HAKUOUKI: Back in Time

Chapter 8

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

June 1864-

About 6 months have passed since I got here. During those 6 months I was urged to eat constantly because of my drastic weight loss. I went from 48 kg to 41 kg which was not healthy for me, but Chizuru stuck with me and the weight loss stopped thankfully. I really have to owe it to her. Without her I may have starved to death or died from a lack of nutrients.

Today Hijikata called us to his room for a reason I did not know. It turns out that Okita and Heisuke were summoned as well.  

"You can leave the compound." Hijikata said.

"Really?!" Chizuru exclaimed with excitement. 

"You two are going to be accompanying whoever's on duty. You jump when they say jump, and die when they say die. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Chizuru and I say in unison. At last, I would be able to go outside.  Maybe I can find some clues regarding the reason why and how I got here.

"Souji, Heisuke. You're on patrol today right?"

"Oh, I get it now. That's why you pulled us in here, right?" Heisuke said with his confusion lifted. "I think it'g going to be Souji's turn this time though. The 1st Division's doing rounds today, isn't it?"

"Yes, Heisuke and the 8th Division are going out tonight, so I think he has a point. They'll be safer in the afternoon. Don't forget: if you run, I'll kill you. And if we get caught up by ronin, I'm not sticking around to get you out, okay?"

"No, it's not okay, you idiot. Why do you think I'm sending them with you?"

"I wont run." I said and Chizuru nodded.

"When we came here, we made a deal. We promised." Chizuru added.

"My apologies, I guess I underestimated the both of you. You should realize, though, that there is no way to know what could happen out there."

"The Choshu have been acting up. we don't know what they're up to, but chances are it's bad for us. I'd rather not be sending the two of you out. " Hijikata says with a stern tone.

The soldiers of the Choshu Domain were part of the Imperial nationalist party. The Shinsengumi, on the other hand were loyal to the shogun. And since their master's were at odds, the Shinsengumi and the Choshu Domain were enemies.

"Why are you giving us the permission to leave the compound at a time like this, then?" Chizuru asks.

Hijikata's face hardened and he looked away. "Kodou hasn't gone back to Edo, and we've heard that a couple people saw someone around Kyoto. It might not be him, but it matches his description. Besides, I've kept you two locked up for almost half a year. The Choshu are a threat but if it wasn't them, then it 'd be something else. I have to let you out sometime."

That wasn't what I was expecting to hear from him. He didn't seem like the type to consider other's feelings.

"Thank you very much." We say in unison once again while bowing to express our gratitude. 

Oh my gosh. The streets were packed with people. I wonder what part of Kyoto this would be in the future.

"Your complexion has gotten better." Okita says with a slight smile.

Not really sure what to do I just nod while looking at the ground.

"You were getting thinner every week that I thought you were going to fly away like a piece of paper in the wind."

"Was I really that thin?"

"A bit. But it's all good now. You seem to regained some of you weight."

Okita, the cold killer of the 1st Division actually took notice of my health? Maybe he isn't as bad as I thought he was. 

We were walking down Kyoto's largest street, accompanied by the 1st Division. No one came within a few yards of us as we walked: they stepped away the moment their eyes caught the bright blue of the Shinsengumi jackets. Even the people of Kyoto feared the Shinsengumi? In the text books, they sounded like a bunch of grumpy old men in my opinion.

I followed Chizuru who went to ask people about the whereabouts of her father when the 1st Division got caught up in a fight with ronin. And in the panic of the civilians we we separated from Okita. We decided to hide in an alley and make our way back to the 1st division when it was over.

Chizuru then saw the store a person had saw fer father in and walked towards it.

"M-Mr. Kiemon! I just saw those two with Okita, the Shinsengumi captain!"

"What?!" yelled the store owner.

"The Shinengumi?! Run for it!"

There was a mad scramble for the door, and in moments the store was empty of costumers. True, we were accompanying the Shinsengumi, but the reaction of the store's customers seemed...excessive.

"You two really have the worst luck, don't you? Still, I guess you could say the same thing about them...and me." Okita said while holding his katana. He went in the store, when the sound of a sword fight took place. What? What just happened?

When we returned to the Shinsengumi headquarters, Sanan had a number of words for us. They weren't particularly pleasant either. We had been kneeling for some time as the colonel berated us before Okita finally spoke up.

"You don't need to lose your head over it, Sanan. After all, we arrested  a couple of Choshu people."

When the fight was over, we'd discovered a massive arms supply, and confiscated the entire thing. No one bothered to explain what was happening how ever. and I was utterly lost.

"Not something to lose my head over? My head is right where it belongs, Okita. Maybe you should inquire after yours. The man claiming to be Masu Keimon was in truth Furutaka Shuntaro, a Choshu spy. I assume you were aware that the Shinsengumi was allowing him to operate in the hope of acquiring  enemy intelligence."

"Yes, I was, but we didn't have a choice this time. I had to bring him in." 

His excuse was weak, and his frown suggested he knew it.

"Well, it's not like it was a total bust. Like Souji said, they did arrest some guys." Harada defended.

"Yeah, but don't you feel bad for Shimada and Yamazaki? They were staking out the place to keep an eye out for Furutaka." Heisuke said with a smile.

"We appreciate your concern Toudou, but nobody needs to lose any sleep on our account." Shamada says to reassure everyone. "We were getting nowhere with Masu's the last few days anyway. Okita did us a favor." Yamazaki nodded in silent agreement. "Furutaka's arrest is over and done. You won't hear any complaints from us about it."