I don't own PMK or any of it's characters, I only own Din and Setsuna.
This is for Kyuuketsuki-san because she made me smile today. Thank you so much! Thanks for the reviews! Anyways, this is a flashback chapter about seventeen years or so. Hope you enjoy!
A fifteen-year-old Sanosuke walked through a large market with a basket in his arms full of food. He groaned and mumbled to himself as he walked, carrying the weight by himself but the reward of what the food was going to be turned into pushed him forward.
Man this is dull! He thought. Why couldn't Hijikata-sama force Shinpachi-kun and Heisuke-kun to come with me?
As he walked, a small bundle of apples hanging onto his right arm began to fall over, and wanting to catch them, he bent over only to start to lose his balance. He struggled to stay upwards and catch the apples at the same time but he suddenly felt someone push him back up and close up the bag of apples.
Sanosuke caught his balance and looked towards his right. There stood a young woman with black hair that appeared blue that had been gathered in the back and tied together and hit her back. Her two different colored eyes, her right one brown and the other blue caught his attention first. She was wearing a simple dark purple kimono with gloves covering both of her hands.
"You got it?" she asked, blinking.
"Yeah thanks," he groaned, moving once more. "Hey you look familiar, you got an older sister or something?"
"Yeah," she answered titling her head. "Din Hinto, why you know her?"
Sanosuke blinked. "Din-chan? Yeah she hangs out at the Shinsengumi."
"That's where she is today?" the young woman answered. "I've been lookin' all over for her! Can you show me where she is?"
"Sure." Sanosuke placed the food down on the ground. "What's your name anyways?"
"Setsuna." She smiled. "Hinto Setsuna."
The two of them walked through the market, and out into the village where Sanosuke lead the young woman to the Shinsengumi dojo at Seia Hall. They walked up to it together, and then walked into the kitchen allowing Sanosuke to place all of the food he had just bought.
"Where is she?" Setsuna asked, looking around.
"Come on." Sanosuke walked in front of her. "She might be having tea with Kondo-sama in the main room."
Setsuna stepped after him as he lead her to the main room of the dojo where in fact Kondo was sitting with a nine year old Souji, and drinking tea. Sanosuke coughed a bit, catching Kondo's attention.
"Kondo-sama, this girl is looking for Din-chan," Sanosuke said, pointing backwards.
"And who is she?" Kondo asked, placing his tea down onto the floor.
"Din-nee's out in the back with Hijikata-sama," Souji answered.
"DIN-NEE!" Setsuna yelled with her hands around the sides of her mouth. "Din-nee!! Where are you?!"
"Setsuna-chan please don't go around shouting."
Setsuna turned to her left to see Din standing with a laundry basket under her right arm and Hijikata standing behind her. Setsuna's eyes watered as she spotted her older sister, and she ran over to her, sticking her head in her chest.
"I haven't seen you in three days!" she whimpered; her voice a bit muffled from where she was. "I missed you."
"I told you I wouldn't be able to make it." Din moved the laundry basket down to the floor beside her.
"But still!!"
Din sighed and wrapped her arms around the smaller one's head. "I'm sorry. I should have tried harder."
"Can you take me back to the orphanage?" Setsuna asked, pulling away from her older sister's chest. "Please? There's something I wanna talk to you about!"
"Uh," Din looked away, "I have a lot more work here Setsuna-chan."
"But—"
"Don't worry about it," Hijikata interjected; everyone to look towards him. "I'll fill the paperwork out to say you spent the whole night here. Go take her home and come back."
Din blinked and looked back at Hijikata with a smile on her face. "Thank you Toshi-kun."
It had been a six months since Sanosuke had joined the Shinsengumi, and a year with knowing Din because of her family's bakery but he had never known Setsuna. He had begun to notice something with Din and Hijikata because of her calling of his name in such a familiar way, but he just figured that they had known each other longer then he had known of.
"Do you want to go now?" Din asked, turning back to Setsuna.
"Yeah." She smiled. "But I want him to go." She turned to her side and pointed to Sanosuke.
"Harada-kun?" Kondo asked. "Why?"
