Test Subject

Test Subject 2

Disclaimer: Gintama belongs to Sorachi-sensei.

Test Subject II

Kagura grabbed her purse on the table she had just occupied with her pathetic date. A fleeting contempt towards his act of fleeing immediately dissolved. It wasn't his fault really. She let out an exasperated sigh.

She already knew she wasn't a catch. A twenty year old nobody besides her monstrous strength. Still it hurts when you know you are unwanted. She wasn't like this before, a girl who had low self-esteem. Self-pity was not for her but growing up surely makes you face reality.

She walked silently towards the exit of the restaurant amidst of the crowd.

"China, wait!" The sadist captain called but she wasn't really in the mood to talk to him though there was a time talking to him excited her. But not now, all she wants to do was to lick her wounds in private. The last thing she wanted was to hear him mocking her how unworthy she was. She continued walking.

"China!" His voice grew closer. "I said wait." Kagura felt warm fingers curling on her wrist. For a moment her heart gave an almost forgotten familiar squeeze. She slowly glance up to look at him. His face was painted with remorse that was so out of character of him.

Okita Sougo cursed himself. Two years of not seeing each other and the first thing he did was muck things out. They were not children anymore. But he was just involuntarily pissed to see her with someone else. Though that bastard date of hers was a loser for fleeing!

"Sorry.." He looked so sincere that it hurts. "That guy, he isn't worth your time."

"No.." Kagura replied softly. They were in an alley beside the restaurant. "I knew this would happen. No one likes to date a monster like me."

Okita heard the helplessness in her voice. So much had changed for two years. The China he knew was brash and full of confidence. But this woman standing in front of him was undeniably human, a perfect piece of human being if he may add. The years had been good on her body. She grew taller, her head reaching only his chin though. Her curves more prominent. Her lips so lush. Her chest bounti-- OH CRAP! What in the world he was thinking?! He sounds like a perv.

He cleared his throat. "If it was me, I'll be ecstatic to be on a date with a.." he paused. Words stuck on his mouth. China was looking straight at him expectantly. He exhaled, choking the words, "with a strong and pretty," and smoking, sexy.. some part of his body other than his brain whispered excitedly as he continued "..woman such as you."

Moments passed between them. Kagura could only look at the guy in front of her. The Sadist was really having a hard time saying what he supposed her good parts. He looked ready to puke any minute which elicited a sudden laugh from her.
Her laugh broke the awkward tension between them. "Hey, why are you laughing?" Sougo asked her tilting his head. He could see shadow of tears forming at the corner of her eye as she laughed.

"Oh, Sadist.. thank you for uh, comforting me." She finally stopped laughing. But a hint of smile remained on her face.

"Geez, I'm not.." He trailed. Yeah, he kinda want her to cheer up. "So where did you find that guy?" He asked curious to know how she had met that loser.

Kagura immediately sobered. She didn't want to talk about her failed date anymore, but she relented. She shouldn't care anyway. "I met him in one of Soyo's party last week. He really seems a catch and he invited me to a date today which you already know how it ended."

"That's all?" He lifted a brow.

"Yeah." Kagura nodded. She noticed his right hand still holding her wrist. His eyes followed what she was looking at.

"Oh, sorry." He immediately freed his hold.

"You have apologized to me twice already in a span of a few minutes." She grinned. "If I didn't knew better, I'd think this two years have made you into an ordinary human, huh?" She gave a short laugh. "Where is the sadistic captain I know?"

She turned to walk towards the direction of the yorozuya residence. Casually, he took his steps beside her.

"Hmm.." he replied as if contemplating, "I apologized because you looked so unusually pathetic back there--Ow!" She pinched him.

"Am not!" She scowled at him though there was no really hate beneath it. In fact, she was feeling the opposite.

He massage his side, that she had pinched, dramatically while walking. The normality of walking together was so new that it made her feel light-headed and fuzzy, she can't decide if it was a good or bad thing.

Few years back, they can't get enough of fighting and beating the crap out of each other. But now, he didn't even much of react as she pinched him. He was even acting cute. She suspected even if she smacked his head now without reason at all, he would not even scowl. Or maybe only that.
Guess, growing up is a good thing after all.

They continued to walk silently for a few minutes. Kagura can already see the outline of her home. She turned to glance at him and found him looking at her intently, which she did not further want to think about why. A girl can only have enough to contemplate on.

"Why are you still following me?"
He stared at her for a few seconds before he turned to look ahead and replied, "I guess, I'll just greet Danna. I haven't seen him for a while."

"Hmm, Gin-chan had worked with you Shinsengumi last week on some client request. So, I heard him talk about it."

Kagura no longer regularly work Odd Jobs with Gintoki and Shinpachi. Only on some few cases where she was really needed. For the past two years, she was working with a restaurant Tsukuyo had built in Yoshiwara. And sometimes worked part time with Hyakka in protecting the place. Today was her day off.

At first, after Gin-chan and Tsukky had married and Tsukuyo became pregnant, Gintoki doesn't really want his wife working. But it was the home of Tsukky for all her life before marriage and she considered the courtesans there as a family. Gin-chan understood it and considered them as family also. Thus Kagura volunteered to work full time with Tsukky in Yoshiwara. After the defeat of Housen, gradually some of the courtesans offered only hostess services and waitressing in the inns and bars that seemed to be flourishing as business enterprises in Yoshiwara. It was no longer covered in darkness. It was now a safe place for women and children. And a place were people have freedom.

She was waiting for his response. Okita Sougo himself didn't really know what in the world he was doing following her home. Greeting Danna was only a poor excuse to be with her. He wanted to gag at that thought but he couldn't really help himself. The undeniable truth is that, he had really missed seeing her.

"Sadist?" Her voice penetrated his musings. Oh, how he missed her calling him that nickname.
He suddenly turned around holding her shoulders with both of his hands.

"Why did you agree to date that guy today?"

Kagura was taken aback by his actions and his question. "We have already talked about that awhile ago." Why is he asking about it? And why did he seemed fixated about it? Kagura mused. He was acting weird. But her answer seemed not satisfy him. He looked at her so intently.

"Would it be enough if I said I liked him?" Kagura replied though it was not really the case now. But Okita Sougo only shook his head.

"Okay.." she sighed, " It's just I haven't really been in a relationship. It might be immature to think of it now but I sometimes felt envious seeing couples. And all of the guy I tried dating end up being failure before we even started a real relationship. Look what happened today. They think I am monster, have no table manners, heathen and.." she halted. His crimson orbs reflecting a mysterious glint under the glow of sunset.

It was when a passing chilling sensation she felt as the hair on her nape suddenly stood up that somehow gave her a terrifying premonition.

"I could teach you.." the Shinsengumi captain suggested in a tone which Kagura imagined the devil might have used to tempt an unsuspecting mortal. "I can be your test subject until you know everything about dating."