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omoi-no-hoka · 4 years

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Rural Life and Mental Health in Japan as a Gaijin

Heads up: This is a very long, personal post about mental health and the stresses of living in rural Japan as a foreigner. If it’s not what you’re looking for in this blog, please feel free not to read it. If you can’t tell by the gif above, this isn’t going to be a very positive post because I’m not in a very positive mood.

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It’s been just shy of five and a half years since I moved to Hokkaido, the northernmost island/prefecture in Japan. In many ways, it’s similar to the American Midwest, which is the region I’m originally from. It’s big on agriculture, it’s got lots of nature and rural areas, winters are long and nasty, and the people have a warmth that make up for the cold snow and ice outside. Heck, even a lot of the flora and fauna are the same.

I think of my current city as my “Japanese hometown” because it was where I stayed during my first trip to Japan and it’s where my hostparents from that time are. I love it here like I love my country bumpkin village of 2,800 back in the states.

But after a little over two years of living and working in this city, I think I need out. I am...tired of it in many ways.

特別扱い Tokubetsu Atsukai, “Special Treatment”

Prior to living in this city, I lived in Sapporo, which has a population of 2 million. There, no one batted an eye at a foreigner walking the streets. A lot of them were surprised that i could use Japanese, but a good few people were used to gaijin that could use nihongo and read kanji.

But in my current city, I have experienced all of the following things, some of which on a daily basis.

DISCLAIMER: I have also had a LOT of very positive experiences with the people of this city. Most of my experiences have been positive or neutral, but a good 40% have been as described below.

Everywhere I go, I am openly stared at. Gawked at, at times. (I am your standard-looking, standard-dressed, slightly overweight white girl. No visible tattoos, piercings, vibrant hair color, or otherwise attention-grabbing aspects about me other than the fact that i am clearly not Japanese.)

I am often spoken to like I am mentally disabled, or if I am with a Japanese person, they will refuse to speak to me and instead speak to my Japanese companion.

I have entered restaurants on my own and had waitstaff make a big “X” with their arms and say “No English” immediately upon seeing my non-Japanese face.

I have had waiting taxi drivers drive off instead of allow a troublesome foreigner into their car.

I have sat down alone at a bar and had the Japanese people beside me openly gossip about me with the assumption that I could not understand them.

When searching for apartments when I moved to this city, I was denied 75% of my picks because they have a “no gaijin” rule. Despite the fact that I can speak and read, that I have a good job and valid visa, and that I have already lived here 3 years without a single late rent payment or complaint against me.

I have built up casual relationships with employees at grocery stores, etc. I frequent, and they have asked me for my contact info because, in their own words, “I’ve always wanted a gaijin for a friend!” In Japan, every girl wants a token gaijin friend instead of a token gay friend.

I have gone on dates with Japanese men who clearly just wanted a white girl to hang on their arm like a piece of swag and insist on taking me to a pasta place because “You must prefer western food to Japanese food” or insisting that I dye my hair blonder to look more foreign.

I am just...so very tired of this 特別扱い (special treatment).

I don’t want to call it 差別 (prejudice) because, the majority of the time, Japanese people think they are doing me a kindness by speaking slowly and simply, or by telling me as soon as possible that they cannot help me in English, etc. While a couple of the above experiences are straight up racism (I’m looking at you, asshole taxi drivers and landlords), most of them are a misguided form of “omotenashi,” a.k.a. Japanese hospitality.

So I try very hard not to let it get to me, because I know that they don’t wish ill upon me. But I’ve worked so goddamn hard to learn this language and speak it well, and it is so frustrating for the people around me to assume that I can’t do what has been my freaking life goal. Or having people assume I can’t understand slightly difficult words and dumb down their language (Even colleagues I’ve worked with for two years now!). In the middle of a conversation they’ll say things like, “It’s hard to deal with that level of animosity--oh wait, omoi-no-hoka-san, sorry, ‘animosity’ means ‘dislike.’”

They mean it in a helpful way, but it just comes across as very condescending and I end up thinking, Oh, so they think my Japanese proficiency is so low i can’t understand that word. Which sends me into doubt over whether my language skills are actually that deficient, or whether I am speaking in a way that makes myself look at bad at Japanese.

The Effects of 特別扱い (Special Treatment)

It’s been gradual, but over the past two years, I have found myself withdrawing from the outside world. I got bad at replying to friend’s messages. I started making excuses to avoid meeting up and hanging out. I would buy all the groceries i needed to last me through the weekend on Friday after work and not emerge until Monday morning to go back to work. Even though I really love the outdoors and used to spend entire days just riding my bike along the river trails here.

...But in the past few months I’ve become unable to answer even close friends’ phone calls and messages. And I’ve even had a hard time phoning my parents, which is crazy because ever since I left home for uni I’ve called my mom on a daily basis. When I think about stepping outside of my apartment, no matter the reason or destination, I am gripped by a dread so strong I nearly throw up. I have gone a couple weekends without food because it would require me leaving my apartment to buy some, or paying for very expensive delivery which also means interacting with whoever is bringing me that food.

I’ve had a stressful summer and fall at work, and that undoubtedly has contributed to my current anxiety overload. But things have settled down at work for the past month now, and not only have I been given an award that only 2% of employees get globally, recently I have been in talks to take on what is very nearly a dream position for me within the company that is a BIG step up career-wise. I have great bosses who recognize my efforts, who listen to what I have to say, and do what they can to help when I tell them I’m in over my head.

But I have had several days where I have woken up, gotten ready for work, and just frozen at my apartment door, too sick at the thought of going outside. And yet, I can’t stand the thought of calling in sick because I feel chronic, self-imposed guilt when I take a day off, no matter the reason. So I call in to work and tell them I have a stomachache and will be in once it’s gone, (which isn’t an absolute lie), and then drag myself into work within a couple hours.

And once I enter the office, do the obligatory bow and apology for being late and causing inconveniences, the dread and anxiety vanish and I am fine until it is time for me to go outside to return home.

This makes me think that work is not a main stressor right now. It doesn’t matter if I’m going to the convenience store or the grocery store or work or anywhere. I think the constant being stared at everywhere I go has gradually accumulated to become a nasty form of social anxiety. I used to have panic attacks in middle school and high school due to home life, but since removing myself from that environment they’ve gone away. I’ve always been a socially-reserved person who shies away from the spotlight, and despite telling myself a thousand times, “Let them look at you--you’re just being you and they’re being them and that’s OKAY,” I just can’t brush it off. I have very, very seriously considered dyeing my hair from its natural brown to black in an effort to blend in, if only slightly. Which is laughable, but that’s just how much it bothers me to stand out.

