Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It is owned by the awesome Sorachi Hideaki-sensei, Sunrise and Shueisha.
Rating: T
Genre: Romance, Tragedy
Summary: An annual festival at Yoshiwara creates a chance for Gintoki to learn more about the death of Shouyou-sensei, while Tsukuyo learns about the truth of her abandonment.
Author's Notes: THE GENDERBENDER ARC IS FULL OF LOVE! Ginko is too pretty, Okita is super cute, Kondou Isako is the babe and Hijikata… errr… Hijikata… *cries* AND TSUKUOOOO! Tsukuo is a hunk! (My poor fangirl heart!) Rule 63 rules! OMG! One of the best arcs ever!
Lots of love to the following: nukidono14, Ginallen, Killuminator, Number-SE7EN-MrsGluttony, The Cloned One, ATM, Rhaide AND Souichirouchan, Gintsu fan, I-Howl-AT THE-moon, Anonymous, ex-pervyguy, Chibi-Onee-chan, DivineKitten, an-co-xx, cruorem, Hummingbird, Lazy Gaga, NCISMcAbbyISthebest, Nekoi Kurona, DarkAndStormyNight, KeyToTheTruth, anon, Gurako-san, OROGoldenpair1, W, Candyqueen-sama, Stalker Of Reactions, asdas, CrimsonStar10, Sweet Tsubaki, ElleinadOtaku0w0, MerryGoRound01129, mazzal, Jette soller, Witch Hunter-eli, she-womanizer, Lady Redgrave DMC, starmie, miso ramen goddess, LoveMadness, VenVen, The Wumbologist, ShiroHachikuji, dentedileone, sadisticnihil, Swirling Circles, Haruka, Link-the-lightbringer, khiaree, heitan, little101, Ginyasha, itazuraramblings, DarkPirateKing69, WhiteHero, kyoandyuya, Resha Tsubaki, The Azure Heart, Redguy221, gattsu, SapphireHeart, Strawwwberrylollipop, ScotSniper and blazingreaper…
みんな、 ほんとうにありがとうな!
Truth
(信実 Shinjitsu)
A Gintama Fanfiction
By Kurasuchi~
XOXOX
CHAPTER 14
"Honesty is the best policy."
XOXOX
Feeling groggy and exhausted, Katsura slowly opened his eyes only to find out that he was alone in an unfamiliar place. He blinked a few times, trying to assess the situation at hand.
All that he could remember was that he and Gintoki went to Aburanokouji in order to save Shinpachi and Kagura. And a lot of things happened since then… and the last time that he was conscious was when they were about to escape from the raging fire that engulfed the whole place. And if that's so, then where the hell is he?
He looked around, only to realize that he was in the hospital. Sighing to himself, he then looked at his bare hands, only for a huge signboard to appear in his view.
[Glad to see that you've woken up, Katsura-san.]
Seeing that familiar signboard left Katsura speechless. He then looked in front of him as if he was in trance and stared at the duck-like figure that stood before him.
"E-Eli—"
His eyes glistened with tears, his hands shook a bit and his lips quivered. He then reached out to the creature in front of him, welcoming him with open arms. The creature, on the other hand, looked at him with the same fervor.
And if a bystander could see this scene, he or she could've sworn that shoujo manga-like bubbles and sparkles have already appeared in the background.
"ELIIIIIIZAAAAAAAAAABEEEEEEEE EEEEETHHHHHHHHHH!"
[KATSUUUUUUUURAAAAAAAAAA-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!]
And the two hugged each other tightly, with Katsura secretly wiping his snot on Elizabeth's white covering. And as they both engaged on their tearful reunion, the nurse who was about to check on Katsura was taken aback by this scene, only to feel a bit nauseous on what she had seen. Without a second thought, the nurse then went out of the room in order to go to the toilet. And of course, Katsura and Elizabeth didn't notice this at all.
"Elizabeth, I was so worried about you! I'm so glad that you're safe! Tell me, are you the one who saved us from the fire back then? Because I could've sworn that I've seen your silhouette!"
[That isn't me, that's Monday Elizabeth.]
"Oh, so you've sought help from Monday Elizabeth? You're such a genius, Elizabeth! So, you and Monday Elizabeth are the only ones who helped us?"
[Thursday Elizabeth also helped. Also, I had instructed the other Renhou forces to help extinguish the fire.]
"Elizabeth! You are such a fine man! But wait—aren't you Thursday Elizabeth? And why Thursday? Isn't Thursday Elizabeth the regular Elizabeth?"
[I am the regular Elizabeth from Shounen Jump. Monday and Thursday Elizabeth are Sunrise's property. It is Thursday since Gintama':Enchousen is running on Thursdays. And also, it is the old Gintama timeslot before we've been kicked out of Golden Time.]
"I see. That makes a lot of sense, Elizabeth. But still, Thursday Elizabeth would be gone once April starts. Even though there would be reruns on 1:48 AM, that wouldn't suffice! The anime would end again… last year it's Gon, and now it's Aikatsu! Elizabeth, don't you feel irritated about those stupid shows taking away our slot?"
[I don't, since we still have the second movie. Although I'm worried since it's been called as the 'Final Act'.]
Katsura shook his head in denial. "No, you shouldn't think like that, Elizabeth! The manga's still ongoing! It might just be the gorilla playing tricks on us again! We still haven't got enough screentime! I won't allow Gintama anime to end; the arc between me and Ikumatsu-dono still wasn't animated yet!"
[The current Genderbender arc wouldn't be animated as well.]
"NO! I WON'T ALLOW THIS! ZURAKO STILL HASN'T APPEARED YET! ISHIDA AKIRA WILL CRY! NOOOOOOOO!"
[Nah, that man's AT field is too strong. He won't be affected by that.]
"WHAT?! Are you saying that my AT field's too strong?! Curse you, Tohru Furuya! Just because you're bitter about Gintoki stealing your role as Joseph Joestar!"
[It's not me, it's Monday Elizabeth! And I don't care if Sugita Tomokazu plays Joseph Joestar! You're just embarrassed that you first got a girlfriend at the age of 21!]
"What?! Where the hell did you learn about that?! Curse you..!"
Much to their surprise, one of the nurses entered the room and shouted at them, telling them to keep their voices down. And they complied.
Katsura harrumphed in order to clear the mood. He then faced Elizabeth with a serious look, a complete contrast to his idiotic aura a while ago.
