Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Her ❯ The Truth Is Revealed ( Chapter 16 )

Tenshi: It's a three day weekend, what do you expect? Me just to sit around watching TV? All we've got is basic cable, so I don't even bother anymore.

Sakura: You're just trying to get sympathy.

Tenshi: Shut up, I don't care anymore.

Sakura: Yes, but you're missing the new Yu Yu Hakusho episodes.

Tenshi: You're starting to sound like Adam. >>

Sakura: Oh well.

Tenshi: Quit teasing me about it and do the disclaimer.

Sakura: Standard disclaimer applies. There.

Tenshi: Let the story be read!

~~~~~

Her

Ch 16: The Truth Is Revealed

Masako heard the sound of footsteps behind her as she opened her door. Looking around, she saw that it was merely Kaoru with Megumi pulling up the rear.

"What do you want?" she asked, somewhat kindly.

"I-" Kaoru yelped as Megumi elbowed her, "I mean, we wanted to see if you were alright."

"I'm fine," Masako replied. She tuned back to her door again.

"Hey, wait a second." Megumi watched as the light from Masako's room fell upon her face, showing that the redness was gone. "You… your face isn't red anymore." Masako's eyes widened as she hurried into her room, attempting to close the door.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kaoru wedged herself into the small gap between the door and the frame, Megumi following.

"You don't have a fever," Megumi implied, taking Masako's chin in her palm, "Were you… were you just blushing?" she asked, a fox-like grin on her face.

"Now why would Masako, the `great warrior', be blushing?" Kaoru teased, clearly holding back fits of giggles.

"I… I was not blushing!" Masako lied, stepping back, shadowing her face with her hair again as a fresh set of redness came to her face at the thought of her trick failing.

"Oh yes you are!" Kaoru pointed out. She looked at Masako's face. "See, you're blushing right this instant!" she giggled.

"I am not blushing," Masako repeated, "I told you already, it's a fever."

"I have never seen a fever come and go so quickly," Megumi replied, cupping Masako's chin again. Masako quickly ripped her face away from Megumi's grip.

"I… I am strange in instances such as illness…" Masako faltered. Kaoru giggled louder.

"If I could place a bet, I'd say she has a crush," Kaoru divulged, nodding in a knowledgeable way with her arms crossed.

"I do not!" Masako spat, stepping back and falling on her butt on her futon with an "Oomph!"

"With that reaction, I'd bet along side the raccoon girl." Kaoru glared at Megumi as she continued, "Come now, you can tell us, we wouldn't say anything."

"How could I tell you if there isn't anything to tell?" Masako was desperate. Her secret would come out, and sooner than she'd wished.

"If there wasn't anything to tell, then you wouldn't be in the shape you're in now," Kaoru enumerated, squatting down in front of Masako, as Megumi did the same. Indeed, Masako was breathing quite fast, her pulse was unbelievable, her eyes shifted every which way, and sweat had begun to accumulate on her forehead.

"F-fine," Masako stuttered, taking a deep breath, "Alright, yes, I do like someone… but I'd rather not say whom." She looked up into the two sets of eyes.

"Oh, I was right!" Kaoru celebrated.

"Is it someone we know?" Megumi asked expectantly.

"Eh… y-yes… it is…." Masako looked at the floor, the red glowing on her cheeks.

"Oh, really?" Megumi asked, an expectant look on her face.

"It better not be Kenshin," Kaoru stated flatly, a stern look on her face.

"Oh, please don't say Yahiko, oh, that's a bad thought." Megumi covered her face with her hand at the mention of it. Kaoru let out a sound of disgust.

"No!" Masako shouted, "Oh, goodness, no! That's horrible Megumi, I'm seven years older than he is! Don't ever think like that! How could you?!" Masako felt sick. A ten year old? No way!

Megumi and Kaoru let out small sighs of relief in unison. They both looked up and at the same time chimed, "Then who?" Masako looked down at the floor.

"I… I won't say."

Sano pressed his ear up to the paper of the door to hear better. Masako had a crush already? How could he be so stupid? He'd known from the start that this could never end well. Still though, he wanted to hear whom it was she liked. Probably someone only the three girls knew… someone he perhaps hadn't met before… probably someone who would be a better match for her. Well… whatever made her happy was good enough, he supposed… but still… he longed to hold her in his arms, for him to be the one to spend his days with her, for him to kiss her lightly, not someone else…. He could feel his dreams begin to slip away from him. He felt her slip away from him. He listened again as the girls began their thinking process.

"It's someone we know…" Megumi muttered.

"It's someone she knows…" Kaoru added.

"And since she hasn't left the house much…" Megumi mumbled

"Then it's got be someone… from… inside…." Kaoru and Megumi looked up, weird looks on their faces, as they both came to the same conclusion.

"You like Sanosuke?!" they yelled. Masako shrunk down at their reaction. Sano pulled his ear away from the door and began rubbing on it before it sank in. What if it was him? Hope began to flood back to him. Perhaps he did stand a chance after all.

"Well?!" Kaoru shrieked, waiting for her to disagree. Instead she just sat there, staring at the ground.

"You can't be serious!" Megumi laughed, watching her. Suddenly realization flooded over her. "You are serious? Oh, Rini, I thought you had better taste than that."

Sano fumed. He felt like rushing in and telling Megumi off for that one. But the news of Masako's crush rooted him to his spot as his anger turned instead to happiness. She liked him, she really did. Hope filled him. He would get to hold her, he would get to stay with her, he would get to kiss her. He would have her as his. She liked him, she really liked him! He almost felt like dancing.

"How many times must I tell you to call me Masako?" Masako asked weakly, no threat whatsoever in her voice. She stared at the ground, embarrassed.

"You actually like Sano?" Kaoru asked.

"… Ye… yes…." Tears rimmed Masako's eyes in her embarrassment. She was getting too worked up over this, but there was no way to stop it.

"I feel so sorry for you." Megumi shook her head as Masako looked up at her, not caring about the redness of her cheeks.

"And what do you mean by that?" Masako's voice adapted an edge to it again, giving bite to her defensive words. Outside, Sano overjoyed at the fact that she was sticking up for him.

"Um," Megumi got a nervous tone to her voice as she saw the look in Masako's eyes. "Nothing, really." She held up her hands, backing away slightly.

"How could you like Sano?" Kaoru asked. "He's just a stupid, freeloading, oaf."

"That is where you are wrong." Masako turned her gaze towards Kaoru, giving her the shivers. Sano listened intently. "He is more than that, you must look deeper than just skin deep."

"Really…?" Megumi and Kaoru muttered together. Masako's eyes softened a bit. She was tired of arguing with them.

"Would you please just leave my room?" she asked, pointing to the door. Sano, stupidly enough, didn't pay attention to what she had said, just to the fact that Masako was the one that said it. And so, he didn't give a second thought to moving out of the way when the door slid open, causing him to land on his stomach in Masako's room when Megumi and Kaoru tried to leave.

"Sano!" Kaoru yelled, kicking at him just after he'd began to get up, rubbing his head.

"Missy!" he screamed, "You just dropped me on the tatami, why are you screaming at me?!"

"Because you were eavesdropping you big oaf!" Megumi yelled back.

"I…" Sano didn't know how to answer. When he looked over, he saw Masako sitting on her futon, a hand to her mouth. She leapt to her feet and bolted out the door.

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Tenshi: I didn't want to make this chapter too long, and it isn't all that short either.

Sakura: It's average, compared to the other chapters you've written.

Tenshi: Besides, this makes for a nice place to end the chapter too. ^^

Sakura: Please review.

Heaven Sent Tenshi