影と風 | Kage to Kaze | Shinazugawa Sanemi

20 - Home

When we arrived at Mitsuri's mansion, she was already waiting outside, her smile so bright it nearly blinded me. The Love Hashira stood on her tiptoes, waving enthusiastically. "Kiyomi! Shinazugawa! You're here!" Her voice bubbled with excitement, and I had to bite back a smile at her pure energy.

"Yo, Mitsuri," I called out, trying to sound casual, but I couldn't stop myself from grinning. Her happiness was contagious.

Sanemi gave a grunt in response, clearly less charmed by her enthusiastic welcome. He crossed his arms over his chest, his usual scowl deepening as if Mitsuri's joy somehow offended him.

"Brat, you're staying here. Don't cause any trouble," Sanemi muttered, turning toward me.

I rolled my eyes, folding my arms. "Me? Cause trouble? Never." I smirked. "Just make sure you come back in one piece, Windy Pants."

He shot me a warning glare. "Don't cause any problems."

"Yeah, yeah," I playfully brushed off his threat, though my voice softened a bit as the reality of him leaving settled in. Sanemi was about to leave for his mission, and I wouldn't see him for days. Maybe longer. Usually, I'd just shrug it off and tell him to take care, but something about today felt heavier.

I parted my lips to say the words I always did, but before I could speak, Sanemi beat me to it. "Take care," he said, his voice gruff but with a surprising softness that caught me off guard.

Our eyes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to still. His hand brushed mine ever so slightly, the briefest contact of skin against skin, as he walked past me. It was enough to send a jolt through me. My breath hitched, my chest tightening as if the wind had been knocked out of me.

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening as I tried to regain my composure. "You too, Sanemi."

He grunted again, his eyes lingering on mine for a second longer before he turned on his heel and took off, his haori billowing behind him like a storm cloud.

As soon as he was out of earshot, I felt the air vibrate beside me. Mitsuri was practically bouncing up and down, her hands clasped in front of her chest, eyes sparkling like she'd just witnessed a romantic scene from one of her beloved novels.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she squealed, twirling around me in excitement. "You two are totally getting married one day!"

I blinked, heat rushing to my cheeks. "W-What? Mitsuri, you're jumping to conclusions," I stammered, trying to brush off her words, but my face betrayed me with the way it burned.

Mitsuri giggled, her eyes shining with glee. "I saw that! He said 'take care,'! That's so unlike him! And the way your hands brushed, it was so romantic! Don't deny it! It's written in the stars, I just know it!"

I huffed, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart. "It's nothing, Mitsuri. Really. We're not getting married, okay?"

But even as I said the words, I couldn't shake the strange feeling in my chest. The warmth in my cheeks refused to fade, and Mitsuri's relentless optimism wasn't helping. She just smiled knowingly, clearly not convinced, but for once, she let it drop.

~*~

For the next two days, I found myself immersed in Mitsuri's training. The Love Hashira was known for her agility and flexibility, her fighting style a graceful dance that flowed like water and struck like lightning. The task she set before me was deceptively simple: move through a course of obstacles, blindfolded, relying only on my senses of hearing and touch to avoid the traps set along the way.

At first, it was impossible. I couldn't sense the traps fast enough, and I found myself tumbling over rocks, tripping into pits, and dodging wooden logs swinging from the trees above. This training was way different than Sanemi's.  Mitsuri would giggle softly from the sidelines, offering gentle encouragement, but I could tell she was pushing me to see how far I could go.