Thank you for reviewing 5namida, SoujiFangirl, Guest 2, OniKuShita, Wings Of Silver Wishes, Jessica nguyen8, Pjs everyday, misao97, fallingwisteria and Unknown Person. Thank you all for your support! Without kind reviewers like you, I wouldn't have that much strength to write as I have now! I am truly, truly thankful!
As usual, a huge, warm thanks to 5namida for being kind enough to beta-read, despite her tight schedule!
A/N: I sincerely apologize for the long wait! You see, University happened... many, many classes and difficult exams that demanded all of my attention. I might feel utterly exhausted now, but I'm also delighted to have returned to writing this story! I got many beautiful ideas while I was studying. And since the semester is not yet over, my next update might also be a little late, but don't worry, because I have two or three chapters ahead almost complete. I will update "Fiery Green" sooner or later.
Also, I can proudly announce that the lovely FanArt by Wings of Silver Wishes is now colored too! I am very proud to have it as the cover image for my story. Thank you very much once again!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki.
Fiery Green
~Chapter 9~
Red.
It was a color warm, energetic, powerful, flaring with temper by itself. And also sad. Sorrowful. . . because for humans it came hand in hand with ail and despair.
Red was sharp, hot, bellicose, merciless, angry. Riled.
This time the sentiment Chizuru felt upon closely observing red seeping out of her own body was plain, unquestionable pain. Not the exhilaration and delight she had normally felt when beholding the glorious spectacle of the red flames as they shaped the scorching blade that fought between hammer and anvil.
It was not a sensation she was not accustomed to. Many times her skin was breached by the unforgiving sharpness of a weapon. But that was a long time ago. Many moons had passed since the last time she had been foolish and unprofessional enough to cut herself.
Chizuru clasped her hand close to her chest. It was more than obvious that today she had been quite careless, apparently unfocused. And inwardly she was well aware of the reason. It was. . . because she had been a proper glorious coward and very, very rude.
She should have promptly returned, hauled herself back and apologized for leaving her clients so suddenly and rudely. She really should have sprinted back as urgently as humanly possible. But she could not, no matter how fiercely she commanded her legs to obey her inner clamoring. It had been beyond her mortal powers to return and bow in apologies after her magnificent sally out of the room. Not because of her pride. But because her treacherous heart refused to assume and retain a normal rhythm again and allow her to present herself honorably and in a seemly and courteous manner.
Before she could even properly register the fact that her actions were nothing but impertinent and rude and that decent, befitting conduct and manners obliged her to even kneel, if needed to, and plead with those she affronted to forgive her for turning her back without even a proper greeting, to her dismay, the men had already departed the store. Gone. And all what was left of them to remind Chizuru of their visit was just a transient breeze.
Instead of losing her composure, Chizuru decided to rationally consider every aspect and design her next move carefully, meticulously. The next possible plan of action was to venture out in search of them. Her rudeness demanded that she should traverse the entirety of Edo, and further beyond if needed, in order to properly apologize profusely, somehow make amends and show her remorse. And then, maybe then, they would be kind and magnanimous enough to forgive her insolence and audacity.
The thought frightened her. All vestiges of bravery she had housed within were suddenly nowhere to be found and order to function.
The small gears operating inside her head were screeching in protest as she frantically forced them to work.
She did not even hold any worthwhile information about their whereabouts, their station or division. For all Chizuru knew they could have been enjoying their day off at the moment...as far away as the kingdom's borders allowed. Or, perhaps, indulge in something unfathomable that might have required them to be away from duty and, consequently, out of her reach. And Chizuru, she sadly admitted, was not able to muster enough courage in order to roam every store and Guard Unit and bother them in order to acquire information about Toudou-san, Harada-san, Nagakura-san and Okita-san, despite that she knew it was expected of her after this audacious and un-befitting blunder.
She swallowed hardly at her thoughts. She had also been... insolent... enough to surmise that all men were members of the Guard. They did not specifically inform her about that, per se, but it was to be expected ever since she was informed by Sannan and witnessed Okita patrolling in his blue haori.
Chizuru heaved a sigh and lifted her hands to cup her cheeks in despair.
"Oww!" She mumbled and sighed again. The smell of blood had started to annoy her immensely. But this was no time to worry about a minor cut. Admittedly though, this accident stood as stentorian evidence about what she was unconsciously ordering herself to do.
The blood oozing from her finger was proof. Proof that she should not idly sit by and continue forging blades while she had insulted –most likely irrevocably- those respectable men out of her own foolishness and embarrassment.
Exhaling in mental weariness, she swallowed decisively and nearly scuffed around the store, frantically in search of the owner. By the sound of it, Chizuru was nearly certain that there were no clients to serve at the moment. Still, Sannan-san was patiently waiting at his post like he always had.
"Sannan-san," she hesitantly and reticently called, head held downcast and fingers intertwined over her lap.
He slowly turned to regard her. "Yes, Yukimura-kun?" he nonchalantly prompted her to continue.
Despite the obvious urging tone of his voice, she did not respond right away. The man noticed her restraint and apprehension and furrowed his brows slightly in concern. "Is something troubling you?"
