As spring came, the 1st year of the Keiō era had begun.
Everyone in the Shinsengumi worked hard to protect the public order of Kyoto.
In the meantime a lot had happened, Sannan turned into a Fury, the headquarters was moved to Nishi Hongwanji temple,
Then there was the guarding of Nijo Castle and the visit of Doctor Matsumoto.
The Shinsengumi began to play a bigger role in protecting the peace and order of Kyoto.
And then autumn came around.
While protecting the peace, the members of the corps were able to spend fulfilling days.
In the meantime, I was able to laugh with them and I think I was able to build a better bond with them.
It was the same with all the captains…
As I spent my days with them, I felt like I had grown closer to them.
Knowing that made me happy.
It was around that time when I started hoping that those moments would continue…
As the Shinsengumi was living a fulfilling life in Kyoto…
The shogunate had begun its conquest of Choshu.
The final straw was during the Hamaguri Rebellion.
It was a battle in which the shogunate sent an army to drive back the Choshu clan.
However, there was no end in sight, and in the fall, the Shinsengumi also got involved.
Kondo and several other members decided to visit the Choshu Domain, which was enemy territory.
And then a new year rolled around.
The Shinsengumi secretly helped Ryoma Sakamoto, a ronin who escaped from the Tosa domain, at the request of Kaishu Katsu of the shogunate.
We managed to rescue Sakamoto who was attacked by the Fushimi magistrate's office…
And succeeded in safely delivering him to the Satsuma clan.
It was the spring of 1866.
This was around this time that the Shinsengumi began to get involved in cases that could not be made public.
An incident that started when one of the Shinsengumi executives lost his life.
~END INTRO~
Spring, 1866.
I was allowed to accompany Okita and the members of the 1st Division on patrol.
Soldier 1:
“The cherry blossoms are really beautiful. I’d love to have a cherry blossom viewing before all the flowers have fallen.”
Soldier 2:
“Yeah, you’re right.”
"When we’re done with this patrol, let's talk to the off-duty soldiers."
The cold winter has finally ended and the cherry blossom season has finally arrived, and it seems that the members of the squad were quite excited.
Chizuru Yukimura:
“It looks like the soldiers are looking forward to seeing the cherry blossoms.”
Souji Okita:
“You got that right. It's almost hard to tell that they are members of the Shinsengumi.
“It’s not just Shinpachi, but the other members have been wanting to go out drinking for some reason.”
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Well, not hard to guess why, when the trees are blooming so beautifully."
Souji Okita:
"They may be blooming beautifully now..."
"But the moment the wind blows or the rain starts to fall, they will be scattered all at once."
"It’s quite a pity, don’t you think?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"You’re right. They may only bloom for a short time,"
"But that's why I think you should enjoy them while they are still blooming."
Souji Okita:
"Hmm, Is that so…"
Chizuru Yukimura:
“Back in Edo, I used to go cherry blossom viewing with my father and neighbors every year.”
“And what about you Okita?”
Souji Okita:
“Back at Shiei Hall, there were many people who liked to drink and have fun.”
"I think it was the Kaneiji Temple in Ueno? I've been to some cherry blossom viewings over there..."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I've been there before. It's pretty well-maintained and neat."
Souji Okita:
"...Yeah, that's right."
"Once, Shinpachi and the others got drunk and caused a big fuss, so they got kicked out."
"Thanks to them, from then on, we had to have our cherry blossom viewing somewhere else."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...I can imagine that."
“Will the Shinsengumi be holding a cherry blossom viewing this year?”
Souji Okita:
"... I don't know. If a certain nag would give his permission, we should be able to hold one."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"By ‘a certain nag’ you mean..."
As we were talking…
Souji Okita:
"Huh? Isn’t that..."
Okita noticed someone up ahead and called out to them.
The person turned out to be…
Sanjuro Tani:
"Hey Okita. How's the patrol going?"
Souji Okita:
"The same as usual, nothing to report on."
Sanjuro Tani:
"Ah, I see. In other words, the ronin are also quiet. Well, it’s pretty nice for a change."
"The cherry blossoms are blooming beautifully, so it might be a good idea to take the soldiers out to see the blossoms on their days off."
Souji Okita:
"...You’re right"
"I hope there won't be anyone bothering Kondo during the cherry-blossom viewing."
Sanjuro Tani:
"Oh? Who are you talking about? I don't think there's anyone in the Shinsengumi who'd do something so rude."
"Anyway, let's all get together to make sure Kondo has a great time."
