Hakuoki Tenun no Shou: Chapter 2 - Get a little more information.
Amidst all this, I decided...
To get a little more information.
It's too dangerous to go any further.
...Let's hear a little more detail.
I decided to continue to follow the two.
~Next Scene~
The sun had now set completely, but their conversation showed no signs of coming to an end.
Sanjyuro Tani:
"In any case… it seems they haven’t decided their next course of action yet."
"So for now, let’s wait and see how the Aizu domain reacts."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"You do have a point, but… are you sure?"
Sanjyuro Tani:
"If they decide that Nagakura acted out of line, then there are ways to deal with that."
"By helping him out, we can also do him a favor."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...Earlier you said something about intending to have Chief Kondo adopt Shuhei."
"Are you planning to take over the Shinsengumi when that opportunity arises"
Sanjyuro Tani:
"When you say it like that, you make it sound like something bad."
"In times like these, it’s necessary to be prepared for the unexpected."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...And might there be a change, you could be responsible for a future ‘incident ’?"
Sanjyuro Tani:
"...Hey now, I’m not some kind of villain, you know."
"I just want to help make the Shinsengumi even bigger, and if I can get promoted along the way, that would be a nice bonus."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
I held my breath as I hid in the shadows, listening in on their conversation...
I couldn't stop trembling.
What should I do...? I just heard something terrible.
So, removing Nagakura and the others from the marching log really was intentional...
And they're trying to make Shuhei Kondo's adopted son so he can become the next chief.
Tani may have said he has no intention of taking over the unit, but I wonder if he truly means that...
Sanjyuro Tani:
"I'm curious about how the Aizu officials view this matter."
"I'm going to meet someone about that. Please explain my absence to the others."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"I'm also planning to go out soon."
"...Well then, let's make sure we don't get spotted. I’ll be off now."
Ah...!
The two of them then started walking in separate directions.
Wh-what should I do...!
Should I go back to the Yagi residence?
But I'm also curious about where Takeda and Tani are going.
Tani seems to be planning to investigate the Aizu domain's movements.
But where could Takeda be going?
...I'll follow him for now.
Having made up my mind, I tried to follow Takeda from the shadows...
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Oh, Yukimura. What are you doing here?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...!"
Before I knew it, Takeda was standing in front of me.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"N-nothing, I was just..."
"I-I was just cleaning..."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Cleaning? At this late hour?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"H-Hijikata asked me to..."
Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
Takeda closed the distance between us as if to pressure me.
Kanryusai Takeda:
"What exactly were you doing? You weren’t eavesdropping, were you?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"O-of course not..."
"Um, excuse me!"
As I tried to run away from this situation...
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Hold it!"
Just as Takeda was reaching out to me...
Someone blocked his path. It was...
~Picture~
Toshizo Hijikata:
"What the hell do you think you’re doing here, Takeda?"
I felt a deep sense of relief when I heard that low voice.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Hijikata...!"
I never imagined Hijikata would show up here...!
Kanryusai Takeda:
"C-Commander...?!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"As you know, Yukimura is my page."
"In other words, everything he did was on my orders."
"...You understand what that means, right? Now, back off."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"..."
Takeda's face contorted in frustration.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I see right through all the scheming you've been doing behind the scenes."
"But I thought all of that was your way of supporting Kondo."
"That's why I've turned a blind eye until now."
"But if you're trying to split the Shinsengumi for your own gain..."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Wait... please, Commander! This is all a big misunderstanding!"
"I swear I have no such thoughts!"
Perhaps intimidated by Hijikata's intensity, Takeda lowers his arm.
~END PICTURE~
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...Yukimura, I apologise for acting so rough."
"I completely mistook you for a spy who had infiltrated the Shinsengumi, and I acted out of line."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"It’s fine..."
This was clearly an excuse to avoid suspicion from Hijikata...
But it's probably best not to pursue this further for now.
Kanryusai Takeda:
"I will explain this matter properly to Commander Hijikata at a later date."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"It’s alright, I understand."
After bowing to Hijikata, Takeda left the Maekawa residence.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Let's go."
