[RuroKen Week] [Fanfic] Rurouni Kenshin: A Modern Times Tale (spin-off)
Finally, the last one ^^ I’ve taken my time because I’ve been considering several ideas till I came up with this one. It’s based on a project for a fanfiction I started working on some years ago. I wrote down several notes, but, unfortunately, only a few pages. After toying with the overoptimistic and unrealistic idea of finishing it, I decided to take the premiss, make lots of changes and use a few paragraphs of the original story to write a spin-off one shot; and also, to create a picture to go with it, like a movie poster XD
Set A: Day 7 - Free Day (Whateve suits your fancy)
Title: Rurouni Kenshin: A Modern Times Tale
Characters: Himura Kenshin, Kamiya Kaoru, Takani Megumi, Shinomori Aoshi, Makimachi Misao (mentions of Sagara Sanosuke and Myoujin Yahiko)
Words: 2836
RUROUNI KENSHIN: A MODERN TIME TALE
Like every morning, Kamiya Kaoru was awakened by strange noises coming from the room next to hers half an hour before her alarm clock rang. For five minutes, she tried to isolate herself from that disturbing sound of something crawling heavily on the ground covering her head with the pillow, but it was impossible. Although she managed to block it, it got into his brain and became a huge snake, exactly like the one in the second Harry Potter book, which slipped through the recesses of her mind and drove away sleep. And every morning, when she sat up, sighing in exasperation while half of her long black hair hung in front of the eyes, she promised herself to give an ultimatum to the inhabitant of that room, knowing that at the end of the day she would not have done. She lacked the courage.
And it was not for fear of Mr. Gensai. The old inventor was friendly, helpful and almost always paid rent on time every month. When he was young he had worked in a bank, but his dream had always been to build new things, objects that may not serve for anything, but that would give him the satisfaction of creating something with his own hands. Therefore, upon retirement, he had decided to pursue his passion. He had lived there for two years already and exactly from that moment on, Kaoru had started to sleep less. The man constantly apologised, but she downplayed it with a smile and encouraged him to continue his hobby. Kaoru loved those moments when, with the excitement of a child, he showed her his latest creation or the pieces that he had got for a new invention. And also, those in which he let her enter into that world that belonged only to him, full of happy memories of his beloved deceased wife, a son living in Brussels and a daughter too busy with her own family to visit him or make room for him in her apartment.
But she did not care, she thought as she reached the ground floor. There would always be a place for him in that old run-down house that he already called his home. Something falling noisily interrupted her thoughts and Kaoru sighed. Although she would have to ask him not to make so much noise so early...
The Kamiya guest house was all her parents had left Kaoru when they died, along with a bank debt and a few weird tenants, some of whom lived there since she could remember, as a former boxer who, once retired, had sought anonymity and the peace of a new home and spent most of his time meditating and having long walks, showing only at meal times.
Before entering the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee assailed her senses, and Kaoru had to bite her lower lip to hold the smile that was forming in her mouth. For several weeks there were having new additions to the family that filled with excitement their previously peaceful life.
"Good morning."
Something fluttered in her chest when she heard that soft voice that now greeted her daily. Finally, she let the smile draw on her lips as she took the cup that the red-headed man next to the window, handed her.
"Good morning, Kenshin" she said as she bent her head slightly as a thanks.
She took a sip and sighed, pleased. He made the best coffee she had ever had. With the cup still on her lips, she watched him over the rim of her cup as he turned his attention back to the window, a melancholic light glinting in his eyes as they stared at a point somewhere very far.
Kenshin had arrived ten days before, on the night when a typhoon was going to land, looking for a room. It was strange, because a guest house was usually more expensive than a capsule hotel or a hostel, but the dishevelled and half drenched man looked exhausted, probably because he had been looking for accomodation for a long time and had been moved to and fro by the strong wind.
The problem had come when she had told him the fee and he had looked dejected, before smiling somewhat painfully, apologising for the trouble. He did not have enough money. However, as he turned to the door, adjusting the heavy rucksack he carried, something inside her had twisted uncomfortably and impulsively, she had invited him to stay for whatever amount he had. After all, she said, she could not let someone spend the night outside in that terrible weather.
The sweet sincere smile he had given her had melted her heart.
And the next morning, when she had gone downstairs to start making breakfast, he had received her with a cup of coffee and in the middle of cooking a meal that had almost made her tenants cry of happiness, a fact that half annoyed her, since she thought her food was not so bad.
