Apprentice
Chapter 20
Connections
To Kenshin's surprise, Hiko agreed to accompany them back to Aoiya.
"Twice in a year," thought Kenshin as they hiked down the mountain. "Maybe the old bastard is softening up."
"I don't want you to think I'm getting soft," said Hiko, suddenly next to him.
Kenshin flinched.
"Oro! how does he do that?" he wondered, not for the first time. He understood godlike speed, it was his master's ability to constantly read his mind that amazed Kenshin.
Hiko grinned. "Just remember, baka, no one knows you better than I do."
"And I'm not old!"
He strode past Kenshin who stood there staring for a few seconds, shrugged and then continued on. Kenji looked up at his father's bemused face and grinned. Sano reached down and ruffled Kenji's hair, grinning back at them.
Omasu and Kaoru followed several paces behind.
"I'm glad you came with us, Omasu," Kaoru said to the older woman. "It was nice to have female company."
"It was my pleasure," murmured Omasu, turning slightly pink. Kaoru met her eyes and smiled, but said nothing.
"I hope you do not disapprove of me, Kaoru-san" said Omasu, quietly, averting her eyes.
Kaoru looked up in to the older woman's face. "No, not at all," she replied mildly, surprised at this sudden confession.
"Love comes differently for different people," she mused aloud, "Who am I to judge what makes another person happy, ne?"
"Arigato, Kaoru-san," said Omasu quietly. She looked up and smiled. "This will be our secret, ne?" she asked.
"I'm afraid that Megumi-san has already guessed," said Kaoru, "she is very perceptive." "And Kenshin is not easily deceived. He knows Hiko-san all too well," added Kaoru.
Omasu looked faintly distressed.
Kaoru reached out impulsively and patted her arm comfortingly. "Don't be upset, no one has a bad opinion of you." Omasu nodded.
"I suppose one cannot keep any secret for too long," she said in a resigned tone.
"No," agreed Kaoru, "but you have done so longer than most could have. Rest assured, I will say nothing, if that is what you wish."
Omasu nodded. "Please." She paused thoughtfully. "Do you think Misao-chan has guessed?"
"I would not be surprised," smiled Kaoru. Omasu shook her head slightly. "I would not either," she admitted.
They continued on in silence. An hour later, they arrived at the Aoiya hot, tired and and a little dusty.
Misao met them at the door, smiling and running up to hug Kenji impulsively.
"Kenji-chan, I'm glad to see you again!" she enthused. She greeted the others. "Hiko-san, I'm pleased you came," she said politely. He grunted at her, nodding.
"Come in, come in, your rooms are ready," she said, ushering them upstairs.
"We'll have lunch in an hour, so you have time to clean up." She pointed to in the direction of the bathhouse.
"Thank you, Misao, that sounds wonderful," Kaoru sighed. She felt very sweaty and grimy after their hike.
Kenshin nodded, "Thank you, Misao."
Omasu excused herself as well and Sano went off to find Megumi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oi, Megumi, I'm back," said Sano, sticking his head inside their room.
No answer. "Hm," he said to himself, coming inside.
Megumi was sound asleep, curled on her side, and the baby was next to her, spooned up against his mother, thumb in his mouth.
Sano smiled down at them, silently removed his gi, stretched out alongside his wife and son and promptly closed his eyes, the smile still on his handsome features.
"I could get used to this," he sighed, his breathing quickly becoming even as he fell into a sound sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aoshi sat behind his desk, fingers laced together in front of him, as he looked over at his daughter, who sat perched demurely on the edge of a chair.
"Yuki-chan," he began, clearing his throat, "I've been talking to your mother and she tells me you're...unhappy."
Yuki studiously examined a butterfly embroidered on the hem of her kimono and said nothing.
"It's to be a stalemate, then," sighed Aoshi to himself. He wasn't used to someone who turned his own tactics against him and it was somewhat unsettling. Briefly, he wondered why it had been so easy to a rapport with the Himura boy but with his own daughter, so difficult.
He thought of something, suddenly. "Stalemate?"
"Yuki-chan, would you like to learn to play chess?"
Her eyes came up to meet his briefly and she smiled. "Hai, otosan," she replied eagerly.
He rose and motioned her over to a small low table with two floor cushions where he kept a beautifully designed marble chess set.
He couldn't abide sitting in the occidental fashion while playing chess, he found it crowded his internal flow of energies and interfered with concentration.
