Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ I don't want to be alone ❯ Chapter III ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter III

It had been quite sometime Honjo had stayed in the Kamiya Dojo and it was already dusk at that moment. It was time to leave. He had a long talk with the Kenshingumi, especially Kaoru and Yahiko, after they had lunch together. It was enjoyable for Honjo to share his international student spy experiences with the people in the dojo, although it was not right for him to do so.

"Promise me not to tell anyone about what I have told you all" Honjo begged "or else I will get tons of assignments from Saitou-san………"

Kaoru then placed her hand on Honjo's. "Don't worry, we will keep this a secret." She assured.

"I will fist that guy (Saitou) again if he ever try to punish you!" Sano reassured, clenching his fist.

Honjo's lips sagged.

= = = = =

As Honjo strolled along the bustling streets of Tokyo, his sight caught hold an art gallery by the roadside. Countless greeting cards of different themes were displayed on the table, all done with beauty and artistry. He was amazed by the workmanship. "Take your time to view them" The shop owner said. A particular theme of cards at the top right hand of the display stole his attention, something which was very familiar to him. Honjo bent down to get a better view. To his astonishment, they were Juppongatana greeting cards.

"These cards are hot selling. A cross scar swordsman and his gang defeated them (Juppongatana) made these cards popular" The shop owner commented "especially this one………" He then drew out a card and hand it over to Honjo. It was a picture of a smiling boy.

"Soujiro………" was Honjo's answer in his mind and he began to search for more of his cards, but it was negative. The shop owner told him it was the last piece. It kind of broke his heart.

"You may be interested in this card too………" The shop owner introduced as he handed him another card.

This time the card was a girl holding a scythe. Honjo gasped as he saw the signature of Seta Soujiro at the bottom left of the card. A drop of tear had escaped from Honjo's eye, wetting the autographed portion.

"Miss, are you okay?" The shop owner asked out of concern.

"I………will……….take these……… three………" Honjo's stammered as he took the Soujiro, Kamatari and Juppongatana cards.

= = = = =

A lonesome and sloshed Kamatari Honjo had been dominating himself with sake since early evening. He had stayed inside Abekeko for about three hours, finishing the sake, bottle by bottle. Now, it was nearly 10 in the night, he was still drinking and talking to himself at the same time.

"Hahaha……… I must be dreaming………" Honjo muttered, rubbed his eyes and brought the picture closer to him "he drew me???" and laughed maniacally after that. A group of men sitting opposite him noticed this drunkard.

"We are closing soon, please have your last order soon" Tae shouted.

"Hey brat, give me another bottle of sake!!!" Honjo ordered as he saw Tsubame coming down the lane. Tae shook her head. "This is her 30th bottle………" She told of Tsubame as she passed the sake to her.

Taking another mouthful of sake, Honjo self questioned: "What are you trying to hint me? Is our relationship just brotherhood?" Depressed, Honjo swept off the sake bottles on the table, smashing them all. "Soujirooooo!!!" the girly man screamed in frustration "what is the meaning of thissss?!" Everybody was stunned. Tsubame, being frightened, hid behind Tae again.

The group of men became pissed seeing such distraction. They decided to confront Honjo. "Miss, just keep your mouth shut will you?" One of them said.

"Why do you care!? Get your dirty butts back to your seats and mind your own business!" Honjo raised his voice.

"What did you say?" Another asked, grabbing the drunkard's clothing.

"I said……… Get your dirty butts back to your seats!!!" Honjo snarled and holding on the sake bottle on his hand, he stroke it onto the man's head. One down

The leader snapped his fingers and his men drew their swords immediately, waiting to take action. He then placed his hand on Honjo's face and uttered softly into his ears: "Go with us, satisfy us tonight and I will let you off………" Hearing the leader's negotiation, Honjo moved his face closer to him. The `girl' smirked of the daydreaming man.

"Go to hell, you bastard!!!" Honjo thundered and threw a fist onto the leader's left eye, sending him back. "Get her!!!" The injured man ordered as he fought against his pain. Armed less, Honjo grabbed a handful of chopsticks from the wooden holder and fired at the swordsmen. Sound of swords crashing on the floor was heard. Blood escaped from the swordsmen's chopstick pierced chests and soon one by one collapsed.

"Argh……… useless fools……… I am going to finish you myself………" The leader grumbled. He then took out a pistol from his pocket. Pointing the weapon at Honjo, the leader closed one of his eyes and said: "Bye bye, foolish girl………"

As he was pulling the trigger in a very slow motion, a blade of a katana cuts through the pistol, leaving it in halves. It shocked the leader. "Look what do we have here………" a voice said.

Turning himself around, he dropped the broken pistol as he saw Saitou Hajime and Himura Kenshin. "Bat………tou………sai…….. Fujita Goro………" The leader's voice trembled.

"Shall I exercise my true definition of justice, Aku. Soku. Zan.???" Saitou spoke and took a puff.

"Leader ………of the third Shinsengumi squad……… Saitou………"

"Hajime." Saitou ended as he finished his smoking. The shivering leader's hakama starts to turn wet. Taking a look at the broken pistol on the floor, Saitou added: "Western weapons are crisp and weak………" and gave a squash on the broken fragments under his feet.

"It's over, my dear………" Tae hugged Tsubame.

"Kamatari's drunk." Saitou said.

"She had 30 bottles of sake just now………" Tae added, clearing the leftovers with Tsubame.

"I will bring her to the dojo." Kenshin replied as he eyed on the half conscious Honjo.

"That's good. I will clear all these `dogs' here."

= = = = =

to be continued?