On the day of Tanabata, Tetsu sent a message to Saya; and she replied, saying yes, she would be allowed to go to the festival that evening as long as she returned directly after the fireworks.
Tetsu knew that although Tanabata was the Festival of Stars, it also had a romantic theme, and it was a time for lovers to be together. Although the term "lovers", as applied to him and Saya, made him blush a bit, he felt that he would like to do something special for Saya on this day – perhaps give her a small gift. There were, however, some obstacles for him to overcome: he had very little money; he didn't know what to give her; and he didn't know who to ask for advice.
Tatsu-nii was perfectly amenable to the idea that Tetsu and Saya were friends; but if anything along the line of "romance" was hinted at, Tatsu-nii would clutch his stomach and start to lecture Tetsu about the "virtues of chastity and purity". Tetsu did not want to have to endure another lecture of that sort. Sano and Shinpachi would make lewd suggestions, and Tetsu didn't want to have to hear that, either, especially in a conversation relating to Saya. Susumu would laugh at him, and tease him, and call him a baby and an idiot; even though Tetsu highly suspected that Susumu didn't know any more about girls than Tetsu did himself. Tetsu thought that most likely both Hijikata-san and Yamanami-san might know what would please a girl; but he was much too afraid to ask the former, and much too shy to ask the latter. That left Okita-san, who was Tetsu's confidante and advisor on many matters, and who seemed like the logical choice, except for one thing: Tetsu suspected that Okita-san knew much more about the likes of grumpy old vice-commanders than he did about those of teenage girls.
This all was weighing heavily on Tetsu's mind as he sat on the porch outside Hijikata's room after bringing the vice-commander his afternoon tea. His feelings must have been evident upon his face, for Okita, who was on his way to visit with the vice-commander, seated himself next to Tetsu and said, "Is there something troubling you this afternoon, Tetsu-kun?"
Tetsu gave him a sidelong glance, and decided to go for it. "Okita-san – do you know anything about girls?"
"Well, Tetsu-kun, I have two sisters." Tetsu gave him a look, huffed, and rolled his eyes. There was a snort from behind the shoji doors, which Okita pointedly ignored, and continued, "However, I suspect that you are not talking so much about girls, but about a girl – a girl like Saya-chan, perhaps?" Okita smiled, and Tetsu nodded.
"I'm going to the festival with Saya tonight, Okita-san. I want to get her something, but I don't know what she likes. And I don't have much money."
"Well," Okita said, tipping his head to the side, "it is true, Tetsu-kun, that different people like different things. For example, some people like smelly old pipes, while others like sweets. Some like shoulder massages, while others love to be tickled." There was a sound from behind the shoji door that sounded like someone was choking on tea. "Hijikata-san?" Okita asked, leaning back slightly, "are you all right?" There was no answer. Okita shrugged and continued. "It takes a while of knowing a person before you really begin to find out what will please them and what won't; and the way to do that is to spend time with them."
"I don't have time for that, Okita-san! I want to give her something tonight!" Tetsu said crossly.
"Sometimes, Tetsu-kun, the best thing that you can give someone is your time and attention," Okita said. "Go to the festival. Do some things that Saya-chan wants to do. Do some things that you want to do. Relax and have fun. I'm sure that by the end of the evening, you'll think of something that she might like to have." Tetsu looked at him skeptically. "Or, if you wish, think about it beforehand. Try to think of something unique; something that would suit her, and no one else. Oh, and Tetsu-kun, there is one more thing – something that's very important to know when you're dealing with someone you like."
Tetsu sighed. "And what would that be, Okita-san?"
"Sometimes one of the nicest things you can do for someone you like is to let them do something for you. This can be something that you'd like; or sometimes, it's something that might make them happy, even if it's not particularly something that you'd like." The choking sound that came from behind the shoji door this time turned into a coughing fit. "Hijikata-san?" Okita said. There was silence.
Tetsu drew his brows together, and grabbed Okita's sleeve, none too gently, "Whad'dya mean by that?"
Okita's eyes widened in surprise. "I certainly didn't mean anything harmful or improper, Tetsu-kun! I meant something silly, something playful - something fun." He put his finger to his chin, and gazed at the sky. "Suppose Saya-chan wanted to comb your hair."
Tetsu looked at Okita as if he was insane. "Comb my hair?"
