A year had passed and all seemed the same. Kaoru and Sano's bet had finally come to an end and the winner was...
" Damn." Both Kaoru and Sano smiled. " Looks like I lost." Sano replied with a smirk. Kaoru could only smile,
" Of course! My love for Kenii stands strong." Sano could only grimace at the sight and sighed mentally. ' I just wish that I could've told my feelings to Kaoru before this bet was over. But I guess, time didn't let me.' Sano thought. Kaoru saw the sadness in Sano's eyes and felt guilty, so she tippy-toed and planted a light kiss on the boy's cheek. Surprise, Sano looked into Kaoru's eyes as his hand abesentmindly reached up to touch his cheek. Kaoru could only giggle.
" It's only fair. Besides, you promise you would help me get Kenii." Kaoru smiled. Sano nodded dumbly before pumping a fist in the air.
" Okay! Time to get Kenshin to notice you!" Sano cried. Kaoru quickly covered his mouth with her hands and hissed,
" Quiet you buffoon!"
" Heh heh, sorry. I mean... Get the Battosai to notice you!!!" Sano cried out loud. Kaoru just knocked him out.
" I said... quiet!!!" Kaoru cried.
" Oro? What happened to Sano, Kaoru-chan?" Kenshin asked popping his head into the room.
" Uh... it's nothing, Kenshin!" Kaoru stuttered pushing Kenshin out the door and locked it before looking down at the rooster head. " What am I going to do with you?" Kaoru groaned. Kaoru knelt down and slapped the rooster but he didn't wake up. Kaoru got a little scared and poured water over his head and the rooster shot up hugging himself.
" Th-Th-That's cold, Jou-chan!!" Sano shivered. Kaoru rolled her eyes.
" Get dressed, we're going on another errand. Better hurry it up or I'm going by myself." Kaoru replied walking out the door and downstairs for breakfast. Sano just laughed and dressed in a new pair of clothes before going down for breakfast.
" Why are you up so late, Sano?" Kenshin asked. Sano just sideglance over at Kaoru and shook his head,
" Just tired."
" I see. Don't be late again or your customer's will get angry with us." Kenshin replied. Aoshi continued eating, not wanting to butt into the conversation.
" Yeah, yeah. I get it all ready." Sano complained as he scarfed down his bowl of food before getting up and headed to the candy store. Kaoru also tried to finish up and hurried behind him. Aoshi finished quietly and excused himself from the table before going to the back to meditate, leaving Kenshin to clean up the table and began tending to the shop.
" So... what do you want me to help you with?" Sano replied. Kaoru thought and thought and thought about it before hearing Sano speak again, " You mean, you haven't thought about how you were going to get Kenshin to like you??" Kaoru glared at him,
" So what if I don't? I have to make sure that he likes me without letting him on about our bet." Kaoru said. Sano rolled his eyes in annoyance and came upon Misao who was shopping. She turned around and found her favorite 'play thing'.
" Sano-kun!!! Could you help me with the groceries?" Misao pouted. Kaoru fumed as she started to crumple the list in her hands. Sano agreed happily and carried the bags as he gave the bag of candies to Kaoru. Kaoru was shocked,
" B-But, Sano. What about the deliveries?" Kaoru cried. Sano just waved her away as he began to follow Misao,
" You can do it yourself right?" Kaoru fumed,
" Sano!!" Kaoru cried, but he disappeared with Misao in a sea of people. Kaoru lagged the sack around and trying to deliver the candies on time. By lunch time she was tired and fished out some money and bought herself a melon bread and ate it quietly thinking over why seeing Sano and Misao together made her so irritated.
" It's not like I was jealous over him, I mean I love Kenii for heavens sake!" Kaoru grumbled taking another bite of the bread and got up; a few more deliveries and it was time to go home. After walking back and forth from one place to another, Kaoru was so exhausted. The last one was to, Tomoe Yukishiro.
' Yukishiro... Where have I heard that name before?' Kaoru though walking the other side of town and knocked on a familiar door. ' Wait... don't tell me its...' Kaoru thought when the door opened to see the white haired boy.
" Enishi! I thought it would be you! But sorry this isn't for you. Do you know a Tomoe Yukishiro?" Kaoru asked. The boy nodded.
" Yeah, she's my sister. She in town right now, grocery shopping. So I'll get her delivery for her." Enishi explained, Kaoru smiled.
" Oh I see." Enishi handed the money over to the younger girl and Kaoru went home.
