September 1866
« Sano ! You're the best ! » yelled Toudou and the other captains congratulated Harada as well.
We had been affected to the protection of the notice board since nearly a month and Harada had successfully arrested the culprits. This arrestation came with a very high bounty and Harada had more than tripled his pay from this catch.
« Alright, alright ! Everybody calm down ! » said Hijikata-san but even him traded his usual frown faced for a smile.
« Tonight, it's on me ! » said Harada « We're going out to Shimabara at the Hanamado pleasure house ! »
I frowned. Why not the Sumiya where they all go all the time ?
Nagakura turned to me and explained with a wink.
« Thanks for paying for us last time ! To make it up to you, we decided to go somewhere you really affectionate. Souji told us you used to go there even if it's fucking expensive but that's not a problem for Sano now ! »
I nodded. I was touch by their attention. I was glad to go partying with them and it was true that i affectionated the Hanamado. It could give me an occasion to see Yuki again and see how she's doing.
« Alright. » i said.
« Yeah ! Saito's thrilled by the idea and so am i ! » yelled Toudou again, with a smile as big as the world « it'll be my first time in a house that expensive ! »
« And even more great, we would not have to bear Ito and Miki's presence ! » added Nagakura with a cruel lack of tact.
He laughed and we all stood up to get going. It was only a little comitee party. Harada was inviting, Hijikata-san was coming, Souji too, Nagakura and Toudou. The Sheikan hall team, without Kondou-san who was away to the Choshu expedition as an envoy.
Arrived in the courtyard, Toudou stopped.
« Wait a minute ! I'll get Chizuru-chan ! » he said before running towards her room.
My blood froze.
Chizuru. In Shimabara. In Yuki's house. Shit.
« Harada. » i asked « are you sure it's relevant to bring Chi... Yukimura? »
« She never gets out of the compound and i think she'll enjoy it ! Refined food, refined drinks... » he explained with a smile.
« I don't think women are allowed in oiran's pleasure houses. » i objected.
And specifically those containing a certain Shimabara fox that doesn't know how to hold her tongue.
« She's pretending to be a man since two years now, she'll be fine. »
« Alright » i said, knowing that i couldn't make him change his mind.
Anyway, i have nothing to worry about. Since i'm with Chizuru, i hadn't slept with Yuki once and i stayed faithful to her. So it shouldn't be so much of a big deal... Was it ?
Chizuru arrived shortly and we all headed to Shimabara. When i entered the pleasure house, the owner recognized me immediately.
« Oh, hello, dear customer ! Should i get you and your friend a private salon and fetch... »
« Kiku. » i stopped her, remembering the name of the oiran whose kimono i borrowed « a private salon and Kiku, please. »
She was puzzled for a second but smiled and bowed.
« Kimigiku will join you in a moment. This way, please. »
Fortunately, Chizuru didn't hear that i knew the name of one of the courtesan and i had been able to avoid an encounter between her and Yuki. I was starting to relax a bit.
In the salon, Chizuru was looking everywhere with a mouth agap. It was her first time in something like a pleasure house.
« Is it always so pretty ? » she asked.
« Not all of them are so luxurious, but yeah, it's always very beautiful. » answered Harada with a smile.
Her jaw dropped even more when Kimigiku entered the room. In Gion, she was already impressed by the beauty of Geikos but Oiran's beauty were incomparable. Her kimono was revealing her collarbone and her neck, even a bit of her shoulders and cleavage that we could devine generous. Her face was white with red lipstick and red eye shadow, highlighting her very dark eyes. Kimigiku started entertaining us but very soon, she was only talking to Hijikata-san about how handsome he was. Well, i guess she wasn't wrong. Hijikata-san was always compared to actors and he was receiving a lot of love letters from all Kyoto.
We ordered some food and sake although Chizuru and Hijikata-san weren't drinking. They ordered some tea and enjoyed the food a lot. Probably better than Toudou who was drunk very, very fast.
« Heisuke ! Don't drink that much, eat something or you're gonna be ill ! » scolded Harada.
« But Sano ! It's my first time having sake sooo expensive ! I want to fit how much as i can in my belly ! »
That was stupid but they kept arguing about it for long. Chizuru was gently chuckling and i was glad to see her this happy. She was tasting all the food. A lot of the dishes were a first for her and she was very excited about it.
« Thank you, Sano ! » yelled drunk-Toudou « trying to hug Harada. « And thank you, notice board ! »
« By the way, Chizuru... » asked Harada « did you go out that night ? »
Everyone turned at Chizuru who became all flustered.
« No, of course not ! Why? » she asked.
« There was a girl that night... She was looking exactly like you... and she was with the culprit but i couldn't catch her. She gave us a hard time. »
That couldn't be Chizuru. Although she made a lot of progress in swordsmanship, it wasn't enough to give a hard time to Harada. But these news were rather troubling.
