Author's Note: Last chapter. This one turned out much longer than I anticipated. Sorry. :) Also, I plan on starting a couple more fics here soon, so I hope my readers will enjoy reading some more from me. :)

I do not own City Hunter or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who read/followed/favorited/reviewed this. It is always appreciated.

Chapter Nine

The next morning Kaori awoke first, blinking and yawning. As she opened her eyes, she immediately noticed that she was not in her bedroom.

'Where…where am I?'

'Wait…I'm in Ryo's room. That's right, last night the two of us came in here to watch TV. I must have fallen asleep….'

Kaori rubbed her eyes and was about to sit up, when she realized that there was something draped over her side. She reached down to touch it and gulped when she realized that it was an arm. She then carefully turned over to see Ryo sleeping next to her, his arm holding her close to him.

'Ryo…Ryo is in the bed with me? What is he doing here?'

Kaori clenched her hands tightly, a hammer suddenly appearing in one of them.

'That mokkori maniac,' she fumed silently. 'Sneaking into bed with me like this. Does he have any shame at all?'

Ryo stirred and tightened his hold on her but did not wake up. As she watched him do this, she let her hammer fall to the floor and disappear. Kaori then thought back to the previous night.

'I know that I didn't have all these blankets on me while I was watching TV,' she mused. 'He must have taken care of that after I fell asleep….and it looks like he's sleeping on top of the sheets with just that one blanket. So he's not really in the bed with me at all.'

Kaori smiled as she watched him sleep. There were many mornings where she would go to wake him up and she ended up waiting for a couple of minutes before trying to rouse him. She would stand by his bedside and marvel at how much he looked like a child while he slept….which was exactly how he looked right this moment.

Feeling daring, Kaori reached over and carefully brushed a stray lock of hair out of his face. She couldn't stop thinking about the previous night: the way he had taken care of her once they got back home, how he stayed with her after her nightmare, and most of all how he had shared a moment from his past with her.

Kaori had been surprised, but after thinking about it, she understood why he did it. Ever since their partnership began, he had tried various methods to teach her how to survive in the underground world that they lived in. Often, Ryo imparted these lessons with his usual sarcastic ways and acted as if they were an afterthought, but Kaori knew that he did it to ensure her safety and to help her cope with the hardships she faced in this life.

Still, Kaori knew that this gesture had been far more meaningful than that. Less than a year ago, there was no chance that Ryo would have told her anything about his past, even as a way to comfort her. The fact that he had been willing to do so last night was a tiny, but significant event.

Kaori let out a soft sigh. She was still upset with him for ruining her Valentine's Day surprise, but last night had gone a long way in making her able to forgive him. She knew that things like Ryo staying up with her or talking about his past would not seem like much to most people, but to her, they were more precious than any present she could receive.

Kaori then blushed again at the way he was holding her. She wanted to stay like this for as long as possible, but resigned herself to the fact that it wasn't feasible. She and Ryo needed to meet with Yumiko again to finalize their job and receive payment and there were some errands that needed to be taken care of.

She tried to slowly move away from him, but once again, Ryo pulled her back toward him. She had to admit that she was enjoying this, but she also knew that she had to get up and get started on the day's chores. She pushed herself down further into the mattress and then slipped out from under his arm and onto the floor. Ryo responded by shifting around in the bed, and Kaori thought that he would wake up. But soon, he settled down again and snored even louder. Kaori then pulled at his blanket and draped it back over his body.

'Thank you, Ryo…for last night…for everything.'

She then turned to walk out of the room. Kaori was so distracted by her own thoughts that she didn't notice it when Ryo suddenly stopped snoring and turned slightly toward the doorway.

'Did she really have to get up now?' Ryo wondered. 'It's still early…and I was so comfortable….'

Ryo turned to lie on his stomach and closed his eyes. He couldn't fathom where the impulse to hold her had come from last night, but he did know that it had felt good. In fact, it had felt so good; he ended up staying that way all night long. Initially he had felt uneasy about holding her that way, but that uneasiness swiftly drifted away. In its place were feelings of warmth and contentment that lasted even after he fell asleep.

'Hmph…it was cold last night and I was tired. It's not so strange to want to share your bed with someone on a night like that.'

'Still…'

Ryo buried his face into his pillow, determined to go back to sleep.

'Kaori might want to run around this early, but I don't. I'm going to sleep until noon… or at the very least until she's done making breakfast…'


About three hours later, Ryo and Kaori went over to a café a couple of minutes away from Yumiko's office. They had just sat down at a table when Yumiko walked in the door.

