Part 2! Enjoy!

Closer
Pt2

Sougo was barely 5 when their parents died.

He didn't remember anything before that. He clearly remembered one night how he had cried for their mother and his sister's devastated expression.

It was the last time he ever asked for their mother. After all, he had his sister and he never wanted to see her cry again.

Sougo and Mitsuba moved in with their father's sister. She was not bad per se, but having to take care of kids was the last thing on her list so she let them pretty much without oversight.

That's how Mitsuba became much more of a mother than a sister.

When he got into fights with other kids, she was the one who scolded him and mended his injuries. She was the one who would help him with his homework and made sure that he ate.

She was the one who started taking part time jobs at 15 to pay for Sougo's kendo classes at the Shimura's dojo. Their aunt already payed for their school, clothes and food therefore Mitsuba took care of every extra to not add more of a burden.

Sougo wanted to refuse at first but he himself knew that kendo was the only thing that made him focus his overflow of energy and it was the best way to calm him.

It was also when he met Kondo and Hijitaka. At the time, they were respectively in 3rd and 2nd year of high school and they seemed so cool in Sougo's 9 year old eyes.

Kondo is an over positive idiot but Sougo respected him for his values and started to claim that him too will be a policeman, just like Kondo was aiming.

It also around that time that Mitsuba, who only had eyes to protect her little brother, started looking at other men, or more one man in particular.

Sougo never missed the blush on his sister's face or the longing face whenever Hijitaka was near. And all of the sudden, Sougo took a disliking in Hijitaka and found multiple way how to trick the older man.

Mitsuba always said it was cute and laughed about it every time she caught him but never scold him or deny her affection.

Sougo was 16 when he met Kagura.

She had moved from China to live with the Boss, who was also his freshly graduated homeroom teacher that Sougo refused to call "Professor Sakata". They told Sougo that she moved with the Boss for family reasons. Nothing more was explained and Sougo gave little attention to her when he went to the Shimura's dojo where she was often seen lounging, either with the Shimura's kids either trying to train.

At this point, he lived in an apartment with Mitsuba, who was working full time. She was trying to gather enough money to let him go to university. She also refused him to take a part time job as he was "enough busy with his kendo club, plus extra training at the Shimura's" or so she said.

She was also dating the mayonnaise bastard, to Sougo's misery, who was training to be a policeman in the big city with Kondo.

Sougo was jealous. He quickly wanted to join them, so he indulged her and focused on school and kendo.

The first time Sougo actually acknowledge Kagura's existence, was when she was holding the bamboo sword the wrong way and none of the Shimuras were there to correct her.

He corrected her, called her an idiot for good measure, and continued his own training.

"This is so boring!" She exclaimed after minutes.

"Then go away."

"Fight me!"

He looked at her, incredulous.

"What? You scared to lose against a little girl?"

Her tone was so mocking that he cracked. He had the intension to knock her once, make her cry thus making her learn the lesson to not challenge the best Kendo man in town.

Instead, he was surprised by her strength in her swings. Her form was all over the place but she had power and Sougo was inwardly impressed.

"Sougo, what are you doing?!" Came the voice of the Shimura's son.

"Fuck off Four eyes! I got him!" Kagura replied and she threw the bamboo sword.

She punched him in the stomach, a punch that no normal 12 year old girl should be able to do.

So naturally, Sougo punched her back and the Shimura's son was panicking.

At the end, it was Gintoki that separates them.

"I know she's strong but she's still 12," Shimura Senior told him as his daughter mended his injury (the crazy bitch had bitten him!)

"I don't care. She punches seriously, I punch seriously," deadpanned Sougo.

"But it is expected of a boxer's daughter," the Shimura daughter said and that took Sougo's attention.

"Boxer?"

"You didn't know? Her father is a renowned boxer. He's currently in an international tour, that's why she's staying with Gintoki."

It doesn't explain anything, Sougo wanted to complain but decided against it.

