Hakuoki Tenun no Shou: Chapter 2 - I'm not going to either of them.
Chizuru Yukimura:
“I…”
I'll go to Nagakura.
I'll go to Hijikata.
I'm not going to either of them.
I'm worried about them, but...
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Maybe it's best to leave them alone for now."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"Well… You may be right. They're both probably exhausted and have things they want to think about."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Come to think of it, Sanan doesn't seem to be here either."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"Now that you mention it, I wonder if he's still in his room? Shall I go and get him?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Don’t worry, I’ll go."
~Next Scene~
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Sanan, it's dinner time... Would you like to eat in the dining room?"
I called out through the door, but there was no reply.
The lights are off, so I wonder if he's out somewhere?
Sanosuke Harada:
"How's it going? Is Sanan in his room?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Harada... Did you come to check on me?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"I was just curious. So, how are things?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"He doesn't seem to be in his room. Perhaps he went out?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Really? He's probably not meeting anyone, so maybe he’s out for a walk.”
Keisuke Sanan:
"What are you two doing in front of my room?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh, Sanan! Where are you?"
Keisuke Sanan:
"In my current situation, I can't even practice swordsmanship properly... So I just went for a walk to relax."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Oh, I see..."
"It's dinnertime, and you weren't here, so I came to get you."
Keisuke Sanan:
"Given the current situation... Rather than worrying about me, shouldn't you be concerned about Hijikata and Nagakura?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Ah..."
An awkward atmosphere hung in the air as the names of the two people at the center of the conflict were mentioned.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Well... they weren't at dinner either..."
Keisuke Sanan:
"It must be awkward seeing each other after that big fight."
Sanosuke Harada:
"...Well, I’m sure things will be back to normal in a few days."
Keisuke Sanan:
"We can't be so optimistic."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"What do you mean?"
Keisuke Sanan:
"...If we leave this as it is, it could escalate into a commotion large enough to split the squad in half."
Sanosuke Harada:
"Divide the squad...?"
Keisuke Sanan:
"Yes. ...Nagakura has a similar temperament to Serizawa."
"There's no guarantee it won't turn out like it did back then."
Sanosuke Harada:
"That’s impossible! Shinpachi would never—"
Keisuke Sanan:
"I hope so."
"...I never want something like that to happen again."
After that, Sanan disappeared into his room.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Um, who is Serizawa?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"..."
I was sure Harada would be happy to tell me, however...
Sanosuke Harada
"...He was the chief back when we were called the Roshigumi."
"Sorry, but I can't tell you any more than that."
He looked like a completely different person, his expression cold and his voice full of rejection.
It was as if he was warning me not to go any further.
Yukimura Chizuru:
"..."
I couldn't ask any further questions.
~Next Scene~
The next day, the sky was unusually overcast since the morning...
It was a very gloomy day.
While I was cleaning up after dinner, as usual...
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Everyone, please hang around for a while. I’ve got something I want to tell you."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Oh? What is this about?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"It'll be over in a bit. Please have a seat."
All the executives had puzzled looks on their faces, but...
Eventually, without anyone's input, everyone sat down on the floor.
Nagakura exchanged glances with Harada, Heisuke, and Saito, who were nearby.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"This morning, Sano, Heisuke, Saito, and I jointly submitted a letter of opinion to the Aizu clan."
"I wanted to report that to you all."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"You did what?!"
Nagakura's words caused a murmur among the executives.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...What on earth is going on? Explain."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Here's a copy of the letter. Please take a look."
After saying this, Nagakura handed the copy of the letter to Kondo and Hijikata.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Everything we want to say is written there, but basically..."
"Kondo's behavior these days has been outrageous."
"He treats us like his servants and acts like some kind of a lord..."
"He doesn't do much for the Shinsengumi and just messes around."
"And to top it all off, he adopted Tani's younger brother without consulting us."
"The successor - the next chief of the Shinsengumi - was arbitrarily decided by just a few senior officials."
