4. Preposterous
"Absolutely not."
Athena was met with Simon's disapproving glare at the entrance to his apartment. She took the liberty of dropping by after she had noticed that she had once caught Simon practicing with a katana, and somehow the idea of having him teach her how to properly wield one amazed her.
"Why not?" she whined, a bit baffled at his cold, clipped tone. "You still happen to wield them?"
Simon shook his head. "And what does that prove?"
The defense lawyer found herself frowning. She was getting nowhere with this. Before she could mutter a weak counter, he spoke up again.
"I don't want you getting hurt, Athena. And a katana out of all things? That's preposterous." The prosecutor suppressed a snort at the irony, his gaze softening. True, she was the last person he'd want to see holding that specific weapon. It simply would never do. Images from their trial still haunted him.
Sighing, Athena felt the sudden wave of melancholy in his heart, and her frown deepened. Was this all reminiscing to the trial? How selfish of her. "Fine, Simon," she muttered curtly, "forget I asked…"
He almost gawked at the disappointment, and the fact that she departed without saying a goodbye. A distressed exhale followed as he saw the ends of her orange hair curve as she walked around the corner of the hall to the apartment complex he resided in, disappearing.
"I don't want you near one ever again."
That night, alone in his apartment, he swung the katana vigorously, the image of her hurtful expression lingering in his thoughts.