The party was already kind of started when they arrived back to the inn. Tama and Momoiro, to whom Hajime asked to work today, had their hands full of plates and trays. Heisuke was also helping, and Shin seemed to be ready to jump at Shiranui Kyô's throat. A lively mess. Hajime had invited five Aizu retainers family and the inn had never been filled with so many people wearing swords before. Even him was wearing his today for the first time in years, instead of having them decoring the common room.
Haruhi went back to her room very quickly for a makeup retouch since she cried a little, and get rid of the Tsunokakushi on her head. Ayame and Chizuru followed.
« Okaasan » asked the boy « can I wear my sword like Otousan too ? »
« Aya-chan has a sword ? » asked Haruhi, astonished. The boy was six, it was a bit early to put sharp instruments in his hands even if he could heal in seconds.
« His shinai. » chuckled Chizuru, applying the eyeshadow on Haruhi's face.
Ah, a bamboo sword. That was making more sense.
« Okaasan... » complained Ayame « everyone has one except me... »
« Souji's not wearing his. » smiled Haruhi.
« You can, Aya-chan. » nodded Chizuru « but only if it stays on your hip. If I see you use it, I'll take it from you. »
« Haru-neesan, you take yours too ? » he asked, putting his small shinai in his obi with proudness.
« No. » she stated « I'm a girl. Girls can't be samurai. »
« And she's the bride. » added Chizuru « it wouldn't be a good omen. Souji's not wearing his for the same reason. It could cut the link between them. Okay, Haruhi, you're ready. »
They went back downstairs and Haruhi already wanted to flee. There were too many people, too many unknown faces. She knew that her father didn't really have much choice but it still was annoying her a little. She would rather just have shared a meal with her family and close friends instead of this big party where all eyes were on her at all time. She managed to find her husband, it was so weird to refer to Souji as her husband, and came by his side while he was in great discussion with an Aizu retainer that she didn't know.
« And she was running everywhere, with her short hair and her Shinsengumi uniform. No one believed she was a girl. She was wearing a wakizashi and a katana of excellent facture like a true warrior when she wasn't taller than this. And believe me or not but she was able to win against some of our trained warriors. Her prowess was impressive. »
« She always have been gifted. » answered Souji « and dedicated. »
« Dedicated is the word. » chuckled the Aizu retainer « swinging her sword from dawn to dusk. A peculiar kid, that one. I respect bushi who educate their girls on the path of the warrior. They need skills to protect their husband's home and children while they're away. Girls nowadays are no more than servants and entertainers in the west of our country and it's spreading. It truly is a pity. Men nowadays marry girls for their pretty faces and their talents for entertainment. These kind of vulgar women aren't fit to educate samurais's children. They don't know anything about the bushido and so, now we have warriors more eager to unsheathe their cocks than their swords... »
Souji was nodding absently to be polite but the man wouldn't stop speaking about their decaying country and the end of the bushido. She could see that he would love to get out of that conversation but she had no idea how to rescue him.
« Fujita-san raised his daughter in Aizu tradition. Maybe a bit too much » he laughed « I never would have brought my daughter to war and push her that far in the training. I would have been ashamed that my daughter could be mistaken for a son. »
« I have full confidence in her to protect our home. » smiled Souji « her skills are valuable. »
« You're right. » he nodded « and she seems to have grown into a docile and respectable woman. Really all the fitted qualities of a samurai's wife. You made a profitable marriage arrangement. »
Haruhi smiled politely and bowed. No one was expecting her to speak anyway. She was supposed to be silent and obedient so that her behaviour could reflect positively on Souji and her father. She'd complain later. Unable to keep listening to praises about how servile she was, she excused herself and joined the Shiranui family that she hadn't saluted yet.
« Hey kid. » said Kyô while his wife bowed « been a while. Heard you broke my son's heart for the third time. Aren't ya tired of that ? »
« Dad... » complained Daisuke with a facepalm « please don't pay attention, Haruhi-senpai... »
« I'm happy to see you all well. » smiled Haruhi « Akira, Kyô, Junko, it has been too long. Daisuke, I am very glad to have you here today. »
« My wife is sorry she couldn't come. » bowed Akira « she is expecting our second child and couldn't travel. »
« May it be healthy. » she smiled.
« Just like Fujita-san's » he nodded « my mother noticed right away when we arrived. »
« Ah... Yes... » replied Haruhi, flustered « they're not sure about keeping it this time. »
« Should send it to Kazama then. » shrugged Kyô « it would calm the queen and build new links between Yukimura and Kazama. »
Send the kid as hostage ? Probably her father would prefer to kill it with his own hands than hand it to Kazama-himesama, even if she had to admit it could be a good political move.