After them pleading him to stay several times and the same amount of offerings to pay his fee, she had given up and proposed him to stay in exchange of half of the monthly fee and taking care of the house. Though disconcerted by the scene in front of him, he had finally agreed with a kind thankful expression. He was tired of wandering.
Many times, she had asked herself what had happened to a young man like him to be moving from one place to another aimlessly, to have such sadness reflected in his clear purple eyes...
“Don't be so obvious” a voice whispered on her ear, and she jumped with a shriek, turning sharply to discover Takani Megumi next to her, looking really amused.
“Don't.do.that.again” Kaoru said very slowly in a low growling tone.
The young woman's only reply was a mischievous smile, and then, she turned to the man who was observing their exchange a bit confused.
“Good morning, Ken-san” her expression changed completely to a friendly one, and her voice adquired a flirty tone, taking some steps in the kitchen and leaving a tray covered with a cloth on the counter. “Thank you for leaving that plate of onigiri and some tea for me.”
“You're welcome, Megumi-dono. When you have to wake up so early to work, it's best to have something nutritious first.”
“Why did you have to get up early?” Kaoru asked, puzzled, sitting down at the table in the kitchen.
“My editor decided I was not stressed enough with the novel, and signed me in for an anthology of short stories...” she groaned. “I was on the brink of firing him when I heard.”
Among the current inhabitants of the Kamiya guest house there was also a celebrity. Three years before, her agent had made a reservation, asking for few conditions that would, of course, be well-paid: confidentiality, calm and a comfortable environment for an award-winning writer. Her mother had been thrilled and had taken up the offer immediately.
To their surprise, the next morning a woman much younger than they had expected, had arrived alone, with only a small suitcase and a laptop. She had never imagined that one of the mystery novelists the family admired the most, Doi Mika, would be staying in their house. Neither that she was using a penname.
Despite the superior attitude and the sarcastic comments the authoress sometimes addressed to her, that had made her dislike her most of the time, Megumi had been one of the few that had cared about her when her parents had died in a traffic accident. She had lent her a shoulder to cry on and decided to live there permanently to help, together with the other residents, with the management of the business while she finished high school. Once she had taken on the business, she had decided to keep on living there. She said her inspiration overflowed when she was there, and that it was the perfect place to start a new project. Now, she was also known by her romantic novels, under the pseudonym of Aoi Yuu.
“But,” Kenshin said. “you like challenges, don't you?”
“Um, sometimes, but to tell you the truth, it's more appealing the promise of three days off...” she replied a bit annoyed. “By the way, someone has been sleeping in the storehouse again.”
“Really?” Kaoru frowned, pressing her lips together.
For some days now, they had started to notice that the window of the small building by the house was open every day. At first, Kaoru thought she had forgotten to close it when she had been there the last time, and later, that one of the tenants had to go there for any unknown reason. But none of them had been near the place, and she had started to suspect that they had a unknown guest. The idea was reinforced when she found a very old blanket carefully folded and a small bag with personal belongings between the wall and one of the shelves. However, said person was really slippery.
“Yes, just before dawn I saw a shadow running across the backyard and climbing the fence.”
“Could you see anything else? We can't do anything if we can't give the police a description.”
“The only thing I can say is that it was probably a boy, because I don't think a man would be that short” she sighed, tapping her fingers against the counter for a moment. “Well, I'm going back. Call me when breakfast is ready, please.”
The man nodded and she turned, winking her eye to Kaoru before disappearing down the corridor, back to her room.
Once the peace returned to the kitchen, Kenshin picked up an apron and started to take a few pots from a cabinet.
“What do you think we should do?” the man turned to her with a questioning look. “I... don't really want to involve the police in this if it's just a child. He isn't stealing from us or damaging the property... And, maybe, he's got a family. If the social services butt in and separate them...”
She became silent, lost in her own thoughts, unaware of Kenshin's warm eyes on her.
“Well, we could set a small trap and catch him. I think it's the only way to speak with him without frightening him off.”
“You think so?”
He nodded and she smiled a bit, bringing the cup to her lips. But before she could even take a sip, a sudden knock on the back door startled them. Leaving the pot on the counter, he went to open the door, finding a tall man with blue eyes and the hood of his sweatshirt over his head.
