Megumi was in a pretty good mood that day.

As the raven-haired, green-eyed beauty skipped merrily down the school front steps, she was feeling so excited over the information that she had just garnered from the reporter, Tsunan, that she knew nothing, and no-one, could possibly ruin her good mood. Not her failing grade in History, not her broken nose-

-Not even the sight of the spiky-haired, resident casanova of Seirin High, Sanosuke Sagara…

Sano pushed himself from his elbows, away from Megumi’s car, when he saw her approach. With a smirk and a raised eyebrow, he whistled, “Lookin’ good there babe. You look like you just won a million bucks.”

Megumi’s Cheshire-like grin didn’t falter. “Well hello to you too, Sano. Popped a few cherries lately?”

She turned to the driver’s side of her car and took out her keys from her glossy pink purse. Behind her, Sanosuke moved closer to her body until their legs bumped, and then proceeded to encircle her waist in a sensuous hold. Pulling her closer to him, he murmured huskily in her ear, “That really hurts me Meg. Why won’t you believe me when I tell you that you’re the only girl I ever think about?”

Laughing derisively, she pushed him away. “When you’re grinding your groin against every specimen possessing the double X chromosome- how can I ever?”

Normally, Sanosuke’s unwanted advances would have instantly irritated Megumi…which was a problem because Sanosuke was always coming on to her. This must be because of the fact that, aside from Kaoru Kamiya, she was the only girl in Seirin High who didn’t give a damn about him. Yuri and Sayo both have secret crushes on him (more extreme on the latter), and even Tomoe harboured some secret admiration for the Sagara jerk at some point in her life, but Megumi never became a member of his fan club. She came close, but never entered that point of no return. And because of that, Sanosuke had been forever after her and had been seducing her every chance he got- but to no avail.

His apparent ineffectiveness in luring Takani to his bed wasn’t because she didn’t find him attractive. Good grief, no sane girl could ever proclaim such an abominable thing. And his expertise in bed was the stuff of legends (or so she heard). So why wouldn’t Megumi succumb to his advances?

“She’s such a plain, boring girl. I wouldn’t be caught dead dating her.”

Looking at Sanosuke’s wolfish grin now as he trapped her against her car door, she seriously doubted that the moron remembered what he had for lunch yesterday- much less an incident that happened eons ago, back when both of them were still awkward pre-pubescents. It was that single, hateful declaration that changed Megumi’s world and propelled her to an almost overnight popularity. For what most students of Seirin High didn’t know was that queen bee Megumi Takani –with her sultry good looks, perpetual arrogance and nasty attitude- was pretty much a no-name loser back in middle school. If she hadn’t changed her image when she entered high school, Megumi would have had been at the same par with Kaoru Kamiya today- and that was the frank truth!

Megumi used to study in a different school in another town back in elementary and all the way to junior high. Her father had a job transfer in THIS town right after graduation so she was all set to enter freshman year in Seirin High.

Megumi had been a painfully reserved kid; not shy or bashful- just an inherent desire to be alone most of the time. Because of this, she wasn’t popular in her town, and thus, had no desire to cultivate the looks of one who should be. She used to think that she was happy with this setup. But as fate soon made her realize, she was wrong…

One day at the mall, just a week before her new school opened, she found her handbag slashed and her wallet gone. Without money for fare or even for a call home, and in a strange new town where she didn’t know anyone who could help her, she was soon growing watery-eyed and desperate. It was at that moment of need that Sanosuke first came into her life…

Playing the perfect hero, Sanosuke offered his handkerchief after he noticed her tears. And after much coaxing, he managed to get her to tell him what the problem was. And true to his superman image, he offered her a ride home when he found out that they both happened to live in the same neighbourhood.

What happened next were Megumi’s most bitter memories… That day at the mall wasn’t their last meeting. In the next few days that progressed before school started, they frequently hung out at each other’s houses, playing games, talking, goofing around, and doing just about everything that close friends do. Megumi, despite herself, knew what was happening and she didn’t stop it. She knew she was changing and that there would be no turning back to the world of solitude that she once cherished…but she didn’t care. She knew she was beginning to feel something deeper for Sanosuke too, but she didn’t care for that either. What she only cared about during those hazy yet vivid moments of utter happiness and tranquillity was for those days not to end, and for Sanosuke to never ever leave her.

She should have known that she wasn’t living in a fairytale world to expect a ‘happily ever after’.

School opened and high school life started. First day and Sanosuke never tried to talk to her or even approach her. It was at the end of her last class, when she was hunting him down, that she saw him with Kenshin. And before she could fully reveal herself, Kenshin started to talk.

“Really?” Young Kenshin Himura quirked a playful eyebrow up at Sanosuke. Grinning, he added, “So you’re saying I shouldn’t ask that new girl, Megumi Takani, out on a date?”

“Damn straight!”

“And why not? She’s cute.”

And at this, Megumi heard the words that would turn her world upside-down…

“She’s such a plain, boring girl.” Sano laughed and stretched his arms behind his back. “I wouldn’t be caught dead dating her.”

“But I saw you with her three days ago.”

“Bored, ‘ol friend,” Sano pointed to himself, rolling his eyes. “Nothing better to do. She’s an okay chick, but not worth the effort for a full-fledged conquest. Know what I mean?”

