energy on such a petty quarrel. At the same time, she thought that she should have been at home, sleeping soundly on her comfy futon, but because of the Student Council's meeting, she could not stay. "And what are those difficult circumstances, Himura-san?"
"Well, obviously, Shinomori-san himself is the biggest problem. He's not cooperating with us. Yahiko-kun and Tsunoda-kun have been trying really hard to record his everyday life but they only end up like paparazzi stalking a celebrity. And the female contestants...I'm pretty sure you're aware that no one and I mean NO ONE wants to give up her chance to be with Aoshi-san, even if that chance is only being with him for a day. That's why no matter what we try to do to convince them that there can only be three finalists, they wouldn't budge. And then,"
"Okay, wait." Kaoru interrupted Kenshin. She lifted her head and looked at him. She was tired, too tired that she could not process what he was telling her. She was trying to sort out her thoughts, although she could not really do anything much with them. "Uhhhm..." she exhaled then paused for a second.
"C-can I...can I just take a break for a few minutes? I just need air," she looked at the Student Council's Vice President and felt defeated.
It could have been you...
Kenshin was surprised at her reaction, but he simply nodded his head.
"I understand, Kamiya-san. Please..." he gestured for her to take a moment and leave the room. "I'll continue to discuss other matters with our members."
"Arigatou." Kaoru turned back then hastily left the room. She couldn't stand that meeting any longer. It was just too much. The pressure and tension that have been building up for the past week have finally been weighing her down.
I don't understand him at all! She thought to herself as she walked across the hall and went to the drinking fountain. She pushed a button and drank water. He could've been the president for all I care!
She wiped her lips as soon as she finished drinking. Then she went to a nearby sink, turned the faucet on and splashed her face with warm water. She washed her face several times, trying to rub away the fatigue so clearly etched on her look. It doesn't matter now, does it? He thinks I'm not doing a great job? Then why doesn't HE do my job? Everyone likes him anyway. And I'm only some second-rate student who happens to obtain this stupid position in a stupid organization. No one listens to me. They all like his ideas. They all follow him.
She turned off the faucet and stood in front of the sink for a while. She could hear voices emanating from the classroom where they were holding the meeting. She did not want to go back and argue with Kenshin. She felt that it was only ruining her reputation as the president of the club, and that she might simply lose her members' respect if she continued to display her impatient character.
All right...Kaoru Kamiya, you can do this, she thought to herself. It was time to show everyone what she was capable of. She would show them that she could be an excellent leader, worthy of everyone's trust, and just as equally effective as Kenshin Himura.
She walked towards the classroom with renewed confidence. Suddenly, a young man came out of the door, and when his eyes set on Kaoru, he quickly approached her, seemingly disturbed about something.
"President Kamiya!" the guy shouted.
"Hey, Yahiko-kun...what's the matter?" Kaoru asked him, confused at what was going on.
"We have a problem..." he started. "A very BIG problem..."
When she heard his words, she felt as if the whole world crashed onto her.
Now what?
'Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system...
'Hey, this is Mi-chan! Sorry if I'm unable to answer your call right now. Please leave your name and message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Ciao!'
He pushed the 'end call' button then tried calling the number for the nth time. He had been trying to call Misao since morning because he wanted to let her know that he was going to be late for their practice. Now that he has arrived at school and met with Hiko Seijuro, he wondered why he could not find his best friend even though the Judo practice has already been over for more than two hours.
And I'm pretty much sure she told me that she would stay after practice and wait for me...Where else would she go?
Seta Soujiro was beginning to worry. He knew very well that if there was anything urgent that suddenly came up, Misao would contact him right away and let him know. She was not the type of person to ditch someone quickly. Plus, it was her idea that we should eat at a sushi restaurant after practice...It's not like I asked her out or anything. And I don't think she'd ever choose anything else over food. That's just impossible...Like for real.
He decided to dial her home phone number and check if she went back to her house. But, unfortunately...
"Misao-chan? Isn't she at school? She told me she would be there the whole day and that she'll head to a sushi restaurant afterward. Isn't she supposed to be with you, Soujiro-kun?" her mom asked him.
"Well, I've been looking for her for almost two hours now but I still haven't seen her. I asked my club mates if they saw her leave the school and they didn't really know...even our Judo sensei had no idea. Then I decided to call you because I thought she would have gone home to take a nap or something, but it turns out that she's not also there..." he explained. He could feel some beads of sweat forming on his temples. He didn't know why he was feeling rather uneasy and scared for Misao.
"Hhhmm..are you sure about that, Soujiro-kun?"
He swallowed a lump inside his throat and replied to Misao's mother, "Yes, Makimachi-san...Do- do you think...something bad -"
"AHH! I know!"
