It is a peaceful day at the Kamiya dojo and Kenshin is doing laundry and playing with Ayame and Suzume. Kaoru sits in the dojo and becomes upset that her students are not coming back. Genzai-sensei comes and Kaoru asks Kenshin to treat them to lunch at the Akabeko. On the way, Kenshin sees a boy taking an old man's wallet. However, when the old man is going to buy something for his grandson, the boy goes back to slip the purse into back to the old man. As the boy pickpocket begins to walk away, Kenshin stops him and tells him that he is really a good kid. The boy looks at him in surprise, before Kenshin is dragged off by Kaoru.  

    As Kenshin and Kaoru walk home, the boy from before charges into Kenshin and takes his purse. Kaoru, realizing that he is a pickpocket, pins him to the ground. The boy cals her ugly, and they start yelling at each other. Kenshin calls to the boy, who raises his fist, but Kenshin turns his hand over and gives him the purse, telling him that next time he shouldn't get caught. Kenshin and Kaoru start to walk away when the boy angrily throws the purse at Kenshin's head. He exclaims that he is a Tokyo samurai and he doesn't need their charity and he was only being teasing because Kenshin carried a sword. "Child," Kenshin says gently. The boy yells at him that he is not a child. Kenshin tells him that he sorry, that he has the appearance of a child but he acts older. "Keep that pride with you always," he says.  

    As the boy sits by the river, he remembers Kenshin's words. Three yakuza members approach him and he tells him that he's not stealing for them anymore. They promptly beat him up.  

    At the Akabeko, Tae tells them about the boy, Myoujin Yahiko. His parents died with debts to the yakuza and Yahiko has to work for them to pay them off. Kaoru is indignant that he is "owned" like that, and she gets up to save Yahiko. Kenshin tries to stop her but to no avail.  

    At the yakuza gambling hall, they are testing a trick dice. They will make more money this way, they say. Yahiko sits in the corner glaring at "Hitokiri" Gasuke, the guy with the spiky hair who had beat him up earlier. Suddenly Kaoru bursts into the room swinging her bokutou. She demands that Yahiko be freed. Snickering, they tell her to try a game at dice. If she wins, she can take Yahiko, but if she loses, she will also become their slave. Kaoru agrees. Yahiko kicks free of the yakuza members who are holding on to him and tells her not to do it and that he doesn't want her help. Kaoru tells him that she won't let them do this to him and tells him to relax, she's lucky at these things. ^^;; She rolls the dice and she wins. The yakuza are trying to figure out what went wrong, and Yahiko, afraid for Kaoru, tells them to let her go free. Then they realize that Yahiko had switched the trick dice with normal ones. They beat him up and Kaoru indignantly beats _them_ up for it. Then she fights Gasuke who breaks her bokutou with his hidden sword. Kaoru is thrown backwards and knocks down a wall screen, revealing an ugly man behind it, apparently the boss, who is eating lunch.  

    Yahiko is brought to him and they tell him to beg for forgiveness, but he refuses. The man tells him that his samurai honor won't save him and that his father died protesting the new government and his mother died a whore. Yahiko, furious, tells him to shut up, and that his parents lived honorably, fighting for their beliefs and working hard to raise him. The boss decides that Yahiko must be taught a lesson and Gasuke draws his sword. Kaoru jumps up and tries to stop him. However Gasuke smirks and says that he will kill them both. Suddenly a screen door flies open and it is Kenshin. He tells them to let them go. Gasuke angrily attacks him but Kenshin sends him through the ceiling with just a hit from the butt of his sword. While the yakuza watch trembling, Kenshin asks once again. The boss tells him to do whatever he would like and Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko leave. He stops his men who get up to stop them, saying that Kenshin has the eyes of a real hitokiri and that he is surprised that such a man still exists.  

    Yahiko is not happy about being rescued. Kenshin asks him if he is upset about not being able to strong enough, and Yahiko replies that he wants to be strong so that he can defend his parents' honor by himself and not need to depend on anyone.  

    Back at the Kamiya dojo, Kenshin declares Yahiko will be Kaoru's student, the response to which Kaoru's and Yahiko's is not so good. Yahiko insults Kaoru, instantly starting another quarrel in which Kaoru chases Yahiko around the dojo. Kaoru's narration: Now we have a new student at the Kamiya Dojo.