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

Chapter 18 {Kawakami Bansai}

It's about midnight or so that I hear it. The repetitive sound of pounding steps on the floor. Although from where my room is located, it's no more than a knock on a door.

The corridor is unlit, barely giving me enough light to see ahead. But as I head nearer to the main hallway, the dimness lifts by a bit. A light brightens the far end of the hallway where it takes a turn to lead to the ship's entrance. And the sound comes again. Loud and clear in this location.

I step out of the darkened corridor, intending to see if someone is still out around this time, and silently curse when I haven't think of bringing a weapon with me. I'll just fight bare-handed should the sound exposes to some threatening presence.

Just as I'm about to move toward the sound, a shadow suddenly darts past my version, something soft belonging to it flaps against my chin, before it passes me in a flash. A surprised lurk takes me staggering back a pace. I briskly throw my gaze to the silhouette ahead, squinting to confirm if it's another spy. Then as the shadow slows down to turn at the end of the corridor, the light from the opposite end manages to reach the form. And poorly illuminating it to reveal...Matako?

I intend to call out but she's already bolted away and disappeared, the thundering of her footsteps only trace of evidence that shows she was just now here. I cast a glance to where she bolted from, seeing nothing but the empty space with tiny moths swirling around the light on the ceiling.

What was Matako doing in the middle of the night? She could've alert someone if there is any trouble, but I don't think that's the case. Considering her odd behavior-

A loud slamming bang tears through the whole ship before the night falls into serene silence again.

What on earth... I shake it away and instead throw a last look around the place. Convinced that I simply got woken up by Matako having whatever that caused her that way, I sigh and head back to my room.

Maybe tomorrow will be a better time to ask her about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I step in front of the command room as the door clears aside. Two distinguished backs face me as I enter while the other crew offer me some acknowledging nods. I walk toward the two standing before the screen that's displaying to us a magnified map of Kyoto. A red dot at the port represents our ship.

Upon hearing my footfall approaching, Matako takes her eyes from the screen and land them on me, moving slightly aside for me to survey the screen. I give her a glance, remembering of the occurrence last night. Matako meets my gaze, but unlike usual, comments on nothing in particular. I think I see dark shadows swimming under her eyes but decide to push it back when she looks away.

I stop behind Takechi. "How's the preparation going?" I ask him, eyeing the computer screen that he's inspecting with data and information sprawled along the monitor's length.

The room renders with the only clicking sound on keyboards for a moment before Takechi is satisfied with his examination.

"Everything is ready. We can leave anytime now," he says, facing me.

Seeing his neutral expression, I ask, "You mean Shinsuke hasn't specified our next move yet?"

A sudden movement twitches at the corner of my eyes. Matako shifts next to me, putting one hand on her hip and listens to us, almost seemingly begrudgingly.

"No," Takechi replies, his blank eyes on me. "I did question him about it the other day, but he said to have everything prepared first."

I suppose it's not unlike him to have taken step by step to reach his goal, no matter how preposterous it be. Especially in times like this, an opportunity to go wild against the government, I'm expecting some amusing plans that man might have in his mind right now.