NOTE:
Oh, Hello!
The author-san is happy to see you again. Please feel free and don't forget to hydrate!
A separate comment I would like to make about this chapter is that it will be quieter than the last two, but as mentioned in the notes to the last chapter, this one will go back to the initial purpose of the fic.
Good reading!
The sun was shining early in the morning, and of course, the blonde was ready to start another day. Her body seemed to be heavier and a slight dizziness bothered her, but she ignored it.
Her routine is back to square one since the events in Yoshiwara and the disappearance of Gintoki, which she tried to take her mind off her worried thoughts, since all the problems had decided to merge into a single bubble and this made her feel disappointed with herself, because when she found out that Gintoki had appeared, through a call made by Shinpachi, she didn't even get enough time to see him, but nothing that a good escape would solve.
She took a day to visit and see him again, considering that she hadn't spoken to the samurai in many days, which was also strange that he didn't show up after he returned. She walked that route they took a while ago, the same route that started their relationship.
When I arrived at Yorozuya, the scene repeated itself: She rang the bell and was greeted by the bespectacled young man who invited her in, and on entering found that he did not appear to be present.
"Gintoki's not in again?"
"Yes, he is, resting in his room."
"Sleeping until this hour?" - She sneered.
"Exactly, however..."
"Did something happen?"
"He's been running a half-high fever for a few days now and refuses to call a doctor."
"And to help, that idiot also refuses to eat." - The redhead grumbled holding a pot full of porridge.
"Again? That way he'll never get better!" - The brunette complained.
"What do you mean again?" - The blonde said in a concerned tone.
"Lately he refuses to eat, he even refused pudding!" - The girl resumed speaking.
"Gintoki refusing a pudding? That's weird coming from him." - Tsukuyo asserted. - "Is it okay if I take a look at him?" - The children stared at each other.
"I don't see a problem." - Shinpachi would answer her.
She entered the backwater room, her first sight being her flushed face and a damp cloth about to slip to the side, himself appeared to be freezing even under several blankets placed by Kagura. She spotted some pills left beside the futon that had caught his attention, inspecting them he realized that they were medicines for pain and fever.
She carefully placed his hand on his forehead so as not to wake him up, but was unsuccessful, which made him open his eyes immediately. With his vision blurred and the environment so dimly lit it made it difficult for him to distinguish the figure, however that touch was very familiar, which made him realize who it was just by feeling the warmth of her hand.
"Tsukuyo...?" - He muttered.
The blonde moved away from him to let him rest, yet the albino grabbed her hand to prevent her from getting up. It was a relatively weak force, but enough to deduce that he wanted to take the opportunity to see her again after so many days.
"Stay here... With me?" - He spoke slowly, causing the woman's expression to change to a gentler face with an infectious smile.
"... Maybe a little bit won't hurt anyone." - She lay down beside him for a few minutes holding hands.
-X-
Sougo was recovering from his injuries caused by the amanto, who was taken away from work by Kondou so he could rest, but that's just a big lie, because he was dedicating himself to exhaustive training to improve his agility with his katana. On the other hand, Hijikata was watching him sitting at the dojo door while he analyzed the reports written by Yamazaki with details about the seized boat, investigating similarities and connecting the dots to find the person responsible for the arms traffic, the one 'Rey'.
"Still at it?" - The light-brown haired Boy questioned him. - "You've been reading these reports non-stop for two days now, Hijikata-san." - He put the wooden sword behind his neck. - "That way you'll have nightmares about it."
"Shut up." - It said in a rough tone. - "There's something bothering me about this load of weapons we found."
"Like?"
"Why on earth would they smuggle weapons on a ship without any protection?!"
"Hijikata-san, think a little bit..." - Sougo said in a confident voice. - "What Yamazaki wrote about that leader."
"That he was responsible for trafficking Yohalo."
"And what does it say about Yohalo?"
"A planet popular with the amantos on account of trafficking... Of drugs." - He raised his eyebrow. - "Wait a minute..."
"Huh?"
"Doesn't that sound like a distraction?"
"Maybe."
"What if they are using this to distract us so they can expand their business..." - He read the reports again. - "The land would be a strong selling point, wouldn't it? We have a high diversity of amantos." - His mind began to be enlightened with little flashbacks. - "And who knows, maybe I have an interesting piece to unravel that puzzle." - He stated.
"Who?"
"The Yorozuya."
"Danna? Does he know something?" *(3)
"I believe he is involved in this indirectly." - He lit a cigarette as he analyzed the scene. - "...And I found him wounded running away from a group of amantos."
"And what does that have to do with this investigation?"
"That the condition he was in did not appear to be because of his injuries..." - He looked up with a serious face. - "It was more like symptoms of having used a drug."
"What do you mean?!"
"It's just a guess. I have to find him as soon as possible to find out." - He stood up quickly, knocking the reports to the side. - "Sougo, I'm leaving." - He picked up his jacket. - "Have Yamazaki meet me at the impounded ship. I need to unravel some business."
"Hey!" - He got no response. - "Geez." - He sighed after being ignored.
