Excerpt from the pervious chapter:

"I think I am going into town today and getting some supplies we need, we are running low," Kaoru commented and paused because she knew that Kenshin would offer to go with her like he always did, not only was he safety but also company on such a long trip, which could last the whole day. Only a bird in the distance was heard chirping as Kaoru waited. This heightened the frustration and anger she was already feeling.

It took her sometime to get into the city, about an hour. It was a long trip and she had to admit it was a rather boring and lonely one. By the time she got to the city she was tired and hungry, she decided to have something to eat at the Akabeko. She walked in and sat down and was quickly greeted by Tae.

"Welcome Kaoru-Chan, meeting up with the others?" Tae looked around.

"No, it's just me today, I'll have the usual," Kaoru ended the conversation quickly because she didn't feel like being interrogated. Tae left to go take care of her order but couldn't help thinking to herself how strange it was for her to be alone in the city; she let it go and a few minutes later served her meal and retired.

When Kaoru finished her meal she decided that her next stop would be the little market, the one at the end of the street. She slipped on her footwear, wiped her brow and started walking towards the corner market that sold tofu the cheapest, after all her meal had dampened her spending money. She was walking down the dusty path when something caught her attention, a beautiful hairpin, she stopped walking to observe the pin and just as she was about to move to the side to not disturb other people, someone bumped into her.

Kaoru squinted as she looked up; it was hard for her eyes to adjust to the early morning's sun. She looked up at the person to excuse herself, she immediately got a sinking feeling; she knew who this person was. The young boy smiled at her but slightly changed his expression as he noticed the girl's stare. had she recognized him?

"Y-You're Seta Soujiro!" Kaoru had to admit she was frightened, even thought he appeared to be an innocent and even weak boy, she knew better; Kenshin had told her just how ferocious a fighter he was. She quickly made for an escape but a strong arm held her back. He pulled her along with his arm around her shoulder; he knew she wouldn't try to escape. She was led to the end of the street and into the clearing of the neighboring woods.

"What are you going to do?" Kaoru asked, wide-eyed, as he let go of her.

"Nothing, I just want talk to you and I didn't want you to make a scene," he smiled.

"W-Well…" Kaoru relaxed a bit .Her heart wasn't pounding as quickly, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. This was a man who tried to kill Kenshin and almost did; needless to say he was skilled.

"Sorry to have pulled you out like that, but we have a problem, you recognized me and that could be dangerous for me. Wait; come to think of it if you're here…Is this Tokyo?" Soujiro looked around to see if he could answer his own question.

"Yes. What do mean dangerous? I'm not going to denounce you or anything, that wouldn't be in my interest," Kaoru looked at his face to get a reaction but as soon as she saw his smiling face she remembered that this boy only had one emotion, or so it appeared.

"I don't want anyone to be alarmed by my arrival in your town. I am a criminal after all."

"What are you doing here? Are you going to settle the score with Kenshin or something?" Kaoru was beginning to lose reasoning and began to get angry and it was showing. Soujiro laughed at her accusation.

"Oh, not at all, I am just passing through actually, you see I am just a simple traveler now, see no sword," Soujiro pointed to his respective hip.

"Why…why would you go from a cold-blooded assassin to a ru-" Kaoru stop talking when she realized this situation had happened before; she couldn't help but blush.

"I guess you can say I have something in common with your friend. Oh…this is Tokyo…I haven't been here in a while."

"Why did you change your mind?"

"Change my mind? Oh, well many things actually, not worth mentioning. By the way, please don't mention my visit to anyone I am just passing through and would like as much peace as I can get, I don't want to alarm people unnecessarily. Well, I'll be on my way," Soujiro turned around and started heading north when he felt a tug on his right sleeve. He turned around with cat-like agility.

"Oh! I didn't mean to alarm you," She felt embarrassed that she neglected his warrior reflexes and that it might have been better to call him. She wasn't sure if her proposal would be amazingly brave or insane, but she couldn't help but have curiosity in such a person so she proceeded, "Would you like me to show you around the town?" She would have never been so daring, but seeing how nice he had been and knowing how it felt to be lonely she thought that this might have not been such a bad idea after all.

"Is that alright though? Won't your friends be worried?"

