KNY Fanfic: Priceless Smile

Chapter 5: To be a Slayer or a Kakushi?

     As the sun sets, Kazumi have started to write her report about her mission regarding the lower kizuki. She chose to take a short nap before writing so that she'll just send it before dinner.
After a few minutes, she finished her report, when someone knocked on her door.

"Nii-sama?" A low voice called.

"Come in." She replied.

The boy came in. Azakura Kano, he has a red-orange hair and blue eyes. He's wearing a yellow-green yukata with green stripes and a blue hakama pants.

"I'm sorry to bother you nii-sama." He apologetically said before sitting down.

"It's alright Kano-kun, is there any problem?"

"....."

"Is it still bothering you?"

"Y-yes." Kano answered with a slight nod.
"I'm still having a hard time to choose."

"I see. Let's talk about it then." Kazumi said as she stood up and sat beside Kano.

"I've been training for months already but, I don't even feel or see any progress. And whenever I think of demons and imagine how they look like, it just feels like I'm shaking." Kano said gripping his pants tighter.
"Whenever that happens I would always ask myself, 'what if I accidentally let go of my sword while facing a real demon?' "

"Kano-kun, you don't always have to force yourself to do something that takes too much risk or just because someone you admire does it. You have to make your own decision and decide what you want to take." Kazumi answered.

"But I don't really know, I don't know whether I should be a slayer or a kakushi. If I'm a slayer, I'll be able to decapitate demons and help save a lot of people but....." Kano was a bit hesitant to even continue his words.

"But... ?"

".... but if I become a kakushi, I'm afraid I wouldn't be that much of a help since I wouldn't be able to decapitate a demon." Kano continued.

"You know what Kano-kun.... you don't have to be able to decapitate a demon for you to call yourself useful. As long as you help others and be there for them, that's enough. Being a kakushi isn't bad at all, without them, who would aid those injured slayers? Who would assist them and carry them when they're injured? Who would give them medicine or anything they needed after getting hurt? Who would help the slayers whenever they needed something? Isn't it the kakushis?"

"Yes."

"There's nothing wrong on being a kakushi or a slayer, those two sides just help each other. Kano-kun...." Kazumi patted Kano's head with her right hand.
"It depends on your decision whether to become a slayer or not. As I've said, you don't have to force yourself to do something that takes too much risk or just because someone you admire does it."

After that, Kano thanked Kazumi before taking his leave from her room. Kano turned around to watch the sunset while standing outside her room. He slowly walked back to his after a minute of staring at the sunset still thinking on his nii-sama's words over and over again.

'You don't have to force yourself to do something that takes too much risk or just because someone you admire does it.'
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

[At the Ubuyashiki Estate....]

     Kazumi's crow landed inside a room where Kagaya is staying at, he gently untied the letter from the crow's foot and let her wife read it.

"I see, you've done it yet again my child. You even took back with you those people who needed help so badly." Kagaya said to himself after his wife finished reading Kazumi's report.
"I wonder if I could ask you for help."

It's been three months since Kazumi became a Pillar, and she managed to be friends with three other Pillars. Kagaya thought of doing something that requires her help.
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

[At the Frost Estate....]

     It's very early in the morning, the sun hasn't rose up yet but, Kano decided to go out of his room since he can't go back to sleep still thinking about his conversation with Kazumi last night. He walked around the hallways of the estate leading to the garden.

'I wonder if nii-sama's still asleep?'
He thought while heading to the garden.

As he gets closer to the garden, he decided to check on Kazumi's room. As he get closer, he saw someone swinging a wooden sword. He walked closer and closer until he's right in front of Kazumi's room, he get to know who it is.

'Nii-sama?'
He was left speechless watching her.

She's swinging her sword up and down, from left to right, right to left, and so on. Not only is she moving her wooden sword but also her body without even making a sound on each step. Jumping and turning, swinging her sword around without a single noise.

'It's this early in the morning and nii-sama just got back from a mission last night, and yet here he is training? I can't even hear a single sound from every step he make.'
Kano kept on watching her move holding the sword.
'He did taught me how to hold a sword and do a stance properly but, I've never seen him train like this before and this early in the morning.'

Kano kept on watching her for who knows how long until, Kazumi stopped and looked at him. He just got back to his senses after Kazumi stopped and talked to him.

"Good morning Kano-kun." She greeted.

"G-good morning nii-sama." Kano stuttered a bit.

"You're quite very early to wake up today, did I bother you?" Kazumi slowly walked towards him.

"N-no, i-it's just that I can't go back to sleep when I woke up so I just decided to get up and come here."

"Is that so?"

"I should be the one asking if I bothered you, d-don't worry I'm just watching." Kano said looking away.

"Hmm.... that's alright. You could watch anytime if you want." Kano felt a hand on his head after hearing what she said.

"Maybe I should remind you sometimes that I'm older than you nii-sama." Kano said while blushing still looking away.

"Come on, you don't have to remind me that. I know." Kazumi replied pulling her hand back.

"Are you sure you're alright being treated and called as an older-brother by someone much older than you?"

"Of course, there's nothing wrong with that."

Despite being older than her for four years, Kano thinks of Kazumi as an older sibling. He also noticed that Kazumi wouldn't often introduce herself as a girl and would let most people think of her as a boy so, he just chose to call her 'nii-sama' instead of 'onee-sama'.

     Kano first met Kazumi at a village named Yoshikatsu Village. And from there, self-proclaimly called Kazumi his brother in which Kazumi did agree.