recountal | sotsugyou;;

sotsugyou;;

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hijikata can be—is—often oblivious to subtleties but not subtleties concerning needing some sort of assistance, even if he's used to more... dire situations. Nevertheless, he can very clearly see her nervous uncertainty of the situation and the fact she's insisted again she would be willing to call ( the fact she says she doesn't mind calling him ) is yet another good indicator. He doesn't really find the idea of babysitting drunk teenagers something of a good time, though... but, what else would he do other than wait around nearby until Kodou returned.

It takes him a moment, even so, however, to finally speak. He swallows before turning back to her and away from towards the room things are happening in. "...All right."

Go ahead and call him, Chizuru. He'll go play mom to the drunk children.

"Thank you," She whispers, a very obvious amount of relief in her tone and in her expression, and then she bows to him quickly before speaking up in a more normal tone of voice. "Um, I'll go make that call now, then...!"

Chizuru fumbles for her cell phone before realizing that she'd taken it out of her pocket and set it on a table in the living room to keep from squishing it while on the couch - that means returning to the living room to get it, and that means interacting with her tipsy friends (and boyfriend) again. She loves them, she really does, but even if someone is only seeing her from behind it's very easy to tell from the way her shoulders tense up that she's a little uncomfortable with it when she crosses over to pick up the phone and Heisuke latches onto her waist again. Only this time, they're not seated, so she nearly stumbles and falls, but manages to throw out a hand and catch herself on the table.

"Um, Heisuke-kun...!" She glances to Sen, who's giggling, and then to Kosuzu, who looks uncertain, and finally she glances back at Hijikata. This is really embarrassing. "...Sen-chan, Kosuzu-chan, I think Heisuke-kun has had enough for tonight. I'll call a cab, but... Do you think you could see him home?" They agree (though Heisuke pouts and makes incoherent noises that are probably something along the lines of "But Chizuruuuuu..."), and she grabs her phone from the table to make a very quick call to a cab service to get her friends a ride home, and then she dials her father's number - Sen and Kosuzu manage to pry Heisuke off so they can take him outside for some air to wait for the cab.

Chizuru is left alone in the house with Hijikata, though her friends are just outside, and besides he's in the military, so it's not like anything bad will happen. She waits as the phone rings, and when he picks up, she smiles faintly, and there's the sound of her father's voice as he asks if she's alright. "...ah! Um, yes, everything is fine." That's a lie. "No, I don't need anything... well..." She pauses. "Actually, a man stopped by looking for you. His name was, um..."

...she forgot to ask his name. She glances to Hijikata quickly, as if to prompt him for his name so she can pass it on to her father. She's really not making a good impression at all, is she...

Hijikata silently observes the entire situation, watching it carefully although it is honestly impossible to tell what he's thinking and concluding from what he sees. Either way, he only finally speaks again when she fumbles at giving her father his name. He gives her a small side-glance, noticing she's giving him one in return ( ah, how delightfully awkward yep this is just a great deal of awkwardness isn't it so far... ).

"Hijikata Toshizou."

And that's that. But, within an hour means he needs to preoccupy himself while waiting. It seems improper to move around in the house, however, even if he's gone through it during his younger days as if he lived in it, with Chizuru looking so uncomfortable from her situation. He's pretty sure him doing anything other than simply just standing where he is and waiting is going to make her a little more uncomfortable. What a limited situation.

"...Are you happy you've graduated?"

Trying to make small talk: more awkwardness but better than making her more uncomfortable. They're similar on the immediate surface, but one is a lot more harmless than the other.

It is, perhaps, made more awkward by the way she's looking at him while trying not to make it obvious that she's looking at him. Hijikata Toshizou. The name does sound familiar, even if she has a hard time recalling him - but maybe he's right, maybe it is because she was so little when they met. Still, she wishes she could remember.

