"HANAE!!!" a desperate, worried, angry voice bursted through the restaurant doors causing me to lose balance and make the trays in my hands to fall. Been a long while since anyone ever called me like that.. The only one who was ever capable to do this was G- areh..? Who was i even talking about..? Shaking my head from the confusing thought, i was about to walk towards the commotion. "Hanae-chan, let me handle this. You clean that up and check your hands and feet to make sure you didn't get cut" Kintoki said putting his hand on my shoulder. For some reason, i had to keep my guard up against this, i don't know why. It's like, something inside me screamed to be away from him. "Yeah.. thanks" i nodded before bringing a broom and bucket to sweep the mess away.
I shouldn't have let Kintoki handle that thing. My heart was telling me to go towards the commotion but i just couldn't leave the matters at hand. After cleaning the floor and serving the food to the customers, i went towards where Kintoki was. Before i even reached them, a loud shout and noise erupted from them. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" i separated the two and then stood in between them. "Hanae.." a curly silver haired man in his late twenties stared at me, his eyes glistening in the light. "Hanae, I-" "Hanae-chan, move away from that drunkard. He's gonna take advantage of you" Kintoki held his out in front of me as if shielding me from the silver haired guy. "What are you saying?! I'd never take advantage of her!" the guy gripped Kintoki's neck by the collar and then slammed him into the wall.
"Hey, cut it out!" i separated those two again. "You mister, what's your name?" i looked at the silver haired guy. "It's me, Gintoki! Sakata Gintoki! We grew up tog-" "Don't listen to that drun-" "Don't interrupt me" i pushed Kintoki towards the wall causing him to hit it and then fall down. "Sakata-san" i looked at the guy and tilted my head. Something about him made my heart clench inside my rib cage. "I-I am sorry but i don't really know you. Have you.. perhaps.. gotten the wrong person?" i asked with a strained smile. "I could never! Among all of them.. i never.. i never thought that you'd forget me as well" a few tears escaped his eyes as he gripped my shoulders tightly. Why's my stomach churning seeing this man cry? Why does my heart feel so restless? Why do i want to pull him to my chest and console him? He shook his head and then looked at the ceiling with closed yes before looking back at me. "I'm sorry to have troubled you. I'll be going now" with that, the silver haired guy went. And soon after him Kintoki went too when i told him not to be worried about me. "Neesan, why are you crying?!" Kiriko held a napkin under my eyes. "W-What..?" i touched my face and realized it was wet. Why am i..?
The entire night i couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned on my bed thinking about the incident that happened at work. My head was filled with thoughts of that Sakata Gintoki, his curly silver hair bouncing off in the distant. "Why..? Why do i feel like i have known you for a very long time..? But haven't known Kintoki for even half a year..? Who are you..? Why do i wanna hug you? Kiss you? Pull you into my arms and cuddle with you? What's wrong with me?!" i covered my bright red face on my pillows in embarrassment. Yes, i didn't sleep. I went to the restaurant in that horrible state and made sure nothing affected my work. Before i was about to close up my shop, a call came from Kintoki and he asked me to meet up with him somewhere desolate. I rejected but he told me other's would also be coming. Being all curious, i went.
There was a lot of people, all of them i was familiar with. Kintoki was on time and asked us to help him find and destroy someone because apparently, that someone had caused harm to Tama. Kintoki's not the type to ask help from his friends.. or makes plans when something happened. Who is this guy..? i suddenly became wary of him. What if he's not the one whom I'm thinking of him to be? The other's in the group looked at me and some of them even mouthed if something was wrong with me. I shook my head and replied to them with a smile. So he's telling us to kill Sakata Gintoki, the guy to whom my blood's been warning me to not go against. I'll be the judge of that tomorrow, I'll need to see him again to confirm my doubts. Sakata Gintoki, we shall meet again. I have something to tell you.
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To be continued.
