Almost three years later
Beer was accidentally spilled on the floor. Okita adjusted his posture and leaned on the peach-colored sofa. Apparently, he was more drunk than he had imagined. He had only started drinking alcohol a couple of months ago and had not yet been able to assess his own tolerance.
On either side of Okita sat two happy women, each with orange-red hair. They were cabaret girls who made sure the captain's glass wasn't ever empty. These women also made sure that Okita didn´t sink into the dark thoughts.
Okita had started hanging out with these women while drinking alcohol. He couldn't judge his own tolerance for women either.
One of the women leaned on Okita's thigh and whispered in his ear:
´Would you like something else, my hot captain?´
Okita shook his head.
´I'm starting to be so sloshed that I can go home and sleep on my own vomit. Do you want to come with me and lick it away? ´
She smiled darkly.
´So, I´ll bring you a check then. ´
After paying, Okita slipped to the door of the Snack Smile bar. He leaned on the wall and glanced around. Kondo was still sitting in a lodge to which he accepted no one but Boss Lady. So Kondo was waiting for a miracle.
Give up already, loser.
Okita walked into the street to vomit.
Then he wandered back to the headquarters.
Apparently Okita was still drunk the next day. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
´Excuse me?´ He asked monotonously after hearing the commander's announcement.
Commander Kondo was smiling radiantly.
´I'm getting married with Otae-san!´
Most of the members of Shinsengumi had frozen still. They couldn´t decide whether their commander was finally cracked up or whether he was trying to be dangerously optimistic. But no one believed that the Boss Lady would soon be the Boss Lady for real.
Kondo crossed his arms and almost hovered in the air.
´Otae-san accepted my proposal yesterday. Then she… She kissed me! ´
Hijikata was coughing.
´Ahem. Commander, congratulations! ´
Then he bent down to whisper to Okita:
´I'm going to call Snack Smile and ask if Kondo's brain has been found there. ´
After a moment, he returned with a pale appearance. He had a tobacco in his mouth but he hadn´t lit it.
´Was the commander's brain preserved in a jar?´ Okita asked. ´I can take them for decoration.´
´Congratulations, boss,´ Hijikata said in a low voice and stared at Kondo.
And so, the wedding preparations began.
His bestman Hijikata and Okita, Shinpachi and Gintoki took part in Kondo's bachelor party.
Don't ask me why.
They started from the Snack Smile.
Others made Kondo do all kinds of embarrassing tasks. He had to spend the whole evening in a gorilla outfit.
´It looks like a gorilla had eaten another gorilla,´ Gintoki quipped after looking at Kondo.
Okita snapped drinks because they had received/borrowed/stole money from the Shinsengumi Recreational Fund. When Kondo had to ask marriage advice from women, Okita went to the bathroom.
On the way back, Okita gasped. He thought he had seen a familiar face, but glancing back, he saw only cabaret girls and drunken customers. For a moment, he had imagined the familiar red cheongsam outfit, flashed past his field of vision.
Don't be so confused. All this stupid marriage talk is making me crazy.
Maybe he was too focused on the redheads. Maybe he should try switching to blondes.
Just the color of the hair wasn´t important. As long as a girl could beg for mercy.
When Okita returned to the table, Kondo told – once again – the tale about how Otae-san had finally agreed to his marriage proposal.
´… I was in a bad flu and couldn't stal- see her for a week. Then my sweetheart realized how much she missed me. At the same time, she was kidnapped, but I rescued her and the rest is history. ´
Kondo had straightened out a few bends of the story. Okita, however, remained silent. It´s another unwritten fanfiction.
´Listen, comrades,´ Kondo shouted loudly, ´get yourself a good woman. Then you will have a good life! ´
´Mmmh,´ Gintoki muttered, ´where's our good stripper?´
´Gin-san, put your clothes back on,´ Shinpachi scolded.
The wedding day arrived, believe it or not.
Okita's job was to receive guests at the wedding palace door and advise them on the right seating arrangements.
What a shitty task. Well, he made it his own.
Okita smiled artificially at the guests and confiscated some nice-looking swords. They could get them back in two weeks after harsh paperwork.
´Good day,´ said the next guest. He was a dark-haired man who handed the invitation to Okita.
´Haaai ~ Welcome,´ Okita greeted monotonously and glanced at the name on the invitation.
His guts felt like freezing. He stared at the black letters.
Kagura + avec
Okita raised his gaze back to the man, who smiled kindly at him. Just like in a slowmotion movie, a red-haired young woman appeared behind this man.
She had a long reddish hair, some of it was tied up with a golden buckle. She wore a gorgeous gold-violet cheongsam dress. Her eyes were piercing blue. Her breasts were huge. This couldn't be –
´Hi, sadist, ´ the woman spoke in a high, familiar voice that couldn´t be mistaken.
´Hi… China,´ expressionless Okita said quietly.
´Sorry, I think I was breaking the etiquette, ´ the man said rubbing his neck, ´I suppose the addressee of the invitation should hand it out. I'm sorry, she's my fiancé, Kagura. I am prince Sebastian, nice to meet you. ´
Okita smiled so widely that it hurt.
´Oh, wonderful. Whatever. Get inside. You can sit right in the second row. ´
They passed him. Okita's and Kagura's eyes met for a moment.
What the actual fuck?