Chizuru blinks a few times at the question, then blushes. She's quite obviously easily embarrassed, but she smiles anyway. "Um... yes. It's very exciting." Graduating means growing up and moving forward. She's not one hundred percent sure what she's going to do just yet, but she'll have enough free time to get a job and help her father out now that she isn't going to classes. The thought of being able to pull her weight more is a wonderful one; he's taken care of her for so many years.

...and she's not really pulling her weight now, either! She's the host (at least, until her father comes home); she has to make Hijikata comfortable. Her eyes go a little wide and she smiles sheepishly before adding, "Hijikata-san, please, feel free to sit down while you're waiting. Can I get you any tea, or anything to eat?"

She is a lot shier than when she was small, he realizes—but that's all right. Hijikata gives a small nod then, closes his eyes a moment before answering appreciatively, "...Tea would be fine."

Tea is not really something he's managed to have in quite a long time. There was rarely time and most opted for coffee. It's was quicker and easier to get and packed a greater kick for staying alert. He had become rather addicted to it, in the end himself, but he missed tea all the same.

Hijikata missed good tea, actually, but he has no idea how she prepares tea and at the moment, he can't exactly pick and choose.

There's something else, though, and it takes him a second to realize he's lingering on her once he'd opened his eyes again. As a child, he remembers her. But, something else is for some reason familiar and yet he can't... he can't place it. Maybe it's that feeling of nostalgia, of wanting to remember things in familiar places because he feels like he should or something. Directing his attention forcefully elsewhere, he slowly makes his way towards the couch to sit, supposing he might as well review the files he brought with him as he waits. Otherwise, he's going to be doing a lot of staring and the last thing he needs is for his reunion with the doctor to include a side of being alone with his eighteen-year-old daughter alone and making her anxious or otherwise bothered in her own home.

...Well, that, and it was hard to keep formalities. More than anything about waiting, is waiting when he has to put on a public face. Kodou knew him better, but that didn't matter until Kodou was actually here. And even then, he was more respectful to him than he was in general. Women... well, he might as well be polite to Chizuru, even if he was anything but polite to her when they first met way back when. It's not like he's going to really see her again after this save for if Kodou takes the unrelated invitation he had in addition to the actual business he was here for.

As a result, Hijikata had zero reason to put up a wall right now ( even if being this way makes him more sensitive to things, it's still a very open and welcoming of people way of presenting himself—and goddamn it, he hates more than anything when people approach him thinking he actually wants to talk to them. Like he has time to do any of that anywhere at any time. Including his free time at a cafe—he's not there to chat, he's there to drink his coffee or his tea and eat whatever it is and ignore the rest of the world around him.

...but that's all another story for another time. )

She smiles, then, and excuses herself so that she can go prepare the tea. A lot of girls her age don't bother with preparing it the right way (as she thinks of it, anyway); so many of them are content to just pop a mug of hot water in the microwave and warm up the water before plunking in a teabag. That, to Chizuru, isn't acceptable. There are some things in life that there are simply no acceptable substitutions for and a good pot of fresh-brewed tea is one of them.

This also means that Hijikata has ample time to look over his files and gather his thoughts, because tea brewed from tea leaves takes a lot more time than the few minutes it takes for tea from a teabag.

She does emerge with a small tray once enough time has passed, though, and sets the tray down to pour a cup of tea before holding it out to him. "Here you are, Hijikata-san," she says with a small smile, but once he takes it she won't say much more than a 'you're welcome' if she gets a thank-you, unless he says something else to her. He looks rather... well, not preoccupied, maybe, but he has a very strong feeling that he is the kind of man who prefers to either be left alone or to have someone sit with him in a companionable silence.

(She's not entirely certain why she's so sure of that; she just feels like she knows.)

She takes a seat, but at the opposite end of the couch - Sen is bolder, perhaps her friend would have been able to just sit right next to him but Chizuru can't bring herself to do it or even to think of doing it without blushing so deeply her head might explode.

