After lunch, there was a great big fight over who got to take a bath first. “I’m the one who warmed up the water!!” Yahiko yelled, smacking Sanosuke with a log.
“SO!!” he exclaimed, smacking the kid back, “I’m the one who chopped up all the wood!!!”
This erupted into more violence, only to be paused by the sounds of humming. Sanosuke and Yahiko lifted their heads and pressed their heads against the wall. “LIKE HELL!!” they yelled and ran into the bathhouse. Seconds later there was a shriek and a lot of crashing. “GET THE HELL OUT, KENSHIN! YOU DIDN’T DO ANYTHING! THE BATH IS MINE! NO! MINE!!!!”
“Oro, oro, oro!!” Kenshin stumbled out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. “Maa, sessha thought they were making the bath for sessha.” he sighed, turning to walk off. He stopped to see Kaoru staring at him wide-eyed. “Eto, Kaoru-dono?”
“A… a… ano… K…Ken… shi…n…” she gasped, red-faced.
“S-suman… de… go… za… ru…” he stammered, red-faced also.
“Iie…” she uttered, fighting back a nose bleed, “Ja… please excuse me…” She then rushed back into the house.
Kenshin sighed and dropped his head, then realized that he had also dropped his towel. ‘Shit! Not again de gozaru!’
From the doorway, soaking wet Yahiko and Sanosuke nodded their heads. “He’s good with Hiten Misturugi… and the sakabatou…”
Kaoru pulled her door close and stumbled to her knees, covering her eyes. ‘Kenshin no baka! That’s like the 3rd time already!!’ She then sighed and leaned her head down on the floor, staring towards the calander. ‘July 7th… Tanabata… a day to spend with someone you…’ She gripped a fist and sobbed into the floor. “Kenshin…”
* * *
Megumi was walking from another check up at a patient’s home, when she stopped and saw a sad looking boy sitting against a tree. “Ano, sumimasen… daijoubu desu ka? Are you lost or something? Did you lose your parents?”
“Eh?” he uttered, lifting his head, “Iie! I’m just resting… and I don’t have any parents. I’m really an adult.”
“Oh, gomen.”
“I’ve been looking for someone for the past three days and have not been successful.” he sighed, taking the picture out and handing it to her, “Have you seen her?”
“Iie, gomen nasai. Have you tried asking the police?”
“They won’t be any help.” he replied, putting the picture away, “She’s very elusive. They won’t have any more luck in finding her than I would. I just hope I could find her before today is over…” Megumi nodded, then turned to go, but he jumped up and asked, “Eto… I was wondering if you could tell what time it is.”
“It’s about two o’clock.” she started, then widened her eyes, “Two o’clock?! Oh! I have to get ready for my date with Ken-san! Sumimasen! I have to go! Good luck on finding the girl!” She then hurried down the street.
The boy frowned and sat against the tree again. “Mina…”
* * *
Kaoru walked outside to see that the guys were all ready to get going. “Okay then… please have a lot of fun.” She said, looking them over. Yahiko had tried to comb his hair, random spikes sticking up. He was wearing the hakama she picked out for him on a shopping trip, the one he swore he’d never wear. But he looked good in it. “Tsubame-chan will be impressed.”
“Hmp! Shaddap, Busu!”
Sanosuke was wearing the usual. But he had taken a bath and that odor of a fish bone-gnawing fighter was gone. He had also plucked a handful of flowers from her garden to make a bouquet for his date. “I wish I could meet her.” she noted, “You should bring her here.”
He crossed his arms, “Hell no. I said I’d pick her up at the shrine, and that’s what I’ll do. Besides if I brought her here, you’d probably scare her off, Jou-chan.”
“Mou…” she muttered. Lastly, she turned towards Kenshin. He was the same as ever. The difference she could find was that he was going to on a date with someone else. And she couldn’t do anything about it. She dropped her head and sighed to herself.
Yahiko pointed at her, “Don’t wait up okay? Tsubame’s dad said I can stay at their house for the night!”
“Oh?” Sanosuke chuckled, “Are we making nice with the future in-laws??” Yahiko just growled and leaped up to attack him, only to be lifted up in the air, and placed back on the ground by Kaoru. There was no way she was going to let him make a mess of the nice hakama. Sanosuke patted her on the head. “Yeah, don’t wait up. Us men are going to gamble our luck, right Kenshin??”
“Oro??” Kenshin uttered, blinking his eyes, “Aa, Kaoru-dono, there’s no need for you to worry de gozaru yo.”
Kaoru nodded quietly. She wanted them to leave already. She wanted Yahiko to stop clawing her arm. She finally released him and let him scamper to a safe distance. “Shouldn’t you go already?”
Sanosuke eyed her over. “What’s the rush? You want us to leave or something??” Mischief filled his face, “Sounds like Jou-chan has plans of her own…” Everyone stared at him, “Jou-chan, are you expecting someone after we go??”
