sotsugyou;;

[derepressed]

Yukimura Residence.
Tokyo, Japan, March 2014.

Graduation. A time for growing up, moving on, and... getting really drunk, apparently.

Chizuru appreciates that her friends have come to celebrate her graduation - especially since, strictly speaking, they didn't really have to. Heisuke is two years older than her, already twenty to her eighteen years, and Sen graduated last year; Kosuzu, meanwhile, still has another year to go. Surely they had other things they could be doing - but they've chosen to be here with her. For that, she is incredibly grateful.

But... she does wish "becoming an adult" wasn't synonymous with "drinking alcohol" in some people's minds. Her father had left them to their own devices, and that means he trusts them not to get up to any trouble - but Heisuke is the only one here who's old enough to drink and yet all of them (except for Chizuru, who is politely abstaining) have been doing so. Kosuzu, at least, is only taking polite sips; Sen is a little more tipsy, and Heisuke...

Well, she loves him, but Heisuke has had so much to drink already that he's sleeping it off with his head in her lap even though it's only a little after eight in the evening. It's cute - endearing, even, the way he has his arms wrapped around her waist and he looks so comfortable in his slumber - but she feels a little embarrassed, mostly because Kosuzu and Sen are both here. She thinks she would mind it less if there wasn't anyone else around to see it.

At least Sen's teasing is relatively minimal. Of course, the three of them who are still awake are neck-deep in girltalk - that's only interrupted when the doorbell rings. Chizuru looks down at Heisuke's head in her lap, but Sen tells her not to worry and trots off to answer the door herself.

A few moments later there's a delighted giggle and an "Oh, my!" before Sen calls back to them - "Ah, come here! You have to see your father's taste in graduation gifts!"

Chizuru exchanges a puzzled glance with Kosuzu before gently shifting Heisuke's arms from around her waist and settling his head on the couch, and then she's on her feet and heading for the entranceway -

...that's a man, not a gift. She pauses and stares at the man in the doorway for a few moments. "Um..."

Kosuzu, evidently more tipsy than she's been letting on, tugs on Chizuru's sleeve. "Your father got you a military man for your graduation?" It sounds as though it's meant to be a whisper, but it's loud enough for all of them to hear. Chizuru blushes crimson.

"N-no, that's... um...!"

Poor Hijikata. His timing is atrocious, really.

Comments

[demarcates]

This place is full of things that should be making him happy, but it's times like these that he wonders if he's really cut out to do this sort of thing and isn't simply married to his career.

His friends are definitely enjoying themselves a hell of a lot more, and they're also a lot less sober even with the party not having officially started that long ago. But, that's just them he supposes and he sighs as he listens to one of them tell some ridiculous made up story that definitely never happened ( ... well, most of the time the ones they recite drunk never happened...) but somewhere during it he's gently grabbed at the shoulder from to get his attention away from them.

...And, that would be why he is no longer simply watching that display and carefully making his way around to greet any newcomers. But, the truth is, Hijikata took the request as an opportunity to get away because even though he insisted he didn't have his cell phone with him, he definitely does. But, as he gets no answer on the other end and no messages are left, he just looks aggravated at the phone before glances towards the party itself towards no one in particular.

...Or, it wasn't supposed to be anyone in particular and he finds himself surprised when he ends up noticing her. Any doubt he might have had that it isn't Chizuru is negated by the fact her father is quite near, albeit busying himself with some individuals he seems to know.

God... why is she here? Not that she can't be here, but suddenly it feels all wrong, as if he should be feeling guilty for her having to be here and sit through this, as if he's done her a disservice. And that's something he can say he's never ever felt about anyone ever, nevermind a barely-adult young woman that he didn't even truthfully get to spend enough time with for her to remember him.

Nevertheless, despite what he feels... he has to eventually make his way over, particularly when he notices she's really going to be bored here most likely not knowing anyone.

"You are letting yourself grow up way too fast to be here," he sighs goodnaturedly when he's in speaking distance. "Don't you think?" Although anything else he might have been meaning to say is muddled in his head as he notices the necklace she is playing with idly.

[derepressed]

Considering that she really doesn't know anyone, she isn't expecting to be spoken to; so when Hijikata addresses her, she looks over to him with a start, her eyes widening when she realizes that first of all, someone is actually speaking to her, and second of all, it's Hijikata.

"Hijikata-san..!"

Her cheeks flush faintly and she pulls her hand away from her necklace - she doesn't know if he's noticed it yet, but she's very aware of the fact that it's the present he gave her, and she doesn't want him to think she's shamelessly trying to draw attention to it. Not during his engagement party, of all occasions...

"I'm not... trying to grow up quickly." She smiles. "My father needed the company, that's all."

...and yet, she wonders if that's really it. Now that she's seen him again, she can't help but be strangely aware of how glad she is to be face-to-face with him. Glad, and... somehow sad, too. Because she's seeing him again, but only because he's going to be married to someone else, and only because he happens to be acquainted with her father.

