Hey all, it's me! I apologize for the lateness of this, medical school sure is difficult... My board exams are coming up in a few months, so my updates will be rather sporadic, but I hope that I can continue more regularly once that is done and finished! In the meantime, I have written a longer update for all of you here, so I hope this can make up for my not updating in a while! Enjoy, and comments/reviews are always appreciated! Also, many of you have favorited/followed this story, so thank you so much for the support! You know who you are :)
Louise, northwind132,birdy43: I'm glad you all like the story so far! I definitely have more in store, just need to hash it out over the course of this story.
Chapter 5
"Hey, everyone! I'm home!" Chizuru exclaimed as she entered the apartment. She carried with her seven large shopping bags, and was barely able to kick off her snow boots before dropping the results of her splurge in the middle of the living room.
The captains filtered in, and Nagakura exclaimed, "Welcome back, Chizuru-chan! Whaddya have there?"
She beamed, "I have clothes for all of you! Now you all can fit in with the rest of us!"
"Clothes? But aren't these good enough?" Heisuke wondered aloud while gesturing at his own attire. "I mean, my clothes are kind of similar, right?"
"Haven't you noticed, Heisuke? You look like you came out of a history book," Okita teased.
"You!" the younger captain retorted while getting up to start a small fistfight with the green-eyed man.
Chizuru chuckled as she watched the two captains bicker in front of her. While they continued to sleep into the morning, she made shopping for clothes her first task of the day. Thankfully, she remembered enough written Japanese to leave a quick note stating that she went out and would be back soon. The men had no possessions other than their swords and the clothes on their backs, and Chizuru was sure that they would like to change into clean attire. In addition, she couldn't keep them indoors forever; having clothes that fit the modern times was therefore a necessity.
The clothing trip reminded Chizuru of the many other things she needed to get for the men to live comfortably in her abode. Even though none of them complained about their living situation, she knew that her living room was not only cold at night, but also cramped. She mentally listed off the next few tasks that she aimed to complete within the day, which included buying food, blankets, pillows, towels, and maybe one or two futons. After all, every individual needed necessities to survive in a new era. The only problem was that she did not have enough funds to buy real furniture, so the captains would have to put up with sleeping on the floor for the next few weeks or months.
As Chizuru muttered away, Hijikata, who moved next to her, simply massaged his temples as he listened to his former subordinates bicker. "Is this why you asked for our measurements last night?" he asked, which brought her out of her reverie.
"Yes, Hijikata-san," she confirmed. "Even though we don't really use measurements unless we are getting specially fitted clothes, your measurements did help me to figure out the general size that you are by today's standards." Chizuru then proceeded to give one bag to the Vice Commander, "This one is yours. It should have all the essentials, including shirts, pants, belts, socks, and even a winter jacket. Hopefully this works for you, but if it doesn't, then we can go back to the store and return them."
"Thank you, this should be fine," Hijikata smiled.
"Harada-san, Sannan-san, Nagakura-san, Saito-san, Okita-san, Heisuke," she called as she gave each of them a shopping bag, "these are all yours. Can you try them on and show them to me? If you have questions about how to put things on, let me know too!"
Okita peeked into his bag before asking, "So you want to see how attractive we are?"
Chizuru's cheeks turned red, but she retorted, "No one asked for that."
"Ah, but you must wonder how fit we are, especially since people in this era don't seem to be as active as we used to be," the captain of the First Division winked.
Of course I'm curious, you doofus. I'm just trying to be normal here… She was fully aware that she was the only female in her apartment, and that the men surrounding her were all rather eye-catching. Despite only knowing them for a solid few days, she wished to continue her life as a decent human being and not openly ogle over how good looking they were. Some boundaries she will not cross, especially as they were all living under the same roof.
With these thoughts in mind, Chizuru faced Okita and responded, "Can you just try the clothes? I want to make sure they fit properly so you don't feel uncomfortable or feel like you're wearing a bag or a rucksack."
"I have to say, Chizuru-chan," Harada began, "your way of describing things is rather… interesting."
