Hello world!
The next one came quite fast this time, told you it will!
Now, enjoy a chapter which is about 95% horseplay and shenanigans, lol.
"Shizuka-chan, you look absolutely stunning!" Sen marveled, scanning the girl from head to toe. "Kimigiku, haven't I done a great job?" She turned to her, and the woman nodded with a small smile. Kimigiku was introduced to Shizuka as Sen's bodyguard. The girl also remembered that it was the very same gorgeous woman who coaxed her into wearing the geiko getup the first time.
"Oh, stop it," Shizuka murmured. She was feeling somewhat bashful, but as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she had to agree with Sen. Shizuka's eyes fixed on the intricate hairdo, her hand touching one of the beautiful pins carefully. Then her gaze fell on her face, which was painted with a masterful skill. "But you really did well," she said with a cheeky smirk.
"You're welcome," Sen's chin shot up, a self-satisfied grin appearing in her face. Then she pointed at something on the floor.
"Those are for me?" Shizuka eyed the incredibly high shoes with wariness.
"Of course! No worries, they only look uncomfortable," Sen said cheerfully. The moment Shizuka's feet slipped into the shoes she glared at giggling Sen.
"Only look uncomfortable? Yeah, right. How am I supposed to do anything in these?" she whined, pushing the shoes away with her foot.
"But you don't have to do anything, my dear. Just smile, nod, and strain your ears."
"And what if I have to kick someone's ass?" she asked, crossing her arms on the chest defiantly.
"That's where we come in," a voice spoke up from behind the door, and she stepped towards it.
"And have all the fun yourselves?" She opened the door. "Not fair." Her playful gaze fell on Harada, whose eyes were slightly widened, a strange, as if unfinished smile lingering on his lips. Heisuke and Shinpachi were standing behind him.
"Wow, Shizuka!" Shinpachi exclaimed, pushing stunned Harada aside. "You look so beautiful!" Heisuke moved closer too, his eyes glued to her.
"You look even more beautiful than before!" he joined Shinpachi in showering her with compliments.
"Enough, you two."
"They are absolutely right, though," Harada said with a grin. "You are breathtaking."
"Not you too, Sano-san…" She looked away in embarrassment, and the man chuckled at that. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"We just stopped by for a moment to drop off this kid," Shinpachi said cheerfully, making Heisuke pout.
"I'm not a kid!" He yelled, but the men ignored his protests.
"We will be back as soon as we're done with the patrol, so keep watch until then, got it?" Harada said to him, and the grimace disappeared as he raised his clenched fists.
"Yes sir! No worries, I'll keep Shizuka-chan safe!" Harada looked at him somewhat unsurely.
"Tone it down on the excitement though, will you? We're supposed to keep a low profile."
"Ah, yeah. Of course. Protect Shizuka-chan, stay low. Got it."
"Oh boy, I'm kinda worried all of a sudden." Sanosuke glanced at Shizuka, and she smiled reassuringly.
"It will be alright, Sano-san. Have a calm patrol."
"We'll try to get here as fast as possible, so stay safe until then, okay?"
"You're being a worrywart again," she teased, but his face had a serious strain to it, and even her joke didn't ease it.
"How could I not worry?" Harada said, and she looked at him in surprise. Sen, who was only listening to the conversation until now, stepped closer, and put her palm on Shizuka's arm.
"She'll be just fine, gentlemen. Have some faith in our dear Shizuka!" She glanced at the girl and offered her a cheeky smirk. Then her eyes turned to Harada, who also stared at her. Sen had a strange smile playing on her lips, and Shizuka was observing their silent exchange curiously. What is this about?
After a few seconds Sen looked away, and clapped her hands.
"Now now, don't you have a patrol to take care of?" she exclaimed, not so subtly hinting that they should leave. "There are still some finishing touches to be made, and we don't need you for that." Having heard that, the captains finally retreated. Heisuke pointed at them, silently signaling that he'll see them out.
"We'll be back before you know it, Shizuka!" Shinpachi's voice echoed in the corridor.
"What a lively bunch," Sen remarked with a snarky grin, and Shizuka couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's expression.
"Yes. They can be quite a handful sometimes," she said, a smile full of fondness appearing on her own lips. "Anyway, what finishing touches were you talking about?"
"We still have a little bit of time, so prepare for a little test!"
"A… test?" Shizuka echoed hesitantly.
"Kimigiku and I gave you a crash course on how to act like a geiko, and now we shall test how much you remember." Sen's smile widened, and in turn Shizuka's expression faltered. "Don't worry. It's just a formality."
Though Sen was acting scary, the test her and Kimigiku prepared was not that difficult, and Shizuka managed to meet their expectations without much problem.
"Splendid! Just keep at it and you should be golden," Sen praised her generously.
"Thank you for all the help, Sen."
"Don't worry about it. You're my friend, so I was happy to be of assistance." Then she fluttered her lashes, and put on a demure expression. "Besides, I had a long conversation with your vice commander, so I can assure you I will be properly compensated." She offered Shizuka a playful wink, making her laugh.
"Please don't tease him too much. He might self combust." This time Sen broke out in a chuckle.
"I'll try my best. Now, let me take you and the young captain to your room."
As the evening slowly approached, Sumiya was gradually coming to life. Shizuka and Heisuke, who spent the waiting time on light-hearted chatter and tasting delicious snacks, tensed slightly as they heard more and more different voices close in.
"It sure is busy today," he murmured while sneakily looking out the window. "And people keep coming." He sat down at his spot next to Shizuka, and glanced at her timidly. "Are you sure you're going to be fine?"
"Heisuke, relax. What is there to worry about when I have you here?" Her words brought a faint redness to his cheeks. "Saito-san and Yamazaki-san have already arrived too."
Heisuke was still grumpy, and she wondered how to ease his mind. Her eyes fell on the sake bottle, which was brought in by one of the geikos sent by Sen. Maybe one or two drinks will loosen him up a little? Shizuka stood up, startling him, and grabbed the bottle and a cup. She put it on his tray, and filled it up.
"Don't tell Hijikata-san or he'll kill both of us," she said with a grin. He took the cup unsurely, but once the well-known aroma hit his nostrils, he downed it in one go. "Have some more of the food." She was gazing with a small smile as he adorably fumbled with the chopsticks, aware of her attention but unable to look back at her. Once his wandering eyes finally met hers, he blushed furiously, and she had to press her lips together to stop herself from laughing out loud. Why is he being so sheepish? She poured some more sake, and again he drank it with breakneck speed. Contrary to her hopes, Heisuke didn't relax after drinking. If anything, he seemed to be more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. A group of men walked by the room Shizuka and Heisuke were in, their loud laughter and tipsy gossip filling up the silence between the two. The boy's head suddenly shot up, and he glared towards the door just as the light of the lanterns casted their passing shadows on it.
"Heisuke, what's wrong?" Shizuka lifted the flask again to refill his cup, but he hesitated this time, his face darkening as he was staring at the sake.
"You look so pretty, Shizuka-chan, yet you have to smile at those bastards and serve them drinks..." Todou started at once, getting more and more frantic with each word. "Argh, this is just not right!"
"It's fine, Heisuke. Don't worry about it."
"No, no, no it's not fine! I'll go talk to Hijikata-san, and..." he exclaimed and sprung to his feet.
"Like, right now?" She looked at him surprised, and he nodded zealously.
"I'll be back very soon, so wait for me here." And before she could form any kind of response, maybe warn him about the possible consequences of such a stunt, Heisuke turned sharply, stood up, bolted out of the door, and sprinted towards the exit. Once he was gone, she got up herself, and with an amused chuckle peeked out of the room, trying to establish where to start the investigation. She did a round on the first floor corridor, listening in on as many bits and pieces of conversations as she could.
A moment had passed, and nothing in particular happened. As she was turning back towards the room Heisuke left her in, thinking that maybe her targets are yet to arrive, her ears finally caught the word she was fishing for this whole time. Shinsengumi.
Got you, bastards, she thought triumphantly, grabbed the hem of her kimono and started in the direction of the voices. However, she didn't manage to get through even one corridor, because someone appeared in her way. She excused herself politely, and made an attempt to move past, but a stranger seemed to be blocking her path on purpose. Shizuka finally looked up, and once her eyes met with the man's, it took utmost effort to remain calm. Kazama Chikage. He was gazing at her with the same disinterested expression she's seen on him time and time again, making her wonder if he even knew it was her.
