“Now Tsutomu-kun make sure you wash the dishes very well.” Tae-san keeps reminding me, “And if the guests outside need hot water or tea, if they holler let us know.”
“Yes ma’am.” She finally leaves. How are the guests going to even let me know about that if I’m stuck in the back washing dishes?
“Hey Eiji you’ve got to start telling Saitou to stop coming by the dojo.”
Isn’t that Myoujin-san?
I stop the water for a minute and look towards the back door.
“Yahiko you know he’s going to do what he wants to do. Besides it’s not like Saitou-san started a fight.”
“Look Eiji. He threatened the dojo while Kenshin was out. Kaoru was the only one there. Well there was Hiko-sensei but he can be unreliable.”
“I just don’t think Saitou-san is stupid enough to start trouble you know? Especially with Kenshin’s sensei there. I heard he’s pretty strong.”
“He’s not stupid but he’s after Kenshin for interfering with his marriage!”
“Come on Yahiko, that’s a long time ago. Saitou-san can’t really be after Kenshin for a one time visit years ago. And it was Tokio-san who willingly helped Kenshin.”
“-Exactly-. His wife helped Kenshin instead of sticking by her husband! That’s why he’s still angry at Kenshin all this time.”
“I still don’t think…”
“Look, after the Enishi incident, I started thinking Saitou wasn’t such a bad guy you know? He helped us find Kaoru, kind of. I don’t know what happened to him but he’s changed and not for the better.”
“Yahiko-kun! We need to stop talking about this. You know I can’t tell Otou-san what to do. And he’s not a bad person. In fact I think ever since he got back with Yagi-san, he’s much more approachable.”
“Well that’s the other thing. Apparently a couple of weeks ago at the school, Hiko-sensei put on the moves with Yagi-san in front of Saitou.”
“This is the man with the red cape isn’t it?”
“Yeah. You’ve got to meet him man. Hiko is strong and staying at the dojo.”
“Well I’d first believe Otou-san would go after Hiko for this rather than Kenshin-san. That would make much more sense.”
“That’s true especially since Hiko apparently knew Tokio and there was something between them back then.”
“What???”
“Yeah Kaoru told me that Hiko went on and on to Saitou about how him and Tokio went all the way back and that Saitou thought there were shenanigans going on between them. I couldn’t believe it myself and I started laughing. Imagine Saitou broke it off with his wife because he thought she was cheating on him. Ironic isn’t it?”
“Let’s stop talking about this Yahiko. I’ll see what I can do about making sure Otou-san doesn’t come knocking at doors he shouldn’t.”
“Yeah because you know, when it comes down to it I’m not going to hesitate to use this sakabatou.”
“Geez. Stop already. If you want to use the sakabatou so much why don’t you spend more time teaching at the dojo rather than working here.”
“Well I’m watching Tsubame.”
“You’re just as bad as he is.”
“Who?”
“-Him-.”
Turning on the water again, I start scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing. The pots and pans and dishes has never been this clean. So that red haired man and that red caped man… They caused this. And father has stopped by their dojo a few times, I’m sure wanting to take revenge for our family. But what was it they said? That mother disobeyed father? That mother knew the man in the red cape, Hiko?
I need to find a way to get to that dojo and meet that man. Is he really stronger than father? Even so…
I smile. Finally. Finally he’s coming back!