But the event that really sounded the alarm for me was when my best friend of 10 years, a Japanese girl whom I met by chance my freshman year of uni, who was my roommate for 4 years of uni, who let me sleep on her living room floor here in Japan for 3 months until my work visa came through, who has been with me through thick and thin, sent me a message asking when she could drop off a souvenir for me and

I couldn’t bring myself to reply to her text.

That was when I very clearly knew that I was too deep in this funk to get myself out on my own, and I had to figure out how to get help.

Frankly, despite having struggled with panic attacks and anxiety in the past, I have never sought professional help. Until now, I never felt that my symptoms were so bad that they warranted medication. But the fact that i can’t contact my mother or my best friend, that I would rather not eat anything for two days instead of go outside, means that snorting essential oils and rubbing rose quartz against my temples or whatever isn’t going to be enough.

Mental Health Views in Japan

It’s not exactly a secret that the approach to mental health in Japan is “sweep it under the rug.” You do not talk about it. You may go to a doctor and receive medication, but you do not get counseling, because that involves talking about it. You do not tell your friends. You do not tell your family. You DEFINITELY do not tell your coworkers.

I saw my boss, T, fall into a very similar spiral to my own this summer. Stomach aches in the morning, coming in late, making excuses to get out of outings outside of work, not replying to messages, not sleeping well. And then one day he just vanished. Didn’t show up one Monday.

T wouldn’t respond to our messages so we had to contact his mother to get a hold of him. And once she had confirmed that she had spoken to him and scolded him for being “selfish” by skipping work, my coworkers were satisfied because, in their words, “Now that we know he’s still alive, we don’t have to worry.”

Honestly, that was one of the most fucked up reactions to any situation I have ever seen. I was shocked, because these coworkers truly cared for him, but their mutual reaction to this was to just...let him languish.

T announced to a select number of supervisors/colleagues that he had been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and would be stepping down from his position. He said that he had been diagnosed years ago, but had not disclosed it because he knew that he would never be promoted if anyone knew.

And that’s one of the big reasons that no one wants to talk about their mental illness here. In Japan, having a mental illness is a shameful thing. It shows that you’re weak, that you can’t keep up with everyone else, that you are flawed in a way that will adversely affect those around you at one point or another.

But my company really is a great company and the people in charge are progressive. T has a lot of great skills and experience, and they didn’t want to let him go. So they told him that they would find someone to fill his current role, but once he had rested and gotten better, they wanted him to come back and do a position that he used to do, one that he really shined in and enjoyed. And that is where he’s at now, and he’s doing much better for it.

So, having seen all of this unfold mere months ago, I grappled with how much I should tell my employers. The talk of this new and big position in Tokyo was underway, yet I knew that I wouldn’t be able to handle it unless I got better.

So I bit the bullet, and on the night that I couldn’t respond to my best friend’s text, I sent my boss a message, explaining my symptoms, how long they’d been going on, what I thought the causes were, and that I wanted to take the morning off to see a doctor about it sometime that week.

And I was really shocked by his reply.

This boss is the guy that filled T’s position, and i didn’t know him that well yet. As it turns out, he used to be a counselor before he joined this company. He told me that I could go to the doctor whenever I wanted, but that he also wanted to talk in person about this the next day.

The next day he called me into the conference room with one other manager, a guy I really trust and like. When T vanished, shit really hit the fan at the office and it was basically this manager and me keeping us afloat for the first couple weeks, so we’ve got a lot of camaraderie going. They asked me to talk more about what was going on, why I was feeling all this anxiety, etc.

And it was during this conversation that I saw the division between the traditional Japanese views of mental health and modern views of mental health.

When I explained to them both why I wanted to see a doctor and try medication, their reactions were mixed. My boss, the former counselor, said that if I thought it was best, trying out medication for a few weeks was a good idea.

The manager looked doubtful and said, “But do you really think that going to a doctor and getting pills from him will fix everything? If you’re diagnosed, what will your colleagues think? I thought you wanted that promotion.”

In that moment i felt intense fear and regret, as well as hurt. T had said that he had withheld his diagnosis for this very reason. A part of me had wanted to think it was paranoia on his part, but now I realized that he had been right to keep it a secret. This manager, whom I knew very well and trusted deeply, clearly was of the opinion that a diagnosis/medication = evidence of weakness.

So I ended up lying and telling them, “I’ll go to the doctor just to get some sleeping pills.” (I’ve been waking up every hour on the hour for a couple months now.) Sleeping pills aren’t frowned upon in Japan and the manager was pleased with this decision.

And after that manager left, I told my boss the truth, that i would be getting anti-anxiety meds as well because I really thought it was necessary, and that I would appreciate him not disclosing it unless he was required to, which he agreed to.

Seeing a Psychiatrist in Japan

So now i had to find a psychiatrist and make an appointment. A Google search provided me horrors. Below is an excerpt of a Google review of a certain mental health clinic in my city, and the record of the exchange between the doctor and reviewer (patient). I’m not going to translate it all because it’s long, but these are some highlights of the doctor’s words directly to the patient.

“You can’t sleep? I can’t sleep either. What, do you want some pills for it?”

“You can’t expect me to believe what a patient says.”

(After he made the patient cry) “You are being so difficult. Could you stop crying?”

He gives her medication, has silent nurses send her out to the waiting room where she continues to cry, and the doctor comes to the waiting room and says, “Could you hurry up and pay and leave?”

Having read this, I was filled with absolute fear. Maybe I was better off trying to fix this on my own after all.

But I kept searching, and I also learned that my city hall has a 心の相談窓口 (Kokoro no Soudan Madoguchi), “Mind Consultation.” You can call them to learn information about what sorts of mental health facilities/options are available in your area. A very kind lady there informed me that it takes about 2-3 months to get in to any psychiatrist in this city, most of them do not take new patients, and that counseling is almost non-existent. Unless I was a harm to myself or others, I would have to wait. However, there was one general hospital in the city that had one psychiatrist staffed. This hospital has no reservation system whatsoever (very common in Japan) and takes a set number of patients in the morning and evening. I could try my luck to get in and see her.

So that was what i did, and I was able to see her on the first morning I went! I think the Kokoro no Soudan Madoguchi lady made it sound harder to get into so I wouldn’t feel let down if it didn’t work out the first time I went.

Having read the horror story above, I had a lot of trepidation stepping into the exam room with her and two nurse secretaries. I had expected it to be a very clinical, dry exchange of symptoms and a sufficient prescription with a token お大事に。

And, more than anything, I had feared that she would say something like, “Maybe you should just go home to your own country where you wouldn’t stand out.”

