𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐤𝐢 [ON HOLD]

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟏

keiko laid on her stomach, her bandaged back exposed as she was told by yamazaki to stay like that for a while to heal. she could already feel herself healing, but wished she had the speed that the demons did.

some of the captains had visited her and expressed their anger for her not telling them she was injured. even chizuru felt guilty that she had forgotten about it.

the shoji to keiko's room burst open and chizuru stood there, panting.

"what's wrong, chizuru?" keiko asked, leaning up to look at her properly.

"i have to tell you before it's too late." she said, trying to catch her breath.

"you're scaring me."

"heisuke is leaving with itou and saito. he wasn't going to tell you because he didn't know how and didn't want you to try stop him." she explained, a sad look on her face.

"what do you mean?!" keiko exclaimed. groaning, she got up and quickly fixed her clothes. making sure her bandages were secure, she attempted to leave the room.

"no! you can't get up! be careful." chizuru tried to block her and make her lay back down.

"where is he?"

"by the bench under the cherry blossoms." she replied, knowing there was no use in stopping her.

with a limp, keiko made it to the place chizuru told her and sure enough heisuke was there, sitting, in deep thought.

"so you were just going to leave without telling me!" keiko yelled, approaching the boy. she was ready to beat him up.

"ah keiko." he got up immediately, surprised to see her walking around. "please go back and rest. you can't be out of bed!"

"how could you?! i thought we were friends!"

"we are! i just didn't know how to tell you. i'm really sorry. i couldn't bring myself to face you. i wanted to stay here to help you because you're still in danger and injured, but i have to leave now. i'm sorry."

"oh heisuke." the girl whispered, then pulled him into a tight hug. "will i ever see you again?"

her heart was aching slightly. it was obvious the shinsengumi weren't too fond of itou and that he would do something to betray them. if that were to happen, they may not want heisuke back and she wouldn't get to see him again.

"maybe." he replied, hugging her back, his hands shaking. the guilt was immediately kicking in. he couldn't believe he was going to leave without even saying goodbye to her. he was an idiot.

"i'll miss you so much." she pulled away, with a sniffle.

"don't cry now." he told her. "or i'll cry."

"i'm not crying, you baby!" she pushed him away.

"please take care of yourself." he laughed and messed with her short hair that he loved. he stepped away to go find itou.

"i will. promise you'll write me a letter or something!" she called out.

"i promise!" he yelled back, waving a hand in the air as he walked away, which is what he had done the first time they hung out.

❀

that evening, heisuke and saito left the shinsengumi headquarters with itou. keiko was devastated she couldn't see them off as her body weakened so she was forced by yamazaki to stay in bed. she wished she could have persuaded him to stay but saito had visited her before leaving to say goodbye and tell her not to worry about heisuke. she trusted him.