"So I've been told," she nodded, "but I really mean it. I tried to choose clothes that were comfortable and stylish. You can tell me if something doesn't feel right, or if it is uncomfortable, and I want to see if the clothes and shoes suit you."
"Thank you, Chizuru," Sannan thanked Chizuru and graciously accepted the bag of clothes from her. "May I use the kitchen if the others will use the bathroom?"
"Of course! I'll just sit here on the couch and wait for all of you to come out."
"I'll be in the kitchen too," Hijikata waved before following Sannan out of the living room.
Saito then asked, "Would it be alright if I used your room, Yukimura-san? I will not look at any of your possessions."
"Call me Chizuru, and no worries, Saito-san," the young woman shook her head in response, "feel free to use my room! You can use my bed to lay your clothes if there isn't enough space."
"May I use your room too, Chizuru-chan? The baka trio can use the bathroom," Okita commented as he slung his bag over his shoulder.
"Souji! We can't all fit in there!" Nagakura complained.
Harada, however, slung his arms around Heisuke and the older captain, "Let's go, you two. We need to give Chizuru some privacy before we show her what she got us, right?" He then proceeded to wink at the younger girl.
"More like you all need privacy, I'm fine where I am," Chizuru retorted. "And no problem, Okita-san."
The green-eyed captain winked at her once again before disappearing up the stairs. Heisuke pouted as Harada dragged him and Nagakura to the restroom. The captain with the bandana managed to barely turn his head to Chizuru and exclaim, "Thanks, Chizuru-chan! I'll wear your clothes well!" before the door closed on him. Since she was barely able to process what happened in the last few minutes, the young woman simply chuckled.
However, not a minute passed when Hijikata stuck his head out of the kitchen entrance. "Chizuru?"
"Yes?"
"Is the tag the front or the back of the pants?"
I forgot to mention that, huh… "It's the back, Hijikata-san. Same with the shirts as well."
He nodded in appreciation before disappearing into the kitchen. Chizuru smiled as she thought back to the massive shopping trip. I hope these clothes work well for them, I spent a good amount of time picking them out. At least they can now go outside with me without looking like a cosplayer! I kind of wonder how they'll react to the outside world.
Oh, I have to remind them to not bring their swords outside with them too when they come with me. We should find a place to stash them… Unless they want to practice? But how? My apartment doesn't have much space…and real swords in public is a definite no.
At that moment, Okita was the first to arrive in the living room. Out of the outfits that were available in the bag, he downed a forest green fitted plaid shirt with a white muscle shirt underneath for warmth. In addition, a deep brown faux-leather belt held the straight-leg denim jeans at the hip, and black Converse sneakers completed the outfit. Even though his hair was still tied in the traditional topknot from a century ago, Chizuru had to admit that Okita was skilled at pairing clothes together even in the modern world. The look seemed to fit the ruggedness within him, and she liked it.
The captain noticed her gaze, and remarked, "Does this please your eye?"
Chizuru chuckled, "Okita-san, it looks good."
"Oh? I never thought you would compliment me so quickly." After the comment, Okita could not help but smirk.
"Well," she shrugged, "I compliment people when they deserve them. You dressed well even with no guidance from me, so that deserves a compliment."
The young man strode over and planted himself next to Chizuru on the couch. As he relaxed into the couch, he mentioned offhandedly, "Heisuke's right, huh… you really are quite blunt."
"Excuse me?" Chizuru questioned.
"Mah, mah, I'm not sure how much blatant honesty I can take in one go," he smirked. "After all, girls back in the day who were interested used to act shy around us. Yet," Okita's voice dropped as he leaned closer to the young woman, "you just seem to shower us with your thoughts."
Chizuru frowned. "Do you have a problem with that?"
The man chuckled. Instead of directly answering the question, he replied, "You're interesting, Chizuru-chan. Never thought I'd meet a girl like you."
She raised an eyebrow at him as he began to lean closer to her. Stay calm, he's just being weird. This doesn't mean anything. As his face drew near, she watched as his deep green orbs locked with hers. A waft of the cologne that the store sprayed on the shirts stimulated her senses, and Chizuru struggled to maintain her composure around the man. She curled her toes in nervousness, and she tried to take a slow but deep breath to calm her increasing heartbeat. Never in her life had she felt this way, and she had no idea what to do.
