"Kondo-san, where were you? Serizawa-san is waiting-" Hijikata stopped short, his pace thwarted when he saw the bunch of desolated unmarried men surrounding Kondo-san, like the ants surrounding the sugar. He quickly made his way to the group when he heard various cries from the captains.

"Go away, Shinpat-san! You're scaring her!" Heisuke was pushing Shinpachi away from where Kondo-san is standing.

"What?! What did I do?!" Shinpachi did backed away when Sano told him to, but with an extremely dissatisfied face.

"Apparently your face alone made a good job to make her cry, Shinpachi-san." Souji reasoned smugly, while actually he himself failed to caught Tomoe's attention.

Feeling like a pack of wolves ready to swallow her, she cling ever-so-tightly to her father's neck, hiding her face in Kondo-san's black haori.

"Oi, what are you guys bustling about? Oh-" He froze when he saw a little girl in Kondo-san's arms. By the time he arrived behind the Commander, he saw the glistened teary hazel-eyes on the girl's face when she shifted slightly.

Then she sobbed.

"Ah. Hijikata-san is a child-repeller too, I guess." Again, Souji commented with the infamous smirking face of his when he heard she sobbed as soon as he arrived at the gate of the compound. Hijikata frowned, "Hey, what was that supposed to mean? It's because you guys surrounding her like you wanted to eat her. Give her and Kondo-san some room, will you."

"I agree." Saito agreed monotonously from behind the Vice-Commander.

Like speaking to the wind, they didn't budge even an inch.

Kondo turned to his back, but did a bad job in protecting the almost-burst-into-cry child from her eager uncles, "Toshi, can you tell Serizawa-san I'll be late? I don't think I can leave her alone for now." He referred to his daughter who was struggling to hide herself from her uncles.

Hijikata mused, hands crossed over his chest, "Hmm... Well, I'll try though. You know how Serizawa-san is. But the meeting this time - Hey!" He almost kiss the ground when someone had accidentally pushed him away from where he was standing.

Saito.

He was holding a tray of steamed buns in his hands when he bowed slightly and apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry, Fukuchou."

Souji smirked, "Hajime-kun mean; you're in the way, Hijikata-san, so move away." Souji voluntarily translated Saito's remarks into his own notion. He then picked one of the steamed bun.

If possible, Souji would have die if Hijikata's glared turned into bullets.

"No, I didn't mean any of the sort. Besides," Saito took back the steamed buns in Souji's hand and in Heisuke's, "These steamed buns brought by her mother for her, and not for you."

"Ehhhhh~~~ how mean Saito-san/Hajime-kun..." Heisuke and Souji wailed at the same time.

Sano huffed amusedly, "This is how you comfort a frightening child," he picked one steamed bun and brought it to Tomoe while Saito already did the same.

There's two steamed buns in front of her.

One in Sano's hand.

And the other in Saito's hand.

She lifted her teary face to focus on her favorite food.

They were waiting for her to make choice when her gaze shifted from Sano's hand then to Saito.

Even Kondo-san and Hijikata were anticipating her choice.

"Tomo want..."

'She speaks!' The men were screaming madly inside when they finally heard the small voice.

Her small fingers pointed to her choice.

"Dat one."

The bun on the tray.

"Ehhhh~~~"

Hijikata arched a small smile.

Sano and Saito blinking their eyes, blurred.

Kondo-san burst out laughing before he picked the bun she pointed which was bigger than the two and brought it to her.

"Bhahahaha! See? Tomo-chan is more clever than you thought." Shinpachi commented to the two deserted, disappointed men, "Just make sure to press the 'try again' button though."

Heisuke sneered, "Heh. But it's already 'game over' for you, Shinpat-san."

Kondo-san and the others walked away from the gate towards the compound, leaving the bantering captains behind. He lowered Tomoe to the hallway and sat on her side. Her legs swaying from the ground.

"Kondo-san, I'll go to Serizawa-san's place first." Hijikata paused when Kondo-san didn't pay attention to what he was saying. He snorted amusedly when he saw the image of the Commander as a father entertaining his two years daughter right now.

Just this one time won't hurt, though.

Then he left.

Tomoe threw her gaze on her side, to make sure her father didn't leave her, she closed the small distance between them until her small thigh touched his. Then she started to munch the white fluffy bun, one hand pinched the bun then she brought it into her mouth.

With an eyes-signal, Kondo-san directed the amazed captains to sit together with them. Souji quickly made his way to Tomoe's side, but sadly, Saito took it first.

He sighed overdramatically, "I have had enough of ehhhhhh~~~ today, so I'll surrender to you only for today, Hajime-kun." Then he sat on Saito's right side and Sano on Kondo-san's left side.

Saito placed the earlier tray behind them, between him and Tomoe, in case she wanted to eat more. Kondo took one of the bun and brought it to his mouth, munching.

"Saito, Souji, Harada, just take the bun though. She can't finish all these by herself." He invited his fellow captains to savor the buns his wife had bought.

"Well, if you insist." The buns on the tray had reduced in number.

"Tomo-chan," Kondo-san called for his daughter, but she was engrossed in dipping her fingers in the red beans filling then licking them.

"Saito," Kondo turned to Saito then whispered something to him. After a while, he nodded in assent.

He stood after he had finished his bun, he placed his palm on Tomoe's head and he called her again, and this time she responded, "Em?" She lifted her face from the bun to him. The filling had stained her face around the mouth and slightly on the cheeks.

Kondo-san took the bag containing Tomoe's things in his hand, "Otou-san have something to take care of. Will Tomo-chan stay here for a while with the uncles?"

"Ehhhh~~~" Souji forgot to preserve his wail for tomorrow, "It's nii-chan, Kondo-san, not uncles, you know-"

She shook her head hardly, the short dark brown hair swayed slightly before she throw the bun into the tray then instantly jumped off from her seat on the hallway straight to her father, the fingers coated with red beans filling staining his hakama as she trying to keep him close to her.

Kondo heaved a heavy sigh. He also don't want to leave her just after her mother had left her, but-

He crouched down to face her sad face, "Do you want to play with Saito-nii-chan?"

5 minutes later

Shinpachi and Heisuke finally arrive at the place they were eating before.

But there's only Sano and the pouting Souji at the hallway.

"Eh, where's Tomo-chan?"

Sano sighed, "Tomo-chan is no longer here."

Souji nodded sadly, "Hajime-kun had took her away from us..."

Shortly after, they heard a small giggle followed by a loud one, which undoubtedly came from Tomo-chan. The sound was becoming louder and louder before Saito finally returned with Tomo-chan in his arms. But...

The usual white scarf around his neck was gone. Instead, it was wrapped around Tomo-chan's drenching yukata.

"Hajime-kun?! What have you done?!"