"Prepare some sake," he said. She froze momentarily, unsure what to do. Staying alone with him can't end well... But maybe he didn't recognize me? There was a lot of laughter coming from the nearby rooms, and Kazama's eyes drifted there momentarily. She used this opportunity to steal a quick glance at him, but unfortunately she failed to read anything from his face.
"Those idiotic humans… I left because their yapping was making my ears hurt. Drinking with them is an utter waste of sake," the man said, his stare suddenly piercing right through her. No, he's no fool. He must know that it's me. If the man has in fact identified her, he was yet to reveal it, so she decided to play along for now. She offered him a courteous smile, and invited him inside the nearby empty room, while she stopped a passing geiko to make proper arrangements.
Some time later she was sitting in front of him, a heavy silence weighing down the small space.
"The drinks should be here soon," she spoke up, and his attention focused on her.
"You're speaking quite unusually for a geiko," Kazama pointed out, and she stared at him defiantly, barely suppressing a contemptuous scoff. He definitely knows.
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. And your gaze…" he added, his own eyes never leaving hers.
"What about it?"
"It seems somewhat rebellious. Have you not been trained properly? Your behaviour is not what one would expect from a geiko." What is this bastard on about now?
"I have been trained enough," she answered coldly. The annoyance that's been building up inside her was beginning to seep through, making it increasingly harder to keep up the act. Can he just get to the point already? She couldn't say for sure, but it appeared to her that the man was having fun toying with her and intentionally kept her on her toes, and that suspicion made her even more angry.
"Doubtful," he concluded. She crossed her arms on the chest, and pursed her lips, dead set on remaining silent. They were staring at each other for a long, charged moment, and just when she was losing the last bits of her patience, Kazama finally spoke up.
"Now, as much as I might enjoy myself, let us stop this charade, Yukimura Shizuka." The girl straightened herself, all her senses on high alert.
"Kazama Chikage," she spat out his name like an insult, and his lip twitched at that.
"You must be here on the Shinsengumi's orders, I assume. Are you supposed to find out the roshis' plans?" he inquired dispassionately.
"I have no clue what you are talking about. Dressing up as geiko and serving drinks to the likes of you is simply my favourite pastime," she said with a small, coy giggle, fluttering her eyelashes. His eyebrow went up slightly, but he has not commented on her sarcastic behaviour in any way. "Now, if you excuse me, I have other guests to attend to." She moved to stand up, but before she could even attempt to do that, Kazama's hands landed on her shoulders, pinning her to her place. How did he do it so fast? she wondered in panic.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely, glaring up at him. One of his hands grabbed her chin, the other still holding her down by the arm, and his face moved towards hers slightly, inspecting it. She tried to jerk away, but his grip was too strong. Dammit!
"I was not sure after our last encounter, but seeing you now..." His ruby pupils scanned the rest of her body briefly before returning back up. "My eyes were not wrong after all. You are definitely worthy of being my bride."
"Who wants to be your bride! Let… go of me!" Shizuka exclaimed, struggling to pry him off with her free hand, but it did nothing. It felt like pushing at a rock.
"I am praising you, woman. You ought to feel honoured," Kazama murmured, inching even closer towards her, his gaze now lingering on her lips. Shizuka was ready to bite him the moment he got close enough, but at that moment the door to the room slid open. The next thing she knew, the man let go of her, and clutched his head instead. Shizuka moved back quickly, getting up on her feet in the process, and looked at her saviour.
"That is enough!" Sen's irritated voice echoed in the small room, the fan with which she hit Kazama still raised. He looked up at her, his eyes burning with poorly concealed rage.
"You…" he growled, but she just stared at him, unfazed.
"What?" Then she glanced at Shizuka, and motioned at the door. "Shizuka, get out of here."
"Thank you, Sen." The girl smiled at her friend, squeezing her hand gratefully as she headed towards the exit. Before she left, she looked over her shoulder, and offered Kazama a snarky grin. His eyes widened.
"Wait, I am not finished talking…"
"You are," Sen said, and Kimigiku closed the door, giving Shizuka an encouraging nod as she did so.
Phew, that was close. This weirdo is starting to really get on my nerves, the girl thought as she made her way towards the place where she first heard somebody mention the Shinsengumi. He's getting more and more persistent. A heavy sigh escaped her mouth. For now let's just focus on the mission.
"...Honganji monks. We can't let them do this anymore," a man's voice reached her ears, and she stopped sharply. "They should've never accepted those Mibu mutts in the temple." Her fist tightened in anger, and she headed towards the sounds. She paused for a second in front of the door and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"Excuse me," she said in a soft voice, a demure smile plastered onto her lips, and went inside.
The room was full of men who were engaged in an animated discussion. Multiple empty sake flasks scattered around the place indicated that the party had already begun some time ago, and most of the roshi present were fairly drunk. One of them noticed her entrance, and waved her over.
"Come over here, cutie," he said with a repulsive smirk, his words slurred slightly because of alcohol. She swallowed down a particularly graphic insult, and made her way towards the man. The moment she sat down, he raised his cup, almost pushing it in her face, and she filled it up obediently.
For a longer while the conversation about the Shinsengumi dissolved, turning into meaningless drunken chatter. Shizuka was all smiles and nods, faking interest to the best of her abilities despite dying inside. What are they even talking about? This doesn't make any sense. Fortunately, the girl didn't have to wait for too long. The men soon returned to the topic of the troops.
"Damn stray dogs of the shogunate. They think they're all that!" the roshi next to her shouted, earning approving exclamations throughout the room.
"Nobody's even afraid of them. Why don't we just take care of the fuckers?" the other man spoke up, and she felt her body tense.
"You have some genius plan or something?" the roshi sitting across the room exclaimed with a snort.
"Damn right I have!" Shizuka was looking at the man who had said that, and her stare must've been quite intrusive, because he glanced back at her.
"What is it?" he said to her.
"Apologies. It is nothing," she answered with a smile, and pried her eyes off of him. Dammit, I can't attract any attention. Fortunately the man didn't inquire any further, and stood up to leave.
"If we succeeded in wiping them out, the reward would be huge!" the roshi next to her screamed, and then turned to her excitedly. "You. Have you been picked by somebody yet?" She forced yet another smile, and shook her head gently.
"No, I have not." Hearing that, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to him.
"Then how about I make you my mistress? That's a great opportunity, you should agree."
"Oh, I do not think that…" she trailed off, feigning shyness, and the man glanced at her with a lecherous glint in his eye.
"So innocent…" he cackled. One more second, and I'll break that leering face of his, she thought, and stood up.
"It appears that the bottle is empty. I shall go fill it up," the girl said. As she was leaving, she could feel the man's stare all over her, and as she closed the door, she shuddered in disgust.
Shizuka took just a few steps before she heard the door open again and she knew that it was bound to end badly.
"Did you wait long, cutie?" the man said, and she glanced at him briefly, before moving back. He seemed to have misinterpreted her behaviour as an invitation of sorts, because for each step back she took, he wobbled towards her.
"Please, do not follow me," Shizuka pleaded, but deep down waited for him to provoke her. At this point she was aching to beat up at least one of the degenerate men she's interacted with today, and the roshi was unwittingly doing exactly what she wanted him to, because he kept following her into a more secluded part of the corridor.
"Ah, so this is when you women say no, but mean yes? You coy thing." She finally stopped, having reached a dead end. "What? You're not running anymore?" the man mumbled with a smirk, and she turned around to face him. Now, about wiping that smug off… She quickly analyzed the situation, and then adjusted her footing in preparation to strike. He's drunk, it's going to be a child's play.
Her fists clenched, and she waited for the roshi to close the distance between them. When he was a few steps away though, a dark silhouette appeared between Shizuka and the man, putting a stop to each's plans. She looked at the figure briefly, and as they glanced behind at her, she recognised the intense violet of their eyes.
"Yamazaki-san!" she exclaimed quietly, the thought about the secrecy of the mission at the back of her mind.
"Who the fuck are you?!" the roshi screamed in surprise, rubbing his eyes. "What kind of outfit is that?" "Uh…" Yamazaki stumbled briefly, clearly unprepared for such a question. "I am… a ninja, obviously!" he finally said, and she stared at him in shock. Ninja?! What about not drawing attention?
"A ninja?" For a moment, the roshi seemed to be even more confused than Shizuka. Then he glared at Yamazaki. "Are you here to eavesdrop, you bastard?"
