Chapter 4: They Can't Be Together
"Kagura… You don't have to feel guilty." Kanade, Kagura's mother stroked her daughter's head at the Shimura dojo.
"But I should have spent more time with you…!"
"Let's not brood on the past. If we do, there won't be any time to enjoy the time we have now."
"Mama…" Kaede sat down at the table.
"Where'd you run off to?" Gin patted her on the back.
"…The lake. I needed to cool my head."
"Ah~ Okita's flirting was too much for you. I can understand you know. Losing your first kiss to him is-"
"WHAT?!?!" Kagura's father, Raizou yelled, "That bastard's-!"
"Raizou!" the mother raised her voice a little.
"Yes?"
"I'll talk to him later, so let's calm down, OK?"
"Um… Mama… So our wedding is in two weeks, and we need to plan…"
"Of course, I'll help you get ready. I'll make sure your wedding dress is the best."
"Mama…"
"And I'll make sure you look your best!" Raizou patted Gin.
"I've got a formal kimono…" (refer to episode 22 XD)
"We'll still make you look good!" he dragged him off.
"Kagura, Kaede… What do you think of doing our routine song for the wedding?"
"Oh, do you mean 'Another World'?"
"Yes."
"Oh, I remember!" Kaede smiled.
"We'll all sing. I'll get the karaoke track set up." Kagura high-five-d her mom and her sister.
"This will be great." Her mother laughed.
"Good, you're laughing, Mama." Kagura smiled happily.
"…Thank you, Kagura."
"Hello everyone, I've brought some tea." Otae placed the tray on the floor and sat down with them.
"Otae Onee-sama!"
"If you'd like, you all can stay here this week. We don't have much, but I've started to grow things in the garden to cook."
"Thank you very much. We'll help cook. Papa and I are going to sleep for a little while. We're tired."
"Yes, of course."
"Otae, what happened to Toushi? He seems really sad." Kagura asked as her parents left the room, and Otae dropped her cup of tea as she lifted to her lips, but Kaede caught it in her hands.
"Ow, ow, hot tea…!" Kaede shook her hands.
"I'm so sorry, here!" she took her hand with a cloth to wipe it off.
"No, I'm fine. It was only a drop or two, thank God." Kaede blew on her little burn.
"What's the point of hiding it, Otae? We're all your friends." Gin walked in and sat next to Kagura.
"…You know?" she hid her eyes.
"Yeah. I talked to Toushi."
"…I see… Yes. We separated. Toushi needed to focus on the battle and he wanted me to be happy, but…" tears dripped from her eyes, "I want to see him…! I'm so scared…!"
"Scared of what?! You never get scared!!!" Kagura talked back.
"…Kagura, Gin-san, Kaede-chan," she sighed, "What I say must not leave this room, do you understand?" The people nodded, "…I'm pregnant."
"…What…?!"
"I'm bearing Toushi's child… I'm in my second month, so I don't look like it…" she cried, "I don't want to worry Toushi and remove his mind from his work," she shook her head, "But I'm scared to give birth and raise the child alone…!"
"Sis…" Shinpachi walked in, super surprised. He had moved to a new house since Otae and Toushi had been living together there, so he had no idea, "You're pregnant…?"
"Shin-chan…!" she gasped, but then begged him, "Please don't tell Toushi!" she cried.
"How can I not?!" he yelled, "He's leaving my sister to raise his child on her own! I'm gonna beat some sense-" but before he could finish, he was punched by Kagura.
"Otae and Toushi are both suffering from the separation! They can't be together, so why should one person make it harder for the other?!" she yelled at him, tears falling from her eyes, "Someday… Gin-chan will go too…!" she choked on her words and ran out the door.
"Kagura!" Gin chased after her.
"…Shin-chan… Please…" Otae fell on the ground and cried, her fists curled as tears dripped on them.
"…I got it…" he wiped away the blood from his mouth.
"Kagura." Gin walked up to Kagura crying. She lay on an empty bed, sobbing into her pillow.
