Gang Of Youths • bokuaka

2 ~ Should Have Known Better

A child is born into the world with no choice in their fate. That was no different for Akaashi.

Sometimes, he thought, that maybe this was God's answering his prayers and helping him escape the marriage. But, why would they have sent him to a war?

He arrived at the town where he was to sign up for the war hours after he left home. The town was small, sitting in the southern depths of the country. Akaashi liked it because of how quiet it was. It sat between two mountains and had a river bank running through the middle.

He wasted no time in finding the stall and greeted the man there. The man was nice, a lot older than Akaashi. His tall build was lined with wrinkles that resembled spiderwebs. His hair turning to grey with age.

He found a quiet corner and sat down, watching the people go by. He was giving the address of an inn he could stay in before leaving for camp. In the meantime, he decided to take a break and rest for a while, taking in his surroundings.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. The heat from the sun radiated down onto his face as he felt the gentle breeze. It was calm; a calm before a storm.

That storm was Bokuto Kōtarō. The sun was blocked by the figure in front of him. Akaashi opened his eyes to meet a pair of yellow ones.

'We always seem to randomly bump into each other huh?'

Akaashi sighed, 'Bokuto-san, good to see you again.'

Bokuto sat next to Akaashi, their shoulders almost touching. Akaashi could feel the heat radiating from him. Why was he so close? Akaashi shifted away, but Bokuto just leaned in closer.

'You're pretty far from home, aren't you?'

Akaashi didn't answer at first, then he turned to the man beside him, 'I'm travelling so to speak.'

'You're joining the army?'

'How did you-'

'I saw you at the stand, is that what was bothering you back at the Temple?'

'No it wasn't.'

Bokuto shrugged his shoulders, 'Something is bothering you though...'

Bokuto was right, it was bothering him. More than he would care to admit to a stranger he has met only a couple of times. Akaashi looked at the man, finding Bokuto was gazing off into the distance at something else.

He didn't need Bokuto to psychoanalyse him like that. 'I'm just looking at this realistically, there is a chance that many may not make it--'

'You think you won't make it?' Bokuto interrupted him, 'Realistic?' Bokuto's eyebrow rose, 'You mean pessimistic? Always seeing the worst in everything.'

'It's called being logical,' Akaashi protested, his patience starting to wear thin. 'I don't have time for optimism and false hope.'

Bokuto laughed; a loud annoying laugh that echoed in the air, 'What's so bad about having hope? Or even being a little optimistic. I mean, in war you need that right?'

Akaashi clenched his jaw, 'Hope and optimism are useless when reality rarely caters to either,' he said, his voice firm. 'It's better to face things as they are rather than deluding oneself with false expectations.'

'Wow, so deep.'

Akaashi shot him a withering look, 'And you are so childish.' he said as he stood up, walking away.

Bokuto pouted, watching Akaashi walk away, but he quickly got over his disappointment and quickly stood up himself, following after him like a lost puppy.