az: Because you start wondering what could have happened after... post episode 81.
Chapter 1: Sometimes waiting alone is not enough; you had to find out the truth one way or another!
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"Eh... isn't this is... too much?"
Kyuubei just shrugged at the girl who was handling the reception. "It's okay. After all... it's partially my fault so hopefully, this can pay for all of the trouble I've caused."
The girl looked at her in puzzlement as Kyuubei glanced towards the hall.
"And anyway... I also wanted to see by myself."
She smiled as she watched Tae and the others trying to escape from the mobs of alien gorillas. Seriously, was this the kind of life that Tae-chan had chosen for herself?
But indeed... her place was over there after all!
"What are you doing there... spacing out? Kyuu-chan!"
Kyuubei snapped out from her reverie as Tae ran towards her, dragging her brother along as well as another young girl. She recalled the young girl being part of the group that stormed the Yagyuu mansion, days earlier. If she remembered correctly, the young girl's name was Kagura.
"Here's not a place to loiter, Kyuu-chan! Run for it!" Tae cried again as she also joined them on their mad dash, almost in an impulse. After they manage to run a distance away leaving the hotel far behind them; suddenly, Tae stopped in her tracks. Causing the rest to follow suit. Kyuubei glanced behind her to see no signs of the gorilla mob on their trail.
"Eh! In all that excitement... we left the others behind!" Kyuubei turned around to see Tae frantically looking around her to look for something. "Those guys! I thought they were right behind us earlier!"
"What—?" Kyuubei started to ask before Shinpachi walked up towards his sister.
"Ah... we shouldn't worry about them. They probably already reaching the Shinsengumi Headquarters by now—", he retorted.
Ah, was Tae worrying about those Shinsengumi guys?
Kyuubei stepped back without thinking, as Kagura brushed her aside to join Shinpachi. "Then again..." The young girl gasped as if she just remembered something. Kagura turned around in alarm before slapping Shinpachi's back very hard. "—oi! Gin-chan was also left behind! We forgot him... you idiot!"
Kyuubei just stared silently at them as the trio started fussing over each other. Shinpachi made a face at Kagura. "But Kagura-chan, Gin-san could just easily find his way back easily... don't be so clingy towards him—"
Kyuubei snorted as the two started arguing with each other...
"Ah!"
Kyuubei turned her attention towards Tae as she noticed her friend looking slightly troubled. Just as she was about to ask what was bothering her, Tae suddenly grabbed her hand and placed a stack of keys into her palms. She blinked in surprise.
"Kyuu-chan! Can you take my brother and Kagura-chan to my house? I... had something I forgot to do. I'll see you back at the house, ne!" said Tae as she made a turn and ran towards the opposite direction. Shinpachi called out to her as well, wondering what was wrong but Tae did not pay attention to him as she ran towards the direction they had come earlier.
Kyuubei sighed. What was it that Tae seemed to have forgotten that she needed to go back to that wedding hall? The thought of Tae confronting the gorilla mob by herself almost caused her to want to chase after Tae herself. But wait! She turned around to see Shinpachi and Kagura still arguing loudly.
That reminds her, didn't the girl mentioned about someone being left behind just now? Gin... Sakata Gintoki, was it?
She glanced back towards the empty road behind her. Did Tae go back to that place to find that man? Why else would she go back to that place other than that? To see that man called Kondou? No, that can't be it. Tae had told her about the man who had been so infatuated with her to the point of being a stalker, but she kept insisting that she didn't like the man! Crashing the wedding was just her way of paying a favour to the man... so Kondou Isao shouldn't be the reason for Tae to run after them. So... was it really for Sakata—?
"Everyone... was just trying to protect what they're trying to protect..."
That man... what was his relationship with Tae? That was the only question that she didn't dare to ask Tae, not that she had any rights to demand any explanations from her. She thought about Tae's crying face from before. Certainly, her tears back then was partially a response to that man's words. Would there be a day when Tae could tell her what that man means to her? Would she be able to accept it, no matter what Tae's answer would mean to her? Kyubei sighed to herself.
Perhaps, only time will tell.
She turned around towards Shinpachi and Kagura.
"Come on... Shinpachi, Kagura. Let's go home."
xxx
He growled loudly as if trying to show his frustrations openly. Yet the other man showed no concern towards him. Or even cared about his discomfort.
Man... this is no fun.
"Danna, are you sure you're fine with that?" Sougo spoke up, trying to catch the man's attention. When that didn't work, he started to kick his legs out.
The man let out a soft grunt.
"Don't start complaining now. You were the one asking me to carry you back to your Shinsengumi place—"
"I wasn't talking about this—"
"Ah? Then you were talking about what—"
"It's about Big Sister—"
Immediately, Gintoki stopped paying attention to him up as the man continued walking up towards the Shinsengumi headquarters. Sougo glanced up as he eyed the Vice-Commander and Commander who were walking several feet in front of them.
