So I know it's been a long time since I updated anything, and I said I was going to update another fanfic, but I was honestly more in the mood to write this chapter instead. There might be some typos and errors in the text because I didn't spend much time editing this since I have a lot going on right now, but I wanted to at least provide something for you guys.

Also, thank you to all of the new and old reviewers! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! And I say this every time, but thank you for being supportive and patient with me :)

Final notes before this chapter starts: I make several references to past chapters, and there's a lot of subtext to look out for. Also, this chapter is mainly dedicated to some side characters since I want to develop them before I drop the bomb (the past chapters -including this one- are all build-up for something big). And it will also introduce a new character (not an OC). Anyway, that's enough spoilers for now.

As always, enjoy!

Chapter 15: The Light Festival ~Part I~

"I'm sorry that I'm keeping you from your other chores, Yukimura-kun."

Yamazaki's face contorts into a sorrowful scowl as he continues drying the tongs in his hand. Sure, he could've cleaned his medical utensils all on his own, but I knew he was also busy tending to some of the soldiers who had fallen ill thanks to the scorching summer heat. Out of proper courtesy, I wanted to help him finish this simple task quickly so that he'd invest the rest of his time with the sick soldiers.

"It's no problem at all. I want to help", I shake my head slightly and offer Yamazaki a warm smile. He returns it, perhaps not feeling as guilty as he used to for receiving my help.

"Thank you", is all he says, but his tone is soft and endearing.

Yamazaki was never a man of many words, but when he does talk it's usually to give and accept orders. He's a stoic and dedicated member of the Shinsengumi –I'll give him that- but it's nice to see this different side of him that's warm and humble.

It isn't just his gratitude that keeps me happy, but me actually doing something is –even if it's washing and drying all of these surgical tongs and scalpels.

Today I have the same exact chores as any other day, but helping Yamazaki is the perfect opportunity to kill time –time in which I want to go by quickly. I always get my chores done fast, but today is the worst day to finish my chores early and sit around in my room and do nothing afterwards.

I need to keep myself busy in order to forget about…that.

The Dawn of Light Festival. Or the Light Festival, for short.

It begins today, and I'd be lying if I say that I'm not eager to celebrate this annual event, but given my misadventure with Okita just the other day in Flora, Hijikata had forbidden us from leaving the compound during the festival –the only exception to his order is when Okita has to leave for patrol.

If Hijikata had known the truth of what had actually happened to us a few days ago, I can't help but imagine that we'd be nailed down to our beds for the rest of our lives… So in a sense, I have to thankful about having the mild punishment of house arrest instead of the latter.

But now I'm stuck at headquarters, desperately trying to do anything that will keep me busy instead of sulking in my room and sitting there bored out of my mind. Perhaps that's why I'm so overjoyed helping Yamazaki.

"There! All done!" I boast as I set down the last clean tool from my pile, and I lean back with a proud smile on my face as I examine my hard work.

"Good work. Perhaps we should take a little break from our duties and enjoy some tea", Yamazaki offers with a small grin.

"N-No need. You see, I have to finish my other chores-", I begin to protest, but Yamazaki cuts me off.

"I assure you a little break won't hurt. Besides, today's going to be a long day, so we might as well. You've worked hard Yukimura-kun. You deserve a break."

I sigh. He may not be saying it aloud, but I can sense his concern for me in his voice. "You need to relax", is what he meant by taking a break. And admittedly he's right…overworking myself won't get me anywhere.

"…Okay. I'll go prepare the tea, then", I begin to move to stand, but Yamazaki stops me with a gesture of his hand.

"I'll make it. It's the least I can do to repay you for helping me here", he smiles one last time, before he leaves the room through the door that leads to the veranda.

He leaves the door open, allowing for a small outdoor breeze to cool me down. Despite the scalding heat, the breeze is more enjoyable under the shade of the roof, and I begin to relish this brief moment of relaxation. As I bask, I suddenly hear Yamazaki's distant –but obtrusive- voice from the hallway.

"Where do you think you're going?! I have orders from the Commander to keep you here at headquarters- Hey get back here! You can't leave!", the kindness and warmth from Yamazaki's voice is gone and replaced by pronounced annoyance. Whoever he's scolding is clearly disobeying orders.

