co·op·er·a·tion | \ (ˌ)kō-ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən:br /

1. an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint actionbr /

2. the association of persons or businesses for common, usually economic, benefit

Chapter 4: Lessons and Lunch

Kaoru didn't sleep well and woke up early enough to be grumpy about it. She stared up at the ceiling for a while to shake off the cobwebs before reaching for her phone with a sigh. Despite the childish desire not to, Kaoru eventually emailed Kenshin's secretary back, agreeing to a twelve o'clock lesson. Then she lay in bed for another thirty minutes, thinking longingly about the empty ice cream carton she had consumed in her emotions. Every bite had been worth it, even if she had to do some extra katas herself later today. Kaoru made a mental note to stock up on her favorite dessert; she had a feeling more pints were going to be needed in the near future.

She finally forced herself out from under the covers and took another shower to wake up. After dressing in comfortable leggings and a much-loved shirt, Kaoru hunted around her kitchen for her breakfast. She finally settled on a banana to tide her over until she could get something on the way to the dojo.

Kaoru cleaned up her kitchen - easily done since she rarely used it - by wiping a wet cloth over the countertops and then ran the vacuum over her floors. Satisfied with the results of her housekeeping, Kaoru brushed her teeth and combed her hair back into her usual ponytail before grabbing her keys and wallet to head out.

Determined to force herself into a better mood, the brisk walk to the dojo was filled with blissful thoughts of nothing except her to-do list. Aoshi might call it avoiding the issue, but Kaoru would argue she was just being smart. She tilted her head up to let the sunshine fall on her face and the usual noise of people and cars and the odor of car exhaust was comfortably familiar. It was enough to put a smile on her face as she sailed through the front gate, unlocked the dojo doors and turned off the alarm.

The dojo, although one hundred and forty plus years old, had been updated with the times. Because of heating costs, building inspections to make sure safety standards were met, and a variety of other reasons, it eventually transformed into a more modern building. Now, instead of shoji doors and wood, the thick glass walls from floor to ceiling allowed students and parents to see through. An alarm was wired to the two doors: the entrance and the back door which also served as an emergency exit. The rectangular shape of the dojo remained, but inside, partitioned walls created three medium sized lesson rooms, the biggest room doubling as the lobby. The two other rooms were accessed by a short hallway with a studio to the right and left. One last room, which currently served as storage for kendo equipment, could only be accessed by the back room which Kaoru normally used for her lessons.

It was quiet and Kaoru made her way to her office, passing by the empty lesson rooms, the student bathroom, and the tiny space that served as the breakroom. Her office was at the very end of the hall, a square shaped area that had been added on a few years before Kamiya Koshijirou passed away. It had been odd to use the room as hers, but since she had moved out of her family home behind the dojo, Kaoru had found it extremely useful to keep all the paperwork necessary for running the dojo. She pushed the door open and left it ajar since there was only a tiny window that looked out to the studio that Hiko used for his self-defense classes. Her intent was to catch up on paying bills and prepare some paperwork for a few of her students to enter into a regional kendo competition. Kaoru didn't mind the stillness, used to it since she was an only child and Aoshi's only two noise levels were quiet and utter silence. Flopping down behind her desk, she worked diligently to get things completed and was startled when someone cleared his throat at her door.

Jerking her head up, Kaoru blinked at the large presence filling the doorway. "Oh Hiko-san, you're here early."

"Early? It's almost noon. My baka deshi told me he has a lesson with you today."

She bit back a groan at the reminder, just when she managed to push it out of her mind for a while. Glancing at the clock, she grumbled, "Ah, yes. In a few minutes, actually." Kaoru patted around the desk for her phone to see if there was a confirmation email or, even better, a sudden cancellation notice from Himura. But when she couldn't find the cell phone, Kaoru realized she had left it at home, sitting on her bed where she'd thrown it after emailing the secretary. "Of course I forgot it," she muttered to herself. Setting aside the applications she was working on, Kaoru climbed up to her feet and headed to a tiny closet that held her clean uniforms. "I guess I should change and get ready." Aware of Hiko's gaze following her, Kaoru pulled out a cream colored gi and a muddy brown hakama before sighing to face him. "What?"

"Be careful with Kenshin. He's not as smart as he thinks he is but he can be deadly."

She wondered if she was supposed to construe his words as a warning or a threat. "I'm just teaching him kendo, Hiko-san. You're the one who told me he's a fast learner."

