And so, ladies and gentlemen, it ends here, after one year. Thanks so very much for sticking with this story for so long, and despite all the problems along the way. Thank you for all the words of encouragement most of you gave. Thank you for believing. I apologize for the long wait for this final chapter. Exams are to blame. Equal parts old material and new material. Very chatty, too.

RK ain't mine, never will be. But I stake my claim in first calling one of my favorite guys as Jiro.

……………………………

The Kamiya dojo was deserted.

That was definitely NOT normal.

It was mid-morning, and the dojo was already supposed to be full of eager children running around the property playing tag or practicing drills on each other. Right now, there was not a single child.

"KAORU!" Yahiko shouted. "Where's my class?"

The older kendo teacher appeared with her son, very embarrassed. "I forgot to tell you, I'm so sorry. We have no classes today."

"No classes! Is there a parade I don't know about?"

"No. But there will be a special event today, so I decided to call off classes," she said. "I want you to go to the tailor's shop this morning."

Yahiko scratched his head. "Tailor? What for?"

"Just to pick up something. Make that your priority today, alright? No running off to do other things, no stopping at food stalls, no fighting with anybody, understand?"

"STOP acting like my mother!" he complained.

She smiled warmly. "Just this one last time, please, Yahiko?" She reached up and patted his head. Then she gave him a big hug. "I'll miss doing this to you," she said.

"One LAST time?"

She chuckled and released him. "You will soon understand. Now off with you!"

"Sure, sure, raccoon…"

He did not make much of the request. Kenshin must have forgotten to get back one of his clothes that needed repair. It was a common occurrence, and he had been asked to fetch gi for Kaoru on several occasions. Her orders to go straight to the shop and not stop for anything was nothing new. Even the hug was nothing special, although rather unusual. He did wonder why it would be the last time she would do it, though.

He had to break his promise to Kaoru, however, because a rowdy group of men had surrounded a fruit stand on the way to the tailor's shop. Perfectly good watermelons had been scattered on the ground. The stall had been overturned. One of the ruffians stood in front of an old man who was begging for more time to pay his rent. A group of people had assembled on the scene and blocked the street. No one had done anything to stop it, though.

"Oi, oi, that's no way to treat such a nice man. He sells good watermelons," Yahiko stepped up as he drew the sakabatou.

"Don't meddle in our business, boy," one of the ruffians shouted back.

"I can't call extortion a business, now, can I?" he smirked. "You must be new here. Most thugs like you know better and start running."

Whispers among the crowd began about the kendo teacher, the master of the thousand shirahadori, the apprentice of master swordsman Himura Kaoru. But the ruffians held their ground, and one of them stepped on the old man's back.

"That's it, now you have me angry," Yahiko placed the sakabatou in preparatory stance of the Kamiya Kassin Ryu.

But he felt a rush of wind beside him, and heard a quick whisper. "Allow me."

A whirlwind passed through the assembled group, felling most of them in the next few seconds.

A young man stood in the midst of the fallen men, with a smile. Then he looked at Yahiko in surprise as he returned his sword into its sheath. "Why are you still here?" he asked him.

"What do you mean?" Yahiko asked, as he struck down at a man running away.

"Oh, nothing," Jiro grinned. "But if you don't mind, I hope you could come with me somewhere after this."

Yahiko was skeptical, but said it was alright. They rendered the last of the thugs unconscious with two powerful combined strikes. They left the scene amidst applause and compliments.

"Hey, thanks for the help," Yahiko reluctantly said. Jiro just smiled in reply, and motioned for him to follow.

They went into the tailor's shop, where Yutarou was waiting for them. "Took you long enough," he said, and pushed him into a dressing room.

Yahiko found three sets of gi and hakama hung in the large dressing room. He was not given time to wonder why Yutarou was home during the school year. "Try them out, and come out here with the one you like best," Yutarou called out from outside. "And don't worry, I'll pay for it. Consider it my gift to you."

