Kioshi and I glared at each other. "I'm not apologizing." I said sassily.
"And neither am I." he retaliated.
"Good. Neither am I."
"Fine."
"Fine."
Kioshi and I stood in silence. We weren't sure what to say next. I walked over to my bed and buried myself under the sheets. "Don't bother me." I muttered.
"I won't," Kioshi replied.
After not even 5 minutes, I peeked out from under the covers. Kioshi was staring off into space. I studied his facial features. He had a chiseled face, a perfect jawline, and his lips were full. His long black hair looked like an idol's. He had a strong, defined body. "What are you looking at?" Kioshi's voice snapped me out of my daze. "Keep your eyes to yourself."
"Excuse me. You're in MY safe space." I retorted.
"Well I wouldn't be here if you would've just kept calm during dinner." he said angrily.
"Well maybe you shouldn't have been complaining like a young child about my horrid performance." I replied.
We both argued back and forth, back and forth. Eventually, we were sitting face to face yelling at each other. Our faces were close, and our eyes were locked on each other. Neither of us wanted to look away. Suddenly, I felt his hand brush against my cheek. "Himiko..." he whispered. His lips were mere centimeters from mine.
"W-W-What?," I breathed.
"Get away from me." he growled.
I shoved him away. "You were on my bed, you jerk." I snapped.
"Why couldn't you use some of that force during training? It seems to come natural to you." he smirked.
"Oh, shut up." I retorted.
Kioshi sat down on the floor and leaned his head back. "I can't wait to leave. This is ridiculous."
"Hurry up and leave then. You're making me sick." I said angrily.
"Seiji forced me in here, you idiot." he spat.
I grunted furiously and hid under my sheets again. This time, I wouldn't take them off. I'm not going to let out another peep. I get someone might have issues trusting people. But, to not show even a bit of kindness? I've tried doing my part. It's his turn.
It soon felt like an hour has passed. I still haven't come out. My stomach growled. Food! Damnit. I have to get food. I poked my head out and looked around. Kioshi was asleep. His arms were crossed and his eyes were closed. Even the way he sleeps looks arrogant.
I tried tiptoeing over to the door and opening it very, very slowly. "Nope, I don't think so." Eito slammed the door shut in my face.
"H-Hey! Come on, let us out already." I pleaded.
"Nope. Not until the two of you learn to get along. The only way for that to happen is if the two of you are locked in the same room." Eito declared.
"That's not fair!" I complained.
"You should know the real meaning of what isn't fair, Himiko." Eito said sternly. "So should you, Kioshi."
I sighed heavily, frustrated with myself, frustrated with Kioshi, frustrated with everyone! If the only way for this to end is for us to get along, then it looks like I'll have to be the one doing the most work here.
"Kioshi, I'm sorry." I said calmly.
"For?" he inquired.
My blood began to boil. "Everything, okay? Done?" I retorted.
"No. Explain." Kioshi demanded.
"Why do you have to make things harder than it needs to be? Jesus Christ! I was just trying to be your friend and bond with you but your little fear of trusting people and your condescending attitude interrupted that! What more do you want from me?"
"You're wasting your breath." he said plainly.
I got so fed up with him that I tackled him to the ground. "You're the most stubborn and difficult person I've ever met." I shouted.
"Get the hell off me," he threatened.
I ignored him and tightened my grip. "Not until you let me in."
"In where?"
"Here. In the real you. The person behind the cold and uncaring front." I said.
"Why would you want to do that?" he asked.
"Because, Kioshi, people are supposed to connect. We're all human. And, despite how hard it is for you, it's important to put your faith in people. It's not wrong." I answered.
He turned his face away from me. "That's a load of bullshit. You don't even know me, Himiko. So, stop pretending like you care. We're not friends."
I clenched my teeth together. "God, you're so stubborn," I threw my arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "Get the hell off me," he repeated, attempting to pry my arms away.
"Let. Me. In." I said sternly. Suddenly, my heart felt like it stopped. What is this? I can see everything. Tears started flowing down my face. "Oh, Kioshi..."
"Let go." Kioshi said weakly.
"I'm so sorry." I choked.
"Shut up." he muttered. "What the hell are you crying for?"
I pulled him closer and squeezed tighter. "You don't have to hide anymore." I cried.
Kioshi stayed silent. He eventually returned the hug and held me tight. I felt a shock run across my body. I saw every memory, every painful detail, every tear, and every struggle. I felt his pain.
Seiji busted through the door, "Alright are you two─what the hell?"
Kioshi and I pulled apart, "Uh," I blushed. "We're fine now."
Seiji exchanged eye contact with Kioshi and I and quietly left the room. "Himiko, um, I─"
"No, it's okay." I reassured.
Kioshi scratched the back of his neck. "So, uh, let's forget this ever happened."
"Deal."
Kioshi and I awkwardly sat beside each other. "Kioshi, I'm sorry for being such a jerk."
"Me too. You were right. It's hard for me to trust people." he sighed.
"Well, that's understandable." I sighed. I reached my hand out to him, and he took it. We sat there in silence like that for a while.
***
The next day, I was up bright and early and ready to continue my training. I walked over to Kioshi's room and knocked on the door. He opened it and glared at me. "What do you want?" he said coldly. His gaze softened once he saw it was just me. "Himiko."
"Hello, sunshine." I chirped.
"I see you're in a good mood today," he observed.
"Indeed I am. So, are you going to teach me more moves, or what?"
"You're actually eager to learn." Kioshi said in disbelief.
"Of course, I am. I have one of the best trainers in the world," I boasted.
