(7/7/1)notes: here's a special edition of this fic written a while now. i took it down because, well, i didn't like it. other people didn't like it either because of the ending. well, i revised it and decided to put it up. well, it is tanabata! please enjoy before it's gone once again!
(11/22/0)notes: Yatta! I found this fanfic when I was cleaning my files. I must've wrote this when I first discovered Ruroken. It stars the genki crew from "Codename Yuri", a manga series I started in junior high.
Stacey: Konichiwa minna-san~! Please stay turned for a very 'Celestial Dragon' special!
Kimi: Prepare to meet all of our reincarnations, before the encounter in 1999, as we guest star on 'Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan'.
Stacey: A filler? Oh well. I can't wait to meet Himura-sama!
Kimi: Ne, Stac, roll the tape.
Stacey: Hai, brave leader!
Kimi: Oi, don’t call me that!
Stacey: Gomen, brave leader!
Kimi: …
Stacey: The silver moon shining through…
Kimi: A cloud rift during a rainstorm…
Both: A chance to meet again; Under a clear night sky; One summer night in Tokyo…
It was a bright sunny afternoon. Kaoru tightened the ribbon in her hair and stared into the mirror. ‘You can do this! Ganbatte!’ she told herself. She could see the calendar in the background. It was July 6th… the day before Tanabata. “Yoshii!!” she chimed, getting up and walking out of her room.
“Oi, Busu! Why’d you get all dressed up?” Yahiko asked, still swinging his bokken while he stared towards the girl in kimono.
“You…!! Don’t call me that…!!!” she sneered, grabbing him over by the collar, “Where’s Kenshin?”
“He just left to walk Ayame and Suzume home.”
“Oh…” she sighed. She had taken too long getting ready. After all, she had to take a bath after teaching at the Maekawa dojo. She got the usual payment and had wanted to spend it on something worthwhile. Then, that was when it hit her. Tanabata was tomorrow.
Yahiko pried himself away from her, gagging. “What’s that smell?? Are you wearing… perfume??”
Kaoru turned red. “Iie! Saa… I think I’ll go meet him on his way back…” she uttered, breaking into a run towards the gate. Yahiko simply rolled his eyes and continued his training. ‘Kenshin, I’m not backing out this time! I’m actually gonna do it! I’m going to ask you…!’ she thought, hurrying down the road.
By the time she arrived at Genzai-sensei’s house, she saw Kenshin walking outside the door, waving to Ayame and Suzume. “Maa maa, be good girls de gozaru yo!” he chimed with his cute rurouni smile. Kaoru loved that smile. Blushing, she moved behind a tree, hoping to surprise him when he reached the path. She waited, her heart beating in anticipation.
“Matte! Ken-san!” Megumi came running out of the house, “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“What is it, Megumi-dono?” he asked, turning towards her.
“Did you know that Tanabata is just tomorrow?”
“Tanabata…?” he uttered, thinking for a moment. The word finally registered in his mind and he put a cheerful smile on his face, “Aa, sou de gozaru yo.”
She smiled and leaned over to him, taking hold of his hands. “I was wondering, Ken-san, if you would like to go to the festival together?”
Kenshin blinked. “Eto… the festival…? That would be fun. Megumi-dono, sessha thinks that’s a great idea. We definitely should go to it.”
“Yakusuko yo, Ken-san?”
“Hai de gozaru.”
Kaoru watched in absolute horror. She slowly slid down to the ground, hugging her knees as Kenshin and Megumi sorted out their plans. When Kenshin started to leave, she quickly hid from sight. She waited until he had completely disappeared down the path before she exploded. “NE MEGUMI-SAN!! What do you think you’re doing?! Kenshin is MINE!!”
Megumi was quite surprised to see her there. After a pause, she smiled and pointed at her, “Oh? What part of him, little girl? His arm, his head …? Most certainly not his heart - Ohohoho!” she laughed, “You can kid yourself all you want, but you have absolutely no claim on Ken-san, and he’s free to do whatever he feels like doing.”
Kaoru clenched her fists. “DEMO!! DAME YO!!”
