Disclaimer: I do not own Hakuoki. This amazing anime was created by Asuka Yamazaki, Kazuhiko Hasegawa and Mitsutoshi Ogura. I only created my Asuna and some side characters.

Editor / Beta Reader: Waffle (Thank you)

Rated Teen for violence, blood, coarse language and / or sexually suggestive scenes (rating may change to Mature in the future as story progresses, readers have been advised).

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Kiss Of Snow

By: Swanna

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Chapter 13: Festival

Hijikata sat down with the Shinsengumi Commanders and other Captains in their usual meeting room. It had been three days since the raid at Ikeda Inn. Souji and Heisuke were recovering from their injuries steadily, though both still weren't well enough to resume their daily routines. They had been instructed to rest and regain their health, a measure that was absolutely necessary for their healing progress. Until then, they wouldn't be able to join any future missions that might come their way either.

"Here's your medicine." Chizuru placed down a tray containing a small cup of sake, and a packet of the Ishida powdered medicine in front of Heisuke.

Taking the packet, Heisuke sniffed the mysterious powder. "Do I really have to take this? It tastes nasty."

"It will relieve the pain and you'll heal faster," Hijikata replied, ignoring the criticism. "Take it or I will shove it down your throat."

"What? That's no way to treat an injured person," Heisuke retorted.

"And I don't care if it chokes you," Hijikata continued with his threat that he had every intention of enforcing.

"Fine…" the young Captain grumbled, pinching his nose to dull the taste and gulped it down. "Argh! Why is it so foul-tasting?"

"I gave you medicine, not poison. Stop overreacting."

"Medicine never tastes good. Just drown it down with sake," Souji countered blandly as he took a sip from his cup after ingesting the powder. "Besides, it can't be any worse than some of the crap that Hajime-kun cooked when he was assigned cooking duty."

"I didn't see you complaining when you were eating the meals yesterday," said Saito, casting him a skeptical look.

Souji couldn't hide his amused smile. "True. Sometimes you're not so bad."

"Heisuke, you're acting like a child right now, and a wimpy one at that," said Sanosuke, his mouth twisted to the side in a half grin.

"I'm acting like a child? That's a good one coming from you. Weren't you the one whining when you got the flu last month?"

"You're so slow sometimes. How else would he get Chizuru-chan to nurse him back to health?" Shinpachi's teasing made Chizuru blush, her lashes sweeping downward to block the men's view.

This girl flushed too easily, and often for the silliest of reasons. The men would only become more relentless in coming up with new ways to tease her.

"I have no idea what you guys are babbling about. I was really miserable when I got the flu." Although Sanosuke may have sounded sincere, his expression was anything but innocent.

"Yukimura-kun, you're so quiet all of a sudden. Does that mean Shinpachi hit a nerve?" asked Kondou.

"Not you too," Hijikata turned to their Commander with a frown, drawing faint laughter from the group.

Kondou quickly sobered up from his single, loud chuckle and said, "All jokes aside, I'm glad that all the injured are recovering now."

"But we lost two of our men." Sannan's solemn statement caused everyone to become silent and break off into their own private thoughts.

"I've already notified their families and told them that the Shinsengumi will support the mortuary rituals," Saito explained.

Saito had volunteered himself for the heavy burden of notifying the families of the dead right after the raid. It was no easy task even for a levelheaded man like him. He'd described how the two families were gripped by terror the moment he'd made his appearance at their doorsteps, anticipating the messenger of death. They had cried out in anguish and were shattered by the news of their loss as Saito offered the Shinsengumi's condolences.

They were successful in forestalling the Choshu's schemes before it blossomed, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. But the tragic loss of two loyal members had certainly put a toll on the Shinsengumi. There had been a lot of sorrow and readjustments after the storm.

Kondou nodded, his face mournful. "Just make sure we'll do everything we can to help the families impacted by the death of our men."

The Captains nodded his heads, indicating they understood. Kondou then continued, "How is Onishi doing?"

"He's recovering faster than I expected," Chizuru answered. "He's able to leave the bed now but he's still feeling very tired and weak."

"That's great news. At the time, his wounds were so severe that I thought we would lose him too. We were able to save him thanks to you and Shinohara-san."

"Shinohara?" Hijikata paused at the mention of her name.

His suspicion was aroused and he found himself wondering if she had anything to do with Onishi's speedy recovery from his life-threatening injury. Or was he only trying to convince himself of things that didn't exist in order to justify his inappropriate attraction to the demoness?

