I own nothing but my OC.

Chapter 4: In Capable Hands

GONNNG~

The girls could hear a temple bell ringing as the white paper of the doors and windows of their room began to glow a pale red, indicating that the sun was setting. They had been left to stew in there all day, but at least it had given them more than enough time to untie each other's wrists from the remaining ropes.

"We're losing the light." Sumiko whispered. "If we're going to make a move, we should decide what it is and do it soon. What do you want to do?"

"If we keep waiting here, we'll surely be killed." Chizuru whispered thoughtfully. "They took my sword… Those men will surely prioritize the Shinsengumi's convenience over ours."

"I think so, too." Sumiko admitted grimly.

"We have to run away." Chizuru said resolutely.

"Right." Sumiko agreed, nodding. They carefully slid the door open as quietly as possible and checked both directions before silently tip-toeing out of the room. They stopped when they reached the corner and cautiously peeked around the edge to make sure no one was headed their way.

"!" They both yelped in surprise when they felt themselves being yanked up into the air by the back of their kimono collars. Hijikata had them both by the scruffs of their necks, one in each hand.

"Idiots, did you think you could run away?" He asked sternly.

"Well, it was worth a try." Sumiko said glumly.

"Please let us go!" Chizuru pleaded.

"I'll kill you if you run away. I think I told you that last night." He reminded them.

"If we don't escape you'll kill us anyway, won't you?" Sumiko asked pointedly as both girls started to struggle to get away. "I've never once begged for my life before, and I don't intend to start now!"

"I can't die yet!" Chizuru cried anxiously. "There are still things that I must do…" She trailed off as, much to their surprise, Hijikata gently set both of them back down on their feet.

"Eh?" They said, turning around to stare at him with furrowed brows, confused.

"If you have reasons strong enough to risk your life, try speaking about them." He said. "I'll hear you out."

—∞—

"My name is Yukimura Chizuru, and this is my friend, Miyagawa Sumiko. She is also my father's apprentice." Chizuru said once they were all gathered again in the same room they had been questioned in earlier. "It was about six months ago…"

««Flashback««

The cicadas were humming in the summer heat. Yukimura Koudou stood on the porch of his home and business, watching as the paper tail of the wind-chime fluttered in the breeze, while Chizuru and Sumiko cleaned up after the last client.

~TING~

"Chizuru, Sumiko…" He said, getting their attention. "To tell the truth, today I'll be going to the capital for awhile."

"Work again?" Chizuru asked.

"Mmn." He said, nodding.

"How long will it be?" Sumiko asked. "Will you need help?"

"I don't know." He said, bowing his head slightly. "It could be one month. It could be two. I'd appreciate it if you stayed here with Chizuru while I'm gone."

"I understand." She said with a wan smile.

"I see…" Chizuru said, looking a little down, but then she smiled slightly and raised her head. "Take care, Father." She said, putting on a cheerful face for him. "The capital isn't exactly safe."

"Yes, please, be careful." Sumiko said.

"Don't worry." Koudou said, smiling as he glanced back at them. "I'll send a letter anytime I can while I'm in Kyoto."

"Okay. It's a promise." Chizuru said, smiling.

"If you have any trouble, go to Matsumoto-sensei. He should be able to help you."

««Flashback««

"My father sent me letters as he promised. I received letters almost everyday, faster than I could reply. And yet, suddenly word from my father ceased, and a month passed. Matsumoto-sensei was away as well. I couldn't stand it any longer, so Sumiko-san came with me to the capital, but… I didn't know where my father was. We couldn't find any clue of his whereabouts. Then, in the middle of our trip, we were attacked by those rebels." Chizuru finished explaining solemnly while Sumiko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I see. You and your friend came from faraway Edo in search of your father…" Kondo said sympathetically.

"So, that's why a couple of young girls like you were wearing men's clothes." Hijikata said.

"I see…" Kondo said thoughtfully, nodding his head. "What!?" He started abruptly as his eyes widened in realization. "Girls?"

"You're girls!?" Shinpachi shouted incredulously.

"It can't be!" Heisuke exclaimed.

"Mmnh… I, Kondo Isami, have commited a grave blunder!…" Kondo scolded himself, face-palming. "I never dreamed you were girls!"

"I though it was obvious." Okita replied carelessly.

"Yeah, but still… you got no proof, right?" Shinpachi asked.

"What do you mean 'proof'?" Chizuru asked.

"Then how about we have them strip?" Sano suggested with a laugh.

"Eh!?" Chizuru gasped in alarm.

"Try it, and I'll kick your teeth in." Sumiko said darkly, narrowing her eyes.

"No! I won't allow it!" Kondo shouted earnestly on behalf of the girls. "That is absolutely forbidden!"

