Kaoru's Cake

Kenshin makes a cake for Kaoru's birthday, with a little help from Tae and Yahiko.

Kenshin's first clue that there was something wrong was at breakfast, when Kaoru didn't yell at Yahiko for chewing with his mouth open. Under normal circumstances, the girl would be yelling at her young pupil for everything and anything under the sun, but today she seemed oddly-- well, if Kenshin didn't know better, he would said that she seemed almost calm.

Sanosuke came barging into the kitchen just as the three dojo residents were finishing breakfast. The former street fighter helped himself to a bowl from the cupboard, then plunked all six feet three inches of him down right next to Kaoru. She smiled and asked him how he was this morning as he shoveled food into his mouth.

There is definitely something wrong with Kaoru-dono today, Kenshin thought. He resolved to visit with Tae at the Akabeko after he finished the laundry. Tae and Kaoru were friends. If anyone knew what was wrong with Kaoru, it would be Tae.

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"Hey Kenshin, you notice anything weird about Kaoru today?" Yahiko asked.

Kenshin looked up from the undershirt he was washing. "This one wonders why you are not practicing swords," he said.

"Cuz Kaoru's off in la-la land. I think she's possessed or something."

"Kaoru-dono is behaving oddly," Kenshin admitted. He shook the undershirt out, hung it on the line, and reached for the next thing in the pile. "This one planned to go to the Akabeko and speak to Tae-dono."

"Can I come?"

Sanosuke popped his head out the door. "You two goin' somewhere?" he asked.

"We're going to the Akabeko to see if Tae-san knows what to do about Kaoru."

"Not until this one finishes the laundry."

Yahiko looked at the towering pile of dirty laundry and grimaced. "This'll take half the day, at least," he said. "Can't you leave it for later?"

"The work would go faster if this one had assistance."

Sanosuke looked startled, then hurried off, muttering something about being allergic to soap. Yahiko helped Kenshin get through the rest of the laundry, and the two of them left for the Akabeko.

The Akabeko was packed for lunch. Kenshin and Yahiko were nearly bowled over by a waitress carrying three servings of gyunabe, the Akabeko's signature dish. Tae came up to the two visitors, drying her hands on her apron.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"There's something wrong with Kaoru," Yahiko blurted out. "She's all happy."

Tae's worried expression turned to one of relief. "Well, of course she should be happy," she said. "It's her birthday. I was going to run over and wish her luck after the lunch rush." The restaurateur looked Kenshin up and down. "You're her lover. You should make her a cake or something."

"Cake?" Kenshin repeated.

"It's something that Westerners make for people on their birthdays. You eat it," Tae explained. "I can help you find the ingredients if you like."

Kenshin thought about it. On the one hand, he'd have loved to make something special for Kaoru. On the other hand, this cake thing sounded complicated. Yahiko made up his mind for him.

"Yeah, let's do it!" the youth cried.

Tae smiled. "Just go on back to the kitchen and I'll be with you in a second."

Kenshin and Yahiko followed her pointed finger through the sliding doors to the kitchen, where two cooks frantically chopped vegetables while Yahiko's friend Tsubame washed dishes. Upon seeing the dishgirl, Yahiko immediately tied back his sleeves and started helping, while Kenshin grabbed an extra cleaver and some gobo root.

"Well, I never figured you for a cook, Mr. Himura," Tae remarked as she slid the door closed.

Yahiko dried the last dish on a towel and put it on a shelf. "He's tons better than Kaoru, but he'll never admit it," he blurted out before Kenshin could react. "He's so gentlemanly it's almost sickening."

"This one has had some experience with cooking," Kenshin admitted, blushing slightly.

"Well, then you'll have no problem with this cake," Tae said. She waved them to follow her as she walked down the hall to the pantry. "It's pretty simple, just eggs, flour, milk, and baking soda. And a little bit of flavouring, but that's no problem."

"Milk?" Yahiko asked.

"From cows," Kenshin explained. "Westerners believe it to be beneficial to the health. They drink it often. And apparently they cook with it."

"Here we are," said Tae, surfacing from an ice-box with a jar full of pale, cream-colored liquid. "I keep it for emergencies. I never know when I might have foreigners, and they like milk in their coffee." The other ingredients were assembled without trouble, although Yahiko tried tasting the baking powder and found it not at all to his liking. Under Tae's guidance, Kenshin cracked two eggs into a bowl and poured milk over them, then mixed it with a tea brush. A few drops of brown liquid was also added to the mix from a little bottle that Tae produced. Flour was sifted into a second bowl, and a small amount of baking soda added.

"So what's this nasty stuff do, anyway?" Yahiko asked, referring to the baking soda.

"It makes the cake fluffy and light," Tae said. "You don't taste it once the cake is baked."

"Good," said Yahiko. "Cuz that'd be one nasty cake."

Tae let Yahiko mix the two powders together, although he saw little point in mixing two things that looked alike anyway and said as much. Kenshin got the task of pouring the first bowl into the second, and used the tea brush to combine it into a batter. Finally Tae guided him through pouring it into a metal pan and placing it in what she called a "Dutch oven", which she put in the fire.

"There," she said, brushing flour off her hands. "The cake should be done in a half hour or so."

"Good," said Kenshin. "That gives us time to clean up the mess we made."

Bowls were washed, the tea brush was put to soak in hot water, and ingredients were put back into pantry and ice-box. By the time they had gotten the last of the spilled baking soda off the floor, the cake was done.

"We'll let it cool for a bit, then you can take it back to your house and eat it," Tae explained, lifting the pan out of the Dutch oven. She carefully cut around the edge of the cake and put it upside down on a wire rack, then tapped the bottom of the pan and lifted it off. A golden mound of rich-smelling goodness appeared.

"Wow," said Yahiko. He grinned. "Wait'll Kaoru sees this."

"This one hopes she'll be pleased, after all the hard work we put in," Kenshin added.

Tae was more optimistic. "She'll love it," she assured the two new cooks.

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Ten minutes later, Kenshin and Yahiko scurried through the dojo gate, carrying a mysterious package. Kaoru saw them as they tried to sneak around a corner.

"Where do you two think you're going?" she asked.

Yahiko looked to Kenshin for guidance. Kenshin winked. Yahiko took the sign, grabbing the package and running for the kitchen. Kenshin reached up and covered Kaoru's eyes.

"Yahiko and this one have a surprise for you, Kaoru-dono," he said, steering her into the kitchen. He sat her carefully at the table, holding his hands over her eyes until Yahiko reappeared with the unwrapped cake and a knife.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Kaoru!" the boy said happily. Kaoru looked from one happy face to the other, then at the cake.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a cake," Kenshin explained. "Tae said that it's what Westerners make for people on their birthdays. So we made you one." He took the knife from Yahiko and cut her a slice. "This one hopes you like it."

Kaoru carefully broke off a piece and tasted it. Her face lit up. "This is amazing! Thank you so much, Kenshin." She stood up and hugged him. "Thank you."

"Hey, I helped too!" Yahiko said angrily, but nobody heard him.