They didn’t notice her footsteps as she slinked away, choking back the tears she wouldn’t let go. Eventually, she went home with her eyes dry but with a heart full of misery. That day, the old Megumi Takani died and was replaced with an emotion that took a persona of its own- pride and hate. She wanted revenge! She wanted to prove to Sanosuke that he was wrong. She wanted to prove to herself that she was worth more that what he thought of her! So, as soon as her heart wouldn’t cry anymore, she got up from her bed, marched towards her closet, and started removing every piece of clothing that she ever possessed. She also dumped every childish memorabilia and articles of her past life that now disgusted her. And when nothing was left, she started to fill her life with the things that would redefine her…things that eventually turned her to the haughty royalty of Seirin High’s social hierarchy that she was now famously known. And all these things happened because she made the stupid mistake of –almost- giving her heart to the guy who had the littlest regard for it.

And that was why Sanosuke would never –EVER- have a chance in heaven with her!

“Sano,” Megumi started as she placed both hands on his chest to push him away. “I’m in a good mood today, so be a good boy and don’t ruin it for me- ‘kay?”

“Au contraire, mademoiselle,” Sanosuke quipped with a sweep of his hand around her waist. “I think I can make you even more-.”

“Don’t you have some virgin waiting in your bed or something?” She manoeuvred herself out of his grip and started to open her car door. Once she was seated on the driver’s side, she followed up that line of thought with a- “If you go and have your way with her now, that will make me really happy.”

Sanosuke began to look confused. “Am I missing something here Meg? Who are you referring to?”

The green-eyed vixen raised an eyebrow. “You’re such a conceited ass, Sagara. I know you eat little innocents for breakfast, but I’m talking about the latest ditz that’s been heating up your pants.”

“Get to the point Takani.”

She knew she got him; he was irritated now. Sanosuke hated it when people play mind games on him. Well that was perfectly understandable, Megumi mused, if you don’t have a mind to be played with in the first place.

“The point here daahhliing,” she crooned. “Is your best friend’s dorky new girlfriend that got you that broken nose last night.”

At this, Sagara started to laugh. “You’re kidding right?” he mocked. “Kaoru Kamiya?” When he saw that she was serious, he started to laugh even louder. “Oh no, no, no! No way am I touching that territory! Not even with a ten-foot pole!” He started to laugh sarcastically. “It was all fine and whatever when I didn’t know that she’s Kenshin’s new girl. But now that I do, no chick -or chem. grade- is worth ruining a friendship.”

“You talk as if Kenshin would actually fight for her,” Megumi sniffed. “If I remember correctly, you and Kenshin used to share and discard girlfriends like two hobos sharing and disposing cardboard boxes.”

“Used to, Meg,” he corrected. “Ever since Tomoe came, I’ve been a pretty good boy, or haven’t you noticed? See, by principle, I don’t play around with any of my chum’s girlfriends- unless of course, that said chum himself gave me the go signal.” He wagged a finger in front of her. “And from what I can see, Kenshin’s pretty tight with this one, so Kamiya is obviously off-limits.”

Megumi’s lips curled into a sneer. She got out of her car, placed her hands on her hips, and gave him a challenging look. “What if I can prove to you that they’re not as tight as they seem to be, will you give her a shot then?”

Sanosuke’s expression became confused and Megumi slowly pulled out three photographs from her purse. She handed it to him and watched as a different play of emotions passed over Sanosuke’s face while looking at the pictures. After a while, Sano raised his head and his expression was deadly serious when he asked, “Where, when and how EXACTLY did you get all of these?”

Megumi snatched the photos away and waved it in front of his face. “That doesn’t matter or concern you! All that matters is what these pictures prove.”

The muscles on Sanosuke’s jaw visibly clenched and tightened. In a voiceless whisper, he said, “She wouldn’t do this to Himura…”

“You don’t know her well enough to be the judge of that.”

“Enishi wouldn’t hurt Kenshin-”

“Why wouldn’t he? Kenshin dumped his beloved twin sister after all.”

This gave him pause. After a long moment, with Sanosuke obviously grappling with himself, and with Megumi grinning quietly with victory, he started to speak in a low voice, “I have to go.”

And after that whispered declaration, he turned on his heel and hurriedly left. Megumi watched his disappearing form with glee, and turned her attention to the pictures once more.

The first photograph was taken two days ago when Kaoru fainted after drinking the lemonade Megumi laced with sleeping potion. In the photo, Kaoru was being carried in Enishi’s embrace while they were in the middle of a hallway. It wasn’t really much the act of them holding each other that way than how Enishi was looking at her placid face. There was too much emotion there on the usually stoic Yukishiro male. Kaoru’s eyes were closed, as if sleeping, and the way Enishi held her with so much care and how his eyes bore on her small figure spoke for itself. It was such an emotive picture that anyone who would see Enishi’s expression would instantly assume that he was feeling some strong sentiments for the Kamiya girl.

Megumi made a face. She didn’t really care whether Enishi had secret feelings for Kamiya or not. She wasn’t interested in Yukishiro-san anyway. But it disgusted her nonetheless that anyone would actually be interested in someone like Kaoru Kamiya. Shaking her head, Megumi moved on to the next picture which was taken only this afternoon, and found the image of Kaoru looking intensely at Enishi in the cafeteria. The way she looked at him with barefaced admiration pretty much summed up what the previous photograph hinted at.

