Lesson 10: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
Gintoki woke up very reluctantly after the annoying justaway went off.
It was not often that he used that particular setting of the clock (the alarm). He believed that if he never woke up before 11am, that probably had to do with nature's design and who was he to go against mother nature?. Moreover, he had been feeling sluggish and tired for a few days. He'd not had a proper night sleep in a while, not to mention the night before he'd once again got involved in a scuffle, but what was new about that?
Gintoki slowly dragged his body out of the futon as if it weighted a ton. He stood up with a loud groan. His perm the epitome of messy. He didn't need to see it, he knew... there was a reason why he didn't have a mirror in his room.
He scratched his butt and walked to the door while yawning loudly. He slid it open.
"Shinpa..." He started, before realising that he was alone.
That's right... they are not here...
His neurons weren't properly functioning yet, but now he remembered. They needed to finish that damned job. After much food bargaining, he had managed to convince the kids to go early in the morning and get some stuff they needed. While shamelessly buying himself some sleepy time. But that meant they wouldn't be there to wake him up either, hence the alarm clock.
Gintoki wasn't particularly happy when he accepted this job. It was a shade dodgier than usual, but he was 2 months behind in the rent and they really needed the cash.
What he hadn't been expecting was the Shinshengumi to catch wind of things so early, the bastards were efficient at the least convenient times. But the most inconvenient part of all was that their very Vice-commander had decided to get himself personally involved. That complicated matters a thousand times more, cause the bastard was sharp as hell and Gintoki knew he was suspicious. Hell, if anything, Gintoki's involvement had set the raven haired in high alert from the get go, which had been in that damned hotel of all places. To top it all, last night's stunt had been a real fuckup, and there was no way Hijikata hadn't seen through it.
Gintoki shook those thoughts away from his head and started dragging his body towards the kitchen to get his much needed sugar fix. Once in the kitchen, Gintoki, tiredly opened the door of the almost empty fridge and grabbed a carton of strawberry milk.
He walked back to the main living space, and collapsed heavily onto his desk chair. With his legs up on the desk he started drinking the sweet pink contents. His eyelids fluttering in pleasure.
Gintoki let out a loud sigh and put the empty carton on the table. He was stretching his arms up wide when he heard the main entrance door slide open. Gintoki quickly located his bokuto in the room with trained eye. When the door of the living room opened, he already had a lazy pinkie in his ear and his dead fish eyes were back in place.
He looked at the visitor as he walked in.
You joking right?
There, once again in his annoyingly slick Shinsengumi attire, and looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there, stood the Shinsengumi oni no fukuchou.
"Ain't we getting clingy?" couldn't help but joke Gintoki by means of greeting.
Hijikata shot him a glare.
"I'll have you know, I'm here in strictly official Shinsengumi business" he said crossing the door.
"Aren't you always?" yawned Gintoki in a bored voice.
Hijikata reached a hand into the inner pocket of his jacket as he approached the desk.
"I won't take long. I'm bringing your payment from last night" he said dropping an envelope on top of the desk.
Gintoki didn't move. He looked briefly at the envelope and then back at Hijikata.
"No need to. I didn't do it for money, really" he said a bit too quickly.
Hijikata's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly and Gintoki knew he had screwed up again. The silver haired could almost see Hijikata's sophisticated brain machinery processing information at full speed. But frankly, Gintoki's own was still at the wheel invention stage at this time in the morning. So yes..., he knew he should be devising an ultra-developed strategy that would help culminate the arc with a clever final plot twist, but this bastard had to barge into his apartment before the power of strawberry milk had kicked in.
Oh well, simple arc ending with fancy fight it was.
In his groggy state, Gintoki had just blurted out the truth (as rarely as that happened to him) because he had indeed some ethical issues accepting money for this particular piece of 'work'. Damn, his friggin' shounen morals.
"I don't wanna owe ya" responded Hijikata, looking at him as if seriously assessing the level of his stupidity.
It's not me, idiotic Mayora! It's your fault for appearing here before breakfast!
Gintoki rattled his brain for something clever to say in order to wipe that look off Hijikata's face.
"So... did any of the thugs from last night give a good enough confession to put that little punk of Kentao behind bars?"
Hijikata shrugged and went back to his usual aloof demeanour.
"No such luck. Countryside folks hold strong loyalty bonds that are difficult to break" He explained trying not to sound too autobiographical. "These idiots have a weird respect and devotion for that runt, I wonder where that comes from. In any case, the issue may straighten itself out on its own. The drug lords of Edo are finally fed up with that newbie getting their share of the cake and have decided to erase him..."
