After a fine outing of obtaining household necessities, Kinu found herself face-to-face with the first and last person she wanted to see. First, because he was her age and one of the nicest people she knew. Last because every time she saw him things grew so terribly awkward that his stuttering and odd twitchy bowing became contagious and if she bowed any more than she already had, her head would probably fall off and roll around. That wasn't cute.

Shinpachi helped her carry her bags. It was a coincidence that they ran into each other, but after only five bows, he seemed to regain himself and offered to help. They walked in silence for the most part, glancing at one another from the corners of their eyes, and Kinu couldn't help but think that this was the epitome of teenage life. A crush. Every good teenager had one, and while she wasn't very good at girl-ing she was thrilled that he got jumpy when she stood closer than necessary and visibly flushed if she even hinted at desiring his company. They had to be right. He didn't give her butterflies, or moths, for that matter, if that was a thing, but he was so painstakingly innocent that Kinu was convinced he'd die if she even touched him. Luckily, she didn't want to and didn't plan on doing so any time soon.

Not that she needed any more pending criminal charges.

It wasn't that he particularly liked her. She knew. He wasn't used to being approached, and she wasn't used to it either. Not that he ever did.

They stopped in front of her house, and she unlocked the store, which was a portion of the ground floor. Shinpachi followed her in and set the bags on the counter, beside where she placed her own. Kinu would take them to the house later.

"Thank you..."

A large, unsure grin was flashed her way, and the boy sheepishly chuckled. Scratched the back of his neck and waved it off.

"Do you want tea? I can-"

"Oh, uh, n- no t- thank you, Inoue-San." Politely declining, the boy turned back to the door. He didn't stay in the shop long. They were alone, and it would be indecent. Once outside, Kinu grasped onto his sleeve and he nearly turned into a statue.

"Cake? You carried these all the way here and-"

"That's not necessary, I couldn't let you carry it all by yourself. Plus, I was going this way already. There's a graduation party and I can't be late."

"Oh," Disappointment tinged within Kinu, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah, sure..." Though the girl never made much in the way of expressions, the cloud of gloom was unmistakable. Kinu knew she was creepy. She hadn't thought that she'd been particularly creepy this time, but she knew. And trying not to be made it worse. "Some other time?" She stepped forward, despite herself, and Shinpachi shrunk back.

Two wide eyes shined back at the girl, and he vigorously nodded.

"S- Some- I- I mean, y- Yes." He'd turned beet red again.

Kinu nodded slowly. A tiny smile crossed her, and she finally averted her gaze. Finally. While the girl was proud of herself for pushing time together, Shinpachi was able to swallow the lump in his throat. He skittered off then, partially bowing, yet trying to refrain from more erratic symbols of respect. Kinu, in turn, barely inclined her head and went back into her mother's shop.

She didn't really know why he bowed, but okay...

Shinpachi started down the road again, breathing a sigh of relief. Finally free of the pressure that came with being the object of a girl's affection, he could think again. A real girl. Not a 2-D one, but one that actually breathed, and was warm, and talked directly to him with a voice. It was insane. He almost didn't realize when a man walked by him, but at the last second, Shinpachi looked up into his face and froze. The blood that had heated his cheeks drained as he swiveled on his heel to keep sight of the one eyed man.

"Y- You!"

Takasugi didn't pay the boy much mind. From the looks of things, he was blowing his chances with the girl anyway; the way he instinctively moved away when she drew near and kept bowing like a bobble head. If the girl wasn't tired of it, she was lacking in the intelligence department. The boy was a member of Takasugi's least favorite game of house. Gintoki's family. Probably out for a walk while the silver haired samurai warmed his dinner bottle.

"Don't get in my way." Plain and simple, Takasugi issued his warning and carried on.

Shinpachi watched as the one eyed man proceeded into Inoue's Pastries and Tea. He stood, shocked for a short while before remembering himself. Gintoki's name dropped from his tongue as if it would summon the man from dust. Then he broke into a run back the way he had come. Only Gintoki could save her.

Kinu had moved most of the bags into the house before getting her first customer. It was the undercover cop. He walked in as if he owned the place, and she looked up at him from her book on the counter.

Takasugi approached and glanced over the store for any sign of what he'd seen earlier. Everything seemed in place. Under the tables were clear. The preparation counters were open and clear.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me."

"Hm." That was the only response. Kinu frowned at him, but his eye shot to a partially opened crate under one of the counters in question.

"Is that it?" He didn't wait for an answer. Rounded the counter and went straight to the box in question. As he did, the girl stepped back. Her arm slid over the counter and a paper bag dropped onto the ground along with the novel she'd been eyeing. Books spilled over the hardwood; some of the titles familiar, others foreign.

After a brief glance, the one eyed man lifted the edge of the crate. To his delight, it was exactly as he expected. His shipment was fully intact and safe; didn't appear to have been touched at all. Bingo. Before he could say a word, movement behind him pulled at his instincts. He straightened himself and turned to the girl, hand on his sword. Far too pleased to voice it. She wasn't involved. Everything was there, and for that, he could spare her.