Isami Kondo:
"No, wait a minute. That's not my intention at all."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"We believe that this behavior violates the Code of Conduct, no matter how you look at it."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I understand what you're trying to say."
"But this kind of behavior is outrageous."
"Do you think it's okay to go behind our backs and report this to the Aizu clan?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"That's up to the lord of Aizu to decide."
"If they say anything, of course I'll respond to their summons."
"I don't know what's going to happen from here on out... So, Kondo, you'd better make up your mind."
Isami Kondo:
"..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Are you going to change your mind and continue as chief?"
"Or are you going to continue to favor only those who say things that please your ears?"
"I'm not going to run away or hide."
"...That's all. Well, I'm going to get back to work."
With those words, Nagakura left the hall.
The remaining soldiers seemed unable to move from the spot immediately...
Despite the large number of people, the room was dead quiet.
Kanryusai Takeda:
"...You wound my heart, Nagakura. This is a real problem."
"I have plans later, so I'll have to excuse myself."
Sanjyuro Tani:
"I wonder if the lord of Aizu will really take such an opinion seriously...?"
"Well, I'm on patrol duty, so I'll be off."
And so, Takeda and Tani also left the hall.
Chuji Matsubara:
"I would have liked to hear a bit more detail, but..."
"I have something to do, so I have to take my leave."
One by one, the soldiers with other plans left the hall...
All that remained were the comrades from Edo.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Saito, it looks like your name is on this opinion paper."
Hajime Saito:
"Shinpachi asked for my consent, so I lent my name to him so as not to provoke him."
"I thought it would be necessary to keep track of Shinpachi's movements in the future."
"And yet, my name would end up being included in something like this..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I see. Harada, Heisuke, I guess the same happened with you guys?"
Sanosuke Harada:
"Yeah. He's not the kind of guy who would change his mind even if you scold him."
Heisuke Toudou:
"If we had refused, he would have just left the Shinsengumi..."
"But I never thought it would become such a big deal."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...For now, I'll go to meet with the Aizu clan and check their reaction."
"Harada, Heisuke, you guys keep an eye on Shinpachi to make sure he doesn't do anything strange."
Sanosuke Harada:
"You got it."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Souji, Saito, you guys just carry on as usual."
Okita Souji:
"Okay~."
Hajime Saito:
"Understood."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Kondo."
"Tani or Takeda might come to talk to you about this."
"Please dodge their question so you won't be pinned down."
Isami Kondo:
"...Yeah, I understand."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Geez, Shinpachi, that bastard..."
"He's out of his mind, dragging the Aizu clan into this."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
From the serious looks on Hijikata and the executives' faces...
It's clear this matter is getting bigger and bigger.
I wonder what will happen next...
~Next Scene~
The day after the incident.
Hijikata was summoned to the Aizu clan and left early in the morning.
He apparently returned around noon, but...
Chuji Matsubara:
"Oh, there you are, Yukimura."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Matsubara... Is there something I can help you with?"
Chuji Matsubara:
"The commander wants to concentrate on his writing..."
"So please stay away from the commander's room today."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Okay, I understand."
Chuji Matsubara:
"Thank you very much. Well then."
~Next Scene~
And then, as night fell...
The main senior officers were summoned to the hall.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I met with a high-ranking official from Aizu today, so I'd like to report back to you."
"It seems the Aizu clan has a pretty good idea of what's going on with the Shinsengumi right now."
"They've asked me to thoroughly investigate the situation and report back to them."
Keisuke Sanan:
"...Are they concerned that Nagakura might become the next Serizawa?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Probably."
The moment Sanan uttered the name "Serizawa"...
It felt as if a murderous aura was spreading throughout the hall.
Perhaps because the atmosphere was getting heavier, Nagakura, who was also present, was on guard.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"The Aizu clan is worried about two things."
"Is Kondo really getting too arrogant? And is Shinpachi and his group okay?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...To be honest, I don't think it's Kondo getting too arrogant."
