A/N: Thank you for great reviews…Hope you like this chap..uh, can I have some more reviews:) hehehe..

Disclaimer: Still the same as in last chapter, the chapter before that, and the chapter before that…you get what I mean….

COTTON CANDY 4

Kaoru is loving every bit of it! It was the second week, and everyday she came back to "Sweet Treats", to buy nothing but a stick or two of the sweet cotton-candy. She came to know the owners quite well by now, and Jim and Jane are a very compatible couple.

Oh, hasn't she said that before?

Flashback

Yahiko came barging in as usual as he shouted, "Kaoru…where's Kenshin?"

For once he actually used her name, not an insulting 'busu' he usually threw at her. "Gone…off to a mission", she replied calmly, as she tasted the miso. She winced. Uh, what does it take to make a good miso?

Then, she wondered where that particular calmness came from.

"Nani?" he shouted, obviously upset.

"You heard me"..she said..turning around to wash the soup ladle in the sink.

"And…and you let him do that?" his voice went a notch higher, breaking in the process.

Kaoru supressed a giggle, for a teenage boy that is undergoing a voice change, Yahiko sounded very, very funny.

Yahiko was dumb-founded. "Kaoru, you okay?", he carefully asked.

"Yeah, Yahiko, I am fine…", she answered, biting her tongue for lashing a teasing remark at him. It just wont be fair, insulting the growing, and slightly more sensitive Yahiko now. So she ignored the urge to do so, as she took some rice off the pot. 'Ugh…burnt it a bit'…she grimaced at the brown bits at the bottom.

Yahiko was astounded that Kaoru reacted that way. He was so confused that he went out of the house shortly after. "Nn…I'm going off for a while..", he called off to his Sensei.

"Sure, be careful okay, get back for dinner..", she answered.

'It was amazing!' She thought happily! Never once that day she thought of Kenshin. So was the next day. She made the daily trip to the Gaikokujin District to buy her daily supply of medicine, …wrapped in the form of a piece of cotton candy.

Life was all good.

Yahiko finally could deal with Kenshin's government mission, as he coincidentally found out about the letter that Kaoru threw out in the bin. He never said anything anymore, and just acted as usual. Perhaps Busu doesn't want to think about him anymore…baka no Kenshin…at least he should treat her with some respect, he frowned inwardly, vowing to kick that redhead's ass when he return someday. For the time being, he just has to tag along with Kaoru's normal demeanor.

But Yahiko was curious as how Kaoru keeps her sanity, knowing that the last time Kenshin did the same thing, well, almost,..she cried her eyes out and looked all puffy everyday. Naah…it's not my business…he chided.

Unknowingly, Kaoru happily chewed on the pale yellow cotton candy that afternoon. Actually, she was quite ecstatic as the owners of Sweet Treats had just offered her to work there. Which means…more income! She was so happy that she hugged the slightly plump figure of Jane. She was embarassed when she thought of that. 'So childish'…she shook her head. Anyway, she agreed to it, and she would start on her new job from next week on.

Great! This way, she could preserve her grandfather's paintings in her storeroom, and even buy them back, perhaps, when she receives her pay. She was always reluctant to part with those beautiful paintings, but due to some circumstances, such as with Kenshin and Sano and Yahiko freeloading at her place, she had to.

She grinned. Sano has gone since last year to try his luck at earning some money, or so he said, in the Mongolian Highlands. 'Hmph'… she smirked. He's most probably doing some crazy stuffs down the mountains of Mongolia somewhere instead …since Tae decided to charge him 5 percent monthly interest on his debt. She chuckled, imagining how huge his Akabeko's debt has become.

Oh, and.. Yahiko's not exactly freeloading. He's working now, and they still trained twice to three times a week. Life's getting a little bit better financially, she thought. 'How about Kenshin? How is he now?Where is he?' She frowned at that thought. She cross-checked her feelings once again.

A frown marred her pretty features.

Eh? This is strange…there was no distinct longing feeling or desire to see that red-haired rurouni so much…Hmm…what does this mean?

Aoshi walked to see Okina in his study. He was looking serious at the paperworks in front of him.

'Hmm…what a change'…

He came in very quietly so as not to make his presence known right away. He got closer and took a peek at Okina's paperworks.

Okina was too deep in concentration that he didn't even sense Aoshi's ki as he entered. When he did, he gasped as his hands tried to cover up, snatching ….his newest Geisha magazine of Kyoto, and brought it to his lap.

Aoshi's serious expression faltered. his lips tilted upward in a little smile as he let out a little chuckle.

Okina was so taken aback that he left the preposterous magazine out in the open, actually falling down on the floor.

'Aoshi….smiling? CHUCKLING even?'

'Now that is new! He never smiled since what…since he turned 8?'

'If only he knew it would make the younger man smiled as such, he'd bring in those magazines in sooner…' he smirked lecherously.

He quickly snapped back to reality. "Hm…do you need anything Aoshi?" he attempted a serious tone.

Aoshi felt there was something that burst within him. He laughed out loud.

Misao was on the way downstairs to get some drink as she heard something quite unfamiliar-sounding, coming from the direction of Okina's office. Something that sounded awfully akin to a deep laughter…."Jiya's having a guest?", she guessed, suddenly curious. Not likely during this time of the day…

Before she could stop herself, her feet brought her to Okina's office.

Her eyes went huge and she gasped, belatedly covering her gasp with both of her hands as what she saw was definitely out of the ordinary.

Aoshi-sama…..laughing..?

He looks magnificent like this, with the corners of his eyes crinkling ever so slightly, the pearly whites of his teeth were displayed for all to see…that face she loved the most for the last seventeen years of her life was laughing freely today..finally…

The laughter ceased soon after Misao peeked in on the entrance. He turned to Misao, gave a heart-wrenching smile at her, then turned to face Okina.

"I've made my decision", he somberly said, as if he wasn't laughing out loud just then.

Okina nodded. Now he is serious.

Misao suddenly felt like an intruder. But she couldn't just go away like that, not after Aoshi-sama just flashed her a genuine smile as beautiful as that. Both of her feet were rooted on her spot, when Okina asked her to go off.

Aoshi halted her move. He said to Okina "That's all right, Okina…she has every right to know", and he came to her, putting his arms on her shoulder and manouvered her inside the study room. Misao held her breath all the way. She was too surprised, she was amazed by the fact that she's still standing after all.

Okina kept a carefully neutral countenance, and looked at the youngsters in front of him.