Cycle // Giyushino

Confrontation

"So, sweetie, how was the mission?" The Flower Pillar asked her sister. 

"I don't know to want to talk about it," Kocho grumbled. After the ride back to the Butterfly Mansion, the slayers departed immediately, leaving Muichiro to report the information to Oyakata-sama alone. I mean, let's be honest, he was the only one who is able to report the real story. Kocho and Tomioka however, couldn't, because they weren't available.

"Hey Shinobu," Kanae said as she sat right next to her sister. "This is the first time you aren't telling me anything. What is it about?" 

"Please stop pressing me," Kocho said, who was annoyed about the repeating questions. This was the first time in her life to be annoyed with her sister. Kocho does love her sister, dearly, but when it comes to this... why isn't she saying anything?

After a few seconds of silence, Kanae stood up and walked to the doorframe. "Take your time, sweetie. Also, I do have an idea of what you are thinking." Curiosity took Kocho's eyes to face her sister.  

"Tomioka". 

Kocho flushed red and took her pillow. She was planning to throw it onto her sister's face until she saw no one under the doorframe. Instead, Kocho just used the pillow and screamed in it. 

**The Same Time***

"How was your mission?" The Water Pillar asked his best friends as they both strode back to their residence in the forest.

"Good." 

"Huh? What was that?" Sabito repeated again. "It was okay," Tomioka replied. 

"That's weird. You usually give me more than just a 3-words phrase. What's wrong?" Sabito asked again with a stony face. Tomioka came to an abrupt stop and turned around to look at his best friend.

"W-what do you mean?" Tomioka asked back. Sabito gasped in response. "Oh, my now it's four words. Wait a second did you just stutter? The great Giyuu Tomioka stuttering how-"

"Hey!" a voice cried out behind them. The 2 boys looked at the person who cried out to them. 

"Makomo?"

"Yess!! Hi!" She yelled out again as she approached the 2 boys. She threw out her arms and hugged her boys. "Hello again, Tomioka! How's your mission?" 

"Good." Tomioka plainly said. 

"What the. Just good? Is there something wrong with you?" Makomo asked with a serious tone. 

"I know right? Let's talk about it over dinner." Sabito said as he grabbed both of his buddies by their wrists and dragged them to their residence.

**10 minutes later***

The 3 water buddies sat down and ate their dinner. As Tomioka enjoyed every single bite of his salmon daikon, he realized something was off. He looked up to see his buddies staring at them. Sabito just holding his chopsticks while Makomo was eating without looking at her food.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Tomioka asked his buddies. "This is unusual. They should be chomping their food right now." Tomioka thought.

"Okay continue, Mako." Sabito let out as he chomped down on his food.

"Giyuu," Makomo said with a serious tone once again, "what happened?"

"Nothing-"

"-Nothing?! You sure?" Sabito spotted out as he still continued to chomp down.