Okita, on the other hand, was continually intrigued. No matter what he did, the young woman stood her ground, even as her face continued to turn a shade darker with each minute. Her gaze never left his, and he felt alive; women back in his time would draw away when he made any move, and he seemed to unintentionally hold them away at arm-length. Okita knew he was attractive, yet unlike Hijikata, he was more feral in looks and in personality. Such an aura made him rather unapproachable in the olden days, and Chizuru's unflinching personality was a breath of fresh air.
So it was a wonder that this young lady from the future didn't retreat as his lips neared her ear and whispered, "You intrigue me. I wonder why."
Before Chizuru could respond, Okita stood up and made his way to the stairs. "Thanks for the clothes," he turned to face her, smirking once again. "You sure seem to know our physical attributes well."
"You're a brute, Okita-san," Chizuru muttered, and the man simply laughed in glee before disappearing from her view.
In the next hour, the men tried on their clothes and maneuvered themselves through the various clothing types that were in their respective stashes. Once Chizuru approved the attire, she sighed in relief. Despite going to the dollar store to pick out these outfits, the amount of clothing she bought ate up more of her money. Sighing, she moved to the kitchen to grab herself a cup of tea as the men relaxed and chatted in the living room.
Harada noticed as she left the group, and made his way towards her. Once he saw her pour water into the kettle and light the gas stove, he asked, "Something up?"
"Ah, Harada-san," Chizuru smiled at him before turning her attention to the tea leaves that she poured into the cup. "Not much, just making tea. Is there something you need?"
"Not at all," he made his way closer and leaned against the counter, "you just looked like you were thinking of something."
Sharp guy, huh. Chizuru bit her lip and fumbled with her fingers. "Well, it's nothing you need to worry about."
"Sure?" When Harada saw a flash of uncertainty across her features, he smiled sadly. "You know, Chizuru-chan, you can talk to me if you would like. Having us around must be a huge burden for you, you should let me know if you need some help."
She smiled but didn't look at him, "Thanks, Harada-san, but it's okay for now."
"Really? Then what about this?" the maroon-haired man pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket.
Chizuru's eyes widened in surprise and in shame upon seeing the many zeros printed in front of her. "I'm so sorry, Harada-san! I must have forgotten to put that piece of paper away, don't worry about it!" she exclaimed, her face turning a bright red in embarrassment.
"Well," he began as she took the receipt from his hands, "I don't know how money works in today's world, but having that amount of zeros in the final amount seems like a lot to me, don't you think?"
She didn't answer. As the kettle wheezed, Chizuru quickly took it off the stovetop and filled her cup with the steaming water. "Want some, Harada-san?"
"Sure," he nodded, and Chizuru poured him a cup as well.
The two fell into a comfortable silence in the kitchen as they sipped their tea. Chizuru's brows furrowed once again at what she needed to do to afford everything. The obvious answer was to work more at the coffee shop and take more shifts, which would work since her boss was nearing the end of her pregnancy and would need to take time off to prepare for the baby's arrival. However, spending more time at work, in addition to maintaining her grades at school, would mean that Chizuru would sleep even less than she normally would. For the first time in her life, she was running out of ideas.
Next to her, Harada watched as the young woman took another sip of tea. As an early riser, he was aware that she left early in the morning to buy clothes for all of them, and Heisuke had mentioned to him that she slept late the night before. Harada guessed that Chizuru may have only slept a total of four or five hours, which was not enough for any sane person.
And so, once her tea was finished, he patted her on the head. "Harada-san?" she looked at him in confusion.
"Chizuru, could you do two things for me?" he asked.
"Yes?"
"First," he began, eyes glimmering in kindness, "call me Sano."
"Eh? Really?" Chizuru exclaimed in surprise. "It has only been a few days! Are you sure?"
Harada nodded. "I think you and I will be pretty close, no?"
"Well," Chizuru started, but could not finish. If she were honest with herself, she felt closer to him as well over the last two days. He was comfortable to be around, and was a calming presence in her continually hectic life.
