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Irresistible	By : kamorgana Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5018 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. Watsuki owns the RK characters, but the words, plot, OCs and ideas are *mine*.
Irresistible

Chapter 9: Steam

Okita put on his usual cheery smile as he opened the door of Kondo�s office, to drop it as soon as Nagakura and he followed Fujiki Kouhei outside.
Alone with his old friend, Takagi Kojuuro tried to relax the atmosphere:
�Is your disciple fine, Isami? Or better, is Fujiki safe with him? I bet that he felt the stabbing of this look on his back��
�Soushi is very devoted to me. He resented his outburst, but Fujiki-san will never notice, believe me. At least, I hope so, we are in trouble enough��
�No doubt that this is a crime?�
�No. Harada hid her neck with her hair, so that they won�t see the marks...but it�s temporary.�
�Katamori has already talked to the bonze of the Kyomizudera. They will apply some make-up, and nobody will see them. Poor girl. She was extremely sweet and nice, this is appalling. As for the accident�I know that you aren�t satisfied, but this is the better way. We have to get this declaration. Katamori still has enemies, even though you eliminated the most dangerous.�
�I wouldn�t have thought of presenting it like this�.It was Tokio�s doing.�
Takagi had a sad smile.
�She seemed to be doing fine. She saw the body, then?� he asked, after a short hesitation.
�Yes. She�s strong, Kojuuro. She knows her duty.�
�Yes. I am ashamed of myself, but when you said who it was, I was relieved that it wasn�t her,� he confessed. �I won�t ploy under the pressure, but I honestly am so scared to lose her, too��
�This reminds me that I wanted to talk to you about your plans for her. I would have waited, but the situation asks for it now. You didn�t announce it yet?�
�No. We intended to do it tomorrow, after the declaration was signed, but it will be postponed.�
�I am not sure that Saitoh is a good idea.�
Takagi frowned. �Katamori speaks highly of him, and I appreciated what I saw of him. I thought that you trusted him. Is there something that I don�t know?�
�No. Saitoh is an honorable man, and has the sense of duty. Though I can�t say that he is good-hearted�she has personal objections, already. I talked to her.�
Takagi smiled, disabused: �She told me that you discussed, yes. And you know what Tokio would do with a good-hearted man. Having a husband wrapped around her little finger would do no good to her. We don�t fare exactly well on that matter.�
Kondo�s lips lifted in a sorry grin. �No, we don�t.�
�She would find objections anyway. She doesn�t want to get married. She tried to hide it, but I know her better than she thinks. This time, only, I won�t indulge her. She has to, and you know why.�
�One of the whys is precisely the reason of my hesitations. She�s already a target because of her birth. I don�t think that it would be reasonable to also make a target out of her because of her marriage�Maybe a merchant would be a better solution�
Takagi sank into his thoughts.
�No, no merchant. I think that the best way to protect her is that she marries a samurai, and I know no finer than your Captains. But I see what you mean. Currently, that would be more of a problem. What do you propose?�
�You might talk to Katamori, then, and ask to keep the plan secret until we uncover the traitors responsible for the threats against your families. That shouldn�t be long. And, anyway, I doubt that she accepts Saitoh as a candidate�unless she had modified the facts, when she told me that she had the choice to refuse him?�
�Isami, you might have more influence on her than you think, because yesterday night she accepted to meet Saitoh�though she reserved her definitive decision. Saitoh knows since this morning, by the way. Is that so much of a surprise? She told me that talking with you had made her see where her path was.�
Kondo�s brows had knitted. �She was *very* reluctant, though.�
�I can confide something else in you. Katamori is very, very decided for this marriage to happen. She would have had to give some very serious reasons to refuse. But I agree with you, about the discretion, and I don�t doubt that he will see things that way. He takes her interests at heart.� Kojuuro paused. �He also still feels guilty.�
His face somber, the head of the Shinsengumi looked down. �We all do, my friend. We all do.�
***
Saitoh had left the kitchen, and joined Okita, Nagakura and Harada, in front of the dojo. They were discussing with the 7th Captain, Tani Sanjuuro, a slim, good-looking, jolly man, who came from the same school as Harada.
�Where is our distinguished guest?� Saitoh asked.
