Chapter 3: Kill Her? (1/2)

The quarrel was going to turn white-hot but someone stopped them in time.

”Shut up!”

Sitting abreast of Hijikata was a gorgeous man with spectacles. He smiled and said to Jiziru Yukimura, ”They are sharp-tongued. Please don't take their words to heart... Don't be afraid. Come on! Close the door and have a seat.”

”Okay,” Jiziru responded with a low voice. She turned around to close the door and then sat on her knees.

The man who had stopped s.h.i.+npachi, Sanosuke and Heisuke from continuing quarreling with one another, said, ”My name is Isami Kondou. I'm the head of s.h.i.+nsengumi.” He fixed his eyes on the bespectacled man and introduced, ”This is Keisuke Yamanami. He's Minister of s.h.i.+nsengumi.” Then he turned his head, stared at Hijikata next to him and continued, ”This is Tos.h.i.+zo... er, Tos.h.i.+zo Hijikata. He is Vice Minister of s.h.i.+nsengumi.”

Tos.h.i.+zo Hijikata couldn't help but ask, ”Chief Kondou, why are you telling him so much about us?”

Kondou was a little bit puzzled. ”Shouldn't I do that?”

s.h.i.+npachi Nagakura also questioned, ”He's just a captive. Why did you introduce us to him?”

Sanosuke smiled, ”Chief Kondou is such an over-serious man. That is his style...”

Kondou gave a warning cough and said, ”Well, let's come straight to the point... Saitou, can you tell me in detail what happened last night?”

Saitou with purple hair answered calmly, ”Last night the 'failed' warriors met some vagrant samurais. When they were fighting, we arrived and killed they... And this guy saw it.” With that he let his eyes settle upon Jiziru Yukimura's face.

Jiziru Yukimura immediately said, ”No! I saw nothing.” In order to protect herself, she knew that she should pretend to have seen nothing last night.

”Really?” Heisuke Toudou asked in disbelief. Jiziru Yukimura instantly looked at him and replied, ”Yes. I saw nothing.”

”Okay... Souji told me that you saved the warriors. Is that true?” s.h.i.+npachi asked with a skeptical expression on his face.

Jiziru Yukimura nervously shook her head and answered, ”No. Last night I tried to avoid the vagrant samurais. Then the members of s.h.i.+nsengumi arrived... So I was saved in time.”

Souji Okita looked at Jiziru Yukimura, as a faint smile curved his lips.

”So, when the warriors killed the vagrant samurais, you were close by and saw it all, right?” s.h.i.+npachi asked.

The question hit the nail on the head. Jiziru Yukimura knew that something bad would happen to her if they knew that she had seen things she hadn't been supposed to. She began to tremble with fear.

”You are too frank and open with people. There's nothing wrong with being a simple boy...” Sanosuke said.

Souji Okita, who watched the play up close, suddenly smiled, ”Let's kill him. Only in this way can we make sure that we will have no future trouble…”

On hearing this Jiziru Yukimura got anxious. ”You can't do that to me!”

Isami Kondou scolded, ”Don't talk nonsense! We can't kill civilians at will.”