░『Zephyr』░(KNY OC STORY/ KNY OC X KNY-OLD/DISCONTINUED)

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺𝟶: 𝙼𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚞𝚖𝚘

'.. I wonder what his favourite dish is..' Fukurō wondered absently, spoon held unmovingly in the metal pot. "Ah! Fukurō-chan! The broth is boiling!" Mikiko rushed over to Fukurō, quickly snatching the wooden spoon and stirring the liquid contained.

"-...Hm?" Fukurō snapped out of her trance, stepping away as Mikiko adjusted Fukurō's failing work, ".. Oh—My bad." Mikiko clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, shaking her head disapprovingly. She shrugged, eyes still yet to move from the pot. "It's fine, it's fine.. Chop the onions instead."

Fukurō then moved to the counter, picking up the stranded knife from beside the cutting board. 

Chop..

... Chop..

"Do you talk to your patients a lot?"

Mikiko turned her head, laughing as she raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm talking to you, aren't I? But I do. Kind of. I try, but sometimes they just don't wanna talk."

"What about.. the others that arrived alongside me?"

Mikiko shrugs, swirling the spoon more as the broth calmed,"Ichigo-san's a cheerful girl. Minorikoji-san.. Respectful, I guess?"

"And Shinazugawa-san?"

Mikiko glimpsed at the pot, lifting it up by the handles and placing it down loudly on the counter. "Mmmm... He's alright. Shinobu-chan usually takes care of him, but when I do see him, he's just silent. Doesn't talk at all. Do you think he's mute, maybe?"

Fukurō looked away, a cringed look on her face.

"... you.. should be resting more than me. You're more.. hurt.. after the mission."

".. I don't need sympathy."

".. I thought that you would be horrified."

Fukurō stayed silent without a nod, shake off the head, or a shrug of the shoulders. "Hm." She says.

"Hey! Keep chopping if you want to keep helping, Fukurō-chan!" Mikiko nudged the girl beside her with a huff impatiently, careful not to expose the freshly appeared scar wrapped around her hand.

* * *

"Caw! North-Northeast! North-Northeast! Kazekachi Fukurō is to head to Mount Natagumo for her next mission! Mount Natagumo!"

Fukurō stretched her arms over her head as she watched Hana burst into the room, head lolling while she stumble out of bed. "Great. Another mountain?.." She mumbled, then lifting her head to smile, "Give me a few, Hana. Then I'll be on my way."

* * *

The crisp air in the wind sent damp chills down Fukurō's spine. A heavy feeling was dropped onto her back, all from the odd, unnerving aura that surrounded the woods in front of her. 'Is this a mountain... or the forest of my nightmares?' She wondered as she continued to approach the mountain, before a determined voice spoke up near her.

"Hold up! Would you mind waiting a second?"

Fukurō looked from behind, wondering if the voice was directed to her. When she looked back in front of her, she saw three forms in the distance. She inched closer, muscles relaxing when she realized they weren't demons.

"Zenitsu? What's wrong?"

Fukurō remembered that voice from when she was on Mount Fujikasane, after the Final Selection trail had finished. As she squinted her eyes, she recognized the owner of the voice as the fox-masked boy, the boy who confronted Genya alongside Fukurō. Now equipped with a checkered green haori, a box on his back, a new scar on his forehead, and no fox mask, he was almost unrecognizable, if he didn't keep his earrings and hair.