The Land of the Samurai ; 侍の国 (Gintama x Reader)

Alexa, Play "What is Love?" By Twice

Gintoki had no concept of what romantic feelings were. The whole notion of love was something he was unfamiliar with. He was abandoned by his biological parents when he was young - he didn't know what even familial love was. It was a tricky subject to get his head around. However, he slowly learned overtime with his beloved teacher-Shōyō-sensei.

He, at first, didn't consider Shōyō-sensei as a guardian figure but all was changed when the teacher took in a girl his age-her name is [name].

The first time he officially met her, he didn't like her at all. She was weak; vulnerable. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of himself - back when he was out scavenging for leftover food on dead bodies.

All he thought was, "I don't want to see her." Albeit, he didn't know anything about the young girl - other than the fact that she was attached to Shōyō-sensei like a moth to a light. Yes, he called her a moth.

Gintoki had to take extra lessons - more specifically, learn how to treat a girl... how to take care of one... how to make her happy; all for this [name]. Shōyō had told him that it wouldn't hurt to learn a few extra things other than how to read. It certainly did not help him in the long run; at least, that's what he thought.

The silver-haired boy was unknowingly a prick. He didn't know that his words could hurt such a delicate young flower, which was the girl called [name]. The first time he made her cry was when he blatantly declared, "You're stupid."

It wasn't the girl's fault that she didn't know that her book was upside down; after all, she couldn't read. It was something he never regretted saying - he liked to see others cry. Perhaps this is where he got his sadistic tendencies from; from making little girls cry, especially girls named [name].

Going back onto the topic of love... he still didn't know what to think of it. Shōyō had explained a few times in a private lesson that love was a feeling that one felt when they're around people they care about. The one and only person Gintoki would care about was Shōyō-sensei. That was his definition of love - to love meant that he cared about the person who found and took care of him.

But towards the girl, his feelings were dull - like a fire that had been extinguished by stepping on the flame. However, the feeling of a diminished flame disappeared when it was replaced with fireflies. The feeling of tiny bugs flying around in his stomach made him feel giddy, hopeless and nervous.

At first, he didn't think too much about it; but the bugs became stronger and he didn't know what to do about them. Thinking back, Gintoki believed that when he first unknowingly fell in love, was when [name] said his name without the honorific of san.

。。。

Shōyō-sensei stood by the wall of the dojo as he watched yourself and Gintoki - his two precious students fight to the death; not really, but it was fun to call it that. You two were absolutely giving it your all - and within a few months of more practice, he was sure that they could take on hundreds of enemies if worst comes to worst.

"Okay, stop," he clapped his hands and immediately, the two stopped in their movements. "[name]-chan, good work. You're doing very well for someone who picked up the sword three months ago... I should say bamboo sword. Gintoki, if [name]-chan can catch up to you then you're in for trouble. Perhaps you should stop... wagging these classes."

Gintoki froze at the sound of his teacher's menacing tone. How did he know that he wagged class? Maybe he made it too obvious. "I don't wag class... and I was going easy on her," he then whispered, "Shōyō, if I make her cry you'll hit me again, and I don't want to get anymore brain damage."