Souji Okita:
“Don’t think that suddenly acting like a goody-two-shoe will get you out of trouble.”
Sanjuro Tani:
"Ah man...hahaha! You’re so funny Okita."
"But, maybe having a sharp tongue is a good thing for young people like you."
"Well then, I’ll be going back to my rounds. Sorry for the disturbance."
“See you later, Yukimura.”
Chizuru Yukimura:
“Ah, yes. See you later…”
-Tani took the soldiers and walked in the direction where we saw them appear from.
Souji Okita:
"So, tell me…"
“Sinds when were you this friendly with Tani, did something happen between you two?”
Chizuru Yukimura:
“No, nothing really…”
“Occasionally, he calls out to me at the base or during patrols like now.”
Souji Okita:
“...Better be careful. You're pretty easy to read, and Tan is strangely observant."
"He may be keeping an eye on you."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...Right, I'll be careful."
It's not like I have a personal feud with Tani…
However, I’m in on some of the Shinsengumi secrets that Tani, Itou, and the general members don’t know.
So I have to be careful not to accidentally reveal anything.
Chizuru Yukimura:
“Speaking of which, how are you…”
Souji Okita:
"As you can see, I'm fine. Otherwise I wouldn't be on patrol right now."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“Really?”
Souji Okita:
“…I’m telling you I’m fine, but you’re still doubting me?”
"You're a real worrywart, aren't you?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"...I'm sorry. It's not that I don’t believe you, I'm just worried about you Okita."
Souji Okita:
"...I know my body better than anyone, so don't worry about it."
Because Okita is the kind of person who doesn't want people to know that he's not feeling well.
He’ll pretend to be fine even though he’s not.
Chizuru Yukimura:
“…That’s a relief to hear.”
His complexion doesn't look bad at the moment, so I'll take his word for it.
Souji Okita:
"But well, thank you for your concern."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“...It’s nothing.”
Souji Okita:
"Come on, we should get going too. Or rather, you should return to your search for Kodo."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Ah... Yes! I will!"
And so, we walked along the spring adorned main streets of Kyoto.
~NEXT SCENE~
-As we had returned to the headquarters…
Shinpachi Nagakura:
“Yo, Souji! Done patrolling?”
Chizuru Yukimura:
"That’s right. The 2nd Division was also on patrol duty today, right?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
“Yeah! Since it’s been getting warmer out lately, it's pretty nice while going out.”
“It feels kind of unreasonable that our only plans for going out are to go out for patrols when the cherry blossoms are blooming so beautifully.”
Heisuke Toudou:
"That's why we were talking about going to see the cherry blossoms together on our days off."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"You guys as well?"
Sanosuke Harada:
“Oh? Is somebody planning something similar as well?”
Souji Okita:
"Some members of the 1st Division were talking about the same thing."
"Because of that, this kid let it go to her head, and the entire time during the patrol, she got her head in the clouds."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“N-No I didn’t…!”
As I hurriedly tried to deny it, Nagakura put his hand on my shoulder.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"I totally get ya! How can you focus on patrolling when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom right in front of you?"
"So we have to hold a cherry blossom viewing, even if it's just to thank the soldiers!"
Souji Okita:
“Well in Shinpach's case, it's more like a drinking party than cherry blossom viewing."
Heisuke Toudou:
"Haha, you got that right! When it comes to cherry blossom viewing, it's more about drinking than flower viewing."
Souji Okita:
"Do you guys even have the money to go out drinking?"
"Sake and food prepared for a cherry blossom viewing aren’t cheap, you know."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Oh that? I'm going to ask our generous chief for cooperation, of course..."
Souji Okita:
“…In other words, are you relying on Kondo to be your wallet?”
Okita asks Nagakura with a cold gaze.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"N-No, no, that's not it! You’re misunderstanding."
“Even Kondo would be very happy to heal the tiredness of the day with cherry blossom viewing and start fresh the next day.”
Souji Okita:
"... Well, you’re not wrong."
Heisuke Toudou:
“Kondo has been dealing with a lot recently. So I thought this might cheer him up.”
Souji Okita:
"Ha. Don’t ya think that ‘a lot’ may be a bit of an understatement?"
"It's all because a certain someone was brought here."
Heisuke Toudou:
“You mean…”
Sanosuke Harada:
“Souji, stop messing around. Itou being an ass isn't Heisuke's fault."
Souji Okita:
"Is that so? Well it doesn’t change the fact that Kondo isn't feeling well."