Chizuru shook her head. "No... Nothing serious, I assure you. It's just..." she stopped and exhaled once more as her mental fatigue was starting to painfully show.
"Yes?" he urged once more.
Chizuru averted her gaze completely. She decided to purposely stare at a blade on display at her right instead. She rubbed her hands together nervously, nibbling at her lower lip like she always did when she was in distress.
"You hurt yourself," Sannan remarked quite callously and only then Chizuru realized she had yet to properly take care of the blood steadily oozing from her finger.
"Oh. This is nothing," she defended and sloppily wiped her hand at her apron, slightly wincing as the small cut made contact with the rough and smeared fabric. "I was simply wondering…" she paused again and sighed deeply. "Do... do you think I insulted our customers irrevocably yesterday with my impertinent behavior? Could I even make amends at this point?" she spluttered out in one hasty breath.
He arched an eyebrow. "Customers?"
She nodded emphatically. "Yes. The... the men from the Guard. I mean...aren't they all members of the... Royal Guard?" Chizuru hesitated for a brief second. "Toudou-san, Harada-san, Nagakura-san and" she paused for a moment to breathe out, "Okita-san."
He momentarily closed his eyes in understanding. "Yes," he admitted and Chizuru managed to decipher that he was laconically corroborating her previous assumption pertaining to the profession and social standing of the aforementioned clients. As if nudging her more, Sannan-san continued, "I am under the impression that you have also met Saito-kun. He belongs in the troops as well." Chizuru nodded, silently picturing the indigo-haired individual that came along with Toudou and Okita the first time they visited the shop roughly one week ago.
Chocolate brown eyes stared expectantly at the man.
"I do not believe they were offended," he offered his conjecture, but Chizuru had yet to breathe her, most likely well-deserved, sigh of relief. "But, I must admit, your reaction was rather sudden and unexpected. They may have not been insulted, but they were most definitely surprised and taken aback. You stormed out of the room in great haste."
Chizuru's breath came out shaking and she nibbled at her lower lip even more fiercely. "I should apologize."
"If you feel the need to, then you should, Yukimura-kun," he calmly agreed.
"But..."she paused for a moment, deciding to bring forth the next matter that worried her. "How do I find them? I do not suppose I can wait for another blade of them to dull. This won't serve any purpose," she added half-deriding her own silliness, but Sannan did not respond. "What should I do to repent?" Chizuru further pressed, fazed by the man's, nearly deafening for her, silence.
A moment elapsed for Sannan to offer his answer. "Why don't you pay a visit to their Headquarters?"
"E-Eh?" she only managed to utter.
Of course, it was the most rational and expected thing to do. She was searching for soldiers of the Royal Guard. The best and most obvious place to locate them was, naturally, the Royal Guard's Headquarters.
And yet it felt...
Impossible. She could not just waltz into the Royal Guard's Headquarters out of the blue and demand to be brought before some of their members. It would be…rude and unbecoming and… so many things at once.
Chizuru involuntarily let out a small cry that was impossible to inhibit. She had never done something even remotely similar before. Visiting the abodes of clients to deliver their requested orders was hardly enough support for her to claim to be experienced on how to knock on the Guard's door. Not to mention that their station was rumored to be at the east wing of the palace itself. How could she even hope to gain access there for a reason so weak and preposterous as to just apologize?
She shook her head once and gulped uncomfortably. It was most likely expected of her to go to great lengths and come out of her comfortable zone if needed, considering what she had done the day before.
"I-I…"
Sannan-san smiled at her encouragingly. "Everything will be alright. They were not that intimidating, weren't they? The men of the Royal Guard are surprisingly understanding people," his obviously urging tone could hardly pass unnoticed. "Do not listen to the dreadful rumors. You should be fine, Yukimura-kun."
She blinked once. It then occurred to her that Sannan-san seemed to be well acquainted with many Guards and their practices. Deciding against prying, she titled her head to the side. "Do you really believe so, Sannan-san?"
He nodded and smiled once more. Chizuru let out a breath and bowed her head deeply. "Thank you, Sannan-san." And resumed her posture. "Do you suppose I should…" she stopped meaningfully and fidgeted in nervousness.
He understood and flashed a kind smile. "You may depart now. I will take care of the clients. Do what you must."
With his permission acquired Chizuru bowed once again and in palpably apparent enthusiasm ran towards the exit.
She found herself at a fairly moderate distance from the shop when she finally realized she bolted out still wearing her apron with no mantle under the scorching sun. Chizuru immediately twirled, preparing to head back and clad herself in a proper attire. But she halted in her tracks a second after. She had a very unsettling feeling that, if she happened to return, she would promptly lose all vestiges of incentive and leverage she had in order to will her legs to move towards the Palace. She was more than certain her decisiveness would waver again and that her limbs would unconsciously guide her into her room and refuse to properly serve her by padding towards her destination. She would resign even before properly trying to accomplish anything. . .
She slapped her palm against her forehead in indignation for her own foolishness. And at that very moment she paid proper heed to the fact that she had not tended to her wound at all and instead had let the blood –albeit not quite as much as to worry her- flow. How careless, she thought to herself, eyeing her hand with concern. A blacksmith, a proper one at least, would never leave a sword wound without catering to; no matter how small of a cut that was.
