The soft chirping and quiet chatter stirred the girl on the bed from sleep. Saya slowly opened her eyes and rubbed them, trying to adjust her vision.
"You can't. Saya has to go back today."
A familiar voice made her lift her head. Shinpachi and Kagura turned toward the speaker—Rachel, the head of the Detroit Magic Division, whom Saya respected like an older sister. Rachel stood near the TV, and beside her on the sofa was Seth, a colleague and like a big brother to her.
"Saya's awake," Seth nodded, prompting everyone to turn toward the bed and rush over.
"How are you feeling, Saya?"
"I'm fine. But—how did you and Rachel get here?"
"Flew in," Seth replied flatly, earning a glare from Rachel.
"What? What did I say wrong?"
"Go get the doctor," Rachel ordered. Seth pointed at himself. "Me?"
"Fine, I'll go."
The doctor gave her a quick check-up. Her wounds were healing fast—she could likely be discharged tomorrow.
"Then I'll ask to leave today."
"Go where?" Rachel asked.
"Home, of course." Saya shook her head vigorously, lips pouting.
"No way. I want to stay until Sunday."
"No. You're going back today."
"Oh, come on! She wants to stay—let her! The bad guys are all taken care of. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Maybe... but that doesn't mean there aren't any stragglers left."
"This is Saya we're talking about—she's stronger than any of us! Plus, the kids are here too. What's the worry?"
"Exactly! Let Ah-Saya stay. We'll watch over her," Kagura chimed in.
"No. It's not happening."
"Excuse me, miss," said a new voice, drawing everyone's attention. "Your sister just started recovering. Let her rest a bit longer."
"Gin-san! / Gin-chan!"
"Hey." As Gintoki sat down beside the bed, Saya reached out to grab his shirt like she was pleading for help.
"Who are you?"
"Sakata Gintoki. Owner of the Odd Jobs business."
Rachel recognized the name from the Shinsengumi contract. Apparently, he was involved in this mission too. Still…
"So what? I'm taking my sister back. You have no say in this."
"Hey, Saya, do you want to go back?" Gintoki asked. Saya shook her head firmly.
"See? Your sister doesn't want to leave. Don't force her. I know you're worried, but at least ask what she wants."
"He's right, Rachel," Seth added. "Saya's grown up. Give her some freedom."
Neither of them were siding with her! Rachel was just worried. She wanted Saya somewhere she could look after her properly.
She'd fought against letting Saya come here alone—it was dangerous, and neither she nor Seth nor the doctors could always protect her.
"Rachel..." Saya called softly, climbing down from the bed and walking over to gently hug her sister.
"Can I stay one more day? I'll come back tomorrow evening... please?"
"Why?"
"There's a sakura event tomorrow. I want to see it." She gave Rachel her best puppy-dog eyes—but...
"No." Still firm. Saya pouted, then ran straight to Seth.
"I say yes. Go ahead."
"Seth!!"
"Enough! What did I just say, Rachel?" Rachel didn't respond—just shot him an annoyed look.
"Alright, fine. But the moment it ends, you're coming back. Got it?" Rachel let out an exasperated sigh. Somehow, she now looked like the stubborn child.
Seth might act goofy at times, but when Rachel got too headstrong, he always switched into serious mode to rein her in.
"Thanks, Seth. Thank you, Rachel!" Saya threw her arms around them both—at this point, who could say no?
"Hey, you." Gintoki raised an eyebrow, pointing to himself in confusion. "Me?"
Rachel stared at him coldly. "If anything happens to my sister, I won't let you off."
"Yeah, yeah," Gintoki replied nonchalantly.
She plopped down on a rooftop chair, gazing up at the beautiful sky as a cool breeze brushed against her face.
"I don't wanna go back… I wish I could move here."
"Looks like someone's really into this place," Gintoki said, settling into the seat beside her.
"Yeah… But I can't. Rachel would totally freak out."
She knew her sister well. Ever since they'd met, Rachel treated her like a fragile treasure. She appreciated the care, but sometimes she just wanted a bit of freedom.
"Then why not move here for real?"
"Huh?" She turned to him, surprised to see him smiling. "Wait… are you serious?"
"I am. What do you say? Move in."
His expression was too genuine to be a joke—which was wild, considering it was Sakata Gintoki, a guy who only cared about sweets, pachinko, and money.
"You're joking."
"Nope. Dead serious."
Saya placed her hand on his forehead, checking for fever. Normal. She tried feeling his pulse. Also normal.
He gently took her hand and placed it on his lap. "Saya, I'm fine."
