Kondou-san returned at last shortly after and everyone was relieved about it. His shoulder injury had perfectly healed and he was ready to lead the Shinsengumi again. We were supposed to have a meeting about it in the afternoon after he rested a bit from his trip, and we took the opportunity to get out. In our room, Chizuru and Haruhi were finishing packing the kid's stuff for our departure to the Matsumoto clinic where Chizuru would get her vials and Haruhi would be hosted.
« Can I take this one ? » she asked Chizuru, showing her one of the hairpins that she had been offered by Kazama.
« Yeah, take all the ones you like ! » She smiled genuinely « If your father agrees » she added, turning to me « I will not wear them again anyway, I prefer the others. »
I gave permission to Haruhi. I didn't care if she wanted to wear Kazama's hairpins. They were indeed very pretty but I didn't like the idea of Chizuru wearing them. It felt to me like a brand on her, a brand that had nothing to do here.
Still I was confused why Haruhi cared about these hairpins all of the sudden. She had been making her usual long ponytail for days and now, she wanted to put hairpins in her hair. Girls, I guess...
« I'll wait downstairs for you to be ready. » I said to both of them.
I got down the stairs and took a warm tea, looking out the window. The little buds were showing on the trees. Soon, spring would be here, flowery and colorful.
Chizuru joined me shortly after with her striped kimono and her hair in a braid. Haruhi was following her with her bag, in a furisode with very long sleeves made with the Kazama princess kimono. It was just as Chizuru wanted to make it, black with the golden pattern on the lower part and on the sleeves, a miniature version of hers but this one without kamon. The kid's hair was arranged in a bun with two hairpins and she was carrying her wakizashi in her hand. It wasn't really practical to have it in her large pink girl obi.
« Why aren't you wearing your training kimonos ? » I asked her, confused.
« I wanted to change. » she said, blushing red and sulking.
« It'll be more...Umph ! »
Pragmatic.
Chizuru had landed her elbow on my side, making me stop my sentence halfway.
« Let her be pretty if she wants to be pretty ! » she scolded me.
« Alright. » I answered, still not understanding all this interaction.
We went to the Matsumoto clinic, just the three of us. Matsumoto-sensei greeted us, happy to see us safe. Souji was there too but he didn't get out of his room. The doctor told us that it was very tiring for him to stand up now. He was staying in his bed all day, sitting up to eat but that was all. Haruhi asked if she could go to see him and I agreed and went with her while Chizuru stayed with the physician to get her damn vials.
« Haru-chan ! » said Souji with a smile « you're so pretty ! »
« Thank you, Souji. » she replied, polite.
She was smiling from ear to ear and I also saluted my friend.
« How are your progress going ? » asked Souji « Did you kill some bad guys with daddy ? »
« No » she laughed « but I fought an Oni ! »
« Correction. An Oni nearly killed her. » I frowned.
« Yeah but I only got cracked ribs. » she objected, triumphantly « As soon as it's healed, I'll show you what I can do, Souji ! »
« I don't think I'll really be able to keep teaching you, Haru-chan... » he said with a sad smile.
« Saito-chan » asked Matsumoto-sensei's wife « can I show you your room ? »
« Yes, thank you. » bowed Haruhi.
She went away, leaving me alone with Souji. I sat next to my friend's futon and had a glimpse at his untouched food.
« You need to eat. » I said.
« I don't feel like it... It's not interesting anymore, everything tastes the same. » he sighed.
« You still need it. » I objected.
« Are you gonna feed me, Hajime-kun ? » he grinned snidely.
« If you have enough energy for these kinds of comments, you have enough to feed yourself. » I replied coldly but Souji just chuckled and coughed.
« I can't lift my sword anymore... » he eventually said after a while.
I didn't reply. We all knew that day would come, sooner or later. It was already impressive how Souji fought his illness for three long years. Most of the people contracting tuberculosis were dying much faster than that.
« Do you think Hijikata-san is gonna come and see me ? » he asked.
« He didn't come ? » I asked in return, surprised.