"Elizabeth, where's Gintoki? Is he doing okay?"
The duck-like creature blinked a few times before he raised his signboard.
[He's fine. He's in the other room, recuperating with the other kids.]
XOXOXOX
It has been two days ever since that incident at Aburanokouji occurred. A lot of things happened in there which she has no idea about, and she probably wouldn't even know about it as long as the persons involved were still unconscious. Worried about what would happen, Shimura Tae can only heave a deep sigh.
She didn't expect that the simple event of Shinpachi and Kagura being kidnapped would be connected to a huge national event that would probably change their lives forever. The fact that the roju died at the same time as they were kidnapped, and in the same place no less was already suspicious, and the fact that Aburanokouji was burned to the ground a few moments later only added to the weight of the issue. She just hoped that somehow, they wouldn't get caught up in such a big mess. Reviving their own Kodoukan dojo was work enough.
She was glad, however, that they were all safe. She was extremely worried that they may have been caught up in the fire, but turns out that they were saved by Katsura-san's pet in the nick of time. She and Kyuubei weren't caught up in the explosion because they were outside the compound, and both Tsukuyo and Sarutobi somehow managed to get out of the burning compound on their own.
However, the one that she was more worried about is the condition of her brother, Shin-chan, as well as his other co-workers at the Yorozuya, Kagura-chan and Gin-san. It's already been two days and they were still unconscious. And even though Gin-san woke up earlier than the two, it was obvious that he still wasn't well.
Engaged deeply in her thoughts, she never noticed someone's hand touching her shoulder.
"Tae-chan, you should probably go home and take some rest. I'll be the one to take care of things here."
She then looked in front of her and found Yagyuu Kyuubei, who looked absolutely worried about her. Upon hearing those words from her best friend, Shimura Tae only smiled back. "No, Kyuu-chan. I'm fine. I'm just a little exhausted, that's all. But I'll manage."
"But Tae-chan, you shouldn't push yourself too hard! Shinpachi-kun wouldn't like it if you became sick because of him! Just a little rest is fine—but you really need to rest, Tae-chan!"
Tae looked away at her in silence. "I don't want to. And besides, what I've done was nothing compared to what Gin-san had done. Ever since he woke up, he never left that room even once. He just stayed there with Shin-chan and Kagura-chan, refusing to leave their side even when the doctors were about to treat him. He even stayed wide awake for the whole day, despite being exhausted."
Kyuubei fell silent upon hearing this. She knew about those things before, but hearing about it from her own best friend made her think about that silver-haired idiot in the other room.
XOXOXOX
It was already late in the afternoon when Tsukuyo decided to enter the hospital room where Gintoki, Kagura and Shinpachi were held. She stood right in front of the door, undecided whether or not she should still enter the premises. Even though she had decided on what she would do once she opens this door, being in there right at that moment really made her already fickle resolve vanish.
However, she still needed to do this. She had decided on it after all. Once she opened that door, she would finally say goodbye to Gintoki and the others. She had decided that long ago—ever since she'd heard that it was all her fault.
For her, everything was her fault. If she had never left them and chased Gintoki off to Hagi, then Shinpachi and Kagura wouldn't have been kidnapped. If she didn't stay at the Yorozuya, then this whole fiasco wouldn't have happened. No—if it weren't for her and that Uehara Zennosuke's creepy obsession towards her, then everything wouldn't be in a mess right now. And even though she had no idea on why that man was after her, she only knew one thing: she's the one responsible for everything, so she should be the one to fix all these mess.
And so, with that in mind, there's only one thing that she should do in order to do that: by infiltrating the Sonjouroushi by herself.
She wouldn't dare ask for someone's help at this, especially not Gintoki's. She had already brought them a lot of misfortune; she won't even dare to add more to their burden. Asking help from the Hyakka isn't good as well, since involving them would only bring danger upon Yoshiwara. And thus, even though she knew that it's not a good plan, she had no other choice.
And thus, even though she was reluctant to do so, it's time for her to part with the Yorozuya.
Taking a deep breath, she then turned the doorknob and pushed the door open.
"Ah, Gintoki, I—"
She then stopped when she saw the said samurai slumped on the chair between Shinpachi and Kagura's beds, sleeping heavily with drool on his mouth. He snored lightly in between his short, silent breaths; he slept so deeply that he didn't budge even to the loudest of sounds, and despite all of these, there is one thing that took all of her attention.
His hands—those calloused hands of his whose fingers most of the time were stuck on his nose—tightly grasped the hands of the other two. He held onto it as if his life depended on it, and upon seeing this, Tsukuyo couldn't help but to smile at the spectacle before her. And somehow, seeing that alone made her realize just how much he loved the two of them, even though he rarely showed it. And since she didn't want to disturb him, she decided not to wake him up.
But she would still say goodbye to them. Even if they aren't awake, at least, she took the privilege to do so.
She then took a few steps in front of him. But even though she was so close to him, he didn't even seem to budge. She breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that he was still sleeping soundly.
"Gintoki, Shinpachi, Kagura… thank you for everything. Even though I've only stayed there for a couple of weeks, everyday felt like I was a part of the Yorozuya for a long time now. That's why… I'm really grateful to you guys."
She then took a deep breath and gave them a heartfelt smile.
"I did plan on saying goodbye to you guys properly, but seeing you guys now changed my mind. Still, even though I said that, I still don't know what may happen to me after that. But don't worry, I'll be sure to come back here. I still have to pay you guys tenfold for what you have done."
Taking one final glance at the three Yorozuya, she then turned her back and left the room with a faint smile on her face. And just as when she was gone past the door, she then noticed Terada Ayano—rather, Otose-san—looking at her.
The older woman fixated her gaze at the blonde woman. "Are you really going to leave like that without even saying goodbye properly?"
"I did bid farewell," she replied as she fumbled for her kiseru. "It's just that… it'll be a shame to wake them up. And besides, I'd still be coming back, so there's no need for unnecessary drama."
Otose did not say anything in reply. However, she did not tear away her gaze from the younger woman, and upon seeing this, the latter only turned her back and went on her way.
But before that, she did not forget to say one thing.
"Tell them… thanks for everything."
XOXOXOX
Sakata Gintoki was in a pinch. He did not know why, but everything seemed to be in a mess right now. What he felt right now was really devastating that it was even harder than fighting Housen, Jiraia and Kamui combined. No, it's more than that. It hurts. It hurts so bad. However, he did not want to go out.
