I
Sitting with his hands clasped behind his head and legs crossed, Okita Souji yawned for the hundredth time thinking how boring the past couple of weeks were.
"I'd get all rusty if things stay this peaceful. Tsk." He thought as he closed his eyes to feel the warm afternoon breeze brush against his skin. "I wonder how Heisuke is doing on the front lines" Then as if on cue his phone rang. He picked up his phone and grinned upon seeing who it was. "Looks like someone needs my help" he muttered before answering the call.
"SOUJI!" came the loud agitated voice from the other end of the line. "We've got a problem! I think I lost her! I mean I was waiting for her to come out and all but it's been half an hour and I can't find her anywhere!"
"Heisuke don't get too worked up. Have you tried calling her?" Souji said as he stood up from the bench, stretched a bit and went straight to the car.
"Of course! No one was picking up! Get here quick!" replied Heisuke who seems to be catching his breath. Souji can't help but smile knowing that Heisuke was running around in panic as they speak.
"Alright…alright…" Souji replied as the Benz S550's engine roared to life. "and Heisuke…"
"Hhhm?"
"Just in case something's up, don't get all the fun for yourself."
"That depends" Heisuke said with a laugh and then the call ended.
Minutes later Okita was striding down the campus grounds to meet up with Heisuke.
"Souji!" Heisuke exclaimed as he ran to meet Okita. "I know where she is! A classmate of hers said that after the last class some guys approached her and she was brought to the old building with some other girls!Grrr! Those frat boys!"
"Having a little fun eh? Chizuru" Okita mumbled as he strode to the old building in the west end of the campus with Heisuke.
Upon reaching the front doors of the old building the two were stopped by 5 guys from going any further.
" Oi.." Okita said with a smug smile as he swats away the hands that tried to push him back.
"Do you have any business here?" said a guy with piercings and tattoos.
"Yes! Chizuru Yukimura is in there, right?" Heisuke inquired as he tiptoed to match the height of the guy.
"Yes. But we can't let you through right now." said the other guy.
"And why is that?" Okita asked with an eye brow up.
"It's a brotherhood thing. So get lost!" said a cocky guy as he expanded his chest as if to intimidate Okita who was trying to suppress a laugh in disbelief of how funny the guy can get when he tries so hard to act all bad ass.
"What's so funny?!" growled the same cocky guy.
"We've got no time for this. She was supposed to be home by now." Okita replied as he sleekly moved past the guys followed by Heisuke.
Just as he was about to open the door a guy pulled him back by the shoulder. Quickly turning around, he grabbed one of the guy's fingers and twisted it. The guy whimpered in pain. Okita looked him in the eye with his deathly stare, watching as the guy paled.
The other guys looked pretty pissed off and one of them threw a punch aiming at Okita's face. Okita caught the fist, tilting his head just in time to avoid it from even brushing his cheek.
"You jerk!" shouted another as everyone else went in to join the ruckus. Another punch was thrown but Heisuke caught it and retaliated immediately. With a clean straight punch to the face, Heisuke sent one of the guys to the floor. Okita busied himself with the others who have their eyes on him but with a couple of exceptionally executed strikes the guys were sent sprawling on the floor in pain.
"Souji, let's go!" Heisuke said as he busted open the huge double doors. Inside, the hallway was quiet and dark but there was a distant sound of classical music coming from the second floor of the building. The two quickly went up the stairs. There were unison of loud, rowdy laugh and shouts from the room in the end of the hall.
"Chizuru! We're coming to get you out of here!" Heisuke shouted as he rushed to the room and pushed the doors open. Everyone in the room stopped, even the music stopped and they all turned to see who it was.
Souji stood in the doorway with Heisuke, both surprised with what was going on. They saw Chizuru in the middle of the room with other girls, teaching the guys how to waltz.
"Okita, Heisuke!" Chizuru exclaimed in surprise as she saw the two. "What are you doing here?"
"All that for a dance practice?!" Heisuke exclaimed as he remembered those guys in the front door.
"AHHHHH! We're doomed! If someone knows that our ever so tough brotherhood is learning waltz we're done for!" Exclaimed one of the guys and then a mumbo jumbo of complain and rants started to fill the room.
Chizuru almost froze in her place as she saw Okita walking towards her, looking at her as if he was seeing past her soul.
"Okita…" Chizuru mumbled as Okita took her by the wrist and started to drag her out of the room.
"You know what happens when we don't follow the schedule" Okita hissed, glancing at her.
