Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ For The Sake of Imperfection ❯ Ignorance Is Bleak ( Chapter 1 )

From the Desk of Scilja

Hello!  Yes, everyone, this IS in fact, an RK fic!  Aside from Gundam Wing, Rurouni Kenshin takes the spot to be my top favored.  So, in honor of this fantastic series, I indulged myself into a sweet fan-fic just as many others before me have done so.  Note for this fic, it takes place after the Revenge Arc.  I have mixed in a bit from the anime series as well.  Not to worry though, if you have little background on either one, this story won't make it that obvious for you to dive into research.  I decided to keep in a few bits of Japanese here and there, because it just didn't seem like RK without it!  A glossary at the end of the chapter should suffice any of your questions of such words. 

An important word for this story: In the Rurouni Kenshin anime episode of the Tanabata special, Tanabata, on the calendar, is shown to be celebrated in the month of August and not July.  Some parts of Tokyodo celebrate Tanabata in August rather than on the 7th month because it is more accurate on the lunar calendar.  Therefore, Tanabata will be held in August for this fic's purposes.

The notes at the end will provide further info. 

Enjoy!

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DISCLAIMER:  The idea and characters of Rurouni Kenshin are the property of the great Watsuki Nobuhiro.  I am simply borrowing the characters to torture them in agony for this fic.  I so evil.   

For The Sake of Imperfection

by Scilja

Chapter One - Ignorance Is Bleak

When the sun is beating down on the land and reflected back from the waters - it's summer.  When the cicadas are noisily chirping away a musical symphony - it's summer.  When children are scurrying in the streets without a care in the world and parents watch contentedly from the sidelines - it's summer. 

And when Tanabata, the Star-Gazing Festival, the night that gives romance a push to lovers everywhere, happens to be the talk of the town - you especially know it's summer.

One would think that because of this romantic event, all the young girls and women would be fluttering along with the boys and men they adore.  Vendors earn a grand from coaxing lovers to buy gifts for one another.  The restaurants are full of specialty dishes made for two.  Florists are busily arranging for high demand.  All in the name of love. 

True, that is what comes to anyone's mind whenever such a special occasion comes by.  But they have never looked hard enough.  If they did, they surely would not agree that is what happens in a certain part of Tokyo.  Let alone the atmosphere of it was nowhere near to romance, acting as if it were a disease. 

Indeed, it was sad that with love around every corner not a whim of romance stirred up in the Kamiya Dojo. 

Which is what exactly went through the mind of Kamiya Kaoru.

No, you wouldn't find her giving flirtatious glances to the opposite sex.  Nor would you need to be surprised to see her engaged in a heated kiss.  Or cuddling up and exchanging affectionate words. 

You would most likely find her fighting. 

"Terrible posture!"  The young kenjutsu instructor held a stern glance with a flick of her weapon.  "Unless you're planning to be the Hunchback Samurai of Japan, fix your stance!  There is no way you can do any good when you're slouching like that.  Now give me your best shot!" 

Yahiko straightened upright, sweat dripping down his face after a series of intense katas.  Ever persistent, he raised the shinai high over his head and dashed forward with a loud yell.

Kaoru readied herself into a defensive position, bokken held in front to prepare for the oncoming attack.  She frowned at the boy's lack of focus of the offensive move.  An opening!  Right at the torso! 

She crouched to dodge the weapon's swing where her head would have been and made a side-way arc hit its target.

In seconds, the first student of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dropped to the floor groaning in pain, his hands wrapped around his stomach.

Rising to her feet, Kaoru clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, "You still need to work on concentrating on defense.  A good balance between your offense and defense will make a more successful attack." 

Sputtered disbelief came from the curled form that remained sprawled on the ground.

"That'll be all for today.  You can get started on your chores now."  The bokken hoisted over one shoulder, she walked to a rack to return it.

As always, Tokyo's great samurai descendant, Moujin Yahiko, would not stand for this kind slave work.  The importance to defend himself against such demeaning tasks brought forth a surge of energy that got him to miraculously stand from supposed pain.  "No way, busu!" he argued and added effect by stamping his foot, "That's no way to treat a future samurai!  That's the way to treat a future house-maid!" 

Kaoru rolled her eyes.  'Tell that to an ex-hitokiri turned laundry-washer/cook/housekeeper.'  Even after staying with her for a year, the little bugger continues to put up an argument. 