"Yes, Tetsu-kun." Okita lowered his voice, just slightly. "Of course, I myself take impeccable care of my hair, but others let theirs get all tangled and snarly, and you just wouldn't believe how grouchy they get when they can't comb it out, so someone else, someone with more patience, has to do it for them." He looked at Tetsu's hair critically, as if he was about to remark on its condition, but Tetsu gave him another look, so he continued. "Anyway, suppose that after Saya-chan untied your ponytail and started to comb, she decided that you'd look absolutely adorable with little braids all over your head. Now, you might not want her to do it; but you'd let her."
"I would?" Tetsu's voice sounded incredulous, even to him. He thought that Okita-san might, just might, be getting a little carried away.
"Yes, you would," Okita said firmly, "because it would make her happy; and because no one else would ever see you; and because no one else would ever know about it; because you'd make her swear that she'd never, ever, tell anyo-"
"SOUJI!!"
Tetsu was sure that Hijikata's roar made the building shake. Any other man within a half-mile radius was probably hiding under the nearest rock, but Okita seemed serenely unperturbed. He simply leaned way back, far enough to see through the doors, and said innocently, "Yes, Hijikata-san?
"Stop bothering my page!"
"Yes, Hijikata-san. Does that mean that you want me to come in there and bother you instead?"
"It means that I want you to show some discretion about what you say, and who you say it to." Hijikata grumbled in a slightly lower tone of voice. Then, "Ichimura!"
Tetsu jumped. "Y-yes, Vice-Commander?"
"If you're planning to go to the festival tonight, you must have some duties to attend to. Get to them!"
"Y-yes sir!"
Tetsu got up, and Okita put his hand on Tetsu's shoulder. "Just be yourself, Tetsu-kun. You'll be fine," he said gently, and then got up and went into Hijikata's room. As Tetsu hurried away, he heard Okita laughing while Hijikata scolded him.
*****
That night, as they were walking down the streets of the festival, Tetsu screwed up his courage and asked Saya, "D'you wanna play a game?" Saya looked at him, puzzled, but then she smiled and nodded. Tetsu loved the way her eyes and nose crinkled when she smiled. "Okay. First, you pick something you want to do, and we'll do it. Then, I'll pick something I want to do, and we'll do it." Saya nodded. "Then," he hesitated a bit, "I'll pick something that I think you might like and we'll do it; and you'll pick something that you think that I might like, and we'll do it. Okay?" Saya clapped her hands and nodded enthusiastically. A wave of relief washed over Tetsu.
They spent the rest of the evening playing the game. They scooped goldfish, and wrote out wishes and hung them on the bamboo Tanabata tree. They played games and won prizes. They ate all kinds of foods. There were some foods that Tetsu was hesitant to try, but he remembered what Okita had told him, and he tried them if Saya wanted him to; and was rewarded by her delight when he liked them, and her amusement when he made a face because he didn't. They stood in the shadow of the temple; and even though they had both heard it many times, Tetsu told Saya the story of Tanabata while they looked at the stars.
As the fireworks started, they made their way back to the pleasure quarters. When they were in front of Saya's house, Tetsu asked, "Did you like the game, Saya?" She nodded. He said, "I wanted to give you a gift, but I didn't have much money, and I didn't know what to give you. So the game is your gift. It can be our game, and we can play it whenever you like. Then we'll get to know each other better. Okay?"
She nodded, and then bent down and wrote in the dirt, "It's the best gift I ever had", and smiled up at him. She then pointed to herself, and then motioned as if she was giving him something.
Tetsu said, "No, you don't have to give me anything, Saya." She shook her head, and grabbing his hand, pulled him into the alley, just out of the sight of the passers-by. Blushing slightly, she pointed to her cheek; and when Tetsu looked at her quizzically, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the cheek. Then she pointed to her cheek again. Tetsu blushed to the roots of his hair, and said, "Y-you want me to kiss you?" Saya nodded; her blush was deeper now, but her eyes were shining as brightly as the stars. He bent down and kissed her cheek. She smiled, and with a wave, she disappeared through the door of her house and was gone.
As Tetsu made his way home through the crowds, he touched his cheek and thought, Tonight was the best gift I ever had, too. He smiled. Perhaps Okita-san knew what he was talking about, after all.
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Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker and Peacemaker Kurogane belong to Chrono Nanae and Mag Garden; English-language versions by ADV (anime) and Tokyopop (manga). This piece of fiction is in no way approved or endorsed by any of the copyright holders.
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