Hi there everyone, I finally finished the last chapter. Sorry it took too long but I was dead busy. Thnx to all the lovely readers who reviewed: below is a thank you to every single one of you (at least most of you). Plz read and enjoy...
Somehow, it was the sound of the door being gently closed that managed to invade Kaoru's head first. She wondered where she were and what happened...and why did she feel like she was suffering the worst hang over ever?!
"Hasn't she awakened yet?" she could hear Yahiko's voice whisper.
She heard an inaudible whisper for a reply, she couldn't even tell who it was.
"No, Sano left" Yahiko said, "He said he......."
Kaoru couldn't hear the rest of the conversation; they seemed to be walking away. She tried to get up, but the pain in her shot side nearly made her scream. Gasping, she tried to remember what had happened. Fear, pain, hurt and the sound of gun fire echoed in her mind. She wondered if it was all some sort of a dream. The last thing she remembered was being irritated by the loud laughs of Sano and Yahiko in the living room. She squinted her eyes trying desperately to remember. She heard them talk bad about her, she was hurt badly, she ran to the roof, it was a full moon. She looked at the calendar at the far wall of her room, the date hasn't changed. Was it all really a dream? The image of Kenshin confessing his love to her came back and she didn't want it to be a dream anymore. A few steps away from her, she could see her favorite hair ribbon on the floor. Slowly, everything came back crystal clear. Her eyes watered as she ran her hand down her side and felt the bandage on where she thought she was shot. It wasn't a dream!
The door opening snapped her out of her deep thoughts. She looked to see Kenshin standing there, his cheeks blushed deep red at the sight of her looking at him. He gave her a little smile and she gave him one back. She sat upright slowly.
"Yahiko, Megumi, she's awake" he announced.
Immediately, Yahiko's and Megumi's heads appeared as they leaned to see her from behind the door. Kaoru couldn't help but giggle.
Followed by the two of them, Kenshin walked towards Kaoru and sat next to her.
"Good morning" he greeted cheerfully.
"Good morning" Kaoru replied, her cheeks the color of a beetroot.
An awkward silent moment passed by.
"Kaoru, I'm so sorry for what I've done" Yahiko finally said, he didn't care anymore if Kaoru never taught him again, nearly losing her made him realize how special she was to him, she was more then his sensei, she was one of his few best friends and he owed her darn too much, "I'll work hard to repay you for all the generosity that you've bestowed upon me. Thank you very much"
Kaoru stared at Yahiko blankly for a few seconds. He was never so polite to her, not even if he wanted something from her. She could tell that he was absolutely sincere about what he just said. Not to mention, he used posh words.
"What's with the new manners?" She asked laughing, "Don't be so ridiculous, things will go back to exactly the way they were month ago"
Yahiko couldn't afford to show the happiness he felt, he had already shown enough.
He wanted to jump, hug Kaoru, cry and scream how bad he felt, but he was "The son of an honorable Samurai". He just smiled back.
"I'm glad that you're okay now Kaoru" Megumi said, "Not that I ever doubted you would, after all I was the one who had to stitch you up twice!"
They all laughed quietly.
"Hey Megumi" Kenshin said, "Sorry I glared at you like that before, I was just angry at thinking that I lost Kaoru"
"That's alright Kenshin" Megumi said, "I admit I tried to freak you guys out"
Kaoru looked at Kenshin hopefully, he still hadn't spoken to her directly. Was he taking back the words he said yesterday? No!
Sano's head appearing the way Yahiko's and Magumi's did derived her attention from him.
"Sano!" Kaoru said surprised, glad to see him.
Sano hesitated, was that anger or happiness. Was she mad at him for daring to show up, or was she actually happy to see him. There was something in her eyes that encouraged him to enter. From the way Kenshin, Megumi and Yahiko stared at him, he could feel the tingle of the return of things to the way they used to be. He smiled to Kaoru and entered the room, with his hands hidden behind his back. Yahiko gave him a questioned look which he answered with an assuring nod. The rest noticed it. Kenshin and Megumi smiled at Sano, Kaoru raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Sano sat with his hands still behind his back.
"What?" Kaoru asked Sano suspiciously.
"What?!" Sano replied with a smirk on his face.
Yahiko reached out and took something from Sano's hands and hid it behind him.
"Guys, I was shot, but I didn't become blind" Kaoru said, "What are you two planning?"
Awkwardly, Yahiko presented to her what he took from Sano.
"My favorite vase!" Kaoru exclaimed, Yahiko had broken it by accident on Tanabata day and that was the only reason why he acted nice to her then, "But how?"
