Chapter 14

Saitou went to Sannan's room to take a quick visit, "Sannan-san do you know of a way that can treat patient with tuberculosis?"

"How rare, Hajime-kun, is this regarding Okita?"

"Yes."

"I see…" Sannan adjusted his glasses, "well… I do not really have any recommendation but… how about the ochimizu?"

Saitou's eyes narrowed at the taboo word, "I don't think was such a good idea… If Hijikata or Kondou finds out about this..."

"They'll just have to not notice it at the first place." Sannan took out a glass tube from his pocket. "I am sure Okita-san can be cure using this… green ochimizu."

In the next day afternoon, Chizuru found Hotaru in the dojo meditating. Hotaru stood up when she realized Chizuru is cleaning the floor, "need help?"

"It's okay; this is my job… why were you meditating?" Chizuru asked, draining the soaked towel into a bucket and start cleaning the floor.

Hotaru sat beside Chizuru with her leg crossed, "sometimes it's great to build up our mental state too you know."

"You just don't want to do physical swings right?"

"Busted…" Hotaru sighed and took a sip of her drink from her water bottle, "I did some in the morning… I am slacking off now."

It was a few days after Hotaru's parents decided to leave her at the shinsengumi. in the past few days, she had been asking around the town for a cure for tuberculosis, but there were no fruitful result.

Saitou stepped into the dojo, greeted by the two girls and turned to Hotaru, "Come with me for a second."

When the two were outside Saitou make sure no one was around, he was also hesitating for a while. "Say, Taru…"

"What is it?" Hotaru asked while adjusting her robe after sitting down on the floor for a long time. Saitou slowly pulled out the green ochimizu that Sannan handed over to him. "This…" He held it in his hand for a while until Hotaru took it away, "... is green ochimizu."

"YOU SERIOUS-" Hotaru put a hand over her own mouth then whispered, "Are you serious?" Saitou nodded. Hotaru looked at the glowing green liquid, "unbelievable… I thought Hijikata-san banned the production of it as the people who drank this all went out of control."

"I thought so too. However Sannan said this might be the only way to save Okita from the tuberculosis… there's a chance he might recover."

Hotaru clenched on the tube, "well… there might be a chance where he will went out of control too."

"Yeah, that too."

In his room Sannan was writing his entire plan down onto a book. "Let's see now… I think I will attack… at this date?" He checks his calendar. "Hmm…" Sannan then stopped writing for a while, "I think I should include Okita-san into my rasetsu army member…provided if he drink the ochimizu…" he scribbled a small man at the side, "alright, perfect… "

One night, Hotaru come to Okita's room late to pick up the meal, and she notice Okita's door were opened, the captain was sitting lazily and staring out the window. "Captain?"

Okita doesn't seem startled at the voice, "it's you. Hotaru… do you mind sparring a few moments with me?" It was rare to see Okita these days as he always locked himself up, so Hotaru walked into the room and sit near Okita and ask him of the matter.

Okita turns and silently stares at her with a melancholic grin. "It's been a while since we were last together like this huh…"

"I guess so…" Hotaru fidgeted in her seat, she somehow felt pampered again, having her captain right beside her. During the past months they have grown to get to know each other personally before Okita were diagnosed with tuberculosis, and Hotaru noticed he is uneasy. "Captain… are you sure you are okay…?"

"Who knows…? I just… I have been doing a lot of thinking lately…" trying to tease Hotaru like the old times, Okita pulls Hotaru's chin over and whispers to her sardonically, "what would happen if I died? Will you... miss me?"

He was shocked at her response. He was expecting the girl to back away, screaming at him not to joke about things like that, but he was not expecting this. Hotaru suddenly release a silent tear from one of her eyes, and shocked by her action she try to pull away. "Ah, this is… I am sorry… I just… can't believe you will say something like that…" Hotaru wiped her tear away, "I don't want captain to die… so please don't say that again… I will definitely save you…"

Okita is comforted by Hotaru's raw emotions towards him and pulls her into a tight embrace and says, "Hotaru…I don't want to die either..."

The two of them stayed like that for a while, until Okita decided to let go, "uh, I am sorry. I guess it must be weird hugging another guy."

"Erm…"Hotaru quickly backed away from embarrassment, her movement led to the tube escaped her cloth and fell onto the floor, rolled beside Okita. Okita retrieved the tube. "What's this?"

"This is nothing!" Hotaru tried to take it back but failed. She knows her captain will never give it up. "It's… green ochimizu…"

Staring at it unbelievably Okita slowly trying to connect everything together, "is it for me?"

Hotaru nodded slightly, "but… you do not really have to take the risk… Tou- I mean, Saitou-san said the alternate outcome is very bad and the chance of that happening is higher too…"

"I see…" Okita slipped the tube into his cloth, "well, I guess I won't be drinking it now then."

"Huh? But… you are going to keep it?"

"Just in case… I might drink it when I feel like it." Seeing a not satisfy Hotaru, Okita chuckled, "I am just kidding, I won't drink it without telling you."

"Okay…" Hotaru feel assured, "I just wanted to be there for you whenever I can, captain…"

"About that… I am not your captain anymore, am I?" Okita smirked, "don't call me that anymore."

"But then, what should I-"

"Souji. Souji sounds good."

"…" Hotaru blushed at the thought of calling her captain by his name, "s-s-sou…Souji…"

Okita laughed, "look at you, that was hilarious… well I had plenty of fun today and now I am feeling tired…" He yawned and slipped under his blanket. "I am going to catch some 'Z's. Good night."

"Ah, right! Good night!" Hotaru blew out the candle and closed the door for Okita, she collected the tray that was left idle on the floor and began walking to the kitchen to deliver the tray, "Good night… Souji."

The next morning when Hotaru was still asleep, the sliding open of her door woke her up, "Hotaru we have a job. Squad 1 is to assemble in 15 minutes!" One of her squad mate called, slipping into his robe and ran away in a hurry.

"Alright… " Hotaru got up from her futon, "I wonder what this is all about…?"

To be continued…