Spring mornings were alive with a chorus of sounds: the cheerful singing of birds, the gentle rustling of leaves as the wind passed through, the soft buzzing of bees, and countless other melodies of nature. Yet on this particular morning, one sound disrupted the sanctity of that harmony.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
It was loud. It was repetitive. And most of all, it was annoying.
Inside the house, Ujiyuki groaned in irritation as the noise pierced through his futon's comforting embrace. "Errgghh…" His voice was heavy with sleep and frustration. "What's making that sound at this time of the day?" he muttered to himself, struggling to peel away from the warm cocoon of his bedding.
Still half-asleep, he rummaged through a pile of clothes until he found a purple kimono and threw it on. With heavy yawns and lazy stretches, he shuffled toward the entrance of his home.
And there outside he found the culprit.
Behold, shirtless, silver-haired, average in height but with a body far above average in build, it was Sentarō. His skin gleamed with sweat as he swung an axe rhythmically, chopping through thick logs with a single swing. The large pile of neatly stacked wood beside him proved that he had been at this task for a while.
Sentarō noticed Ujiyuki and greeted him with a wide grin. "Good morning, Mister. Ujiyuki!" His voice now lower in tone than the one he had when he was younger.
Ujiyuki blinked, rubbing his temple, and letting his irritation rise with each second. "Kid… do you know what time it is?." He drew in a deep breath, then bellowed, "IT'S STILL THE CRACK OF DAWN!! SO WHY ARE YOU MAKING SO MUCH NOISE!!"
Sentarō couldn't help himself, as he burst into a loud, uncontrollable laughter. "Hahahahahahaha! I'm sorry, Mr. Ujiyuki. I'll be done in a moment!" He wiped the tears from his eyes, still chuckling.
Ujiyuki muttered under his breath. "You brat…" Yet, instead of walking away, he stayed and observed. His eyes traced the boy's movements, lingering on the definition of his muscles. Clearly, Sentarō's training was showing results.
"Hmmm," Ujiyuki called out, trying to start a conversation. "Your training seems to have paid off, look at you"
Sentarō finally split the last log and leaned the axe aside. He turned to face Ujiyuki, still smiling. "Yeah, I guess so, hehehe"
"Well you've been at it for five years, results were bound to show."
Ujiyuki's gaze sharpened on Sentaro. "So now the question is when are you going to take the Shinsengumi Recruitment Exams?"
Sentarō froze. He stared at Ujiyuki, searching for seriousness, but all he found was an expression of indifferent. Still, the words shook him. "Wait… what do you mean?"
Now it was Ujiyuki's turn to look confused. "Do you not know when the Recruitment Exams are starting?"
Their conversation tangled into a mess of questions until realization struck Sentarō. He dashed toward Ujiyuki, panic in his wide eyes. "Mr. Ujiyuki, what are you trying to say?" Sentaro asked, his head tilted slightly with genuine confusion etched on his face
Ujiyuki crossed his arms, his voice firm. "Don't worry about it, kid, you not planning to take this year's recruitment exams is actually a smart choice."
The words hit like a hammer. Sentarō clutched his head, eyes watery, body trembling. "Ehh, Mr. Ujiyuki… What exam are you talking about?"
Silence fell. The stillness was suffocating.
Ujiyuki's face darkened until it twisted into pure rage. Then, with a swift motion—SMACK!, his hand landed across Sentarō's face.
"YOU IDIOT!!"
Sentarō stumbled back, clutching his stinging cheek. "Ow… Mister. Ujiyuki!"
Ujiyuki's anger boiled over. "You wish to join their ranks, yet you know nothing of their practices. How naive can you be?"
Sentarō gave an awkward smile, scratching his temple to hide his shame. "I didn't know, I thought if I trained enough I could get recruited… guess I was wrong, hehehe."
Ujiyuki shook his head, sighing. "You're completely clueless, kid. Looks like I need to fill you in." He gestured toward the house. "Let's talk inside."
They moved to the main room, where Sentarō brewed and brought two cups of green tea. Over the years, both had grown fond of the drink, sharing and bonding. Even the private matter barrier between them was broken with Ujiyuki knowing why Sentaro refused to return home and Sentaro knowing why Ujiyuki refused to train a person with convictions. Ujiyuki took a sip, then set his cup down. Sentarō left his untouched, focusing instead on his mentor's words.
Ujiyuki's tone turned serious. "Alright. listen carefully."
Sentarō leaned in, face glowing with anticipation. For him, this was crucial information he needed to step into the true ways of the samurai.
"The Shinsengumi are basically enforcers of the law but stand above it, and its own strict codes of conducts," Ujiyuki explained, his eyes locked onto Sentarō's. "One of those codes lies in their recruitment. They don't just pick anyone, they hold something called the recruitment exams."
"Recruitment Exams?" Sentarō asked, confused, though his eyes sparkled with excitement.
Ujiyuki nodded. "Yes. That's how the Shinsengumi induct new samurai into their ranks." His lips curled into a faint smile, proud of how he had managed to explain it simply enough for Sentarō to understand.
"That's super cool, Mr. Ujiyuki! But… how does that affect my training?"
Ujiyuki pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing in frustration. "The entrance exams are in two weeks."
The room fell utterly silent. The very air seemed to ring with tension.
Sentarō began to sweat, his body trembling like a boiling kettle about to burst. In all his sheltered life, he had never known nerves like this.