It was just an ordinary day in Tokyo. Kenshin strolled down the street, carrying his book bag, steering clear of pedestrian traffic. After a while, he reached the curb and waited for the walk signal turn ‘go.’ He turned to the couple standing next to him. They looked vaguely familiar.

“Senpai!” the man exclaimed, “Don’t you recognize me?!”

“S-Shishio??”

Shishio grinned. “I look different eh, without the bandages.”

“Where’s Yumi-dono?” Kenshin asked, looking back and forth. This was a totally different woman.

“Oh… Yumi… she left me for that Soujirou kid.” Shishio grumbled, “Those two… hmp!!”

The woman pinched Kenshin’s cheek. “Don’t you recognize me either?? It’s me! Kamatari!!” she said. Kenshin gasped. “Hey, Shishio-sama isn’t the only one who had surgery. Ne, Shishio-sama, let’s get going. Himura-sama, please tell Kaoru-sama I said ‘hi’.”

“ORO?”

Kenshin let them go ahead of him so he could lose them somewhere in the crowd. At last, he made it to a masshirou building. He stopped and smiled, staring up at the sign that read: the Kamiya Dojo.

Before he could go inside, he noticed a girl standing next to him, gazing through the window. She was wearing a sailor school uniform. Her short hair styled differently. “Tsubame-dono?”

“Aa! Kenshin-san!” Tsubame cried, “You’re here too? I was just… well, I was in the neighborhood and wanted to see if…”

He grinned. “You want to come inside?” She nodded and followed him through the door.

Inside, Kaoru and Yahiko were cleaning up after a class they just ended. Yahiko went to put on his school belhop jacket, while Kaoru hear the bell chime from the door. “Kenshin!” she said happily, running over to him, giving him a hug, “How was school today? How’d your final exams go?”

“Oro…” he stammered. He quickly changed the subject, “We have guest today… look who’s here.”

“Tsubame-chan!” Kaoru exclaimed, loud enough for Yahiko to hear. He simply fell over as he was tying his shoes. “Yahiko, get over here!” Kaoru called him.

“Shut up, Busu!” he sneered, trying to act cool. But his face said everything. “T-Tsubame… it’s so great to see you! Eheheh… you look great… I mean… uh…”

“A…rigatou… Yahiko…cha -- kun!”

Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged glances, then smiled at each other. They knew too well the signs. Kaoru said, “Let’s all go out to dinner. Tsubame-chan, where do you want to go?”

“The Akebeko of course!” Tsubame blurted out, “I…I uh want to see Tae-san!”

“The Akebeko it is!” Yahiko said, leading the way.

The two couples walked down the street in their pairs, the younger ones in front. Kenshin put his arm around Kaoru, she lifting her hand to overlap his. “Kenshin,” she said, “I got a phone call this morning… Tomoe-san, she had the baby. She was so happy. She and Kiyosato-san want us to visit. What do you say?”

“Okay, we’ll go. This weekend.” he replied, “By the way, I dropped off your letter at the post office on my way to school.”

“Mou!” she muttered, “I wanted to tell Enishi about his new nephew. Oh, well… I guess Tomoe-san can do that huh?”

Finally they arrived at the Akebeko. Up ahead, they saw Misao and Aoshi sitting at their own table. “Aa! Himura! Kaoru-san! Sit here! With us!!” Misao exclaimed, jumping up on her chair. Everyone stared. Sweat beads rolled down the Kenshin-gumi’s faces. “Come on!!”

Fortuanately Aoshi pulled Misao down and then scooted closer to the window so the new party had space. Tae came over to take their orders. “Haven’t seen you in a while!” she said to Tsubame, eyeing her and Yahiko mischievously, “Ehehehe, so school’s out and you wanted to go on a date? Desserts are on me if you two share.”

“TAE-SAN!!”

”WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!”

Tae just laughed, “Some things never change.” She turned towards Kenshin. “Any word yet from Sanosuke-han?” Kenshin shook his head. Sanosuke had left a couple months ago to track down Megumi and confess his love to her. No one knew the outcome of this event. Tae was earnest to find out. He wasn’t sure if it was because she enjoyed meddling with other people’s love lives or she wanted to be the holder of the gossip first. “Well, as soon as you find out…” she started to say, “Oh! I have new customers… sumimasen.”

Kaoru turned to Misao, “Will you come with me to the bathroom?” Misao frowned a little, not wanting to let go of Aoshi’s arm. Hesitatantly, she let go and got up with Kaoru. “You want to come too, Tsubame-chan?”

“What the hell is this all about?” Yahiko grumbled, upset that Tsubame was leaving his side.

Misao pointed at him. “Girls stuff. You don’t have to understand.”

“What you say, Weasal-girl?!” he yelled. They just ignored him and walked away. “I don’t get women at all!!” Aoshi and Kenshin just sighed and shook their heads.

In the women’s bathroom, Kaoru walked over to the mirror, crossing her arms. “Do you think… Tae-san is still upset over… you know…” she started to say, “That whole thing with Sanosuke?”

