AUTHOR: Okay. This is chapter… damn I lost count.
GINTOKI: Hey I got a question for you.
AUTHOR: Sure, what is it?
GINTOKI: You said that you always change the flow of the story, right?
AUTHOR: Yup. There are so many scenes and parts that were eliminated. If you will put them together it will reach… 12,000 words. I didn't include them because it will ruin the plot, mature content, unnecessary, out of character and blah blah.
GINTOKI: Like…?
AUTHOR: The scene of you and Kyubei. Damn, that part… So hot… so… *Ehem* Not minor friendly. And the Hasegawa scene…too emotional... And the scene where you and Tsukuyo got…This… thing…(wipe tears)… too emotional.
GINTOKI: that's enough!
AUTHOR: About this chapter… This is just a short and boring conversation between Hinowa and Hijikata. Not more, not less…(while I'm writing on the next Gintoki Tsukky scene.)
CHAPTER 15
Tsukuyo just called Hinowa but Hijikata was talking so she didn't hear her called from the main door.
"So I was saying - " he said.
"Let's talk about it on the in the guest room, officer," she interrupted but not in a rude way and gestured him the way to the room.
"Please. No need to be so formal ma'am, I'm not in the duty today. I'm Toushiro Hijikata (Toushiko), " he answered as he chuckles. "I don't feel like being called 'officer' when I dressed like a woman," he connected.
"Well then, let's go Hijikata-san," she said as she turns around the wheelchair towards the room and opened the door. It is a neat and empty room. The floor is well polished and the doors to the garden are open making it well-lit and bright.
She enters before him and then she closes the door for some privacy. "You may sit Hijikata-san," she offered with her smile not wearing out. He silently followed. It's not comfortable when the person you are talking to is not in the same eye level so she carefully climbed out of her wheelchair and slowly placed her knees on the floor, exactly facing him.
"Nice garden," he broke the awkward silence. "Thank you," she replied. "Would you like some tea? I can ask my Seita to -"
"Uhh, no ma'am. It's fine," he quickly declined. "We'll be leaving soon."
That made her laughed a bit because of his formality though he's the first one who said no to be so formal. "You don't need to call me ma'am if you don't want to be so formal," she said.
"Then what you do you want me to call you?" he asked hiding his embarrassed look.
"Just call me Hinowa, "
He just clears his throat to start the conversation again. His nicotine cravings are starting again, he slowly grabbed his cigarette case out of his sleeve but before he could pull it out, he got a quick glance of her face. She was just smiling at her. It's a friendly pure smile. He was a bit surprised and his body froze for a split second. Now, the guilt overrules the cravings. It's not nice puffing smokes inside the room of a beautiful woman. With that, he released it from his hands and clears throat again.
".Okay, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" she starts the conversation.
"To make it brief, it is about the faction that sells drugs here in this district," he answered.
She knew that the crooks were captured. It's all that she knows. She was puzzled about what he just said. "I heard the rumours almost a month ago that there's an illegal selling of drugs in the district. The Hyakka's and I were not alerted with that news not until a week ago. Some of women here in Yoshiwara started to act weird –I just heard it from the others. Tsukuyo was the first to notice this business here and was the first to respond. But the problem is, we cannot pinpoint who or what group is behind all this until you Gintoki gave us a hand and helped us capture the mastermind. So it's probably over, right?" she said. She felt worried about it all of a sudden knowing that he will not agree."
He let out a sigh, though she doesn't want to disappoint her, he need to say it. "We can't really say it's over. There are some questions left unsolved," he answered. "Kuraba is maybe the head controller of the syndicate here in the district but something bothers me, not just me but the whole squad,"
She doesn't want to risk the lives of her friends again while she does nothing to help them. "Oh! That's not good news," she answered, surprised.
"That's why we went here to ask permission to conduct an undercover investigation in your town," he cleared. She didn't say a word but Hijikata knows what she is feeling right now. That feeling when you are not able to do anything while the others are trying their best, he know that feeling. He swiftly stood and approaches her. He knows to himself that he is not the type of guy who can talk nicely to woman but he gave his best shot.
"Woman. You have no responsibilities on my actions. You don't need to feel guilty or feel worry for me. None of these has something to do with you,"
Those words didn't really ease her feeling but somehow, she understands his feelings. A man has one word. She raised her head and faced at him with a smile locked on her lips. His eyes meet hers.
"But… I hate that my friends are being put in danger while I do nothing," she spoke softly.
A friend? She considers him a friend. If Gintoki said to him that face-to-face those words, that will creep him out and might take it differently. Though they consider their connections as a rotten bond, it still a bond.
Should I say that I'm no friend? He thought. That would be rude to say to a gentle woman. He gave her the slightest smile. "Then praying for my luck to the mayo god will do," he replied. What the hell is a mayo god!?
He's trying not make him worry a bit much for him so he said that stupid mayo god thing. She noticed that something's off him. Something she saw before. His eyes were cold.
"You know what… You look kinda tired," she said all of a sudden.
He placed his hands in his pocket and looked away thinking that she must have noticed his eye bags. "A police work is always tiring," he answered that made her laugh a bit. "That's not what I mean," she replied.
"Psst! Can you move closer," she whispered with her index finger repeatedly bending gesturing to him to stick his ears closer. Without hesitance he bent down and sticks his left ear closer to her. Maybe she has to say something very important like an anti-stress-quote-of-the-day-thingy. Her face is a bit low because she's sitting on the floor so he knelt down, facing her. He looked down and readied his hearing sense.
She isn't saying anything. What's wrong? He tried to look at her but before he can face her he felt two arms passed between his arms and torso. Before he knew, her hands are touching his shoulders. They felt each other's heartbeat. It was as normal as it should be. Her chin over his shoulder and her warm breath crawling to his ears. He didn't expect that.
"You're a strong guy Hijikata but sometimes when you are weak, you just needed a hug so you will know that you are still important. From friends, acquaintances, brothers, sisters, parents… It doesn't matter who," she whispered softly as she release him and looked him in the eyes. His face looked a little bit surprise but she just smiled at him like she expected this type of reaction.
"Feel better?" she asked which make him snapped out from a sudden shock. There was a short silence between the two and Hijikata just looked at her. She knows what he wants to say with that look.
"You're welcome!"
.
.
.
AUTHOR: Well that's it. Next I will cover…
HIJIKATA: Hold on! It's not over yet. You forgot the cool part.
..
.
.
He left the room and closes the door. He bright mood suddenly was lessen when he saw Paako waiting there at the front door.
"I almost forgot that I'm with jerk," he thought with a grimace in his face. But she suddenly remembered what Hinowa said to him.
"From friends huh?" he muttered as the images of Kondo, Sadist and Gintoki pop his head.
"I would rather hug a lamppost or jump the bridge to refresh myself," he said as he lit his cigarette.
AUTHOR: That is cool for you!? What the hell!? Why do you have to include that nonsense scene!
HIJIKATA: It must be! Because (Lights suddenly went out)
AUTHOR: What the hell?
(AFTER 30 seconds lights went back)
HIJIKATA: Thank goodness…
AUTHOR: Holy Shit! What the hell is that!(Pointing the wall)
(On the wall written in red crooked letter: DIE AUTHOR! DIE HIJIKATA! AND DIE AUTHOR AGAIN!)
AUTHOR: What the hell! Is that blood!(Empty bottle of red spicy sauce rolled on the floor.)
AUTHOR: Hey Hijikata, did you do this.
HIJIKATA: (Already running away with sounds of running footsteps fading)
(Lights went off again)
AUTHOR: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!( loud banging and breaking of object continues…)