Yahiko started from his sleep. He blinked, not sure of where he was. There were towels in his gi, and it was damp along with his hakama. His body shivered and ached. His bones felt weak. The room he was in was small. The futon was on the wall adjacent to the shoji and there was a flower decoration wilting in the cold room. Behind it was a hole…
"Aa!" the boy exclaimed. "It was a dream." A chill wind blew across is sore body. "Sort of." Yahiko shivered again and sneezed. He put a clammy hand to his forehead. He probably had a slight fever, but he couldn't tell. Sneezing again, the young man stood up; his knees were shaky but they supported him. He blew out the candles and put them away and then slid open the shoji.
"Domo arigatoo, Okaa-san," he said softly.
Yahiko made his way down the engawa; the amado had been opened, letting in the bright sunlight. The snowfall of last night had been heavy. Yahiko could see the morning bustle trying to walk through knee-deep snow, and the drifts were around twice that height. It was cold out, and in damp clothes Yahiko felt it keenly. But he was oddly warm inside. The dream he experienced the previous night had cleared up a lot for him, and gave him a better picture of what he was to do. Even if he didn't quite know how to do it.
"Oh, my! Oh, my!"
"Ohaiyo, Akemi-san," Yahiko said at the aged woman. Her brown eyes were once again wide in surprise as she immediately started to fuss over him.
"Don't tell me you slept in those wet clothes! And in that room! Look at you! Look at you! You slept in those clothes. Now I have to fight with you to get in you a proper bed, you're surely sick."
"Akemi-san, I feel fine," Yahiko said gently. "I have a head cold, but I'll be just fine."
"You're a bad liar, Myujin Yahiko! Never could lie well. One need just listen to you; you're more stuffed up than.. than… Oh, look at you!" Akemi produced more towels from somewhere and thrust her delicate hand on his head. "A fever! I knew it, you have a fever! You're getting out of the clothes right this minute! I may not have anything that fits you, but what I have is certainly drier that what you're wearing! Oh, my! Oh, my!" Akemi-san lead the teen to a storage room and pulled out a thick-large-yukata and haori. "You change into these while I dig up some tabi for you. It's windy out there today, I wonder if I have one of those western scarves?"
"Akemi-san, it's only a light breeze," Yahiko protested as she handed him the clothes.
"Oh, sure it is! That's why there are drifts up to a full man's neck! Sure it is. And what are you still doing in those wet clothes? Get changed right now!"
Laughing, Yahiko said, "Hai, Onee-chan."
"Oh, my. Oh, my."
Yahiko did change into the dry clothes even if they were a little big for him. But it wasn't as bad as he thought, so he shrugged the extra room around a little until he was comfortable. Akemi-san was determined to force more layers on him, but Yahiko was already hot in the thick garments already around him. Besides, he knew that the cold weather would act as a cold compress. When he let that slip to Akemi-san, she went through the roof. She absolutely refused to let the young man out of her sight, and it wasn't until noon before he could convince her he wasn't all that sick.
"I still don't like it," she said finally. "You're three shades paler than your…"
"Than my Okaa-san. I know I must look awful. But I really need to get back home."
Akemi-san had blinked at that. "You're different today than you were last night. All the anger's seems to have seeped out of you. I don't think I ever seen you like this."
To that Yahiko grinned. "Let's just say I don't really have any more reason to be angry anymore. Domo arigatoo, Akemi-san, for all you've done. You've helped me out a great deal."
"Help nothing! You Okaa-san would have my head if she found out I let you catch a fever like this! Her spirit will chase me down to eternity!"
"I doubt it. Arigatoo again, Akemi-san. I'll see you again soon!" he called as he left his old home.
"Should I be worried with a promise like that?" she called back, her kimono flapping in the breeze.
"I hope not!" he answered.
As he walked through the snowy streets, Yahiko pondered how he was going to repay the Kenshin-gumi and undo the dishonor he'd done to them. He had to do something particular. Something that would really show how he felt about everything they'd done for him. The young man walked down the streets, making his way to the market district. Maybe he could buy something for them? No, he'd given all his yen to Akemi-san to pay for staying the night. He'd no money left.
"No money? That's it!" Despite his weak body and deep snow, he increased his pace to a jog as he made his way to the Akabeko. Waving hi to Tsubame he made a beeline for Tae-san.
"Nani?!" she asked when he'd heard what he had to say.
"I want you to give me a job here," Yahiko said seriously. "I don't know what I could do, but I work hard and I learn fast. I've been boarding at the Kamiya Dojo for four years now. It's time I started to pay for it. I can even start today."
"But Yahiko-chan, look at you!" Tae protested. "You look horrible. Did you spend all last night in the snow. And you're sniffling and sneezing! I wouldn't feel right if I put you to work."
"I don't have to do anything with the food, if that's what you mean," the young man supplied. "I can clean up after people have left, or get water and stuff. I can keep the fires going, or I could sweep the floors. Please, Tae-san. I really need this job now. I have to split my time for classes, but I could work in the morning. You know, set everything up and open the restaurant. Please, Tae-san?"