Tsubame and Misao exchanged looks. Misao replied, “Not really. He wasn’t that much of a hunk. Well… okay, he is! But don’t tell Aoshi-sama I said that!”

Tsubame replied, “Tae-san understands. She knows how Megumi and Sanosuke felt about each other. Just how she knew how you and Kenshin-san felt about each other. She’s just worried that things won’t work out.”

“Aa sayo de.” Kaoru uttered, “Then I guess it was just my imagination.”

Misao elbowed Tsubame, “Bet she knows how you and Yahiko feel about each other. Eheheheheh!” Tsubame turned bright red. “Come on, don’t be shy!”

“Misao-chan, don’t tease her!” Kaoru cried, “It’s a very personal thing!”

“Oh? How about you? You and Himura were looking cozy there a minute ago… tell us details? Hmm???”

“MOU!!” she protested, “What about you, Misao-chan?!”

Misao went off into lala land. “Things are going wonderful with me and Aoshi-sama! Aaaah!!! We made out on the bus here then we were playing footsey under the table… then last night we left the movies early to…”

“Dame dame DAME!!” Kaoru and Tsubame exclaimed, their faces red as they both grabbed Misao by the shoulder and shook her, “NO MORE!! ONEGAI!!” They then heard a toliet flush and an elderly woman walk out, grimacing at them. “S-Sumimasen!!”

Outside, the guys were sitting around, their orders already in front of them. Yahiko muttered, “What’s taking them so long? Oh, Kenshin, guess what… Yutaro, he’s coming to visit. I can’t wait! I’m really gonna kick his ass!”

Kenshin was about to reply, but instead he lifted his head. Kaoru and the others were coming back. All of a sudden, they heard yelling, “F--K! I thought I ordered the f--king beefbowl, not the f—king chicken bowl!!”

“Calm down, Chou.”

“Is there a problem?” Tae asked, walking over to the table. The three men just stopped and stared at her. “Well??”

“No, no problem at all!” Katsu cried, twinkly-eyed.

“Yeah… no f—king problem.” Chou sighed.

“Thanks for your concern.” Anji uttered, red-faced.

Tae simply turned and walked away. The three started fighting with each other. “NO! I’m gonna ask her! NO! ME!!”

Kaoru chuckled and turned away from the spectacle, lifting up her eyes to Kenshin, “Itadakimasu!”

* * *
After dinner, the three pairs said goodbye to Tae and walked from the restaurant. “Misao and I are going to catch our bus.” Aoshi said, putting his coat on Misao’s shoulders, “See you later.”

It wasn’t a long walk back to their apartment, Kaoru should know, she used to live there. But she knew why those two insisted on riding the bus. Well, now she knew. She waved after them then turned to everyone else. Yahiko was looking anxious. “I’m going to walk Tsubame to the train station if that’s all right… I mean… it’s getting dark so…”

“Arigatou, Yahiko-kun.” Tsubame said, “Bye!” Then those two left.

Kenshin took Kaoru’s hand and started to lead her down the street, back towards the dojo. Upstairs was their apartment, the place they shared. It was a new building so it was very clean and spacious. They were able to afford the down payment after she had that job with Tsukiyama and the money he got from the police for his help.

“Aa! We’re home!” Kaoru sighed, putting away her coat and her bag, “I feel like taking a bath. Hmm… Kenshin…” He was already in his favorite armchair, looking over a book, “Ne, would you like to join me?”

“Oro?” He blinked. “Ano… gomen, Kaoru. Not tonight. I have to look over some things… you see even though I’m done with my final exams, I still have to take this math and science placement test next week…”

“Suit yourself.” she chuckled as she headed towards the bathroom.

Kenshin leaned his head back. He could hear her humming as she got the water ready, from the corner of his eye, he could see the clothes flying out into the hallway. He held his breath. ‘No! I have to study!!’

He had to study. Since he had accomplished his first two goals, he wanted to have a new one. And that would be to finish school. Once he finished school, he wanted to ask Kaoru to marry him. Smiling, he gazed towards the closed door. ‘Kaoru, you’ve given me so many dreams. Arigatou!’

* * *
In the middle of the night, Kaoru woke up. She saw that Kenshin was not beside her, that the other side of the mattress was empty. Tired, but anxious to see him, she crawled out of bed and wrapped the blanket around her, going to look for him. He was as she left him, sitting in the chair with his chemistry book. She walked up to him, sleepy-eyed.

“Kenshin… come to bed.” she said, stifling a yawn. He didn’t lift his head, his eyes focusing on the pages in front of him underneath the small lamp. “Mou.” she muttered, moving closer. She climbed under his arm and onto his lap, curling up against him. He sat upright as she sighed, “That’s better…”

“Oro… Kaoru…?” he uttered. But she was already snoozing, content and comfortable. He tried to concentrate on his studying, but his eyes kept moving back to her. Finally, the book fell to the floor, his arms encircling her. “Kaoru…” he uttered, listening to her heartbeat, “No matter where we go or what happens… you’ll always be ‘home’ to me. I love you.” Smiling, he leaned his head against hers, falling asleep.

FIN