Chapter 3

Getting an inch closer to you

It felt weird.

Hijikata scratched his head. Sougo's wife will be living with them now.

It was hard to believe alone that Sougo has a wife already----and before Hijikata too.

He sighed. He lit a cigarette and inhaled on it deeply. Why was he so troubled by this? It's just Sougo's wife.

Why did he feel so utterly jealous?

Hijikata walked by Sougo's room. He had his room closed as usual. He turned to the once empty room that was across Okita's room. His wife must have occupied it now. As he turned to Okita's room, he suddenly stopped himself from knocking. His eyes widened at his motion.

'Wait…why am I trying to get into Okita's room?' he thought.

He quickly turned away and went back to his own room.

Today was one of those days where his actions would end up murdering him.

After embarrassing introductions from his embarrassing squad, Okita finally had some alone time with Saya. Kondo kept insisting that Saya should help him bring Otoe closer to him but Okita proved otherwise.

"If Otoe san realizes that you're trying to get dating advice from a young girl, she's never going to like you Kondo san,"

Saya and Okita sat on a porch, enjoying the summer night. It was a cool night with warm breezes. Both remained silent, trying to enjoy the night. Saya inside her head was panicking, thinking 'what if Okita thinks I'm a boring person? He'll throw me out!' While Okita thought, 'what a cool night'.

After a few tension moments for Saya, she cleared her throat and looked at Okita. "Okita san how is this place?"

"It's not like your district for one thing. Edo can be unusual most of the time though, but overall it's not a bad place," he replied without looking at her.

"I see…."

It was quiet in between them again.

Saya for some strange reason kept thinking about her district. Even though it was a shitty place to live, it was still her home. She grew up at the gutters and learned how to live off scraps and work her way up slowly. She couldn't understand the simple lives of Edo. The café she went to back when she had first arrived at Edo, waiters don't give out free treats, instead they try to rob you of your money by poisoning your food and demanding large amounts of money for the antidote. The Shinsengumi was nothing like her husband's. Instead of serving the Shogun, the Shinsengumi at her district overthrew the Shogun and took control over the district. She was also not used to large spaces. Her district was overcrowded. Building toppled one and another and empty pavement between houses that was at least five feet wide was called roads.

She sighed. She looked up. The air was different too. Edo's air was much cleaner and fresher. She felt alive but felt something was missing. She coughed. Damn allergies must be getting to her.

Okita looked at Saya. She was staring into the sky with an endless wonder in her eyes. Why did he ask her to marry him at the first place? Her beauty attracted him but that was it. He knew nothing of her personality and her background besides the fact that she worked in a mafia related brothel. He wasn't the type to go for whores that were in distress. She must have been special. She must be the one that would fill in the empty place in his heart. Maybe that was it. She was his soul mate and when he had seen her, his heart brought them together. (Actually it was the hobo but this sounds more romantic)

"What are you looking at?" Okita asked her.

She looked at him and smiled. "It's a beautiful night,"

He looked at the sky as well. He never really appreciated nights like these.

"It certainly is,"

Saya woke up. She had spent a late night watching the sky with Okita and overslept. As she rubbed her eyes, she headed towards the bathroom that was specially made for her. Since there was a girl living among the Shinsengumi, Sougo had a part of the men's restroom renovated and built into a woman's restroom. She stepped inside and stopped abruptly. She coughed a little and covered her mouth.

Dusts must be getting to her she thought.

As she washed up, she headed where Sougo sat in the living room reading a newspaper. He looked up as she entered the room.

"Ah, good morning," he said looking briefly at her before returning to his paper.

"Good morning," she replied. She sat down in front of him. "I don't wish to burden the Shinsengumi; I was wondering if there was a job I could do,"

Sougo looked up from his newspaper again. "Well, there is really nothing to do here, we don't really have a kitchen here and we take turns cleaning the place,"

"Maybe I could help you on the job….as a Shinsengumi," she said as she started coughing. Damn dusts.

He stared at her. "The thing we do everyday is dangerous, you can get hurt,"

She nodded and cleared her throat. "I know, but I've learned how to defend and attack. The owner of the shop you sent me to was a retired shogun, he taught me everything,"

He remained silent. "I don't know if Kondo san will let you in though,"

"I'll reason with him; I feel like I am a burden to you," she said as she stood and walked out of the room.

He stared after her. She changed a lot.

###

-9 months ago

"Wait you're leaving me after we just got married?" she asked him hysterically. "What if the Yakuza comes back again?"

He shook his head. "It just happens that your yakuza is the one I was supposed to take out. Stay and work here for a few months, I'll come back for you later," he said as he walked away.

"Wait! Come back! This wasn't supposed to happen! You're supposed to take me with you!" she shouted after him.

He waved back without turning.

"Sougo san!!" she yelled.

###

*Knock

*Knock

Kondo looked up from his papers. "Yes?"

Saya opened the door and entered. "Excuse me Kondo sama, could I maybe have a word with you?" she asked.

Kondo smiled. "Of course Saya chan! What do you need?"

She smiled a little and sat down across from him. "I would like to join the Shinsengumi and company my husband on his tasks,"

Kondo's smile disappeared. "What?" he said laughing a little.

"I would like to join the Shinsengumi, I am capable on taking care of thugs and delinquents," she said.

Kondo stared at her. Her body structure looked extremely unhealthy. She was skinny and thin as bones. How could she take on the terrorists that they fought everyday?

"I don't think this job is for you Saya chan," Kondo said slowly scratching his head.

Saya looked hurt. "Is it because I look weak? Please Kondo san, I wish to earn my stay here,"

Kondo sighed. It was hard for him to turn down pretty girls.

"I'll tell you what, if you could beat a one of the Shinsengumi members, I'll let you join,"

Saya's face brightened. "Thank you Kondo san!" she said bowing.

Kondo chuckled. "We'll start the match this afternoon, be ready Saya,"

She nodded and thanked him again.

'Time to show everyone the nine months of intense training results,' she thought smirking a little.

=flashback

"Wait a minute, what did you say?" she asked non-believingly.

The retired shogun smirked at her. "Carry those two buckets of mochiko to the mountain so that we can pound them into mochi,"

"These weight more than a hundred pound, why aren't you carrying them?" she asked annoyingly as she tried to pick them up.

He laughed out loud. "Because I'm old, now let's go!" he said enthusiastically.

She groaned as he helped her load the buckets of mochiko into her shoulders. "Old man, you must have not seen my arms, I look like a toothpick,"

He continued to laugh out loud. "I saw your body structure and I don't care, now go!"

She cursed her life.

Sougo looked at Saya. She wore a smirking face.

"He actually said that?" Sougo asked.

"Yes, all I have to do is beat one member and I can join," she said as she sat down.

Sougo placed his newspaper on the table. "Who are you going to fight?"

"I don't know yet, but I will win Sougo san," she said.

He smirked. "What happens if he matches me with you?"

Her smirk disappeared, only to reappear on her face seconds later. "You will let me win no?" she said.

He chuckled. "You suddenly changed. Yesterday you were a bit reserved and quiet, now you're…open,"

She smirked and tilted her head. "I guess I already grew onto you,"

He raised his head and smirked.