koi no yokan | inosuke hashibira

𝟐.𝟔

It's been a full month and a half since the boys were admitted into the Rehabilitation Training. I would give them some visits, along with onigiri. I've been getting closer to all of them. They're all such great company to be around. Inosuke and I have been getting- well- closer as well, in terms of training. There's still so much I want to know about him.

But I just can't get myself to speak to him clearly nowadays.

Today, I've been wandering the garden. Aito is doing his medicine training with Aoi, Shinobu is studying in her office, Tomioka is on a mission, and Rengoku is on a mission. When he comes back, he'll be the one to pick me up from there and take me on his mission as a little sidekick. Since then, I've been excited about it.

After all, this will be my first mission with a Piller, now that I thought about it. Tomioka wouldn't go on missions with me. He's usually the one who sends me. Counting them in my head, I've had-

Oh wow. That is not a lot for a Tsukugo. I mean... three?

Well, it has been a few months since our Final Selection. I guess we're just taking baby steps.

I was sitting on a bench in the garden, watching the small butterflies in the bushes as they brushed and flapped their colorful canvas wings. It was a beautiful day today. There were clumps of clouds in the sky, but they were all scattered away from each other, revealing a beautiful blue sky.

My lips were pulled into a smile as I lowered my eyes from the sky.

From behind me, I could hear walking on the gravel. I dismissed the sound, thinking it may be a Kakushi dropping off another patient.

But yet- turning around- it was Inosuke instead.

I flinched so hard, I might've fallen off the bench. He was standing behind the bench, leaning on the backside as his head was tilted, staring into my eyes.

"Woah. Hi." I chuckled as I rubbed the top of his mask, ruffling the fur a little. "What brings you here?"

He flipped over the bench, kicking his legs over the backside and sitting right down. "None of your business." He replied in a clean tone of voice. His voice box seemed to be getting better. After all, I can hear him a little clearly now. Of course, it's still raspy, but his normal voice was also raspy.

"Well, I can't give you onigiri until tonight." I flipped a piece of my silky hair behind my hair. Looking up to him, he was crossing his arms and staring down to me.

"That's not it." He backed up and leaned against the bench. Suddenly, he pointed at me, nearly poking my cheek in the process. "Train with me."

Did I hear that correctly?

"Hm?" I hummed and tilted my head. "You want me to train with you?" I repeated once more as my eyes widened. I tried to keep my surprise to myself, my lips into a line as my brows tried its best not to react.

He hesitantly nodded, his shoulders tensing up as he averted his gaze away from me. It was like he was- quite- embarrassed to be asking that question. We both shared a second of silence, me trying to process what was happening and waiting out the silence in the meantime.

I giggled and scooted a tad bit closer to him. Holding a thumbs up, a smile was pulled onto my face. "Alright! What would you like me to train with you, my strong apprentice?"

That might've triggered something. Inosuke immediately stood up, on the bench. A low chuckle was coming from him as he crossed his arms. There was something about him that had suddenly changed him.