�We accompanied him to see the body. I told Hatsue not to let him touch anything.�
�The sleaze would probably enjoy it,� said distractedly Nagakura, whose gaze was following the two girls entering the building where Reiko�s body was laying.
Saitoh noticed that the second Captain�s attention was on the youngest, and remembering the party, he smirked inwardly. So Mr. Zazen had a thing for damsels in distress. That was so cute.
�What is happening today? First, Saitoh here was cheering you up a while ago, and now, Nagakura is actually badmouthing someone,� Harada winked.
�He deserves it,� Tani frowned, his manners and voice as always emphatic. �I can�t believe that he had the gall to insult us, and Kondo-sama, here.�
�He�s only a commoner for them,� Okita said bitterly. �I thought that I wouldn�t see this happening ever again.�
�I know,� Tani soothed. �I had the feeling that Serizawa was back.�
�He�d need the crows to puke his rotten pieces to be back,� Harada spat.
�A piece of advice, moron. Avoid this kind of delicate remarks if you aim at a lady�s good graces.�
�I am nevertheless very happy that you reminded me of this pleasant memory, Harada-kun,� Okita added, with a bright smile. �Ah, they�re leaving.�
Matsudaira Michiko and Fujiki had gone out of the building, followed by the girls, minus the last two. They were joined by Kondo and Takagi.
�Who is undertaking the chore, now?�
�That would be you and I, Saitoh-kun,� Nagakura said, calmly. �Kondo-sama asked that we went with our men, and stayed at the residence until we have to take our patrols.�
�And if you aren�t happy with it, Killjoy, many will be delighted to trade with you. Like me, for example,� Harada pointed.
Saitoh didn�t answer. Tokio and Miyu had come out, and while the groups exchanged farewells, he gave a good look at the 8 girls. Was the murderer, or the traitor, amongst them? His gaze crossed Niwada Torimi�s, and she was�definitively suspect. A weird light had flicked in her eyes, and she seemed to have taken a wrong step, because she yelped and almost fell down. That created a little wave of panic, and Saitoh could feel Okita and Nagakura�s nervousness. That was more or less what had happened in the morning, at the temple. The feeling vanished quickly, and the greetings were resuming.
�Tani-kun? Harada-kun? Would it kill you to stop gossiping and actually help me with those brats?� an exasperated, precious voice called from behind their little group.
Takeda Kanryuusai exited the Dojo, flipping back his long hair in an excessively feminine gesture.
�Sorry, Takeda-kun,� Tani smiled heartedly.
�Sanjuuro, can you be a pal and go now? I�d like to stay a second more. It isn�t like you were going to miss the view��
Tani nodded with a knowing smile, yet the 5th Captain placed his glasses back on his nose. �Very spiritual,� he snorted.
Harada shrugged. He wasn�t fond of Takeda, and that was reciprocal, but there were no more different than the sophistication of the educated Kanryuusai and the rough Sanosuke. Saitoh had to admit that Takeda had one quality: he made the 10th captain tolerable to him, in comparison. Takeda wasn�t that much of a fighter, and he had managed to sneak his way up to the Captain ranks by impressing Kondo with his showy knowledge.
Not paying attention to the end of the bickering session, he followed the second Captain, and went to gather his troops.
***
It was early evening again, and Tokio was alone in the spacious bathhouse reserved for the noble women, at the Daimyo�s residence. Steam was filling the wooden room and the acrid odor of sulfur lingering, due to the nature of the onsen. Reaching around in the burning water, she captured one of the small flakes in form of a minuscule flower into her hand and let it float again. She closed her eyes, trying to relax her muscles, sore with stress and with fatigue after walking so much.
She was so sad.
The memories of Reiko arriving at the court, so shy that she was blushing all the time and never dared to talk first, so afraid at O-bon�until her excitation at the idea to come to Kyoto, her cheering up Aiko during the trip, and the Gion festival night that they had spent, her eating the pastry�Tokio relived the morning, every single moment until when she saw the dead body of her friend.
Okita-kun had kindly told her earlier that it had been fast and that Reiko didn�t have the time to suffer. But she had, it was written on her face. Tokio should have done something. She should have been more careful, she had known that there was a problem.
