I said I'm going to update this story, and I'm sticking to my word. Thank you for your kind reviews. It makes me feel good to know that people still read my story. :D So I left things off on a high note...I wonder what will happen~ Hope you enjoy the chapter!
It had been a few days later after the festival. The town was reverted back to its normal self, with people walking up and down the streets, stopping at vendors. Everything seemed pretty normal...except for the painfully awkward tension between Kira and Okita. The two didn't talk much and were barely seen with each other. Kira didn't know if that was a real confession or it was a play on her mind.
The group sat together for breakfast. In absolute silence. Kira sat in between Heisuke and Harada with Okita on the other side of her, keeping his eyes on his food.
Heisuke was the brave one to break the ice. "Kira-chan...are you okay?" All eyes were on her. She felt a chill run up her spine.
She shoveled in the last bit of rice she had in the bowl and set it down. "I'm fine, why do you ask?" She arched a brow at him.
He grinned nervously at her look. "You ahh...seem out of it."
"Ah, did something happen between you and Souji?" Harada grinned, elbowing her side. Kira smacked his arm away, unaware that Okita's head looked up for a split second before going back to his food again.
"O-of course not!" She bit her tongue for stuttering. "It's just...the past few days were off days for me!"
Saito's low voice hammered away at the last bit of tension. "Harada's assumption is correct…"
Kira struggled to keep calm. "Don't be ridiculous," she stared at Saito before shoving Heisuke over. Over the weeks spending time with them all, it was safe to say that she was comfortable around them...minus Okita. She treated Heisuke especially like the brother she never had. "Thanks for bringing this up! There's no relevance to anything!"
Heisuke used his arm to keep himself from falling and straightened himself up. "Kira-chan!" He groaned, "You know I don't hit girls!" The long pony-tailed kid scrambled to his feet and stalked over to Harada, giving him a few punches to the shoulder.
"Oi! What the hell, bastard!" Harada exclaimed and grabbed Heisuke's wrist, pulling him down and slamming him onto the floor.
"I can't punch her, so I just hit you!"
And the fight began.
Shinpachi laughed at the two and grinned at Kira. "Well, you sure know how to start things!"
As the two continued to duke it out, Saito grabbed his empty tray and silently excused himself, slipping out of the room quietly. Amongst the chaos that arose in the room, Kira retreated into herself. It had been a few days...she could still remember that moment vividly. Her hand went to touch her lips, but suddenly stopped and nearly forced it in her lap.
Her heart hammered against her chest, ready to burst forth. The thought of that kiss just made it all worse. Was he teasing...or was it real? He had been teasing her ever since she ungracefully fell in this world. She puffed out her cheeks at the floor.
Pulling her eyes off the floor, she looked at the bickering samurai. Hijikata set his bowl down and exclaimed, "Oi!" Demon Vice-Commander was resurfacing. "Knock it off!"
The two looked at them, and which Harada had Heisuke in a chokehold. Harada immediately let go and shoved him hard. "Yeah Heisuke," he sounded serious, but his smile proved it otherwise. "Stop picking on adults, little boy."
"I'm not a kid!" He yelled.
"Just sit down before you hurt yourself," Kira joked, finally jumping into the conversation.
He groaned loudly and swiped his tray off the ground. "I'm done eating!" He stuck his tongue out at Kira and marched out of the room.
Harada let out a chuckle and smiled at Kira. Hijikata sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, Kira. You just make Heisuke even worse."
She smiled sheepishly and then glanced at Okita. He seemed distant...just like at the festival. Her stomach knotted slowly as she continued to look at his facial features. Apathetic gaze. Gloomy aura. She started to wonder if he was sick.
"Souji, what's the matter with you?" Hijikata asked, snapping Kira out of her stare.
He looked up, his gaze not changing. "Ah, couldn't sleep much last night." The humor in his voice was sucked out and what was left was this dazed voice.
"Do you think you can still do your patrol for tonight?"
"I'm tired," a half-smirk curled his lips, "not sick. I can still do it." And then his gaze finally met Kira's, as if expecting something from her. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, now wanting to avoid him.
"What is it?" She asked, almost glaring at him.
