Chapter 11: Relations The sky grew darker with every passing cloud, the rain has stopped to reveal the bright sun once again, but only for a moment, for evening was coming. Misao stopped in her tracks among the woods to glance at the stars now appearing overhead, a brilliant display of sparkling lights twinkling in the soft darkness, enveloping her in comfort isolation. She placed the twigs she was looking for to start a fire on the ground and sat down on the greenery, now bathed with a slight glow from the moon. It’s been some time since she’d relaxed like this, she has been too preoccupied with conflicts of the mind to admire and smell the flower on her way. Leaning back, Misao folded her arms behind her head and took in a deep breath of fresh night air, it was cooling and refreshing, momentarily cleansing her from the troubles she faced and the questions she has yet found answers to. Where is Aoishi-sama? Why did he go? What is she doing out in the forest alone? No, she corrected herself, she wasn’t alone. Seta Soujiro was her travelling partner for the time being, she chose to follow him after all. He wasn’t much a companion, there were little exchange of words between them, but it beats being out in the cold by herself big time. “Misao-san,” she heard him called out, he was by the lake. “your dinner’s ready.” “Hai, I’m coming.” she replied, but urged herself to stay a little longer to gaze at the mesmerizing stars that currently eased away her problems. ** She wasn’t sure what it was, whatever it was, kept her smiling throughout the long journey home. Following some distance behind was Enishi, having a wide grin across his face hidden from view. I helped people today...hmm...that’s not something out of the norm. Oh well...whatever. Kaoru was still holding the sword she brought along, but tucked it in her belt of her training outfit. It felt quite comfortable there, as if that’s where it belonged. But her thoughts quickly found another answer, she was tired from the day’s chores, this time not her own, but others’ chores. Crossing the bridge, she halted for a while and went to the side, leaning over the rail. The bright round moon reflected blearily over the slow running water, as ripples made the stars shine inconsistently - like twinkling in the cool dark. “See the river?” she spoke softly, still facing straight ahead. “It makes the sky sparkle.” “You don’t like it to be still? That’s what the real night sky is.” he answered, approaching near leaning over too. “Mmm...why accept the truth when you can change it?” her voice went lower and quieter, more of speaking to herself. “What’s wrong with changing it...?” “You change the truth to an illusion,” he bent lower, eyes fixed on the water. “Isn’t that lying to yourself?” “I don’t know...but you do it too. You thought your sister was smiling at you.” she turned her head towards him, her heart missing a fear when she said those words, knowing it meant no harm, just a fact. Enishi became silent for a while, expressionless, and she wondered if she should have even mentioned Tomoe. “I’m sorry, I...” “Sometimes the truth hurts, so I’d prefer the illusion.” he faced her, a slight smile to his face. “Who knows, she may be smiling at me.” Now facing each other, she dared herself to look straight in his eyes, looking for some meaning in them, searching his true self. His eyes held so much, the traumatic experience of childhood, the devastating lost of a loved one that scarred his heart, and the finding of...finding of...another something to focus of now. He maturity way surpasses his age, but yet still moulded him to who he was now, learning from all that he went through. A pain slowly being healed. “Kenshin once told me that I was naive, to think that a sword-fighting skill was not meant for killing. But he liked my idea too, though he knew it was impossible to just use it for defence.” “And do you still think what you earlier assumed? A sword-fighting skill purely for defence uses?” “I...no, cause it’s a fact it’s not.” “Won’t you prefer the illusion you made of it?” “Of course, but it’s a fact that...” “What if Kenshin didn’t tell you that? And no one told you.” “...” “Illusion of fact?” “Does it matter? It’s a fact he told me.” Enishi laughed, pushing away from the railing he was leaning on and taking the bag of stuff he left on the floor. He left Kaoru with a dazed look. “Come on, let’s go.” He beamed at her from walking ahead. “Unless you want to watch the sunrise on the river too!” “No...I...” she was stunned at the sudden abruptness of his leave, but regained composure. “Hey! What do you mean by that?” He laughed in return and led the way home. ** Both of them avoided sensitive questions, not to probe too deep into painful past and change the peaceful world they want to get accustomed to. A world without any cares. But they knew it can’t be forever. Misao and Soujiro just went about their lives as if nothing happened, behaving as normal to live in the wild. There were little exchange of words between them, both didn’t try make the effort. Although not shown, their characters could not hold on to a mask of submissive solidity for too long; Misao was and is a cheerful bubbly girl, even talkative; whereas Soujiro among the Juppongatana conversed the most. But knowingly, Soujiro had a stronger restrain on himself, Misao just couldn’t take the silence no longer. “Ne Soujiro-san,” she started one morning while they were