"Uh, no they won't be, I told them I would be out for the day, besides they are busy." Kaoru walked ahead to lead the way.

Soujiro caught up to her and bent down to her, "Thank you for not being scared of me." Kaoru smiled.

The sun was slowly starting to set and all the residents of the dojo were home except the owner. The others were sitting down on the outside patio wondering what had taken Kaoru so long.

"Do you think she is alright? It has been a while," Yahiko looked from Kenshin to Sano to get an answer or an expression.

"I don't know, I am starting to get more worried, maybe we should go into town and look for her."

"No, give her some time, she'll come back home." Kenshin knew that Kaoru had been upset at him and he speculated that she was taking a longer time than needed to make him worry; he had to admit it was working.

Night was approaching quickly, but Kaoru hadn't noticed, she was too interested in this person. They had walked throughout the dense forest and viewed the city from afar. The possibility of being seen by someone that might recognize him or even inform the others was too high. They had kept small talk, as Kaoru pointed out different sights from afar, but Soujiro notice that she grew increasingly sadder.

"Kaoru-san, is something wrong? Do you wish to return home?" Even though Soujiro didn't feel like smiling, he felt saddened by her distress; he could not help but display his common expression.

"No of course not, I'm having fun, it's not you," Kaoru looked away and faced an opening to a lake.

"Why don't you share it with me?"

"Well, I suppose I could. Really, you're the only person I could truly talk to now," She smiled with gratitude. "It's just that my relationship with Kenshin hasn't been going too well lately. He is ignoring me and treating me coldly." Kaoru was too embarrassed to see his face. It felt so odd to talk to someone who had tried to kill him at one time, but she was being to lose logic.

"Do you know why?"

"No, the only thing I can think of is that he has gotten tired of me. I can't blame him, he is a rurouni after all and he must be bored and doesn't have the heart to tell me up front." Kaoru tried her hardest not to cry in front of him; instead she smiled a bitter smile, which weakened Soujiro's own.

"Kaoru-san, I am sure that is not the case, why would he tire of you?"

"I don't know, I never know," Kaoru shut her mouth; she realized she had become whiny and was wasting another man's time. She really didn't want to come off as a complainer. "Oh the sun is going to set soon and it takes me an hour to get home; I should get going now," She straightened her kimono as she got up.

"It might be dangerous; do you want me to walk you?" Soujiro asked.

"I-I don' want to bother you, but that would be nice," Kaoru smiled.

The walk home was silent a little awkward for the both of them. They didn't talk very much and the setting sun made for a romantic setting, but Kaoru didn't see the beauty in the sunset, she was too absorbed in her own problem.

Soujiro thought to himself. He wondered how Kenshin could treat her so coldly; she seemed like a wonderful person. He couldn't imagine who else would forgive him or Kenshin for that matter, after the things they had done. To him this seemed like one of his dreams; that someone would accept him, without have to occult anything.

"I think I can walk home from here, it's only about ten more minutes and I don't want the others recognizing you, they might not understand." Kaoru smiled as she looked at him, they were now halfway on the bridge.

"Alright Kaoru-san, have a nice night and I hope everything works out for the best. Besides, you look your best when you smile," Soujiro himself smiled. He knew that he would never see her again; he already had plans to leave Tokyo as soon as his business was resolved.

"Thank you very much for walking me home and talking to me, I really needed it. I…I hope you can find happiness one day and a place to call home, you deserve it," Kaoru bowed. She turned around to leave but his words stop her pace.

"I have faith once again that I can, thanks to our encounter," He grinned and bowed, turned around and left. They both felt a sense of regret, they didn't want to leave, but they knew they had to.

As Kaoru began to walk the last stretches home she felt a bit appalled at her actions. She once again trusted someone who had dirtied their hands with blood. She knew that finding someone like Kenshin who was gentle and tried to make up for his actions was like finding a needle in a haystack, but she couldn't treat someone cruelly, she had to give him the benefit of the doubt. She prayed that what she had done was an act of kindness, and not of naivety which would catch up with her in the end.

Excerpt from the following chapter:

"Did you find everything you needed?" Kenshin smiled as he handed Kaoru her dinner. Kaoru's heart stopped for a second, she hadn't brought anything home! Surely Kenshin had noticed this and that is why he made the comment. Darn, she thought; she had messed up.