Dimensions

To Survive

The next morning, Haru woke up Hajime much earlier than he would have liked. Hajime, still half-asleep, looked up to see Saitou standing near the door. The memories of the night before flooded into his head, forcing Hajime to accept the fact that this wasn't a dream if he woke up into it.

"Kondo wants to see you," said Saitou, looking down at Hajime.

"I'll be right there," said Hajime, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

Saitou nodded and closed the door, waiting for him to come outside. Hajime looked around at everyone else, still sleeping peacefully on the floor, Rui and Iku holding hands, their breathing synchronized. Haru gave him a worried, encouraging look, before Hajime nodded and walked out. Saitou led him down the hall to where Kondo was waiting in another room, before leaving him there and walking away.

"Take a seat," Kondo said, gesturing to the seat across from him.

Hajime obliged. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Saitou dug up some spare weaponry from I-don't-really-know-where. So take your teammates with you to the grounds later. You'll need weapons if you want to survive in the Shinsengumi."

Hajime wondered if he was insinuating that the Shinsengumi were out to kill them, or whether the Shinsengumi had that many enemies out there. "That was fast."

"Saitou is diligent," said Kondo fondly. "You could ask him anything you want to know about fighting; he's one of our best warriors."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you," said Hajime, about to get up.

"Wait. There's something else I wanted to tell you."

Hajime waited patiently as Kondo continued. "You're a group of 12, am I right?"

Hajime nodded, wondering what he was getting at.

"Would you take responsibility as a captain?" Kondo asked, his eyes twinkling with anticipation. "I believe the others in your group would like that."

"Kondo, you can't just appoint anyone as a captain," said a voice from outside, as Hijikata pulled open the door and walked in. "How naïve are you?"

"He proved he has what it takes to be a captain."

"That doesn't mean he's not a spy!" said Hijikata. Hajime looked between the two of them, at a frustrated Hijikata, and a rather serene Kondo. Something passed between the two of them, and Kondo's face softened into one of apology. Hijikata sighed and glanced at Hajime, before walking out.

Hajime watched with slight amusement as Kondo said, "I apologize for that."

Hajime shook his head as he stood up. "Thanks, and I think I'll take my leave now."

Kondo nodded his dismissal as Hajime walked out and was tackled by Koi and Kakeru.

"Hajime!"

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering if something had happened while he was gone. If Okita had touched any of them-

"They thought Kondo was going to kill you," said Haru, walking up to them, followed by Arata and Aoi.

Hajime breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't think he's the one we need to be worried about," he said, catching sight of Okita down the corridor, who walked away with the ghost of a smile on his face. Hajime absent-mindedly ruffled Koi's and Kakeru's hair, before they both pulled away. "Kondo told me to head to the grounds. Haru, could you get Procella?"

Haru nodded, and walked down the hall without a moment of hesitation, as Arata asked, "Do you think they have strawberry milk here?"

"I don't think so, Arata," Aoi said. Arata's face was impassive, but something told Hajime that he was internally horror-stricken. "You'll have to make do without it until we get home."