Chapter 38: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

After only a short distance, Gintoki woke up. Still thoroughly drunk, he began acting up, breaking free from Shinpachi and belting out songs in the middle of the street.
“Cool~ cool~ I’m just so cool~” His off-key crooning stretched painfully for miles, torturing the eardrums of all who heard it. Before long, the awakened residents flung open their windows and started hurling things outside.
“Bastard! Quiet down already!”
“If you keep making noise, I’m calling the police for disturbing the peace!”
“Sounds awful, shut up!”
“Singing in the middle of the night, are you insane?”
Shinpachi rushed to apologize to the angry neighbors, while Okakura Take ran over to grab hold of Gintoki. Just as she was about to knock him out again, a police car pulled up beside them.
The window rolled down slowly, revealing a familiar face from earlier that day: Hijikata Toshiro, the Vice-Chief of the Shinsengumi. With a cigarette dangling from his lips, he drawled, “I got a report about a public disturbance in this area. That wouldn’t be you, would it?” He glanced over at them.
The curly-haired natural perm, the kid with glasses, and… today’s newly appointed Chief of the Allied Special Police, Okakura Take. Why were these three together?
“Mr. Hijikata, I’m really sorry. I’ll get Gin-san to quiet down right away,” Shinpachi hurried over to apologize.
“Tch. All three of you, get in the car and come with me to headquarters. Someone called the cops—I can’t just let you off. Come on.” Hijikata flicked the ash from his nearly finished cigarette onto the ground.
At that moment, Gintoki perked up like someone had poked his pressure point, and Okakura, caught off guard, lost her grip. Gintoki swaggered over to Hijikata’s window, grinning as he breathed a gust of boozy air into Hijikata’s face.
Hijikata’s veins stood out on his forehead as he gritted his teeth. “You curly-haired idiot, are you looking to die?”
“Huh? Relax. Until you drown in mayonnaise, Gin-san’s not going anywhere.”
Hijikata’s expression grew even darker, his tone fierce. “Then you can rest easy too. Before a diabetic like you keels over, I’ll still be around—Jump’s very first diabetic protagonist, ha!”
“Hey, at least I’m the protagonist, the top of the popularity polls. What about you? Just a supporting character in this manga, ha ha…”
Just as Hijikata was about to leap out and cut down this mop-headed idiot, Gintoki was knocked flat.
“Sorry, Mr. Hijikata. We’ll get in the car now.” Okakura Take retracted her fist, smiling politely.
“Ah… Minister Okakura, please, after you.”
With Shinpachi’s help, they dragged the now-unconscious, lump-headed Gintoki into the car. Okakura took the front seat, while Shinpachi and Gintoki sat in the back. Hijikata drove the trio to Shinsengumi headquarters.
“By the way, Miss Okakura, do you and Mr. Hijikata know each other?” Shinpachi asked curiously, eyeing the two in the front.
“We just met today. Didn’t expect to see you again so soon, Hijikata-kun.” Okakura smiled and greeted him.
“Minister Okakura, why are you out so late with that curly-headed fool?” Hijikata inquired.
“Minister?!” Shinpachi exclaimed from the back seat.
“I’ve been friends with that unconscious mop-head for a long time, Shinpachi-kun. Let me introduce myself again—Okakura Take, Chief of the Earth Division, Allied Special Police. Pleased to meet you.”
“Allied Special Police, Earth Division Chief?!”
Once at the Shinsengumi, Hijikata, out of respect for Okakura, didn’t make things difficult for them. He found them an empty room where they could rest for the night, deciding to deal with the noisy mop-head in the morning.
“I’m really sorry, Hijikata-kun. I’ve barely started this position and already caused so much trouble,” Okakura apologized.
“No need to worry, Minister Okakura. It’s all that curly-head’s fault. Sorry, this is the only room left. Bedding and toiletries are ready—please rest easy. I won’t disturb you further.” Hijikata left after speaking.
“Miss Okakura seems really impressive,” Shinpachi remarked.
“Ha ha, it’s nothing, Shinpachi. Help me get that mop-head onto a futon so we can rest. I’m exhausted tonight.”
“Oh, right.” Shinpachi quickly stood up, hoisting Gintoki by the shoulders and dragging him onto a futon.
There were three futons on the tatami. To prevent a drunken rampage in the middle of the night, Shinpachi and Okakura decided to sandwich Gintoki between them, one on each side.
Once Gintoki was settled, Okakura and Shinpachi lay down in their clothes. Both were so worn out that they quickly fell asleep.
The curly-haired Gintoki, however, slept terribly. He rolled and tossed, eventually kicking his blanket aside. Half-awake, he fumbled for the covers, finally grabbing the one on his right.
He lifted the blanket and slipped inside. The futon was wonderfully warm, and something soft was nearby. He instinctively hugged the soft object to his chest—the scent and feel were so familiar. Content, Gintoki drifted back to sleep.
The room grew quiet once more.
“Aaaahhh!”
At dawn, a loud and piercing male scream shattered the morning peace.
