Chapter 39: Love cupids who are interfering in your love life can go jump in a cliff
"I am going to support you and Satsuki-sama!" She exclaimed, pinning him in the ground further.
"What?" He asked again, he may be heard something that he couldn't believe.
"I said that, I, Ayase, will support Gintoki-sama's love to Satsuki-sama! In other words, I'm going to be your love cupid." She stuck her tongue out while giving out a playful grin to him.
"What?! What the hell is that!?"
The warm ambiance is present all over the inn; peaceful scenario, stillness of every object. Sunlight continued to peer all over the compound. Every person staying in the inn were ease in their current situation and the rest of day will be like this but…they're wrong.
A loud voice echoed all throughout the area; calling out the name of a certain blonde. Using a megaphone, Satsuki headed over Ayase's room and shouted, "Wake up, sleepy head!"
The guests, as well as, every shrine woke up from the ear-splitting cry. All of them began to question each other about the mysterious voice. Meanwhile in Satsuki's side, she began to slide the shoji door open, held out her megaphone close to her mouth and speak again, "04:39:45 already, brat! Wake up!"
Ayase sprawled out from her futon when she heard Satsuki's demonic voice. Her eyes wander over Satsuki, who's now tapping her foot vigorously on the floor. Realizing what she has done, she began to tremble in her current situation.
"A shrine maiden shall be up right now and ready to serve the guest!" Satsuki hissed at her.
"Y-Yes!" Ayase quickly grabbed her outfit and hurriedly headed out of her room.
Meanwhile, the Yorozuya trio are peeking over the things that awaken them up. Seeing the energetic Satsuki training the clumsy Ayase made them shiver down; feeling sorry to Ayase.
"A Hijikata the II is here!" Shinpachi commented while cracking up a smile.
"It's too early, Shinpachi! Let's just rest and leave the rest to Satsuki-chan, uh-huh!" Kagura winced over them; wiping up her sleepy eyes from sleeping.
"We cannot leave her with Satsuki-san! At this rate, she's going to kill Ayase-san!" Shinpachi replied with his straight man act, trying to persuade the lazy idiots with him.
"Yeah, damn right! It's just four in the morning. Let her handle that klu—"Gintoki isn't able to continue his retort when a knife suddenly landed over his side. Hair strands blended over the air that was caught up within the knife as he stared Satsuki—horrified.
"We're Yorozuya, right? We should do this together or else I'm going to wipe down your lazy asses!" Satsuki demanded, hearing her threat they all agreed with her statement and went to their respective rooms to help her.
This training to become a responsible shrine maiden to Ayase continued for days. Every day, they'll be waking up at exactly 4:00 AM or else the 'demon' will devour them alive. All together they trained her in handling chores and serving the guests. Because of the shrine maiden's busy schedule, she couldn't play the cupid towards Gintoki and Satsuki. But, as she learned the basic steps to become the girl she wanted, the tight schedule finally subdued somehow; now she can apply the plan that she's been thinking for days.
"Damn, that Gin-chan! He's not making a move to Satsuki-chan at all, uh-huh!" Kagura ranted under her breathe as she made her way together with Shinpachi.
Shinpachi replied, trying to calm her excited heart down, "Calm down, Kagura-chan. Surely, Gin-san has a plan to ask Satsuki-san out."
His companion pouted, cursing their boss on her statement, "Whatever, Gin-chan is so slow, uh-huh! I wish I could push them to fall in love with each other already! I'm too tired to wait already!"
"Shinpachi-sama! Kagura-sama!" Ayase, out of nowhere, greeted the Yorozuya duo, running towards them with a grin on her face.
The duo stopped on their tracks, facing the blonde. "Oh, Ayase-san, Good Afternoon." Shinpachi greeted back.
"Since there's no time, I'll be going to the main point." Ayase paused for a while then continued, "Gintoki-sama likes Satsuki-sama, right?"
Hearing her question, both eyes widened in the sudden news that she blurted out. The red-head's eyes gleamed in happiness, patting Ayase's shoulders, "That's right! Gin-chan is a dummy for not making a move, uh-huh!"
Ayase snickered in her place, knowing that her plan will be successful since she caught the attention of their companions. Her lips curved out a smile, answering back, "Well, if you're that tired waiting for Gintoki-sama's move then help me." The duo arched a brow, confused to her actions.
Ayase pulled out a smirk, "Let's be a love cupid to Gintoki-sama's love!"
He sighed for the umpteenth time. Munching another rice cake, he is utterly bored with the job. The men in the Yorozuya couldn't work or serve the customers because the only one allowed are women so here he is, heading over the Yorozuya's room. Sliding the door open, he found Satsuki laying on the floor; sleeping. And the twist with this situation is that she's wearing a shrine maiden outfit and her hair is braided hanging by its side. Earning a huge beauty points to Gintoki, he couldn't help but to gush out blood over his nose. He sat beside Satsuki, who is now fast asleep and doesn't have any clue to her surroundings, he found a note under a piece of rock. He immediately puts his hands on the note and read it.