"I'm not afraid of you." Kinu's hand settled on a knife she'd left on the counter, and she silently thanked her past self for being too lazy to wash it. The raven haired man's eye lit up with a spark of entertainment, thrill, or delight; Kinu wasn't sure.

Oh no. He was crazy.

"You should be."

"Well I'm not."

"Oh?" He stepped towards her as she moved away, and her back hit the wooden cabinet behind her. A trap that would lead to her untimely demise. There was no point in running. He had a sword. She had a fruit knife about as long as her pinky. The man pulled his sword out, and advanced again, and for the first time, Kinu wished the Shinsengumi had come to arrest her. Kinu pressed herself as far into the wood as she could and turned her head. Squinted at him. He was the worst cop ever. Going to murder her over something that she'd had no say in.

Takasugi moved closer to the girl, ready to catch her if she swung the knife. She didn't flinch. Just glared up at him. Held her breath as if that would glue him in place as well. She could have been scared, but her face didn't betray it, and if he had to say so himself, she was even challenging him.

Didn't run, didn't look away.

Why, only a couple dozen people had ever faced him head on without cowardice and this girl was one of the only ones without a proper weapon.

"What use do you have of guns? Why keep them?"

"I don't want them. Take them."

Glancing at the cabinet behind the girl, Takasugi paused. That had to be it. Unless the rest of the house was open, that was the only place. The girl stuck the knife out at him, nearly into his chest. A terrible defense, if he had to say so himself.

"If you're going to kill me, hurry up."

The single eye that had set on Kinu narrowed and the man thrust his sword at her. Her breath caught. He was too close for comfort; just over her as she gawked at him; his nose nearly brushing against hers. In her bubble. Shinpachi wouldn't even come so close to her. A slow, even smirk curled his mouth, and she realized that there was no pain. The only thing she felt was the pressure of her own wrist being pressed into her ribs to immobilize any attack she could fathom.

"I'm not going to kill you." It was only a murmur, but it was the loudest, smoothest sentence Kinu had ever heard. The air that stuck in her lungs finally escaped her as she peered up at the stranger. Her eyes broke away from him to the sword jutting out of the cabinet. A line of crimson crept down the blade and she turned, unable to care that she pressed her shoulder into him. Her palm soon followed as she made sense of the sight, and pushed the man out of her space. Attempted to show that he had stepped into forbidden territory, even if he had been a crazed murderer only a second ago, and still was, as far as she could tell.

Takasugi yanked his sword from the wood, and it was smeared red. He nudged the girl out of the way and snatched the door open, not surprised when a bald man collapsed onto the ground, dagger in hand. Drawing his blade to the man's face, Takasugi glared down at him. "He might."

The questions that swirled in Kinu's head were too many to voice or make sense of. There was a man in her closet? Why? She didn't remember putting a man there. Not that she had any to do such with. When did he get there? How did he get in?

"I- I wasn't gonna hurt her! I swear I was- I was just-"

"Roll over like a good dog." Takasugi didn't care to hear the begging, or the excuse. He'd seen the man break in. Knew he was in the shop and that this was the time to move in.

Kinu had dropped her weapon and moved behind him, choosing the stranger she'd seen over the stranger in her closet. A single phone call was all that was needed to have the man escorted out for further, private interrogation. Kinu initially expected the cops, but two more random people came instead. A woman and man to be exact.

Matako and Kawakami had done exactly as Takasugi said; staged outside and kept watch. Waited for his word.

When they finished and taken the man, still begging and struggling, from the shop, all that was left was a puddle of blood, and a shocked girl that hardly spoke. Unless she was being robbed, murdered, or otherwise accosted, that was.

Takasugi helped himself to a dish towel and wiped his sword off before sheathing it and tossing the towel into the sink.

"What about the box?"

Looking at the girl, he kneeled to examine the books on the floor. He just needed to confirm his suspicion. So far, so good. It was better to leave the shipment there and sell it without moving it himself. Not to bring it into public.

"Keep it a few more days. I'll come back... But until then, you're responsible for everything in it."

"But-"

"You'll do fine." Grasping the book the girl had been reading, Takasugi held it up. "This is a good one."

"I'm only a chapter in..."

Despite her previous panic, the girl took hold of the novel and gingerly accepted it. She glanced over the red cover and brushed her hand over it as Takasugi pushed the books on the floor around.

"You have interesting taste." One book was grasped and held up, "Do you mind?"

Shaking her head, Kinu frowned. Not only to the man, but to herself. He didn't seem bothered by stabbing and taking a possible thief or murderer from her shop, right in front of her. It was as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't thought he was robbing her and pulled a knife on him.

"I'll bring it back next time."

The man stood, and just as quickly as he had appeared, left.