Hijikata still remembered how she had been staring at him with those beautiful, haunting eyes when he'd offered his blood to her. And the soft shape of her lips that were so close. Those lips that would be soft and tender. Those lips that were so forbidden and out of his reach. At that moment for the very first time, he'd felt completely drowned in her scent, her touch, her beauty. He was utterly lost to her and he knew if he wasn't careful, his attraction towards Shinohara Asuna could get in his way, his body would surrender to her as if drawn by an unseen power.

Fortunately she had no idea how she affected him, and he intended to keep it that way. One day she would eventually leave here. There would be no point to start something they couldn't finish. If it was only a physical attraction Hijikata was dealing with, then there wouldn't be a problem. Desire was a fickle thing, sooner or later it would fade.

Or at least that was what he'd been convincing himself of for the past months. So far, the heat he felt in Shinohara's presence still hadn't cooled. But he was certain that it would happen eventually.

It had to.

"By the way, did we ever get around to checking her background?" Heisuke asked, his expression becoming serious as he looked towards Kondou and then at Hijikata. "It's been almost three months since she started staying with us and we still seem to know nothing about her."

"What do you need know, Heisuke?" It was Souji who responded, putting down his cup of sake and watching the younger Captain's reaction.

"We don't know where she came from, and her swordsmanship skills prove that she isn't an ordinary woman. You've got to admit, she's also a little odd, always full of secrets. I'm not sure if we should trust a person like that. Didn't she just sort of show up too?"

"Why are we talking about this again? Alright, we don't know that much about her past but it's not that big of a deal like you're making it out to be," Souji said with a laugh, deliberately making fun of him for taking this seriously.

"Just because she's private about her life doesn't mean she is full of secrets," even Saito was partaking in the conversation to rationalize Shinohara's behavior.

Knowing the truth of her nature, both men were obviously trying to guard and protect her identity. But Hijikata worried that if this spirited discussion turned heated, then a division would be created between the men. When there was a dissonance between one another, other kinds of strife would develop.

"Why are you guys defending her?" Heisuke snapped with a fierceness that was rarely seen in him. "For all you know, she could be working for the Choshu Clan!"

Hijikata's heart thumped in the silence as he knew Heisuke came to this conclusion because this was where the evidence seemed to point. Judging from his annoyed expression, Heisuke was about to explain his suspicions without further probing.

"Are you suspecting her of involvement in the Choshu's scheme?" Sannan asked.

"I-"

Shinpachi interrupted Heisuke with a hit to the back of his head. It was a firm hit but not forceful enough to hurt him, considering his head injury. "Did your brain get knocked out of your skull by that guy? Did you forget that she saved your ass?"

"She was at the Ikeda Inn only because she was trying to keep Chizuru safe," stated Sanosuke, who was also chiming in to the debate now.

Chizuru nodded in agreement. "I was the one who approached Shinohara-san for help and she even refused to come with us at first. So I really don't think she's involved with the Choshu Domain."

"This is a heavy accusation without facts, Heisuke," Kondou warned.

"Look, I'm not sure at this moment if she's a Choshu spy but I'm not going to discount that possibility given some of the very strange circumstances of this incident. I mean she obviously knows the mysterious guy and she even let him escape."

Sanosuke turned to Chizuru. "Didn't you mention the blonde man seems to know Shinohara too?"

"Is that true, Okita-kun?" Sannan asked, scrutinizing him in a way that would've caused an average man to wish he'd never fallen into this conversation trap.

But Souji was no average man and he knew all the tricks of the trade designed to elude and evade. He knew exactly how to deflect blame and dance around the core issues.

"I was too injured at that time to even remember a minor detail like that."

Hijikata knew that Souji was lying to them, hiding something even from him. He was not prepared to say any more on what was evidently an important subject.

"Yukimura-kun, is it true that Shinohara-san knew the man who wounded Souji?" Kondou inquired, pressing further.

Chizuru paused as all eyes were upon her. She grew nervous and answered truthfully, "He seemed to know Shinohara-san…but she didn't look like she recognized him."

"See?" Heisuke said.

"Just because she may know them doesn't make her a Choshu spy," Hijikata finally decided to intercept. "If she really works for them then she has no reason to intervene in your fights with her accomplices."

Not that Hijikata was unable to stop himself from defending her, he was just not declaring her guilty and convicting her in his head before he heard her side of the story. After all, they did agree to gain each other's trust by showing a willingness to work together. And he wasn't planning to back out on his words. Though something told him that just getting the demoness to talk would be an infeasible task.

