Tidal Wave

Tonight We Sail to the Edge of the World

"Thanks Iguro," she says walking back with him. Her unease lifted immediately. She found herself pouring her heart out to him. By the end of it, she was even smiling again. He didn't eat and paid for her like always, but she was grateful for his kindness. His ability to contextualize things through metaphor was amazing - like a poet sometimes. He did her a massive and undeserved favor in her eyes.

Speaking of favors...

As they reached her building, she remembered something. "Uhm, I forgot to thank you for the rice cakes,"

He blinked. "I'm pretty sure you already did, Kanroji."

"No, no, I meant the second box you left on my step." His gaze appeared distant, before refocusing back to her now understanding what she meant.

"Oh... that," he rolled his eyes for some reason. "Well, they're still your favorite, aren't they?"

"Yes, but how did you know? In fact, how did you know about the socks too? And how did you know I'd be at the ramen shop and... and.." Her voice trailed off as he shook his head and chuckled.

"I know a lot of things, Kanroji," he replied. "I gave you those socks because you felt uncomfortable about your uniform. Kakushi talk a lot. And the rice cakes - I learned about from Rengoku. I saw you at the ramen shop by chance, but I heard that the master spoke with you — we all did. Everyone's worried about you."

She bit her lip. She didn't mean to make everyone worry, least of all him when he's done so much.

"Will you follow me to the back?" She asked suddenly. She meant the botanical garden - same one Kyojuro dumped her in.

The dirt was packed; trampled into the ground from countless people going in and out. But it opened up into a beautiful garden, perfectly hidden by the fence and the natural foliage that grew over it. Flowerbeds surrounded the outer perimeter and sakura petals covered the ground in an ocean of soft pick. The moon shone high in the sky, casting a purple glow upon everything making the garden look almost magical.

He marveled at the massive Sakura tree as petals fluttered to the ground as quiet as the snow and asked, "Do you spend a lot of time in here?"

"I do. Isn't it beautiful?" He surveyed the area again before closing his eyes, inhaling the scent of Sakura all around them.

"It is." He says.

She smiles at that. Shinobu built the garden for pharmaceuticals, but Mitsuri repurposed it for making jams and honeys. Of course, she didn't mention that kakushi sometimes stop by to tend it for beautification, but for now it was empty and perfect for conversation. She wanted his opinion on something that reared its ugly head on days like today, and the garden was the perfect place to talk.

"Iguro, am I...bad?" she asked, facing him, her voice solemn. That grabbed his full attention snapping his eyes back open.

"Bad? In what way?" She looked at the tree branches blowing gently in the dark breeze as more petals fluttered to the ground.

"Everything." she says, rubbing her elbows, feeling the chill. "Even compared to other hashira. I'm clumsy and slow to figure things out. And compared to you I... " she shakes her head, "...it's just I wish I were more like you, sometimes. Actually... I wish I was anything but- "

"-Kanroji you have to STOP!" he commands raising his hand to show he was serious. Her eyes widened. That was the most curt he's ever been while talking to her. Had she offended him?

"DO NOT make the mistake of making yourself feel small, you're so much better than that!"he said, taking steps towards her.