Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan: Find Love in War (Hajime Saito)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20: A Familiar Face

Not long after Okita was gone from Haruka's side, Chizuru appears before her and asking about where Okita and Dr. Matsumoto gone to. Haruka didn't know, saying that she only met with Okita a little while ago. Chizuru thank Haruka before heading off to continue to find the captain of 1st Division and the doctor.

Out of curiosity, Haruka decided to go find the captain of 1st Division and the doctor too. When she found them, she discreetly follows them to the courtyard. Once they stop, she goes around the courtyard and hides in the shadow. There, in the courtyard, she listens to Okita and Dr. Matsumoto's conversation.

From the conversation, she learned that Okita has tuberculosis which shocks her.

"I wouldn't want everyone to be sad about my condition. Especially Haruka. I want to see her smile when she looks at, when she thinks of me, when she talks to me. I don't want her to pity me."

Those words that Okita voice out brought Haruka close to tears. She wants to cry out of the new information about Okita's condition. She can feel her eyes burning hot as tears were forming. Feeling overwhelmed and fear of letting out her voice, she reached her hands towards her mouth. Her hands were halfway from placing over her mouth when she felt someone's hand over her mouth instead.

Haruka didn't make a sound or struggle. That person lets go of her as she turns around to see that it is only Saito. Saito was taken aback at the close-to-tears Haruka but quickly regain his composure. She was about to say his name when the latter place a finger on his lips for her to be silent. The indigo captain of the 3rd Division made a gesture to continue to listen into Okita and Dr. Matsumoto's conversation. A few more minutes later, Okita and Dr. Matsumoto left the courtyard.

"What are we going to do now?" was the first thing Haruka say after they are in the clear.

And Saito's response is, "We keep it a secret, from Okita of course. We'll just pretend we didn't hear anything. We wouldn't want this information to spread out of the Shinsengumi."

"I just wish I knew..."

The next day, Sen hang out with Chizuru in town with Harada keeping an eye on the latter. The two were chatting away like they have been friends for a long time. And then suddenly, the conversation on their topic changed to Haruka.

"Ah, Haru-chan! I invite her out once, but she turned me down." Sen chuckled. "She is always playing hard to get."

"Um, playing hard to get?"

"Haru-chan can be dishonest about her feelings, too shy or embarrass to admit them."

Chizuru thinks back to the time when Okita ask for a favor and that was to ask Haruka a question which leads her to lose her composure and try to avoid giving an honest answer.

Okita was resting by the entrance on the long stair out in the corridor when Chizuru bump into him.

"Ah, Chizuru, good timing!" Okita gesture Chizuru to come sit beside him; the latter did so.

"What is it, Okita?"

"I could use a good laugh. Will you help me?"

Chizuru didn't need a second thought to give an answer. "I'd be happy to help."

"Huh..." Okita smirk. "Then..."

Okita told Chizuru what she needs to do to get him to laugh. Chizuru didn't understand why he would want her to ask Haruka such question, but she decided to do it nonetheless.

Appearing before Haruka in the courtyard, Chizuru asks, "Do you like Saito?"

Haruka becomes red, so red that she couldn't keep her composure, and was just blurting out. "W-Why are you asking me that?! Who told you to ask me that?! Was it Okita?!"

From Haruka's reaction, Okita couldn't help but laugh. It was too funny for him even though he knew he would get hell for angering the petite blonde.

Lately, Hijikata has been strict with the captains, asking them where they're heading out and for what reason. Hijikata does have his reason for being a worrywart. The others didn't seem bothered by it though except for Nagakura; he wasn't too happy about it.

That night, Nagakura has a talk with Hijikata about nagging too much. Hijikata speaks out his reason for being strict, and that reason is he wanted to set an example for the newcomers, not wanting them to think that the Shinsengumi is being biased towards the veteran. He wants to treat every equal. And for that, he apologized.

Nagakura seems pleased with Hijikata's reason, well, happy.

The next night, Chikage, Amagiri, and Shiranui try to kidnap Chizuru, but the captains were there to chase them away. Figure that Chizuru might be in danger of getting kidnap again, Hijikata assigns Haruka as her bodyguard. Haruka didn't mind it since the two already built a bond with each other, but Chizuru was both grateful and guilty. She was glad to have someone looking over her, but at the same time, felt like dead weight. Chizuru didn't want to trouble anyone, but only to have others saying otherwise that it's not a big deal, and that they help one of their own.

A few days later, Harada decided to take the others out with his bonus. Nagakura decides to pick the place, a ryotei, a luxurious traditional Japanese restaurant that serves traditional Japanese meals and entertain by geisha. Only people with money could afford to go to such a restaurant, especially with Harada's bonus.

Harada and his group were lead to a big and wide room where they sit down in two rows, waiting for someone to come serve them. Soon, the sliding door slide opens to reveal a geisha on her knees.

The woman then bows at them. "I'm Kimigiku, and I'll be serving you this evening. Please enjoy yourselves."

"Kimi...giku..." Haruka mumbled. She gets the feeling she heard that name before and met the person who has that name. She has only met the Kimigiku she knows once or twice, maybe a couple time, and that woman was accompanying someone else. She can't seem to pinpoint the other one.

Kimigiku seems to take notice of Haruka's reaction, and just wink at her. Haruka tense up with burning cheeks. The whole room notices the whole thing and begins speculating something, but they were all probably thinking differently.

Okita notices an opportunity to mess around with Haruka and take it. "Huh? What's this? Could it be...you have a thing for Kimigiku?"

Nagakura wasn't actually thinking the same thing, but when he heard Okita, his thought altered to match with the latter. "You do?!"

"D-Do not be absurd! I do not like girls like that!"

Okita laugh. He enjoys making the petite blonde embarrass. "I'm just joking."

Kimigiku notices how lively the whole room has become, and giggles.

Haruka feels so embarrassed that she wants to find a rock and hide under it. Under her breath, she says, "Damn it; why did you have to wink at me?" She regretted acknowledging the familiar face she knows as Kimigiku, a person she befriended who she crossed path with before joining the rank of the Shinsengumi.