"I think the problem is more that the people around him are sucking up to him and telling him all sorts of strange things."
"If you can sort that out, I have no complaints."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I knew I'd have to do something about Tani and Takeda eventually."
"I'll take care of those two. ...So, do you have any other complaints?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"No, if you do that, I'll have nothing else to say."
"Well, I guess… It was pretty impulsive of me to write that opinion letter."
"If Kondo and Hijikata change their ways, I won't complain anymore."
Keisuke Sanan:
"Why did Tani and Takeda leave Nagakura out of the marching records?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Was it to divide us...?"
"Maybe they were trying to turn Shinpachi into the next Serizawa."
...Here we go again.
The moment the name "Serizawa" was mentioned, a murderous intent ran through everyone.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Maybe Tani hadn't thought that far, but..."
"The fact that the Aizu clan was raising such suspicions was a step too far."
Souji Okita:
"What about that adoption story?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"The topic came up over drinks, but Kondo himself doesn't remember it."
Kai Shimada:
"We also asked the corps members about it..."
"It seems that Tani would take regular corps members out drinking and spread the word about the adoption."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Shinpachi, Harada, Heisuke. You guys should also take regular corps members out drinking..."
"Go around telling people that Tani's story has no basis and is just a tall tale. I'll pay for the food."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Alright, you got it!"
Keisuke Sanan:
"...What do you plan to do about Tani and Takeda, the cause of this commotion?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"We can't take disciplinary action openly."
"Even though it happened over drinks, Kondo approved it."
"Besides, those two care about their own self-preservation, above anything else."
"Once they realize we're trying to put an end to the rumors, they won't do anything more out of the ordinary."
"Even if it's just a little bit… we need to separate them from Kondo."
Souji Okita:
"...Geez, being short-staffed sucks. If we had more capable officers, I'd cut down those two in an instant."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Even guys like that are still useful as senior officers."
For a while, I wondered what would happen...
But it seems things won't escalate any further.
...I'm so relieved.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...It means that there's someone in the Shinsengumi who's been leaking information about the group's internal affairs to the Aizu clan."
"You guys need to be more vigilant than ever."
Hajime Saito:
"Understood."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"By the way... There's something that's been bothering me."
"Kondo, you didn't accidentally tell those guys about that thing while we were drinking… right?"
That thing...?
Genzaburou Inoue:
"This is going to be a while. Yukimura, it'd be better if you wait outside..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"No, it's fine. It won't be a very long conversation."
Before I knew it, Hijikata's gaze was fixed on me.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"No matter how drunk he was, I can't imagine Kondo telling Tani or Takeda about that..."
"If they did find out, he'd have no choice but to kill them."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...!"
Hijikata's words seemed to be directed at Tani and Takeda...
But also at me, here and now.
–If you find out the Shinsengumi's secrets, I will kill you too.
His eyes made that crystal clear.
Sanosuke Harada:
"...For now, can we just call it a day regarding this dispute?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Got any more complaints, Shinpachi?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...No. I've already said everything I wanted to say to you guys."
Heisuke Toudou:
"Oh, thank goodness! I was secretly terrified that I'd be forced to commit suicide!"
Hajime Saito:
"I had no intention of rebelling from the start."
"So if that were to happen, I would have had to kill Shinpachi and prove my innocence."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Hey, hey, hey, wait, wait, wait! Don't just joke around with a straight face!"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"More importantly, Shinpachi... I'm sorry for not going after Tani and Takeda."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well... I was sorry too..."
"It was hot, and I was a bit irritated."
"You know, well... I was wrong too."
Everyone seems to be acting like they did before this whole incident...
Suddenly, I realized Sanan was beside me.
Keisuke Sanan:
"...I'm glad we didn't have to ask anything unnecessary."
"If someone had let something slip, I would have had to kill you."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"..."
At first glance, he looks cheerful, but...
The eyes behind his glasses were cold and impassive, and he didn't seem to be joking.
