A quick author's note:

Thanks so much for the good reviews that I have received. I feel really flattered that they actually read and liked my fic. For those who will give their comments and criticisms you may e-mail me at tanukigirl@edsamail.com.ph so I can personally thank you for taking your time off to give me your remarks about the fic (and to actually read it in the first place) and to those interested…can you please be my pre-reader? I work alone, so basically I have no one to ask if the fic I'd be posting is going to suck or isn't working…pls! Pls! Thanks for your time! On to chapter 3. And I'm sorry it took me quite a while for the installment of the next chapters…I have lots of school work to finish this sem.

Standard disclaimers apply. Characters don't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them…

***indicates flashback

A Date With A Senpai

Chapter 3

*Night takes me to you

do you ever dream of me

as I watch you sleep?

"Oohh, all the senpai would be so happy to see you Kaoru-sensei-kawaii!" Yahiko and Sano said giggling, their interrupted fight already forgotten.

"Shut up!" Kaoru yelled for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Smiling, the two looked at each other and began anew.

"Oh! Kaoru-sensei-kawaii, all the senpai would be so happy to see you! They all have a crush on you Kaoru-sensei-kawaii!!!"

They ended up on the floor, clutching their stomach, laughing like a bunch of crazed hyenas.

Megumi sighed as she stroked her long hair "You have a knack for finding and adopting immature brats Kaoru."

Sano shot her a defiant look. Yahiko stuck his tongue out.

"Hn. Immature alright. Well, I better get going now. Dr. Genzai might be worried about me." She stood up and straightened her blue uniform. "Tell me about this Ichiro-san tomorrow, boys giving out love letter should come with a warning label." She looked disdainfully at Sanosuke wrestling with Yahiko. "Hell, every man should come with one." She turned back at Kaoru, "It'll save us girls a whole lotta agony looking for Mr. Right."

Kaoru stared back her brows knitted together. She was sure she missed something.

"Well, Tanuki girl, seems I have to teach you a thing or two about boys ne?"

"Jou-chan don't you listen to her. If you do, you'll turn up as an old maid with hundreds of cats living with you. " Sano mumbled as he stood up leaving Yahiko face flat at the floor.

Megumi caught his ear and pulled it as far as she can "What was that Sanosuke?"

"Nothin'. I said…uh, there are a lot of wild cats in the streets so let me walk you home." He said smiling slyly.

"Hmm, Sano no baka, I heard what you said. I'm an expert at men so I can assure you that Kaoru-chan is in good hands, if she'll listen to what I have to say that is."

"If you're such an expert you wouldn't have to play kitsune tricks on me just to get my attention." He answered back smugly. "Anyway, I have an advice for you Jou-chan. Why don't ya date that Ichiro-san of yours? You just don't know if he's the one." He said staring somewhat pointedly at Kenshin. "If he turns out to be a major asshole, I'm sure you can kick his butt and you can always count on me to give him a lesson he sure won't forget for not treating you well. Heh I'm sure Kenshin here would be glad to give a hand or two ne Kenshin?"

"Orooro!" he said his cheeks slightly tainted pink, hidden by the bright fall of his hair as he bowed down at something suddenly interesting somewhere between his toes and the floor. Sano let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, ano, I uh…sure, whatever you say Sano." Kaoru responded meekly. 'Why is everyone making such a big deal out of this?'

"See you guys tomorrow. Breakfast, most preferably." Sano said as he lead Megumi out to the dojo yard.

"Oyasumi nasai Ken-san. Hope you dream of me!" Megumi said adding a seductive wink.

"MEGUMI!!!" Kaoru screeched lunging forward.

"O-oyasumi nasai Megumi-dono." Kenshin managed to say stepping in between the two girls.

"Oro!" Yahiko and Sano said at the same time laughing gleefully at the flushed expressions on Kenshin and Kaoru's faces.

Kenshin stayed at the door until he could no longer see Sano's shadow. Yahiko had announced that he was ready to turn in but Kaoru had told him to clean the table first. Grumbling curses, Yahiko took off at the direction of the kitchen. Kenshin turned his eyes towards Kaoru but found her staring absentmindedly at the letter delivered to her. "Kaoru-dono, is there something wrong?"

"Wha- ah, no. everything's fine. I…I should probably go to sleep. I have quite a day ahead of me." She said softly.

"Hai, it would be best that you rest now de gozaru."

"So…um, oyasumi nasai Kenshin."