"Not at all," the spy countered right away. "I am here to protect the graceful princess from all evil that comes her way! What were you trying to do to her highness, you scumbag?" P-princess?! This is getting out of hand! Shizuka was now beyond baffled, and tugged at Yamazaki's sleeve.
"Yamazaki-san, what the hell are you doing?"
"Please play along, Yukimura. We cannot get exposed now," the man said, and despite being completely flabbergasted, she nodded.
"Stop spouting nonsense, and hand that woman over!" the roshi commanded. He lurched towards them but Yamazaki easily dodged the drunk man, and having grabbed her hand, he rushed down the corridor.
"I will protect you with my life, princess!" he swore, and she chuckled in amusement at how immersed Yamazaki seemed to be in his role.
They quietly entered one of the empty rooms, but could hear the man getting closer.
"Damn, he is not giving up." The spy was still holding her hand tightly, his body visibly tense.
"Yamazaki-san, I'm going to be okay, you should just go. We can't endan-"
"What are you talking about, princess? I will not leave you, it is out of the question!"
"Come on, this is ridiculous!" she said, a tad too loud, and they both gazed at the door right as it opened.
"Hee, there you are. Stop playing and get over here now, cutie." Yamazaki was looking around, trying to find a way out of the situation. Then he let go of Shizuka's hand, and lowered himself slightly. What is he doing? she wondered.
"Yamazaki style…" he whispered, reaching for the tatami mat which was underneath the roshi's feet. The enemy realized what was happening a moment too late. "Tatami flip!" With that, Yamazaki pulled the mat from under the man, and then flung it at him, rendering him unconscious. His stunt, as impressive as it undoubtedly was, was also very loud, and they both heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
"Ninja?"
"There is a ninja here somewhere!"
"Find him!"
Yamazaki cursed under his breath, then turned to her, and guided her out of the room.
"Princess, I will take care of this. You should run."
"What are you talking about? I'm not gonna leave-"
"Hurry!" he exclaimed, his tone not leaving room for any argument. She hesitated for a moment, but Yamazaki nodded with resolve, reassuring her.
"Fine. But be careful!" she said finally, and left that part of the Sumiya. She decided to stay upstairs, and check if there are any more enemy gatherings to infiltrate.
She focused oni powers on her ears, hoping to find some information that way again. Unfortunately, the only sounds she could hear were a variety of party noises - laughter, drunken discussions, and shamisen and koto performances. A little sigh escaped her mouth. What do I do now?
Suddenly, she heard the sounds of a scuffle coming from the area she left earlier. Must be Yamazaki. Is he in trouble? she worried. Then, from the corner of her eye, she noticed a movement, and looked just in time to see a figure with a long ponytail disappear behind the corner. Heisuke?
"There you are, princess." Shizuka turned around towards the voice. "Where is your ninja now, huh?" the man taunted. His face was adorned with a big, nasty bruise, and after a second or two, she recognized him. He woke up pretty quickly.
"So a tatami mat was not enough for you?" she said with a smirk, and he gritted his teeth.
"You bitch!" he started towards her, leaning heavily on the nearby wall, making Shizuka wonder how he made it this far in the first place. Let's just leave him here. It's not like he can catch up to me anyway, she thought. She glanced at him with a scoff, and moved away from him. The man continued to pursue her, his pace slowly increasing, but Shizuka was already on the other side of the complex.
Having focused on avoiding the drunkard, Shizuka failed to notice immediately that the area she's reached was all too familiar. Wait, isn't this the corridor where I met… As she turned around the corner, she walked right into somebody's back. She stepped away and looked up just to see - for the second time this night - a pair of ruby eyes, which were staring straight at her. You have gotta be kidding me.
"Oh, have you changed your mind and came back to let me take you?" Kazama asked.
"Yes, I just couldn't wait anymore," she exclaimed in faux excitement. "I'm not serious, by the way," Shizuka added quickly, since there was absolutely no reaction from the man. Then, for a short instant, a hint of a smile appeared on his face. It lasted mere seconds, but her eyes widened slightly at the sight. It was nothing like the arrogant smug she's seen by the Nijo Castle that day. This expression seemed almost… pleasant.
"I am aware," he responded, confirming that he does in fact understand her sarcasm.
"Splendid." She eyed him one more time though, still somewhat wary of him. Kazama seemed to have given up on his plans for now, because he remained still as she took a tentative step back. She relaxed slightly and turned to leave, but at that moment she felt someone's hand on her arm.
"There you are, you wench," the roshi growled. The run-in with Kazama distracted her, giving the roshi enough time to catch up. He is one persistent asshole, she thought in annoyance. She tried to move away, but the man only tightened his grip further, making her wince. Her eyes flashed golden momentarily as the oni powers struggled to emerge, but as she was about to take action, somebody else decided to help.
Kazama took hold of her wrist, and pulled her behind him, freeing her shoulder from the roshi's grasp. Then he turned to him, grabbed the very hand that had assaulted Shizuka seconds ago, and twisted it behind the man's back painfully. Wasting no time, the oni landed a hit on his abdomen, knocking the roshi out cold. He let the limp body fall to the ground, and looked over at her, his face unreadable.
"Could've handled that myself…" she murmured more to herself than to Kazama, and then looked up at him. "Ah… thank you." Shizuka offered him a perfunctory little bow, and yet again his lip turned up ever so slightly.
"Come at me if you're brave enough!" they heard at once, and both glanced down. The girl recognized the voice right away, and surely enough, once she got a better look at the ongoing fight, she spotted Shinpachi and Harada. Back from patrol and already having fun, huh?
"It seems that thanks to your companions my investigation for Satsuma needs to be cut short." Haha, how did he say it? "Onis do not work for no one"? Yeah right, she remembered, but decided to keep her thoughts to herself this time.
The brawl downstairs was getting louder, and the noises were drawing more and more people out of their rooms. The door to the room next to Shizuka and Kazama opened too, and a few men came out.
"What's with all the ruckus?"
"Oh, they are really going at it!"
Kazama took a step towards the discussing group, and positioned himself as if to obscure her from their view. Then he glanced over his shoulder discreetly.
"I very much enjoyed this evening," he whispered, and Shizuka stared at him, taken aback by the confession. "But now you must disappear."
"Oh Kazama, there you are," one of the men spoke up, and the oni turned back to the group. The girl took it as a cue to get out of there, and she did so swiftly. I guess I should head down, then, she figured.
Shizuka went downstairs, and crossed the garden area. She could still faintly hear the captains - they seemed to have moved somewhere deeper inside the Sumiya - but besides that the surroundings were surprisingly calm and peaceful. Once she stepped onto the veranda surrounding the garden, she paused there for a second, gathering her thoughts and planning the next step.
The breathing space was brief, however, because suddenly, she heard a voice.
"Hm, aren't you that geiko? Where were you all this time?" She glanced over her shoulder, and recognised a man standing in front of her; it was the roshi who caught her staring at him before, the one who bragged about having a plan for getting rid of the Shinsengumi. This night just keeps getting better.
She was aware that she couldn't take him on the way she planned to do with the previous creep. The incident with Yamazaki has already caused a lot of commotion, and having yet another fight start out would only make things worse. Having no other options, she stepped back towards the nearby room, hoping that she'll be able to neutralise the threat without drawing attention. Maybe I'll get some information out of him too while I'm at it?
"Why'd you run off like that? Come, let's go back," he continued, and approached her. She recoiled instinctively, the nasty smell of his breath making her stomach turn. His eyebrows furrowed at that, and he reached for her again, this time aiming for her wrist.
"Do not take another step," a new voice joined, and Shizuka sighed tiredly, having identified the owner of a soft baritone (which currently had a sharp edge to it). "Any further harassment will be severely punished."
"Who the hell are you?" the roshi inclined in annoyance, and turned to Saito, Shizuka forgotten. "And why do you care, anyway? Go about your own business, bastard!"
"It is my business, I am afraid." The captain stepped inside and paused by the girl's side, shielding her subtly. "I am the guardian of this Sumiya. My duty is to protect the geikos from troublesome guests, such as yourself. First a ninja, and now a guardian? What are they thinking? This is getting more and more messy by the minute… The similarity of this situation to the previous incidents made Shizuka feel like she was stuck in a bizarre loop of being pestered by drunkards, and saved by various allies and whatnot.
The roshi didn't seem to understand Saito's words, and scratched his head in confusion. In the meantime the captain turned to Shizuka.