"Who said I was talking about kendo?" And with those cryptic words, he turned and shut the door behind him as he left.

Kaoru slipped into her uniform slowly, remembering she had forgotten to eat breakfast when her stomach growled. She was also sluggish from her restless sleep. Today would have been a good day to stay in bed. But she had a business to run and responsibilities she couldn't shirk. Kaoru dragged her feet out of the office and headed towards the same classroom where she and Himura had sparred.

As she expected, he was already there, dressed in similar clothing and stretching his arms in preparation for class. He stopped and stared when she bowed to the room and slipped off her shoes before entering the room.

"Did you even get any sleep?"

Kaoru scowled at his thoughtless question. Of course he had to point out the bags under her eyes. "Who are you, my mother? And Himura-san, in this dojo, we acknowledge the presence of our instructors when they enter the room as a sign of respect."

Kenshin seemed to assess the significance of her words before he bowed. "Forgive me, Kamiya-sensei."

Unable to detect any mockery, she decided to take the apology at face value. "It is excusable this one time." Kaoru headed to the front of the room and sat down. "Attend."

Himura approached her and sank down on his knees just a few feet away into a seiza position. His posture was perfect and his grace almost leonine in nature. Kaoru didn't have to look hard to see that Hiko had trained him well. She wondered how it would feel to spar against him when he shook off all the rust from his skills.

"I'll begin with explaining some of the history of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and how it translates to kendo today," she said, starting her usual spiel to her beginner classes. "Only by learning and understanding why can we understand the how. Since I know you already looked at the website, I'll just touch on the basic facts." As she spoke, Kaoru noticed Himura listening attentively, as if he was taking this seriously, and was actually interested in the ryu. He didn't interrupt and those jeweled eyes never wavered from her face. His behavior disconcerted Kaoru but she tried to focus on the familiar words instead of that unerring gaze. After a brief lesson on the philosophy behind her family style, Kaoru started them on deep breathing exercises to center themselves. She took the opportunity to try and clear her mind, emptying out all thoughts of Aoshi and how infuriating he was and how worried she was about losing him…

"Kamiya-sensei?"

Himura's deep voice broke into her thoughts and she snapped her eyes open, trying to regain her equilibrium. "What?"

Himura furrowed his brows, looking almost concerned. "It's been almost fifteen minutes and you look like you were ah, resting."

His voice was completely non-judgmental but Kaoru felt her cheeks flush a deep crimson. She had spaced out for so long that Himura thought she fell asleep! This was not the way to start off lessons, especially ones where the student was paying good money for her undivided attention. Should she play it off? Confess?

The look in Himura's eyes told her she wouldn't be able to pass it off as intentional and Kaoru didn't want him to think her unprofessional. After all, the dojo was her life and she had a reputation to maintain. Clearing her throat, she murmured, "My apologies for losing track of time. If you're ready, we can begin learning the first kata."

He remained silent for several dragged out seconds, searching her face for something. Finally, he shrugged lightly. "I'm ready."

"Excellent." With a silent self admonishment to focus, Kaoru rose up and headed for the weapons rack on the wall. Selecting two bamboo swords, she brought them back and handed one to Himura who stood up when she did. "I think it's best we start from the beginning as a little warm-up. Nothing fancy. Let's see how much you remember, and start with one hundred swings."

He accepted the shinai and shifted into position, feet spread apart so it was square with his shoulders, spine straight, arms gently bent to the correct angle, head and neck aligned and looking forward. Taking in a deep breath, Himura exhaled as he swung the sword down. The air seemed to split in two from the power of his swing.

"Good. Continue." Kaoru slowly circled around him as she eyed his form critically for any mistakes. She didn't expect any; Hiko was an exacting man despite his carefree attitude and Kaoru assumed it would carry over in his teaching.

She was right. Himura completed all his swings with the same amount of energy and power as the first. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face from the exertion, but he didn't complain or groan as he finished. He simply lowered the shinai and caught his breath, waiting for further instructions. Kaoru suddenly realized that he was a man unafraid of hard work or a challenge. It only reinforced what Makimachi Misao had said about him, which troubled Kaoru even deeper than before.

To her relief, the hour was nearly over and all she had to do was survive the last ten minutes of class before drowning herself in paperwork again. "Very good, Himura-san," Kaoru commented, pleased her voice sounded neutral and not at all impressed. "Let's move onto the next step." She had him repeat the swings but add a foot slide, or ashi-sabaki, to change directions.

