Chapter 4: A Place To Stay
"Excuse me?"
Okita watched as confusion reflected in the dark blue eyes that stared back at him. The dark blue reminded him of the fabric that was neatly wrapped in his hands. "Oh, here!" he exclaimed as he tried to push the fabric into her arms. Noticing her reluctance, he cocked his head to one side as if waiting for a reply from the young woman.
"I'm very sorry but I cannot accept such an extravagant gift," Kaoru replied softly. "Why don't you keep it?"
"Frankly, I don't think the pattern would compliment my looks." Okita countered jokingly. "I think dark blue does not suit me at all."
"Not for yourself," Kaoru said as she stomped her foot, a little frustrated at the turn of events. "You could give it to your special someone. I don't deserve such fine gifts."
Okita's smile grew wider as he noticed the spark of life return to her eyes. "Would you mind if I escorted you home?" Noticing Kaoru peer around, he gave an embarrassed laugh. "Oh, I had sent them ahead. They were getting a little hungry and a hungry wolf is not a good thing." He grinned once again before he noticed Kaoru frowning in front of him. "Is there something wrong?"
Kaoru looked at him and then at the other people discreetly watching them. "Aa, you don't have to walk me home." She fidgeted with her tofu bucket and itched to grab her basket that the young man was blocking with his legs. "I can take care of myself." Besides, if she walked home with a Shinsengumi officer in tow, her father would be alert to what had happened at the market. Assuming that his silence meant that he agreed with her, she stepped around the man and bent down to pick up her basket. Unfortunately, Okita was faster than her and he easily scooped up the basket.
"But it would be dishonorable for me to let a lady walk through the streets unescorted," Okita persisted, still with a smile on his face. "Besides, there could be a lot of unsavory characters walking through the streets at this very moment. It would be negligent of me to let any harm befall you."
Kaoru opened her mouth to protest before Okita stepped back on the main street and looked both ways. "Let's see, which way is the direction to your home?" As he picked a random direction, Kaoru had no choice but to steer him the other way. There was no point in arguing with him and he did have her basket of vegetables, she resigned herself to his company. She held the tofu bucket and turned left in the direction of her home with Okita keeping close to her side. He cradled the basket in one arm and tucked the package in the inside of his gi. They walked in silence for a few minutes before each got lost in their own thoughts.
From the corner of her eye, she studied at her companion's profile. He was a little taller than her, short dark brown hair that was collected in a small samurai knot. His dark brown eyes crinkled at the edge as he seemed to be perpetually smiling at everything. The next thing she noticed was the blue and white uniform of the Shinsengumi and that where her thoughts seemed to get confused. How did this young man seemed to be involved with the Shinsengumi? How was it possible for a delicate looking man able to command the other men? Why did he help her back there with the fabric vendor? How was she ever going to repay him?
And why does he seem to have that infernal smile on his face?
On the other hand, the man in questioned was pondering several questions himself. First, what compelled him to step in on behalf of the young woman beside him? He was Shinsengumi and whether it was in Kyoto or Edo, he still had a duty to keep the peace among the citizens. Still, why did he pay for the fabric? It certainly cost him a fair amount of money but he rarely used the salary he received from the Shinsengumi, so why not buy something nice with it. He felt himself get a little angry as the memory of the sharp words that the woman had spoken about the young woman came to mind. She had no right to bring up the memory of the young woman's deceased mother.
He turned his head towards the sky as he cleared his mind of other thoughts. The sun had risen and it was probably half an hour past mid-day hour. He noticed last night that the sky had been clear although the stars that came were few. This morning, he had felt the dry dust come up from the ground and the wind blew a cooling breeze. He felt it this time in his bones, a storm was coming towards Edo. He was not aware that he had spoken this thought aloud and was startled when his companion repeated his statement.
"A storm is coming?" Kaoru asked as she looked up towards the heavens. She covered her eyes with her free hand as she tried to peer into the sky. "How can you tell?"