“Good morning, Aoshi-san” he greeted him, stepping aside and letting him enter. “A cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you” he uncovered his head, letting them see his slightly long black hair. “Is Misao awake?”
“Yes” Kenshin answered, going back to the stove. “She came back from running around fifteen minutes ago.”
Kaoru drank her coffee, watching their exchange. The first time Shinomori Aoshi had knocked on her door, she had almost had a heart attackt. To have one of the male models of the hour in Japan at her threshold was something impressive. She should have been used to celebrities, but Aoshi was on a very different level from Megumi.
He had heard about her guest house from an acquaintance and had decided that it would be a good place for his ward to stay. He had to work and travel a lot, and he did not want her to live alone for so much time. Also, she was already at an age when gossip magazines could involve her in a scandal with him, and he wanted to distance her from his world as much as possible.
“Aoshi-sama!”
They heard hurried steps on the stairs and a petite girl dressed with a school uniform appeared on the door. Her eyes sparkled delighted when she saw her guardian.
“Are you coming to see me in the competition today?”
“I'm sorry” he put his hand on her head, as her smile faltered. “I have a photoshoot in Ginza, and... you know it's better if I'm not recognised when I'm near you...”
“Yes...”
He took a camera from his pocket.
“If someone can record it, we could watch it together at the weekend. I have those days off.”
Her pupils shone again and she clapped her hands enthusiastically.
“Of course! I'll tell my friend Sae!”
She took the camera and he gave her a light pat on the shoulder before turning around towards the door.
“See you on Friday, I'll come for you after lunch” he nodded to the other people in the kitchen. “Himura, Kamiya-san.”
And, as suddenly as he had appeared, he went away.
“I think I'll never get used to him...”
Kenshin smiled softly.
“He has a very serious personality.”
“Aoshi-sama has had a very hectic life” Misao stated, tearing her sight from the door to them. “That's probably why he doesn't know how to express his feelings very well. But I can tell you he's a great person, and very caring” she brushed the nape of her neck lightly. “He took me in when I was a child and my parents, his best friends, died in an earthquake...”
Kenshin walked to her and smiled.
“You know him better than anyone so, it must be as you say. You're very fortunate, Misao-dono.”
She squared her shoulders and smiled widely.
“I know! That's why I work with all my might to be a woman worth to be next to him!” she put her hands on her hips. “I have to do my best on the competition. I want him to be proud of me.”
“That's the spirit” Kaoru replied, and Misao's eyes glinted determined.
“Well! I have to finish the preparations before I go.”
“I'll make you a bento full of nutritious food, so you do great.”
“Thanks, Himura!”
They heard her quick footsteps on the stairs, and Kaoru smiled.
“She's a really brave girl.”
Kenshin nodded and turned on the stove. He put water in the pot and, while waiting for it to boil, he took out the ingredients for the miso soup.
“By the way, Sano called earlier” she frowned and stood up from her chair. “He's coming for breakfast.”
“Why didn't you refuse him?”
“Oro?” he looked at her a bit confused. “Well, he said he was tired, that he had been on duty last night.”
She lifted her brow, giving him a sceptical look.
“He just wants to avoid having to cook and eat for free. His house is just a few meters down the street, he could go there.”
“I think that he enjoys the company more than the food. It must be very lonely to eat alone everyday.”
She grumbled, but did not say anything. Sagara Sanosuke was like a brother to her. They had known each other since they wore nappies and had been best friends since then. However, when Sanosuke had become independent after his parents and his brother went back to their hometown in Nagano and his sister had found a job in Nagoya, he had started to eat and hang out to the guest house as much as his job as a police inspector left him. She loved him dearly, but sometimes, he teased her too much, especially since Kenshin had arrived to the house, and she was starting to lose patience. She had more than enough with Megumi and Misao...
“Fine” she said putting the cup in the sink, pouting her lips slightly. “But I think I'm going to start charging him for the meals. He's like a black hole...”
Kenshin laughed lightly, and she smiled. It was not usual to hear that sound, and that second was so precious that she felt as if it had filled her with energy for the whole day, making her forget about Sanosuke, his teasing and his freeloading ways. Then, she looked at the calendar which hung on the wall next to the fridge, where she usually wrote all the important dates at the beginning of the month. That day, the technician was coming to repair the washing machine, which had eaten all the socks of the last laundry, and also, she had to go to the bank to pay yet another bill. She breathed deeply, hearing the water boil and the man near her rumaging in another cupboard.
