(Updated and all after reading about my mistakes from the reviews, but gonna keep this reply part for memories :3)

Review reply:

Aogetsu: thanks for correcting my mistake! O.o *blush blush* lucky I haven't gone to Japan and call all the door 'tatami…' ahahahaha… and… Ferris wheel…. That thing exists starting in 1890s… so it's around 30 years after the death of most shinsengumi members, but it's a fiction .… I threw all my feeling and what I had experienced into the story (the Ferris wheel and most of the what happen during Hotaru kendo training was based on true story…o.O hehe)

Hailarabbit: hmm… I suppose you're right, but… he would be doing that less often from now on... so… yeah…

**um… also, I would like to thanks my math and biology teachers for giving me the hell stacks of homework *clench fist* thank you very much; I thought I might be able to enjoy my holiday… now school's started =.=…

Chapter 11

Throwing her wooden shinai beside her with her clothes all soaked with her sweat, Hotaru collapsed onto the grass, "I am beat…" the hot summer air blew passed Hotaru and messed her hair up. Sitting up on the grass, she tidied up her hair with her hand, and saw Chizuru standing in front of her, "done practicing?"

"Yeah, I am done for today? Need anything, chizuru-chan?"

Chizuru nodded. "It's about Okita-san…"

"Is he still refusing to eat?"

"…unfortunately, yeah."

"I see… um... I will try to bring it to him later then."

"Thank you, that will help, Hotaru-san."

The sun was setting as Hotaru brought a food tray with her and approaching Okita's room.

"Captain… I brought you your meal."

"Go away." Hotaru was taken aback by the harsh reply she gets from her captain. She wouldn't dare to open the door that separated them, so she just leaves the food tray at the floor outside Okita's room. "I'll leave it here." She proceeds to her own room. Due to Okita's sickness get worse, he had been banned to go on any mission with the rest of the Shinsengumi members, even squad one is being led by Kondou himself now. It has been three months since the confinement of Okita.

'Why do things have to turn out this way…?' Hotaru sighed, deciding to take a bath to wash away her sweat. 'Tuberculosis… I can't believe there is no cures for it…' as she looks at her rubber duck floats around, Hotaru suddenly thought of something, 'wait… I am sure there is this medicine that can cure any sickness… what was it again… um… origami?… onigiri…? Omichi….'

"Ochimizu?" Chizuru repeated. Hotaru went over to talk to her. The two were in the kitchen, with Chizuru making rice ball for Hijikata's travelling the next day. "I don't think that's a really great idea."

"Why not? It cures any sickness, and even boosts your strength and abilities right?"

"Well… that's true but… Hijikata-san told us before, people who drank the ochimizu, in other words, the rasetsu, lose their minds and become beast… "

"…" Hotaru was speechless as her clenched her fist, 'but if we do nothing, captain is going to die… but if he drink the ochimizu and get better, and he would not be himself anymore… ah what I am gonna do…'

"Hotaru-chan… don't worry we will definitely find a way to cure-"

"Shut up! You don't even know how I am feeling about this!" Hotaru silenced Chizuru. And when she realized she had been too harsh. Hotaru mumbled out an "I am sorry. I am tired." before leaving Chizuru alone in the kitchen.

With her eyes wide open as she lays in her futon, Hotaru stared blankly into the ceiling of her room, "this is so not like me at all…"

-Vice captain room-

"Sannan-san!" Hijikata snapped, "I told you a lot of times before, you have to stop doing research on the green ochimizu! How many men in shinsengumi have you sacrificed to be your lab rat?!"

"Pardon me sir, but I just wanted to upgrade the red ochimizu that Koudou-san created…" Sannan adjusted his glasses. "And I believe the green ochimizu will definitely bring benefit to-"

"Stop! Just listen to me, Sannan-san. Stop making the green ochimizu." Hijikata stood up and left his room.

For a while after that, Sannan sitting in his position in the room, not moving for a single bit. "…tsk."

-Training ground-

"Taru… want to go for a walk with me?"

After training for another whole day, Hotaru were invited to go on walk by Saitou. She could not agree more. With the entire squad one being led under Kondou these days, they had been going out on mission one after another. However, Hijikata had always find reasons for Kondou to leave Hotaru at the base, such as she has to take care of Okita. But Hotaru knew that Hijikata was trying not to let Hotaru do too much work. Hotaru sighed, "Am I really that useless as a woman…"

The summer night air in Kyoto was not that cold as the two childhood friend stroll around the city.

"Look at this." Saitou approached one of the stores, "want some? You like to eat cotton candy right, Taru."

Hotaru blushed at this, "geez! Tou-chan… please do not treat me like a girl here while I am still in the shinsengumi okay?"

They went around the town for a while, at the same time, a middle-aged man was trailing them "…Hotaru…"

Saitou sensed this and quickly, he grabbed Hotaru's hand and they run around the streets in a maze-arrangement. Finally they managed to lose the stalker. "We are safe now, we lose him."

Hotaru let out a sigh of relief, "thank you Captain Oki- I mean… Tou-chan…" Hotaru covered her mouth with both of her hands, what's wrong with me…? It's not like I wished it was Captain Okita here now… maybe because I am worried about him too much lately…

"I think we should go home soon…" Hotaru mumbled loud enough for Saitou to hear. "I am worried on how captain Okita is doing…"

"Hotaru…" Hotaru looked up, surprised that Saitou actually address her full name. But what followed after shocked her even more. "Okita Souji. Do you love him?"

To be continued…

**Almost half way done the next chapter… stay tuned….

Read and review?