Desclaimer: I do not own Gintama!
Author's Note: Gah! Thank you Guest, Scissortea, Kurasuchi, and guest, and guest (O . O) I have a lot of "Guests" ^_^'"And I'm confused whether you're one person or not xDD But thank you so much! =))
Chapter 7: Getting Kidnapped
Kagura yawned slightly as she walked to school, then memories of last night came rushing in her mind. Kagura blushes and covers her face, and suddenly, Kamui puts an arm around her, making Kagura snap back to reality, and she groans. She was happy that she and Kamui are now communicating, but ever since they had made up, Kamui just keeps doing surprise attacks on her, and she still wasn't quite used to human interactions.
"Good morning, Imouto," greeted Kamui, who was currently poking her cheeks, cheerfully with his usual smile present on his pale face. Kagura gave a sigh out, making Kamui poke even harder and faster, making a vein pop on Kagura's forehead.
"It hurts, nii-chan" Kagura commented, making Kamui blush at the way she said 'nii-chan.' Kamui looked away from Kagura to hide his blush, and Kagura just raises an eyebrow at his actions, but Kagura just shrugged, walking away from Kamui's grasp.
"Ah, wait, Imouto," Kagura stops to look at Kamui, who was getting something out of his white messanger bag, what seemed like a lunch box - a huge one. "I made lunch for the both of us, so let's eat lunch together," Kamui runs up to Kagura, and Kagura hides a small smile.
"Sure," answers Kagura, and Kamui's smile grows bigger.
"Kamui, Leader," Katsura says, walking up to them, together with Takasugi, whose hands were in his pocket.
"Zura, Dead-last," said Kagura in acknowledgement to the two. In case you're wondering, her nickname for Takasugi is "Dead-last" Because he would always lose when it comes to UNO, and surprisingly enough, Takasugi allowed only Kagura to call him that. If it was somone other than Kagura calling him "Dead-last," he would've already beaten up that person.
[...]
Sougo stared out the window, trying to hide his bruised face from the others, in case it might cause a disturbance. Last night, he and his father had an intense conversation, be it business or Sougo's plea for the termination of the engagement with Matako, thus a few red marks on his cheeks from slaps.
Out the window, he sees Kagura with Kamui, Katsura and Takasugi, and immediately, he feels pain. 'Why's it so hard to be with the person I love?' - or so he thought, as he stared at Kagura's expressionless face. He cringes at the thought that it was his fault Kagura had turn out to be so cold, when she used to be so energetic, warm, friendly, bold and all that. He rubs his face in frustration...
Hijikata, who was sat behind Sougo, stared at Sougo's slumped back, feeling hopeless that he couldn't help his friend in his situation, and that all he could do was watch from the sidelines. Hijikata's jaw tightens as he tries to think of a way to lessen his friend's pain, and let me tell you; Hijikata treasures friendship. He too was charmed and fond of Kagura, but he gave up on her for Sougo.
[ 8 : 3 0 A.M. ]
Gintoki entered the classroom, and he spares a glance at Kagura, and Kagura, who was staring at him, flinched and blushed, but luckily for Kagura, her blush wasn't that obvious. After they did their greetings to their sensei, they all sat in silence, waiting for some sort of announcement.
"Uh...well, tests are coming up. Next week actually," announced Gintoki, and the whole cass groaned, except Yamazaki and Shinpachi. "So, you better start studying and fuel your brains," Gintoki says in his "Just Do It" pose, making Kagura facepalm, while Ayame sqealed fangirl style.
'Not good...' Kagura thought, knowing that she still had her part-time job, reducing her study hours...
[ 1 2 : 0 0 P.M. ]
Kagura went out the classroom together with Kamui and the two, when her bladder starts bothering her.
"Nii-chan, I'll catch up with you later," said Kagura, pointing to the lady's room, and Kamui nods understandingly. Kagura rushes to a cubicle, and immediately flushes out her liquid wastes, when she hears Otae and Ayame entering the rest room. Kagura gulps as she guiltily eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Isn't Sensei just the cutest?" Ayame squeals, and Kagura silently nods in agreement, but Otae shook her head.
"I don't see why you like him so much," Otae said, untying her hair and combing it, while Ayame was cleaning her glasses.