"And it's all because Itou is trying to put all kinds of bullshit into Kondo’s head."
“Because of that, Tani and Takeda, who were originally held Itou’s position, seem to be in a bad mood.”
Heisuke Toudou:
"So you’re calling his insight bullshit, huh..."
“Well the Shinsengumi needs someone who can read the current trends in the world and give advice.”
Souji Okita:
“But that would be meaningless if Kondo’s worries increased because of that, right?”
“Kondo has always been considerate of other people, and he already has a lot on his mind.”
Sanosuke Harada:
"...Well, the more people there are, the more troublesome things will be."
They’re right, ever since Itou joined…
I feel like the space around Kondo became a lot noisier than before.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well, Tani and Takeda aren't really the type to keep quiet when it comes to things like this."
"It’s still possible they might cause a ruckus like they did in Osaka"
Souji Okita:
“…If they cause trouble for Kondo, I’ll kill them.”
Everyone smiled wryly at Okita's remark, but I wasn’t sure if he was joking or serious.
Souji Okita:
"...What? I'm serious."
Heisuke Toudou:
“Yeah, we get it, we get it!”
Sanosuke Harada:
"But isn't it a good idea to hold a cherry blossom viewing to cheer up Kondo?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I agree!"
"I'm sure Kondo would really enjoy it."
Souji Okita:
"... A cherry blossom viewing huh. Well if everyone says so, it's fine by me."
“And if Kondo gets some time to relax, I have nothing to complain about…”
"But the problem is whether or not a certain pain-in-the-ass will object."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Even Hijikata would be able to get his head around the cherry blossom viewing."
Souji Okita:
"Oh? But I didn't say a single word about Hijikata, did I?"
"I didn’t know you thought of Hijikata like that, Shinpachi."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"W-What!? N-No, no, I don't think that way about Hijikata!"
Heisuke Toudou:
“It’s a bit too late to be sayin’ that, don’t ya think?”
Heisuke's words caused everyone to start laughing.
Sanosuke Harada:
"Well then, I'll go and ask Hijikata about it later. I hope he's in a good mood."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“I hope so too.”
Even though the warm spring has arrived, there are still concerns…
I hope these peaceful days last a little longer.
That's what I was thinking about back then.
~NEXT SCENE~
However, the next day.
After going on patrol with Saito and everyone of the 3rd Division, and returning to the headquarters...
Hajime Saito:
“Hm? Yukimura, isn’t that…”
Hachiro Iba:
“Ah…”
Apparently, the other party had noticed us as well, and bowed his head.
Hachiro Iba:
"It's been a while. I apologize for suddenly disturbing you."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“Not, not at all…”
Hachiro Iba:
"Are Kondo and Toshi here?"
"There is something I have come to discuss with them."
Iba's attitude is different from the usual calm demeanor…
I have a feeling that something bad has happened.
Hajime Saito:
"Yukimura, please guide Hachiro inside."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Understood. Please follow me."
Hachiro Iba:
“Thank you…”
-With Iba following behind me, I guided him inside the headquarters.
~NEXT SCENE~
Chizuru Yukimura:
“…Hijikata, I brought you some tea.”
Toshizo Hijikata:
“Ah, thanks.”
I place the tea in front of Iba, Kondo, and Hijikata.
Hachiro Iba:
"…Thank you"
Chizuru Yukimura:
“You’re welcome…”
What exactly is it that Iba has come to talk about?
When talking to Hijikata and the others, Iba always creates a friendly atmosphere.
But as far as today is concerned, the air feels strangely tense…
It feels like the atmosphere before an intense battle.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Hmm... I see. So that rumor has spread further than I thought."
Hachiro Iba:
"Yes. It has become a hot topic among the senior retainers of the shogunate."
...A rumor?
I'm curious what it’s about…
Isami Kondo:
“Thank you for the tea, Yukimura.”
That being said, I can't stay in the room.
I can't interrupt their conversation.
Chizuru Yukimura:
"If you'll excuse me"
After bowing my head, I left the room.
And just as I was about to go back to my room…
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Chizuru, over here."
As I turned to the direction where the beckoning voice came from, there was–.
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"What are Kondo and Hachiro talking about?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I’m not sure... I was just serving tea."
Souji Okita:
“But you heard at least some of the content of their conversation, right?”
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Even you, Okita??"
Souji Okita:
"Quiet down."
"And is it really that surprising that I want to know?"
"It's not normal for Iba to come here without prior notice."
