Chapter 61: Silver Soul (Earth Chapter)

Although her right hand was injured, Take Okakura still had to work. Fortunately, that idiot prince had finally left, which meant her workload had lightened considerably and she could go home earlier. Every evening after work, she would stop by Granny Otose’s little tavern to sit for a while. Granny Otose was an excellent listener—she would patiently hear out every customer’s complaints, and it was this quality that made everyone who visited the tavern grow fond of the place.

“Granny Otose, I suddenly find myself a bit envious of you,” Take said as she sipped her drink. “Running your own tavern, coming and going as you please, being your own boss must be so easy and carefree.”

Granny Otose lit a cigarette and replied, “When you get old, you naturally seek stability. But it’s not all that easy. I’ve got three idiots living upstairs who haven’t paid rent in ages and do nothing but cause trouble. Living with people like that is nothing but endless worry.”

Take laughed. It was true; being around those three was always exhausting, both mentally and physically.

“You’re absolutely right, Granny. Those three upstairs even stole money from you once. I can’t believe you’re still so good to them,” said Catherine, polishing a glass nearby.

“You’re the one who stole that money! Don’t go blaming others!” Granny Otose roared.

“Um, Granny Otose, may I leave a bit early today?” asked a small, flaxen-haired boy, tugging nervously at the hem of his shirt.

“Ah, Seita. You’ve done plenty today. If you’ve got something to do, go on ahead,” Granny Otose replied, exhaling a ring of smoke.

“Thank you, Granny. I’ll be going then.” The boy noticed Take was watching him. His cheeks flushed, and after giving her a shy nod, he dashed out.

“Who’s that kid, Granny? I never thought you’d resort to child labor,” Take teased.

“That kid’s name is Seita. That curly-haired idiot from upstairs brought him in two days ago. Said he wanted to save up enough money to see his mother in Yoshiwara. But the boy only knew how to steal before, so I put him to work here instead,” Granny Otose explained.

“You’re surprisingly soft-hearted, Granny,” Take said with a smile. Still, it was always that curly-haired guy bringing home all kinds of odd strays. That one really was a magnet for trouble.

“Surprising, is it? I just think—no mother would ever want her child to turn into a thief, no matter where she might be, even if she’s in Yoshiwara. She’d never wish that on her own child,” Granny Otose said calmly.

Yoshiwara. Take frowned. That place was synonymous with trouble—the most famous pleasure quarter in Japan, a paradise for men.

Long ago, Yoshiwara had been the only red-light district officially recognized by the shogunate. After a great fire, the entire street was destroyed, and most of the courtesans who couldn’t escape were burned alive. Yoshiwara was abandoned for a time.

Then the aliens arrived on Earth. Someone funded the reconstruction of Yoshiwara and moved it underground. That person was Hosen, the King of the Night.

Take thought back to what she knew of Hosen—rumored king of the Yato clan and former leader of the Seventh Division of Harusame.

The Seventh Division… wasn’t Kamui the current leader? The thought of him made Take fume. That smiling, tiger-faced bastard—if she ever saw him again, she’d make sure to smash that ever-grinning face of his one more time!

As Take was lost in thought, someone sat down beside her.

“Old hag, give me a bottle of shochu.”

Take turned to see it was Sakata, that useless, curly-haired bum.

“You useless mop-head, you haven’t even paid your rent, and now you want to mooch drinks here? Not a chance!” Granny Otose snapped, her heavily made-up face looking particularly fierce.

“Come on, Granny. Let’s keep rent and booze separate. Give me a little more time on the rent, but I can pay for my drinks now,” he said, pulling out a few crumpled bills and coins from his pocket.

“…” Take was speechless.

If you’re this broke, why are you still drinking? Useless bum!

“If you’re so poor, why can’t you get a proper job?!” Sure enough, Otose was furious.

“Granny, how can you say I’m not working hard? Besides, I’ve got two bottomless pits to feed at home. It’s a miracle I can save up even this much,” Gintoki shot back.

Take considered it. True—feeding Kagura and Sadaharu must cost a fortune. But most of the time, this curly-head was just too incompetent, always messing up jobs and never getting paid.

Otose still looked angry, but she swept up all the money Gin had thrown on the table and handed him a bottle of cheap shochu.

“Drink this. The lowest quality booze is all a loser like you deserves,” she grumbled.

At that moment, Take spoke up: “Granny Otose, I’ll have another bottle here.”

When it was Take ordering, Granny Otose’s attitude changed completely. She immediately brought over a bottle of the finest sake.

“No wonder you’re the department chief—even the way you drink is impressive,” Gintoki said with a sly grin, rubbing his hands together.

His shamelessness really knew no bounds…

“Gin, I heard from Granny Otose that you brought home a kid,” Take said.

“Oh, you mean Seita. That kid’s got way more potential than Shinpachi ever will,” he said (Shinpachi, collateral damage). “He’s got his sights set on the top courtesan of Yoshiwara at his age.” Gintoki glanced around. “Hey, where is Seita?”

“If you mean Seita, he said he had something to do and left early. Probably off to Yoshiwara again, bringing money to those people,” Granny Otose replied, wiping a glass.

Gintoki fell silent at that, staring into his sake cup, lost in thought.

“To see a courtesan—that must cost a lot,” Take mused.

