"Ugh." Heisuke groaned in despair. "I came to Shimabara to have fun. How did I get stuck babysitting a bunch of grown men?"
Surrounding him were several of the Shinsengumi captains... correction, wasted captains.
Hijikata and Kondou were in a corner exchanging words of endearment for one another's swordsmanship, and Okita occasionally chimed in to their conversation. Shinpachi was drawing weird faces on his friend's body to compliment Sanosuke's stomach scar and Saito silently watched the whole fiasco, but it was clear that he drank more alcohol than anyone there.
The worst part wasn't any of those things... it was that a geisha was stuck in the room with all of them. She served everyone alcohol with a kind smile and warm eyes, and for some reason Heisuke couldn't help but feel embarrassed that his friends were acting like drunkards.
"Would you care for a drink?" She politely asked, holding up a cup to the brunette. Heisuke immediate refused after explaining that he was elected to be the responsible one today. Suddenly, she was called out of the room. It was probably to attend to more important clients.
As a result of the Geisha leaving, the Shinsengumi men were in an uproar. "Whaaaaat? Come back~" Shinpachi slurred as the door shut behind the her. His lips revealed an obvious pout.
Heisuke sighed in relief, glad that no one would have to deal with the drunk captains. Although, as soon as he thought that, the door opened once more and someone else walked in.
"Good evening everyone, my name is (y/n) and I am a maiko (a geisha's apprentice). The woman who served you earlier is my older sister (term used for the Maiko's mentor, a geisha). I hope you enjoy tonight's entertainment." You bowed at an appropriate angle before sliding the door shut behind you.
Heisuke's face ran red right when he laid eyes on you. 'She's only a maiko?' He thought. It was obvious that your red lips were carefully painted, and your eyes were as alluring as the night sky. Your looks were definitely geisha-level already. You scanned the room, making eye contact with Heisuke. After you shot him a brief smile, he blushed even harder. It was plain to see that he was the only sober individual.
Standing in front of everyone, you pulled out a fan and began to dance at Kondou's request. Your movements were effortless and Heisuke couldn't keep his eyes off of you. Sanosuke recognized Heisuke's expression and leaned toward him, "You liiiiike her~" the auburn haired male teased.
"S-shut up Sano!" Heisuke harshly whispered, forcing himself to rip his eyes away from your dancing figure.
"I can see it in your eyes." Sanosuke laughed, putting his hands behind his head and resting against a wall. "Good luck! Shimabara women are the hardest to get with."
Heisuke's eyes widened, "That's right. We're in Shimabara." He whispered. Gloom fell over his features. If he was serious about you, the brunette knew he wouldn't be able to buy you when you debuted as a Geisha. It was also going to be difficult to prove that he was different from the other men that visited Shimabara with ulterior motives.
"What's wrong?" You came and asked, taking a seat next to Heisuke.
"Eh?!" He literally jumped out of his seat. You surprised him by suddenly sitting next him. "W-w-weren't you just dancing?"
"Yeah." You frowned as you glanced around. "But all of your friends fell asleep so I don't know if I should feel like I'm boring or that I was so good they couldn't keep their eyes open."
Heisuke chuckled at this. "You were great." He gave a genuine smile, and it was then that you realized how handsome he was. You felt your cheeks heat up at his compliment. The male recognized the pink hue under your white makeup. 'How cute.'
"How old are you?" You suddenly asked him, eager to get to know him better. "We look to be around the same age."
"W-why?" The brunette was caught off guard. He couldn't think up a single time when a girl asked him that, especially since he was a member of the Shinsengumi who everyone tried to avoid.
"I've seen you and your friends come here before." You chuckled at his dumbfounded expression. "You look a lot younger than them. That's why I'm asking."
"T-that's not true." He stuttered, blushing. He had to admit he did have a baby face. "Hajime-kun and I are the same age! Nineteen!" He pointed to Saito who had comfortably made a bed for himself out of seat cushions.
"Waaah!" You smiled and clapped your hands together as soon as you heard his answer. "I'm only a year younger than you."
"Eh?! Really?" He asked. "You're so mature for girls your age." Heisuke was talking about your looks.
You blushed at his comment. "I am a woman, you know?"
"R-right!" He facepalmed. "I wasn't calling you a kid, I just-"
"I know." You cut him off with a quick smile. There was a knock at the door signaling your time was up. "I have to leave. But it was nice meeting you... uhm... Hajime-kun's friend."
"H-H-Heisuke!" He yelled bluntly, then cowered in embarrassment while he fiddled with his bangs. "Toudou... Heisuke."
"Next time you guys come, ask for my older sister and you'll get me." You waved casually to brunette. "I need experience."
"What if I come by myself?" Heisuke shyly asked, he changed to fidgeting with his fingers in his lap. Your eyes widened at his bold question.
"Then just ask for me." You chuckled with a genuine smile. Toudou Heisuke was definitely a cute one.
You bowed and exited the room properly, leaving Heisuke a blushing mess. "Ahhhh! I can't believe I didn't even introduce myself properly!" He rolled around on the ground, covering his face. After some time had passed, he stopped. The male longingly stared through the door you just left through. "I guess I'll have to start coming alone."
