Chapter 87: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

Winter in Edo passes swiftly—just a few weeks and warm spring arrives, bringing spring for Gintoki as well. Lately, he often visits Take Okakura’s residence and sometimes gets so drunk at the tavern at night that he staggers home.

This day, as usual, Gintoki returned to his Odd Jobs office, his footsteps crooked and unsteady. He never noticed that the sign above the tavern run by Otose, bearing the name Odd Jobs, had changed.

“Shinpachi, Kagura, I’m back! I brought you something special—a Shinsengumi bun,” Gintoki announced, holding the bun that he’d forcibly snatched from Kondo the gorilla.

On the sofa, Shinpachi and Kagura claimed they’d been waiting for him a long time. Gintoki felt slightly embarrassed, realizing he’d neglected them lately, but didn’t think much of it—until—

“Kin-chan! Hurry up!” Shinpachi and Kagura called in unison.

“Ah, sorry for keeping you waiting.” Out from the back room walked a handsome man with straight golden hair, dressed in a white inner shirt and a black kimono jacket.

Who was that?! Gintoki froze, stunned. A few seconds later, he remembered seeing this man before—wasn’t that the game-style white-haired Kinshi that Take had brought to the World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament? Why was he here? And Kinshi?

Staggering, Gintoki stumbled outside. He was certain he'd wandered onto the wrong set.

Ugh, how awful! Just a few extra drinks and he’d even managed to walk into the wrong home.

Gintoki descended the stairs, intending to leave, but after a few steps, he doubled back. No, wait! This was his home! Even if the sign had changed from Odd Jobs Gin to Odd Jobs Kin, there was no doubt it was his house. What on earth was happening?!

——This is the boundary where Gin-san is toyed with by the cruel universe——

An hour later, filthy and disheveled, Gintoki lay on the ground, watching the fools who’d left him behind to seek out Kinshi. An emptiness hollowed his heart.

They’d struggled together for sixty volumes, enough to make Kazuyoshi Morita lie down from exhaustion, yet after such a long existence, he’d still been forgotten. Someone please turn and look at him! Remember him, Sakata Gintoki!

"Gin-san, what’s wrong? Are you drunk again? Get up, lying in the street is disgraceful!" A familiar female voice sounded behind Gintoki. Pale hands gripped his shoulders, helping him to his feet.

Who—? Gintoki slowly turned and saw Take Okakura smiling at him.

In that instant, Gintoki felt his wounded heart soothed. Thank goodness! At least someone hadn’t forgotten him!

“Take! It’s so good that you’re here—it’s so good you haven’t forgotten me! You’re truly my sword sheath!” Gintoki threw himself into Take’s arms, sobbing.

Take Okakura stared at him, baffled by his nonsense.

She waved the cream cake in her hand before Gintoki. “Gin-san, someone gave me this dessert. Take it home and share it with Kagura and Shinpachi—don’t eat it all yourself, your diabetes is getting worse.”

“Cream cake! Take, this is perfect! At times like this, only sweets and you can comfort my injured heart!” Gintoki buried his face in Take’s neck; his fluffy curls tickled her.

“Enough, don’t embarrass yourself in public—come on, come on—” Suddenly, Take Okakura froze, like a broken record.

Bang. The cream cake slipped from her hand, landing on the ground. She stared at Gintoki, dazed, as if something had forcibly invaded her mind.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Take?” Gintoki sensed a foreboding.

“Gin-san… my head hurts, Gin-san… Ginshi.” At last, the pain faded. Take Okakura lifted her head and looked at Gintoki coldly. “Gintoki, why did you come out of the game again? Let me go.”

No way! Even Take was like this!

“You’re joking, right? Take, please don’t do this, are you trying to dye my hair green? Take?” Gintoki grabbed her shoulders in panic.

Gintoki was even more annoying than in the game. Take Okakura impatiently shook off his hands, bent to pick up the cake, and prepared to leave.

“Wait! Don’t go! Please look at me! I’m Sakata Gintoki!” Gintoki reached for her shoulder, his gaze full of hope.

Take Okakura turned, her eyes indifferent. “Yes, I know you’re a game character named Sakata Gintoki. Now, can you let me go?”

Game character? Impossible! That game she played was modeled after Gin-san, so now… she thinks he’s the one who was created!

Gintoki clutched his head, pulling at his hair. What was happening? Why had he suddenly lost his place everywhere overnight? Why?

“Don’t go…” Gintoki sat there, despondent, watching Take’s silhouette recede into the distance. He stretched out his hand in confusion, but the person he wanted to call never turned back.

Why had it come to this? She remembered him just moments ago, yet in the next instant, she’d forgotten him entirely. Was Gin-san’s existence really as easy to scrape off as a dead cockroach stuck to glass? He’d only just been with her the other day…

Gintoki hung his head, dejected.

Something was strange. Take Okakura glanced sideways at Sakata Gintoki, slumped and hollow in the crowd, thinking he was acting very odd today.

Sakata Gintoki was a man who always kept himself clean and tidy in both game and reality. Even when he confessed to her, he was forceful. Sakata Kinshi, on the other hand, always acted soft, always leaving her an escape route...

Kinshi, Gintoki? Take Okakura shook her head, deciding not to think about it further. Carrying the strawberry cake, she headed to Odd Jobs.

“Ah, Take-chan! Did you bring something tasty? Is it cream cake? Wonderful!” Kagura sniffed out the scent of cream.

“I brought it especially for you, but I dropped it just now—hope you don’t mind.” Take Okakura smiled.

“Of course not! Anything you bring, we love! Right, Shinpachi?” Kinshi flashed a dazzling smile, wrapped his arm around Take’s waist, and took the cake from her to hand to Shinpachi.

