Disclaimed: Hakuoki is not mine ^^
I know it's weird for him to call her 'Chizuru this and Chizuru that all the time' but that's the only thing I will have to put up with it. You don't want him to mute all the time when he was trying to say something with you, will you? I know I won't lol^^
Last chapter: Kazama and Chizuru are now out to where her father was. She was curious as to know if he was the one who put her yukata back on her since last night. ^^
*Chapter 9*
He halted and turned around to look at me. I was not looking at him; instead I looked away from his eyes because I couldn't look him in the eyes.
"...Are you tired? Do you need to rest — no, maybe we should."
"Eh? N-no! I'm not tired! It just...erm...last...last night..."
Ahh! I couldn't ask after all! I could feel my face burning up.
While looking down at my panic state, he leered. "Last night I did change you to your yukata, if that's what you are asking."
"So you did change my clothes! I can't believe you!"
Even though I was this bother, his expression never changed or most likely, he didn't even care about what happened last night.
"I changed you to your yukata because there was no other option. Don't worry, I didn't see anything... at least." He added at the end with a sotto voce.
My face must be very bright red now; and what did he means he didn't see anything?! Did he mean my body really isn't worth looking at?!
While I was adrift in thought, he pulled me without warning to hide behind a tree. I didn't know what was going on, but he told me to be quiet as he pushed me against the tree. I could hear voices from afar now that I listened closely. Is it the Imperial Army or the Bakufu troops?
"It seems the war is coming to an end." He uttered while looking in the direction the voices were coming from.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
I question him as I turned my face to him and there he was. Too close! I can feel his breath! Oh no, my heart won't stop vibrating. I turned away as soon as our eyes met.
"The Imperial Army is already all over the place, isn't it obvious?" He replied as he looked down at me in a low-pitched voice.
"The Imperial Army? Not just here but everywhere?"
He just nodded in answer.
"It's look like they passed us. Let's go over there and find some shelter to rest for the night."
As he suggested, we went looking for a place to rest and we found one. It was a small hut. It wasn't bad for the cold winter. He started to find us some dry wood to make a fire. I found some cold blankets as I was looking around the place. He started to light the fire and it cracked with spark. As I sat on the other side, looking at how good-looking he was with the orange-red flames reflected in his red eyes, in that spur of the moment our eyes met. I turned away with awkwardness.
He made a smirking snort when I turn away. "Come over here and sit near the fire so you won't be cold."
Oh, now that he mentioned it, it came to mind that I sat a little too far away. I moved to sit down near the fire, opposite of him. He said nothing, just kept tossing more dry wood on the fire. I secretly stared at his face and his eyes again as the fire sparked and reflected its color in his red eyes. It's gorgeous. Why does he have to be so damn good-looking?
After a short of time, the night drew near; I realized that he and I were the only two in this hut.
Ah, even though I said I shouldn't be alone with him and now I was. I can't calm my heart at all when just the two of us like this. What should I do? What if something like those times happen again? I can't let something like that happen no matter what! If I have more feelings for him, it would just hurt me more.
"...Chizuru," He said as I was sitting self-consciously and I startled, "don't worry; I won't do anything that you dislike. Relax and rest; you are tired, right?" He added as he tossed more dry wood on the fire.
"Eh? What about you, Kazama-san?"
"I'll stay awake for tonight, you should rest. We'll be leaving by morning."
"What? Are you saying, you are going to stay awake all night?!"
"Why are you so surprised? Don't worry; I wouldn't do anything to you while you're asleep. If I don't stay awake for the night, who knows what's going to happen if something takes place? Stop talking and go to sleep."
"I-I can't do that! I can't let you stay awake all night while I'm sleeping! You should rest too, Kazama-san! If you don't then I won't either!"
I can't believe I'm think of something like that at a time like this. I almost made him stay up all night! Now the most important thing is for us to rest! He must be as tired as I am!
"...Are you sure? What if something goes on while we're both asleep?" He asked as he looked at me.
"If something happens then I'll scream or wake you up, so please Kazama-san, rest! I know you are tired too." I answered then looked down.