But she asked me a wide range of questions, with none of them focusing on the fact that I was a gaijin: what my symptoms were, how long they’d been going on, what I had going on in my life, what work was like, past history of anxiety, etc., and she and the nurses all truly listened to what i had to say. It was clear that she cared about the underlying causes and me as a person.

She told me that it sounded like I was experiencing a buildup of stress and anxiety and that she wanted me to try a low dose of anti-anxiety meds and sleeping pills for a week and then come back for another discussion.

That was 3 weeks ago. I’ve since been in the process of working with her to find the right combination of medication. Fun fact: they prescribe you Rohypnol (roofies) for sleeping meds in Japan if they deem your insomnia is serious enough. So. That is interesting.

Where I Am Now

I am keeping my boss informed of my condition and he is still very supportive. He seems to have informed his bosses of my tribulations to some extent, because they have gone out of their way to check in on me and see how I’m doing, which is very kind of them. Of course, they also know that i went above and beyond the call of duty for several months in a row until recently, and they could simply be asking because of that. Either way, I am touched that they would think of me, as I am a lowly translator for a lesser project and they are quite a ways up on the corporate ladder.

I am still in talks about taking on a very exciting position in Tokyo HQ, despite one of those bosses likely being aware of my situation to some extent. I used to dread the thought of Tokyo because I am a country girl who needs to see green, but recently I’ve come to the tough decision that I need to leave my beloved Japanese hometown, just like i left my American one. I love them, but I do not belong in them. I have visited the Tokyo HQ quite a few times, and there are a ton of foreigners in the area so I don’t stand out at all. I think that as long as I can live reasonably close enough to a park, I can satisfy my needs for nature while lessening my social anxiety.

I am having good days and bad days where it is still hard for me to leave the house. But I am having more good days than bad now. And today I was finally able to send a text message back to my best friend. Which really doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is a lot to me. My friend is supportive and understanding, which means the world to me.

I’m getting back to being me. 💗

p.s.: The gif at the top of this is from the anime Mushishi, which I think illustrates various mental illnesses and their effects in a very metaphoric way.

#personal #mental health #stress #anxiety #social anxiety #expatlife #japan #life in japan #rural japan #mental health awareness #expat in japan #mental health recovery #mental health support in japan #love yourself #you can overcome this

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bucketofcowboys · 3 years

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You open the door not sure where you're going.

It feels a bit dream like, floaty and soft, no hard edges, as you push open the door to see a small bar.

It's sparse, just a bar along one wall with a small table in the back beside a small Karaoke machine. But what catches your eye is Goromi, blonde hair in an updo, pink snakeskin dress sticking to her every curve, her acrylic nails a bright pink, her face assenutated with makeup

She's smoking, leaning over the bar looking rather bored, her eyes glazed.

"Goromi!" You stutter in utter confusion.

She starts and turns her eye to you, squinting in suspicion. "Haw?"

You freeze, your legs weak as she appraises you clinically, a shiver down your back as you take in her beauty, her attention focused on you.

"And how d'ya know that name?"

"um,,," you are not sure how to break it to her that she's a video game character that you've been obsessed with for months, she's not real, this is probably a dream. But as she stares at you impatiently it feels real. You can see the crease of her crows feet and the heady smell of the bar, alcohol and smoke. It feels real, she looks realer than in a video game, she looks like a really good cosplayer, or one of those photorealistic renderings. "I... I've heard of you..." You manage, cursing your lack of wit.

"Huh." She says, bringing her cigarette to her lips for a long pull before blowing it out. She places it on a well used ash tray and straightens. "What can I get ya?"

"What do you have?" You say automatically only to get a withering look from her. She gestures behind her vaguely. Dozens if not hundreds of bottles decorating the back wall, most in kanji you're uncertain of, some in English and some even in other languages you don't know.

You force your legs to walk to the bar, sitting on a bar stool. "Whiskey?" You try weakly, you're entire brain is spent admiring Goromi in front of you, looking for a hint that this isn't real, that you couldn't reach out and touch her if you were brave enough.

She pours your drink into one of those stout cylinder glasses and adds a big chunk of ice. She slides it to you and you pick it up and are about to drink when she says.

"Ain't ya gonna take the headpiece off, darling?"

You pause not certain to what she is referring to and with your non-dominant hand you touch your face. It's metal, cool metal, but even stranger, you can feel your fingertips tracing the metal. The metal is your face.

Goromi is watching you quietly, observing as you place the glass down and use both hands to explore what is definitely your head but is also just a bucket. You have sunglasses on, and you find when you remove them from your "face" you can't see.

"suit yourself." She says breezily, picking up her cigarette to take another drag. "What's ya name?"

"Bucketofcowboys" leaves your mouth without your intention. That was dumb, because your name isn't Bucketofcowboys. That isn't a name at all, it's the name of your blog in Tumblrhell.com. You open your mouth to say what your name really is. You can't. It's on the tip of your tongue and you know you know it! It's your name! But you can't quite force it into existence.

"You mean like those American movies?" She asks. "Y'know, bang, bang, yeehaw!" She fingerguns for a bit before raising her imaginary cowboy hat.

"yes." Comes out strangled, because not only are you embarrassing yourself in front of a pretty girl, it's Goromi herself. You look at the glass of whiskey that you're not even sure you can drink with the damn bucket on your head.

Of all the dreams where you meet Goromi it has to be where your brain projects you as your persona from tumblr.

"I like your dress." You say stubbornly because just because your a sentient bucket does not mean you're not going to shoot your shot.

She's somewhat surprised, but smiles gently. "Thanks hun, I got a thing for snakeskin."

"You should, it suits you." You say your brain too spoiled with beauty to say anything intelligent.

"aww, ain't you sweet." She walks over until shes right infront of you, cigarette daintely inhand. "Y'know I was waitin' for someone else but..."

She holds out her hand, like a royal allowing a kiss. You gently, touch it, feeling it warm, and worn, you can feel the callouses and see the scars that cover her well worked hands. You gently press it to where your lips should be when

***

You wake up.

———

HOLY SHIT DUDE FGJDJDJEK

I literally died at the bucket head ohh my god hahaha!

Come on dummy, you have two names and you couldn't even think of ONE?! GORO OR ABBY!!! COME ON MAN GET WITH THE PROGRAM!!

Whatever, guess I'll never get those Goromi kisses I wanted 😔

Thank you so much broski gfjdjdjjd 💕💕💕💕

#this was off the top of my head #idk #enjoy #i wrote myself into a corner so there #i tried #submission #beautiful

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gunkyengines · 4 years

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4, 7, and 9, for the s/i questions if you're still taking them!

