When Haruhi and Daisuke arrived to the Shieikan, they were surprised to find it empty. Neither Souji nor Tama were home and that was really odd, at least she should have been there. The place of a wife was in the house. Haruhi took her students as usual and since Souji wasn't back, she took his course too afterwards. Daisuke helped as a guest swordsman. He wasn't a disciple of Tennen Rishin Ryû and so, the kids were pretty excited to see other stances and movements that were unfamiliar to their training.
« It's important » explained Haruhi during Daisuke's demonstration « to observe and understand the other styles. Although you may not learn these movements as part of your training, you must be able to counter them. Your adversaries won't necessarily use the same style as you. »
« Fujita-sensei » asked one of Souji's boys « Have you fought other styles ? I mean for real, with steel. »
« I have. » she nodded with a smile « A lot of disciples of Hokushin Itto Ryû and my father is a master in Mugai Ryû so I'm familiar with both these styles. Shiranui-sensei is a disciple of Ono-Ha Itto Ryû which is a more ancient form of dueling with one blade. It is less brutal than Tennen Rishin Ryû, yet we can see the influence of this style in a lot of modern styles. It is an honor to have such a guest in the Shieikan since this style isn't as popular as before and the warriors mastering it quite rare. »
« So... » asked another kid « which one's the strongest ? »
« There is no such thing as strongest style. » stated Haruhi « only stronger warriors and discipline. To win, one doesn't need to be the more powerful. A battle of blade is often a battle of minds. »
« Fujita-sensei » asked the same boy « Is Shiranui-sensei stronger than you ? »
« Fujita-sensei has been my sensei once. » replied Daisuke in her place « and she is my senpai in swordsmanship. »
« Can you fight him, Fujita-sensei ? » insisted the boy « Souji says you're super strong but my father says you're a girl and girls aren't strong. »
« Yeah, Fujita-sensei ! » nodded another student « we never saw you fight ! You have the younger boys normally ! »
« Please sensei ! »
Haruhi looked in Daisuke's direction and he nodded with a smile. She returned it and grabbed a shinai. Daisuke did the same since he had been showing his style with his actual sword and they positioned themselves at duel distance. Each of them bowed and let out a long sigh to coordinate their breath with their techniques, and took their fighting stance.
Daisuke's eyes were narrowed by the concentration. Haruhi could see his shoulders moving a bit with his respiration and it was calmed and mesured. She took proudness in it, considering how Daisuke used to burn too much energy in a shallow breath and useless movements. He patiently waited in front of her and that surprised her. He used to be impatient and attack first, with a vertical blow that was the main technique of his style. A smile on the Oni's face made her understand that he wouldn't budge first and so, she leaped forward to attack him.
Her blow was deflected and she turned over to strike an horizontal one in his guts, deflected again. A genuine smile painted on her face. A cocky one on his. He knew that he had made progresses and that she wouldn't win as easily as before. His assurance was palpable and communicative and the students couldn't detach their eyes from the duel.
They exchanged blow after blow, attack after attack... It was pretty intense compared to the first time they fought. But Daisuke was nine at that time, nothing but a child. Now, he was a man with a lot more strength than she had even with his streamlined figure. His musculature was a lot more subtle than Souji's, which, like Shin's, was shouting his strength from all his body pores.
Luckily, even if he was stronger, Haruhi was quicker which helped her keep the pace. She also had a lot more fights behind her and a lot more experience. She was pretty confident in her chances of winning. When they were kids, she used to have him in the palm of her hand. On their first duel, the level gap was so big she did her best to offer him a fight but was able to end it in seconds when her father called her for lunch.
Suddenly, Daisuke made a movement she didn't anticipate and she widened her eyes, seeing the end of the duel already. She lost. It was a certitude. Yet, Daisuke's sword missed her and he lost balance, giving her an opening that she took without a second thought, landing her shinai on his forehead.
« Ippon. » she said without a smile.
The Oni smiled though and bowed in respect for the winner of the duel.
« That was incredible, Fujita-sensei ! » said one of Souji's students.
« So cool ! »
« Indeed. » she heard in a familiar voice, along with clapping hands.
Souji was leaning against the wood panel and had probably observed the duel. That annoyed Haruhi. That duel wasn't satisfactory at all to her and she would rather not have Souji witnessing it.
« Souji ! » complained a kid « where were you ? You're not a very serious sensei ! »
« Sorry kids » he chuckled « it was an emergency. But I see you were in good hands with Haru-chan and Shiranui-kun. »
He called him « kun ». Is he starting to respect him ?
