Gintama; Takasugi x reader (Finale) [Take Me With You]

Chapter 11 {Kawakami Bansai}

The strengthening security in Kyoto. With dogs guarding each corner of the streets, no matter how urgent things have become, rushing through the city to comb for necessarily supplies might only result in suspicion. But neither does remaining in one place for long count as a good strategy for us to ditch the dogs' nose. Who knows what that man, Utsuro, would come up with next time to lure us to Edo now that his group of lapdogs have been entirely annihilated by us.

We have to leave this place once we obtain everything we need. If we head straight for Edo, then it'll be walking directly into a trap we're fully aware of. Although, I can gamble an entire city against the possibility that Shinsuke would choose to run.

Honestly. Even Y/N can't remove that ruthless quality edged to his character with her own persistence. I'm well impressed we made it to this day.

I turn the newspaper to the next page. Since we'll be remaining here at least for a week until everything is settled, I figure to journey throughout the city, thinking I might sniff out something interesting.

With the fuss about tight security, public places that serve services for the citizen aren't so much as flocked with patrols as streets. Perhaps they don't tend to believe rebels like us would have time to be sitting around in a park, reading newspapers like ordinary city folks do.

I look up from the paper and scan the vast land of the park. A few people are walking by, some others stop to sit on benches like mine but all in the distance. I've managed to find a spot located far from the entrance.

A peaceful evening in a peaceful park. I do tend to enjoy this kind of chances for awhile without having to put on some piece of music in my headphones to cover up for some usual noises outside.

I wonder if my other colleagues take a liking to the piece I sent them the other day. Whether or not they decide to have it published is yet known to me. A melody takes my focus from the newspapers.

I reach into my pocket and take out my phone. The screen flashes bright with a written name.

And speaking of the devil...

I answer the call. "Hello? Otsuu-dono?"

     "Tsunpo-san," she says over the line. "Where are you now? I couldn't get in contact with you for awhile."

     "Ah, sorry. I have something to take care of in Kyoto," I tell her.

     "Oh, I see."

Someone walks near my spot and casts me a glance before carrying on. I look around again to see if there's any keen eyes on me. Then I say to Otsuu-dono, "I heard that you're going to have a concert soon. How are things going now?"

     "Uuh, about that..." she trails, sounding apologetic as well as disappointed. She speaks tentatively. "It kinda got canceled the other day."

     "Canceled? How come?"

     "The manager suddenly came to tell me that it was canceled and no concerts are to be held any sooner," Otsuu says. "And it's the same about the piece you sent to us a few days ago," she adds. "I really like it and I'm about write some lyrics for that melody so we can have it published quickly, but we were told to hold things up first."

     "Why?" I ask, puzzled. "Has something happened?"

Otsuu utters in surprise on the other side. "Eh? You don't know?" I adjust my position, setting the newspapers down beside me on the bench and listen intently. "There were some explosion incidents a few days ago near the Terminal and a lot of citizen got involved in it. The casualties were sent for medical treatments but many had died. The city is still in disorder."