Ohhhh my gods @jetsetspy I’m so sorry for answering this question so late ;-; My answers are under the cut!

4. Does your insert have a backstory? Tell us about it! How does their backstory, if any, define who they are? How does it reflect their relationships now? Their hopes and dreams?

Bellamy Amplexus – Final Fantasy XV SI

Bellamy doesn’t have much of a backstory just yet, but I do know this:

· Their family isn’t a huge part of their life, aside from a younger sibling, who, to this day, I have not yet named.

· They want a sense of belonging somewhere, and have a number of self-image complications (it’s not really a set of “issues” to them, because they’ve found comfort in their body and self over time, but they still have wishes about what they could be seen as—androgyny is a tough line to straddle).

· They hate the nickname “Bella”.

· Bells, as far as I’m concerned right now, finds their sense of belonging amongst the ‘Bros ever since they just sorta started… tagging along, I guess? It was just an act of good will from the prince and his guards and a bit of hitchhiking on Bells’ end that got them where they are now.

· They were originally a bit of a vagabond prior to meeting up with the guys. Hitchhiking, walking absurdly long distances, camping out often, all that jazz.

Junko Hisayo – Persona 5 SI

Junko is a character who I largely based off of my late-high school self for both self insertion and coping reasons, but a few things do set her apart from me. As in, she’s a pretty close approximation, but by no means is she a direct, direct copy of me.

She’s a student at Kosei Academy, simply due to the fact that I read on the wiki that it’s speculated to be a catholic school (I was brought up in the catholic education system, so, I could find some accuracy and likeness in that), and attended meetings at both the drama and art club there. She has bitter memories of the two clubs, as she was betrayed by the one major figure in both: her childhood friend Hideo Sunjaya. Since then, she’s taken to expressing her creative outlets in circles outside of her student life, and finds her passion in writing. At the time of Persona 5 canon, she’s set on becoming an editor. In the future canon, she does in fact achieve this goal. In this way Junko’s less of a model of who I was, and instead she’s what I hope to be.

She comes from a somewhat broken home, but has a strong relationship with her mother. Despite her current disconnect, Junko feels that she owes it to her parents that she has such a good understanding of her own identity, as they were supportive when she first came out as sapphic, and continued their support when she decided to be GNC and soon after came into her identity as a demigirl.

Elizabeth Beaufort – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

Lizzie is a pretty lighthearted simulacrum of a more feminine version of me, translated loosely into the scope of the year 1899. I’m by no means a historian, but here’s Lizzie’s life.

Elizabeth Beaufort is a born and raised resident of the town of Valentine. Her mother is whatever the RDR2 universe’s equivalent of Quebecois French is, having moved to Saint Denis due to a family matter down there, and subsequently met her father. A Valentine resident himself, he beguiled her mother and convinced her to move to Valentine and live as the wife of a livestock owner (he comes from some blue blood ‘round those parts—as mentioned by the VDL in Chapter 2, the town is a goldmine of trade).

As a lady of relative privilege, life was… well, it was what a privileged life is. Sheltered, simple, and for the most part pretty damned easy. However, her naivete wasn’t something that her mother would stand to see Elizabeth keep, as she wanted a strong daughter who wouldn’t simply bend to the hand of tradition. Would I say that Lizzie would’ve most certainly rallied with those girls in Rhodes? YES. I’d rather die than portray any iteration of myself as complacent rather than progressive lmao. Elizabeth Beaufort flows in the vein of RDR2’s… I guess, progressive* writing? More** on that below, I guess???

*I don’t actually know how well it was received by everyone else, and honestly, I’m not even gonna try to speak on anyone else’s behalf but my own—I found that RDR2, despite some shortcomings, made itself a relatively hospitable environment for me as a white queer.

** Lizzie does struggle a lot with her internalized homophobia? Like… she had a lot of difficulty when she was younger coming to terms with the fact that she’s bisexual. This is less prevalent in her backstory considering it only ever surfaces post-canon. Yes, my SI and her FO came out to each other at random after being married to him for approximately 3 months. And it went fuckin’ great cos guess what!! Theyre both bi!! WLW/MLM solidarity!!! Don’t @ me.

Gillian Wright – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

· Gilley was brought up amongst a gang of outlaws, and her being born a woman changed nothing about the things she was taught by said gunslingers. She left the group she once called family because of the leadership turning sour. From that point forward she went it alone, shifting in and out of her identity as Gilley Wright and her masculine persona (a pseudonym-turned-identity) Giles Kingsley, to keep herself straddling notoriety and anonymity.

· Gilley only started wearing her hair short because of an encounter in which her longer hair was used as a means to pull her back into harm’s way. She lopped it off shortly after out of the feeling that it was a necessity, but soon found that she preferred it that way.

· Thaddeus, her large draft horse, once pulled carts. She took him during a robbery so that she’d have an adequate mount for her getaway. The connection was instant between them.

Taeko Atou – Tokyo Ghoul OC

Taeko went by another name before her time in the 20th ward. She had another face, another life. But that was a self she had to leave far, far behind. Before “Taeko”, she was a reckless twentysomething ghoul living off of her father’s money, basking in the upper echelons of society, indulging in Scrapper shows and seeing humanity as nothing but an unprepared buffet. The danger ranking on her CCG profile demonstrated as much.

One night, however, her cushy life changed drastically. She went out drinking after a Scrapper show with one of her friends and decided to go hunting with her. Things were as usual, they stayed in their territory, but ended up getting apprehended by a group of Doves. During the getaway, her and her friend were separated, and she had no way of knowing whether her friend was alive. Drunk, desperate, and rather terrified, she decided to abandon all else and ripped her mask off to taunt the officers. They deserved to see her face, covered in gore and as ghoulish as they came! Nothing mattered to her at that point and she wanted to give them a scare…!

That is, until the next morning, when she recovered from her hangover and realized what she’d done. One of those Doves got a picture of her. In a panic, she called her father to ask for some sort of mercy money to clear the issue up. He’s frustrated with her constantly getting into increasingly worse trouble and tells her this: he’s going to pay for her to completely change her identity and her face so that she can move elsewhere, completely out of the way of harm. After that, he’d be cutting her off, leaving her with only the savings that she had prior to the cut-off. No more handouts.

This is when she became Taeko Atou, a pseudonym based off of her Scrapper show guest alias, “Miss AT”, and moved to the 20th ward. She has to adjust to average life a la Schitt’s Creek or Arrested Development.

7. What kind of clothing style do they like? What would they never be caught dead wearing? What’s likely in their closet right now?