"Are you al-" he stopped abruptly once his eyes landed on her, and for a moment he was just staring. "You are… Yukimura, right?"
"Yes, I am," she said, almost rolling her eyes. What is wrong with them tonight?
"It is the first time that I see you… like this," Saito stuttered, clearly at a loss for words. He seemed to have completely forgotten about the roshi, who was standing a few steps behind him. "You look quite… different."
"Oh, do I now?" she murmured, raising her eyebrow, and Saito's cheeks reddened slightly at that. He cleared his throat.
"You dressed like this solely to help us. I was initially fearing that you might be doing this unwillingly, but… I must selfishly admit that any feelings of regret I might have experienced had now… disappeared," Saito continued bashfully. Shizuka's eyes were darting back and forth between Saito, whose convoluted speech she was trying to understand, and the roshi, who was growing increasingly more agitated by the fact that the third division captain was completely disregarding him.
"What I am trying to tell you is…"
"Hey you fucker, don't you ignore me!" the enemy finally snapped, and grabbed Hajime's shoulder roughly. "You take me for a fool?!"
"Saito-san," Shizuka exclaimed in alarm, but his eyes did not leave her face.
"This is not a time for that," he said, and without looking he moved his hand as if to wave off a fly, landing a punch straight on the roshi's face, and making him fall down. The girl stared at the man on the floor in shock, and back at Saito.
"Yukimura, I need to tell you something."
"Can't it wait? I don't think this is the right…" she trailed off, having noticed that the roshi was gathering himself up from the ground. "Time."
"No. Having this conversation later would be meaningless."
"You…" the man growled, and jumped towards Saito. Shizuka was about to intervene, but at that moment the man stopped abruptly. She looked down, and saw that Saito's elbow dug itself straight into the roshi's gut, and he tumbled over again with a pained yelp.
Shizuka's ears caught the sound of many footsteps, but before she could warn Saito, a large group of men found the room they were in. They looked over at their companion, who was on his knees and struggling to get up.
"Yukimura, I must tell you that…" Saito inhaled deeply, as if to calm his nerves. Just as he was about to open his mouth, he also noticed the crowd at the door.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Not once, but twice…That bastard..." the roshi said. He accepted the outstretched hand of one of his associates, and stood back up on his feet.
"What do you want? We are having a conversation here," Saito said. "If you wish to talk with me, we can do that later."
"Wh- what?!" one of the men huffed. The group then began shouting in outrage.
"This dog…"
"He's making fun of us!"
"You're gonna pay for belittling us, you bastard!" The men were slowly closing in, and Shizuka looked over worriedly at Saito, who was remaining still. Once she got a good look at his face, though, the object of her concern changed. Oh boy.
"Whenever somebody interrupts an important conversation, it puts me in a very foul mood," he said, his voice eerily calm. The temperature in the room seemed to have dropped several degrees, and the men paused unconsciously. Hajime looked at them over his shoulder with ice cold eyes. "I hope you are prepared to face the consequences." He's going to kill them all, she thought, seeing his expression.
Feeling Saito's menacing aura, the men lost some of the steam briefly, unsure what to expect. Then the man who was hit by the captain, presumably being unable to get over his bruised ego, finally decided to strike. He rushed towards the captain, unsheathing his sword, but Saito moved in a flash and dodged the attack effortlessly, protecting Shizuka as he did so. The momentum with which the roshi lunged at them made him unable to stop in time, and Hajime used that to swiftly disarm and trip the man.
"If you feel it necessary to fight," he started, his hand tightening on the hilt of the newly acquired katana. Then he flipped it to its mune. "I will gladly take you on."
And for the next two or so minutes, Shizuka could admire Saito's remarkable skill, as he took out the roshis one by one. Each step, and each strike was perfectly calculated, and the girl was once again mesmerized by his swordsmanship. After all the men were defeated, Saito turned to her.
"Are you alright, Yukimura?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she nodded with a smile, and Hajime's stance finally relaxed.
"I believe this mission has been compromised," he said, glancing at the unconscious men.
"Oh, it has been compromised for sure." Shizuka's face fell slightly. "Because of me Yamazaki had a run-in with some of those bastards, and now you… I'm sorry." Saito looked at her, his gaze tender.
"If being a beauty is something to be blamed for then yes, you are at fault." The girl stared at him with wide eyes. "But I do not think that you should be held accountable for that, so there is no need to apologize," he continued. Shizuka was so utterly shocked by his sudden bluntness that for a while she was unable to form any kind of response.
"Saito-san, are you perhaps… drunk?" she managed to utter finally, and he gazed at her, a spark of amusement shining in his eyes.
"No, I am not."
"Are you sure?" she prodded, and he confirmed with a nod. "Right, you wouldn't drink while on the mission…" she murmured under her breath. "So maybe… maybe one of those guys smacked you over the head?" She scrutinized him from top to bottom, looking for possible injuries. "No, that's not it either, none of them managed to land a hit," the girl said in a similar manner. Saito was observing her confusion, a charmed smile appearing on his face.
"Were my words that surprising?" he asked, and Shizuka looked up at him.
"Well, yes and…" she trailed off, embarrassed. She has never expected to hear such a compliment, and least of all from the reserved third division captain.
"I apologize if it may have come off as too forward, but I merely told the truth. This is what I wanted to tell you." So that's what it was all about? Shizuka thought, remembering Saito's weird behaviour from a while back.
"Ah, is, is that so?" she said bashfully. For a moment they were standing in front of each other in silence, unsure what to say. Suddenly they heard yelling, and looked at each other knowingly, having recognized the voices.
"Let us go, Yukimura," Saito said, turning to her. Then he paused for a second, as if considering something, and she noted that his hand was reaching out towards her. "If you would like to… Your garments appear to be…" he stuttered shyly.
"How thoughtful of you," she praised him with a lovely smile, making him blush, and accepted his hand without hesitation. Then she grabbed the hem of the kimono with her free hand, and together they started towards the door.
"It's the man who ambushed me."
"Excuse me?"
"He and his bunch are the instigators we were looking for. Also, Heisuke left earlier to get Hijikata-san. Since he's come back already, I guess the vice commander should be here soon too," Shizuka gave a quick report as they were walking on the veranda.
"Very well. Could you go and wait for him by the entrance, Yukimura? I should go and check on…"
"That's ballsy of you, bastard!" Heisuke's yell echoed in the corridor.
"Don't hold back, kid, I got your back!" they heard Shinpachi's hearty laugh.
"...them," Saito said with a tired sigh, and she chuckled at his expression. He looked like he'd rather do anything but help with the situation, which appeared to be worsening at an alarming pace, the captains' reckless antics adding more fuel to the fire.
"Of course," Shizuka said. Hajime turned on his heel, ready to leave, but she squeezed his palm, stopping him. "Please be careful." He offered her a quick nod.
"You too, Yukimura." He let go of her hand gently, and went in the direction of all the ruckus.
Shizuka looked around. More people kept leaving their rooms, curious about the source of all the noise. This mission is a disaster, she concluded as she made her way to the entrance. She stepped through, raising the noren, and just as she did so she spotted Hijikata. He paused in front of the building, and looked over it, his breathing slightly labored. The sounds of commotion were easily audible even from the street, and Shizuka's ears caught a stream of various profanities said in a quiet voice. She chuckled, catching the vice commander's attention.
"Hijikata-san," she called out, and walked up to him.
"Shizuka?" The man was looking at her for a moment with his mouth slightly agape. Seeing his reaction, she was reminded of Saito's words and felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks.
"Yes," Shizuka said, her voice calm despite slight nervousness. Hijikata seemed to have collected himself too, because his face darkened.
"What the hell is happening there?" Her eyes darted towards the clamour, a sigh escaping her mouth.
"Ah, about that… It's not the captains' fault. Actually it's m-"
"Vice commander," somebody spoke up from right behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder and up to see Saito's blue eyes.
"Oh, Saito. What's going on?"
"We encountered some... minor issues. I will give a detailed report later," he said.
"What about the guys?" Shizuka asked.
"Everything is under control now," he assured, looking at her briefly before focusing on Hijikata. "Vice commander, we will handle things here, so could you please take Yukimura back? She deserves some rest."
"Are you sure you're gonna be fine?"
"Yes."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you guys then." Hijikata turned to her. "Let's go back." She nodded, and the man started towards the street without looking back.
