It was a sunny day. Kenshin was busy doing the laundry, with help from Ayame and Suzume. Yahiko was practicing his sword strokes in the middle of the yard, and Kaoru was trimming the fresh batch of flowers Kenshin had given to her.

The flowers were a bright yellow, that radiated the sun's light from the vase Kaoru was placing them in. Kenshin walked by, carrying a basket of laundry, trailed by Ayame and Suzume.

"Those flower match the vase quite nicely," said Kenshin. "Good thing I happened to come upon that flower salesman earlier."

"They are very beautiful," Kaoru smiled, thinking to herself how much more beautiful they looked because they'd been given to her by Kenshin. She looked down at the two girls, and noticed them staring at the flowers. "What do you think girls? Do they look good?"

"They look like the flowers Uncle Sano gave Auntie Megumi," Suzume said.

"Maybe he got them from the same salesman I did…huh?" Kenshin and Kaoru stared at the two girls.

"What'd you say?" Kaoru asked Suzume.

"Uncle Sano gave Auntie Megumi the same flowers," Ayame offered.

The flower she'd been trimming slipped from her fingers as Kaoru's body went into shock. Her mind spun in circles, trying to grasp the knowledge she'd just been given. No way. There was just no way it could be possible. But what if…?

"And you're sure that it was Sano that gave her the flowers, not some other man?" Kenshin asked the girls.

"Yup," said Ayame and Suzume together. "It was Uncle Sano."

"No way," Kaoru repeated to herself. "There's no way he could possibly be that thoughtful."

"Sanosuke is a very surprising man, that he is," Kenshin defended his friend. "But I have to admit, this doesn't sound like him at all." He laughed. "Unless of course he's fallen for Miss Megumi."

Kaoru's face broke out into a slow grin, and she started chuckling. "He's fallen for her? We'll just see about that." She smiled sweetly up at Kenshin. "Say, where is Sanosuke right now?"

"Probably gambling with his friends," Kenshin shrugged.

"That won't do at all," Kaoru muttered. "If he really wants to attract her interest he's going to have to be more serious."

"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin frowned at her.

"Oh, nothing," Kaoru smiled sweetly. "Just thinking out loud to myself." She whispered under her breath; "Let's see just how serious he really is."