"Hello, Gintoki-sama!" When he spotted his name with '–sama' in it, he instantly knew that the idiot blonde started this farce to begin it. His eyes landed over the continuation of the note, "I've been busy recently since you've been training me really hard! So, now that I learned the basic steps to become a beautiful shrine maiden. I have decided to continue our 'agreement' and thus, I will start with this beautiful being sleeping next to you! Do not worry, this is only the start!"
After reading her note, he felt the urge to crumple the note within his grasp as he glanced over Satsuki's sleeping face. Tugging gently her blue hair locks, he stared upon her features for a while then letting out a gentle smile but stopped when he observed further her features.
"M-Mei?!" When he blurted out his first love's name, suddenly, Satsuki aroused from her slumber quickly.
"W-Woah!" She sits quickly from her laying position and glanced over her place; noticing Gintoki by her side. Her eyes deliberately landed on him as she scratches her messy braided hair, "What's wrong?"
He replied, "N-Nothing.."
Damn… She looks like Mei just right now.
Letting out a confused look, she shrugs the weird reaction of her companion. Unexpectedly, they saw Shinpachi and Kagura carrying loads of boxes in their grips. Earning a rant coming from the hardworking duo to help them, the two adults stood up from their position and carried the boxes as well.
The two headed onto the stock room to pile up the boxes that they carried. When they stepped inside the dark cramp room, both eventually put the boxes on its designated shelf. Both not even trying to talk with each other and focused to what they're currently doing. Unknowingly, it's all part of Ayase's plan to make these two cooperate with each other. In the middle of their work, Ayase shut the stock room's door completely and locked it.
The loud creek of the door and the sudden darkness of the room make Satsuki and Gintoki flinched in surprise. The two were surprised in the sudden turn of events that Satsuki merely dropped the container she's currently holding in.
"Wh-What just happened?" She asked the silver-haired guy right next to her with odd confusion written down to her face.
Gintoki couldn't help but gnashed his teeth in frustration as his nerve-cracked in response. He swears to himself that he knows who is the preparator of this sudden event. Worst, he is all alone with this woman that he has some doubts onto.
"Someone locked us in the middle of nowhere. Must be a pra—" Gintoki stopped midway in his statement, noticing Satsuki staring at him intimately. He could help but be puzzled by the sudden action of the blue-haired woman.
"Now that I think of it Gintoki, we haven't talked for a while." Satsuki stated, clearly getting comfortable of the stillness of the room as she purposely sat down at the top of a barrel.
"Why are you getting comfortable in this situation? We should find a way to get out of here, woman." He grumbled under his breath, glaring mostly upon her. Nevertheless, she didn't bother to move from her assumed position and continued onto her blabber, "Come on, ever since I came back we haven't really had some personal talks."
"Are you seriously going to let me talk while we're trapped here?" He thwarted, squinting towards the petite figure of Satsuki. Noticing her flabbergasted look in this situation made him face palmed internally to himself.
"We'll find a way out of here later. So, Gintoki…." She paused for a while to prolong the suspense between the two. Their eyes exchanged looks with each other and now the good-for-nothing samurai can't help but be anxious about this.
"Ayase told me that you have someone you like!"
Damn that blonde!
Gintoki imagined strangling the blonde's swirly hair within his mind. Fuming over the realization that the blonde has been nothing but a burden to his current relationship with Satsuki. Sighing in frustration, he let the azure-haired woman over here talk about what Ayase has been telling her these past few days about that person he likes. But, in the middle of her scattered rumbles, Gintoki noticed how Satsuki is related to Meiko in terms of how they smiled and eventually laugh within her words. Because of this slight doubt, he couldn't help but observe her characterization as her movements began to be wild then shifted to be a timid one.
Suddenly, something fell from the carton. Gintoki's attention shifted to the fallen eyeglass out of nowhere. Truth to be told, it's just pure coincidence that he'll find something to quench his curiosity. Grabbing the square-framed lenses—that fell out of nowhere—he marched towards her with those familiar dead fish eyes. His presence made her stopped from spouting this and look up to see him, "What's wrong?" Gintoki didn't let her wonder off when he just suddenly slid the glasses on to the bridge of her nose swiftly. Then, the scene played out when Gintoki's mouth went wide as he seen her looked exactly his first love.
Is she…really?