« Maybe you should talk to Fujita-san about it, dad. » said Akira with an understanding nod « even if the child would be a half, if it's a girl, it could be very valuable to the Kazama clan. The queen would be pleased and see it as a gift of good faith. »
« Maybe... » said Haruhi, cautious.
« Congratulations, Haru-chan. »
Heisuke was there with a wide smile and Haruhi smiled in return.
« You look even better than at Souji's wedding ! » he said with enthusiasm « I mean, the first one, at the Shieikan... »
« I understood. » she chuckled.
Shin arrived too, already quite drunk, and he lifted her off the ground, congratulating her and she had to stop him before he ruined her face with his tears of drunken joy. She quickly disappeared and was followed by Akira and Daisuke with whom she shared a bottle of sake, hiding a little from the Aizu retainers. She was allowed to drink sake if her husband or her father was pouring her cup or ordering someone to do it but she wasn't supposed to drink by herself, even if it was to share a cup with close friends.
« Have you seen the potter ? » she asked Souji when he joined her.
« Nope. » he frowned « I'm gonna look upstairs if you want. »
« Don't bother, I'm going. » she said.
From afar, she could see that the attention was monopolized by Shin and Kyô fighting again, probably about a past conflit. Her father was trying to calm the two men yelling at each other and probably Souji should step in too before it escalated.
She got up the stairs, sighing and eager to see everyone go away. Well not everyone, just the samurai, so she could be herself around the guests that mattered.
« Ojiisan ? » she asked.
« Fujita, I'm here. » she heard in a room and she slid the shoji.
The old man was sitting at the window with a bottle of sake and he smiled, serving her a cup as she came to sit next to him.
« You look like a pretty doll. » he said.
« Yeah. » she chuckled « not a fan of makeup though. »
« You're right. » he stated, drinking from his cup « a pottery too decorated often hides the work of a poor artist. »
« Thank you. » she smiled, liking the potter's candor.
« I'm not talking about you. » he chuckled « I know you didn't have any saying in this. »
« Why aren't you downstairs, Ojiisan ? » she asked.
« I don't like these kind of celebrations. » he stated « I didn't even want to come. »
« I'm glad you did. » she smiled.
« Yeah. Me too. » he smiled faintly « it is good to see you well, Fujita. Your family is honorable. I will never understand why you would choose a man like Okita-san. »
« He's a good man. » she stated, drinking her sake « you just need to scrap the surface. Sometimes a hideous veneer on a pottery can hide a masterpiece. »
Kurozawa-sensei chuckled and refilled her cup. It was nice to take a break from downstairs but she knew she couldn't stay long. Her absence would be noticed.
« Okita-san killed the Kondou woman. » said Kurozawa-sensei.
« Tsune-san ? » she asked, astonished.
As much as she despised the woman and wanted to take revenge, she had trouble imagining Souji would find in himself the nerves to kill Kondou-san's wife. The potter nodded to confirm.
« I think it's the first thing he did. » he said « he also used his position as a policeman officer to get to their reports and make the name Tsunashi disappear of them. When he came for me, I thought he was going to kill me too. Instead, he brought me here. »
« Shinpachi is gonna take you back to Hino after the wedding. » she said.
« I know. » he sighed « be careful with Okita-san, Fujita. He's insane. »
« I know. » she replied « he has a fleeting morality that can sometimes be in conflict with the common sense. »
« Insane. » he confirmed.
Haruhi swallowed the content of her cup, enjoying the relative silence.
« I'd better go. » she said « are you sure you're not coming ? »
« I have everything I need here. » he nodded « Why would I want to mingle with all these people ? »
« Okay... » she sighed « enjoy your afternoon. »
« You too, Fujita. » he smiled « Congratulations. »
« I'll come back. » she assured him « or I'll see you tomorrow. »
She got out and leaned on the wall. The idea of going back downstairs was nearly making her suffocate. She took a second and closed her eyes. How she wished this party could be over...
« Haruhi. »
She opened her eyes to find Souji looking at her with concern.
« Are you okay ? » he asked « the potter wasn't nice to you ? »
« No it's fine. » she smiled « I'm happy I could see him. Thank you. »
« Did he tell you about our trip and my time in Hino ? » he smiled genuinely.
You killed Tsune... Are you planning on hiding it to Tama ? And me ?
« Not really. » she lied.
