Author's Note: I haven't been feeling too good lately...maybe, I'm getting sick like Koshijiro. But reviews will cheer me up...

In the start of April, the weather was unpredictable, warm one day and chilly the next. Colds were going around, and Koshijiro had developed a cough. Fortunately, he didn't have a fever, but he made the decision to stay home, to prevent infecting his colleagues. Three days of hot broth and tea had helped, yet the cough still lingered.

From within his room, he heard his daughter calling out. "Yahiko! Yahiko…you're not him! Geez, the two of you have similar hair."

"Tch, lay off." That was Sagara's voice. He must have arrived this morning.

For the past couple of weeks, Yahiko had been skipping practice. It was infrequent, but he didn't mention a word to Kaoru and that was unacceptable behavior from a student. Koshijiro wound a scarf around his neck, before checking further within the house. There was no sign of the boy anywhere, his bed had been made and his shoes were missing as well. Koshijiro turned towards the porch, where his daughter was sitting. Himura had both hands in soapy water and laundry, as Sagara chewed on the remnants of a grilled fish.

Kaoru greeted him. "Good morning, Otou-san. Yahiko's not hiding inside, is he?"

"No, I didn't see him."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "He's disappeared again. I wonder what he's doing…"

"I bet he's gone to meet a girl." Sagara gave a sly smile.

"No way. With the way he eats, it's more likely to be food."

"Or he could be training." Himura suggested. He looked particularly contemplative, or maybe, it was because he was scrubbing at a stain. "By now, he should be thinking more about the sword."

It remained a mystery, for Yahiko didn't return until late afternoon. Surprisingly, he endured Kaoru's scolding without much of a fight. "I was in town, okay?"

"And what were you doing?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'm at the dojo, four out of six days a week." That answer didn't seem to please Kaoru, and she looked even more frustrated.

Koshijiro chose not to step in. It was best she had to deal with this issue herself, as a teacher. He also had his own idea about Yahiko's absences: that the boy had taken on a job for pay. He could understand wanting pocket money. When he was at that age, he had tried to save up on his own. Although, that was because of his circumstances at the time…

Yahiko was let off with a warning, although he brushed it off. As he trudged to the bathhouse, Koshijiro said to his daughter. "I hope you have a plan to deal with him further."

"Oh, I do. Next week, we're going to follow him into town. You, me, Kenshin, and Sanosuke. He won't notice at all."

It sounded risky, but in the end, curiosity won out. Once Yahiko crept past the gate, they followed some distance behind. His shinai was strapped to his back, but that didn't compensate for his poor surveillance skills, as he only looked to the left and right. He was acting suspicious too, meandering here and there through the streets.

Himura had been in front and he stopped. "Oro? The Akabeko?" Yahiko had slipped inside, barely moving the doors.

"Ah, so it was food!" Kaoru clenched a fist in victory.

But when they entered, the restaurant was empty, save for a few customers. Tae noticed them, waving. "Hello, everyone! Would you like a table?"

"In a minute." Kaoru explained. "We're looking for Yahiko."

"You just missed him. I sent him to get more charcoal from the back."

"Is he working here?"

"Mm, only errands. Although…I was supposed to keep it a secret." Concern touched her expression. "Is he in trouble?"

"No, it's fine. But why would he do something like this?"

Sagara stood on tiptoe, peering past them. "I might have an idea." He jerked his chin towards a young girl around Yahiko's age. She wore the uniform of a waitress, and she had delicate features and short hair.

Tae murmured. "That's Tsubame, she started a few days after Yahiko did. Tsubame? Can you help Yahiko with the charcoal?"

"Yes, Tae-san." She was a little nervous, quickly bowing before running to her destination.

"Oh, dear, I hope she doesn't trip over herself."

"She seems like a good worker." Koshijiro noted, as the others crowded around the back door. Yahiko was shouldering a sack of charcoal, but they were out of his line of sight. Tsubame had fallen, and he lifted her bag for her.

Tsubame scrambled to her feet, looking more mussed than before. "I'm sorry, Yahiko-chan."

"I don't like being called that." He grumbled. "And stop being so jumpy. 'Discipline your movements.' That's part of swordsmanship." He was saying the last more to himself, as he adjusted the weight of both bags.

Avoiding Yahiko's entrance, they recouped in the dining area. There was no danger of being sighted now, for Tae said that his duties were anything but cooking and serving.

Sagara counted off his fingers. "A girl, food, training. Well, we were all kind of right, but there's no clear motive to start working here."

"I give him a small salary. He could be helping out with household expenses." Tae said, which Kaoru and Sagara quickly dismissed.

"No way!"

"That brat wouldn't."

