Matters of the Heart pt. 2 Race's End and A New Beginning
A rather short young man with red hair and freckles stood at the starting line stretching his legs grinning.

"That okawa rice and that date is as good as mine!" he cried his already big grin growing. "I'll pick you up at six, Megumi-chan!"

"Not if I get it first Shinpachi!" a tall gruff man replied patting Shinpachi's head.

"No way! It's as good as mine Harada!" Shinpachi cried. "And no one else can have it!"
"Oh come on Nagakura," another man with brown hair said walking up to the duo. "We all want

a chance for that rice and that date."
Shinpachi Nagakura grinned.
"Well," he began. "You'll both have to beat me for it!"
"Or me!" an even shorter redhead added as he strutted up proudly to the starting line.
"Oh no you don't, Tetsunosuke!" screamed a man with short hair as he dragged him away. "You'll get hurt, and that woman is much too old for you!"
"Tatsu!" Tetsunosuke protested. "You're no fun!"
Tatsunosuke rolled his eyes and continued dragging him away. Nagakura chuckled.
"There goes some of the competition," he muttered grinning.
"Not like he was any competition to begin with," Harada said sarcastically.
"Aw the poor puppy," said the third joker grinning.
"Aw man!" Nagakura cried. "You're racing too, Todou?"

Smiling, Todou nodded. Nagakura sighed. Oh well, he thought. I can still win! Then, Yamanami walked up smiling."WHAT?" Nagakura screamed. "You too, Yamanami?"
The older man nodded adjusting his glasses.
"Yes," he began. "But there's a rule this time forbidding the use of abacuses to win."
"Good," Nagakura and the other jokers agreed.
"Now, now," a familiar chipper voice intruded. "Can't we all just have some fun?"
"OKITA?" Nagakura cried again as the others' eyes grew wide. "I thought Hijikata didn't

want you doing these things!"
Okita smiled.
"Well, it's only for today," he said smiling. "Plus, it looks so fun!"
He cast a glance at Megumi standing on the covered wooden walkway. He smiled.
"READY..." Kondo began holding up the toy gun in the air.
"Ganbatte, minna-san!" Megumi cried excitedly.
"GO!" Kondo yelled a jolly grin on his face as the gun fired with a loud bang.
The runners took off racing. Okita started skipping. (Author's note: don't know why, but my

r.p. partner just made him that way. -.-) Instantly, Nagakura raced forward running as hard as he could.

Harada easily caught up with him.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, Shinpachi!" He teased.

Nagakura grinned and ran ahead as Harada continued pumping his legs. Then, while Nagakura ran out alone on the stretch of road passing the rice patties, he spotted what seemed to be a flittering white spot beside him out of the corner of his eye. He turned.

"OKITA!" he cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"I'm skipping!" he replied smiling. "It's fun!"

"Get serious will you!" Nagakura screeched.

"Okay," Okita replied smiling as he suddenly burst into a run racing ahead of him in an instant.

Must be fast from chasing after his pig. Harada thought watching the scene just ahead. Nagakura pumped his legs even harder. Slowly, he pulled ahead of Okita too. Then, a strange figure with dark blue hair and deep dark blue eyes jumped out of the bushes and ran beside him matching him pace for pace. Nagakura's eyes went wide.

"Hey buddy!" the stranger started. "You know where to find food around here?"

"Yea!" he replied. "At the cafeteria of this place!"

The stranger grinned and zipped ahead of him eager to find the Shinsengumi's cafeteria. As he ran, Nagakura's jaw dropped.

"Hey! We're passing you!" Todou said as he, Harada, and Okita suddenly seemed to pop out of nowhere running ahead.

Nagakura glared racing ahead of them and the stranger.

"When pigs fly!" he cried seeing the finish line within his view. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THE RICE AND THE DATE ARE AS GOOD AS MINE!"

"OOIINNKK!" a small pig cried suddenly flying over him and the others.

"WHAT!" Nagakura cried. "SAIZOU! I'm gonna kill you!"

"Aw," Okita pouted running past him. "He just wanted to have some fun like the rest of us!"

