The Shinsengumi's Demon Commander.
Personally, you didn't know him. Like, at all. Not even his first name.
You only heard stories from Shimabara women who would visit your small seamstress shop.
"He's so handsome." They would say. "I hope he comes by again."
"What's so special about this man?" You asked curiously one time they stopped by.
"You're still a child, aren't you?" A girl shook her head and replied.
An older woman placed her powdery face right in front of yours. "When you become a real woman, you'll yearn for strong arms and a good-looking face like that every night."
You blushed at the thought of 'becoming a woman'.
After the women from the red light district left, you began to fantasize about what their beloved Hijikata-san might have looked like.
"Excuse me." Someone demanded your attention.
You snapped out of your trance only to be met with an unfamiliar man.
His jet-black hair was pulled into a high-ponytail and his bangs framed his face beautifully.
There was one thing that stood out the most—his purple eyes.
You didn't know it yet, but this was the very man you were fantasizing about.
"Are you okay?" The male furrowed his brows.
You blushed. He caught you staring at him. "M-My apologies, you're just so handsome."
"I get that a lot, actually." The male gave a light chuckle.
'So this is what a handsome man looks like.'
Usually, you were locked up in your shop, and it was mainly women who visited, so you weren't well-accustomed to customers of the opposite gender.
"What brings you here today?" You asked curiously, staring at the azalea-colored kimono he held in his hands.
"I was wondering if you could mend this." The male handed the piece of clothing over to you and pointed out the torn fabric by the wrist. "My friend tore it while practicing his swordsmanship."
You frowned. Something seemed off. The kimono looked to have been created for a woman with a small build. There was no way a lean man practicing swordsmanship would fit into something so tiny.
"This is a woman's, is it not?" You chuckled, holding the kimono up in front of you.
"What was that?" Hijikata was obviously flabbergasted by your sudden statement.
"Also, I hope your friend is okay." You showed him a small blood stain that someone had tried to wash out.
Hijikata was left wide-eyed and... impressed. "You're truly a knowledgeable seamstress."
You couldn't help but feel flustered by his complement.
"Please have a seat over there." You pointed to the waiting area. "This won't take very long."
You flipped the kimono inside out and began to work.
"Were you thinking about someone in particular earlier?" The raven-haired male asked curiously as you worked, trying to make conversation.
"The Shinsengumi's demon commander is a hot conversation topic in this part of town." You informed him as you cut a piece of thread. "The women from Shimabara often visit here and speak of how handsome 'Hijikata-san' is." You mocked their lust-filled tones.
After some more small talk, he told you that his name was Toshizo. You obliviously—and happily—chatted away with this 'Toshizo' man.
This surprised him. Did you really not recognize the man sitting in your shop?
Hijikata admired the way you looked when you worked. Your features shone brightly due to the lamp you worked next to, and your concentration was second to none.
He enjoyed it most when a strand of hair would occasionally fall in your face. You were so immersed in your work that you didn't really notice it.
"What's your favorite food?" The male asked, trying to make conversation once more.
"Dango." You replied simply, still concentrating deeply.
After a while, you finally finished with the kimono and set it aside.
"I can't eat it in the shop since the syrup would get all over the clothes." You stretched and wiped away at the beads of sweat accumulating on your forehead. "What's your favorite food, Hijika—I mean, Toshizo-san?"
You mentally facepalmed yourself.
"I'm sorry, Hijikata-san crossed my mind for a second." You laughed nervously.
This amused the male. He never imagined that his name would be used to refer to someone else. Also, he had to admit that being in a calm environment like this—where no one recognized him as the distasteful demon commander—was nice.
"Takuwan is my favorite food." The male informed you.
"Takuwan, huh?" You closed your eyes and imagined the yellow daikon radishes. "You're unique, Toshizo-san."
"Why?" The male walked over to you and received the kimono you held out to him.
Ignoring his question completely, you blurted, "If you come again, I'll have a whole bucket of takuwan ready for you."
You didn't know why, but you wanted to see him again.
Hijikata was stunned by your sudden offer but agreed, nonetheless. "It's a deal."
Your looks, your straight forward attitude—everything. He liked it all.
~*~*~
After that time, Hijikata visited frequently. He immediately loved the atmosphere of the store and learned a lot about you as a result of his multiple trips. Some days he would fall asleep and other days he would chat with you like he wouldn't ever see you again.
The only thing that bothered him was that you still didn't know of him as Hijikata, just Toshizo.
Unbeknownst to the both of you, on his most current expedition to see you, a very special captain had followed him to your shop.
"And what happened after that?" You giggled as the raven-haired male told a story of his childhood friend, Isami.
"Huh~?" A man with reddish-brown hair and green eyes entered the shop with a mischievous look on his face. "So this is where you always run off to, Hijikata-san."
"Hijikata...san?" You eyes followed the unknown male's gaze to Toshizo, who sat in his usual chair. "HUHHH?!"
"No wonder he kept coming here." The male took a step towards you. "You're a cutie."
"That's enough Souji." The head of the Shinsengumi, Kondo Isami, grabbed the back of the boy's kimono and dragged him away.
"The secret is out." The man you knew as Toshizo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as the other two left.
He advanced towards you, trapping yourself between himself and the wall behind you.
Was this even the same Toshizo?
"Nice to meet you, I'm Hijikata Toshizo." He whispered into your ear. "And I like you."
You blushed deeply at the feeling of his breath on your skin.
'So this is the demon commander.' You felt your knees go weak. Hijikata caught you before you could fall to the floor.
The male tightened his grip on you. Now that you knew about his reputation, he wasn't going to let you slip out of his arms.