Tae looked dejected, and Koshijiro told her. "It was a good guess. However, we were unaware he was being paid." He turned away, his throat acting up again, and was overtaken by a sudden fit of coughing.

"Here, Kamiya-dono." Himura had refilled his cup. "More tea will help."

"Thank you." He managed to reply, before forcing down the hot liquid.

"I'll make another pot." Tae excused herself. As she walked back to the kitchen, she passed Tsubame, who was hurrying to assist another table.

When the girl saw the occupants, she took a step backwards, her eyes wide. She looked about, clutching her skirt. "Um, I'll lead you to the outhouse." She seemed very small, compared to the three men who followed her. The door slammed behind them.

"…This one will return shortly." Himura grabbed his sword and left the table.

After a pause, Koshijiro stood. "I'll go as well." He had a suspicion that Tsubame's nervousness this time was because of those customers. As expected, the only one near the outhouse was Himura. He glanced at Koshijiro, lifting a finger to his lips. Quietly, they headed down the nearby side street.

A couple of turns later, Koshijiro furtively looked around a corner, at the ensuing scene. There were five more men now, and they were armed with bokken. They had ganged up on Yahiko, beating him as he curled on the ground. Tsubame cried out, begging them to stop.

Anger rose within Koshijiro. Yahiko was only a child, and he didn't have much of a chance against these brutal men. But Himura had his sakabato and wasn't moving.

There was a hiss from behind them. "Are you just going to stand there?" Sagara nudged Himura with his foot. "Don't just watch."

Kaoru had also joined them, pushing them aside. "Then, I'll go. He's my student, I'm responsible for him."

"One moment." Himura tugged at her ponytail, too briefly for Koshijiro to remind him about the rule. "This is something Yahiko must do on his own."

"What are you talking about? He's in danger."

"If we step in, he'll know we were following him. And if you are always rescued, you'll never become strong. We should only help him, when he asks for it."

Koshijiro acknowledged Himura's perspective, and he had to side with it. It was true that Yahiko was still young, but he had responsibilities as a student of the sword. And because of them, he had to be mature, early on. Quietly, Koshijiro admitted. "Himura's right, these lessons are valuable and can only be learned through experience. However, we'll continue to watch him."

The men had stopped, once Tsubame gave them what they wanted. It was a key-shaped model, and the leader, a man with droopy eyes, snickered as they walked away. Tsubame ran over to a wincing, bruised Yahiko.

He wiped the corner of his mouth, his sleeve coming away with smeared blood. "They'll only need a day to make a replica of the key. They'll break into Tae's house tomorrow night."

"Yahiko-chan. Oh, I mean, Yahiko-kun…"

"No, I don't care. I couldn't beat them, could I?" He sounded terribly bitter. "Don't worry about me, I decided to help you. And I'm not giving up."

In silence, they watched him, as he limped down the street. It was his fight. But that didn't mean they wouldn't be around, if he needed them.

The following morning was just like yesterday, except there was some kind of contraption in the yard. A log had been propped up, two bamboo poles crossed at its top. Four wooden planks hung down from each of the four ends.

Koshijiro sipped his second cup of tea. "Did you make this, Yahiko?"

He was stretching, rotating his shoulders. "Yeah, it's, uh, a new way of training. For many enemies at once."

"It won't be much use. Think about it." On the porch, Kaoru propped her chin in her hands. "The boards move in a fixed way, it's not like how people move. They think and plan, and make complicated, coordinated attacks. This will just help your reflexes."

Yahiko tapped his shinai in his hand. "If you know all that, then what should I do instead?"

That was outside of Kaoru's experience. Even in Kanryuu's mansion, her opponents had been fought one at a time. She hesitated. "Well, you should…make it one on one."

"That's not any help!"

"It is, actually." Himura spoke up, from his spot near the laundry tub. "If you're faced with a group, run away." Yahiko was about to protest, but Himura continued. "Or rather, make it seem like you're running away. As they follow you, it will be more apparent, who's slower or faster. That way, you can take them on one at a time, as long as you have speed and stamina."

"Oh. I get it now." Yahiko paused, considering the concept. "What about you, Kamiya-san? You fought in wars too. Any advice?"

"Rely on your practice. Kaoru's taught you well, don't put it to waste."

He glanced at Kaoru. "Okay."

"And remember something else that's important." She said. "Kamiya Kasshin is the sword that protects. That's why you can't fail or surrender, for the sake of whoever you're fighting for."

He nodded, looking more resolute. "I understand."