The last picture sealed it all: Enishi and Kaoru in the parking lot two days ago, with Kaoru wearing Enishi’s varsity jacket. It was the scene after Tsunan confronted Kaoru and was saved by Enishi. There was a look of bliss on her face, and Yukishiro himself was wearing a tender expression. It was all very clear now…

They both had feelings for each other, Megumi and Tsunan had both deduced when the latter presented the photographs earlier. And now, their dirty little secret would soon hit the fan once Tsunan got the presses rolling.

Megumi tucked the photos back inside her purse and went inside her car. After starting the engine, she glanced up at the rear-view mirror and caught the pleased smile etched on her lips. Cocking an eyebrow, she turned on her car stereo and hummed to the music of ‘Wait A Minute’ by the Pussycat Dolls as she exited the school parking lot.

“May I come in?”

Funny how such a small sentence could hold a lot of meaning. Funnier even, when the answer to that statement could mean your life or even…well…your doom.

Okay, so I’m being overly-dramatic here again. Bite me!

I smiled tightly at Sanosuke Sagara before giving a muttered reply. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”

I didn’t even wait for an answer as I quickly closed the door. Pressing the speed dial, I pushed the phone receiver next to my ear and waited for Tomoe to answer. Once I heard the audible click of the phone being picked up, I made a tiny scream followed by, “Tomoe!!! He’s here!”

“W-who?” Tomoe was obviously surprised by my whispered squeal. “Who’s there?”

I began fanning my hand to my face and closed my eyes tight. “Sagara’s here! Oh God what am I going to do? What am I going to do?!?”

“Okay Kaoru calm down- I said calm down for Pete’s sake!” Tomoe was beginning to share my panic as her voice rose. I moved away from the door so that Sanosuke wouldn’t hear from the other side. “This is not some psychopath rapist Kaoru, so relax!” Tomoe admonished none-too-gently. “Get a grip!”

“B-but Tomoe, my problem-?!”

She sighed wearily. “Just entertain him for a few minutes, ‘kay? I’ll think of something to bail you out of that situation.”

And before I could ask her what her idea was, I heard the line go down. I brought the phone away from my face and stared at it disbelief. How could Tomoe do this to me?!? She hanged up on me when she knew of my –VERY- dire predicament. Now what am I going to do???

Before I could think of anything else, I heard a knock on my door, followed by Sanosuke’s voice. “Kamiya-san, are you alright in there? I thought I heard a scream-?”

“I-I’m fine,” I hastily answered him lest he’d think that something really happened to me and he’d bust the door open. With a shudder, I unlocked the door and opened it for him. I gave Sanosuke another tight smile before speaking, “I had a call waiting…so I, I, I just had to answer.” My smile grew tighter and tighter by the second. “Sorry about that…”

Sano gave a half-grin in return before stepping forward inside my room. His eyes roamed my entire bedroom for three minutes before his sights settled on me once more. “Cosy,” was his short description.

I placed a hand on the doorknob as my brain raced to find a way to escape him and my imminent doom. “You know what Sagara-san? I don’t think my room is a conducive environment for studying, I mean, with all my junk and all. S-s-so maybe we should, you know, do this in the living room where it’s-”

Loud music started to blare out from below. Sano lifted an eyebrow and finished my sentence for me. “-Noisy.”

I clapped my hands together as if I was struck by a brilliant idea. “The public library then!”

At this, Sano began to chuckle. “Kamiya-san, I’m having this very distinct feeling that you’re trying to get me out of your room.” He folded his arms to his chest for added effect. “And I wonder why…?”

I instantly coughed in embarrassment. My mouth opened to protest, but my mind couldn’t think fast enough for a plausible excuse. So in the end, I decided that maybe telling the truth would make me look pathetic enough for him to pity me. So breathing out slowly, I answered, “Y-yeah…”

A pleasant-sounding rumble started in his throat before it fully resonated into a deep, baritone laughter. With a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, he moved closer and tapped my left cheek lightly with his index finger. “You’re not…afraid of me, are you?”

I blushed at his touch. “A-a bit…” I admitted in a small voice.

He smirked. “Smart girl,” Sano responded in a slightly husky voice. His hand movements slowly turned to an open-palmed caress on my face. His fingers settled on my chin and his thumb grazed my lower lip softly. His other hand reached out and took my glasses off of my face. “Really…really…smart…”

He started to lean over and my mind processed his actions with the speed of a sedated bear high on crack. Dimly, I knew what he was about to do, but I was unable to stop him. Deep inside my brain, I screamed bloody murder for a way out of this mess. Externally though, I could hardly blink- much less run away and escape! So with wide, frightened eyes, I watched and waited (with increasing dread) as Sanosuke lowered his lips to meet mine-

-And at that moment someone up there in heaven decided that He actually liked me, and sent a timely intervention…

The phone receiver started ringing in my hand, momentarily reminding me that I was still holding onto it, and it instantly broke the trance my body was trapped in. With knee-jerk reflex, I raised the phone to my ears- only for it to hit Sanosuke’s chin with a resounding ‘crack’!

“Ooooowwww!!!!” Sano wailed, falling to the floor flat on his butt. “Geezzuusss-” he yelled again, “-Cccchhrriizz!” Horrified, I watched as blood started to trickle from the wound, and when Sanosuke realized this too, his cries became louder. “Oh holy mother of-! It’s bleeding!”

