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Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic
Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese
Version ©N. Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures
Entertainment
All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole
purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.
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A Love Story
“Since I no longer expect anything from mankind except madness,
meanness, and mendacity; egotism, cowardice, and self-delusion, I have stopped
being a misanthrope.”
--Irving Layton (b. 1912) “The Whole Bloody Bird”
Takani Megumi, standing on the engawa
overlooking the garden of the Aoiya with a belligerent stance, tossed the long
ebony strands of her hair over her shoulder, dark eyes flashing and revealing
her barely contained annoyance, and lifted her chin in a haughty gesture as she
glared at the object of her ire. Or
rather, the only individual with the natural ability to arouse her temper with
amazing frequency…Sagara Sanosuke. He
returned her glower with an amused smirk, not phased in the least by her
furious display of attitude since he, himself, had one to match, and chewed on
the ever-present fishbone he favored as he shoved his hands, bandaged one as
well, into his pockets, hunching his shoulders, and leaned against a support
post of the engawa with seeming nonchalant casualness. “Ken-san heard us last night.”
“So?”
Sanosuke’s smirk grew, rather than diminishing, at Megumi’s
announcement.
Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer,
lowering her voice to an angry hiss as her gaze darted around the garden almost
furtively. “He knows, Sanosuke.”
He leaned closer and lowered his voices
as well. “Knows what, kitsune?” He straightened slowly, brown eyes glinting
with mocking amusement. “About you and
Aoshi?” She nodded sharply, eyes moving
over the garden again. “And this
affects me how?”
“It wouldn’t go very well for you, I
think, if Ken-san were to discover the truth about you and tanuki girl,
tori atama.”
Sanosuke snorted, expression scornful as
he stepped away from her to lean against the post again. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout.”
“Oh please.” Megumi rolled her eyes.
“It’s plain for anyone to see, Sanosuke.” Her expression softened, sadness filling her dark eyes. “At least for anyone not blinded by love and
trust. Poor Ken-san.”
“’Poor Ken-san’?” Sanosuke tossed his fishbone aside. “You’ve got no room to be accusin’ or
pityin’, Takani Megumi. If you want to
feel sorry for someone, why don’t you start with Misao? The itachi girl is the one with a broken
heart, you know.”
“And Ken-san loves Kaoru!” Megumi cried, then hastily glanced around as
if to make certain no one heard her outburst.
He raked a hand through his hair in
frustration, causing the already disarrayed locks to stand on end. “What do you want me to say, Megumi? Huh?”
She shook her head, opening her mouth as if to speak, but he cut her off
with an impatient gesture. “Look,
kitsune, no matter what you say or I might wish, what’s done is done and
there’s no turnin’ back. But until I don’t
got a choice in it, I’m gonna keep my mouth shut and you should, too.”
Megumi turned away with a tired
sigh. “I don’t know how much longer I
can live the lie, Sanosuke. The longer
it goes on the harder it’s going to be for everyone involved.”
Sanosuke shoved his hands in his pockets
and hunched his shoulders in his habitual slouch as he turned in the opposite
direction. “Yeah, I know.” He replied softly.
As they walked away, neither noticed the
unmoving figure crouched on the low overhang of the roof watching the exchange
with narrowed green eyes. Nor did they
hear the soft, muted sound of feet hitting the ground as Makimachi Misao
lightly dropped from her concealed perch, a scowl marring her pretty features.
**To Be Continue…**
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