When he finished, Kaoru nodded her approval. "Well done. I would recommend you continue meditating daily and practice everything we covered today at home. I guess I'll wait for your secretary's email to let me know when you're next available, but I'd like to keep the lessons consistently on the same days, if possible."

Himura nodded. "I agree. I'll do my best to arrange it as such."

"Good. You are dismissed."

He bowed. "Thank you, Sensei."

She managed a small smile and hid an exhaled breath of relief that the lesson was over. It wasn't as bad as she had feared, and Kaoru was pleasantly surprised that Himura took it so seriously. She had half-expected him to try to badger her or mention buying her land again. But he didn't say another word and placed his shinai back on the wall rack. As he turned to go, Kaoru noticed Aoshi was in the room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He stared at them with unblinking intensity, not wavering in his stance as Himura strode past him without a singular glance in his direction.

"What are you doing?" she asked sharply as soon as Himura disappeared, already suspecting why he was in the room with her. Aoshi had never intruded on her lessons before. But then again, she had never given private lessons before.

He shrugged. "Hiko-san said you were giving lessons to Himura so I thought I'd see why he's back. I don't trust him."

Kaoru scowled at him. Their squabble from last night was still fresh in her mind and she was still grumpy enough to be uncharitable towards him. "It sounds like you don't trust me. What, are you that worried I'll throw myself at him?"

"Kaoru."

Her name was spoken with an edge of exasperation and she glared harder at him. "No! You don't get to 'Kaoru' me like that when you're the one who's spewing nonsensical accusations left and right. If you want to have a reasonable, logical, adult conversation, you know where to find me." Furious, head aching, heart crumbling, and just plain exhausted, Kaoru marched out of the room and stormed back to her office.

She bit back a groan when she saw Hiko sitting on a mat and studying one of the dojo brochures with their pictures. He tossed it aside once she entered. "I can't believe these things work," he commented derisively.

"It's always a good idea to link the teacher's names with faces for prospective clients," she replied wearily as she eased down in her own seat. It wouldn't be fair to take her frustrations out on the master. All the righteous indignation faded in his presence anyway because he wasn't afraid to call her out on childish behavior.

"Hmph. So what's going on between you and Shinomori?"

Exhaling, Kaoru stared at the neat pile of papers on her desk. It wasn't her place to tell Hiko, and she wasn't even sure if she was allowed to share it anyway, given the secret nature of Aoshi's previous occupation. "It's just personal business," she said at last. "Aoshi's going to take some time off and figure things out."

"Oh? Must be extremely important if he's taking a leave of absence."

There was this tone in Hiko's voice and Kaoru bet every yen in her bank account that he knew exactly what was going on. How he found out, she didn't know, but then again, he was a true enigma. She didn't even know where Hiko lived and how he got to the dojo every day. Himura had mentioned a driver last night, which she would have considered odd had she not been distracted. Usually, Hiko left earlier than Kaoru did since he only taught one or two classes a night. "You could say that," she finally answered.

"And what about my baka deshi? Why is he taking private lessons?"

At that question, she cast Hiko an incredulous look. "Shouldn't you know the answer to that question?"

"Why should I?"

"Because he drove you home yesterday! He told you about the lessons at least. Didn't you two, I don't know, talk?"

Shrugging his broad shoulders, Hiko replied, "He didn't tell me anything. I only heard about the lessons through some random gossip. He's not much of a conversationalist with me."

Kaoru covered her face with her hands, trying to figure out exactly when it became her job to sort out all the dysfunctional relationships going on. She should have known her life wouldn't remain simple and easy for long, after struggling to get dojo business back to a level where she could still do what she loved and pay the bills. Hiko's and Aoshi's arrival had brought about the change needed for the dojo to survive, but now it seemed as though everything was in an upheaval.

"Did he ask about the land again?"

Taking a deep breath, Kaoru squared her shoulders and dropped her hands from her face. She couldn't hide; she'd just have to face her problems head-on as she'd always done. "No, he didn't. He was the perfect student, actually. He must have been a dream to work with back when he was younger and more innocent."

Hiko grunted and glanced away, a frown fixated on his face. "He did all right."

The gruff tone had her shaking her head. Hiko wasn't known to gush compliments and his words could cut deeper than any knife, but he also wasn't one to deny praise when it was earned. She remembered him encouraging her in the early days of running the dojo by herself, using a mix of gentle prodding and scathing derision when needed. Somehow, Hiko knew exactly what she needed on certain days and his support helped her to realize that she could do this. "Maybe you should tell him that once in a while, instead of insulting him in front of strangers," Kaoru suggested.