"...nothing."
Night fell, and the Shinsengumi set out their units to patrol the city. Harada's unit was sent in the opposite direction. Kyoto was still and empty. A shiver ran up Kira's spine, suddenly remembering the rabid demons that tried to kill her several times when she first got here. And then there was Kazama…
Kira folded her arms, her hands slipping in the sleeves to somehow keep herself warm. The two walked side-by-side with the rest of the division behind them. "You're not cold are you? It's pretty warm right now." Okita said to her.
"Not cold…" she replied. She couldn't bring herself up to start a conversation, suddenly feeling nervous around him. Kira took her hands out of her sleeves and ignored the nervous chills.
Silence.
"So why are you avoiding me?" He asked.
She widened her eyes and felt her heart drop into her stomach, which knotted into a pretzel. "What do you mean?" The hairs on the back of her neck rose.
"I mean," he sighed and looked up at the clear, night sky. "After the festival, you wouldn't talk to me...at least not as much. Whenever I look at you, you avoid my gaze."
"Can we please not talk about this now?"
"Tch." He rolled his eyes. "I really don't get you."
Their hands brushed up against each other. A shock went up her arm and she quickly folded her arms again. "See, you did it again!" Okita said.
"I didn't do anything!" She defended. The men behind them started to murmur amongst themselves, as if they were a couple, fighting. Okita looked over his shoulder and stared at them. "Oi, shut up and keep alert." They straightened up and remained silent. Okita narrowed his eyes at Kira, trying to break down the wall she built between them.
"Y-you should focus too! Don't wanna be jumped." Kira huffed, immediately peeling her eyes away from him.
The small unit kept walking through the empty streets until a bloodcurdling scream ran through the air. Okita and his men drew their swords as they followed the sound. Further up the road, the girl's voice grew familiar.
"Leave me alone! What did you do to Mi-chan?!" Akina exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet. Just a few feet across from her was a green-haired demon.
What is she doing here…?! Kira's body tensed the minute she saw that demon. The same one who terrorized her earlier. "That's… that's her! The intruder!" Kira finally exclaimed. "We need to help Akina!"
"Oi, you heard what she said," Okita's voice rose over the chaos and Maeko turned her head. "Leave her alone, or I'll cut you down myself." He pointed his katana at her.
"Hmm," Maeko purred. "How amusing. Do you think mere threats will stop me? I am a demon, and I can crush you easily." She took a few more steps towards a trembling Akina. Maeko drew her clawed hand back and had it shot at Akina's neck. Kira cursed at herself before breaking into a sprint, ignoring Okita as she bodyslammed Maeko on her side. The girls went falling to the ground, but Kira regained her balance and said to Akina, "Get out of here!"
"Eh!? I can't leave you here, Kira-chan!"
"Just run!" Kira reached out to touch her shoulder, but she went through air. Her hand stopped and waved through Akina's shoulder. Kira widened her eyes as she pulled her hand back. "W...what?" The illusion of Akina made Kira's mind go blank.
Okita was the first to realize it. "Kira! Get out of there! It's a trap!" He yelled as he dashed over to her, followed by his soldiers. Akina-phantom's frown slowly formed into a warped smirk before her body slowly turned to dust, disappearing as if a wind came and swept her body away.
Kira was starting to panic. "What the hell is going on-" As Okita tried to reach for her, she disappeared. He stumbled forward and turned when he heard the green-haired demon's voice.
"You humans are pathetic," she laughed. "To think that if I were to try to steal her earlier, she would've been gone now. This is too easy." She had an arm wrapped around Kira's shoulders. Kira had her hands gripping tightly on her forearm trying to pry herself free. Maeko's strength was crushing her collarbone and shoulders. Kira let out a distressed cry, imagining her bones breaking. "Aaaagh!"
"Kira! Let her go, demon," Okita snarled.
The soldiers had their katana's pointing at Maeko's small body, waiting for orders. Okita cursed under his breath, his grip tightening on the katana.
