Ever since she came to A long queue, Ando's life as a retired old man had become the life of a retired old woman. She was even deprived of the opportunity to go out for a walk.

Sometimes she would think that she was being paid a high salary but doing nothing all day long. Was she letting down the person who paid her?

But when she saw Okita lying on the grass with his hands on his pillow, the guilt in her heart disappeared.

Her immediate superior had no qualms about doing nothing, so what was there for her to worry about?

Thinking back to the massacre in the casino, perhaps for A long queue, this way of eating without paying was the best way.

She put her hands on the ground and looked up at the sky.

A few thin white clouds floated in the sky, and the golden leaves danced with the autumn wind.

The hair on her temples fluttered, and she raised her hand to grab it.

She came to Edo in the middle of summer, but she didn't expect it to be late autumn now.

It was very different from the hardworking she imagined, but she liked the feeling now more.

She was no longer confused about why she held the sword, and she finally found what she wanted to protect.

Okita, the vice captain, Yamazaki, Eikura, the entire Shinsengumi, the peace and quiet of Edo, they were all things she wanted to protect.

Ando tilted her head to look at Okita, who was sleeping with an eye mask on, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

His chestnut hair looked soft and smooth. Did it feel soft to the touch?

Anyway, he was asleep now, so it shouldn't be a problem for her to secretly touch it, right?

Ando raised her sinful hand and reached out to the top of his head.

But before she touched him, her wrist fell into Okita's hand, and the tingling feeling entered her brain.

She couldn't help but moan. Okita let go of her hand and took off the eye mask.

"What are you doing?"

His tone wasn't as lazy as it usually was. Instead, it carried a hint of vigilance.

"No, nothing."

She avoided his eyes and answered with a guilty conscience.

"Ando, do you think that A long queue is too boring, so you want to return to the second team?"

"I didn't think so, Senior Okita." She had thought so a while ago. She thought that she had hidden it well and that he wouldn't find out.

Recently, she had gained new insights.

"A long queue is always busy, which means that Edo is not peaceful, and we have to deal with death all the time.

Although I'm not afraid of killing people, I hope to have more peaceful days.

A long queue is Shinsengumi's vanguard. A long queue is my pride. "

She swore to show her loyalty, and Okita raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a smile.

"Ando, I didn't expect you to know A long queue so well."

After all, she was someone who had participated in A long queue operation, and many seniors had patiently explained A long queue to her. Naturally, she had some understanding of it.

A trace of pride flashed in her heart. She raised her head and looked at Okita's red eyes with a smile.

"Actually, A long queue has a lot of things to do." Okita took out a yellowed kraft paper and solemnly handed it to her.

"The formula for the magical potion is written on it. Help me buy it."

Ando didn't understand what he meant. She picked up the kraft paper and opened it.

There were many strange symbols drawn on it, and there were signs of ghosts and skulls everywhere.

"What, what are you going to use it for?" Her intuition told her that it was not something normal.

"Of course, it's to show respect to Mr. Hijikata." He blinked with an innocent face.

He still had the idea of assassinating Hijikata. Ando decided not to follow him and stuffed the kraft paper back into his hand.

"Mr. Hijikata is so good to Senpai. Why do you want to play tricks on him and assassinate him?

I think Senpai's way of doing things is a bit too much. "

Ando had been in Shinsengumi for a few months. She knew that Shinsengumi's rules were strict, but these strict rules had never been applied to Okita.

Even though he was the one who copied the rules of the bureau and the difference in handwriting could be seen at a glance, the deputy chief still turned a blind eye and pretended that he didn't see anything.

Okita's special treatment had never caused any complaints in Shinsengumi. Everyone must have been used to it.

Even if he didn't feel the slightest bit of gratitude for the Vice Chief's blatant favoritism and protection, he shouldn't be arrogant because of the favor.

"You think I'm too much?

Hijikata is much more excessive than me. "Okita disdainfully pulled out a piece of tender grass and put it in his mouth." You also came from the countryside, right?

Were you blinded by the colorful world of Edo and abandoned your lover in the countryside? "

Also?

Ando looked at his calm eyes and her heart couldn't help but skip a beat.

She was really too impulsive just now. She even casually criticized the way he treated people.

She had only been in Shinsengumi for a few months. She didn't really understand them.

She didn't know what happened between them before.

"Hijikata bastard is so pitiful. No woman in Edo likes him." Okita said lightly. He stood up from the grass and patted the grass off his body.

"Since you don't want to go, then I'll go by myself."

Ando looked at his figure that was gradually disappearing. She suddenly felt uncomfortable as if something was stuck in her throat.

Whether it was his expression or his tone, it was as lazy and indifferent as usual, but there was a sense of sadness lingering around him.

Was it an illusion?

Suddenly, bean-sized raindrops fell from the sky. Ando didn't have time to think about Okita's thoughts. She covered her head with her hands and ran towards the pavilion.

The weather was like a baby's face. The sky was clear just now, but in a moment, it was covered with dark clouds and it started to rain.

Fortunately, there was a pavilion where she was now. But Okita -san, did he find a place to hide from the rain?

She felt a trace of regret in her heart. If only she had caught up with him and followed him to buy the formula for the mysterious potion.

But it was too late to regret now. The dark clouds were pressing down and the rain was pouring down. She had no other thoughts except to stay in the middle of the pavilion.

There was a stone table in the middle of the pavilion. Around the stone table were four stone benches. Two people were sitting on the benches.

One was a Celestial with a human body and a leopard head. The other was an ordinary human.

Ando Motomoto wanted to sit on the bench and wait for the rain to stop. But she really didn't want to be with the Celestial. So she stood on the side with her arms crossed and stared at the rain.

"Lord Leopard, this batch of tea is not bad. Please try it."

A familiar and intimate voice entered her ears. She opened her eyes wide and suddenly turned her head to look at the person sitting at the stone table.

That person had short black hair, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes. The outline of his face was very similar to the person in her heart.

"Brother."

She muttered.

They hadn't seen each other for many years. Although this appearance was completely the same as the one engraved in her mind, she didn't dare to recognize him.

How could that firm and indomitable brother be this person in front of her?

"Lord Leopard, what do you think?

If you don't like it, I'll find another one for you. "

She turned around and rushed into the rain.

The cold rain mercilessly hit her body.

She ran. It was as if she could forget the person in the pavilion as long as she was far away from here.

Her brother and father had left home for seven years. The Barbarian War had ended for five years.

She didn't know where the two of them were. She only knew that on a certain day not long after the Barbarian War, her seriously ill mother suddenly passed away and abandoned her.

That day, a relative with a broken arm and a lame leg met her mother.

She thought they had died on the battlefield. But today, she saw that his personality had changed greatly, but he was completely unharmed.

When you arrived in Edo, you were blinded by the beautiful world. Did you forget what you wanted?