Lost and Found

SUMMARY: Kenshin met Kaoru when she was lost in his university. He kept the scared, young Kaoru company while they wait for the thunderstorm to stop.

"Kaoru don't stray too far away from the building, ok?" Kaoru heard her father say. She didn't pay too much attention though. She was following a caterpillar she saw crawling along the pavement.

Kaoru wanted to protect the crawling creature. She didn't want it to get stepped on by somebody and so she painstakingly followed it. It wasn't long before the caterpillar had crawled to a nearby tree. She quit following it then.

She turned back around to return to her father when she realized that she didn't know where her father was. All the buildings looked similar to her. She didn't get scared though, that is until she heard the loud thunder. Almost every young kid was afraid of thunders and Kaoru was no exception.

She hurriedly ran towards the nearest building thinking that her father was inside. She wasn't paying too much attention to where she was going when she ran into somebody.

Kenshin wanted to get home immediately before the rain starts to fall. He didn't bring an umbrella with him, not that it mattered, but he brought books home with him and he didn't want those books to get wet. He might get in trouble if the library books got wet.

He was walking out of the door when he felt someone bumped into him and heard a soft cry. He looked down and saw a young girl slumped on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Kenshin asked the little girl. "I'm sorry I didn't see you. I was carrying all these books and I didn't notice you going in." He knelt on the floor to check on the little girl.

The little girl was silent for a moment when another thunder came. Kenshin noticed that she trembled after hearing the thunder.

"Are you afraid of thunder, little girl?" He gently asked her.

The girl suddenly stood up and looked defiantly at Kenshin. "I'm not afraid of thunder mister and I am not a little girl anymore. I am already 8 years old."

"Indeed, you are a young lady. I'm sorry I called you little girl." Kenshin smiled gently at the unhappy girl in front of him.

"I'm Kenshin," he said, "What's your name?"

"I'm Kaoru," she replied.

"So Kaoru, what are you doing in the library?"

Kaoru was surprised when she heard that she was in the library. She didn't remember going into the library with her father. She tried to hide her fear by looking away but Kenshin already saw her eyes widen with surprise and fear.

Outside, the rain started to fall. Loud thunders and lighting accompanied the rain as it poured heavily. Kaoru's trembling didn't escape Kenshin.

"Come on Kaoru and let's stay inside this library while we wait for the rain to stop," Kenshin said.

"But, my father would be worried," Kaoru whispered. "I promised him I wouldn't stray too far from where he was." Her voice was shaky as she tried to stop herself from crying. Then thunder came again, this time stronger than the others.

Kaoru jumped when she heard the loud noise and tears started to spill off her eyes.

"You're not afraid of thunder right. They are just loud noise and they won't even hurt you."

Kaoru wiped the tears off her eyes. "I am not afraid of thunder. I told you already."

"I know that," he agreed. "I just thought I'd mention it again."

Kenshin stood up and offered Kaoru his hand. "C'mon let's sit over there near the librarian and wait until the rain stops. Then we'd go find your father."

Kaoru suddenly remembered her father's warning to her. "My father told me not to talk to or go with strangers."

"I'm not a stranger anymore. I know you're Kaoru and you know I'm Kenshin," Kenshin explained to her.

When Kaoru remained apprehensive, Kenshin relented and sat on the floor. "Okay, we'll just wait here until the rain stops."

Kaoru didn't say anything for a few minutes but her feet got tired of standing to long. "Kenshin," she softly called him.

He put his book down and looked at her. "Yes," he replied.

"Hmmm…can we sit at one of the chairs there?"

"Sure," Kenshin replied with a smile on his face. He picked up his books and waited for Kaoru to follow him before going to one of the empty tables.

Kaoru sat on the chair in front of Kenshin. She fascinatingly looked around the huge library. There were tons of tall and enormous bookshelves. Students were all buried in their books. They didn't seem to notice the rains outside.

Kenshin was also busy reading his book. He didn't pay too much attention to her until another thunder came and a loud gasp was heard in front of him. He secretly smiled lest he wanted to offend Kaoru.

"You did not tell what you were doing in the library."

"I was not going in this library," Kaoru answered. "I was looking for my father. He was inside on of the building."

"Do you remember which building it was?" Kenshin asked her again.

"I thought I do," Kaoru answered. "But all the buildings look so much the same, I couldn't remember the building."

"Yeah, it can get a little confusing especially when you haven't been in this campus before," he agreed.

"Why were you outside? Were you playing?"

"I was not playing. I was following a caterpillar to get home. I protected it so it won't get stepped on by people." Kaoru explained.

Kenshin smiled when he heard Kaoru's explanation. Kaoru thought he was laughing at her so she explained more.

"Caterpillars become butterfly you know," Kaoru began to explain to Kenshin. "If I don't protect it, and it gets stepped on then it won't become a butterfly. It will not grow and become beautiful."

Kenshin nodded as Kaoru explained to a biology major the life cycle of a butterfly.

"What's the name of your father?"

"He's Kosijirou Kamiya. He teaches philosophy," Kaoru proudly told Kenshin.

"I know Prof. Kamiya. I once attended one of his lectures." Kenshin was surprised that this young girl is Professor Kamiya's daughter.

"Really?" Kaoru was so excited to hear that Kenshin knew her father.

"He's probably in the next building," He told Kaoru as he watched her eager expression. "I think the rain has stopped," He informed Kaoru.

"Let's go find my father," Kaoru enthusiastically told Kenshin.

Kenshin went to the librarian first and asked if he could leave his books for a few minutes while he accompanied Kaoru to her father.

Kenshin immediately spotted Prof. Kamiya the moment they stepped out of the library. He must be looking for Kaoru. Kenshin said to himself.

"Prof. Kamiya," Kenshin called the professor.

Korijirou Kamiya was worriedly looking for his daughter. He knew no one would hurt her but no one can ever be too sure. He was about to go the school patrol's office when he heard his name called.

He turned around and saw with her daughter standing next to a red headed young man.

"Kaoru," he happily called his daughter. "I was looking all over for you. Where have you been? I was so worried. I told you not to stray too far."

"I'm sorry daddy," Kaoru softly told her father. She looked ready to cry. She was so happy to see her father again but she was also afraid that she would be scolded hard.

Kosijirou tightly hugged her daughter. "Don't cry. I'm not angry. I am just really really worried."

"I know," Kaoru said. "I'm really sorry daddy."

He hugged his daughter again before he stood up to thank the young man who looked after his daughter.

He offered his hand to thank the smiling young man looking at his daughter. "Thank you for looking after my daughter."

"It was no problem Professor," Kenshin replied as he shook the older man's hand.

"Are you in my class perchance?" Kosijirou asked the young man.

"I just attended a lecture you had last week," Kenshin told the professor.

"Where are my manners? I forgot to ask for your name."

"Kenshin Himura."

"It was really nice to meet you Kenshin Himura." He patted Kenshin's shoulder as he

thanked him again for taking care of Kaoru. "And thank you again for looking after my daughter. She gets a little scared of thunder."

Both men heard a loud protest from the young girl listening to their conversation and smiled at her reaction.

"I have to go now professor," Kenshin told Professor Kamiya.

Kosijiro nooded and shook Kenshin's hand again. "Till next time Mr. Himura."

Kenshin just nodded and smiled.

"Don't get lost again okay," Kenshin told Kaoru.

"I won't. I promise," Kaoru replied.

"Good," he said with a smile. "Goodbye Kaoru Kamiya."

"Bye, Kenshin"

Later that night, Kaoru was writing on her diary the events of the day.

P.S.

I met the man I'm going to marry someday. His name is Kenshin Himura.