Okay, for the record I would have actually laughed at the situation if only I was thinking clearly enough. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. So the humour of it all was totally lost to me. I didn’t know what to do! I knelt to the floor and tried to reach out for him. “I-I-I-I’m so-so sorry!” The phone continued to ring in my hand. “Sagara-san I-”

Between Sagara’s yelling and the insistent ringing of that damn phone, I got so frazzled that I did the first and easiest thing that came into my mind. Quickly, I pushed the answer button on the receiver and barked, “Whaaat!?!”

“Well I guess I deserve that,” came the mellow response from a familiar voice.

Surprisingly, my heartbeat slowed to a normal thump and some of my anxiety seemed to just dissipate away upon hearing Kenshin’s soft voice. Grabbing the phone with both of my hands now, I started to apologize to him, “U-um no, no, no it’s not you. You didn’t do anything. I’m just a little-”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

That affectionate timbre in his voice had an instantaneous calming effect on me that was almost uncanny. I relaxed visibly and smiled beside myself. “I-I’m… I’m fine, thanks for asking. But Sanosuke-”

I exhaled wearily and returned my attention to my chemistry partner once more. Judging by the way he was looking at himself in the mirror at my bureau and at his bruised chin, I knew he was going to kill me later on for that. “Can you-” I hesitated a bit. “C-can you come over here. I think I’m going to need some help.”

“Is your mom home?”

“Y-yes,” I hedged. “But don’t worry, you can sneak your way in. She’s having a party and there are lots of people here right now so I don’t think she’ll notice you.”

“I’ll be there in five or ten then.”

I sighed and pushed the call-end button. Tossing the phone to my bed, I raised myself to my feet and walked up to Sanosuke. “I-I’m just, just going to get something to bandage that up, ‘k? I won’t be long…”

Sanosuke didn’t seem to hear me but I didn’t bother to repeat what I said. With a hand holding my forehead, I left my room and slowly trekked downstairs towards the first floor bathroom. I really didn’t have to go there for medical supplies because my own bathroom’s medicine cabinet had the things I needed. It was just that…I didn’t think I could handle being in the same room with Sanosuke Sagara for another minute longer. The man was proving to be a frustration even bigger than Kenshin had ever been in my life- and that, my friend, spoke for itself; knowing how deeply I used to hate Himura…

At that note, I realized that I’m actually lucky that I didn’t have to pretend to be Sanosuke’s girlfriend or anything. Kenshin was a much, much nicer guy than him ten times over!

As I made my way back to my room, gauze and bottle of antiseptic in hand, I had time to ponder about these things. Lately, Kenshin was becoming more and more bearable to be around. Unlike before when the mere mention of his name could make me shudder or burst into tears…now…after he avoided me the whole day, I couldn’t deny anymore that I became upset with him and with myself because I realized that I didn’t feel altogether normal without him by my side.

I paused abruptly by the foot of the staircase and one of my mom’s guests almost collided with me from behind. I apologized and he turned away gruffly, but I didn’t mind him. My mind was somewhere else… Reminiscing a certain memory that slowly warmed my entire being…

…Last night, when Kenshin brought me home after the ‘SwingBeat’ party, we stopped by my front gate to say our goodbyes. Both of us were too awkward to say anything else; the memory of the kiss we shared earlier served as a barrier that none of us were willing to destroy just yet. We were safe in our mutual silence; safe from the emotions that threatened to engulf us both…

“Good night,” I whispered with my head averted so that I wouldn’t have to meet his eyes. I slowly pushed the gate open and murmured, “Thank you for bringing me home…”

Kenshin looked grim and he seemed to be scrutinizing my cheerless face. “Kaoru…about what happened earlier-”

“Goodnight Himura-san.”

I moved quickly to get to the other side of the gate, thus cutting him off before he could start with the subject that I’ve been desperately trying to block out of my mind since we left the school. But before I could close the gate on him, he extended his hand through the bars and stopped my arm. When I stared up at him in puzzlement, I saw that his expression was so dark that I could hardly make out his features anymore.

“Kenshin, what are you-”

“Stop pitying yourself!”

“What?”

“You’re not boring, you’re not ugly,” He answered passionately. “You’re not stupid and you’re not worthless! Sanosuke, Megumi, those other people-” he paused and I saw him swallow. “They’re the ones who disgust me, Kaoru! They’re the ones who-who-who are completely useless!” He was stuttering and I was amazed by it. “They don’t know what they’re talking about. They can’t even see, can’t even-”

And then he faltered.

“Kenshin…” A tear threatened to fall from my left eye as he continued to hold my wrist through the iron bars. How did he know? How did he know that this was exactly what was bothering me since we left Seirin High? Throughout the drive home, I had time to think of the various insults that were thrown at me for the last six hours. But it wasn’t just the insults I experienced today that weighed down heavily in my heart. It wasn’t the fact that I’m plain and boring that pinched my chest with despair because I’ve already learned long ago to accept those things that made me…imperfect. It wasn’t Megumi’s bitchiness or Sanosuke’s insensitivities, or the other students’ inability to accept me… I became miserable because now I realized that-

-I would never be good enough, nor smart enough (and most certainly beautiful enough) to deserve someone as nice and as wonderful as…Kenshin.

