A/N: I am on a roll!
I used to respond to every single review, then I saw some prohibition on overly lengthy A/Ns. But I'd like to answer the questions at least! If I can. Ask away!
Mitsuba is alive in this fic.
Onwards!
Yukue 7
Before Hijikata could say a word or even react, he found himself being yanked away by his girlfriend.
Fake girlfriend.
Hijikata tried to numb himself against what he was sure was waves of hatred, mixed with satisfaction from that nitwit Okita, being channelled towards him as Tae marched him away. He hadn't had time to see it for himself, but he was sure Okita was gloating at how the recent enmity between Kondo and himself was simply skyrocketing.
Is this really worth it? Mayonnaise for friendship?
"Let's sit here," Tae decided.
Hijikata shook himself out of his thoughts. Tae had chosen a corner as far away as possible from the bar area. Hijikata wondered if he was supposed to be grateful as he handed Tae her bag and slid into the booth.
"Can I take your order?" A high schooler that Hijikata knew had been part-timing at the restaurant for some time appeared at their elbows with 2 cups of tea on a tray. "Oh, hey, it's you. Didn't realise it, you're usually with those guys over there," he jerked his head towards the bar area. "The usual?"
"Eh…yeah."
"Do you have a recommendation?" Tae looked up at the guy, turning on her megawatt smile. Hijikata tried not to roll his eyes.
"I can recommend you today's special," the guy replied, grinning back.
"Okay, I'll have that then."
"Got it." The high schooler scribbled something down on his notepad, and before leaving, gave Hijikata a aren't-you-a-lucky-bastard wink.
This time Hijikata really rolled his eyes. If only he knew.
As Tae busied herself trying to look at the bar area without being obvious, Hijikata rummaged around his bag and dug his phone out, thankful to be seated facing away from his former friends.
"I think it's working, seriously," Tae stage-whispered. "If you weren't here, he'd be all over me declaring his love in a poem right now. Or hiding under my seat. But since I have a boyfriend he's realising that it's time for him to give up."
"Or, he's just biding his time until we break up," Hijikata pointed out. "Shimura-san, this is seriously pointless. I don't think he'll ever give up on you until you're married with ten kids."
"Don't be idiotic."
"I'm not. I'm just telling you what I think based on the Kondo-san I know."
"Well, until you come up with a better idea, stop criticising mine," Tae retorted. "And why have you got your phone out? You're supposed to be paying attention to me."
"What do you want me to do?" Hijikata asked in irritation as he snapped his phone shut, feeling the limits of his patience being breached.
Tae looked around, as if for pointers. "This isn't a very couple-y place, is it."
"Why the hell would we frequent a couple-y place after practice?"
Before Tae could fire another retort, the waiter reappeared.
"Here you go," he said, setting the bowls down. The house special turned out to be ramen with an assortment of mushrooms. "Please enjoy." He left the table without winking this time, much to Hijikata's relief.
"Oh, can you take my fishcakes?" Tae suddenly asked, prodding her offending fishcakes with distaste.
"Uh, sure."
Tae suddenly snapped to attention. "They're leaving. Open your mouth."
"Huh?"
Tae seized his moment of confusion to unceremoniously shove a fishcake into his mouth, forcing her face into a smile. "Here you go, dear."
Hijikata's eyes watered as he tried not to choke, nearly swallowing the blistering hot fishcake whole. As he did, he could vaguely make out the sounds of chairs scraping back and choruses of gochisou-sama deshita over the general din of the restaurant. Hijikata badly wanted to turn and look, but was too afraid to.
"They're gone," Tae reported, extricating the rest of her fishcakes and, to Hijikata's relief, placing them into his bowl. "I think he saw it though I'm not too sure. He stalked out fast. I think Okita-kun definitely saw it though. He was looking here."
"Great, well done," Hijikata rasped, reaching for his cup of tea. "Was that supposed to be revenge for lunch?"
Tae ignored him and dug into her noodles.
She's not changing her chopsticks? Hijikata stared at Tae who was now nonchalantly eating ramen as if she had forgotten that she had just shoved the same pair into his mouth.
Deciding not to care, Hijikata took his bottle of mayonnaise and dumped more mayonnaise into his ramen. Now that Kondo had left, Hijikata felt his hunger return as he dived into his bowl of mayo-ramen.
Tae suddenly choked and started laughing. "You have got mayonnaise everywhere!" she exclaimed reaching for the paper napkin on the table.
