[Revised Version]

I DO NOT OWN ANY HAKUOUKI CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MY OC SUCH AS YUI!

~Yui's POV~

Pain erupted throughout my chest as I winced,breathing in and out heavily. My throat started to itch badly before a series of loud coughs ensued. I clutched onto my chest,writhing on my futon,blindly searching for my box of pills.

"Yui-chan? ..Are you okay?" Chizuru's voice reached my ears as I fumbled with my chest of items,my mind hazy.

"M-my medicine.." I hoarsely coughed out,biting on my lips harshly.

Chizuru yelped and rushed around the room clumsily,stepping onto me in the process.

"Gah...! Chizuru-chan..y-you're not helping. Ugh.." I groaned and roll over on my side.

"I'm sorry!" Chizuru's apologetic voice rang as the oil lamp is lit. "Are you okay?"

Coughing breathlessly,I gestured to my personal single-columned cabinet. "First drawer. M-medicine.."

Chizuru frantically rummaged through the first drawer,retrieving my box of pills minute later. I grabbed the item from her hands and poured out two pills shakily. I grimaced as I swallowed them down with no liquid.

"Feh..!" I coughed dryly for a few times before wiping my lips with the sleeve. "As horrible as it always is."

The brunette reached out to touch my slightly flushed face,exclaiming,"You're warm!"

"No.. I'm hot. Thank you for the compliment."

"It's not the time for jokes! Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I stuck out my tongue at her worried expression. "I think I kinda choke on my saliva while I was sleeping."

"...Really?" She sent me a look of disbelief as I laughed lightly. "What about the medicine? What is it for?"

"Oh. It's for panic attacks. Ever since that night.. I started to have seizures when I panic. The medicine helps to calm me down." I lied to her rather smoothly and naturally,seeing her face relax much more.

~Flashback~

''Itadakimasu!''

''Shinpachi-san. Thank you for sharing!'' Heisuke's cheeky voice filled the room and attacked Shinpachi's fish meat. Shinpachi yelled at Heisuke for taking his food away.

''I was saving that for the last! You brat! It's payback time!''

''What are you doing?!''

''What am I doing? You ate my food!''

''So what? You eat all my food all the time!''

''That was a long time ago!''

''I am talking about this morning! You stole three of my side dishes! THREE! And there were only four side dishes for that meal!''

Per usual,Heisuke and Shinpachi were fighting over their food while the rest of us silently eat our food and judge them hard.

I groaned softly and took a sip of tea to ease the headache I was experiencing with.

''You ok,princess?'' I gaze up only to find myself mesmerized in Sanosuke's pair of golden eyes.

They were so beautiful,just like a particular pair of red ones. I blushed softly and played with my food,distracted.

''Yea. I'm fine..'' I waved him off and heard his deep chuckle shortly after.

''You're so cute when you blush,my princess.'' He played with my long hair,touching my neck lightly. "Hey,did you always have this section of silver hair?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rattled by his question,I touched my hair lightly. It was fine when I looked into the mirror this morning.

"Well,you still look as beautiful as always." He winked flirtatiously and I pretended to gag in response.

''You shuddap..'' I growled at him.

''Hahaha! Did I capture your heart already?'' He grinned.

''I'm not ready to be captured by anyone,Sano-kun. Plus,you are a ladies' man like how Shinpachi calls you. Don't get your hopes up,mister.'' I joked and he gave me a disappointed look before quickly regaining his confidence and sent me a wink.

''Not that again.. Well,I won't give up,princess.''

I laughed at his determination. I was about to reply him when the door slides open,revealing the stern face of Hijikata.

''I just got back.'' He announced his arrival.

''Welcome back,Toshi.'' Kondou greeted back warmly.

''Hijikata-san..'' Souji grinned before everyone stopped short at the sight of Sannan-san,and his right arm all bandaged up.

I looked down and gripped onto my left hand involuntarily again. I don't know why but I felt so fearful ever since we were told that Sannan-san's hand was injured. My left hand would just become weak all of a sudden,not able to feel to pressure I've placed onto it with my right hand.

''Welcome back,Sannan-san.'' Recovering quicker than any of us in the room,Souji greeted the injured man with a small playful grin.

''Good to be back.'' Sannan-san replied,a fake smile fixated on his face.

Somehow,his voice sounded very distant. Like he didn't want to be back here at all. But then again, my assumptions could be wrong. Then again,I am quite good at guessing. Call it the err..'Yui Instinct'!

