(Enjoy!)

I started to cry more from Yamazaki. Since he has said that he loved me, I couldn't get those words out of my head.

"I LOVE YOU!"

I didn't want to believe it, but he had too many tears to lie. So I knew it was the truth.

"Why, Yamazaki?" I asked myself quietly while I looked up at the ceiling. I covered my mouth, and sat in a corner. But just then, Tsukuyo came into the room, worrying about me.

Tsukuyo opens her mouth to speak. "Mariko-Chan. What's the matter? We're all worried about you."

I looked into her eyes, and showed a sorrow expression to her. But I decided to answer.

"Earlier today, a man from the Shinsengumi, that I knew, wanted to know that I was safe. He saw me, and was glad. I was glad too. But he wrapped his arms around me, not letting me go. He didn't force me to go back to the Shinsengumi, but he was crying, right on my shoulder."

I paused for a second. Tsukuyo asks, "And then?"

I spoke again. "He screamed, 'because I love you' right by my ear. I made him let go of me, but he was really crying. I ran away from him, but I was feeling ashamed of myself."

It was all my fault for him being this depressed. I closed my eyes tightly, and shed more tears. The tears were dripping onto my kimono, and onto the floor. I balled my fists on my knees.

I didn't look at Tsukuyo that time, and I was feeling really hot. I hiccuped and sobbed a lot.

Tsukuyo had put her hand on my head, so I looked up a bit.

"Tsukuyo-San, I'm such an idiot, for running away from him. But I didn't want him to choke me, and people were watching us because he screamed in public. But he's crying a lot because of me!"

She had finally opened her mouth. "Mariko, you wanted to run away from the Shinsengumi, and you did. And he didn't run with you because he knew he would abandon the Shinsengumi."

I finally looked at her in shock. "How...How do you know that would happen?"

"I just do." She gave me a smile, and she kind of made me feel better.

Tears were still coming out, but there weren't as much tears as before.

I slowly stood up, and thought, I need to calm down.I was also wondering what Yamazaki was doing now. I honestly kind of got worried about him.

Now that he knew that I was living in Yoshiwara, it made me think that he would tell the other members where I was. I didn't get all that scared anymore. It was because I didn't care anymore.

They have every right to be angry at me. But I don't ever want to go back to Edo. Or the Headquarters. I live in Yoshiwara now. I've made new friends, and I've experienced life here.

I closed my eyes slowly, and went out of my room.

It was dinner time, and Hinowa had made dinner this time, because I had a meltdown earlier.

Hinowa yelled, "Dinner time!"

Seita, Tsukuyo and I all went to the dinner table. The food on it looked really delicious and I couldn't wait to eat it.

I looked up at Hinowa and told her, "Thank you for letting me take the day off, Hinowa."

Hinowa gave me a smile and said, "You're welcome, Mariko-Chan."

All four of us then said, "Itadakimasu (Let's eat)!" and ate. The food really was good, so I ate kind of fast, but unfortunately, I got some hiccups.

"HICCUP!" I put two fingers on my lips. I tried to hold my breath, but it didn't work. Seita then speaks to me.

"You should drink some water. That usually helps." I went up and got myself a cup of water, dranked it while holding my breath, and suddenly, my hiccups went away. It seemed that Seita was right.

"Aren't I a genius?" asked Seita, showing off.

Tsukuyo replied to him while her mouth was nearly full, "No. You're just being a brat."

He made an angry look at her and said loudly, "I'm not a brat!"

Tsukuyo didn't flinch. She just gave him a straight look and continued eating. I was pretty much used to the yelling Seita was always causing. Tsukuyo then spoke as if some sort of announcement was coming out of her mouth.

"I've brought a midnight snack for all of us."

She brought out four anpans in both her hands. I couldn't believe what I saw.

"Anpans?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, they're anpans. I kind of like it, so I thought you all should try it."

"One of my friends eats anpan a lot, and he doesn't even like it."

"Wow, that's so strange."

I nodded, agreeing to her. Everybody was still eating dinner, but Seita didn't look so good. He had an I-don't-feel-too-good face, and stood up.