Hijikata's mouth was full, so he could not properly articulate his second "Huh" of the day.
Nor could he properly process what Tae was doing.
As if doing it to her brother, Tae nonchalantly started wiping his cheeks and nose. "Your mayonnaise obsession is truly disgusting," she commented.
Hijikata meanwhile, too flabbergasted to swallow, felt blood rushing to his cheeks. Is she seriously…?
As if only just realising what she was doing, Tae stopped in mid-swipe and withdrew her hand. "Aa..gomen," she put the paper napkin back down on the table. "I just…force of habit." She picked up her chopsticks, hiding her reddening cheeks behind a cloud of steam and ramen noodles.
Hijikata shook his head as he swallowed the food in his mouth, tasting nothing. "It's fine." He willed the blood he felt rushing to his face to return to wherever it had come from originally. Thank God Kondo-san left, he thought.
"If only Kondo-san had seen that," Tae mumbled.
She has got to be kidding me.
"Here's a thought," Hijikata volunteered after he had force-fed himself a few mouthfuls of ramen and mayonnaise and felt marginally normal. "That waiter dude? He thinks you're cute. Why don't you go out with him for real?"
"He's not my type," Tae replied. "I'm not going to go out with him ever. And it would be way too complicated to get him to pose as my boyfriend. Forget it."
"What, like I'm your type?" Hijikata asked sarcastically.
Tae choked and reached for her tea. Hijikata felt oddly satisfied and pleased with himself not to be the one choking this time.
"No," Tae said vehemently as she wiped her lips delicately.
Then why the hell are you targeting me, b-
"Who's your first school for the qualifying round?" Tae suddenly shifted topics. Not that Hijikata minded. He was fairly sick of discussing their ridiculous charade.
"Kitagawa," he answered. "You?"
"Mito."
"That one's tough."
"Yeah." Tae suddenly launched into the girl's team's strategy, and Hijikata wondered why they had never joined forces and discussed how to better run the kendo teams and plan for competitions.
Oh right – she was too busy running away from our captain.
Hijikata suddenly felt some sympathy for the brunette sitting across from him. He had known since the first year of high school that she had had to put up with Kondo's relentless stalking – and he himself had been an unwilling party and messenger many a time – but he had never stopped to consider what it had been like for her.
No wonder she's so desperate now.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Please come again!"
Tae bowed her thanks to the ramen chef behind the bar and stepped through the curtained doorway past Hijikata, who was holding up the curtains for her.
Wow, what is up with this guy? Tae wondered, peering at the tall, black-haired boy suspiciously. Suddenly he's such a gentleman. "How are you getting home?" Tae asked as she stepped outside.
"It's not that far from here actually," Hijikata answered as he came out from behind her. "You?"
"I need to take a bus." Tae looked around. "In front of that plaza."
"I'll wait with you."
Whoa whoa whoa, Tae stared at Hijikata in shock. What was in that ramen? Not only did he take my bag without me needing to ask when we left the restaurant and held the curtains up for me, now he's going to wait with me for my bus?
"Come on," Hijikata held out his hand.
Tae stared at his hand.
Hijikata rolled his eyes and stepped closer to her. "There are still some of our school mates hanging around in this district. You want to make this work, right?"
"…Hai." Tae gave him a final look of suspicion and took his hand.
"You're holding my hand like my mom," Hijikata commented. He laced his fingers through hers, much to the consternation of her ramen-filled stomach. "Let's go."
I totally ate too much, Tae thought, trying not to throw up as they started walking towards the plaza. This is getting too weird. Say something! "I love this sunlight," Tae blurted out. "It's so pretty."
Hijikata grunted.
Across the road, Tae spied some students in their high school uniform. She vaguely remembered them to be in their year, although she wasn't sure which class.
Guess he has a point, Tae thought, turning her gaze back to Hijikata. The conclusion however, didn't stop her stomach from flipping about. Is he really that cool about this?
The walk to the plaza's bus stop was not far. Tae wondered if Hijikata would let go once they reached the stop, but he continued to hold her hand as he stared at the road from which her bus was supposed to appear.
Damn it, he is really good looking, Tae thought, taking the chance to study his profile against the sunlight. Does that mean he's my type? Maybe it's just his face that's my type. He can't be my type. What is my type?
"That's the bus, right?" Hijikata suddenly said, squinting against the sunlight.
Tae looked. "Oh. Yeah."