Okita turned his attention to her and smiled at her curiosity. He noticed how the wind blew a few strands of her hair out of her ponytail and into her face. They were crossing a narrow bridge and as the wind blew, a faint scent of jasmine filled his surroundings. Closing his eyes, he smiled as he let the fragrance settle around him. He opened his eyes and noted that she was still looking up at the sky. Hiding his smile, he replied to her question. "When you become more attuned to your senses, you can start to feel the spirit of everything around you. As a student of kenjitsu, you must always be aware of nature and how it will affect you as well as others."
Kaoru nodded slowly. The storms would bring in the rain and everything else with it - thunder and lightning. She shivered suddenly at the thought of the cold rain in combination with the other two. Her shoulders began to droop as she remembered how she hated the thunderstorms and the fact that it was going to rain on her birthday. She pouted momentarily, unaware that Okita was watching the play of emotions on her face as they stood on the bridge. Okita could read the hope, fear and then the disappointment and wondered briefly what was going through her mind at the moment.
Without warning, Kaoru asked him another question. "Do you and your men have a place to stay?"
Okita blinked back his surprise. "A place to stay?" he repeated as he frowned, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"To take refuge from the storm," Kaoru finished, a little exasperated that he seemed unable to understand what she was talking about. "If there is going to be a storm, then you would need a place to stay, right?" Kaoru's face brightened as Okita nod his head slowly. He suddenly got a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He noticed how every step they took, her face became brighter and her smile got a little wider. Subconsciously, he was also slowly recognizing the part of town he was in but for the moment it was eluding him.
Kaoru did not notice Okita's smile falter as they reached her home. Finally, she would have a way to show him her gratitude for helping her back at the marketplace. "If you like," Kaoru continued as she stopped in front of the compound. "You and your men could stay at the dojo. I'm sure there's plenty of room." As soon as she mentioned the name of the dojo, Okita's mind howled a resounding denial. He looked up, hoping that it was the wrong school or that he didn't hear her correctly, but the plaque on top of the entrance confirmed his earlier dread - Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo.
"Excuse me?"
Okita watched as confusion reflected in the dark blue eyes that stared back at him. The dark blue reminded him of the fabric that was neatly wrapped in his hands. "Oh, here!" he exclaimed as he tried to push the fabric into her arms. Noticing her reluctance, he cocked his head to one side as if waiting for a reply from the young woman.
"I'm very sorry but I cannot accept such an extravagant gift," Kaoru replied softly. "Why don't you keep it?"
"Frankly, I don't think the pattern would compliment my looks." Okita countered jokingly. "I think dark blue does not suit me at all."
"Not for yourself," Kaoru said as she stomped her foot, a little frustrated at the turn of events. "You could give it to your special someone. I don't deserve such fine gifts."
Okita's smile grew wider as he noticed the spark of life return to her eyes. "Would you mind if I escorted you home?" Noticing Kaoru peer around, he gave an embarrassed laugh. "Oh, I had sent them ahead. They were getting a little hungry and a hungry wolf is not a good thing." He grinned once again before he noticed Kaoru frowning in front of him. "Is there something wrong?"
Kaoru looked at him and then at the other people discreetly watching them. "Aa, you don't have to walk me home." She fidgeted with her tofu bucket and itched to grab her basket that the young man was blocking with his legs. "I can take care of myself." Besides, if she walked home with a Shinsengumi officer in tow, her father would be alert to what had happened at the market. Assuming that his silence meant that he agreed with her, she stepped around the man and bent down to pick up her basket. Unfortunately, Okita was faster than her and he easily scooped up the basket.
"But it would be dishonorable for me to let a lady walk through the streets unescorted," Okita persisted, still with a smile on his face. "Besides, there could be a lot of unsavory characters walking through the streets at this very moment. It would be negligent of me to let any harm befall you."
