COMING TO TERMS Part 3

Sano woke up in a bad mood. He had been dreaming about Tokyo and his old room on Ruffian Row. In dream-memory it was spacious and clean, unlike the dingy little closet he shared here with Kuro and Shiro. At first he hadn't minded sharing. Just being in Kyoto and away from his old life as Zanza the Fighter and Sano the Freeloader had been enough. Now for some reason, he wanted more. Not to go back to Tokyo necessarily, but still, he was craving something. Or maybe I just want breakfast. . .

It was early, but Shiro was already gone. Kuro's enormous form was still snoring, one arm cast carelessly across the floor so that Sano had to step over it. Grunting in disgust, both at Kuro's obstruction and his own sourness, Sano dressed quickly and left.

"Omasu?" Okon called hesitantly from the doorway into the kitchen. Omasu looked up from the breakfast preparations with a small smile, knowing what was coming next.

Rushing across the small room, Okon threw her arms around Omasu and cried, babbling "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" over and over. Omasu hugged her best friend, tearing up a little herself. It had been a very long time since they had been at odds with each other. The last two days had been trying without her confidant.

Okon pulled back and gave Omasu a serious look. "I shouldn't have treated you like that yesterday, and I shouldn't have let it go on this long! To think of how you must feel withhim here still, and I wouldn't even let you talk to me last night!"

She started to sniffle again and Omasu hastened to reassure her. "It's okay, Okon! I'm okay now that we're friends again!" Sometimes she felt like Okon was the younger one and she the older. In spite of her youthful behavior though, Okon was actually the eldest by several years. Many outside of the Oniwaban thought that they were sisters, and they certainly had squabbled like siblings over the years.

"We never stopped being friends!" Okon said fiercely. "I just . . ."

"You wanted to claw my eyes out in jealousy and you know it!" Omasu teased.

"Well, yes," Okon admitted. "But I was wrong! I knew you were just talking! It's just, I wish Master Hiko would talk to me the way he does to you." She gave Omasu an assessing look, "Are you sure that you two never, you know, did it?"

Omasu crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Okon.

"Okay! Okay! Pure as the driven snow still, I see!" Okon put her hands up in a placating gesture. "Not that I can figure out why you'd want to stay that way, and for Lord Aoshi of all people!" She began to bustle around the kitchen as she continued her lecture.

"I mean, the man is an absolute icicle! Sure he's good looking, and he has that whole air-of-mystery thing going for him, but you deserve someone with a little more fire! Or at least someone who will actually acknowledge your existence!" Okon's encouragement faltered, when she remembered that it was Master Hiko who did acknowledge her friend's existence.

"Ao . . . Lord Aoshi wasn't always like this, as you well know, Okon!" Omasu said sternly. The two women stared at each other across the table solemnly for a moment. Then Okon picked up the knife Omasu had abandoned and began chopping the vegetables.

"Well, these days he pays more attention to little Misao than anyone else," she huffed, indignant for her friend. "Don't you just want to kick him in the face sometimes?" she asked. Omasu made a small whimpering sound and Okon looked up. She was horrified to see her friend clasping both hands over her mouth, with shoulders shaking.

"I am such an idiot!" she cried, once again rushing to hug her friend and babbling apologies. It took a moment for her to realize that Omasu wasn't crying. She was laughing. Okon pulled her hands down and demanded, "What is so funny?"

Omasu didn't answer at first, the laughter was bubbling up so freely now that her eyes were streaming. Okon couldn't help but join in, even though she had no idea what she was laughing about. Finally, Omasu took a big, steadying breath.

"But I did kick him in the face!" she crowed.

Entering the kitchen a few minutes later, Sano found both of the normally dignified Oniwaban women holding hands, laughing and dancing around the table.

"Oy!" he called. "Since you two are on speaking terms again, do you think we could get some decent breakfast out here today?"

Next Chapter: Misao's Choice