-X-
Upon returning to her town, the kunoichi noticed that the place was restless, which the Hyakka members were chasing a trio of hooded children, which with a nod from one of the members they separated.
It turns out that one of these children ended up colliding with Tsukuyo, who reacted quickly by seizing him. As he pulled back his hood and revealed his face, she was surprised.
"Another amanto?!"
"Let me go~!"
"No."
"Boss!" - His squadron members shouted. - "You're right on time!" - One of the members spoke.
"What's going on here?"
"As soon as you left, some of these kids were circling the city."
"Fumiko-chan was the one who gave the orders to chase them." - Another member added.
"Well... Let's see." - He knelt down near the coved child. - "Tell me, what were you doing here?"
"Nothing." - He replied rudely, avoiding eye contact.
"What do you mean nothing?!"
"I won't say anything to you!"
"It will be worse if you don't answer."
"I don't care." - Tsukuyo raised an eyebrow.
"Tsc... Geez." - Sighed the air from his Kiseru. - "Get him out of here and lock him underground, I'll be calling a new meeting."
"Right boss!" - The members agreed.
-X-
During the afternoon, the albino gave up staying in his room watching the ceiling, migrating to the living room, where he took his Jump and lay down on the couch. It seemed that everything around him took his focus off his reading, be it the noise of birds flying, pans clashing, and even his random thoughts that made him ponder without realizing it. It didn't take long for him to close his eyes and travel in his weird dreams.
The dream took place in a dark scenery, surrounded by Sakura Trees that emitted a light glow along with a breeze that hit, making the branches sway and knock down some petals. As he walked, he seemed to be returning to the same place over and over again, and this would confuse him, but it didn't make him stop.
At some point he could hear some distorted laughter coupled with an uneasy feeling, the atmosphere seemed monotonous and a familiar figure showed itself from behind: Takasugi Shinsuke. As he turned to the other samurai, Takasugi attacked him by stabbing his katana into his chest, making him gush blood as he saw that cursed smile.
In a quick flash, the game seemed to have reversed. He felt an embrace coming from that person, which was gradually beginning to weigh him down. As he stared, he saw his bloodstained face and his own hands raising the bloody katana.
"Can you see what a beast you have become? No matter how many times you try to wash your hands, in the end you always have been and always will be that way."
The samurai dropped his sword and stepped back, terrified by the scene. His body sprawled on the ground and this made the albino shiver with fear, so much so that as he looked at his dirty hands, he couldn't stop shaking in despair. It was agonizing.
He woke up so desperate that he fell off the couch, colliding with the coffee table and grunting in pain. His heart was beating rapidly and his breathing was labored, so much so that he tried to calm himself by pressing his hand to his chest. This eventually caught the attention of the red-haired girl, who was quick to check his condition and help him up.
"Gin-chan, are you okay?"
"Um, yes."
"You looked scared."
"It's just your impression." - He stood up. - "I'm going to take a shower."
"Go on." - The redhead stared at him suspicious of his secrets, yet pretended to have no interest in finding out, just memorizing the events to enlighten herself.
-X-
Hyakka again gathered in one of the empty buildings to discuss secret matters, in this very environment there was the black-haired woman in her wheelchair who had been following the discussion since she heard about the child that was captured.
Fumiko began the meeting by showing her research papers along with a map of Yoshiwara with markings of where the latest crimes occurred and answering the questions of the gang around her.
Tsukuyo again felt that vertigo come back stronger and her stomach seemed to be turning more and more. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, pressing her hands on Hinowa's chair.
"...And what do you think, boss?" - The girl asked; however, she got no answer. - "Boss?"
"Oh? Well..." - She said fumbling for answers amidst the paperwork. - "I think we should increase the eastern squadron."
"That's a good idea!"
"Tsukuyo?" - Hinowa whispered to her. - "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am." - That was a big lie, the last thing she was feeling was fine. She tried to understand why she felt that way so suddenly, considering all the possibilities, even if she had eaten something that didn't feel right, but her period was considerably late and even that could be a risk. Again, she felt her stomach turn much more strongly than before, but this time she couldn't contain herself, and in a sudden act she put her hand over her mouth and ran towards the bathroom, starting a parallel dialog among the group.
"Hey, that's not what I'm thinking it is..."
"It sure isn't."
"The boss is not the type to relate to anyone."
"But I saw her together with a silver-haired samurai."
"Isn't that the Savior of Yoshiwara?"
"It's him."
"I wonder..."
"No... She is not..."
"Yes, she is." - Hinowa stated closing the subject there.
-X-
Yamazaki was running towards the port after having missed his schedule because of his badminton match that was taking place downtown. Still holding his racket, he arrived at the place feeling a chill in his stomach, thinking about how the vice commander would kill him for the delay. The place seemed empty, which made me deduce that maybe he had given up waiting for him for a few minutes.
"You're late." - The policeman was sitting on one of the boxes behind the boy, making him feel a shiver and startling him.
"A-ah vice commander, you're there..."
"If I didn't need you I would surely, have you committed Seppuku." *(4)
"Need me?"
"Yes. I need you to investigate the origin of the amantos who worked on that ship."
