TAMA: WARNING! WARNING! SPOILER! Please jump to part 1 if you don't wanna get spoiled!
AUTHOR: This is the second to the last chapter. Enjoy!
"I shouldn't have done that. Why do things must turn out to be like this? I don't want to end it this way. –No. It doesn't have to be like this. Oh please God help me!" she thought.
"What are you doing Tsukky!? Let's go!" shouted the Yato girl, desperately pulling her arm to the nearest floating plank from the remains of the sunken airship on the sea. The rain is pouring heavily. There's no way you can tell which direction you are heading while your face is being hit by big waves continuously. Although Kagura possesses an incredible strength, she is already too weak to retain her on her arm and the plank at the same time. Her sight is fading, everything seems to be darkening.
"CHINA!"
She heard that voice again. The voice that she doesn't know if she wanna hear or not. "Why are you so weak that I have to save you from this!?" he shouted as he reach his hand to her. She didn't replied. Everything went clear on her and she gasp for air one more time and automatically grabs the sadist's hand without second thoughts and her face slightly sank on the water as he pulls her. She raises her face and though the strong rain blurs her vision, she can actually see that he is in the lifeboat with Kondo and Yamazaki. He lifted her to the boat and she can't help smiling to see him again before she passed out.
Before Kagura slipped her hands from Tsukuyo's arm, Yamazaki already grabbed the unconscious blondy. She already passed out and so is Kagura. The storm started to calm.
"Quick Yamazaki! Contact the others for medical assistance!"
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PART 1
"G-Gintoki..." she stuttered as her cheek blushed slightly. She was thinking of him all the time but now that he is in front of her, she felt a little surprised.
"Tsu-Tsukuyo..." there was no emotion from it like his deadpanned eyes. They just stared for a couple of seconds until he remembered the date thing. His expression worsens.
"That's pretty funny what you did last night. I bet you were laughing your ass out with your army. Did you filmed me and sent it to World's Stupidest Person?" he said with a sarcastic tone. "I hope you got your $300 for that 12 hour clip," he continued with his fake smirk on his face.
She's not getting his point there. "What are you talking about?" she asked. But the innocence of her tone doesn't make him believe it.
"Oh really? Playing dumb?" his patience reached the point. His teeth gritted in anger. He wanted to burst out but he thought that he may get some attraction which is embarrassing. He approached the door and passes the frozen her without looking back at her. It was a very cold action of him. He stepped outside and before he closed the door behind him, he gave his final words. "Don't come apologizing to me or leave a stinking note on my office. Please, stay away from me. It's you who broke the bond," then the door softly shut.
She wanted to catch him but his strong words just echoed loudly in her mind and struck her feelings. She was scared.
"I need to go to the restroom," she monotonously said to herself.
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SOUGO: For all the readers who read the last part in the previous chapter where Hijikata left the room, this is what really happened.
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He left the room and closes the door. His bright mood suddenly turned heavy when he felt that there was someone there a moment ago. There are three doors he needs to pass before reaching the front door: one on the left and two on the right. He started to walk slowly, glancing left and right. He passed the first two doors on both sides facing each other, so far so good. But when he finally reached the third door which is the restroom, something is not right. He stopped right in front of it and stared at it. He started to sweat when he felt like there's a dark aura coming out from the corners of it. "Shit! What the hell is this negative presence I'm feeling right now?" he thought. He looked at the door knob and reached for it.
"What did I do wrong?," he heard an airy whisper from it that made his body hair stands. His legs are shaking and his head is sweating more. He knows that there are only four people in the house; him, Gintoki, Seita and Hinowa. Seita is in his own room while Gintoki went outside. He didn't know about Tsukuyo's arrival.
"Why can't I control this water from my eyes?" he heard it again, this time it's weaker and dry.
While she is just sitting on the toilet and undeniably crying, she heard running footsteps and heard front door opened and closed. Who could that be, she thought.
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SOUGO: Okay. That's what really happened to Hijikata before he met Gintoki outside. Now let's continue.