"That's fair. If those men were really from the Choshu Clan then they wouldn't have let you both walk away when they could've easily taken your lives," Sanosuke reasoned logically. "It just doesn't make sense that they would pull out of their own plans when the outcome would've been in their favor."

"The guy did claim that he isn't with the Choshu," Heisuke muttered, almost dejectedly.

"Whether they're from the Choshu Domain or not, they aren't easy opponents to defeat at all if they are able to overpower two of the Shinsengumi's Captains," Sannan added.

"Next time we meet, I will kill them. At least one of them," Souji stated calmly, collecting his emotions.

"But if they aren't sent by the Choshu then what were they doing having a meeting at the Ikeda Inn?" Kondou asked with a rather perplexed look on his face. "From what you all have told me, they didn't seem to be completely oblivious to what was happening that night either."

"If they were having a meeting there, then does that mean…"

"They may be spies sent by another clan," Saito finished Shinpachi's sentence for him.

If those men were truly spies from another domain and they shared a common motive with the Choshu, then Hijikata predicted with certainty that their paths would cross again in the future. For the time being, the Shinsengumi needed to settle back into their normal work routine and focus on their current mission.

"Just remember to keep a close eye on all of the Choshu's movements for now," Hijikata ordered. "I need you all to keep your head in the game."

"What about Shinohara-san?" Sannan asked Kondou, waiting upon him for further advice on the matter.

Their Chief paused for a moment. "Despite what was said about her, I don't believe she's a spy. I can tell she's not a bad person and she would never do anything to hurt Shinsengumi. So I don't want to hear any more accusations unless there is hard evidence to back up the claims."

Curiously enough, Hijikata had been having precisely the same thoughts lately. He didn't want to admit it, but it appeared that she was already starting to earn his trust. But did she trust him enough in return to not keep things from him? Or perhaps even let him crack the impenetrable icy shell she had encased herself in?

X X X

Asuna became aware of the light breeze whispering softly behind her as she gazed down at her sheathed sword. Her fingers were lacing the prominent crane designs on the tsuba, which was made from high quality copper. Her father had always told her that cranes were their family symbol. It meant good fortune and longevity. Although the Shinohara family had met with no good fortune, it was very fitting for them as pureblooded demons. Especially when cranes were known as mystical creatures that were believed to live for a thousand years.

Why would he recognize the family sword I carry?

A question that she'd been contemplating for days as the blonde-haired demon came back to her mind. He was young and looked about the same age as her. Maybe only a year or two older. Yet he'd been able to make a connection between her name and her identity, all by a link to her family heritage. Or at least it appeared that way. But those who knew her family and would've recognized the significance of their heirloom were no longer alive. And no matter how hard Asuna searched the memories that flooded her mind, or tried to place things in some semblance of order, she was assured that she'd never met the man before.

So how did he know her name?

Whoever he was, she had a feeling that he was toying with her, and she knew it wouldn't be the last time she saw him. If he was truly associated with this war between the humans then it would only be a matter of time before she'd face him again. And for him to claim that they would meet again with such a degree of confidence, it was as if he'd decided to seek her out when the time was right, even if it was against her will.

"Shinohara-san," Chizuru's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling Asuna out of her reverie. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

Asuna turned to see Chizuru and Sanosuke walking up to her. She did not want to try and explain anything to the young demoness before her. Lately Chizuru had been producing feeling in her that Asuna found impossible to place. She already appeared to be more sociable and attached to Asuna, despite her unresponsiveness. Perhaps she felt indebted to Asuna for protecting her. Chizuru would only hassle her with more questions out of concern, and Asuna didn't feel like answering them at the moment.

Realizing that no reply would be given, Chizuru then asked, "Actually Harada-san and I will be going to the festival tonight, would you like to join us?"

"Festival?"

"Wait a minute, Chizu-"

Chizuru grew excited from the minor show of response that she received. "Yes! There will be lanterns and food stalls and even a parade! It will be a lot of fun if you came with us too, isn't that right, Harada-san?"

"Sure…the more the merrier, I guess." His smile seemed forced, a bit stiff.

"I'm not interested," Asuna's response was quick.

She had no inclination to participate in a public event swarmed with mortals. She also failed to see the relevance of such social occasions and saw no value in engaging in them.

"If you don't want to go then we shouldn't force you." Asuna thought Sanosuke sounded relieved. Even his smile became more natural now, much to her chagrin.

"But you should take the chance to go outside after being cooped up in the house for so many weeks," Chizuru's lips curved downward as she laid her fingers upon Asuna's sleeve. "So please go with us?"