''You did great out there. How's your arm?'' Kondou asked carefully,threading slowly on thin ice with his phrasing of words.

I knew why he did so. Every samurai has their own pride. They refused to be pitied on when they are to be injured,especially when it involves their main arm.

''You can see it for yourself. I was too careless out there.'' Sannan-san lightly nodded towards his bandaged arm,a light note of mockery hidden between his words.

After he said that,everyone gave him the 'are you kiddin' me?' look. I guess he sensed our doubts towards his answer,he smiled,again fakely,towards us.

''I'll be fine. It's not as bad as it looks,so there's no need for concern.'' He reassured us before bowing slightly and stood up,walking towards the door.
''If you may excuse me.''

''Sannan-san,what bout dinner?'' Heisuke called out to him frantically.

''I'll pass. I'm a little tired so I would like to rest in my room.''

With that,he closed the door,walking away.

''How I hate liars." I muttered under my breath.

I think Shinpachi and Sanosuke heard me because they each held onto one of my hand and squeezed it tightly.

~End of flashback~

I coughed at the slight wind blowing against my hair.

''RaRa-chan~! Why are you zoning out?''

''Am not,Jiji-kun.''

''Don't lie. I called you for the last 5 minutes but you were just staring into space.'' Souji's smirk stretched wider.
''Were you thinking of me?''

I laughed sarcastically, ''Haha! In your dreams.''

''C'mon RaRa-chan~ Don't be like this.''

''Shuddap,Jiji-kun. You're giving me a headache.''

''You're not catching a cold,are you?'' Hajime spoke up,cutting off Souji from replying.

''No... Why do you say that?'' I raised my eyebrow at him.

''You were coughing and you said you have a headache. Those are some symptoms of a cold.'' He stated like it was the obvious. Which..was the obvious.

''I'm fine,Haji-kun.'' I smiled,earning a rosy pink painted on his cheeks.

Since we've been together for awhile,he started to open up to me ,just as how I had opened up to him slowly, and hence I gave him a nickname,Haji-kun. Cute,isn't it? I know. I take pride in the nicknames I create.

''Hey! Not fair! Hajime-kun gets a nicer nickname than me. Are you guys having something?'' Souji glanced at me suspiciously.

''Nope.'' I denied. I wasn't interested. Or at least,I can't have it.

We continued the rest of our patrolling with Souji's endless teasing and bickering.

''Itadakimasu!''

Everyone dropped their jaws when Sannan-san brought his food in the dining room and sat at his usual corner. He took up one of his rice balls off his plate and took a small bite.

''Supposedly food tastes better when you're in a big crowd.''

That was when smiles started to climb back onto everyone's faces,the atmosphere lightening up to its usual glow.

''That's right!'' Kondou agreed,smiling jovially.

''Chizuru chan,why do I have different food from the others?'' I cocked my head to the side,puzzled. I wasn't sick. Or at least none of them knew about it,yet.

''Ah. Last night you coughed quite badly till you got up from your sleep. All hoarse and dry. And you were kind of flushed. So I did the food differently,reducing the seasoning and more spring onions in your miso soup to improve on your immune system.'' Chizuru smiled tenderly at me.

I felt gazes shot towards my direction and I squirmed uncomfortably.

''I told you,I choked on my saliva in the middle of my sleep. I'm fine." I sighed.

''No,you're not!'' Shinpachi insisted firmly. ''No healthy person will choke in the middle of their sleep and cough so badly at night till they couldn't sleep.''

I sighed in defeat,knowing I can't win Shinpachi this round. I looked at my soup and grimaced in distaste. The sight of chopped spring onions floating in my soup irked me greatly. The horrible greens. Ugh.

Chizuru saw my look and she chided,''Spring onions are good for you! This is the only way for you to get better.''

''Yes yes...''

I lifted up my bowl and dumped everything in my mouth before swallowing it with much difficulty.

''Yucks!'' I stuck out my tongue at the horrible taste and groaned in disgust,sticking out my tongue and attempting to rid the taste of greens. Most chuckled at my reaction.

''I think I'll be much worse after drinking this disgusting soup.''

''Don't be picky! Eat what is good for you.'' Hijikata barked like a mother hen he is.

''Yes,mom'' I pretended to be obedient,grinning at the infuriated vice-commander while the others snickered at my witty comeback.

It is so much fun pissing off Hijikata.

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©YoshizawaWorks