Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, ( math pg. 198 # 1-52, English read pgs. 30-43, History pg. 69 # 1-10, science pg. 62 # 1-8, Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Practice Ryutsuisen) Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru in a bathing suit.

"Mr. Himura! please pay attention in class!"

"Yes m'am." And so it begins, school after New Year's break. It's most unpleasant, but I need to grit my teeth and bear it. The worst part about all of this is I'm POUNDED with homework. Oh well, at least I can stare at the back of Kaoru's head the entire time. If only--

"Mr. Himura! Pay attention! Now, what's the answer to number 4?"

I glanced at my paper for the answer, thankfully it was there, "x is equal to 3.43"

"Mr. Himura," sighed the teacher, "this is science."

"Oh, I'm very sorry, I believe the answer is, err, water?"

"We're learning about astronomy. You know, the stars , moons, planets, get with the program please. Water was before New year's break"

"Yes, m'am."

RIIIIIIING! Yes, school is out for the day. Now I can go home, wash clothes, clean the kitchen, and do my homework.

"Hey Kenshin. How's it goin?" asked the lovely Kaoru.

"Uhh, good, I suppose." I replied oh so smoothly.

"Wanna come over to my house for supper?"

"Oro? you mean you're gonna, umm, try cooking for umm... Yahiko...again? heh, heh"

"Why?

"Well, I dunno. Remember last time? You know, you, Yahiko, you're cooking... he got sick. I like your cooking personally. But I'm not quite sure about your, umm, style"

" My style? Himura Kenshin! I'm offering you my hospitality and you put me down! See if I ever wanna do anything for again!"

"Wait! Kaoru!" I said as I jerked her hair before she could storm off in a fuirious rage worse than a kamikaze (divine winds) "I'd love too"

"Really ! That's great! I'll see you at 5:00"

"Can I bring Sanosuke?"

"Umm, well, I suppose. But one remark from him about my cooking and both of you are out!"

"No problem. I'll see you tonight, Kaoru."

Chapter 2

Well, it's time, I'm nervous, but I don't know why. I wonder if the fact that I'm bringing Sano to eat at a meal prepared by the one girl I'm trying to impress has anything to do with it. Hmmm...

"Kenshin! Let's go! I'm hungry!" yelled Sano as if he was being starved to skin and bones.

"Alright! gimme a minute, I almost have this technique down. I'll be out soon." I go to the dojo every morning before school and I study Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu with my master, Hiko Seijo. So far he's thinking it was mistake to ever even begin teaching me. Right now I'm learning the technique Ryutsuisen.

"Hey Sano," grumble grumble grumble, "was that your stomach?"

Yeah! now let's go before I waste away to nothing!"

"Calm down, Sano. Kaoru isn't expecting us for another 15 minutes."

"Well then! What are we waiting for? It's at least a 30 minute walk."

"Oro! I forgot, c'mon! We gotta run!" Great. I just took a nice bath and now I'm going to get all sweaty and dirty running. If I wanna be optimistic about it all,m maybe the beautiful Kaoru-dono will think I'm "cute" dirty. This could be a good thing. "I hope so." oops, did I just say that aloud?

"What?" Shit, I did.

"Uhh, I didn't say anything."

"Yeah you did. You said 'I hope so'."

"Did not." and I ran even faster. Before I kmnew it, we were standing outside the Kamiya Kasshin Kenjutsu Ryu Dojo with a suprisingly lovely smell coming fromn behind the sliding door.

"You ugly! You can't cook! I don't wanna die yet! I'm only 10! Make Megumi come over and cook!"

"You little brat!"

SMACK

"Ow! Stupid, you hit like a girl!"

"I am a girl you little twirp!"

"I'm not little!"

"I'm bigger than you!"

"Maybe you're just a fat giant!"

"Or maybe you're just vertically challenged!"

The next thing Sano and I hear is a pot crashing, screaming, a crack that sounded like a bokken breaking, and the sound of of a body being pulled into another room.

"Hello Kenshin," greeted the breathless Kaoru, "Yahiko will not be joining us this evening, please come in."

"Umm, maybe this isn't the best time, we'll come over another day. C'mon, Sano."

"Kenshin, wait, we still have rice balls. Would you still mind staying for dinner? I know it's not a gourmet meal and I'm not dressed for the occa--"

"Sure."

"Kenshin!" and wham! There's a bokken being slammed across my head.

"Oro?"

"Yahiko! I thought you were 'sleeping' in the other room."

"I wasn't sleeping! You knocked me out!"

"Did not!" and Kaoru quickly covered Yahiko's mouth.

"How's training?" I asked in an attempt to calm some people down and reach some sort of peace treaty, it didn't work.

"I dunno, It's goin' good, I guess. But it would be better if some stupid girl wasn't teaching me!"

"Ya-hi-ko!" Kaoru's rage was growing...rapidly.

"So, where's the food?" poor Sano, so hungry, so clueless.

"Sanosuke, where were you in the past five minures?" inquired the already frustrated Kaoru.

"Waiting for food."

"SANO!"

"Soooorrrry! gosh, I'm hungry! Feed me woman!"

"Here!" and Kaoru threw a rice ball at him, a tasty looking one at that matter.

"Ok everyone, I threw together some left over rice, chicken, and fish. Be careful, the tea is hot."

"Yummmm! This actually looks good." Said Sanosuke actually attempting a compliment.

"Betther than you though?"

"Yea-" and a sick look crossed Yahiko's face.

"Yahiko? You don't look so good." I said being Captain Obvious.

"Uggghhh. I really don't feel good." And he got up, ran outside, and regurgitated in the bushes. Kaoru rose and went to see if he needed help.

"Ummm, Sano, are you OK?" I asked.

"Grrrr... I'm HUNGRY!"

"Oro? Sorry. Don't bite my head off about it."

"It's your stupid girlfriend's fault!"

"She's not my grilfriend, Sano." I wish she was though.

"Kenshin! FEED ME! and not what your lover cooked!"

"I don't love her! Were just friends!" I said, oblivious to the fact that she heard every word I said.