Shinpachi tumbled out of his futon, panic-stricken, staring at the rightmost bed. There, Gintoki and Okakura Take were curled up together, Gintoki’s arm draped around Okakura’s shoulder, Okakura nestled on Gintoki’s chest, both sleeping soundly.
Are they that kind of relationship?! Shinpachi thought, aghast.
“Shinpachi, why are you making so much noise so early? Did you wet the bed? Go wash the sheets and covers, then. By the way, Sadaharu feels a lot lighter today—did you forget to feed him?”
Gintoki, woken by Shinpachi’s yelling, opened his bleary eyes.
“Shi-shi-shi-shinpachi!” Gintoki’s voice cracked as he stammered, his eyelids and lips twitching. “Wh-what- what is going on here?”
“How should I know?! I woke up to find the two of you together!”
“Oh no, I need to get out fast, or else if she wakes up, I’m finished.” In a fluster, Gintoki reached to move Okakura off him—and his hand landed squarely on her chest. Instinctively, he squeezed.
At that moment, Okakura woke up. She found herself lying atop Gintoki, his embarrassed, awkward smile staring up at her, his hand still on her chest…
“AAAAHHHH!” Another loud male scream split the air as Okakura punched Gintoki through the ceiling.
Looking up at the new star in the sky that was now Gintoki, and then at the thunderous Okakura, Shinpachi swallowed silently. Gin-san always seemed to attract violent women…
“Shinpachi, sorry to wake you so early,” Okakura said with a smile.
“No… it’s nothing.”
Just then, something crashed back down—it was Gintoki, face covered in blood.
“…,” said Shinpachi.
“That woman, honestly! She used to call me lord Gintoki and always chased after me, and now she’s Godzilla. Gin-san is so wounded!” Gintoki clutched his chest in mock heartbreak outside the Shinsengumi headquarters.
“Gin-san, you know, you caused so much trouble for me and Miss Okakura last night when you got drunk,” Shinpachi said, exasperated.
“All right, Shinpachi, let’s go.” Okakura reappeared. The three of them were supposed to be detained for disturbing the peace, but she had paid their bail, so they were free to go.
“Thank you so much, Miss Okakura,” Shinpachi said gratefully.
“Is Gintoki all right?” Okakura asked.
“…He still looks pretty bad.”
“Ugh…ugh…” Gintoki clung to the gates of the Shinsengumi, retching violently.
“Ugh, my head hurts. I feel terrible.” After vomiting, Gintoki looked utterly drained.
“That’s why you shouldn’t drink so much,” Shinpachi chided.
Watching Gintoki, Okakura remembered the box of lemon candies she still had.
“Here, have one.” Okakura handed Gintoki a piece of candy.
“Wow, Okakura, you’re a lifesaver!” Gintoki gratefully took the box and proceeded to dump the entire contents into his mouth.
“Mmm, sweet and sour, I do feel better,” Gintoki said, chewing.
“All right, I have to go. Gin-san, Shinpachi, goodbye. Next time, let’s have a drink together.” With that, Okakura turned to leave.
“Wait a second!” Gintoki called after her.
“What is it?”
“This is the Yorozuya’s business card. If you ever need help, just call this number. I’m the president, you know~.” He finished with a note of pride.
“President of a two-man-and-a-dog operation,” Shinpachi muttered.
Okakura accepted the card. It said: President Sakata Gintoki, Yorozuya, with an address and phone number.
“Thanks, Gin-san. I’ll drop by when I have time. Goodbye, Shinpachi-kun.”
“Goodbye, Miss Okakura,” said Shinpachi.
“Bye-bye~,” Gintoki waved.
Once Okakura had gone a little ways off, Shinpachi looked away.
“Miss Okakura is really beautiful, and such a nice person. Gin-san, how do you even know her?” Shinpachi asked curiously.
“I told you, didn’t I? She used to be my subordinate,” Gintoki replied lazily.
“No way! Miss Okakura is so capable—how could she have worked under you?”
“Hey, Shinpachi, what’s that supposed to mean? Gin-san used to be really famous, you know, irresistible personal charisma!”
“Gin-san, your nose is going to grow longer if you keep lying.”
“Hmph, I’m telling the truth. My nose isn’t getting longer.”
“Hey, Gin-san, I think your nose just got pointier.”
“Where? Where?” Gintoki fumbled at his nose, which only made Shinpachi laugh harder.
Looking at Shinpachi beside him, Gintoki thought back to the past—Okakura Take had once been just Shinpachi’s age, a scrawny, short, ugly little brat.
That kid, just like Shinpachi now, always nagged at him, wouldn’t let him sleep in, insisted on proper training, told him not to stay up late, to drink less, to take everything seriously. Even in the end, she had risked everything to destroy a warship—never caring about her own life. That brat was…
“A thoroughly unlovable little brat.”
“Gin-san, what did you just say?” Shinpachi asked.
“Nothing, just talking to myself.”
But still, it’s good that the brat’s alive.