The Natural and Silent Respect

Bitter and Sweet

"Why are you laying down?"

Haruhi bit her tongue as she turned to look at the owner of the voice. Or rather owners. In her fatigued delirium, the boy before her looks like twins. Thinking of twins made a shiver run down her back as she thought about the devilish orange-haired twins that loved messing with her life.

Satoshi grinned as he looked down at Haruhi who was laying on the ground with one cheek pressed against the wooden floor. There was a layer of sweat on her forehead and she was dressed in the normal dojo uniform. It clung to her sweaty body, adding to her discomfort along with her aching limbs.

"Who are you? Did Mori-senpai send you to come to check up on me?" Haruhi asked.

Her body felt too weak to even sit up. It hurt enough just turning her head to look at him.

"What? I should be the one asking who you are. This is usually where my brother trains me," Satoshi said as he walked in.

Haruhi blinked twice and squinted, the boy became one person instead of two.

"Satoshi?"

Haruhi and Satoshi turned to see Takashi carrying a tray with water and an assortment of cut-up fruits.

"Taka-bro!"

"Mori-senpai."

Takashi saw the confusion on both of their faces. He knew he was going to have to explain. He began to walk over to the exhausted girl.

"Haruhi, my younger brother," Takashi said as he gestured towards Satoshi.

She was sitting up now and dabbing at the sweat on her face with a towel that Takashi had offered.

"Satoshi, this is my..." Takashi paused, his mind running through hundreds of words, "...apprentice." That one would do, for now, he thought to himself.

The two turned to look at the other and nodded as a hello. Haruhi bit back a groan of pain.

"Senpai, I thought it would just be us," Haruhi said as Takashi placed the tray next to her.

"Yeah, what gives? You usually teach me alone and you didn't mention you got an apprentice!" Satoshi pointed accusingly at her, "He doesn't even look strong!"

Haruhi looked at Takashi who did not look pressured by their questions. He looked rather calm.

"Eat. You need strength," Takashi suddenly said to her.

He had made her a fruit bowl to accompany the water which had a purple silly straw in it with three loops. Seeing it made Haruhi's lips twitch up in a smile before she drank the water rather quickly.

She had imagined Takashi dressed up in his dojo clothes dripping sweat and sipping some fruit juice with a silly straw. It was laughable yet adorable.

"So who is this dude? A guy from school? I don't recall seeing him in the high school kendo club," Satoshi egged on.

"I'm a first-year, I asked senpai to teach me kendo," Haruhi filled in.

"I've never seen you around," Satoshi continued.

He walked over and sat next to Takashi who was placing the cut-up fruit pieces onto little skewers and then offered one to Haruhi who smiled. She thanked him again before taking the skewer and biting the first fruit ravenously.

That strawberry tasted like the best thing in the world. Haruhi let out a sound of enjoyment and pleasure reserved only for foods she thoroughly enjoyed. Takashi recalled her making that sound when she ate the sushi he had made her, she liked strawberries it seemed.