He had felt this pain just half an hour ago. Before that, he felt as if someone had come into the room and said something to them, but he was too drowsy at that time that he did not even take heed of it, and assumed that it was just the nurse who was chastising him for not resting on his own bed as usual. Well, that, or maybe the nurse was fed up with him that she had placed laxatives on his food. Really, this isn't funny at all.
His stomach churned for the 235th time. And for the 236th. Seriously, he had withstood two days without even leaving this room, but he cannot take it any longer. Sure, he needs to look over Shinpachi and Kagura, but his stomach needs to be taken care of too! And thus, once as he had made the resolution to go to the nearest toilet—that one inside the room—in order to make his own bowel movements, his stomach churned again and he held it in pain, making an idiotic face as he tried to squirm on the floor, trying to reach out for the toilet.
Hence, as if the Angel of Bowel Movement had finally smiled upon him, he then entered the room and inched himself towards the stool, but everything turned out to be a fluke as he realized that the toilet was clogged and thus, was out of order.
He turned pale upon this fact.
'WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! WHAT KIND OF HOSPITAL IS THIS?! I can't believe that they've even passed the sanitation test! If I were the one to decide, I'll fail this hospital immediately!'
He shook his head in a futile attempt to get rid of unnecessary thoughts.
'Think, Gintoki! Think! You are in a dire pinch right now! Sure, your enemies might attack those two again while you are in a state of extreme emergency, but this kind of emergency is fatal! Aaaargh, dammit! Isn't there any painkillers or something?! This is a hospital, there should be some emergency pills or something!'
He tried to look for something that will help him hold his own bowels for a while, but as his feet stomped the floor furiously and his hands touched his own behind, he had a hard time on doing so. But if he didn't do that, he'll feel as if his own bowels would explode… and he didn't want that! Everyone would laugh at him if they learn the fact that he crapped on his pants!
'AAAAARRGH FUCK THIS! SCREW THIS! I ain't that gorilla! I haven't crapped my pants in my over twenty years of existence, and I will never do that now! Something like this only happens to that gorilla stalker of the Shinsengumi, who had crapped twice during the Yagyuu arc and Ikkoku Keisei arc! But this is the lovely Gin-san, and not the gorilla! I ain't gonna crap on my pants. No way. No way!'
He then tried to reach out for the door, but just as when he was a few inches away from it, his stomach churned violently once again and he fell on his knees, holding his stomach in pain.
Sweat trickled down his skin as he smirked on what he realized to be the worst enemy he has ever faced.
'You sure are a formidable opponent, Unko-kun. However, you won't win against me, the Shiroyasha! Even if you've made me fall down on my knees this fast, I won't ever surrender! Even if my face ended up looking like Chris! Even if my nose started to get as big as Jackie's!'
Taking a deep breath, he then put all of his concentration into place as he gathered all of his haki, chakra, reiryoku, nen and magoi in order to unleash his one attack which he had never shown anyone before. He never had any techniques when he fought back then, but there was one technique that he had learned behind the scenes from that old man Zangetsu-wannabe during that Touya-ko chapter which was not yet animated. That old man told him to use it during the times when his life was in danger… that legendary attack…
'You need to use it! Gintoki!'
The silver-haired man was startled upon hearing that overly familiar voice. He then looked around, since he knew that only the three of them were inside the room. But he didn't find anyone. So who the hell is that?!
"Who's there?!" shouted Gintoki, trying to calm himself at the fact that both his bowels and the intruders have appeared before him at the same time. "Show yourself!"
'You cannot see me, for I am inside your consciousness. In this moment of desperation, you've managed to summon me while you are still conscious. I am Lake Touya, the spirit of your bokutou. Now, unleash the attack and that obstruction will vanish!'
Gintoki rolled his eyes. "I don't wanna. Someone must think that I'm a freak now, talking to no one but myself."
'What?! Don't you wanna take down that door in order to go out?! You should use me and use that secret technique that I've taught you! You must use that in order to win!'
"I don't need your help on winning anything. Rather than that, it won't be a secret technique anymore if you've shared it to me. Just watch. I have a secret technique of my own that I've learned back then when the Yorozuya have done a two-year break before we've promised to meet on Sabaody Archipelago."
'What Sabaody Archipelago?! Isn't that from another Jump series?!'
"While I was on my way to Sabaody, after winning the Tenkaiichi Budokai, I managed to meet my master at Kyoto and he taught me the final technique to my Battoujutsu."
'Who the hell are you talking about?! And what master? Am I not your master?! Oiiiiii! And what the hell is that Battoujutsu? You aren't using a katana, it's a friggin' bokutou!'
"Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!" It took all of his strength to stand up and get his Touya-ko that was leaning on the other side of the bed. "Here it goes!"
'Wait, what the hell are you—'
Before the spirit of Lake Touya can even say anything else, Gintoki had already moved his bokutou and attacked the poor door.
"Unko-jutsu no Himitsu Ougi: Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki!"
'WHAT SECRET TECHNIQUE?! YOU'VE CLEARLY STOLEN THAT FROM ANOTHER JUMP SAMURAI SERIES! AND UNKO JUTSU? YOU REALLY HAVE TO PLACE UNKO THERE?! AND BESIDES, THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THAT TECHNIQUE, IT'S JUST YOUR USUAL ATTACK!'
Gintoki smirked in return. "Heh. Don't underestimate me, you damn ossan. This technique only works when the users are in a dire pinch. And besides—uggghh!"
His stomach grumbled again. He fell on his knees (again) and tried to help himself stand up using his bokutou. He then panted heavily and sprinted off, leaving the old man Zangetsu-wannabe alone in the room.
XOXOXOX
"What? Only cola? Oi, oi… is this still even considered as a vending machine if it just sells cola? You gotta have some strawberry milk man, strawberry milk!"
Gintoki grumbled to himself as he got the can of ice-cold cola out of the vending machine. After his business in the toilet, he then proceeded to buy some drinks in some random vending machine before he went back to the room where Shinpachi and Kagura were resting. But just as when he was on his way, he then stopped in front of an open window and leaned against it. He then looked at the sky which was tainted by an orange hue.
"So it's really late in the afternoon, huh? Well… since I'm already outside anyway, it wouldn't hurt to stay out for some more. ."