He was struck with a hard fierce look, "Don't start, Yahiko.  Who else is going to clean?  And for defiance to your sensei, you can add five hundred swings to your pile of tasks."

She left the dojo while he swore under his breath and was silently pleased to hear the carrying of a bucket and rag. 

'I let a loud-mouth like him stay under my roof and this is the respect I get.'  An irate breath wisped the bangs that fell over her eyes.  'I am way too nice.'

Sliding the door to her room shut, she proceeded to remove the training gi which had gone heavy and damp with perspiration. 

Yuck.  There goes any chance of smelling like flowers. 

The dark print of the calendar captured her attention.  August 1.  Only a few days left until the dreaded festival. 

A shudder went through her.  She wasn't exactly looking forward to it, considering what had happened last year was both embarrassing and exasperating.  Good choice of words to describe it. 

Kenshin, in his entire inexperience with Western tradition, accidentally proposed to her with a ring he found. 

It would have been an incredibly romantic feat, since it was during the festival of love, but how could one call it real if the man was absolutely clueless about the idea? 

To further add to misery, the owner almost died for losing such a valuable object.  Consequently, Kaoru had no choice but to give the ring back. 

Talk about getting your hopes up and send them crashing back down.

That wasn't the gist of it all either.  Kaoru had spent many nights pondering about how Kenshin truly felt towards her.  A sister?  A friendly acquaintance?  An unrequited love?  Oh, the horrors.

It just didn't make sense!  A year had already passed and yet, the red-head hasn't made any signals!  Past rivals were already sent packing - Shishio was way down there, Saitou did not come around pestering for a fight anymore, Aoshi was happily meditating away, and Enishi had ebbed out.  Gone were the worries and troubles.  The path had never been more free! 

But that didn't stop Kenshin from being dense about it.

Kaoru sighed inwardly, 'Kenshin.'  A previous hitokiri turned rurouni who seeks redemption from his slaying days.  With flaming locks and striking amethyst eyes.  The very well-sculpted physique that she had been able to get a glimpse at whenever his gi got torn in battle.  Not to mention his expertise with a sword, or more specifically, a sakabatou.  The thought of how skillful his hands could be outside of combat made her blush hotly.

He had saved her, Japan, and many others several times.  Constantly putting the care of others before him first, always willing to help.  With all the "-de gozarus" and "-donos", he was a prude to the extreme.  The man had introduced a whole new form of elocution.

At least the self-depreciation had toned down from literally knocking the swordsman into his senses, though it occasionally slipped out now and then.  "This unworthy one."  'Mou, Kenshin, if you'd give me a chance I'll gladly show you how worthy you are!'

God, the man was something alright. 

Naturally, as any normal female, Kaoru decided to nab such a fine specimen of the male gender.  Yet, the aforementioned man was either slow or naïve when it came to the subject of love.

She scoffed.  How ironic that a person so extremely skilled in the difficult art of the sword is so weak in the art of romance.

On this summer day, Kaoru decided it was high-time for her to do something about this.  And with Tanabata coming up, it gave the perfect reason to do so.

In sheer determination, she plundered through the number of garments she owned.  Shortly, a triumphant "Yes!" was announced and she pulled out not just any ordinary robe, but one suited perfectly for this tactic.  Removing any remaining article of clothing, she slipped it on, tied the knot around her waist, and bounded off in search for her victim.

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Scrub.   Swish.  Splash.  Scrub.  Scrub.  Splish.  Scrub.  Scrub.  Scrub.  Scrape at a particularly stubborn stain.  Splash.  Scrub some more.

Behold the rituals of doing the laundry.  

Kenshin wiped his brow with the back of his hand.  The summer heat made everything seem like a daze.  The cold water from the basin was welcoming to lessen the rising temperature, but did nothing to hide the guilt that trickled slowly.

From past experience, and a not so very pleasant one at that, he was well aware of the nearing of Tanabata.  It was hard to forget such an event when you screwed up a proposal. 

If only he had known about the Western tradition of engagement, that horrid incident would have been greatly avoided.  And to think that it was Kaoru's first time, he cringed, he clearly ruined that moment for her.

A long sigh escaped him.  Kaoru deserved everything wonderful in this world.  Most of the women he met were sophisticated, polished, soft-spoken, and dutiful.  A perfect package for any man. 

Except for him, that is.