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"Huh?" She mumbled, hearing the running footsteps, she climbed to her wheelchair and quickly opened the door. "Hijikata-san?" she called out but no one answered. The hall was empty and quiet. She noticed that someone is in the restroom. She knew it because she never let the door completely shut when no one is using it. She approached the door but when she supposed to knock on it, she heard someone sniffed and knew that someone is crying there. She was shocked to hear that. "Stupid water keeps flowing form eyes! Stupid Gintoki, he did this to me!" She has no idea that Hinowa is already listening. She's not sobbing. She's trying hard to stop the water coming out and wipe it every second with her clenched index finger.
She was relieved to hear that that Tsukky's voice and not Hijikata's (Because i'll be creep out too if that was Hijikata.).
"Tsukky, you can talk to me about it. Please come out," she asked with a gentle voice.
She blushed as she looked on the door and hearing that voice. No one should hear her crying and saying things like that especially Hinowa. "H-Hinowa! Th-this is not what you -"
"No more excuses," she interrupted, still in the soft tone. There's no reason to protest, she will not believe it anyway.
It took almost ten seconds of actual silence before the door creaks open. She was there, standing, with her face down and her hair also down. Her tears were already wiped but her eyes are still reddish and watery. "Let's talk it in the living room, shall we?"
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"So, it was entirely your fault, Tsukky," she replied, after five minutes of her explanation, that was her brief answer. She's not crying anymore and finally got over it.
"My fault? He did it first!" she protested. "They shouldn't have done that in front of me!" she is starting to raise her voice. There is jealously behind her eyes.
"Okay let's say it's true that they kissed. But, who are you to object?" she replied with a calm tone.
"I am... I..." she's unable to answer. That came to her that she has no special relationship with the silver haired guy. But what about that thing on the roof?
"And why are you so angry about it?" she followed-up with another question but she never expect an answer. She's trying to make her mistake more visible to her.
There's silence from her. She didn't answer her last question as expected.
"Now take your time remembering the whole scene; the moment after they kissed, did you saw Gintoki's first reaction to it? Did he enjoy it? Was he shocked like it was terrible?"
'Shocked' is the first word registered to her mind. She tried to recall hardly the scene and as the thoughts are coming, she finally realized that his eyes was not that love struck but more like horrified. Finally, it's clear on her.
"But I still don't get it. Why is he so cold on me all of a sudden?" she asked.
"Did you forget it? You're supposed to go on a date with your eat-all-you-can-couple's ticket," she answered.
Finally, she remembered it; everything from the yesterday. With so disappointment to herself she face palmed herself. Hinowa just looked at her worriedly.
"Perhaps you should go out there and say 'sorry',"
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"Finally, we got ourselves back," muttered Hijikata, not being Toushiko anymore but he himself and his navy blue kimono.
"If we ask permission at the very first, we shouldn't waste our time dressing like one," he replied. As they walk in the streets of Yoshiwara, a speeding arrow suddenly just went out of the alley on the right side and past them just an inch from their noses. They quickly shift their eyes on the alley and jump through it. They were expecting someone connected to the faction but as they grabbed the collar of the guy, they realized it was another eyesore.
"Sougo! Are you trying to kill me!" he shouted as he struck him down on the ground.
"Soichirou! You damn bastard! You might have killed me too!" he shouted as they stomp on him continuously.
"Hey stop it! Or I'm telling commander that you are joining the investigation," he threatened, but the two dicks didn't give a damn .They continue to kick his ass on the ground until his wallet suddenly fell out from his pocket which caught Gintoki's attention.
"Hey! What do we have here?" he stopped stomping him and grabbed his wallet. Sougo tried to grab it before him but he failed to do so as Hijikata is endlessly stomping on him. It is obviously clear that he just want the money inside but as he was about to open his wallet, something just fell out from it. He quickly bent down and picked it up. He thought it must be some lottery ticket or some cursing chant but he will never expect what it is. His eyes widen as he finally got a clear vision of it. Two identical 3x2 pictures. Not just an ordinary picture. It was stolen shot from the park where otae is cut out of the picture and it was focused to the beautiful Yato girl in a good angle where she's in the park with an ice cream in her hand and umbrella on the other. Her legs were slightly expose from the slit because the camera is in the lower level and slightly slanted. His eyes darken.
