Making a meal with Shinpachi was always something akin to an adventure, and you somehow always got paired with him, despite whether you had cooked the day before or not. (You were certain it had something do to with the Oni Vice Commander's grudge against you, but really, it's not his fault he left his haiku lying out in the open like that – and besides, it was all Souji's fault for tempting you in the first place!)

It wasn't that he was a bad cook – in fact, he was one of the better ones in the Shinsengumi. He just had a penchant for somehow ruining the entire kitchen in the process. Or your clothes. Or his clothes.

He ruined a lot of things.

The first time you didn't think much of it – yes, he almost set your hair on fire, but he'd been so flustered and had apologized so much that you had immediately forgiven him. (He'd also been bowing low enough that his face practically got ground into the ground.)

The second time you wrote off as a coincidence as well – I mean, really, how many people ended up setting a wall on fire and dousing three people with water in the process? It was kind of funny, to be honest. (Neither Hijikata, Sannan, or Souji found that display very funny, though. It probably had something to do with the wave of water that got splashed into their faces.)

The third time was when you started to suspect he was cursed. His food always turned out fine, but.. No one could be this unlucky. The only conciliation for this mistake was that nothing got ruined – Heisuke's hand got burned, but hey, really, that was just collateral damage. (Heisuke didn't think it was quite so minor though, and he made sure everyone knew it.)

It was the fourth time you'd been making a meal with him, and you'd been watching him carefully. He seemed to be trying extra hard – and though he looked unnerved by your constant evil eye – it looked like nothing could go wrong. It was just rice – who could mess that up?

Which is why you were completely dumbfounded when he ended up tipping the entire jar of unheated water over. Which of course completely drenched you and left you completely soaked.

"Oh shit – shit I'm sorry, let me help –"

His cascade of words got jumbled as he tried to 'help' you dry your clothes, which really just ended up with the brunette groping you. In your angered state – because really, who could fail this much – you didn't miss his blush and his quickly stammered apology as you grabbed the nearest item and hit him in the head with it.

The sound of Souji's laughing just pissed you off even more, and while dripping wet you took off in chase of the 'evil bastard'. Harada, who had come at the sound of your yelling, merely gazed in amusement at his friend who still lay dazed on the floor.

"Did she really hit you that hard?"

"..Nah. She's just really beautiful when she's angry."

Harada chuckled, turning his head as your shouts of 'Shinpachi, you're a dead man!' echoed over to them. The brunette in question's eyes widened fractionally.

"…That may be a bit too beautiful, though."