"Calm down, please." San'nan said calmly.

"But, this is…" Kondo said.

"You said your name is Yukimura Chizuru?" San'nan asked, glancing at Chizuru. "Could your father perhaps be Yukimura Koudou, practitioner of Western medicine?"

"Do you know my father?" Chizuru asked as both girls suddenly perked up. Hijikata frowned and furrowed his brow, as though he hadn't liked what he just heard.

"So, she's Koudou-san's daughter? Does that mean your mentor is also Koudou-san?" Kondo asked Sumiko.

"Yes, I suppose you can say that..." Sumiko replied, nodding, as she furrowed her brow slightly in confusion at Hijikata's reaction. "Can you tell us if you know where Sensei is?"

"All right, you two, how much do you know?" Hijikata demanded abruptly.

"How much?" Chizuru asked, furrowing her brow, too, as she glanced at him.

"About what?" Sumiko asked, wondering why he suddenly seemed so upset.

"Don't play dumb." He said sternly. "Not about Koudo-san."

"What do you mean? Has something happened to my father?" Chizuru asked anxiously.

"Is he alright?" Sumiko asked, concerned. "If you know something, please tell us."

"About a month ago, there was a fire at the clinic at which Koudou-san worked." Saito said. "He has been missing ever since."

"Eh!?" Chizuru cried.

"What do you mean, 'missing'?" Sumiko asked, furrowing her brow. "How?"

"The fire was suspicious, but no body was found in the aftermath." San'nan said. "However, it's possible he was involved in some sort of incident."

"We're in the process of tracking Koudou-san's whereabouts ourselves." Hijikata said. "If you forget all about the events of last night, you can stay under our protection until we find Koudou-san.

"Huh?" Chizuru said, sharing a surprised look with Sumiko.

"Don't worry. We're going to track down Koudou-san for sure." Kondo reassured them, smiling.

"Th-Thank you very much!" Chizuru said gratefully as Sumiko bowed humbly to show their gratitude.

"Good thing you didn't have to die, huh?" Okita asked with a Cheshire cat smile. "For now, that is."

"Uh, yes." Chizuru said, nodding.

"Ever the optimist, eh, Okita-san?" Sumiko deadpanned.

"Well, if you're girls, we've gotta to start treating you better, huh?" Shinpachi said, grinning.

"Shinpatsu-san, you're a sucker for women, aren't you?" Heisuke asked. "But this change of heart is too fast."

"Where's the harm?" Sano asked. "If this will add a little glamour to headquarters, Shinpachi won't be the only one whoopin' it up, I bet."

"Still, as we are warriors, handling them will be difficult." San'nan said. "We must give some thought as to how we're going to treat them.

"Then why don't we make them somebody's servants?" Hijikata said. "Kondo-san's or San'nan-san's."

"No way, Hijikata-san." Okita said. "As the man with the idea, responsibility should fall to you."

"Ah." Hijikata said, looking slightly taken aback and somewhat displeased by this turn of events.

"Yeah. They'll be safe by your side, Toshi." Kondo said brightly, causing Hijikata to glance at him.

"It's decided, Hijikata-kun. Do your best to take care of them, will you?" San'nan said with a smile.

"That's our vice-commander, all right!" Sano jeered. "So dependable!"

"All right, thank goodness for that!" Kondo said, relieved to have the matter settled.

"Y-You bastards…" Hijikata muttered darkly, looking extremely putout.

"Haha! I said something good, didn't I?" Okita said, looking rather pleased with himself for having succeeded in putting the vice-commander so far out of his comfort zone.

'What's going to happen to us?' Chizuru thought.

'Are really going to be okay here?' Sumiko wondered as they exchanged a troubled look with each other.

—∞—

Hijikata drew his brush across the ink stone on his desk and added a new line of kanji to the composition that he was working on by lantern light.

"What do you think?" He asked the others in the room without looking up.

"About what? Those girls?" Okita asked.

"Yeah."

"They're cute, right? I don't exactly hate them myself. The taller one is pretty feisty."

"That's not the issue here." Hijikata said as he continued to write. "They come to the capital in search of Koudou-san, and that same day they encounter our soldiers. For coincidence, it's a little too convenient, isn't it?"

"You're saying they were attacked hoping to find out more about the Shinsengumi?"

"No way. I don't think they could pull off a performance like that." Okita said. "And only an idiot or someone truly desperate would charge one of them while armed with just a paper umbrella."

Hijikata made no reply. He simply stared down at the paper on his desk with furrowed brow, pondering the fate and motives that brought about their arrival here in headquarters. He hoped for the girl's sake nothing more sinister was at work.