𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 » 𝐇𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐚.𝐭

CHAPTER TEN - 𝑶𝑳𝑫 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑪𝑬𝑺

SHIFTING AWKWARDLY IN HER SEAT, Y/N fidgeted with her hands as she constantly look outside at the semi-blurry images of people and scenarios as the car was going a little faster than normal.

Hijikata occasionally glance over to the nervous girl beside him, it was as if he traveled back in time, meeting the shy, respectful and very awkward girl. He exhaled before fully focusing on the road in front of him, he can tell that she has something to say; with her constantly looking over and lips parted then close again like a fish while her fiddle with her fingers got worse. He can always tell.

"Bushuu."  He started, earning a confused and half startled "Huh?" The man repeated himself. "Bushuu." There was a moment of silence between them before Y/N finally spoke. "We're going to Bushuu?" Her fiddling stopped as her hands rest calmly on her lap. "Hm, smart girl." She shifted in her seat and murmured to herself lowly at his sarcasm, Hijikata resist a chuckle. At least she isn't afraid of me now.

"But Bushuu is far, isn't it?" The girl leaned close to the car door, away from him. "Careful, I didn't lock the door." She ignored his lie as she continue to speak. "Where do you plan on taking me?"

Hijikata heaved a sigh at her dramatic reaction, "Should've stay unconscious." He muttered. "It's where we come from."

Y/N slowly put her arms down—which she placed in front of her for protection earlier—and stare at the man in silence, her eyes took in the small smile hanging on his lips without he himself even knowing, and his eyes which soften at events of the past, she assumed. The longer she stares, the deeper the red becomes on her cheeks, so she looked away, distracting herself with the view outside. This feeling feels familiar, she wonder, where have she experienced this before?

"You should sleep, you must be tired from visiting all those places just now. Plus, this is going to be long, you can sleep while we're on the way." Hijikata informed, turning around a corner as the soft, satisfying clicking sound of the car signal made their way to her ear. "My mother said I shouldn't be sleeping and have it nice while the other person is driving, though. It's rude."

Hijikata stopped blinking as it stays wide open, his hands on the steering wheel loosening for a moment at her sudden mention of the family that abandoned her. It was the painful stung caused by dryness that finally made him blink, back into the real world as his fingers gripped hard around the steeling wheel. "Speaking of mother, where's my family, Hijikata-san?"

Y/N's head tilted to have a better look of the man. "Hijikata...-san?"

A finger pushed her forehead, making her lean back onto her seat. She quickly reach for the spot once his hand retracted. "Sleep."

"What's with you..." She mumbled, rubbing her forehead even though it did not hurt. She leaned back with a small and quick huff, shutting her eyes.

Hijikata made sure she was drifting off to sleep before covering the lower half of his face with his hand, releasing a deep breath before rubbing his face.

"Of all the memories you could've kept, you chose the bad ones."

¤

The girl stirred, whining a little for more sleep but something kept shaking her, so she slapped it off.

"Ouch!" Hijikata retracted his arm and held his hand, she sure is strong, even in her sleep. He heaved a tired sigh before reaching to caress the top of her head, thumb swiping over strands of hair off her face. Waking her up harshly never worked, you're just digging your own grave, so he'll have to do it the soft way. "Wake up, Y/N. We're here."