"No… you're definitely not normal." He sighed. "What do I have to do to prove it?"
"Why do you want me to move here?"
"I just… want you to. Feels weird hearing that from me, huh?"
"Super weird."
"I thought it'd be nice. We could visit you on weekends, hang out, have dinner with the AC blasting at your place."
"So basically, you just want to freeload off me?"
"Ah, busted." She smacked his arm.
"Ow! Hey! I'm injured here!" She kept smacking, so he grabbed both her hands.
"Let go!"
"No! If I do, you'll just hit me again!"
"Bad Gintoki! Take this!" She bit him.
"Ow! You little gremlin! Are you a dog or something?!" He let go—only to catch her in a playful headlock.
"Urgh! Let me go!"
"I'm serious, Saya. I really do want you to move to Japan—with all of us."
"You're just trying to turn my house into your new Yorozuya branch."
"Hey, now there's an idea! Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
"Yaaagh!"
"Hey, there you guys are!" Shinpachi, Kagura, and Sadaharu had joined them, settling onto the bench nearby.
"So, what were you two talking about? Or were you getting all lovey-dovey~?"
"Lovey-dovey? Please. I was trying to convince her to move here so we could hijack her house—ow!!" Saya had headbutted him.
"Ow!! What is wrong with you?! One minute you're hitting me, next you're biting, then headbutting—I'll toss you off the roof straight into deep space!"
"Grrr!!"
"You little brat!!"
"Please, both of you—stop fighting," Shinpachi sighed.
"I really do want Saya to move in with us, you know," Kagura added softly. Everyone turned to her.
"It's not about turning her house into a Yorozuya branch. I just want her to be with us. For real."
Saya pulled Gintoki's arm off her neck and sat up straight, turning to listen as the little girl beside her began to speak.
"I really like you, Saya," Kagura said cheerfully. "From the first time I saw you, I thought you were super pretty! And you're the first girl Gin-chan has ever shown interest in too. So… I really want you to become part of our family."
"Kagura-chan…" Saya said softly, touched by the sincerity. Then she narrowed her eyes a bit. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Hm? What is it, nya?"
"You guys planned this, didn't you? Did Gin-san put you up to this?" Kagura's eyes darted left and right, then blinked innocently—and bolted.
"Kagura-chan!!" Saya called out after her, then spun around to glare at the silver-haired culprit.
"I knew it…" she growled, raising her hand, ready to strike.
Gintoki quickly pushed her arm away. "Whoa, wait! Calm down, I can explain!"
He raised his hands in surrender. "Kagura just really wants you to move here, that's all. Right, Shinpachi?" He turned to the bench next to him—only to find it completely empty. Even Sadaharu was gone.
"…When the hell did they disappear—OW!!" Too late. Now he had to run for his life from Saya's mighty palm.
"Wait! Saya! Let's just talk this out!!"
"NO!!!"
"Thank you for your help. And here's the full payment as agreed." Rachel handed the check to Kondou. Her job was done. All that was left was to escort the Eliths back to America to face justice.
"My pleasure," Kondou replied.
"Captain Kondou, the commander is calling for you," Okita announced as he stepped into the room.
"Thanks, Sougo. I'll be heading off, then. Hopefully, we'll get to work together again next time."
"Likewise," Rachel said.
After Kondou left, only Rachel, Seif, Okita, and Hijikata remained in the room.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Rachel spoke up, drawing curious glances from the others. "Do you guys know Sakata Gintoki?"
"Yeah, why?" Hijikata replied, lighting a cigarette, inhaling, and exhaling a plume of smoke.
"What kind of person is he?"
"Why are you asking? Interested in him or something?"
"A little. He seems to be interested in my little sister." Okita and Hijikata exchanged looks before turning back to her.
"Your little sister? You mean Saya?"
"Yes."
"That guy's a former Joui patriot. They used to call him the 'Shiroyasha.'"
The name Shiroyasha rang a bell. If she remembered correctly, he was a samurai so powerful that defeating him was nearly impossible. "And now?"
"Now he runs an odd-jobs business. As for his personality... well, he's quite a loudmouth. Loves pachinko, reads Shonen Jump, picks his nose, always behind on rent, and he's addicted to parfaits."
After hearing that laundry list of flaws, Rachel rubbed her temples. This guy sounded like a complete mess. If Saya ended up dating him for real, she'd be the one doing all the heavy lifting in the relationship.
"You're overthinking this," Seif said quietly, finally speaking up after watching Rachel's troubled face.
"How can I not? You heard what they said about him."