« No. » he shook his head « I guess he doesn't care. Now that he has Kondou back, he can't play commander anymore. That must piss him off. And someone like me mustn't be his priority. »
« Hijikata-san has a lot of work. » I said to take his defense « He'll probably come as soon as he gets a moment. »
« Yeah, well, tell him I don't care. » he sighed with bitterness « he can just do whatever he likes. Is the kid staying ? »
« Ha. » I nodded « the headquarters are no place for a child »
« Okay. » he smiled « at least, that will entertain me. »
« Okita-san, can I come in ? » asked Chizuru behind the shoji.
« Hai, Chizuru-chan. » he answered « come in. »
She entered the room with a smile and frowned when she saw his untouched food.
« You should eat, Okita-san. » she said firmly.
« You two really make the pair » he chuckled « Hajime-kun already scolded me, don't bother. »
« Are you feeling okay ? » she asked, concerned.
« Good as ever. » he smirked « Just taking a bit of rest and I'll soon get back to kicking some asses. »
« That's relieving. » she smiled kindly, not buying it a second.
« You take care of Hajime-kun and I'll take care of Haru-chan. » he said « When you'll see her again, she'll be so strong she'll beat the shit out of you. »
« No doubt in that » Chizuru chuckled « She's very dedicated at training when it comes to you. »
« What is that supposed to mean ? » I frowned, not liking what she was implying.
« Can't you tell ? » she smirked « Haruhi has a crush on Okita-san. »
« A woman with a lot of taste. » Souji nodded snidely and I threw daggers at him with my eyes.
« Souji's more than twice her age. » I objected.
« That doesn't matter when you're ten. » she chuckled « Why do you think she wanted to be so pretty today ? »
I stayed silent, astonished. How could Haruhi be in love with Souji ?! He was... 25 years old, nearly 26, two years older than her own father, and she was ten ! That didn't make any sense !
« That's so cute ! » commented Souji « finally my chance to become a Saito. »
« You touch her, you're dead. » I threatened.
« I don't think threatening a dying man is really effective. But don't worry, Hajime-kun. Unlike her daddy, I don't have a thing for little girls. » he laughed.
« I was fifteen ! » scolded Chizuru « and seventeen when he first touched me ! That's not even comparable ! »
« Yeah yeah, find excuses... » he laughed.
I kept frowning but I knew that he wouldn't touch Haruhi. I was just disgruntled by this new information. Haruhi... In love... She was far too young to be in love !
« Can I come in ? » asked the girl, speaking of the devil.
« Haru-chan, I'd be enchanted ! » commented Souji, winking at me.
She came in and sat with us.
« You didn't keep my paper cranes... » she commented sadly.
« I couldn't bring them all from Osaka. » he smiled genuinely.
« But they were supposed to help cure you... I had like three hundred or something... » she muttered, disappointed.
« We'll make new ones » he said « I'll help you this time, I have nothing better to do anyway now. It'll go faster. »
The kid nodded with a wide smile and blushed a bit which made me furrow my brows some more under Chizuru's mocking gaze.
« We shall get going. » I said.
I stood up, along with Chizuru, and Haruhi held us to say goodbye.
« You behave and help Matsumoto-sensei and his wife around the clinic. » I ordered « you remember the rules ? »
« Yes ! » she nodded.
« What are they ? » I asked.
« Respect, help, no cursing and no physical intimacy. » she answered, lifting her fingers, one at a time.
« Good. » I nodded while Souji chuckled and coughed his lungs out on his futon.
I thanked the Matsumoto couple again for accepting to take Haruhi in and I headed back with Chizuru. She had my arm in her hands and I was glad she wasn't pushing me away even with everything I did to her.
« Hajime, would you mind ? I'd like to take something from my old house, it's on the way. » she asked me.
« I don't. » I nodded.
I was glad she was asking me. Maybe she eventually realized how much it hurt every time she decided to do things without trusting me with it. We stopped near an abandoned house and got in. It was dusty but nothing was broken or anything. I expected a house left empty during four years to be in worse shape. She went to her dad's office and skimmed all the books to finally find the one she wanted.
« Okay. » she said with a smile « we can go ! »
I nodded and we went back to the compound, just in time for Kondou-san's meeting.