Though why that suddenly mattered to me, I didn’t know. I was afraid to over-assess what I was feeling right now. Because doing so might lead me to an answer that I’m not, nor ever will be, ready to accept…

“You don’t…you don’t mean that,” my voice hardly more than a whisper. “You…you’re just being nice…”

Kenshin became silent after that. I blinked once, twice, and two teardrops fell. He caught my tears with his thumb before it could reach my chin. And with a frank and direct look, he replied with compassion- and just a touch of disdain: “You know, more than anyone else, that I’m –not- nice…”

For a few seconds, I just stared at him with disbelieving eyes and red cheeks; mutely gauging his words. I wanted oh so much to believe him, to believe that he was being sincere. But…if I started believing his seeming kindness now and his encouraging words, then I wouldn’t be able to stop my heart from fal-

I pulled away from his hold and walked a few steps back. I inhaled deeply and successively, steadying myself, while my hands closed into fists at my sides. Sure, Kenshin was kind now. But what would happen once everything was over? Once this pretence thing was finished, and after the school play concluded, would he revert to his old, hurtful ways as a bully? Would he go back to teasing me mercilessly like he always did before this whole charade started? Would he return to being my…enemy?

And then I realized something. Beneath those bleak musings and silent misery was a thought that was more unbearable than the others before…

Tomoe…

There was no denying the fact that they would resume their relationship once more after this set-up was over. And once they were back together, I’d be alone again…

I choked on air.

“Goodnight Kenshin…” I murmured with a shadow of a smile on my lips. “See you tomorrow at school.”

I quickly turned around so that I wouldn’t see his reaction. I didn’t want to feel anymore…

…I opened my eyes and realized that I had zoned off right in the middle of the hallway and in front of the staircase. I caught sight of my mom across the living room shooting me a worried glance, while I heard some people whispering behind me, saying how strange I was. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I returned my mom’s stare with a reassuring smile before going up the stairs. By the time I returned to my room, my smile was gone and was now replaced with a depressed frown.

Sanosuke looked up from his reflection when I entered my room. He was still sitting in front of my bureau and inspecting his wound through the mirror. With an annoyed scowl, he growled out, “Took you long enough.”

I tossed the bottle and the bandage gauze to him, unfazed by his newfound grumpiness. Suddenly, he didn’t look so sexy or as irresistible as he had been minutes ago. What I saw, instead, was a pathetic man trying to prove he was worth anything by trampling on other peoples’ self-esteem. But I couldn’t hate him for this. He was far too pathetic to waste my anger on. All I have now for him was pity and mild irritation.

Crossing my arms to my chest, I told him flatly, “Leave.”

At first, he didn’t seem to hear me as he proceeded to dab some medicine on his wound. So with an exasperated sigh, I marched up towards him and gave his shirtsleeve a hard tug. “I said leave, you big ape!”

“What?” He turned around with a confused look. “What are you doing? Let go of my shirt!!!”

My hands landed on my hips in a stern pose. “I want you to leave my room and my house right now! Forget about this, forget about chemistry! Tomorrow, I’m going to ask Prof. Anji for a new partner!”

I turned away impatiently, unable to stomach his presence for even just one second more, so I didn’t see Sanosuke’s expression after hearing my declaration. But after just a split second, I heard him stand up and his right hand reached out and touched my shoulder. “K-Kaoru I’m sorry if I yelled at you earlier, but that doesn’t mean-”

“Oh please!” I snapped as I slapped his hand away. Moving back, I told him in an annoyed voice, “I’m tired Sagara, okay? Tired of you trying to get into my pants, and tired of two-faced jerks and liars like you! You think you’re being smart and original by seducing me to get a high chem. grade? Well listen up buddy- you’re not!” At this point my voice had escalated to a shout, but I didn’t care. “I never fell for that trick, and I have no intentions of falling for that now! So find yourself another geeky, gullible virgin to pass your chemistry for you, because let me tell you this,” At this, my face reddened even more in preparation for an outburst that I didn’t want him to EVER forget. “-I may be geeky and a virgin but I’m certainly not gullible or stupid! So stop bothering me already!” And as an afterthought, I hissed out, “-asshole!”

If I wasn’t so caught up in the heat of the moment, I would have burst out in laughter upon seeing Sanosuke Sagara’s expression. His (bruised) chin was hanging open in shock, and all the suaveness and machismo that he usually exuded was gone. He raised his index finger, as if to protest, but when he saw my hard, unflinching gaze he decided to back down and let it be.

Slowly, he straightened up and he started for the door. But before he could make his exit, he paused and seemed to be thinking about something. Finally he turned his head and cocked an eyebrow down at me. “Well you must be so proud of yourself.” He looked like a peeved child who had just been denied candy. “You’re actually the only girl who managed to humiliate me like this.”

I gave him a weary look before my hands proceeded to massage my temples. “Just…go Sagara, okay? Go before you give me a migraine.”

“You know…” A smile started to tug at the corners of his lips. “I actually find your resistance a turn-on…”

“You’re an insufferable pervert.” I exhaled jadedly, too spent to snap or shout anymore. “I’m not playing hard to get here, so I advise you to get yourself turned-off right now. Kenshin is coming over and I don’t want him to see you with me.”

“Okay, okay I’ll leave,” Sanosuke chuckled good-naturedly with palms raised in a gesture of defeat. “I guess that answers my question.” He smiled.

I scrunched my forehead curiously. “What question?”