"True, but based on what we saw recently, he doesn't seem that bad. He helped save Saya and even helped capture the Eliths."
"That kind of situation doesn't prove anything. If they really start dating, he's probably just going to mooch off her." Seif let out a long sigh.
"So what are you going to do? Forbid her from seeing him? You think Saya would listen to that?"
They both knew Saya wouldn't. No matter how obedient she could be, she was still pretty stubborn.
"Stop overthinking it. She's twenty-four now. Let her face the world on her own."
"And look where that's gotten her," Rachel snapped. "You saw how much pain she went through. After our parents died, she was completely lost. Bullied, deceived, and emotionally shattered. She fell into depression. We had to watch over her constantly until she slowly came back to herself. Now you want me to just let her walk into trouble with some good-for-nothing?"
"But even if our boss is lazy, when it comes to work, he always gets things done," Okita said, drawing their attention.
"I know him well. He may be a slacker, but when it matters, he gives his all. He may not talk much about it, but if a friend or someone close is in trouble, he'll rush in without hesitation—and without telling anyone. Just like yesterday, when he found out your sister was kidnapped, he went straight after her."
"And how am I supposed to trust that he'll take care of my sister?"
Hijikata blew out a puff of smoke and stubbed out his cigarette. "We're not telling you to trust him. We're telling you to give him a chance. Like Sougo said, he's not a bad guy. He just wants to protect the person he cares about. That's all."
Okita gave Hijikata a wide-eyed look. "Wow. I can't believe you're actually speaking up for the boss like this."
"Shut up. I just don't want to owe him one, that's all."
Rachel stayed silent, mulling over their words, until Seif gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Look, Saya will be fine. If that guy ever messes up, I'm sure Saya will handle him herself. For now, all we can do is stay close and watch over her."
Rachel looked at him and slowly let go of the tension in her face. "You're right."
Saya was old enough to take care of herself and make her own decisions. It was time to give her some freedom.
"Well, if there's nothing else, let's go. I'm starving for some ramen," Seif said, rubbing his growling stomach.
"How about we go to our usual place? It's actually pretty good."
"Sure, lead the way."
Rachel's phone buzzed with a notification. It was a message from Saya—she had sent a photo. Rachel smiled as she looked at the picture. Kagura had taken the shot. In the background, Saya was chasing Gintoki with a stick, while Shinpachi tried to break them up.
It's time for you to really grow up now, Saya.
Take care of yourself… from here on out.
"I'm exhausted."
"I should be the one complaining, not you."
The two of them sat slumped together on Saya's hospital bed, still catching their breath after being scolded by a nurse for running around.
Saya suddenly sprang up and gave a light smack to the stomach of the man next to her. "I'm hungry. I want ramen."
"We already ate at the place next to the hospital, didn't we? Still not full?"
"I want ramen, not hospital food. Take me there, please?"
"Only if the doctor says yes." Saya immediately rushed off to get the doctor's permission—which, unsurprisingly, ended with her trudging back to the room looking dejected.
"Guess that's a no," Gintoki said. Saya pouted, her face clouded with disappointment. Gintoki let out a sigh. Who would've thought this girl could be so cutesy and childish underneath it all? Was she really 24?
"Let me borrow your phone."
Saya looked at the large hand held out to her before handing over her fancy smartphone. Gintoki tapped away at the screen and made a call.
"Ah, hello? This is Sakata Gintoki. I was wondering if your shop's still open. I'd like to order some ramen. Two bowls, please—deliver to Shinji Hospital, Room 302. Thanks a bunch!"
He turned to hand the phone back, only to see that Saya had fallen asleep. Gintoki shook his head before gently picking her up and adjusting her sleeping position, pulling the blanket over her chest.
A buzzing sound from the phone caught his attention. Curious, he tapped into the notification. It was a memory archive—messages from over ten years ago. He scrolled down, reading each message carefully.
saya: Dad, I got first place on my test today!
saya: sent photo
saya: Aren't I amazing?
saya: Dad, is Mom doing okay? Do you get to see her? What about Grandpa and Grandma, do you see them too?
saya: My friend just passed away. Can I ask you to take care of her too?
saya: I don't want her to be lonely.
saya: Please look after my friend.
saya: Dad, I feel so alone.
saya: Can I come be with you? I don't think I can take this anymore.
saya: Living like this hurts so much.
saya: Even if nothing's wrong on the outside, my heart can't take it anymore.
