Thanks to all who reviewed! I hope this second part is enjoyable too. I'm sorry it took long to put it up, but I've been tweeking it up a bit.
Disclaimer: Don't own RK, but I should, shouldn't I? LOL!
Five Years Later…
Outside a small dojo on the outskirts of Tokyo, Sanosuke sat opposite Katsu on the dirt ground in the back, a small, round, wooden table between them. Several yards away was the beginning of a forest that, if one walked through it long enough, would lead to Kyoto. Training could be heard taking place around the other side of the dojo, as well as chattering from within the building. Chores were also being tended to around the dojo that late afternoon, which was rather warm with only a soft breeze to rustle through the trees and grass as the clear blue sky hung overhead.
Sanosuke was engrossed in a small bet that he was engaged in with Katsu; one that had spiraled into a three hour ordeal. Katsu looked very awkward and even a bit embarrassed as he watched a frustrated and sour Sanosuke carefully eye the coin which Katsu had just tossed. "Tails," Sano said as the coin was mid-air.
"Heads," Katsu stated. The coin hit the table with a soft ping, spinning slowly to a stop. Sanosuke and Katsu sat still for a moment before Sanosuke darted forward to inspect the coin. "Impossible! Impossible!" he exclaimed as he slammed his hands on the table.
Katsu frowned, a bit and immediately went to withdraw the coin back, rationally saying, "Come on, Sano. Maybe we should just call it a day…"
"Hold up a minute," Sanosuke stopped him as he had almost removed the coin from the table. "Let me see that coin again."
"I've already shown it to you a dozen times, but if you insist…" Katsu trailed off, still frowning. He slide the coin gently across the table where Sanosuke picked it up and thoroughly examined it with a narrow eye.
"Well," he began, "It seems to be a normal coin…yep, it's got a head's side and a tail's side…" Then, with a burst of energy, he questioned "But then how did it come up heads fifty three times and not one single time for tails, huh? Tell me that, Katsu."
"I don't know Sano," Katsu replied truthfully, a look of pity in his eye for his friend's misfortune. Sanosuke had, after all, lost all his money throughout the coin toss. What's more, Katsu could tell Sanosuke was getting increasingly irritated at his inability to win at least once. Just once was all Sanosuke needed. If he could, Katsu would've willed the coin to turn up tails, but as it were, there was nothing he could do but toss the coin and pray it'd be in Sanosuke's favor.
"Here," Sanosuke said suddenly, throwing the coin back to Katsu, "Toss it."
"But, Sano, you don't have anymore yen left and -" Katsu protested desperately but to no avail.
Sanosuke interrupted with a smirk, "Hey, that's never stopped me before, has it? Now, go ahead and toss it."
"All right…" Katsu reluctantly complied, flipping the coin once more in the air. "Heads."
"Tails." After a moment, the coin was laying flat on the table once more, heads facing up. "I don't believe it! I just don't believe it! There's no way it can be heads again! You're doing something, Katsu. I just don't know what yet." Sanosuke accused.
"You know I wouldn't do anything like that, Sano," Katsu spoke sincerely, "But, if you really feel that way, you can toss it yourself if you want."
Eyeing Katsu very quizzically, Sanosuke reached across the table and snatched the coin. He then tossed it up, only for it to come up heads once more. "Heads again!" he cried in astonishment, "But, it can't be! That's fifty five times straight now!" Out of the corner of his eye, Sanosuke suddenly spotted Soujiro, who had emerged from the forest, having just finished yet another one of his peaceful strolls through the woods that late afternoon. "Hey, Soujiro!" Sanosuke quickly called out to the young man.
"Hmm?" Soujiro, upon hearing his name, turned to look toward Sanosuke and the table where he sat with Katsu with an inquisitive expression and a grin.
"Soujiro, come here!" Sanosuke shouted to him, and Soujiro did as he wished, smiling as he trotted over to the table.
"Yes, Mister Sanosuke? Can I be of any help to you?" Soujiro asked politely as he stood before them.
"Yeah, you can actually," Sanosuke replied and then indicated to the coin lying flat on the table. "See that coin there? Katsu and I have been flipping that coin all afternoon, he calling heads and myself tails. Well, we've tossed this seemingly normal coin fifty five times in a row and It's landed on heads every single time. Now, Soujiro, don't you think that's a bit odd, no?" Sanosuke finally questioned, his glare become suspicious as his eyes locked on Katsu.
"Well, Mister Sanosuke," Soujiro began pleasantly, "I have to admit that that is a bit peculiar, but I don't really think that Mister Katsu would ever try to cheat or deceive you, do you?"
"Oh, no!" Sanosuke immediately exclaimed, although it became quite apparent that he was feigning innocence. "I wasn't saying that. Of course not. I would never say something awful like that about my dear friend Katsu…"
At this, Katsu managed to smile weakly, "I'm sorry, Sano, about your bad luck…" After a moment, he hopefully suggested, "Hey, maybe it'll come up tails if we flip it again?"
