I do not own Hakuouki. I'm mainly using the anime series and Hijikata's route.
Unexpected Rival
"Where could it be?" Chizuru whispers to herself as she continues her walk around the Shinsengumi compound. 'I could've sworn I had it laid out on the table...' Just as she reaches Hijikata-san's room, she felt her heart stop beating for a moment when she heard the familiar voice of Souji goading Hijikata to hear him read something he found in her room.
"Ne, Hijikata-san want to hear soemthing interesting written by our beloved Chizuru-chan?" Propriety be gone, as soon as she heard her name, she slides the shogi door open and feels her face flush scarlet as she hears Souji beginning to read her writing out loud with cruel amusement.
"the moonlight shone off his smooth dark hair," he begins with a soft chuckle, causing Hijikata to spit out his tea and turn over to glare at Souji with a frown on his face.
"for reasons I can't fathom, in that moment the light on his hair," this time Souji's body began to shake while trying harder not to laugh, and continues to read "made me think of fluttery flower petals..."
Surprised at them not noticing her presence, for a second there she thought she saw Hijikata's face turn pink at listening to her description of him. 'So he knows it's about him.' She face-palms herself and never wished for a better moment than right now to die from embarassment.
"Almost as if the cherry trees were blooming out of season ~."
"Honestly it's the best description of somebody we both know. Don't you think so Hijikata-san?" Souji snickers at the so-called Demon Vice-Commander's now red face burning with fury.
"OKITA-SAN! How could you?!" She makes her presence known with tears of genuine hurt and embarrassment trailing down her cheeks.
"Yukimura! What are you -" As he was about to scold her for barging in without permission, she quickly walks past him noticing her small hands clenched into angry fists.
"Ore Chizuru-chan, what seems to be the matter?"
Not in the mood of playing games she quickly attempts to snatch her journal from him but fails as Souji keeps it raised above him, and the fact that she isn't tall enough to reach.
"Okita-san please give it back." She tries again by grabbing him by the wrist of his other hand to pull him closer, momentarily surprising him and Hijikata at the strength they didn't know she possessed despite knowing she's an Oni.
"There, there. You must tell me when you've written more. It's even funnier than someone's dumb poetry." He gently tells her between chuckles as he sets her notebook down on Hijikata's desk.
"It was still very cruel of you Okita-san." She wipes the tears with the sleeve of her kimono top.
Feeling a little guilty at making the girl he began to consider like a little sister cry, he gently asks her, "Alright Chizuru-chan what can I do to make it up for you?" Probably expecting her to buy some dango or sweets. Heck, he'd even let her make an embarassing hairstyle on him if it means she'll forgive him.
"Okay Okita-san, I challenge you to a sword fight, and this time I won't make the mistake of fighting with the dull side of my sword!"
"Alright then, but I won't go easy on you just becasue you're a girl." He flicks her forehead with his fingers.
"What the hell Souji?!" Hijikata stares flabbergasted at him agreeing to her request, Oni or not, he knew Chizuru would not win against Souji. No, maybe she could after all she did fend herself against Kazama on the night he came to take her with him, the way she escaped from his hold so fast gave him the opportunity to quickly shield her from him.
"Yare, yare Hijikata-san if you're that scared that I might kill your cute page, then you can be the referee."
"Fine, now both of you get out!" Hijikata sternly orders them with his infamous demon glare. After they left, he notices Chizuru's journal on top of the documents he was reading before Souji entered, and gives in temptation to read more of what she wrote.
"Amethyst eyes burning with righteous fury at the blonde male Oni holding me captive, at that moment I knew that if looks could kill, then I wouldn't have live to see the morning sun after that fateful night when the threats of my unforeseeable demise were given to me with his sword pointed at my throat."
As he flips through more pages of her notebook, he comes to the conclusion that she must've written this to pass time when she was confined in her room.
"I can't believe that a real rival has always been right under my nose." He whispers to himself, as he lets out an amused chuckle at the irony of the situation.
'Hmm... I underestimated you.'
.
.
.
Once Yamazaki informed him that all the soldiers have fallen asleep, he and the captains then go to watch Souji and Chizuru duel.
Seeing Chizuru and Souji with their swords out, Hijikata lets the match begin.
"Begin!"
Clank. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise when they see Chizuru quickly block Souji's attack with her kodachi. "Well, I'm impressed Chizuru-chan, it seems you weren't bluffing when you told us you could fight with a sword." Souji praises her as he increases speed, which alerted Chizuru to react faster and not letting her have the opportunity to go offensive.
They went on for another few minutes until Hijikata notices Chizuru exerting more force on her arms when he sees their blades locked.
"That's enough Souji!" And with that they each put their swords back in their sheaths and give each other a bow.
"So am I forgiven Chziuru-chan?" He playfully asks her, and when she nods back with a smile, all the captains erupted in cheers.
Suddenly, Chizuru looked like she was going out of balance and begins to fall on her back until Hijikata quickly catches her in his arms bridal style.
"You made Chizuru-chan exert herself too much!" Heisuke yells at Souji, to which the latter just shrugs.
"Enough chit-chat, everyone go to your rooms now!" Hijikata orders them before another fight begins.
Once everyone was gone, he looks at the sleeping maiden in his arms and feels himself relax underneath the full moon on the cool spring night. He already knows what his next haiku will sound like.
Samurai holding
his maiden close to his chest
on a full moon night
***X***
I just love Souji so much, he's like the ultimate HijiChi shipper XD
OXOXO
~walkingspring