A / N:
Ohoho first off… I WOULD LIKE TO DEEPLY APOLOGIZE FOR THE ULTIMATE DELAY. TwT It's been a month since I last updated, which was quite odd even for me, considering that I usually make it a point to update at least weekly *coughs* A Different Kind of Torture *coughs*. A lot has been going on lately (family, work, relationships) that I haven't been able to juggle around doing things I love the most. I might return home sooner than I thought, and I might pass my resignation letter at an earlier time due to time constraints, and I just realized how I'm better off being alone and independent rather than engaging in a relationship (I'm no man-hater, my personality is just too complex to be bounded by a term such as 'relationship'—most people find me hard to understand as well, as proven by my record of failed ones lol). Ah, it's been a roller-coaster ride for me this year.
Anyways! Enough about my private life and ramblings, by which you would find it to be pretty boring. XD I now present to you the 4th chapter!
CHAPTER FOUR
Incredulity
"Incredulity is the wisdom of the fool."
― Josh Billings
Sadaharu barked again, moving its back to signal Shiharu to get down.
We're here, it seemed to say.
Shiharu slowly opened her eyes and immediately went inside the store, after frowning at Sadaharu who seemed to choose to take a dump on top of a sleeping homeless man with black shades, and a cardboard box for a house.
However, as soon as she stepped inside, and was about to go to the direction of where the shirts were, she suddenly felt a sudden force hit the back of her head.
And then everything went black.
"Hmph." Okita smirked as his heel stepped on Kagura's abdomen, earning a scowl from the latter.
"Serve you right, Chi— OOF!"
Okita's victory was cut short as soon as the white dog toppled over him, earning a bear hug from its master.
"Yaay good dog, Sadaharu! You know how to treat a lady right, yes?" Kagura happily said as soon as she gave Okita the derp-face.
Okita frowned at her, obviously not pleased at how he cannot get up due to the humongous weight of the abnormally large dog.
"Take that, sadist! You're as weak as expected— huh?"
"Arf!"
Kagura's speech was interrupted as Sadaharu barked at her for attention, briefly reminding her that someone seemed to be missing at the moment.
The latter frowned in confusion. "What's up Sadaharu? Where's Shi-chan?"
Okita, immediately getting a hold of the situation, devilishly smiled at the Yato.
"Oho~ Someone seems to be missing, ne, China?"
"Sh-shut up, Sadist! Shi-chan must be wandering inside the store!"
Sadaharu's barks and whines stated otherwise, making Kagura look paler than how she naturally was.
No, she's gone. It seemed to say.
Without sparing another second, Kagura immediately ran off towards the cloths shop wherein Shiharu was supposed to be just until a minute or so, leaving an amused Okita behind.
"Man, China must have replaced me." He jokingly said before walking off, completely undisturbed that the Yato must be worried sick of whoever this 'Shi-chan' was.
'Oh no oh no oh no oh no, Gin-chan and Tsukki will kill me once they know that Shi-chan is missing!' Kagura worriedly thought as she frantically searched every nook and cranny of the clothes shop, earning weird looks from both the customers and salespeople inside.
One concerned saleslady carefully approached her, tapping her on the shoulder.
"E-excuse me miss, can I help you with something?"
Kagura went stiff, looking at her slowly before asking questions continuously, much to the surprise of the latter.
"Did you see a girl with an outfit like me? Looks like me but with red eyes? Has orange hair?" She asked, shaking the poor girl violently as if she was some rag doll.
Before the saleslady was close to passing out, the timid cashier spoke up.
"S-s-sorry miss… but you see…" the cashier went close to Kagura and whispered in her ear.
Kagura's eyes widened as she rushed outside, a look of mixed terror and anxiety spread on her face.
The people in the clothes shop were left in a daze or worry and confusion.
"SHI-CHAN!"
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Splat.
'Ugh, what is that, so annoying.' Shiharu grumbled as she attempted to look for the right spot to lay down.
For some reason, she still feels groggy and the back of her head hurts as if there was no tomorrow; but then again, she could not help but wonder why was Gintoki's couch suddenly damp and hard.
'Wait… don't tell me that…'
Shiharu immediately opened her eyes, finally realizing that she was somewhere far again from home.
She shook her head in utter disbelief and irritation that she was brought to someplace unknown.
Again.
Sometimes she thinks that maybe it was better if they chained her up at home instead.
Or maybe it was better to never have bothered going out at all, despite the circumstances.
Letting out a sigh, she checked her backpack if the game consoles inside, as well as her laptop; she sighed in relief upon seeing that they were still intact.
"I wouldn't want my lifeline getting ruined in a foreign place." She muttered, trying to be as quiet as possible, despite her shaking hands. She felt unsafe once again, fully aware that somehow, there was no more Shinpachi to reassure her that everything will be alright.