In fact, he found it quite refreshing to see someone contrast against those common qualities.  Kaoru was the first to step up and dared to be different. 

When she first tracked him down in the streets, fighting to protect her name's honor, he was enamored by her fiery independence.  Not only was she full of vitality, Kaoru had a heart caring enough to take in a pick-pocket and a former hitokiri despite their history.  Unlike other women, having knowledge in kenjutsu was a special subject he could relate specially with her.

He wanted to make it up to her.  Now the question was how he was going to do it.

So caught up was he in his own thoughts that he nearly jumped when Kaoru emerged walking towards him, clutching a bundle of clothes in her arms. 

"Kenshin!"

What a melodic voice.  He could blissfully pass the time just listening to it. 

She graced him with a dazzling smile, "Kenshin, I hope you don't mind, but I finished training and have some clothes to be washed."

"Not at all, Kaoru-dono," he returned her smile with one of his own, stood and held out his hands.

"Thank you," she outstretched her arms to give him the clothing then stopped short when her footing slipped. 

Amidst Kenshin's "Oro!" Kaoru fell straight into the laundry basin.

Covered in foamy bubbles and a soaked gi, Kenshin scrambled to check on Kaoru's wellbeing.  Her face was unreadable as it was covered by wet hair that clung to the sides.  He reached for the garments that followed her when she tumbled in.

"Kaoru-dono!" he flung the hakama away, words gushing out, "are you alright?  Where does it hurt?" he grabbed a training gi, "Sessha is sorry about the soap!  Sessha will be more careful next time de go…za…ru…"

Try as he might, he lost his ability to speak and gawked instead. 

There was no need for imagination in the state Kaoru was in.  Her legs hung suspended from the edge of the tub while her arms were buried in the water.  She was covered by the most see-through kind of fabric he had ever seen.  To make matters worse, the dampness of the clothing possibly made it even more transparent than intended and hugged her body like a second skin.  And if that wasn't enough, the tie of her robe had loosened greatly, thus exposing her bare for him to see up to her navel.

He was immensely relieved that the parted robe barely clung to the edges of her shoulder to partially covering her chest.  Though it did nothing to hide the swells of her breasts and pert nipples.

Kenshin swallowed with grave difficulty.

When she coughed, her chest vibrated.  At that instant, he knew he had surpassed the limit of self-control Hiten Mitsurugi had taught him, now teetering over the edge. 

Kaoru shifted in her awkward position which immediately brought Kenshin to snap out of it.  Assist her first, and then focus on self-restraint.  He wrapped an arm around her bent knees and another around her back.  The water streamed about them as he lifted Kaoru's drenched form and headed to the bathroom.

The trek to the bathhouse was left unvoiced.  Kenshin was still unable to tell what Kaoru was feeling since hair remained sticking to her face.  She didn't appear to be hurt anywhere; proof there was no sound of protest when he carried her.

Stopping outside the door to the bath, he gently eased her down to stand.  He took a towel from a nearby shelf and patted her dry from excess water.  The towel was left to drape over her shoulders, "Kaoru-dono, there is a bath already prepared for you and then I'll make some snacks.  How does that sound?  You have worked hard today training with Yahiko, it is time to relax."

Giving a final pat on toweling her dry, he would have went on his way if it were not for the tight grip that a slender hand had on the sleeve of his gi.  He blinked incredulously, "Oro?  Kaoru-dono?"

A fist surged towards him with a loud "Kenshin, you IDIOT!" to send him careening through the shoji wall, towel landing sharply on his head for the grand finale.

"Ororooo…"

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Kaoru slammed the bath door and placed a hand on her flustered face.  The redness was more out of frustration than humiliation. 

Her magnificent plan was ruined!

He was not a normal man! 

Any sane male would gladly have taken a near naked female into his arms.  Placed in that type of situation, he should have ravished her.  Kissed her senseless.  Declared his profound love for her.  Anything but what he had done!

But Kenshin, he did no such thing.  He checked for her safety…when she was practically nude right before him.

The man was not just dense, he defied the laws of the male libido.

Her shoulders dropped listlessly as she braced herself against the wall.  She didn't know whether to scream or to laugh.

Seeing the steam that smoked out the window, she stripped off the damp robe and immersed into the water.  Her knotted muscles began to unwind from its tension.

