Author note : I couldn't find any information about Miura (except the event at Tenma-ya and the fact that he couldn't fight, although i don't know why) so I just invented everything about him. If you have knowledge about this samurai though, I'd be interested ;) feel free to share !
I woke up pretty early in the morning and went to help Inoue with the breakfast. He was still the first up every day, rising with the sun. Nagakura and Hijikata-san joined a bit later. Last one up was Harada. It was a bit strange to be back but to share a meal without Nagakura and Toudou fighting over the food. I was forgetting often that Toudou was a Rasetsu now... I wondered if the Ochimizu would eventually claim us all in the end...
Chizuru joined at the same time as Harada. She was breathtaking, even without makeup. Her natural beauty was glowing in this salmon kimono and she arranged her hair into a large top bun. I realized how she changed since the day I saw her in the yellow yukata when we went together at the Gion festival, three summers ago. At that time, she tied her obi in a asagao musubi knot, suitable for little girls and I remembered thinking that she wasn't that young. She was still a girl back then but now, she was a woman.
« Chizuru-chan you look so cute ! » said Nagakura when he saw her « Heisuke would fall head over heals in love seeing you like this ! » he tapped my shoulder and i nearly spitted my morning tea, coughing « a pity you prefer this lone wolf. »
I glared at him with icy eyes and Chizuru became red. Nagakura and Harada laughed together until Hijikata-san asked them to calm down with a frown.
« Just joking, Hijikata ! » said Nagakura « I'm happy for the both of them. They're two lucky ones to have found the person they want to spend the rest of their life with. »
« Thank you, Nagakura » said Chizuru, polite.
« You'll have to take good care of him, Chizuru-chan. » he added.
« I can take care of myself. » i eventually said, annoyed, sipping my tea without even looking up.
Nagakura chuckled and whispered loudly without any discretion.
« Be careful, Chizuru-chan, he may not give you tall sons but he'll surely give you stubborn ones. »
I put my chopsticks down, not enjoying to be the subject of mockery and stood up.
« Thank you for the meal. Chizuru, when you are ready, you'll find me in the courtyard. »
« Alright Sajime » she answered and her face became flustered when she realized how her tongue slipped. « I mean, Hajime. »
I got out and got in the courtyard to repeat my sword moves. In the Tenma-ya, I probably won't have enough space so it was better to do it now while I could. Chizuru joined me shortly with her belongings and we departed for the Tenma-ya. I registered as Fujita Hajime and his wife Fujita Chizuru, coming from Edo and staying at Kyoto for business. The owner led us to our room, next to the one of Miura, and left us.
« Make yourself comfortable. » I said Chizuru « I will go and pay my respects to Miura. »
She agreed and started unpacking while I exited the room to join the next one.
« Miura-dono ? » i asked.
« Come in. » he replied and I opened the shoji to get inside his room.
Miura Kyutaro of Kishu was a very tall man. His dark hair were worn as a chonmage, showing that he was a samurai even if he wasn't wearing any swords. He was wearing a blue striped kimono with three kamon, his family crest. He was young, maybe only a few years older than me and I was surprised since i expected him to be much older. The commanders told me that he was unable to fight, that's why I had to protect him in case of any Tosa revenge against him for the murder of Sakamoto Ryouma.
« Miura-dono. » i bowed « it is a great honor to be assigned to your protection. »
« The honor is mine. » he bowed in return « I'm sorry to put such a burden on your shoulders. »
« There is no such thing, Miura-dono. »
« You're Shinsengumi ? » he asked, showing me the table where were disposed a sake bottle and two cups.
« Ha. » i nodded, sitting down with him.
« What is your name ? »
« I go by Fujita Hajime, Miura-dono. »
« You go by ? » he chuckled « what a polite way to say that you won't give me your actual name. »
I stayed silent and he filled the cups of sake.
« Kampai, Fujita-san. » he told me before emptying his cup.
I drank mine with more restraint and he filled back the two cups. I noticed that like me, he was using his left hand for every task, keeping the other on his thigh.
« You are left-handed. » he told me before i could ask anything.
« Ha. » i answered.
« I've heard about a captain of the Shinsengumi that is also left-handed. » he said with a smile « He's said to be merciless. And a redoutable swordsman. Being placed under his protection would be a great honor. But I guess you will do, Fujita-san.»
I didn't answer. This guy's mind was sharp. No wonder he was the kind of man to make enemies.
« I notice you are left handed too, Miura-dono. Not very common for a samurai. »
He chuckled and put his right hand on the table. It was missing three fingers. I understood now why Miura couldn't wield a sword.
« Unfortunately, i was born right-handed like most people but I guess the gods changed their minds along the way. Now I use my left with as much ease as the right. »
I doubted the gods had anything to do with this. These fingers were obviously cut by a blade. Nonetheless, i didn't ask any questions. He didn't seem to be the type of man to answer them anyway. My cup finished, I stood up and bowed again.
« If you need my services, Miura-dono, I'll be in the room next door. » I said « and if you need any errands of some kind, you can ask my wife. She is next door as well. »
« A Shinsengumi warrior with a wife, uh ? » he replied playfully.
« That is correct. Fujita Chizuru. »
« Alright then, I look forward to work with you, Fujita Hajime-san. »
I exited the room, wondering what kind of man was this Miura Kyutaro. Maybe he did command the assassination of Sakamoto after all... But that wasn't my business anyway. My only job was to guard him and i'll comply, because that is what is expected of me.