"Yukimura," Saito said in a low voice as she was about to leave too. She turned around.
"Yes?"
"Please, keep in mind what I said." Shizuka looked at him, momentarily confused. "About there being no need to blame yourself," he offered, and she hummed awkwardly, looking away. So just now with Hijikata… he cut me off on purpose? "You did very well tonight." With that Saito went back inside the Sumiya, giving her no chance to answer him. A small, grateful smile formed on her lips. What an endearing man.
Shizuka was doing her best to keep up with Hijikata as he was rushing through the streets, but the okobo shoes were a true nightmare to walk in. I can't remember the last time I've worn something other than plain sandals. Suddenly the shoe got stuck on a rock, and the girl felt her body fall forward.
"Woah!" she exclaimed in alarm. But before she could find her footing, a pair of strong arms steadied her instead.
"You okay?" Hijikata asked, helping her stand straight.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank y- ouch!" her response was cut short as she took a step, and felt a sharp pain in her ankle.
"What happened? Are you hurt?" The vice commander looked over her in concern. She shook her head.
"It's nothing. Let's keep going," she assured, but the man didn't look convinced.
"Show me your foot," he said, and she immediately recognised the commanding strain in his voice. There was no arguing with him.
"I'm telling you it's fine," Shizuka grumbled, raising her kimono a little to give Hijikata access to her injured ankle. He offered her an unappreciative stare, and then focused on inspecting her foot.
"These blasted shoes… No wonder you tripped," she heard a murmur. Then he looked up at her, a reassuring almost-smile playing about his lips. "It's a little swollen, but it should be fine after two to three days." More like two to three seconds, she thought, as she felt the ankle healing. She let the layers of clothing fall back to their place as Hijikata stood up. He reached for her hand without a word, and placed it in his. She looked at him in surprise, but he was already resuming their walk, its pace a lot slower this time.
"Don't want you falling flat on your face," he spoke up, sensing her curious stare. "Let's go."
Having gotten a considerable distance away from the Shimabara district, and being near the headquarters, they both relaxed slightly.
"Hope Saito and the others took care of things," Hijikata said absentmindedly. She hummed in response, looking over her shoulder precautionarily.
"Hey, mister! Wait!" someone called out suddenly, and after a second a man blocked their way.
"What is it?" the vice commander paused, uninterested. His hand instinctively tightened on Shizuka's though, and he guided her behind him.
"Where are you taking this geiko?" he asked, and both Shizuka and Hijikata just realized that everybody was looking at them.
"Ah, she's not a geiko," Hijikata explained, but the man was looking at him doubtfully.
"What do you mean? Even a blind man could tell she's a real Shimabara geiko." The vice commander sighed in annoyance.
"You don't understand. There is a reason for that. She's..."
"Why of course! Men and women always have various reasons for doing things like this." Hearing this, Shizuka couldn't help but snort quietly, and Hijikata glared at her. He was not enjoying this the way she was. "But you surely know that geiko's debts must be settled before she can be taken away," the stranger told them, and the vice commander immediately straightened himself at the words.
"Settle her debts? What is that supposed to mean?" he exclaimed in offense, and the man stuttered nervously.
"It seems to me that you, uh… You… Aren't you eloping?" Shizuka looked around again; by now, their exchange had gathered quite a crowd, and Hijikata seemed to have noticed it too.
"Ah, so annoying," he mumbled, rubbing his temple. Then he glanced at her. "Guess it can't be helped. Play along with me for a second."
"Play along with wha-" she started, but before she could finish, he pulled her towards him, his hand wrapping around her shoulders. She looked up at him, caught off guard, but his eyes were focused on the man in front of them.
"Who do you think you're talking to, bastard? You think the vice commander of the Shinsengumi would elope with a geiko?!" His yell echoed on the street, and people fell silent instantly. The stranger stumbled backwards, his face white as a sheet.
"Shin- Shinsengumi?"
"This woman is in my care. If you have any problem with that, feel free to come to our headquarters!" Hijikata said finally, and seeing that there was no more argument, he grabbed her hand once more and turned towards the compound.
"What a mess, seriously," the man was muttering under his breath. Then he looked back at Shizuka, as she's been silent for a while now. "Hey, you okay?" She was unable to answer, unfortunately, as she was struggling to remain serious, her arms shaking uncontrollably.
"Knock it off!" he yelled in exasperation, but his words had the opposite effect. She broke out in a hearty laughter, and couldn't stop no matter how much Hijikata was chastising her.
"Sorry, sorry," she said after a minute, and glanced up at him. He looked slightly angry and mighty embarrassed, his cheeks reddened, and seeing his tragic expression, she started giggling again.
"Stop laughing, or else!" He grinded his teeth, and kept glaring at the girl helplessly.
"Or else what? I won't be in your care anymore?" Shizuka said, and found her own joke so amusing that the laughter began all over again. Hijikata was on the verge of combusting, and pushed her hand away, leaving her behind.
Her ankle was already fine, and they were right by the headquarters, but the vice commander's behaviour was so entertaining that she decided to push his buttons just a teeny bit more. She took a step, and purposefully stumbled, then complained loudly enough for him to hear.
"I should just throw these shoes in a ditch somewhere." Hijikata stopped, and glanced over his shoulder briefly. Then a loud sigh escaped his mouth, and he came back for her. This time, after grabbing her arm, he linked it with his, supporting her weight as he let her lean on him.
"Oh, thank you so much," she expressed her gratitude sweetly, making him look at her with growing suspicion. They were just reaching the entrance.
"You are such a... caring vice commander." He just stared at her in defeat, and she beamed at him.
"Ah, what do we have here?" they both heard a well-known voice, and Hijikata tensed in alarm. "Good job tonight," Okita offered an offhand remark, his eyes landing on their joined arms. Hijikata's gaze followed, and he let go of her immediately, clearing his throat.
"Do not misunderstand, Souji. What happened was-"
"From now on I am under Hijikata-san's care!" Shizuka exclaimed happily, feigning blissful ignorance while the man in question was staring holes through the back of her head. She offered Souji her own rendition of his crooked smirk. "So don't mess with me." He stared at her for a second, and then let out an amused hum, making Hijikata even angrier.
"Oh, is that so? I'm jealous."
"You should be. Hijikata-san declared that in-"
"One more word and I swear, Shizuka, you're gonna regret that," the vice commander hissed into her ear, and Okita's head cocked to the side in curiosity. She glanced at Hijikata briefly, and noticed how drained he was from all the teasing she'd put him through. If I tell Souji-san about this now, the vice commander's not gonna hear the end of it, she thought. Besides, I'm pretty sure it'll be the talk of the town, so everybody's bound to find out soon enough…
The girl gave the man next to her a reassuring nod, and then focused on Okita again, wearing her best poker face.
"Ah, anyway. I need to get out of these, and fast," she said, raising one leg. "My feet are killing me."
At that moment they heard some voices in the distance, and Hijikata peeked at the street.
"Dammit, soldiers are coming." He glared at Souji, and pointed at the girl with his chin. "I'll stall them for a moment, so take her to her room. Move it!" Shizuka and Okita looked at each other, and he shrugged with a smirk. The vice commander glanced over his shoulder at them. "She sprained her ankle, so help her properly," he said finally, and left to occupy the soldiers.
"Let's go then," Okita said, offering his arm. She figured it would be too much of a hassle to explain that her foot was fine, so she accepted his help without complaints.
"It would appear that I have become your escort these days," he initiated the conversation with a bit of snark.
"What a great honour," she replied and gave him the most insincere smile she could manage, making him chuckle. Then he launched a second attack.
"Shizuka-chan, since you've hurt your foot, maybe I should give you a piggyback ride? You seem to really enjoy them." She stared at him in confusion for a second, but then the memories of the night of their shared birthday party came flooding in, and she felt heat rushing to her cheeks. She did her best to keep a straight face, however, and glanced away.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said as nonchalantly as she could, grateful for the thick makeup on her face which masked most of the redness. Okita looked like he was a second from bursting out with laughter, and Shizuka gritted her teeth in annoyance mixed with embarrassment.
"Oh, I'm sure you don't," he chirped with fake sweetness in his voice. They both knew he had the upper hand, but he seemed to be in a generous mood because he left the topic.
Then she remembered something that was bothering her for a few days now.
"By the way, I was meaning to ask you… Can you explain why in all hell you roped me into this?" Shizuka motioned at all the geiko getup on her. "You even said you heard me talking about wanting to do it."
