Play 24: The Problem of Aching

My mind would probably overload soon, seeing that I was always thinking of something that caused my head to crack.

Sure, the Shinsengumi affairs were not my problems, but I found myself broading over the most recent Choshu attack on the imperial estate. Sure, they failed, but from what I had overheard from the captains, the superiors were a bunch of jerks. Even when the Shinsengumi were there to take commands, the higher-ups were acting ignorant as if the attempted riot was nothing compared to a group of toddlers quarreling.

I had also heard that the man who defeated Souji appeared in front of Hijikata, and that his name was Kazama Chikage. The one who made a scar on Heisuke's head was Amagiri Kyuju, and Shiranui Kyo who didn't fight with any of the captains.

However, it bothered me the most that the entire Kyoto was almost burnt to the ground.

It scared me knowing that being with the Shinsengumi in Kyoto might cause me to lose my life. Part of me wanted very much to bolt out of there soon, but I held back myself for some reason. It was also because of these feelings surging in my chest made me so frustrated.

With a blink of an eye, it was already February 1865.

I didn't sleep very well for a month or so, and my eye bags were hideous. Every dinner I could feel some of the men's concerned eyes directed at me, but I ignored them. I found that I didn't speak so much as before, and I knew my body was weakening as days passed.

I knew the reason why I hadn't collapse just yet—Yuri's claw was helping me. The lack of sleep could cause a lot of illnesses and problems to the health, but her claw was preventing illnesses and diseases from infecting me in some way. I was glad, and thought that I should thank her the next time I saw her.

"Tea's ready." I poured everyone a single cup of hot green tea slowly, trying not to spill any due to my fatigue. Despite Kondou telling me that I should rest, I made sure to serve tea every morning, as weird as it sounded.

"Oh, thank you, Yukimura-kun." Inoue's worried eyes met mine, and I tried to smile reassuringly. "You look pale. Please don't exert yourself."

I gave him a nod as thanks and stood up, careful not to stumble. I was about to leave the room when Hijikata spoke up.

"The Yagi have been good to us so far, but this place is getting crowded."

Nagakura took a sip from his cup and sighed. "True, it is getting a little small, especially with all the new guys coming in..." I then recalled that Heisuke was in Edo, looking out for men who were interested in joining the Shinsengumi's ranks. "If we could move to a bigger place, that'd be great. The guys are starting to get a little grumpy about being packed together in those rooms every night."

My exhaustion was blocking out most emotions from me, but I knew that I would feel guilty if I wasn't tired. I sighed and settled down with the tray to listen to what they said.

"Easy for us to say, but it's gonna be hard to find someone else who's willing to let us stay at their place. You have something in mind?" Souji frowned slightly. I tilted my head without thinking as I felt my head cleared a little and my heart skipped a beat. I really needed some sleep—my heart was doing weird somersaults now.

Hijikata's smile was almost mocking, almost painful. "The Nishi Hongwanji temple."

Souji burst out laughing, causing my heart to pound even louder than before. "They aren't gonna like that very much!"

I almost closed my eyes listening to that lighthearted laugh when my hands smacked my cheeks. The sound echoed in the room, and everyone looked at me.

"N-Nothing. Just bringing some colour to my pale cheeks..." I laughed hoarsely as I pinched my cheek, wincing slightly. What was wrong with me? Maybe Yuri's claw wasn't working as well as I would think.

Souji continued as if nothing happened. "You're thinking we'll just force our way in? Guess I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Hijikata-san." I zoned out from then on, only snapping back to reality when an annoying voice spoke.

"Impressive as always, Chief Kondou. Only a man with a truly open mind can be so considerate of both his enemies and his allies." The person was Itou Kashitaro, who had just joined the Shinsengumi recently as the new deputy commander. As soon as I laid my eyes on that sissy, I knew something was up. The captains were wary of him too, so it wasn't just me.

I was partially pissed off with Itou-sissy because the way he talked to Sanan was...conceited. It was as if he was rubbing the fact that the man could no longer fight with his sword into everyone's face. Everytime I thought of him, I resisted the urge to rub onions into his face.

"Itou-sis—no, Itou-san, you should learn more from our dear Kondou-dono then." I finally couldn't take it and stood up abruptly. Surprisingly, I didn't lose my footing, and continued. "Maybe you could learn how he does his hairstyle every morning and lose that slimy-looking snakes on your head." I bowed and turned around to take my leave. As I slid the door shut, I could hear Itou complaining to Kondou about my attitude.

After putting down the tea tray in the kitchen, I went back to my room. When I opened the door, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" I hissed softly as I quickly closed the door behind me. "You know you could get caught!"

"Jun-chan, why couldn't you use a friendlier way to greet us?" Yuri pouted.

"Well, why can't you use a more secretive way to contact me?" I hastily sealed the windows and turned to face them, hands on my hips.

"We have good news." Eri was staring at my futon as if he wanted to lay in it. "We found the location of the next portal." He paused as if for effect. "We don't know when it'll open."

My heart sank. I knew going back wasn't going to be easy, but still...

"By the way, Jun-chan. That man you insulted just now..." Yuri cocked her head at me. "Be careful around him! Don't tease him too much, or he'll punish you!"

I sighed. "Punish...you mean kill?"

Yuri grinned, her smile twitching in a cat-like manner. "Of course! He'll kill you, and I'll eat your remains!"

That sent chills down my spine. I had never imagine being threatened by a kid, but this seemed way too much for me to take it.

"Yuri." Eri was still looking at my futon. "Don't worry. If you're going to get killed, we will save you."

I brightened up. "Really? If I get attacked by those Choshu creeps?"

Eri nodded, and Yuri pouted again. "You're no fun, Eri. I just want to play around a little."

"It's overboard," he mumbled emotionlessly.

I sighed as the siblings bickered, mostly one-sided. I wondered how long I could hide the fact that I was from another world away from the Shinsengumi. Trying to picture their reactions, I sighed tiredly again. If they chose to kill me then for being an imposter...A sudden ache in my chest made me flinch. I would rather someone else gut me. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt that much.

Please allow me to commit seppuku. I am so so so sorry about this. Exams are here, and not to mention after one week of break I have to start on my intern-ship. Talk about busy.

The Watty Awards deadline is almost up, so I don't think it's possible for me to finish this series by 30 August. And truth to be told, I don't think I'm even finishing half of the story plot.

Please enjoy this story, and like always, thank you very much for reading.