cooking breakfast- barbecued freshly caught fish, still flipping away as it was cooked. “what was it like, in the...you know, Juppongatana?” “Ee?” He peeked out from the bushes, packing their sleeping material to move along with the journey. “Yup, the Juppongatana, you were the best among them, right?” she quipped, a little more daring to strike the conversation. It wasn’t a good topic but anything will do to get them talking. “Hmm...” he emerged out, looking a little untidy from the sound sleep he just woke up from. The otherwise well-combed hair was now ruffled all over his face, his shirt slightly unbuttoned and crumpled. In no way he resembled the much feared Tenken no Soujiro, but coming to think of it, he never did anyway. Misao could not contain her laughter. “What’s so funny?” he pouted, still sleepy but a little more cheerful than before. He too, needed someone to talk to. Someone that would not remind him of the past, someone that would keep him smiling. “Hahaa...nothing, I guess the Juppongatana treated you like a little brother! Not their senior!” “Well...” he scratched his head, thinking of the times he and Kamatari would make fun of Yumi, and when he went out on his own without informing anyone, he would be scolded by Shishio later. It was memorable, like a childhood he never had. “I had most of my time accompanying Shishio-san on his travels...we went around Japan.” His eyes sparkled at that thought, remembering the beautiful scenery he’d seen. On those travels by boat, he would stand on the deck all the time to marvel at the astounding sight before him, and Japan would portray it’s beauty in all seasons before his eyes. “Around Japan?” she wanted to criticize the horrible villain he had for a master, but decided not to. Soujiro respected him, and she had to, at least, respect that. She won’t want anyone insulting her Aoshi-sama too, no matter whatever he did. “Yes, around Japan.” he now strode forward to sit opposite her, taking one of the cooked fish she made and chewing it. “In Osaka during autumn, the trees are so pretty in hues of orange, yellow and light green.” “Yes! I know, I’ve been there too!” she recalled when she was out searching for Aoishi, making sure each step she took to admire all that was around her. “You should stand where all the leaves are falling, it’s just like snow!” “Snow? Really?” As he ate, he took some scallops and threw them in the fire, straining his ear to hear the ‘pop’ sound, which indicates the opening of the shells, the meat inside was cooked. “Hokkaido has the loveliest snow, but it’s really cold too. I almost had frostbite then.” he chuckled. Now it was her to be curious. “What’s so funny?” “Hahaa...the whole crew onboard the ship were freezing, none wanting to leave their rooms. And Shishio-sama, since he was burning hot internally, scolded all of us for being lazy and making a big fuss about the cold. We were approaching our destination yet no one moved! Hahaa...not even Yumi-san, who buried herself under heaps of blankets!! Hahaa...!” At such memorable instances reminiscing in his mind, Soujiro eyes became slightly watery with fondful tears. He did enjoy himself with them. Misao looked closely, and felt a tinge of pitiness for him. Losing the only joy he had, even if the joy was only applicable to him, and a threat to others. What would it take to make him happy? She wondered, but only to herself, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. “Well, I’ve had fun with Jiya, part of the Oniwabanshu.” she too, wanted to recall the past. “There was once he fetched me from school, and while all the other children walked home, he carried me on his sturdy shoulders, till I almost bumped my head in Aoiya.” Soujiro sat straight and listened intently , picturing the interesting scene in his mind. “I was so happy then, cause all the kids in school used to make fun of me having a freak for a friend, I’ll beat them up for making fun of Jiya!! Hehee...but that day, they were envying me, because Jiya was tossing me around, even up to the branches of the trees! They watched us and began to cry to their parents for the same thing!” The scallops ‘popped’, Soujiro with any chopsticks at that moment, took a twig and attempted to drag it out of the burning coals of fire. It’s natural juice made the shell slippery, furthermore, the twig caught fire. “Here, let me.” Misao pushed his hand away, and with her own bare ones, dug in bravely to retrieve 5 fresh succulent scallops. Her unquivering hand gentle placed them on a clean leaf, before rubbing the dirt and soot away from her fingers. “There! Enjoy!” Soujiro longer interested in the scallops, he grabbed her hand and opened it to see. “What in the world were you doing?!” he scolded her with a fierce tone, shouted through clenched teeth and scaring Misao a little. “You baka! You could have hurt yourself badly, did you know?!” “I...” Misao hurriedly pulled back, bringing it to her chest. “It’s ok, I’m allright. I learnt it from Okina, we used to always barbacue sweet potatoes that Okon grew. See?” She showed her hand to Soujiro again. “No cuts! No bruises!” But Soujiro was far from relieved. He stood up, and went back to the bushes, his back to her in a cold way. “Don’t do that to me again.” Do that to him? What did I do to him? But she smiled, and felt a sense of joy inside. “Hai, gomen nasai.” I won’t. “Don’t eat them all, save some scallops for me.” he said, smiling back.