Chapter 1

"I cleaned your room before you got here." Kaoru's father opened her bedroom door as she walked in, pulling her luggage along the floor. For years, he made sure to keep his daughter's room as neat and clean as possible, anxiously preparing for her return home.

"Thanks, dad." Kaoru tried to sound animated, but she was just too exhausted from her trip. She survived a 16 hour flight to Japan with another hour in between to transfer flights, on top of an hour train ride to her town. Not to mention she had to drag two large luggages. Her arms were burning from the exercise. If she didn't see some defined muscles the next morning, she would be quite surprised.

"Are you hungry?" He asked and she managed to gather enough energy to shake her head.

"No, I'm just exhausted..." She dropped the luggage at her feet and toppled onto her futon that her father already set out for her. She inhaled the fresh smell of her blanket and she could tell her father hung her futon out in the sun. "This feels so comfortable." Kaoru mumbled into her blanket. She reminded herself that she needed to wash up and eat before resting.

"Well, I'll leave you to unpack." Mr. Kamiya smiled. He was happy to have his daughter back home again. Since his wife passed away so many years ago, he felt lonely once Kaoru left for school. He slid her door closed behind him and made his way to the stairs. He stopped at the top step when he realized he forgot to ask her a question. "Hey, Kaoru?" He knocked and opened the door without waiting for a reply. "...I have a class to instruct tonight so it's going to be loud downstairs. Will you be able to slee-" But Kaoru's abrupt snore cut him short. She had fallen asleep the moment her head hit her pillow. He smiled to himself again and shut the lights before leaving her to sleep.

When Kaoru finally awoke, she found herself in the exact same position as when she fell asleep. She was still on top of the blanket and was positioned diagonally across the bed. Since she slept without the blanket she felt chilled. She rubbed her arms as she sat up and her head was pounding with a headache. She hoped she hadn't caught a cold. She stumbled through the darkness of her room to get to her door and she made her way down to the kitchen. After sleeping for so long, she was absolutely ravenous and, judging from the headache, she was also dehydrated. She made her way down and noticed light coming from the kitchen.

"Hi." She said as she trudged in. Her father was already at the table, reading the morning newspaper. He glanced at the time before looking back at her while she collapsed into the chair across from him.

"Hi."

"What day is it?" She asked, groggily. "I feel like I slept for weeks." She ran a hand through her mussed hair. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt heavy. She immediately poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down. Her father laughed once as he folded the newspaper and set it down.

"You nearly slept for a whole day. It's almost 6 in the morning." He said as he offered Kaoru some milk.

"My sleeping schedule is going to be horrible for the next couple of weeks." Kaoru shook her head as she placed a slice of cheese on some toast and set it in the toaster oven. "At least I don't have school or work anymore so I can sleep as long as I want." After spending many years studying, it was so strange for Kaoru that she had nothing to do for once. She didn't have school...she didn't have work. Nothing.

"Do you still eat your toast with a slice of cheese and jam spread?" Her father scrunched his nose. Kaoru answered his question by taking the raspberry jam out of the fridge.

"Sweet and savory is the best combination." She responded. "Do you still eat your toast burnt?" This time her father was the one who grew defensive.

"Burnt toast is delicious." Kaoru smirked to herself as she took her cheesy toast out of the toaster oven and spread a generous dollop of jam. She really missed these silly talks with her dad.

"While I was at college I tried a chocolate donut with bacon on top." Mr. Kamiya looked shocked.

"That sounds terribly unhealthy." He said.

"Oh, it is." Kaoru did not hesitate to respond. "But it was so delicious." And she took a bite into her breakfast.

"Would you like some coffee too?" He asked as he went to pour himself a little more. Kaoru declined the offer and settled with the milk. "So do you miss your friends back in the states?" He asked as he sat back down and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I do, but I missed my friends here as well. I am glad to be home." Her father smiled, seemingly pleased with her response.

"Do you want to train with the morning class?" He asked and Kaoru shook her head. Her father ran a kendo dojo and taught the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu; a style of sword fighting that was passed from generation to generation.

"I am so out of shape." She sighed heavily.

"Then even more of a reason to join us." He said. Kaoru said she would join once she trained on her own to get back into it. "Alright. Well, I have to go. I am going to be late for work." Kaoru looked at her father in disbelief.

"Dad, you just have to go downstairs to get to work." She said. She and her father lived above the dojo. The Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu dojo was so important to her father that he literally couldn't live without it.

"I can still be late." He shrugged and Kaoru rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile gracing her lips. "If you need me, you know where I am." And he left. Kaoru finished her toast and washed the dishes before she made her way back upstairs to wash up. She felt absolutely filthy since she hadn't bathed for nearly two days. She felt better once she stripped her dirty clothes and washed. Relaxing in the hot bath helped ease the pounding headache, but she still felt incredibly groggy.