He shrugged and dug his hands deep into his pants pockets. “-That you really DO like Kenshin.”

“Wow! All this seduction gimmick just to prove that I’m really in love with your best friend?” I intoned sweetly with heavy sarcasm. “That is SO sweet of you Sagara. I mean, for you to care for your friend like that is so nice and divine of you-” then my smile turned to a frown, “-now leave.”

“It’s so good to be appreciated for a job well done,” Sano shared my sarcasm with a wicked grin. But suddenly, his expression turned pensive and he pinned me with a serious look. “So I guess…this means that Enishi is nothing to you, right?”

My head snapped up and I uttered, “What-”

“-Does Enishi have to do with her?”

Both Sanosuke and I looked up and saw Kenshin standing at my bedroom doorway, blocking Sano’s way, and finishing my question for me. The cheerful greeting I was about to give him died in my throat when I took note of his appearance. He wasn’t looking very friendly at the moment. Matter of fact, there was a cloud of suspicion on his face that was quite unnerving as he shot his friend a speculative look. “Bro, your chin is bleeding.”

“Oh? Oh!” Sagara seemed to remember his injury and dashed towards my bathroom without even consulting me first. I squeaked out a protest but there was nothing I could do to stop him. Instantly, Sanosuke locked himself inside and so I was left alone with Kenshin. Strangely, I didn’t find his presence as comforting as before… Not when he was looking at me like I’m guilty of some horrible crime or something.

I crossed my arms to my chest once more and tried to equal his chilly casualness. “So…you came,” I started, nodding my head like an idiot for no reason.

He arched an eyebrow, and a grin started to play over his lips. And instantly, I knew that the cold indifference was gone and he was back to his normal self. I let out a sigh of relief before returning his smile. “I thought you’d never come…”

Kenshin stepped closer and brushed a playful punch across my left cheek. With a teasing light behind his eyes, he asked, “Order a sushi deluxe for me and I’ll be sure to give him a good pounding later.” He noticed my slightly flushed look and he became quite serious again. “Hey, what’s wrong? What did he do to you? I swear I’ll kick his ass from here to-”

I chuckled nervously and started to assure him before he could get violent. “No, no I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Don’t worry about Sagara. I think I kicked his ass hard enough for today. If he tries to annoy me again tomorrow, you can have your turn.”

We shared a grin suppressed with laughter when Sanosuke finally came out of my bathroom with his chin wound plastered. When he saw our naughty smiles, he became wary. “You’ve been talking about me, haven’t you?”

“Probably…” I teased.

“No.” Kenshin replied seriously instead. I was amazed at how ‘my’ boyfriend could quickly change from mischievous cheerfulness in one minute, to formal casualness in the next. Not even I, an aspiring actress, could psyche myself up to alter emotions that rapidly. “We were wondering what Enishi has got to do with Kaoru. Care to explain?”

Sanosuke turned grim too, and that made me worry more. The situation must really be grave if even playful Sanosuke Sagara couldn’t find something to poke fun about it. “Kenshin,” his spiky-haired friend began. “I think Megumi is planning something…”

“I’m a little afraid…”

I couldn’t help but whisper these words when the emotion felt too heavy in my chest to keep silent. Lying on the bed next to me, Kenshin held my right hand and squeezed it encouragingly. Without breaking eye contact from the ceiling, he replied, “Don’t be. It’s just Megumi.”

“But she’s obviously been watching me to be able to get those photos,” I told him in a voice that barely concealed my anxiety. Suddenly, an even more fearful idea came to me and I gasped. “What if she’s there whenever we’re-”

-The times that Kenshin and I fought; the times when we let our guard down and we reveal the truth of our ‘relationship’. What if Megumi saw those careless moments too? Then…?!

“She couldn’t have, because then she would have had pictures of that too,” he assured me before I could finish my sentence, thus putting my fears to rest (at least for the moment). “She’s such a frustrating girl,” Kenshin muttered as an afterthought. “Really! Upsetting people like this is just so-”

“She must really like you a lot to go through all this trouble just to destroy ‘us’…” I replied dryly. “My, my… What could she have possibly seen in you to make her so obsessed?”

“Funny,” Kenshin replied wryly and I squeaked when he pinched my hand. “She doesn’t like me,” my companion corrected me offhandedly. “She likes Sanosuke.”

“Come again?”

I turned my face to look at his profile with a bit of a frown on my lips. Kenshin’s violet eyes were thoughtful as he continued to stare directly ahead. The way his fingers stroked my closed fist remained the same: hypnotic, rhythmic… But his voice revealed a touch of irritation. “They’re both morons,” he declared in a dispassionate voice. “They both go and fool around with other people, saying they’re not in love with the other, when all they do is just cut each other deep with the things that they say and the things that they do…”

“Wow! That’s deep,” I giggled. “Care to translate in English?”

Kenshin finally turned around and looked at me with an impish grin on his face. “See, Megumi is always telling people that she likes me. And Sano is always on the prowl for young, new, um…”

I laughed and gave him a light slap on the shoulder, with a warning, “Don’t you dare mince words!”