Asuna looked at Sanosuke fleetingly and then back to Chizuru. Her continuous effort seemed really pointless. "I don't enjoy events where I'm surrounded by people."

Chizuru's hand tightened around her arm. "You will have fun at the festival, I promise. And if you really hate it after today, then I will not bother you again."

X X X

Hijikata stood beside Sanosuke with his arms crossed. They were staring off into the distance while waiting for Chizuru and Shinohara to meet them at the side entrance of the headquarters.

"Explain to me again why I'm being dragged to this festival?" Hijikata kept his voice even, though he didn't bother to hide the irritation shimmering through him.

"Because I want to spend some alone time with Chizuru, but she was so insistent about getting Shinohara-kun to come."

Hijikata ground his teeth. "And why should that matter to me?"

"Okita and Heisuke are still recovering, and Shinpachi and Saito are out on their patrols tonight. So you're the perfect distraction to get the third wheel out of our hair," he admitted shamelessly, giving a rueful smile.

"The thought of you summoning me for a stupid whim like this really annoys the hell out of me."

Ever since the day he'd offered his blood to Shinohara, he'd been feeling restless and was totally out of tune with his world. He couldn't rid himself of the notion that as much as he wanted to keep his distance from her, she too wanted to keep her distance from him. Well it was working, as he had hardly seen her. Even when he'd ran into her in the corridor the other morning, they'd walked past each other without exchanging a word. Now he wasn't all too sure if being alone with her was the best of ideas.

"Don't worry, you will get over it." Sanosuke placed a hand on his shoulder, grinning as if he found Hijikata's tone amusing. "By the way, too many of our members have seen Shinohara-kun and learned of her existence since that night. We need to come up with a believable story about who she is and why she's with us so our men will stop asking questions about her."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them that it isn't the Captains' place to say anything about it, and an explanation will be given by the Commanders shortly. But I don't blame them. I mean what man wouldn't be curious about a pretty girl, right?"

"I will have a discussion with Kondou-san about this. Just make sure you all keep your mouths shut for now. Especially Heisuke, since he has a big mouth and he should keep it closed," he alerted Sanosuke to bear this in mind.

Hijikata was expecting this to happen sooner or later. It was inevitable that the Shinsengumi members would raise questions about her presence. For the past few days, men had been peeking around every corner in the south wing, seeking an opportunity to take a glimpse of her. It was apparent that Shinohara was bothered by the unwanted attention she was receiving in a house inhabited by many aggressive men. She was rather careful to remain invisible and was never seen alone in the garden during the daytime as often anymore.

"I've got an idea, we can tell the others that she is one of the leader's fiancée."

A sudden feeling of annoyance pricked Hijikata like a splinter. "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of coming from you."

Sanosuke arched a brow. "Wait a second, what's so bad about being a fiancée? The guys will back off knowing she is another man's woman out of respect."

"What's so good about it? Whoever plays the role as her fiancé would have to be made to act their part every day. And how long is she supposed to be a fiancée anyway?"

"I bet you Okita would be up for it in a heartbeat," Sanosuke stated, his look was mischievous.

"I said no, so drop it, Sano." Hijikata was in no mood to entertain intellectual debate from his friend and to carry on with this conversation.

Finally Chizuru and Shinohara came into sight. Hijikata looked Shinohara's way until she saw him. If she was surprised to see him there, then she covered it well.

"I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting," Chizuru said in an apologetic voice. "I had to finish my chores before I came out."

"No worries, men are supposed to wait for women," Sanosuke replied, smiling at her.

"Alright, enough with the flirting lines Captain Harada," Hijikata put an arm around Sanosuke's shoulder and forced him to start walking ahead. "I don't have the whole night to waste here."

"Hijikata-san, you're really a mood killer. Can't you just feel the sense of romance?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? No one wants to hear it so just shut up and everything will be fine."

"Is it too late for me to regret asking you to come along and wishing you were back in your off-limits quarters?"

Hijikata cast a glare at him even though he couldn't agree more. The night had barely started but already he felt too tired.

Sanosuke gave a quiet chuckle. "You look like you want to wring my neck."

"That's quite observant of you," Hijikata remarked grudgingly.

Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Chizuru was speaking to Shinohara so softly that neither men could hear what she was saying. Even then, Shinohara remained silent and dissociated on their way to the center of town. She seemed inattentive with Chizuru's attempt to share her feelings and thoughts. To Hijikata it was as though her mind was elsewhere, as if she had drifted off to sea in some deep probe. He wondered what was preoccupying her thoughts, and if it had anything to do with the two mysterious men at the Ikeda Inn that night.