"I gotta go to the bathroom!" He managed to dash to the bathroom. I was confused on what caused him to go to the bathroom, but Tsukuyo had interrupted my thoughts.

"I got him! You see, I put in some laxative into his food, which caused him to have diarrhea." She laughed, but I didn't understand her.

"When did you put the laxative in?"

She replied, "Right when we were finished putting up the food on the table, and put some in the plate of food he was going to use."

When Seita was done using the bathroom, he looked so pissed off, he marched towards Tsukuyo. And he yelled, again.

"WHAT WAS THAT? YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE, DIDN'T YOU?" Tsukuyo gave him a creepy grin, and Seita was at his breaking point. "You are so going to get it!"

They were both done eating, but they started to tickle each other, making each other laugh like crazy. I didn't know why Tsukuyo would play a strange trick on them, but all I knew was that Seita was really angry.

I turned to Hinowa and said, "Does Tsukuyo do this to Seita?"

She answered, "Sometimes."

Me and Hinowa didn't do anything to stop them, so we let them fight until they got tired. Finally, after a few minutes, they stopped, and panted heavily.

"I'll get you next time, Tsukuyo," Seita said to her with an angry tone. She gave him a scary smile once more.

Hinowa and I finished eating dinner, and we cleaned off the dishes. While I was washing some of them, I told Hinowa, "You never know if there's laxative in it or not." She shook her head with a crooked smile.

A little bit after cleaning the dishes, I walked to my room as I was stretching my arm out. I yawned, and noticed that it was almost 11 o'clock. I was a bit tired anyways, so I was getting ready for bed.

I took my futon out, and set it up. I then changed into my room wear kimono, and got into the futon. I nearly shut my eyes, but thought of one thing before I went to sleep.

Today wasn't such a great day, but I hope tomorrow will be better.

The next morning, I was a bit happier than before. I saw Tsukuyo and said to her, "Good morning, Tsukuyo-San!" She looked at me while smoking and replied, "Good morning, Mariko. You seem to be in a good mood."

I scratched the side of my face and told her, "I just feel better than yesterday."

Tsukuyo had chuckled and said, "I'm glad."

I then ran off into the halls. And then I saw Seita with a pout on his face.

"Seita, are you still mad at Tsukuyo from last night?" Seita didn't look at me, but he said he was. I patted his head, and I smiled.

"You're going to have to forgive her sometime."

He pouted again, and told me, "This isn't the first time she put laxative in my food, so I'm gonna give her payback when I get the chance!"

I knew he wasn't joking, but I laughed anyways. He then walks away mumbling some nonsense to himself. I shook my head, and thought, Seita, you really are silly.

I decided to talk a walk alone again.

It was a pretty warm day, yet the wind was blowing. I ruffled my hair, and squinted my eyes.

What a lovely day. I don't see many clouds, so it shouldn't rain today.

I had seemed to like walking around Yoshiwara. I have thought to take walks on lovely days when it's not too cold out and when it's not raining. I turned both ways for no reason.

Just out of the blue, I hummed to myself, but quietly. I then see some alley ways that I've never gone through before. So I decided to go through them and see what they were like. And if they were bad to go into them, then I would never walk through alley ways again.

So far, it wasn't bad. It was just houses a few feet from each other, and a few garbage bags were on the side.

Perhaps I should come here more often, that way I can understand these 'alley ways'.

It was one of those 'places' where people come here for shortcuts or going to a road or something. I didn't know anything about this one.

But then, suddenly, I hear footsteps coming towards me, behind my back. At first I thought it was somebody else that wanted to go through this alley way, until...

"We found you, Mariko."

I seemed to recognize the voice, but I was shocked. Just for curiosity, I turned my back very slowly until I saw...

...the Shinsengumi.

I opened my eyes very widely in terror. I started to shake, and I saw Yamazaki on the far left side of the members. He looked at me with a sad face. I knew he didn't tell them on purpose, but I was only scared of the others, that were looking at me.

Why...Why are the Shinsengumi here?

Yep, the Shinsengumi have found Mariko! Hope you enjoyed chapter 10!