"Yes sir!"
Again, the smoking cop had his attention taken up in that charge, which would make him stir again, turning over the lots in search of more answer.
"As I thought..."
"Did something happen, vice-chief?"
"The material of these weapons is very fragile for an alien weapon."
"Does that mean?"
"...That my theory is correct. Those weapons really were fake." - Hijikata said in frustration. - "Damn. How stupid we were...!"
-X-
A new day, different principles. Tsukuyo got up earlier than usual to go to the pharmacy before starting her shift. She was too tense to the point of washing her face several times and slapping her cheek a few times to wake up from her possible "nightmare".
'I'm definitely not ready...'
She put her feet up outside the house and let out a sigh before starting her walk-in secrecy, smoking his Kiseru as usual.
Arriving at the place, the automatic door opened making a slight noise with a female voice welcoming her.
"Welcome!" - The clerk said. - "How can I help you?"
"Well, it's... Um... I'd like a pregnancy test..."
"I'll get it."
While waiting, Tsukuyo made up her mind to look at the shelf of makeup and perfume, when again the automatic door opened and the voice of the attendant repeated itself. As she looked at the door, it was two familiar people: Otae and Kyuubei.
"Tsukuyo-chan!" - Said the brown-haired woman.
"Ah-ah-ah hi..." - She stammered totally embarrassed.
"It's been a while since I've seen her around here..."
"Well... I was wrapped up with work..."
"Ah it's a shame..." - She said wistfully. - "I was walking with Kyuu-chan and remembered that Shin-chan was complaining of a headache earlier today and decided to buy some medicine..., But I never would have imagined that I would find her around here."
"Yeah... I just came to buy a business-"
"Here's your pregnancy test!" - The attendant said, making the blonde even more embarrassed.
"Pregnancy test?" - Tae questioned.
"AH I-IS... THAT... One of the courtesans asked me to buy it for her, you know? Hahaha."
"Ah yes..."
"Well, I have to go. See you!" - The blonde paid and left quickly so as not to be chased.
"Tsukuyo-chan looks different..."
"I noticed that too." - Kyuubei asserted.
The blonde was hiding in an alley away from the pharmacy, panting from running, and leaning against the wall.
"That was a close one..."
When he got home, he quickly ran to the bathroom and grabbed the test in hand, that she quickly tore open the box, as he couldn't contain his anxiety to find out the truth. She took the instructions next to the test and began to read them.
"Let's see..."
As she followed the instructions, she carried out the step-by-step with precision. The worst part was clearly waiting, it seemed as if time was not passing, so much so that every second she stopped to look and sat on the toilet seat.
She waited for the 1st time... Nothing.
She waited for the 2nd time... Nothing either.
She waited for the 3rd time… Something appeared.
"Hey... Something came up... That means..." - She looked down at the paper. - "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! THIS IS OUT OF THE QUESTION! IT'S DEFINITELY NOT HAPPENING!" - She said desperately walking out of the bathroom and breaking the paper in half.
"Is everything okay, Tsukuyo?" - Said Hinowa entering her room coming face to face with the paper she held. - "Oh, isn't that an instruction manual for a pregnancy test?" - She began to grasp the events. - "Wait a minute... From the look on your face... Did you test positive?"
The blonde was too embarrassed to answer the question, so much so that she just nodded, afraid of Hinowa's reaction and even more afraid that the news would spread to everyone, especially to the albino. This made her worry both for her future and for her reputation.
"I'm very glad to hear it!" - He said interlacing his fingers and tilting his head slightly with a big smile. - "Seita, looks like we have a mini-Gin-san on the way!"
"Shiiiu!" - Tsukuyo covered Hinowa's mouth while signaling silence.
"A mini-Gin-san?! What does that mean?" - The boy walked into the room.
"IT'S NOTHING!" - She shouted. - "But seriously... I don't want you to tell anyone about it."
"But why, Tsukuyo-nee?"
"It's for our safety. Imagine the chaos it would be if someone from the outside found out and-"
"I hope the child doesn't pull Gin-san's traits." - Seita whispered to Hinowa as she nodded in agreement. - "I would pity Tsukuyo-nee for her having to take care of two of him."
"Hey! Are you guys listening to me?!" - She questions angrily. - "Tsc... Besides, I have to think of a way to tell that idiot."
"I don't know why you are afraid, Tsukuyo." - The black-haired woman said. - "You know Gin-san well enough to understand that he would take over quietly."
"Yeah, I know..., But still I feel a chill in my stomach."
"But if you don't tell soon, it will be worse..."
"I will go talk to him later."
"Let me know how it went later! I'd love to see his face." - She laughed.
"Me too..."
* N/T (3): Sougo refers to Gintoki as "Danna" which has the same weight as the position "Chief" or "President".
* N/T (4): Seppuku is a form of suicide in traditional Japan.
FINAL NOTES
Finally, another full chapter! Thanks again for getting this far, you don't know how important it is for me to find out that there are people following this story, it makes my heart warm.
But seriously now, will it be a boy or a girl? Haha
We will find out soon! See you soon. o/