"See you tomorrow," Hijikata said as he handed Tae her schoolbag and released her hand. The bus approached the stop, squealing in a cloud of exhaust.
"Un…ja." Tae dug in her bag for her travel pass and joined the line of commuters queueing to board the bus, wondering why she was feeling something akin to disappointment. Hijikata watched her silently, his face expressionless.
As the queue started to move, Tae turned to look at Hijikata.
"You aren't my type."
Hijikata blinked.
"But you're the most good-looking, so it had to be you." With that, Tae, feeling her cheeks burning up again, turned away and boarded the bus.
The bus was fairly crowded, but Tae managed to squeeze on. As the bus moved away, she looked out the grimy windows at Hijikata, who was still standing there watching her. Not knowing what else to do, Tae smiled and waved.
Hijikata held up his hand in response and gave her a tiny smile.
Is he blushing?
Tae fought the urge to laugh out loud. Her stomach was flipping, she was breathing funny and now she felt giddy.
But somehow, she didn't feel like complaining at all.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hijikata wasn't a humming or a whistling type of guy. But if he was, he would have been doing either.
Maybe this girlfriend thing isn't that bad. One month isn't that long either.
"Tadaima," he called out as he let himself into his home.
"Okaeri," came the reply from the general direction of the kitchen.
Hijikata dumped his bags in the hallway and trooped to the kitchen. "What's for dinner?" he asked his mother as he ransacked the fridge.
"Stew. Don't touch that, Toushirou."
"What's this?" Hijikata looked at a small, pretty box on the topmost shelf of the fridge.
"That's for Tae-chan. I'm saving it for her. Ask her to come by tomorrow after school okay?"
Hijikata tried not to gag. "Are you serious? Okaa-san, there's no need to do anything like that!" Especially as she's not actually my girlfriend, he silently explained.
"But it's just so pretty and I know she'll like it. She likes Bargain Dash, right? Well that's mochi filled with Bargain Dash ice cream. I passed by the shop that sells it today while I was running errands."
"Aren't you taking this a bit too seriously?" Hijikata asked, closing the fridge door and turning to look at his mother's back. "I mean…even if she is my…girlfriend…we've only been going out for a bit. It's not a serious thing."
His mother turned around to glare at him. "What are you saying, Toushirou? You're just fooling around with Tae-chan?"
Hijikata faltered. "Well, no, that's not what I mean-"
"The only reason you are going out with her is that you like her, right? More than any other girl?"
No, it's really because I love mayonnaise, was what Hijikata wanted to answer.
"…Yeah," he muttered, and turned to leave the kitchen. "I'm taking a bath."
"You do that," his mother called out to him as he trudged up the stairs.
xxxxxxx
As Hijikata sat in the bath, he wondered what his mother would do when their arrangement ended. Probably accuse him of 'fooling around' and being a bad boyfriend, and then kill him, he thought wryly.
I wonder if she's home already. If she has dinner waiting for her? She doesn't have a mom to cook dinner for her. Or maybe ramen was her dinner. Maybe she's the one cooking. In which case, my condolences, Shinpachi.
Hijikata snickered a little, then realised that he was thinking about Shimura Tae without the usual accompanying urge to want to throttle her. Get your act together, man, he thought in irritation.
No kendo and no basketball practice tomorrow, he thought in relief. Hey, maybe I can teach her Physics so that Okaa-san can give her her stupid mochi. Wonder if she'll like it. I didn't know she liked Bargain Dash. Does she like it as much as I like mayonnaise? No way that's possible.
"Toushirou! Have you fallen asleep in the bath?" his mother's voice floated up from somewhere in the house.
"No I haven't!" Hijikata retorted and pulled himself up, grabbing a towel.
I'll just send her an email asking if she wants to study tomorrow.
Hijikata dressed quickly and headed back downstairs to get his phone.
Noticing a new email alert, he flipped the phone open.
It was Tae.
"Thanks for today. I know it wasn't easy for you."
Hijikata blinked. That was unexpected, he thought.
He hit reply.
"It's fine. You want to come over to study Physics tomorrow? My mom has something she wants to pass to you."
"If you're done, hurry up and come down! Your dinner is getting cold."
"Haaai," Hijikata answered and grabbed his phone.
xxxxxxxxxx
"Toushirou, put your phone away please. I know you want to talk to your girlfriend, but I'm sure she's fine if you don't answer right away, right?"
