Excerpt from the previous chapter:

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.

"I'm home," Kaoru didn't cheerfully yell the message as she had done in the past, it had been too late in the night for that and she suspected that they were worried about her.

"Welcome home," Sano said in between bites as Kaoru walked in. They had begun dinner without her? Well, it was reasonable, it was after sunset and they must be hungry, right?

"Where were you? It's late you know and you were suppose to spar with me," Kaoru smiled at Yahiko's complaint, she knew that was his way of telling her that he had been worried for her.

"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. How else could she excuse her absence? Kenshin wouldn't believe her. She stopped to think, why should she give him an excuse? Let the mystery remain and bother him. She smiled, but then realized that if he ever knew with who she was with it wouldn't be a laughing matter.

"Kaoru-dono, would like me to prepare you a bath after dinner?" He was dying to know what she did all day. She hadn't brought a thing home, offered no excuse and didn't seem like she was in any danger. He had been extremely worried about her. He considered the idea that this new foe might have harmed her. He had already started feeling guilty about letting her go alone, he could have at least followed her from a distance; even though she was a fighter with a keen sense, he knew he could have gotten away with it. He scolded himself mentally. As he watched her eating she seemed fine. He had to know what really happened, something didn't feel right.

"Oh yes, please," Kaoru prayed that nobody would mention the lack of supplies.

"Oi, Jou-chan, didn't you go to the shopping district to buy stuff?" Her body noticeably stiffened,

"Yes and?" She gave him a glare; he decided to drop it. He was just trying to make friendly conversation, what the hell was her problem, he thought. Lately he had gotten glares instead of answers; he didn't like this.

"I'm done," Kaoru got up after hardly eating anything and Kenshin got up as well, he was going to prepare her bath.

After the long bath, she stayed in until the water was unbearable cold; she went to her room and laid down on her futon. She couldn't stop thinking about Soujiro. It was interesting how people only looked from their perspective. She remembered she had wanted to kill this boy after what he had done to Kenshin, but she never realized the depths of such a situation. She didn't know why he was associated with such a hateful man or why he had to become an assassin, but she could tell now that this was not his choice, it couldn't be. As she was slowly falling asleep she could only imagine where he was now and if he was sleeping and what horrible nightmares might possess him at night.

She enjoyed Kenshin's presence for about two days, and then he left abruptly. Kaoru heard him leave in the middle of the night, the night she couldn't fall sleep. At the moment she didn't know why he was leaving, but didn't question it either. She just prayed that it wasn't his final departure.

When she woke up that morning and didn't see him around she pretended that it didn't bother her and the others made no mention of it. She carried on the first day fine and even the second, but as the days multiplied she couldn't stand it any longer.

The others noticed her rapid change in behavior and Yahiko even tried to get her to give him lessons, but she no longer had the energy for it. During the sixth day she stayed in bed completely and Sano seriously began to worry for her. He decided to ask Megumi to come and give her company. Though the two women never got along, he knew she could talk to her about this more easily than one of them.

After Sano left and Yahiko went to the Akabeko briefly, to get her a meal, Kaoru got up from her futon. She felt a little dizzy at first from being in bed so long, but she managed to change clothes. It was a crazy idea, but she knew it was the only thing that could comfort her; she had to see if she could find Kenshin.

The trip to the woods near the shopping district seemed shorter this time, perhaps because she went in a daze. She only prayed that she would see him, but how would she find Kenshin or what would she say to him? He might in Kyoto by now, or any other place for that matter. As she realized how desperate her situation was, she let her knees give way and she slumped to the floor. Her tears ran freely now. She was so immersed in her situation that she did not hear the approaching footsteps.

"K…Kaoru-san? What's the matter?" Soujiro bent down on his knees and softly grabbed Kaoru by the shoulders so he could see her face.

"S…Soujiro…what are you doing here?" She looked up him.

"I'm staying in Tokyo for a while... Kaoru-san are you ok? Did something happen?"

"…He…He left me, finally," Her tears began to fall generously again. As she tried to get a hold of herself she looked up at Soujiro. "You're not smiling, why aren't you smiling?" She felt that his smile would be the only sure thing and that would bring her comfort, but Soujiro couldn't pull it off, he was too angry and sad for her.

"Kaoru…san," Soujiro couldn't stand seeing her cry helplessly. He hugged her tightly and she didn't move, she just laid there in his arms, numbed.

After a short while he noticed that her breathing became steady and came at an even pace; she was asleep. When Kaoru opened her eyes she suddenly became alert, but also frightened. Had she passed out? She looked around her surroundings and found that she was leaning on something soft and warm. She looked over and saw a sleeping Soujiro was leaning against the tree next to them. She began to blush furiously, why had she been leaning on him like that? All this stirring caused Soujiro to wake up from his superficial sleep.

Excerpt from the following chapter:

'' ' I should be getting home, Kaoru looked up at the sky and saw a bird fly overhead under the sun, which somehow inspired her to be a little daring, "Would you walk me home, I could also feed you once we are there. I don't know about you, but I am hungry,' Kaoru smiled. "