In the end, the contraption was only used for honing reflexes. It was useful in that respect, but not very sturdy, and it was taken down before dinner. The sky grew dark over the house, and Yahiko slipped out, thinking he had been discreet. However, they did notice, and Sagara and Himura departed to tail him. Kaoru paced back and forth for a while, until at last, she picked up her own bokken. "I said all I could, but I'm still worried."

"And that's perfectly fine. You wouldn't be a good teacher otherwise."

She smiled. "Then, let's go. Just in case, of course." Her ponytail bobbed as she walked past the gate, and Koshijiro remarked.

"Have you thought about wearing your hair in a bun?"

"Not really, why?"

"So Himura isn't tempted to pull it."

"Otou-san…"

"He acted like a schoolboy yesterday."

She gave a distasteful expression. "Kenshin isn't a schoolboy. I thought you two were getting along!" She stomped further ahead, before halting. "Is that…?"

A familiar, short-haired girl huddled in the shadow of a building, peering around its corner. She hadn't seen them, her attention on a dark alley.

"Yes, that appears to be Tsubame." Koshijiro said. "But this isn't near the Akabeko, it's a dead end."

"I know." Kaoru went over to her, clasping her shoulder. "Good evening, although it isn't very safe at night."

Tsubame jumped. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yahiko's teacher. I know what's happening, and I thought you might be here to try and stop those men."

She looked down. "Mikio-sama, or rather, Nagaoka-san belongs to the family mine served for generations. I didn't know how to refuse him. So, I thought if I could stop them, Yahiko-chan wouldn't be hurt."

"Right now, it seems like it's too late. He's made it all the way here, to fight them off. You'll have to trust Yahiko, and make a promise to yourself."

"A promise?"

"That if Yahiko wins, you will also be stronger. This is a new era, and the four classes are equal. Your heart must reflect that, and if Nagaoka comes back to you, tell him no from the beginning. You're not obligated to serve him, your duty is to what you believe is right. That's how you have to live now."

Abruptly, seven men ran out from around the corner. As they rushed past, Koshijiro heard them muttering 'Battousai' and 'Zanza'. So, the other two were nearby, showing their presence. He glimpsed into the alley, but Yahiko was still fighting the leader. Nagaoka lunged, aiming low.

"Yahiko-kun!" Tsubame called out, no longer hiding. She stood straight, facing him. "Please, win!"

With a shout, Yahiko threw his weight on his right foot, stopping Nagaoka's bokken. It snapped on the ground, and as Nagaoka faltered, Yahiko seized the opportunity for a head strike. He had won, decisively so.

Kaoru stepped over Nagaoka's unconscious body, beaming at Yahiko. "You did it! As expected of my first student!" She was so proud, she hugged him.

"W-what? Get off!" He spluttered and twisted away. "Wait. If you're here, then that means…" He whipped around.

Koshijiro caught a flash of movement from the closest rooftop, and then, an incredibly poor imitation of cicadas humming.

"There aren't cicadas in spring!" Yahiko ground out. "Kenshin and Sano!"

They emerged, appearing nonchalant. Himura rubbed the back of his head. "Oro…"

"It wasn't any of your business. Were you watching the whole time?"

"Yeah, and you weren't half bad." Sagara ruffled his hair. "Nice work."

Himura also smiled. "Yes, you used your surroundings and your training to your advantage. It was good swordsmanship. Well done."

"Hmph. Anyway, I got the key mold. I was thinking it can be evidence, but, er, Tsubame…" It was possible that she would be in trouble for assisting Nagaoka.

Gently, Kaoru said. "We don't have to involve Tsubame with the police. As for her job, Tae's very fair, but it's late. I'll escort Tsubame home."

"Then, take care." Himura then offered. "We'll wait for the police, so we can turn in the potential burglar."

Tsubame didn't move immediately. "Um, thank you, Yahiko-kun." There may have been a slight blush on her cheeks.

"I didn't help you to be thanked." But he toed the dirt, slightly flustered. "Er…shy and awkward people rub me the wrong way."

"Yes, so I'm not going to be as shy and awkward." They exchanged a glance, before she gave a little wave. "I'll see you at the Akabeko tomorrow."

Koshijiro and Kaoru went with her, although they weren't out of earshot, when Sagara demanded. "So, why were you working? You've been keeping this secret the whole time."

"Alright, alright. I want to buy a sakabato, for when I'm as good as Kenshin." There was a raucous burst of laughter from Sagara, making Yahiko add. "This is exactly why I kept it a secret! D-don't tell anyone else!"

However, his voice was loud in the quiet evening, and they heard, Kaoru stifling a laugh. So, he was saving up. And that meant…

"Ah, I won."

"Kamiya-san?" Tsubame blinked. "Did you say something?"

"It's nothing of importance." But still, he smiled as they walked on.