"But anway, it's been a few years since you've spoken to Kagura," Ayame said, and Kagura's eyes widened as her ears got more alert, wanting to get every word they said. "Since we're classmates, shouldn't we slowly open up to her at least?" Ayame asks as she puts her glasses on, and fixes her hair into a ponytail.
"But..." Otae hesitates to follow up.
"C'mon. It's been years, and you've gotten over Hijikata," Ayame stated, and Kagura perks up. She remembers about Otae's fancy towards Hijikata, but what did that have to do with her?
"So what if Hijikata liked Kagura?" Ayame said, and Kagura's eyes widened in surprise. She didn't know that Hijikata had feelings for her...Kagura covers her mouth from the shock, and she starts to feel nervous.
"I know it was shallow of me to pick love over friendship, but don't forget what she did to Okita-kun," Otae frowns as she slammed her brush down on the sink with anger, remembering the past.
"You mean...those pictures?" Ayame nodded, and Kagura inwardly sighs...
[Flashback]
It was back in first year middle school, and it was a Friday morning, when Kagura walked down the hallways happily, with her pigtails bouncing as she skipped. She was humming a tune from a Justaway cartoon series, for she was happy, just thinking about the date she had with Sougo tomorrow.
She sees Otae and Shinpachi just ahead of her, and she brightens up and walked up to them.
"Good morning, Anego, Megane," Kagura patted their shoulder, and they both greeted her with a smile. For them, Kagura was like a family, since she would usually visit them for dinner at the Shimura residence.
"There seems to be a ruckus," Otae said, seeing a whole bunch of student gathering around the bulleting board. They casually approached it, and Kagura eventually made her way up to the front to see what it was...
"Aha, it's me and Kawakami Bansai..." Kagura was still smiling, until she realized this could be easily misunderstood as cheating on Sougo. After all, In the picture, Kawakami Bansai, a famous guitarist and composer, and Kagura were standing outside a public bathhouse, the two of them alone. Kagura frowns as she ripped the picture off the billboard, but that was just one of the photos. There were 3 more pictures up there...
"Who does she think she is?" Kagura hears poeple whispering. After all, who wouldn't start badmouthing her after dating the most-popular kid in school, plus getting to hang out with Bansai, and the picture made it seem like Kagura was dating Bansai behind Sougo's back.
"Two-faced liar..." Kagura's eyes widened as she heard Sougo's voice. His face was dark upon seeing the photos. Kagura turns around to face Sougo, her face panicked, after being accused of something she hadn't done.
"Sougo, it's not what you think! He and I are just family friends, and-" Kagura slowly walks towards him, and she touches his shoulders, and Sougo pushes her off.
"Get away from me, slut...From now on, we're over," Sougo announces, and the crowd gasps, and so did Kagura. Kagura looks over to Shinpachi and Otae, looking for help, but they only frowned upon her. She hated this feeling, and she slowly fell to the floor.
"Get up," Sougo says, but Kagura just sat there with her head down. Sougo grabbed her collar, and whispered.
"Don't be clinging onto me after this," whispered Sougo, and Sougo fakes a sadistic smirk, but at that time, Kagura didn't know, as her eyes just widened with sadness and sorrow...
[Flashback End]
"That's right...she cheated on him," Ayame said as they walked out of the bathroom. Kagura went out of the cubicle to wash her hands, and she stared at herself in the mirror, trying to see who she currently was. She was the depressed, broken-hearted, dried-up Kagura, and no longer the cheerful optimist she was years ago. Kagura frowns, before she goes out.
She caught up to Kamui, who was sitting underneath the stone pavillion, who was probably waiting for her to arrive. Kagura sighs and picks herself up, shaking her head, trying and hoping to forget old memories...
"Did you wait long?" Kagura asks as she squatted accross Kamui, who had a dark expression, who was holding onto his chopsticks tightly, his knuckles almost white. Kagura cracked up a fake laugh.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't have waited for me. I know how much you love food," Kagura says jokingly, and Kamui bursts into fake tears.
"What are you saying?" He asks with a horrified expression. "I've waited for years to finally eat bentou with you, alone, the two of us," Kamui was blushing halfway through, while Kagura only stared at him with a blank expression.
"What are you talking about?" Kagura deadpans, pointing to a random bush, where Takasugi and Katsura hid, and their cameras ready. Kamui gritted his teeth after being found out, and the two just sighs in defeat as they joined the siblings.