He was startled at Makimachi-san's reaction. He didn't expect to hear that from her. Actually, he expected otherwise. He thought that by this time, Misao's mom would have panicked so much that she would call the police and ask them to search for her daughter right away.
"W-what is it, Makimachi-san?" he asked her.
"I just realized that there is one person who could exactly tell you where Misao-chan might be," she excitedly replied.
"And that is...?" Soujiro asked, puzzled as to who this mysterious person could be.
"It's her best friend."
"That's it. I QUIT!"
"WHAT?"
"Didn't you just hear me? I said I QUIT! Or perhaps you just don't understand my English, Mister Smartypants?"
"HEY! I'm not getting you or anything that you've just said in our meeting. I'm not getting all of this. What are you trying to hint at, Ms. Kamiya?"
"You're not getting what I just said? What's so difficult with that? To QUIT means to stop, to put an end to something, to get the FUCK out of any situation which you deem pathetic or worthless. Is it really that too hard to understand for that brain of yours, Mister Genius? Or perhaps you want me to translate it in your own language – something more complex so you would get it?"
"Ms. Kamiya, I understand that you have your own insecurities and personal issues with me, but please, let's be objective..."
"Insecurities? Issues? Hey, for your information, Mr. Know-it-all, I am not and will NEVER be insecure with you! And why would I? I'm smart. Everyone likes me except for you. And I'm the president of the most influential and most powerful student organization in this prestigious school! Why the hell would I ever be insecure with you? Tell me!"
"See, you're not trying to be objective, Kamiya-san...All I'm trying to say is we shouldn't involve our personal feelings in our discussions. Every time we would talk about important things at Student Council, I feel like you would eat me alive with those scary eyes. Besides, don't you think it's more important for us to finish everything we've started? It's only a couple of weeks before summer begins. And I know you also want the Summer Party to be a huge success. So why don't we just settle down and talk things over a cup of coffee or something? Would that be okay?" Kenshin explained to her. He looked at her calmly as if he wasn't even stirred by Kaoru's sudden outburst of anger. He was trying to examine her face, almost attempting to predict what her reaction might be after he told her those things.
"You know what, Kenshin?" Kaoru spoke his first name without adding '-san.' She went nearer to him then looked him straight into his eyes.
"Fuck you."
Kenshin didn't flinch. His eyes didn't even show any reaction whatsoever. He only stared into her huge sapphire blue eyes and let himself drown in its depth.
"Fuck you and all of your bullshit. And I'm saying the truth, Kenshin. I hate you for being so full of yourself and for acting as if you know everything. I hate you for contradicting everything that I say in our club meetings and for making me look so stupid and worthless in front of those students. I hate you for proposing preposterous ideas that are not even feasible. But because all of the professors and students in this school worship you, I have to include those ideas in my proposals and make them work no matter what. You know what? I hate you to the bones. I hate you so, so much that I couldn't even stand to be near you. I hate you because you're so pretentious and you act as if you don't know what the hell is going on between us, even from the moment we first met each other. I hate everything about you, and yes, Kenshin, that means 'NO,' I don't want to talk things over a cup of coffee, and I don't have the slightest intention of talking to you from here forth."
Kaoru was trembling in extreme anger. She tried to control her emotions but it seemed that she has reached her limit. She knew she had to tell him everything that she's been feeling or else she would go crazy.
"Are you...having your period or something?" Kenshin mockingly asked Kaoru.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a painful slap landed across Kenshin's face and gave off a loud 'whaack!' in the hall.
She bitterly stared at him – full of contempt and scorn. It was the very first time she used her hand to hurt someone, and indeed, it was her first time to hurt a man – a man like Kenshin Himura, the number one genius and most respected kid in school. She didn't know what made her explode in that manner. And she didn't know why of all days, it had to be on that hot Saturday afternoon when everyone in the Student Council was so busy preparing for the Summer Party and Inter-High School Athletic Competitions. She thought that maybe it was because she couldn't hold her anger any longer, or maybe, she was just extremely exhausted from all of the club meetings and preparations she has done so far for these school events. Nevertheless, she was definitely sure of one thing...
She felt amazing after slapping Himura on his face.
"Yes, I am," Kaoru retorted.
Kaoru turned her back from Kenshin and walked off. Left with a tremendously aching cheek and a shocked expression, Kenshin couldn't believe what just happened. He thought he did well to appease her anger. He even tried to make fun of everything she has just said, but of course it turned out to be a wrong move on his part. All he wanted was to finish their work and never involve their personal emotions in their talks. But nothing worked out according to his plan.
Yes, nothing worked out according to his intentions. And that made him so sick, and even more spiteful of the girl who just left a humiliating mark on his precious face.
