Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Back To The Start ❯ Confession ( Chapter 18 )

Back To The Start

 

Chapter 18: Confession

 

Megumi rushed out of the house and cried, “What? What?”

 

“Megumi! It's Kaoru!”

 

“She's badly hurt, Megumi-dono,” Kenshin cut in showing Megumi the woman in his arms.

 

“Oh, my goodness!” Megumi cried, her hands flying to her mouth. “What happened, Ken-san? Her kimono's in shreds! What in the world happened? Who did this?” Kana bit her lip in horror.

 

“She was whipped,” Kenshin informed her, then after a pause, “for information on Hitokiri Battousai.”

 

Megumi's eyes snapped to Kenshin's face and she spoke carefully, “Hitokiri Battousai? Okay. She needs to be treated. Can you bring her inside, Ken-san?”

 

“Aa, of course.” With that, Kenshin hurried inside the house and gently set down his beloved in her futon. Megumi hurried in soon afterward, checking Kaoru's wounds through the tears in her kimono. Her kimono covered nearly nothing. That was how torn it was.

 

“Ken-san, we must treat her wounds. Quickly! Thank goodness none are on her face. Those would be hard to bandage,” Megumi gave her analysis.

 

“K-Ken-san?”

 

“Hai, Megumi-dono?”

 

“C-Could you help me bandage her wounds? I'm sure she wouldn't mind,” Megumi asked, embarrassed.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Tsubame-chan, Misao-chan, you stay and help, too,” Megumi called toward Tsubame and Misao. Then she shot Kana an accusing glare. Kana ran out and burst into tears. Hatori quickly followed her out.

 

“All of you, out! Now!” Megumi scolded, flapping her hands at them.

 

“Okay, okay,” they others chorused, filing out.

 

After the men left, Megumi started to take off Kaoru's kimono. Kenshin made sure not to look.

 

“Ken-san. You bandage her stomach area. Misao-chan, Tsubame-chan, and I will do her chest area.”

 

“Aa. This one shall do that.”

 

“With that the four got ready to work.

 

 

While they worked, Kana stood outside in the courtyard crying in Hatori's arms.

 

“Why didn't she ask me to help? I would have! Anyone who is Kenshin's friend is my friend!”

 

“Oh, really? That sure isn't how you felt in the beginning.”

 

“Well, that's before you told me that they really need each other, and before I saw that it really was true. Also, recently, I've realized that my love for Kenshin is now but that of a friend. I will tell them what I did. They deserve to know. But, why would Megumi-san be mad at me?”

 

“I'm glad you feel that way, Kana. But regardless how dense Kenshin and Kaoru are, Megumi's not stupid. She knows. I'm sure she does.”

 

“Are you indicating that I would screw things up?!” Kana cried indignantly.

 

“Iie, my dear. I'm saying that's why she doesn't want you there.”

 

“I get it. Thanks, Hatori.”

 

 

Back in the room, they were now bandaging Kaoru's legs. After finishing that, Megumi, Tsubame, and Misao dressed Kaoru in a yukata. Then, Megumi, Tsubame, and Misao went to get some water for them. After their departure, Kenshin took Kaoru's hand and absentmindedly ran his thumb over her knuckles while gazing at her face, wondering what went wrong. He tentatively leaned over and kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and finally her lips. His eyes hardened upon thinking of the misinformation he received from Kana. Suddenly his natural cynicism took over and something clicked. Why was it that Kana told him about this and went to comfort him? Did she take advantage of him by asking him out on a date when Kaoru just broke up with him? Why was it Kana and Hatori? Then, he got himself back under control and thought, `Nah. She'd never. She's too young and would never think as this one does.'

 

When Megumi, Tsubame, and Misao entered again, they silently acknowledged that Kenshin held Kaoru's hand in his. But, before they got to speak, Kaoru's eyes began to open.

 

Kaoru's first thoughts upon consciousness were, `Ugh. I'm sore all over. But my hand feels warm. It feels like someone's holding my hand. Kenshin? Where's Kenshin?'

 

“Kaoru! You're awake!” Kenshin cried happily.

 

“Huh? Yeah. I am.” Kenshin squeezed Kaoru's hand comfortingly. Kaoru struggled to sit up and Kenshin helped her up, letting her lean against his chest with his arm around her shoulders. Kaoru smiled at Kenshin gratefully.