"Ah, Saeba-san, Kaori-san," Yumiko beamed. She sat down across from them and reached over to touch Kaori's arm.

"Kaori-san, are you all right?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Kaori said with a laugh. "I'm fine, really. I'm just glad that we were able to take care of Black Orchid so that they won't bother you anymore."

"Thank you, both of you," Yumiko said. "I can't repay you enough for what you did."

Yumiko then pulled out a check out of her purse and handed it to Kaori. Kaori's eyes widened at the amount written.

"But Yumiko-san…" she began. "This is…."

"It's the right amount for your fee, isn't it?" Yumiko smiled. "Well, I added in a bonus for your hard work."

"Thank you very much," Kaori grinned. She stared at the check for a moment more before putting it into her purse

'I had no idea that matchmaking could involve this kind of money,' she thought to herself. 'Maybe I am in the wrong profession….'

Kaori's thoughts were interrupted, however, by a sound she knew well: the shrill shriek of a woman. She looked up to see Ryo bouncing toward one of the waitresses at the café.

"I said no and I mean no," the waitress said as she tried to walk away from him.

"Come on, just one date," Ryo begged. "Or a cup of tea. We could wait until you get off work and then I can pick you up."

"How many times do I have to say no?" the waitress asked. She tried to weave around him, but Ryo grabbed onto her apron. Kaori gritted her teeth and then stood up from the table.

"Excuse me for a moment, Yumiko-san," she said.

"Ah ok," Yumiko said as she watched Kaori walk toward Ryo, a hammer suddenly appearing in her grip. Seconds later there was a loud thump as Kaori smashed Ryo into the floor yet again.

"Ryo! How many times have I said not to do that in front of a client?"

"Sorry….So thirsty…."

"Then get yourself a drink and leave the wait staff alone."

"Ok…."

Yumiko gaped at the scene in front of her, a nervous smile on her face.

'What a strange relationship they have…But I guess it works….'

"Sorry about that," Kaori said as she sat back down across from Yumiko.

"Oh that's ok," Yumiko said. "Listen, Kaori-san, I wanted to talk to you about something in private anyway."

"Yes?" Kaori said, leaning toward her.

"Remember what I told you, about trying to find you a match?" Yumiko asked her. "Well after I got back to my office today and started to work, I found someone who I think might make a terrific date for you." Kaori's face instantly turned red.

"Ah, ah, Yumiko-san, you don't have to…."

"It's all right, it's just a date, Kaori-san," Yumiko assured her. "A way to have some fun on Valentine's Day. You trust me, don't you?"

"Well, I suppose I do," Kaori said as she looked down into her lap. "I mean, everyone knows what a great matchmaker you are."

"Then it's settled," Yumiko said. "I promise that you will have fun, Kaori-san." She then handed her a slip of paper. "This is the time and address where you will meet him. It's a romantic evening, so make sure to wear something special. And don't worry about the guy I set you up with. I'll have you know that he is handsome and brave as well as intelligent and even somewhat playful. "

"Oh ok," Kaori said, her face scarlet and her eyes still downcast. "He does sound wonderful." Yumiko frowned at how timid Kaori had become and leaned closer to her.

"Kaori-san, you said that you trust my instincts, right?" she asked. "So believe me when I say that the man you will meet will be very happy to spend an evening with you. Honestly, I think he's wanted someone like you for a long time, but he doesn't know how to express his feelings with words. So go ahead and make him happy…and let yourself believe in romance again." Kaori finally lifted her head and smiled.

"All right, I will," she said. "Thank you again, Yumiko-san."

"You're welcome," Yumiko smiled. Ryo slinked over to join them at the table, a drink in his hand.

"Ah, Saeba-san that looks good," Yumiko said. "I'd love a drink too. Could you get me one?"

"Wait, I'll go," Kaori said, standing up. "I don't want to give Ryo another excuse to bother the waitresses. Ryo, behave while I get Yumiko-san a drink."

"All right," Ryo said, slumping in his chair. He then looked over at Yumiko and another grin appeared on his face.

"Yumiko-chan, Valentine's Day is in two days," he giggled. "Have you thought about where you'd like to go for our date? Because I have a few suggestions…."

His hand started to creep across the table, but Yumiko slapped it away.