Chizuru sighed angrily at herself and veered instinctively to her left— only to see a familiar figure waving at her cordially. Her lips curled up to a smile upon spotting the spice vendor.
"Hirama-san!" she called out in acknowledgment and approached his stand. Flouncing nervously she kindly dared to request of the kind older man to provide her with a dump cloth, if possible. He happily obliged to her request and Chizuru finally grasped the chance to clean her hand and wipe some of the blood marring the apron from her previous cut.
Upon spotting the graze at her hand the merchant shook his head and sighed. It was no wonder a small lady like her would be hurt at some point while working as a Blacksmith.
"An accident, Yukimura-san?" he smiled heartily, after ascertaining that the wound was not a cause of immediate worry. The girl blushed in embarrassment and rubbed the nape of her neck, assuming a nervous but nonetheless suave, smile. "You're heading to the Market place, are you not? Never forget to take care of yourself before catering to others' orders, child," the man kindly advised and offered her a small bandage, which she quickly wrapped around her hand.
"Thank you..." she muttered honestly, whilst he only offered a gentle nod as a response. She did not even attempt to explain that the Market place was not her destination –at least not exclusively- and that her purpose was not to receive or deliver the shop's orders.
A nip of melancholy nudged at her insides as Chizuru realized that she was in no place to yammer about a mere cut before Hirama-san. At the same time, she reminded herself what was the true reason he had kept bandages in such a close proximity. Hirama-san was a spice vendor. His work could hardly be dangerous enough to warrant him keeping all sorts of first-aid provisions.
She sighed, a morose mask spreading upon her face, and silently recalled that the cause of this, dreadful to consider if you knew of Hirama-san's situation, measure was none other than the violent Noble Lord which Hirama was working under and was funded by. Chizuru had only met the man from afar, a fleeting encounter she had no intention of repeating or pursuing ever again. After all, Serizawa Kamo was not, apparently, a gentle man and, at any rate, Noble Lords were best to be avoided by peasants like Chizuru was. Especially those that were infamous for abusing their personnel.
Hirama-san's example only acted to accentuate a horrible fact; that this was the fate of those unfortunate enough to work in the slums of Edo. If one wished to survive, necessary sacrifices needed to be made in order to find enough funding resources to operate a proper store. You could do nothing else but fight your way in life. Sannan-san was talented enough to operate without direct funding, as far as Chizuru was aware, at least. This very detail made working under the gifted Blacksmith a stupendous opportunity and cause of joy. She only hoped she was capable enough to help him keep his store healthily operating without any kind of, unbidden or unpleasant, sponsor. She felt her inwards cringe at the thought of what a kind man as Hirama-san must be going through daily.
Sadly she did not retain the luxury to idly sit by and contemplate over other's misfortunes; not now at least. Just the mere thought of wanting to help Sannan-san keep his store flourishing reminded her that she had an… errand of sorts to attend to.
She excused herself almost hurriedly and, after bowing in thanks, she trod towards the central street waving a chased goodbye.
Her shoulders and hands, bare under the heat, protested angrily. It was a painful reminder that she should make quick work of finding the Guard's Headquarters if she did not wish to be roasted alive.
Every civilian of Edo could not help but wince upon sighting the marching groups of blue Haori strolling down the streets. Chizuru was no exception. It was an unconscious reaction. A manifestation of the deep fear every man and woman felt towards authority. This time Chizuru was nearly shocked upon realizing that she sauntered around the streets frantically in actual search of the intimidating mob of light blue.
Her chest was heaving, begging for oxygen only a few minutes after. She ceased her steps and allowed herself a moment to properly breathe. She wiped her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand and drew in a sharp intake of air. If only Sen was available, she could offer a helping hand to this expenditure. But, Chizuru knew, this would only perplex things more. Demanding to be allowed into the Palace asking for the Guard was one thing, but demanding to see a Noblewoman would surely be considered even more preposterous.
"What should I do…" she mumbled mostly to herself and cupped her face with her small hands. She tapped her foot nervously against the earth, only then realizing how dreadfully heated the dirt actually felt beneath her.
She could clearly see the Royal Palace at the West, towering above every other building. The mere size and presence of the edifice had always inspired awe on all who dared cast their gazes upon it. Standing imposing, commanding reverence. Just by taking a simple glimpse Chizuru's heart fluttered.
She instinctively curled her fingers into fists and lifted them in front of her chest, clenching her apron. "Why am I such a coward now that it matters most?!" she muttered, voice barely above a melodic whisper.
Her cinnamon colored eyes suddenly widened, her ears vividly perked up like a puppy's as she bounced at the balls of her feet in realization. She recognized the characteristic tapping of sandals against the ground, the distinct sounds of scabbards and blades swaying at the rhythm of calculated decisive steps. She dared raise her gaze. The only thing she was met with was a light blue sea...waving haori... dancing to a beat dictated by the heated wind.
"Now, now. Look who we have here. . ." She blinked repeatedly, nearly rejecting the, quite preposterous for Chizuru, fact that the man at the very apex of the formation was waving and greeting jovially her of all people.
"Ha-Harada-san?" she stammered and gulped once, mentally denying what her eyes were sighting, what her ears were hearing. He smiled at her encouragingly and neared, coming to stand only two steps away.
