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Loud sounds of cheers and booing hummed in the air, making it near-tangible with excitement.
"Aww, I missed the best part!" Heisuke pouted sorely.
Kawa glanced at the crowd beyond them and rolled her eyes, "When the ground trembled? I swear if there's another body-slam from those two, there'll be a new fault line!" She scoffed.
Why men enjoyed seeing wrestlers –especially sumo—beat each other into the ground and in some instances beat them bloody was beyond her. She supposed it was one of the snags of being a different gender…
"Don't knock it 'til you see it, princess." Souji jibed at her right, poking her cheek, smirking when she shooed his hand off.
"So why aren't you with them?" Ibuki asked, watching her swing her katana out sharply as if to lash out, pulling her arm back.
Kawa puffed her cheeks out, "Toshi made me stay behind because they got orders to head to the Imperial Palace. Gods know those misogynistic meatheads at Aizu would have a field day if they saw me with the others, a woman in the Roshigumi… A She-Wolf." She huffed and flicked her wrist to sheath her katana, trudging to sit with him on the steps. "Why didn't you go? Noone's stoppin' you, and I'm sure Kondou-san wouldn't have minded another sword." She returned.
He blinked at her question and looked away with a huff, brow slightly furrowing. "I… I don't even have a uniform coat, and it's not like Hijikata-san would appreciate it; Serizawa-san would just laugh." He defended rather weakly, perking her ears.
She noted the uneasy glint in his orange eyes and exhaled, lightly punching his shoulder. "Spill."
"O-ow, Kawa-chan! What d'ya mean, 'spill'?" He declared, looking at her in confusion.
She gave him a knowing look. "Why do you resist picking up the sword? Saitou-kun's already put you in training, and you've got enough balls to stick it out in an argument, before getting clocked at least. I wanna know." She elaborated patiently.
Ibuki quieted as he pondered on her words, looking away with a reflexive rub of the back of his neck. "I don't know what it is, really… Maybe it's because I don't wanna end up like my dad. He sold the family armor to try and get himself outta debt, even though he died and left the debt behind." He mused with a strangely melancholic expression on his face.
"Wait a second, you were born into a warrior family? And you never said anything!" Kawa barked, jaw slightly slack as she quickly pieced it together.
"W-well it's not like I'm proud of it! Ya don't see me throwin' my status around…" He said annoyedly.
Quieting, she looked away with a scoff, smiling a little. "At least you can say you can be proud of something. I never knew my dad; he left us before I was born. Mum provided for us as best she could until she died when I was eighteen…" She sighed, closing her eyes. "Even because of that, because people called me names and said I was a 'worthless stray', I picked up the sword and decided to prove everyone wrong."
"You decided to fight because you found what you wanted to live for most." Ibuki mused quietly.
Kawa nodded, exhaling and smiling at him. "I think I understand things, now. When you find what you want to live for, it'll be something you'd do anything for. Even if you have to fight a hundred ronin at once, or even die, you'll be able to pick up the sword."
Ibuki held her confident gray gaze a moment longer before looking away with a slight smile. "Ya make it sound so easy." He mused.
Kawa sighed and cuffed him, straightening to bounce off the steps. "Maybe Souji was right about you bein' deadweight…" She teased.
"O-oi, Kawa-chan!" Ibuki barked indignantly, making her laugh.
A/N: tbh Kawa's comment towards the sumo match is a reflection of my own views towards it. aside from the fact that the dress code SRSLY needs to give those guys boxers instead of those folded diapers.. -shudders- anyway, sorry for the short chap. there's some action in the next two chapters so i guess you could say this is a prologue (as mentioned in ch.9's author note).
thanks Captaintsukiko34 for reviewing! (: