Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my random writing.

Author's Note: This used to be a One Shot called Just A Short Encounter, but I decided to continue it. ...The one shot was written two years ago, I think.

Warning: In case you missed the details of the story, there will be OCs in this fanfic. And the deaths of the characters are involved.

Chapter 0: Just A Short Encounter

"There's that brat again," a man mumbled tiresomely.

The little boy named Okita Souji walked out of the front gates of Kondou's residence. He was tying his brown hair up and adjusting it while his green eyes focused on the path ahead of him. He had heard someone saying something stupid and just ignored a couple of men as he ran pass them. In his mind, he kept reminding himself what to buy. He was carrying a small black clothed bag in his hand, tightly grasping it.

Entering the market area, people behind booths were selling many kinds of things. Souji paid no attention to the jewelries, clothes, and candy snacks. He approached the booth that had vegetables and looked up at the old woman who was selling them.

"I like a bundle," Souji's childish voice requested.

The old woman smiled gently, grabbing the leafy vegetable and handing it towards him. "I don't see you here very often," she said, smiling with her eyes.

Souji took out a coin out of the same small bag. He took the vegetable while handing her the money in her other hand. "…Just doing an errand," he smirked. "For Kondou-san."

"Ah, I see," she slowly nodded. "I didn't know he had accepted another child into his home… How is Toshizo?"

Souji didn't know this old woman very well, but smiled, "Just fine."

When he turned around to leave, she waved, "Good day now, child."

While he waved back, looking over his shoulders to her, he then bumped into someone shortly after. The two of them fell to the ground together, crying out loud. Souji rubbed his knee as he sat up and looked at the girl who seemed younger than him. "Hey…" he started to say.

The girl glared at him. She had brown hair reaching to her neck and blue eyes. "Hey, watch it!" she nearly shouted. She wasn't hurt and dusted herself as she stood up, looking down at him. She was wearing a simple blue kimono. "Weren't you looking at all?"

Souji glared back. "If you had happened to look and noticed that I wasn't, then we would not have bumped into each other," he told her calmly. "So you weren't looking either." How could she blame him?

She showed a bit of shame but put her hands on her hips, leaning forward. "Geez, at least say you're sorry," she glared again.

He didn't back away from her and picked up the bundle of vegetables, standing up. "You're also at fault!" he tried to keep his cool. "There's no way I'm apologizing to you."

The girl backed away, half scare. Someone touched the girl's right shoulder and she looked up to see who it was. "Auntie Akiko…" the girl whimpered.

A young woman with very long brown hair and kind brown eyes slightly pulled the girl away from Souji. Smiling at him, she said, "I'm sorry for her behavior. This is her first time in a crowded place like this."

Souji stared at the woman, slightly nodding after a moment. He wasn't exactly angry anyway. "It's fine," he grinned.

The little girl pouted, eyeing Souji. She tugged on Akiko's sleeve. "I'm getting hungry," she mumbled to her softly.

"If you apologize first, then we will," Akiko smiled pleasantly. The little girl's eyes sadden, as if regretful.

Souji walked away first, not wanting to hear the stupid girl complain. But then he heard her call, "I'm really sorry." He didn't stop walking and ignored her. She sounded kind enough and as if she did really meant it, but he didn't care. He just wanted to see Kondou's happy expression once when he returned back home with the errand he ran for him. He was smiling to himself and disappeared from the woman and girl's sight in no time.