"He didn't escort me here the right way," she said, sticking her nose up in the air. "I want him to pay his debt to me and escort me back the right way."
"Hey!!" Sanosuke yelled as he pointed back to her. "I had groceries in my arms! How the hell was I supposed to escort you?"
"Excuses from someone who's not a gentleman!" Setsuna turned her back on him.
"Kondo-sama, do I have to?" Sanosuke whined.
"Yes I think you owe it to her." Kondo smiled.
"Damn." Sanosuke crossed his arms.
"Come on!" Setsuna tugged on Din's kimono. "We have to get back before they notice I'm gone."
"You didn't tell anyone you were leaving?" Din twitched. "Setsuna-chan! Please tell me you told someone."
Setsuna turned away. "No, I'm sorry."
Din sighed. "Alright then, let's hurry up and get back before your curfew."
"Din-nee," Souji asked, looking up at her, "you're coming back tonight right?"
"Yes Souji-kun." She gently petted his head.
Sanosuke walked with his right arm looped, and both of Setsuna's arms within the loop. Din walked on the other side of the street twitching as she looked over towards Sanosuke to make sure he wasn't doing anything he wasn't supposed to.
"So Din-nee," Setsuna glared over towards her, "who's that little boy who calls you Din-nee?"
"That's Souji-kun," she answered. "He's only nine and lost his older sister a while ago. Maybe he calls me that because I'm with him so much, no big deal. Why?"
"Callin' my sister his sister." She puffed up her cheeks.
"Jealous?" Sanosuke teased.
"Shut up!" she hissed. "No one asked you!"
"Why the hell are you always yelling?!" Sanosuke yelled back.
"Because your face pisses me off!!" she yelled back, squeezing his arm tightly.
"My face?" Sanosuke twitched. "What's wrong with my face?!"
"EVERYTHING!"
"Cut it out!" Din yelled, quieting the two down. "Damn you're making people look at us."
The rest of the walk remained silent, Setsuna and Sanosuke looking away from one another because they were so irritated. Din sighed once they reached the orphanage and bid Setsuna farewell, Sanosuke still being quiet. As soon as Setsuna walked inside, Din and Sanosuke turned away and began walking home.
"So?" she asked.
"So what?"
"What do you think?"
"About?"
"About Setsuna-chan!!" Din rolled her eyes.
"I don't know what am I supposed to think?" Sanosuke crossed his arms. "She too much like you."
Din twitched. "What are you tryin' to say?"
"Nothin'."
A day later, Sanosuke was sitting outside and relaxing from a hard day of training in the dojo. He had a small bowl of rice and was about to enjoy it when he heard footsteps coming towards him.
"Hey Sanosuke-kun!" Shinpachi called out as he walked over to the taller man with Heisuke following behind him. "We caught you leaving with a lady yesterday! Who was she?"
"Yeah come on hot shot, tell us who she was," Heisuke teased.
"She was Din-chan's little sister," Sanosuke answered with a mouthful of rice. "I was ordered to take her back to the orphanage."
"Orphanage?" Heisuke raised an eyebrow. "Din-chan's eighteen, why hasn't she adopted her sister yet?"
"Her family has to do it," Shinpachi answered. "Either that or she has to get married to someone and how is she gonna do that when she's here all the time?" He laughed a bit.
"Din-chan's been adopted right?" Heisuke blinked. "Then what is she doing working here?"
"She does work for the orphanage to be close to her sister and they ordered her to do her work here," Shinpachi explained once more.
"How do you know all of this?" Sanosuke gulped down his food.
"I've got some insider information." Shinpachi grinned.
"You mean you bribe Souji-kun with candy to get him to repeat the conversations between Hijikata-sama, Kondo-sama, and Yamanami-sama." Heisuke narrowed his eyes and Shinpachi to look away.
"Anyway," Shinpachi changed the subject, "what's her little sister's name?"
"Setsuna." Sanosuke shoved his chopsticks into his mouth once more.
"Is she cute?" Heisuke asked.
"She talks too much." Sanosuke stuck his nose in the air.
"I do not!"