She shook her head. Enough. Nothing could be changed, and she had to live with her carelessness. She had said her farewell to her friend, and she had asked silently her to forgive her. She had promised her that she would do all that she could to avenge her death. That was all that she could do.
Maybe if she cried, she would feel better. She tried, and she didn�t. She never managed to cry anymore.
***
Okita had spent the rest of the afternoon at the dojo, practicing, trying to empty his head. The only result for now was that his lungs were slightly aching, and he felt no better. He had been a complete fool. He had failed. He hated to fail.
And that unspeakable idiot insulting Kondo-sama had finished upsetting him. Kondo was not only his master: he was what Soushi had had closest to a father. Who would be even, when their father was humiliated in public? His only comfort was that the supporting smile he had sent to Kondo had seemed to make an effect.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he felt that it was a bit too hot, even for after a physical effort. Fever, again? It only reminded him that soon, he wouldn�t even be able to support anybody. He had swore to himself that he would repay his mentor for his teaching and friendship by being there for him until he died. He just hadn�t imagined that he would go so fast.
He tightened his fists, and wondered whether he should go on until he fell with exhaustion, when the sounds of an argument reached his ears. Curious, he went out of the dojo, only to find several men yelling at each other.
�Maa, maa, calm down. What happened here?� he asked, putting on his boyish face.
Two of the men left, shrugging. The others stayed, and Ikeda, from Nagakura�s unit, explained.
�Okita-sama, they were insulting Kondo-sama,� he complained. �They said that under the command of Serizawa, these things wouldn�t have happened.�
Okita lifted both his brows in utter bewilderment. �In those terms?�
Ikeda blushed, and looked at his feet. �No, not that clearly, of course. But their allusions were clear, and we all understood it this way, didn�t we, you all?�
The other men growled in approval.
Okita sighed: �As long as they say nothing clearly, we can�t take any measure. But I am grateful for your loyalty, and will see to informing your Captains of it. Now, go for dinner, Hatsue�s nabe has cooked almost all day�you don�t want to miss this.�
He had finished joyously, and went on smiling at the now cheering boys while they were heading towards the main dining room. Yet, he was depressed as never, inside. Tani had been right: it was as if they were back in the past. The doubts, the betrayals, the broken friendships�
Slowly, he turned away and left the compound. He didn�t feel like talking to anybody, and had the time to take a walk before the patrol time came.
***
She was in the bathroom, and there was steam everywhere, like a beautiful, snowy blur. It was tickling her naked body in a pleasant way. She tried to catch some, but it didn�t want to stay in her hand. It was frustrating�like today. Today had been great, but so�incomplete. She could hear the water flipping, somebody was in. Humming the scent deeply, beyond the funnily dizzying odor, she recognized the fragrance. White lily.
The pretty doll was there. It was her perfume.
She had a happy smile, realizing her luck. She could have fun, and nobody would spoil her pleasure, this time. She reached down, looking for her dagger, and realized that she didn�t have it on her. She had other ways�it would be frustrating again, though.
Today, she had missed the beautiful color of blood. She wanted to see it now.
***
Okita had wandered around Mibu, towards Sanjo, and stopped neat as he found himself in the streets of Potonchi, near Ikedaya. He had a grim smile as he remembered their satisfaction and optimism of the other day. The rise and the fall were two sides of the same coin.
Maybe he could compose a haiku on the subject. Poetry was a good way for him to clear his mind. He had to be careful that the others didn�t find it, as Harada and co had a tendency to mock the literary and �unmanly� efforts of their peers. He giggled. Maybe he could reveal to them this romantic haiku that Toshizo had composed. Of course, then the Shisengumi would have to lose either its chief in second, either its first captain. He laughed frankly, as he walked towards the Kamo river, wondering if the others would dare to mock Hijikata on being romantic. Maybe it would be fun NOT to tell them who was the author�at first.
He laughed so hard imagining Harada�s face at the realization that he started to choke and his lungs burned, his so welcomed bemusement changing into bitterness. He wouldn�t be able to fight one day, yet was he already forbidden to laugh? He crouched, blood filling his mouth and lungs, preventing him from breathing.
He felt a little hand on his shoulder.