As they reached town Hijikata looked around the bustling streets filled with market stalls and people. There was an abundance of energy, and the sight of laughing children bouncing around instantly triggered memories of his own childhood. When he'd been a boy, his parents had always brought him and his elder sister to their town's festival each year. It was not so very long ago when they'd played children's games and ate grilled corn on the cob together. It brought a feeling of nostalgia in his mind for the family that he had left years ago when he'd decided to pursue his dreams.

His flashback was interrupted by Sanosuke's statement when he said, "Let's split up. Chizuru and I will go this way."

Chizuru looked in the direction that he was referring to and frowned. "Wait Harada-san, why are we splitting up? It's better to stay together."

"That's right, Sano. Tell her why you want us to split up," Hijikata urged with his arms crossed again, his lips curled up in mirth at the man's struggle for a logical explanation without giving himself away.

"Because there's something I want to discuss with you in private." He took her hand and started leading her towards the crowd. "Come, Chizuru."

"That was weak," Hijikata remarked as he watched the pair started trotting ahead, leaving him alone with Shinohara.

Sanosuke flashed him a triumph grin and said, "Weak, yet effective."

Hijikata heaved a sigh of resignation and turned to Shinohara. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

She flicked him a glance and said in a serious manner, "You don't have to worry about entertaining me. I have no interest in this sort of event."

"Then why did you agree to come out here?"

Stony silence met his question for a moment before she declared, "I'm going back."

"Wait." He caught her arm.

She stared down at where his hand circled her arm. Then she slowly raised those incredible eyes to his, in a look that plainly reminded him of the time when she'd warned Souji about skin privileges.

"Since we're already out here, why don't we walk around then?" He held her gaze, waiting for her reaction.

It was a contradicting move on his part, and Hijikata surprised even himself. Especially when he knew that he had to stay away from her, and not to be tempted by any of her obvious feminine qualities. His unexpected suggestion evidently surprised her too judging by the look on her face. Her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to speak, but no words came out.

He took her silence as acceptance and guided her further down the street where activities were held. The aroma from the food stalls rose up in to the night air and reminded him that he hadn't eaten since this afternoon. Shinohara appeared to be glancing around and scanning the faces in the gathered crowd, her expression held minor curiosity at their excursions.

"So I guess even the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi would lower himself to such a trivial task and act as a diversion."

He drew his brows together. "What do you mean?"

She stared right into his eyes, unblinking. "Weren't you asked to come and watch over me so Sanosuke can be alone with Chizuru?"

Hijikata was taken aback by her question. He'd pegged her as someone far less insightful when it came to courtship. Sanosuke may appear to be flirtatious at times, but not everyone realized his true feelings for Chizuru. Hijikata certainly hadn't noticed anything going on between those two until later when he'd started picking up on the signs.

Passion and Shinohara Asuna had never been linked as a possibility in his mind; at least not until now, when she was able to pick up the subtle undercurrents of his friend's personality.

"But you still came out with them, even after knowing his intentions."

"I wanted to see how he would react to my interference and what he would do." Something in her tone told him that she was profoundly disappointed.

Hijikata choked back a laugh. Just when he thought he had this demoness all figured out, she came up with something different to surprise him and contradict his assessment of her. This playful side of her was new, and he liked it. A lot. Now he wanted to see if there was more beneath the surface of this calm, indifferent exterior.

"Mother, I want dango!" A nearby child's excitement caught their attention.

"All right," his mother replied. "I will get it for you in just one moment."

"What is dango?" Shinohara asked inquisitively.

He looked at her and noticed he was still holding her arm, and let go. "They're dumplings made of rice flour and moulded into bite-size balls."

She stood with her head at a tilt, her face pensive as she listened. Hijikata wanted to grin at her expression but instead, he told her, "Wait here."

Asuna watched as Hijikata approached the close-by food stand before turning her focus back to the mortals around her. She felt uncertain and out of place. They moved like a great wave. Families and couples were drifting towards the common, laughing and chattering, seemingly quite content. She wondered if they knew how fortunate they were and if they appreciate what they had. Soon Hijikata returned to her side with three colourful dumplings served on a wooden stick.

"Here." He lifted it to her lips. "Try one before I demolish them."

She took a careful bite of the pink colored dumpling and sweetness flooded her mouth. "It's sweet."

