October 1865
« Saito, Hijikata-san wants to see you. I think it's pretty urgent. »
« Ha. I shall be on my way. » i replied to Shimada.
When i arrived to Hijikata-san's office, i was greeted by very frowned faces from both the vice-commander and Yamazaki.
« Good, Saito. Sit down. » said Hijikata-san in his commanding voice and i obeyed immediately. He waited for me to be in senzai before continuing. « We need to talk about Yukimura. »
About Chizuru ? That could only have one explanation and the presence of the ninja at this meeting was evidence enough. They knew. I was ready to accept any punishment they could give me. I tainted the honor of Chizuru and put the Shinsengumi in danger, taking the risk of creating new dissensions in a group already tensed. They could order me to commit Sepukku and i would gladly execute myself. I bowed my head, keeping my gaze on the ground in respect, waiting for my sentence.
« We saw what you did this summer, at the festival. » continued Hijikata-san.
« Fukuchô... » i started but the words kept in my mouth. Now wasn't the times for apologies.
« You made me realize something important. We have a weapon that we are not using properly. »
A weapon ? Ochimizu ? What does it have to do here ?
I was starting to feel confused about the whole conversation.
« Yukimura had proven that she could be useful at getting intels. Your idea of using her at an event as trivial as a festival was a genius move. We need to use her at our advantage. »
I couldn't believe my ears. They were thinking about turning Chizuru into a kind of ... spy ?
« Yamazaki here is holding concerns about her usefulness. But i think she could achieve simple spying missions. Women are more trusted than men anyway. What do you think, Saito ? »
« I don't think she'll be a good spy, Fukuchô. Getting Saitani's name was more of a fluke. She didn't try to get informations from him. »
« That's the point. She didn't try. She succeeded. I think we should give it a try. There's a bar in Gion, a Geiko teahouse, frequently visited by Choshu officials. I want to station her there undercover. You and Yamazaki will prepare her to the job. You are our most talented spies. »
I was gritting my teeth, knuckles white but i couldn't refuse a direct order from the vice commander. Things had gone too far. Now, something i thought impossible was happening : i was regretting i ever brought Chizuru to Gion's festival. She was in danger because of me.
« If you allow me to speak my mind, Fukuchô, we can't go into this kind of teahouse as Shinsengumi members. » i said « therefore there will be no way for us to insure her safety. »
« It's a teahouse. » cut Hijikata-san, his mind already made up « she'll be safe. Now if there is nothing else, dismiss. »
I stood up and bowed, exiting the office along with Yamazaki. Outside, we both sighed.
« I'll go find a way to get Yukimura in that teahouse. I have connections with an okiya, maybe we can pretend she's a maiko. »
« Ha. » i replied, mortified even if i wasn't showing it.
« as soon as i have a plan, we will tell Yukimura about it. »
I nodded and Yamazaki went away. I stayed a moment in the courtyard, looking at the first maple leaves of the season becoming red.
« Ora, that's a long face... » i heard behind me.
« Souji... » i replied without looking in his direction.
« What's the matter, Hajime-kun ? »
« Why do you ask ? » i replied in my toneless voice.
« I know you better than anyone. Don't play the emotionless puppet with me. Now, spit it out. » he said, crossing his arms.
He wasn't smiling, his face was only expressing concern and i felt i could use a listening ear.
« Hijikata-san wants us to use Yukimura as a spy in a tea house of Gion. As a maiko. »
« Ara ! Chizuru-chan's gonna be so pretty ! But jokes aside, i don't understand the problem here. »
You don't understand the problem of having someone as innocent and helpless as Chizuru entertaining men all day long ?
« The tea house is full of Chōshū officials. »
« Yeah, usually when you want to plant a spy, you do so where the enemies are... »
« We wont be able to protect her, Souji. »
« Think a second. You know Toshi and Kondou-san. They thought this through. If they are willing to send Yukimura, it's because she's not gonna be harmed. No chances. » he told me with a reassuring smile but i couldn't bring myself to return it. « See the bright side : a maiko isn't an oiran. »
True. Different from an oiran, a geiko and her apprentice, the maiko, dispensed no sexual services to customers. They sticked to arts and entertainment. The only way a customer could have sex with a geiko was to be recognized as her danna, her protector, and that was expensive. He had to give money every months to his geiko's okiya to keep her all for himself. And for maikos, they were supposed to be virgins anyway. Their virginity was taken when they turned from maiko to geiko and sold to the highest bidder. That was even more expensive than being a danna. Everybody likes to be the first... So normally, at least sexually, she was safe as a maiko.
I nodded to Souji. He was right, i needed to keep faith in Kondou-san and Hijikata-san. They both liked Yukimura very much. They probably thought this through. Maybe it wasn't as bad as i was imagining it and maybe it could serve the Shinsengumi well. Still it was sickening me to imagine all the gaze filled with lust that she will probably recieve in this teahouse. The first man who tried to get her innocence, official or not, would be a dead man. That's an oath i made to myself.