Kaoru couldn't sleep at all that night, so she was already awake when morning came. " Woah. Jou-chan, did you put your makeup on wrong?" Sano joked. Kaoru just wanted to bash the living daylights out of him. " No. I just couldn't sleep because of what you said." Kaoru replied, then regretted it. " Ooohh.. Is it about that kiss? Or what I promised?" Sano wondered. Kaoru's cheeks flamed up and replied quickly, " The promise of course!" " What promise?" a voice replied groggily. Kaoru and Sano turned around to see the Rurouni had woken up. " Uh, it's nothing Kenshin. You can go back to sleep now. Sorry to have woken you up." Kaoru said. Kenshin just waved it off and went back to bed.
Kaoru let out a sigh when the rurouni went back to the comforts of his bed. " I saw that." Sano smirked. " You didn't see anything!" Kaoru shot back as she went downstairs to get the list of customers. Sano just chuckled and followed the raven-haired girl downstairs and into the shop. They found a bag of candies and a list there waiting for them at the counter. Then they went out to deliver them. Kaoru was lost in thought about the bet, when she bumped into somebody. " Oof!" Kaoru landed on her behind. " Watch where you're going, baka!" the boy replied running away. Kaoru looked up in anger. " I'll get that boy for you, Jou-chan." Sano growled, raising up a fist. " Ugh. Nevermind, let's go." Kaoru replied dusting herself off.
In the middle of delivering, they went into a tea house to rest up for a bit. Sano payed for the sweet mochi and tea for himself. Kaoru was about to order some when she remembered her bet. Biting her lip, she payed attention to the people on the road. Sano smirked. " What? Don't tell me you're not hungry are you, Jou-chan?" Kaoru turned to look at Sano, " No-" but was stopped when her stomach growled. Kaoru grunted. Sano just laughed. " Yeah, Yeah. Laugh." Kaoru replied. He handed a stick of mochi to her. Kaoru looked at it confused. " Why?" " I don't want you to not eat because of me. Just pay me back. Alright? After the bet is done." Sano replied. " Okay." Kaoru said.
After eating, they continued with their deliveries. They both met up with the girl, Misao. Sano flirted with her again and Kaoru got annoyed with it. " Come on, Sano. We've got work to do." Kaoru replied irritated. " Sorry. Maybe next time." Sano said. Misao left. Sano followed Kaoru. " What's up? Why were you so set on me not seeing her?" Sano asked. " What? Did you hear me say that? No, I don't think so." Kaoru said. " You didn't have to say that. It was evident on your face." Sano replied.
" Well! We have to finish this before the sun set. So, let's get going!" Kaoru replied quickly, changing the subject. Sano just chuckled and followed the girl to their next destination. After finishing with their deliveries, they headed home. " You like me," Sano pestered Kaoru. " Do not! Why would I like a chicken head like you anyways?" Kaoru shot back. " The girl Misao does." Sano said. " Yeah, she was reeled in with your charming good looks." Kaoru replied sarcastically. " She did actually." Sano replied smiling. " Tch." Kaoru rolled her eyes and went into the shop. " Admit it, you like me Kaoru." Sano said. " I do not!" Kaoru replied. " Kaoru likes who?" the rurouni asked once they were in the house. Kaoru blushed and ran upstairs.
Kenshin looked upstairs, " What's up with her?" " She's just in her hormone stage. Don't worry about her." Sano said. " Oh. Ok." Kenshin replied sitting down and sipping tea. Up in her room Kaoru was pacing around, " Baka, baka! Kenshin was right there too!" A knock was on the door, " Come in." Kaoru sighed. In came Aoshi. " What do you want?" Kaoru ground out. " I heard. You like the Battosai?" Aoshi replied. Kaoru turned a shade of red. " Shh!" Kaoru scrambled to close the door. " Quiet!" Kaoru hissed. " I don't know why you're so worked up about it, Kaoru-chan. It's nothing to be embarassed about. After all, Kenshin's your first love." Aoshi shrugged. " Aoshi!!" Kaoru hissed again, fists at her side. Aoshi sighed, " So you're telling me that I have to keep it a secret from the Battosai?" " Yes! At all costs!" Kaoru desperately cried. " What if I chose not to? I have a right." Aoshi replied. " You do it and I'll hurt you, understand?" Kaoru said.