With that thought in mind, he then walked some more. He did not know it himself but... he somehow ended walking up to the roof. Pushing the door open, he then walked a bit more in order to get a breath of fresh air, but all of those ideas vanished as soon as he saw Hijikata Toushirou smoking on the other side.
"Oi, tax robber. Isn't it prohibited to smoke on hospital grounds? I'll get you arrested for that, you bastard."
Hearing that voice, Hijikata turned around only to scowl at what he had seen. "You're the bastard one, you bastard. I'm at the rooftop, it's not prohibited in here. And besides, how are you going to arrest me if I'm the police?"
"That's why the police are being looked down upon," Gintoki replied with a sigh, much to Hijikata's ire. "This country would fall not only because of our rotten government officials, but also because of those shameless policemen who are too proud of committing immoral acts."
"What part of smoking is considered as immoral?! Do you really know the true meaning of 'immoral', you bastard?! I'll really arrest you, you friggin' piece of shit!"
"Oi, oi.. Are you really sure about that? You're just going to arrest an innocent man just because you felt like it? You really are rotten to the core, huh?"
"Just what the hell did you say you lazy dumbass sugar freak?!"
"Just what is it to you, you moronic mayo freak?!"
"You got something against mayonnaise, huh?! You got something against it, you bastard?!"
"Sure hell I do! I don't eat that crap, I only need to satiate my sweet tooth! That disgusting condiment needs to be thrown out, you know. Thrown out!"
"What did you say?!"
"What?!"
And so the two adults glared at each other, both of them having no such intentions of backing down. They gave each other a menacing glare for about a minute, until the both of them decided to finish it with a sigh. Now looking at the orange-colored sky, the two of them stood next to each other in silence.
Gintoki then looked at Hijikata at the corner of his eye. "It seems that I owe the Shinsengumi something. I heard that you guys are the ones who paid for all of our expenses here in the hospital, is that true?"
"Yeah it is," he replied as he took a puff of smoke from his cigarette. "That's why you ought to do us a favor and repay us with those services of yours."
"And why should I? The Yorozuya ain't that cheap for us to give our services to such tax robbers—"
"Why the hell are you guys there anyway? Didn't you hear that there's going to be a huge national event in Aburanokouji at that same time?"
Gintoki was silent upon hearing this. He did not know if he should tell him the truth or not, but he guessed that there'll be no escape for him anyway. And so, he had told him the truth about what happened—from the fact that he and Tsukuyo went to Hagi, up to the point wherein Shinpachi and Kagura were kidnapped by the Sonjouroushi. He had purposely left out the part about the Oniwabanshuu and that Bakufu official since it would only cause unnecessary trouble. He may tell them, he'll probably do, but he'll do that when the right time comes, and not now.
And as Gintoki told him all those things, Hijikata didn't say a word. He had kept all of his questions to himself, including the fact that he had seen him running with that fugitive Katsura Kotarou at Aburanokouji. However, there's one thing which he had never failed to ask.
"Everything made sense, but the fact that those two were kidnapped just doesn't add up. Why were they kidnapped anyway?"
Gintoki was taken aback by this. He had never told him about what happened between the three of them, and he had no intentions of telling him. And thus, he only became silent and waited for his response.
Realizing that the other man had no intentions of speaking up, Hijikata then turned on his back and started to walk away.
"Well, there is always an instance wherein people hurt the ones they love in order to protect them. Isn't something like that true as well?"
Hijikata stopped on his tracks upon hearing this. He did not understand what the Yorozuya was trying to point out by saying that, but he did get struck by those words. 'Hurting the ones they love in order to protect them'—those words made him remember of something from the past, something that involved him and Sougo's older sister, Mitsuba. He shook his head in order to get rid of such thoughts.
He then looked at Gintoki in return. "Just what do you mean by that?"
The silver-haired man only smiled to himself. "Nothing. I'm just talking to myself. And besides, aren't you guys busy? You should get going now instead of prancing around here, that way us citizens would benefit from the taxes that you guys have been mooching off us."
"Just so you know, you don't have a single right to say that. You don't even pay your taxes."
"Well, that's true."
Taking another piece of cigarette out of his pocket, he had finally left the premises, leaving Gintoki alone in his thoughts as he still stood there on the rooftop by himself.
"So… I'm all alone again, huh?" he trailed off, heaving a deep sigh. He then placed his left arm inside his yukata and stared at the skies, letting his head wander off to somewhere else. He then took a deep breath and tried his hardest to relax himself.
Deciding that it was enough, he then turned back, only to find his dearest ones standing right in front of him. And at such a sight, Gintoki could not help but to feel a little bit lost as he clearly did not expect such a thing to happen.
"Oi, oi… What are you guys doing here, Shinpachi, Kagura? And you've even brought Sadaharu with you too. What are you guys thinking, huh?"
None of them said anything. However, this did not stop Gintoki from voicing out what he felt at that time.
"Man, you guys are so damn unfair. I didn't even leave the hospital room since I want to be beside you guys when you woke up. And now when I finally did, you're going to wake up? What's the use of staying there for days then? Man, this is all messed up.."
They still didn't say anything. Both of them just looked on the ground, their eyes never meeting Gintoki's.
"Oi Shinpachi… Kagura—"
Much to his surprise, he was unable to continue on what he was saying as soon as he saw the two bow down their heads low in front of him.
"Gin-chan.."
"Gin-san.."
Gintoki was speechless at what he had seen. He then tried to reach out his hand towards them. "Oi… why are you guys acting like that? You shouldn't—"
"WE'RE SORRY!"
And the both of them said that in unison, with them bowing down their heads in apology. And Gintoki, not knowing what to do, just stared at them without saying anything. And as he looked at them in silence, he then noticed that both of them are trembling furiously.
He was the one who had wronged them, so why the hell are they apologizing now? It's his fault that they were hurt. They had done nothing at all. So… why?
"Sorry for being weak, for being helpless, for being stubborn. If we've only listened to you, Gin-chan… If I was only strong, then you and Shinpachi wouldn't—"
"No, that's my line, Kagura-chan. I promised Gin-san that I'll protect you, but in the end I was just useless. I'm sorry, Gin-san, for breaking our promise. And I'm sorry for being so weak and useless. . ."
Gintoki did not know how to react. Thus, he only continued on staring at them, bewildered.
