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Chapter Text

The sounds of soft breathing and of something tickling his nose, caused Masashi to stir awake. Masashi’s eyes blinked groggily, his eyes still heavy with sleep and exhaustion. He and Toshio were in the middle of strategizing and practicing in preparation of the shogi finals to come. Somewhere in the midst of it, he must’ve fallen asleep much to his chagrin. He couldn’t afford to fall asleep now! Not when there was still so much to do and prepare! With a sigh, he began to sit up, when he was suddenly reminded of what woke him up in the first place.

…Or rather, who.

Slumped over next to him, with her hands and legs loosely crossed, was his ronin-turned-bodyguard, Emiko. Wide awake now, and with no small amount of irritation, Masashi huffed and pushed Emiko away from him. “B-Baka! What have I said about personal boundaries!? If you continue this line of behavior I’ll have you…” Masashi slowly trailed off, realizing Emiko was silent. Typically, Emiko was very easy to wake if she even slept in the first place. Strangely, all Masashi’s push had managed to do was move her onto her back. “Emiko…?” Masashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously as if doubting she was truly asleep. Afterall, she had pulled something similar in The Sleeping Duck. Deciding to lean over and take a closer look at the sleeping ronin’s face; the small rustle of a bag placed next to him captured his attention. Considering where it was placed, he could only assume it was meant for him. Curious, Masashi opened the bag and looked inside; revealing colorful dango on a stick, drizzled in caramel. His mouth watered just looking at it. When was the last time he was able to enjoy such a sweet delicacy while on the road with Emiko?

But more importantly…who got it for him?

Masashi looked over to his ever-so-diligent bodyguard once more, cheeks reddening instantly. “B-Baka, why would y-you–” Masashi cut himself off, and looked away in embarrassment. H-Had Emiko really done that for him? Just the thought of the toughened ronin waiting in line to buy this for him, caused a smile and a chuckle to bubble from his lips. Opening his eyes again, Masashi caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby mirror. To say he looked a tad unsightly and disheveled…was putting it mildly. His skin was an unhealthy shade of white, with dark circles underneath his eyes, and his hair sticking up in all directions thanks to his impromptu nap on the floor…And that’s not even mentioning the state of his room. Scrolls depicting well-known shogi strategies and books dedicated to the history and foundation of shogi were littered and scattered about the room. 

Taking this all into account…

Had Emiko been…concerned about him?

Thump-Thump.

His heart skipped a beat.

To distract himself from his rapidly reddening face, Masashi bit into the caramelized dango Emiko had bought for him. “Mmmh~!” Masashi moaned in utter delight. It was absolutely delicious! A very welcomed distraction from the grueling and stressful days of Tonogasha so far. And…He had Emiko to thank for that. Masashi scooted closer to the body of his sleeping bodyguard, and smiled down softly at her sleeping face.

“Perhaps…you aren’t such an incompetent bodyguard after all.”

Chapter Text

“Perhaps…you aren’t such an incompetent bodyguard after all,” Masashi softly mumbled. His roaming gaze lingering on a noticeable scar on the right side of his bodyguard’s lips. It was a vertical scar extending slightly past the ronin’s lips. Masashi had been curious about it at the start of their journey together. And, of course, in true Emiko fashion (as he had come to know), had been as vague as ever as she replied with, “I only smiled when I was up to no good.” Followed by a smile, no-less! How aggravated he was to be stuck with such an infuriating and cryptic bodyguard! Masashi had thought, furiously.

Now, however…

Emiko wasn’t any less infuriating nor cryptic, but she was more…t-tolerable, yes. Moreso, however, the Shugenja couldn’t get the irrational need to touch Emiko’s scar out of his head. The scar which had always captured his attention and interest. Something that he had always noticed. It was hard not to whenever she smiled. And any attempts to get his stubborn mule of a bodyguard to disclose more information on it; ended with his face flushed red from her constant jests. “Why the sudden interest in my lips, kid? You at that age already?” “B-Baka.”  Masashi grumbled angrily, ignoring the way his face flushed at the recollection.

Right at this moment, however, was the perfect opportunity for Masashi to satisfy at least one of his curiosities.

…How would it feel?

Before he could think better of it, his small hand reached out slowly and hesitantly, towards the sleeping ronin’s face. Masashi gulped, his heart pounding nervously inside his chest. Just as the Shugenja’s fingers almost met with it’s target; inaudible mumbling could be heard coming from his retainer.

Her next words, though, were dreadfully clear.

“I still love Jun.”

Masashi froze.

His stick of half-eaten dango slipping from his fingers in shock. Other than the soft sound of dango hitting the tatami floor, an uncomfortable silence settled in the room. Masashi slowly curled his fingers in and retracted his hand back. With his head angled down, Masashi’s bangs were quick to cast shadows upon his face. O-Of course, Masashi thought darkly. I was… foolish to think otherwise. The only one you could ever l-love is– The gentle slide of a door interrupted his pessimistic thoughts.”Gomensai, Hoshimoto-san.” Toshio politely bowed before entering. “Sorry for interrupting you, I thought it best to take Emiko-san back to her room now. We can continue to discuss shogi strategies when I return.” Masashi didn’t question Toshio’s uncanny ability to sense the tension in the room, and simply nodded and thanked him. “Thank you, Toshio-san.” Masashi didn’t look up as Toshio then proceeded to scoop the sleeping ronin into his arms and carry her out of the room.

The room was silent once again.

Masashi stared over blankly at the dango smeared on the floor. Which was just as well.

He wasn’t much in the mood for eating bittersweet dango.

—

Toshio hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but it came naturally to the shinobi.

He looked down at the ronin in his arms and adjusted his grip. So Emiko-san was still in love with Jun. A development he’ll have to discuss with Masashi, and then with The Sword Who Cuts the Heavens herself.

“Fufufu~”

The source of the ominous laughter came from the end of the darkened hall, where a figure suspiciously resembling Bashō stood. A rare clap of thunder confirmed it. His normally closed eyes were cracked half open, and a grin fit for a kitsune was spread wide across his face.

In the next instance…he was gone.

Perhaps Emiko’s suspicions weren’t unfounded after all.