The next day, he discovered where she trained in kickboxing and demanded a rematch which she gladly accepted.

At this point, everyone and their mother knew about China's huge crush on Sougo but he did as if he hadn't notice.

He was about to graduate high school and she was about to graduate her 2nd year of middle school. They continued to train and bicker but Sougo ignored when she blushed or let her gaze long a bit too much.

He was flattered, in a way, but she was too young and he wanted to explore his possibilities.

The bad thing about a small town though was that everyone knew each other so Sougo could not foul around as much as he'd like. If he did, somebody would know and she would know and she would most likely cry to the Boss and an angry mob would come after him.

He couldn't wait to go to university in the city.

"But won't you miss this town?" She asked him a week before he leaves, when they are walking back home after a kickboxing session.

"It's not like I'll be far away. It's two hours in train."

"You'll come back every weekend?"

"Just enough to kick your ass."

She punched him on shoulder. "You wish."

They continued to walk in silence until they were at the crossroad where they went different ways.

"Sadist..."

She shifted on her feet and looked down, making his heart thumped loudly. He started to wonder if he'd actually be able to reject her if she actually confessed.

No you won't, a part of his brain told him.

"Sadist..." she looked back at him with her blue eyes full of confidence, "You better not slack off when you're away."

He laughed and flickered her forehead. "I can tell you the same, China."

She looked at him, full blush on and Sougo was tempted to kiss her, just to see her reaction.

No, he could never reject her.

He slowly walked back. "See ya, China."

He turned and gave a lazy wave.

"See ya, Sougo."

He did as if he hadn't hear her.

It was cancer.

We are optimist about the chemotherapy and she's young, only 25, the doctors kept repeating.

Sougo wasn't sure if they were trying to convince him or themselves.

"I'm okay, Sougo," Mitsuba kept saying when he visited her at the hospital.

"But you are alone." He was in the city and that idiot Hijitaka was still trying to get a transfer in their old town.

"I am not alone. Everyone has been helping me, our aunt, the Shimuras, Gintoki and Kagura... Of course I am sad my favourite boys are out of town but I know you are doing your best. It would break my heart if you'd quit your dream just to be by my side Sougo. I mean it."

He knew she did. Because she had been supporting him since day one.

His eyes fell on the ring at her left hand's ring finger.

He didn't care that she was getting married to the stupid Hijitaka, he wanted her in that white dress, like she was supposed to.

She caught his gaze and smiled. "Toshi proposed to get married anyway and do the ceremony when I get out of treatment."

"And you said no?"

"Actually..."

"Really?"

"He already signed his part and we only need a witness. I don't want any other names but yours."

Sougo cannot help but smile at his sister radiant face as she let out the document. He didn't say a word as he filled in his part.

"I'll bring it to the ward office today."

"You don't have to..."

"I want to."

A few days later, Sougo received a photo from his sister. It her crying and smiling face with a paper saying "Acceptance of marriage".

It was already a bad day, he was late for his class and had no time for whoever was calling.

"What?" He replied on the phone.

"Sougo Okita?"

"Yeah."

"This is the general hospital. We are sorry to say that your sister, Mitsuba Okita, deceased this morning at..."

Sougo's world turned black.

He showed no emotion during the funerals or the reading of the will.

Sougo could not look at Hijitaka in the face but he could guess that the bastard didn't look like much.

Two weeks ago, she had been good. She had been laughing and had showed Sougo the choice they had for their possible new house.

How can everything turn wrong in two weeks?

But Sougo hated himself even more because he hadn't been there for her. In her final moments, she had been alone.

He stared at the family stone with her name freshly written. He was feeling sick.

He slowly went out the graveyard. He first tried to go to the apartment but knowing it would be empty and dusty, most her belonging were at the hospital anyway, he turned and headed back to the train station.

In the corner of his eyes, Sougo saw a flash of red.

