Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Trust ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

When Kamiya Kaoru loses her mother, it causes her to stop talking and loses all emotions. When she moves to the States, she meets Himura Kenshin, an enthusiastic guy who helps her around school. Will he be able to help her out of her silent shell?

Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.03.2005 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 617 | Status: Work In Progress

Silent Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, though I do wish that I did. *sigh* Kenshin and crew belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro, the brill guy who thought up, wrote, and drew the great story for RK.

Summary: Kamiya Kaoru lost her mother, causing her to stop talking and lose all emotions. When she moves to the States, she meets Himura Kenshin, an enthusiastic guy. Will he be able to help her out of her silent shell?

A/N: hehe, you have just happened upon Silent Trust (by accident, right?) by me! This is my first fanfic, so suggestions on how I can improve will be appreciated! Well, I don't know if this will be a good fic or not, but I just hope it's not bad, right? Hehe. Well, I'll shut up so you can read my story! Hope it's to your liking!

CHAPTER ONE

The young girl with the ebony locks stared at the funeral pyre, sapphire eyes dull and emotionless. She was surrounded by a few others, all weeping, crying their hearts out. Yet, the girl just stood there, the older man next to her weeping quietly, hands clutching a photograph.

The girl turned abruptly and left the area, the smoke stinging her eyes, making them water with unshed tears.

………………………

Kamiya Kaoru pondered on the cremation that had occurred three weeks ago. She couldn't understand why no tears had leaked from her eyes when her mother had burned on that pyre. It wasn't that she didn't love her mother, she did very much, and that must have been why she reacted to her mother's death that way. Her mother's death had left her with a deep grief that had left her impassive for reasons she had not known.

Kaoru had glanced at her father, weeping softly besides her. Her strong, happy-go-lucky father was crying for his dead wife, tan hands clutching a photograph. That photo had been one of the few photos where her mother looked so carefree, as if she were just a naïve person with no worries. The picture had been taken in Yokohama. The smoke had stung her eyes, as her eyes had reverted back to the pyre, which had made tears prick her eyes, so she had left.

Kaoru brought herself back to reality. In the last three weeks, the pale, slim teen had had no contact with anyone, besides her father, who brought her meals she just picked at. She built an invisible wall around herself. No one had managed to break this sturdy wall yet, though the news her father would soon tell her will manage to scratch the surface of her wall.

………………………&# 8230;

“Kaoru, we're going to be moving to the United States. San Francisco, California, to be exact. We can start a new life, leave Tokyo behind,” Kamiya Koshijiro, Kaoru's father, explained to Kaoru. Her eyes widened a fraction, surprise flickering across her pale face momentarily before she again became detached.

“Kaoru, I wish you wouldn't act like this,” her father pleaded, “Your mother…I dreamt about her last night. She told me, us, to move on. `Don't live in the past.' I intend to follow what she said. The plane we are taking departs in two weeks.”

Kaoru remained silent as if she didn't even notice her tired father next to her. Koshijiro closed his chocolate eyes for a second and sighed quietly. He then left the room, leaving his silent daughter to herself.

Kaoru stared at the door. Standing up, she left the room, deciding to visit her favorite place one more time before she left Japan.

In five minutes, Kaoru lay next to a cherry blossom tree overlooking the Sumida River. She loved this place. Her family had come here many times for picnics.

She sighed and leaned her head back against the tree, reminiscing. Memories of her childhood with her beautiful, graceful mother flashed before her eyes. Kaoru felt tears sting her eyes so she decided to go back to the house lest more memories appeared.

When she arrived into her room, she decided to start packing for the move. As she packed her clothing in the suitcases, she realized something: she knew little English, a few words, give or take.

………………………

“You start school tomorrow! But don't worry, I have an escort for you! I know that your English is lacking,” the feminine voice chirped. This voice belonged to Kamiya Yumiko, Kaoru's father's sister. She was a plump, mid-thirties lady with brown hair and warm coffee colored eyes. She was very welcoming when Kaoru and her father arrived a week ago. She also talked a lot. She left Kaoru for a bit now, to grab a cup of coffee.

During her first week in the States, Kaoru, though she tried not to show it, had been awed by some things she had seen that were different between Japan and the United States. She had managed to accumulate a few more words of English that she thought might be helpful, though she knew she wouldn't be able to hold even a short conversation with anyone yet.

Kaoru flew up the stair when she heard her aunt approach again. She practically scrambled for her door, locking it when she was inside the room. She sighed inwardly. She proceeded to lie down on her bed, thinking.

She wondered things like how the other student would be like. Would they like her? Shun her? She didn't think she'd make friends anyways; she still was as cold as ever and still did not speak.

She sighed, hoping tomorrow would never come.

………………………&# 8230;……

“Hey! I'm Himura Kenshin,” the purple-eyed, flamed-haired guy introduced to Kaoru in Japanese.

Kaoru didn't reply; she simply gave a bow and walked away from the short, enthusiastic, and highly attractive guy. Unfortunately, the guy caught up to her, and he didn't mind that Kaoru ignored her. He simply smiled.