« I'll take it from here. » he continued, getting closer to the center of the room « you both can go if you wish. »
« Tsunashi-sensei » said Daisuke with a bow « If you don't mind, I'd like to stay so I could learn from a warrior like yourself. »
« Whatever » shrugged Souji « Stay if you like. Haru-chan, I saw Heisuke and Shin since I was in town. There's a party here tonight. You and Shiranui-kun are expected. »
« I'll come. » replied Haruhi with a nod, still furious.
« Thank you for your invitation, Tsunashi-sensei ! » said the Oni, enthusiastic.
Haruhi had no desire to stay during Souji's training session and so, she put away the shinai she still had in hand. She saw Souji lean over to whisper something to the Oni and the latter's face loose some color, looking at her.
« Souji » she warned, getting closer to threaten him without disturbing his students « I hope you're not picking on my friend. »
« Far from it. » he chuckled with a sly smile « I was just giving him a friendly advice, you know, from man to man. »
« What kind of advice ? » she asked with furrowed brows, expecting the worst.
« Lesson one to pick up chicks, don't make them mad. » he winked « the way he let you win that duel was pretty humiliating and you look very pissed, Haru-chan. »
« Mind your own business ! » she gritted her teeths, even more humiliated by the fact that even Souji realized that Daisuke let her win.
« Haruhi-senpai ! » called Daisuke as she was storming out, running after her « Haruhi-senpai, wait ! »
The Oni caught up with her and grabbed her arm to make her turn to him and she pulled her arm back, furious.
« Haruhi-senpai, I'm sorry if I upset you... » he said, apologetic.
« Upset me ?! » she spitted « you humiliated me ! I never asked for your pity ! »
« It wasn't pity, Haruhi-senpai » said the boy, ashamed « You're still better than me, a lot better, but you lost your focus for a second, lost in thoughts. I took advantage of it but it didn't seem honorable to me to end it that way... »
« If I loose focus, it's my mistake ! » she spitted again, enraged « Of course you had to take advantage of it, I would have done the same thing ! It's how it is to be a warrior ! »
« The kids you teach are not good enough yet to realize you lost... » he muttered « they only saw the final blow and it was yours. »
« Souji saw. » she stated.
He saw her loose to someone far under her level, only because she lost herself in her mind when the only thing she should have been focused on was her sword and Daisuke's. Loosing to Souji was something, he was a beast of mastery. Loosing to any other man, and under Souji's eyes nonetheless, that was something she couldn't bear.
« I'm sorry, Haruhi-senpai... » muttered the Oni « It's just that... It wouldn't have been fair for me to win. I'm the guest in your dojo, your level is far above mine and... I also didn't want to prove the boy's father right... You know, about you not being strong because you're a girl. If the kids saw you loose, it could have had a terrible impact on your position as sensei. I'm sure Tsunashi-san understood my reasons when he saw the duel. »
« I don't care. » she said harshly « I'm used to be treated differently because I'm a girl. I never asked you to do it. The only thing you proved there is that I deserve to be treated differently as a girl. I don't care if you were trying to be nice, flatter my ego or whatever. You let me win and that is something I can't accept. That's not the way I live and have been raised in. »
« I understand what you mean but... » tried Daisuke.
« I told you, I don't care. » she cut him « Enjoy Souji's session if you wanna go. I'm going home. I'll see you this evening. »
On these words, she planted him there. Her pace was quick in the Shieikan's corridors. She saw Tama on her way out and saluted her politely but her face was still tensed with her lingering anger. When she got to the potter shop, she stayed outside to practice her moves with her wakizashi until she was too exhausted to continue. She understood Daisuke's reasons. A defeat in front of all the students in her dojo when so many people were already thinking a girl shouldn't teach would have been catastrophic for her career and her reputation. She knew Souji probably wouldn't have fired her but he might have gotten echos and pressures to do so. Daisuke's choice to miss was a logical one in these conditions but she couldn't help but feel disgusted at the idea that he had been merciful and treated her differently only because she was « her ». Against another warrior, he would have won unquestionably. Souji never let her win, neither her father or the other warriors. Her victories were only hers and she was feeling robbed of that one.
Satisfied with her state of mind and her vanishing anger, she headed to the public bath to get clean and be ready for the evening party. Knowing that both Shin and Heisuke would be there was conforting her heart. When she'd get there, she probably would try to speak to Daisuke again and apologize for her harshness. He was a nice guy and didn't deserve the way she treated him.
Author note :
By the way, all the kittens are one month old and are out of danger ! Now they can run and climb and jump a bit so there is a lot of life here ! My two male cats are playing with them a lot and my female one ignores them (she's a bad mother).
They are not cuddly yet but Haruhi likes to sleep in my shoes... I guess she likes stinky things... Kaede loves yelling and we call him « the fire alarm ». Ayame is super sweet and Hajime too. Hajime has beautiful eyes, very expressive.
Anyway, enough about my kittens, see you on the next chapter !