FIRST! I don't own Rurouni Kenshin nor Saitou Hajime (although I
wish)... RK is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki.
It's time for me to
write again! Yey! This time, it'll be a fic about Saitou's life
before Kyoto and the Shinsengumi. This will be a romanticized tale of
what he was before joining the Shinsengumi and why he left Tokyo
(Edo). There will be times when Saitou will be OOC, I intend to keep
most of his personality just twisting it now and then. But the OOC
will be very apparent when it comes to his fighting abilities, I
don't think Saitou became a great swordsman overnight. Agree? :O)
Oh
by the way as most of the readers know.. In this fic both Saitou's
parents are already dead. In case you wanted to know what their names
are. It's Yusuke Yamaguchi and Masu Yamaguchi.
Okay here comes
some of the Shinsengumi members.. Note this is not the Shinsengumi, I
think the Shinsengumi was formed after this group led by Kondou-san
left Tama for Kyoto.
italics - denotes thoughts
asterisks
- denotes sound/thoughts/misc
"Hmm... With your money and mine combined, we could probably afford lodging and food for about 2-3 weeks..." Midori frowned and looked at Saitou.
"Hey... I said that we won't last long here in Tama if we go on like this." She said louder slightly annoyed at the young man.
Saitou leaned himself on the wall and started to light a cigarette. "I wasn't planning on renting."
"So?"
"Well... That is part of the reason why I am planning to join that dojo." He blew a smoke towards the window. "That's also why I told you to go home."
"WHY YOU!" Midori face contorted as she stood up and was about to hit Saitou with a pillow.
"Calm down. I don't mean anything by it. I can't support myself nor can I support you, even if I want to." He turned to her and took the pillow from her hands and sat it down on the floor. "Since you're here already and it doesn't seem you have any plans of going back, I guess I have no choice."
"No choice in what?" she asked suspiciously.
"No choice but to lie to those people so that I'll get admitted." He turned his angular face towards her, his eyes searching her face.
"I don't want you to do that."
"Nor do I."
There were silence between them. The girl debating whether to leave and the young man wondering if he could lie to himself. They stood away from each other for about an hour contemplating. Not really knowing what to do until....
"Hajime..."
"Hai?"
"I'm sorry I'm just going back to Edo then." She hated to admit it but she was being a "baggage" to Saitou.
"I'm not sure if you should." He did not look at her but continued to hang his head towards the floor.
"No I think I should go. I just wish..." He turned his attention to her, waiting for Midori to finish.
"Well I know you can take care of yourself. For a baka like you are, I know you can pull off anything. But I was talking with that boy earlier, although he seems to be just hanging around there, the people there seems to have a definite and concise purpose. I wish you did too."
"What makes you think I don't?" he tried to hide his annoyance but failed.
"You told me once, you have no dreams." She said sadly. "What did you tell them?"
He sighed she always seemed to be right. Why did she always made remarks that hits the right spot?
"I told them I wanted to become strong." He looked away.
"To be strong for what? Is it for survival again?" She said it quietly hoping to mask that she hated this side of him.
"Well that...." He took a long drag at his cigarette, wondering why he suddenly became uncomfortable.
Midori came to his side and touched his arm. To her relief he did not withdraw it.
"Tell me. What did you plan to tell them?" She felt his muscle stiffen at the question.
"To protect Japan. To become strong to protect Japan." He turned to her now his amber eyes blazing in annoyance.
"You don't seem happy about that."
"I could care less at what happens to this country." He said coldly.
"I'm so sad you feel that way." She moved away from him and seated herself at a rattan chair.
"You know. The times have changed. Japan is no longer a country of peace, where people can walk the streets and feel safe. I don't know much and I can only speak from my experience.... But I've never told you, have I? Why I write music?"
She glanced at him. He has his back turned towards her now.
"I write music because it's the only thing I can do well enough to make people forget these troubled times. Before I knew you, I used to play at festivals and sometimes schools, just so people could be pre-occupied and not think of something stupid. When I performed, I knew that as I kept my audience captive, for that brief moment they forget their troubles and I prevent troublemakers from going about their business. In a way, I felt like I was protecting my loved ones and indirectly helping those who I did not know. As I did all this I also thought I was helping myself."
She glanced at him again. He was just standing there not moving.