She spent the rest of the morning unpacking and organizing her room, but by the time 3pm rolled around her eyelids were heavy. She tried her best to stay awake, but she lost the fight and fell asleep. As Kaoru had said, the next couple of weeks were very much the same in that she would struggle to stay awake during the day and would sleep and wake at odd hours. Since she no longer had a schedule to maintain, she spent her days lounging in bed. The only thing that did get Kaoru out of bed was training in the dojo again.


"Yahiko, your posture is sloppy." Kaoru lightly smacked the young student on his back to straighten his form. "Remember, shoulders back and relaxed, and knees bent."

"Quiet, ugly! I know what I'm doing!" The hotheaded boy hissed in response and Kaoru nearly bonked him on the head. Yahiko was a pupil at the Kamiya dojo since he was 5. At only 12 years old, he was already almost 1 dan. He stood out amongst the others because he worked harder than those older than he was and he was extremely diligent. While she didn't consider him a natural sword fighter like other students, his hardwork made him just as good. Kaoru always thought he was a brat, but she grew to love him as her little brother.

"You know, I thought you would be a little kinder to me since you haven't seen me in a few years!" Kaoru placed a hand on her hip. Yahiko ignored her and swung the sword down onto the practice dummy. He could never admit that he actually did miss her.

"Yeah whatever…how is my form now?" As quickly as it came, Kaoru's annoyance disappeared.

"You're keeping your arms tense as you swing down, but your arms should be relaxed until the very end. You tense your grip only upon impact and then relax it again." Kaoru instructed and showed Yahiko how it was done. "This also helps save energy."

"I get it now. Thanks!" He replied and Kaoru felt herself smile. She just couldn't hate the annoying kid.

"It's late, Yahiko. You better go home. You also have school tomorrow." Mr. Kamiya walked into the dojo and patted the young kid on his spiky head. Despite always bickering with Kaoru, Yahiko obediently listened to her father.

"Did you even get your homework done?" Kaoru suddenly asked. "You've been here since school ended!" Yahiko crossed his arms.

"Learning kendo is more important than school!" He argued and Kaoru nearly bonked him on the head again. He ran away before she could lecture him.

"See you tomorrow, sensei!" Yahiko bid her father farewell, but not without giving Kaoru an arrogant smirk first. Kaoru released a sharp sigh.

"Are you going to apply to his school too?" Her father said as he waved goodbye.

"I already did." She said. Kaoru attended a university in the states as an English major and planned to return to Japan to be a teacher in English. Kaoru sighed again and placed the sword back onto the stand. "I thought starting my career as a teacher could begin by teaching in our town."

"Sounds like a good plan to me." Mr. Kamiya said. "Have you heard back from any of the schools? Where did you apply?"

"So far I've only applied to the middle schools and grade schools in our town, and in the surrounding areas. I haven't looked at high schools. And no, I haven't heard any replies to my application just yet." Kaoru said. She wasn't disappointed because she knew these matters took time, luck, and patience.

"Well, that's alright." Mr. Kamiya gave his daughter a comforting pat on the head. Kaoru waited while her father began to close up the dojo for the night.

"Wouldn't it be such a laugh if I became Yahiko's teacher? I can already imagine the look on Yahiko's face. I'd give him extra homework just for the heck of it." Kaoru grinned mischievously.

"You know he wouldn't do it."

"Not if I threatened to take away his kendo lessons." Kaoru's grin grew more sinister that even her father had to sigh.

"...I'm sure you'll make a great teacher..." His voice was heavily laced with sarcasm. He was just SO proud of his daughter.


Kaoru finally got out of the little funk she was in. Not that it was really a funk, but Kaoru had to adjust being home again after so many years away. Now that she settled back into her old room and her sleeping schedule was back on track, she decided to get out of the house and visit some old friends.

Kaoru made her way down a busy street and looked for a familiar blue roofed building. Unlike the other buildings in the neighborhood, this particular building was rather old-fashioned. The wood was old and the paint chipped, but this was all a part of its charm. She could immediately smell the scent of cooked beef and hot pot as she made her way inside.

"Welcome to the Akabeko! OH-!" Sekihara Tae, an old school mate and good friend of Kaoru's, put a hand to her lips in surprise when Kaoru walked into the restaurant.

"Wow! This place hasn't changed at all! Thank goodness." Kaoru sighed a breath of relief. The Akabeko was like a second home to her. "You look like you're doing well, Tae!" Kaoru smiled brightly as her friend immediately pulled her into a tight hug.

"Since when were you back home?" Tae asked, keeping her hands on Kaoru's shoulders as she stepped back to get a good look at Kaoru.