He indicated that Yuki was to sit on the side of black.
"White goes first, Yuki-chan, and since I am instructing you, I shall go first. The pieces each move in their own ways, and the objective is for you to capture my king, because chess is like a little war, and the board is a battlefield. That is this piece. Let me show you how the other pieces move..."
An hour or so later, he had showed her a few basic strategies suitable for beginners. He was somewhat surprised at how quickly she had learned the basics, after all she was barely seven. But she was his daughter after all and he had been declared a tactical genius and made leader of the Oniwaban at the tender age of 15.
He looked over at the clock on the shelf, and noticed that is was almost noon. The past hour had gone by quickly.
"Yuki-chan, we should stop now, it's almost time for lunch, the Himuras and our other guests will be there, so we must quit for now."
Her face fell. "Hai, otosan," she said obediently, but he heard the note of reluctantance in her voice.
"Yuki-chan, you will come back tomorrow at 8 o'clock, before my appointments and we will spend an hour playing chess. Would you like that?"
She smiled, "Hai, otosan."
"Yuki." He paused, searching for the proper words.
"I have enjoyed our time together immensely, never doubt that."
"Me too, otosan."
She stood up and walked over to the other side of the low table and suddenly put her small arms around his neck, saying nothing, then quickly released him before he could react.
"I'll be here tomorrow at 8," she said, and ran out of the room.
Aoshi shook his head briefly and a slight ghost of a smile reached his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenji was hungry, but then, he always seemed to be hungry anymore. He ate rapidly,sitting next to his parents, devoting his attention to the food in front of him. He looked up finally when he felt someone staring at him. Yuki. He scowled, and fell back to slurping from his bowl.
She was eating daintily, with perfect manners, a complete contrast to his wolfing. Kenji figured she did things so perfectly just to make him look bad. He was right.
His mother nudged him gently. "Slow down," she whispered in his ear. "You'll get a belly ache." Yuki smirked at him, knowing he was being admonished.
Kenji frowned at her. He thought briefly of sticking out his tongue, but his mother was watching, and everyone else, for that matter.
He settled for deepening the frown at her until it became a scowl.
She crossed her eyes at him briefly.
He glared more fiercely and crossed his eyes, too.
Yuki stuck out her tongue AND crossed her eyes.
The adults were caught up in their various conversations now the meal was winding down, so they didn't notice Yuki and Kenji and their duel of face making across the table.
Save one adult.
"Quit that, you two brats, you're ruining my digestion," said Hiko, looking pointedly at Yuki and then Kenji.
Yuki blushed and looked away and Kenji grinned momentarily, then realized Hiko had turned his glare his way next. He straightened his face.
All conversation stopped.
"You're excused, Yuki," said Aoshi, looking at his daughter with a slight frown.
"You too, Kenji," said Kenshin, sighing. "Go outside and behave yourself."
"I apologize for my daughter's rude behavior, Himura," said Aoshi.
"As do I apologize for Kenji," said Kenshin quietly. "It's in the nature of children to be foolish."
Aoshi nodded.
Kenji went out into the garden behind the Aoiya and sat down on a large rock beside a small fish pond. Yuki came out, but seeing him there, turned to go.
Kenji saw her and frowned. "Yuki-chan," he called out. "You should apologize for getting me in trouble," he demanded.
"Apologize?" she said. "Why?" she stuck out her chin obstinately.
"Because you kept making those faces at me and now I'm in trouble," said Kenji, sticking a long blade of grass in the water to see if he could poke one of the koi swimming there.
"No, it was you who kept making faces at me, Himura Kenji!" she exclaimed, "YOU should apologize to me."
"Your to-chan was really mad at you," grinned Kenji, relishing the memory.
"So was yours," she retorted, coming towards him.
"My to-chan never really gets too mad at me," said Kenji to her.
"Neither does mine," said Yuki, clenching her small fists to her sides.
Her eyes were starting to blaze with anger, but Kenji was distracted by poking the fish, so he didn't notice until she was at arm's length from him and he looked up.
"I HATE you, Himura Kenji!" she yelled and pushed him roughly into the fish pond, then running back to the doorway.
Kenji came up out of the shallow water, gasping and wiping the water from his eyes. He stood up, soaking and with bits of greenery from the pond clinging to his clothes and hair.
"Yuki!" he roared, and jumped out of the pond and chased her through the doorway.