At the very least, she doesn't look impatient as she settles back. Her father has plenty of time before he gets here, but she is grateful for the chance to sit quietly. She likes actually being able to hear herself think, and even with as stressed as she was earlier - there is a very real sense of calm in the air. She has no idea why. Maybe it's Hijikata? But that's odd, she would normally be so intimidated by the military. Still, if it keeps her comfortable, she's okay with it.

Hijikata doesn't even hesitate to take it when she offers, although it's fair to say he's indeed quite occupied that he doesn't even really offer a thank you for her efforts. It's only when he finally take a sip of it that he pauses and glances up from his papers over to Chizuru.

By now, she's sitting on the other end of couch quietly, and he hesitates just a second about saying anything at all ( she seems a lot more content than she had when her friends were here ) before he decides to go for it, because, honestly.

"...You didn't have to go through such effort for tea." Because he has always been picky and he's always been able to tell the difference and this is good tea. There's no way she pulled this from a prepackaged teabag. He hadn't really thought on the time it took her to bring the tea, but now that he's tasted it, everything seems to have come better together. She shouldn't have felt the need to do it like this... even if he has to admit it's some of the best tea he has had in a very very long time.

"Eh?"

She blinks a few times when Hijikata speaks - and then, when she looks over to him, her attention wanders down to his teacup and she smiles.

"Oh, no..! That's... how I always make tea. Um, I've always thought, if it's worth making, it's worth making right...!"

The -ate -- --- -----en--mi rests on --is tea. Don't s---w it up!

Her cheeks flush a little, and when she looks off to the side, it's out of modesty, not discomfort - that much is evident in her body language. There's no strained tension in her shoulders like there had been before, when her friends and boyfriend were drunk and (mostly) underage in front of a military officer. "...I'm glad you're enjoying it. Um, your job must be very stressful and very difficult, so I hope it helps you to relax."

When she glances away he has to let a small amused sigh escape, silently turning back to his tea instead of bringing attention to her shyness. Hijikata doesn't glance to her again when she speaks, looking back at his papers.

"I'm a JAG lawyer; it's been a while since I've done any field work." Not that being a lawyer isn't stressful or difficult, but he's long come to realize that usually when someone makes a statement like that they are picturing a warrior that is fighting for their survival against all odds to protect the country and its people. He'd done something like it once ( and truthfully on the field with his troops is where he wanted to stay but somehow he ended up in this, anyway. At the very least he did his best to continue what he did on the field then now, particularly protecting those who need it—he just does it by making sure men and women in uniform have someone to protect them when it comes to justice. Joining the military meant giving up certain rights as a citizen but it didn't mean they weren't protected. Likewise, they weren't above or exempt from consequence when behavior or actions went out of line.

"But that involves a lot of paperwork, doesn't it?"

Writing essays is hard! Or at least, Chizuru thinks so; composition hadn't been her best subject in school. It must be so much more difficult to have to do it for court, because people's lives could depend on it, sometimes. "You have to be sure to get every little detail right, because people are relying on you to help them. And you have to take what you've learned and use it to make sure the truth comes to light even if people are trying to hide it. That kind of responsibility... I think it's very impressive that you're able to do it."

There are lots of ways to protect people - and sometimes, facing down a judge or another lawyer and keeping one's cool can be even more difficult than taking a weapon and facing down physical danger. It must take an enormous amount of mental strength to do.

Hijikata give an amused chuckle at her words, having paused in taking another sip of his tea to listen.

"I guess that's why we do things, though, right? Because they're not something everyone else can or will do. Gives some flavor to an otherwise boring and lonely life." His words, although, somewhat melancholy are said casually and matter affect, taking little emotion from them and equally giving out the same or less in turn to her as a listener.

There is a pause while he tends his tea a little more, before finally adding something else. "Your father used to fret you might be more suited to be a lawyer than a doctor at times, but you have become less forward than when you were younger."