The trio looked in front of them and saw Setsuna with her hands on her hips and her lower lip puffed out. She stomped forward but suddenly Heisuke ran over to her and grabbed her right hand.
"Hi I'm Toudou Heisuke, you can call me Heisuke-kun," he said with a grin across his face.
"I'm Setsuna," she answered back, blinking.
"You are soo cute!" He moved her closer. "You know you look nothing like your older sister."
"Yes she does," Shinpachi said, twitching.
"Anyway," Heisuke moved back and pointed to Shinpachi. "that's Nagakura Shinpachi but you can call him Shinpachi-kun and of course you already know Sanosuke-kun."
"Yeah." Setsuna took her hand away from Heisuke. "Do you know where Kondo-sama is? I have to talk to him."
"Uh," Heisuke scratched his head, "in his room I think."
"Thanks." Setsuna took a step back then ran into the dojo, disappearing from the boy's sight.
"What was that about?" Shinpachi asked as he blinked.
Wanting to know what the little woman was up to, Sanosuke slipped away from Shinpachi and Heisuke and walked over to Kondo's room where he stood by the door, listening.
"Kondo-sama! I want to join the Shinsengumi!" Setsuna announced.
"WHAT!?" Din yelled.
Sanosuke moved a bit more until he could see inside of the room. He saw Kondo sitting in the middle of the room with Din and Hijikata sitting beside him as if they had been discussing something important.
"Setsuna-chan are you crazy?" Din yelled. "You cannot join the Shinsengumi! You're a woman!"
"Please Kondo-sama!" she pleaded.
"Setsuna-chan," Hijikata said firmly, "the rules are that a woman cannot join in the Shinsengumi. Do you understand this?"
"No!" Setsuna yelled. "Why is Din-nee allowed to work here and stay overnight here? Please allow me the same benefits."
"Din-chan stays here because she is a caretaker and a maid. She is taking care of Souji-kun and doing maid duties at the same time," Hijikata answered for Kondo. "You are only fifteen, you cannot apply to become a maid."
"But I'm going to be sixteen in just three months! Please!!" Setsuna bowed.
"Setsuna-chan," Kondo said gently, "why do you want to work here?"
Setsuna sat up and looked away from the group. "I wanna be near Din-nee. I never get to see her anymore! Please just let me be with her for a while!"
Kondo sighed. "Setsuna-chan, I will give you a job here as an equipment cleaner. The age limit on that job is thirteen so you pass. You will be needed here on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays."
"Thank you so much Kondo-sama!" Setsuna bowed down. "I will work as hard as I can!"
"Very good." Kondo laughed a bit.
A week had passed and Sanosuke hadn't told anyone what had happened but they noticed. He was now heading towards a dojo to train for an upcoming fight. It would be the groups first real battle with all of them heading out, dressed in what they called a uniform.
He stepped into the open dojo and saw Setsuna with the spears in her lap, while her hands were busy wrapping her right hand up with bandages.
"You alright?" Sanosuke asked, stepping in.
"Fine." She sniffled. "What do you want?"
Sanosuke crossed his arms and turned his head to the side. "Nothing! I just came in here to train that's all!"
"Oh." Setsuna looked away. "I'm sorry, I'll clean up and then get out of your way."
Sanosuke turned back towards the young woman when he heard the spears clank together. She stood up, staggering, and moved towards the wall where she was going to try and place them back where they belonged.
"Hey you need some help?" Sanosuke asked as he walked over to her and grabbed the spears away from her.
"I'm fine." She moved her left hand underneath her eyes to wipe away a stray tear. "I don't need your help."
"Damn you're stubborn!" Sanosuke looked away once more.
"Yeah so?" She turned away also. "You're just as stubborn and as hard headed as I am so get over it."
The two stood there in silence as the sun came between the two of them and brightened the room up. Sanosuke moved the spears, letting her know that the silence was bothering him and she sighed, telling him the same thing.
Looking for something to talk about, Sanosuke looked over her body and saw that the bandage wrapped around her right hand had been bled through.
"What did you do to your hand?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh," she looked down at it, "I cut my hand on a spear when I was cleaning it."