Prompted by Hijikata, I left the Maekawa residence.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Honestly, that was pretty reckless of you."
"What would you have done if I wasn’t around?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I-I'm sorry..."
"I just felt I had to hear the end of what those two were discussing."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I see. So, what were they talking about?"
"I’m pretty sure I already know the answer without even asking."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Actually..."
I confided in Hijikata about what I had just heard.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I see. That's exactly the kind of thing those guys would think of."
Hijikata looked in the direction where Takeda had disappeared, his face stern.
Then he turned back to me...
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You stay in your room."
"And don't tell anybody what you witnessed just now."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...I understand."
As I was about to head back towards the Yagi residence...
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Ah, hang on a sec."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"What is it?"
Hijikata called out to me, and I turned around again.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Thank you. Thanks to you, I've got a general idea of what's going on."
"But don't pull a dangerous stunt like that again."
"Not everyone in the Shinsengumi is on your side."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Alright."
After bowing my head once,
I headed straight for the Yagi residence.
~Next Scene~
Later, after dinner–
The Shinsengumi officers were gathered in the common room of the Yagi residence.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Some of you may already be aware of the situation, but..."
"Let me go over it again."
"The marching log that Takeda and Tani created... and the serious misunderstanding that arose from it."
"And the letter that Shinpachi submitted to the Aizu domain."
"It seems that the higher-ups of Aizu are also taking these matters seriously."
"Therefore, we must discuss this thoroughly among ourselves before responding. ...Got that?"
After saying this, Hijikata looked around at the others as if to confirm.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Yamazaki, the marching log, please."
Yamazaki nodded and handed over the document.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...First up is the situation regarding the marching log."
"As you all know, this was something we devised in preparation for battles like the Kinmon Incident."
"Sanan and I consulted together and created it..."
"But somehow it was rewritten."
"The ones who rewrote it were— Sanjyuro Tani and Kanryusai Takeda."
“...What do you two have to say for yourselves?”
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Allow me to explain a little..."
"We've been wondering about Nagakura's recent conduct as a captain of the Shinsengumi."
"To encourage him to reflect on his behavior, we proposed removing Nagakura from the log—"
"And we received the chief's approval."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"What did you say, you bastard...!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Calm down, Shinpachi. Let's hear what the two of them have to say first."
"What about you, Takeda? Got anything to add to this?"
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...It's true that I appealed directly to Chief Kondo."
"I couldn't accept that the battle formation plan was decided without consulting me."
"Nagakura has been having a lot of disagreements with the Chief lately."
"I judged that they both needed time to calm down, so I simply suggested that we put him on reserve."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Regarding Toudou, I heard that he was planning to go to Edo soon."
"So I thought it would be better to leave him out just in case."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Did you really approve of this, Kondo?"
Isami Kondo:
"Well..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I'll explain that."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"I'm asking Kondo, not you, Hijikata."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You know Kondo isn't good at explaining things like this."
"It's obvious that you’ll both lose your tempers and just start yelling at each other."
"...Or are you seriously planning to split the unit?"
"If so, I'll be the one you’re dealing with."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"......Fine. Please continue."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"From what Kondo told me, he only considered Tani and Takeda's proposal as a reference."
"He had absolutely no intention of formally adopting it."
"Apparently, he intended to consult with Sanan and me before making a decision."
"...So Tani and Takeda just misunderstood that it had been formally adopted."
Isami Kondo:
"I’m sorry… I was offered sake, so my memory is hazy..."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Well, we were out drinking at the time, after all."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Really? You guys should know that Kondo can’t drink!"
"Weren't you tryin’ to get him drunk on purpose to make him agree to things that are convenient for you?"
Kanryusai Takeda:
"How rude! We would never do such a thing!"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Stop it, Shinpachi. We got no proof that’s the case."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Tsk, I know that!"
Nagakura also seemed unconvinced, but...
He didn't seem to want to get in Hijikata's way of resolving the situation.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"On to the next matter. Tani's younger brothers, Mantaro and Shuhei."
"I can understand Mantaro Tani. He's a spear user, and a spear would be more advantageous than a sword on the battlefield."