“It’s not just about money. You can’t see the top courtesan in Yoshiwara just because you have cash. Without power or status, it’s a pipe dream,” Granny Otose said with a sigh.

“That’s not the point. I know it’s not about money. But for now, I just want that kid to be able to go see his mother openly and with pride,” Gintoki said.

He can be unexpectedly earnest about some things, Take thought.

“How about this, Granny Otose? During the day, things are quiet at your tavern. Let Seita help out at my place, then come back here to help you in the evening. Do you mind if I ‘poach’ your employee?” Take asked with a smile.

“Hmph, I don’t mind. If you do that, maybe Catherine will slack off less. I remember those two kids from Yorozuya sometimes work for you too, don’t they?” Otose said.

“Yes, Shinpachi and Kagura both come by to earn extra money cleaning. But there’s always someone who abandons his staff to sneak off and play pachinko,” Take said, casting a glance at Gintoki.

Cold sweat broke out across Gintoki’s face. “Hey, are you talking about me? Don’t misunderstand! As the boss, I have a lot to take care of.”

You’re just busy drinking and playing pachinko all day!

“I didn’t even say who I meant, Gin, but you’re quick to admit it. Anyway, have Kagura and Shinpachi bring Seita over tomorrow. And I don’t care where you go,” Take said, placing her money on the counter and leaving.

Gintoki watched her go in silence, his crimson eyes dimming.

“That girl is a lot more useful than you, you useless mop-head,” Granny Otose said as she took the money from the counter.

Gintoki let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, she’s always been that way, from the beginning till now. Sometimes I even feel a bit embarrassed in front of her.”

“Embarrassed? That’s a rare word coming from you. Your face is usually as thick as a wall. I can’t believe even you have moments like that,” Otose teased.

“Granny, just how awful am I in your eyes?”

“Utterly awful. But if you ever pay your rent, I might think a little better of you.”

“Then maybe I’ll just stick with being awful in your eyes.”

“Gintoki, seriously, go drop dead!”

“You first, you old hag—you’ll definitely die before I do!”

“Please, a diabetic like you will go long before me!”

“Old hag, drop dead!”

“Useless bum, drop dead!”

The next day, Take saw that little boy again. He was hiding behind Shinpachi and Kagura, only half his face peeking out.

Was he just naturally shy?

Kagura smacked Seita forward in front of her. “Seita, this is Take-chan. Take-chan, this is Seita.”

Take bent down and offered her hand. “Hello, Seita.”

Seita’s face turned even redder. Staring at her smiling face, he thought this big sister was the prettiest person he’d ever seen, except for his mother.

He timidly stretched out his hand, placing it in Take’s. She shook it gently—his wrist was so thin. This child was far too skinny.

Women are always soft-hearted toward children, especially when the child is as diligent and obedient as Seita. After just a day together, she already liked him a lot.

So, after work, she treated Kagura, Shinpachi, and Seita to a feast at a yakiniku restaurant. Kagura cackled, saying she’d definitely brag about it to that curly-haired guy later.

No sooner had she finished than that curly-haired fellow walked in, sitting down naturally among them and reaching for the freshly grilled meat.

“Damn you, Gin-chan! That was my meat! Stop stealing it! And why are you even here?” Kagura yelled, grabbing Gintoki by the cheeks.

“Hasegawa just told me he saw you all come into this place. One more’s no big deal. Come on, everyone, don’t be shy—eat up!” Gintoki waved his hand.

“Gin, that’s supposed to be my line!” Take protested.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s you or me—same difference. Guests should go with the host’s flow!” Gintoki said, chomping on the meat.

“Idiot! That’s not even how the saying goes!”

Take was exhausted; arguing with this curly-head was too much work. She gave up and went back to her own meal.

Just then, a piece of grilled meat landed in her bowl. Looking up, she met Seita’s sparkling eyes. He blushed and said shyly, “Sister Take, thank you for letting me work with you. I grilled this meat for you.”

Seita, you’re just too adorable!

Take smiled and patted his head. “It’s nothing. You’re such a hard worker, and you keep the place so clean.”

At that moment, Gintoki leaned in, picking his nose. “Yo, Seita—not bad. You’ve got a bright future ahead. Even managed to win over Godzilla here.”

No sooner had he said it than Take shoved Gintoki’s head onto the grill.

“Ah! I can smell the delicious aroma of grilled meat—my face is cooking!” Gintoki struggled.

“No worries, Gin-chan. With a hide that thick, it’ll take forever to cook through,” Kagura chimed in.

Take finally released him and turned to the startled Seita with a bright smile. “Seita, remember—never turn out like that useless curly-head over there, okay?”

Seita nodded fervently, but deep inside, something quietly shattered—the faint, innocent stirrings of a boy’s first crush.

So Sister Take was terrifying too!

Author’s Note: Saw a line on Weibo today that made me laugh: “When I see Rokudo Mukuro in black leather boots, my first thought is that he looks cool. But when I see Gin-san in black leather boots, my first thought is that his feet must stink because those shoes don’t breathe.”

Haha, I think with a guy like Gin-san, if he starts out by showing you all his worst sides, and then suddenly gets serious, it makes him unexpectedly charming.

Thank you, Alan, for the landmine! I’m so happy—let me give you a big hug! (Swatted away!)

Beitang Lan threw a landmine at 2014-05-26 09:24:31