Sharp Wings; 鋭い翼 [Gintama]

21 | I know, but sometimes, I don't want to know

XXI

GINTOKI is a simple man.

When he wants something, he gets it.

When he needs something, he gets it.

But when he knows that he's hurting someone by getting what he wants and what he needs, he stays away and never looks back.

Gintoki silently pushed himself off of the wall that he was leaning on when a minute passed without hearing anything from Shizuku. He started to walk towards Kabuki-chou with his head hanging low and his lips tightly pressed together.

A few minutes ago, he didn't leave the station immediately when he stood up from his spot at the mess hall. No, he wasn't leaving without getting anything – note, he wasn't, but he now knew that he is. When he stood, he went out back to the outside of the kitchen and leaned back against the wall next to the kitchen window. That's when he heard Shizuku try to suppress her tears. He doesn't like that sound at all. He resisted the urge to punch the wall.

When the phone rang, Gintoki silently followed the younger to the next building and silently listened to the conversation between Shizuku and Kusahara. He could barely hear anything, but he pieced things together well.

Shizuku smiled immediately when she heard Kusahara's voice on the other line and honestly, Gintoki doesn't know how to feel about it.

The white haired male was surprised with the younger male's timing. By the way he was questioning Shizuku – he could hear bits and pieces of their conversation – it was as if Kusahara knew that there was something wrong and that the younger girl was crying.

Gintoki stayed hidden behind the wall without creating a sound until Shizuku placed the phone back on the line and slid down on the wall that she was leaning on. Even though he wasn't looking her, he knew that Shizuku slept, then and there.

Just like how she used to sleep in the most peculiar and unexpected place possible, whether she was under the stairs, over a table, even inside a closet or on a tree branch – where she could fall – Shizuku always had the ability to sleep anywhere and everywhere that she wanted.

Gintoki resisted the urge to pick her up and lay her down on a bed. When she wakes up, she will immediately know that he was there. How she will react, he doesn't know, but honestly, he doesn't want to find out.

As stupid and as cold as he sounded, he didn't want to risk it.

"By the face that you're making, I'm guessing that it didn't go well."

Gintoki lifted his gaze from the ground and saw Otose standing outside of her bar, quietly smoking a cigarette without looking at his direction. He has to hand it to her, that woman knows everything.

"And by your lack of response, I'm also guessing that something else happened." Otose said after she extinguished her cigarette on a small ashtray that she held in one of her hands.

"Come inside, we have plenty of time." the old woman said, opening the door to her bar and before going inside, as if knowing that Gintoki wouldn't just go up to the Yorozuya.

And, Gintoki didn't. He just entered the bar, closed the door behind him with a gently pull before sitting down on his usual chair in front of Otose. There was already a drink in front him even before he settled down on his spot. No one else was inside the bar and Gintoki's sure that the kids are up at the office so no one will bother them for the time being.

"So, what happened?" the old woman asked after a while of silence.

Gintoki gave a low sigh as he stared at one spot on the bar counter, his hand absentmindedly playing with his cup.