"If it isn't the talented little apprentice lady. How ya doing, Chizuru?" She hardly resisted the urge to chortle and bounce like a fool. It suddenly seemed as though the Ladies of Fate had been very kind to her.
Only a heartbeat after her smile was abruptly relinquished in order to vouchsafe its power to a morose frown.
However humiliating it was in itself, her bow was a mandatory gesture. And it was so profuse and deep that her nose almost kissed the dirt. "I am terribly sorry for my audacious and impertinent behavior! Please forgive me!" she nearly cried out.
Sanosuke's golden eyes widened in confusion as he eyed the bowing girl carefully. "Oi, oi! What are you—?"
"Yo, Sano! Sano! Are you listening?" the boisterous exclamations interrupted the man mid-sentence. "You idiot! I am calling your name for 5 minutes straight! How dare you d— Eh?" the unmistakable voice of Shinpachi, followed by a surprised yelp, suddenly boomed from behind the Tenth Division as the Second and its Captain made their way through. "Isn't that Sannan-san's...? What happened?"
"Don't make a fuss, Shinpachi! I have no idea what's going on either!"
The bulky Guard stepped near, leaning over Chizuru's bowing form, peering at her closely. "Chizuru-chan is it?"
Chizuru dared raise her head for a moment only to meet a pair of cerulean hues staring at her in a confusion, mirroring the daze that veiled the pair of golden eyes right at their side.
"Why, pray tell, are you apologizing to Sano all of a sudden?"
"I..." she only uttered and released a trembling sigh. Chizuru kept her eyes closed for a fraction of a second and finally decided to speak. "I disappeared very rudely yesterday, without even offering proper greetings to you. My behavior was inexcusable. I hope you can forgive me," thankful that she did not stutter, she bowed again.
"Oi, oi, stop bowing so deeply!" she only heard before gentle hands took a grip of her shoulder and face and practically forced her to straighten her posture. Her eyes snapped open to clash against warm golden.
"You don't need to apologize to us. Really, we should be apologizing instead. Our loudness and crudeness bothered you, right?"
She tried to wave her hands dismissively. How could Harada-san even entertain the thought that they should be apologizing when clearly Chizuru was the one at fault?
"Sano is right, Chizuru-chan. We should be sorry. Are ya alright, though? You took off so suddenly..." Nagakura trailed off rubbing the side of his neck nervously.
"I...I am fine." She gulped. "I was just so afraid I insulted you with my-"
"Nonsense!" Harada stopped her midway. "Mind who you're talking to, Chizuru," he laughed under his breath at her shocked expression. "We all live with Souji. Not to mention that one of the men you thought you insulted is Souji himself. Do you really think we would be offended by something like that?" he beamed a cordial smile and nodded encouragingly.
"But—"
"Don't ya worry, Chizuru-chan!" Nagakura forcefully patted her back, making her nearly crumble down by the sheer unexpected force of his gesture. "We just hope you weren't too scared of us. It would look bad for us to frighten young ladies like that." He offered a wide, toothy grin and titled his head playfully.
"No, I..." but the proper words did not come out of her mouth this time either. She bit at her lower lip in, still a little quavering, decisiveness and after clenching her fists she spoke, "Again, I have to ask you to forgive me." Chizuru inclined her head once more, hair whipping around, following the rhythm of her moving head, settling around her face much like self-made draperies. "If it isn't too much to ask," she tentatively started, slowly and apprehensively raising her gaze, "Could you, please, if it's not too much of a bother to you, tell me where I could find Toudou-san and Okita-san? I have to offer my apologies to them as well. It's only proper to do so..." she stumbled on her own words, scolding herself for repeating over and over what she wished to convey.
Shinpachi lifted his hands. "Oi, oi! You don't have to do any of that, Chizuru-chan! I am sure those two bastards were not offended at all. Heck! We were all worried instead."
"Please, I have to..." She pressed further, brown eyes glimmering silent pleas.
Sano exhaled. "If you insist with such a cute face, then I see no reason not to," he callously commented, prompting her to blink shyly. "Just to be clear, Chizuru," he added seemingly as an afterthought, "You are not obliged to apologize to anyone." He locked his sharp but warm eyes over her for many long seconds, until the girl shook her head in understanding, wordlessly accepting the meaning behind what he had just uttered. Facing her apparent refusal to retreat, Sanosuke turned to his friend. "Are you finished with your rounds?"
Shinpachi nodded, eyebrows furrowing. "Just. Why else do you think I was heading here?" he grinned toothily.
Sano rolled his eyes and flashed a smirk at the underlying challenge. "Plenty of reasons for that. None proper enough to discuss in front of a lady."
Shinpachi grunted at those obviously taunting words, huffing in annoyance. He opened his mouth to gloriously retort, but a single glance over to the girl staring at them expectantly with her sweet brown eyes blinking innocently stopped him abruptly. Shinpachi decided to thrust any kind of rude rebuttal to the back of his mind -for future use- and divert their attention to another matter at hand. "Rounds are done. Off we go! I swear I won't give the Fifth Division's bastards not a moment to idle on our fucki—"
"Shinpachi!"