“A-ano… iya!” she stammered, “Sou ja nai desu!”
He laughed, “You don’t have to act so innocent. It’s okay if you bring men over here. I mean it’s your house. We won’t get out of your way.” He then grabbed Yahiko by the collar and dragged him towards the gate.
Kenshin looked a bit stunned and flustered, but started to leave as well. “Matte!” she cried, grabbing onto his hand. She slowly released him and stared at the ground, “What Sanosuke said… it’s not true. I’m not meeting anyone…”
“Kaoru-dono…” he uttered with relief, “Sessha believes you. Demo, are you sure you want to stay behind…?” She nodded, not lifting her head. “Tonikaku, shessa should be going,” he said, turning to leave again. He stopped to feel her leaning onto his back. “Kaoru-dono?” She said something, but he couldn’t hear what it was. “Ano… what did you say…?”
“It’s nothing important.” she uttered, turning around and going into the house.
Kenshin watched her silently, worried… and wondering. “Kaoru…”
* * *
Sanosuke followed the map on the back of the luck charm and successively found the Benten Shrine in the middle of the forest. He stopped to pick up a teruterubozu off the ground. “Eheheh, I’ll give this to Ayame-chan if I see her at the festival.” He then remembered something, “But surely that Fox would want to have Kenshin all to herself so I doubt she’ll bring the girls. Yakuso…”
He then walked towards the pray box and rung the bell. Kneeling down and he put his hands together and concentrated. “Wishing you had more luck in your gambling?” said a voice from behind. He turned to see Shena, not in temple garb, but a very nice purple kimono, “But luck is something you really don’t have control over. Maybe you shouldn’t put all your efforts in chance.”
“But it’s the risk that I like!” he chuckled, getting up, and tossing the dice and catching it in his fist, “It’s a rush, wondering if you’re going to get it right…”
Shena simply replied, “Six and Four – Han.” Sanosuke opened his hand to check. She was correct. As he pondered how she did that, she rung the bell and did a short prayer. She then turned for the road, “Wondering… I don’t have to deal with those kinds of things.”
“By the way, these are for you.” he said, catching up to her, and handing her the bouquet. She thanked him and accepted the gift. As she smelled the flowers, he looked her over, “You like a mind-reader or something?”
“I have telekinesis powers. I can see the past and the near-future, not to mention the thoughts in the minds of others.” she uttered, “I know… what cruel things people want to hide, what cruel things they think of others… of me. I don’t know it’s been a gift or a curse.” She then frowned towards the ground. “Do you find it strange?”
He shook his head. “Iya. I don’t know what’s normal, so what can I say is strange.” He paused to put his hand on her shoulder, “But it’s definitely amazing. Could you come with me gambling sometime? I might be able to make my debt go down with a lucky girl like you!” Shena could only laugh. “What?! It’s not a joke!”
“Bastard, hands off.” grumbled a voice. A girl dressed in all black walked out of the shadows, lowering her sunglasses, “You’re the guy taking Shena out? Just to let you know, she has more important business to take care of so I’ll have to pull her away later on.”
“Business…? What kind of business?” Sanosuke snapped, eyeing the girl over.
“It’s none of your concern, Punkass.” she replied, making him explode with rage.
Shena showed up between them, waving her hands nervously, “Ano… let’s not argue! I’ll explain it, there’s no reason to hide the truth…” She then turned towards Sanosuke, “You see, I’m a member of a mercenary group, the Celestial Dragons. We have important duties to do in protecting the ‘Balance’.”
“Balance? What are you talking about?”
“Well, it’s pretty complex. I mean, there’s a quota of living and dead and a scale of good and evil… we’ve got to make sure that these things stay at equilibrium so that there won’t be any catastrophes in the society or breaches in the cycles of the transition between worlds.”
“Sounds like a confusing job… (I really didn’t get any of that.) So you might have to get going sometime?” he asked. She nodded her head. “Then we should go to the festival now…” he said, reaching for her hand. The sound of gunshots startled him. A branch then landed on his head, him falling flat on his stomach in the dirt. “TEME!!!” he growled at the girl in black twirling her guns.
“You better not try anything and behave!” she sneered, putting her guns back into her coat. “I’ll be watching you. And I’m not a very forgiving person. If anything happens to Shena… your ass is mine.” She then turned to leave. “Hey, Shena, see ya later.”
As the girl took leave, Sanosuke cursed and trashed, “Kuso! Who the hell was that?”
“Oh, my friend Kanemochi Keiko.” she replied, dusting the dirt off his shoulders, “Don’t worry. She may act all tough, but she’s got a good heart. I trust her with my life.”
He looked her over with slant eyes. “You sure about that. She seems like someone who could easily double-cross you. I wouldn’t be so gullible if I were you.”