"Not so fast, Saeba-san," she said. "As a matter of fact, I found a date for you for Valentine's Day."

"Really?" Ryo asked.

"Yes," Yumiko nodded with a smile. "And she is perfect for you: a kind, caring woman who is also strong and adventurous."

"But, is she a vision?" Ryo replied, his tone suddenly serious.

"Vision? Oh definitely," Yumiko answered. "She's a beautiful woman, but…."

"But?" Ryo echoed.

"I think she doesn't always realize just how beautiful she really is," Yumiko continued. "It's a shame really, letting a gorgeous woman like her languish away, all alone."

"It is a shame," Ryo nodded sagely. "No, more than that, it's a tragedy." Yumiko smiled and tilted her head toward him.

"Maybe what she needs is a man to teach her," she said. "Teach her about how lovely she is. Will you take on this task, Saeba-san? Will you be the one to instruct her?"

Ryo grinned even more and started to pant. Yumiko then knew that she had reached her goal.

"Of course," Ryo declared, jumping to his feet. "I, Ryo Saeba, will be this vision's mokkori instructor. I will make sure to teach her everything she needs to know about love."

Yumiko rolled her eyes as she watched Ryo cross his arms over his chest and smile triumphantly. Despite her exasperation though, she struggled to stifle her laughter.

'How can the warrior, who I saw last night, and this goofball in front of me now be the same person?' she asked herself. 'I suppose that is just one of life's eternal mysteries.'

Yumiko pulled another slip of paper out of her purse and held it out to him.

"Here is the time and place where you will meet her," she said. Ryo snatched it out her hand and stared at the paper, his eyes wide and a bit of drool forming at the edges of his mouth.

"Listen, this is supposed to be a romantic evening, so dress appropriately," Yumiko added, her voice stern. "Understand?"

"I understand," Ryo replied, his gaze becoming intense. "But I also want you to understand something. If I show up and it turns out that this woman is not mokkori material, I will be showing up at your place that night to collect on our wager. Understand?" A large bead of sweat dropped from Yumiko's forehead and she held up her hands.

"Ok, I understand," she laughed. "But trust me, you won't be disappointed."


Two days passed, and Valentine's Day finally arrived. Kaori had gone to Ryo's room to wake him up for breakfast as usual, but was surprised to find that he had already left.

'It's Valentine's Day, so he's probably up to some kind of nonsense already,' she thought to herself with a sigh. 'Well I suppose it doesn't matter. After all, I have something to do tonight too.'

Kaori then made herself some breakfast and started on her daily chores. While she worked, she thought more about the date that Yumiko had lined up for her that night. A part of her was excited at the prospect of a romantic evening. She couldn't remember the last time she had been able to savor any sort of romance. She felt giddy as she decided on what she would wear and how she would make herself up.

Still, another part of her wasn't sure how to feel about this whole thing. Even though she frequently longed for a true romance, she knew that she was a complete novice when it came to taking part in something like that.

'It seems like Yumiko-san did her best to find me a wonderful date…but I…I…what if I disappoint him?'

Kaori sighed and started to vacuum. She felt confident in the idea that she was at least an attractive woman to look at, but she often felt that there must be something that she lacked, something that made less desirable to men in general. Sometimes she chalked it up to her tomboyish ways, which were a conscious choice on her part. Other times though, she worried that she was simply unable to ignite any sort of passion in men beyond a passing physical attraction.

After finishing with her chores, Kaori headed off to the Shinjuku station to check the chalkboard. She knew that another thing that was bothering her was the situation with Ryo.

Walking along the streets, Kaori still saw many advertisements and displays heralding the arrival of Valentine's Day. The day had finally come and now she did not have anything to give him.

'I'm such a moron,' she cursed inwardly. 'Here I am worrying about what to give Ryo when he's the one who ruined the present I made for him in the first place. I shouldn't be concerned about him. I should be thinking about my date tonight.'

"There is someone….Someone who I feel I have always loved…and who I always will love."

Kaori's heart grew heavy as she recalled what she had told Yumiko and contemplated the truth behind those words. Despite her lingering frustrations with him, Kaori could not imagine loving anyone the way she loved Ryo. She tried to remind herself that this was just supposed to be a date, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling uncomfortable with the idea trying to find romance with someone else.

Kaori scanned the board and sighed again when she found no messages for them.

'Well, I suppose it's ok. The money we earned from Yumiko-san along with the money we already had in reserve makes it so that we can afford to have some time off.'