"Freaking!" he corrected hurriedly, jolted by Sano's warning. "I meant freaking expense, Chizuru-chan." His eyes slipped away urgently to meet Chizuru's in an apologetic manner. He smiled in remorse, waving his hands in front of her in a vain attempt to rid his nonetheless -surely impeccable- image of unwanted splotches caused by nothing else than his very own foolishness. "You know how things go... rounds and all. We have timelines and... breaks and such...and... things happen sometimes." he spluttered in one breath and rubbed his head awkwardly.
Chizuru only smiled coyly, not even a little bit sure of what words should she offer in return.
"Then," Sano cleared his throat, "what do you say we all head to Headquarters? Souji's and Heisuke's turn to patrol is hours away. They should both be there. Probably."
Shinpachi excitedly nodded in agreement and promptly veered to face the troops. "Good job today, men! We head back!"
Chizuru was left staring at the spectacle in utter confusion and bewilderment. Her silent questions were answered the moment the men briskly responded. "Aye, Kumicho!"
She hardly contained herself from gaping. She should have guessed, considering that both men so casually stopped to greet and talk to her, whilst no other member of the Guard dare to protest, raise any objections or summon them in back line. She could not help but finally ask, "Is Nagakura-san... a Captain?" she blinked incredulously as both Divisions and Chizuru herself started treading towards the West, where the glorious Royal Palace was located.
"Hmm?" the man in question titled his head to the side, perplexed. "Oh!" he exclaimed, exchanging an elusive meaningful sideways glance with Sanosuke. "Yes, yes!" he intoned, almost childishly. "Is that a problem, Chizuru-chan?"
"N-No!" she gasped loudly. "Of course not!" and nearly squeaked, feeling her cheeks warming up dangerously in obvious and candid embarrassment. "So…" she hesitantly started again. "Is Harada-san also-?" she dared look at her right, where Sanosuke was walking. It was a mystery to Chizuru how she ended up walking at the apex of the formation in between the two Captains, but none seemed to have minded. This very situation only acted to stress the profound ridiculousness of the situation. How and why did things unfold in such a manner?
Inwardly she felt a surge of panic stirring her thoughts, twirling them in disarranged patterns. If she felt embarrassed by being escorted by one person of the Guard, just like she had been last time Okita-san joined her to returning to the store, then what was supposed to be her reaction now?
She took a brave glimpse of the people around the Market. Yes, they must have definitely thought her as a criminal.
The only answer she received was Harada's meaningful wide smile and his playful debonair wink.
"Come on, Chizuru-chan! Don't look so frightened!' Shinpachi teased and playfully nudged her at the forearm. Was she really looking that much frightened? "We can't be that scary. Think of Heisuke. He looks anything but imposing, right? That pipsqueak. And yet he is-"
She abruptly veered to stare at him with wide eyes veiled with shock. "Is Toudou-san a Captain too?!"
Harada and Nagakura chuckled before the latter explained. "Yes. Eight Division. Didn't ya know?"
She shook her head slowly and soon averted her gaze, staring at her moving legs instead. "N-no," she breathed out. "Then..." she trailed off. Both men smiled encouragingly.
"I am the Captain of the Tenth Division." Sanosuke clarified. "Shinpachi is the Captain of the Second." At those words Nagakura grinned playfully and bumped his fist against his chest emphatically in pride. "Heisuke Eight. Saito Third. And Souji of the First."
It was a wonder she did not trip. "Okita-san is a Captain?!" But that only urged the men to cackle louder.
That's peachy! She mentally scolded herself. She insulted half of the famous Division Captains of the Royal Guard. What kind of horrible punishment awaited her for such an act?
Furthermore, she indirectly obliged one of them only a few days ago to escort her back home. Oh, dear…
"Oi, Chizuru-chan." A manly voice claimed her attention and pulled her back into, much too dreadful now, reality. She identified it instinctively and veered towards Nagakura. "Let's be honest, yes? Don't tell me that you ran all over the place just to look for us...to apologize?" he raised his thick eyebrows incredulously.
A blush marred her white cheeks as she nodded affirmatively.
"Tee, you didn't have to go that far for bastards like us, you know."
"How fare thee today, Royalty of Edo? Fret not! And need not swoon, ladies of the court, dearest concubines, all of you lustful females of our kingdom! The man of your dreams is back to grant your every wish!" Shinpachi clamored theatrically upon entering the room in his usual boisterous and rambunctious manner. Heisuke whistled sneeringly, narrowing his eyes briefly without averting them from the object lying in his hands. Openly rejecting the ridiculous manner in which Shinpachi announced his arrival, Heisuke stubbornly decided not to even grant the older man the privilege to veer and welcome him.
"Way to prove you have a big vocabulary, Shinpachi-san. If I put on a dress of a Noblewoman, will you listen to my wish and don't clamor like a duck in pain?" Heisuke callously mumbled as he continued rubbing the cloth up and down his new blade diligently. His report papers were lying abandoned a little further away, silently demanding to be taken care of as well. Of course, polishing his new blade was the first priority. The report papers could surely afford to wait for a little while longer. He had accidentally omitted to submit them to Hijikata-san yesterday evening, which clearly meant a very thundering storm of ire was expecting him already. Delaying the inevitable hardly worsened an already horrible situation.
