Yay! Quicker update time! :D Though, the chapter is shorter -.-' Gomen, gomen. Oh well, better an update than not at all~ Enjoy~ Btw, this chapter is dedicated to Alice-Leila.Thanks for all of your PMs, girl~ ;)
Chapter Three
"Tadaima!" Shinpachi calls, entering the Yorozuya apartment with Kagura, who's chowing on some sukonbu. "Gin-san, Kagura and I are home from grocery-shopping!" He shouts, setting the bags down on the table in the kitchen. He waits for Gintoki's everpresent "Did you get the strawberry milk and JUMP?" that is always asked when he returns from shopping. "Gin-san?" He calls, starting to look around for a note or something of the sort. What he does find, is a spilled carton of strawberry milk.
"Oi, what's wrong?" Kagura asks, walking over. "Did Gin-chan leave his and that Shinsengumi demon's business on the table again?" She tilts her head in curiosity.
Shinpachi shakes his head, "No, it's– wait, they did what?!" He screeches out the last part in furious shock.
Kagura waves it off, "It wasn't near the food and Gin-chan remembered to clean it later." She assures, "Anyways– what's Gin-chan's milk doing on the floor?" She stops abruptly, asking the last question once seeing the spilled milk.
"I don't know, that's what I was wondering. Gin-san would never let something like that happen, and even if he did, he'd get someone else to clean it up… or lick it up himself, but I made him promise to never do that again." Shinpachi says.
"He's not here, did he leave a note?" Kagura wonders aloud.
"Not in the kitchen, maybe he left it somewhere else?" Shinpachi says, starting to get worried.
"I'll go check the living room," Kagura shrugs.
"Okay, I'll go check his room." Shinpachi nods, heading to the samurai's room. He slides the door open, seeing nothing too out of place, the usual crumpled sheets and clothes thrown about. He turns, but something catches his eye. He frowns, going in to investigate.
Is that a… shattered lighter? Shinpachi thinks, gently touching the fragments. It looks like Hijikata-san's lighter… Shinpachi sees a slitted hole in the form of a sword cut just a few feet away. What happened? He wonders to himself. Well, if Hijikata-san's lighter is here, albeit broken, he must know something. Shinpachi resolves, knowing that Hijikata must've been here sometime from yesterday night to this afternoon. He leaves Gintoki's room, intent on telling Kagura what he's figured out and going to find Hijikata, because even though Gintoki is a very random and careless (not carefree, he's always whining about Kagura's dietary habits draining their pocket money and bank money down to zero) guy, there's just something off about the situation that makes Shinpachi uneasy.
"Sukonbu… bring me more, Pattsuan…" Shinpachi hears Kagura whine from the couch.
A tick mark forms on his forehead and he stomps over to Kagura, seeing exactly what he expected: Kagura asleep on the couch.
"Oi!" He shouts, making Kagura wake up. She sits up, rubbing her eyes with a sleepy yawn.
"What is it, Megane?" She mumbles.
"Gin-san's disappearance might have to do with Hijikata-san, I found his lighter in Gin-san's room; it was shattered beyond repair." Shinpachi explains, pushing up his glasses.
"Why are you so worried about Gin-chan disappearing anyway? He might be out for a job and forgot to have written a note like the forgetful perm-headed slob he is," Kagura points out bluntly.
Shinpachi shakes his head, "No, there's just something too wrong about this. The spilled milk? The lighter? What about the sword slit I found in the tatami mat?" He counters.
Kagura shifts, actually thinking about it, and she does realize there's something off about the situation when she mulls around what Shinpachi says in her mind.
"Alright, let's go see Hijibaka." She agrees, sounding very much like her sadist rival.
Shinpachi sweatdrops, You're more like Sougo-san than you want to admit, eh, Kagura? He thinks. Then, he spares one last glance towards the kitchen and Gintoki's room before leaving with Kagura.
Don't worry, Gin-san, we'll get to the bottom of this.
I know, I know, it's not too eventful, especially since it's so short, but I want to save Hijikata for the next chapter ;) Also, I inserted a OkiKagu quirk in there for the fans, I think it just naturally fits in, no? Sorachi-sensei meant for it to be that way, and it shall! :D Anyways, the reviews fuel my writing, so keep them coming! X3
Serena-loves-Angst