"I wouldn't have cared if he just came to see Hijikata, but since he also came to see Kondo..."
Certainly, I don't think that polite Iba would visit here without letting them know ahead of time…
Something must have happened.
Chizuru Yukimura:
“If I remember correctly, it seems like they were saying something about a rumor…”
Souji Okita:
“A rumor?”
Chizuru Yukimura:
"Yes. It's something that's become a hot topic among the shogun's retainers, or something..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"A hot topic, huh... What's the rumor about?"
Souji Okita:
"The fact that he came all the way here to let us know means that it’s probably about something related to the Shinsengumi."
"Let's make a hole in the shoji and try to eavesdrop."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“You can’t!”
Souji Okita:
"But you're curious too, aren't you?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
“The three of them might just be talking to each other so as not to cause any confusion.”
"I think they'll inform you all later..."
Souji Okita:
"You're so serious."
"But you don't have to force yourself to be a good girl all the time, you know?"
Chizuru Yukimura:
“I-I’m not forcing myself…!”
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Shhh, keep it down. I'm going to make a hole in the shoji."
-Nagakura lightly put his finger in his mouth and made a small hole in the shoji door.
-We could now clearly hear the conversations in the room.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Tani doesn't learn. He still hasn't given up on the adoption story yet."
Hachiro Iba:
"I don't know much about that matter..."
“But there are rumors that the head of the Shinsengumi will adopt a former feudal retainer of the Matsuyama clan in Bitchu.”
“The name Tani seems to be mentioned every now and then.”
"Inside Edo Castle, everyone seems to be interested in this. And to add to that..."
“There are speculations that from now on the Bitchu Matsuyama clan will become the backer for the Shinsengumi instead of the Aizu clan.”
"There is a lot of unrest about that."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Huh! What’s this about the Bitchu Matsuyama clan becoming our backer?"
Souji Okita:
“…Tani, you still haven’t given up on getting that kid adopted, huh.”
“To go as far to even do such a thing on your own accord…”
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Men, this is bad. The matter of adoption, but more than that..."
Hachiro Iba:
"Of course I know very well that you would never do such a thing."
"But considering how the shogunate and the Aizu clan would feel about the Shinsengumi when they heard this rumor..."
“I decided to check the truth of this rumor as soon as possible, so that’s why I came by without prior notice.”
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Thanks a lot. That bastard Tani, to do something like that behind our backs."
"Kondo, have you heard anything from Tani?"
Isami Kondo:
"Yes... He mentioned the adoption, but I thought that only a few people here had heard about it."
Souji Okita:
“I knew it, I should have killed him sooner.”
"I see no need to keep him alive anymore."
"When I kill him, I’ll make sure he’ll regret ever pulling such a stupid stunt."
Toshizo Hijikata:
“That voice, don’t tell me…”
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"No, calm down Souji! Don't be hasty!"
Chizuru Yukimura:
"He's right, Okita!"
Souji Okita:
"Don't stop me. That bastard, even though he doesn't have great sword skills, he always causes problems."
“Having him stay here any longer will only cause trouble for Kondo.”
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Oi, you guys! What the hell do you think you’re doing here!?”
Shinpachi Nagakura:
“Ack, Hijikata!”
Toshizo Hijikata:
“If you are trying to eavesdrop, do it more quietly. You're going to get in the way of our conversation."
Souji Okita:
“Since the three of you were holding a secret meeting, I got curious and so I got to ask–”
“What are you going to do about Tani?”
Hijikata gave no answer to Okita's rage-filled question.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...So you guys heard all that, huh. For now, let's go inside. If you make a fuss out here, other guys will find out."
Souji Okita:
"I'm warning you, if you don't have a satisfactory explanation, I'm going to kill Tani."
We were invited into the room while Okita seemed to be in a bad mood.
Souji Okita:
"...Hey, Kondo. What's the truth about the situation?"
“Are you really going to adopt Tani’s younger brother and make him your successor?”
Isami Kondo:
"Ah, well... it's not like I have made a definite decision."
“Putting aside whether or not I'll adopt him, I don’t think it’s a bad thing for the Shinsengumi to have a connection with the Bitchu Matsuyama clan.”
"And I think Tani is thinking about the future of the Shinsengumi in his own way..."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well, if you look at swordsmanship skills, and think about people with a close relationship with Kondo..."
“I think Souji would be the best person to succeed him."
"If that were to happen, Tani won't be able to go around spewing nonsense about the adoption any more."