"Naaah…" Shinpachi grunted behind gritted teeth. "No need for a dress, Heisuke-chan. You're quite girly already. And sorry but I am reserved only for the big-shots."
Heisuke snorted loudly, "As if." He shrugged and whiffed a strand of his long brown hair away from his bright eyes. His knuckles visibly tensed as very easily and very fast his instincts overwhelmed his sense of logic and violently protested in favor of retorting. Heisuke never obediently accepted being called girly. His teal eyes swiftly slipped towards the door, initially aiming to cast a disgruntled glance at his comrade.
He was painfully sure he was gawking comically the moment he aimed his unwilling askance glance towards the entrance and at the person now standing by the threshold in obvious apprehension and hesitation.
He required a moment to come to terms with the realization that the one standing at the door was, indeed, the one he presumed it was.
"Chi-Chizuru?!" Heisuke cried out and abruptly sat up. His sudden jolt was precariously close to cause him to drop his sword to the floor and in front of the eyes of its maker to boot. Heaving in agony he managed to take a hold of it at the very last second, thankful for his good luck and honed reflexes.
Chizuru could not help but awkwardly chuckle at his reaction. Truly, the whole experience flowed in a very comfortable pace and entering the Headquarters hardly resembled what she had initially imagined. At least there was no beast guarding the entrance.
"See, Heisuke," Sano started as he and Shinpachi disrobed of their haori. He encouragingly nodded to the girl to enter. Reluctantly, Chizuru took a few coy steps closer. "Chizuru-chan here wishes to speak to us."
Heisuke batted his eyes in confusion. "What?" he gaped and shook his head to arrange his thoughts in a proper order. "What are you saying, Sano-san? Why you did even brought Chizuru to this den of wolves? What if someone—"
"Relax, Heisuke," Shinpachi slapped his friend forcefully atop the back. "Chizuru-chan was the one that asked us to bring her to you."
Heisuke's bright eyes widened incredulously. "To me?" The young man could not stem the ferocity of the blush that came to settle upon his face. It was a fact that he had never been exceptionally capable of handling girls.
Sano laughed at the spectacle and assumed his place at the central rectangular table, gesturing for Chizuru to near once again by patting the chair right next to his own. She opened her mouth in order to offer her kind refusal, but no words came out.
She curled her fingers and brought her small fists upon her chest in obvious restlessness. "I- I came to~" she started nervously and gulped before bowing once more. "Please forgive my crude behavior yesterday. I had no intention of offending you. Please, please accept my honest apologies."
If Heisuke was perplexed and confused before, now he, officially, could make no sense of the scene whatsoever. What exactly was the problem that warranted such a profuse bowing and desperate apologizing?
He rubbed the nape of his neck nervously and scowled. "I really have no clue what you're talking about."
Chizuru finally straightened and dared look at the man. "I...I disappeared very rudely. I am sorry. I shouldn't have."
Heisuke's blue-green hues widened as –only a ghost of- slight comprehension erupted in his mind. "Oh, you mean..." He stopped for a moment, pensive. Until it dawned on him. "Why would you apologize for that? We should be apologizing instead. We shocked you, didn't we?"
"That's exactly what I said." Shinpachi remarked and moved to grab one of the fruits on the table again, not at all hesitating to indulge his habits. Sano's warning glare stopped him midway.
"Offer some to Chizuru first!" he whispered admonishing-ly, compelling Shinpachi to turn to the girl.
"Chizuru-chan! Come closer! Have some apples! I guarantee they are delicious. Not poisoned either. Promise!"
Chizuru shook her head, inhibiting a chuckle. "I... thank you. But I... You see, I left Sannan-san at the store alone and~"
"It's alright. Sannan-san can handle his store just fine, can't he?" Sanosuke winked playfully.
Chizuru slightly fidgeted but made no move to near. "I-I really should~"
"Wait a moment!" Heisuke yelped suddenly, making everyone still. "Chizuru came looking for us only to apologize? Honestly now?"
Shinpachi clicked his tongue tauntingly. "Not meaning to brag, but" he conspiratorially leaned closer to Sano, "I always knew this kid was a slow thinker. Poor him."
Sano arched his eyebrows incredulously and scoffed. "Really now? Who is the slow thinker out of all of us here, Shinpachi?"
Chizuru was unable to decide if those words of Heisuke's were meant as an insult or something else entirely she could not quite fathom. "Yes," she hesitantly answered the honest question.
The intensity of Heisuke's stare continued burning strong whilst teal was locked upon sweet brown. "Why would you go that far? I mean..." he cleared his throat, his nervousness palpable, "Not that I complain seeing you here and all~" he started mumbling incoherently. Until the moment he was, once again, urged to loudly protest as the remnants of the taller man's eaten apple fiercely landed at the back of Heisuke's head. "Oi! Shinpachi-san!"
"Considering Chizuru is in such a hurry," Sanosuke spoke in time to put a preventive stop to whatever kind of battle was lurking ahead, judging by his experience living with Shinpachi and Heisuke. "We should make quick work of finding Souji, so she can leave, yes?" he suggested and decisively sat up, straightening his hakama and readying himself to commence the search.