Suddenly, Gintoki's attention peaked.
"...it would have been better for him that we caught him last night." continued Hijikata "One of our informants has got air that in an unprecedented display of teamwork, several factions have jointly hired amanto mercenaries to eliminate the whole Hakoatsu faction. We're currently on high alert"
"Why?" asked Gintoki hopeful "Isn't it convenient for you that things get sorted out without having to get your bunch involved?"
"Even if it is not stuff that I want to get involved in, as Edo's police we have to make sure things don't get too out of hand, to the point of threatening any passerby citizens" he said calmly as he started making his way to the door.
Gintoki looked down at the envelope once more.
Damn.
"Vice-commander, we've located the Hakoatsu faction in a warehouse near the harbour" interrupted Harada's voice from the radio.
Damn. Damn.
"Right, I'm on my way" answered Hijikata.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
Hijikata turned to walk away but right before crossing the door he suddenly stopped.
"By the way, there's something else"
He suddenly unsheathed his katana and turning quickly around, he threw it across the room and towards Gintoki before the silver haired had even time to register what was going on.
Two loud acute screeches resounded across the room.
OK
First things first.
He was still alive.
Gintoki was breathing (in fact his breath was frantic), his heart was beating (more like pounding in his chest) so there was still hope. If he had learnt something during the war, it was that pain was his friend, pain meant that he was still alive. The pain, excruciating, unbearable...
…
Wait.
He was not in pain. He patted his chest checking for wounds. He was not bleeding.
He was fine! Hijikata had missed!
Hijikata had missed?
No fuck! He had seen the bastard slice a friggin' bullet in half with his own eyes. Hijikata didn't miss, especially in these close quarters.
He looked up to see the officer compose himself and go round Gintoki's desk to retrieve his katana from the cupboard behind him, where it was stuck. He was not looking at him, but at something that had collapsed out from the cupboard behind him and was now passed out on the floor.
The origin of the second screech (the least pathetic of the two...) was none other than Sarutobi Ayame, his most faithful stalker.
Gintoki blinked in shock.
"I don't want to see her around here until we've cleared up our… 'situation'" said Hijikata stoically without looking at Gintoki.
What fricking situation, Mayora? Define situation, damn it!
"W- what do you mean?"
"I have sent Yamazaki to investigate the hotel where we… you know, 'met' a few nights ago. When we find out the truth, you'll be released to your good-for-nothing life again. Until then, keep it in your pants, perm"
What the… What the... What the fuck is this moron even saying?
"Like we're in some kind of fucked up relationship, you ass!"
"If you want to put it like that…" said Hijikata calmly.
No, I don't! Who would!?
"Engrave this well in your permy head…" clarified Hijikata dangerously "Nobody cheats on the Vice-commander of the Shinshengumi"
And Gintoki's heart did the most screwed up skip beat of his life.
He looked in shock at the retreating figure of the police officer.
"Wait! Do I get any benefits out of this? Some groping or something!?"
Hijikata didn't answer and just made it to the entrance, put his shoes back on, slid the door to the street open and was about to exit the apartment when Gintoki called out to him.
"Hey Mayora!" He shouted, suddenly remembering where the officer was headed. He hesitated a bit before adding: "Be careful"
Hijikata turned his head slightly to look at him sideways and smiled an amused arrogant smile.
"Who's being clingy now?"
"You ready to go Gin-san?" asked Shinpachi shortly after Kagura and he came in through the door.
"It seems I cannot come with you after all" replied Gintoki who had just finished getting dressed and was picking his bokuto to slide it through his belt.
"Why?" Kagura whined "Why are you not coming, Gin-chan?"
"It appears things have escalated a tad quicker than I expected and there is somewhere else I need to be. Do you guys know what you have to do?"
"Yes, Gin-chan, you can trust us" said Kagura with reassurance.
"You sound serious, Gin-san. Is it gonna be dangerous?"
"Perhaps, but it's not the bruises that's going to hurt the most this time, I'm afraid"
"What are you on about, Gin-san?"
"Never mind, when you have the package, just come back and meet me at the harbour as soon as possible, all right?"
"All right!" sang both teenagers in unison.
"Let's do this" muttered Gintoki, more to himself than anyone else.
Author's note: And onto the grand finale, you guys! Tension peaks! What dangerous creatures await them in that warehouse? Where are Kagura and Shinpachi headed to? What did really happen in that hotel that ill-fated night? Was that Gin-san's last carton of strawberry milk?
Read on to find out! Hope you are intrigued and excited about what's coming!