And then...
Sanosuke Harada:
"I won't let you do something so dangerous. ...Let's go."
Harada took me by the arm and led me out of the hall.
~Next Scene~
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well, I’ve got to get up early tomorrow, so I'll be heading to bed."
"I'm sure Hijikata and the others will have a hard time cleaning up after today."
Sanosuke Harada:
"Don’t count yourself out, buddy. You’re the one who dragged the Aizu clan into this mess."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"What... Me too?"
"I mean, I did it with the Shinsengumi's best interests in mind..."
Heisuke Toudou:
"The way you did it is the problem! If you're going to do it, you should at least do a little more background work."
Their voices drifted through the silence of the night.
I'm just glad that this turmoil has been resolved...
Recalling the ominous atmosphere that hung over the hall earlier, I just can't help but feel a little more cheerful.
Did they notice how I was acting...?
Sanosuke Harada:
"...Don't worry about it. It's nothing you need to know."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Okay."
I answered, burying many questions in my mind.
~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 it okay?"
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:
"No, it won't taste good here. 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:
"Hah..."
Genzaburou Inoue:
"...Oh dear. Well, I guess I'll just let them fight it out."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Is this really okay...?"
Despite all the turmoil...
The summer of 1864 came to a lively close.
~Next Scene~
One late night, a few days later.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Sorry I'm late. Looks like everyone's already here."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"It’s fine. I hope no one saw you on the way here."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Yeah, it should be fine."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"How are Tani and Takeda doing? Are they acting strangely?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well, after all that happened, they seem to be behaving quietly for now."
"...But I'm still curious as to how much they know about that drug."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I checked with Kondo… and he hasn't told those two anything about the drug."
Sanosuke Harada:
"But Kondo is a kind person… It's possible that he might’ve trusted those two and told them."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Itou of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school is joining us soon, right? Are you going to explain the situation to him?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...I can't really say anything until I actually meet them. I'll wait and see for a while."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Yeah, that might be for the best."
Keisuke Sanan:
"By the way, about that medicine... I discovered something interesting."
"Not everyone who drinks the water of life goes crazy from the blood."
"For some reason, there are some who were able to retain their sanity, and some who were able to return to human form of their own volition."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Why is there such a difference?"
Keisuke Sanan:
"I'm currently investigating, but... Unfortunately, research has been halted since Kodo’s disappearance."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"How's the search for Kodo going?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"I asked her to join me on my patrols, but..."
"Unfortunately, we didn’t find any leads."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I see... Maybe Kodo isn't in Kyoto anymore."
Keisuke Sanan:
"Maybe he got caught up in some kind of incident... Or maybe he was taken away due to some kind of Fury connection?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...If it's the latter, that's troublesome. I can only hope he's not caught by some rogue samurai."
"I feel sorry for Yukimura... but I don't think we can let her out of here for a while."
Keisuke Sanan:
"Fortunately, Yukimura seems to be quite perceptive."
"It seems she's also aware that there are circumstances that she shouldn't get involved in."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...By the way, about Matsubara."
"Are we going to keep the drugs a secret from him?"
Keisuke Sanan:
"Indeed... What do you think, Hijikata?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Let's wait and see how things go for a little longer."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"I think Matsubara is a trustworthy guy."
"He properly executes any job assigned to him, and he keeps his promises."
"He also seems to be on good terms with Yamazaki and Shimada, so it'll be easier to move forward if he knows the situation."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"It's not that I don't trust him."
"But, you know..."
"I think he's a little too upright to get involved in this kind of thing."
"He'd have to kill his former comrades who'd gone mad."
Sanosuke Harada:
"... Revealing the secret would mean he'd no longer be able to escape."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"... I suppose that's true. Maybe he's not cut out for this sort of thing."
Keisuke Sanan:
"Well, shall we call it a day?"
"I look forward to working with you in the future. Hijikata, Nagakura, and Harada."
~END~
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