Chizuru swallowed visibly and nodded, muttering a hasty, honest "Thank you".
"Are you seeking Souji?" a calm and steady voice abruptly made its appearance behind the girl, making her instinctively flinch. Chizuru slowly spun on her heels only to meet the kind indigo-haired man she had encountered once before.
"You know where he is, Saito?" Sanosuke wondered, titling his head to the side in question.
He did not answer his question right away. Instead, Hajime stilled his gaze upon the lone female in the room. "You are Yukimura. From the Sannan Blacksmith Store," he stated more than asked.
Chizuru shook her head affirmatively, slowly. "Yes. You. . . are Saito-san. . ." she half-asked and half-acknowledged. He made no move to assure her she had managed a correct recollection of his name. Chizuru was met with only his silence, until he finally closed his eyes for a brief moment in an affirmative manner.
"I know not for what reason you are looking for Souji. Nonetheless, he is currently~" Hajime stopped himself midway, breathing out a silent sigh of contemplation. Should he mention that particular detail at all?
"What, Saito?" Sanosuke urged, lifting a hand to rest at the side of his hip.
Blue eyes blinked once before Saito finally managed to utter out. "Unavailable." He paused for a moment. "Is it possible to wait for—"
"Oh?" Shinpachi exclaimed, interrupting the other man. "You probably mean grounded, right? Again? That idiot."
"Grounded?" The words left Chizuru's lips before she could contemplate on their impact. Saito closed his eyes and exhaled in, still quite concealed, indignation.
"Teee!" Shinpachi sighed and shook his head. "He ticked Hijikata-san's nerves too much. Now that I think about it, it was to be expected."
"That's true," Sanosuke agreed and gave a crooked-smile, partly apologetic, in response to Chizuru's evident surprise. "Shinpachi," he added lower for only his friend to hear and wordlessly nodded towards Chizuru.
"Hm?" He blinked in confusion and murmured back. "Why? What's wrong?"
Sano rolled his eyes once more, "Talk about being a slow thinker..."
"Hijikata-san?" Chizuru blinked in question and confusion. That one name she could surely recognize. The vehement need to verify her conclusion soon emerged, rendering her unable to stem her next wave of questions. "Hijikata-san... the Vice Commander of the Royal Guard? The Hijikata-san?" Their silence and condescending tone in which they regarded her offered Chizuru the answer she needed. "Why would Okita-san go against this man? Isn't he a Captain of—?" her words stumbled upon her very tongue.
Grounded? He should have been beheaded instead. Considering the rumors that swiveled around in Edo like leaves in the wind, the penalty for defying the Demon Vice Commander could have included nothing less than a painful, dishonorable death. Hijikata Toshizo was considered to be a very fearsome man, exceptionally capable with his sword and his tongue alike. He was even more infamous on the streets than Kondou Isami, the Royal Guard's Commander himself.
"Souji is Souji," Heisuke merely replied, lifting his arms to place behind his head whilst heaving out a single sigh.
It was a fact she had personally met with Okita-san and his playful tricks, insinuations and limericks. But Chizuru would never have dared to entertain the mere thought that he would use the same attitude towards his superiors. To be frank, she did not even know Okita-san was a Division Captain only a little while ago. How many more details that escaped her were crucial enough to take an adequate grasp of the situation?
"Is it necessary to meet him now?" Saito's insisting voice woke her up from her small reverie.
"Yes. Actually~" she nervously poked her fingers together. "I really should depart soon. And I need to offer him my apologies and... if you don't mind, of course, I... If it is too much of a problem, though—"
"To Souji? Apologies? He is the one least deserving them!' Heisuke loudly protested in evident incredulity. A grim frown spread his features into an unwelcoming mask that did not suit his cheerful personality at all.
"It doesn't matter if we agree or not," Sano noted, shooting a sideways glare at the younger Captain. "If Chizuru wants to apologize to him, the least we can do is help her find him."
Not waiting for a proper reply from the youngest Captain, Chizuru bowed once again. "I would be most indebted to you if you could. I... I would do it myself but I am not familiar with the grounds and~"
"Don't ya worry!" Shinpachi cackled happily, abandoning his seat in order to near and grin at her playfully. "Besides, it is our duty to escort people around the Palace if needed. We can't let ya run around by yourself. It's procedure, you see."
Chizuru nibbled at her lower lip hesitantly. "Oh... I see..." Of course. How impertinent of her! How could she even entertain the idea of sauntering around the Palace grounds unattended? She closed her eyelids tightly in self-accusation, wondering maniacally how on earth it was so unforgivably easy for her to stumble upon one impropriety after the other lately. Perhaps it was of her benefit to be imprisoned for insolence. How many more blunders could she commit there? Probably not as many as she already had.
Chizuru shook her head. A moment after all she could was smile heartily at the man. "I understand perfectly, Nagakura-san."
A strong hand came to rest on her shoulder and squeeze encouragingly. She gave an askance glance at her right only to meet Harada's warm golden eyes and equally gentle, warm and urging smile. "Shall we go then?"