"If you wanted a picture of the two of us, you should've just asked instead of going through the trouble," Kagura sighs at Kamui's childish ideas, but she inwardly cursed. She was starting to talk too much for her own liking.
"Really?" Kamui brightens up like a little kid, and the three sweatdropped.
"Cheese~" Takasugi said boredly. Kagura sat in between Kamui's legs, making her look like an elementary student, and right before the camera flashed, Kamui kissed her in the cheeks, and Kagura heats up. In the picture, it was Kamui kissing Kagura in the cheek.
"What are you doing!" Kagura punches Kamui, and smoke goes out of her fists.
"I-I'm sorry," fake tears streamed down his face, and the three sweatdropped. It was amazing how Kamui acts around Kagura.
[ 4 : 3 0 P.M.]
Class has ended for Class Z, but Gintoki, Hijikata, Kagura and Sougo was still in the classroom, sorting out their own desks. There was painful silence in the room so Kagura tried to hurry, until...
"Class reps'," Gintoki says, making Kagura flinch and Hijikata freeze, while Sougo just continued to pack his things.
"Please organize the roster for cleaning duty," ordered Gintoki and he quickly walked out the door, leaving the three left alone in the classroom. Kagura inwardly groaned at the trouble of how she had to stay behind, especially after she had just found out Hijikata once liked her. Kagura gulped, slowly approaching Hijikata, but Hijikata ignored her, and he goes to Sougo.
"Sougo, can you replace me? I still have something important to do," Hijikata asks in a hurried voice, leaving Sougo no choice but to nod and accept, and Kagura's left with her mouth gaping open.
"Thanks," Hijikata walks out of the classroom.
'This is the least I can do for you, Sougo,' Hijikata thought. Kagura frowned at Sougo, but Sougo just stared at her. Kagura goes to grab a small white board from the back of the class and a white board marker, and started the work.
"You don't have to help," Kagura says, not looking his way. The fact that Kagura wouldn't even look at him angered Sougo.
"Are you still mad about the other night?" Sougo says, sitting in front of her, and looking at her working. Kagura growled in irritation just at the mention of "The other night," But she calms herself, for if she showed it bothered her, it would be a sign of weakness.
"No, not anymore," Kagura says blankly, making Sougo's eyes widen in surprise.
'Does this mean she forgives me or do I not matter to her anymore?' Sougo wondered and bit his lower lip.
"Kagura, look at me," Sougo says, and Kagura just continued scribbling, ignoring him as if he wasn't there. Sougo was annoyed and hurt all at once that she wouldn't even pay attention to him. He grabs her face and made her look at him.
"What are you doing?" Kagura hisses as she gripped on his wrist, trying to yank his hands off.
"I'm telling you to look at me, so don't ignore me," Sougo's voice was so sincere, it made Kagura angry and confused.
"What is it that you really want?" Kagura asks, her eyes wavering as she stared at his face that was tinted by the sunset, and his determined red orbs made her incredibly frustrated.
"In middle school you already broke everything off, and I don't wanna talk to you!" Kagura winces as she let everything out. "I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore, because it'll only bring back bad memories!" Kagura closes her eyes, hoping to shut the picture of Sougo's face out.
"Do you see these red marks on my face?" Sougo's angry voice made Kagura open her eyes out of curiosity. It was obvious it was from an unbelievably strong slap, making Kagura gulp.
"I'm currently going through things that will someday allow you to be finally mine," Sougo said, trying to get pity out of her, but this didn't work.
"I don't want to be yours, conceited bastard," replied Kagura with sheer venom of hatred. Silence enveloped the two, and during that time, Kagura could feel Sougo's pulse, but it only made her furious.
"Please, Kagura, wait for me," Sougo lowers his head, as if pleading, and this usually worked on Kagura, but this wasn't the Kagura he knew...
"I've already waited for you for two years, Sougo," Sougo's head shot up, and he sees Kagura's glossy eyes filled with regret.
"And during those two years, you didn't come," Kagura shook her head, and Sougo's hands slowly lowers to his side.
"You're two years late. I'm already done and fed up with waiting," Kagura stood up and grabbed her blue bag.
"I've already moved on, and so should you," Kagura says, looking down on him as if pitying him, and she walks out of the classroom.
