[Gintama] Knowing You're Doing Badly Puts My Mind at Ease

Some say adolescence is a raging storm. Life is in chaos, yet you pretend to take it all in stride.

Do you still remember those days? You wore baggy school uniforms that never fit, sleeves rolled up to your elbows, and when you laughed, you were always shamelessly boisterous. Maybe it was the acne and childish bangs that made you look plain back then; maybe it was because you loved to play and could never get enough sleep, so you were never any good at your studies; maybe it was because deep down you always thought of yourself as a guy, so no boy ever confessed his feelings to you.

But none of that matters now. You only remember hiding a math test with a score of 40 in a crack in your desk; sneaking five chocolate ice cream bars during study hall; throwing the shot so far at the sports meet that you nearly broke the record; being shoved onto the stage for the arts showcase, wearing garish, vulgar makeup, and singing an off-key song over cheap foundation.

But do you still remember who found the test in the crack and teased you about it for an entire semester? Who took you to the infirmary after you got a stomachache, then ate the one dish in your lunchbox you had been looking forward to most? Who jeered from the sidelines during your competition, only to be utterly crushed by your beast-like burst of power? Who maliciously tricked you into going onstage just to watch you embarrass yourself, then finally came up and sang with you because they couldn't bear to watch any longer?

It was always that one person, with a nasty personality, cruel jokes, and outrageous behavior.

It was that one person. You couldn't think of a single good thing about him, and yet no one else could ever take his place.

Author's Note: I'm taking this sweet school romance all the way!

Mainly Gin x Shinpachi, with other Gintama pairings too!