Chapter 4

Sorry, it seem I make a mistake. When Tetsu call Okta-sensei, he said san instead of sensei. It seems like I also misspelled Shinsengumi as well. Hopefully no one would be confused when I change them. Oh and forgive me if I spelled choushu wrong as well.

THANK YOU

Standing in the middle of a blood bath battlefield, Tetsu clench something tightly to his chest. Tears continue to fall one by one. The thing in his arms were dripping with blood. Watching from afar, he soon realize it was a head that he's holding. The long bloody wet hair tangle itself onto Tetsu's shirt.

"Tetsu." Susumu touch his shoulder.

"You know… Okita-san said that everything will be alright, but he was wrong. Everything would have been alright if I hadn't come."

"No, it wouldn't have been alright."

Tetsu look up at Susumu. He gave a little smile as he clench the head in his arm tighter as if to protect it. He look away from Susumu and onto the bloody field.

"He was my best friend, Susumu. But… to him… I'm someone who doesn't even qualified to be his enemy. Not even close." he whisper in the last part.

Tetsu watch himself cry as he held onto the head. Susumu patted his head.

"Let's go Tetsu. Staying here and holding on to Okita-sensei's head wouldn't do any good."

"No, I'm not leaving. I'm staying here with Okita-san and everyone else."

"Tetsu… staying here will only mean you have completely given up on the Shinsengumi. Do you want to show the Choushu that they won and completely shatter the Shinsengumi? If not, then let's go."

Tetsu clench the head tighter. "Susumu…"

Thrust! Blood fill his eyes covering his vision. Close eye lids open as wide as they could. Tears frozen in their spot along with his time. A dark yet warm figure fell onto the frozen snow. A dark pool of blood spill out leaving the doll almost empty.

"Susumu!"

His cried could have been heard for miles and miles, yet no one comes. A midst the darkness, he awoke with a fright. Sweat cover his face and tears took it's place. The darkness of the room gave a feeling of fear and sadness. Tetsu wipe away the tears and sweat. He look around the room and gave a relief sigh that it was all a dream.

His beating heart calms down and his warm tears left his face with out a trace.

"What in the world…?"

Three days has already gone by since he met Suzu, and the people who work at the flower shop, and not to mention the three guys at the store. His dream have increased exponentially after those little encounter. The only one he hadn't met was… Susumu… just him. Tetsu shook his head a little just to make the bad dream go away.

He look out the window. The summer rain had already stop but the outside was still wet. Little droplet of rain drip down from the shade. Tetsu touch his shoulder and clench it tightly. The pain on his back increases. He figure he must have slept wrong and didn't mind it much.

"Tet-chan! Hurry up and get ready, we're leaving soon for grandma!"

His mother call from down stairs. Tetsu groan in annoyance but got up anyway. He couldn't sleep until just then. The dream kept repeating itself like it's trying to tell him something.

Tetsu was losing his sleep, and sometime he wouldn't fall asleep, scared that something scary would happen in his dream. Of course he didn't tell him parents because he was afraid they would think he's crazy. Around them, he acts perfectly normal, but when alone… he was scared and desperate for comfort.

He tirelessly put on his clothes and head down stairs with his bag of clothes that he packed last night. As soon as he got down stairs, they immediately got into the car and drove off with out breakfast. They pass the flower shop on the way and Tetsu felt his heart skip a beat. He feel like something's wrong until a the man name Okita-san step out of the store and set up the flowers outside. A smile spread across Tetsu face instantly and he feel all better. At least in reality he didn't… died…

"Tet-chan?" his mother asked.

"What is it, Kaa-chan?"

"Are you okay? Lately, you seem unhappy?"

"Uh, no I'm fine Kaa-chan."

"You know you can always tell us what's wrong. You've been staying in your room a lot and you had bag under your eyes."

"I'm fine."

Not wanting to push him any further, his mother decided to give it sometime, "Okay, but remember you can always tell us what's wrong. When you want to talk, we'll listen to you ok?"

He nodded and look out the window. He felt like he's leaving behind, for the first time in his life, a safe place and back to where only bad things exist. He sigh in agreement, To the place where the dreams first started…

It took approximately 5 hours to get to his grandma's house. It was way out in the country side where the old building that was built during the Meiji Era stood. His grandma lives in a big Meiji Era house that could probably fix an entire group of army. His grandma secretly told him once that the house used to be the head quarter of the Shinsengumi before they moved to the temple.

After what his grandma told him, he's been having weird dreams about them. His grandma said that maybe it was trying to tell him something that is going to happen in the future or something that is going to change his life forever.

As soon as he got out of the car, he was as stiff as a rock. He couldn't move for 3 seconds. His grandma came running out of the house and game him a hug.

"It's so good to see you, Tetsu!"

He return her hug, "Same here grandma."

He didn't even realize they parted as he look at the gate. It was truly a site he remember. It was just like in his dream, except a little older and rundown.

After giving everyone else a hug, his grandma came back to him. She follow his gaze and look at the gate. She smile lightly.

"Amazing isn't it? I remember the first time you came here. This was the first thing you lay eyes on. But I couldn't agree more. This place is still amazing even after all these years."

"Grandma? Why did you chose this place over the others?"

Not looking at each other, she answer in a soft and whispering tone, "Because this place comes with one heck of a story. Actually, it had many stories, but the one I like best is the one about a boy named…"

She stop and gave a little smile. Tetsu look at her with the expression why-didn't-you-continue look. She kept smiling and walk through the gate. Tetsu stare at her as she goes in and didn't stop her. A story? A boy? Tetsu look back at the gate and sigh.

"Tet-chan, why aren't you going in?" his mother asked, carrying his bag and handing it to him.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." he replied and took the bag from his mother.

He went straight to his room that he always slept in. The room was next to the open field in the middle of the house. He like that room because it made him feel like he was where he belong. As soon as he step into the room, he felt all warm and happy inside. The room was huge and had a lot of space to put his stuff. On one corner, he had a little rundown wooden table that have been there forever. He love that little table for some unknown reason. Sometime he would often dreamed about a man in a black kimono sitting there writing stuff down, and he would often bring him tea of some sort.

He smile and put down his bag. He walk over to the rundown wooden table and sit down beside it. He touch the smooth top and smile even wider. Just then he realize something, he ran to his bag and unzip it. He pull out a some white papers and a bottle of ink along with a small paint brush. He always carried those with him when he came over. He set them on the table, and now he feels like he's really home.

The room was bed less, so he lay down on the matted floor after he unpack his clothes and put them in the closet that contain a white futon. He stare up at the ceiling and sigh. For once, I want to really dream about a good dream. And he close his eyes.

It must have been winter, since the head quarter was full of snow. Tetsu was looking at the man in a black kimono, namely known as Hijikata-san. Hijikata-san was writing something down on the papers before him on the rundown little wooden table, except that it wasn't old but new. He watch as he himself enter the scene and put the tea on the table. Hijikata-san kept his eyes on the papers and didn't bother to look up once.

He sat down on the floor a few feet away. Then someone else enter the room. It was Okita-san. He sat down next to Tetsu. They started laughing and joking around loudly, which made Hijikata-san yelled at them. However, they just continue to laugh secretly. Tetsu smile warmly as he watch the peaceful yet funny dream.

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder and lightly shook him. He quickly open his eyes. A single tears slide down his eyes, but that wasn't because he awoke from the dream, but rather because of the hand that shook him awake.

"Susumu?"