Shinpachi accepted the cake, grinning. “That’s right, Miss Okakura, you’re so much better than Kin-san. He never brings us sweets when he comes home.”

“Haha, sorry, I’ll bring you some next time.” Kinshi rubbed his nose sheepishly.

“Come, Take, sit down for a while.” Kinshi turned, gazing at her with deep violet eyes. “It’s been ages since you came to visit. I’ve missed you.”

Take Okakura surreptitiously pinched Kinshi’s waist, whispering, “Don’t be so clingy in front of Shinpachi and Kagura.”

“Alright~” Kinshi agreed with a smile, then led her into the house.

Shinpachi soon sliced the cake and served it on plates, setting each piece before them before returning to the kitchen to make tea.

“Yay, I’ll eat the strawberry first!” Kagura picked the berry from her cake and popped it in her mouth, then grabbed the rest and stuffed it in hungrily.

“Kagura, slow down, you might choke,” Kinshi said, picking up his fork to cut the cake into small pieces and eat them slowly.

Something was off—it wasn’t like Kinshi at all.

Take Okakura eyed Kinshi suspiciously. Normally, he would have leapt at the cake the moment he saw it, not patiently cut it into tiny bites and eat elegantly—he simply didn’t have that restraint.

“What’s wrong, staring at me? Look, you’ve got cream on your lips.” Kinshi reached out a finger toward her mouth—

Smack! Take Okakura reflexively grabbed his finger. As his hand approached, she felt uncomfortable, even annoyed.

Could this be the weariness of love?

“Sorry you had to see that. I’ll clean it myself.” She pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth.

Kinshi brushed it off with a smile, withdrawing his hand, and continued eating his cake slowly. By the time Shinpachi brought the tea, his cake was still unfinished.

“Well, cake’s done. I have things to do, so I'll head off now. Enjoy the rest.” Take stood, ready to leave.

“Huh? Won’t you stay a bit longer, Miss Okakura?” Shinpachi asked, surprised.

“No, thanks for having me. I’ll be going now. Kagura-chan, Shinpachi, goodbye.” Take Okakura waved.

“Bye, Take-chan! Next time, bring cake again!” Kagura licked cream from her lips, beaming.

“Of course, I’ll bring you more next time, Kagura-chan,” Take Okakura replied with a smile.

She was about to leave when Kinshi grabbed her arm. “Take, let me walk you home.”

“No need, I can go myself—” Take tried to refuse, thinking it unnecessary for such a short distance, but Kinshi held her arm tightly, refusing to let go. His violet eyes stayed locked on her.

“Let me walk you home,” Kinshi insisted.

“…Alright,” Take Okakura replied at last, wanting to spare Kinshi’s dignity in front of the others.

Take Okakura had walked here, and Kinshi decided to escort her out of Kabuki Town.

“Why insist on walking me today?” Take Okakura asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“You’re so beautiful, Take. I worry about your safety,” Kinshi replied, his mouth smiling but his eyes cold.

“You… seem different today,” Take said hesitantly.

“It feels different than usual—did something happen?” she asked.

Kinshi smiled, lips curving high, the violet in his eyes growing darker. He pulled Take Okakura into an alley, wrapped her in his arms, and covered her eyes with his hand.

“What are you doing, Kin-san? There may be few people here, but this is still public—don’t embarrass us,” Take said calmly. Based on her memories of Kinshi from the war of liberation to their meeting on Earth, she trusted he wouldn’t harm her.

Kinshi laughed, leaning close to her ear. “As expected, Miss Okakura, your mind is still full of memories of that man. In that case, let me dig him out piece by piece. Kabuki Town doesn’t need him. If you can’t forget, I’ll just erase you along with him.”

“Miss Okakura.”

“Huh? What—Kin-san—ahh!!” Before she finished speaking, Take Okakura screamed.

Kinshi released a powerful electrical current from his hand, sending it straight to her brain. Take Okakura’s temples throbbed with pain so sharp she couldn't control her limbs, unable to fight back. Meanwhile, she felt something precious being stripped away from her mind...

“Stop…” Take Okakura weakly grabbed his hand, her eyes beginning to roll back.

Kinshi smiled gently and increased the current.

Forget him. Only by forgetting that man could she survive.

“Take your hands off my woman, you filthy bastard!”

Suddenly, a wooden sword pierced Kinshi’s head. Gintoki, eyes bloodshot and radiating murderous intent, stood behind him.

Kinshi turned and kicked Gintoki, sending him flying. He pulled the wooden sword from his head and tossed it back to Gintoki.

Take Okakura slid to the ground, unconscious.

“Take! Hey, hang in there, are you alright?” Gintoki rushed over, gathering her in his arms.

“Sakata Gintoki, this is just the beginning. Remember, if you return to this street again, everyone around you will suffer the same fate. For their sake, you should disappear. Without you, the street will be even more beautiful. Hahaha!” Kinshi laughed madly, striding out of the alley.

“Hey, you fool, I’m taking you to the hospital right now. Don’t you dare die on me.” Gintoki ignored Kinshi’s words, hoisted Take Okakura onto his back, and ran to the hospital.

After registration and diagnosis, the doctor said Take Okakura wasn’t seriously hurt and would wake up soon.

She woke quickly, but her gaze toward Gintoki was colder than ever.

“Why are you still here, Gintoki?” she asked icily.

So it’s still Gintoki, not Gin-san…

Gintoki let out a bitter laugh, forcing an ugly smile as he slowly stood.

“It’s nothing. I just found you drunk in the street. Rest well—I’m leaving.” He said, then opened the door and walked out.

Outside, he leaned against the door, his eyes dark and oppressed—Kinshi! He would never forgive that bastard!

Woman, friends, Kabuki Town—he would take them all back!

Silver curls are the true protagonist! Damn that golden straight hair!