Kaoru opened her mouth to protest before Okita stepped back on the main street and looked both ways. "Let's see, which way is the direction to your home?" As he picked a random direction, Kaoru had no choice but to steer him the other way. There was no point in arguing with him and he did have her basket of vegetables, she resigned herself to his company. She held the tofu bucket and turned left in the direction of her home with Okita keeping close to her side. He cradled the basket in one arm and tucked the package in the inside of his gi. They walked in silence for a few minutes before each got lost in their own thoughts.
From the corner of her eye, she studied at her companion's profile. He was a little taller than her, short dark brown hair that was collected in a small samurai knot. His dark brown eyes crinkled at the edge as he seemed to be perpetually smiling at everything. The next thing she noticed was the blue and white uniform of the Shinsengumi and that where her thoughts seemed to get confused. How did this young man seemed to be involved with the Shinsengumi? How was it possible for a delicate looking man able to command the other men? Why did he help her back there with the fabric vendor? How was she ever going to repay him?
And why does he seem to have that infernal smile on his face?
On the other hand, the man in questioned was pondering several questions himself. First, what compelled him to step in on behalf of the young woman beside him? He was Shinsengumi and whether it was in Kyoto or Edo, he still had a duty to keep the peace among the citizens. Still, why did he pay for the fabric? It certainly cost him a fair amount of money but he rarely used the salary he received from the Shinsengumi, so why not buy something nice with it. He felt himself get a little angry as the memory of the sharp words that the woman had spoken about the young woman came to mind. She had no right to bring up the memory of the young woman's deceased mother.
He turned his head towards the sky as he cleared his mind of other thoughts. The sun had risen and it was probably half an hour past mid-day hour. He noticed last night that the sky had been clear although the stars that came were few. This morning, he had felt the dry dust come up from the ground and the wind blew a cooling breeze. He felt it this time in his bones, a storm was coming towards Edo. He was not aware that he had spoken this thought aloud and was startled when his companion repeated his statement.
"A storm is coming?" Kaoru asked as she looked up towards the heavens. She covered her eyes with her free hand as she tried to peer into the sky. "How can you tell?"
Okita turned his attention to her and smiled at her curiosity. He noticed how the wind blew a few strands of her hair out of her ponytail and into her face. They were crossing a narrow bridge and as the wind blew, a faint scent of jasmine filled his surroundings. Closing his eyes, he smiled as he let the fragrance settle around him. He opened his eyes and noted that she was still looking up at the sky. Hiding his smile, he replied to her question. "When you become more attuned to your senses, you can start to feel the spirit of everything around you. As a student of kenjitsu, you must always be aware of nature and how it will affect you as well as others."
Kaoru nodded slowly. The storms would bring in the rain and everything else with it - thunder and lightning. She shivered suddenly at the thought of the cold rain in combination with the other two. Her shoulders began to droop as she remembered how she hated the thunderstorms and the fact that it was going to rain on her birthday. She pouted momentarily, unaware that Okita was watching the play of emotions on her face as they stood on the bridge. Okita could read the hope, fear and then the disappointment and wondered briefly what was going through her mind at the moment.
Without warning, Kaoru asked him another question. "Do you and your men have a place to stay?"
Okita blinked back his surprise. "A place to stay?" he repeated as he frowned, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"To take refuge from the storm," Kaoru finished, a little exasperated that he seemed unable to understand what she was talking about. "If there is going to be a storm, then you would need a place to stay, right?" Kaoru's face brightened as Okita nod his head slowly. He suddenly got a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He noticed how every step they took, her face became brighter and her smile got a little wider. Subconsciously, he was also slowly recognizing the part of town he was in but for the moment it was eluding him.
Kaoru did not notice Okita's smile falter as they reached her home. Finally, she would have a way to show him her gratitude for helping her back at the marketplace. "If you like," Kaoru continued as she stopped in front of the compound. "You and your men could stay at the dojo. I'm sure there's plenty of room." As soon as she mentioned the name of the dojo, Okita's mind howled a resounding denial. He looked up, hoping that it was the wrong school or that he didn't hear her correctly, but the plaque on top of the entrance confirmed his earlier dread - Kamiya Kasshin Ryu dojo.