"I bought you another one, or in precise words paid Sano to get you another one" Yahiko answered, "I hope you like it"
"I do" Kaoru said, "Thank you very much Yahiko"
Sano however still had his hands behind his back.
"We still have one more thing for you" Sano said, Kaoru realized that this was probably the first time she's heard his voice in a month.
"What?" Kaoru asked, excited, then it dawned on her, "You bought me a cake?!"
"Yes" Sano said, giving it to her, "To make it up to you and to apologize"
Kaoru stared at him in awe; it was sweet of him to do that. She opened the wrapped box hurriedly; she felt as if she hadn't eaten for years, she was very hungry.
"You guys make me wanna get shot again just to be treated like that" Kaoru said happily, through a mouthful of cake.
"Want some cake?" she offered to Kenshin. He looked at her and smiled.
"No thanks" he refused politely.
"What, are you on a diet or something?" Kaoru asked sarcastically.
"As a matter of fact I am" Kenshin replied.
"What? You're scrawny already!" Sano said, surprised.
"It's just that I want to look fit for when I'm going to propose to a girl which I had my eye on since ages," Kenshin explained.
The jaws of the rest of the Kenshin-gumi dropped.
"Excuse me" Sano said, "Are you crazy? Who'd ever want to get married? Tha..."-the cake slammed against Sano's face hard.
"Shut up Sano" Kaoru seethed at him.
"I never knew there were strawberries in this cake," Sano said, the cake still covering his face fully.
"Who is she? Do we know her?" Megumi understood what Kenshin was doing immediately and joined in.
Kaoru eyes were fixed in stomach twitching anticipation at Kenshin. It was very much unlike his nature, but he enjoyed watching her so confused. He wondered how could she doubt that she was the one, especially after what happened the previous night.
Yahiko stared from Kenshin to Megumi and vice versa. Kenshin gave him a meaningful look and it dawned on him.
"Yes you do" Kenshin answered matter-of-factly.
"Is she pretty?" Yahiko asked coolly.
"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" Kenshin answered.
"Is she a good cook?" Sano asked smartly, apparently he was enjoying having the cake so close, because all he did was lick away a whole for breathing.
Kenshin pretended to think about it for a few seconds. Kaoru was a hair away from losing her mind.
"No' he answered simply. His eyes met Kaoru's, there was hardly any doubt in them now. They shone in a way that he had never seen before, he could just stare into them forever. Actually, he intended to do the next best thing.
"So, Kaoru, do you think she'll say yes?" he asked her, Kaoru was surprised to hear her name 'dono-free'.
Kaoru, stared at Kenshin, her eyes shimmered with tears.
"I'm not so sure Kenshin" Kaoru answered, all the happy excitement in the room jumped out the window.
"What? Are you crazy?" Sano rather yelled, as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"You know he was talking about proposing to you, don't you?" Yahiko asked, surprised at Kaoru's answer.
Kaoru nodded sorrowfully.
"Why?" Kenshin asked softly, both hurt and surprised.
"I don't know any thing about you, except very little" Kaoru answered sadly, "You don't know the things I've realized during this past month"
Kenshin nodded in comprehension.
Sano glared at Kaoru with eyes smeared with cake. "Megumi" he said, desperately, "Do something!"
"I totally understand and respect Kaoru's reply" Megumi told Sano sternly, "At least I think I do"
"You women are just too complicated!" Sano exasperated.
"So, that was a no?" Kenshin asked, turning his eyes away from her so that she wouldn't see how badly he was hurt.
"No, it wasn't" Kaoru answered, he looked up again at her a hopeful smile across his handsome face, "It just means that I can't marry a guy that I know only little about".
Kenshin thought for a second.
"Well, I'm Shinta Himura, twenty eight years old and am crazily in love with you" Kenshin said, "How about that for a start?"
"Not so bad I guess" Kaoru said, smiling and blushing.
"You mean that all what Kenshin has to do is tell you more about himself?" Sano asked increadibly.
Kaoru nodded excitedly.
"So, Megumi" Sano said.
"Yes, Sano" she replied.
"About that money I need to borrow from you, when will you give 'em to me?" Sano asked.
Megumi inhaled angrily, Why the heck am I in love with this twerp?!
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Finally that story ends. Plz let me know what you think of it. I have an amazing idea for another story, but it'll take me too long to post it 'cause I'm too busy nowadays. I promise you all that you'll love it. Plz review and if you have time read my bio and let me know what you think! Love y'all. C ya soon.