[Gintama] Immortal

A day in a private school always starts with a morning greeting.

The spring day is sunny, the breeze is gentle, and the brilliant cherry blossoms are falling from the sky. The gentle teacher stands by the door, welcoming the private school students who come to class with a smile.

"Good morning, teacher."

"Good morning."

Regardless of the four seasons, rain or shine, the scenes that have been repeated thousands of times have become part of this private school.

The wind passing through the private school is leisurely, the time is slow, the blooming of the cherry blossoms is calm and brilliant, and the vigorous vitality extends from the branches to the treetops bit by bit, and then bursts into full bloom in the most grand form.

The crimson flower branches are like clouds and mist, just looking at it can make people feel a little bit drunk.

With the arrival of the students, the quiet private school was soon filled with chattering and lively sounds.

"Have you read the last few episodes of "Dragon G Ball"?"

"Lifesa after the third stage of transformation is super strong! He abused Gibeta in the Super Saiyan state with one finger! It's so coquettish, okay!"

The cherry blossoms bloomed as usual, the small world remained normal, and the hot topic among the students became the cards and comics that have become popular in recent years.

Dicheng, located on the tip of the western country, is too far away from Edo, and there is no hot food for manga updates. The bookstore piled with old books and magazines has become the favorite place for students to go after school.

Yae smiled and stood by the door with Songyang. When several students who were chatting about "Dragon G Ball" crossed the threshold, they suddenly said with a smile:

"It's a pity that Lifuza was finally defeated by Satoru [beep——] in Super Saiyan state."

"...Wow, Yae, you actually spoiled me!!"

The stunned students scattered, shouting exaggeratedly and running in all directions.

"Run, Yae is starting to spoiler again!"

The already noisy private school suddenly became a mess.

The girls covered their mouths with their hands and held back their laughter. Takasugi looked at the cherry blossoms flying in the garden as if he hadn't heard it. Katsura sat upright behind the desk and previewed today's content. He covered his face with the textbook and went to sleep.

Yae sighed:

"puberty."

The students entered the classroom one after another, and Matsuyo and Yae continued to stand by the door, waiting patiently.

Not long after, two figures, one big and one small, appeared at the end of the road, panting and running towards the private school.

"Good morning, Kantai." Songyang tilted his head and smiled.

"Morning...good morning, teacher." Kanta showed a somewhat embarrassed smile, panting and stood up straight on his knees.

"It was Taro who woke you up again this time?" Yae knelt down and stretched out his hand very familiarly.

"Wang."

Squatting at Kanta's feet, the fluffy Shiba Inu wagged its tail, squinted its eyes and shook its ears.

Taro is the name of the Shiba Inu.

Kanta is the youngest student in the private school, and also the youngest in the family. His parents are busy with their livelihood and rarely take care of him.

The year he was born, the bitch at home happened to be holding cubs. When he was still learning to practice calligraphy, Taro had already become the tyrant of the dogs in the village, but he became a fixed idiot in front of his master. The kind who can only lie flat and roll around with their belly exposed.

Yae used to think that this dog was purely silly and sweet, until one time she went out to hang out during a private school and witnessed the moment when the village dogs fought in groups.

...I didn't expect you to be such a dog.

After that, because there was a handle in her hands, the other party would become very obedient when seeing her, even more silly than the usual obedient silly Baitian, no matter how she licked her hair, she would go against it, making Gui very special Envious, I thought she had some special skills for pulling dogs.

One of the dogs, Taro, has been unrestrained and unrestrained for many years. Only when facing his master, he will become a silly and cute Shiba Inu who is particularly worried.

Over the years, Taro has been sending Kanta to and from school rain or shine, and grew up with him silently. One person and one dog have become a fixed scene in front of the private school.

As usual, Taro sent Kanta to the gate of the private school and stopped moving forward.

If Shiba Inu also has a tenet to stick to, no matter how Gui insisted on seducing him these years, Taro would never take a step forward, and he would wait obediently at the door of the private school whether it was going to or from school.

But unlike usual, this time it did not leave directly, but continued to squat at the door of the private school without moving.

"what happened?"

Kanta patted its head, Taro raised his head, and gently wagged his tail.

"Then we'll see you this afternoon." He smiled cheerfully.

The textbooks were opened, and the noisy classroom fell silent.