He chuckled before continuing, "And second, why don't you go and nap for a bit?"
As if on reflex, she shook her head, "It's okay, Hara… Sano-san!"
"Just Sano's okay, and I'm serious."
"I don't need t-"
At this, Harada gently guided Chizuru to the mirror in the kitchen and pointed at the dark circles lining the lower lid of her eye. "Your eyebags have been creeping out. We haven't given you much sleep, have we?" he murmured quietly.
"Don't say that," Chizuru disagreed, "you guys can't really live independently yet, and if someone has to make sure you're living properly, it would be me."
The captain of the Tenth Division sighed, "Chizuru-chan, I know you have more to do than to make sure we are okay. Trust me, get some sleep. You'll think better later on, right?"
As he watched her hesitate, he continued, "And besides, we've lived through a war before. Surely living in the modern era can't be harder than that?"
Her shoulders slumped as she listened to his logic. Chizuru knew he was right, as she only took short naps during the day to make up for the lack of sleep at night. She not only had dark eyebags, but also had developed a small migraine that throbbed during random times of the day. And speaking of living through a war, Chizuru refused to imagine how traumatizing the experience must have been, as the war marked the end of the samurai way of life. It was possible that living in the current era reminded the Shinsengumi captains of the many losses that they experienced in their previous lifetimes, but she had no way of knowing as the men never discussed such serious thoughts out loud. Instead, they bantered on simple things, such as how Saito still refused to part with his white scarf despite wearing modern clothing or how Nagakura's headband seemed out of place with the polo he donned.
With these thoughts in mind, she turned to Harada. "You're right, Sano…"
"Well, then, I'll help take care of things down here…" he smiled kindly.
However, Chizuru stopped him in the middle. "But Sano? Sorry to interrupt, but if I go nap, can you do something for me as well?"
The maroon-haired captain nodded, and she continued, "I think it's about time that we figure out how you all will begin to truly adjust to this society. I'm also sure that you all want to see the outside for yourselves, right?"
He chuckled in mirth, "Ah, that's a great idea. I'll let the others know. Do you need us to wake you up?"
"Nah, I'm good. I have my phone alarm," she grinned back at him. "Thanks, though."
"Don't worry, Chizuru-chan. Nap well."
And so she made her way back up the stairs to enter the world of dreamland.
[薄桜鬼]
To her own surprise, Chizuru managed to wake up after short twenty-minute nap. She felt more energized, and both her vision and perception were sharper than they were previously. Naps were miracles, and she realized she had taken sleep for granted.
Once she changed into jeggings, a black tank top, and a loose maroon sweater, she walked down the stairs to find the former captains conversing in a serious tone. "Hey everyone, what's going on?" she asked lightly.
Hijikata's eyes crinkled into a small smile, "Hello, Chizuru. We're discussing some things."
"Need some privacy?"
He shook his head, "No need, it may be better if you hear of what we're thinking too."
Chizuru took a seat, and Nagakura began, "So what do we do about practice? There is no space here. No offense, Chizuru."
She smiled and waved her hand, "No, I understand. Are you talking about practicing your swordsmanship?"
Saito nodded, "Yes, we were discussing what to do about maintaining our kenjutsu, and about earning money as well."
"Ah, I see," Chizuru commented. "For practice, I agree, my apartment is too small, and we may risk destroying the walls or other things, since I'm assuming you all go full out when fighting each other…"
"Well," Okita grinned, "Saito takes his time and likes to fool around with us."
"You do the same thing but worse, Souji," Heisuke mumbled in disagreement.
The former First Division captain smirked, "Ya caught me."
Chizuru cleared her throat, the captains quieted down to let her continue. "With regards to this issue, I'm thinking that maybe we can find a park that would allow us to move about freely. We may also need to buy some wooden bokken for you all as well…"
"We need bokken?" Nagakura asked, "Why not use our swords?"
The young woman scratched her head and answered, "Swords aren't permitted in public these days."
"Then how do people protect themselves?" Sannan inquired.
"We have a police force," Chizuru nodded at the Deputy Commander, "so the citizens don't exactly have to carry anything like swords or guns. Also, the laws in place are rather clear about the punishments inflicted on those who are involved in physical violence… in most forms."
