SUMMER BREEZE | t. muichiro

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

( — FOUR ; CONCERN AND SYMPATHY )

CLUMSY as I was, walking to the Ubuyashiki estate was a big struggle compared to accomplishing the treacherous journey towards Mitsuri's house. I tripped more than my fingers can count, the crows constantly. . . crow in my ear, and when I reached the estate I had bruises up and down the palms of my hands.

Luckily, one of the onyx-haired kids welcomed me in, and I trudged through the dazzling yet simple hallways towards where Amane — Oyakata-sama's wife — was waiting patiently.

"Amane-sama," I bowed and sat down in seiza, rearranging my beautifully-patterned sakura-and-bamboo haori. It had been made by no one other than my sister Akime.

"You are probably wondering why I have called you here, Kanata-san," Amane began, her hands still placed on her lap. "I would like you and Mitsuri-san to take in a boy, a fellow slayer, just until he gets his own place."

"M-May I ask wh-why?"

"He is the soon-to-be Mist Hashira," Amane explained, and exhaled somewhat ruefully. "He might not remember anything, and I task you and Mitsuri-san in guiding him."

"Yes, Amane-sama."

° • ° • ° • °

"HE looks rather painfully dead to me, Mila-chan."

"Nee-san, shh."

We stared with equal confusion at the long-haired boy now sound asleep in the guest bedroom. Somehow we had managed to move him with the help of the kakushi towards our household, per Oyakata-sama's and Amane-sama's request.

I didn't want Mitsuri to wake him, so I tugged at the ends of her white haori and we headed to the living room, where I spotted a pair of brand-new geta sandals.

"Oh, Mila-chan, look!" Mitsuri squealed, and picked up the shoes off of the wooden coffee table before thrusting them into my hands. Her apple-green eyes were sparkling in happiness and contentment as she did so. "I bought these from the market on my last mission! See if they fit!"

Surprisingly but not quite so, the sandals did fit. They made a slight clicking sound whenever I walked, and I took them off and placed them on the table.

"Thanks, nee-san," I sighed truthfully, hugging the pink-braided woman as she excitedly embraced me back. "I'll wear it on my next mission."

Before she could even respond, I saw something that made my skin crawl with fear, and I abruptly screamed, causing Mitsuri to jump away from my grasp and yell as well.

"A-AAAAHHHHH!! AHHHH NO NO NO FUCKKKK SHITTT NOOO — "

"AH! WHAT IS IT, MILA-CHAN?!"

I pointed at a corner of the armchair, where a black, eight-legged arachnid was patiently sitting, getting ready to strike.

"S-SPIDER! SPIDER, NEE-SAN!"

I have to admit, it was the most I've screamed in a long, long time. I used to hold back and stay silent while keenly observing my surroundings, but spiders were just not the case. They were icky and wriggly and disgusting, and just thinking of one makes me break out into hives.

Shortly speaking, I was arachnophobic.

After Mitsuri threw the arachnid out of the window, she gasped slightly as she looked behind me. Just as I was expecting to see another spider, I drew in a sharp breath as well, as I looked at the boy with the long black hair. Only, now that he was awake, I noticed that his hair ended in pale teal tips.

Tokitou Muichiro.

"My, we're sorry for waking you up, Tokitou-kun!" Mitsuri bowed and tapped my back, signaling me to do the same, so I did. "Would you like some fo — "

"No. I'd like to train, please."

° • ° • ° • °

"WOULD you like to rest for a bit?" I asked the training boy, who I'd watched cough up blood at least six times. I'd wiped his mouth six times, and reprimanded him six times. He just didn't get the hint: he needed to take a break.

Amane-sama assured me that he would be bedridden for at least a week, and that I was going to have to help him get the feeling back on his legs. But here, watching him perform his Breathing style with accuracy and real effort, I was wondering whether or not Amane-sama gave him strength pills.

"Tokitou-san, please rest," I repeated with a sharp edge that got his eyes to snap to my attention. And, for the first time, I furrowed my eyebrows in front of a person. I had a distasteful look on my face, and he knew it. "You're coughing up blood. At least sit long enough to finish a cup of tea with me."

"...alright."

I poured him a cup of Mitsuri's green tea, courtesy to me as well. He drank it slowly, and I could see that his throat hurt just ingesting a liquid. I softly patted his back, which was damp with his sweat.

"Take it easy, Tokitou-kun," I mumbled, continuing to rubbing circles against his back. Tokitou seemed to calm himself a bit, before swallowing another sip of tea.

"...perhaps I should rest," he muttered, and I mentally did a victory cheer.

A long silence passed between us, but I wouldn't exactly call it uncomfortable. It was a lovely cloudy afternoon, and the trees Mitsuri had helped with blocking the sun's rays out from burning us alive. The sky's azure hue was matched with the ivory puffs of clouds.

"What shape is that cloud?"

"That one...p-probably a butterfly."

"Well, what's a butterfly?"

"An insect."

The lack of speech I had and Tokitou's many questions were surely made for each other. I heard of his amnesia, but I didn't expect for it to stretch back this far. Couldn't he at least remember the names of animal species?

Obviously not.

"Tokitou-san, would you like some more tea?" I inquired, holding up the kettle.

He shook his head abruptly, as if whatever daze he had been in was gone, and he was in full focus now. "I'd like to train."

"But..." I really couldn't argue. When I was first took in to be Mitsuri's tsuguko, I tried to hold myself back from practicing every second of every day, and I succeeded. Just seeing this boy, train to the point of coughing blood, hurt my emotions.

"O-Of course, you may."