Hakuoki : Tale Of Yuki

Chapter 27: Tears

Souji boredly sat against the wall next to the sliding door, that opens slightly. Inside the room was Yuki, just quietly writing or most likely are drawing on his book. Every now and then Souji would turn and look at what the boy doing, but the blacknette didn't even spare a glance at the older man.

Neither of them would speaks to each other and honestly Souji is happy with that arrangement. They both preferred the silence anyway.

Koudou, Hijikata and Sannan-san is currently welcoming a guest, Itou Kashitarou. The man seems like a snob so honestly Souji is more than happy to be spared the duty of dealing with that nuisance. Though being in charge of making sure Yuki stays put in his room is not exactly an exhilarating task either. It's probably going to be troublesome if Itou met the boy. He wonder if explaining how Yuki is Sannan's child would put his away from trouble and unnecessary suspicion.

... Chances are low.

At this point, he's no longer surprised how much trouble this kid could cause. He already knew that from the start but of course since everyone insisted otherwise, now they see how quickly things can gone to wrong to bad then worse in just a period of few months.

Souji sighed.

It's strange thinking how it becomes a routine for a girl cross-dressing as a male would offer her service doing chores and odd jobs in the Shinsengumi. It's much stranger thinking how they managed to pick up a lost kid, that coincidencely turns out to be.. well, not really a normal lost kid.

At least, Chizuru had caused less trouble than the child.

This kid, Yuki, managed to turn the Shinsengumi upside down with his antics and the trouble he caused.

Falling off a tree, making the captains as his landing cushion.

Making the Shinsengumi headquarters his personal cat playground.

Barging into a room of killers and nearly got his legs cut off.

Fighting against Koudou-san and blinded, well... nearly blinded their leader.

Went missing and reappeared in a middle of battlefield, and for some reason grabbed the interest of an Aizu officer.

And now...

Well, now he's back with the Shinsengumi, happily drawing on his papers as if nothing that happens in the past few months were real.

Ah, but there's a few changes in the boy that he could pick up.

Souji noticed how Yuki is sleepy and tired most of the time, he would try hard to avoid everyone who was in the battle with the rebels in the mountains. He didn't know if it's because of fear or shame. The boy just couldn't bring himself to look any of them in the eye even if they're just trying to make a small talk during meal time.

The group had some distance between them and Yuki. The only person he didn't avoid aside from Sannan is Heisuke. The brown haired Captain is too nosy to avoid the boy anyway. Being one of few people who didn't know what happened on that mountain perhaps make it easier to talk with him.

Another major changes for Yuki is every now and then, Yuki will left the headquarter with Shinomiya's men and came back few days after. No one knew where or what he was doing except Sannan. Perhaps not knowing is also a bliss. Everytime Yuki would left with those people, Sannan looks awfully pissed, he didn't even try to hide it.

Most people would try to avoid Sannan for the next few days. It's not hard really since he mostly cooped up himself in his room.

The first few weeks they're quite curious and worried yet no one questioned it. Since Sannnan was the one given the charge on Yuki, they all trust Sannan won't leave the boy in some sort of danger. After a while, they just watched as they boy leaves and return in silence.