Hijikata, as well as the other Shinsengumi captains, nodded thoughtfully at the information. He then spoke, "Then we do need bokken to practice with. We may be able to do some basic sword practice indoors in this apartment, but maybe limited to one person at a time. How does that sound to you, Chizuru?"
"Fine by me," she replied kindly.
"Then we can continue this discussion at a future hour. We should think about finances and jobs, so that we can also support ourselves and you since you kindly allowed us to stay in this residence," Sannan mentioned while looking straight into Chizuru's eyes.
"In terms of your earning money," she smiled, "I currently have an idea, but I need to run it by my boss first."
"What is this idea of yours?" he pushed his glasses up his nosebridge while asking.
"So my boss is eight-months pregnant," she started, and the captains raised their eyebrows in bafflement. Chizuru chuckled, "What's with all of your reactions?"
"EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT?!" Nagakura exclaimed, his voice echoing all over the living room, "She should be at home! You mean to tell me she is still working?"
"Yes. Is this so surprising to you, Nagakura-san?" Chizuru raised an eyebrow.
Hijikata shook his head and sighed, "That's not good for the baby…"
"Where is her husband? He should be making sure she stays at home in case the baby comes early," Harada murmured. Saito instead chose to keep quiet and sip on his tea, while Sannan chuckled lightly. Okita snickered at the clear disapproval that Chizuru expressed during the murmurs, and Heisuke grimaced and looked like he wanted to leave the room as soon as possible.
The young woman sighed. "Before you go judging anyone," she began, which elicited expressions of defense from the men, "I'll just let you know that many women in these days do work during their pregnancy. With regards to my boss, the coffee shop that I work at is her 'baby' as she built the entire business from scratch. My friend and I, along with a few other classmates of ours, help her to run the shop, but we probably need more hands since she'll be delivering soon."
Seeing that she had the attention of the group, Chizuru continued, "Anyway, what I had in mind is that we could help her in terms of both manpower and in managing finances, inventory, customer service, perhaps marketing, among other things. How does that sound to you all?"
Everyone around the table nodded. "Although, Chizuru-chan?" Hijikata spoke up.
"Yes?"
"I am assuming that we would need to know how to use the technology in this day and age in order to make sure the business runs smoothly."
Chizuru grinned and responded, "To teach you all how to use things like electronics and a computer, I was going to bring all of you to the local library and enroll you in one of their free computer classes. I'm actually excited to see you all learn this, since using a computer is essential to get by in today's society. You've seen me use one in the last few days, so the class can help you familiarize yourself with what you have seen me do so far. The first one is tomorrow, are you all down?"
"Down? Like down-dog?" Okita smirked.
The young woman's face flared like a tomato, but she ignored the mischievous captain and continued as before, "Cool, I'll sign all of you up. As for today, why don't you guys follow me outside in a bit so you can get a better idea of this area and where I live?"
"Yes! We get to go outside!" Heisuke exclaimed in excitement as he jumped off the chair and strode to the closet to grab his winter jacket.
"Don't get too excited, we don't know what's out there," Harada laughed.
"There may be more sounds for us to be aware of," Saito commented.
"Oh, and you guys," Chizuru mentioned, "please don't wander off as we walk? I have no way to find all of you if I lose you, and trust me, this city is much bigger than you think it is."
"How big would this city be? Larger than Kyoto?" Hijikata asked as he wrapped his dark purple scarf around his neck.
"Well, I'm guessing larger than the Kyoto of your time, but definitely not larger than the Kyoto of today, I would think," she responded.
To this comment, the captains all looked at each other in surprise, uncertainty, and confusion. Just how big is this city, and how big is Kyoto now?
It was not until the entire group stepped out of the apartment that the captains all gaped in shock. As they walked closer to downtown, self-moving machines that made deep, rumbling hums and spat out white plumes of smoke passed by, and another machine connected to wires zipped past them while sounding a loud bell. There was not a single candle or flame in sight, but the streets were lit up by bright lights that offered a wide area of vision at every block. The buildings reached so high into the sky that the men had to crane their necks, and their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the sight of an airplane flying above them.
