A Glimmer Of Faith

                                    

                                          
"There is a famous poet in town," Harada announces during dinnertime. 
                          
"Really?" Chizuru hesitated in between serving steamed rice. "I might have heard about him while visiting the market."
                          
"Chizuru, I'm waiting," Toshizou reminded his apprentice.
                          
"S-sorry," the young demoness resumed her task to place each bowl in front of the men. 
                          
"I'll self service," Shinpachi sat closer at the meat section. 
                          
"Hey," Hajime frowned from the opposite. "Leave some for all of us."
                          
"What makes Hajime think I'll be eating up all of this?" the second captain bristles. 
                          
"Your bowl," Toshizou sneered his sharp gaze on the half-filled vessel. 
                          
"A big man like myself needs to have that much of protein," he argued before shoving a mouthful of sesame rice accompanied by flavorful meat. 
                          
Of course, Heisuke joins in by seating beside Chizuru eying Shinpachi in plain disgust. Each characters adding up to the cheery ambience within the quarter. Isami, on the other hand, figured that the men could use a break after serving the daimyo during their last mission. 
                          
"Toshi, perhaps you can bring Chizuru to hear the poets distinguished work," Isami smiled. "A friend of mine even mentioned the poetry provoked tears to his eyes."
                          
"Something Hijikata-san's poems will never do," Souji inserted from the other side. "Am I right?"
                          
"Shut up," Toshizou snapped while glaring a hole at the bored individual. 
                          
"I'm only speaking the truth," he pouted, yet, olive-green orbs glinted with suppressed humour. 
                          
"Do not disrespect our Vice Commander, Souji-san," Hajime defended the flustered male. 
                          
"Good idea, we can also have a break," Harada defuses the pair's beginning of a neverending bicker. "Chizuru, will you like to go?"
                          
"Uh..." she peeked at Toshizou's irate profile sideways. 
                          
"We can visit tomorrow evening," the vice commander finally caved in. 
                          
"Well done," Isami patted repeatedly on his young commander's back knowing the man chose to work to an early grave. 
                          
"I'll skip the offer," Sannan notified the rest of them. "I have other matters to foresee."
                          
"Come on, Sannan-san," Heisuke called out but cut off his sentence when the spectacled General Secretary stared in silence warning. 
                          
Eventually, dinnertime was over whereas for some duty resumed; Souji went over to his bedroom to gear up alongside, Hajime to patrol the district. In the meantime, Kyoto was on the brink of eruption. The horrible feeling of an upcoming war resulted in everyone acting prickly. The captain put on a blank expression, he was ever ready to battle at the front for Shinsengumi as the others. 
                          
****
                          
In the course of patrolling the notorious venue-Shimabara; Souji mused whether inviting Narumi might be a good inkling. The woman avoided him after their trip, even though, he had terrible bouts of the cough, Souji forces himself to stay put. At times, he wandered off to the bottom of the temple's staircase gazing up at the fortress building. 
                          
"I can hear you thinking," Hajime's voice intervened with his inner reflection.  "You don't look so well."
                          
"Huh?" Souji frowned at the other male, a trickle of dread. "What are you talking about?"