He quickly overtook her and grabbed her from behind with a flying tackle, landing them both in the sandy soil. Yuki was not without some combative skills of her own.
She twisted around and kicked Kenji in the mid-section with a well-aimed foot, surprisingly hard. He fell back with a rush of air coming out of his lungs. She made to get away, but he grabbed one of her long braids and pulled. She came down hard on her behind, squealing indignantly.
He tightened his grip on her hair, grinning visciously. "Apologize!" he demanded, pulling hard. She tried to twist around and punch him in the face, but his grip was too secure and only succeeded in pulling her hair harder. Tears of pain and frustration came to her eyes, but she clamped down on her lip to keep from crying out.
She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in his face. Kenji, surprised, loosened his grip on her braid long enough for her to twist around and punch him in the stomach, then quickly jump up and away. Kenji coughed and frantically rubbed his tearing, blinded eyes.
Yuki came around behind him and grabbed his long ponytail and yanked it savagely. Kenji howled and tried to reach back to grab his attacker but she only pulled down harder, forcing him to relent.
"Apologize!" she demanded in the same tone Kenji had just used. He tried to shake his head, but that only pulled his hair harder against her grip.
"What the HELL is going on here!" exclaimed a familiar loud deep voice.
Hiko stood there arms folded across his chest, looking down on the sight of the two children fighting like a couple of alley cats over a scrap.
They both froze and Yuki released her hold on Kenji's hair. Kenji sat up and was still trying blink through the sand in his eyes. Tears of irritation were running down his face, and he was soaking wet and filthy.
Yuki's kimono was torn in several places, her hair was coming out of it's braid on one side, and she was also filthy.
"Get up, now!" Hiko ordered.
Slowly, the two children rose to their feet. Yuki looked down, not daring to raise her eyes. Kenji was still trying to open his eyes, but kept his head down.
"Stay here and don't move," Hiko told them gruffly. "I'm going to get your fathers."
Both children looked alarmed.
"Move and you'll be sorry you were ever born," threatened Hiko. "And don't touch each other. Don't look at each other. Just stand there."
He went inside and a few minutes later Aoshi and Kenshin came out. Kenji and Yuki were still standing stiffly, not daring to move.
Kenshin gasped and Aoshi frowned at the sight of them.
"Hiko-san says the two of you were fighting," said Aoshi. His quiet monotone was chilling. "It seems he was correct."
"Himura Kenji, why were you fighting with Yuki?" Kenshin asked. Obviously the animosity between them had been going on for some time for it to erupt in such a manner.
"She's always making fun of me," Kenji said, rubbing his red eyes. They were finally beginning to clear and he could see his father's frown in a blurry fashion. "She pushed me into the fish pond."
"Is this true, Yuki?" asked her father's deep voice. She stuck out her chin. "Hai."
"Why?"
"I-I-I hate him!" she cried out. She started to sob quietly, but refused to move.
"Come with me, Yuki," her father ordered. She followed him into the Aoiya, choking on her sobs.
"Come, Kenji, let's get your eyes tended to and some dry clothes," Kenshin said wearily. "Then we'll talk."
Kenshin put his hand on Kenji's shoulder and led him inside.
Yuki sat frozen on the edge of a chair in her father's office. She'd quit crying and sat there expressionless.
Aoshi was sitting across from her and had said nothing, waiting for her tears to abate.
Finally he said, "Yuki, why did you say you hate Kenji-chan?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head, "I don't know," she whispered hoarsely. She knew her father was very disappointed with her and it was unbearable.
"You must know," Aoshi said to her. "No one attacks another unprovoked. Even if the reason is of their own making."
Yuki bit her lip. "You like him better than you like me," she finally whispered.
Aoshi sighed faintly. "Not true."
"You have no reason for jealousy, Yuki-chan."
She raised her head at that. "I'm very sorry, otosan," she said quietly.
"It is Himura Kenji you must apologize to, not me," he said to her.
"Hai, I will," she said.
"Go have your mother clean you up and change," he said. "You will apologize to Kenji-chan and his parents, and then you will be given extra chores to do for two weeks."
"Hai, otosan," said Yuki, bowing her head.
"Otosan?" she asked almost inaudibly.
"Aa?"
"Are we still going to play chess?" she asked timidly, blinking her eyes very rapidly.
"Aa, come at 8 o'clock as we planned."
Yuki smiled briefly and left to find her mother.
