« Chizuru ! Chizuru, wake up ! »
I oppened my eyes abruptly, my body around Chizuru's, and grabbed my katana as a reflex as i tried to understand what was happening.
« Chizuru, are you there ?! »
Shit. That's Toudou's voice.
Chizuru had oppened her eyes too and turned to me, panicked. With a nod, i encouraged her to answer.
« Y... yes ? » she said, unassured.
« Come on, Chizuru-chan, get out ! » yelled Toudou from behind the shoji, impatient.
She questioned me with her eyes and i nodded again.
« I'm coming Heisuke ! » she said.
I put a finger on my mouth and got up. I picked up my sandals, wakizashi and clothes and put them behind the closed shoji. I then folded my futon and put it with the rest. During this time, Chizuru put her kimono and hakama on. When she was ready to slide the wood panel to get out, i standed back straight against the one that wouldn't move. Normally, Toudou shouldn't have any reason to get in and therefore, he shouldn't see me nor my belongings. And if he chose to get in... Well i still had my katana in hand so maybe i could knock him inconscient before he realized i'm there... Ready, i indicated Chizuru she could open the door.
« Come on, Chizuru-chan ! You have to see this ! » yelled Toudou and she oppened the shoji.
I saw from the corner of my eyes jer eyes widden with surprise and then get filled by excitement. Toudou's hand passed the shoji and i stiffened but he only grabbed Chizuru's hand to get her outside.
« See, it's so much more than yesterday ! » he yelled as Chizuru closed the shoji.
I sighed, releasing the breath i've been holding during all the moment and i kept alert to anything.
« Oh wow ! » i heard Chizuru said and i took a glimpse through the not so well closed shoji.
The snow was now a thick white mat on the courtyard, enough to dig your feet in it. It was beautiful and i saw Chizuru's mouth was agap in awe.
« It's so pretty... » she said.
« Right ! It's so cool ! I didn't think the snow could stay ! That's why i had to wake you up ! »
That was indeed amazing and Chizuru looked pretty excited but i was starting to wonder if they would move from Chizuru's doorsteps at some point so i could get out unseen. Silently, i closed the shoji better so they couldn't see my eyes and i went to sat on the futon, listening to the conversation and waiting for an opportunity to get out.
« How could so much snow fall in one night ? » she asked in awe but it was a rhetorical question.
« Good morning Chizuru ! » i heard another voice. « Sure it's a lot of it, right ? My hands are freezing though... »
That sounds like Harada...
« Well, you know : cold hands, warm heart. Although it's not like the ladies even know what this guy's hands are like ! »
And that's Nagakura. We have the trio at our doorstep and i'm stuck inside. Shit.
« That's because i'm a gentleman ! » yelled Toudou « besides you're both half naked ! Put something on ! »
« And forbid the world of seeing the beautiful piece of art that my body is ? I'd rather get ill. » replied Nagakura.
« Besides, Shinpachi is a force of nature. He never gets ill. » added Harada.
« I was also talking about you, Sano. Chizuru say something to those two idiots ! »
Will you move, please ? That i could get out of this room ?
I heard Chizuru chuckled to the exchange.
« Anyway, there's so much snow ! » she tried as a diversion.
« Right ! Let's play with it ! » yelled Toudou .
Yes, go play somewhere else !
« There's not enough to make a fort but we can make snow bunnies... » she said.
« No way, I'm making snow bunnies, Chizuru. We're men. » objected Nagakura « We can't play kids game. »
What does your gender has to do with this ? I made one just yesterday.
« I'd kill and I'd probably die laughing to see Shinpachi make a snow bunny » i heard Harada say. « But to be fair, i saw two of them near Saito's room. Who could guess he could be so childish ? I guess he had been a kid once. » He laughed.
I tightened my grip on my katana. They were mocking me in front of Chizuru. If it wasn't for her, i would gladly settle this with a duel.
« Two... » repeated Chizuru before adding « then, what should we do ? »
« It's obvious, Chizuru-chan ! » yelled Toudou.
« Wait... what are you doing ? A snowball fight ? »
« Exactly ! We already discussed the terms and the team, you're with me Chizuru ! »
« We're gonna eat you up ! » yelled Nagakura
« Sorry Chizuru, he's a pretty weak excuse for a partner but that's luck of the draw. » added Harada.
« Wait until i kick your asses ! And you wont even be able to get a single hit on her ! Just leave it to me Chizuru ! I'll protect you ! »
I then heard only the sound of their snowball landing, their laughs and sometimes a few complains.
« Are you hurt, Heisuke ?! » i heard Chizuru scream.
« Only my pride, i guess... » he answered.
Waiting for it to be over, i sat in senzai on the futon and tried to meditate, my katana lying before me. I closed my eyes when i sensed something. Rapidly, i opened my eyes, grabbed my katana and sliced in two the projectile aiming straight at my face. It was a snowball. I rolled to the side quickly and saw a big round hole in the shoji.
These idiots are ruining Chizuru's bedroom...
The hole was followed by another one, and another one, and another one at it became very hard for me to be unseen. I threw myself on the ground near the wood panel so that they couldn't see me through the holes. I was starting to be pretty annoyed and angry. That wasn't the kind of wake up that i wished for.
Outside, they were yelling even more, something about putting rocks in it and aiming only at Toudou. To be fair, i wasn't paying much attention, only waiting for them to go away.
« You aim so bad ! That's totally off the mark ! » yelled Toudou.
« Oh no ! Heisuke move !!!! » screamed Chizuru and i heard a big noise, like something very heavy felled on the ground.
« Alright. I think we won this time ! » i heard Harada say. « What do you think we all go for breakfast ? »
Yes, please do.
« What is all this ?! »
Shit... Hijikata-san...
« Do you realize how many sliding doors you had damaged ?! »
The boys took the blame and it was decided that they would have to repair every shoji they damaged including Chizuru's. I was pleased though that they decided to get breakfast before repairing it otherwise i didn't know what I would have done. When it was silent outside, i exited the room with caution and came to ask Souji to get out of bed before we joined them for the breakfast.