"WHAT THE HELL!" he cried with a scary look on his face. He looked at him coldly and stomp on him again as Hijikata stopped stomping.
"Ahh! Stop it! Ouch! Hey! Danna please! Let me explain!" shouted the struggling sadist.
"You have the gorilla stalker syndrome now! How dare you!? You must be thinking something dirty while you stare at those nude pictures."
"It's not nude pictures you asshole! Please! Ouch!" He begged.
Hijikata picked up the other copy of the picture on the ground and flipped it. He noticed Sadist's signature on the left lower corner which clearly states that it is his property. With that, an idea sparked in his mind which is obvious because of the evil grin in his face. He approached him from behind and patted his shoulder. "Hey Gintoki! Stop it! Instead of kicking his ass I got something even cleverer than that," he said with an evil grin in his face.
"Oh boy, I think I know what will happen," Sougo murmured to himself without expression in his face.
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It's already lunch time and the two decided to stop by in the noodle shop. They left Sougo behind to do his duties. They know he won't bother them for some reasons that even I have no idea.
"Welcome! Please have a seat," greeted the old restaurant keeper as they take an empty table with four seats. Though they are not happy eating together especially when they are seeing each other's special mayo and sweet beans on the rice stuff, they didn't mind, they should stay together. And there's no weird stuff like that on the noodle shop.
The waiter approached with his hands on the notes. "Just give us two orders of special no. 5," said Hijikata after getting a quick glance on the list of the orders posted on the wall on the counter. "Coming right up."
Now, they have to wait. "Excuse me, I'm going to use the bathroom," said Hijikata. He looked at Gintoki who is glaring around the corners and appears not even listening to him. He waited for a response but he didn't give a word so he left him there, waiting for their orders.
It was just a small noodle shop with 3 tables for groups and four stools. No one is occupying the first two tables and there are two people in denim and leather pants that he is raising suspicion occupying the stools. They look so tough and dangerous to approach because of those beard, long blonde hair and shades. The first guy has a red scarf tied on his head and wearing long sleeve blue denim while the other one has a spiked wrist band and black faded long sleeve denim. He thought that they are foreigners and he got the feeling of being watched by them though they are not facing towards him. He continues to observe them.
The first guy raises his left hand revealing his biker gloves with his index finger pointing upwards. "One spicy noodles please," he ordered with a foreigner accent. His voice doesn't sound like a foreigner and more like familiar so he's suspecting them more not until the second guy gave his orders also with foreigner accent.
"2 spicy noodles with extra beef and peppers –aru," she answered with a faked deepened voice.
"THWAK!"
He hit them with the menu on the back of their head but they didn't bother to look behind tough he's already 6 inches close behind them. "What the hell are you doing here!? Explain yourself!? And what's up with those get up and that ugly fake accent!?" he shouted as he pulled up their wigs where the beards are also attached and revealed their real faces. "Damn! We got caught," they muttered. "-But how?" whispered Kagura.
There's nothing they can do because Gintoki miraculously guessed it despite the heavy convincing costumes. Kagura can't guess how did he do it. Shinpachi turned around and faced him with a worried look on his face. "You're the one who should be explaining. What are you doing here in Yoshiwara? You've been keeping things from us lately," he said.
"And how did you end up with Kyubei? How long is your relationship?" she connected.
There are so many questions that he needed to answer that made his scratch the back of his neck. Bringing up that Kyubei topic got glasses in sudden silence. He just wanted to know Gintoki's business in Yoshiwara and not that Kyubei thing from yesterday. Then bringing up Kagura's questions, he explained himself.
"Shut up! I have no special relationship with Kyubei. I don't know what just came to her head. He just did it to me, that's all. I'm even puzzled to that," he answered.