"They're sweet dumplings," he said while watching her. There was no mistaking the amusement on his face.

"What's in the center?"

"It's sweetened red bean paste. The second one is made of eggs and the third one has green tea flavor. Do you like it?"

Curious, Asuna took the skewer from his hand and finished the remainder of the dango in sedate bites, savouring the flavors. She had never thought of food as decadent. Especially when it was a sweet substance coveted by humans that had no nutritional value.

Before she could answer, a group of children dashed past them, shouting and cheering while holding onto small glass vessels in their hands. "What are they doing?"

"Come," he said, leading her to a small enclosure where some children and adults were hovering around the wooden basins.

Upon closer inspection, Asuna could see there were goldfish swimming in agitated circles. Flashes of gleaming orange in the cool, dark depths of the water. A few humans were waiting patiently with an instrument dipped into the basins.

"They're playing goldfish scooping. If you manage to scoop the goldfish from the pool with a paper scooper and place it in a bowl, then you win."

The activity puzzled her analytical mind. "What's the purpose of this?"

"That's no way to live if everything we do is only out of necessity or only when we're trying to prove something. This is just for fun." Laughter flickered in his eyes as if he could show her how to really live.

"Would you like to give it a try?" Asked the stall owner while holding up the scooper to them.

Asuna took a glance at Hijikata, his grin invited her to join in the recreation. Reaching out, she took the paper scooper in her hand and mimicked the other mortals' gesture to immerge it in the shadow of water. She waited for the moment until a goldfish was swimming right above the scooper and tried lifting the instrument. But the soaked paper was torn and the fish slipped away.

"Here," Hijikata unexpectedly crouched behind her and circled her with an arm, almost half embracing her. Asuna's body became rigid involuntarily and she wanted to jerk away when he covered her hand with his, cupping her fingers between his palm. "This requires care and speed since the scoop can tear easily."

While he was explaining what to do and demonstrating, Asuna gazed sideways at him. He was so close that she could feel the heat radiating from him, could smell his clean scent.

She wished he would stop touching her. Somehow his touch brought out complicated emotions that she hadn't known she possessed, and she surely didn't want to explore right now.

Hijikata suddenly brought up her hand that he had yet to release. Eyes wide, Asuna watched the goldfish flipping its tail as it gasped for oxygen when he swiftly hoisted the scoop from the basin, and transferred the fish to a glass vessel.

When she turned to face him out of an abrupt feeling of sheer lightheartedness, their gazes locked. He gradually shifted from looking into her eyes to looking at her lips. Asuna recognized the look in his eyes, penetrating and far away at the same time.

"Congratulations, you can take the goldfish home," said the owner, snapping them back to reality none too soon.

Hijikata immediately released her and took a step back. His stare strayed to the crowd ahead of them. "It's getting packed. We should get moving."

He started to move away when Sanosuke and Chizuru emerged from the masses and approached them.

"There you are," Sanosuke said. "Oh, you guys were scooping goldfish?"

"Here, you can have it." Hijikata shoved the fish bowl to him so briskly that some of the water spilled out.

"What am I going to do with this?" Asked Sanosuke, frowning. "And why are you in your irritated mood again?"

"I'm not irritated." Hijikata began walking off.

Sanosuke strolled after him, beckoning Chizuru and Asuna to follow. "But you certainly sound irritated."

"Why should I be irritated?"

"I have no idea, why don't you tell me?"

As the men's bickering continued at a distance, Chizuru turned to Asuna and asked smilingly, "So did you have fun tonight, Shinohara-san?"

"It wasn't what I was expecting."

Although Asuna had no desire to learn more of the mortal race, they were rather intriguing with their creations and festivities. She wouldn't deny the fact that she was somewhat entertained.

Chizuru's smile grew as though she'd just learned her deepest, darkest secret. "Does that mean you will come with us again to the Gion festival later this summer?"

Asuna watched Hijikata's retreating back, recalling the decision that she'd made and the action that she would take when the appropriate time came.

"I will be leaving the Shinsengumi by the summer."

X X X

AUTHOR NOTE:

Hi everyone, thank you once again for reading. I was glad to see so many readers were excited about the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

I think by now, Hijikata is no longer in a denial regarding his attraction for Asuna even though he obviously doesn't like it. And as for Asuna, this is a new territory for her so we'll see how things turn out for them. Things will certainly become even more interesting when Kazama makes his appearance in the next chapter too, hehe.

Last but not least, thank you for your support and comments as always! Looking forward to hearing back from you guys soon!

See you all next time!