Chapter Text
Rain rapidly poured down from the heavy gray-lined clouds high up on the dark blue night sky and the droplets of water formed puddles on the streets all over Edo. She let the loud sound of rain touching ground get its way into her ears and ignored everything else - she hated rainy days like these.
None of her co-workers were home at the moment and she refused to return to an empty apartment, so with her umbrella held high above she continued strolling down the damp streets of Edo, kabuki-cho.
She would actually have returned home if Sadaharu hadn’t run away from her without further notice, and now she had no clue on where he could be at the moment. Just her goddamn luck.
So now she was just aimlessly strolling around the streets without even bothering to search after Sadaharu -that traitor- as she passed puddle after puddle, store after store, apartment after apartment, and not even once did the sound of rain echoing through her ears cease. The smell of moisture began to bother her too.
In sheer frustration, she accidentally stepped down on a deep puddle with too much force and splashed water all over her lower legs and the lower part of her qipao was all drenched. Definitely, just my luck she thought as she cursed out into the night and surprisingly didn’t get any complaints from the residents living in the apartments all around her.
Some of the previously dark windows lit up again, and she silently prayed for people who lived there to not open up the windows to see what the hell was going on out there just to see a drenched 16 years old ‘playing’ around in the middle of the night. She was lucky though, as none did.
Being drenched all over with the depressing rain as her only companion and her clothes clinging to her skin like snakes, she once again continued her stroll down the streets.
She eventually got bored of sulking and silently cursing her dog together with the two remaining males of the yorozuya -because of course was it their fault she had gotten into this drenched state- so she started paying attention to the shop windows around her. Some jewelry, some clothes, some open, some closed. After some time walking by and curiously inspecting each window thoroughly she passed by a bookstore in which she saw, if she may say so, a pretty interesting crimson red book neatly put just behind the window for everyone to see.
“Ten ways to torture your rival by Lara Waters,” she read out aloud as she felt the corners of her lips turn up to form a smirk, all previous frustration now forgotten. To her annoyance, she could still hear the droplets hitting the pavement and smell the scent of rain. Thoughts of embarrassing, and maybe even scarring her dear rival, Okita Sougo, entered her brain like a long aggressive stream.
Had people walked by at the time they would have thought she was crazy by the way she pressed her body against the shop window with her hands supporting her and by the way she grinned like a madman against the freezing wet glass.
She took a few steps back from the window to look if the store was still open at this ungodly hour. It was. Closing her umbrella she walked into the store with newfound happiness and was met with a pleasant warmth she gladly welcomed. Her fingers began to twitch by the sudden contact with heat, nevertheless, she found herself relishing the feeling.
Not even trying to be polite she walked further in the store, wet clothes and all, resulting in her making a trail of wet puddles from the doorway to the checkout seven meters away.
“Yo,” she greeted the cashier with a smile as she shook her umbrella to the side repeatedly, water splashing everywhere. “I’d like to buy a book.”
The middle-aged cashier looked at her with a disapproving look and slightly shook her head. “My how impolite of you young girl.” she felt how her brown eyes inspected her from head to toe. “At least dry yourself before stepping in like that.”
“With what?” she retorted a bit irritated. There was nothing in there for her to use to dry herself clean with, so it was not much she could do anyway.
The woman didn’t answer her though and just smiled reassuringly at her. “My, my what an attitude today's youth has. Well, what kind of book would you like?” The lady kept her kind and polite manners towards her despite her own lack of politeness and manners herself, she felt kind of sorry for her now.
“I’m sorry... “ she mumbled as a brief apology while fiddling with the hem of her red qipao. “also, I'd like that book over there.” She pointed at the book on the shop window.