"That's because I did," he said innocently, but she knew better than to trust his words.
"I've never said anything like that."
"It can't be. I clearly heard you say it some time ago."
"When exactly?" He pondered - or pretended to do so - for a moment and her scowl grew with each passing second.
"Ah, right. It was after Sanosuke got rewarded back in October. I overheard you talking to him, Shinpachi-san and Heisuke by chance." By chance? Yeah, right. He's such a creeper sometimes… But wait. If he's talking about that time th-
"Back then I specifically told them that I never want to dress up like that again!" He looked over at her, and the shock on his face was almost believable. She glared at him in response.
"Oh, really? I could've sworn I heard the opposite. Maybe my hearing really is bad, just like Shizuka-chan pointed out recently." Okita put a hand to his chin in a contemplative gesture, and Shizuka had to use all her self-control to not smack him over the head.
"Bastard," she settled on insulting him instead, and he leaned in, his eyes shining in amusement.
"What was that? I'm afraid I didn't catch that."
"You are. A bastard. Managed to catch that?" He offered her a polite smile.
"Loud and clear." She scoffed and tried to move past him, but his hand grabbed hers and put it back on his arm where it rested all this time, not allowing her to leave. "Your foot is injured, isn't it?" A well-mannered smirk grew into a brilliant, blinding grin, and she wasn't sure if she was more annoyed or mesmerized.
As they were slowly entering her corridor, Okita paused at once, and turned to her.
"Shizuka, why don't you take them off?" he said, gesturing at the shoes. "Walking around in them is only going to make your ankle worse." Even though the ankle had healed long ago, the shoes were uncomfortable in general, so Okita's offer sounded quite tempting. But before doing anything though, she still felt the need to bicker.
"Why? Feeling self-conscious now that we are almost the same height?" He glanced over at her with a somewhat pitying look on his face, and stepped closer, straightening his back. He was still at least half a head taller than her.
"Feeling what now?" he said.
"So uselessly tall… Annoying. Why is he slouching like this in the first place?" she mumbled under her breath.
"So what is it going to be? Are you taking them off?
"Yeah. My feet hurt more than my pride." He chuckled at her remark, and held her arm firmly as she stepped out of the okobo shoes and onto the floor, a sigh of relief escaping her mouth as she did so. Now Okita was towering over her even more evidently, and she scoffed seeing his self-satisfied smirk.
Shizuka bent over to grab the bulky shoes, but before she could reach them, Okita's hand swooped in and snatched them first. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, but he just shrugged.
"Don't tell me you want to try them on?" she joked, which provoked a bark of laughter from the man.
"Oh no, I've been exposed," he said in mock panic.
"You could've just said so. There's no need to act sneaky about it." She turned to him with a lovely smile. "I'm not going to judge you."
"How benevolent." An amused grin appeared on his face; they resumed their walk, the pace even slower than before.
"A warning, though. They are awfully uncomfortable and wobbly. If I managed to sprain my ankle, you'd probably break your neck."
"Nah, I think I would manage quite well," he countered, inspecting the shoes.
"Oh really?"
"Yes." He cocked his head towards her. "And besides, you're not exactly the most dexterous person out there."
"Excuse me?" she exclaimed, irked.
"You're quite clumsy. You came back early because the plan fell through, right? You must've tripped somewhere and blown your cover immediately." She was glaring at him with fire in her eyes, but he was just smirking mischievously.
"It was the captains who made a mess back there, not me," she said, but he just hummed, unconvinced. "I'm telling the truth!"
"They probably realised you're not a real geiko right off the bat."
"No they didn't!" She glanced up at him with a smug. "It all happened because I look too beautiful, and seeing me, the bastards there forgot what 'no' means, and tried me." She expected another witty comeback, but he was looking at her without a word, and she blushed under the intensity of his gaze. Dammit, why is he staring at me like that?
"W-what's with you..." she murmured awkwardly. "I was just joki-"
"That I can believe," he said finally, and her eyes widened in shock.
"What?" Okita did not answer, offering her an enigmatic half-smile instead.
"We're here." She looked around, still very much baffled, and it took her a moment to understand what he was talking about - they had arrived at her door.
"Ah, yeah. Th-thank you." As she was about to step away from him, she realized that their arms were still linked. Shizuka moved hers in panic, and after eternity-like seconds, Okita's hand also let go, and rested against his side.
"Well then… Goodnight," she said, stepping away to her room. The girl couldn't bring herself to look at him, and instead glued her gaze to the floor as she was closing the door. Just then, she noticed a foot blocking it, and looked up in surprise. Her widened eyes met with Souji's, he was leaning slightly towards her with an unreadable expression.
"There," he said, handing her the shoes. "I'll try them on another time." She let out a tiny laugh, awkwardness quickly dispersing, and his lips stretched into a pleased smile at that. He stepped back from the door, his stare still locked on her, making her unable to look away.
"Goodnight, Shi-zu-chan," he said finally, and though his voice was barely louder than a whisper it sounded cheeky and playful. With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared behind the corner, leaving Shizuka stunned, somewhat charmed, and thoroughly confused. Did he… Did he just call me Shizu?!
"Shizuka, here's to you!" Shinpachi said, and emptied the sake cup in one gulp.
"Shinpachi, no more drinking," Saito reprimanded. "We have a patrol tomorrow."
"Yes, yes. That was just a toast to our newest spy." The man winked at Shizuka, and she raised her own cup - which contained water - with a grin. Saito glanced over, and to their collective surprise he also put his drink to his mouth.
"In that case I shall also drink. Just this once, of course." Shizuka offered a smile to Saito as well, which he bashfully reciprocated.
"Why are you leaving me out? I want a drink too. Shizuka, could you pour me one?" Her gaze met a pair of shiny emerald irises, and her own eyes narrowed momentarily. I don't think he should drink alcohol. It can't be good for his health. His imploring pout was so powerful, however, that before she even realised she was already filling up his cup.
"To Shizuka-chan and her magnificent investigative skills," he said and unlike the other two, he took only a small sip of the sake. She saw that and glanced up at him with widened eyes. Don't tell me he noticed? Okita's perplexing, kind of amiable yet somewhat sarcastic smile confirmed her suspicions. She returned the gesture, leaving out ridicule, however, and letting kindness only remain, and it was his turn to stare at her in surprise.
"Yes! Shizuka was amazing!" Shinpachi chimed in, clasping his hands as in a prayer. "Not only did she find all the trash with no problem, she was an absolute vision of beauty while doing so!" Shizuka sent a glare his way, which cooled his enthusiasm a bit, but did not put it out completely. He cleared his throat and changed the topic. "Gotta say, I totally expected that punk Heisuke to wreak havoc in there, but to think that Yamazaki made a mess as well? Now that's something I never thought I'd witness." He sipped on the sake discreetly, wary of Saito's gaze.
"He didn't make a mess. He was just protecting me," Shizuka grumbled in the spy's defense.
"But of course; and he did a great job protecting you." Shinpachi grabbed his chopsticks, and glanced over the side dishes. Then he picked up something, and almost immediately started chuckling to himself. Three pairs of eyes focused on him, puzzled. "Say, doesn't it… remind you of something?" he said, waving a snack in front of them.
"Tatami iwashi?" Souji murmured, identifying the snack; hearing this particular word, Shizuka almost choked on her water. She tried to cover her shaking with a cough, but Shinpachi's observation was so spot on, and Okita's reaction so oblivious, that her attempt was weak to say the least. Her cough soon turned into a giggle, which then shifted into a full-fledged laughter. Saito also seemed quite amused, to the point where he failed to temper his reaction (which he would usually do). The three of them had tremendous fun, but Okita seemed very much bemused.
"What's so funny about that?" His gaze traveled from one face to the other. Shizuka looked at him, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"We were just reminded of a ninja friend of ours," she said, and Shinpachi laughed out loud. Saito's lips were pressed into a thin line. "I'm not sure if you know him, Souji-san."
"Just what in the world are you talking about?"
"Since these matters involve a certain royal highness we can't go into any more detail, I'm afraid." Nagakura's cryptic words send Shizuka into a laughing fit, and left Okita utterly stupefied. Then he began his attempts at coaxing some clues out of the three, but they unanimously decided to keep their lips sealed. Since Shizuka knew that Okita liked to be well-informed - one needs to be familiarized with the latest gossip in order to come up with teasing material after all - she was particularly eager to tell him nothing just to see him lose it out of curiosity.