"Gin…! I don't want you to leave…!"
"I know…" he pulled her into her lap and hugged her tight to his chest, "But the amanto have been taking even worse measures. Their forces are going to be weak in a few years."
"Even so, I thought you said you said you wouldn't fight back!"
"That was when we couldn't win." He kissed her on the forehead, "But now we can."
"Don't leave me…!" she sobbed.
"I'll still be here for a few years. And I'll definitely come back to you."
"Gin…!" she sniffled in his arms.
"I'm sorry… It's something I have to do. To protect you, all our friends, and our future."
"I know…"
"Thank you." He kissed her softly on the lips.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"We're almost ready!" Kaede clapped her hands at dinner. They ate their ramen at the table with the entire family, and the Shimura family as well.
"Yes." Kagura smiled. It had been 2 weeks since the proposal. The wedding was tomorrow. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was nice enough for the young couple. In the past 2 weeks, Kagura had spent quality time with her family, and she was happy. Suddenly, there was a small click as the clock struck 9:00.
"I've gotta go do something." Kaede stood up and bowed, "Thank you for the food."
"When will you be back?" her mother asked.
"I'll be out for about 10 minutes." Kaede tapped on her shoes.
"All right."
"By the way, Kagura… I don't think I can go to your wedding." Otae said sadly.
"Huh? Why?"
"I've been feeling very nauseous… It's because the baby is progressing, and so…"
"All right. We're getting it video taped anyway, all thanks to Katsura."
Otae nodded, but that wasn't her true motive. She didn't NOT feel sick, but the main reason she wouldn't go was because she knew Toushi would be there. She didn't want to hurt him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Kaede ran outside and saw him waiting there again, as he had for the past two weeks.
"It's good to see you." She smiled.
"This is such a hassle…" Okita held his hand to his hair.
"If my dad saw you with me, all hell would run loose."
"But we're not going out or anything."
"Oh really?" she laughed. But then her face softened down, "You know, Okita-kun… I'm going home soon… And I won't be ever coming back." There was a long silence between them.
"…It was nice knowing you."
"Eh…?"
"It can't be helped, can it? I mean-"he received a slap in the face.
"You big dope…!" tears dripped from her eyes and she walked away.
"Ow…" he rubbed his cheek. He was lucky. If she hadn't held back, his entire jaw could be gone.
"So… You're Okita-kun?" a woman's voice spoke as Okita was about to leave.
"…Who are you?"
"My name is Kanade. I am Kaede and Kagura's mother."
"Oh. Hi."
"Thank you for being friends with my daughter."
"Friends? We're not-"
"She was really happy to have someone to talk to." Kanade told him, "But that wasn't very smooth of you. Don't you know what a girl wants you to say is 'Don't go'?
"I'm not stupid," he flicked his head away, "But if we're never going to meet again, what's the point?"
"There's plenty of point." She smiled, "As long as you have hope, there's a chance you'll meet again. Especially if you care for one another."
"…Kanade-san-"
"Kanade!" Raizou called out, "Where are you?!"
"Oh dear, I've got to go." She giggled and manuveured her wheelchair back inside. Okita put his palm to his forehead.
"I'm know I'm stupid… But what can I do…?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Gin… Tomorrow's finally the day." Kagura hugged him. She decided to sleep in his bed again for the night before they married.
"Yeah." He kissed her, "So… Do you… Want to do that…?"
"Gin, you pervert." She said calmly.
"Well… I just have so many feelings for you… It's hard to keep them in." he arched over her. Tonight, Kagura was wearing a long white blouse as nightwear, her hair was down.
"But someone could come and see us…" she turned away.
"Tomorrow, then?" he kissed her, "In Yorozuya."
"Then the old hag will hear us."
"Tch, foiled again."
"Pervert." She kissed him, "Just a little longer."
"I got it. Sorry." He lay next to her with one arm around her breast bone.
"Sleep well." She smiled and stroked his hair.