Chapter 235 - "The Whiteness of the Snow that was Seen on That Day" (The first rays of sun bathe the Oguni Clinic. Megumi yawns a bit, as she prepares herself to another day. Suddenly, she hears loud bangs on the door.) Megumi: What happened? Is it a emergency case? (she opens the door to reveal a panting Sano, drenched in sweat.) Sano: HULLO. I've done it again. (showing his bloodied right hand) Could you please give a look at it? (Megumi shakes in rage) Megumi: I THOUGHT I HAD TOLD YOU -- (a loud sound of a punch is heard) -- THAT I HAVE NO MEDICINE TO STUPIDS!! Sano: OUCH! (Kenshin is lying in a bed.) ------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 235 - "The Whiteness of the Snow that was Seen on That Day" ------------------------------------------------------- (inside the clinic, Megumi has already treated Sano's right hand, which is completely bandaged. Written on it, "Do not use!") Megumi: You made it here from Shinshuu in just one day? // Note from Serizawa: Shinshuu (Shinano no Kuni) is today the province of Nagano. // It's about 200 km from Tokyo. So run 200 km in one day is quite a feat... ^_^ Sano: Yeah, it's amazing what human beings can do if they put their mind on it, isn't it? Megumi: It's a Japanese record, isn't it? Sano (grinning): Probably. Megumi: Yeah, the Japanese record for stupidity. Sano (sweating): ..... Megumi: Who could have guessed you'd go to Shinshuu... why going so far? Sano: Well, I had a bunch of reasons, but... (he smiles) to put things in a nutshell, to have a FIGHT, y'know? Megumi: Your statement has just made you the Asian recordist for stupidity (yeah, for sure!) (Sano sweatdrops) Megumi: Anyway, glad you made it on time. Just one more day and you would be left here. Sano (putting on his jacket): What? Megumi: While you were doing your stupid affairs, we had lots of things going on here also... So, sit down and listen... (at the chambers of Kenshin and Yahiko, a noise wakes Tsubame up.) Tsubame: Mm.... (she is extremely happy to see Yahiko waking up, alive and kicking ^_^) Tsubame: Ya... hiko-kun. Yahiko (with a serious face): I'M HUNGRY. (Tsubame facefaults.) Yahiko: I'm lacking blood... gotta eat something... (Yahiko opens the door as Tsubame rushes after him, carrying his belongings.) Tsubame: Wa... wait! (the door shuts, as Kenshin is still asleep.) (the scene shifts now. Instead of laying in bed, Kenshin is back at the Rakuninmura. It's snowing and he's sitting down, his back on a wooden fence. He notices a person approaching him. Gradually he raises his head and sees Tomoe. She's not smiling.) Tomoe: Are you... still tired and unable to stand up? Kenshin: Not at all... I'm just resting a bit. (he smiles) For fifteen years since that snowy day, I've been wielding my sword. Tomoe: ... I know. Kenshin: ... and probably I'll keep on wielding. Tomoe (smiles): I know. (Kenshin smiles) Kenshin: At last you smiled to me... Tomoe: Yes... If you smiles, I, who am inside yourself, will always smile with you. (Kenshin opens his eyes wide) Kenshin: ... is that so... Tomoe: Yes, it is... but you... ... please take good care of Enishi. I believe that the Tomoe who lives inside him isn't smiling yet... (she smiles) And... Kenshin: Eh? Tomoe: And... Kenshin (eyes wide open): ------.......... (the scene shifts to the kitchen, where Yahiko and Sano are eating ferociously. There already plenty of empty bowls around them as they give no sign of stopping.) Yahiko: It's great that you've come back, but are you all right? I won't forgive you if you keep on playing the sissy! Hey! Don't eat that! That's mine! Sano: Shut up! And you, I won't lend you a hand if you die for straining your body too much! Fool, when it comes to food it's the survival of the fastest! (Yahiko hands an empty bowl and Sano an empty cup) Yahiko: Tsubame, more! Tsubame (hurried): Y... yes! Sano: Fox woman, tea! Megumi (annoyed): Help yourself, will you! (later, they sigh in relief as their stomachs are finally full.) Yahiko (standing up): Okay, then! Sano (standing up): Let's go! Megumi and Tsubame: Eh? Megumi: Hey, wait a little! Sano: I won't. (they are heading to the chamber where Himura is lying.) Sano: Jou-chan (Kaoru) is alive. Kenshin is back. So the only thing we can do is to wake Kenshin up and get to that island. Megumi: You're right, but Kenshin is still too exhausted to get up! (gripping Sano's sleeve) And to tell him Kaoru is alive is an emotional shock too great for him to handle! Sano (putting his hand on the door knob): Anyway, the police is going tonight, isn't it? If we don't make it on time, we're out. Tsubame: Yahiko-kun... Yahiko: Don't worry. Kenshin isn't that weak. (the door is open, revealing a Kenshin already up, grasping his sakabatou.) Everybody: ---..... Yahiko: Kenshin... Kenshin: I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble... I'm all right now. (he smiles) SO, LET'S GO! TAKE ME TO WHERE KAORU-DONO IS!! (everybody is jubilant.) Everybody: YEAH! -- And... -- (Tomoe is smiling) -- The person who wants your smile most is still awaiting for you. -- -- Please wake up quickly and meet her -- (end of chapter 235) Any comments, please e-mail me. Serizawa Kamo serizawa@excite.com