もののけ | monster | soshiro hoshina (Kaiju No. 8) (COMPLETE)

に | two

もののけ | kaiju | monster

02

Soshiro

I TRUDGED ALONG THE PATH, Kiyomi on my back, her weight surprisingly light despite her sprained ankle. It took me a long time to get her to agree to let me carry her on my back. She kept insisting that she was strong and didn't need help, but every time she tried to stand up, she would fall. This girl is seriously stubborn.

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of annoyance.

"Who even told you to hang upside down like that?" I grumbled, adjusting my grip on her legs to make sure she was secure. "You even sprained your ankle doing it."

I can feel Kiyomi pouted her lips, clearly displeased with my lecturing. She was always so full of energy, never taking a moment to consider the consequences of her actions. But despite my frustration, I couldn't ignore the instinctual worry gnawing at me. It was like a reflex, ingrained in me to look out for everyone.

"Pain is nothing to me!" she declared from behind me, her voice brimming with defiance. "I am strong!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her bravado. "If you're so strong, then you need to get those thin, tiny arms of yours to have some muscles," I joked, glancing over my shoulder at her. "And make this light body of yours heavy."

She shifted on my back, making herself comfortable despite the discomfort she must have been feeling. Even in pain, she was full of energy, a bundle of unstoppable enthusiasm. It was both endearing and exasperating.

"I don't need muscles to be strong!" she insisted, her voice unwavering. "I have spirit! And spirit is stronger than muscles!"

"Sure, sure," I said with a laugh. "But maybe a little bit of muscle wouldn't hurt, huh?"

She responded with a playful poke to my shoulder. "You're just jealous because I can do a perfect handstand!"

"Yeah, well, look where that got you," I teased. "Hanging upside down from a tree and spraining your ankle."

She stuck her tongue out at me, her pout turning into a mischievous grin. "It was worth it! Soshiro-kun is so cool with his sword!"

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but smile. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Hopelessly awesome!" she corrected, giggling.

As we continued down the path, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows and bathing everything in a warm, golden light. The day had been exhausting, but Kiyomi's boundless energy and unwavering spirit made it all worthwhile. Despite my initial annoyance, I couldn't deny the warmth spreading through my chest.

The moment I laid eyes on her, it was clear that she didn't belong to our clan. "What are you doing here in my clan's estate?" I asked, trying to maintain a playful tone despite my curiosity. "Don't tell me you were just lost," I added, a hint of jest in my voice.