Expectations
"It's hard to lead them," Rei admitted. He gazed at the White Tigers, sitting across the diner, eating energetically, unhearing. Rei couldn't apologize for the truth… only—soften it by explaining.
"The village was obsessed with being 'worthy' of Byakko… If you weren't, you didn't deserve to lead the team. There's all these guidelines. Morality, tradition—courage—traits they write on dojo walls that nobody really has, not all at once. Byakko's left before because I wasn't good enough. I wasn't worthy…"
He smiled doubtfully. "I guess I am now. Bya hasn't said a word about it. Just… It's a pain to have to be so strong. It takes a real hardass to lead the 'Tigers—that's what's expected. Everyone's looking for the tiniest signs—that you're not good enough. Not worthy.
"Maybe that's why I was so scared in the village. I didn't want to disappoint anyone; I didn't want them to take Byakko away from me if I screwed up." He spoke like it was a confessional, like these were dirty little secrets. "I'm no hardass, am I? It's tiring… It's what messed up Lee… It's really, really hard to lead them."
Kai stood up, cross, but otherwise indifferent. "Then don't."