Kaori then decided to spend some time leisurely walking around the city, hoping to calm her nerves.


Late that afternoon, she arrived back at the apartment to find Ryo facing a giant stack of colorful boxes which were sitting on the table.

"Ryo, what's all this?" Kaori asked. Ryo laughed in response.

"They're chocolates from my fan club," he chortled. "Here's one from Suki-chan from Club Hot Nites, and here's one from Yoko-chan from Club NekoMama, and…and…."

"I get the idea," Kaori said, waving a hand at him. "Spare me the details. So, let me guess: you're going on a tour of the clubs tonight so you can thank each of these women personally?"

"That does sound like a really good idea," Ryo grinned. "But no, Ryo-chan's got a mokkori date lined up for tonight. Ah, I'm so lucky."

"Oh…I see," Kaori said. "Well…that's funny because I have a date tonight too." Ryo's jaw hit the floor.

"What? A date?" he replied. "With a man?"

"Of course with a man," Kaori yelled at him. "What other kind of date would I have?" Ryo put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kaori," he said softly. "The truth is, I am concerned about this." Kaori began to blush.

"Ryo," she breathed. "Are you….?"

"Valentine's Day only comes once a year," Ryo continued. "What kind of a strange man would use this once-a-year chance to date another man who pretends to be a woman?"

Ryo was about to say more but was silenced when a giant mace slammed him into a wall.

"Joking…it was a joke," Ryo croaked as Kaori stomped away to her room.


A little over two hours later, Kaori was sitting at a table in a restaurant. She had followed Yumiko's advice and had worn a dress and high heels and had put on some makeup. Dressing up that way made her feel somewhat awkward, but she did her best to relax.

'Where is he?' she wondered. 'It's almost a half hour past when he was supposed to show up. What if he saw me and changed his mind?'

Kaori's hands shook as she clutched the white rose lying on the table. Yumiko had called her that morning and told her to bring a white rose to the restaurant and to lay it on the table so that her date would know who he was meeting.

Kaori looked around and noticed that the other tables were filled with couples who looked happy together. Sitting at her table all alone, Kaori felt angry, ashamed and most of all depressed.

'This was a mistake,' she told herself. 'I'll just go and…'

Tears stung her eyes, and Kaori turned toward the wall in an attempt to hide them. Despite the pain that she felt, she still had her pride. She would wait to calm down so she could walk out with dignity.

"Are you all right? What's wrong?"

Kaori gasped and turned red. Her date had shown up after all. Still, there was something oddly familiar about the voice that had greeted her. She sniffed hard and wiped her eyes before turning toward him and opening her mouth to speak She was stopped, however, by the sight of Ryo, who was dressed in a tuxedo, standing in front of her table.

"Ryo," she gasped.

"Kaori?" Ryo replied, clearly confused. Kaori gulped and lowered her head while starting to shake.

'No…why is Ryo here? Why did he have to show up now? My date didn't come, and now I'll never hear the end of it from him. Why did this have to happen?'


Ryo stood in front of her, stunned. On the same paper that had the time and place for his date, Yumiko had added a note that told him what signal to look for when he arrived.

'Your date will have a white rose sitting on the table.'

He had memorized everything on the paper, but just as he was heading over for his date, Ryo had gotten caught in a traffic jam. Once he arrived at the restaurant, he rushed in, hoping that he wasn't too late.

'Ryo-chan is here. Wait for me, my mokkori date.'

His eyes darted around the restaurant, and soon, Ryo spotted the white rose on one of the tables. He couldn't see the face of the woman sitting there, but he could already tell that she had a lovely figure that was accentuated by the dress she was wearing.

'Oh yes….Thank you Yumiko-chan! You sent me a vision after all.'

Ryo put on his best smile and walked toward the table. The sound of muffled sobs had reached his ears, however, and he quickly became concerned. He reached out a hand toward her.

"Are you all right?" he asked gently. "What's wrong?"

The woman turned toward him, and Ryo gulped when he saw Kaori's face.

"Ryo," she gasped.

"Kaori?" he replied. He wanted to ask her what was going on, but then he watched her lower her head and tremble. He could see the traces of her tears on her cheeks and he became even more worried.

"Kaori," he said as he sat down across from her, his tone soft and calm. "Were you supposed to meet your date here?" Kaori swallowed hard but had been unable to stop a couple more tears from falling out of her eyes.