"My my, you and Hijikata-san are both anal nitpicking asses about everything I do. And if recall correctly, you're clearly not my mother, so piss off", a familiar voice jeers back.

"Quit acting like an irrational child! How can you even call yourself a captain with that attitude?! Hey! Are you listening to me, Okita-san-?!"

What is Okita-san doing there?

"Be quiet", the familiar lighthearted voice that belongs to Okita commands playfully, but there's something disturbingly dark in his tone.

"H-Hey! Let go of me-! Gwarghh!", Yamazaki's shouts came to a sudden halt after following a loud thumping sound.

Just what happened to him?!

I quickly shuffle to my feet and run toward the commotion that was taking place outside. Instantly I find Okita standing behind Yamazaki…who is passed out on the porch floor?!

"Kyaah!", I can't stop the shriek from leaving my mouth, but nevertheless I rush to Yamazaki's side.

"What happened?!", I frantically ask Okita, who doesn't look nearly as panicked as I do.

"Good afternoon, Chizuru-chan. It's nice to see you too", he says sarcastically, but I narrow my eyes at him.

"That's not funny! We have to help Yamazaki-san!", I exclaim as I kneel beside Yamazaki and shake him gently. He doesn't even flinch at my touch; it's like he got knocked out cold.

"He's fine, you worry to much. The sun just got the best of him. You know that's been goin' around lately, right?", Okita tries assuring me with a calm grin as he drapes Yamazaki's arm over his own shoulder and carries him like a rag doll. I'm about to reprimand Okita for not being nearly as gentle as he should be with the unconscious man, but then I hear footsteps nearing toward us from the other end of the porch.

"Geez, Souji! You didn't have to go all out on him…", Heisuke chides as he approaches, and walking along with him are Harada and Nagakura.

"What're you talking about, Heisuke-kun? I just happened to bump into Yamazaki as the sun hit him too hard. Lately it's been pretty hot, you know", again, the dark tone emerges through Okita's seemingly innocent story.

"I feel bad for Yamazaki, but at least now we don't need to worry about him catching us", Harada speaks up.

…"Catching us"…?

"Let's just hide him in his room, and we better make it quick", Nagakura's voice is stern and serious, like he's assigning orders to the soldiers in his division.

I can't make any sense as to why the men around me are all acting strangely, let alone them trying to get rid of Yamazaki, but either they don't sense my disquiet or they choose to ignore it because all five men stride with purpose toward Yamazaki's room. I watch their backs with wide, disbelieving eyes and a hanging mouth.

"Huh? …W-Wait a minute!", I call after them and rush to keep up with them.

…

…We laid Yamazaki in his room so he could rest and hopefully recover from…whatever Okita did to him. Unfortunately for Yamazaki, he didn't look like he would be waking up any time soon, but the four captains hardly seemed to mind.

Neither of them had explained anything to me yet, and I'm getting annoyingly curious. But I suppose I have a right to be, I mean, they did subdue Yamazaki an earshot away from me. I hope they had a good or justifiable reason to leave poor Yamazaki like that. Regardless, I still want to know why they're all behaving strangely and conspicuously.

"Now that that's taken care of, we should get going", I hear Harada mumble to the men, who all nod in agreement.

For the Unknown's sake, what are they planning?!

"U-Um…", I coyly speak up. In my head I know what I need to ask, but the sudden attention I grabbed from all four captains is nerve wrecking, and it's hard to project my thoughts out loud.

"Ah, Chizuru, you better keep your head down too if you wanna come with us", Harada whispers softly. Somewhat sensing that they are all purposely trying to stay quiet, I swallow my shyness away.

"Go with you where…?", I ask quietly, using the same volume as everyone else.

"Isn't obvious? We're sneaking out of here to go have some fun at the festival", Heisuke is quiet as well, but it isn't hard to imagine those same words coming out from his mouth as a cheerful boast.

"Hey, Sano, Heisuke. Do you think it's a good idea to bring her along?", unlike his companions, Nagakura's voice is slightly firmer as he shares his doubts.

