Tales From Edo High - A Modern Retelling of Bakumatsu Era Japan

Chapter Seven - The Shogun

"Remember, Sakamoto." Okada brooded, "Our way of life is not something that fades forever. You can leave it for a while, but eventually it all comes crawling back to you, in ways you'd never expect."

Okada's words appeared to have rung true. With the Choshu, after the expulsion of Ii, they'd transformed themselves into what the White Fang was: A gang of teenagers out for blood, which seemed to deviate from what Yoshida's original goal was. 

What Kusaka had turned into, it seemed was a reflection of Ii: a radical, doing whatever he could to accomplish his goal, and like Ii, wanted to invoke fear as he did so, thinking it would bring the Choshu more power, and more influence. 

And now, I'd turned sides. I now sat in the empty spot on the student body and disavowed the Choshu. I now was a part of the very thing my friends were against, and the very thing they'd fought so hard to try to abolish. 

Katsu, from his words, he was a visionary. Someone with a proper goal for how Edo High should operate. Someone who had his sympathies with the Choshu, yet knew there was a better way. Someone who's motives, and actions...I could believe in.

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I'd found myself walking to the cafeteria as the lunch bell rang, as I reached the cafeteria doors, I felt a tug on my collar.

"Ryoma!" I turned, to see Katsu, who let out a chuckle, "Where are you going?"

I tilted my head, "To the cafeteria... It's lunch time, isn't it?"

"You're a part of the student body now!" Katsu laughed, "You should eat in the office with us! Besides! I think a certain someone's been waiting to meet you!"

My curiosity peaked, "Who?" 

"Who do you think?" Katsu smiled and huffed a laugh "Yoshinobu Tokugawa, of course!"

I stood there, my eyes wide with shock, "The President?"

"Of course!" he chuckled, as he led me back into the student council office, a smile ever so present on his face. 

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The office was cleaner, compared to the Choshu's clubroom. With a bookshelf in one corner, and a filing cabinet in another, the level of organization that was kept by the student body was much higher than most of the classrooms I'd seen. 

"Oh?" a voice from behind called, "You must be the new secretary! Ryoma, right?"

I turned, "That's me, yes." 

"I'm Katamori Matsudaira." I faced him, he was about the same height as I was, just a tad sickly, with glasses and shorter hair. "I'm the treasurer." he smiled.

Katsu chuckled, "I see you're mingling with the rest of the student body. Katamori manages and directs the funds we have. He's been a valued part of our organization, especially with the initiatives we've had to put forward in response to the opposition running amuck."

Matsudaira twitched lightly, "Yes...they have."

"Ehem." the three of us turned toward the front of the room. Nobu Yoshiwara had just walked through the door. 

"Yoshiwara?" I raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"

Yoshiwara smiled, and scoffed, "So you're the one that Katsu was talking about...I believe the last time I saw you, was after you beat the lights out of Ii." he smirked, "I'm afraid I wasn't honest with you about my identity...which is why I wanted to meet you."

"Ryoma." Katsu gestured to Yoshiwara, "This is Yoshinobu Tokugawa, President of the Edo High Student Body."

Tokugawa smiled, "So... You've been on both sides of the fence. What do you think?"

I shook my head, "I can't stand with the Choshu any longer, not with the path they've taken. Katsu is right, we need reform, not expulsion." 

"Your mind is in the right place." Tokugawa nodded, "But are you willing to act on your beliefs?"

"Yes sir." I nodded, before sitting down and eating my lunch. 

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I'd made myself some soba in the microwave and had just sat down to eat in my apartment when I heard a knock at my door. 

"Sakamoto..." I'd opened the door, to see a man smiling, he had white hair, a scruff of a stubble adorning his face, and an ever so infamous scar that had reached across from his forehead to his lower jaw. "I knew it was you I saw at Edo!"

I stepped back, I knew that voice all too well, and its owner had haunted my memories since I left Tosa. The one skeleton in my closet that I'd wished would never come out. 

Izo Okada. Leader of The Shiroikiba. 

"Katsu told me you were working for the Student Body." he smirked, Okada towered over me, at an astounding six foot five. "He'd asked me to give you the date of the next meeting, as well as some paperwork to file through." 

"I..." I stood there, nearly speechless. "Thanks, I guess." 

Okada smiled, the same smile he'd always had present on his face, "What's wrong? wolf got your tongue now? We're old friends, aren't we?"

I took a breath, "I didn't know you went to Edo, Izo..."

Okada chuckled lightly, "I do. and I do work for Katsu sometimes, makes me feel like I'm making an impact." He took his bag from his shoulders, reaching into it and pulling out a file. "Here's what Katsu wanted you to work on, next meeting's on Wednesday, be sure to be there."

Okada stormed off as quickly as I'd grabbed the file of paperwork. I shut the door quickly. 

Okada's back, and Nobu wasn't who he said he was. The rabbit whole I've found myself in has gotten even deeper it seems. 

I'll have to check in with Narasaki soon, hopefully she can give me some semblance of normal.