She was completely alone.
She sighed again as she finally took in her surroundings; it seemed to be the same interior as the place she was kidnapped to before, however, this place seemed colder and more damp. Also, she was alone and worse, was behind bars.
'It seems that I am in a cell' she thought, discovering a shabby bed with an excuse for a pillow and a thin blanket. She frowned and contemplated on what to do:
She could inspect whatever was out there by shouting (which seemed to be really reckless and stupid), or to try picking the locks (she never had her game console repair tools for nothing, right?)
She could just sleep it off and hope for the best (which will be hard to attain since Shiharu is wide awake now, and terrified)
She could just trust her good 'ol game console and retreat to the virtual world.
The most plausible mode of action of course would be Option # 1, since escape and means to know your surroundings is the most ideal thing to do in times of danger like this, especially if you are alone. No sane person would want to be left bare and unguarded in such a foreign place.
However, this was Shiharu we are talking about.
She was never defined to be sane.
Rather, she was the complete opposite of it.
After giving a hard look at the lock as if it would open itself just for her, she finally shrugged it off and retreated to the bed, finding it to be surprisingly soft.
'Meh, they should've dropped me here instead of putting my unceremoniously on the floor' She silently scoffed as she took out her PSP.
In times of worry like this, Monkey Hunter really does the trick.
Shiharu smiled with glee as she saw her character spring to life once again.
"Ah, Kuroro, we meet again." She sighed like Sacchan as she rubbed the screen on her cheek.
It was very un-Shiharu like of her to do such a thing.
But then again, she was alone, and she was still a girl.
It wouldn't be wrong to fall in love with your male self, right?
Shiharu continued on to play as if there was no tomorrow, the fear and anxiety slowly ebbing away from her system the more she focused on her character's moves.
If only life was a game with reset, she thought, she would've been the top player for a long time.
Unbeknownst to Shiharu, the Admiral himself was busy playing as well.
That is, playing around hiding while trying to escape the whiny voice of Abuto.
"Danchou, get your ass here and sign these papers! All you have to do is sign them, is that too much to ask?" Abuto sighed as he tiredly called out to find the vermillion-haired lad.
He will definitely be damned if he doesn't submit those papers on time, he thought.
After all, they were the ones with the most damage expenses that are to be covered by the Harusame Insurance, thanks to a certain blood-lusted man.
He was about to give up and attempt to forge Kamui's signature instead, when two lackeys approached him.
"Sir! We have something to report to you!"
"And it's good news!"
Abuto raised a brow at this. It wasn't everyday that one has to hear such a term as, 'good news'.
"What is it?"
'Oh no wait' he thought. 'They must've found the damn captain maybe—'
"We have found a person very much similar to the Admiral!"
"Therefore we found it in our best interests to recruit her!"
Abuto suddenly looked as if he was a flour ghost.
It wasn't damn possible, right?, he thought.
After all, all hell would break loose if every they even attempted to lay a hand on Kagura.
Thinking that Kagura was held captive, he gave a quick whack to the two before rushing down towards the dungeons, desperately hoping that Kamui has not been there yet.
If he was, he would have to stop the fight at all costs.
After all, damage taxes were piling up; and even if they were insured, there was still a limit to how much the expenses would be covered.
Shiharu frowned as soon as the screen to her game console turned black.
'Shit. I knew I should've charged it already when the red blinks appeared.' She silently cursed herself, reaching for her bag to find her charger, after being reassured that a power socket was situated on the wall at the side of her bed.
Lucky girl.
Or so she thought.
As soon as she got the charger and was about to plug it in the socket, a cheerful voice interrupted her ears.
"Are, what do we have here?"
A/N:
Shortest chapter yet. I might make a new one immediately in the weekend *coughs* I hope I could.
Xliaf27: Gaaah I do too! I honestly might give GinTsu more screen time soon, since OkiKagu has somewhat had their fill in this chapter~ *u*
angelbott: Haha! Kamui will be kicked soon… I hope. /gets kicked instead. Haha! It would be hilarious for Abuto going on vacation and leaving everything up to Kamui though; or rather, have Abuto mysteriously 'disappear' or something. XD
BloodyCamellia: Hihi well… my creativity is always at its peak around midnight. I think. TwT Haha well… that would be a surprise. Jk jk. Nah, she's completely human. ^-^ And have a great day/night as well, thanks! :D
wip: Thank you so much! Indeed, she seems to be a magnet for trouble. :`)
: I feel so honored, thank you. :`) Ohoho her past will be revealed sometime in the future chapters~~ *u*
GinkoxKaguura: Hihi I now present to you the 4th chapter! :D
Thank you for reading, awesome people! And thank you for the messages as well.