"But to place Shuhei near Kondo--"
"And what's with his name being listed as ‘Shuhei Kondo’?"
"Shuhei is just a regular soldier, right? So let's hear an explanation."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"I've been talking to the Chief about this for a while now..."
"In these uncertain times, where we can't even know what will happen a day from now, I thought we should consider the worst-case scenario."
"Even if Okita takes over the Tennen Rishin-ryu style and Commander Hijikata takes over the practical affairs of the Shinsengumi..."
"Chief Kondo may soon become a hatamoto of the shogunate."
"I thought it would be wise to consider the survival of the Kondo family as well..."
"If you would accept our Shuhei as Chief Kondo's adopted son,"
"We could pave the way for the Bitchu Matsuyama Domain to become the backer of the Shinsengumi."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"......"
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Even though it was just a conversation over drinks, the chief seemed quite enthusiastic."
"It might have been a bit premature, but I just wrote ‘Shuhei Kondo’ so that the soldiers would know."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Kondo, is that true?"
"Are you planning to adopt Shuhei and make him the next chief?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"That can't be true. It must have been just drunken nonsense."
"Right, Kondo?"
Isami Kondo:
"...Yes, Toshi's right."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Even if the chief was a little drunk, we did give him a proper explanation."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"We merely wanted to leave a record of what the chief had acknowledged."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You guys are insisting that you're not at fault."
"However, if you had nothing to hide, you should’ve checked with Sanan and me from the beginning."
"So why didn't you...? I won't ask further for now, though."
Tani & Takeda:
"......"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I want to thank you for revising the plan we came up with."
"We should have listened to your opinions from the beginning."
"We'll use this as a reference and Sanan and I will come up with the official plan."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Tsk..."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Well, you're right. We should have checked in from the beginning."
"I thought it was a good plan, though. But Hijikata's point is valid. Ha ha ha."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well, if you're going to redo the marching log, I don't got any complaints."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Okay, then that's enough about the marching log."
"Next, regarding the issue of Kondo favoring only a select few officers..."
"As you all know, Sanan was Kondo's advisor."
"But with his current situation, it’s difficult for him to be deeply involved in the affairs of the unit."
"That's why it looked like Kondo only listened to the opinions of Tani and Takeda."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"That's right! That's why I, Takeda, for the sake of the Shinsengumi will–"
Keisuke Sanan:
"Regarding that... I'm thinking of inviting a man named Kashitaro Itou from Edo."
"He will become Kondo's advisor, so it won't be the case that only the two of you are given important positions."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"Wha–! What did you say!?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...If this Itou guy is a decent person, everything should be fine."
Heisuke Toudou:
"It'll be fine! Itou's a little eccentric, but..."
"He's learned and skilled, and he's not the type to flatter people to get something out of it."
"I think he'll be able to maintain a good distance from the shogunate."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...So that's the situation. What do you think, Shinpachi?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Well, I appreciate all the thought you guys have put into this."
"Now, if you can just get Kondo to stop acting like a lord, I'll have no complaints."
"Well, I doubt that'll happen, though. He doesn't want to acknowledge us as his equals now."
Then Kondo properly knelt in front of Nagakura...
Bowing his head in a respectful manner.
Isami Kondo:
"...I apologize. It certainly wasn't my intention to neglect you all."
"However, I apologize if it came across that way. Please forgive me."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"......H-hey, Kondo, stop it."
Nagakura seemed quite surprised by this.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Do you really mean it?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"What else could it look like?"
"There’s no way Kondo would be this skilled at acting."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well... I know that, but..."
Heisuke Toudou:
"What’re you gonna do now, Shin?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Kondo has listened to what you had to say and even bowed his head."
"You're not going to insist that you won't forgive him even after that, are you?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Guh, uh, uh...!"
Nagakura groaned, writhing awkwardly.
And then...
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"F-fine, I got it! I forgive you! Really, I do!"
"I mean, I've been, well, you know... It's been really hot and incredibly busy for a while now."
"So I was kind of irritated, and, well, you know..."
"I'm sorry, Kondo! I was wrong too!"