Sanosuke kind of grumbled and nodded in consent, folding his arms and slouching a bit in his chair, upset that Soujiro had not agreed with him like he expected he would. So, Katsu tossed the coin once more and it landed, to Katsu's regret, on heads again. "See!" Sanosuke now cried out, an energy revitalizing him, and he immediately jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process, "See! Heads again! That's fifty six times now! Fifty six! He has to do be doing something." Sanosuke pointed and accusatory finger at Katsu.
"But Sano, I'm not -" Katsu tried to protest.
"Then how do you explain it, hmm? How?" Sanosuke interrogated severely, looking very agitated and worked up, and turned to question Soujiro as well, "Soujiro?" Soujiro, however had no answer, so he just kept on beaming and shrugged good-naturedly, as he picked up Sanosuke's chair. "See? Soujiro doesn't know either! It's impossible! Impossible!"
"Wrong; it's actually not impossible," a sudden voice disrupted Sanosuke's rant. All three men looked over to see twenty one year old Kaoru standing there with her arms crossed and a thoughtful expression across her face.
"Huh?" Sanosuke looked startled for a moment before falling back in his chair. "Oh, it's you missy. What do you know about coin tossing, anyways?"
"It's called probability," Kaoru now stated with very little patience, her voice a bit edgy as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at Sanosuke condescendingly, "Don't you know anything?"
"Yeah…" Sanosuke trailed off uncertainly, but scoffed as well as he could at her, "I know about probability." As soon as he said this, however, he whispered across the table to his good friend, "Katsu, what's she talking about?"
Kaoru, clearly hearing him, sighed in annoyance, "It means that one coin toss has absolutely nothing to do with the other. So, even if you do get heads a million more times, you still always have a fifty percent chance of getting heads and a fifty percent chance of getting tails each and every time you toss the coin."
"Oh," Sanosuke replied rather flatly, glancing off disinterested and mumbling, "It still seems rather unlikely to me…"
"Anyway," Kaoru continued, speaking over him, "I'll be cooking dinner tonight."
At this, Katsu frowned and asked, "You are, Kaoru…?"
"Oh, great," Sanosuke groaned, "Now we'll have to go into town for dinner."
"And with what money will you be doing that, hmm?" Kaoru questioned, raising an eyebrow. Quickly after, she further interrogated, "Moreover, why do you have to go into the village for dinner? What's wrong with my cooking?"
"Nothing, missy," Sanosuke stood up now, stretching out his arms, and said good naturedly, "It's just that it's terrible."
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru now exclaimed, stomping her foot and marching toward him with a threatening glare, "You-"
"What?" Sanosuke laughed nervously, taking a step back as Kaoru advanced.
When Kaoru was right up against Sanosuke, glowering at him with fierce eyes , she suddenly turned and pointed directly at Katsu. "You-you like my cooking, don't you Katsu? Well? Tell him!"
"Well, I…uh…" Katsu stuttered nervously before weakly asking, "Um, wasn't it Anji's turn to cook tonight, Kaoru?" At this remark, Kaoru clenched her fists by her side and let out an aggravated growl.
"Well, Miss Kaoru," Soujiro suddenly spoke up, congenially smiling at her, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't mind your cooking. I think it's just fine."
Kaoru's anger now melted as she calmed down, and she smiled back at Soujiro. "Why, thank you, Soujiro. At least someone appreciates me. I'll be sure to give you an extra large helping." Her eyes then narrowed as they darted back to Sanosuke and Katsu, "As for you two, well, if you feel that way about my cooking, you can just go find dinner somewhere else, so there!" Then, in a huff, she turned abruptly and marched off, leaving both Katsu and Sanosuke with disappointed frowns on their faces, both their stomachs beginning to growl in hunger.
"Great…" Sanosuke muttered, clutching his starving stomach. However, after a moment, he looked over to Soujiro with a smirk and mused his hair a bit. "Well, at least you'll be eating tonight, eh?"
"I'm sure Miss Kaoru will change her mind," Soujiro responded optimistically. He then said, "I'd better meet with Mister Saitou though, before dinner is ready. I was supposed to train with him today."
"Oh, okay," Sanosuke said, "We'll see you later, then."
"Goodbye Mister Sanosuke, Mister Katsu." With that, Soujiro went off, Katsu and Sanosuke watching him as he turned the corner of the dojo out of sight.
With Soujiro gone, Katsu looked up to Sanosuke from where he sat and suggested, "Maybe we can find some pub in town…"
"Yeah, okay," Sanosuke agreed, nonchalantly sticking his hands in his pockets and beginning to walk away. Katsu rose from his seat and joined him by his side. After a moment, Sanosuke asked, "Hey, Katsu - can I borrow some money?"