When this party is over, and he goes off to get married... she won't see him again, will she?

It's a selfish thought. She has no reason to be sad about him living his life. It's not as if she has any claim to him at all, anyway; she has to snap herself out of this, somehow. Or at least not let her own strange feelings get in the way of his day.

"Congratulations, by the way...!"

She probably should have started off with that.

[demarcates]

It takes him a moment to register her congratulations and what it's for and somehow it feels... not like something he wants congratulations for and that he especially doesn't want Chizuru to be aware of. It's ridiculous, of course, but it's difficult to push away even as he smiles. "It's been a long time coming, so I've been told."

Lifting his attention, he takes a short few seconds to glance around before looking back to her. He wants to make idle chatter but it's not something he is good at, especially with his attention drifting back to the necklace.

It looks perfect on her—better than perfect, even, as if it was made for her. Still, he also is vaguely aware he can't stare down a young woman especially at his own engagement party. "I see; how is it so far for the both of you, then?"

[derepressed]

"Ah, is that so..?"

This was most likely in the works even when they'd met the night of her graduation... she should be glad for him, she knows; if it's been a long time coming, then surely this is something he wants. And yet... she can't help the slight twinge when she thinks of what must have led up to this point. He met someone, spent time with her, and then ultimately grew to care for her enough to ask her to marry him...

That bothers her. It bothers her so much more than it should.

He's asking her a question, though, and that means she at least has something else to focus on. For the both of you means herself and her father; maybe she'll just... avoid the subject of herself. It's her father he's acquainted with, after all, and surely that is who he wants to hear about.

"I think my father is enjoying himself." She looks over in the older man's direction, then smiles as she sees him chatting easily with a pair of his acquaintances. "...he's been working very hard lately, so I'm glad he's getting the chance to relax here. And I'm sure he's very happy for you, too... if he hasn't had the chance to tell you so yet."

[demarcates]

"I used to spend a lot of my time chasing this girl in my dreams because I was convinced she was out there," he sighs lightly before giving a small shake of his head. "They told me me I had to eventually face reality." Meaning, more or less, this wasn't ending like that sort of prelude sentence would normally take a topic. The woman he's marrying, although he does certainly care enough for him to marry her (...he supposes, anyway, what does he have to compare to?), is not the woman of his dreams.

Maybe he's just learned reality will never be as good as the idealistic things you can make up in your head.

Hijikata glances over towards her father, as well, glad to see he's glad, but before he even can think on it he asks curiously without looking to her, "What about you?"

[derepressed]

Chizuru thinks for sure that he's going to follow up that beginning with something along the lines of And now I've caught her and I won't be letting her go, so it surprises her when he finishes it the way he does. Her eyebrows knit together and she brings a hand up to fiddle with her necklace again - subconsciously; she clearly doesn't realize she's doing it. Her eyes are locked on him, even as he looks over at her father.

Why marry someone if you're not sure they're the person you want to spend the rest of your life with? That just seems too sad to her. She can't help but think that Hijikata deserves better.

(It occurs to her a few seconds later that she should probably wonder why she's so concerned with what he does and doesn't deserve, and how she would even determine what it is he deserves, anyway, but his question takes precedence.)

"I'm glad I came. It gave me the chance to see you again." The words come out quickly - it's only after she's spoken them that she realizes she's said it out loud. Now she looks away from him, so that she can duck her head and attempt to hide the blush on her cheeks. "...that is, um..."

[demarcates]

Ah, that's a cute look. Normally, if anyone said such nonsense he'd probably get flustered right back and quickly push it away as nothing. Here, he takes it as nothing, either, just a small wish that he could view it as something or even the hope of something.

Her smiles but he has to glance away himself after a moment, although not before noticing her playing with the necklace. "...You wear it well, by the way," he mutters, not really sure if he should be acknowledging her wearing it at all.

It seems inappropriate but he can't help feeling some form of elation over this result. But, when Hijikata tries to formulate something further about the accessory, it becomes something else entirely: about just he and her alone.

"I'm glad you came, too. I've missed you."

[derepressed]

"Eh..?"

She looks up just enough to glance at him briefly - unsure if she really heard what she thought she heard. He thinks she wears it well..? Her gaze drops down to what she can see of the necklace and she brushes her fingertips against it, mulling it over for a moment or two. "Only... only because Hijikata-san has very good taste in jewelry."

(Chizuru still hasn't really questioned why he had a necklace and was prepared to give it to her; that's a can of worms she's just so unsure if she should open up or not.)

"...coming here is a little bittersweet, actually." Her voice is very soft - because she's not entirely sure that what she's about to say is something she wants anyone around them to be able to hear. It might even be a little improper, but there's something in her that makes her feel very much like she would regret it if she didn't at least try to say it. "Because... um... After this... will we have the chance to meet again?"

She doesn't think so. He's soon to be a married man; she's just the daughter of one of his acquaintances.

"But... I really am happy for you. And I hope you find real happiness in this match, Hijikata-san."