Sanosuke Harada:
"So you finally apologized. Honestly, after all that trouble you caused."
Harada said this, and then flicked Nagakura's head.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Alright, let’s end the discussion here."
"Tani, Takeda, you may leave."
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...Sir."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"Yeah, yeah. Well then, excuse us."
Takeda and Tani looked displeased, but...
They left the common room.
As silence took over the room, Nagakura suddenly shouted.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"I'm going out for a bit!"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Where are you going?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"To the Aizu Domain's headquarters!"
"I'm gonna bow my head to the higher-ups and beg them to withdraw that opinion paper!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Withdraw it...?"
"Is that even possible still?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"I'll do whatever it takes. I’ll even commit seppuku if it comes down to it!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Good grief."
"If you're gonna say things like that, then don't cause such a fuss in the first place."
As he spoke, Hijikata pulled a letter from his pocket.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"What's that? Don’t tell me..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I thought something like this might happen, so I got it back."
"I explained to them that some unofficial documents had accidentally been delivered to the Aizu domain."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Way to go, Hijikata! That’s one smart move!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Honestly, it was a real pain in the neck."
"I'll have you repay me with your work."
"I'll work you harder than ever before. Be grateful I’m letting you off easy."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Yeah... I know. I’ll work extra hard."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Good. I’m glad you understand."
"Shinpachi, give me your hand."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Hm? Okay, sure?"
Still unable to comprehend the situation, Nagakura extended his hand.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Kondo, if you would."
At Hijikata's prompting, Kondo placed his hand on Nagakura's.
And then he squeezed tightly...
Isami Kondo:
"...I'm sorry for everything, Nagakura."
Nagakura was bewildered for a moment...
But then he squeezed Kondo's hand back firmly.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"You gotta be more careful, Kondo."
"You're too kind... And there are plenty of people around who will take advantage of that."
"When you go out drinking from now on, you should bring someone you can trust."
"Like me, for example, or myself, or I could go along."
Heisuke Toudou:
"Shin, you just wanna drink Kondo’s share of the sake, don't ya?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"That's not true! I would never do such a thing!"
Their playful banter was just like it was before...
It was clear that all lingering resentment had completely disappeared.
Chuji Matsubara:
"It seems like this matter has finally been settled."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh, Matsubara."
Chuji Matsubara:
"For a while, I was worried about how things would play out..."
"I'm relieved that it's all resolved so nicely."
Keisuke Sanan:
"I hope this will be a case of ‘What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.'"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I’m sure it will be."
At that moment, I suddenly made eye contact with Hijikata, who was some distance away.
When I looked back at him, he returned a satisfied smile.
My concerns surrounding Tani and Takeda haven't completely disappeared...
But even so, everyone has made up.
That made me feel relieved.
~Next Scene~
Then, one day, after some time had passed.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Ahh... Summer's almost over..."
"In the end, I feel like I didn't get to do anything this summer except for inspecting new recruits, patrolling, and sword training."
"Those cicadas are as noisy as ever. I want to turn them all into tsukudani and eat them all."
Heisuke Toudou:
"Wouldn't tsukudani made from cicadas give even you an upset stomach?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Men, it's hot again today. I think I'll take a bath. Should I use the well water here?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Is that alright?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"The Yagi family seems to be out, so it should be okay for today, right?"
Heisuke Toudou:
"Right! Let's make it a special case just for today!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh, speaking of special things..."
Hajime Saito:
"What's the matter, Yukimura?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Please wait a moment. I've prepared something special for you all."
I ran to the well.
And took out something that had been cooling in the well.
~Next Scene~
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Wow, you prepared a watermelon for us!"
"As expected of our Chizuru! You're so thoughtful!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"No, this watermelon isn't from me. It's a gift from Hijikata."
Souji Okita:
"Wow, that's quite unusual."
"I wonder if he's actually worried about the fact that he's unpopular with the corps because of his bad personality."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I don't think Hijikata is unpopular..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well whatever, let's eat it quickly!"
"Since we've got a watermelon, why don't we split it open?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Well, this isn’t the most ideal spot. What if we break something in the house?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Then let's go somewhere open! Good things come to those who wait!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"The grounds of Mibu Temple are spacious, so that might be a good spot."
