A/N: whee...next chapter...hopefully you guys enjoy it...either way, pls. leave me a word or two! thank you! oh yeah...apologies for typos and spacing probs...I really did try to fix them..but they always escape my watchful eyes from some reasons...:)

Disclaimer: I just hope Nobuhiro Watsuki don't mind if Kaoru's teeth suffer from cavities..eeyuw...I'm joking!

CHAPTER V
"So, Kaoru-chan, here's how to make it…." Jane was explaining how to make some Western cooking, and to her own amazement, she could follow Jane's instruction. There must be something wrong with Japanese cooking, she thought inwardly. 'I can't cook miso soup, for goodness' sake!'

"Kaoru-chan, are you listening?", she asked, waving her hand in front of Kaoru. She just smiled "I'm sorry Jane, I just spaced out.."

They have been doing some simple cooking lesson after each shift has ended, as Kaoru seemed so interested in Western cookery, almost as much as in Western confectionery.

Jane grinned at her, "Now perhaps you could show me a thing or two about Japanese cooking", she cooed. This was exactly the kind of question that Kaoru dreaded. She was pondering how to answer that…'Should I lie?'

She has to be honest.

Truly, being honest is painful at times.

"Er….Jane…I can't cook even a simple miso soup…", she admitted shamefully.

Jane smiled at her. "Really….? Japanese cooking is that difficult?" she asked out of genuine interest, not a mocking one.

"nn…for me..yeah", Kaoru gave her one of her silly-looking smiles that got Jane laughing so hard.

"Oh, Kaoru-chan, you are so very amusing, child!", she wiped tears off the corner of her eyes. Kaoru just blushed.

"O well, you will learn quickly…don't worry too much…now you're able to make some poached fish, steamed vegetables and cream sauce….last week we made some grilled beef with potato pudding…remember? That should set you off..."

Kaoru looked hopeful "I really do hope so, Jane", she said, while her hands began to do some cleaning up of the cooking utensils they were using earlier.

Kyoto - At the Aoiya..

Aoshi cleared his throat.

"I'd like to give my approval over it, Okina….and Misao could very well go on with her current relationship", he said calmly.

Okina was flabbergasted. To think that he could figure Aoshi out…he certainly was unpredictable.

Misao turned her head as if in a trance "Huh?…..Aoshi-sama?", her eyes made enquiry. Aoshi didn't say anything, he just looked straight to Okina, meeting his eyes.

Okina slowly nodded. " Very well, Aoshi. Misao, now that we have it out in the open, here's your father last will", he offered the same envelope he gave to Aoshi earlier to her. Her hands shakily opened the folded paper and read.

….Makimachi Misao to be engaged when she is of age, and married before she turns twenty years old….

…the potential husband would be decided under the consent of Kashiwazaki Nenji…and Shinomori Aoshi……

She looked at Okina, then at Aoshi. She looked quite scared and the expression was clearly written all over her face.

"A…Aoshi-sama….I….", she wanted to say that she is scared, but was unable to. Being the Okashira that she was…should she be scared?

Aoshi gave her a small reassuring smile before he brought her to a warm hug, his large hand stroked her long tresses.

Misao was shocked. She has never gotten a hug since she turned six years old..and that was the time when her Aoshi-sama went off without as much bidding her goodbye. This is what she has been longing for...some affection, not only from Jiya...but from the other most important person in her life. She held his shirt tightly and, unaware of her mixed up emotions, tears started flowing from those expressive emerald eyes.

She cried out then, sobbing uncontrollably in his embrace and Aoshi provided her with some semblance of comfort as best as a man who never showed affection for more than ten years could.

Life certainly ain't easy...

He has realized one thing since he saw the interaction between Misao and Soujiro last time, and that was love. There is such thing called love. He couldn't quite pinpoint how he managed to say it was love, for he was never quite in love himself….but yes, he could perhaps say that he has loved Misao dearly….even only as an adoptive guardian, he'd love her as much as he's capable of giving his love toward her…

Okina watched them, hiding his disappointment under his smile. He could only be as close as brother to her….he remarked as he saw for himself how Aoshi treated Misao like a very dear little sister to him. He has made up his mind…The older man stroked his beard once again, his Geisha magazine totally abandoned for another long while.