"Sano," a strict voice called and made the red-haired man halt in his tracks. "You must submit your report. If I am not mistaken, you and Shinpachi only just returned from patrol. I shall be the one to escort Yukimura." At Saito's piercing glare neither Sanosuke nor Shinpachi could present a plausible argument. Sanosuke turned slightly and smiled at Chizuru apologetically. The girl kindly paid the smile back, wordlessly thanking him for his help.
It was not long after that Chizuru found herself strolling down a corridor, open at the right. The hallway was only segregated from the open grounds of the Palace by a number of white imposing columns proudly lined up around the main edifice, set as a distinct border between the building itself and what lied beyond; but still under the Palace jurisdiction. Behind the scarcely and yet canonically placed steles stretched a rectangular yard, adorned with numerous colorful flowers, most of them Chizuru had never seen before in the barren land that enveloped the slums. It was wondrous how this kind of flora could survive in this kingdom. She dared presume that the plants were taken care of specifically to bloom even under the direst of situations, such as this torturous sultriness.
The yard greatly resembled a patio, but was so very vast Chizuru could hardly see the other end of it. The turf seemed to stretch on and on. The corridor's walls were naked of any ornament and painted in alabaster white, shining as it battled the sun's versatile and mighty rays that escaped past the grandiose size of the pillars. The stunning whiteness of the wall and columns matching the cold smooth tiles under her feet gave off a feeling of . . . serenity. . . Chizuru would have never thought it possible to feel like that in such an occasion and in such a place before.
She could not even begin to describe how calm and comfortable those tiles of the Palace felt under her poor little and tortured feet. She was certain she had never walked on such a smooth surface ever in her life; it felt almost unsettling.
"Souji! Souji! I'm next! I am!" An identified voice was calling. Chizuru needed no other better allusion, clue that they here heading towards the right direction and not, for example, towards the torture room. Saito was almost unnaturally silent during the entirety of the small walk. Chizuru had, up until now, no way to know where they were heading or why they had taken that particular route to reach their designated place.
"Alright, I hear you just fine. Stop pulling at my sleeve, okay, Yu-bo?"
"But, Souji!" another voice joined the, still yet to be clearly deciphered by Chizuru, chorus of enthusiasm. "This is unfair! This is Yuunosuke's second time! I only had one!"
"You're a liar! You had a second round too!" another high voice countered.
"Is..." Chizuru veered towards the taciturn man at her left. "Is everything alright?" she worriedly asked Saito, who remained unperturbed.
"Yes," he laconically replied. Chizuru's blinking emphasized the fact that she would need more clarifying bits of information. Saito had no other choice but to comply, considering the unique situation in which they have found themselves in. No one had ever been courageous enough to come to the Palace Grounds uninvited before. "Souji often indulges his preference to entertain the youngest offsprings of the Palace's officials. Especially whilst he is under house arrest," he explained.
"Offsprings? Children?" she dared wonder but received no further answer. She mentally scolded herself for worrying over the most obvious part of his sentence instead of the one pertaining to the subject of house arrest. The fact that Saito insinuated that said house arrest was not a rare occurrence for Okita only raised more questions that needed to be answered. Chizuru wordlessly followed Saito as he turned to the right.
"Now now. . . I am keeping count, you know. It's Yuunosuke's turn now. Ready?"
"Yes, yes, Souji!"
"There we go! Takai takai!"
It was that moment she witnessed this particular scene that moved her heart in ways she could not even begin to properly describe. Three young boys surrounded Okita, bouncing around in mirth as the four of them laughed and bantered around. Souji had lifted one of the boys up in the air and the child was laughing heartily, enjoying himself with all the power of his young heart.
It was that moment that her own heart leaped and missed a beat. Because the smile adorning the man's face was so endearing and bright and radiating and warm and . . . so honestly beautiful she almost felt her entire being shaking in glee.
It was mesmerizing. He was smiling so honestly, deep from within his heart. Okita-san was... truly and utterly beautiful.
Author's Note
Phew! Good to be back! No SouChi interaction this time. Please wait for the next chapter! I had to cut this chapter here, otherwise it would be too long. I also needed to look over some more details concerning the next part.
Playing with colors is fun! And it was one of the reason I chose to name the story "Fiery Green". Red, green, brown, blue... all have a meaning in my mind. I also hope some of you noticed that the names I mentioned are not random... Hirama-san, Serizawa Kamo, Yuunosuke... I am trying to use few to none OCs and I have thought of sub-plots for those characters too. So, be prepared to see more and more Hakuouki characters. I think that the next chapter will also reveal some other bishounen that I know some of you would love to see! Oh, in case you don't remember clearly, Hirama-san was Serizawa-san's attendant/retainer in Reimeiroku and he was harassed very often, despite that he tried his best to satisfy Serizawa's needs and demands. And Yuunosuke is the youngest son of the Yagi Family that owed the house in which the Shinsengumi were living during their first years in Kyoto. Serizawa-san is... Serizawa. You can't have forgotten about him, if you've watched or played Reimeiroku... (^.^'')
*Takai takai: The game that Souji played with the kids both in the game and the anime. It was shown in the first OVA, if I am not mistaken. Obviously the last scene was based on the official Hakuouki scene.
Please do not forget to leave a review, if you like... Your comments can help me write more and more! Thanks for reading!