Lips pursed on how she had done a splendid job of making a complete fool of herself.  Kenshin must think that not only was she violent, loud, lanky tomboy, she was a clumsy one to add with it. 

The list of Kamiya Kaoru's faults never stops growing.

On the other hand, she racked through every part of her mind, conjuring up possibilities of why Kenshin acted the way he did.  It couldn't be that he disliked her, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed in the dojo for a long time.  He didn't make any show of annoyance to any of her characteristics, for he would have made that clear with a display of amber orbs, as he did with Saitou.  In fact, he just kept on a peaceful façade.

Which was why it was complicated to figure out the idiot in the first place.

All the smiling he did was going to send her over the moon.  At the rate they were going, she wouldn't be surprised if Ayame and Suzume got married before she did.

A man like him had to be used against the extreme.  After all, he did do through a lot of outrageous events.  The training with Hiten Misturugi, dealing with the Bakumatsu before and after, and breathing the days anew.  He lived in the extreme.

She was not going to give up!  Years of self-discipline were not going to be wasted.  Answers she wanted and answers she will receive.

A new glint shone in her blue depths.  Drastic times called for drastic measures.

And it was going to be as drastic as it can get.

Half an hour later, Kaoru stepped out of the bath.  In the haste to get into the bath, she had forgotten to bring along a yukata.  Wrapping a towel around herself, she peeked out the door to check for any peeping eyes.  When the coast was clear, she sped to her bedroom to change.

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After what seemed like hours of wallowing in the after effects from the fury of a certain shihondai, Kenshin brushed himself off and got up.  Plucking out stray debris from his hair, compliments of the innocent shoji that sadly happened to be in the way of Kaoru's wrath, he headed towards the kitchen to make the promised snack.

But the snack was not what his mind was set on; rather it was on a dark-haired and blue-eyed femme.

Kaoru was acting more out of character compared to her usual state.  However, he could not pinpoint what made her tick lately.  Aside from the common teasing from Yahiko, it was a mystery to explain her fluctuating moods.

The stove was stoked to boil water and Kenshin proceeded to make tea.

Shishoushould have spent more time explaining the complicated matters of the female mind.  That would have greatly helped save his behind on numerous occasions.  No doubt, the preference to end up in a battle with Mibu's wolf was far better than to face a pissed-off Kaoru any day.

He froze.

Could it be of what happened on Tanabata last year?

Setting a small tray on the counter, his brow furrowed.  It was unlike Kaoru to hold a deep grudge. 

Then again, there was the Kyotofarewell. 

Cringe.  Another raw matter left untouched.  He was going to have to resolve that with her as well.

For some odd, unexplainable reason, trouble always came looking for him.  Fate has found its new toy to torture.

Fate also chose to further torment the poor man by tempting him with a wet Kaoru, having her adorn a near-invisible garment that plainly revealed what made her so feminine.

Cue devilish grin.

It was going to take a long time bathing with cold water until he came back down. 

Nasty, Kenshin!  Avert thoughts!  Avert, I say!

Two fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.  This was going to take a while.

In the process of unwrapping the katsuteira from its packaging, distinct sounds of bickering filled the air.  Without a doubt, Yahiko had once again irked off his sensei. 

Kenshin shook his head wryly, arranging the food on the tray.  Making a silent reminder to have the medicine kit ready in hand, he carried the finished snack to an awaiting shihondai. 

"Oro!"  Red locks waved as a laughing Yahiko sped by, whose head turned to throw a raspberry at the heated figure dashing after him.

Kaoru came running with visible threat gleaming in her blue pools.  "Yahiko!  Get back here!  If respect can't be taught, it can be pounded into you!"

"Maa, calm down, Kaoru-dono," Ensuring a firm grip on the tray, he lifted a hand to go across her shoulders and thus hold her in place.  "Yahiko will learn -"

Since when were shoulders made to be soft and curvaceous?

Slowly, his gaze traveled down to where his hand had landed.  Eyes bugged out of their socket to see it resting on none other than her breast. 

Kenshin bravely raised his head to meet blazing sparks now directed at him.  Kaoru's entire being quivered with rage. 

Think, Kenshin, quick!  Save your rear again!  One can only take so much pain!  Say something!  ANYTHING -

"ORO!"

- but that.

"Kenshin, you sick pervert!" 

If a spectator were to stand outside, he or she would see a blur of red shoot through the roof of the Kamiya dojo.

TBC…

·ENDNOTES