“I'm going to get the newspaper.”
Kenshin made a sound of acknowledgement, and she went to the door full of determination. Another morning started in the Kamiya guest house.
THE END
Set A: Day 7 - Free Day (Whateve suits your fancy)
Title: Rurouni Kenshin: A Modern Times Tale
Characters: Himura Kenshin, Kamiya Kaoru, Takani Megumi, Shinomori Aoshi, Makimachi Misao (mentions of Sagara Sanosuke and Myoujin Yahiko)
Words: 2836
RUROUNI KENSHIN: A MODERN TIME TALE
Like every morning, Kamiya Kaoru was awakened by strange noises coming from the room next to hers half an hour before her alarm clock rang. For five minutes, she tried to isolate herself from that disturbing sound of something crawling heavily on the ground covering her head with the pillow, but it was impossible. Although she managed to block it, it got into his brain and became a huge snake, exactly like the one in the second Harry Potter book, which slipped through the recesses of her mind and drove away sleep. And every morning, when she sat up, sighing in exasperation while half of her long black hair hung in front of the eyes, she promised herself to give an ultimatum to the inhabitant of that room, knowing that at the end of the day she would not have done. She lacked the courage.
And it was not for fear of Mr. Gensai. The old inventor was friendly, helpful and almost always paid rent on time every month. When he was young he had worked in a bank, but his dream had always been to build new things, objects that may not serve for anything, but that would give him the satisfaction of creating something with his own hands. Therefore, upon retirement, he had decided to pursue his passion. He had lived there for two years already and exactly from that moment on, Kaoru had started to sleep less. The man constantly apologised, but she downplayed it with a smile and encouraged him to continue his hobby. Kaoru loved those moments when, with the excitement of a child, he showed her his latest creation or the pieces that he had got for a new invention. And also, those in which he let her enter into that world that belonged only to him, full of happy memories of his beloved deceased wife, a son living in Brussels and a daughter too busy with her own family to visit him or make room for him in her apartment.
But she did not care, she thought as she reached the ground floor. There would always be a place for him in that old run-down house that he already called his home. Something falling noisily interrupted her thoughts and Kaoru sighed. Although she would have to ask him not to make so much noise so early...
The Kamiya guest house was all her parents had left Kaoru when they died, along with a bank debt and a few weird tenants, some of whom lived there since she could remember, as a former boxer who, once retired, had sought anonymity and the peace of a new home and spent most of his time meditating and having long walks, showing only at meal times.
Before entering the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee assailed her senses, and Kaoru had to bite her lower lip to hold the smile that was forming in her mouth. For several weeks there were having new additions to the family that filled with excitement their previously peaceful life.
"Good morning."
Something fluttered in her chest when she heard that soft voice that now greeted her daily. Finally, she let the smile draw on her lips as she took the cup that the red-headed man next to the window, handed her.
"Good morning, Kenshin" she said as she bent her head slightly as a thanks.
She took a sip and sighed, pleased. He made the best coffee she had ever had. With the cup still on her lips, she watched him over the rim of her cup as he turned his attention back to the window, a melancholic light glinting in his eyes as they stared at a point somewhere very far.
Kenshin had arrived ten days before, on the night when a typhoon was going to land, looking for a room. It was strange, because a guest house was usually more expensive than a capsule hotel or a hostel, but the dishevelled and half drenched man looked exhausted, probably because he had been looking for accomodation for a long time and had been moved to and fro by the strong wind.
The problem had come when she had told him the fee and he had looked dejected, before smiling somewhat painfully, apologising for the trouble. He did not have enough money. However, as he turned to the door, adjusting the heavy rucksack he carried, something inside her had twisted uncomfortably and impulsively, she had invited him to stay for whatever amount he had. After all, she said, she could not let someone spend the night outside in that terrible weather.
The sweet sincere smile he had given her had melted her heart.
And the next morning, when she had gone downstairs to start making breakfast, he had received her with a cup of coffee and in the middle of cooking a meal that had almost made her tenants cry of happiness, a fact that half annoyed her, since she thought her food was not so bad.
After them pleading him to stay several times and the same amount of offerings to pay his fee, she had given up and proposed him to stay in exchange of half of the monthly fee and taking care of the house. Though disconcerted by the scene in front of him, he had finally agreed with a kind thankful expression. He was tired of wandering.