“No problem young girl.” she reassured her as she walked past her on her way there. “It was this one you pointed at, right?” She held up a book with a beautiful deep red cover and golden linings that formed some rather cute flowers, and the title had a cursive style also golden colored. The book was stunning overall, it really was a beautiful book befitting her, and no one would suspect her of reading about something ‘dangerous’ as some may call it. The author of this particular book must really have been a sneaky fellow that knew exactly what she was doing or just had good taste. whether the case, it still saved her unnecessary trouble from nosy and troublesome people. In other words, her nosy and extraordinary frustrating rival.
“Uh huh.”
“I see. Is there perhaps a reason as to why you want to buy this book then?”
“Ah yes there is!” she exclaimed excitedly. “You see, there is this bastard I gotta defeat.”
“I see, I see.” She calmly walked back to the checkout and scanned the product.
“I’d like a bag too thanks.” The woman smiled and nodded at her, putting the book in a small white plastic bag.
“That will be ¥1860 miss.” She stretched out her hand and Kagura gladly gave her the money in exchange for the book.
He walked down the street, not minding the pouring rain at all. He actually enjoyed this kind of weather, he could go out and wander the streets without too many people so obviously adoring his good looks wherever he went.
Hands in his pockets he turned his head to his left, looking at the gorilla next to him with a bored look donning his features. It was late at night and long story short he was to accompany Kondo to the only library that still was open at this late hour for his boss to buy the new issue of “Best ways to stalk” and while knowing that probably the best thing he could do was to stop him, he just couldn’t for the sake of his own satisfaction.
“Kondo-san, we- I mean you already have all three other issues, why borrowing the most recent one?”
“A young man like you would never understand Sougo! A strong man must always be updated so that he’s always ready to protect his loved ones!”
“In this case, the loved one needs to be protected from the dork himself.” He heard someone mutter rather loudly at Kondo’s other side. Oh right, he was there too. That bastard.
“Hijikata-san~ what are you doing here? It’s dangerous, you could get attacked and die. Please do.”
“Shut up brat!”
He silently watched as Hijikata lighted another cigarette and stuck it up his disgusting mouth. Seems like he was doing a good job as a stress receiver today too.
“Whatever, you’ll die later on anyway if you keep on smoking those cancer sticks.”
“Oh? Are you perhaps worried over me, Sougo?~”
A vein popped. “Shut it, of course, I’m not.” Whoever in their right mind told him it’s okay for him to tease back? He’s supposed to crawl at his feet and beg for forgiveness dammit.
“Ah-ah~. Let’s not fight here shall we?” Kondo gently tapped their shoulders as he laughed wholeheartedly. “Look, we’re here now.”
Sougo looked up at the sparkling sign on top of the store, ‘sugar library’ it spelled and he snorted. Such a stupid name for such a stupid store. Looking around him he realized that the other two already walked in, and decided to do so himself.
In the store, he watched as his commander practically climbed up the shelves as Hijikata tried his best to keep him on the ground. He saw how the librarian to the left watched them warily as if contemplating if she should throw them out or let them stay. He’d actually prefer the first option right now. He had planned to take a long deserved rest after a rather eventful mission, it seems like he was wrong though.
He walked around the library in boredom. Scanning the shelves with crimson eyes. Green, red, blue, black, brown, yellow books stood neatly placed next to each other. He poked them and perked his ears in anticipation for his commander roaring “I found it!” but it never came and minutes passed. He only heard disappointed sighs and murmuring from Hijikata and as much as his commander wanted to take help from the librarian he heard how Hijikata refused with all his being. And for once, he was not opposed to the actions of his superior. It would bring the Shinsengumi great shame if the rumors about their commander being a ‘stalking gorilla’ spread even further.
Though it’s not like all of Edo didn’t know that already, but still.
He almost stumbled over when he walked and swore at whatever had made him lose his balance. Looking down he saw a blue book and he picked it up to get it out of his way when he saw the text. ‘You want to torture one of your greatest rival? Here are 10 ways that will guarantee your success!’
He looked blankly at the book. Tracing his finger over the letters he felt how they vanished into the book. All of a sudden he silently snickered where he was standing, evil already forming at the depths of his brain.