"Oi.. Stop doing that, you two," he said nonchalantly as he scratched his head. "Stop blaming yourselves for something that isn't your fault. What the hell is this, are we all blaming ourselves for what happened? Well, if you guys are really willing to blame yourselves then do as you wish. Then that only means that all of us had our own share of faults."
The two still didn't raise their heads despite what Gintoki had said. They didn't even dare to look at him, as they were ashamed to face him after all that happened.
"Oi, didn't you hear me? Pattsuan, Kagura-chan, raise your heads and face your 'ol Gin-san—"
"Gin-san… There's still something we still haven't apologized for…"
"What? What else do you want to apologize for? I told you, you guys haven't done anything wrong so there's no need to apologize—"
"For prying into your past even though we do not have the right to do so… for hurting your feelings… for not listening to what you've said… Gin-chan, we have done something really bad to you, that's why… that's why. . ."
Gintoki inched himself closer to them, but stopped as soon as he noticed that tears fell on the floor, courtesy of his Yato freeloader. And not only that, since as soon as he saw those tears, he then looked at Shinpachi and noticed that he was crying as well, but was trying his hardest to stop his tears from falling down.
"That's why… Gin-chan, would you forgive us..? Gin-chan, we—"
"Gin-san, we'll make it up to you, we promise that. That's why—"
Gintoki then heaved a deep sigh.
"Stop this nonsense. What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?"
And as soon as the two heard this, they then looked at Gintoki in shock, as he walked towards them with an indifferent expression. He seemed rather angry, even, as he did not say a thing and only walked closer towards them.
The two teenagers bit their lip, expecting the worst to happen. However, what actually happened was different from what they had expected, since Gintoki had only patted the two of them on the head, with him facing them with a longing glance and a faint smile.
"You really are a bunch of idiots. I'm the one who should say all of those, you morons."
And as soon as he said this, the two couldn't help themselves anymore as they finally allowed their tears to fall freely on their cheeks, crying as they inched closer to their surrogate brother and father.
And for once, in all those rare moments that Gintoki had shown his affection, this time he pulled the two closer into a hug, allowing them to cry freely on his chest. Much to his surprise, even Sadaharu went towards them, as if wanting to join into the hug between the whole Yorozuya. He then smiled to himself.
"This incident made me realize that I shouldn't keep anything from the two of you. That's why… from now on, there'll be no more secrets between the Yorozuya — between the three of us."
Sadaharu barked in response, as if saying that he should be included as well. Gintoki only smirked at this.
"Okay, okay, you damn mutt. You're included as well."
And the sound of laughter resonated in the air, as the three of them laughed heartily, finally finding peace after all the chaos that happened in the past.
XOXOXOX
When Gintoki and the others finally went down from the rooftop, they then saw Otae, Kyuubei and Sacchan on one of the waiting areas, arguing about what Gintoki guessed to be petty things. From the looks of it, Otae and Kyuubei were arguing with Sacchan, while the latter was dressed in a nurse costume, all complete with a huge syringe that's about her size.
"Oi, what are you guys doing there? What's the matter?"
Hearing those words, the three women suddenly cocked their heads towards the silver-haired samurai, finally realizing that he had finally gotten outside. The fact that the two other Yorozuya were behind him delighted them as well, especially Otae.
On the other hand, as soon as she saw Gintoki standing in front of her, Sarutobi Ayame's love meter went up again and she proceeded to give Gintoki a huge glomp.
"G-GIN-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"
And as usual, Gintoki had swatted her away, much to her delight.
"Ah, Gin-san… You're really back! I missed how you've been treating me like this! As I've expected, no one could ever ignite such feelings inside me other than Gin-san himself!"
"Shut up! Stop clinging to me, you damn bitch!" he exclaimed, trying to push her away despite her persistence. And seeing that all of his efforts are useless as usual, he then scanned the area, and was glad to see that everyone who went with him to Aburanokouji back then was alright. Even though he did not see Zura, he's sure to be alright, it's Zura after all. However, he did not see Tsukuyo at all.
He thought of asking them about her whereabouts, but decided not to do so as he guessed that she maybe went to somewhere else and was safe. He then made a mental note to himself to call Hinowa later to check up on the Shinigami Dayuu.
And just as when he was about to sit down, he then noticed someone approach him in a hurry.
"DANNA! YOROZUYA NO DANNA!" screamed the guy, whom Gintoki recognized to be the Shinsengumi spy and the full-fledged jimi, Yamazaki Sagaru. Curious on what brought him there, he then stood up and greeted the Shinsengumi spy.
"Oi, what's up, Jimmy? You came to see me? How sweet of you! But don't need to worry, since I'm all fine now! You shouldn't—"
"There's no time for that, Danna! There's a huge trouble! You need to come with me, Danna! There's no more time to waste!"
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about, Jimmy boy? So what if there's a huge trouble? It doesn't concern me at all! Tell that kind of thing to the mayonnaise freak, not me!"
But Yamazaki did not take heed of this as he pulled Gintoki to forcefully make him stand. "But Danna, this kind of thing does concern you! You're the main suspect after all!"
"M-Main suspect..? O-Oi, what the hell are you talking about, Jimmy? What do you mean by that? I ain't done any crime at all, what the fuck are you saying..?"
"Danna!"
Finding no other choice, Gintoki grumbled to himself and stood up, his right hand finding its way on his silver hair. He then followed Yamazaki outside, with everyone following him shortly thereafter. And as soon as they reached outside, he was surprised to see everyone forming in crowds. The nurses were chatting among themselves, with almost all of them having a worried look on their faces. The patients and other bystanders also looked at the spectacle before them, as it is rare for any ordinary Edo citizen to see the two of the largest police forces in whole Edo, the Shinsengumi and the Mimawarigumi, to gather in front of the public.
And as soon as everyone noticed that he arrived at the scene, Gintoki felt a bit nervous but proceeded to go forward anyway. With Yamazaki leading him towards the three high-ranking officers of both police forces, every Shinsengumi and Mimawarigumi member paved a way for Gintoki to cross, which made him even more wary of the situation.
Just what in the world is happening?
He then stopped on his tracks as soon as he is in front of Hijikata Toushirou, the Shinsengumi Vice-Chief, as well as Sasaki Isaburou, the Chief of the Mimawarigumi. Kondou Isao stood behind Gintoki, trying his best not to leap his way towards his lady love, Shimura Tae, who was standing with Shinpachi, Kagura, Sacchan and Kyuubei among the bystanders.