Chapter 20
Connections
To Kenshin's surprise, Hiko agreed to accompany them back to Aoiya.
"Twice in a year," thought Kenshin as they hiked down the mountain. "Maybe the old bastard is softening up."
"I don't want you to think I'm getting soft," said Hiko, suddenly next to him.
Kenshin flinched.
"Oro! how does he do that?" he wondered, not for the first time. He understood godlike speed, it was his master's ability to constantly read his mind that amazed Kenshin.
Hiko grinned. "Just remember, baka, no one knows you better than I do."
"And I'm not old!"
He strode past Kenshin who stood there staring for a few seconds, shrugged and then continued on. Kenji looked up at his father's bemused face and grinned. Sano reached down and ruffled Kenji's hair, grinning back at them.
Omasu and Kaoru followed several paces behind.
"I'm glad you came with us, Omasu," Kaoru said to the older woman. "It was nice to have female company."
"It was my pleasure," murmured Omasu, turning slightly pink. Kaoru met her eyes and smiled, but said nothing.
"I hope you do not disapprove of me, Kaoru-san" said Omasu, quietly, averting her eyes.
Kaoru looked up in to the older woman's face. "No, not at all," she replied mildly, surprised at this sudden confession.
"Love comes differently for different people," she mused aloud, "Who am I to judge what makes another person happy, ne?"
"Arigato, Kaoru-san," said Omasu quietly. She looked up and smiled. "This will be our secret, ne?" she asked.
"I'm afraid that Megumi-san has already guessed," said Kaoru, "she is very perceptive." "And Kenshin is not easily deceived. He knows Hiko-san all too well," added Kaoru.
Omasu looked faintly distressed.
Kaoru reached out impulsively and patted her arm comfortingly. "Don't be upset, no one has a bad opinion of you." Omasu nodded.
"I suppose one cannot keep any secret for too long," she said in a resigned tone.
"No," agreed Kaoru, "but you have done so longer than most could have. Rest assured, I will say nothing, if that is what you wish."
Omasu nodded. "Please." She paused thoughtfully. "Do you think Misao-chan has guessed?"
"I would not be surprised," smiled Kaoru. Omasu shook her head slightly. "I would not either," she admitted.
They continued on in silence. An hour later, they arrived at the Aoiya hot, tired and and a little dusty.
Misao met them at the door, smiling and running up to hug Kenji impulsively.
"Kenji-chan, I'm glad to see you again!" she enthused. She greeted the others. "Hiko-san, I'm pleased you came," she said politely. He grunted at her, nodding.
"Come in, come in, your rooms are ready," she said, ushering them upstairs.
"We'll have lunch in an hour, so you have time to clean up." She pointed to in the direction of the bathhouse.
"Thank you, Misao, that sounds wonderful," Kaoru sighed. She felt very sweaty and grimy after their hike.
Kenshin nodded, "Thank you, Misao."
Omasu excused herself as well and Sano went off to find Megumi.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oi, Megumi, I'm back," said Sano, sticking his head inside their room.
No answer. "Hm," he said to himself, coming inside.
Megumi was sound asleep, curled on her side, and the baby was next to her, spooned up against his mother, thumb in his mouth.
Sano smiled down at them, silently removed his gi, stretched out alongside his wife and son and promptly closed his eyes, the smile still on his handsome features.
"I could get used to this," he sighed, his breathing quickly becoming even as he fell into a sound sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aoshi sat behind his desk, fingers laced together in front of him, as he looked over at his daughter, who sat perched demurely on the edge of a chair.
"Yuki-chan," he began, clearing his throat, "I've been talking to your mother and she tells me you're...unhappy."
Yuki studiously examined a butterfly embroidered on the hem of her kimono and said nothing.
"It's to be a stalemate, then," sighed Aoshi to himself. He wasn't used to someone who turned his own tactics against him and it was somewhat unsettling. Briefly, he wondered why it had been so easy to a rapport with the Himura boy but with his own daughter, so difficult.
He thought of something, suddenly. "Stalemate?"
"Yuki-chan, would you like to learn to play chess?"
Her eyes came up to meet his briefly and she smiled. "Hai, otosan," she replied eagerly.
He rose and motioned her over to a small low table with two floor cushions where he kept a beautifully designed marble chess set.
He couldn't abide sitting in the occidental fashion while playing chess, he found it crowded his internal flow of energies and interfered with concentration.