[ 5 : 1 0 P.M. ]
As Kagura walked down the street, she exhaled loudly, trying to contain her emotions, because if she didn't, she would look like an idiot crying in front of the general public. Tears were threatening to fall, but lucky for her, it didn't fall. She was tired of crying already, and she was sure to save her tears for when she's really going to need them, instead of crying because of Sougo.
Her heels tapping and clicking against the marble streets of the shopping district distracted her from thoughts of Sougo, and she playfully and purposely made it sound, but it didn't make her happy...In the past, it used to amuse her alot, but it was eather because she's changed, or because she's grown up. Kagura sighed as she entered the Kabuki Family Restaurant, and started her shift.
[ Okita Household ]
"Kijima-san, does this envelope contain the pictures and information of Sougo's lover?" asked Sougo's father. His stern voice made Matako waver in fear from the other side of the phone, but it wasn't obvious. He clenched the brown envelope in his hand tightly.
"Yes...Have you taken a look at it?" Matako asks nervously.
"I do not need to know a face of a commoner," He says condescendingly, then immediately cuts the call. In front of him was Japan's number one ninja, Hattori Zenzou
"Okita-san, did you need me?" Zenzou asks as he bows respectfully. He hands the brown envelope to Zenzou, and Zenzou goes out the throne-room to look at it. He skimmed through the informations, and stared long at her picture. It was a picture of Kagura smiling happily.
"Too bad she's a target...She's a beauty," Zenzou walks off to do his job...
[ 7 : 3 0 P.M.]
Kagura sighed wearily as she exited the restaurant through a backdoor exit. Her heels' clanking were echoing the dark alley, and she walks out the alley, only to be yanked back in by firm hands, and she was quickly tied up, and her mouth was immediately taped! He put a black sack on her head so she wouldn't be able to see anything...Kagura's body started to shake.
"If you will not cooperate, I will kill you," Kagura hears the man (Zenzou) whispering. Petrified Kagura gulps and nodded quickly as he yanked her forward and he threw her in the trunk of a black sleek car. Even though all Kagura could see was darkness, her eyes were still wide open filled with fear.
Kagura could hear the engine go off, and she starts to reach for her phone that was in her pocket, hoping he wouldn't notice, unfortunately for her, he did.
"Don't try anything funny," Kagura flinched the moment she heard his voice from some sort of speaker implanted in the trunk.
'Was this car made for kidnapping that it would have a speaker in the trunk?' She started sweating, but she wasn't about to give up yet. She tried to roam her fingers around, trying to find something she could use as a weapon, when she realizes there was a gun right beside her. Her heartbeat was going so fast, that she had fainted...
[ 8 : 0 0 P.M. ]
Zenzou had finally arrived at the abandoned warehouse by the forest where Sougo's father had told him to bring her to. Zenzou opened the trunk, and he sees her lying unconcious and unmoving. He carried her over his shoulders, and just to make sure was unconcious, he spanked her behind.
"You better cooperate," Zenzou said to Kagura, even though she was unconcious...Zenzou entered, and he sees an empty warehouse, with only Sougo's father there, crossing his legs and arms.
"Is this the girl in the brown envelope?" He asks as Zenzou laid her down on the floor.
"Yes, Okita-san," Suddenly, they hear Kagura's phone vibrating, and Sougo's father frowned.
"Give me her phone," He said to Zenzou, and Zenzou obediently complies. As Sougo's father flipped it open, he read...
"1 New Message From: Yato Umibozu." His eyes widened at the name, and he was perplexed as to why a commoner would know Umibozu. He immediately reads the message.
"Kagura, I'm sorry, but, Papa's visit will be delayed a few weeks more because of work. Don't worry. I'll make it up to you by buying you all the meat you want! Love, Papi Umibozu," Sougo's father's hand shook violently.
"Take that sack off!" Ordered the Father, and he immediately saw Kagura's crying face. Crying while being unconcious surprised him, but what surprised him more was that she looked a lot like her mother - Riiko Izawa, who later became Riiko Yato due to marriage. Tears fell down his face as he felt like a miracle had been given to him.
"You are done for the day. I will pay you some time soon," said Sougo's father with a big, grateful smile. Zenzou was surprised to see Okita Soshi crying tears of joy, so he bows and goes out.
[...]