Chizuru chuckled as she watched their reactions. While Heisuke ran to the door of every corner shop to peek inside, Saito absorbed all the sounds and sights of the modern world in his own, silent way. Nagakura could not prevent his eyes from wandering toward every female whose legs he saw, and Harada smacked the poor man to act more respectfully while erupting in a joyful laugh. Sannan and Okita conversed as they pointed to and discussed about certain objects that caught their eye, and Hijikata placed his hands into the jean pockets and inhaled a deep breath of air.
He fell into pace with their host and glanced at her. Despite the diversity of sounds, volumes, and voices that pounded through his ear, the young woman walking beside him elicited an aura of calmness that he has not felt in a long time. Hijikata recalled the last time he felt at peace, which was during the group's time at the Shiei Hall. With the distant memory in mind, he could only wonder about why Kondou was not among them at the current moment.
While he mulled over his thoughts, the voice next to him spoke, "Something on your mind, Hijikata-san?"
"Ah, Chizuru," he snapped out of his daydreaming, "just recalling the old days."
"Do you mind if I ask about how the old days were like?"
Hijikata chuckled and thought, Straightforward, not bad. "We were all part of a dojo, where we trained under our Commander Kondou. I was just thinking of how peaceful those days were."
"Was this before the war?" Chizuru wondered aloud, but soon clapped her hands over her mouth. Damn it, my mouth. I didn't want to remind him about the war…
The Vice Commander seemed to catch on to her inner turmoil, as he responded, "Don't worry, ask away. But yes, this was before we became the Shinsengumi."
"Speaking of the Shinsengumi, I really admire all of your trust and loyalty to each other. I read about the group in books and articles, but now that I'm getting to know you all, I truly feel this way," Chizuru smiled at him as she voiced some of her innermost thoughts.
A faint smile graced his lips. "You could say that we were lucky to have known each other. Having their trust helped me through the toughest times," Hijikata's tone turned nostalgic as he gazed at the captains enjoying themselves in front of him.
"Companionship really is nice. Would you say they're family too?"
"Family in every sense, I'd say," he nodded.
"I'm very happy for all of you then, Hijikata-san," Chizuru affirmed while sending him another kind smile.
However, Hijikata could not return the expression, as her eyes betrayed an underlying sadness that tugged at his heartstrings.
[薄桜鬼]
On the night of the last full moon, a red light blinked on a computer screen along with a colorful line graph that updated every second. "Chief, can you look at this?"
In hearing his name, a tall, wide-set man approached his employee and looked over his shoulder. After a quick once over, he nodded, "Can you explain?"
"They're areas of disturbed wavelengths, Sir. Today is the full moon, but these wavelengths are concentrated in one area and are not in sync with the radiation everywhere else in the city and suburbs."
"To what degree is the difference between the disturbance and the surroundings?"
"I cannot give an exact figure at this moment, but it is significant. I've been analyzing this area for the last two hours, and the strength of the radiation has been increasing, albeit gradually. I also checked previous records during full moons, and this also does not match up. If the radiation becomes too strong, it may be enough to cause damage to the wildlife and potentially other organisms or structures…"
The chief nodded in affirmation, "Good work, keep monitoring. Update me in another two hours."
"Yes, Sir!"
kenjutsu: An umbrella term for all schools of Japanese swordsmanship that predate the Meiji Restoration (before 1867). Kenjutsu originated from the samurai class, and defines the method, technique, and the art of the sword. Schools differ in their practice, methods, and ethics, yet share a common goal of practicing battle techniques without an opponent and techniques where two individual perform full contact strikes to the body. Many of the core members of the Shinsengumi practiced under the kenjutsu school of Tennen Rishin Ryu (天然理心流), which focuses on synthesizing an actual sword fight in every occasion with the goal of obtaining full victory without losing composure in front of the enemy.
bokken: Japanese wooden sword used for training, and resembles a katana in both size and shape.
dojo: Means "place of the way," and used to name a hall for learning or meditation in the martial arts. The core members of the Shinsengumi all trained in such a dojo prior to the formation of the special police force in the Bakumatsu period of Japan.