Satsuki, in return, widened her eyes in shock. Noticing that Gintoki has been wary of her existence and that her cover might to be blown up. Swiftly, she grabbed the pair of glasses onto the bridge of her nose and unexpectedly, with full power and force threw into the door with a blown effect. The three pairs of eyes who are eavesdropping upon the series of events are very much shocked to the impact made by the woman. The door's lock was completely smashed into pieces due to Satsuki's frustration. To avoid more drama, Satsuki stood up from her seat; avoiding looking at his doubting eyes then left awkwardly, "L-Look the d-door is open, we m-must go." With that lame excuse, she left the premises.
That night, Satsuki tried her best to avoid Gintoki's company as much possible. She didn't know what to act or lie when he get suspicious again about her identity. Instead of thinking this through, she decided to focus her whole attention onto serving some guess in the shrine. Her eyes darted onto the blonde-girl trying to serve some customers with delight in her face. Satsuki sighed in relief when she observed her paced but some and furrowed her eyebrows to Ayase's current situation.
Ayase is currently struggling within the group of perverts, assaulting her demeanor. The group were lavishing the sight of frail body and the blonde can't fight as she might hurt their customers and worse, make a reputation. Satsuki didn't let this slide and approached the customers.
"Customers, what might be the problem here?" She asked with those burning eyes of hers, piercing over the guys. But instead of getting frightened, they were amazed by the coldness of her character.
"My,my, we didn't know that there were lots of beautiful faces in here." The leader of the group snickered onto the two, making Ayase tremble in fear. This is her first time encountering a maniac in the premises. She couldn't act nor have the courage to spout out some words. On the other hand, Satsuki knew that the woman beside her is quivering in fear; pushing her slight at her back, she held out her hand to shield her then scoffing to the group.
"Wow, what a warrior princess we have here." The leader of the gang commented really amused to her attitude.
She tried to play the good etiquette within them, "Dear customers, you may have to leave the premises because you're attracting too much attention." Her eyes glanced to the group of people and some shrine maiden getting anxious about the turn of events. She knew that something is wrong, and she have to let the people here leave before anything bad happens
"You know what, I like how you act and stood up with your companion. You see, I need your help…" He paused, now his eyes jolted onto the braided azure hair of hers, "Your faces aren't suited to be a mild decoration onto this puny little shrine. You deserve better."
"And where is this place that I deserve?" She taunted back, receiving a wild grin from the stranger.
"Yoshiwara."
"So he's scouting some prostitutes? Like, I'll join that kind of shady business."
Now, his hand crawled slowly onto her shoulders, making her flinch in response. But her scowl didn't leave her, as she began to place her right hand onto her back; mimicking some hand gestures that Ayase fond interesting and somehow, she knew how to crack this kind of signal.
"Send…help…Evacu…ate…pe…ople…Tell…Gintoki about…this…" Ayase read softly. Once she got her message, she bit her lip as she readied her position to run. Now, the suspicious stranger danced his fingers towards Satsuki's cheek then suddenly… Within a span of second, Satsuki grabbed the guy's hand, twisting it to the other side; making a cracking sound that almost felt like she broke his arm, then slamming the guy's head onto the table.
"Get the hell out of here everyone!" Shouting on top of her lungs, the shrine maidens began to help the guests evacuate from this mess. Then, the blonde girl tried to make her way outside of the cramp space.
"What the fucking hell did you just do, woman?!" Alarmed and somewhat pissed by her actions, these guys began to draw her full-fledge katana; pointing against her then charged up all together. In the corner of Satsuki's eyes, she saw Ayase strangling up to get her way towards the exit where there are packed people exiting the premises. Now, she doesn't have the choice but to not let these guys ruin her plan. Summersaulting from various attacks of blades, she landed straight onto the wooden table. Seeing some left-over dishes, she had the idea and kicked these dishes towards the swarming number of bandits; aiming towards their faces. But that didn't stop them from attacking so again she plunge over another table then she began to grab two wrists of some bandits; making them out of control to their weapons. Stealing them purposely, she grabbed both weapons and kicked both of the guys face.
"Well, well. Stop already warrior princess." The leader announced, his broken arm wobbling. There, he presented in his arms is Ayase's shaking figure almost in tears. Satsuki lowered her weapons, biting her lip in frustration.
"Satsuki-nee, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The leader presented a knife from his pocket and almost let its tip touch Ayase's neck, "Drop your weapons or I'm going to kill this girl."
She doesn't have the choice, does she? Scoffing in return, her eyes burned in anger as she dropped both katanas in her hands; raising up both hands up high, "Leave her alone, take me instead."
"As you wish, milady." The leader roughly pushed her onto the side, then the rest of the group took her by force; exiting the premises with disgusting grins on her faces, leaving Ayase alone in the room sobbing loudly to her stance.
"Satsuki-nee…"
Author's Note:
I apologize in my rare and random updates. I will try my best to come up ideas and update the story as well. But, thank you for the people who kept on supporting this fic despite the lack of updates. Please review and let me know your thoughts.