Trying to look as unaffected as possible, Gintoki gave them a look of indifference and picked his nose.
"Oi, oi. What do you think you guys are doing here, huh? What do you want from me? Are you all going to greet me for my recovery? Are you guys having a party and you want me to come along?" He looked at the crowd as if to emphasize his point. "Sorry, but the crowd's too big for us to do 'LET'S PARTY'. And besides, I'd rather choose other people than to LET'S PARTY with you guys. Every party's going to suck if there's a bunch of freaks as company, you see."
Hijikata only glared at him in return. "Shut the hell up, Yorozuya. This situation is serious, don't act like an idiot like you usually do."
"Huh?! The fuck are you talking about, you mayo freak? Aren't you acting like an idiot as well? And besides, I know that you're the one who wants to LET'S PARTY the most!"
"I said to shut up, I don't wanna LET'S PARTY, you damn bastard!"
And right at that moment, Sasaki Isaburou harrumphed in order to get their attention.
Gintoki then glared at him. "And just what the hell is the elite Mimawarigumi Chief Sasaki Isaburou doing here? What do you want from me that you'll even go all the way to visit me in the hospital? Such a thing isn't elite, you know."
"Don't be so hasty, Sakata-san. And besides, you should be honored since even the most elite of the elite forces of the elite Mimawarigumi have shown their elite faces in front of you. Such a thing is just too elite, don't you think?"
Gintoki just rolled his eyes at this. "I don't know about that. All I know is that I wanna kick your elite ass for saying too much elite in one sentence."
Ignoring that reply, Sasaki then fumbled for something inside his coat, only to hand out one of his cellphones to Gintoki. "Anyway, since I'm already here I suppose I will give you the elite privilege of becoming my email buddy again. I can't let my favorite email buddy leave me again, after all."
Gintoki then took a glance at the cellphone on his hands and read the message in the Inbox.
FROM: Sabu-chan
SUB: Your newest cellphone! =)
Don't throw away this one, okay? Since you've always been throwing out all of the cellphones that I've given you.. Don't be mean to Sabu-chan~! Anyway, I have a surprise for you aside from the fact that we can mail each other again. Aren't you excited? \(^o^)/
"J-Just what the heck is this...?" trailed off Gintoki as he stared at the message in front of him. "Surprise? What the hell do you mean by that, oi!"
Sasaki only adjusted his monocle as he typed on his cellphone. And all of a sudden, Gintoki's phone received another message.
"That's fast! The heck is that, when did you have the time to type that message?! It's as if it was already pre-typed!"
FROM: Sabu-chan
SUB: Re: Your newest cellphone! =)
Awww, you're so mean, Sakata-san! I told you to become my mail buddy again, so you should reply to me by texting back! I'll be waiting~ \(^o^)/
Gintoki then spared no more time as he threw the cellphone on the ground and destroyed it.
"LIKE HELL I WOUUUUUUULD! I DON'T CARE AT ALL!"
Sasaki frowned at this. "Sakata-san, why did you do that? Didn't I tell you not to destroy it again?"
"Like hell I care! I'm right here in front of you, why do we need to mail each other like we're classmates who haven't seen each other for years?! And besides, what's with 'Sabu-chan'?! That's creepy! Why don't you just tell it to me straight, instead of prolonging it like what you do now? That'll be for the best!"
Seeing that he had no more options, Sasaki let out a sigh and gave him a serious look. "Shiroyasha-dono, you seem to be in a hurry right now. Why don't you savor more of your time? That will be for the best, since by the next hour you will finally live your life as part of the elite."
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this. Gintoki was left speechless, while Hijikata gave Sasaki a spiteful look.
"Oi, Sasaki. What the hell do you mean by that?" asked Hijikata, who was still surprised on what he had just heard. "What do you mean he's going to be a part of the elite? You mean you're gonna recruit him?"
Upon hearing this, Gintoki's imagination had gone full speed ahead as he visualized himself wearing the Mimawarigumi uniform. He then shuddered at the thought.
"Oi, oi. Just what kind of games are you playing, Sasaki-kyokuchou?" asked Gintoki. "Recruiting a former Joui into the ranks of the elite? I thought you guys are proud of your elite status, but I guess I was wrong after all.. Although we're talking about me here, so maybe it wasn't a mistake."
Sasaki only laughed at this, which made Gintoki scowl in response.
"Sakata-san, I hope you don't get me wrong. When I said that you're going to be a part of the elite, it doesn't mean that you're going to be a part of the Mimawarigumi. It just means that you're going to stay with us—the elite."
"W-Wait a second," said Hijikata as he tried to process what Sasaki had just said. "He's going to stay with you? What do you mean? Don't tell me you're gonna put him under custody?"
"That's exactly right, Hijikata-san. Oh my, I didn't expect that ruffians such as the Shinsengumi would actually get what I was trying to say." He then turned to Gintoki and stared at him. "So, Sakata-san? What is your decision?"
Gintoki only smirked at this. "So… simply put, you're going to arrest me, is that it?"
Upon hearing this, Shinpachi and Kagura who were also listening to their conversation could not help themselves any longer. They then made their way towards Gintoki and the others, not caring about the fact that they have no right to do so.
"Wait, Shin-chan, Kagura-chan!" exclaimed Otae as she held them back in place, trying to stop them from interfering. "I know that you guys are against this, but you should behave yourselves! If you just barge in there, Gin-san might get into a bigger trouble!"
Shinpachi tried his hardest to get free from his sister's grip. "But aneue, I just can't leave Gin-san alone like this! I just can't accept this! Why would Gin-san get arrested? He has done nothing wrong!"
"That's right, anego!" added Kagura, who did the same thing as Shinpachi. "Gin-chan doesn't deserve this! He hasn't done anything wrong! He shouldn't be arrested just like that!"
"But Shin-chan, Kagura-chan—"
Before Shinpachi and Kagura could even say anything in return, they stopped on their tracks as someone had suddenly swung a sword at them, and that they were only a hair's breadth away from death if they haven't dodged it in time. As sweat trickled on their faces, they looked at the owner of the sword, only to realize that it was the Vice-Chief of the Mimawarigumi.
Shinpachi only looked at her in disbelief. "N-Nobume-san…"
"I won't allow you to interfere. That is the mission that Isaburou has given me, and I will be sure to make it happen."