"Wait. Okita. I promised to help them. They have to attend this important dance in 3 days. Besides they're my friends and…" Chizuru tried to explain.
"and I don't care." Okita glanced at his watch. "The demon butler must be fuming in anger now" he muttered knowing that they won't make it back in time.
"Where do you think you're taking her?!" exclaimed a guy.
"None of your business" he replied stoically.
Chizuru turned red in embarrassment. She felt everyone stare and watch as she is dragged out of the room. She was feeling quite irritated at her situation. She wanted to protest but she knew that there was no winning an argument with Okita.
"Mahiro-sempai…I'm sorry! I promise to help you out again tomorrow in my break time" Chizuru said as she passed the brotherhood's president.
"Alright, Thank you Yukimura" replied the president with a small smile. He was aware of Chizuru's situation but hoped that her father would be kind enough to give her some breathing space at times. He was living a block down from the Yukimura Mansion and he never saw Chizuru out without one of her guards following her, in secret and not.
Okita didn't let go of Chizuru's wrist till they were down on the first floor where they were met by the 5 guys they beat up earlier.
"Eh? What happened to you guys?!" Chizuru said concernedly as she walked towards the 5 guys who still looked shaken up.
"Chi-chan! That guy!" the cocky guy groaned and pointed at Okita who just smirked at him.
"Okita! Why?!" protested Chizuru. "Heisuke!?" she glanced at Heisuke waiting for an explanation.
"Chizuru… we were just…" Heisuke started to explain but Okita butted in.
"We beat them up." he said as he took Chizuru by the wrist once more but this time Chizuru refused to move. He tilted his head, looking down at her with scrutiny.
"They're my friends. You could at least say sorry" Chizuru said looking down. She can't bare look him in the face right now. She just doesn't understand why he always seems to have to beat up someone.
"No can do" Okita said and with one scoop, he lifted Chizuru off her feet and carried her out the building.
"Oi! Souji! Wait for me!" Heisuke said as he followed the two.
Chizuru tried to resist but upon meeting his gaze she stopped. She felt like crying in frustration but held back her tears. She understands that the two were just doing their job but sometimes it's just too suffocating to be guarded all the time.
Souji put her down and opened the car door for her. She quietly went in and slumped back the seat. Heisuke waved at Okita as he entered his car. Okita's car went first, followed by Heisuke's. The ride was a long and quiet one. Chizuru tried to get some nap. They were an hour or so behind schedule which means there would be some questioning when they get home.
Okita glanced at Chizuru in the mirror every now and then. He knows that she must be feeling caged and he understands that but there are a lot of people who wants to make damage to their family, putting her and her brother in danger several times already. It's all because of her father. The old man is a prominent figure in the medical and pharmaceutical world but besides that he is the head of a huge organization that dwells on the underworld. Truth be said he hated the man. Upon entering the gates of the mansion he decided to break the silence.
"Chizuru" he called her attention. Chizuru lazily opened her eyes and sat up. "You know you can just smile and wave at that demon butler and he'd get off your case. Heisuke and I can manage." He glanced at her with a grin.
Chizuru absent-mindedly nodded but said nothing. She still feels bad about what happened earlier and can't deny that she got pissed off with Okita and Heisuke this time.
The car finally came to a halt. She went down the car without waiting for anyone to open the door for her. As if on cue the huge Victorian double doors opened. A man in a butler's outfit appeared, his raven hair tousled by the late afternoon breeze, his stern eyes looking down at Chizuru. Chizuru stopped a couple of steps away from him. Glancing back she noticed that Heisuke and Okita were standing behind her, one with a silly smile and the other with a smirk.
"I expect to hear an explanation…" the butler said crossing his arms in his chest.
"Hijikata…uhmm…I…" Chizuru said instantly but Hijikata raised a hand to stop her from saying more.
"I expect to hear an explanation as to why you were late but that would have to wait. You have a visitor." he said as he turned to go in.
"Eh? A visitor? But I wasn't expecting anyone to come visit me?" Chizuru inquired curiously as she followed the butler.
"That's the annoying part. He's unexpected and unwanted." The butler said glancing back at her as he led her to the guest receiving area.
Okita and Heisuke looked at each other with a knowing smile. They just had an idea who the visitor was and it sure is that someone who gets on Hijikata's nerves.
"Kazama!" Chizuru exclaimed as she entered the room. She wasn't sure if she would beam in happiness to see him. He was her friend, suitor and supposedly fiancé, at least according to her father, but he can be annoying in his own special way.