"I'll check with the temple to see if we can borrow it for a little while."
~Next Scene~
Hajime Saito:
"Just keep going straight, Shinpachi."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"You sure? Are you really sure this is the right direction?"
Souji Okita:
"Oh man, if only Hijikata had been here, it would have been even more fun."
Hajime Saito:
"...Knowing you, you'd probably try to lead Shinpachi to hit the commander over the head with a stick."
Souji Okita:
"Aw man, how did you know?"
Hajime Saito:
"I can guess what you're thinking."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Hey, answer me! This is the right direction, right?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Yeah, you’re doing fine. It’s just a little further to the right..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Right here?! HYAAAAAAA—!"
"All right, I did it! I hit it right in the center! Everyone, let's eat some watermelon with all our might!"
~Picture~
Sanosuke Harada:
"Mmm, delicious. Watermelons really are the best thing in summer, aren't they?"
Heisuke Toudou:
"Hey, Sano, don't hog the entire watermelon!"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Oh, relax. We still have plenty left, you know?"
Chuji Matsubara:
"Everyone, please stop fighting. There's plenty."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"That's right, please calm down!"
Hajime Saito:
"We’re with quite a lot of people, so it's not like it's a huge amount."
"Therefore, I'll eat as much as I can."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Even you, Saito…?!"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"What do you think you're doing, taking the watermelon away from me, the one who made a great contribution?!"
Sanosuke Harada:
"What do you mean, a great contribution? You just split the watermelon."
Souji Okita:
"Plus, this whole incident caused trouble for the Shinsengumi."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"That's over now! Why are you still dwelling on it?!"
"But you're eating it right after I said that! If that's how it is, then–"
~END PICTURE~
Nagakura shouted and ran off.
Soon, he returned with something in his hand.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Eat this! You gluttons!"
He spills water, apparently drawn from a well, all over everyone.
Sanosuke Harada:
"...Now he's done it."
"They say I've mellowed out a lot lately, but..."
"I'm not human enough to be so unfazed by being interrupted while I'm eating!"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"C-calm down, Sano. I’m just joking around."
Sanosuke Harada:
"Shut up, Shinpachi, prepare yourself!"
Harada, losing his composure with rage, grabs Nagakura.
Chuji Matsubara:
"E-everyone, please calm down! Private fights are, you know, against the rules or something..."
Sanosuke Harada:
"Excellent! I'll show you Harada Sanosuke's second seppuku!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"*Sigh*..."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"...Oh dear. Well, I guess I'll just let them fight it out."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Are they gonna be okay...?"
Despite all the turmoil...
The summer of 1864 came to a lively close.
~Next Scene~
Heisuke Toudou:
"Phew, I'm so full. I might not need dinner tonight."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Thanks a lot, Chizuru! Please be sure to thank Hijikata for me later."
Everyone seemed satisfied as they headed back to the headquarters, but...
Genzaburou Inoue:
"I'm glad everyone was able to enjoy themselves. Well then, shall we head back as well?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh..."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"Is something wrong, Yukimura?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"It’s just that there isn’t any watermelon left."
"I was going to ask if you could save some for Kondo and Hijikata, but..."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"What, really!?"
"I thought you'd prepared separate portions for those who aren't here..."
Chuji Matsubara:
"What should we do? Shall I go buy another one?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh no...! You don’t need to go through all that trouble."
Chuji Matsubara:
"But if we leave it like this..."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...I'll explain what happened to them later."
"It wasn't on purpose, so I'm sure they'll understand."
Chuji Matsubara:
"...You’re right."
"For now, let's clean up this area."
"I'll get the cleaning supplies. I’ll be right back."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Alright, thank you."
~Next Scene~
After finishing cleaning up after the watermelon splitting, we returned to the Yagi residence.
Then...
Isami Kondo:
"Oh, hello there you three..."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Kondo!"
"We're sorry! We have something we need to apologize to you for...!"
Isami Kondo:
"Oh, what is it?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Actually..."