Bellamy Amplexus – Final Fantasy XV SI

· Bells LOVES anything that’ll make them look cute and androgynous. They’re super partial to a femme prince aesthetic. Blouses and linens and vests and suspenders and a bunch of that cute shit. (Yes, this is my preferred fashion style and I wish I could look like that all the time.) They’re also into stuff like your average sundresses and such when it’s too hot for “princey” attire because hell yeah.

· They’d hate to wear… hm… short party dresses? Cocktail dresses n shit. (No shade to those tho theyre cute. Just not Bellamy’s style.)

Junko Hisayo – Persona 5 SI

· Junko’s super masc and butch in her presentation, binds her chest, does the simple graphic tee + jeans thing a lot. Think “Kanji Tatsumi but a lesbian”.

· She lowkey doesn’t like wearing overly feminine clothes, like, she does not vibe with dresses.

Elizabeth Beaufort – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

· Lizzie is pretty standard when it comes to clothes: blouses and skirts, dresses, all just… really basic stuff. She likes simple and solid colours, maybe simple patterns. She’s also like… very cottagecore. Probably likes overalls if she ever wears ‘em?? I’m not a frickin’ historian and I’m not gonna google early 1900s clothes styles at this hour don’t @ me.

· This is literally just because I’m basic as all fuck and I like a skirt/blouse or sundress style outfit. I don’t wear it often but that’s my jazz y’know?

Gillian Wright – Red Dead Redemption 2 SI

· Gilley’s another one of my more boyish characters. She doesn’t deliberately go out of her way to look like a man unless she’s under the guise of her male persona Giles Kingsley. But let me tell you—she goes all out for those occasions, even electing to simulate stubble on her face with cosmetics. Think “cowboy drag king” and you’ll hit the mark.

· Other than that, she just wears whatever’s convenient and comfortable.

9. Their favorite foods? Colors? Activities? What do they enjoy in life? How do they express their joy for things they like?

As dumb as this sounds I completely burnt out after writing only 2 self insert likes/interests profiles, forgive me lol.

Bellamy Amplexus – Final Fantasy XV SI

· Favourite Food: Bells is indecisive, but they will gladly eat anything Ignis puts in front of them. They’re thoroughly convinced he uses magic in his cooking. (They’re only half joking about that—it’s so good!) If they were made to decide a top three, it’d likely be Garden Curry, Broiled King on a Stick, and Moogle Mousse with Kupoberry Sauce. Honorable mention being Gyashi Chips (yes, they like what’s effectively Eosian kale chips).

· Favourite Colours: ANYTHING PASTEL will win Bellamy over, along with any colour considered light and airy. White, silver, pale green, soft gold, baby blue, lavender, and also whatever the sky has going on at any given time of the day—they’re an aesthetic little shit.

· Favourite Activities: Travelling, leisure shopping when funds allow it (if given the means, Bellamy will 100% engage in excessive retail therapy, no joke), swimming, loving their friends, talking about books and music, gardening, and (I know this sounds vain but bear with me) preening. Yes, they’d be a vlogger in another life. Don’t @ me

· Bells loves to talk in excess about what they like, and on occasion, when words fail, they tend to express it through squealing, jumping, etc. If someone points out how passionate Bells is about these things, they’ll end up flustered and ask the person if they could continue. I guess you could say Bellamy stims? I’m not diagnosed with anything, so take this with a grain of salt, but I do have stimming habits.

Junko Hisayo – Persona 5 SI

· Favourite Food: Junko’s pretty partial to miso soup. It’s one of her weaknesses. Total comfort food. (Bro I fuckin’ love miso soup.) As well as baked goods like cupcakes.

· Favourite Colours: Red, black, silver, pink, blue, purple.

· Favourite Activities: drawing (sketches, scribbles, doodles, colouring, etc., singing, baking/cooking, writing, and she learned to love gardening after getting close to Haru.

· Junko tends to show her happiness through verbal and artistic expression, she’s also the type that tends to crack jokes (mostly shitty puns followed up by finger guns).

Again, thank you so much for asking, thank you so much for asking! QwQ Asks are still open, everyone.

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yumikan · 4 years

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[Scout Story] Dream-Colored Princes (Chapter 6)

-Student Council Room-

Keito:

Hibiki Wataru, I kept you waiting.

Wataru:

No~ So, how is it? Do you believe my story and feel like giving me permission to use the hall[1]?

Keito:

Leaving behind the daydream and so on, I may give it if you do stage seriously. Although, I want you to give more specific explanation.

Wataru:

The place where I met them? Or the content of conversation? Fufufu, I remember both of it clearly……☆

Because the weather is good today, I carelessly took a nap in the garden space.

There, I realized that they’re heading this way.

To go towards Yumenosaki Academy’s idol course, you must pass through the reception.

But they said that they went out from [castle] then they found me during walk.

Not only that, their attire wasn’t the normal course’s uniform.

They also said [prince of the Kingdom of Jewels] at the time of their self-introduction, so it seems they’re really came from another world.

Keito:

Wait. Wait a minute.

It’s daydream, right? Why do you remember it in detail to that extent?

Wataru:

For a mere daydream, I also felt a sense of discomfort about remembering the behavior of their standing as the prince and beautiful sword handling……

Aa, the names of the three princes I met are Kingdom of Jewels’ Prince Tiga from Garutina, Prince Lid from Oribureito, and Prince Sai from Safinia☆

I thought that comparing a [unit] with a country is a new attempt, so I didn’t delve deeply into it but-

Their sword handling is not the one for [show][2]

That’s for [protecting the country]. Inside the beauty, there is also gallantness.

Their tone was crumbling but their gesture when drinking tea would make tea club member watching.

Keito:

Fun, you say that it’s a daydream but you are speaking as if it’s an actual event.

No matter how clearly you remember it, in the end a dream is a dream. There is a possibility that you had dream about meeting the princes from Kingdom of Jewels and exaggerated it.

But there is no problem for the acting.

If I’m not wrong, the content is about the encounter of princes from Kingdom of Jewels and drama club member then together they’re aiming to be an idol.

If so, I may give you the permission.

But don’t spread the rumor around too much. You are one of the [three oddballs] after all, even if you make an outrageous remark, it will get over like always but-

In the drama club there is other members beside you. Don’t make trouble for your junior.

Wataru:

Oya? I see that the right-hand man is thoughtful about junior……☆ I don’t expect you to care about my dear children!

Keito:

Don’t misunderstand. I just want to prevent any more complaint come to student council.

It’s calmed down right now but there is a time where it’s really bad, you know? You are drama club’s buchou, right?