" There! Got everything on the list!" Misao exclaimed and looked up at the sky and gasped. " Oh my! Looks like the shopping took longer than I hoped. Thanks Sano for bearing with me until now. I bet your lady friend was mad." Misao replied. Sano shook his head,
" Oh I think it's okay with her."
" Are you sure? I mean, what if she has feelings for you? I don't want to be in the middle of it." Misao cried.
" You mean, you already have someone?" Sano wondered. Misao nodded brightly.
" Well, I don't know but he hangs out with you." Misao replied. Sano was rejected again.
" Who's he?" Sano said. Misao thought about it.
" Aoshi." Sano couldn't believe it! A cold prick has an admirer? Who'd have thought.
" Wow... Do you want to meet him?" Sano asked. Misao nodded happily,
" You mean, I could see him! I only saw him from afar and never close! Thank you, Sano!" Misao cried hugging the rooster. He blushed and pulled her away,
" Okay. Let's get going." Sano replied as he carried the bag of groceries to her house and dropped them off before walking back to his home.
" You live in this candy store? I thought you just work here." Misao said, Sano shook his head.
" Naw, me and my friends live here now." Sano said. " I'm home!" Sano cried. Kaoru came out, looking angry and spotted a girl next to him.
' Misao.' Kaoru mentally growled. " Oh, hello. What brings you here, Miss Makimachi?" Kaoru asked.
" I'm here to see Aoshi-kun!" Misao replied. Over at the living room, Aoshi heard his name being called and he walked up behind Kaoru to see his guest and groaned.
" Not you again." Misao made a face,
" What do you mean by that? Aren't you happy to see me, Aoshi-kun? I'm hurt." Misao pouted. Sano felt pity for the girl and cried,
" Yeah. Just take her out on a date and..."
" Do you really want to die, Sano?" Aoshi growled.
" N-No..." Sano stuttered.
" Good. Now, leave girl. I have no business with you." Aoshi stated before walking back inside the shop. Rejected, Misao ran off and back onto the streets.
" That's real smooth, Aoshi." Sano spat as he looked back outside.
" Just leave it alone, Sano." Kaoru said as she went inside also. Sano sighed and walked in also.
Dinner was over and Sano decided to 'hint' that Kaoru likes Kenshin to the red head.
" Eh, Kenshin. Come over here. I want to tell you something." Sano cried. The red head looked at Sano suspiciously before cautiously walking over to the rooster head.
" What is it?" Kenshin asked.
" I heard a girl was pining over you." Sano said. He saw a little happiness in those violet eyes of his and smirked inwardly.
" D-Do you know who? Not that I'm curious..." Kenshin replied turning a light pink. Sano caught it anyways.
" It's a girl... and that's all I can tell you. At least you aren't gay. Are you?" Sano questioned. Kenshin only growled which told Sano that he wasn't.
" Okay, okay. I get it, you're not gay." Sano replied jokingly.
" At least tell me her name." Kenshin said. Sano felt uneasy about it. ' I promised Kaoru not to reveal who it was... But hell, they deserve to be together.' Sano thought as he came to a conclusion.
" Okay. Don't act surprise okay?" Sano replied huddling with Kenshin. Kenshin could only nod. " It's Kaoru." Sano whispered. Ameythst eyes widen and Kenshin could only gap at the name.
Kaoru. Kaoru liked him.
" Wow. Look like you didn't take it too well did you, Kenshin? Are you okay buddy?" Sano cried. Kenshin still couldn't speak.
" Sano!" a voice cried. Sano and Kenshin both looked over at the last room down the hall, a raven haired girl poked her head out.
" Yes?" Sano answered. Kaoru motioned him to come and he patted Kenshin's shoulders before walking to Kaoru who only earned a slap in return. " Ouch, Kaoru!" Kaoru pulled Sano inside her room and closed it before whirling around at the rooster.
" You told Kenshin, did you?" Kaoru cried.
" I didn't know you were an eavesdropper. How did you manage to hear us from that distance... unleass you got great hearing than a baby." Sano said. He was earned another slap to the head.
" Quit it!" Sano cried hands over his head. Kaoru glared at him.
" You promised not to tell..." Kaoru cried.
" I know, but since he knows of your feelings. It'll be better." Sano said.
" And? How did he take it?" Kaoru asked. Sano thought for a moment how Kenshin's face had looked.
" He was like a fish out of water." Sano smiled and another slap was earned. " Ouch!" Sano cried. Kaoru sighed,
" Let's go to sleep already." Sano went back to his room with a sore head. Kenshin sat there in his room staring out of the window to the starry sky above a smile was plastered on his face.
' My wish came true. Kaoru Kamiya likes me back.'