Taro continued to stand where he was, silently looking at the direction Kanta left, his curly tail hanging in the air, neither shaking nor shaking, and finally swept to the ground slowly.

For a moment, Yae felt that it seemed to want to call out "Wow", but the next moment it stood there motionless, as if it hadn't moved from the beginning to the end, it was just long, motionless, focused and silent looking in one direction.

The spring breeze blows, and the cherry blossoms flutter down with the mottled light and shadow.

As if she had a premonition of something, or had already understood something, Yae bent slightly.

"Is this really okay?" She said softly.

Taro just looked in the direction of the classroom. After a while, Yae stretched out his hand and stroked Shiba Inu's eyebrows that had been grayed by the years: "Today only—please come in."

Today's weather is very sunny.

The blue sky was clear and cloudless, and the corridor outside the classroom was slightly scalded by the spring sun. As soon as the breeze blew, it was covered with crimson cherry blossoms.

In the classroom came the sound of Songyang teaching, as well as the subtle sound of students turning the pages of the book and the tip of the pen falling on the paper.

The cherry blossoms in the courtyard were falling quietly, Yae was sitting under the eaves of the porch, and Taro was lying beside her, his eyes slightly narrowed in the sun, his expression serene and satisfied.

It has fluffy ears, and when it hears the laughter of the students in the classroom, it will unconsciously wag its tail slightly.

The Shiba Inu's tail is naturally curly. It is very airy when it is raised high, and it can melt people's hearts when it is shaken.

It wags its tail slowly, slowly.

Just listening to the voices from the classroom and feeling the master's closeness, he couldn't stop wagging his tail happily.

A cherry blossom petal floated leisurely to Taro's ear, he shook the tip of his ear, but failed to shake off the petal, finally Yae stretched out his hand and picked off the cherry blossom.

"...the pain will be gone soon." She lowered her eyes and gently stroked Taro's back, again and again, as if this could erase the pain caused by those years.

The teenage years are the most beautiful stage of life for humans, but for a dog, it is already a burdensome old age.

Taro squinted his eyes, using all his remaining strength to slowly swing his tail, wheezing, wheezing.

There was the sound of the wind from far away, and the courtyard was still quiet, only the brilliant cherry blossoms were falling like rain, and they were all charming eyes, as soft as a beautiful dream that could be broken at the touch of a finger.

Taro couldn't shake his tail anymore.

Yae touched its ears: "...Taro?"

After a while, he tapped the tip of his tail, as if to express his gratitude to her.

The spring sun reflected on the open paper door of the classroom, coating the white washi paper with a layer of warm light.

Yae turned her head and looked at Matsuyo who was standing in front of the Japanese room with a textbook in his hand.

Seemingly feeling something, Songyang met her gaze.

The look in his eyes was gentle and calm, he smiled lightly, and then closed the book.

"Today's class ends here."

The cherry blossoms were dancing in the sunshine, and the students who got half a day off were very excited.There was no class anyway, so everyone just stayed in the private school and chatted.

The student who walked out of the classroom first found Taro lying on the corridor, and she called out in surprise and joy as all children of this age would do:

"Wow, dog!"

Kantai heard the sound and walked out of the classroom. He has grown in stature in the past few years. He is no longer the kid who can't even hold the writing brush steadily. When he smiles, he has a kind of cheerfulness unique to teenagers.

The breeze blows up the fluttering cherry blossoms, and the rustling flowers and leaves sway silently in the courtyard with the gentle light and shadow.

"Taro?"

The old Shiba Inu peacefully closed his eyes, lying motionless in the spring sunshine.

It looked like he was asleep.

……

On the day of farewell to Taro, all the students in the private school cried in front of the small soil bag.

For most people, this is the first time they experience the cycle of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Normally, he seemed to be the calmest one. Gui tried his best to hold back his tears, and shrugged his shoulders until Yinshi finally couldn't stand it anymore, and slapped him on the shoulder: "Cry if you want to cry."

Gui: "Noisy... so noisy, it's not the wig, it's Gui."

Yin Shi: "No, no one calls you a wig, okay?"

At a loss for what to do with this sad atmosphere, Gintoki looked around for a while, and finally sighed deeply:

"Okay, okay, I understand, let Takasugi-kun inherit the vacant title of Yiba among the dogs in the village."

Suddenly being named, Takasugi's eyelids twitched:

"Who are you calling?"