 

“I'll go call everyone in,” Megumi commented, smiling in relief. “Tsubame-chan? Misao-chan? You coming?” Tsubame and Misao nodded in agreement.

 

“Kaoru, how are you feeling?” Kenshin asked, looking down at her worriedly.

 

“I'm fine, Kenshin. Just a little sore. That's all. Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine.”

 

“That's all? Kaoru, you're hurt, we know. Please don't try to hide it from us. You're not just fine,” Kenshin exclaimed incredulously.

 

“Kenshin, please be reasonable. I'm fine, really. I was only whipped a couple of times,” Kaoru begged, but stopped abruptly, realizing her mistake.

 

“Kaoru, this one just doesn't want you to get hurt. This one saw the wounds covering your body.”

 

“I know, Kenshin, I-“ Kaoru was cut off as the rest of their friends flooded in.

 

“Hey, Kaoru, are you okay?” Yahiko asked once he burst in the room.

 

“I'm alright, Yahiko. Don't worry about me.”

 

“E-everyone, before we go any further, I have a confession to make,” Kana cut in. The entire room quieted down and turned their attention on to her. She blushed, but started. “I-I did something horrible. Before I go any further, I'd like you all to kindly not interrupt until I'm done. Kenshin, you don't remember me at all from before do you?”

 

“Oro?”

 

“We met before that day on the street. You stayed at my family's inn. We talked for a while. It wasn't long, but… I fell in love with you then. I never told you my name, and I looked quite different, but I remember you clearly. So, because of that, I plotted to break you two up. I know it was horrible, but please let me finish. I roped Hatori into it too and we tried to break you up. We obviously succeeded. But, I realized that love does not change with a simple break up. You two broke up with each other for the other's happiness. Even though you both heard that the other cheated on you, you never stopped loving each other. And, Kenshin, when Kaoru-san was kidnapped, you ran after her. I know you would have helped anyone, but it's different for Kaoru-san isn't it? I know you all have something to say, but there's more. Hatori and I lied to you about the cheating on each other. You never did. I made that up. I was so desperate that I was willing to sink that low. Now I'm done. I'm sorry. So sorry. Kenshin and Kaoru. I offer to you my deepest and most sincere apologies,” Kana explained, bowing demurely.

 

Megumi jumped up. “I can't believe you! How dare you do this? I told you to stay out of it. I suspected you from the beginning! I knew I should've said something. The only reason I didn't is because I thought you had some dignity! I'd never imagined you'd sink so low. I told as much I Kaoru when she came to see me after the break up, but being her, she refused to believe me!” Megumi yelled.

 

Sano and Yahiko jumped up at the same time in anger and both glared at Kana in furious venom. Even Aoshi muttered, “You are impossible,” angrily under his breath, as Misao simply turned away, refraining herself from taking out her kunai. “We all suspected you, but never thought you'd do anything,” Misao commented coldly from her turned away position. Strangely enough, the only people not saying anything were Kenshin and Kaoru. A couple tears stood in Kana's eyes as they glistened on her eyelashes.

 

“You did think of this. This one thought it was this one's cynicism that made this one believe you did this purposely,” Kenshin mused, his eyes a steel cold blue. Sano actually thought he'd caught a flash of amber in his friend's eyes before disappearing in a swirl of icy blue as Kana spoke.

 

“Y-You suspected me?” Kana asked in a quivering voice.

 

“Ken-san!” Megumi shouted, now directing her anger at a surprised Kenshin, who had just opened his mouth to respond. “How could you think that? Your instincts could have saved your relationship!”

 

Author's Notes: Wow, typing this was tiring. Here's the next chapter and confession you all wanted to see. Everyone's cutting Kana down, even Kenshin's slightly annoyed. He won't do much though, if any of you wanted him to get mad at her and go Battousai for some reason. It's just not like him. Kenshin and Kaoru are too forgiving to do anything to her. Did any of you think that Kana could have known Kenshin from before? I know that it's kind of odd that Kenshin wouldn't remember Kana, but I did drop one hint in a previous chapter (I'm not sure which.) that Megumi thought that Kana seemed to know Kenshin, but he seemed not to remember her. Hopefully this wasn't a disappointing chapter. Bye for now!