"She may not be able to drink, but she isn't a kid. She can handle coming to Keiko's with us", Harada lectures.

"I know, but now's the time to get loose!", Nagakura whispers harshly, yet his eyes flicker to me briefly before a shameful blush colors his cheeks. If I have to guess, Nagakura is acting like a teenage boy trying not to get caught doing something rebellious by his mother…or me, more specifically.

"Shinpat-tsuan, maybe if your mind wasn't constantly blocked with chicks and booze, you'd realize that we can't get that drunk tonight 'cause we all have patrol tomorrow", Heisuke chastises.

"You little… What's so wrong with wanting to have some fun this time of year-?", Nagakura starts whining, but Okita isn't having any of it.

"Are we gonna whine and bitch all day until the festival ends? I, for one, would rather be drinking sake now instead", he intervenes with that usual bite in jokes before he starts to head toward the compound's exist. Without any effort to resist, I frown and furrow my brows at him.

"Hold on a minute! We aren't even supposed to leave the compound! If Hijikata-san finds out-", I start to remind Okita of our punishment, but as with Nagakura, he cuts me off.

"You worry too much. Besides, Hijikata-san isn't here because he's busy kissing up to more of Matsuda's guys, he wouldn't even notice we were gone", he enlightens me calmly, as if none of this is a big deal.

"But…", I still feel uneasy, but then I feel Harada's large and comforting hand rest on top of my head.

"It's going to be okay, Chizuru. This isn't our first time sneaking out of headquarters. And if we do get caught, we'll make sure you won't get in trouble with Hijikata-san", Harada smiles down at me soothingly as his amber eyes burn with that distinctive kindness in them. But even with Harada's gentle assurance, I'm still somewhat pessimistic and doubtful.

In my uncertainty, my gaze unintentionally travels to Okita, whose wry grin falls the moment he sees Harada's hand ruffling my hair. Before I have time to think on that, Heisuke abruptly pats my back encouragingly.

"That's right! And I promised I'd take you to see the floats, remember?", he jumps in enthusiastically, compelling me to want to be as energetic as him.

Of course. We'd promised each other that we'd see the floats…and Harada's collectiveness is making it difficult to turn down their offer. But more importantly, their concern for me is heartwarming…I haven't felt that way since the last time I saw my father nearly half-a-year ago…

…Maybe sneaking out for a little while won't be so bad…

And honestly, perhaps I need to go out and have fun instead of sulking about every negative thing that has happened to me in the last four months.

"…All right. Let's go", I smirk confidently, feeling slightly devious now as my shoulders finally sag from their tense position.

"All right! That's the spirit!", Nagakura cheers, and we all march ahead together, finally catching up to Okita. My sight naturally lands on the emerald-eyed man, and I half-expect him to share the same enthusiasm as everyone else…but he doesn't.

His unfamiliar and uncharacteristic cold eyes pierce toward Harada's direction, and out of confusion I look at Harada. He is oblivious to Okita's directed glare at him since he is too distracted sharing the similar positive vibe from Nagakura and Heisuke.

Why does Okita look so annoyed with Harada? I'd never seen the two of them quarrel, let alone giving each other nasty glares. They usually get along pretty well… I can't understand what Harada did to bother Okita.

As innocently as I can, I let my eyes fall back on Okita to see if there's more to observe from his strange behavior. Somehow he must sense that I'm staring at him because his gaze locks with mine for a short moment, and he smiles.

It takes a mighty effort to not look so perplexed by his sudden change of mood.

…Something must've happened between Okita and Harada that I wasn't there to witness, right? I simply don't know enough about it.

….And it's none of my business, a harsh thought reminds me. I can't deny that I'm a little concerned and curious, but Okita and Harada are grown men. Whatever issue they have with each other, they can solve it on their own.

I put that thought on the back of my mind and try to emulate the optimism radiating from the captains as we leave headquarters…

…

…Loud noises and crowded streets make the city more claustrophobic and lively at the same time. I don't mind being around so many people, but admittedly it's hard to stay near any of the captains without getting pushed or shoved. But somehow we manage to stay grounded on one side of the main road as we wait for the parade to begin.