"Oh, my god, would you relax?" he chuckled. "Give me a second. I'll meet you in the living room."
I nodded happily in response and skipped to the living room. "She's in a good mood today." I heard Rin whisper.
"Yes, and hopefully, she stays that way." Eito sighed.
A few minutes later, Kioshi joined me in the living room with two wooden swords in hand. "A-Are we sparring?" I stuttered.
"No. Not yet, anyway. First, I'll need to teach you how to wield a katana." he answered.
I gulped nervously. Kioshi and I left the apartment to go back to the same park as before. Kioshi tossed the wooden sword to me, and I clumsily caught it. He got behind and showed me the correct stance. "Put one foot forward and keep the other one in the back. Bend your knees slightly. Hold the hilt with both hands." he instructed.
"Okay," I said, taking in every word. "Hold it out and point the tip of the blade towards your enemy."
"Like this?"
"Exactly." he confirmed. "Perfect. Now, I'm going to attack you. I want you to try to block me. It doesn't matter how bad your defense may be, just try."
I nodded my head and prepared for his attack. Kioshi came at me slowly and I blocked him successfully. He then picked up the pace and came at me a little faster. I was able to block him a few more times. "You're a fast learner," he commented.
"Thank you."
Kioshi came at me even faster than before. I blocked him and then tripped over a rock and fell. I dropped my sword, and it went flying. "You okay?" Kioshi asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Kioshi reached out his hand, and I gladly took it. Once he lifted me up, our bodies collided. We both froze and blushed. "Sorry," I apologized. I backed away, and Kioshi handed me the wooden sword.
"We're going to switch from defense to offense. You can do the same movements, except, you're attacking instead of blocking. Ready?"
"Yes," I nodded.
I did the exact same motions, only this time, Kioshi was the one on the defense. I did the basic steps, and he blocked them easily. I got a little cocky and sped up the pace, but Kioshi was still able to keep up. "Not bad." he complimented.
"Thanks," I continued on and on, and the more I practiced, the faster and stronger my attacks got. Soon enough, I was the one coming at him fast and he was the one struggling to block.
I was starting to get the hang of it.
"Okay, now that you've gotten the hang of that, I want you to try something else." Kioshi told me.
"What's that?"
"This."
Kioshi performed a move so quickly, that my eyes couldn't keep up. He disappeared and reappeared right behind me. He had his wooden sword pointed at my neck. "Wow, you're fast," I breathed.
"You will be too," he promised.
"Show me again, please," I requested.
Kioshi repeated the motion. "The key is balance. When you're moving, you want to keep your feet parallel. It makes it easier to move quickly and not lose control."
"Okay, let me try."
I did the exact same movement. Kioshi had his guard down, and, of course, I lost my balance. Kioshi swiftly caught me before I fell and stood me up. "Keep your feet straight." he corrected.
I nodded and attempted the movement again. This time, I was more successful. "Nice job," Kioshi praised. We spent the rest of the afternoon practicing the art of the sword. Kioshi was patient and helpful. He made sure to teach me a lot of what he knew. I'm thankful that we were able to bond. I think the others are relieved that Kioshi and I were getting along better.
***
A few weeks passed, and my training continued. Kioshi is now also teaching me how to shoot accurately with a gun. I wasn't really a fan of the idea, but, I guess it's necessary. Since it wasn't exactly legal for me to be shooting a gun, he took me to the old abandoned warehouse, where other members of Rising Phoenix gather, and put a suppressor on the barrel.
"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked.
"Trust me. You'll be fine." Kioshi reassured me. He behind me and put his hands over mine, helping me to aim and shoot the gun accurately. I can't say that my body didn't jolt when he touched me. "Now, pull the trigger."
I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the bottle Kioshi set up and it shattered. "Very good," he complimented.
I smiled gleefully. "Really?"
"Mhm. Now do it yourself." He told me.
"Geez, you're really pushing me out there." I said jokingly.
"That's the only way for you to learn. Now, go on." he said.
I aimed the gun and shot the bottle. Unfortunately, it missed. "Damnit," I cursed.
"Hey, calm down," Kioshi rubbed my shoulder. "Just take a deep breath. Calm your mind. You can do this," he said gently.
"But what if I can't? I'm not you. I can't do the things that you can." I replied sadly. "Himiko, don't compare yourself to me. It doesn't matter whether you can or can't do it. What matters is that you try."
I nodded and aimed the gun again. I fired the shot and it hit the bottle. "There. You see? It's not that hard." Kioshi smirked.
"Oh, shut up," I grumbled. "Do you think I'd be ready to join in on the action too?"
"Not any time soon, no." he said truthfully. "You're still too inexperienced."
"I need to gain experience to be experienced." I countered.
He chuckled at my remark. "True. But, I wouldn't want you out in the field getting hurt. It's way too dangerous." he said seriously.
I smiled. "Fine. I understand."
My stomach grumbled. Kioshi looked at me with one eyebrow raised. "Hungry?" I nodded my head eagerly. "Let's go then."
We went back to the main entrance of the warehouse, and Kioshi handed me a helmet. "Do I really have to wear this? I feel like an idiot." I complained.
"Do you want to fall off the bike and die?" he retorted.
"Good point." I said, slipping the helmet on.
"Hop on." he commanded. I slid behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. My heart pounded and my stomach fluttered. Why do I get these butterflies when he's around?
The motorcycle sped up, and, all of a sudden, we were speeding down the road. I squeezed him tighter. He turned his head and gave me a small smirk. I blushed and quickly averted my eyes.
I'm glad we were able to get a bit closer. But, I still wonder, what happened that night for me to see his memories?