�Mariko-chaaaaaaaan!! Mariko-chan, hurry!!! A sick person!!!! You have to do something!!!� a pleasant, but *very* powerful voice shouted next to his ear, almost deafening him.
He finally managed to spit the blood into his handkerchief, and the internal storm calmed enough for him to open his eyes. He met a pair of incredibly big, blue ones, filled with worry.
�What is it, Misao-chan?� an adult voice asked. Calm and low. He knew this voice. He lifted his head as the voice addressed him: �Are you alright?�
It was the woman of the Ikedaya night.
***
Tokio sighed, her hand drawing absently arabesques on the surface of the water. She didn�t manage to find the will to leave the bath, though she was melted by the heat, and had only succeeded in feeling more restless. She was sad but she was also worried, and her worries had a name: Saitoh Hajime.
She had thought that she would have a heart attack when he had alluded to something that she didn�t want to be known. Did she show her surprise? She couldn�t say: she had been in a second state since the murder. He hadn�t asked more questions, and had followed his sentence and wrong assumption without hesitations. That meant that she hadn�t betrayed herself.
If he suspected anything, she would be responsible for more hurt than today. She could only be relieved�yet she couldn�t chase away a dim worry. She wished she were sure.
She had made a terrible mistake. How could she have thought for one second that accepting to meet that man for a mi-ai was a good idea? She had only seen her need for stupid, childish revenge towards Kondo-sama, because he had hurt her.
Saitoh was ambitious, and if he suspected that there was something to know, he would find it. He would use it against her, against her family, against Matsudaira, maybe. She had to find a way to get out of this situation she had so unconsciously tricked herself into. That wouldn�t be too hard, still. She had to play carefully, if she was too sudden, he might suspect something. She would meet him once, listen to him and ask questions as if she was indeed considering that awful wedding seriously, and then she would ask to see another candidate. Maybe she should meet him twice�that would be more natural.
But no more. After today, it was obvious that she couldn�t trust herself to keep her feelings under control.
Yes, today, she had been very weak and vulnerable, and that was why he had been able to push her so far. The problem was that he managed it even when she was supposedly in control of herself. That wasn�t good at all. She was usually confident in her ability to play mind games and to win hands down, but with him�
What was with that man, that he made her so�so what? So not herself, this was the closest definition that she could find.
He had that smirk, and that way to look at her, which made her boil and forget the most elementary prudence. Maybe that was that: she couldn�t stand him, he physically repulsed her. The way he had detailed her body, so impertinently, in the morning, popped into her mind. She hadn�t been repulsed, she had been�bothered.
Oh, it was really the moment to think of this. She was no better than Torimi, when it came to being self-absorbed.
Upset, she closed her eyes and let herself sink into the hot water, holding her breath, staying under the surface for a few seconds, time for her ridiculous thoughts to be washed away.
She had suddenly the impression that there was someone bending over the tub, and fear invaded her.
***
Okita smiled brightly to the woman sitting next to him.
�Thank you very much.�
She nodded, distractedly, her eyes fixed on the little girl playing two meters in front of them, on the riverside.
�The fever should go down soon,� she said, turning to him and passing her own handkerchief on his forehead, with gentle and sure gestures. �You were lucky that I had some medicine on me.�
�You had gone to see that family again?�
�Yes. Misao-chan! Not near the water! Come back here now,� she warned, grumbling afterwards. �One of these days, she will decide that she can swim and will drown.�
�Are you a doctor?� he asked, curious. This woman was very peculiar. She seemed very calm, almost ethereal, with her deep black eyes and serene face, yet it was the second time already that she had had a hilariously grumpy reaction.
�No, not yet, but my father is.�
�You prepare some potions, though?�
She considered him, for a moment. �You heard this? I didn�t think that you were paying attention to this kind of details��
�We have better be observant, or else�� he laughed, a bit confused.
She only sighed, shaking her head. Maybe she didn�t like him. Why? He was a bit rattled. People usually liked him. Even some who had witnessed him kill a man.
They were also killing people on a regular basis, though.
�Is the samurai feeling better?� the little girl asked. She had obeyed and joined them.