Isami Kondo:
"That is something I‘ve talked about with Souji before..."
Souji Okita:
“I have no intention of becoming Kondo’s successor.”
Okita snapped back and the room fell silent.
Hachiro Iba:
“...May I ask why?”
“I heard that Okita’s house was inherited by your brother-in-law.”
“If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be a problem if you were to become Kondo’s adopted child and inherit his family and Tennen Rishin style.”
Souji Okita:
“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“Since this got nothing to do with you, could you kindly stop sticking your nose into other people’s private affairs?”
Toshizo Hijikata:
“Souji…”
Hachiro Iba:
"It's fine. I said something pretty intrusive."
“I apologize, Okita.”
Souji Okita:
"…Don’t worry about it. I’ve always known you were insensitive, so I don't really care."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Don't mind him, Hachiro. This guy has always been like this."
“At first, you were going to become the successor of Tennen Rishin-ryu, right?”
Souji Okita:
"That’s right. But it would be decades away before I were to take over.”
"Only when Kondo has become so old that he won’t be able to hold a wooden sword, I will think about taking over."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...And there it is. There's no speaking sense into that guy."
Souji Okita:
"Well I am the Shinsengumi blade."
"Any day there is a chance I might lose my life in a fight with ronin."
Chizuru Yukimura:
“......”
The reason Okita is so quick to dodge things about this topic–
Is probably because there is a disease eating away at his body.
He’s suffering from an incurable disease…
I think he probably thinks he won't live longer than Kondo.
The only people here who know about his disease are Okita and me.
Souji Okita:
"In any case, I think it’s better we do something about Tani."
“It would be okay if I were to cut him down, right?”
-Okita's unflinching words made the atmosphere in the room turn tense.
Hachiro Iba:
“Okita!”
Toshizo Hijikata:
"Hold on a sec, Souji. What the hell are you saying?"
Souji Okita:
"Well, he's only causing trouble for the Shinsengumi, isn't he?"
“Back in Osaka, he almost caused an incident and pissed off the Tosa clan.”
“He may have been Kondo’s adviser before, but Itou has now filled that role.”
"So the Shinsengumi doesn’t need him anymore, right?"
Toshizo Hijikata:
"This isn’t a problem we can just solve with bruteforce."
"We don't know how far Tani has spread the story of the adoption."
Hachiro Iba:
"This isn’t just a problem within the Shinsengumi..."
“If the Bitchu Matsuyama clan is also involved, this will become a lot more complicated.”
Shinpachi Nagakura:
“It would be nice if the people Tani spread the word to would just not listen to his nonsense.”
Souji Okita:
“Man, what a pain in the ass.”
"Why do we need to go through such a hassle when we can just kill the people who are bothering Kondo?"
Okita is clearly frustrated.
If we leave him be, I fear he might actually go and kill Tani.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Souji, don't make such treats so lightly."
Souji Okita:
"Why are you trying to stop me and protecting Tani?"
"Please do something about this bullshit, Hijikata."
“It’s because of him that the Shinsengumi is in this mess in the first place!”
After shouting at Hijikata–
Okita left the room.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"...Shinpachi, keep an eye on Souji and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Got it. I'll tell Sano, Heisuke, and Saito to keep an eye out as well."
Hachiro Iba:
"Kondo, Tosh, what are you going to do now?"
"If the current situation continues, there is a possibility that it will affect the trust between the shogunate and the Aizu domain..."
Toshizo Hijikata:
“For the time being, I will try to find out how much the Aizu clan knows about this matter.”
Hachiro Iba:
"I will do my best to help wherever I can. If there is anything I can do, please feel free to tell me."
Toshizo Hijikata:
“Thanks, it’s much appreciated.”
Isami Kondo:
"...I wonder how all this is going to play out."
"Tani has caused his fair share of problems. But he did what he thought was best for the Shinsengumi."
"...I don't want to make any harsh judgment if possible."
Toshizo Hijikata:
"We'll do our best to not let that happen… Shinpachi, Yukimura."
Nagakura and I raised our heads as he suddenly called our names.
Toshizo Hijikata:
"I’m sure you already know this... but don't tell anyone else about what you just heard. Got that?"
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"...Yeah, I got it. Ya won’t have to tell me twice."
Chizuru Yukimura:
"I understand."
Shinpachi Nagakura:
"Well then, I'll go and tell everyone to keep an eye on Souji."
After he said that, he stood up and left the room.
What should I do…?
Comments