Aoshi just rolled his eyes, he knew that Kaoru could never hurt him that bad, but he would like to see her try. Aoshi walked to the door and opened it, then he yelled for Kenshin. Kaoru bristled and hurriedly closed the door. She turned towards Aoshi and cried, " Do you really want me to hurt you!" Aoshi leaned closed to the raven haired's face and whispered, " Try it." Kaoru growled, but the door opened to reveal the rurouni. " Oro? Did I interupt something personal?" Kenshin said as he saw the two friends, faces inches from each other. Kaoru stood erected and replied quickly, " Of course not!" Aoshi stood back up slowly and replied, " I see that you two have some catching up to do." Aoshi left the room, leaving Kaoru alone with the rurouni.
" Catching up to do? Kaoru, what did Aoshi mean by that?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru turned a shade of pink and left the room, leaving the rurouni confused. Downstairs, Sano was telling Aoshi all about the bet that he and Kaoru made, Kaoru heard. " Sano! Now you're letting Aoshi in on this?!" Kaoru replied. " Yup. Besides, the katana master here," Sano gestured to Aoshi, " said he was bored and wanted to do something. So I told him our bet to waste time." Sano replied. Kaoru glared over at Aoshi. He smirked in reply. " Since you know about the bet, you better not say anything to Kenshin, got it?" Kaoru retorted. " Yeah." Sano agreed. Aoshi looked to his two friends and sighed, " Whatever."
The old lady came back in. " Where were you, grandma?" Kaoru asked. " Never mind, sign these please." the old lady asked. She went upstairs to get Kenshin and brought him down. " What are these?" Sano asked. " They're... just stuff. You don't need to worry about it, all right?" the old lady assured the four kids. They just nodded and signed the papers. After they had ate, and the four children went upstairs to get ready for bed, Aoshi gathered them into his room. " I think the old lady is leaving us." Aoshi replied after a minute of silence. " Leave us? But why?" Kaoru asked. " I don't know, I could only understand some of the words written on the paper." Aoshi said. " Why would she take us in, and then leave us behind? This doesn't make sense." Sano cried. " Shh..." Aoshi whispered. Sano quickly put both his hands over his mouth. " Hmm, maybe it was a plan to lure us in and abandon us like what our parents did?" Kenshin asked.
" I don't know." Aoshi said shaking his head. " Well! I'm going to ask granny!" Kaoru cried getting up, but was pulled back down in a sitting position. " Why! I have a right to know! She just seem like a nice person. She would never have to resort to abandoning us for no reason! I want to know why!" Kaoru replied, running out of the room. " KAORU!!" the three boys cried, running after her. " My, what's with all the commotion? Aren't you in bed yet?" the old lady replied turning to face the four little children. " Is it true?" Kaoru asked. The old lady was confused, " True about what, Kaoru-chan?" " That you're going to leave us!" Kaoru cried. " Leave? Oh, you can read huh? Yes, I am leaving." the old lady confessed. " But why? I thought you loved us!" Kaoru cried, latching on to the old lady. " Please, don't leave us! We promised to be good and help around the shop more!" The old lady just laughed. " Don't worry, Kaoru-chan. I'll try to be around more."
Kaoru looked up, " Really?" " Sure, if that's what you want, I'll live just a little more for you." The old lady replied. " Wait." Aoshi stopped. He looked up at the old lady, " What do you mean by, ' I'll live just a little more?' Do you mean to tell me, you're dying?" Aoshi asked. The old lady had a glazed look on her face, " Yes." The group of kids gasped. " B-But, we just got to know you!" Kaoru cried. " I'm sorry I kept it a secret from you. I should've told you the first day you came." the old lady said. " How long do you have?" Kenshin asked. " Just about until the end of this month." the old lady replied. The kids were silent, " Then is that what you had us signed, something to your death wish?" Aoshi asked. " Yes, since you signed it, after I'm dead, you are still able to live in this house and be able to continue work at my shop as my own children." the old lady said.
The kids had a look of forlon on their faces. " Oh... I guess we'll just have fun 'till the end!" Kaoru cried. " Starting tomorrow granny, we'll have a vacation!" Sano replied. The old lady just laughed. " All right, all right." " Yay!" both Kaoru and Sano cried.