“Alright!” he laughed too. “-New…meat. Hey don’t look at me like that; even I have sensibilities you know. Anyway, where was I?” He became a bit thoughtful, and then he remembered. “But if you’ve been friends with Sano and Meg for as long as Tomoe and I have been with them, then you’ll see that…through the hurtful words and the blatant, over-sexed flirting with other people, deep down inside they really DO care for each other. They care-”

Kenshin squeezed my hand a bit harder to reinforce his next statement. “-SO MUCH that they’re afraid… Afraid that the magnitude of their feelings for each other will be their own ruin if they confess about it. It’s a pathetic story, really. Romantic, I guess for some people, but over-all frustrating if you ask me.”

He turned to stare at the ceiling again before sighing. “They’re so hopeless…”

After that little tirade, I was actually a bit speechless. After all, who would’ve thought of Sagara and Takani as two overly insecure would-have-been-lovers that were too afraid of their own feelings for each other to confront the truth, and thus, hurting themselves with lies in the process. “So basically,” I began, although a little hesitantly. “What you’re saying here is that they’re both-”

“Idiots.”

“Well, can’t argue with that logic.” I laughed heartily. “But that’s not going to solve our dilemma now, is it? So here’s an idea: what if we help them with their problem, you know? Like, set them up or something. Then they’ll surely stop bothering us.”

“Play cupid to Sanosuke Sagara and Megumi Takani?” Kenshin scoffed then stared at me. “That’s like going on a suicide mission Kaoru. They-” at this, he made the quotation marks gesture with his fingers, “-HATE each other. They go around every day insulting one another just to see who would bleed more. They’ll never let it happen!”

I quirked my lips to the side, a bit thoughtful. “Well…we hated each other before, didn’t we? Back then, we would never even consider talking civilly to each other, much less talk the way we’re talking right now…” I looked away and turned my sights to the ceiling. “But look at us! We have a relationship now, and it’s all because-”

Suddenly, an idea struck me, and I had reason to believe that Kenshin thought of this very same idea too because we turned to look at each other simultaneously, with realization evident in both of our expressions. Kenshin raised himself from the bed on his elbows and opened his mouth to speak first. “Are you saying that we should…blackmail them or something?” A mischievous grin started to tear at his lips.

I was smiling now too. “Yeah! Why not?”

“It could work.”

“It worked for us.”

“Yeah it did.”

Kenshin gazed down at me and I stared up at him excitedly; wicked grins were both on our faces. I bit down my lower lip to stop the laughter that was threatening to erupt from my mouth. “Stop looking at me like that!” I chided him with a giggle. “You’re making me feel…evil!”

He smirked after that. “You’re a very, very naughty girl Kaoru, did you know that?”

“I’m beginning to.”

“I like you naughty, you know…”

My heart missed a beat and I momentarily stopped breathing. And just like that, the playful and friendly atmosphere was gone, only to be replaced by a heavy air that felt too sexual for comfort. The two of us alone in my bedroom, with the door closed, both of us on top of my bed, and with Kenshin looming above me while I shivered underneath, I suddenly became painfully aware of my lack of experience with the opposite sex. My lips struggled to move; struggled to fill the silence that would envelope us completely if left unchecked. I was afraid that if this moment of quiet was prolonged, then something else would have to start happening to fill the stillness.

I couldn’t let it happen!

“Kaoru…” Kenshin murmured as he started to lower his head. “I-”

Just before his lips grazed mine, I spoke out loud the first words that popped into my head:

“Do you think Enishi likes me?”

The effect of those words on Kenshin was so instantaneous that I almost laughed. Almost. He jerked his head back and his brows furrowed at the middle of his forehead. “Why-” he asked me in a none-too-gentle voice. “-Are you asking that?”

Now I’m embarrassed. I mean, of all the far-fetched ideas I could blurt out, this one about Enishi could be the most absurd of them all! “I, I’m not saying that he does, err, like me,” I stuttered, face reddening. “It’s just that, that-”

-That was the first thing I could think off to stop you from kissing me again!!!

Amazingly, Kenshin began to look amused. “So you said that to distract me?”

What? What was he talking about? Did I say my last thought out loud?

“Yes you did.” Now he looked like he was about to laugh. Dammit!

He was outright laughing now, seeing my red face and flustered state. In retaliation, I threw a pillow at him and barked, “Oh shut up and get out of my bed! You’re such an ass.”

He caught the pillow and threw it back at me. “And if I don’t want to leave? A boyfriend has certain rights with his girlfriend you know.”

I seized the pillow and prepared to throw it at him again. “That doesn’t include bedroom rights, you pervert! And I-”

I squealed when in mid-throw, Kenshin used that moment to tackle me down. He then proceeded to tickle me all over while I (ineffectively) tried to fend him off. “S-stop it! Y-you im-m-mature jerk!” I wheezed, laughing in a way that hurts. “K-Ken-n-shin Him-m-mura!!!”

He managed to pin me down and I looked up at his looming figure with flushed cheeks and tears in my eyes due to the over-exertion. I snarled in between giggles, “You…” I wheezed. “Are…so-”

…By the time I realized that he wasn’t holding down my wrists anymore, I didn’t move to push him away. The room became quiet save for the erratic beating of our hearts. There were no more smiles anymore, no light touches, no tender teasing. Confusion was on his face as he reached down to touch my cheek.

“How is it,” he began, “-that I never noticed before…?”

His fingers grazed my lips.