�Yes. We will wait a few minutes to be sure that he won�t feel bad again.�
Little Misao, who was so small, almost a miniature child, inspected him with a deeply serious stare. He felt like laughing, in spite of his previous disastrous experience: she had something irresistibly warm and funny. He loved children, and this one was for sure a special one. And at least, *she* liked him, and she showed it.
�Are you really better?� she asked again, dubiously. �Because Mariko-chan can be wrong, sometimes. Not often, but it happened�three times at least.�
Mariko-san sighed again, in resigned disbelief. Okita had never been that entertained, and both of them did.
�Yes, thank you, Misao-chan,� he answered ceremoniously.
She gave him a huge smile, and he laughed heartily, this time.
�It seems that you thought you could fly and gave it a try, ne?�
She had two teeth missing in the front.
***
Tokio stood up suddenly, panting, and as she had opened her eyes under the water in panic, she was blinded momentarily.
�Tokio-chan!�
�Aiko?�
Her hand on her heart, Tokio let her breath slow down when she recognized her friend. �Sorry, I didn�t expect you and��
�Oh, no, I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to frighten you. I went to your room; and your maid told me that you were having a bath, so I decided to take mine, too��
�Oh, this is a good idea.� At least, she wouldn�t be thinking nonsense, then. �Are you feeling better?�
�Yes,� Aiko sighed, settling in the wooden bathtub. Tokio changed position, to install in the part refreshed a little by the cold water pouring though a cut bamboo. She let the freezing liquid splashing on her back: she had really stayed a long time, and should be careful.
�I�ve spent all day so weak that I couldn�t move, but since you came with the news�I have thought a lot.�
Tokio raised a brow at the decided tone. She didn�t hear it in a long time. Aiko�s father had asked her to announce Reiko�s death to her friend. He didn�t know how to avoid shocking her too much. Yet, it was unavoidable. Aiko had been crushed, sobbing endlessly. But now�
�It stirred bad memories��
They looked at each other, understanding conveyed in their eyes.
�It�s so close, for both of us,� Aiko approved, her eyes full of sadness again. �Your mother and Tami, and Yuujiro�and now this.�
Tokio nodded, detachedly. She didn�t want to think of this. She had avoided thinking of this all day.
�And it made me realize that I was a shame. I had been in my bed all day, wishing to die and making myself sick with loss, whereas Reiko, who wanted to live, had died�she was already dead this afternoon, when I was still crying on myself�� her voice was lower, and Tokio saw a tear rolling down her cheek. �If I could trade my place with her, I would. I wouldn�t hesitate for a mere second, you know.�
�But you can�t�� Tokio remarked gently.
�No, I can�t. I couldn�t even find the will to kill myself, because I promised him that I wouldn�t, but I couldn�t find the will to live, either. This was so self-indulgent of me. But I thought for these last hours, and now, I will live. It would be too unfair that I didn�t.�
Tokio observed her friend. She was still emaciated by her long refusal to eat much, and still had creases under her eyes�but the dark brown orbs had retrieved a light that she hadn�t seen in it for months. A bittersweet emotion filled her.
�I�m glad,� she said softly.
�And, Tokio�I wanted to thank you. I know what you did for me during these months.�
�What I did? Visiting you and bringing you tea?� she eluded, a bit ill-at-ease. Aiko could seem clueless, but her remark on Tokio�s feelings towards Michiko had shown that her friend could be clairvoyant.
�I mean Torimi. I saw her glaring at you at the party, when she was so nice with me. It isn�t the first time that I notice that you had something to do with her stopping to bully me. Oh, what is this noise?�
Tokio stilled. �What?�
�I thought�I thought that I heard someone else in.�
They listened for a while, then, Aiko shook her head. �No�I must have imagined it.�
�I hoped it was Miyu�I asked her to come, but she wanted to be alone.�
Aiko smiled softly. �I went, too, but she didn�t even answer when I called. Maybe she is sleeping. She surely needs it. She is lucky that Michiko is too busy with Torimi, to force her to react or whatever��
�Oh, yes she is. We all are�
�But tomorrow, she will need a presence�and I will be there for her, like the three of you have been there for me. We are friends, aren�t we?�
�Of course we are.�
�I was more the poor girl that you took pity on,� Aiko asserted, with a self-depreciating smile.
Tokio blushed. That wasn�t completely false, although she wouldn�t have moved a finger if she hadn�t liked Aiko.