He kept scrolling until he reached the most recent message—sent, by the look of it, about a week before Saya arrived in Japan.
saya: Dad, you once said you worked in Japan, right? I'm going there for work too.
saya: You said you met a samurai there once, and that you'd introduce him to me someday.
saya: Are you going to send him to me now?
saya: It's not like I want to meet him or anything. I'd be so embarrassed…
saya: But… if you want me to meet him, I guess it's okay.
saya: I hope he's a good person.
saya: Dad, I met someone.
saya: His hair is silver and he always looks kind of tired, like he's super lazy or something.
saya: But he seems like a good guy… Just loud, sarcastic, lazy, and stingy—that's all.
As soon as he finished reading, Gintoki let out a laugh. She gossiped about me to her dad? This kid really has no filter.
saya: Dad, today I ended up telling him about myself... and I even cried in front of him.
saya: When I woke up, I was so embarrassed. But he didn't seem to mind.
saya: Oh, I forgot to tell you—his name's Gintoki. Sakata Gintoki. I don't know how old he is, but he's probably older.
saya: And today, he took me out. It was so fun… and I also got super dizzy.
saya: I got to meet the kids at his shop, too.
saya: They're adorable—and funny. When we went into the haunted house, Gintoki screamed his lungs out.
Reading that last part, Gintoki's eyebrow twitched. This girl... badmouthing me again, huh? Someone needs a spanking.
saya: But he really looked scared. When I saw his face, my heart sank. I felt so bad... like, seriously bad. If I had known, I wouldn't have dragged him in there.
His lips curled up without thinking. He didn't expect something as small as being scared of ghosts to make her feel guilty.
Back then, he really was surprised. People usually just laughed or teased him, and of course, someone like Sakata Gintoki wasn't about to let that slide. It was about pride—and pride meant staying quiet and acting cool.
But that day in the haunted house, all that pride just vanished. All the coolness disappeared without warning, and he let himself be vulnerable—even though they had only known each other for a few days.
It was strange. For someone who didn't care about anyone, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
He didn't know why—but what he did know was that when she hugged him back then, he felt safe. And calm.
He liked holding her hand. Wanted to hug her more. He hated seeing her in pain. Hated when she suddenly disappeared.
Maybe… I really do like her.
"What're you snooping at?" The voice from the bed snapped Gintoki out of his thoughts. Saya was staring at him.
"Sorry," he said, handing back her phone. "I saw the notification pop up and kinda tapped it by reflex. You're not mad, right?"
Saya sluggishly shook her head as she sat up. "Nah, it's fine. Has the ramen arrived yet?"
Right on cue, the door swung open—revealing a very familiar face.
"You again? What, you delivering ramen now?"
"I'm just doing a favor for Ikumatsu-san, that's all," said the delivery guy—none other than Katsura Kotarou.
"Alright, now that you've delivered it, off you go." Gintoki handed him some cash.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I won't hang around and cramp your style."
"Good." After Katsura left, the two of them cleared a space for the ramen bowls.
"Hey, Gintoki."
"Hmm?" he replied, mid-slurp.
"We're going to see the cherry blossoms tomorrow, right?"
"Of course. Your brother practically threatened to kill me if I bailed."
"Just the two of us?"
"What do you mean 'just' the two of us?"
"Are we really going… just the two of us?"
"Yeah. Why? Want to bring the others along?"
"I mean… kind of. But honestly, I'd rather go with just you."
Hearing that, Gintoki chuckled quietly. "What, is this your way of asking me out on a date?"
"Can't I?"
He set down his spoon and chopsticks, then turned to look at her, eyes calm and serious. "You've got a crush on me, don't you?"
Saya looked him straight in the eye, her expression equally calm. "I don't know."
"Come on. You've totally fallen for me. No way you'd ask me out otherwise." He struck a pose like he was some kind of heartthrob, making Saya burst out laughing.
"Gintoki, has anyone ever told you how full of yourself you are?"
"What? So what? I'm just being honest. Believe it or not, I've had tons of girls fall for me." Saya nodded with a small smile. "Sure, sure. Anyway—tomorrow's a yes, then?"
"Yeah. Wear something pretty."
"How pretty are we talking?"
"Hmm… Pretty enough to make my jaw drop."
"You said it."
"I did."
"Then it's on."
After their chat, they polished off their ramen and by the time they were done, it was nearly midnight. Gintoki had to return to his own recovery room. Before leaving, Saya lingered by the window, gazing up at the deep blue night sky scattered with stars.
Tomorrow's the last day I'll be here. I don't want it to come… but oh well. Tomorrow will come no matter what. I just hope… it brings something good.