PART II: Day One: First Appointment.
He breathed. He adjusted his kimono. Just in case.
He gazed at the knob. It was terrifying.
He shuddered a little. He smiled. Awkwardly.
He was trying to feel good.
Then he pushed the door open.
There was a dark, lanky figure leant on the opposite wall. Along with its smoke's shadow.
He took several steps forward.
"You're late." the person said.
Ah. first encounter, big mistake. The guy is a punctuality freak.
"...Urhm...I'm sorry." he bowed respectuously.
The figure sat down, graciously crossing its legs under the table.
Oh. Surely not the usual type.
He sat down too.
They stayed silent: the other smoking, he gazing anywhere but in front of him.
He coughed. The other blew smoke in the thick air.
He cleared his throat.
"Well...How are you doing?"
A narrow glare fixed him.
The person didn't look that friendly at all. Couldn't he just answer the question? He was making efforts here... to start a conversation...
"Urhm..."
"Hmph."
Silence.
"So...ahem...what do you do in life?"
"None of your concern..."
Wonderful. The guy is secretive too. Lets hope he isn't married.
"Ah...Well..." he paused. "Is it...your first time??"
"No." he took a last drag on his stick.
Oh Happiness! He isn't married.
"So...You mean you've done this before..."
The person glared at him.
"Are you an idiot?"
"Huh?"
"Then stop asking nonsense..."
Reminder to myself: he's got experience about those stuffs...
He lowered his head.
"Sorry..."
"Hmph. My former partners were total morons. The two of them."
"Ah. No luck..."
"Whatever. So, are you an idiot?"
Erhm...what is with the idiot thing?
"...Well... I don't know..." he said uncertain.
"Pitiful. People who ignore their value are worthless."
Big blue eyes widened.
"Uhm... but, you can't tell whether..."
"-Know your own value, then you can value people-. That is the Shinsengumi's third precept"
"Shinsengumi??..."
"Hmph."
"Could it be that you are..."
"Captain of the third division of the Shinsengumi. Hajime Saitou." he said, solemn.
He swallowed hardly.
How lucky he was to fall on that man: he was famous. A legend. Though he would have preferred the man was different from what people said.
Just a little different.
"Urhm...I...What was the first precept then?" he asked faking interest.
"Aku.Zoku.Zan."
He startled. There was such an strong aura emanating from the man. The way he uttered those words was enough to make him shiver with a terrible excitement.
More terrible than exciting.
"Ah..."
The man smirked at him as his golden eyes flared up.
Hum. Why was he feeling like a trapped little lamb?