�But I won�t be so pathetic again, I promise.�
�If so, you should prove it�and start with showing that you can eat?�
�Miyu-chan!�
The young girl gave them a smile. It was more of an attempt: her joy was forced, and her eyes still red from having cried. She was carrying a plate, and sitting next to the two others, she presented it to them.
�I was feeling bad, and thought that a bath would do me some good, finally. So I decided to join you two�with these. They were Reiko�s favorite, and I had brought a box for our last night here.�
�She loved pastries,� Tokio murmured.
�She made me think of a hamster, when she was eating some. She was so fast!� Miyu smiled, though her voice bordered on teary.
�Me too!� the two others exclaimed, and they smiled too.
�She wouldn�t want us to cry. She always said that you should smile more,� she added for Aiko.
�I will.�
�Otaigani gambarou!� Miyu finished, before she bit into the manjuu.
Tokio looked at her friends. Yes, in spite of the secrets, of the unavoidable distance, they were her friends. She tossed her head back, still oscillating between sadness and a bittersweet impression, but at last feeling serene. Friends were good.
***
�It wasn�t necessary,� Mariko said for the tenth time, looking around the busy streets of Shijo.
Okita was striding next to her and gave her that innocent, boyish smile.
�As your friend said the other day, the streets aren�t sure. You are alone with a kid, and the sun is setting. It would be dishonorable not to accompany you, especially after your kind help.�
�You should thank Misao, she is the one who noticed you. I did what I had to, only.�
�Thus I do what I have to, only�except that it is my pleasure,� he smiled.
She didn�t smile back, and just walked in silence.
He gave her a sideway glance, trying to understand if she had something personal against him, when having heard her name, the little girl came closer to them, surely to ask again one of her funny questions. He doubted that she could do better than her previous one.
After she had asked about the color of his haori, he had told her that he was a Shinsengumi soldier. Of course, she had said, she had heard this name. Then, she had turned to Mariko-san in order to declare, almost formally: �People at the market place say that the Shisengumi are very mean, but they must be wrong, because this one is nice and I like him.�
His stomach was still pinching after he had laughed like a whale. He should have been offended, but there was something in that little girl that was irresistible.
�Okita-san��
�It�s Okita-sama, Misao-chan,� Mariko corrected again.
�I can�t say �sama�. �Sama� is for Aoshi-sama.�
�San is fine,� he smiled, as the girl seemed stubborn on this one. He was rewarded by a bright, toothless smile.
�So, Okita-san, are you strong? I mean, very, very strong?�
�I hope that you didn�t hear that the Shinsengumi Captains were weak.�
�Oh, no, only very mean. So, do you think that you�re very strong?�
He bit his lip not to laugh. �Yes, I am.�
�Like, one of the strongest men of Japan?�
�Yes, very surely.� After all, it was the truth.
That didn�t seem to please her. She made several paces in silence, which wasn�t a very natural state for her, obviously. He sent a look to Mariko-san, who shrugged, but this time he was quasi-certain that she was bemused.
�Well, anyway, Aoshi-sama is the strongest man of Japan, so you can�t be stronger than him,� she decided, and ran in front of them towards a yakitori stand.
�Who is this Aoshi-sama?� he finally asked Mariko. �I would almost believe that he is a member of the imperial family.�
�Aoshi? He�s a boy who works at Misao�s grandfather�s restaurant,� she answered, deadpan. �He can cut sashimi like nobody. Maybe that�s why she has that huge crush on him.�
He choked again while laughing, and she immediately rubbed his back. That helped�and that felt good. The feeling of her fingers lingered even after they had resumed their walk.
�Here we are,� she said, as they arrived in front of the restaurant. �Aoiya�, it read.
�Bye, Okita-san, and take care!!� Misao shouted before rushing inside, yelling even louder. �Aoshi-samaaaaaaaaa!!!�
�You live there, too?� Okita asked, still amused by the child�s liveliness.
�You are very curious.�
�Less than your little friend. Can I use my numerous answers to her questions to bargain one to mine?�
Finally. Finally he could get a smile. He had begun to believe that he had lost his way with people.