"You hardly know the man and you're already taking his side?"

She held her hands up in surrender. "Fine, I'll drop the subject. I've got my own problems and I don't need to play referee between the two of you. Aoshi's going to interview a couple of substitute instructors while he's away, so I'd like your opinion on them as well."

"Agreed." Hiko rose up in one fluid motion. "I'm heading out. I'll be back in time for my class tonight."

Kaoru murmured a farewell, reaching for the registration papers again but her stomach released a louder growl, reminding her that she had skipped breakfast and was in danger of missing lunch. Heaving a sigh, she got up and headed down the hallway, wondering if there was anything to eat in the small break room.

"Kamiya-san."

"What?" she responded absently before she jerked to a halt and turned to look at the speaker, eyes widening in surprise. "What are you still doing here, Himura-san? I thought you left."

Himura had changed into his street clothes, a navy blue suit pants and a white button down shirt. A tie and jacket were absent, but he wore polished dress shoes that looked new. Looking at him now, he presented a completely different picture than ten minutes ago. He gazed at her thoughtfully for several heartbeats before replying. "I'm about to have some lunch. Join me?"

Her brows furrowed at the unusual and - quite frankly - unexpected request. "Thank you, but that would be improper," she responded in a clipped tone to indicate disinterest. Unfortunately, her stomach chose to growl again, reminding her that a banana wasn't a sufficient meal for anyone over the age of six months.

Himura avoided smirking but the amusement was plain to see in his eyes. "It's just lunch, Kamiya-san. Nothing improper about it at all. I'll even let you pay for your own meal."

She eyed him warily, wondering what he was up to this time. Why couldn't the man just leave like he was supposed to? "As your teacher, it would raise eyebrows," Kaoru pointed out.

Himura snorted. "Last I recall, we're both adults. Nothing wrong with two adults having a meal outside the dojo, where our student-teacher relationship doesn't come into effect."

That wasn't quite true. Students still called her sensei if they happened to run into her outside the dojo. But to be fair, most of them had been her pupils for a long time. Some adults took kendo classes, but they were usually recreational and more relaxed about etiquette since most of them were older than her.

Her stomach gurgled again and Kaoru sighed. Unable to think of another excuse, she gave in. "Fine. There's a soba stand down the street that's pretty good. Just give me a moment to change."

He nodded and she went back to her office. Aoshi lurked around nearby, no doubt eavesdropping, but she ignored him. If he thought this was a date, let him think so. It would annoy him and she was in a black enough mood to let him suffer.

Taking off her kendo uniform, Kaoru took a moment to use her private bathroom to splash some water on her face and readjust her ponytail. Satisfied she looked presentable enough for a quick, casual meal, she met Himura at the front lobby and together they exited the dojo.

The soba stand was a brisk three minute walk down the block and Kaoru didn't pause to see if her student-slash-acquaintance followed or not. She was hungry and this was his idea so it would be up to him to keep up.

Reaching the booth, she offered a greeting to the owner as she sat down on an empty stool. A second later, Himura slid into the seat next to her and they both ordered hot soba noodles and tea. Accepting the cup of hot liquid, Kaoru sipped hers immediately but she noticed Himura only rotated his cup around slowly. "Not a tea lover?" she asked with a pointed glance.

"I like tea just fine, but I prefer to let it cool down a bit." He continued to turn the cup without sloshing the liquid against the sides. "Do you and Shinomori always fight like that?"

Kaoru bit back a groan. She didn't want to have this conversation with him. Why didn't she think before accepting his invitation? "Direct, aren't you Himura-san?"

At that, a wry smile lifted the corner of his lips. "Isn't it better to be direct than evasive?"

"True," she conceded. She much preferred a straightforward approach. "But either way, I feel like you're hiding some ulterior motives."

"Maybe I am. But you're also avoiding the question."

Kaoru stared down at her half-drunk tea. "Or maybe I'm trying to politely tell you it's none of your business."

Himura remained quiet for a moment before he finally took a sip of his own tea. "Does it have anything to do with the stress you were holding in last night?"

Inhaling deeply to keep a tight rein on her temper, Kaoru replied curtly, "You're a smart man. Don't you realize when a conversation topic is off-limits? If you continue on this line of questioning, I'm going to leave."