"That's so low, keeping me out of the loop like this," he whined, trying to guilt them into spilling the beans, but this tactic proved equally ineffective. "You're the worst, guys," he summed up finally, and looked away displeased. Shizuka glanced at his sulking face and couldn't help but find it adorable. Should I tell him just a little?
"Shall we head out now? It's getting late," Saito proposed, and they all agreed. Shinpachi, who was supposed to be buying today, started patting his clothing and checking for something. Then he looked up at the third division captain with an embarrassed wince.
"Hajime… I forgot my money…" The man in question eyed up Shinpachi with a detached, and not even remotely surprised stare, making him squirm more.
"I will pay," he said with no emotion, and Shinpachi expressed his gratitude with a deep bow.
"I'll make it up to you, I swear."
"Just… don't. Do not do anything." Shizuka's restraint was tested yet again, but this time she held in the laughter for Saito's sake.
It was already getting dark by the time they got out of the inn. Shinpachi seemed to have forgotten his shameful moment already, and chatted excitedly with Shizuka. Their little group had to maneuver between numerous passersby, and he served as their personal battering ram; feeling wary of his impressive stature, people were making way for them to pass somewhat comfortably.
"Why are there so many people when it's this cold?" Shizuka said, while rubbing her hands together to warm them up.
"I feel in my bones that it's going to snow today. Maybe people want to see this year's first upclose?" Shinpachi pondered, and she looked at him with a smile.
"Feel it in your bones?" He nodded, and her smirk widened. "Oh, right. They say old people are more sensitive to changes in weather." She heard a snort on her left, and glanced briefly at Okita, who was doing his best to remain serious. This repertoire was nothing new, but both Shizuka and Heisuke kept using the same jab because it was sure to work every time without fail. And just like clockwork, Shinpachi's head whipped back to look at her, his mouth agape in shock and affront.
"Wha- Shizuka, you're so mean. Who are you calling an old person now?"
"I'm merely mentioning something I've heard before. There's no need to take it personally," she backpedaled, leaving him stunned. "Unless you can relate." He narrowed his eyes at Shizuka, who offered him a courteous smile.
"No, not at all. Can't relate whatsoev-'' Shinpachi's grumbling was cut short when he bumped into somebody in front of him. He glanced at a man apologetically, and lowered his head. "My bad, sorry." He turned right back to Shizuka to continue, but before he could do that, they heard a voice calling out.
"Hey, won't you apologize properly?" The second division captain looked over his shoulder at the man, his brow furrowed.
"I just did."
"You call that an apology? I said properly. You deaf or something?"
"Uh oh…" Shizuka murmured, seeing Shinpachi's deepening frown. She knew all too well where the situation was going. Apparently so did Okita and Saito, because they suddenly stepped closer towards her, and the latter motioned at her to move away.
"My hearing's great, thank you very much. But I think you are overdue for a lesson in manners, you bastard," Nagakura exclaimed, cracking his knuckles as he slowly approached the man and his group.
Saito sighed tiredly, and turned to Shizuka and Souji.
"I will take care of this," he said. She glanced at the commotion; they had already started throwing punches, and despite being outnumbered Shinpachi was holding his ground spectacularly. "You should go back to the headquarters." Okita seemed completely unfazed, and with a nod he started towards the compound. Shizuka lagged behind, her eyes still fixed on Shinpachi; one of the troublemakers landed a hit on the captain, and she tensed upon seeing blood on his face. Saito noticed her stalling, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Yukimura. He will be fine." A trace of exasperation in his voice made it seem like the man would like something completely opposite to happen, and Shizuka almost chuckled at this unexpected show of emotion. Also, Saito's annoyed confidence in his fellow captain eased her mind slightly. The girl observed the brawl again; Shinpachi's fists were flying at a rapid pace and it seemed like was in full control of the situation.
"Shizuka, what are you doing over there? Let's go," Souji called out to her, having noticed that she wasn't following. Shizuka's eyes met Saito's and they exchanged knowing nods. Then she stepped away and went up to Souji.
"Let's go."
There was a comfortable silence between them as they made their way down the street. Shizuka was not saying anything because she was too focused on stopping her teeth from chattering. She hugged herself to maintain some warmth.
"Ah, alone again, just the two of us." Okita spoke up at once. "We just might get swept up in scandalous rumours for real if this keeps happening." She scoffed at his joke.
"Please, anything but that." She offered him a crooked smirk, but he was looking at her seriously, quite unlike himself.
"I guess you'd hate it, huh?" What is he getting at? She mimicked his expression, and crossed her arms on the chest.
"Wouldn't you?" she threw the question back on him. She was not sure why, but she felt quite annoyed all of a sudden.
"Why would I?"
"And why would I? Why are you assuming that I would?" He had no response to that and for a moment a peculiar, weighty silence fell between them. It didn't feel awkward, however; it almost seemed like restraint. The girl wanted to say something, but was not completely certain as to what it was. A sigh escaped her mouth. Let's just change the topic. He'd leave me hanging anyway.
"You think Saito-san will be fine?" After seeing how much he enjoyed the fight, Shizuka stopped worrying about Shinpachi, and only felt sorry for the third division captain who will be forced to clean up the mess. Okita glanced at her briefly, and for a split second something flickered in his eyes. Is he… disappointed? But why? As usual, the ember of emotion was put out before she could look closely.
"No need to worry about him. On his own, Shinpachi-san is easy enough to handle." He fell silent for a moment, and it seemed like he was waiting for her response, but she did not deliver. "Only when combined with Heisuke and Sanosuke does he become too much. But I assume you know how annoying it can get." He started chuckling, but she noted that it was only a dispassionate echo of how he would usually express amusement. Then suddenly his laughter turned into a cough; he bent over, covering the mouth with his palm, and she turned to him immediately.
"Souji-san!" She reached out towards him, but he put up his hand, stopping her in her tracks.
"No! I-I'm fin-" he stuttered out in between coughs.
"What do you mean you're…" she cried out, and despite his protests she put her palm on his back to soothe him somehow. "Fine?" Her eyes widened as he looked up at her with a smirk.
"Just kidding," he said, taking the hand off his face, and she stumbled back as if slapped.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! What kind of sick joke is this?!" Okita stared at her, momentarily caught off guard by the intensity of her reaction. She glared at him appalled, then turned around without another word and headed towards the headquarters.
"Shizuka, wait up," the girl heard, and quickened her pace.
"Screw you," she threw a low snarl over her shoulder.
"You're going to miss something amazing if you hurry like this," Souji called out, and she heard his steps close behind her.
"I don't give a da-"
Suddenly she felt a tiny prick of coolness on her cheek, and looked up to see a tranquil shower of white specks, their growing numbers illuminated brilliantly by the street lights. The spectacle gave her a pause, and she unconsciously outstretched her hand to catch one of the snowflakes. Shizuka was only half-aware that Okita stopped right next to her, too transfixed with the scene unfolding. Not knowing why this first snow of the year, as beautiful as it was, filled her heart with sorrow.
Little crystals of snow kept falling at an ever-quickening pace, and soon a thin, white blanket coated the surroundings. She let out an exhale and it turned into a puff of mist; a tiny shiver ran down her snow-covered arms.
"It's barely even started snowing, but everything seems to have disappeared," Okita said quietly, reminding her of his presence. She trembled again, but this time not due to the cold. "If only it was so easy with..." He must've not been fully aware that he was talking outloud, because he didn't even bother to hide the despondency in his voice. She felt a painful tug in her chest; she knew exactly what he was talking about. All the anger she's felt dissipated instantly, leaving only unpleasant wateriness in her eyes. She blinked a few times to chase it away.
"It can only be hidden for so long," she said finally, steeling her voice so that it wouldn't shake. "The snow is bound to melt sooner or later." Shizuka felt his burning stare on her, and directed her own gaze at him.
"Since everything will be back anyway, wouldn't it be better to not turn a blind eye in the first place and just face it head on?" They were looking at each other for a long while, each searching for something in the other's eyes. Then Okita's face relaxed into a small smile.
"Yes. I think you're right, Shizuka. I'll remember that."
"If you happen to forget, I'll gladly remind you. Of course I'm talking about snow," she said, and heard a chuckle. It was weak but genuine, and her heart rejoiced at the sound.