It's not meant to be an insult, since Japanese women these days were particularly sought after for their docile and nurturing grace and dedication. Hijikata had never told Kodou outright for fear the old man might have heart failure at the thought, but he had found her spunky little personality rather colorful and far more worthwhile than the traditional timid japanese girl.

Even if she was only six.

He had often wondered if Kodou would get her to become the model woman so many sought after in their country or if he would encourage her more assertive qualities.

Then again, maybe it was just a child thing, as she seems quite shy now more than repressed artificially.

"You shouldn't say that...!"

What was that about Chizuru being less forward? Because she's not exactly acting demure now, with the way she's leaning over a bit with her eyebrows knit into a serious expression. "Talking about your life like that, as though it's boring or lonely... it's too sad. If, um, if you need more things to do, then..."

...what is she even going to say? She's a high school student-- No, high school graduate, but she barely knows this man and it's too presumptuous of her to say something like You can come and see me.

Her cheeks warm as she realizes she's tried delivering a lecture to a man who probably doesn't need to hear such a thing from a girl so many years his junior. She ducks her head and leans away from him, flustered, and only becomes even more flustered when the rest of what he'd said registers on her.

"Did he? That's..." Oh dear. She sneaks a glance at him before returning her gaze to her hands. "He has nothing to worry abut, I wouldn't know the first thing about becoming a lawyer anyway, um..."

Ah, such is his mistake. He finds it cute that she thinks in such a concerned manner for someone she doesn't even know. In fact, Hijikata has to wonder if he merely sits here and lets her do all the talking how embarrassed she'll make herself by the end of this.

But, in the end, he simply puts his papers down and uses that hand to outstretch across that couch in offer to her to take it, although he doesn't look at her or verbally insist she take it, merely suggesting it with the presentation that it's what he's looking for and not for her to hand him something or some such. No wonder her friends take so much advantage of her, she's a good kid but seems quite unsure of herself when she realizes she's doing something that may not be acceptable or will bother another person.

He holds out his hand to her, and she really isn't sure what to do.

On the one hand - they've just met. What would her father say, if he arrived back home and found her hand-in-hand with a man who is a relative stranger (though he has memories of having met her one already)? On the other, Hijikata has gone out of his way to set down his papers and extend his hand, so this might be important, and...

She glances from his hand, to his face, to his hand again, before slowly reaching out to take it. Her touch is very soft and very hesitant, as if she's not really sure whether or not she's being too forward.

When her hand finally touches his, he carefully closes his own around hers, finally looking to her now.

"While I don't think you're meant to be a lawyer, don't ever let something like that stop you from going after something you want. If you want it bad enough, you'll get it, regardless of how far out of reach it is."

There's a bit of a smile present giving her hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. "But, anyway, don't be so nervous in your own territory, kid. And don't feel like you have to stick around and keep me company when you'd rather be doing anything but sitting here." Because, well, he sure as hell know if it were him this sort of thing would be torture.

Chizuru's eyes go wide when his hands close around her own, and she can feel the heat pooling in her cheeks. Her first instinct is to look away and keep looking away, but when he speaks, she feels compelled to look into his eyes.

His words are so sincere, and his smile... it makes her heart skip a beat, and he lets go just in time for her to bring her hands back to lightly put one over her chest as she tries to force herself to calm down. She smiles - that he's gone out of his way to say something so encouraging is so kind of him, and she can't repay that kindness with just being flustered.

"Thank you, Hijikata-san... for your encouragement."

But then she sits up with a start when he says that she doesn't need to feel like she has to stick around. "Ah...! No, no... I... It's not that I would rather be doing something else." She smiles faintly. "But, although I didn't want to be a bother to you, while you were looking over your papers... I've enjoyed getting to speak with you."