What to do if you, who have the position to protect the member, are cornering them instead.

Wataru:

It’s not [cornering], I’m just pursuing their possibility……☆

As a result, they only release my hand and depart beyond the horizon!

Anyway, I’m grateful for the advice. Even so, that children are beside me

Everytime he sees my face, Tomoya-kun always says [don’t come near me] while exposing hostility but-

He stays until this day. Hokuto-kun’s existence is sure big

Without him, perhaps Tomoya-kun will also release my hand, shake off the gravity, and become a shining star.

Keito:

Do your best not to exhaust that affection. It’s not my problem if drama club is abolished, rather, I will refine it

Wataru:

Fufufu. When that time comes, why don’t I assist right-hand man as student council staff……☆ [Right arm of right-hand man], this pun could work!

Nonetheless, I am a clown. Even if I’m alone, I will stand in stage and keep dancing. I wear red shoes after all.

Keito:

Hmph, when that happens, I’ll only need to drag you down from the stage even if I must tie you up.

More importantly, your business is over right? I don’t have anything more to talk to you, get out quickly.

Wataru:

Oya oya, what a cold response. Well, that’s alright

Oh, yes. I’m thinking to start practicing play in the drama clubroom immediately from tomorrow noon

Please stop by if you have time, I welcome you……☆

-Corridor-

Keito:

(Drama clubroom was beyond here, huh)

(Truth be told, I don’t want to walk in on his territory. But I am anxious about what kind of play he will perform)

([There is no problem for the acting] is what I said, but content is content)

(Besides, I worry whether Hibiki Wataru bothering drama club’s members. The number of complaints was decreased but I can’t be careless)

(He is Hibiki Wataru after all, I mustn’t pity them)

(Hrm, seems like I’ve arrived at the destination. For the time being, I’ll knock…… Hm?)

(The door is slightly opened. If I bring my face closer, looks like I can see the situation inside. That is…… Hibiki Wataru and first-year student?)

-Drama Clubroom-

Tomoya:

Noo! Wh, wh, why must I crossdressing!?

My role is prince of [Ra*bits], right……!? I’m a prince and yet crossdressing, I don’t understand the significance of it! Don’t, don’t come, don’t extend your hand, pervert~!

Wataru:

Oyaa? But I was spending nights to make Tomoya-kun’s costume? The ribbon on the chest for example, don’t you think it is cute?

Tomoya:

I’m unwilling but to give in to the ribbon but why a skirt! Not, not to mention there is frill attached and the color is pink!

You even thoroughly prepare a wing…… You, you are totally motivated to have fun in making me into a dress-up doll……!

Wataru:

No, no. I only want to bring out the infinite talent from Tomoya-kun☆ If you don’t have talent for play, then just train. This is that first step!

Clear away the framework known as [common sense] and become me. Now Tomoya-kun, take my hand and let’s fly until the other side of space……☆

Keito:

(That person, he still hasn’t learned his lesson. That first-year student…… If I remember correctly, I think he is Mashiro. He is becoming teary eyes)

(I can’t be silently watching this anymore)

(Well, let’s enter)

[1] The kanji means auditorium but I used hall to match the previous chapter on the wiki

[2] Wataru literally something along this line: [charm on stage], but I translate it that way ‘cause it seems to have that same meaning.

#dream-colored princes #enstars #translation #scout

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tact-and-impulse · 6 years

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At Arm’s Length Chapter 8

This update’s got everything: a little bit of history, Koshijiro disliking the idea of an engagement, a scene from the first live-action movie, Kaoru getting her own fight. The rest of this story can be found on FF.net and AO3.

Crossing Swords

It wasn’t very often, that Koshijiro dreamed of Chiba.

This one started with blank darkness, giving way to the empty courtyard. As if through water, he heard the muffled noises of training, of shouts and the hollower echoes of bamboo against bamboo. He prepared to enter the dojo, but instead of seeing his daughter and Yahiko, he found himself in a completely different space. The walls were darker with age, and the floorboards worn from repeated use. Rows of numerous placards, each with a student’s name, stretched onwards, and the foremost sign bore the kanji of the teacher’s name. Motomiya Takato.

This was the dojo of Koshijiro’s most prominent kenjutsu instructor. And this was where he first met-

His left arm, whole and restored, was suddenly tugged before him. Holding his hand was a very familiar young woman. As much as he treasured his wife’s portrait, the only likeness of her he had, it couldn’t compare to his memory of her. In this dream, she was in her peak health, during the days of their early acquaintance. Her eyes were the color of a summer sky, and her smile was so tender.

“Kyoko…” Even in the dream, his heart physically ached.

Her mouth quirked in amusement. “Kamiya-kun, you shouldn’t get in trouble with my father. Now, go on, lessons are starting soon.” She pulled him towards the floor, but he turned, clasping her shoulders.

“I’d rather not see him. I should stay with you.” Anything, to make her last a little longer.

“He has his faults, but he isn’t cruel. Or is it that you feel guilty?” She blinked, and she aged, to her late twenties. Her concerned face was in startling clarity. “He never knew, did he? Before he passed…”

“I know, and I regret that. And that things were left unfinished, regarding your family. But we had our own, we had Kaoru.”

“Kaoru? Where is she?” Kyoko jerked away, frantically looking around. She hurried to the furthest door, leading into her ancestral home. “Where’s our daughter? Kaoru?!”

“Kyoko, she never stepped foot in here. Wait!” But she disappeared, and he fell to his knees, his left hand still helplessly outstretched, reaching for his long-gone wife.

“Kamiya-kun, stop dawdling and join the class.” Motomiya-sensei had appeared, as how Koshijiro last remembered him, with graying hair, deep frown lines, and a bokken in hand. More students waited beside him, and Koshijiro recognized some of them. Hayashi, Kikuhara, Maekawa.

With the atmosphere, he felt like a young man again, powerless and uncertain of himself. “I…I apologize. However-”

“You apologize for being late? Or for spiriting away my only child from Chiba?” He tossed another wooden sword at Koshijiro. “Take up your sword and demonstrate your repentance.”

It was an invitation to spar, but unlike in previous matches with his teacher, he had vastly greater experience. With both arms, his movements were fluid, strong, and confident. It was apparent that the fight would be brief and after a few seconds, Motomiya-sensei had to shuffle backwards, against the wall bearing his placard.

“Very good.” Then, he lunged, quickly closing the distance. Koshijiro knew he had paused too long, before trying to deflect…

He woke, with a sharp gasp. Perspiration dampened his skin, and still, he could almost feel the pressure of the bokken at his throat. He couldn’t move from his futon, and he tensed when a knock sounded at the door. It wasn’t the first knock, he realized, and whoever was there must have woken him.