"Oyasumi Kaoru-dono." he returned watching her silently as she sauntered off to her room. After a few minutes he checked up on Yahiko at the kitchen and found out that he had already finished his task. With a dejected sigh he turned and retreated to his room. He was about to open his door when he noticed the light still flickering on Kaoru's room. Soundlessly he walked up to her room. Her door was not yet closed and he could see through a small gap almost the whole of Kaoru's room. She was on the farthest corner and immediately realizing that she was taking her yukata off, he turned away. Not as quickly as he would like to, just enough to see Kaoru's bare shoulder and enough to stir some 'biological' reaction in his body. Holding his breath he listened to the soft rustle of clothes and tried not to imagine…things…

'Kenshin no baka! Since when did you become such a pervert!' he scolded himself. Letting out a deep sigh he decided that it was best that he should just get into his own room before…

He was in mid stride when he caught a glimpse of Kaoru sitting at her futon. Her hair was not tied in the usual ribbon that she wore and her long ebony tresses cascaded gracefully through her shoulder and back. He stopped unable to do anything but watch her. He found himself a little out of breath as she tilted her head, showing her profile. She looked so fresh wearing a pale yellow under-kimono; Kenshin realized that she did not need any fancy hairstyles or dress to highlight her beauty. She may not have Tomoe's heart-wrenching good looks, but her inner warmth and beauty shows through the surface.

The shadows highlighted her face giving her an aura of simplicity and beauty. No wonder he had difficulty breathing, she was a sight to marvel at. The silence overwhelmed Kenshin, he was half scared that Kaoru would notice. The beating of his heart seemed so loud in his ears. He wished that the silence would break for just a second, so he could breath normally again.

She showed no signs that she was aware of his presence, after a few moments she let out a sigh and took out a piece of paper tucked underneath her pillow. He recognized the paper instantly. It was the letter from Ichiro-san. She seemed unsure of what to do next but after clutching the letter so tight that it actually crumpled, she finally opened it.

He knew he shouldn't be watching her. He shouldn't be lurking at her door like a dead shadow invading her privacy, but he wanted to know how this letter would change them. When she had crumpled the letter, he had briefly hoped that she'll just flung it somewhere into her room. He knew he was acting selfishly, but what else was he supposed to feel? Scared of the intensity of his feelings, which were bordering between intense jealousy and an almost powerful need to barge in and tell her what his heart was practically screaming at him every single day since he had stayed here at this dojo, he forced himself to wandered back to his room.

Kaoru stared at the letter without actually reading the words. She knew, somehow, she knew what was written in it. She swallowed a lump in her throat. How could Ichiro-san say such things to her? He hadn't known her long enough but…

Well, it wasn't her fault she had to be a gorgeous charming and did she mention gorgeous kendo instructor now was it?

She blushed as she remembered her earlier conversation with Ichiro-san. She had just finished kicking yakuza butts and was about to go home when Ichiro-san had shyly approached her.

****

She wiped the sweat the trickled down her forehead, she winced as she raised her right shoulder. A little sore but the stupid spiked-hair yakuza that had hit her arm with a shinai should be feeling a lot worse than her after she had pounded him to the ground. Satisfied with the thought she adjusted her ponytail and was already eager to get home. The wind softly blew at her face she closed her eyes and took deep calming breaths. Kenshin wouldn't be too happy if she told him what had happened. She was unhurt, it would probably be best that she kept quiet about the whole incident. He always tends to over re-act when something happened to her. Even of the most trivial of things, like stupidly getting tripped or getting a stomach ache for eating way too much, getting drenched in the rain which would then lead to Kenshin's worrying about her getting sick and then there was this time when…her train of thoughts were suddenly broken as the gust of wind caused her to snap her eyes open. Someone was behind her.

Taking a defensive stance she quickly turned towards her assailant only to find Tomizawa-sensei and one of his student.

"Oh! Tomizawa-sensei, it was you." She breathed a sigh of relief, one brawl at a day was enough for her. She bowed and apologized for acting so strangely.

Tomizawa smiled, "it's ok to be a bit jumpy Kaoru-chan. I just wanted to thank you for assisting us today and to apologize as well for getting you into trouble."

The apologies lasted for about five minutes and by then Ichiro-san, Yaminobu's number one student had developed quite a liking for the young girl. It was time for Tomizawa to leave and be interviewed by the police, but Ichiro-san was in no hurry to head off . Standing in front of Kaoru-sensei, he found himself unable to speak.

"Yes?" She gently prodded.

"Well, I…uh. I'm Onoda Ichiro." He said, feeling incredibly stupid.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Well, how do you do Ichiro-san? Is there anything that I could help you with?"

"I…ano…I was just wondering, I mean thank you for your help and…"

"You don't have to thank me again. Your sensei has done a great job at it." She smiled at him until she noticed that Ichiro was staring at her…no more like dreamily staring at her. "Ichiro-san are you alright? You didn't get hit in the head or anything like that? I have a friend doctor and maybe she could help you or something her name is Takani Megumi and she lives near my dojo…."