« Okay. » he nodded, pleased « The Aizu retainers are going. Hajime is thanking them for coming and you should go with him. The real party can start now, my obedient, docile wife. »
« Good... » she sighed with contentment « I was so tired of this bullshit... »
« There is some truth in it. » he stated « Values of the bushido are important. »
« Yeah I know. » she said « I don't question them. It's just that I hate that all what is expected of me is to be a quiet, obedient doll. »
« I don't expect that. » he smiled, taking her hand in hers.
« That's why I'm marrying you. » she closed her fingers on his.
« I think after they're gone, you can wash your face. » he said « check with Hajime. »
« You don't like it ? » she asked, unassured.
« I don't care. » he shrugged « but you don't like it and I want you to be happy today. I know it's not how you pictured it, and me neither, but we can have a good time now, okay ? »
« Okay. » she smiled genuinely.
« Come on » he pulled on her hand « let's go thank them with Hajime. »
She nodded and followed him downstairs. Before they arrived in the common room, he released her hand. They saluted the Aizu retainers with Hajime and thanked them for their presence. When they were gone, she asked her father for permission to wash her face from the makeup and he agreed. She took all her makeup off and felt like she was able to breath again. After that, she really enjoyed herself with Daisuke, Akira and Souji. Shin and Kyô, a few hours ago at each other's throats were now the best of friends, exchanging praises about Harada. Kyô seemed very pleased to learn that Shin's boy was named Sanosuke after him.
« It really is a nice wedding, Haruhi-senpai. » praised Daisuke. « I'm happy to be here. »
« I'm glad you came. » she nodded « with all your family. It wouldn't be the same without you. »
« Daisuke told me Okita-san is divorced already » laughed Akira « if he divorces again, please consider my brother this time. »
« Can you all please stop ? » complained Daisuke.
« You're embarrassing him. » scolded Haruhi.
« What ? » chuckled Akira « worst that could happen would be for you to be rejected what ? A forth time ? »
Daisuke didn't even bother to answer, blushing under his dark skintone.
« I thinks Souji would rather die than letting her go. » chuckled Tama, joining them « or rather kill anyone who'd try to steal her away. »
« You may be right. » chuckled Daisuke.
« Are you saying she's not worth the fight ? » asked his brother snidely.
« She would be if she was unhappy. » smiled Daisuke « but she's so radiant there is no point in fighting. »
« Who's fighting ? » asked Souji, passing an arm around Haruhi's waist.
« No one. » she answered.
« So sad. » he said, « weddings're no fun without a good fight. »
He kissed Haruhi's cheek and detached himself from her to join Hajime and Chizuru and Haruhi watched him go with a smile.
« See ? » commented Daisuke « radiant. »
« Looser. » commented his brother.
Tama chuckled and Haruhi furrowed her brows at Akira, marking her disapproval.
« You didn't get your trousseau. » said Tama.
« It was my father's help for the house I think. » replied Haruhi « I'm not sure. »
« Oh, okay. » she nodded « it's finished ? »
« It is. » she confirmed.
« It's gonna be like at the Shieikan. » smiled Tama « the both of you. I am happy. »
« You're happy here ? » asked Haruhi.
« Yes. » smiled Tama « I like the children and your family and my work here. I feel like I found something I wanna do. »
« Working at the inn ? »
« I'm gonna save money and maybe open a candy shop in town to sell my manju and mochi, candies... »
« Please don't do that. » said Haruhi very seriously.
« Why ? » asked Tama, eyes wides.
« I'll never see Souji again if you open such a shop. » she stated gravely.
Tama laughed and Haruhi joined her into laughter. The both of them had difficulties to calm their hilarity. The party went on until the evening when it was time for Souji and her to go. She hugged everyone and finished with her father who smiled faintly.
« Go forth and live in happiness for the rest of your days. » he told her « our home will always be yours and you are welcome anytime. »
« Thank you, Otousan. »
« Thanks, Hajime-kun. » smiled Souji « see ya tomorrow. »
« Hey Souji ! » called Shin « If we can't hear her from here, you're not doing it right. »
« Don't worry. » winked Souji and Hajime seemed mortified.
Haruhi didn't say anything, too flustered to protest or joke, and she just followed Souji outside so they could spend their first night in their new home.
« Oh, it's snowing. » he commented, extending his hand.
She lifted her gaze and Souji took off his white haori to put it on her shoulders. Haruhi gazed at the dancing snowflakes and smiled.
Thank you for coming, Okaasan...
At the window, Hajime had the same smile.