Chapter 1-What
Second Year of Genji Year, Kyoto was busy and noisy especially around Nishi Honganji Temple near where I lived. It was all due to the barbarians—Shinsengumi[1]. It was known as a group of killers. Of course, I hated them. My Father was an ordinary merchant who sold tea leaves and he was accidentally killed because he happened to be in a tea house when Shinsengumi came for a raid. I knew clearly it was an accident, but I just couldn't forgive what Shinsengumi had done to my father. I was twelve by that time and it had been seven years.
Shinsengumi moved to Nishi Honganji Temple to everybody's dislike. People had been passing there to see just how dirty and arrogant Shinsengumi was. I was on an errand so I decided to stop by near there and took a peek among the crowds. Sudden detonation sounded and caught the crowds with surprise. Shortly after that a round of laughter was heard.
"Did you see how white their faces turned?" asked a young man with a pony tail hanging by the back of his head. He chuckled teasingly at a person in black beside him.
"That's enough I suppose. Several shoots of blank canon suffices enough. We can have peace for now on." The man smirked.
"Hijikata-san, you sure are a demon."
"Shut up, souji!" shouted the man called Hijikata whose hair was tied up in shohatsu/chonmage[2] style. His hair was so black similar to a midnight sky without stars.
"Ahahaha! But I'm right!" The young man named Souji made a bee line and disappeared.
Hijikata Toshizou. He was the vice-commander of Shinsengumi. He was renowned of being called a 'demon' even to his comrades. His features were well defined—sculptured. Pointed nose, sharp jaw lines, straight lips, deep black eyes even his eyebrows were neat like one of the geisha in the pleasure house—
"—ey! Hey! It's not good to be peeping you know?" A voice wrenched me back to reality. The next thing I did was scanning around to see that no one was there except me. Oh no! they are going to have my head cut! I need to run! …uh? My feet are not…touching the ground?
"You sure are small. How old are you kid?"
"I'm not a kid!" I tilted my head to look at the one who grabbed me by my kimono from my back and lifted me up. Okita…Souji…Shinsengumi's First Unit's captain. Oh no, I'm dead. I could hear whispers behind me. I knew it must be the neighbors. I was sure they were talking about me being dead.
"Oh really? You have been staring at Hijikata-san for quite a while. Why don't you meet him on your own?" Souji lifted me up on his shoulder, carrying a sack of me to where the demon was. I struggled but his hand by my waist tickled me and it was uncomfortable. Still, I struggled. I would rather be dead than to get near and involved in Shinsengumi! If I died, I could meet my parents again—but if I could get revenge—oh no what am I thinking?
"Souji, stop giving me unnecessary trouble. What is this?" Hijikata frowned, looking me in dirty sort of way. It irked me a lot.
"I am not a thing! Put me down!" I yelled, still struggling. Once I finished my sentence, Souji put me down right before those eagle eyes of Hijikata to stare.
"She has been staring at you by the gate. I am sure you can put her to use." Souji smiled. I had a bad feeling upon his smile. It felt as if there was a devil behind it. I was already breaking cold sweat under the stare of the vice-commander. Put me to use? A-as what? I grew panicked but there was nothing I could do. I knew Hijikata was not to be joked with. As I waited for a respond from the black-dressed Vice-commander, I remembered my parents. My life didn't seem long.
"How old are you, kid?" Hijikata questioned.
"Older than your mother." I replied, staring back.
"Granny—"
"—I'm 19."
"Are you married?" Came Souji's question in playful tone.
"…not your business." I replied without glancing to Souji.
"You can be Hijikata-san's candidate—"
"—lack of sexual appeal. Bring her to my room." Hijikata interfered as he spun and walked his way. What he had said made Souji burst into a round of laughter as he led me by grabbing my arm. This Souji wouldn't stop laughing the whole way so I thought I would pray for my chance to run away. Now! I shook off his arm and turned to run towards the gate. However, in an instant Souji was in front of me, smiling. In the end he lifted me up to his shoulder again, ignoring my struggles and shouts. He brought me to Hijikata's room.