Then the faint sound of distant drumming grows louder and nearer. As soon as the drummers come into sight, the swarms of people scream with excitement and their claps fill the air. Parades aren't new to me, but the parades in the South aren't nearly as big and diversified as these Western ones. Despite being slightly alienated from Western culture, my heart pumps faster with the drums as adrenaline surges through my veins. Oh yeah…this is definitely going to be fun!

In several perfectly straight rows, the band of drummers is joined with the sound of flutes, cymbals, and other instruments I've never even heard in my life. Following the musicians comes a very strange but fascinating group of street performers. They are all fit and strong, yet their build isn't distracting from their beautiful and colorful attire. Both the men and women dancers move gracefully on the road, tossing and turning their bodies into incredible shapes. The even do a series of impressive cartwheels and backflips. Some even walk with just their hands!

And then the grand floats pass by, and Heisuke and I grin at each other like little kids excited to see fireworks for the first time. Promise fulfilled.

Everything about the parade is constructed perfectly: the band marches in sync, the music is moving, the dancers and acrobats are flexible and agile, even everyone's attire and colorful masks are beautiful and festive. This is a joy to anyone's eye!

"Here comes the finale", I hear Okita somewhat yell behind me, and I look at the subject matter.

Along with more musicians and more dancers come heavily armed soldiers. Swords at their hips and rifles in their hands, they all march proudly as they guard a fancy and eloquent carriage being pulled by six white horses. The framing of the carriage conceals the person inside so well that we the audience can't see him or her from outside. Just as I begin to wonder about the kind of important person that could be inside the carriage, I feel Nagakura come closer to my ear.

"That's Lord Matsuda and Lord Takahashi with their douchey crew. Ha! Look at them acting like they're emperors or something", he scoffs, but with a grade more insulting than his usual banter. I want to ask him about his bitterness toward the lords, but Harada steals my opportunity.

"We should get goin' or else we'll be stuck in the crowd all day."

"Wooh! Finally my tongue will get some sake!", a switch in Nagakura flips, and he's back to his contagious optimism. He throws a playful arm around Harada, and both men begin to disappear within the crowd.

"W-Wait!", I only take one step after them, and suddenly I'm separated from Okita and Heisuke thanks to the crowd. I try to push my way out, but somehow I only get pushed and shoved deeper into the crowd, and I lose sight of all the captains.

Now I mind cramped spaces.

As panic begins to rise within me, I start to call for help.

"Okita-san!", I shout the first name that comes to mind, but my voice gets easily lost within the volume of the crowd.

"Oki…ta…", I start, but something else catches my attention. Among the sea of people surrounding me, a white mask looking directly at me stands out.

I literally feel my insides churn unpleasantly.

"No…", I find myself saying, but I can hardly hear my voice over my own drumming heart.

"I'm sorry…?", the masked person says in a soft and confused voice and reaches a delicate hand up to the mask. I hold my breath as the person lifts the mask up and exposes the face behind it.

A beautiful dark-haired girl with wide brown eyes stares at me expectantly, but something about her face is strangely familiar…and not at the same time. But I've never even seen this girl before…

In order to collect more about this girl, I look back at the mask and frown –but for the right reason.

It's not a demon mask or a daunting mask with no expression; it's a fox mask. White all the same, but it's a fox mask.

I was getting ahead of myself…I was getting ahead of myself…I was most definitely getting ahead of myself.

The girl is not who I thought she was.

As a weird wave of relief washes through me, I suddenly realize that I haven't responded to the girl's questioning and waiting expression.

"Oh! U-Um, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to bother you", an embarrassed blush coats my cheeks, and I bow my head apologetically, but I coyly keep my eyes on her. To my surprise, she doesn't look annoyed with me. Instead a small beautiful smile pulls her lips back.

"Is that so? Funny how you were looking at me as if I were a ghost. Do I look that frightening to you?", she teases me –or at least I think she does.

"N-No, that's not it! …I-I just thought you were someone else."

Why did I say that?! I could've just apologized and left!

This girl is a mere stranger to me…so why can't I look or get away from her?