« Isn't there an oiran here that looks like Chizuru-chan, Hajime-kun ? » asked Souji.
I felt my blood freeze and all the eyes came to me, asking silently if it was true. I wondered why Souji was bringing up the subject. Was it some kind of joke or was it an innocent remark ?
« There is one that has a vague resemblance. » i answered prudently in my toneless voice « but not enough to be mistaken for Yukimura. »
« I'll go call her. » he said, getting up « see if it rings any bells. »
He exited the room and i wanted to disappear. My eyes met Chizuru's and she smiled to me with this innocent look she always had. Souji came back shortly with Yuki. I tried my best to avoid her gaze and she seemed to understand because she didn't salute me personally.
« What do you want me to do, Okita-han ? » she asked with a submissive smile that was so far away from her usual grins.
« Just stand here, please. Chizuru-chan, come near her please » he ordered and Chizuru obeyed immediately.
Aside from the eyes, they had nothing in common. Yuki was a bit taller and her face was in shape of a heart while Chizuru's was rounder. The noze was different too, Chizuru's was smaller than Yuki's. And of course, the age gap of 6 years wasn't helping. I noticed the wooden harpin in her hair. I couldn't help but wonder if she was putting it on specifically for our encounters or if she was wearing it on a daily basis.
« No, sorry. » said Harada, shaking his head « it's not her. »
« Anyone could see she has nothing in common with Yukimura... » added Hijikata-san.
I saw Yuki shiver at the sound of Chizuru's name ans she reported her eyes on her. I saw emotions swirling in her chestnut gaze. Surpise. Disbelief. Interest. Sadness. Happiness. Competition. Jealousy. Relief. Betrayal. So many emotions that it was hard to determine what she was really thinking. She turned to me and i nodded slightly, acknowledging that she understood correctly. She regained her composure and smiled with restraint while bowing to us.
« If you don't need anything else... »
Before going, she whispered something into Chizuru's ear though. When she came back to the table, i asked her.
« What did the oiran tell you ? »
« I don't know... I'm not sure if i understood... »
« Try. »
« She said good luck, to tame the wolf. » she answered, flustered.
Mibu wolf. Shimbara fox. Always getting back to this.
i nodded with a smile that let Chizuru even more confused. I'll explain to her later, she deserved not to be kept in the blur, hiding it would be unfaithful. She seemed to think for a second then her eyes lit.
« Okita ! Do you remember Kaoru ?! »
« Who's that ? » answered Souji, arms crossed.
« the girl we met on patrol. The one that you said looked like me. »
I remembered too the conversation with Souji that i had when he was flustered by this encounter.
« Oh yeah, that one. » said Souji « maybe it could be her, she looked exactly like Chizuru-chan. »
« Not so much... » added Toudou and Nagakura tapped on his back.
« What can you know ?! » he laughed « you have no eye for women »
The other joined him laughing and Toudou's face blushed with anger.
« Yukimura, are you sure you do not have family in Kyoto ? » i asked her.
« Yeah, i'm sure... » she answered, thinking intensely.
This kind of coincidence shouldn't be ignore though. Especially if the girl was giving a hard time to Harada and therefore, the Shinsengumi as a whole. I'd probably have to make an investigation.
« If you see her again, Harada, Souji, Yukimura, bring her back to the headquarters. » said Hijikata-san.
« Why is no one asking me ?! » yelled drunk-Toudou, who seemed on the verge of flipping the table over before Nagakura found a diversion.
« Hey, Sano ! It's time for the main event ! » he yelled and Toudou clapped his hands, his anger already gone.
« Sano ! Sano ! Sano ! »
I sighed and Chizuru looked with perplexity at Harada before he stood up.
« Alright ! » he said, taking off the bandages hiding his belly « this stomach isn't an ordinary stomach because this stomach knows the kiss of a blade ! » he yelled proudly, blushing with drunkenness.
I saw Chizuru widden as she witnessed the giant scar on Harada's abs. I leaned over to explain.
« When he was young, Harada was challenged to seppuku. This idiot did it. »
« You mean... He did this himself ? » she asked in disbelief.
« Sure did. » i said with a small smile and she smiled at me too as if she could explode in laughter.
Nagakura asked for a brush and some ink and drew a face on Harada's chest, the scar at the center of the mouth. It was pretty ridiculous. Now, everytime Harada was speaking, the scar seemed to be talking as well. Toudou couldn't stop his hilarity nor could Nagakura and Chizuru chuckled with her hand on her mouth to hide it but her eyes were sparkling with amusement. In the end, bringing her here might have been Harada's brightest idea. Just like us, Chizuru something needed to let out some steam. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time and that was thanks to Harada.
The night went on with sake, laughter and delicious food before we headed back to the compound. The days after that, Chizuru didn't bring back the subject of Yuki's words and i didn't do it either. If she wasn't suspicious of anything, i didn't need to explain anything that could make her sad without reason.