"What was that?" Poor Yahiko was getting more confused by the minute, as he stared at the quality and workmanship of the three ensembles. "But, Yutarou, these are formal pieces! For a death or a wedding!"

"Just hurry up in there!" Yutarou said.

Yahiko did as he was told, and came out of the dressing room, wearing a dark gray gi and hakama made of fine cotton. Yutarou looked him up and down and around, and nodded approval. "Good, you look smashing in that. We can go now."

He smoothed down and arranged Yahiko's hair, until he looked more like a gentleman than a man who just came from a fight. With that, he pulled down his well-dressed friend and exited the tailor's shop. Jiro was nowhere in sight.

"What are you doing?" Yahiko demanded. "And where the heck is Jiro?"

"It's alright, it's already paid for!" the college student said. "Just follow me."

They walked the crowded streets of Tokyo, until they reached the local temple.

"Um, what are we doing here?" Yahiko asked.

"You're going to get married."

"WHAT?"

It was loud enough that a flock of birds were dislodged from a tree and went flying. All humans within the immediate vicinity of the temple stopped and looked at the two men at the gates.

"What I said. You're getting married. Right now. Maybe not right now exactly, but in an hour," Yutarou beamed.

Two women, evidently called out by the shout, walked over to where they were, at the entrance of the temple. "Ah! Finally, he's here!" one of them greeted. Both were in special kimono, with hair tied high on their heads and decked with flowers.

"I knew you had something to do with this, raccoon," Yahiko slapped his forehead. "This is a bad joke. End it, RIGHT NOW."

"No joke, Yahiko-chan," Tae grinned. "The priest has been waiting for quite a while. Tsubame will be coming out eventually."

"Will SOMEBODY please talk sensibly with me!" Yahiko shouted again, not caring that he was in a temple.

"Would you consider me sensible enough, Yahiko?" Kenshin's voice came from behind him. "This is not a trick."

"You're in on this, too?" he shook his head.

The redhead nodded. "Everything is ready for the ceremony." He, too, was dressed handsomely in a dark kimono, with his hair tied carefully on his head.

Beside the redhead was a smaller and younger redhead. "Uncle Yahiko, you look very handsome!" he complimented.

"Well? Do you plan to back out? You have ten seconds to decide," Yutarou chuckled. "Ten………nine………."

"No……NO! I do want to get married!" Yahiko stammered. "Just………..not like this! I'm supposed to get this kind of stuff ready myself!"

"But if we wait for you, you'll NEVER get married! So we took matters into our own hands," Kaoru smiled at him. "Everything is ready. The wedding, the reception, the guests, everything!"

"WHAT!"

"Seven……six…….five……" Yutarou kept counting.

"But……..but…….!"

"Don't worry, it's just close friends," Kaoru prodded.

"Oh, just go for it, and don't keep her waiting! Four……three……" Yutarou continued the count.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'll do it!" Yahiko shouted and laughed aloud. "But are you sure everything is arranged? What about Tsubame?"

"Yes, we are only waiting for you," Kenshin said.

Yahiko sighed. The raccoon and the restaurant boss were running his life again. For once, he was grateful.

"Thank you," he said, and bowed to everybody.

"Don't thank us, thank Jiro, it was all his work," Yutarou said.

"Jiro?"

"Wedding now, questions later!" the college student clapped, and pushed his friend out beyond the entrance.

……………………………

Quiet temple, check. Bride in the whitest kimono he had seen in his life, check. Bridegroom looking the best he had ever looked in his 19 years of existence, check. Long-time friends as witnesses, check. No annoying extra people, check. Good food to celebrate with, at the end of the ceremony, check. Enough sake to go around for all the male guests, check. Nice wedding presents from friends, neighbors, and the parents of his students, check.

It was exactly, exactly, how he wanted it to be.

"Actually, my good man, we're not done yet," his half-tipsy college student friend patted him on the shoulder, and took up his walking stick. "Follow me, if you please."

"With you like that?" Yahiko asked, already having emptied a handful of the little white bottles, but still sober.