"I could keep an eye on him," Tsubame said softly. Then she realized what she said and put a hand over her mouth, blushing brightly.
"Mouuuuuuu," Tae said. "I don't have time to argue with both of you. Fine, you can start work today. I want you to keep the fires going. It's a simple job, and you'll be somewhere warm. But as soon as the shift is over, I want you to go straight to either the dojo or to Megumi-san. Do you understand?"
"Hai. Domo arigatoo!" Yahiko bowed formally to Tae, shocking both her and Tsubame as he made he way to the kitchen.
As it turned out, working by the fires may not have been a good idea. The fires were right by the shoji, and whoever went out to the well continually let in the wintry air, leaving Yahiko suddenly hot, then suddenly cold. The shift ended just before the dinner rush, and Yahiko collected his pay so that he could have something to give to Kaoru right off. Waving good-bye to everyone, Yahiko made his way slowly back to the dojo. He was really starting to feel sick, but he wanted to get this done now.
Taking a deep breath, the teen quietly slid open the shoji and took off his sandals.
"Tadaima!" he called.
"YAHIKO!!" A general parade came running to him, consisting of Kenshin, Kaoru, Sanosuke, Megumi, Dr. Gensai, Ayame, and Suzume. They converged on the teen, ready to berate him with questions. But Kaoru got there first, landing fist squarely on his head.
"Aho! Baka! You jerk! Do you have any idea how worried you had all of us?? We've been looking for you since dawn when I saw your futon wasn't slept in! Where the hell were you? And what are you wearing?" she added as she spied the new clothes.
"It's a long story," he said evasively. He was hoping to do this in private, or at least with only Kenshin here. But everyone? Really! "But before I get into that-"
"You're pale!" Megumi said seriously. "And you sound congested. Where have you been?" She stepped forward and placed a hand on the teen's forehead. "You have a fever! I want you in bed right now!"
"But I wanted to say-"
"Yahiko-chan." That was Sano. "You really had us going there for a while. What were you thinking? Jeez, do you have any idea how upset Kaoru was? I was stuck with her the whole day looking' for you!"
"If you give me a minute-"
"Yahiko's back, Yahiko's back!" Ayame and Suzume started dancing around him. "Yahiko's back, Yahiko's back, Yahiko's back, Yahiko's back!"
"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK!!" Yahiko shouted. "I've got something important to say and I can't get two words out!"
"Demo-" almost everyone started.
"What did you want to say, Yahiko?" Kenshin said, voicing himself for the first time.
Taking a deep breath, Yahiko stepped to Kaoru and bowed to her. "Kaoru, what I said you to yesterday was rude, cruel, and couldn't have been further from the truth. You haven't given me any charity since I've met you. All you've given me is help when I needed it, even when I said I didn't want it. You've been able to put up with me; which is saying something. I had no right to say what I did. I dishonored myself and insulted you."
"Yahiko…" she started.
"I spent last night thinking about this and came to realize that I've been living under your roof for four years and haven't paid a single sen for it. I didn't come home today because I was working at the Akabeko. I have a job there now, and now I can pay for the lessons and the room and board." Yahiko pulled out his purse and put it on the floor, sliding it over to her. "It's not much, and I have four years to catch up on, but it's a start. Kaoru, honto ni gomen nasai."
"Yahiko…" Kaoru didn't know what to say. That was a first. And no one else was saying anything either. Was it really a shock to them? Yahiko had always tried to act honorably. Maybe they were silent because this was the first time he'd been formal about it. At the moment, though he just wished someone would say something so he could get his head off the floor. He was starting to feel dizzy.
"It would appear that Yahiko is once again asserting his pride, de gozaru." Relieved, Yahiko sat up at Kenshin's words. "And it looks like he's finally starting to act like the adult he wishes to be treated as."
"I have been acting like a kid lately, haven't I?" Yahiko said slowly. "I've been treating all of you pretty badly, and I'm sorry for that. I really am."
Megumi sat down by the boy. "At the moment I don't care if you're sorry or not, I'm getting you into the nearest futon right now even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming."
"Oh, no," the young man said gratefully. "No kicks and screams from me. I promise."
"Yahiko…" Kaoru started, her face still shocked. Kenshin nudged her and she broke out of it. "I thank you for the money, and it'll be great to have another paying student, but you don't have to worry about the last four years."
"Demo-"
"No buts, Yahiko-chan!" she said deliberately.
"Okay," he relented. "Fine." Megumi slid open he shoji to his room and he gratefully crawled into his futon.
"What?" Kaoru asked, once again surprised. "No protests about being called '-chan'? No blow up? You really have grown up!"
"Watch it, raccoon girl!"
The End
Yata!! It's finished! Now we can work on other stuff. And yes, this is probably completely different to Yahiko's actual life, but that's what artistic liscense is for. This was just our take on what happened to him after his father died.