From her appearance, the girl looks completely innocent –if I ignore the fox mask. She also looks so elegant in her pink kimono, and even the small amount of makeup on her face is flattering. Like the first time I met Sen, I feel ashamed of my boyish apparel. Only with Sen, she was kind and sweet –bold and direct- but she was extremely friendly, not to mention that she helped me get away from Kazama and Amagiri. With this girl on the other hand…

She looks benevolent and modest…but there's something intimidating about her brown eyes that look like a pool of darkness under the shade of the mask…I almost feel like I'm drowning by just looking into them.

…I'm being paranoid. The first time I saw that mask startled me, so that explains why I'm so on edge around this girl. I'm clearly making this a big deal when it's not.

"Well to avoid further confusion, perhaps it'll make you feel better if you knew my name. I'm Nagumo Kaoru", she bows politely and locks my gaze again.

"…And it's a pleasure to meet you, um…", she trails off and waits for my introduction. Feeling pushed against a wall with no other options, I return the greeting.

"My name is Yukimura Chizuru, and it's nice to meet you too, Nagumo-san", I respectfully bow as well. Talk about awkward first-impressions…

"Please, call me by my first name", Nagumo insists courteously.

"…U-Um, Kaoru-san, then…", I correct awkwardly.

I hadn't mind calling Sen "Osen-chan" even though we had just met. But in my honest opinion, I don't feel as close to…Kaoru to comfortably call her by her first name.

"Man, haven't I already told you not to wonder off on your own?", a catty voice asks behind me, and I spin excitedly to find Okita. I smile widely, overjoyed that he found me.

"Huh? What's goin' on?", Heisuke pops up from behind Okita, and immediately notices the girl next me.

"…I think it's best I take my leave. Until we meet again, Yukimura-san", Kaoru says softly behind me and passes by Okita and Heisuke. She gives Heisuke an acknowledging nod, but her eyes brighten as soon as they land on Okita.

"Good day, Okita Souji-san", another beautiful smile forms on her lips, but the angling of her head and her sparking eyes portray her as an alluring and flirtatious woman. At that, I feel my spine grow cold. But with a mighty effort, I don't try to linger on that jealous sensation once she leaves…

"Yukimura-san…?", I blurt out softly. Odd how Kaoru requested me to call her by her first name while she remained formal with my family name…

"You know her, Souji?", I hear Heisuke inquire, and the subject of the conversation lures me in quickly. Yeah…why did Kaoru say Okita's name like that? I would've understood if Kaoru knew Okita due to his popularity of being a Shinsengumi captain, but her greeting was rather too confident to pass on as something casual…

"Not in the slightest", Okita responds aloofly, taking no obvious interest in Kaoru. I let out a quiet breath I hadn't realized I was holding until now. Still, my apprehension toward Kaoru doesn't disappear. As stupid as it sounds in my head, even when she's not here, I feel like she's still watching me with her dark, pooling eyes. There's my paranoia again…

Looking down at my feet, I frown and bite my lip. Frustrated with myself, I can't understand why I'm so anxious over a stranger I just met. Kaoru was odd, but nevertheless, she was polite with me for the most part. Maybe she's just too friendly… As if that's a problem, I mentally scoff.

Finally I look up, and I see Okita gazing at me with slightly narrowed brows. Is he concerned for me? As a humble sensation warms my heart, Heisuke jumps in between Okita and me.

"C'mon Chizuru, let's go!", Heisuke cheers as he offers his hand for me to take, which I stare at absentmindedly. My long staring causes Heisuke's cheeks to flare up.

"O-Oh! –It's just so that we won't get separated from each other in the crowd!", Heisuke quickly claims nervously, more than likely thinking that I was reading too much into his kind gesture.

"Heh? What's this all about?", Okita inserts himself into the conversation. I see the usual sardonic half-smile on his face, but something in his green eyes hits me like steel. Oddly enough, that frigid gaze isn't directed at me, but rather on Heisuke.

First Harada-san, and now Heisuke-kun…?

"I-It's so we won't get separated again! A-Anyway, let's go! Or else Sano-san and Shinpat-tsuan will finish all the sake before we get to Keiko's", Heisuke blurts, and with a soft tug on my hand, we begin running through the crowd hand by hand.