He appraised her for a long moment before he inclined his head. "My apologies."

When it was clear that was all he was going to say, Kaoru gave him a begrudging nod. "Fine." But she kept her shoulders hunched as if to ward off anymore questions. From her experience, Himura was nothing if not persistent. He dropped the subject for now, but how long would he hold his tongue?

Silence settled between them as they received their lunches. Kaoru plucked out a pair of chopsticks from the utensil container and started eating. The noodles were soft and chewy and the broth seasoned to perfection. She nearly inhaled the entire bowl before her stomach settled down in happiness.

Himura, she noticed, ate at a much slower pace, though he seemed to be enjoying the meal as much as she had. Kaoru fished out the last noodle and drank down the broth before primly patting her mouth with a napkin. "That was delicious," she told the owner with a sincere smile.

Someone sat down on her other side, bringing with him the vague aroma of an ashtray. "It should be. Hamato-san's soba noodles are the best in town."

Kaoru closed her eyes and counted to ten, praying to any and every deity that the person who sat down next to her was not exactly who she feared it was. But it proved futile as Hamato chuckled. "You're the expert, eh Saitou-san? Your usual?"

"Please."

Pulling up the last reserves of her patience, Kaoru opened her eyes, noticing Himura paying rapt attention to her actions. Ignoring him, she turned to face the man on her left. "Saitou-san, what a pleasant surprise," she commented with a tense smile. "Are you here for lunch, or can I help you with something?"

"Both."

The succinct answer had her heart sinking because she knew exactly what it was about. Still, she kept her tone light. "Oh? And what's that?"

Saitou glanced beyond her to the red-haired man who wasn't even politely pretending to ignore their conversation. "I'm not interrupting a date, am I?"

"No," she snapped.

A smirk curled his lips upward. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to come between you and a potential love interest, Kamiya-san. After all, tanukis need all the help they can get."

"Don't stop your conversation on my account," Himura told him. "I'm just here for moral support."

Kaoru felt the last vestiges of control over her life slip away and she desperately held onto the fraying edges of her patience. "If you were that worried, you wouldn't have sat down next to me right now," she retorted. "So just say what you want to say already."

Raising an eyebrow, Saitou remarked, "That's the first intelligent thing I've ever heard you point out. All right, then. I'm sure you know what's happening in a months' time. Tell Shinomori if he tries to do anything, he'll have to answer to the law. There's no one to protect him. It's best he stays here, away from Yokohama and away from a certain individual."

"I'll tell him," she replied wearily. There was nothing else she could say. Saitou had been part of the backup team that had initially arrested Takeda Kanryuu and apparently he knew enough about Aoshi to send this warning.

"Try hard, Kamiya-san. This is his life we're talking about. Ah, thank you, Hamato-san," he said, taking the paper bag from the noodle stand owner. Saitou stood up and passed several bills over before heading down the street without another word.

Kaoru ignored the intensely curious gaze from Himura and stood up, digging out some money to pay for her own meal. She then headed back to the dojo, hoping to go back alone. No such luck; Himura caught up with her easily, despite her quick strides.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? You look so tense a brick would shatter on your shoulders," Himura commented. The touch of concern coloring his voice was almost convincing. "Who was he, anyway? He didn't look like a man safe to know."

Pressing her lips together, Kaoru considered the fastest way of getting rid of Himura without being rude or saying something she'd regret later on. "He's a Chief Inspector of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police," she finally answered. It was what Saitou had told her when they first met seven years ago while discharging Aoshi into their care. Kaoru didn't believe Saitou because he knew too much about Aoshi and the ill-fated secret operation but it at least gave her a convenient story to tell Himura and other nosy individuals who questioned his presence. "He's perfectly safe, as long as you don't break any laws."

"And is Shinomori planning on doing just that?"

Abruptly, Kaoru stopped and spun around to face him. The fraying leash on her temper snapped at the continued questioning. How much clearer did she have to make it that his prying wasn't welcome? "Maybe that's something you should ask him yourself if you're so curious," she snapped. "Goodbye, Himura-san. I have paperwork to do and you have a company to run. So go run it." Without waiting for an answer, she marched back into the dojo and slammed the door shut.

So much for not being rude.

AN: For those who are a fan of Pushy!Kenshin, I hope this chapter helped fulfill that need. XD Let me know what you think of this latest chapter!

Next Chapter: Kaoru and Aoshi make up. Kenshin continues to puzzle Kaoru which may or may not be driving her crazy.