"Oi, let go of us, you bastard!" protested Kagura. "We're gonna help Gin-chan! Gin-chan's in a pinch right now, we have to save him!"
"Even if you interfere right now, it won't help him with anything," replied Imai Nobume as she stood still without moving away her gaze from the two of them. "It is best to just leave it to themselves. Barging in there would only make it harder for him."
Realizing the truth behind her words, the two of them were left speechless, not knowing what to do.
Seeing the commotion among the bystanders, Sasaki Isaburou fumbled for his handcuffs and presented it to the silver-haired man. "Oh my, such loyal followers you have there, Sakata-san. Anyway, you're correct. We are here to arrest you, so it is best for you to follow us obediently."
"Like hell I'm gonna go with you guys after revealing that you're gonna arrest me! I'm not that stupid to just—"
"What are his charges? Why are you arresting him?" cut off Hijikata, as he glared daggers at Sasaki. "Is it… connected to the incident at Aburanokouji?"
Gintoki was left speechless upon hearing that thing from Hijikata. Indeed, he was involved in that incident at Aburanokouji. However, he hasn't done something that would warrant him to be arrested. Unless they count the number of property that he had damaged, there's no way that he had done anything else.
"Yes, it is connected to the incident at Aburanokouji," affirmed Sasaki, who now stared at Gintoki. "Sakata-san, you are hereby arrested for the assassination of the roju, Ii Masayasu. Please surrender yourself to us immediately."
Gintoki only stared back at him in disbelief. "A-Assassination? Oi, oi.. What the hell are you talking about, Sasaki? I don't remember anything about assassinating anyone out there. And besides, who the hell is that guy? I haven't even heard of him, so why would I kill him then?!"
"I am not the one to decide your innocence, Sakata-san. I am just following orders from the Bakufu itself. Even though the Shogun still hasn't heard anything about this incident, the rest of the Council decided that you are to be taken under custody while the investigation was still ongoing. That was what they have decided."
"I don't care about what they have decided or not!" he growled back. "What I wanna know is why I am suddenly connected to that case! I don't even know a thing about this, so why am I suddenly—"
Hijikata had cut him off again, much to his dismay. "Let me guess about it. You guys have managed to salvage a few records from the AV Room, and one of those had him and Katsura in it, is that right?"
"Oh? That's really interesting, Hijikata-san. So that Jouishishi Katsura Kotarou was with him as well? That would only make his case even stronger then. Well, that isn't too surprising, considering that they were once comrades during the war…" He looked at Gintoki in spite. "Isn't that right, Shiroyasha-dono?"
Gintoki's scowl only became deeper. "I don't know about that, you bastard."
"Anyway, please don't be angry at me. We, the elite Mimawarigumi are just following orders from above. So if you'll excuse us, we would like you to turn over yourself to us, Sakata-san. Further resistance is futile."
Faced with that dilemma, Gintoki didn't know what to do. He could easily resist them and fight back, but doing so would make him a fugitive and that would affect the whole Yorozuya. However, if he goes with them, then he would be tainted as a criminal, and it would still have the same effect to them. And since either choice would lead to the same conclusion, he then decided to resist.
He was about to reach out for the bokutou on his waist when Kondou Isao suddenly entered the scene.
"Sasaki-dono, I beg your pardon but there's something I would like to make clear first. Does the Mimawarigumi have an arrest warrant with them?"
The man-in-question stood speechless for a while and only stared at the Shinsengumi Commander. "I guess that we don't have any, Kondou-san. Although we do not need any arrest warrants with us in order to arrest that man, since we are already too elite for that. And besides, this is what the Bakufu itself had decided."
Much to everyone's surprise, the gorilla commander did not even flinch—not even a bit. He just stood there with resolve in his eyes, and for a second, Gintoki had somehow changed his opinion of him… though only momentarily.
"If that's so, then do you have the official order signed by the Council with you? Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to hand Sakata Gintoki over to you guys, as he is still within Shinsengumi custody."
"Oh? You're speaking such amusing words, Kondou-san. Are you really sure that you aren't just covering up for him?"
Kondou only smiled at this. "Fear not, Sasaki-dono. I and the Yorozuya may have been long-time acquaintances, but I assure you that we are faithful to our job. We aren't covering for anybody. Just like you, we only wish for this case to be resolved as soon as possible. However, putting him into prison would not help this case. As far as we all know, this man and Katsura are the only clues we have in this case, that's why as much as possible, we would like to conduct a close observation on this man."
"If you want a close observation, then we can do that just fine in our barracks. There's no need for you guys to interfere with the elite." He then looked at his men, signaling them to arrest the Shiroyasha, in which they complied.
Seeing that Gintoki was about to be arrested by the rest of the Mimawarigumi, Shinpachi and Kagura retaliated and tried their hardest to approach him, but to no avail since Nobume's katana was still pointed at their necks. Pissed off, Kagura was about to attack Nobume until the latter's sword was swatted away by another sword—one that was owned by a certain Okita Sougo.
Kagura and Shinpachi were left speechless upon seeing him.
"S-Sadist…"
"Okita-san.."
Looking at them with a nonchalant expression, Sougo then faced Nobume and decided to taunt her.
"It seems like you nosy elites couldn't seem to hold your own horses that you'll even barge into our territory. Did you elites have already fallen so low that you even have to steal our prey?"
Nobume did not say a word. She just pointed her sword back at him, as if telling him to fight her just like what they always did. And Sougo was more than happy to comply.
Seeing this, Sasaki tried to stop them. "Nobume-san, it is time to join with us elites and leave those ruffians alone. Or better yet, you should try to arrest that Sakata Gintoki and bring him with us."
Nobume then sheathed her katana and walked towards Gintoki. Kondou Isao, who saw everything occur right in front him, was unable to stand it anymore and stood in front of Gintoki.
"On my authority as the Shinsengumi Commander, I would like to request the Mimawarigumi to please stay out of this. We are still conducting investigations about the issue, and this man is crucial to its fulfillment. The details are still confidential at the moment, although I assure you that this would be the best course of action for now."
"Best course of action? Despite the fact that you guys weren't even able to protect a single man?"
Kondou hung his head low in shame. "Sasaki-dono, I wouldn't like to mention this but arresting an alleged suspect without any arrest warrant, as well as pushing your way towards a person on our custody is against the law. If you really want to get him, then please comply with the assigned rules."