He indicated that Yuki was to sit on the side of black.
"White goes first, Yuki-chan, and since I am instructing you, I shall go first. The pieces each move in their own ways, and the objective is for you to capture my king, because chess is like a little war, and the board is a battlefield. That is this piece. Let me show you how the other pieces move..."
An hour or so later, he had showed her a few basic strategies suitable for beginners. He was somewhat surprised at how quickly she had learned the basics, after all she was barely seven. But she was his daughter after all and he had been declared a tactical genius and made leader of the Oniwaban at the tender age of 15.
He looked over at the clock on the shelf, and noticed that is was almost noon. The past hour had gone by quickly.
"Yuki-chan, we should stop now, it's almost time for lunch, the Himuras and our other guests will be there, so we must quit for now."
Her face fell. "Hai, otosan," she said obediently, but he heard the note of reluctantance in her voice.
"Yuki-chan, you will come back tomorrow at 8 o'clock, before my appointments and we will spend an hour playing chess. Would you like that?"
She smiled, "Hai, otosan."
"Yuki." He paused, searching for the proper words.
"I have enjoyed our time together immensely, never doubt that."
"Me too, otosan."
She stood up and walked over to the other side of the low table and suddenly put her small arms around his neck, saying nothing, then quickly released him before he could react.
"I'll be here tomorrow at 8," she said, and ran out of the room.
Aoshi shook his head briefly and a slight ghost of a smile reached his lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenji was hungry, but then, he always seemed to be hungry anymore. He ate rapidly,sitting next to his parents, devoting his attention to the food in front of him. He looked up finally when he felt someone staring at him. Yuki. He scowled, and fell back to slurping from his bowl.
She was eating daintily, with perfect manners, a complete contrast to his wolfing. Kenji figured she did things so perfectly just to make him look bad. He was right.
His mother nudged him gently. "Slow down," she whispered in his ear. "You'll get a belly ache." Yuki smirked at him, knowing he was being admonished.
Kenji frowned at her. He thought briefly of sticking out his tongue, but his mother was watching, and everyone else, for that matter.
He settled for deepening the frown at her until it became a scowl.
She crossed her eyes at him briefly.
He glared more fiercely and crossed his eyes, too.
Yuki stuck out her tongue AND crossed her eyes.
The adults were caught up in their various conversations now the meal was winding down, so they didn't notice Yuki and Kenji and their duel of face making across the table.
Save one adult.
"Quit that, you two brats, you're ruining my digestion," said Hiko, looking pointedly at Yuki and then Kenji.
Yuki blushed and looked away and Kenji grinned momentarily, then realized Hiko had turned his glare his way next. He straightened his face.
All conversation stopped.
"You're excused, Yuki," said Aoshi, looking at his daughter with a slight frown.
"You too, Kenji," said Kenshin, sighing. "Go outside and behave yourself."
"I apologize for my daughter's rude behavior, Himura," said Aoshi.
"As do I apologize for Kenji," said Kenshin quietly. "It's in the nature of children to be foolish."
Aoshi nodded.
Kenji went out into the garden behind the Aoiya and sat down on a large rock beside a small fish pond. Yuki came out, but seeing him there, turned to go.
Kenji saw her and frowned. "Yuki-chan," he called out. "You should apologize for getting me in trouble," he demanded.
"Apologize?" she said. "Why?" she stuck out her chin obstinately.
"Because you kept making those faces at me and now I'm in trouble," said Kenji, sticking a long blade of grass in the water to see if he could poke one of the koi swimming there.
"No, it was you who kept making faces at me, Himura Kenji!" she exclaimed, "YOU should apologize to me."
"Your to-chan was really mad at you," grinned Kenji, relishing the memory.
"So was yours," she retorted, coming towards him.
"My to-chan never really gets too mad at me," said Kenji to her.
"Neither does mine," said Yuki, clenching her small fists to her sides.
Her eyes were starting to blaze with anger, but Kenji was distracted by poking the fish, so he didn't notice until she was at arm's length from him and he looked up.
"I HATE you, Himura Kenji!" she yelled and pushed him roughly into the fish pond, then running back to the doorway.
Kenji came up out of the shallow water, gasping and wiping the water from his eyes. He stood up, soaking and with bits of greenery from the pond clinging to his clothes and hair.
"Yuki!" he roared, and jumped out of the pond and chased her through the doorway.