Slowly and with much difficulty, I pulled myself up to a sitting position and Kenshin’s hand fell to his side. He looked troubled, confused and…and I couldn’t read the other emotion that made his eyes look…hungry. I wanted to know what he meant by those words, but didn’t want to make the situation any more uncomfortable than what was necessary. So with difficulty, I started to speak. “About Enishi…I think we should talk to him about those photos that Sano told us about.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that.”

I smiled when I noted that Kenshin was trying his best to go back to normal too; to make the atmosphere less tense and the conversation more ordinary like it had been minutes before. Getting back on track, I nodded my affirmation. “I’m thinking that he might have some idea as to where Megumi got those pictures from. Coz the way I see it, Takani-san didn’t get those photos on her own…”

I had been waiting in Kenshin’s car for almost fifteen minutes now. The car was parked just a few meters away from the Yukishiro’s front gate. Earlier, I agreed that Kenshin should go there on his own because if anyone from Seirin High spotted him in that place, at least he could always use the excuse that he was only around to see Enishi since they were still friends even after Kenshin’s supposed split with Tomoe. I, on the other hand, have no plausible excuse as to why I should be in the area, so we both decided that I wait it out instead.

But after waiting in his car for practically like forever (hey, fifteen minutes could feel exactly like that when you’re just sitting around, twiddling your thumbs), I’ve decided that I couldn’t sit there for one minute longer. So with the knowledge of Tomoe’s backyard lay-out still in my mind, I made my way to the back of the white-washed Yukishiro home, climbed over the vine-covered walls easily, took the secret backdoor key under the loose floorboards, and let myself inside the house.

I entered the house through the kitchen and noted the lack of activity in the main floor. Thinking it was all clear, I entered the living room and called out in a low voice, “Kenshin? Tomoe? You guys…?” When my whispers went unanswered, I stared at the stairway leading to the second floor and raised my voice just a bit louder. “Hey…Anyone home?”

I climbed the stairs and headed directly towards Tomoe’s room. It was a hasty action, done without thought, so I was utterly unprepared for what I saw next.

I froze in my tracks when the slightly ajar door leading to Tomoe’s bedroom gave me a peek of what the couple was doing inside that engrossed them so much that they didn’t even hear me calling them or walking towards them. And my heart clenched painfully inside my chest at the sight before me.

Kenshin and Tomoe were in a tight embrace, kissing fiercely and so passionately that I think I could’ve screamed the house down and they still wouldn’t notice my presence. Tomoe was tugging at his shirt, trying to pull him down to the bed, but Kenshin remained standing, unwilling to move. But just the same, he overwhelmed her like there’s no tomorrow…

…Like they were the only two people on earth…

…Like I didn’t exist at all…

I took a step back while pressing a hand tightly against my lips. Dammit, what am I feeling? Why did I feel like the whole world was virtually crumbling down on me and I couldn’t breathe? I couldn’t stand it! I…I didn’t want…want this…emotion!!! Someone please make this stupid…choking…pain stop!

Oh God…

I turned around and practically flew down the stairs in an attempt to escape that place as fast as I can. But before I reached the foot of the stairs, I saw Enishi staring up at me and his penetrating gaze nailed me on the spot.

For one agonizing minute we looked at each other, neither speaking nor blinking. He stood there, blocking my way while I fought desperately not to let my tears fall in front of him.

Dammit! I’m not going to cry! I’m…not…going…to…cry! There was absolutely NO reason for me to do so! And yet-

And then it clicked… The way Enishi was looking at me, the way he watched as I struggled with myself in front of him, I realized then that…he knew.

He knew my secret. He knew our secret, Kenshin and mine… He knew about the play.

But…how?

“Tomoe…told you?” I began to speak, albeit hesitantly.

The way he shook his head was almost imperceptible. “No.”

“Then Kenshin told.”

“He didn’t have to. I told you before how strange it was that you two suddenly hooked up after years of being arch-nemesis.”

That silenced me.

…And then, his next words took me totally by surprise. “Are you falling in love with him?”

I knew what I should’ve done. I should’ve laughed at his face derisively, spat at the ground (carpeted floor actually) where he stood, and told him with a scoff: “Only if purple and orange flying pigs magically appear in the air and go to Neverland.” But to my horror, my eyes stung even harder with repressed tears as my brain failed me. For a while I couldn’t speak. But finally, I mumbled in a stuttering voice, “I…I h-have to go.”

I started to walk and he stepped aside to give way. I didn’t bother to go where I came from anymore and went straight for the front door. But before I could close it behind me, I heard Enishi call my name softly. I debated whether to answer him, or pretend to not have heard him at all. Fortunately (or maybe not), he didn’t give me the time to think the matter over as he told me in a colourless voice, “You don’t deserve him.”

I took his words to mean that Kenshin was too good for the likes of me, so I simply sighed. “Please tell Kenshin that I’m going back to my house, ‘k?”

When I finally closed the door on him, I had no idea then that my life was about to drastically change from that point on.

A/N: I really suck when it comes to updating. And my excuse remains the same- studies and the hectic nature of ‘reality’. Guys, I’m really sorry for being such an ass-y (word?) writer… That is why I just try to make up for the spastic updating with the longevity of the chapters I upload. Still (sigh) I know this is not enough…

All that aside, I hope everyone will have a romantic, meaningful or otherwise wacky valentines day! (:D) A/K goodness is up ahead. Next chapter, I intend to explain Aoshi’s secret life and his motives behind his actions. Hope you guys will hang on for that. (XP)