"Go on," she said, her voice shaky. "Go ahead and make fun of me. That's what you're going to do, isn't it? You're right, my date didn't show up. So what? So now you're going to say it's because I scared him away? He took one look at me and ran? That's what you're going to say, isn't it?"

Ryo closed his eyes and cursed silently to himself. He realized that Yumiko must have arranged it for the two of them to have a date together. But it was clear to him that Kaori had not reached the same conclusion. Now, she was hurting and she was expecting even more humiliation from him. His heart ached at the idea that Kaori was so certain that he was going to wound her even more…but that could not compare to the pain he felt at watching her cry.

He opened his eyes and leaned toward her. He knew that he would have to proceed carefully from here, and he hoped that he wasn't too clumsy to pull it off.

"Kaori…it looks like you and I are in the same boat," he said. "So there's no reason for me to laugh." Kaori raised her head and looked over at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean?" she sniffed.

"I guess I was dumped by my mokkori date too," he sighed dramatically. "I was supposed to meet her an hour ago, but I never saw her. So I've been wandering around looking for a chance to meet someone else. I haven't been lucky at all."

"Oh, I see," Kaori said. She wiped her eyes some more with a napkin and fell silent. Ryo reached over to touch her hand.

"Hey, I have an idea," he said. "How about the two of us go out instead? We can be each other's Valentine's dates." Kaori's face turned red and she looked away.

"No," she spat. "I don't need your pity, Saeba. Go ahead and look for your next mokkori opportunity."

Kaori's words, along with the way she used his last name, were a slap in the face to Ryo. Normally, it was his enemies or bitter rivals who referred to him that way. Her sharp tone hurt him, but he was still determined to make things better for her.

"I don't pity you," he replied. "With the way you look tonight, I know that you could walk out of here and easily find someone else to spend Valentine's Day with. And if that's what you want to do, I won't stop you. But…as I was walking along the street, I got to thinking about how nice it would be to spend an evening like this with my partner. I told myself that there was no way. You were on a date tonight. But then I find you here…and I guess that I thought that maybe there was a chance for me after all."

Ryo held out his hand to her again and looked her straight in the eye.

"So what do you say, partner?" he said. "Will you let me spend this evening with you?"

Kaori looked up at him, her eyes wide and still tinged with red. She remained silent for a long minute, and Ryo was beginning to think that she was still angry at him.

But then she reached up and took his hand, allowing him to guide her to her feet.

"Ryo," she murmured. "I…I'd like that very much." Ryo grinned at her and put his arm around her.

"All right, first off we get something to eat," he said as the two of them walked out of the restaurant. "This place is nice, but I know a place that's a lot more fun where you can get a lot of really good food for cheap. I'll leave the next place up to you…but you should know that we will be going to a bar at some point for drinks."

Kaori smiled at him, and Ryo was relieved to see her mood improve. They almost reached the door when one of the waiters waved at him.

"Excuse me," the waiter said as he approached. "By any chance, are you Saeba-san?"

"Yes I am," Ryo answered. "What is it?" The man held out an envelope.

"A lady asked us to give this to you," he said. "She said that you would understand."

"Ok, thank you," Ryo said as he took the envelope. The man nodded and walked away. Ryo tore the envelope open and peered inside.

"What is it, Ryo?" Kaori asked.

Ryo continued to stare at what he found: a long red string with a loop at each end.

'I guess I lost this wager after all,' Ryo smirked to himself. He still was unsure about the message that Yumiko was clearly conveying, but one glance at Kaori was enough to make him able to put aside his doubts…at least for one evening.

"It's nothing, "Ryo said, stuffing the envelope into his pocket. "Just a reminder about a wager I made some time ago. So shall we go?"

The two of them walked the streets arm-in-arm, enjoying each other's company.

"Say Ryo, did you already eat all of those chocolates that you got today?" Kaori asked.

"Nah," he replied. "I got to looking at them and I realized that none of them would taste nearly as good as a batch of homemade chocolates. Maybe someday, someone will think that I'm worthy of a gift like that." Kaori reached over and wrapped both of her arms around one of his.

"I think that there might be someone who already thinks you are, Ryo," she said quietly. "Maybe it's just a matter of waiting for it to happen."

Ryo started, a sad smile forming on his face as he finally realized who Kaori had made those chocolates for. He then took one of her hands into his.

It may just be for one night, and it probably wouldn't end up being much of a date, but for now he was happy and content to spend another evening with the most important person in his life….his partner.