Hearing this made Sasaki sigh in response. "It seems that I may have underestimated you a bit, Kondou-san. I didn't expect you to be like this." He then looked at his forces and made them withdraw. "The Shinsengumi have won against the elite this time, but it won't happen for a second time. Anyway, please always remember that such a thing is not our own decision and was only an order coming from the Council."
And with those words, the Mimawarigumi finally withdrew and walked away, giving Gintoki another chance to live as a free man. Realizing that everything is now over, the man of the day let out a sigh of relief and gave Kondou Isao a mischievous look.
"I never knew that gorillas could be so fierce," he trailed off, chuckling to himself.
XOXOXOX
After all of the things that happened, the Yorozuya was discharged from the hospital and was now staying at the Shimuras for further medical assistance, as their wounds weren't fully healed yet. With the three of them occupying the dojo as their room, Shinpachi and Kagura were now fast asleep on their own futon, while Gintoki, on the other hand, was still wide awake, sitting on the engawa of the Kodoukan Dojo.
Looking at the night skies, he then smiled as he let himself bathe in the glow of the full moon. And as he relaxed and spread his fingers on the rough surface of the floor, his mind wandered off on its own as he tried to reminisce about the things that happened during the day.
Everything was okay now—at least, he thought it was, since everything was now okay between him and both Shinpachi and Kagura. He had already told them everything earlier that night, and they were able to accept it just fine. He also heard from them about what happened at Aburanokouji, and such things made him furious even more at that bastard of a Yato named Kamui.
However, the fact that he became a wanted man right now before the Shinsengumi and the Mimawarigumi frustrated him greatly since he didn't really know anything about it. And even though he was miraculously able to get away from it thanks (surprisingly) to the gorilla's help, the fact that he's being under surveillance now irritates him so much.
But still, he was glad that everyone who had helped him before was safe, although he hadn't seen Katsura and Tsukuyo just yet. He's sure that Zura was okay now though, since he saw one of Elizabeth's blank signboards in the hospital right before he left. And as for Tsukuyo… well, he doesn't have any news about her. She wasn't in the hospital, and no one saw her either ever since that incident at Aburanokouji. And even though it was hard for him to admit it, he's starting to get worried about her… although he was sure that worrying about something like that wouldn't help them on their current situation.
He then shook his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts, but it was all futile as the fact that he was staring at the moon made him remember of the late-night conversations that he had with her every single day ever since she had stayed at the Yorozuya.
And thus, to finally give himself some peace of mind, he decided to ask about her from Otae, who finally entered the dojo in order to check up on them.
"I.. I don't know about that, Gin-san," she replied to his question, which made Gintoki a little bit disappointed. "All I've heard was that she left immediately since there was an emergency at Yoshiwara. I haven't even seen her ever since that incident at Aburanokouji."
Hearing this, Gintoki let out a sigh before looking back at the night skies once again.
He smirked a bit.
"Leaving without even saying anything…what a heartless woman."
『つづく』
Notes:
Sugita Tomokazu – Gintoki's seiyuu. Is there even a Gintama fan who doesn't know Sugitan? LOL XD Anyway, he is also Joseph Joestar's (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 2 – Battle Tendency) seiyuu in the 2012 anime and the two latest games (including the yet-to-be-released All-Star Battle).
Ishida Akira – Katsura's seiyuu. On a certain episode of Tokyo Encounter, Sugita told Nakamura Yuuichi that Ishida-san had a very strong AT field and that he won't even budge no matter how hard anyone tries. However, Ishida-san gave in when Sugita and Kugimiya Rie-san (Kagura's VA) asked him to eat with them. As for the girlfriend joke, yeah, it's true. It's stated in an interview I've read somewhere that Ishida-san first had a girlfriend when he was 21 years old, and it was a girl in his university. He was actually ashamed to tell this since he felt that he was really late on that aspect. XD
Tohru Furuya – General Eren / Monday Elizabeth's seiyuu. The joke here is that in the old CAPCOM game of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Furuya-san was the one voicing Joseph. (Note that Sugita is the one who voices Joseph now.)
haki, chakra, reiryoku, nen and magoi – references to One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, HunterxHunter and Magi, respectively.
Zangetsu – the name of Ichigo's zanpakutou. Also in the form of an ossan.
Sabaody Archipelago – One Piece reference. This is where the Straw Hat Pirates were supposed to meet after the two-year timeskip.
Tenkaiichi Budokai – Dragonball reference. You know it already. XD
Battoujutsu – the art of sword-drawing. Although this is more of a Rurouni Kenshin reference.
Unko-kun – "Crap-kun / Feces-kun / Shit-kun". Gintoki just added a suffix as if he was referring to it as a person.
Unko-jutsu no Himitsu Ougi: Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki – Rurouni Kenshin reference. Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki was the name of Himura Kenshin's ultimate attack.
LET'S PARTY - I'm sure you know it already, but for those who didn't, that line was a catchphrase of Date Masamune from Sengoku Basara. And of course, he and Hijikata have the same seiyuu, Nakai Kazuya-san!
More Author's Notes:
Okay, I'm giri-giri safe again! Yeah, this one is the real chapter for March, since the one I've posted earlier was for February. Well, a lot of things happened in this chapter, so even if you think it's crappy, please tell me all of your thoughts in a review! And yes folks, since the Yorozuya bond has finally ended with the Yorozuya hug, we now get to the second part of the story, which now focuses on Takasugi and on the supposed plot of the story that was placed in the summary! XD I can't believe that it took me more than a year to do this… OMG.. And don't worry, since the relationship between Gintoki and Tsukuyo in the future chapters will now progress… I guess. This is a GinTsu romance fic after all, I will never forget that. =)
And oh, for those interested, I've drawn a Gintoki x Ginko fanart! Check it out on my Deviantart, Pixiv or in my art thread at Yorozuya Soul. (Or should I say Anpan Soul? Since I ceased to be kurasuchi there and became kuranpan. ALL THOSE ANPANS ANPAN ANPAN ANPAN XD) My DA is on my profile page, or if you're lazy, just type kurasuchi dot deviantart dot com.
So yeah, I'm gonna anpan you guys next month. Anpan you then, and please stay tuned for more anpan!
Next Chapter: "One should always remember to never let things repeat a second time."