�No. But my father has dinner there tonight, and we will go home together afterwards. Thank you for walking us there, Okita-sama,� she bowed. �And take care.�
�Thank you for your help, and this very interesting company,� he bowed back.
He watched her entering the restaurant and waved to her with a smile, as she turned towards him a last time. He was feeling great, to the point that he wondered why he had been so depressed before.
The smell of cigarette tickled unpleasantly his nose.
�My, my. Wasn�t that just absolutely charming?�
Oh, no. Now he knew that he would have reasons to be depressed later.
***
So, he had been right.
In his room, at the compound, Saitoh was reflecting on what Okita had revealed to him, when he had met him on his way back from the residence to Mibu. The elimination of Serizawa had been overall welcomed, yet less universally than at the Aizu court, where Serizawa had been considered only as trouble. There had been some who had been impressed by the presence, the stature, and the power-hungry attitude of their late co-commander. And he had surely had some accomplices. Now, they were taking advantage of the problems that Kondo had. Or had they provoked the trouble?
It was in this direction that he had to look for the Shinsengumi traitor.
He took a deep drag on his cigarette, in an attempt to lessen his exasperation. If Kondo had listened to him, they wouldn�t be in that situation. He had kept the appearance of neutrality during the feud between the two leaders, in order to fulfill the mission that Kondo and Matsudaira had charged him of: investigating Serizawa�s activity, and in particular, his finances�the man led a royal train, while curiously, part of the organization�s resources were disappearing.
Until that day, when Kondo had announced him that he had just killed Serizawa by express and secret order of the Daimyo, and that Saitoh had to stop his investigations. He had even refused that Saitoh continued his researches about the Serizawa supporters within the Shinsengumi. Hijikata, whom he had gone to see, wasn�t anymore happy than him with Kondo�s last order. He would have preferred to get rid of any possibility of future mutiny. He had revealed to Saitoh that he ignored why Matsudaira had given the order, and what motivated Kondo�s stubbornness. He had nevertheless added that they had no choice but obeying.
Yes, Saitoh had been right, and he was still in front of the same interrogations. Yet, this time, he would get answers.
***
She was on her futon, playing with her dagger, experiencing the sharpness of it on the tip of her fingers.
Today had been so exciting. She had gone from good surprises to better surprises. Of course, she had been awfully disappointed, in the bath house, but�
She contained a laugh that she knew would have been strident. Oh, there was a cat mewling outside, she realized. But she didn�t want to play with cats.
She wouldn�t need cats anymore. She had found a new playground.
To be continued�.
Author�s notes:
Hijikata wrote many haikus, and the most famous is the one referred to here. It says:
[Shireba mayou

Shinakeraba mayowanu

Koi no michi]
I wouldn�t dare to translate Japanese poetry by myself, especially as it contains endless plays on the words and images and grammar and kanji on so many levels that being a Japanese speaker is necessary to even start to get it. The general meaning is about getting lost on the way of love. It is generally agreed that Hijikata meant being torn between the way of the sword and love, and was alluding to his (ex-) fianc�e waiting for him in Edo. He had given up on the wedding to follow Kondo in Kyoto. She understood his duty and waited for him even though he would not come back, simply letting him know that she would be there for him always.
By the way, the character of Aoshi being inspired by Hijikata and Misao meaning �constancy� (also �chastity�) I can�t help to see A/M as a way for Watsuki to give a happy ending to Hijikata�s love story (I am certainly not a romantic soul but A/M just wins over my natural cynicism�grrr, LOL). Maybe Misao appearing in this chapter just when Okita thinks of the haiku isn�t a coincidence� (^-^)
Firuze told me after I wrote this that an episode of �PMK� was also alluding to this haiku. I had not seen it and I don�t plan to, I really dislike what I heard about Saitoh�s and Nagakura�s characterizations in particular. RK Saitoh is the only way to go! (the NHK Shinsengumi! Saitoh is tiptoeing just behind�hehehe).
The psycho is back! And she will illustrate herself very soon. *evil laugh*
Thanks a lot to Firuze Khanume and L.Sith for their comments (^-^).
Next chapter: Saitoh manipulates, surprise surprise, LOL. Tokio spies and her opinion of him won�t improve...while evil prepares the fall of the next sacrificial lamb.
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Irresistible