"Daijoubu Kaoru-sensei." Ichiro interrupted her. He wasn't hurt. It was worse than that.

He was in love.

"I uh…I just wanted to tell you that…" he seemed to be having some trouble getting his words out. He took a long deep breath and announced, "Kaoru-sensei, I…uh…I think you're, um, ano…would you give me the honor of taking you out for dinner? Sometime? Maybe?" There was a note of hopeful resignation in his voice.

Kaoru could feel color rising to her cheeks "Dinner?" she repeated her blue eyes wide with surprise. 'Yes Kaoru, dinner you stupid tanuki girl! Ichiro is asking if he could take you out on a date!' a voice in her head idly informed her.

A date. The word registered in her head. Kaoru gaped at him. Ichiro asking her out? On a date? Like the two of them in a date? She gulped uneasily. She was torn between saying yes out of total surprise and no because…well because he wasn't Kenshin. Choosing carefully her words she told Ichiro the most obvious thing. "Well, um, I'm really flattered that you'd like to go out with me." She swallowed. Boy this is going to be hard. The look on his face…

"But…" Ichiro said with a slight quiver in his voice, he wasn't really ready to hear Kaoru turn him down but if that was her decision he knew that he should accept like a man.

"I'm really sorry, but I can't." Kaoru said as gently as she could.

"But why not?"

"Don't make this hard." Kaoru said slowly "It's just that, well…I, uh…"

Ichiro wasn't a top student kendo student for nothing he was known for his determination and having bruised his ego at her reluctance to go out with him it really wouldn't matter if she totally rejected him anyway. "What? Am I really so unattractive?" he pushed gently.

Kaoru's blue eyes widened, she couldn't believe that he wasn't even aware of how good-looking he was. Of course he didn't have mesmerizing violet eyes or shiny luscious red hair but not everyone can be of perfection.

Ichiro had that boy-next-door-look that made him endearing. Kinda like what you'd want to bring home to your parents. His lively brown eyes were warm and bright with unhidden feelings for her. When he smiled it made his face look brighter but still…

"Ichiro you're one of the most attractive boys that I have ever met. And I really do feel happy that among the girls around here you have chosen me. But I'm sorry. I can't go out with you." She said slowly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "There's already someone else I my life right now. So you see…"

"I don't see anything." He said stubbornly. "Is he…is he your fiancé?"

"Well, um, actually no. But that doesn't mean that we, um, don't have an…understanding." She said groping for words to describe her relationship with Kenshin.

"Please just think about it." He turned and left without a word. Without so much of a glance back to her.

And she watched him leave. She was left alone feeling like a total jerk. This conversation has now officially ruined her day.

*****End of flashback (sorry if it was quite a long one…)

Kaoru stared at the ceiling. 'Why are you saying no Kaoru?' a voice in her head interrupted. 'It's just a date anyway. It's not like you're going to marry him or anything. You know, you're a brilliant woman. You dating some other guy, Kenshin left in the house alone pondering on where you are, who you're with and what you're doing…you getting the picture here?

A mental image of Kenshin popped into her head: "Sessha, Kaoru-dono…shessa not worthy of you. Sessha have a dark past. Sessha have satined my hands with blood…Sessha BLAH BLAH BLAH…BLAH

Maybe this'll snap him out of his pity-party, she thought, but then again she didn't want to use Ichiro to get Kenshin. Ichiro is too special to be treated that way and surely she could use better tactics to get that stubborn rurouni without hurting someone's feelings.

'DAMMIT Kaoru! This is the first time a guy looked at you and didn't even mention the word Tanuki! Just say yes. Give him a chance.'

She shunned the voice out. To say yes would mean a betrayal to her true feelings. And besides she didn't want to give false hope to Ichiro. They could be friends, but nothing more. Her heart already belonged to someone else. She still couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Ichiro is asking so little of her. A dinner sounds fine but…

Damn. There's always that but.

Why was it her fault if he developed a thing for her. Why was it her fault that she had to born charming and pretty!

She should just have probably gave Ichiro-san a good whack in the head. Maybe that'll change his entire perspective about her, that way she wouldn't be feeling so torn about the whole thing. Heaving a long suffering sigh she closed her eyes and slept.

She dreamt of both Kenshin and Ichiro.

Violet eyes filled with heady passion hidden by bright flaming red hair.

Warm brown eyes pleading, asking her "why?"

Author's note:

Not exactly what I had in mind in the first place. But I guess this will have to do. Writer's block and mental block really got me this time. I have a knack for writing bad endings. I hope this chapter is ok. If it needs a re-write or if there are any parts that weren't working please…please e-mail me. I really need the comments and criticisms.

On to part 4