“Your aunt says you're still depressed over your mother's death. Tuberculosis, was it?” Kenshin asked. He noticed that Kaoru visibly winced when he said that.

Kaoru remained mute, not wanting to talk about her mother to this stranger. She fixed her gaze at the slip of paper in her hand. The paper held writing very different from the Japanese characters she knew. She decided she needed help.

She finally settled on acknowledging Kenshin. She looked at Kenshin and gave him a quick look of confusion before letting all emotion vanish.

“Oh! Let me help!” Kenshin offered, recognizing her silent plea. He took the paper from Kaoru's grasp and read it over before explaining it to Kaoru.

After she had her schedule explained to her, Kaoru followed Kenshin to her first class with a calm, cold face.

Kaoru's first hour held many teenagers speaking, Kaoru thought, English. Kenshin led Kaoru to her desk, settling in the desk next to her.

A few minutes later, the teacher walked in. She had curly blond hair and cool gray eyes. She noticed Kenshin with Kaoru sitting next to him. She smiled at Kaoru, though Kaoru only stared.

The teacher spoke to the class in the foreign tongue Kaoru had heard the other students speak with. She said something in Kaoru's direction, causing the class to all face her and give her a friendly smile. Kaoru stared straight ahead, as if she didn't notice them.

Kenshin stood up and said a few words in the strange speech. Kaoru guessed that he was introducing her. Kenshin sat down again, and class resumed.

………………………

Kaoru was uncomfortable with the strange surroundings. English was spoken everywhere, but she couldn't UNDERSTAND it. It was lunch now and Kaoru sat next to Kenshin.

Kenshin talked about nonsense. A few other students came to sit by them then. They talked to Kenshin, joking with him, Kaoru guessed because Kenshin was laughing. Kaoru, though still with a blank stare, felt like an outsider.

Kenshin could feel Kaoru's unease. He looked at Kaoru and smiled. He said something to the others, causing everyone in the small circle to look at her and start talking to her, bombarding her with questions that she didn't understand.

“They're asking you questions about yourself,” Kenshin explained in Japanese, “I'm your translator, tell me anything and I'll tell them in English, and vice versa.” Kaoru, though, did not say anything. She just looked away, ignoring the group. She heard Kenshin sigh and resume his talk with his friends.

Kenshin glanced at every now and then at Kaoru. Kaoru stood up and left, leaving for the bathroom that Kenshin had pointed out earlier.

……………………

After school, Kaoru lay on her bed, staring at the paper white ceiling. She didn't like her new school. Well, she didn't like the fact that no one spoke her native language, excluding a few only.

“How was school?” she heard her father ask as his head popped into the room. Kaoru turned her head to look at him, face impassive. He opened the door wider, revealing someone standing next to him.

“Hey,” Kenshin greeted with a smile. She walked into the room and Kaoru's father left, closing the door.

There was a silence. Kaoru stared out the window at the cherry tree her father had planted in the yard the moment they arrived at the house.

“Do you like the school?” Kenshin asked, breaking the silence. His reply was just a stony silence. He realized it would take a lot to get Kaoru to trust and open up to him.

“Do you think the students were okay?”

Silence.

“How `bout lunch. Horrible, wasn't it?”

Silence.

“Yeah, everyone hates it. You get used to it though, so don't worry.”

Silence.

“I hope the school isn't too confusing. I remember when I first came here. It was really confusing and I didn't know where many places were.”

Silence.

“You know, you don't talk much.”

Silence.

“Everyone thinks you're mute or something. Are you?”

Silence.

“You know, my favorite color is navy blue. I've loved it since I was ten. I have so much blue in my wardrobe, it's funny. My favorite fruit is kiwi. They are so--”

“Will you just shut up?” Kaoru snapped, irritated. This was the first sentence she had uttered since her mother's death, so her voice was hoarse from disuse. Kenshin smiled, having finally gotten Kaoru to say something albeit a bit rude.

A/N: Heh, so you survived the first chapter, right (oh, and I realize that English is taught over there, but I just wanted it to not be taught over there in Japan in my fic!)? Well, I hope this fic isn't boring so far. As for Kenshin, I don't think I'm going to add the Tomoe complex in him in this fic because I am really new at writing fics, so I don't think I can actually add it in really slyly in this A/U fic, as many other good fanfic authors can (though I probably will try!)! I probably will take a long time to update this fic because I am really lazy (truly) and am really busy, trying to maintain my 4.0 in school (sheesh, someone should have told me beforehand that honors bio is hard). I also can never figure out what to actually write. I have writer's block like for everything I write (sadly). Oh, for the (most likely non-existent) reviewers I may have for this fic, I would appreciate no flames. Heh (though I am a really forgiving person if you flame and such, so I suppose it shouldn't matter). Well, enough of my rambling (sorry if you actually read this a/n, it's really stupid)! Hehe. Thank you for reading this chapter, and I hope you review (I'd appreciate it if people are honest and tell me what is good or bad about my fic!)! Laterz, till next time!