"H-Hey, wait!", I barely hear Okita call after us.

The escalation and speed of this encounter leaves me dumbfounded, but I mange to look over my shoulder in search for Okita while still being careful not to trip over anything. Not too far behind, I see him reaching for my free hand. Our fingers almost brush together, but then I see his hand pause and hesitate before reluctantly drawing back.

Huh…?

As I watch the distance of our hands growing further and further apart, Okita stops running after me. I want to wait for Okita to catch up, but Heisuke keeps on pulling me behind him, and before I can even tell Heisuke to slow down, Okita's expression holds me in place.

Even from far away, and even with the crowd starting to block my view, I see Okita studying his hand with a sad and pained expression. Despite the people surrounding him, he looks more alone than ever before, and without any tears in my eyes, my heart began to cry.

…What kept Okita from grabbing my hand?

…Why is he hurting?

All I can do is wonder and keep up with Heisuke. And for that, I feel powerless…

…

…At Keiko's, there's no such thing as any time being too early to drink, especially now with the Light Festival occurring. There are already drunk people barreling through hallways giddily, more laughs and shouts, and certainly more people being kicked out for hazardous behavior. Right now, being at Keiko's is hardly any different from being stuck in a cockpit. Luckily we got our own room since some of the staff recognized the captains –mainly Harada for being charming- and we made the best of it…or at least we tried to.

"Damn you Sano… Yer supposed to be helping me get some chicks, not takin' 'em all to yerself", Nagakura grumbles after having a considerable amount of sake.

"It's not like I can help it. Women will like whomever they want to like. If you wanna impress them, you just gotta step up your game", Harada teases lightly, before taking a gentle sip of his own drink.

"My game's fine! How could any woman resist these muscles?!", to match his claim, Nagakura flexes his huge biceps until they're practically bulging out of his shirt. I wouldn't be surprised if his muscles tear through his skin.

"Ya do realize that girls also want a guy with a brain, right?", Heisuke adds to the banter.

"I am smart, you little fart! It's just hard to get to chicks when they're all lookin' at Sano!", Nagakura whines.

"If I'm such a problem, then why don't you go drinking by yourself?", Harada asks sarcastically, to which Nagakura responds to with a childish pout.

"Well, you see…then I wouldn't be able to go out all the time…", he mumbles quietly, and then-

"MOOCH!", Heisuke exclaims, and there's a whole lot of shouting and name-calling afterwards. I sit back quietly and laugh nervously while picking at my food. Every now and then, I throw glances at Okita to see how he is responding to all of this. He isn't annoyed or as sad as he looked after the parade; he's just spectating the men's banter as if nothing had ever punctured his emotional armor. Perhaps that's his way of keeping things to himself, but after all we've been through together, I can tell something's wrong.

"Ahh, but it'd sure be easier to get noticed by girls if we had a title like Matsuda's or someone like that…", Heisuke comments while digging in to a rice-ball.

"Like hell we need anything like that!", Nagakura's voice suddenly rises, but it puts everyone off guard because there's nothing mirthful in his tone.

"Nagakura-san…?", I ask cautiously, mindful not to upset him.

"…Things like a title and status…we don't need any of that. At least that's not what I signed up for when I joined the Shinsengumi", despite the rosy color on his face, no one could mistake his seriousness.

"What do you mean…?", I have a feeling that this conversation is no longer about flirting with women.

"…I was such a trouble-maker back in the South –before all of this. All I wanted to do was fight for a good cause, and Kondou-san wasn't like any other dickhead samurai who just wanted money and fame or thought he was better than all of us. Seeing him be so devoted to protecting people…so devoted to us…made me want to fight for him at the frontlines", a small and genuine smile pulls Nagakura's lips back as he reminisces about his earlier days with the Shinsengumi. But then his smile fades away.

"…But when you throw stuff like titles and statuses into the mix –I don't really know how to explain it- but it bogs down your reasons for fighting in the first place…"

Although Nagakura is frustrated, it's hard to miss the sadness in his azure eyes. His usual cheerful demeanor is nowhere to be seen, and it's almost alarming. I had heard that he was born into a wealthy samurai family, but he gave up his inheritance and status for a place in Kondou's worn-down dojo, known as the Shieikan, but I hadn't understood why he did all of that until now.

