Play 3: Persuasion

Someone was shaking me gently. Rolling to my another side Uncomfortably, I moaned in irritation? "Leave me alone, Yamada-san... I mumbled. Just ten more minutes..."The gently yet annoying didn't stop though. After a moment, I groaned loudly in resignation.

" Fine, fine I'm getting up... "I tried to get up using my hands to prop myself, but soon I realized that they were tied up tightly. I was fully awake by now, noticing that my ankles were bounded too. I struggled within rope' strong grip, stopping when a kind voice spoke to me. " You finally awake. "I glanced up to see a kind looking man, his expression apologetic. " I'm inoue Genzaburo. I'm sorry that we to treat you this way... "He paused to smile as I became aware that I was in a weird position. squirming, I manage to sit upright. please hold on as I loosen those ropes... his mouth twitched in amusement as he removed the ropes at my legs. I blushed in response when I recalled my mumbling in a half sleep state. when he was done, I winggled my toes and exercised my stiff ankles. Thank you... but how about my wrists?" I asked when he stood up. with a surprising amount of strength, he pulled me up to my feet.

"Sorry I can't loosen that yet, " inoue gestured to the door. "Now, if you please follow me... "Everything that happened the day before returned to me, and I pulled a face. "They going to kill me, aren't they?

Inoue shook his head, looking unsure. " Though they've been discussing about it since morning... Now, they want to hear your side of the story.

Nodding, I followed him quietly, studying the surroundings around me. I was dazed, staring in surprise at how tranquil the entire place looked. "This... atmosphere doesn't seem to suit those violent people." I realised too late that I had said this loud. Inoue chuckled as if in amusement. "I know they seem scary, but they're all really very nice, "

"Doubt so, "I thought back at the cold green eyes that seemed to peirce through my soul and grimaced.

Before I could say any further, inoue led me into room, and I found my hair standing in a familiar way. For someone who had been performistag on the stage for more than ten years, I could tell whether or not the audience had their attention on me. I saw myself in the same situation now--except that most of their stares were cold, not admiring.

Swallowing nervously, I put on my best pokerface 'mask' and sat down without a word.

" Good morning! I hope you slept well? I turned and almost covered in fear. Nothing about the man was familiar--except his green eyes. Gulping, I murmured, "I guess so."Really."his handsome face twisted sideways into a grin. "Because I went to have a look at you earlier, you didn't budge no matter where I spoke.""I see--what!? I almost let out a squeak, but I quickly regained my composure. What... where did you... "I wished I had some way to hide my blush, but my hands were tied.

A man let a familiar sigh beside him, and I deduced that he was the one with this pervert yesterday night. he's only teasing you. Souji didn't go everywhere near your room."

So that man's is souji. My eyes narrowed at him who was smiling playfully as if toying with the most interesting object on earth.

"Aaah, I just want to see your reaction. Not very nice of you, Hajime-kun...

I gritted my teeth. God, why am I caught up this crap again? Oh, yeah, some jealous freak made me fall down the stairs. " You mean that it not very nice of him to spoil your fun, I hissed before ignoring him.

A man who had his black silk hair in a long ponytail reproved. "Shut it, he have things to settle."

"Ehh... so this is your witness huh? seems like a kid to me. "A boy with a brown hair ponytail who looked about my age gazed at me from head to toe.

" If I'm a kid, your a kid too, "I shot back harshly, glaring. The boy eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't blame him. I was clearly at a advantage here, and yet still had a guts to retort.

" I apologise for all this frightening behavior. please, don't give them unsettling of unsettling you. "A man in round glasses smile kindly, and I relaxed a little.

The one with the black ponytail smirked, "are you serious? you are the scariest out of us, sanan." I tensed up upon hearing that. Everyone in the room nodding in serious agreement, and I studied the man called sanan. He didn't seem that the kind of man they were talking, but one can never judge a book by its cover.

"Oh? how crude... I can still understand their feelings, but even our demon of a commander think so... in conclusion, all of them in room are demons. I cleared my throat impatiently. " maybe you should be focus at how to...handle my situation.but first can I at least know who are you people are? "

The men stare at me, astonished, before one of them recovered.