After the emotional exchange, with Misao finally accepting her current situation and with the consent of her two guardians, Soujiro was once again invited, this time personally, just to meet Okina and Aoshi. After obtaining the fact that the younger man was actually twenty five years old of age then, Okina almost fell off the chair…oh…looks could be really deceiving…

When Okina voiced it out, Misao giggled, and Aoshi smiled in amusement. Soujiro only grinned.

The whole ordeal didn't take very long as he happily obliged, agreeing to Okina's and Aoshi's terms... Misao pouted, feeling like she was being sold off rather like a merchandise, but Soujiro's soothing words made sure that she was one happy cookie soon after. Okina was smirking as he felt really, really proud that his Misao-chan was actually growing up before his very eyes.

Aoshi looked at them with an inscrutable expression on his face. Since that fateful day when he first burst into laughter at seeing Okina with his latest edition of Geisha of Kyoto, he seemed to be sporting more varied expressions on his face. Now, feeling slightly envious (if that was at all possible)…he wondered if he could ever get that kind of happiness.

At the decision of their engagement date in the following year, Aoshi sighed in relief. It was as if a burden was set free, his shoulder felt a bit lighter, albeit he was quite sad looking at Misao less and less daily. For his whole life, Misao was always around like a plague..well…not a plague…he would never call her a plague…for she's always placed in a special position in his heart, so close yet so far, and now belongs to someone else…someone more deserving and one who loves her so much…

He sighed….

A couple of weeks have gone by when Okina approached him one evening. The two of them leisurely walked in the Aoiya's hallways…"So, what do you plan to do, Aoshi? Now that everything has settled in its place a bit", he asked.

"…."

"I'm not sure Okina….but perhaps………..I need a vacation", he voiced it out quietly, then was rather surprised at his own revelation. He was never one to tell others about his plans, even if it was Okina who asked. 'What has happened to me?'

Okina smiled at his reluctance. Soujiro being one of the ex-Juppongatana presents a whole new meaning to the term 'suspicious', after everything he had done, Aoshi can't help but be suspicious about in the beginning…

And seemingly the once stoic guy is getting tired of it…

"That is quite a good decision….Where would you think of going?"

"..." another minutes of silence followed.

"I don't know just yet…maybe I'll travel out of Kyoto for a while"...he pondered.

Okina stroked his beard. "Hmm….good..just let me know about it..if you're to visit Tokyo, I'll get you to bring something for the people in Kamiya Dojo", he said.

'Huh? What had prompted him to even mention Tokyo?', Aoshi wondered...

Well...that doesn't seem like a bad idea though...perhaps he could consult Battousai for some tips on rurouni-ing too...

Oi, Busu, are you working again this afternoon? Yahiko asked

Kaoru had a bit of time, exactly five minutes to run to him and smack his head with a bokken before she replied, "Yeah.."

"Owwch…..that hurts!", he glared at his teacher.

It's quite amazing that the topic of Kenshin was never brought up so much. He has been gone for about two months and a half, eventhough he does send a letter or two to inform them of how he was going, but Kaoru hasn't showed the signs of breaking apart, and for that Yahiko feels relieved.

And then something struck him "Does she fall for some guy at her new workplace?", he thought, suddenly worried.

Hence the earlier question…he was quite worried that reason was the exact reason that prompted his Sensei to work quite a lot these days. That sort of explains their better state of living and better maintenance of the house compared with that when Kenshin and Sano were there.

Sano…that Rooster…he headed to ..where? China? Mongolia? somewhere around there...to try my luck there, he jokingly said…and to pay off his Akabeko's debt, kaoru added…he only hoped that the silly Rooster doesn't gamble anymore and blew off all his money…

While he mopped the floor, all those thoughts came into his mind. Once he looked up to the front yard, Kaoru was already off to work.

'Dang…maybe I can ask her later'…with that, he prepared himself to go off to Akabeko.