Her eyebrows were crooked, and her tone was very sincere.

"For most of the other swords in this Honmaru, I'm a 'general' or 'lord'. ”

"However, I think that for Kane-san, we are companions from the Shinsengumi era to the present day. ”

"How we were active in the streets of Kyoto at that time, let's be active in every mission-related era now. ”

"I will try my best to be a reliable companion for Kane-san...... I won't do that guy who inexplicably worries about me, and suddenly becomes a bad servant and stabs Kane-san. ”

Izumi Shoukanji: "...... Who, who's worried about you!!Don't, don't talk stupid!!"

Although he reprimanded her with a lot of momentum, the Witch looked at him with a smile and tilted her head slightly, as if she had not been affected by his harsh tone at all.

"So, Kane-san...... As before, will you work hard with me as a companion?" she asked.

Izumi Morikaneji repeated. “…… Companion??"

He glared at her, but her gaze was calm and soft.

"Yes, companion. She replied.

The song that floated in the courtyard sang:

[The past and the future will always be with a smile.]

It still seems to be a trace that will not disappear

When it is in full bloom

Keep yourself in the right posture

Walking on their own paths】

Izumi Mamoru Kaneji suddenly tilted his head and exhaled heavily.

"You...... I can really tell......" he muttered, his pretty features twisted slightly, and then quickly unfolded, and he turned his face sharply to stare straight at her.

"Speaking of which, I'm used to this kind of unreasonable thing, and I am quite angry......" he said angrily.

The female inquisitor was stunned.

…… After polarization, Ma Dangfan's lines, how did they appear in this place?

But...... There's no way around it.

About the kindness you have shown me that you don't know yourself, about the wayward behavior I once showed......

I know it all.

However, it can only end with unreasonableness.

She slowly curled the corners of her lips and bowed her head towards Izumi Morikane.

"I know. …… But because I'm handsome and powerful, I think even if I go a little too far, I'll be fine...... Really?"

Listening to such a willful line, Izumi Shoukan's eyes almost rolled to the sky.

He suddenly lowered his head to avoid her gaze, picked up a string of three-color dumplings from the tray, bit off one with a bite, chewed it twice and coughed, pressed his hand to his throat, turned over and stood up, and yelled: "Ah...... This is so sweet! my throat is dying...... Give me tea!"

Then, he yelled "I'm thirsty, Guoguang give me tea", and ran all the way down the corridor without looking back.

Liu Quan was stunned to see Izumi's back, and the smile on his face slowly faded, and finally turned into nothing.

“…… I'm sorry, Kane-san. She whispered apologetically.

However, her depression did not last long, and she heard another commotion in the courtyard.

Then, she saw the Five Tigers running in her direction, and shouted in a panic: "Lord, master......! Stuck again!"

Liu Quan was stunned.

"But...... Isn't the song still playing normally?"

Wuhu stammered, "But, don't you notice? This is the second time......!

Liu Quan sighed, probably understanding what was going on.

Maybe everyone was panicking just now, who touched the button of the single loop.

But now she was not in the mood to put on a particularly gentle and patient attitude, and walked over to explain the matter well and return to the previous carousel order. So she just smiled and said, "That's not bad, I just like this song very much, can you let me listen to it a few more times?"

The Five Tigers didn't seem to expect that the female judge was not angry, but instead achieved a good result with a crooked fight - it happened that the song that had been repeated was what the master liked - so he rejoiced, answered, and turned his head and rushed back to tell everyone.

So, Liu Quan continued to sit alone under the porch, listening to the song in an infinite loop.

[One of the treasures obtained from it.]

The light of guidance

Sprout and grow with the warmer seasons

Always smiling for us

To this day, it is like a trace of gentleness

When it is in full bloom

Keep yourself in the right posture

Shine on their own paths]

I don't know how long she listened like this, but she suddenly noticed that someone was standing quietly behind her.

Liu Quan turned around, thinking that it was the candlestick cut Guangzhong—because Guangzhong had said that he would go to the kitchen to bring her the latest refreshments—but found that the person who came was actually a singer and a fairy.

Liu Quan's inner oS: Ah, is it a special session today...... (Nope.)

However, the singer did bring her refreshments. He carried a tray with thin dots on it, and even from the angle of the willow spring, he could see a small cherry spike on the plate—

Liu Quan blurted out in surprise: "It's cherry blossoms!"

Gexian smiled at her, nodded, squatted down, placed the tray next to the original tray, tidied up the position of the tray for her a little, and then received the empty tray as if he was going to take the old tray away.

Liu Quan was a little embarrassed, feeling that someone had brought refreshments for her kindness, and it seemed a bit rude to let the family leave without saying a word - but her limited knowledge of elegance did not dare to show off in front of the real elegance master Song Xian, for the first time in her life, Liu Quan felt the pain of half a bottle of water.

