-Vol 3: Enemies in The dark-

-Their Past(3)-

After that, whether its coincidence or not, Kenshin and Yuki frequently met each other on the streets near the dungeon. Slowly they started to form a friendship with each other. Like a couple in date, they would move around the street, try different foods. They would often share stories of each other and laugh at it.

Kenshin discovered that Yuki had a very large attraction towards the life of Hunters. She would admire everyone who was a hunter and would often take interviews of them to know more about the profession.

Unfortunately, she had no talent as a hunter. Not only she had not born with a hunter-friendly body as they say to someone who can perceive magic and skills, but also due to an accident, she broke her shoulders. The doctors had adviced her to not do any strenuous exercises ever in her life.

She didn’t give up yet. Although the path of a fighter was closed for her permanently, she could still apply for the administrative jobs in DCB. With that goal in her mind, she took studies very seriously and had thought to take administration as a major in her university.

Her mother was very much against it. A few days ago she had a very big fight with them and in anger, she left them. Now she was staying with her grandma for a few days.

That day she was walking around the street to buy a few things and coincidentally ran into Kenshin, literally!

Kenshin also shared some of his stories with her. He explained his family status before his parent's death, about his sister and his regular life. Although he avoided talking about his parents, Yuki was tactful enough to not ask about it.

As the days passed, slowly the distance between them narrowed. Both felt that they were gradually becoming something more than just friends. But neither he or she dared to delve on that topic. After all, neither of them wanted to jeopardize their current relationship.

Then one night, after Kenshin’s dungeon raid, something incomprehensible happened.

XXX

It was 7 PM in the night, after finishing his raid at the dungeon. Kenshin hurriedly made his way towards a certain promised location. It was where he and Yuki had promised to meet again yesterday.

As he was walking with a little skip in his steps, he suddenly hears a commotion.

“You girl! Just how long are you going to ignore your mom!?” voice of a woman could be heard from where they were supposed to meet. When he moved a few more steps ahead, he finally saw who was shouting and to whom!

It was an elderly woman that looked remarkably similar to Yuki, not only that, right now she was accompanied by an elderly man. But he wasn’t saying anything. He just stood to the side and listened to the women’s quarrel.

Saying it a quarrel would be too much of a stretch. Only the elderly woman was shouting while Yuki just sat there, seemingly ignoring her. Kenshin was speechless at this surreal sight.

‘This mother-daughter duo, they are very interesting!’ It was his first impression on her family. While Kenshin contemplated on whether he should go and greet them or not, Yuki noticed him among the crowd.

Well, his dress and equipment were very easy catching, not noticing him would be very weird.

“Kenshin! You are finally here. Let's go, it's very noisy here!” Yuki smiled and ran towards Kenshin.

“Who?” the elderly lady was surprised at her daughter’s sudden action and looked toward’s Kenshin’s direction.

At that time his eyes and the elderly lady’s eyes met. For a second, Kenshin felt like he was on a hot pan, fried by this lady.

“Hello, aunty!” pushing his fear to the back of his mind, he courteously bowed to the lady. Both the lady only snorted in disdain for him but didn’t say anything.

Seeing this, Yuki was even more incensed. She pulled Kenshin hard while saying “Let’s go. Don’t bother with her!”

“Yuki, listen to me! where are you going?” the elderly lady shouted but Yuki was in no position to hear her. She grabbed hold of Kenshin’s hand and pulled him away from there.

XXX

“What was all that about?” Kenshin asked, right now they were far away from their initial place.

Yuki was silently looking at the vast sky, seemingly lost in her thoughts. Then after some time she spoke, “She is my mom. From my childhood, she took care of me all alone. I love and respect her very much. You know, I never knew my father. I had never seen him when I was a child until I am an adult. I had never disobeyed my mother. I always thought we will always be together, just the two of us.

But one day she brought a man to the house, then she introduced him to me as my father. Can you understand! The man I never knew all my life and never needed either; just suddenly barged into our house! How can I accept it? My mom was even supporting him! How can I accept it?

I had a huge argument with her and came here. But she even came here to bug me.” after she finished her ranting, Yuki started crying. While silently listing to her Kenshin moved closer and put his right hand on her shoulder, then gave a gentle squeeze. He wanted to her to understand that he was with her regardless of any situation.

Yuki immediately turned around and looked at Kenshin with her teary eyes.

“Kenshin, what should I do?” she looked very vulnerable. Kenshin had a sudden urge to hug her and protect her from problems outside.

*Sigh!* “For now, let's find a restaurant and have some food. A hungry stomach is the mother of all bad decisions in life.”

*Giggle* “Okay!” She smiled at his joke. In her heart, she also felt very sweet for him. After all which girl won't like it when the person they like supports them even at their worst?

XXX

At the same time, Yuki’s mother and father were sitting at the place where Yuki had left them. Her mother was crying into her hands while being consoled by her father.

“She is just a child. You don’t have to take what she says seriously! She will come around.”

But the woman didn’t stop crying for a long time. Suddenly she stops crying and looks at her husband, “Who was that boy? Dear, please, I want you to use every connection you have and get me the details of that boy she was hanging around with! I can't allow her to make friends with just anyone!”

“Okay!”