Many times, she had asked herself what had happened to a young man like him to be moving from one place to another aimlessly, to have such sadness reflected in his clear purple eyes...
“Don't be so obvious” a voice whispered on her ear, and she jumped with a shriek, turning sharply to discover Takani Megumi next to her, looking really amused.
“Don't.do.that.again” Kaoru said very slowly in a low growling tone.
The young woman's only reply was a mischievous smile, and then, she turned to the man who was observing their exchange a bit confused.
“Good morning, Ken-san” her expression changed completely to a friendly one, and her voice adquired a flirty tone, taking some steps in the kitchen and leaving a tray covered with a cloth on the counter. “Thank you for leaving that plate of onigiri and some tea for me.”
“You're welcome, Megumi-dono. When you have to wake up so early to work, it's best to have something nutritious first.”
“Why did you have to get up early?” Kaoru asked, puzzled, sitting down at the table in the kitchen.
“My editor decided I was not stressed enough with the novel, and signed me in for an anthology of short stories...” she groaned. “I was on the brink of firing him when I heard.”
Among the current inhabitants of the Kamiya guest house there was also a celebrity. Three years before, her agent had made a reservation, asking for few conditions that would, of course, be well-paid: confidentiality, calm and a comfortable environment for an award-winning writer. Her mother had been thrilled and had taken up the offer immediately.
To their surprise, the next morning a woman much younger than they had expected, had arrived alone, with only a small suitcase and a laptop. She had never imagined that one of the mystery novelists the family admired the most, Doi Mika, would be staying in their house. Neither that she was using a penname.
Despite the superior attitude and the sarcastic comments the authoress sometimes addressed to her, that had made her dislike her most of the time, Megumi had been one of the few that had cared about her when her parents had died in a traffic accident. She had lent her a shoulder to cry on and decided to live there permanently to help, together with the other residents, with the management of the business while she finished high school. Once she had taken on the business, she had decided to keep on living there. She said her inspiration overflowed when she was there, and that it was the perfect place to start a new project. Now, she was also known by her romantic novels, under the pseudonym of Aoi Yuu.
“But,” Kenshin said. “you like challenges, don't you?”
“Um, sometimes, but to tell you the truth, it's more appealing the promise of three days off...” she replied a bit annoyed. “By the way, someone has been sleeping in the storehouse again.”
“Really?” Kaoru frowned, pressing her lips together.
For some days now, they had started to notice that the window of the small building by the house was open every day. At first, Kaoru thought she had forgotten to close it when she had been there the last time, and later, that one of the tenants had to go there for any unknown reason. But none of them had been near the place, and she had started to suspect that they had a unknown guest. The idea was reinforced when she found a very old blanket carefully folded and a small bag with personal belongings between the wall and one of the shelves. However, said person was really slippery.
“Yes, just before dawn I saw a shadow running across the backyard and climbing the fence.”
“Could you see anything else? We can't do anything if we can't give the police a description.”
“The only thing I can say is that it was probably a boy, because I don't think a man would be that short” she sighed, tapping her fingers against the counter for a moment. “Well, I'm going back. Call me when breakfast is ready, please.”
The man nodded and she turned, winking her eye to Kaoru before disappearing down the corridor, back to her room.
Once the peace returned to the kitchen, Kenshin picked up an apron and started to take a few pots from a cabinet.
“What do you think we should do?” the man turned to her with a questioning look. “I... don't really want to involve the police in this if it's just a child. He isn't stealing from us or damaging the property... And, maybe, he's got a family. If the social services butt in and separate them...”
She became silent, lost in her own thoughts, unaware of Kenshin's warm eyes on her.
“Well, we could set a small trap and catch him. I think it's the only way to speak with him without frightening him off.”
“You think so?”
He nodded and she smiled a bit, bringing the cup to her lips. But before she could even take a sip, a sudden knock on the back door startled them. Leaving the pot on the counter, he went to open the door, finding a tall man with blue eyes and the hood of his sweatshirt over his head.
“Good morning, Aoshi-san” he greeted him, stepping aside and letting him enter. “A cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you” he uncovered his head, letting them see his slightly long black hair. “Is Misao awake?”
“Yes” Kenshin answered, going back to the stove. “She came back from running around fifteen minutes ago.”