"My apologies... I am Kondou Isami, chief of the shinsengumi. " He smiled warmly, and I found myself relaxed again.

"Shinsengumi... "I winced few years ago, I performed to play about shinsengumi, and even then I knew they were... scary, to put it shortly. kondou glanced over black ponytail guy and glasses guy. That one's Hijikata Toshizo, the vice commander, and Sanan keisuke, our colonel. "

Kondou-san, why are you introducing us?" Hijikata looked confused.

"Well, I want to know the people who want to kill me before I die, " I mumbled under my breath, but it seemed that everyone heard it.

"Okita Souji, captain of 1st division. "the one with green eyes chuckled at my feisty attitude. " Saito Hajime, captain of 3rd division. "he looked over to the one with familiar sigh. " I'm Todou Heisuke, captain 8th division, the guy with brown ponytail said "My name is Harada Sanosuke, captain of 10th division."the one with red hair spoke."Nagakura Shinpachi, captain of 2nd division. "the man with a green headband murmured reluctantly.

"Thank you." I bowed, and looked at hijikata and kondou expectactly.

"well then let's get back to the business at hand. "kondou was the one who spoke first. can you tell us what you've seen last night? he gave saito a look, and he nodded in undergrounding.

Last night, we were in patrol when we encountered some wandering ronin. They draw steel, so we fought. some of our men subdued the ronin, but in doing so, it exposed their failure. " Saito looked at me, expressionless. I guessed that it was my turn, so I readied myself to say my side of story.

"Failure?" was the first thing I blurted out and judging by the looks of the men's faces, I stepped on the forbidden territory, Quickly changing the subject, I said "I didn't see anything. "

Out of the corner of my eye, Hijikata softened a little, but Saito had no reaction while souji smile didn't dispeared.

heisuke frowned, doubting my words. "You sure you didn't see anything?"

I put on my confident mask'. "Yup, very sure."

"Hmm, if so, I don't see what's the problem here. " I almost let out of sigh when nagakura cleared his throat.

"hold on a moment. I thought souji said you helped out some of our men or something... he mumbled.

I snorted softy. " Right. by fainting. I'm sure I slept through whole thing. I didn't see a thing. "I shot a look at souji who was smiling. can I go home now?"

I'm sure this kid knows more than we think," Souji said, "She didn't faint until she looked me,"Blushing. I hissed angrily, " what do you mean, looked at you? I was staring at the blood--" My bounded hands covered my mouth without thinking.

"Then... that means that you saw them right?"

"S-saw what? I didn't see anything... I avoid eye contact, but it's to late. I should have known that my big mouth would betray me. "in other words, you saw everything. you saw them slicing ronin up."Harada looked as if he wanted to burst out laughing.

"I-I didn't see anything like that... I repeat this time with a weaker voice. I was convinced that if I said I did would be killed right there and then.

"Why don't we just kill him? " souji said as if proposing to hang out after this.

I glared at his heck-care attitude. I wouldn't say anything to others, I swear! just release me... I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

"Even if you don't intend to tell anyone about this, you could be captured;interrogated. I doubt you could withstand torture, sanan pointed out a little coldly, and I gulped.

" I don't think anyone would want to mess with me though..."I recalled how I acted in the streets, especially at night. no sane human would attack or capture someone who seems to need a one-way ticket to the mental hospital.

"it's easy enough to stay quiet, but if someone should try to... " Saito paused for a nicer word. Concern you, you've no reason to keep your secrets.

souji decided to join to in the 'fun' to scare me too.

"we don't have any kind of guarantee that you'll keep your word, so it wouldn't be smart to just let you go.

"True but..." I trailed off, resigned.

when souji spoke again, his word sent shivers down my spine."Let's just kill the kid. the it's only sure way to keep him quiet. "his cold eyes shifted to me, causing me to freeze in panic.

Maybe it was my destiny to die here, in this foreign world