Kaoru, Tae and Tsubame are doing some window shopping when they passed by a shop that sells engagement rings. Tae explains that the western culture of the man giving his lover an engagement ring when he proposes to her to marriage. It's a very special gift to a woman, even more when he gives it to her today (Tanabata day). Kaoru drifts off to dreamland where she dreams of Kenshin proposing to her. Wedding bells and Kenshin carries her to the wedding bed... Back to reality, Kaoru faints. Tsubame hears her murmuring about Kenshin. Tae decides to do something to their static relationship.

Back at the Kamiya dojo, Kenshin is doing laundry when Tae appears behind a tree and beckons Kenshin to come over. Kaoru is hoping that Kenshin would do something special for her but it turns out that Kenshin is going fishing. At practice, Kaoru is not focusing properly and lets Yahiko hit her on the wrist. Yahiko offers to get her a cold towel to ease the swelling and a massage on the shoulders too. Sanosuke shows up and offers her some cake to eat. Yahiko offers to make tea. Kaoru starts to wonder why are these two being so nice to her. Touching emotionally touched, she starts to cry, and talking about how good friends they are... Then, the true intentions come in. Yahiko broke Kaoru's favourite vase and Sanosuke wants to borrow from her. POW! Both get beaten up. Kenshin returns with a huge catfish, scaring the daylights out of Kaoru (who thought that Kenshin have bought her a present).

The three men happily eating the catfish and Kaoru in her room, having sweet potatoes (I think). Tae tells Kenshin that he has to do better than that on Kaoru's birthday. Kenshin bit into something - a ring with a blue stone. Tae's eyes twinkled. She immediately tells Kenshin to give it to Kaoru. Kenshin did...

Since then, Kaoru falls into a dreamy state, chatting about how their marriage life would be like. She doesn't even allow Kenshin to do any house chores. She even intends to learn cooking from Tae. Yahiko is stunned to hear this. Sanosuke goes to the place where Kenshin caught the catfish and finds a man who wants to commit suicide. Sanosuke stops him and asks him to tell his story. The man bought an engagement ring for a woman that he loved. One day, he found her with another man. Out of jealousy, he threw the ring into the river. It turns out that the man is a relative that she hasn't seen for 10 years. Now, he can't find the ring and doesn't know what to do. Sanosuke asks if whether the ring happens to have a blue stone attached it. The answer: Yes, it's a ring with a sapphire stone attached.

Sanosuke tells Kenshin the story. Kenshin doesn't think that it isn't a big deal to ask Kaoru back for the ring. Sanosuke has this gut instinct that Tae should explain the true significance of the ring. It turns out that Kenshin unknowingly propose marriage to Kaoru! (Poor guy since he hasn't have any knowledge of western cultures) To make things worse, Kenshin gave it to her on Tanabata day, which Tae lied to Kenshin that it was Kaoru's birthday. How should are they going to get the ring back? Well, no point asking Kenshin who has fainted on the spot!

Yahiko tired to get it by asking Kaoru to have a hand to hand combat training session with him. However, Kaoru is an excellent master on hand-to-hand combat and Yahiko ends being thrown about. Sanosuke walks away from the dojo and tells another plan to Kenshin, who has recovered slowly. Kaoru is having her bath (still dreaming about marriage life). The plan is find the ring through Kaoru's clothing. However, Sanosuke and Yahiko are unwilling to do it. Both fall into a quarrel. Kaoru opens the door and gives them a beating.

Later, Sanosuke gives Kaoru a mug of beer as a peace offering. Kaoru drinks it all up and gets drunk. Yahiko and Sanosuke try to get the ring. Kenshin remembers Kaoru having a negative reaction to alcohol... POW! Sanosuke and Yahiko go high in the air. Finally, Kenshin tells the whole story to Kaoru...

Kaoru is shocked and speechless. Sanosuke and Yahiko try to get the ring off but couldn't. Kenshin thinks that all the Kendo training has made her finger too thick to be taken off. Kaoru is extremely upset and punches Kenshin (who crashes into a couple of walls). The ring falls off her finger...

The man has his ring back and his lover is wearing it. Kaoru is drowning her sorrows through excessive eating. Tae passes a bouquet of flowers to Kenshin, asking him to give them to Kaoru. He did and apologizes to her. Meanwhile, Yahiko gives a bouquet of flowers to Tsubame as well. Sanosuke walks away. Tae hopes that their relationship will go somewhere.