"It's already been a couple months." Kaoru admitted sheepishly. "I spent most of the time being lazy and lying in bed. So I needed to get out a little." Kaoru laughed. "I have also been craving your family's hot pot since it's the season for it now!" She said. The grass was beginning to glisten from dew and ice in the mornings. It was getting colder and hot pot was the perfect meal during the cold temperatures.

"You look so good, Kaoru!" Kaoru blushed at her friend's compliment and swatted her hand. Tae and Kaoru had been good friends since grade school. Unlike Kaoru, who decided to attend a university, Tae took over her family restaurant, the Akabeko. She was now running it full time on her own. Back in high school, Kaoru used to help around in the restaurant during school breaks.

"How are your parents?" Kaoru asked as she and Tae sat down at a table. Tae offered her some hot tea.

"They're doing well. My father and mother still work on the weekends when it gets much busier. I'm typically on my own during the week." Tae smiled.

"I'll be sure to stop by and greet them then. And I'm sure your sister must be so big now!" Kaoru mentioned, setting down the tea cup.

"Tsubame? Yeah, she is already in middle school!"

"I can imagine how big she has grown. That brat from the dojo is so big now. I think he and Tsubame are the about the same age." Kaoru grinned. Tae put a hand to her cheek in thought.

"Do you mean Yahiko? He and Tsubame are classmates. He told me he trains at your father's dojo." Kaoru looked surprised and the cup paused at her lips.

"That brat comes here? For what?" She asked, putting the cup back down, and Tae laughed to herself.

"I think he's got a little crush on Tsubame." A large grin suddenly appeared on Kaoru's face and Tae shook her head to herself.

"Don't tease him too much about it, Kaoru." She said, firmly. Tae pretended to scold her friend, but she was far from upset. She was extremely happy to see Kaoru again. Kaoru might have been gone for six years, but it felt like she never left. Their conversation was taking off so easily.

"So were you able to get some teaching experience while you were over there?" Tae took another sip of her tea which reminded Kaoru to finish her own.

"I did and it was so much fun. I can hardly wait to become a full-time teacher. I already applied to the schools in our area."

"Oh, that's going to be fun!" Tae perked. "Do you think you will like teaching at our old school?" Tae asked and Kaoru shrugged in response.

"I can't say. I'll just have to wait and see." Kaoru felt anxious just thinking about the future. It made anyone feel anxious. "I want to work soon, but I also want to enjoy the feeling of still being a kid. You know, feeling free of stress." Kaoru bit the inside of her cheek and Tae sighed.

"I can understand that. As much as I love the restaurant, I want a day off sometimes too." Kaoru opened her mouth to speak again, but Tae suddenly straightened her back and looked alert. It was as if an internal alarm clock set off inside her. Kaoru blinked in surprise at her sudden change in behavior. "Sorry Kaoru, school is over. That means the next wave of customers are going to be coming in! I've got to get back to work." Kaoru glanced at the time and Tae was right on the dot.

"You really are cut out for the restaurant business." Kaoru said in slight amazement. It was definitely her calling.

"I'm short on staff so I've got to prepare quickly." Tae said and Kaoru looked around. She did notice that Tae seemed to be the only waitress at the moment. Kaoru set down the tea cup.

"Should I stick around and help?" She offered while she stood and dusted off her legs. Tae tried to stop her, but Kaoru was already making her way to the back room.

"I've got the free time." Kaoru was already searching for an apron. "I know you have extra uniforms in the closet." She rummaged through the closet.

"I can't ask you to help out..." Tae said and Kaoru looked at her. Despite Tae's resistance, she made no physical movement to stop Kaoru.

"You're not asking me. I'm choosing to stay and help." Kaoru replied.

"I really can't thank you enough..." Tae held her hands together with slight guilt. Kaoru passed her friend a reassuring smile.

"You take the orders and I'll bring the food to the tables." Kaoru tied her hair in a ponytail. "You can pay me later with food." She laughed.

"Of course!" Tae said and practically pushed Kaoru to get dressed. Kaoru changed into an extra uniform and was tying the apron around her waist when she walked back out to the front of the restaurant. She was surprised to see that there were already three tables seated.

Wow. Kaoru thought and noticed that Tae was already scurrying around. Kaoru did one last check on her apron and quickly went to work. Even though she hadn't worked there for some time, she still remembered everything. Within minutes, the restaurant was packed with students. The Akabeko was quite popular in their town due to the food being delicious and extremely affordable. It had also been around for so long that the townspeople just loved the place. There was never a slow day at the Akabeko.

"Kaoru, that table would like some more water." But Tae didn't even have to remind her because Kaoru already had the pitcher in her hand.