"Hai." Hijikata obediently put his phone away. "Oh, by the way she says thanks, looking forward to it, and do you need any groceries, we can bring them on the way."
"Oh, tell her no thanks, but what a dear for offering. After dinner," his mother gave him a Look.
"Hai, hai."
xxxxxxxxxx
Shinpachi peered around his sister's door. "Ane-ue?"
"Mmm?"
Shinpachi entered her room. Tae was lying on her bed, typing something into her phone. "Did you understand the English assignment?"
"Yeah, it's to write an essay discussing the Japanese and Western education system. Any Western country will do, I think," Tae answered, not taking her eyes off her phone.
Shinpachi folded his arms, watching his sister typing some message with his eyes narrowed.
"Nani, Shin-chan?" she asked, a hint of irritation creeping into her voice.
"By any chance, that isn't your….boyfriend, is it?" Shinpachi asked.
Tae got up and crossed her arms defensively. "And if it is?"
"Why are you going out with Hijikata-san? I never knew you liked him."
"You never asked."
"But if you've liked him before this, then there should be at least some semblance of a sign or something," Shinpachi pointed out. "You've never even so much as spoken to him. And him liking you? That's even weirder. I find it hard to believe that he'd like you, knowing how much Kondo-san likes you."
"Love is a strange thing," Tae intoned.
"The hell it is. Are you seriously going out with him?" Shinpachi stared at his sister intently. The whole thing is too fishy, he thought. Something is up.
"Yes, I am," Tae said simply, and tossed herself back down onto her bed. "Good night, Shinpachi."
Shinpachi was not convinced, but decided to let it go, knowing he would not make any headway interrogating his sister right there and then.
xxxxxxxxx
Hijikata flipped open his phone.
"I just had this weird conversation with my brother. I think he suspects something."
Hmmm. Hijikata frowned and typed, "What'd he say?"
The reply came quickly. "That he doesn't believe we actually like each other to be going out."
Hijikata thought for a while before he replied.
"I'll pick you up from your house tomorrow. Think it'll help?"
A few seconds later – "Huh? You want to walk all the way here?"
Hijikata smirked as he typed his reply.
"No, idiot. By bicycle."
"Didn't know you rode to school."
"I don't normally, but I can make an exception tomorrow."
"Okay then. You better be here by 7.30."
"Yes ma'am."
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tae's phone suddenly vibrated on the breakfast table.
"Tae, your phone," her father called out.
Tae ran out from where she had been washing dishes in the kitchen and eagerly flipped open her phone. "Moshi moshi. Okay, I'll be right out." She snapped her phone shut and grabbed her bag as her father and Shinpachi stared. "Just leave the dishes in the sink, Chichi-ue, Shin-chan!" she called out as she hurried to the genkan and slipped into her school shoes. "I'll do them when I get back. Oh, and I'm studying at a friend's house and having dinner there. I'll be home late. Ittekimasu!"
Tae yanked the door open. It was bright, but the air was still relatively cool. She closed the door behind her and looked around.
Hijikata was perched on his bicycle a little way off. He nodded in greeting when he saw her.
Tae tried not to look too excited as she walked towards him, clutching her school bag. "Ohayou."
"Aa. Your brother left already?"
"No." Tae could not help feeling somewhat annoyed and disappointed as she remembered that the reason Hijikata was there was to convince her brother that they were really going out. "He's still inside."
"Oh, okay. You wanna put your bag in there?" Hijikata nodded towards the basket in front of the bike, where he had squeezed his bag in.
"Un." Tae tried to cram her bag in.
"I think you should turn it the other way."
As Tae and Hijikata wrestled her bag in, the front door opened and Shinpachi stepped out, causing both Tae and Hijikata to momentarily look up.
"Oh. Ohayou, Shimura."
"Ohayou," Shinpachi said darkly and briskly walked past without another word.
Hijikata stared after him. "He doesn't seem too happy."
"Well, of course, you're going out with his precious and adorable sister," Tae said as she finally succeeded in squeezing her bag into the basket. "Okay, let's go. Before my father comes out."
A panicked expression crossed Hijikata's face. "Okay then, hurry up."
Tae looked at the small plastic shelf-like contraption behind the seat of the bike. "Is that clean?"
"Yes, yes. I promise. I cleaned it before I left the house. Stop dawdling and get on."
Tae perched herself on her plastic seat gingerly. Without any warning, Hijikata took off.
"Kyaa!" Tae grabbed his waist in fear of falling off. "I wasn't ready!"