"I see that you're looking better than ever." He said with a confident smile, eyeing her from head to toe, as he stood up to meet her.
"So how was Venice?" Chizuru asked with a warm smile.
"Boring and unromantic without you" he said as he ran a finger down the side of Chizuru's face. He was aware that teasing Chizuru would allow him to get on the nerves of the men around her, especially the butler's.
Chizuru just gave him a small awkward laugh. This is what Chizuru meant with him being annoying. She told him many times before that she wasn't interested in getting into a relationship yet, since she just see him as a good friend, but he's too persistent.
"Perhaps Venice would be a nice destination for our honeymoon." he said as he watched Chizuru's cheeks turn bright pink.
"Ehem" Hijikata coughed to try and break Kazama's moment, looking at him with contempt.
"Your butler seems to be on that time of the month" Kazama looked at Hijikata with a smug smile.
Okita and Heisuke tried to suppress their laugh upon hearing the comment but straightened up when Hijikata gave them 'The Look'.
"We'd really appreciate some privacy you know" Kazama said as he held Chizuru's hand.
"That might not be a very good idea." The butler replied, his eyes on the two's hands.
"Uhmm… It's all right. I'll call if we need anything." Chizuru said, smiling at the butler, untangling her hands from his. With that Hijikata ducked his head a bit and left the room, taking the other two with him.
"Are you sure it's alright to leave her there with him?" Heisuke asked.
"Well he's her fiancé anyway. Things are bound to get quite interesting between the two of them at one point or another, if you know what I mean." Okita said teasingly knowing that it would piss Hijikata off.
"So about that explanation as to why you were late. Did something happened?" the butler stopped on his tracks and turned to the two with that inquisitive look in his piercing eyes.
Heisuke glanced at Okita knowing that he won't do the talking this time. He knew that if Hijikata learns that they made a scene trying to retrieve Chizuru not from danger but from people who happens to be her friends they'd be doomed. Okita just smile and pulled away his already loosened tie.
"Ojou-sama wanted to eat some cheesecake and so we went to the best cheesecake place in town" Okita explained as he walked past Hijikata and made his way up the grand stairs.
"We have cheesecake in the pantry." said the butler as he watched Okita go up.
"Is that so? Looks like I have to hang out more in the pantry then" he replied with a small smile. Hijikata just let him go. Heisuke bowed at Hijikata and went after Okita.
The two proceeded to the left wing of the mansion where the facilities and quarters for the employees are. They head straight for the common room.
"Where are Shinpachi and Sano? Aren't they back yet?" Heisuke inquired as he slumped down the plump purple bean bag.
"They're on a recital with Kaoru" Okita replied as he fixed himself some drink in the bar.
"Ohh…" Heisuke desperately reached for the remote with his foot, not wanting to leave the already comfortable position he found.
"Want some drink?" Okita offered as he sat back down the leather sofa. Heisuke shook his head in reply.
"Alright, suit yourself" he said taking a sip from his glass.
"Hey, do you think Chizuru have the hots for that guy?" Heisuke glanced at Okita as he paused from changing channels.
"For Kazama?" Okita rested his elbow in the arm of the sofa and rested his face in his hand. He didn't replied for a while then he smiled. "Who knows? Why are you so concerned, Heisuke? Don't tell me you're jealous?" he teased as he lightly shook his glass in his hand mixing the melted ice with his bourbon.
"WHAT?!" Heisuke jumped up. "No! That's not what I meant"
Okita laughed, his head slightly falling back. "Your face and reaction says otherwise."
"Souji!" Heisuke exclaimed as he threw a pillow at Souji which he effortlessly caught with a hand. He let out a small laugh and then finished his drink. Heisuke slumped back down the bean bag and focused on the T.V., his face still flushed.
"I'd go get some of that cheesecake Hijikata said we have" Okita stood up and left his glass on the bar counter and left the room without waiting for a response.
Truth though is that he wasn't going for a slice of cheesecake. "Maybe I'll go check on Ojou-sama, that would be more interesting" he thought, a small smile forming in his lips, as he strode down the dim hallways of the Yukimura Mansion.
Note: So yeah... that was the 1st chapter hahaha Please do leave a review. Your comments are very much appreciated :)) And thanks a bunch for taking time to read this hahaha
*Souji is my 2nd favorite character from Hakuouki haha I just love his vibe. Anyway my #1 is Harada hahahaha really loved that guy.