She noticed that Okita was covered in a considerable amount of snow, so without much thinking she stepped closer, and cleared it off his shoulders. He stared at her in surprise, but besides that there was no indication that he disliked her assistance. As she was going for his head, which was even more white, her hand paused. I'm not tall enough… She tried tiptoeing, but it didn't help much. Souji glanced down at her, caught on immediately, and leaned in with a gracious expression, his eyes closing. Seeing his self-satisfied smirk, she glared at him for a second, but one emerald eye popped open and sparkled expectantly, so she resumed the task at hand. Shizuka's hand rested on his arm for balance, she stood on her tiptoes again, and this time she was able to brush the fluff off his hair. It was cold, and she felt her palm sting, but most of her attention was occupied by the discovery of how soft his hair felt against her fingertips. Her hand seemed to have gotten a mind of its own, because even after getting rid of the snow it stayed on his head for the briefest of moments and caressed it very delicately, so that he wouldn't notice.
Once she was done, Okita, without missing a beat, straightened himself and reached out towards her to get her share of whiteness off her shoulders and hair. She felt a small, barely detectable pat on her head, and gazed up at him with a smile just to see that his own face was already stretched into a grin addressed at her. Then he put his hands on her arms, turned her around, and gently pushed her forward.
"Let's move before we both become yuki darumas," Okita said and Shizuka giggled at the thought. She let him lead her towards the headquarters, which - she just now realised - were right around the corner.
"How about I tell you the tale of the tatami mat?" She looked over her shoulder and up at him, and the expression on his face made the words die at her throat. His emerald eyes were shining in childlike anticipation, and she was pretty sure that the smile he gave her could melt all the lingering snow in an instant.
"I would absolutely love to hear about that," he said, and the playfulness in his voice sent her heart aflutter. For once embracing the chaos in her chest, she offered him a conspiratorial grin.
"Before we get to that, however, let me mention a certain friendly ninja…" Shizuka then went into details of the Shimabara affair, describing it in as flowery and exaggerated a way as possible. Her animated chatter and Souji's laughter echoed across the silent headquarters.
The next morning, Shizuka had to force herself to leave the warm futon, and then her cozy room. If only I wasn't too hungry to skip breakfast… A yawn escaped her mouth. She was walking through the corridor half-conscious, her sleepy gaze avoiding the gleaming whiteness of the snowy surroundings.
"I guess Hijikata-san would come for me anyway. Such a busybody…"
"I agree," she heard a low voice, and paused, startled. She turned sharply and noticed Okita; he was facing away from her and peeking around the corner.
"Fancy seeing you first thing in the morning. What are you doing here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Shhh," was his only response. Then he finally looked at her and she instantly recognized the glint in his eyes. It meant nothing but trouble. "If you're curious, come with me. But be quiet." Without any further explanation he reached for her hand, and led her down the corridor. He kept turning to her, reminding her with a smirk to mind the volume of her steps, but she registered none of this. All she could think of was the sensation of his warm hand enveloping hers, and that it left her seconds away from a heart attack. Gods, does he want me to die? What is he up to anyway?
She came to her senses only when she felt a tug on her arm. Shizuka looked down and noticed that Okita was crouching next to a small brazier, one of his palms warming up in its heat, and the other still holding hers and gently pulling her to join him. Without much thinking she did. Okita directed her hand towards the welcoming warmth. Then he leaned towards her, so close that his nose almost touched her cheek.
"Your hands are cold," he whispered into her ear, and she had to use every bit of her self-control to not shiver upon the sensation of his breath tickling her face. The girl felt her cheeks reddening, and it was not the brazier's fault.
"So are yours," she answered, and to her pleasant surprise, her voice did betray how nervous she was. He smiled an enigmatic little smile at that, and finally let go of her palm. The moment their hands stopped touching, she felt like she could inhale normally again, and her head regained some clarity. "But why are we whispering?"
"I want to hear his masterpiece." What?!
Okita's remark confused her to no end, and she looked at him for some explanation. He pointed with his chin towards the door, and only then she realized where he had brought her. Is this… Hijikata-san's room? She looked around quickly and confirmed that the neat little quarters were in fact the vice commander's. Why the hell did he bring me here? Then her gaze fell on the opened door Okita was drawing her attention to.
Hijikata was standing outside his room on the stairs. She couldn't see his face, but the overall stillness of his frame made it evident that he was lost in his thoughts. Her ears caught some noises, and she leaned sideways to get a better view. Kondou was skipping around in the snow, his laughter filling the courtyard; he was followed by Inoue and Shimada, who were considerably calmer, both in their steps and in showing their excitement.
Seeing three grown men frolic in the first snow like little children, so carefree and endearing, put a wide grin on her face.
"What are you looking at?" she heard a faint whisper, and then felt Okita's warmth right next to her. She made space for him so that he could witness the scene as well. Their shoulders were touching ever so slightly as he looked outside. Shizuka stole a glance at him, and had to press her lips together to stop a giggle from coming out. Souji seemed to be even more charmed than her; the green of his eyes softened up significantly, and together with a tiny, affectionate smile that graced his lips it told her more than all the words in the world.
Both of them almost forgot about Hijikata, who remained silent all this time and watched the two men on the snow, just like they were. They only remembered when they heard a chuckle; they looked at each other briefly, then focused on the vice commander.
"Now listen closely. He always gets like this before coming up with one," Okita spoke into her ear again. I still have no idea what…
"Snowy cold morning
They go outside and then jump
Marking the untouched," they heard a low voice, and she finally realised why Souji was behaving so strangely all this time. I did hear from the guys that Hijikata-san's composing haikus, but never actually heard one. Who would've thought... She gazed at the first division captain, and shook her head seeing the smirk on his face. Oh boy. This is going to be good.
"I knew it," Okita said in a small voice. "Who's barking now?" he spoke up louder, and she snorted against her better judgment.
"It's 'marking', not 'barking'," Hijikata said absentmindedly. Then they saw his entire body freeze. Lastly, he slowly turned around, and an expression of horror flashed through his face like a strike of lightning.
"Wha… What are you doing here?!" Shizuka looked at Okita with wide innocent eyes, he mimicked her expression superbly, and they both turned their gaze at Hijikata, who was enraged, surprised, and mortified all at once.
"We came to get you…" she said.
"...for breakfast," Okita added. Shizuka and him were still crouching by the brazier, looking like true paragons of virtue and purity. They were in perfect sync.
"It's cold so we wanted to warm up a little." As if on cue, their hands stretched closer towards the flickering embers.
"Since Hijikata-san seemed so deep in thought…"
"We didn't want to disturb you." Shizuka offered him a brilliant smile. One could almost see the strings of Hijikata's patience running thinner and thinner with each word from the two. His face darkened; he stepped inside and loomed over them.
"Get out!"
"But what about break-"
"OUT!" He hollered, and they finally stood up, careful to do it as slowly as possible. His murderous glare was following them all the way out, and the second they were behind the door, he slammed it shut. They started towards the common room.
"Shizuka-chan? What was it again? 'Snowy cold morning, they go outside and'... and what?" Souji started, and Shizuka immediately picked up on it.
"'And then jump," she answered, doing a little jump herself as she said so, and he hummed in agreement.
"'Marking the untouched!'" they exclaimed at the same time excitedly, and almost immediately heard heavy footsteps approaching. They quickened their pace, and once they found themselves at a safe distance from the infuriated vice commander they bowed politely.
"Hijikata-san! It's a very nice haiku! You truly have talent!" Shizuka called out before they disappeared behind the corner.
"Shizuka! Souji! Once I get my hands on you you're both dead meat!" they heard, and she broke out into a hearty laughter, Okita's chuckling following suit.
"Shizuka, you're the best accomplice I've ever had." She curtsied and glanced up, offering him a playful wink.
"You're welcome."
Rum-pum-pum-pum, another one down! The next chapter will definitely have less silly antics, we need some balance here after all.
I have learned my lesson, so this time I will not promise a fast release/give an approximate release time. Once it's ready, it's ready, hee. Stay tuned!
P.S. To answer the question by the lovely d'elfe (thank you for all the feedback!) about the reason for a change of an MC. Well, to keep it short, Shizuka came to life way earlier than the actual idea for re-writing the canon. I always had a loud and (bright, lol) outspoken character like her hidden somewhere in my notes, and once I actually decided to give it a shot, I knew that it was her time to shine :) Also, I wanted this story to be my twist on the original, so introducing an OC for this seemed like a good idea to stray from it and go my own way from the very start!