Nagakura twitched and continued trying in vain to beat the small pink pig.

"Get back here, Saizou!" he screamed pumping his short legs as hard as he could. "I'm gonna eat you!"

Megumi watched at the finishing line giggling. She scooped the small pink pig as it raced across. Well, she thought. You may be not my first choice winner, but you're better than some of the others... Slowly standing, she found a pair of wooden sandals trailing just behind him. She looked up and smiled and walked off. Okita smiled a small quietly disappointed smile back. The stranger walked past.

"WE HAVE A WINNER!" Kondo cried grinning as Ayumu presented Okita's pig with a large plate of her okawa rice. "SAIZOU!"

Nagakura threw a tantrum.

Saizou dived into the plate and started scarfing down his food. The stranger watched and collapsed to the ground groaning in hunger.

"Oh Saizou-chan you're so cute!" Megumi and Ayumu cooed as they petted and tickled his ears.

"That was suppose to be me..." Nagakura whined.

"Or me..." Todou pouted.

"Mmeee," Harada sniffed.

"Oh my!" Ayumu cried rushing over to the fallen stranger. "Daijoubu!"

"Hungry..." the stranger groaned.

"Well.." Ayumu began. "I've got food in the kitchen.. As long as you don't mind some leftovers.."

The stranger looked up and grinned.

"Of course I wouldn't mind!" he replied. "As long as it's made by a beauty such as you!"

Ayumu blushed giggling.

"Well, aren't you a charmer!" she teased. "Come with me. I'll find you something to eat."

"OKITA! I'M GONNA KILL YOUR PIG!" he screamed.

Okita continued smiling.

Megumi smiled lifting Saizou up in her arms and taking his plate along as she walked.

"Come, Saizou," She said smiling. "I'll take you to my room where I shall entertain you for a few good hours."

"Be nice to my piggy!" he cried smiling as he sweat-dropped.

"Oh I will," she replied walking off her hips swaying lightly as she did so.

The evening sky turned a cool rainbow of reds, oranges, and dark blues starting a quiet night at the Shinsengumi Headquarters. Quietly, a screen door opened letting out a round, bloated pig rolling onto the walkway. Megumi giggled picking him up in her arms.

"I guess I better take you back to your master," she said walking down towards Okita's room.

Quietly, she knocked on the door. A smile on her face lit up as Okita stepped outside smiling and oddly brighter smile than usual.

"Saizou," he grinned. "You're chubby!"

"Heheh," she began smiling shyly. "Apparently, he likes my cooking."

"I bet anyone would," he replied his eyes locking onto hers. ".. Could I invite you in for some tea?"

She blushed feeling a pleasant constriction in her chest only to have her smile slightly fading.

"No..." she replied smiling a small smile. "I've.. Got other.. Obligations tonight."

Okita nodded sighing inwardly. An awkward silence fell over them.

"Well..." she began longingly. "I'll.. See you.. Sometime?"

Okita nodded again smiling.

"Hai," he replied.

"Ja," she greeted smiling.

"Ja," he replied watching her walk off back to her room.

He blushed as his eyes followed the slight sway of her hips. Quickly rushing into her room and grabbing a small pack filled with hair ornaments and a folded kimono, she slipped out quietly and started to make her way to the red-light district of Shimabara. Then, the Jokers walked up.

"Hey, Okita!" Nagakura called out. "We're going to Shimabara.. Wanna come?"

Okita turned to them smiling.

"Well," he began smiling wider. "Normally, I would object, but this time, I won't."

"All right, Okita!" Nagakura cheered.

"He's finally in the mood!" Harada cried grinning.

"Nice," Todou grinned.

The girls of Shimabara shuffled around the tatami rooms serving sake filling the district with the sounds of singing, music, and the soft drone of flirting conversations. Okita and the Jokers drank their fill eagerly. A figure heavy with her black, gold, and red kimono shuffled down the hall stopping and kneeling as she came to a sliding screen door. Slowly, she slid the door open and suddenly let out a loud gasp.

Okita, Harada, Todou, and Nagakura turned going wide eyed. Okita blushed, and it wasn't from the alcohol.