"How does her lips taste?-aru" she asked innocently.
"Let's see," he muttered with his thumb under his chin. "It was a bit sweet. Her lips are soft. This scent of her is kinda attracting me and WHAT THE HELL KAGURA! STOP ASKING WEIRD QUESTIONS!" he shouted followed by another smack on the head. "Ouch!" she grunted rubbing her head.
"Here's your order," said the waiter as he place the spicy noodles in front of them.
"What the? How come you serve their orders first?" he muttered.
"Gin-chan. If you have no relationship with Kyubei, then what the hell was that act?" she asked, with her mouth sucking up the noodles soundly.
"Beats me. If I already knew that she will do it, I could have probably prevented her."
"Very true -aru. Best examples are Sachan's assaults. You knew that she will come for you and easily dodge and block her assaults –aru," replied Kagura before she lifts the bowl and sips all the contents of it.
"Oi Gintoki! If you will not eat your food, I will eat it," murmured Hijikata with his mouth full. No one knows how long he's been there at their table but he is already on the half of the bowl.
"Hey! Don't you dare! I paid for it!" he slides his ass back on the chair grabbed his bowl.
"Shut up. You didn't pay anything. I did," he muttered.
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They finished their lunch and together they continue to gather information about the most suspicious acts from the people while avoiding every Shinsengumi patrolling. It was very exhausting for Kagura because her pet is not there but she was very useful.
It was late afternoon and they decided to split up to investigate in bars. Gintoki with Shinpachi while Hijikata with Kagura.
There are so many people around, mostly are men. Gintoki and Glasses were to about to enter the bar of their choice when all of a sudden a Hyakka block their way to the door. She look so exhausted and worried.
"Boss! Please help us!" she paused for moment and a breath. "Our boss Tsukky is MISSING!"
His eyes widens as his heart pounds like crazy all of a sudden. He quickly turned around and pushed aside the man behind him and dashed leaving Shinpachi... umm... behind. He sprints the entire street from end to end, glancing left and right, hoping to see her but to no avail. It's just people anywhere, no signs of her. This is getting nowhere. He needs to think of a possible place where she could be quickly. He closed his eyes and the only thing that is coming to him was the abandoned part of the Yoshiwara where Katsura and Hijikata met the old powerful man. He turned left and sprinted the entire street until the hyakka who talked to him lost her sight of him.
The crowd started to get thinner and thinner until he was running on the deserted place. He stopped in an intersection. There are so may streets to check out so he just trusted his instincts and turned right.
"That woman. Why am I running like this? Why my chest does went heavy after hearing that news? This is very weird," he thought. There was a two story abandoned house where he felt like he wanna take a look over there. He stopped at front of it focused his vision on the roof. His vision penetrates the thin fog and right there on the roof, he saw a shadow, a shadow of a standing person holding a pipe.
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She blows out another puff while enduring the moment of this silent place. There's nothing special about it, it's just a dirty abandoned area that has no beautiful sights.
"Oi woman," he said. She was startled with that voice. She quickly turned around as she grabs her weapon from behind but before she launches it, she found herself being tightly embraced by the man she's wanting to talk with. She can feel his heart pounding rapidly. She dropped her weapon and it rolls down the roof.
"idiot. You made me worry," he whispered to her ears.
He loosens her grip and looked at her. Noticing that their noses almost touched, he quickly looked down.
She can't control it. Her face blushed as she gently places her right hand under his jaw and raised his face again. They both closed their eyes and drew her face close to her until she felt his lips landed to her lips. It was a gentle kiss. Their troubles and worries were melting as their world collapse leaving nothing. They suddenly feel that they don't care about anything for now.
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Meanwhile Shinpachi was still stuck frozen in the front door of the bar. "Fuck you Author," he murmured.
AUTHOR: This is it. I hope you enjoyed it.
TSUKUYO: that was out of character.(Face palm)
YAMAZAKI: that spoiler on the top... I WAS THERE! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!