"Takasugi-san."
He lowered his head, recognizing the voice, and turned around to see Kawakami Bansai. He just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I am going to be heading to the Harusame main base, today. What do would you want me to tell them other than making a treaty?" Bansai asked Takasugi.
A purple-haired girl came onto Takasugi's mind but it immediately went away. She was dead. An Amanto killed her, during Joui War.
The solemn thought of her not existing in this world lingered onto the back of his mind.
But maybe it was better that she had died than to see this rotten world and living in it.
He had remembered when she had come to school to learn about how to become a samurai when they were both small. He had remembered when she had woken up, every day, early in the morning to make lunch for Gintoki. But what would he have done if she was alive? Maybe nothing would have changed. But if she was alive, would he have made the group of Kiheitai? If so, would he have let her join this group so she would help him destroy this rotten world? Would he have done those things?
"Takasugi-san?"
Ignoring Bansai's call, Takasugi Shinsuke stared blankly at the city of Edo, beneath him. What would he have done if Shineko was alive?
But he had seen an Amanto stab her. Right in front of him, Sakamoto, Katsura, and Gintoki. She can't be alive.
"Takasugi-san," Bansai called, once again; and finally gaining his leader's attention.
"What?" replied Takasugi.
"Do you want me to do anything or tell them anything?"
"...no. Now, go. We don't have much time."
Bansai did as he was told, walking back into the inner part of the ship.
Takasugi let out a sigh then stared up at the moon, showing up in the sky, remembering a memory from a past.
'Die! You bast-'
'Tak-kun! Don't use those words! Don't you remember Mother always told us not to use such dirty words?' yelled a purple-haired girl who was about 13 years of age.
Her brother, who was about 15, stared at the girl in disbelief. 'Gintoki took the last of my dango!'
'Well, that's your fault for not guarding the sweets from him, don't you think? You should know, very well, how crazy Kintoki would become when it comes to sweets!'
'Can you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here...' Gintoki commented as he was currently blocking an attack from Takasugi Shinsuke. 'And I'm Gintoki, not Kintoki.'
Shinsuke and Shineko, ignoring Gintoki's comment, continued hitting each other's nerves, like siblings always do.
'Oi oi. You two should stop yelling at each other. It's just a waste of time,' said Katsura, who had been sitting beside Gintoki and eating a dango of his own, on the roof.
Shineko and Shinsuke both calmed down and decided to sit down on the edge of the roof, staring at the calm night sky.
The night was calm, like nothing has been happening the past few days. But this was during the Joui War. The war has been going on for months. It has seemed like the fighting of samurais for their own country are just a waste. Nothing has changed. The Amantos kept coming and coming like none has died. They all felt like the Amantos just increased.
'Do you think this would ever end?' Shineko asked no one in particular, quietly.
Shineko, Shinsuke, Gintoki, Katsura, and even Tatsuma stayed silent. None had an answer to that question, not even Gintoki.
'This has to end,' Gintoki spoke up. He stood up and stood firmly on the roof; his chin up, his back straight, and he had this...fire in his eyes. 'Even if all of you give up, I will finish this. This country is ours... Us Samurai's. No foreigner can take this country away from us.'
Shineko stared at him in awe. She had always been looking up to him. He was like an older brother to her, other than Shinsuke. An older brother she had...loved.
'You always say those things like we would give up on this fight,' Shinsuke mumbled.
'You won't? Aww..man. I wanted to be the only hero...' Gintoki mumbled then sighed.
'Maa maa...you should be thankful that we're here to fight with you, Kintoki!' said Tatsuma with his usual laugh.
'How about you, Zura?' asked Gintoki.
'It's not Zura. It's Katsura. And of course, I would be on your side.'
'Shine Komusume? What about you?'
Shineko's eye twitched when he had called her that.
'You should die, Kintoki. And I'm thinking about being on your side. Maybe I should just beat you up and kill you so you wouldn't be with us. Or maybe I should just hand you over to the Amantos.'
'I hate you,' Gintoki mumbled to Shineko.
'Don't worry. I hate you, too.'
"Takasugi... I have a news for you."
Takasugi, once again, turned around to see Katsura standing there on his ship, casually.
Takasugi narrowed his one eye. "What do you want?"
"I'm not here to fight you, Takasugi. I'm here to tell you something I've heard from Gintoki."
"Gintoki? Hn. Interesting."
"Takasugi...Shineko...is...-"
"Dead. I've once told you, specifically, not to talk about her, in front of me."
"No, she's... Shineko is..." Katsura breathed out and stared directly into Shinsuke's eyes, "...alive."
Takasugi's eye widened.
The one person you trusted the most would walk away from you.
The one person you trusted the most would betray so easily.
The one person you had loved the most would...break your heart like it's nothing.
"Shineko-san? What...happened?"
I ignored Matako's words and continued lying on my bed, helding onto my cheek, and my back facing Matako and Abuto.
"Shineko-san?"
I slowly turned to face them with tear in my eyes then jumped on Matako.
"Matako-chaaaaaaan!" I sobbed in her shoulders.
"Shineko-...san?"
"Kamui...Kamui kissed me!"
"KAMUI? You mean our captain?" Abuto cried.
"Who else would it be?" I mumbled then sniffed. "Are there any other Kamuis? Huh? Huh?"
Abuto just sweat dropped.
"That bastard took my first! He took my innocence!" I continued whining.
"Your first? You innocence?" Abuto and Matako cried. "How?"
"He kissed me on the cheek."
And I earned a slap on my cheek by both Abuto and Matako.