"Sure, I know the way. Come on." Yutarou tugged at the bride, in more common clothes for the party, and led her. She shrugged to Yahiko and followed.

Yutarou led them through two or three blocks, and into the gates of a house. "Welcome to your biggest gift."

Tsubame gasped and covered her gaping mouth with her hands. Yahiko's eyes bulged. "This is insane. This is the house I was just looking at the other day…why is it suddenly mine?"

The property was not even half the size of the Kamiya dojo property. Only a meter or so separated the front gate to the front porch. The house itself was not very large, but it was in good condition and left sufficient room for one or two future children. It was just right. Neither of them wanted a sprawling estate, just a nice simple place to have a family in. And this particular house was just their idea of a nice simple place.

Tsubame asked to be led to the back of the house, as Yahiko predicted would happen. Yutarou brought them there, and opened the back door, into a kitchen as large as the one in the Kamiya dojo, and as well-equipped as the one in the Akabeko. Yahiko immediately knew that she was as close to heaven as she could get. "A vegetable garden! A large kitchen! The water pump just there where I can reach. A well-kept stove. All the pots and pans I would need! Thank you, Yahiko!"

"You're welcome," he replied, although all this was NOT his doing, much to his embarrassment.

Tsubame went on to the other parts of the house and checked the two rooms it had. Meanwhile, Yahiko took his friend by the front of his shirt. "Now, talk, Cat-eyes," he said. "What do you mean this is all Jiro's idea?"

"Jiro had this long chat with Tsubame one night, while you and Kenshin were out on an assignment. He got what your general plans were for the wedding and other arrangements. Since he's the one with the best contacts and connections in Tokyo from being Yuan's courier, he fixed everything. He even managed to get discounts from all the shops. He planned all the deliveries, arranged all the schedules, gave everybody something to say should you ask." Yutarou chuckled. "And, everything was done within the budget, the savings you and Tsubame had been keeping up. For everything else that wasn't covered, people pitched in."

"But….the pots and pans…."

"He got the specific types from Tae-san, then he got the basic specifications of her dream kitchen from you."

"From me?"

"He said he got into a conversation with you about that, the kind of kitchen you wanted to give her in a future house, given the time and money," Yutarou explained.

"Oh, THAT conversation." A very inconsequential one, in his opinion. It was one they had when they passed through the market. They went on to some discussion about good houses for a newly-married couple, and Yahiko had pointed to a house that had just been put up for sale…..wait a minute…."Even the new house? It was him?"

"His legwork, yeah. Fixed all the legalities, too. All you have to do is sign the papers, if I heard right. But you do have to make regular payments on the house until it's completely paid for."

"So how do you fit in this grand conspiracy?" Yahiko sweatdropped.

"Just her dress and your clothes. I can't leave THAT up to someone who knows you two just half a year!"

"This has gotta be the craziest day of my entire life. It will be one heck of a story someday. Thanks."

"You deserve it, my good friend," Yutarou answered. "Now get back to your wife."

His wife. He still could not believe it. It all happened so fast, like a dream, the dream he had been having for the last few years. The dream had finally come true.

He never wanted to wake up.

…………………………

He never got a chance to thank the man who made the dream possible. In the festivities, none of them remembered to look for Jiro, even as he was always on their thoughts. The last time Jiro was seen was when he and Yahiko met in the market.

Yahiko went to Yuan's offices the day after the wedding and directly inquired about Jiro.

Yukishiro himself met him at the lobby. "He didn't report for work. Once again, he's delaying my deliveries."

"He's sick?"

Yukishiro shrugged. "Someone said he drank himself senseless. Another said he was exhausted from fixing your wedding. Who do I believe? I don't know."

A week into their marriage, living in their snug but comfortable little house, and still Yahiko thought he was just living in a long, pleasant dream. Nothing much had changed with his life. He still taught kendo classes; his new wife still worked at the Akabeko. The only obvious differences were that Tsubame visited the Kamiya dojo more often, and that Yahiko went home to a new house. And that Yahiko now had a sight of Tsubame at night that he never thought he could have.