Kagura stood there, eyes puffy from what he could only imagine be her crying. The only thing Sougo remembered was his last conversation with Mitsuba about his love life. She had kept hinting that she couldn't wait to "have a beautiful sister-in-law" and how Kagura was turning more beautiful every day.

He couldn't face her. Not now.

Without exchanging words, he left.

"Hijitaka."

"Sougo."

It had been two years more or less since the last time he had seen him.

"Don't stand there, Sougo, sit with us!" Kondo exclaimed and Sougo obliged. "Toshi had nothing to do today so I thought he could join us."

Kondo's boisterous voice loosen the tension but Sougo still felt uncomfortable.

Kondo explained to Hijitaka how he met Sougo in the new police recruits ceremony and how they reconnected.

Hijitaka barely said a word and Kondo continued his monologue, switching to how Sougo had finished first of his class to rant about the beautiful Tae that still didn't want to marry him.

As the night went on, Sougo could almost feel like he actually belonged there and cracked a few jokes on Kondo and Hijitaka's expense.

"I'm glad you're okay, Sougo."

Sougo blinked but could swore he could see his sister behind Hijikata, smiling at him. He smiled back at her. "I'm surprised you didn't die on mayonnaise overdose."

And just like that, Sougo found back a part of him.

He went back in town and it was weird as nothing has changed.

The fish seller at the corner of the street recognized him and gave him a few things for free. The old lady next to his aunt gave him tomatoes from her garden as she seen him and started trying to matchmake him with her granddaughter.

Her aunt, who never had looked like she cared much, gave him a bear hug and cried a little.

After they settled down inside with tea and make him relate what happened and the few years they lost contact, she asked him if he wanted to look into few things his sister left behind.

He found himself ok to do so.

Later on, he passed by the Shimura's dojo where Shimura Senior made him train against Shimura junior and Shimura's daughter gave them tea.

He stoped next door to the Boss' place.

"Oh Souchiro! You're alive!"

"It's Sougo."

Gintoki simply shrugged and let him inside. He kept glancing around until he saw the golden belt and a picture of Kagura with it.

"Impress, isn't? She won the junior regionals. It was expected." He sounded like a proud dad.

"She's continuing pro?" Sougo asked before he can stop himself.

"Yes and no. She's unsure. She still does tournaments and she's gaining a bit of attention but she's also in universities in humanities." Gintoki shrugged once more and sat down.

"University?"

"Same as yours."

They've been in the same city for two years without him knowing. It sat wrong with him but didn't dwell on the feeling.

"You broke her heart, you know that?"

Sougo hadn't expect a direct confrontation so he took his time to respond. "I can imagine."

"You didn't have to break off with everyone."

"It felt like the only solution at the time," he replied honestly.

Gintoki sighed. "Just don't break her heart twice."

Sougo almost wanted to ask what did it mean but decided against it. Instead he asked about his previous classmates and the conversation stayed pleasant.

It was only when he left the house, and did a quick google search on her whereabouts that he started to dwell on the words.

It was a thing to see her picture but it was a complete other thing to see her in real.

She had turned beautiful, not that he would ever tell her in the face.

She was standing on the train's platform, focuses on her phone, a gym bag on her shoulder. He wanted to call her out but he didn't find the courage. Would she be mad to see him? Happy?

Would she gave him the same lovesick look?

At the end, he didn't dare to say anything and just watched her like a creeper.

Yes, he had been stalking her Instagram for the past months, but he had no clue she was friends with "princess" Soyo.

She seemed as shocked as him when she saw him, her eyes flickering in emotions.

He mused for few second if he should just kiss her, just for her reaction.

Instead he went: "Wow China..." Her eyes winded and a blush was on her face in a second and Sougo knew that she still felt something for him. It was all he needed to know, so he smirked and added: "A monster will always be a monster."

The red was now definitively anger and Soyo had to hold her down.

It was the missing piece. Sougo found himself grinning.

He was never letting her go again.

And I can't stop
No, I can't stop

The End

Thanks for reading!