Now I know it's you [KyouHaba]

Chapter 3

He spent two of his free days studying various parchments and raiding the Castle's library to find some books about shield casting. He would never admit it out loud, but Kyotani was right in one thing. His shields were shit.

He secretly cursed his inborn talents, which only gave him the ability to function as a Cleric. He could heal some wounds, but he was not good enough to be a Healer. He couldn't mend broken bones, stop internal bleeding, or repair damaged organs.

At the same time, he was able to cast a decent shield if he had enough time, but he was no Protector, who could pull of both physical and mental shields able to withstand a hit from a cannonball or mental attacks of some monsters in a matter of seconds.

Yahaba's shields couldn't withstand one hit from ghúl.

He growled in annoyance, flipping the pages and taking notes of the helping runes he wanted to try. He even went to the Castle's leading Protector, Matsukawa, for help, but all he got was a ten-minute interrogation about how his task with Kyotani went, during which Matsukawa had a suspiciously smug expression on his face, and great advice that 'It will come to you'. Yeah, sure, easy to say for a born Protector.

After that, Yahaba was too drained to even enjoy their weekly meeting with the other members.

They sat under the tree around which the Castle was built, most of the people chatting with each other. The meetings were mandatory on Oikawa's order, something along the lines that it helps build team spirit and cooperation overall. Yahaba wasn't sure if it really helped, but he always liked to exchange stories from hunts with other members. And the food was covered by Oikawa, even though he always protested against it but a single look from Iwaizumi usually silenced his complaining, so it was a double win.

This time, however, Yahaba couldn't find the strength to do anything but lean his back on the tree trunk and listen half-assedly to others, just enough not to seem rude. Their Gunslinger Hanamaki was just in the middle of explaining why working with Matsukawa was the worst thing imaginable while the latter was watching him with a small smirk and deliberately interrupting him in the 'most intense moments of the story, Issei shut up!'

Yahaba rolled his eyes. Everyone knew the two had a thing for each other but were too stubborn, or stupid for the matter, to do anything about it. But that didn't stop them from playing the cupid for the other members of the Castle, their last victims being Kunimi and Kindaichi, the young Gunslinger and Hanamaki's kouhai. Yahaba sincerely pitied them, especially Kindaichi, who was easy to manipulate and even easier to fluster. He wouldn't put it past them that it was their idea to send him and Kyotani on the ghúl task together.

Speaking of Kyotani, he spotted the blond Hunter sitting as far as possible from the rest of them, slowly nibbling on something and looking like he'd rather fought five demons at once than listen to more of Matsukawa and Hanamaki's banter.

As if on cue, Kyotani turned to Yahaba, who quickly averted his gaze, but he still felt the other's piercing eyes on him. He wondered what the other was thinking. He wondered if there was anyone who knew what Kyotani was thinking.

He dreamed a lot about a certain blond-haired man that night.