Yahiko never saw Jiro over that week. It was as if Jiro was avoiding him. Otherwise, the courier's work was making it impossible for them to run into each other. It was a shame. Because Yahiko did want to thank him profusely.

"I saw him yesterday; he visited the Akabeko," Tsubame said that morning. "He's leaving today." She sighed, an almost imperceptive sigh, and gave Yahiko an anxious look.

"No kidding," he said without looking at her, but thinking.

"Seriously. He'll be working in Kyoto now. He's leaving on the noon train." Then she looked away.

But he stood up, placed his hands over his head, and rolled his eyes, the way he always did since Tsubame could remember. "Well? Aren't you going to get dressed or something? Do that stuff you girls do before going somewhere?"

She did not understand. "What?"

"Well, hurry up, we have a noon train to catch," he grinned and kissed her on the forehead. "I still have something to say to that crazy smiley before he goes."

She nodded and started to walk to the bedroom.

The couple managed to reach the train station as the noon train chugged to a stop. A flurry of people filed into and out of the train, and none of them looked anything like Jiro.

"We'll never find him in this crowd," Tsubame sighed, as a hundred voices surrounded them and the train whistle gave a shrill cry.

But she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Yes, you will." She turned around, and saw the courier, wearing a grin. "I am glad you came."

Yahiko waved a finger at him with a grin of his own. "How come you didn't tell us, smiley? We could've prepared a little going-away party for you."

"Not necessary, my friend," Jiro replied. "I never liked being the center of attention."

The train gave out another shrill whistle. The conductors began shouting that the train was about to leave.

"There is one last thing," the young man said. "The house is truly yours. No payments need to be made."

"Impossible," Yahiko's eyes widened.

"Possible," he repeated.

Yahiko had a suspicion how that was possible. The payments would be made by the metalworks company, and cut out of the salary of the Kyoto representative. "Don't do this, Jiro."

"But it is done," he smiled. "You only need to go to Yukishiro-san to see the contract."

Yahiko looked at him, confused. "I…..I don't know how to thank you enough, for everything," he said truthfully.

"Seeing her smiling, that is enough thanks for me," Jiro said. "This is my final gift, for my first true friend, and to her best friend."

There was no sign of regret.

"Do you really have to go?" Tsubame asked.

He nodded. "I do not want to cause any more trouble for the two of you. Don't worry about me, Tsubame. I will meet someone someday, who will be to me, like you are to him."

Yahiko took a good look at Tsubame, and nodded his permission. She mouthed her thanks, then stepped closer and hugged him, that is, Jiro, tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her back.

"I will not forget what you did for me. Thank you. Take care of yourselves." He gave them a low bow and a final smile.

"You, too," she said, as he stepped onto the train.

The newly married couple waved from the station, and watched the train disappear in the distance, carrying their friend.

Thus, Jiro left town, a little different from when he came.

……………………..

Special thanks: zantaz and junyortrakr: for all the insight into the male psyche that helped with the first half of the story. Maeko-nohara and Chiki: for all the (ranting?) words of inspiration and support. Seriously, I did like the fangirly ranting.

Final review comments: Warg: You've actually gone and re-read old chapters? Incredible. Thanks so much. Aikida: That's all you're going to get about the killer, sorry. Junyortrakr: Thanks so much. Skenshingumi: Oh, thanks so much for liking Eni-chan and Kenshin! pnaixrose -- Thankies. Mischievous Lass -- Thankies as well.

Once again, thank you for all the loyalty and support. Thank you for sticking on through the writer breakdown. Thank you for liking this little story. I did like writing it. It is still very uncertain if I will make a multichapter story this year. It will depend on the outcome of exams in the coming weeks. Thank you for understanding.

I will be found for a while longer at the Samurai 7 section, if you choose to read my material there. I have also been given the chance to develop my own story and characters for a comic in a local anime magazine. It's harder than I initially thought, but wish me luck.

EK out.