“Hm? What are you going to do about it, Tanuki-girl? Have a tantrum??” Megumi taunted, “I did give you enough time to ask him yourself, but it’s obvious you had no guts. Also, Ken-san agreed to go, so there’s really nothing you can do to stop him.”
“MOU!!!”
* * *
“And that’s what happened…” Kaoru sighed into her tea. It was the later that afternoon and she was having tea and cake with Tsubame and Tae. But her friends and the sweets hadn’t helped a bit in consoling her hurt feelings. She chugged down another cup of tea and stared into her lap.
Tae slapped her cup down on the table, “Well then, Kaoru-chan! There’s only one thing left to do! You’ve got to tell Ken-han yourself that you do not approve of his date!” Tsubame sweat-rained and skidded away from her. “If you don’t, then I must definitely will!! After all, he is your boyfriend and there’s no way I’m going to let him become unfaithful!!”
“He’s not.” Kaoru uttered, not lifting her head, “Megumi-san’s right. I can kid myself all I want. But Kenshin and I are not a couple. We’re still so very distant. He’s free to do as he pleases without my approval.”
“Kaoru-san?” Tsubame gasped, “So you’re going to let him go with Megumi-san?”
“What else can I do?”
It was quiet for a moment. The three girls just sat staring at the remaining cake. As Kaoru peered at the receipt from her bill, Tsubame reached for another slice. Tae suddenly got up and scared them both. “Kaoru-chan! What are you talking about?! Ken-han is obviously in love with you! Everyone sees it! The signs are all there!”
Kaoru glared at her. “Washing someone’s laundry doesn’t mean that you love the person!”
Tae exclaimed, “It could be! You never know!! In some foreign country, it might be some courtship ritual…” The girl sighed and got up from her seat, “Ne! Kaoru-chan, where are you going?! I’m not done with you yet!!”
“It’s getting late. I better head back to the dojo. Ja ne, Tae-san, Tsubame-chan!”
“Demo, Kaoru-chan!!!” Tae called after her. Kaoru continued to walk out of the dessert cafe, ignoring the yelling behind her, “Tanabata is supposed to be a day to spend with someone you love!! Ne, Kaoru-chan, don’t forget that!!”
As the customers all stared in their direction, Tsubame let out a sigh, “Tae-san, there really isn’t anything we can do. This time, I think Kaoru-san is serious.”
“I can’t believe she’s just going to step aside. I mean, she’s actually letting Takani-han just move in like that? Her relationship with Ken-han will not go anywhere at this rate!”
“I know, demo… it’s really her business. We shouldn’t interfere.” she uttered, awaiting a rebuttal. However, Tae just frowned and started going for more cake. Tsubame relaxed for a moment, ‘Mou… Poor Kaoru-san…’
* * *
Kaoru was walking towards home, frowning at the setting sun, ‘Tanabata is supposed to be a day to spend with someone you love… mou, don’t think I didn’t already know that. Demo… the person you love… might just be someone who doesn’t love you…’
She clutched her arm, sniffing back a tear. Crying, getting upset - that was what Megumi was expecting her to do. Kaoru wanted to make sure she wouldn’t let the Fox doctor beat her there. She wanted to have at least a little dignity left. Straining to keep a straight face, she focused on getting home.
Suddenly she heard a yell. Up ahead, there were a group of thugs beating on a boy. She quickly ran over and clobbered one of them. “Daijoubu desu ka?” she asked him, helping him off the ground. She stopped to feel the rest coming up behind her. She smacked one in the head with her bag, and then kicked the other in the stomach, sending him crashing with the rest. The thugs quickly retreated.
“Wow… Shitekii na…” the boy uttered, “Arigatou gozaimasu, Ojou-san!”
“Iie. It was no problem at all. Are you sure you’re all right?” Kaoru asked as he got up on his feet. He was a peculiarly dressed boy, his gray western suit very ill fitting, the coat and tie much too long, his pants very loose. But he really looked young. “Ano… just how old are you?”
“Eto… eighteen years old. Naze?”
