Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Let's Just Pretend ❯ His Shirt: An Interlude ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Kaoru burst into her dorm room, marching to her bed to dump her backpack and books. Misao lifted her head, raising an eyebrow when Kaoru paced around the small space. “You weren't wearing that earlier.”
 
Kaoru snorted, turning to face her roommate and folding her arms across the shirt. Perhaps covering up the evidence would make Misao forget... then again, by the look she was receiving, maybe not. “I had an accident.”
 
“Aren't you a little old to be having accidents?”
 
Great. Misao had to twist her words. This was not a time for humor. “Funny.”
 
Misao studied her silently, surveying Kaoru's agitation. “Okay. What happened?”
 
She bit her lip. No. She wasn't going to say. Misao would never let it go. It was better to suffer silently. “Kenshin Himura happened! You'd think I was cursed or something. It seems I can't make it three days without making myself look like a fool. Sanosuke is an idiot!”
 
Sure. He wasn't present to defend himself but that never mattered before. Besides, it had to be his fault somehow.
 
“How is Sano involved in this?”
 
“He's Kenshin Himura's roommate!”
 
Misao tapped her chin. “He's kind of hot, you know?”
 
Kaoru whipped around, staring at her slack-jawed. “Sano?”
 
“No, stupid. Himura.”
 
She tried to suppress the short humorless laugh that escaped anyway as a gasping choke. “Believe me. I know.”
 
The smaller girl's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How so?”
 
Uh-oh. Kaoru immediately turned away. Pushing papers around pointlessly. “Nothing.”
 
“Oh no!” Misao was on her feet in an instant, crossing the room to corner her. “You can't do that. And that's not your shirt.”
 
Kaoru's arms snapped back across her chest defensively. “I borrowed it. I was covered in... whatever the cafeteria had today for lunch.”
 
A slow smile spread across Misao's face. Kaoru recognized that smile. Danger. “Himura's shirt?”
 
“Misao!”
 
Misao gave her a sharp jab in sternum. “Ha! I knew it. You like him.”
 
Kaoru stiffened. She was definitely not going to play that game. “What?”
 
“I can tell.”
 
She most certainly did not. Kaoru turned away dismissively, trying to deflect the accusation. “Whatever. I don't want to think about him.”
 
“Are you going to return his shirt?”
 
“I never said it was his!”
 
“You never said it wasn't.”
 
Damn. “Thursday.”
 
Misao raised an eyebrow. “Why Thursday?”
 
Definitely don't mention that date... that totally wasn't a date. “I'll give it to him after class.”