"Where are you headed Miss Kaoru?" His gentle voiced startled her, and she spun around, pressing herself up against the wall "It's quite early that it is."

Kaoru force a smile "I'm going to Megumi's! We both decided we needed to hang out more, and so, we're going out again today!"

"But so early?" his purple eyes opened wide with a dumb-founded look on his face.

"We want to get an early start……we're um, going walking….over to the next town. She said she had a surprise for me when we got there, and then she wants to go out shopping." She hoped that the rurouni would believe it.

Kenshin broke out into a smile "That sounds like fun, be safe"

"Thanks-you" And with that, Kaoru bowed, and continued on from where she was stopped.

An agitated scream was heard from Megumi's house. "I hate these things!" said Kaoru as she did her best to criss-cross the lace strings, from the high heels, up her calves. Megumi laughed and kneeled down to her.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this Megumi!"

"And I can't believe we're actually doing it!" She beamed brightly "All done, now let's get our overcoats" Kaoru grabbed the brown overcoat and slipped into it. They wore these to cover up the bunny outfits. Taking the bunny ears in one hand, she slipped them into one of the big pockets.

"Come on, we don't want to be late!" Kaoru shrieked as Megumi grabbed her hand and ran out of the house.

"See how she keeps her posture? Poise? How she carries the tray?" Aoshi-Sama said as Misao demonstrated how to serve drinks, and hold the tray.

" The Tray can weigh anywhere from five to fifteen pounds! So make sure you strengthen your upper body!" the women nodded their heads.

"Now, when you serve drinks…." Aoshi-Sama paused for a moment as he walked over to the corner, where a small round table was propped up against the wall. As he set it up, he continued. "You always keep your back to the table! Or slightly turned to the sides! Never face full front."

Misao walked to the table, still gliding perfectly. When she arrived, she slightly turned, and picked up the drinks one at a time. Gently bending her knees, she set the drinks down. Until they were all on the table.

"Now, When your done carrying the drinks to the table, and your tray is empty, you can hold it in to positions! The tray flat, and held to your chest, or down on your lower stomach! Using these, it will tell the people enjoying the drinks and shows that your available to serve!"

Kaoru fidgeted slightly. She was eager to start working and getting money, She didn't tell Megumi, but another bill came. Sano had stopped and asked her about it.
It was just a small bill, only asking for thirty dollars. She told Sano that she would take care of it.
Kaoru remembered the way he smiled at her, and told her to tell him or Kenshin if she ever needed help.
That's what hurt the most. 'Kaoru! Stop! Focus!' she told herself. She shook her head, and continued to listen to Aoshi-Sama's voice.

"When taking orders" he said "you take hold of the top of the tray, and press the bottom part into your stomach. This will give you what you need, to write the orders! Now that it's been demonstrated to you thoroughly, you will now practice it!" He walked out side of the room, and came back in with a cardboard box and set it on the table.

" In this box are the trays, each of you take one, and line up again." Said Misao's high voice. And that's what the girls did, picked up a tray, and walked back.

It was Aoshi-Sama's turn to speak again. "I want you to hold the tray as Misao has done. Then Misao will come around and set drinks on your trays." With that he set another box on the table.
Picking it up, Misao walked around, and set on drink on everyone's tray.

"We will only be starting with one glass, now, I want you to walk across the room, back and forth once. After practicing with one glass, we will add another! Practice with two glasses 3 times, back and forth across the room, then add another. This will continue on until we get to the maximum amount of glasses, the tray can hold."

Clapping his hands in the same rhythmic fashion as the day before, he ordered them to start.
"Don't slouch! And keep the trays straight and balanced!"
For hours They crossed the room, practicing to keep the trays straight. Occasionally glasses would spill to the floor. And they would have to start again.

"A Twenty minute break is all I'm allowing!" And Aoshi-Sama went to go sit back in the corner in his chair, with his wife joining him.

Kaoru didn't bother with a drink today, she merely sat against the wall in the same spot as the day before.

"Here" Megumi thrust a glass of water at her

"we can't drink out of these Megumi! They're for practice!"

"Oh no! it's fine! Honest. I asked Aoshi-Sama. He said it would be ok. So drink up!"

Kaoru drank the glass, and sighed "My arm hurts, ugh" She rubbed her arm trying to ease it. "at least practice is almost over, right?"

The twenty minutes ended, and they went back into the room, and stood by their trays, waiting instructions.

"It's test time, pick up your trays. This is how the test will be done. When I give you the order, you will walk across the room, carrying the full tray of glasses, then, walk back, stop at the table, and set the drinks down, as if you were serving them."

One by one the girls went. Each doing perfect, and very few flaws. Kaoru closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She kept telling herself to calm down.
Megumi was called up.
Kaoru watched as she went across the room, and then set down the drinks. She was so perfect at it! As though she was meant for this!

When she was done, Aoshi-Sama told her what was good, and what might need a little work. Then it was Kaoru's turn. Her stomach did a flip, and she took off.
She kept talking to herself in her mind 'look Kaoru, your almost there, so far so good. Keep going!'
She finally reached the wall, then turned around and walked back. Looking at the table, she kept playing through her mind, how she was supposed to serve drinks.
Her mind blanked, but she kept going, and she didn't stop. She was unaware of what she was doing, until her instructors voice broke her out of it.

"Very good Kaoru, you might need to work on keeping your head up, but other then that, you did well, and that will conclude today's lesson, see you all tomorrow."

As soon as Kaoru stepped outside she let out a cry "Megumi! I did it! I did it! I didn't think I could, But I did! Did you see!" she hugged her older friend.
And Megumi smiled, to see her friend so happy, and hugged her back. "Let's get going"