Sogo Doma's words were not unfounded. Or rather, his attempt to undermine him just now had been deliberate.
It couldn't be helped. Toshiro Hijikata harbored convictions unknown to others. For instance, he respected teachers and valued knowledge, so deep down, he hoped the Kondo Group's members could all return to school. He also held Shizuka Hiratsuka and Utaha Kasumigaoka in high regard... Of course, these were virtues in an ordinary person, but they seemed rather unbefitting for the Kondo Group's Demon Vice-Chief—after all, in Toshiro Hijikata's eyes, a violent organization was something people feared and dreaded.
Well, although Hijikata did not care about what others thought of him, he cared deeply about the people around him. Of course, not about what his companions thought, but whether they would be viewed through prejudiced eyes!
To Toshiro Hijikata, the Kondo Group becoming renowned meant that everyone was watching them. That was how the Kondo Group's dozens of stringent rules had come about.
In his view, people feared violent groups, and the members of such groups would likewise be feared. How could they make friends and live happy lives like that?
In fact, after Sogo left, Toshiro Hijikata had considered disbanding the Kondo Group. After all, even Sogo, who had founded the Kondo Group alongside him, had left without hesitation. He...
"..." If only Sogo Doma had known what Hijikata had been thinking then, he would definitely have told him, "Bastard, if that old geezer Keiryu Doma hadn't been jealous of how close I was with Umaru and sent me to Totsuki because of it... Sigh!"
An arm could not twist a thigh... Though Sogo Doma believed that he was the thigh, for Umaru's sake, he could only play the arm and fail to twist Keiryu Doma's thigh.
Besides, Sogo had privately looked