"I'll crush her lungs if you dare make a move." She tightened her grip around Kira, earning her another pained cry. Kira's nails dug into Maeko's arm, but she didn't flinch. "How about this, if I leave with her, I'll spare your lives." She said thoughtfully, "Or, you can pathetically try to save her, both of you dying in the process. This girl unlocks many opportunities for us demons, and I much rather keep her alive...until I don't need her," she whispered sinisterly.
"Go…" Kira said weakly. "I'm fine!"
Okita stood there, going out of his mind. He wanted to cut this demon's throat, but hesitated. He didn't want to hurt Kira, let alone indirectly kill her. "Dammit…!"
Maeko hummed, "If you want to try to save her, go west of Kyoto. You'll find my mansion. You won't have any trouble spotting it," she giggled. "Though she might be gone by the time you get there."
A chill ran up Kira's spine and her heart went still, skipping a beat. She wasn't sure what to do. It didn't seem real to her, but the arm crushing her was enough to convince her. Kira couldn't cry...say anything at all! It was like she was in a locked, soundproof room and no matter how much noise she made, no one could hear her.
"I hereby decree that the war has started between humans and oni. Get ready for hell," Maeko grinned evilly. Kira looked at Okita, terrified, silently begging for help of any kind.
And then the two disappeared into the night sky.
It was quiet again.
The soldiers waited for his orders, but Okita just stood there, anger and regret swirled through him. He should've been more patient. But couldn't she have realized it over the past few days? Honestly, girls were so weird.
The only girl he had really gotten to know...the only girl he held feelings for that were more than just friends. Swept away from him. He gripped his sword and cursed under his breath. He wasn't going to let her go so easily. He still had a chance and he wasn't going to miss it. Godammit, he wasn't going to let her get killed without getting to her first.
"S...sir?" a soldier asked.
"We're going on ahead to find this damn mansion. Go to Headquarters and get reinforcements. If the oni wants a war, she'll get one."
"Understood, Captain!" he said before running off.
Okita looked at the spot where the two were at. He remembered those horrified eyes. He felt suddenly guilty. What kind of captain was he when he couldn't have just grabbed Kira. That oni must be bluffing. Right?
"I don't want to hurt you!"
His eyes widened, as if insulted by the very words. "Hurt me? For God's sake, you're fucking ripping my heart out!" He took a powerful swing at her, and she jumped with a surprised noise. "The only person I cared about," he said, taking a swing with each phrase. The edge of her sword missing and colliding with her sword. "The only person I let in...is leaving after everything?!"
She cried out as their swords clashed with a harsh rasp of metal. Her arms were shaking, cowering against his strength and rage. Her hands stung, begging to let go of the sword, but she still held on. "Please-" she begged.
He wasn't going to hear it. "You're pretty cruel," his smile was still there. Over the time they spent, she forgot the darker side of him. Sadistic, cruel, sly. "You just come in here and steal away my heart. And you don't even know what to do with it instead of crushing it, and handing it back."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Stop it! I...I just want to stop this and go home!" Half of his words only sunk in. She was filled with fear and shoved out everything else.
"Go home? What do you have there?" He asked curtly.
"Friends and family! People I've grown up for years!" She tried not to choke on the words.
"Tch, don't fool me. According to what you said, it wasn't anything spectacular! There was nothing that stood out in that world!" She could hear the desperate plea in his argument.
"I had my future ahead of me!"
Their swords clashed again. Their faces were divided by the crossing swords. "What if I wanted my future with you?! Dammit Kira, get it through that thick skull of yours! I love you."
"What…" the katana's retracted, and then hers was abruptly knocked out of her hands. The metal clattered loudly on the floor. Kira's shaking hands were stinging and her heart dropped down to her stomach, realizing what was next.
"But if you don't want me...then I guess I have no choice.." he said. Tears streamed down her face like cascading waterfalls. Eyes blurry with tears, she closed them.
She heard it. The tear of skin from that blade.
Woo! Short chapter-kinda, sorry! Kira is pretty dense when it comes to love xD Though I would probably be dazed if I were her. Probably...maybe...depends. Anywho, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave your review! They help me out a lot! Thank you! Until next time. And I think it's safe to say that I will update once a week, since I'm already working on chapter 16! We're finally gonna wrap up this story after a year or so of me being dead xD
-Jen