It was at the Shieikan where the sincere and righteous Shinsengumi was born.

It's plain as day to see just how much Nagakura cares for the Shinsengumi and its virtues. To lose all of that just for a title…it's no wonder why he looks so heartbroken and why he was annoyed with Lord Matsuda and Lord Takahashi's pompous presence at the parade.

"It's a hard and complicated life we live…", Harada says solemnly before distracting himself with his sake.

"Yeah, and it's all thanks to our complicated politics", Heisuke adds, and no one argues with him there. Even I can hardly understand how Solis' government is set up, but all I know is that it all starts with geographical location.

The Great Blue is the simple name of the ocean that divides the West and South from the North and East. As a result of the natural separation, the West and South became the Earth Nation, and the North and East's union was once called the Heaven Nation.

For each of the two countries in the Earth nation, there are two lords. The South has Lord Shimura and Lord Fujiwara, and the West has Lord Matsuda and Lord Takahashi. And all four of those lords serve under Emperor Furukawa, who presides over the entire Earth Nation.

The North and East once had the same feudal system, but the North wanted to preside over itself, so they broke apart from the East and reconstructed their government into a monarchy. Last I heard, King Xavier was still on the Northern throne.

As for the East, they maintained their feudal government until they lost their war with the North. Since then, the East has been nothing. It's now as mysterious and scary as an unexplored cave. Well, that was what I believed until Kazama showed up with his explanation on oni…

"Well, at least Souji doesn't have to worry about getting the ladies", the mood of the room shifts back to a cheerful one when Heisuke digs a rascally elbow into Okita's ribs. I do my best to not obsess over this particular conversation, but I am genuinely curious about Okita's relationship with "the ladies", so I distract myself with my food as I listen intently.

"If you seriously believe that, you're not going to get any yourself, Heisuke-kun", he merely shrugs off Heisuke's comment like it's nothing to fret about, but the conversation's topic had already grabbed Harada's and Nagakura's attention as soon as it started.

"Oh? Did you meet any lucky girls, Souji?", Harada begins, then Nagakura follows.

"What?! You don't even go out as much, and you still get chicks?!", he half-whimpers in disbelief.

"You guys are making this a big deal when it's not. It was just one girl who said 'hi', there's nothing special about that", at this point, Okita seems more than a little annoyed by the attention he's getting about one girl. One beautiful girl… The sad thought gnaws my head.

"You're just being modest! This girl was sooo cute, and she didn't even say anything to me, but she was so flirty with Souji", Heisuke explains giddily to the other men.

"Oh. That reminds me…", Okita ignores Heisuke and suddenly turns toward me, his expression serious and even a bit concerned. Nonetheless, his eyes demand an answer.

"That girl… Do you know her or something?"

"Oh. Um… No, I just bumped into her by accident on the street. Why do you ask?", I can't help but blurt out the last part, but perhaps some part of me wants to know what Okita thinks of my encounter with Kaoru, or why he looked so concerned for me, or why he hesitated to hold my hand…

He frowns slightly, perhaps not satisfied with my answer, but he doesn't pry me with more questions.

"No reason…", to my disappointment, he answers me bluntly and turns his full attention to his drink.

Wait…why do I care if he's concerned about me or not? He has his greater issues to worry about, so why would he waste his time worrying about one harmless girl I bumped into? I try to be reasonable with my thoughts, but there's no betraying my bruised, swollen, and selfish heart.

I want Okita to care about me…

The problem is, I don't know if he could ever feel the same way about me.

I promise things will brighten up a bit for Chizuru in the following chapter, but what's a good story without any tension? Anyway, the following chapter will pick up at Keiko's again (I love writing bar scenes), and you'll also see more from Souji. But I really wanted to showcase this serious side to Shinpachi that gets overlooked way too often, so I hope I did him some justice. I also wanted to expand on Yamazaki, and I promise we'll see more from him in the future as well.

So there's that! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review telling me what thought/liked/etc. It really helps me out, and it keeps me motivated to write more.

As always, have an awesome day!