He watches her in her silence and although he refrains from commenting about it, Hijikata feels as if he's seen this this before, and not when she was a child but... long before that. The flustered part is lesso the familiarity so much as the natural inability to understand how it is she would not only rather sit around with him but also willing to do so in silence because she doesn't want to bother him?

"—stay with—!"

. . .Somehow.

"Anything memorable happen so far? Graduation is a big deal and sometimes comes with a lot more than you expect. But hopefully you've gotten at least one or two nice things or experiences so far."

"Well, I--"

I got to meet you.

The words almost slip out but for once in her life Chizuru manages to keep from saying what she's thinking; instead, she blushes faintly and looks down at her hands. He would surely think it was very strange if she said something like that, wouldn't he..? Or if not strange, at least silly. And she's not sure she wants to be thought of as silly.

There is a moment or two of pause as she struggles to come up with something that makes sense. "I got to spend time with Sen-chan and Kosuzu-chan... and Heisuke-kun was very fun to spend time with as well, before..." Oh, wait, she doesn't want to bring up underage drinking to a lawyer. She looks off to the side. "I'm glad to have been able to spend time with my friends."

Hijikata furrows his brow slightly at actions partly her shy blush and looking down. She's got a really pretty look to her especially when blushing although he catches himself thinking that and wonders where it came from, causing himself to inevitably glance down at his papers.

It's a modest list and he notices it's all spending time with other people. "So no memorable gifts or wild plans for adventure before setting into the mundane adult world, then?"

"Eh..?"

She looks up briefly and her brows furrow. Memorable gifts or adventures... she shakes her head slowly. "My graduation ceremony was exciting," Chizuru replies. "Well... right after it was, anyway. I suppose you could say that was sort of an adventure."

But big, flashy presents or expensive trips to go let off some steam before taking her place in the adult world... they feel a little too indulgent for Chizuru to want. She's sure Sen would have loved to dress her up and take her out for a night on the town (and maybe that was part of the plan, before everyone else got too tipsy to function), but she would have just felt awkward and out of place. "I'm... looking forward to getting a job. My father is going to let me help out with his work so I can get some experience. Not everyone has that opportunity, so... I'm very lucky."

"So you are," he says with a soft sigh and he puts his pen down now as well as his papers before reaching into his jacket to pull out a small box wrapped up neatly with a ribbon bow to add to the presentation.

"I'm not normally prepared for such things, but..."

Well, he turns now to offer it out to her. "I think this might pass for an acceptable graduation gift."

"Eh..?"

Chizuru takes the box, looking from it to Hijikata as if wondering how he even came to have it. It's not as if he knew she was graduating today; he'd come here to see her father, not her... why would he have brought a gift? It confuses her so much that all she can do is stammer out an "Um, thank you..."

...and then there's the sound of the door unlocking, and her father arriving home.

In the ensuing shuffle, Chizuru has no chance to politely demur or give the box back. Hijikata gets what he needs to from her father, and then goes on his way - Chizuru is left with the box. She doesn't open it until much later that night, after her father has gone to sleep and the memory of the day's events is just that - a memory.

The beautiful amethyst necklace it contains isn't a memory, though. It's more than that, and she isn't sure she deserves to wear such an expensive piece of jewelry, but she has no way of returning it and it would be so ungrateful not to wear it at all... She'll just wear it for special occasions, she decides.

It's a few weeks later when just such an occasion presents itself. As chance would have it - Hijikata, it seems, has gotten engaged, and her father has been invited to his engagement party. Chizuru, being an adult, has the opportunity to attend (mostly, she's there so her father won't feel so lonely).

She can't help but feel incredibly out of place, though. She's only just barely an adult, but here she is among so many other adults. Her dress is pretty enough, but it feels almost too pretty to suit her, and she's mostly keeping to her father's side and glancing around while fiddling with the necklace around her neck to see if there's anyone at all that she recognizes.

(Chances are, Hijikata will be the only one.)

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.

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.

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?"

sotsugyou;;

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