Aku No Hana ~ Flower Of Evil ~ Hakuouki Fanfiction Story

***...8th Division Captain...***

{May 1887, Morning.}

The days after my exposure seemed to go by fast. Everything was normal, I hit my identity and mostly stayed in my room. From time to time one of the captains would visit me and check if I was not trying to escape. Or that is what it felt like. I had no clue where to begin my search and on top of that I wasn't allowed to leave the compound. I stared at the wall of my room, the wood had been a bit roughed up and I could still see some cut where a blade had hit.

It was strange to think I was not a prisoner, they told me I had to pretend to work with them, a new recruit. I joined the 8th division because their leader, Heisuke Toudou, seemed like a nice guy. He looked my age and that made me feel at ease. I felt a little lonely. I was dropped inside a world I had no clue really existed. Those people, they were evil, demon like and they liked butchering their opponents. It was scary to think about. If the shinsengumi wasn't there I might have ended up like my assaulters, but I have to forget that now. I need to find this person mother was involved with, Koudou Yukimura. It seems he has some answers and I have to get to him before something bad happens to her.

A knock on my door made me snap out of my thoughts. I turned to face the door and told the person he could enter. "Miss Kimura." This voice belonged to someone I knew. The door slit open and it revealed the 8th division's captain. He wore his blue coat and was ready to set out. It was their turn to make rounds, looking for any suspicious behavior. "Yes?" I was a bit surprised he was even here, normally they would just peek in from the window and then leave after they had seen me. He was also calling me 'Miss Kimura.' A bit dangerous if anyone would happen to hear us. "It's the eight divisions time to shine, wanna come with us?" His question was blunt and I couldn't help but be shocked. Was he really asking me to leave with him. Does he trust me or is he that confident I won't run away. "I'd love to, but aren't you worried I will run away?"

     "Of course not and if you do there is no way you can hide from us forever." He spoke with a bright smile on his face. He seemed to gentle, but his words held another meaning. A bit shaken I thought about it. If I could join them, then maybe I was able to find something about this man Yukimura. Before I could even think about it a second time I nodded. "Alright that means you need a sword, here." He tossed me a sword that was bigger than the one I had on me, it was heavier and I might not be able to even use it in battle. Thinking about it I might not even fight at all. I was weak and I had less to none training in fighting with a sword. Even though I came dressed as a men, I had been a normal village girl before all this.

     "Thank you." I stood up took a bow and readied myself. Heisuke seemed to be happy about it, his smile never leaving his face. He turned around and placed both his hands behind his back, before nonchalantly walking away. I quickly followed and joined up with the rest of his team. "Captain, why is this new recruit going with us?" One of them began questioning. "Yes, it's weird that he gets some special treatment and his own room." Were they suspicious of me already, maybe they thought I was a spy or something. I could feel the stares on me and felt awful. "If he doesn't go now he'll never learn how life outside is." Heisuke just patted the man's shoulder and moved on. I remembered they would think of a lie to tell them all, but I wasn't informed of what they had come up with so I just stayed quiet.

We left the compound and headed into the town. It was pretty buzzy now that people had gone to work. The market had the friendly faces of their sellers and the customers seemed to be happily talking to each other. It's been a while since I came to town, the night of the attack had been just on the day of my arrival. I had been looking for a place to stay. However I noticed that people were looking weary at us from all places. It seemed they didn't trust the shinsengumi fully yet. It's understandable since they broke up fights with violence and looked intimidating with their blue coats.

     "Mr. Toudou?" I joined up with Heisuke at the front and softly pulled his sleeve. He turned his head slightly and waited for me to continue. "I have a request." With my words said he stopped walking, the men behind me confused and weary. They must have though he sensed something. "Men, continue on without us for a while." His voice was demanding and it surprised me how mature it was. The man blindly followed his orders and we were left standing alone. I was nervous, maybe I shouldn't have said it, was he angry would he punish me for even asking something like that? "If you're asking me to let you go, I refuse." He stood next to me his eyes boring a hole into my skull.

     "N-No, it's not that, I just want to ask around for a bit." Heisuke looked at me seriously. Was he trying to read me or was it just that I had said something foolish again. "What are you looking for?" He seemed to be interested in that, I guess it won't hurt telling him, since he's practically my boss now. "I am looking for a man." I wasn't sure if I should tell anything more, but upon seeing his face I was a bit shocked. Did he look disappointed? His eyes were looking away from me now and he seemed to turn a bit more bashful. "You are looking for a man?" I nodded, it felt like the nervousness would eat me up. I was so unsure of everything, is he mad or just trying to be considerate. "I see, I allow it as long as I can have you in my sight." It felt like my heart had stopped. A bright smile began to make its way on my face and I thanked Heisuke until I felt it was enough. I ran to the nearest shop and asked around. For the most part people just looked at me and thought I was crazy. They either didn't know anything or were to buzzy working to even look at me and answer.

The morning went by and before I knew it the sun was setting. Had it already been this long. Maybe I should return to Heisuke for now. No one around here seems to know a thing, maybe if I ask again another time I will get more lucky. I turned around to where Heisuke should have been standing, but all I could see was people. Everyone was making their way back home and I felt like I had been abandoned. I felt a big lump form in my stomach and I knew I was in trouble. What if he thought I had ran away, he would tell the others and they might kill me for trying to escape. I was scared and confused. What was I supposed to do, if I stayed here would he find me or if I left I could miss him. My heartbeat sped up and I felt my head begin to hurt. I was thinking too much and now I was getting a headache. The people all seemed to have disappeared and the streets were practically empty. I felt helpless and confused. "Are you lost?"

I looked up at the voice, it belonged to someone I felt like I knew. Something was off about him, but also familiar. "Did you lose your voice." The man before me looked like a noble, his short blonde hair fell over his face and ears. Eyes the color of blood began to stare at me with something similar to amusement. I felt the same feeling as the first night, his eyes were like blood. Even though he wasn't radiating any bloodlust I felt scared under his gaze. He looked so calm and collected. His eyes not even wavering from mine. "Kimura!" The voice of Heisuke sounded through the streets, somehow hearing his voice calmed me down and I hadn't noticed the man before me had disappeared. I watched Heisuke run towards me, he didn't look angry, just worried. "I'm sorry I lost track of you while I was doing something else. Did something happen?" I couldn't say it didn't, but I decided to stay silent. "Have you found out something new?" I shook my head and sighed. "No, it seems that no one in this town knows him." I tried to cheer up by forcing a smile, but it hardly worked. "Don't worry, there will be other days. Maybe someone knows him then." He tried to cheer me up, he really is a nice boy.