Sanosuke placed the spears down on the floor. "Lemme see."
Setsuna turned back to the taller man and held out her hand. Carefully removing the bandages, he could see that she had cut herself along her palm and that it wasn't as deep as he thought it was. He reached down beside the young woman and grabbed the roll of bandages and wrapped her hand up once more.
"You should be okay after this wrapping," Sanosuke said as he wrapped her hand.
"I'm sorry Sanosuke-kun," she sighed, "you came here to train not do something stupid like this."
He twitched. "Don't worry about it."
"I'm so stupid," she whimpered as she lowered her head. "I can't believe I cut myself, I'm such a useless dumbass."
"What?" Sanosuke blinked and looked at her.
She sniffled. "I'm just a nuisance. I can't do anything right Sanosuke-kun, I just wanna give up. Everyone seems to think I'm stupid. From the way they look at me, to the way they talk down to me, I know they think I'm stupid."
"You can't!" Sanosuke said, sticking his chest out. Setsuna looked at him and blinked. "After all if I quit after everything I did that was stupid then…then…" He stopped talking. "Then I wouldn't be here."
"That doesn't make sense." Setsuna blinked, narrowing her eyes.
"Yeah," Sanosuke laughed, "but it still made you smile."
Setsuna blushed and smiled at the same time. Only Din had made her feel good about herself, and it was a bit strange that someone outside of her family was saying something so nice to her.
After he finished his wrapping, Setsuna took her hand back and studied it. Sighing once more, she grabbed her nearby glove and slipped it back on.
"If the orphanage sees this they'll kill me." She turned away from Sanosuke. "Thanks a lot, I owe you."
Sanosuke laughed a bit. "Don't worry about it."
The fight Sanosuke and the other had planned for had come and passed. The Shinsengumi had won, and thus ruined their reputation even more then before. Now they were all sitting in the dining hall, laughing and celebrating their win.
"Hey Sanosuke-kun!" Shinpachi said happily. "I dare you to sniff a whole handful of pepper!"
"Bring it!"
Heisuke dumped a handful of black pepper into Sanosuke's left hand. "Come on we know you can pull this off."
"Watch me!"
Sanosuke brought his hand up to his nose and inhaled deeply, sucking up all of the pepper in his hand. He started to cough, then started to sneeze, causing everyone around him to start laughing.
"Harada-san is so stupid," a fellow member whispered to another but was caught by Sanosuke. "I bet he couldn't even commit Seppuku the right way if he had too."
"He wouldn't even die right!" the other answered with a laugh.
"Everyone seems to think I'm stupid. From the way they look at me, to the way they talk down to me, I know they think I'm stupid."
Those words ran through Sanosuke's head, and he remembered how Setsuna looked when she had said those words. These were the same people who looked and talked about her the same way, not only did they think that she was dim-witted, they thought the same of him.
"Oh yeah!?" Sanosuke stood up and grabbed his sword. "Well I'll show you!"
He moved his sword to his stomach and pushed it in and pulled it across, causing him to fall forward.
"SANOSUKE-KUN!" Shinpachi and Heisuke yelled together.
Sanosuke looked up and saw blurred images of his best friends, and soon their voices began to blur at the same time. He didn't care about what he had just done, he had proved his point, and was smarter then they thought he was. Then what they thought.
"Ya see?" he groaned. "So there we're not…stupid."
Chirping birds woke Sanosuke up. He blinked, his vision still blurry but slowly becoming clear. He looked to his side and saw Setsuna sitting next to him, looking down towards the cut on her hand.
"Setsuna-chan?" he asked weakly causing her to turn to him.
"Sanosuke-kun!" she said happily. "I'm so happy that you've managed to wake up!"
Sanosuke groaned once more as the pain hit him. "Hey, maybe now…they won't think we're," he took in a deep breath through a wave of pain. "so stupid."
Setsuna's eyes softened, then water gathered underneath them. "Sanosuke-kun!" She whimpered. "You're an idiot."
She leaned forward as she began crying, and placed her head on Sanosuke's chest. Sniffling, she moved both hands to his chest and moved them onto the rest of his chest gently.
R&R please!