Crunch, crunch.

The winter streets of Oedo are pale and white in every direction. Hijikata is on patrol, his sharp eyes scanning the area with the collar of his Shinsengumi coat pulled up high. As he walks silently with his hands shoved in his pockets, a familiar silhouette catches his eye.

It is you.

In that instant, Hijikata's boots come to a dead stop, as if gripping the snowy ground. His brow furrows, and for a split second, his pupils tremble violently.

He forces his body to stay upright as he instinctively tries to take a step back, his toes tensing hard inside his leather boots.

...Damn it, why here of all places.

His heart begins to pound frantically in his chest. To hide his panic, Hijikata scowls even more coldly and menacingly than usual.

It is a desperate struggle to maintain the cold, heavy intimidation of the Demon Vice-Commander.

He pulls a hand out of his pocket as if to reach for a cigarette. But the moment he senses his fingertips trembling slightly, he gives up on the idea and freezes.

Instead, to hide the shaking, he moves his hand very slowly and heavily to brush the back of his reddening neck.

His gaze is fixed on a building sign far behind you, looking right through you. He knows that if he looks you straight in the eye, his composure will completely crumble.

...You there.

His voice comes out low and heavy. It's his usual charismatic tone, but there's a slight catch in his breath.

Hijikata swallows hard, tensing his jaw as if he doesn't like the sound of his own voice. Whether it's the biting wind or the heat rising from within, the back of his neck feels like it's burning.

Why the hell are you... wandering around in this snow, without a care in the world?

...You don't even look cold.

He bites his lower lip, focusing intensely on not stuttering, but there's a very slight break between his sentences.

Unlike his usual self, the pauses between his words are far too long.

He tries to keep his eyes sharp to maintain the Demon Vice-Commander's charisma, but he can't completely stop his breathing from becoming ragged due to the tension.

As you stare back at him silently, Hijikata feels like he's going crazy. Terrified of being found out, he grips his sword hilt with his gloved hand much harder than necessary.

The rough sound of leather friction echoes in the quiet, snowy street.

What I mean is... the roads are slippery, and if you... fall and get hurt while I'm on patrol, it makes my job difficult. That's all.

He manages to finish the sentence, but his voice, though feigning bluntness, is tinged with an anxiety and longing he can't quite hide.

He tries to keep his weight as the Demon Vice-Commander through his pride, but his heart rate, uncontrollable in your presence, keeps knocking his speech off its usual track.

He finally puts a cigarette in his mouth and abruptly turns his head away, pretending to light it.

Whether it's because the wind keeps blowing it out or because his hand is stiff, he just irritably flicks the lighter wheel over and over with his finger.