"I love this country. I grew up here and the people that I love live here. I would do anything to protect the life I have come to know and love. If I didn't know you or if I had met you as a thug on the street, I probably would not be disappointed with what you said. But I have come to respect you and maybe a bit more than just that.." she glanced at him briefly wondering if he was listening, "That is why it's incomprehensible to me how you could treat everything with indifference. I'm disappointed."
She had no luggage just a small purse and a small knife that she took with her as she quietly left the room.
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"Kyoda-san. This is simply unacceptable!" a man in his mid-fourties was pacing back and forth the Nisan's family room.
"Kaneda-san, please understand. My daughter is just going through some confusing times right now. She will come back, I assure you." Nisan Kyoda kept his head bowed at the statesman before him.
"Kyoda... You know that we have announced of their engagement already." He stopped his pacing. "I also took the liberty to announce their wedding in three months."
"Kaneda-san, don't you think you should've asked me first?" Kyoda faced the tall man.
"I have asked my father to announce it. I was eager to marry her and was going to tell her about it, had it not been for that wretched Saitou Hajime!" Akio was still enraged even after several days.
Kyoda looked at the young man sitting on the futon. "Why didn't you tell me this?"
"Why should I? Everything was supposed to be fine right?" he sneered at his elder.
"That's right! Kyoda! You are bringing disgrace to my family." Kaneda pointed at the frail man. "Make sure she comes back before then or else I will have your belongings confiscated and you tried in court."
Kyoda's eyes shot a bewildered look at Kaneda. Not in a million years did he think that Kaneda would blackmail him. He was wrong. He did not realize what kind of man Kaneda was. He regretted ever pairing Midori with Akio. Somehow his daughter instinctively knew but he was blinded by the prestige and the money that he failed to notice, the father and son's annoying demeanor.
In a very reluctant voice he said "She will come back. Once we find her I will convince her. Suma nai (Sorry) for all the trouble." He bowed his head in resignation.
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Saitou Hajime had a hard time sleeping that night. His thoughts were continuously being invaded about the pending meeting with Kondo and Hijikata tomorrow. But what worried him more was that Midori was walking back to Edo alone. She had left all the money at the table earlier, so he was sure she was not able to take a carriage at least. If she was able to then maybe he wouldn't worry as much.
How many hours has it been?
He looked at the moon, it wasn't midway through the horizon yet. He figured it was probably around three hours or so since she left.
Ahou!
He tossed again and closed his eyes, trying to desperately get some sleep.
I would do anything to protect the life I have come to know and love....
He tossed again.
I'm disappointed in you.
He got up from bed and started smoking. You can't possibly expect me to change. You and I, Midori, our experiences are different. We never were the same.
He looked at the moon again... Probably less than three hours since she left... Kuso!
He threw the half-smoked cigarette out the window and hurriedly left.
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Baka Midori! Baka! Baka! Baka! She kept reprimanding herself for not taking at least some money for a carriage.
She had always been a slow walker and how was she regretting it now. She had just barely got out of the district of Tama and was not even half-way close to Edo. She also reprimanded herself as to not taking note of the time. It had grown dark and she didn't realize it would catch her on her way to Edo.
As the darkness grew, she instinctively took out the small dagger she had and kept it close. No one was on the road anymore, though she wished a passerby with a horse would come by and give her a ride. It's simply to nerve wracking to walk desolate roads alone at night.
"Baka! Baka! Baka!"
"We think so too."
Midori spun around at the unknown voices. Two men were grinning at her.
Thugs. I was just talking about thugs a couple of hours ago...
She laughed nervously hoping the men would just let her by... "Ah yes I'm such a baka I forgot to take a carriage. It's getting late.. I hope you two gentlemen have a good time to where you are going... I'll be going along now.." She laughed again nervously and started to walk briskly away.
One of the men grabbed her arm... "Yare yare... Don't go so soon. If you do, how are we going to have a good time?"
"Let go of me!" She kicked the man in the groin and proceeded to run.
"Damn you! Let's get her!" They started running after her slowly gaining.
Shimatta... I've got to run where there are more people... She turned and head right where she came from, back to Tama.TO REVIEWERS:
Ooka-chan: Hmm... You like to see him happy? Well this fic isn't
really going to be nice to him... But there'll be times wherein
he's happy... I hope you continue to read eventhough you
already know the ending... :O)
MissBehavin: Thanks! Thanks!
Compliments means a lot, especially when it comes from a favorite
author of mine. :O) He'll figure it out... Soon... Maybe next
chapter... Yeah I'm growing to like Okita too so I might use
him more in this fic....