Kaoru drank her coffee, watching their exchange. The first time Shinomori Aoshi had knocked on her door, she had almost had a heart attackt. To have one of the male models of the hour in Japan at her threshold was something impressive. She should have been used to celebrities, but Aoshi was on a very different level from Megumi.
He had heard about her guest house from an acquaintance and had decided that it would be a good place for his ward to stay. He had to work and travel a lot, and he did not want her to live alone for so much time. Also, she was already at an age when gossip magazines could involve her in a scandal with him, and he wanted to distance her from his world as much as possible.
“Aoshi-sama!”
They heard hurried steps on the stairs and a petite girl dressed with a school uniform appeared on the door. Her eyes sparkled delighted when she saw her guardian.
“Are you coming to see me in the competition today?”
“I'm sorry” he put his hand on her head, as her smile faltered. “I have a photoshoot in Ginza, and... you know it's better if I'm not recognised when I'm near you...”
“Yes...”
He took a camera from his pocket.
“If someone can record it, we could watch it together at the weekend. I have those days off.”
Her pupils shone again and she clapped her hands enthusiastically.
“Of course! I'll tell my friend Sae!”
She took the camera and he gave her a light pat on the shoulder before turning around towards the door.
“See you on Friday, I'll come for you after lunch” he nodded to the other people in the kitchen. “Himura, Kamiya-san.”
And, as suddenly as he had appeared, he went away.
“I think I'll never get used to him...”
Kenshin smiled softly.
“He has a very serious personality.”
“Aoshi-sama has had a very hectic life” Misao stated, tearing her sight from the door to them. “That's probably why he doesn't know how to express his feelings very well. But I can tell you he's a great person, and very caring” she brushed the nape of her neck lightly. “He took me in when I was a child and my parents, his best friends, died in an earthquake...”
Kenshin walked to her and smiled.
“You know him better than anyone so, it must be as you say. You're very fortunate, Misao-dono.”
She squared her shoulders and smiled widely.
“I know! That's why I work with all my might to be a woman worth to be next to him!” she put her hands on her hips. “I have to do my best on the competition. I want him to be proud of me.”
“That's the spirit” Kaoru replied, and Misao's eyes glinted determined.
“Well! I have to finish the preparations before I go.”
“I'll make you a bento full of nutritious food, so you do great.”
“Thanks, Himura!”
They heard her quick footsteps on the stairs, and Kaoru smiled.
“She's a really brave girl.”
Kenshin nodded and turned on the stove. He put water in the pot and, while waiting for it to boil, he took out the ingredients for the miso soup.
“By the way, Sano called earlier” she frowned and stood up from her chair. “He's coming for breakfast.”
“Why didn't you refuse him?”
“Oro?” he looked at her a bit confused. “Well, he said he was tired, that he had been on duty last night.”
She lifted her brow, giving him a sceptical look.
“He just wants to avoid having to cook and eat for free. His house is just a few meters down the street, he could go there.”
“I think that he enjoys the company more than the food. It must be very lonely to eat alone everyday.”
She grumbled, but did not say anything. Sagara Sanosuke was like a brother to her. They had known each other since they wore nappies and had been best friends since then. However, when Sanosuke had become independent after his parents and his brother went back to their hometown in Nagano and his sister had found a job in Nagoya, he had started to eat and hang out to the guest house as much as his job as a police inspector left him. She loved him dearly, but sometimes, he teased her too much, especially since Kenshin had arrived to the house, and she was starting to lose patience. She had more than enough with Megumi and Misao...
“Fine” she said putting the cup in the sink, pouting her lips slightly. “But I think I'm going to start charging him for the meals. He's like a black hole...”
Kenshin laughed lightly, and she smiled. It was not usual to hear that sound, and that second was so precious that she felt as if it had filled her with energy for the whole day, making her forget about Sanosuke, his teasing and his freeloading ways. Then, she looked at the calendar which hung on the wall next to the fridge, where she usually wrote all the important dates at the beginning of the month. That day, the technician was coming to repair the washing machine, which had eaten all the socks of the last laundry, and also, she had to go to the bank to pay yet another bill. She breathed deeply, hearing the water boil and the man near her rumaging in another cupboard.
“I'm going to get the newspaper.”
Kenshin made a sound of acknowledgement, and she went to the door full of determination. Another morning started in the Kamiya guest house.
THE END