Yin Shi dug his ears: "I'm calling you, Jin Zhu, the tyrant among dogs."

With tears still in their eyes, some students burst out laughing with a snort.

Before the two started fighting, Songyang gave one of them a punch to the ground in a timely manner, successfully resolving the conflict invisible.

"Yinshi, Jinzhu." Songyang smiled and bent his eyes, and before he finished speaking, the two of them bowed their heads very honestly.

"I was wrong, teacher." "I dare not again, teacher."

From far away, the breeze brings the warm spring breath, the sky is blue, and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Everyone left one after another, and Kantai stood where he was, with his back straight.

"I will never have a dog again."

When the boy with red eyes said this to her, the people around him had already left.

Yae walked to Kanta's side, and the thin golden sunlight fell through the gaps in the leaves, falling on the person warmly.

"Is it hard because the other party is destined to leave first?" she asked.

Kanta didn't answer.

Raising his face, Yae looked at the blue sky between the leaves: "...the difference in life span is really painful, but I think Taro is happy."

"From your point of view, you are indeed the lost party, but for Taro," Yae paused, "you have always been there."

Kanta raised his head.

"From birth to death, from the first moment it opened its eyes until it swallowed its last breath in this world, in Taro's eyes, you have always been there." Yae softly said.

"The lifespan of a dog is different from that of a human, but because of this, you can accompany it through a complete life, right?"

"People will leave home when they grow up, they will have their own life, they will build a family, and they will meet many different people at different stages. Most of the people who were by my side in the first place are no longer there.”

Yae tilted her head slightly, the corners of her mouth slightly curved:

"Taro is happy enough, because you are always by his side, Kanta."

Without any warning, big tears burst out of his eyes suddenly. The young man stood there in a daze for a while, then hurriedly raised his sleeves and wiped it carelessly after recovering.

"...Wait, wait, your eyes will really turn red if you wipe them again." Yae pressed his hand.

Kanta bowed his head in silence for a moment.

"...From now on, I will be alone."

"Really?" Yae blinked and suddenly smiled at him:

"It's hard to say."

——Early the next morning, Kanta was woken up by the sound of smashing windows while he was in a daze.

The skill of the person who smashed the window seemed to be very poor. The stones thrown one after another fell on the wooden window like hail, and the noise was so loud that people couldn't sleep well.

Originally wanted to ask for a day off, he rubbed his eyes and got up, put on his clothes and went to the door to have a look.

A group of students headed by Yinshi all looked over.

"Morning, Kanta." Gui smiled, except for the red eye circles, he looked no different from usual.

"...Why are you here?"

"Huh? What a stupid question that is."

Ignoring Takasugi's dark complexion, Gintoki grabbed Takasugi's shoulders, lazily showing a beating smile:

"Adhering to the glorious tradition, Jinzhu is here to send you to school."

……

The time is quiet, and the cherry blossoms are withering grandly and gorgeously.

Cloud-like petals fluttered down from the sky, and when the breeze blew, the courtyard of the private school was covered with crimson cherry blossoms, thickly covering the original appearance of the ground.

"Spring is coming to an end."

Holding the steaming brown rice tea, Yae sat comfortably on the cushion, watching the cherry blossoms in the garden with Song Yang.

"Yeah, it's almost over." Songyang laughed softly, with a calm and gentle expression, "It's really beautiful, isn't it."

The cherry blossoms near the end have a special beauty, like the blazing brilliance, and like the morning glow that is about to come to an end. It is grand and lonely, magnificent and desolate.

Looking at the cherry blossoms in the garden, Yae slightly lowered her eyes.

"...Life is short, but sometimes it is happier."

Blinking, she looked up.

"Although that's what I said, is she really happy?"

The little girl who gave her her name.

The little girl she watched grow up.

That little girl with the same smile as a cherry blossom.

The little girl who has always lived in her heart

The little girl she'd never see again.

"Do you think she is happy?"

Song Yang asked with a smile.

Yae turned to look at him for a long while.

"I hope she is happy."

Songyang's eyes softened.

"Then she must be happy." He said gently.

Yae: "...Why are you so sure?"

Song Yang tilted his head, his light-colored long hair slipped from his shoulders with his movements, looking tender and tender.

Her green eyes clearly reflected her figure holding a teacup, Songyang bent his eyes and said with a soft laugh:

"Because now I can understand the feeling of happiness."