He gave me a stare and then sighed.
"...Fine."
He finally gave up on my nagging. I was a little happy that I could actually make him do as I asked. I was grinning without notice.
"You're not scared? That I would do something to you while you're asleep?" He asked as he gave me his half-smile.
"Y-you wouldn't! Because I trust you, Kazama-san...that's why..."
"Trust me, huh." He murmured quietly to himself.
Kazama-san and I both slept till morning. I woke up to the sound of the birds and insects surrounding us. He was still there, sleeping soundly as I took a peek. He must be really tired. I got up and tiptoed to where he was and stopped as I bent down on my knees and gazed at his sleeping face. My faithful heart danced abruptly inside my chest. Should I wake him or let him sleep a little more? But he did say that we'll be leaving by morning and it's already morning. Without thinking, I reached out my arm and touched his cheek with my hand. It was so warm and soft. He looked just like a child when he asleep. I twittered to myself then I saw his eyes sluggishly open and gave me a fright.
"Eh! S-sor-n-no, good morning!" I panicked as I was trying to find the right word.
He looked at me with a gloating smile as he knew what I was doing, but didn't say anything and told me we should get going.
He must have noticed! Now I feel so embarrassed! I can't look him in the eyes anymore! Just how long do we have to go anyway?! And why do I always feel like touching him every moment I see him!
We left the hut. We encountered a lot of Imperial Army troops on our way. It's looked like they were everywhere just like he said. Come to think of it, where were the Shinsengumi right now and what were they doing. I wondered if he knew anything about them. Curious, I asked and he discontinued his walking as he turned around to look at me for a second, then turned back and continued while telling me about the Shinsengumi. The Shinsengumi are now in Edo. It seems they lost a lot and retreated one battle after the next. If what Kazama-san said was true then they would be leaving Edo pretty soon and move to Sendai then next, to Ezo.
After a while of walking, we were out of the forest. I saw something from a far that looked like old houses. As we got closer I get a better view of our surrounding. The houses, they were all burned down and the snow covered them. It's hard to tell that people lived here once, but they did live here. It looked like a village. Where is this place? He stopped and pointed ahead of us. There was a house that looked like someone was still living in it. Kazama-san and I headed in the direction of the house.
"Kazama-san, this place is...?" I asked as I followed him from behind looking around.
"...You used to live here as a child. This is where the Yukimura lives."
He said without paying any attention to me while he continued walking straight.
"The Yukimura... I live here as a child...? You mean this place is...!?" He nodded.
He stood still and turned around. "This was your family homeland."
"So, you mean Father is here?"
"Kodo is here because he wants more rasetsu and for that he needs the water to make the ochimizu which is here. That house over there is where we're going."
Kazama-san and I walked a little farther until we reached the house, but then something happened so briskly I couldn't even follow. Rasetsu were surrounding us everywhere. Was this Father's rasetsu that he has completed the ochimizu? They seem fairly strong and can even stand with the sun. It's completely different from the Shinsengumi rasetsu which were still hidden from the sun. Father had done so much for me, but even so, he still turned humans into demons which I won't allowed him to do any further. I need to find a way... Then suddenly gunfire was heard.
"You guys are sooo late, Kazama!" Shiranui-san frowned. "You sure took your little time! Do you know how long I have been waiting? Give me a break!"
"Kazama, you should have been here for quite a few days now. What kept you?" Amagiri-san asked as he killed one rasetsu.
He ignored them and just looked at them with his usual look as he wanted to know what was going on here.
"Kodo is still in there with no movement, but he sent out many rasetsu over this place. We're not sure how many there are."
I snuck away as Kazama-san and the others were busy discussing. I ran to the house and when I get there, I opened the door; Father's face was shocked as he saw me. He didn't think that he would see me here.
End of chapter 9
(aahha… I am trying to make it longer from now on… ^^Keep up with me. I know it's almost there!)
~Chizuru finally found her father! What is she going to do from now on that she had found him?
Look forward to chapter 10!
