Hakuouki: The Masked Cherry Blossoms

Chapter 17

We went to Shimabarra happily. But when we were seated I had to quiet them. "Okay, so there's a small catch. You can't say my name." They look to me confused.

"What? Why?" Hijikata asks. Sannan and Kondou stayed behind with the excuse of work and Hijikata was to supervise us.

"I may know a few geishas here. I just don't want to-"

"Sakura!" Shinpachi and Heisuke yell.

"Why'd you do that? They-" We hear doors open and close and muttered apologies. You could hear the geishas coming our way. They grinned at me. I groaned as there was a knock on our door. It slid open to reveal four geishas. They're eyes lit up when they met mine.

"Sakura-chan, it's been a while." They say. "Excuse us but we'll be joining you."

"No, it's okay. I'm sure you'll get in trouble and all..." They giggle.

"Not if we're with you." Two sit on either side of me and the others went to Hijikata and, surprisingly to everyone, Saitou.

"Why do you never visit anymore? It's been a year." One of the girl whines at my side.

"Yeah, we miss you." The other say.

"Sorry, I've been busy. But I told you before what I did wasn't a big deal. It was the right thing to do."

"You saved my life. It is to me." The girl says pecking me on the cheek. All the guys stare at me with shock.

"Oh, yeah, I use to visit Shimabarra before I met you. I kicked out a few men once and while." I explain.

"But you protected us when they pulled out they're swords." I shake my head.

"It was only right of me." They smile and pour me saké. I sigh taking a sip.

"Can we dress you up again? You looked so beautiful last time." One of them ask.

"No, and I only let you dress me up because I was meeting someone that day." I protest. All the captains look at me. I look away.

"When she visited last time, Sakura-sama let us dress her up from her usual clothes. Please? You looked beautiful last time." I shake my head.

"Yeah! You should totally do it!" Heisuke and Nagakura yells.

"No- agh!" All the geishas are already pulling me up. All four of them drag me as I try to scramble away. I hear the guys laughing as I'm pulled away.

I come back after being pushed and forced around into different clothes with makeup. "I could've done it myself." I mumble as I open the door. Everyone looks and stares when they catch sight of me.

"Sakura looks super cute!" Heisuke yells.

"Yeah, she's a babe!" Nagakura yells. I blush.

"Can I have my fans back?" I complain. The geishas laugh and hand me the fans they took hostage. I go and sit down with the geishas.

"Talk about change." Souji grins.

"Eh? I guess but it's been a while. This was back when I actually had to dress like a proper lady everyday." The geishas giggle.

"I remember. You looked so cute but surprised us when you drank those bottle of saké with your brother as if it was completely normal." I chuckle.

"I still drank more." I grin drinking the rest of my saké.

"You use to visit all the time. What happened?" They whine again.

"I joined the Shinsengumi. I've been busy."

"That's no fun." They complain. "Can't even come during the day? I liked it when you trained with us." They ask.

"No, I'm busy. And that training wasn't the same training as yours."

"Yeah but it was just as pretty." I chuckle at their insistence and just drink the saké. I was having fun, listening to their drunk outbursts.

"Sakura! How come your not drunk? You drunk more than me!" Nagakura yells. I grin.

"Because I'm not a light weight like you guys." I grin.

"What!?" Heisuke yells.

"You will never see me drunk. But I have some secret business to do."

"So this wasn't just a celebration?" Hijikata asks.

"Nope! Bye!"