Shena folded her arms and grinned. “Sano-san, haven’t you realized already that I would know if someone was trying to double-cross me? Besides, Kei and I have known each other since we were children. I know her mind and she knows mine… in fact she’s the only person alive who can tell what I’m thinking without psychic powers.”
“You two seem close.” he noted, putting his hands in his pockets. She nodded quietly. He then chuckled, “Maybe she’s the one you’re looking for… your soul-mate.”
She turned red in the face. “Iie!! I’m not … you know… I like guys!! And Kei … I know she’s in love with someone, which I absolutely support! Besides… I’d know when I meet the person. One of my gifts is to pinpoint someone’s link – their soul-mate – so that if this person were to be a glitch in the Balance, we can use their link to retrieve him...”
Sanosuke sighed, “Here you go into some talk I don’t understand! I don’t care whether or not I’m your soul-mate, but I’m getting hungry. Let’s get going to festival already; I think I smell fried fish.” Shena nodded, smiling and taking his hand, the two of them walking off down the lantern lit road.
* * *
Kenshin stood outside Genzai’s house, Ayame and Suzume tugging at him. “Ken-ni, I wish we could come with you!!” Ayame whined, pulling his arm.
“Eto, why aren’t you two coming along to the festival de gozaru??”
Suzume explained, “Ojii-chan said we’re going to have dinner at a friend’s house. There’s kids our age there and they’re gonna teach us how to make a paper star!!”
He smiled, “Sessha is glad; it looks like you’re going to have a lot of fun, Ayame-chan, Suzume-chan.” He paused to stare towards the house, “Soushite, it’s just sessha and Megumi-dono…”
“Where’s Kaoru-oneechan?” Ayame asked, “Is she with Yahiko-chan??”
He shook his head, about the reply when Genzai walked over, “Girls, let’s get going. Our friends are waiting.” He then turned to Kenshin; “We’re going to stay the night at their house. Please make sure that Megumi-kun gets back safely. She should be ready soon.”
“Aa.” he uttered as they turned and walked off, waving goodbye. He waited for an additional twenty minutes before she came racing out of the house. The perfume she wore smelled wonderful and the silk kimono she was wearing was beautiful. Kenshin held his breath. This was why it took so long for her to get ready. He felt he should say something. “Eto… Megumi-dono, you look nice de gozaru yo.”
“Ohohohoho!” she chuckled, blushing, “Ken-san, you’re so good with words. Demo, I’m surprised you were able to get away tonight.” He blinked at her, not knowing what she meant. She uttered quietly to herself, “Well, I have to hand to her – she’s actually growing up a bit.”
“Megumi-dono, we should be heading for the festival de gozaru yo.” Kenshin said. She nodded and put on her shawl, clingling onto his arm. “ORO?” he gasped, eyes big. She just smiled and dragged him along.
* * *
Yahiko was absolutely speechless. Tsubame looked so good, he couldn’t find the words to describe it. As he stood, eyes and mouth wide open, she frowned and stared at the ground. “You don’t like my kimono?”
“Iya!” he cried, “It’s great! I mean, you look so… so… gorgerous!!” The both of them blushed. “T-that’s not what I meant! I didn’t mean to say…!!”
“Demo… arigatou, Yahiko-kun.” she uttered, smiling.
“FUFUFUFUFUFU~!!!” Tae chimed, popping up between them, “You two are so cute together~!! It’s so perfect for Tanabata!!”
Yahiko, red with sweat, pointed at her, “What are you doing here all of a sudden?!”
She crossed her arms, a sparkle coming from her squinting eyes, “The restaurant is closed early because of the holiday. Besides, I want to go to the festival and see all the adorable couples…”
“T-Tae-san, don’t you want to go with someone to the festival??” Tsubame stammered, wanting her to leave and stop leering at them.
She crossed her arms, “Funny, I didn’t even think about that. I was so busy trying to set everyone up that… oh well.” she mumbled, “I’m going now! Ja!” Both Yahiko and Tsubame sighed in relief, but she popped up again, “You two are so cute, did I tell you already??”
“HAI!!!” they exclaimed, and she scurried off.
Yahiko then looked up ahead towards the festival. There were a lot of people. He slowly reached for Tsubame’s hand. “We wouldn’t want to get separated in the crowd. Better stay together na?”
“Hai.” Tsubame uttered, red-faced. The two then proceeded into the crowd.
“Fufufufufu…” Tae chuckled from the bushes, “Are you getting everything, Tsunan-han??” Next to her, Sanosuke’s friend, Katsu, was sketching a ‘nishiki he’ of the couple. “Yossha! I’m going to have a great collection by the night is through!!”
“Hen na onna da yo…” Katsu mumbled, scribbling away.
“By the way,” said an additional voice. A boy suddenly popped up in the bushes with them, “Have you seen this girl before??”
They shook their heads. “But that’s a good drawing.” Katsu noted. The boy blushed and rubbed his head. “Good luck!”
“Arigatou yo!!” Yuri said, hurrying off into the festival.