“Kamiya-dono, are you awake yet?” Himura sounded concerned, and for good reason. Typically, Koshijiro left his room before breakfast.

He forced out an answer. “Yes, I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Slowly, he removed the blanket and began to dress. It took him longer than usual. Even while sitting, his center of balance was off, the loss of his left arm starkly noticeable. He felt extremely drained; he blamed the dream and how vivid it was.

When he finally arrived at the table, Kaoru gave a worried look. “Otou-san, are you okay?”

“I didn’t sleep very well.”

“I wonder if you haven’t fully recovered from your cold. It’s good that today is your day off.” Just to be sure, she pressed her palm to his forehead. “Not warm at all. Well, you can rest up while we go to the Maekawa dojo.”

“No, I’ll come along, I’d like to see him.” His old friend had not yet contacted him, and they never had their reunion after Koshijiro’s return. Now, with this lingering nostalgia, it was a good time. “I’ll have the afternoon to relax.”

“Alright, if you say so. Kenshin, you’re coming too.”

“Oro?”

“You heard me, Maekawa-sensei wants to meet you properly. Last time, you only said hello and immediately left.”

“This one had to attend to the day’s tasks. Even for today, this one must chop the wood and do the washing.”

“In that case, you can also run to the market. We need miso, salt, rice, soy sauce, oh, and vinegar…”

The list appeared to be overwhelming, because Himura relented. “Then, this one will go with you.”

“Looks like it!” She was decidedly more cheerful. “Come on, Yahiko, get your shoes.”

He had just finished his breakfast, slurping the last of his miso. His eyes were glazed over, as if he was still half asleep, and Kaoru dragged him off by the collar.

The morning was pleasantly warm, as they walked to the southern side of Tokyo. The Maekawa dojo was more isolated than the Kamiya dojo, surrounded by tall pine trees. The sign nailed to the gate had been recently replaced, with the school’s name, Chuuetsu, in fresh ink. Twenty students were already present, and they paused to say hello. They crowded around, eagerly greeting Kaoru.

“We’ve been waiting for you, please come in!”

“Thank you! Now, don’t mind us, continue practice.”

“Ah, all this distraction means it must be Kaoru-sensei.” A voice interrupted, and Maekawa entered the room. He looked well, although the lines had somewhat deepened around his eyes.

“Oh, Maekawa-sensei!” Kaoru bowed.

He gave a slight smile, as the crowd of students hurriedly parted for him. “You’ve brought your student and this Kenshin fellow again, I see. My students say I should spar with you at some point.” He stared at Himura for a moment, seriously studying him. It was his usual tactic of gauging an opponent’s will to fight. But Himura didn’t flinch, and they exchanged smiles, before Maekawa turned his gaze away. That was when he noticed Koshijiro and there was a slip in his composure, a flash of surprise. “Kamiya-sensei.”

Ignoring how the students murmured amongst themselves, Koshijiro stepped forward. “Yes, we haven’t met since I returned from Satsuma.”

“…That’s right. I’ll get cushions for you two.” With that, he left as quietly as he had entered.

“He’s avoiding me.” Koshijiro remarked, and Himura attempted to reassure him.

“There must be a reasonable explanation.”

“Yes, there has to be.”

Kaoru had taken her position at the front of the dojo, beginning her instruction as a guest teacher. Today’s lesson was on sparring technique, which Yahiko was already familiar with. Disinterested, he wandered over, asking. “You’re not gonna fight Maekawa-sensei, Kenshin?”

“This one doesn’t want to fight.” Himura demonstrated his typical carefree smile. “Maekawa-dono could tell, so he no longer wishes for a match.”

“Yeah, I guess you probably would have won.”

“Oro!”

Maekawa returned, with two cushions in hand. “There’s room right here, in front of the folding screen. But before you’re comfortable, Kamiya-sensei, I must speak with you for a moment. Himura-san, have some tea while you wait.” He motioned forward a servant, holding a tea tray. Then, he headed for the courtyard, Koshijiro following. The porch had been recently swept, and they sat down in silence.

“My wife is in town for the day, visiting relatives. It’s a shame, she would have liked to meet Kaoru as the new master of Kamiya Kasshin. Was that recent?”

“The day after I came home, I handed down the title. So, it was recent enough.”

“I see.” Maekawa’s smile was bitter. “And you must be wondering why I didn’t meet you.”

“Well…”

To his surprise, Maekawa prostrated himself, planting his hands on the floorboards. “I was ashamed. I didn’t think I was worthy of facing you again.”

“Whatever for?”

“While you were gone, I asked Kaoru to come here and teach. My students were dwindling; even now, one in three never show up. Kaoru’s presence made them stay. I used your legacy for selfish purposes, and I was full of regret. Would you forgive me?”

“Of course, I forgive you. Kamiya Kasshin also benefited by teaching your students, and I was glad you kept in contact with Kaoru. Now, please stop bowing.” Koshijiro urged him to raise his head.

“Thank you.” The tension was gone, and now, Maekawa’s demeanor was friendlier, as they shuffled back to the dojo. “Well, that takes a load off my shoulders. Now, about your new boarder. He seems to be a decent young man, but such intense eyes…”

“He’s twenty-eight years old.”

“What?! That can’t be true!”

“I hardly believed it myself, with that face.”

“Twenty-eight.” Maekawa repeated. “He’s well over marrying age, and a composed man like him would make for a good husband. With a young woman in the house, an offer of courtship wouldn’t be surprising.”

“There isn’t anything of the sort.” Koshijiro flatly said. It was also best to nip this topic in the bud, before Maekawa could bring up similarities to what happened in the Motomiya household.

“Ha-ha, of course!” He laughed, clapping Koshijiro’s back. “Then, how about one of my students?”

“No.” For some reason, he disliked that idea even more.

One student had overheard. He must have been an admirer of Kaoru, because he suddenly broke focus and missed a parry. He stumbled, and Maekawa went over to correct him. Koshijiro drew his gaze away, to the opposite end of the room. Kaoru had proceeded to individual sparring, telling a student to keep his hips back, before calling the next forward. Himura hadn’t moved at all, spectating with interest.

Kaoru was seventeen. Kyoko was the same age, when he fell in love with her, and his own mother had been seventeen when she met his father. It wasn’t unusual. But this was different, because it was his little girl. With a sigh, Koshijiro settled on his cushion, avoiding looking at Himura, who had just lifted his cup of tea.

“Would you like some, Kamiya-dono?”

“No, I’m fine.” The recent talk had spoiled any appetite he had.