"Someday, I'm gonna get you, BITCH..."
And Kenshin decided to go back to the classroom and put on his game face once again.
He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and calmed himself. Suddenly, all of the noises around him were dissolved and became barely audible to his ears. He needed that peace, that calm which managed to amplify his senses and prepare his whole body for what was about to happen.
Moving his feet ever so slightly on the dojo's wooden floor, he tried to focus his energy on the shinai that he held in his hands. He did not tremble, nor did he feel any tension in his body. This ability to separate one's existence from the environment and recognize even the shallowest breathing or slightest movement in nature has been a product of his long rigorous training in the art of Kendo, "the way of the sword." Now, it was just about time to show his sensei how much he has learned so far.
"Hiyaaaa!" he shouted. He suddenly woke up from dormancy as a surprising outburst of energy channeled through the wooden bamboo sword in his hands. He ran towards his opponent and hit the guy's helmet. He struck it so hard that his opponent almost lost his footing.
"Hiyaaa!" the other guy shouted back as he tried to hit his helmet. Unfortunately, the opponent's shinai struck the metal grilles on his men that their sensei called a foul.
He smirked as he knew very well that he already shook his opponent's confidence when he gave him a hard strike on his helmet. It was a strategy he has used for a number of times now. And every time he executed the trick, it always worked. He's probably trembling in fear right now. I only need one more strike to finish off this match.
He lunged forward and released a thrust to his opponent's throat. And when the guy was caught off guard for a second, he managed to strike his opponent's helmet once more, ending the match in a blink of an eye.
A roar of applause greeted him and his rival once their sensei announced the winner. Once again, he felt satisfied with his victory. If he continued to win against his club mates, then he would have a great chance of winning his coveted gold medal in the upcoming Inter –High School Athletic Competitions. He was the defending champion so far, and he did not have the slightest intention of giving up his chance to become the only student in Shizuoka Senior High to have ever won three gold medals in the Inter-High School Kendo Tournament. He was really that motivated.
"Congratulations, Shinomori-sempai! You did it again!" his opponent removed his protective helmet and smiled enthusiastically. He offered a handshake to the stoic man in front of him, although he was not quite sure if his sempai would accept it.
"Thanks," Aoshi muttered. He looked down at his hand and wondered if he would reach it. He still remembered that before the match started, this little guy was boasting to everyone how he could easily defeat Aoshi in one blow. The guy even laughed mockingly together with his cohorts, but Aoshi simply dismissed his provocative actions.
"...but no thanks," Aoshi added as he turned back and headed towards the bench to rest for a bit.
"Woah! Hahaha! That's what you get for being so cocky, Nakajima-kun!" one of the members teased the guy.
Nakajima Ichiro scowled once he saw Aoshi turn his back from him. He hated him more than ever. But it wasn't Aoshi's refusal to shake his hand that pissed him off, it was his humiliating defeat in their match. He thought he finally had a chance against Shinomori Aoshi, the defending champion of the Inter-High School Kendo Tournament. But alas! Aoshi managed to finish off their battle in a couple of minutes. Undeniably, it was a marvelous feat for his sempai, and for that sole reason, Ichiro despised him and his superb technique all the more.
Aoshi sat on the bench and wiped his face with a towel. Then he took a bottle of Oolong tea and drank from it. He needed something to rehydrate himself after the match, especially on that hot Saturday afternoon.
Then to his surprise, his cellphone rang.
He was startled to hear the sound as no one really called him often. It was only his parents, Sanosuke and Misao who knew his personal number and they knew not to contact him in the middle of the day unless it was really urgent.
He grabbed his bag under the bench and searched for his phone. Once he found it, he noticed that the number calling him was not listed in his contacts. He hesitated for a while if he should answer the call. Usually, if he did not know the person, he would simply hang up and ignore the phone call. But this time was different – something urged him to push the answer button and find out what was going on. And as soon as he did so, he greeted a slightly anxious "Hello" to the person on the other end of the line.
"Who is this?" he asked.
"Shinomori Aoshi?" the person asked back. Aoshi noticed the urgency in the man's voice.
"Ahh..y-yes..How can I help you?" Aoshi replied.
"Thank goodness you answered your phone! I've been trying to reach you!" the man sounded relieved. Aoshi became more confused.
"What is it?" he asked once again.
After inhaling deeply and calming himself, the guy on the other line revealed something that sent shock to Aoshi's mind and body.
"Shinomori-sempai...Misao Makimachi is missing..."
A/N: Yaattaa~ I've finished this whole chapter at last! After more than two years of not updating my fanfic, I've finally managed to upload another chapter. I'm so sorry for the long wait.. :(( But I really hope you like my story. Please don't forget to leave a comment, okay? Ja ne! XD