"You're fine," Hijikata said over his shoulder.
"Are you afraid of my father?" Tae asked, clinging on for dear life.
Hijikata ignored her and picked up speed.
Tae tightened her grip around his waist. "Slow down!"
"Nah, that's boring."
"Hijikata!"
Enjoying the short chance he had to torture his tormentor, Hijikata grinned and turned a corner at full speed.
xxxxxxxx
"Oi. We're here."
Tae opened her eyes. Oh my God. I'm still alive.
"I can't get off if you don't get off first, you know," Hijikata said over his shoulder.
Tae slowly straightened up from her position. "Oh, shit!" She released him from her death grip. "I got makeup on your cardigan. Wait."
Hijikata obediently stayed still as Tae tried to rub the patch of foundation and loose powder off his back. "I just took that out from my wardrobe."
"Well, if you hadn't ridden like a Tour de France competitor this wouldn't have happened."
Hijikata had nothing to say in response, so he said nothing.
"Ugh, it's not coming off." Tae hopped off, and grabbed his arm to steady herself. Hijikata got off after her and wheeled his bike to the nearest stand. Tae followed him, now with a makeup wipe in hand.
"That thing's wet," Hijikata remarked as he knelt down to lock his bike, Tae attacking his back with the makeup wipe.
"Well of course it is, it's makeup remover."
"Ohayou, Hijikata-san, Shimura-san!"
"Ohayou."
"Ohayou, Yamazaki-kun."
Yamazaki waved cheerily as he walked past.
"He doesn't hate you," Tae whispered as Hijikata straightened up.
"I know," Hijikata answered as he took their bags from the basket. "He's a good guy."
Tae looked around for a rubbish bin.
"Here." Hijikata took the wet tissue from her hand as he slung both their bags over a shoulder. "Let's go."
Tae felt her cheeks heat up at the brief skin contact. Why is he so blasé about this?
"How long are you going to stand there?"
Tae glared at him and grabbed his elbow. Around them, some students stopped and stared, or threw interested looks in their direction, but somehow Tae thought a lot less people were staring now.
Maybe we're old news and everyone is getting used to the idea that we're going out. Okay, make this convincing. You are Hijikata's girlfriend.
"Ne," Tae asked him as they started walking towards the shoe lockers. "What flavour mochi did your mom get? I mean the Bargain Dash."
"I dunno, she wouldn't let me see." Hijikata spotted a trash can and tossed the makeup wipe balled up in his hand as they went past.
They reached the shoe locker area, and Tae released his arm. "My bag."
"Aa." Hijikata handed her her bag, and they split up to find their own shoe lockers.
Hijikata was the faster one (to no one's surprise) and waited for Tae to be done.
"Let's go," Tae said as she walked up to him.
"Wait." Hijikata peered at her face. "Your face. One side is paler than the other."
Tae's hands flew to her cheeks. "Oh great. I need to go to the girls'."
"No, it's almost homeroom already. Give me your handkerchief."
Is he serious? No, seriously?
The bell rang out suddenly, causing Tae to snap to attention and dig out her handkerchief hurriedly.
"Hold still." Hijikata grabbed her shoulder with one hand and started wiping her right cheek.
Tae held her breath. Cool it, Tae. He's just acting like a boyfriend. You were the one who told him to act like how he would around his girlfriend.
As Hijikata patiently wiped the cheek that had not spent the ride to school pressed against his back, Tae realised that the bell was signalling an announcement over the PA system, instead of the first bell as Hijikata had initially thought.
"All class representatives and heads of club are to meet today after school in the school auditorium for a short meeting," a disembodied voice rang out over the PA system.
"Oh, damn," Tae complained.
"Stop talking."
Tae waited patiently. Feeling her cheeks heat up again, which was frankly occurring too often for her liking, she decided to stare at Hijikata's neck.
Even his neck looks good.
"Here," Hijikata returned her handkerchief.
"Un…arigatou." Tae stuffed her handkerchief back into her bag and, almost out of habit now, took his elbow. "Can you wait until the meeting is over?"
"Sure. Why do you wear that gunk? You don't have to."
"Eh?" The question caught Tae off-guard. "It's…it's a girl thing."
Hijikata smirked, and Tae waited for her usual reaction of annoyance.
Strangely, it never came.
Tbc
A/N: You know when you plan a fic, and then you start writing and then it runs away from you as you write?
This is it.
