𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼

𝟎𝟑𝟐

Mochi

✩｡:*•.─────  ❁ ❁  ─────.•*:｡✩

        Six days. Kibutsuji said that he wants me to get fitted for my irouchikake. He didn't come with me, though. Instead, he sent a man named Kokushibo, whom I later remembered as Yorrichi's brother.

We rode in a carriage through the town. I couldn't help but look through the window, my curiosity getting the better of me. This town... It was a lot more dreary than my own. It wasn't just that, though. Something just felt so... off. I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

It wasn't just that. People watched as the carriage rode by. My only guess was that they wanted to see who their emperor's new fiancé is. Fiancé... That title sent a shiver down my spine... When we got out of the carriage, I saw that we were in front of a tailor's shop. 

"This is where... your kimono will be fitted..." Kokushibo said, waiting for me to walk ahead of him.

After a moment of hesitation, I walked into the shop, where I was almost immediately bombarded with attention. Kibutsuji made it known that he wanted the main color to be black instead of white to match his aesthetic.

When the workers went off somewhere to get some fabric and measuring tape, I was left alone with Kokushibo. The atmosphere was pretty awkward, and I really wanted to break it, but I didn't want to speak. Not to him, at least. To my surprise, however, he broke the silence.

"Yorrichi... He told you that we are brothers, no?" He said.

I glanced over at him and nodded.

"Yeah... He did..." I responded.

"... What did he tell you...?"

"Um... He just said that you two are twins and that your name is Michikatsu."

"I see..."

He stayed quiet for a while after that, and I thought he was finished until he started speaking again.

"That brat... No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did... he always surpassed me..." He grumbled, "I was meant to be Kagaya's head guard... I was born for the role... But Yorrichi just had to be born..."

He didn't look like he wasn't done monologuing, but he forced himself to stop as the workers flooded back in. It felt like an eternity before they were finished. We had left the palace about an hour ago, and apparently, Kibutsuji wants me to spend some time in the town to get used to my new surroundings.

I don't like this town. I get a feeling of dread from it. As we walked past a vendor selling sweets, I noticed that something caught Kokushibo's eye. I followed his gaze and saw that he was eyeing some mochi. Does he want some?

"Pardon me," I said to the vendor, "I'd like a box of mochi, please."

I paid for the box, which came with a dozen different flavors, and I carried it with me up until we had to go back to the carriage. It was getting late, so we had to get back to the palace before Kibutsuji got angry. As I sat down across from Kokushibo, I handed the box to him. His eyes lit up a bit, and he looked between me and the box.

"For... me?" He asked, seeming unsure as he slowly took the box.

I nodded with a smile. His eyes were wide as he just stared at me.

"I... Thank you..."

From that point, he continued on his monologuing as he took one of the mochi. He said that, at first, he was supposed to be my father's head guard, but Yorrichi was found to be much stronger than him, so he took his place. No matter how much he tried or worked, he couldn't become as strong as Yorrichi.

So, he figured that if he couldn't become my father's head guard, then he would become Kibutsuji's head guard. He admitted that the decision was a bit childish, but he wasn't thinking straight at that point.

By the time Kokushibo was finished, his eyes were watering a bit. He looked at me, as if studying my face. Did he think I was going to make fun of him?

"You're not weak, Kokushibo," I said, "You're strong. Very strong. You don't need to prove anything to anyone. Kibutsuji is a deadbeat. He manipulated you. All of you. If you ever need to talk, I'll be there for you. Just say the word."

I gave him a light pat on the knee before the carriage came to a stop. I got out, and he followed after me. I could feel his gaze on me, but this time, it was a bit more... intense.

✩｡:*•.─────  ❁ ❁  ─────.•*:｡✩

✿Sengoku-Era Secrets✿

❥ Kokushibo has never had someone be so genuine to him besides Yorrichi, so he almost immediately fell for Y/N.
❥ Was a small part of this book inspired by another one? Maybe, maybe not.

✩｡:*•.─────  ❁ ❁  ─────.•*:｡✩