“EH?! Sou na! You look like you’re about thirteen or twelve! You can’t be as old as me!!” she cried to his astonished face. She finally got a hold of herself and bowed her head. “Gomendesai. I really shouldn’t have gotten so excited…”
“Daijoubu daijoubu! I get that a lot!” he chuckled. He suddenly blinked his eyes, leaping up to her face, making her nervously step backwards. “Eto… sumimasen…” he uttered, pulling out a picture from his coat, “Ojou-san, have you seen this girl before??”
Kaoru squinted at the sketch drawing. “Iie… I haven’t.”
“Sou ka.” he sighed, putting the picture away, “After being away for four years, I’m looking for her… to spend Tanabata with her as promised.”
“Honto? That’s such a romantic story!”
He just blushed and rubbed his head, “Demo… I wonder how I’ll find her in such a big city as Tokyo… and Tanabata is tomorrow. I really don’t know…”
Kaoru patted him on the shoulder. “Ganbarou! I know you’ll find each other in time!” He nodded, with a slight smile. “Sore ja…”
The boy watched her walk down the street, and then took out the picture again. “Ganbarou, eh? Hm…”
* * *
Sanosuke was wandering through the woods. It was already late and he was terribly lost. ‘Shit! Where there hell am I?! Katsu said there was a nifty gambling hall somewhere around here!! I’ve been looking for it all day!!’
“Ano, sumimasen…” said a voice behind him. Nearly jumping out of his skin, he turned around and saw a girl in shrine robes, holding a lantern, “Are you lost?”
“Aa. It’s really embarrassing.” he muttered, staring at the head band. It had an eye drawn in the middle of it. “Saa, Nee-chan, could you give me some directions on how to get to back to Downtown Tokyo?”
“Of course, however…” She walked up to him, eying him up and down, “Could you answer some questions for me?”
“Ore? Questions?”
“Hai.” she noted, “Like do you have a girlfriend?” Sanosuke shook his head. “Okay, do you have a wife?” He again shook his head, “…. Do you have a boyfriend?” He turned pale at this question. The girl waved her hand at him. “It’s okay, it’s okay! I totally don’t find it too terrible…”
“I DON’T HAVE ONE!!!”
“Oh.” she uttered, “Okay then, hmm…” She walked around him, looking him over again. He turned and stared at her, nervously waiting for her to finish. At last, she stopped and dropped her head. “You’re not the one.”
“What the hell are you talking about, Nee-chan?” he asked impatiently.
She simply smiled, “I’m looking… for someone… who…” She crossed her arms and squinted at his face. “But there’s no way you’re him.”
“Oi, I’m not sure who you’re looking for, but you just can’t tell someone by their looks!”
She closed her eyes and uttered, “Your name is Sagara Sanosuke, alias Zanza, an ex-gangster who uses the technique Futae no Kiwani. You live in Ruffian row. You have no employment. You owe a gambling debt of 2500 yen and a tab at some restaurant called Akebeko 5035 yen.”
Sanosuke stumbled backward against a tree trunk. “How did you…?!”
The girl looked at him again, her brown eyes blinking. “But I guess you’ll have to do. Say, Sagara-san… do you have any plans tomorrow… for Tanabata?”
“Iya. I don’t.” he uttered, rubbing his head, “Are you asking me out?”
She blushed. “Well… yeah… if that’s okay with you?”
He smiled. “Of course! Sounds like fun!”
“Arigatou. My name is Fujimura Shena. Please meet me at the Benten Shrine tomorrow at four o’clock. It’s not too far from here. If you were to get on the main path, it’ll lead you straight to it.
Sanosuke chuckled, rubbing his head, “Ya just might wanna draw me a map, Nee-chan.” After sketching on the back of a luck charm, she handed it to him and he put it away in his coat. “So… four then?”
“Hai! See you till then, Sagara-san!” Shena said, waving as he walked away. “Tomorrow…”
Behind her, another woman stepped out, dressed in all black. “What are you doing, Shena? There’s really no time for this. The others are waiting to meet us. We have a mission to take care of, remember?”
“I know, demo… it’s Tanabata…” she sighed, “I want to actually enjoy it for once. Spending Tanabata alone… it’s a very terrible thing.” Her eyes moved up to the somewhat clear sky. Hoping for clear weather, she went to follow her comrade through the woods.