riptide | kyojuro rengoku

XIV | lies

YOU DIDN'T TELL KYOJURO anything; you simply couldn't bring yourself too. Part of you was still hesitant because if the monster listened to you, you weren't sure if it would do the same when Kyojuro was with you. Nonetheless, it made you wonder, is that why the white monster left you alone before? Because it could sense the black monster you summoned before?

"Kyojuro," You mumbled, taking a seat next to the sailor. Once again, the rope was pulled in between his fingers and he was making the boat move at a steady pace. The winds weren't rough, so there was no point in putting in the extra effort. "Do you know of any sea creatures?" The boy snorted at your question, speaking bluntly afterward.

"Shouldn't you know of that stuff? You're the Ocean Seer!" 

He said it as if it's something to be proud of, but it's something you still struggled accepting. Your abilities were astounding and sure, they came in handy, but most people used you as a tool. Your father had treated you nicely which was a blessing, but you were still responsible for looking out for threats when being with him.

Just like how you were being used when you were with Kyojuro. "I. . . don't know much about my abilities or all the sea creatures; I just see them and describe what they look like." You could feel Kyojuro relax slightly, his shoulders dropping. Your brows furrowed, wondering what he was so stressed about in the first place.

He didn't seem to have any other response for you, mumbling about how even if he had run into some creature, he wouldn't be able to describe it clearly anyway. You found yourself nodding in understanding, feeling at a loss. The only other person you could talk to about this was Kagaya, but you had no idea where he was in the first place.

"When we find Senjuro, do you think we could travel a bit more?"

"No." 

The answer was so cutthroat that it stunned you. I mean, sure you two had come to a consensus that you would find his brother and return home, but you two had gone through so much up until this point. Surely, he could trust you just a little bit? However, his answer remained unchanging and you could feel him tense beside you again.

"We're finding Senjuro, I'm taking you back home, and then we'll continue living our lives!" He said it with such a fake joyous tone that it made you sick. You pretended to apologize, hardly feeling sorry for your suggestion. You moved away from his figure, turning back to look into the ocean again like you had been doing earlier.

Ever since that moment in the cove, Kyojuro had become increasingly awkward. It made you flustered to think about it too, but he treated you as if you were. . . a stranger. Not someone he had sought help from and gotten his life saved by. It bothered you and at points, you figured maybe he was being ungrateful.

Kyojuro was a character; an interesting and devoted person, but so inexplicably complex that it made your head spin. Sometimes you couldn't tell if his motives and actions shared the same energy that he always put on display. You sat down, chewing on the nail of your thumb as you stared into the water.

All this time you had been wondering if Kyojuro had simply been a good apple among the bad ones from his village, but what if he wasn't as good as he seemed? Was this all a hoax too? You were fairly unfamiliar to a lot of things, but that didn't make you stupid. In fact, you were just growing increasingly suspicious.

He didn't seem to be following any specific route and as far as you knew, he hadn't even told you a general area in which they'd lost Senjuro. As you sat and thought about it, things started to make less and less sense. Still, though, there wasn't anywhere for you to escape. Most of your things were at home and you didn't know the full extent of Kyojuro's abilities.

If anything, with his sword and fire, he could skewer you like the fish from earlier. You swallowed harshly at the thought, trying not to think about it. "I'm just being paranoid. . . " You mumbled to yourself, tapping the edge of the boat repeatedly. Saying that to yourself didn't erase your worries, but rather just intensified them.

After all, were you saying that in your own comfort to survive or because you wanted to preserve this image of Kyojuro in your head and your heart? The golden-haired boy wouldn't do anything to harm you, right? It was his job to protect everyone in the village and he swore to protect you too, so wouldn't it be irresponsible of him to not live up to his words?

Thinking about Kyojuro and his motives, you forgot one cruel thing your father had told you. The world is selfish and cruel, but the people are even more so. And just as Kyojuro had reminded you, you two were inevitably human. Despite your abilities, you two shared your own selfish desires, no matter how hard you tried to seem selfless.

Your own was to live happily, even if that meant the eradication of the Fire Village. You had long lost the desire to have your father and his previous crewmates alive; you knew that it was a far-off dream that'd never live up to reality. Knowing your own wish was dangerous as it was, you found yourself wondering what Kyojuro's was.

However, you were snapped out of your thoughts when the Flame Pillar called out your name joyously. "Can you hear it?!" He yelled over the loud waves and you could almost picture him pointing to one side of the sea. You followed the sounds, recognizing the chirps and squeaks of dolphins as they jumped out of the water and dived back down.

You ended up laughing with him, yelling out happily. "Yeah, I do!"

And for a second, you could practically feel him smiling as he stared in your direction.