Amare Flos (Demon Slayer)

Kindness part 3

Kaze lay on the floor even after they left, he could hear their fading laughter as they walked away. Kaze slowly opened his eyes, the ground had turned a faint orange as the sun began its descent into the horizon. A single shadow remained, Kaze could see two feet swinging, a kid similar to his age sat on a bench. They were a... boy? Girl? Regardless, the shame felt all the same to Kaze, his heart pounded as he quickly got up and dusted himself off. It was a face he hadn't seen with the group of boys, whoever the kid was, they must've come after the boys left.

"Hello, you alright?" The kid asked with a faint smile on their face, they wore a loose singlet and shorts, fit for the warm weather, but not fit for the grandeur of the developing city. Kaze cleared his throat.

"Yeah. I'm alright." Kaze slowly walked towards the faded brown bench and sat next to the kid. His mind and heart pounded simultaneously with curiosity and nervousness respectively. Kaze looked at the kid, they had a unique look, Kaze's eyes widened as the kid's eyes looked back. Hair that was grown to their shoulders, shiny and black. What Kaze found the most interesting was their eyes, both their eyes were a different colour, one shone a beautiful blue while the other was a dark and comforting brown.

Kaze stared at them for a good minute, the kid didn't mind, they were used to it. Kaze's curiosity strayed elsewhere where now, his mind returned to that question.

"Are you... a boy or girl?" Kaze's words were blunt and straightforward, the crickets chirped once again as the kid looked at Kaze. After a few seconds of silence, the kid burst out in laughter.

"You're funny. What's your name?" The kid smiled, they found Kaze's comment very humorous. Kaze shifted on the sturdy plank of the bench creaked as Kaze leaned back on the bench.

"Kaze, yours?" Kaze was a little irritated that he hadn't got an answer.

"My name would give away my gender, how about you call me a nickname?" The kid laughed, the kindness and bubbliness almost radiated off the kid. They were a complete contrast to the group of boys that had just bashed Kaze.

"Double-Eye" Kaze came up with a nickname almost instantly. Kaze felt an obligation to connect the nickname to Double-Eye's different eye colours.

"That's a good nickname, so... You just moved here?" Double-Eye spoke quietly. This sentence was like a trigger to Kaze, his body jolted as his mind reminded him of the time. Kaze immediately jumped off the bench.

"Sorry, I have to go home. Can we talk more tomorrow?" Kaze asked quite jittery, he needed to get home quickly, he hadn't even told his parents that he had gone out, and with their stressed state, they would probably kill him when he got home. Double-Eye sighed and smiled.

"Meet me at this bench again, you won't find me anywhere else." Double-Eye's voice was sincere and considerate. Kaze nodded and bolted back, as his legs ached with soreness, whether it was from the beating or the intensity at which he sprinted he didn't know. His body wasn't the only thing that heavily worked itself, Kaze's mind was full of thoughts, at the top of the king, the crown was given to an innocent yet unnecessary question.

"What gender is Double-Eye?"

Kaze was able to get home in time, his parents were silent and didn't seem to have enough energy to scold him. They must've been exhausted from their bouts of arguing. The dinner table was unlike ever before, silent and awkward. Kaze stared at the warm soup that sat in front of him.

"Did you wrestle on the dirt outside? You're covered in it." Kaze's mother spoke without looking at Kaze, Kaze's face went red, he had no intention of telling both his parents how he had gotten beaten up. The natural snarl in his mother's voice made it seem like she was just waiting for an opportunity to shout at him.