After taking a three-hour dump, Gintoki yawned, walking out of his bathroom. He plopped himself on his bed, just thinking it was weird that Kagura wasn't star gazing tonight, neither did she come to visit him. A bit disappointed, he rolls over to his side.
"It's pretty lonely without Kagura, now that I think about it," Gintoki murmurs, when he hears a dog's bark coming from the window...He jolts up to see it, and he sees a small white puppy, barking at the window.
"How did you get on the roof?" Gintoki raised his eyebrows at the dog, and Gintoki carries him inside. He stared at it, staring at him with its tail wagging.
"What should I call you?" Gintoki wondered as he squatted in front of it.
"Actually, I want Kagura to name you, so you'll have to wait," Gintoki patted the head of the dog, and taking it to the bathroom give it a bath.
[...]
After Soshi had untied her and untaped her mouth, he carried her outside to his car, and set her on the passenger seat of his car, then he went to sit on the driver seat. He stared at the picture he had of Kagura's mother, and he could've swore they looked exactly alike! He stared at the picture, and then at Kagura's sleeping face.
"So, you're name's Kagura? It's this first time I met you," he murmured as he started driving through the dark forest. Little did he know that Kagura was already awake, but was still pretending to be asleep.
"You look just like your mother, that it's hard to tell you apart," He chuckled as he turned a corner, and Kagura's eyes wavered a bit at the mention of her mother. She shifts in her seat as she finally decide it was time for her to open her eyes.
"You know my mother?" She asks, wanting to know more.
"Oh, you're awake?" He smiles warmly at her, making Kagura feel welcome in his presence.
"Tell me more of my late mother," Kagura pleaded happily and excitedly, that the fact that she was kidnapped had slipped off of her mind. He hands her his wallet.
"There's a picture there of your mother in there," He says. This was the first time Kagura felt like she had a father, and this was the first time he felt that she had a child, since Mitsuba had to be kept in the house, and Sougo was trained for the company, not really having much father-son bonding with Sougo.
"But sir, who are you?" Kagura asks, and if he did answer "Sougo's father", he concluded she would not want to talk to him after she and sougo had broke up, so he decided to just tell his first name...He had heard it from Matako, about how she ordered Sougo to break up with her, and he said "Good Job". Now, he was feeling guilty about it...
"Soshi," answers Sougo's father.
"No last name?" Kagura asks suspiciously.
"I have, but I don't think that's really important," He chuckles nervously.
"Soshi-san, how old are you?" asked Kagura as she tried to make herself comfortable in the seat.
"I'm 40 years old," He chuckles, ashamed of his age, and Kagura's taken aback by surprise.
"Uwah! You look like you'd be 21, if you haven't wore such formal looking clothes," Kagura sweatdropped, and so did he. His hair was brushed back cleanly on the right side, while on the left, he had his bangs hang around. Kagura stared at the picture in the wallet, and it was a picture of Soshi, Riiko and Umibozu. Kagura blushed at the sight of her mother.
"Wow, she's beautiful," Kagura sighed, wishing she was still alive, and she had a dejected look, and Soshi understood that look.
"I wish she was still alive, too," He clasps her hand, making Kagura flinch, but the fact that they shared the same pain made it so Kagura didn't mind.
"Where are we going?" Kagura asks.
"To a condominium I own. I have the albums of your mother there, since Umibozu's busy in space and all that, he lent it to me" He laughs, and Kagura fondly smiled.
[ 9 : 0 0 P.M. ]
"Now where did that girl go?" Gintoki wondered as she looked over her apartment window, and seeing that she wasn't there made him a bit worried. He sat on the roof and took out his phone to call her, only to find that her phone was turned off.
"Kagura, where are you now?"
[...]
They entered a furnished Condo, and it was very posh and expensive-looking, that it made Kagura gasp. The walls were cream-colored marble, and so was the floor, and there was an electric fireplace and there was a rug by it, and tons of pillows, that Kagura wanted to jump in it. She wore indoor slippers, and immediately plopped herself on the rug by the fireplace, and Soshi laughs at her action
"Kagura, what would you like to drink?" He asks as he took his brown coat off, and set his keys on the kitchen counter top.
"I'll just have a glass of water," replied Kagura, not really knowing what to get.
"You sure? I have hot coco," He says, and Kagura shots up.