OvO/
The room was clean and neat with pile of books and papers well-arranged above the desk. The window was open, welcoming the sun rays and here I was, sitting at the center of the room in front of a very hateful person who was the famous Hijikata Toshizou.
The bullying kidnapper, Okita Souji sat down, leaning by the slide door which seemed to be a preventive action, while Hijikata just sat in front of me, dealing with papers. Obviously I was oblivious of what he was doing with the papers. He was just staring intently as if he could make a hole out of the pile of papers he had in his hand.
Is this man fond of making people wait—huh? A mosquito. I eyed the seemingly happy mocking mosquito. Without thinking even further, I swiftly switched to crouching stance and reached both arms out to clasp the mosquito in my palms however, I wasn't aware of another's movement coming from behind me. Souji dashed forward in a flash with both hands stretched forward and he clasped his palms together in unity with my movement. What was different was the target. I was aiming for the mosquito in front of me around the papers Hijikata had in hand while Souji was after somewhere around Hijikata's head.
"…What the hell are you two doing?" Hijikata questioned with a growl. His eyebrows were twitching as he glared at both of us. He put the papers down and looked at me and souji intently.
"Mosquito" Souji and I replied together. By this moment we glanced at each other.
"Proofs." Hijikata demanded.
I showed my palms to him where the mosquito had bled and died.
"Souji." Hijikata called for his turn.
"It ran away." Souji avoided Hijikata's eyes, whistling a little.
"You are clearly lying! Do you think I can't look through that?! Stop fooling around! " Hijikata barked, slamming his palm on the tatami floor so that it made a low 'bang' sound.
"I have no intention of hiding it anyway." Souji chuckled.
"You—!"
"Bye Hijikata-san! I'll tell Kondo-san about you having a personal servant! For now, have her pour you a cup of tea!" Souji fled away, laughing.
"Souji! Hey!" Hijikata stood up, shouting. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Then he sat back down. He sighed again.
"Let me go." I said. I was certain that he would have no use for the likes like me. I was just a woman and no more. The Headquarters would be full of rude men unworthy of my service, staying here would only be a danger to me. As a mere woman, my happiness was at stake and I would never sacrifice my happiness—my marriage to Shinsengumi.
"Pour me a cup of tea." Hijikata said. He sat before his desk and started writing with his brush.
"I refuse. I am not a servant." As if I would pour this demon a cup of tea. I still had my pride as a free person; at least until my marriage.
"Don't misunderstand me. I am not talking to a servant." Hijikata stared at me in a way of looking down. "I'm talking to my dog."
Huuuh?! I looked at the demonic Hijikata with my mouth agape. He was not serious about letting me work in Shinsengumi, right? He was not serious about involving a mere civilian in shinsengumi's work right?
"Yamazaki! Are you here?" Hijikata spoke, tilting his face upwards. That moment, a shadowy figure appeared from thin air. Dressed in black with half of his face covered was a spy called Yamazaki. He crouched down, bowing to Hijikata who passed him a piece of paper.
He didn't call me a dog…right?
"Find out about her relatives and tell them that she will be working in Shinsengumi. Ask Souji to show this woman around and teach her about her schedule. Put her to the room next to my room." Hijikata ordered.
"Yes sir." Yamazaki confirmed and disappeared.
"A cup of tea." Hijikata demanded as he looked at me, smirking.
"D…demon!" I shouted, standing up in anger. I clenched my fists together. My life is at stake. I will never let this go according to his whim!
"And you're a demon's dog. Know your place, woman." Hijikata proceeded, his smirk was completely gone. What he said after that seemed like a huge lie to me that I couldn't believe or rather, I didn't want to believe it. One thing for sure was this Hijikata Toshizou was a jerk.
"While you work here, be careful not to fall for me. Do you understand?"
\OvO
That day, there was a rumor about Hijikata Toshizou having a woman. With such commotion going on, I refused to step out of my room.
[1] Shinsengumi was a military organization formed under the sponsor of Aizu Clan to protect the town of Kyoto. Most of them consist of men of low caste (farmers, merchants, etc). Contrast to the Anti-Shogunate, Shinsengumi was pro-shogunate.
[2] Japanese top-knot.