"Hmmm... and what did you wanna talk about?"
Sougo quickly turned his attention back to him.
"I just can't agree to what Hijikata-san was saying earlier—"
Gintoki groaned loudly. "On what?"
He chuckled. "On the matter of Big Sister falling in love with Kondou-san... Danna, are you hearing me out here?" he asked before starting to poke Gintoki on his cheeks.
Silence again. He sighed.
"Well, if you ask me... I find it hard to think that's true. Big sister definitely had fallen for someone... but I don't think it's the commander."
Gintoki suddenly laughed loudly.
"What makes you all the wiser? Are you the expert on love now? How'd you know who's the one that tomboy like?"
Okita smirked.
"Of course I know! Even though I am no expert in love but I just knew it. When Big Sister saw us coming to save her, for a brief moment she looked so thrilled—"
"Doesn't mean that you'd know what's her thinking abou—"
Sougo started kicking Gintoki again.
"I'm not finished! As I was saying... when we've finally reached her, I saw her face as she saw us fighting for her sake. When she saw Kondou-san coming, she didn't really look too happy. But there WAS someone else that caught her attention that time! She looked almost as if she wanted to cry..."
Gintoki laughed nervously.
"What were you talking about—? Was it possible that you just imagined seeing it? It might just her getting emotional seeing Shinpachi making a big fuss,"
"Danna... don't try to avoid the topic. You noticed it too... didn't you? About Big sister... about who she really might have—"
"—why on earth should I care? And how'd you know so much about it? And why bothered telling me all of this—"
Okita tightened his hold around Gintoki's neck.
"—because I had an older sister too. I saw the same look on Big Sister as the one she wore when looking at the person that she liked. So of course, I knew. When Big Sister saw you... fighting for her sake, she looked as if about to cry..."
xxx
Gintoki groaned as the young man he was carrying on his back started to brush his face on the side of his neck. Why was this kid suddenly started talking about things like love to him anyway? And it's not just about some random girl, it's about Otae!
"What use of you telling me about it? I'm not some guy who had riches or from a good background. Otae-san's better off with someone els—hey, pay attention to what I'm talking here! What're you snickering at?" Gintoki exclaimed as he turned his face to his side to give Okita some scolding.
Yet Okita was staring towards another direction, in front of them. Not even paying attention to him. As Gintoki turned to look, he almost cried aloud when his face nearly collided with Hijikata's back. He growled.
"Hey what're you doing stopping sud—denly... in front of—?"
"Otae-san?" Kondou suddenly called out in a daze.
Otae just gave a nod as she slowly walked up towards them. Gintoki glanced towards Kondou as he noticed that hopeful look written all over his face. And looking at Hijikata also did not help as his presence still annoyed him. Even with his face all wrapped up like a mummy he could sense a smirk coming from under that bandage. Okita started to laugh again as he turned to frown at him.
Seriously... this was all a misunderstanding! Otae-san wouldn't—though as much as he would have liked it, he wouldn't want Otae to end up with Kondou of all people BUT to hope that, no—she wouldn't have liked HIM of all people. Okita was just playing with his mind... there's still that Hijikata to consider. And god knows what was was it that went on inside that woman's head...
"I've been looking for you—"
"—Gin-san."
His heart stopped.
Gintoki blinked. No... his ears must have been playing tricks on him. But as he looked back towards the other two men, he saw the disappointed look on the Shinsengumi commander and the mummified face of the vice commander. Therefore, he haven't been hearing things right? But what would that mean? Would this situation ever make any sense to him now?
Another snicker.
"See? I told you. I win," said Okita as he slowly slid down from Gintoki's back. "—and thanks for the piggyback ride. I think I can manage to head home by myself the rest of the way," he said again as he adjusted his hold on his crutch.
Gintoki was about to give him a glare before another outburst from Otae gave him a start.
"Gin-san! What're you still bumbling over there? Kagura-chan, Shin-chan and Kyuu-chan would still be waiting for us back at home!"
"Ye-yeah... err, what? W-what d'you mean—" Gin stuttered as Otae hurriedly dragged him along.
With a short parting call, both of them left the three behind as Okita looked on towards them in satisfaction.
xxx
Hijikata frowned as Kondou went back into a stupor beside him. Sougo grinned as he walked up towards them with a slight swagger.
"It seemed that your assumption was wrong, Hijikata-san."
"Hmph!" he snorted as he blew some smoke into the air. "So what? It doesn't concern me..."
Sougo grinned again.
"It doesn't concern me either... but I'd like to care about it. Danna... was after all one of my favourite people after all—"
Hijikata leered towards him before turning to drag the now useless commander back to their quarters.
"Suit yourself," he said before leaving him behind. Sougo shrugged as he also turned to head back towards home.
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Ended up revising this part as well. Enjoy.