Told You So

He sat in one corner of the bar, on the floor, watching a group of girls who sat at a table drinking tea and playing mahjongg. The girls were pretty, wearing traditional kimonos, hair tied up like geisha.

Craig said, “Dude, that guy looks like a chick. I mean - he’s got a girly face.”

“He doesn’t have a girly face to Japanese women,” Thaddeus said primly and sipped his tea. While he was distracted with his map of Kyoto, Craig dumped some more sugar into his tea cup. He really had to stop trusting Thaddeus about decent places to get a drink or pick up chicks - a ‘traditional’ bar was hardly hopping.

“He looks like a chick. Seriously. And he’s wearing a skirt,” Craig said.

“Not a skirt - a hakama. Like pants.” Thaddeus held out the map. “Here, do you want to see the temple where the Shinsengumi were stationed after Ikedaya?”

Craig shook his head. “No - I want to go ask that dude if he’s really a dude - or see if he’s actually a chick.”

“I wouldn’t,” Thaddeus said, and picked up his guide book.

“Why not?”

“Do you recognize the uniform he’s wearing?”

“No.” Craig resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he’d come along for the hot Asian chicks, not to indulge his brother’s history obsession.

Thaddeus cast the man a glance. “Well, he isn’t wearing his haori, but those colors are quite obvious. He’s one of the roshigumi, also later known as the shinsengumi.” Thaddeus looked some more, sipped his tea. “If the insignias on his kimono are any indication, he’s from the Tenninrishinryu school, and if you’re right about the ‘girly’ face, then he’s probably from the Okita line.”

“That doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“That means that the sword he’s got there with him? He can kill three people in three seconds with it.”

Craig blinked and his brother’s bland, calm description of swift murder. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh.” Craig looked over and saw the man looking at him. He lifted a hand in greeting and smiled weakly. Then he went back to his over-sugared tea.

From across the bar, someone called out, “Okita Kensuke! Ohayo!”

The man lifted a hand - off the hilt of his sword - and waved.

Thaddeus said, “Told you so.”

(380 words)