Perhaps seeing the lord's embarrassment, the song fairy chuckled lightly and took the initiative to say, "Today's flower viewing party, how elegant it is." All this is due to the Lord. ”

Liu Quan: "Yes, yes...... Hehehehe, you're welcome......"

She stiffened twice, and thought about waka or haiku related to cherry blossoms for a while, but all she could think of were the works of the deputy chief—no way, the memory of being forced to read "Toyotama Hair Sentence Collection" by Okita was too deep—but the deputy chief's works, whether it was "the world is crowded/The cherry blossoms are silently fleeting/Relatively fleeting", or "The years are always similar/The flowers are still gone/The years are all gone", it doesn't sound like a good work; I'm sorry, but I thought that I should be a poet for this good time...... But I'm really not proficient in this way, and the only thing I've heard before is Mr. Hijikata's haiku......"

Gesen seemed a little surprised, and asked, "Did you say that the former master of Izumi Mamoru and the deputy head of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Suizo?"

Liu Quan smiled bitterly.

"Who else?...... It's him. She looked at the Kazuha Sakura in the court, didn't know what she remembered, and said as if she was in a daze, "In the past, the head priest always went to steal his 'Fengyu Hair Sentence Collection' and hid it in my room so that he couldn't find it...... Later, after reading other people's evaluations, I realized that the deputy chief is really not the material of a great poet-"

She paused slightly.

“…… However, at that time, I also memorized a lot of his haiku. ”

Whether it's for the sake of the deputy chief of strategy, or because of pure goodness, or because of Okita's half-joking, mischievous compulsion-

Every time she needs to recite poetry, all she can think of is his works.

Gexian suddenly chuckled and said, "Hijikata-kun, although it is said that he is the representative of the 'last samurai', he himself is a rare person of elegance. ”

Liu Quan: ?!

She was truly shocked by what Kasen's evaluation of Hijikata had - perhaps Gesen had given him a bit of affection for Hijikata's tireless hobby of writing haiku?

Looking at her surprised look, Gexian smiled slightly.

"'If you don't live here/How can you enjoy the flowers and enjoy the joy of today'—" he said slowly, dragging out the final note.

Willow Springs: !!

Of course she remembered this haiku! When the oil path was transformed, Heisuke asked her to read the death poem for him—

As if she didn't feel the wavering in her heart, Gexian continued to say slowly, "...... Isn't this haiku by Hijikata-kun just right for the occasion? ”

Liu Quan slowly put away his stunned expression, lowered his gaze, and answered softly, "...... Exactly. You're right. ”

Gexian glanced at her, and then, understandingly, changed the subject to something else.

Speaking of which, today's scene reminds me of a waka written by the original owner, Lady Tamako Hosokawa. His voice was gentle and calm.

"'When you leave, you know this world, flowers come and people come and people come and go'. ”

Liu Quan: "...... Huh?"

In the stereo of the courtyard, the gentle song sang:

[Together with the time depicted here.]

Beautiful view in front of you

Embrace that day after week

Let's be a flower]

The surprise on Liu Quan's face gradually turned into a knowing smile.

“…… Oh, yes. She replied.

"I think now that the deputy chief is really a good poet~"

Gexian turned his head slightly. "Oh?"

Liu Quan smiled.

"'Meet Musashino / It's time to enjoy the flowers and drink / There is no poetry to have fun' – this is also a haiku he wrote. ”

"It's not straightforward, but this is Mr. Hijikata...... He is so frank at all times, even when he is fighting, when he is writing poetry, and when he is admiring the flowers—"

At all times, he looks at the things in his eyes with a fiery heart, and expresses his feelings and wishes directly, whether it is fighting to the death against the ronin on the streets of Kyoto, or galloping in the fields of Hakodate to Bentendaiba, which is about to fall.

In his eyes, there is only faith.

Now, with a warm smile, she could sit under the porch, facing the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and think of that person calmly with a certain gentle nostalgia in such a peaceful afternoon.

As if looking at the yellowed old photos of the old time that will never return, although I am emotional, although I am nostalgic, I know very well that it is time for me to take a photo album and continue the journey - because no matter how reluctant I am, the wheel of time is still rolling forward.

Not only Mr. Hijikata, but also those very nice and good people who have appeared in my mission and my life along the way.

I thank you for meeting me. Thank you for influencing me to become a better and better person. Thank you for loving the world and loving me well in those past days—

Yet, as I sit here and think back to you with a calm and warm heart, I have once again affirmed this fact - that it is time to face it all, to put it down, to seal it away, to treasure it well, and then to take it in stride. 12