HAKUOUKI: Scarlet Fate

Chapter 16

~Why not listen to music while you read?~

Th setting sun glowed through the windows with a warm rich red and we decided to move outside in the hope that it might raise our spirits. Despite the sun, it seemed that spring was still far away and I shivered. I thought about the new deputy commander Itou. I wasn't too fond of him and he reminded me of a slimy snake but it was Sanan's condition that truly worried me. That arm, or perhaps more accurately the lack of it had been the source of his change in personality. As nice as it would be for Sanan's arm to simply start working again, that seemed liked the stuff from a child's fable, not real life.  That was when I remembered Okita's words. He was confident that Sanan wouldn't give up. And then I remembered Nagakura. He had said something about Sanan joining the corps, whatever this corps was. The Shinsengumi had some sort of... something. I didn't know what this something did or even what sort of thing it was, but from the way they all talked about it, there were some manner of very unpleasant side effects. From what I heard, it seemed that it had the capacity to heal wounds, the corps. If they learned how much I had picked up or what I had put together on my own, I had no doubt that I would be in serious trouble. It was possible that they would even kill me. Night had fallen, so I decided to investigate. I was prepared for the risks I was about to take but this corps involved Sanan and I wanted to know more. If there was anything I could do to help, I would do it.

My room was in the Yagi house, which was where the captains lived. It had taken me awhile, but I finally managed to figure how to navigate the building. Still, there were plenty of rooms I didn't dare go near, such as Hijikata's. On the other side of the grounds was the Maekawa house(1) which was where the soldiers stayed, generally several to a room. I rarely went there so it was largely unknown to me. I thought that if I was going to start looking around, I should go to the Maekawa house for it was one of the places in the Yagi house that I haven't been to before.

Once I was quite sure everyone in the Yagi house was asleep, I made my move. My heart leaped to my throat at even the smallest noise but either luck or skill was on my side and I made it from my room to the entrance undetected. After all, what normal person would be up and about at such a late hour. "Good evening Kotone. What are you up to? I hope you aren't trying to escape." Startled by the sudden voice speaking, I shrieked. "Ah! Okita! N-No! I'm not!" Escape hadn't even crossed my mind. Although he wasn't likely to approve of my intentions, leaving the compound certainly wasn't among them. "Really now... Alright fine. I mean, what would you do out there by yourself anyway?" "You're right. I wouldn't be able to do anything." It was a depressing thought, but he was right. Even if I did somehow manage to escape the Shinsengumi, I would be caught by bounty hunters looking for runaway geishas.  And with my unique appearance, it would be all too easy. "Well, whatever you're doing, you should knock it off. Kids shouldn't be playing around in the middle of the night." "P-Playing..?" My shaky attempt at a protest drew only a laugh fro Okita. "Well, if you see something scary, just make sure you scream right away alright?" I was about to retort back at him but he sounded rather serious for a moment there. "Don't try to deal with it yourself okay? You understand what I'm saying?" "I don't understand. What do you mean by... something scary?" Just what could I run into in the Shinsengumi's headquarters that would be scary? Besides Hijikata of course. Okita looked surprised for a moment and then his face broke into a grin. "Oh, you know, like a nightmare or a ghost or something. Or hey, who knows? You might run into our commander, the demon!" "Running into Hijikata would be scary." If Hijikata found out that I was walking around the compound without permission... I didn't even want to think about it. "I-I'm going back to my room now!" "Good girl. I'll just go finish patrolling the inner courtyard then." With one last small smirk in my direction, he turned and left.

 My shoulders sagged with relief and I leaned heavily against the wall. How long was he here I thought. There was no way I could get into the Maekawa house without Okita catching me at it. Still, I had worked up the courage to get this far. I wasn't about to let that go to waste. Perhaps it would be better if I stuck to the Yagi house instead and just made sure not to go anywhere Hijikata might be. That's when I realized. I had been so surprised, I hadn't stopped to think. Why was Okita up so late? It seemed almost as if he were waiting for someone to leave the Yagi house, but there was no way he could have known I would try. If not me, then who?