Disclaimer: Don't own RK, but I should, shouldn't I? LOL!
Five Years Later…
Outside a small dojo on the outskirts of Tokyo, Sanosuke sat opposite Katsu on the dirt ground in the back, a small, round, wooden table between them. Several yards away was the beginning of a forest that, if one walked through it long enough, would lead to Kyoto. Training could be heard taking place around the other side of the dojo, as well as chattering from within the building. Chores were also being tended to around the dojo that late afternoon, which was rather warm with only a soft breeze to rustle through the trees and grass as the clear blue sky hung overhead.
Sanosuke was engrossed in a small bet that he was engaged in with Katsu; one that had spiraled into a three hour ordeal. Katsu looked very awkward and even a bit embarrassed as he watched a frustrated and sour Sanosuke carefully eye the coin which Katsu had just tossed. "Tails," Sano said as the coin was mid-air.
"Heads," Katsu stated. The coin hit the table with a soft ping, spinning slowly to a stop. Sanosuke and Katsu sat still for a moment before Sanosuke darted forward to inspect the coin. "Impossible! Impossible!" he exclaimed as he slammed his hands on the table.
Katsu frowned, a bit and immediately went to withdraw the coin back, rationally saying, "Come on, Sano. Maybe we should just call it a day…"
"Hold up a minute," Sanosuke stopped him as he had almost removed the coin from the table. "Let me see that coin again."
"I've already shown it to you a dozen times, but if you insist…" Katsu trailed off, still frowning. He slide the coin gently across the table where Sanosuke picked it up and thoroughly examined it with a narrow eye.
"Well," he began, "It seems to be a normal coin…yep, it's got a head's side and a tail's side…" Then, with a burst of energy, he questioned "But then how did it come up heads fifty three times and not one single time for tails, huh? Tell me that, Katsu."
"I don't know Sano," Katsu replied truthfully, a look of pity in his eye for his friend's misfortune. Sanosuke had, after all, lost all his money throughout the coin toss. What's more, Katsu could tell Sanosuke was getting increasingly irritated at his inability to win at least once. Just once was all Sanosuke needed. If he could, Katsu would've willed the coin to turn up tails, but as it were, there was nothing he could do but toss the coin and pray it'd be in Sanosuke's favor.
"Here," Sanosuke said suddenly, throwing the coin back to Katsu, "Toss it."
"But, Sano, you don't have anymore yen left and -" Katsu protested desperately but to no avail.
Sanosuke interrupted with a smirk, "Hey, that's never stopped me before, has it? Now, go ahead and toss it."
"All right…" Katsu reluctantly complied, flipping the coin once more in the air. "Heads."
"Tails." After a moment, the coin was laying flat on the table once more, heads facing up. "I don't believe it! I just don't believe it! There's no way it can be heads again! You're doing something, Katsu. I just don't know what yet." Sanosuke accused.
"You know I wouldn't do anything like that, Sano," Katsu spoke sincerely, "But, if you really feel that way, you can toss it yourself if you want."
Eyeing Katsu very quizzically, Sanosuke reached across the table and snatched the coin. He then tossed it up, only for it to come up heads once more. "Heads again!" he cried in astonishment, "But, it can't be! That's fifty five times straight now!" Out of the corner of his eye, Sanosuke suddenly spotted Soujiro, who had emerged from the forest, having just finished yet another one of his peaceful strolls through the woods that late afternoon. "Hey, Soujiro!" Sanosuke quickly called out to the young man.
"Hmm?" Soujiro, upon hearing his name, turned to look toward Sanosuke and the table where he sat with Katsu with an inquisitive expression and a grin.
"Soujiro, come here!" Sanosuke shouted to him, and Soujiro did as he wished, smiling as he trotted over to the table.
"Yes, Mister Sanosuke? Can I be of any help to you?" Soujiro asked politely as he stood before them.
"Yeah, you can actually," Sanosuke replied and then indicated to the coin lying flat on the table. "See that coin there? Katsu and I have been flipping that coin all afternoon, he calling heads and myself tails. Well, we've tossed this seemingly normal coin fifty five times in a row and It's landed on heads every single time. Now, Soujiro, don't you think that's a bit odd, no?" Sanosuke finally questioned, his glare become suspicious as his eyes locked on Katsu.
"Well, Mister Sanosuke," Soujiro began pleasantly, "I have to admit that that is a bit peculiar, but I don't really think that Mister Katsu would ever try to cheat or deceive you, do you?"
"Oh, no!" Sanosuke immediately exclaimed, although it became quite apparent that he was feigning innocence. "I wasn't saying that. Of course not. I would never say something awful like that about my dear friend Katsu…"
At this, Katsu managed to smile weakly, "I'm sorry, Sano, about your bad luck…" After a moment, he hopefully suggested, "Hey, maybe it'll come up tails if we flip it again?"