I apologized for not being able to save any watermelon for them.
Isami Kondo:
"Hmm... That's a little disappointing, but I suppose it can't be helped."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I'm really sorry."
Chuji Matsubara:
"It's not entirely Yukimura's fault."
"The others had already devoured everything before we had a chance to stop them..."
Isami Kondo:
"Well, if everyone was able to enjoy themselves, then that's all that matters."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"But still, I wanted to help you and Toshi cool down a little."
Isami Kondo:
"Cool down, you say... Oh, I got it!"
"Wait here for a moment. They were selling something nice nearby."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Something nice...?"
After a while, Kondo returned.
Isami Kondo:
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here it is."
Kondo held out something that looked like a small lunchbox.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"What is this...? May I open it?"
Isami Kondo:
"Of course, go ahead."
When I opened the package, a sweet scent of brown sugar syrup wafted out.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Is this... kuzumochi?"
Isami Kondo:
"Yes. Doesn't it look like ice? It looks refreshing, right?"
Kondo was right...
The translucent, sparkling kuzumochi looks refreshingly cool, almost like small pieces of ice.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Thank you so much. It really is really pretty and looks refreshing."
"May I take this to Hijikata?"
Isami Kondo:
"Of course. I’m sure Toshi will like it."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Alright, I'll be right back!"
As I held on to the kuzumochi Kondo had given me, I hurried to the kitchen.
~Next Scene~
Afterward, with the tray of fresh tea in hand, I headed to Hijikata’s room.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Hijikata, are you in?"
I called out, but there was no reply from inside the room.
Perhaps he had gone out somewhere?
Thinking that, I looked around...
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Ah."
I spotted Hijikata in the courtyard and hurried to his side.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Hijikata!"
When I called out, he slowly turned in my direction.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Yukimura, what's the matter?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I wanted to thank you for the watermelon."
"Everyone seemed very happy with it."
"However, um... about your share, well they..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...They devoured it all, huh?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I'm sorry! I tried to stop them, but it was too late..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Well, I figured something like that would happen. Don't worry about it."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"As a substitute, please accept this."
I gently opened the lid of the dish on the tray.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Oh, kuzumochi. It looks nice and refreshing ."
Isami Kondo:
"Doesn’t it? Kondo bought it for me."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"There's only one left... Did you already have some?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh… Don’t worry about it, it’s fine."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"It’s not fine. Knowing you, you probably missed out on the watermelon too, didn't you?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"That's... a different matter."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Honestly, you're hopeless."
As he said that, Hijikata cut the mochi with a small bamboo spatula...
~Picture~
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Here, eat."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"......"
Don’t tell me, he wants me to eat it like this...?
Toshizo Hijikata:
"What's wrong? Just eat it. What, are you too shy or something?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Well no, but..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Don't worry about it."
"It’s not like I dislike sweets, but if I don't let you have any now, I'll look like a real demon."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"It’s just, being fed like this... makes me feel like a little kid..."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...That's fine, isn't it? Nobody's around to see."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Even so, it’s still a little..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Just eat it already. ...Here."
He gently urged me on, and I couldn't refuse any further...
Chizuru Yukimura:
"O-okay... I'll eat it..."
I hesitantly put my mouth to the kuzumochi offered to me.
A cool, simple sweetness spread in my mouth.
The chewy kuzu sticking to the inside of my mouth was somehow enjoyable.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"How is it? Is it good?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Yes, very."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I see, that's good to hear."
~End Picture~
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Thanks for all your help during all of this."
"It's thanks to your help that we were able to resolve things smoothly."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"No, not at all..."
Just hearing such kind words from Hijikata...
makes me feel very happy.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Please give me more orders starting tomorrow."
"I'll keep doing my best as your page, Hijikata."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Oh? You sure about that? Well then, you better be prepared."
"I’m quite demanding. I won’t go easy on you, got it."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...!"
Did I perhaps say something I shouldn’t have...?
Though I did mean what I said.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"It's delicious, isn't it? Go on, have some more."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...O-okay."
Even so, just seeing Hijikata's satisfied expression...
made me feel incredibly happy.
~END~
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