"I've got it!" She smiled. Kaoru headed over to the customer sitting at a table by the far wall. "Would you like some more water?" She asked as she went to refill his empty cup. From the corner of her eye, Kaoru caught the customer looking at her.

"Hm? Are you new here? I don't recognize you, little lady." Kaoru was pouring water for the customer when she looked up to face a male student, who appeared to only be in high school. She almost laughed because she was older than he was, but he was definitely larger overall. Even though he was sitting and she was standing, they almost stared eye to eye.

"I suppose that does make me a little lady." Kaoru laughed to herself.

The student looked like a mischievous trouble maker. He was tall and had the body of a fighter. Kaoru could make out the slight bruises and callouses along his knuckles. Either he was training to be a fighter or he got into a lot of fights at school. On his handsome face was a smirk. It wasn't a challenging or rude kind of smirk, but a friendly, however still mischievous, smirk.

Kaoru finished pouring the water and stepped back. It was then she noticed that he was not alone at the table. Sitting across from him was another male student. This one didn't look mischievous, but rather more intimidating. She hadn't noticed him at first, but now he was all she could focus on. Something about him made her suck in a breath.

Kaoru took a moment to stare at the student. She was shocked to find that unlike his friend, he was smaller, more slender, but had a more threatening nature about him. His hair was a curious shade of brown with hints of red. The color reminded her of fallen leaves in the midst of autumn. His hair was long, tied in a high ponytail much like hers. His eyes were downcast, but she managed to catch their color. Gold. She couldn't quite see his face, but she could make out that he was also rather handsome. If anything, she would say he was more beautiful, really. She blinked when she noticed a curious cross shaped scar on his cheek. She took another step back. Kaoru guessed these kids must have been delinquents.

"I'm not new...just helping out an old friend for a bit." Kaoru finally explained.

"Ah, I see. Well, thanks." The student said, lifting the glass of water to his eye level as if saluting her.

"Of course." She said and couldn't help but glance at his friend one last time before she went to leave. He had not said a word nor moved once. Kaoru began to turn away when someone called out her name.

"Kaoru?" Kaoru looked over her shoulder and smiled brightly when she saw who called her name.

"Oh! Tsubame!" Tae's younger sister came running to her and hugged her around the waist. "You have grown so much! And you look so cute!" She said, touching the girl's school uniform. Kaoru used to change Tsubame's diaper and now she was in junior high school. Amazing how quickly time flew. Tsubame was the personification of the word 'cute'. Kaoru was always secretly jealous of Tsubame's large, round eyes and small face framed by a short bob. She was small, petite, and girly. She was also one of the sweetest people she ever met.

"Are you back for good?" Tsubame asked with a hopeful expression and Kaoru simply nodded.

"How have you been?" Kaoru asked as she and Tsubame moved away from the tables and to the side.

"I've had to study a lot lately, which is why I can't help out in the restaurant as much." Tsubame looked sorry that she was unable to help and Kaoru patted her on the head.

"That's alright. For a girl your age, studying is way more important. I'll help your sister while I'm here." Kaoru said and Tsubame told her she was happy she was back again. Tsubame stopped by the restaurant to let her sister know she was safe before she had to run off to study. Kaoru bid her farewell and went back to work.

Eventually the rush of customers died down until there were only a few tables left. Kaoru was able to finally take a moment to breathe. They only had a couple hours or so before the next wave of customers would filter in for dinner. Kaoru went to quickly clean and wipe down the tables before the next set of customers arrived.

"Thanks again, little lady." A voice said and Kaoru turned around. The two delinquent looking students were making their way out of the restaurant. Well, they have manners… She thought to herself.

"Please come again." She smiled and once again a smirk appeared on the rooster's face. The taller of the two had a hair style that reminded her of a rooster and so she settled to use that as his nickname. She couldn't help but glance at his red-haired friend once more and this time she caught his gaze. "I hope you enjoyed your meal." She said and she felt herself curl her toes. Why she did this? She did not know. Kaoru watched as the two left and she released a heavy breath.

That guy makes me feel like I'm standing on egg shells. She thought to herself. Kaoru didn't think much of it since she had to go right back to work.

The dinner rush was even busier than lunch, but Tae and Kaoru managed just fine. By the end of the night the both of them were exhausted, but Kaoru had to admit it was fun.

"Thanks again, Kaoru. You were a huge help." Tae said, handing her a tall glass of cold water. Kaoru thanked her and gulped back the cool liquid. She was extremely thirsty from running around.

"What time should I come in tomorrow?" She asked, wiping the spilled water on her chin and Tae began to argue, but Kaoru stopped her. "I promised your sister I would help you." Tae was about to refuse again, but Kaoru was quick to speak again "I'll help out until your waitress comes back from vacation." And so Tae had no choice but to ask Kaoru to come in the next day, and the next, and the next...