Kinnosuke: Yukiko asked me to come with her today. We walk side by side and I look around. She seems nervous, as much as Yukiko could ever be nervous. She?EUR(TM)s much too reserved in public. I reach out to hold her hand and I smile.
?EURoeYou seem a little on edge. Is something the matter Yuki??EUR? ? We turn the corner and see other couples entering the gates. I can?EUR(TM)t help but think that someday we can be like them too. ? ?EURoeCome now you can tell me. After all I did cancel going to the office today. There must?EUR(TM)ve been a reason why.?EUR?
?EURoeKinnosuke-san, I am not sure. There is this man who seems harmless enough.?EUR? She looks on, ?EURoeSee there he is ?EUR the one with the red hair.?EUR?
?EURoeHas he been giving you trouble??EUR? I ask ?EURvery- concerned.
?EURoeNo no.?EUR? She squeezes my hand, ?EURoeIf anything he is very polite and good to speak to however?EUR??EUR?
?EURoeHowever??EUR?
?EURoeI think I said too much. I told him about uncle, about Aizu and about us being alone.?EUR? She shakes her head. ?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m not sure why I did that. Father always cautioned me about?EUR??EUR?
Tugging at her hand I place a finger on her lip, ?EURoeShhh?EUR? I doubt you told him anything useful. Besides, I?EUR(TM)m sure you told him about me and about Fujita-san being in the police. You?EUR(TM)re worrying too much.?EUR?
She smiles a little and I?EUR(TM)m glad for that, ?EURoeYou think so? I have been worried sick.?EUR?
?EURoeNow let?EUR(TM)s go and meet this person who was able to spill all of your secrets.?EUR? I tease and she pouts at me just a little. Oh how I shall miss her when she is gone!
Kenshin: Kenji is late again it seems. Sessha hopes he?EUR(TM)s not detained again. The more time passes?EUR? The more troublesome Kenji seems to be. I sigh but spy the young lady from yesterday with a man?EUR? Much older than her! Did sessha scare her badly? This must be the little girl?EUR(TM)s father. He seems about the right age.
?EURoeGood afternoon Yukiko-san.?EUR? I bow to her and her companion, ?EURoeYou too Yagi-san. Welcome back, I hope you had a good trip in Aizu.?EUR? Was Aizu only a day trip? Isn?EUR(TM)t that a bit too short?
?EURoeOh no. I?EUR(TM)m not Yagi-san, I?EUR(TM)m Suzuki Kinnosuke.?EUR? He laughs and scratches the back of his head embarrassed.
?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m sorry. I thought, the age of the little girl?EUR? You?EUR(TM)re not Yagi-san??EUR?
Kinnosuke:
This man?EUR? To think I?EUR(TM)m as old as Fujita-san! Yukiko will never have me if she is reminded of our age difference! ?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m not Yagi-san, Makoto?EUR(TM)s father is still in Aizu and he is a lot more older than me in age and looks!?EUR?
?EURoeYou?EUR(TM)re not that much younger than uncle, Kinnosuke?EUR??EUR? Yukiko chimes in and I felt all my chances with the young lady slipping away.
?EURoeWell yes but he is more than five years older?EUR??EUR? I must at least ?EURtry-.
Yukiko sighs and bows to the man, ?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m sorry a proper introduction is called for here. Kinnosuke this is Himura-san. Himura-san this man Kinnosuke is my suitor, so please don?EUR(TM)t confuse him with my uncle…?EUR?
?EURoeYes don?EUR(TM)t confuse him!?EUR? I look to the right where the voice came from and then I look down, Makoto! When did she get here?
?EURoeMy chichi-ue runs fast, is much taller, has golden eyes and has hair like this!?EUR? She takes a few strands of her hair and holds them out and away from her face, her hair almost like antennas sticking out like that.
Yukiko smiles and picks up the little girl, saddling Makoto on her arm. ?EURoeOh Makoto you know you shouldn?EUR(TM)t sneak up on us like that. Here let Uncle Kinnosuke take your bag.?EUR?
Yukiko hands me Makoto?EUR(TM)s bag and I can only smile sheepishly at Himura. ?EURoeThese are my girls.?EUR?
?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m ?EURnot- your girl.?EUR? Makoto chimes in. ?EURoeI?EUR(TM)m Chichi-ue?EUR(TM)s.?EUR?
Kenshin:
Why is it that sessha always finds himself in a ruckus? I don?EUR(TM)t say much else except for pleasantries. Now I see why Yukiko-san was ill at ease. There can be no doubt as to whose child this is. I have suspected such already, it?EUR(TM)s not unusual for Saitou to hide under many different names?EUR? Wasn?EUR(TM)t it Fujita before? So is it Yagi now? I wonder what happened to Tokio-san? Sisho ? never breathed a word. Those boys of his? What happened to them? But the demeanor of this child and how can I deny that this child looks very much like him. I smile at Makoto-chan. She too is a child of the new era?EUR? For now it is best if I keep all this to myself and not worry the Yagi?EUR(TM)s?EUR? Besides Saitou is not the only one who can live a new life, I?EUR(TM)ve been living one since the start of the Meiji.
?EURoeMou! Tou-san!!! I?EUR(TM)ve been standing here for ages now! Stop ignoring me!?EUR?
I pick up Kenji and he waves goodbye to our new acquaintances.
?EURoeMakoto-chan, come play with Kenji next time!?EUR? I say and wave, ?EURoeVisit us again Yukiko-san and you too Kinnosuke-san.?EUR?
OOC: Sisho is Hiko