He quickly overtook her and grabbed her from behind with a flying tackle, landing them both in the sandy soil. Yuki was not without some combative skills of her own.
She twisted around and kicked Kenji in the mid-section with a well-aimed foot, surprisingly hard. He fell back with a rush of air coming out of his lungs. She made to get away, but he grabbed one of her long braids and pulled. She came down hard on her behind, squealing indignantly.
He tightened his grip on her hair, grinning visciously. "Apologize!" he demanded, pulling hard. She tried to twist around and punch him in the face, but his grip was too secure and only succeeded in pulling her hair harder. Tears of pain and frustration came to her eyes, but she clamped down on her lip to keep from crying out.
She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in his face. Kenji, surprised, loosened his grip on her braid long enough for her to twist around and punch him in the stomach, then quickly jump up and away. Kenji coughed and frantically rubbed his tearing, blinded eyes.
Yuki came around behind him and grabbed his long ponytail and yanked it savagely. Kenji howled and tried to reach back to grab his attacker but she only pulled down harder, forcing him to relent.
"Apologize!" she demanded in the same tone Kenji had just used. He tried to shake his head, but that only pulled his hair harder against her grip.
"What the HELL is going on here!" exclaimed a familiar loud deep voice.
Hiko stood there arms folded across his chest, looking down on the sight of the two children fighting like a couple of alley cats over a scrap.
They both froze and Yuki released her hold on Kenji's hair. Kenji sat up and was still trying blink through the sand in his eyes. Tears of irritation were running down his face, and he was soaking wet and filthy.
Yuki's kimono was torn in several places, her hair was coming out of it's braid on one side, and she was also filthy.
"Get up, now!" Hiko ordered.
Slowly, the two children rose to their feet. Yuki looked down, not daring to raise her eyes. Kenji was still trying to open his eyes, but kept his head down.
"Stay here and don't move," Hiko told them gruffly. "I'm going to get your fathers."
Both children looked alarmed.
"Move and you'll be sorry you were ever born," threatened Hiko. "And don't touch each other. Don't look at each other. Just stand there."
He went inside and a few minutes later Aoshi and Kenshin came out. Kenji and Yuki were still standing stiffly, not daring to move.
Kenshin gasped and Aoshi frowned at the sight of them.
"Hiko-san says the two of you were fighting," said Aoshi. His quiet monotone was chilling. "It seems he was correct."
"Himura Kenji, why were you fighting with Yuki?" Kenshin asked. Obviously the animosity between them had been going on for some time for it to erupt in such a manner.
"She's always making fun of me," Kenji said, rubbing his red eyes. They were finally beginning to clear and he could see his father's frown in a blurry fashion. "She pushed me into the fish pond."
"Is this true, Yuki?" asked her father's deep voice. She stuck out her chin. "Hai."
"Why?"
"I-I-I hate him!" she cried out. She started to sob quietly, but refused to move.
"Come with me, Yuki," her father ordered. She followed him into the Aoiya, choking on her sobs.
"Come, Kenji, let's get your eyes tended to and some dry clothes," Kenshin said wearily. "Then we'll talk."
Kenshin put his hand on Kenji's shoulder and led him inside.
Yuki sat frozen on the edge of a chair in her father's office. She'd quit crying and sat there expressionless.
Aoshi was sitting across from her and had said nothing, waiting for her tears to abate.
Finally he said, "Yuki, why did you say you hate Kenji-chan?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head, "I don't know," she whispered hoarsely. She knew her father was very disappointed with her and it was unbearable.
"You must know," Aoshi said to her. "No one attacks another unprovoked. Even if the reason is of their own making."
Yuki bit her lip. "You like him better than you like me," she finally whispered.
Aoshi sighed faintly. "Not true."
"You have no reason for jealousy, Yuki-chan."
She raised her head at that. "I'm very sorry, otosan," she said quietly.
"It is Himura Kenji you must apologize to, not me," he said to her.
"Hai, I will," she said.
"Go have your mother clean you up and change," he said. "You will apologize to Kenji-chan and his parents, and then you will be given extra chores to do for two weeks."
"Hai, otosan," said Yuki, bowing her head.
"Otosan?" she asked almost inaudibly.
"Aa?"
"Are we still going to play chess?" she asked timidly, blinking her eyes very rapidly.
"Aa, come at 8 o'clock as we planned."
Yuki smiled briefly and left to find her mother.
