Disclaimer: I DO NOT own PMK or RK.

Stats report. The round up of Career week. May consider doing a sequel if time & my Muse allow.

Stats Report

Monday. Matsuya sensei stared at his class of third-years after returning from his week-long vacation. He spotted the empty chair where the Kitamura boy sat. Ah, now he knows which lad volunteered for the Shinsengumi gig. Someone had stuck a get well soon bouquet on his desk. Wait! There was one other empty chair. The Ichimura boy must be late again.

Sure enough, halfway through Hana's report on her experiences as an assistant florist, Tetsu staggered in with a look that clearly declared that he had a hangover. The class broke out into laughter as he sat down and missed his chair, winding up rubbing his behind on the floor.

"Ichimura! What were you doing last night?" Matsuya roared over the hoots from the class.

"Knocking back a few drinks with my Shinsengumi chums," Tetsu pulled himself into his seat. The boy's under-aged! How typical of the Shinsengumi to lead him astray… If Ichimura's the Shinsengumi boy, what happened to Kitamura?

Kyoto hospital. Suzu is lying on his bed with a broken leg. Master Yoshida's here. Suzu tried to sit up in his bed. "Tell me how the hell you fell out the fourth-floor window of the school." The man ruffled the boy's hair. "Sorry, Master… I was trying to clean your window."

"Leave that to the janitor, boy. How's your leg?"

"Fine, Master," Suzu decided to press on. "It's my niichan, right? You were yelling his name when you brought me in…" The elder Kitamura brother had been Yoshida's student when he was alive. He died after getting caught in the crossfire between two street-gangs. So Yoshida told him. Of course there were rumors that his niichan was a small-time drug-dealer…

"Suzu?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Just get some rest, boy." A stranger came in.

"Yoshida-san?" Sagara the social worker asked. Yoshida nodded. "We've received reports of suspected child abuse. The social services will be taking your charge, Kitamura Suzu, under our care…" Sagara added. Suzu's eyes widened with panic.

"NO!" He clung onto Yoshida. Please don't make me leave him…Yoshida raised an eyebrow.

Okita's house. Okita sat with his hand in the pond. He giggled as the fish nuzzled his fingers. It tickled. He should be suffering from a hangover from his night out. Tatsu was furious when they brought Tetsu-kun home dead drunk. The Trio had promised Tatsu it will only be a harmless night of karaoke singing at the Sakura Pavilion. Then they went back on it by giving Tetsu his first taste of sake.

"Souji?" Hijitaka walked up to him from behind. "Thanks for the medicine, Toshi, I feel loads better."

"It's an old family remedy." Toshi was smoking a cigarette. After taking Tetsu home, they re-joined the others at the Pavilion. He had spent the night at Okita's again after being too drunk to ride his scooter home. Akesato-san gave their cab driver Okita's address. They expected the Trio to fare worse.

"Someone asked Kondo-san not to let me go undercover. Toshi, did you know anything of this?" Okita's tone was accusing. Hijitaka nodded. "Souji, I'm afraid…"

"Don't, I'm not the nine-year-old schoolboy you took home to his sister after he wandered off at the temple festival."

"You still remember that?" Hijitaka asked in surprise. "Of course, I forgive you this time, Toshi…but next time…" Okita stood up and faced Hijitaka squarely. Then he broke into a smile.

"How about pancakes?" To Hijitaka's surprise, Okita gave him a chaste peck on the cheek before scampering indoors. Hijitaka shrugged. The boy's incorrigible.

"An F!!! Matsuya-sensei gave me an F!!!" Tetsu wailed as he crumpled up his career week report. They were in the school canteen. Across the table from him, Saya giggled. Matsuya-sensei refused to believe that part about him tackling a sword-wielding maniac and an army of ninjas and failed him. The boy has an overactive imagination. Poor Tetsu-kun…

(END)

Author's note:

Sakura-Shinguji: I am considering a sequel at a mountain resort where Souji's going undercover, the Shinsengumi annual vacation destination and Tetsu-kun's school outing? I need to refine it.I also like the modern Souji.

Sequel may be in the works. Thank you for putting up with me & my poor ficcie. Thanks for the reviews.