Sanosuke kind of grumbled and nodded in consent, folding his arms and slouching a bit in his chair, upset that Soujiro had not agreed with him like he expected he would. So, Katsu tossed the coin once more and it landed, to Katsu's regret, on heads again. "See!" Sanosuke now cried out, an energy revitalizing him, and he immediately jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process, "See! Heads again! That's fifty six times now! Fifty six! He has to do be doing something." Sanosuke pointed and accusatory finger at Katsu.
"But Sano, I'm not -" Katsu tried to protest.
"Then how do you explain it, hmm? How?" Sanosuke interrogated severely, looking very agitated and worked up, and turned to question Soujiro as well, "Soujiro?" Soujiro, however had no answer, so he just kept on beaming and shrugged good-naturedly, as he picked up Sanosuke's chair. "See? Soujiro doesn't know either! It's impossible! Impossible!"
"Wrong; it's actually not impossible," a sudden voice disrupted Sanosuke's rant. All three men looked over to see twenty one year old Kaoru standing there with her arms crossed and a thoughtful expression across her face.
"Huh?" Sanosuke looked startled for a moment before falling back in his chair. "Oh, it's you missy. What do you know about coin tossing, anyways?"
"It's called probability," Kaoru now stated with very little patience, her voice a bit edgy as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at Sanosuke condescendingly, "Don't you know anything?"
"Yeah…" Sanosuke trailed off uncertainly, but scoffed as well as he could at her, "I know about probability." As soon as he said this, however, he whispered across the table to his good friend, "Katsu, what's she talking about?"
Kaoru, clearly hearing him, sighed in annoyance, "It means that one coin toss has absolutely nothing to do with the other. So, even if you do get heads a million more times, you still always have a fifty percent chance of getting heads and a fifty percent chance of getting tails each and every time you toss the coin."
"Oh," Sanosuke replied rather flatly, glancing off disinterested and mumbling, "It still seems rather unlikely to me…"
"Anyway," Kaoru continued, speaking over him, "I'll be cooking dinner tonight."
At this, Katsu frowned and asked, "You are, Kaoru…?"
"Oh, great," Sanosuke groaned, "Now we'll have to go into town for dinner."
"And with what money will you be doing that, hmm?" Kaoru questioned, raising an eyebrow. Quickly after, she further interrogated, "Moreover, why do you have to go into the village for dinner? What's wrong with my cooking?"
"Nothing, missy," Sanosuke stood up now, stretching out his arms, and said good naturedly, "It's just that it's terrible."
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru now exclaimed, stomping her foot and marching toward him with a threatening glare, "You-"
"What?" Sanosuke laughed nervously, taking a step back as Kaoru advanced.
When Kaoru was right up against Sanosuke, glowering at him with fierce eyes , she suddenly turned and pointed directly at Katsu. "You-you like my cooking, don't you Katsu? Well? Tell him!"
"Well, I…uh…" Katsu stuttered nervously before weakly asking, "Um, wasn't it Anji's turn to cook tonight, Kaoru?" At this remark, Kaoru clenched her fists by her side and let out an aggravated growl.
"Well, Miss Kaoru," Soujiro suddenly spoke up, congenially smiling at her, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't mind your cooking. I think it's just fine."
Kaoru's anger now melted as she calmed down, and she smiled back at Soujiro. "Why, thank you, Soujiro. At least someone appreciates me. I'll be sure to give you an extra large helping." Her eyes then narrowed as they darted back to Sanosuke and Katsu, "As for you two, well, if you feel that way about my cooking, you can just go find dinner somewhere else, so there!" Then, in a huff, she turned abruptly and marched off, leaving both Katsu and Sanosuke with disappointed frowns on their faces, both their stomachs beginning to growl in hunger.
"Great…" Sanosuke muttered, clutching his starving stomach. However, after a moment, he looked over to Soujiro with a smirk and mused his hair a bit. "Well, at least you'll be eating tonight, eh?"
"I'm sure Miss Kaoru will change her mind," Soujiro responded optimistically. He then said, "I'd better meet with Mister Saitou though, before dinner is ready. I was supposed to train with him today."
"Oh, okay," Sanosuke said, "We'll see you later, then."
"Goodbye Mister Sanosuke, Mister Katsu." With that, Soujiro went off, Katsu and Sanosuke watching him as he turned the corner of the dojo out of sight.
With Soujiro gone, Katsu looked up to Sanosuke from where he sat and suggested, "Maybe we can find some pub in town…"
"Yeah, okay," Sanosuke agreed, nonchalantly sticking his hands in his pockets and beginning to walk away. Katsu rose from his seat and joined him by his side. After a moment, Sanosuke asked, "Hey, Katsu - can I borrow some money?"