"Yes please!" She said raising her hands for no reason and he laughs.
"Your mother used to do that a lot too," He laughs fondly and Kagura blushes. She thought, it would be nice if she was with Gintoki right now, instead of an old companion of her parents'...
"Do you want to wash up first?" He asks, and Kagura tilts her head.
"Oh no, I'm not staying over," Kagura shooks her head. No way was she going to stay in one room with a stranger.
"Please, I insist. I can tell you stories of your mother," He says as he prepared the hot coco, and Kagura gives in to the offer.
"A-Alright," Kagura nods, as she went to the bathroom to take a bath. Soshi sat down the kitchen stool as he heard the shower turning on. He sighed.
'If things were different, she would've been our daughter, Riiko,' He bury he's head in his arms, when suddenly the hot coco's done microwaving. He opened it, and remembers how Kagura's mother loved hot chocolate.
"And both of you are so alike," He chuckles, then he set the cup of coco on the kitchen counter. He went to the closet to get Kagura's clothes ready. He opened the closet filled with Riiko's clothes that he had washed himself.
[...]
Kagura went out of the shower with damp hair, wearing carrot orange shorts, and a yellow T-shirt with a bunny's face on it. Kagura still can't believe these were her mothers. She saw Soshi sitting and sipping on his tea, staring at the electric fireplace, and also, Kagura noticed how the lights were dimmed. Kagura shrugged and took her hot coco, then sat next to soshi.
"So, you've got any pictures of my mom?" She asked.
[ 1 1 : 0 0 P.M. ]
Kagura had already dozed off, and Soshi stared at her sleeping face. He cries, because he always sees Riiko instead of Kagura, and it pained him to know she wasn't of this world anymore. They both lay down the rug, and Kagura had somehow fallen asleep in his arms while they were looking at albums of her mother. He kisses Kagura on the forehead.
"Sleep tight," He patted her head...
'I can see now why Sougo fell for her,' He chuckles proudly
[The Next Day]
"Kagura, It's time for you to wake up," he shook her slightly, and her eyes fluttered, revealing strong, seemingly-glowing blue eyes, making his heart skip a beat, because for a moment, he thought it was Riiko. Kagura blushes at their distance - They were close. Kagura's face was at his chest.
"Ah, alright," Kagura panics and stands up.
"You should take a shower. I've already washed your clothes last night," He smiles like a loving-father, and Kagura nods.
[...]
Kagura was dropped off by Soshi, and she waves goodbye to him. They had exchanged emails, and Kagura smiles, for she felt she became closer with her mom. Just as she turned to walk towards the gate, she sees Gintoki fuming angry, who was probably waiting for her. She had no choice but to walk to him.
"Where have you been last night? You didn't come home and your phone was turned off, and you don't know how worried I was!" Gintoki smacked her on the head with a role of papers. Kagura blushed at the thought that Gintoki had been worried and had actually tried calling her. Happiness bubbled in her chest.
"Sorry, that won't happen again," Kagura slowly walks away, only to be grabbed by Gintoki on the wrist.
"Seriosly, don't do that next time," said Gintoki, looking genuinely worried through his glasses. Kagura blushed at his sincere eyes, and she covers her face, and nods.
Little did she know that she was being watched by Sougo from afar.
"Sensei and Kagura, just what is your relationship?"
[ 1 2 : 0 0 P.M. ]
"Sensei, please let me charge my phone," Kagura pleaded on her knees that Gintoki would let her use his charger. He sighs in defeat and allows her to use it, and Kagura beams a smile so bright that it almost made Gintoki blind.
"1 New Message From: Sakata-Sensei." Kagura smiled.
"So you really did text me..." Kagura muttered in awe, and Gintoki blushes in embarrasment.
"Don't say it out loud," Gintoki runs a hand through his hair. While Kagura was in the inbox, she notices that there was a message from her Papi.
"Kagura, I'm sorry, but, Papa's visit will be delayed a few weeks more because of work. Don't worry. I'll make it up to you by buying you all the meat you want! Love, Papi Umibozu," Kagura's happiness was crushed, and bitter sadness was visible in her face expression...
A/N: Gahk! There! Sougo's father and Kagura! Please don't ship the two, because I secretly am wanting to ship them, and I'm angry at myself! Not much GinKagu action, but the plot's slowly moving forward...I think :