Maekawa rejoined them, oblivious as he looked over the room. “This is nice to see. A dojo, full of hardworking students. Still, I wonder what will happen to kenjutsu.” He lamented. “The art is dying. The war in Satsuma breathed a little life into it, but it’s dying nonetheless. It’s been ages since we’ve had any challenges.”

“That’s a good thing.” Koshijiro countered. A school’s purpose was to teach peacefully, he still believed in that.

“Not for me, I miss it!” He had always been a little cocky, and that hadn’t changed.

As if he had been overheard, the sliding door slammed open to reveal a tall man, his face hidden by a straw hat. He entered the dojo, with his sandals still on. It was incredibly disrespectful, and he ignored the students’ warnings to remove his shoes. Instead, he practically ripped off his hat and leveled an intimidating stare at Maekawa. He was a rough-looking man, even his hair was unkempt.

“I am Isurugi Raijuuta,” He announced. “I’m here to challenge Maekawa Miyauchi to a match!”

Maekawa had gotten his wish, but Koshijiro didn’t like this turn of events. Isurugi looked formidable, and he had youth on his side, towering over Maekawa.

“I accept.” Maekawa was unfazed, smiling reassuringly at his anxious students. Confidently, he accepted a shinai from one. “Let’s make it a fair fight, two out of three. But be warned, I was in the Edo 20th Division, I won’t make it easy for you.”

Isurugi seemed to ignore the introduction, his eyes on the length of bamboo. “A shinai...Yutaro!” A name? Indeed, a boy, around Yahiko’s age, hurried into the dojo with a wrapped bundle of weapons. Isurugi snapped at him. “You’re late.”

“I’m sorry, your legs are so long and I ran as fast as I could.” He huffed. “You said a shinai? Pfft, that’s just a toy! And you call this a dojo?”

Yahiko lost his temper, kicking the new boy’s legs and making him stumble. “Shut up! Who do you think you are?”

Yutaro seethed. “I should ask that, you brat!”

“You’re the brat! I’m the best student of the Kamiya Kasshin school, Myojin Yahiko!”

“Well, I’m Raijuuta-sensei’s best student, Tsukayama Yutaro.” He was abruptly hushed by his teacher.

“Be quiet. Unfortunately, I don’t have a shinai. I’ll borrow one.”

Five minutes later, the floor was cleared for the match, the two men facing each other. Next to Koshijiro, Himura murmured. “The final point is what will matter.”

“At a glance, yes, they appear to be evenly matched. But Maekawa-sensei didn’t escape the Bakumatsu without injury.” Noticing how serious Himura’s gaze became, Koshijiro added. “Let’s hope he doesn’t overexert himself, that’s all.”

Everyone else was seated, except for Kaoru, who was overseeing the match as a third party. “The master of the Kamiya Kasshin school, Kamiya Kaoru, will be judging.” She somberly announced. Her concerned gaze flitted to Maekawa, before she called out. “First round!”

Maekawa’s kiya reverberated through the dojo. He looked like he was in his element, his expression completely stoic. On the other hand, Isurugi had bared his teeth, tensing.

Himura suddenly interrupted. “No! Run, Maekawa-sensei!”

Whether Maekawa recognized it too late or was unable to move in time, it didn’t matter. Isurugi had closed the distance between them, striking down on Maekawa’s shoulder, then up for a hit to the head.

“Stroke to the head. First point!” Then, Kaoru rushed over to Maekawa, who had staggered backwards. His students supported him, inquiring if he was alright. Kaoru shook her head. “Your shoulder’s fractured, we’ll have to get a doctor.”

“No! The match is still on. As a swordsman, I have no reason to withdraw. Second…round.” He huffed, brushing everyone off to step towards Isurugi again. “Don’t think of interfering, Kamiya-sensei. Neither should you, Himura-san.”

Koshijiro realized he had drawn closer, and that Himura had half risen, supporting himself on one knee. He didn’t reply, his face conflicted. Koshijiro felt the same way. He didn’t think victory was probable for his friend, and with his condition, it was far likelier he’d suffer greater injury. But if Maekawa was this determined, he had to respect that, despite how it pained him.

Reluctantly, Kaoru declared. “Second round!”

Isurugi scoffed. “That first blow didn’t kill you? Then have another!” Another head strike, and Maekawa couldn’t dodge, falling to the floor. Kaoru announced that the match was over, but Isurugi grabbed Maekawa by the collar. “You fool.” Again, the shinai was raised.

Several things happened at once. The students rushed forward, reaching for their master. Yahiko cried out, Yutaro smugly looking on. Kaoru shouted, and Koshijiro tried to reach his friend before the third hit. And Himura leapt, drawing the sakabato. The gleaming point was at Isurugi’s throat in an instant, stopping the challenger.

Himura narrowed his eyes. “You won two out of three points. Do you intend to kill him?”

“Of course. A person’s life counts as a point, and this is a three stroke match. If the last one kills him, it kills him.” He callously released Maekawa, who fell back against Kaoru.

The students frantically surrounded their groaning master. One was sent for a doctor, another for Sachi. Koshijiro hurried over. Maekawa had a nasty head wound, but his skull was still intact. A third hit wouldn’t have guaranteed that. However, another fracture was highly possible, and a couple of students tore their sleeves, to use for bandaging.

“Get pillows to support him, and clean rags.” Koshiijro said. “Maekawa-sensei, don’t move so much.”

“I…the school…” He clenched his hands, and Koshijiro felt intensely sorry for him.

“Don’t think about that for now.” Kaoru reassured. The servant from earlier gave her a cushion, and she tucked it under his head. “It’ll be alright.”

Isurugi hadn’t flaunted his victory, his attention had been diverted to Himura. “Do you belong to this dojo?”

“No, this one resides at the Kamiya dojo.”

“A shame. I would like a match with you, with real swords.”

“This one isn’t interested. This one will not use the sword to kill.” Himura’s terse reply left no room for discussion.

“Is that so? Yutaro! Take down this dojo’s sign and burn it.” There was a collective gasp.

Yutaro scrambled to his feet. “Yes, sensei! Should we burn it on the main street?”

This was too much for one student, the same young man who had stumbled earlier. “You can’t!”

“Can’t?” Isurugi repeated. “I’ve defeated the dojo’s master, I can do whatever I want with it now. If anyone has objections, we can settle the matter again.” He gripped his shinai, and the students’ glances darted away.

“Then, I’ll be your opponent!”

Koshijiro turned his head to see his daughter, wielding her own shinai.

“I’m not from this dojo, but it’s always been kind to me. On behalf of the Kamiya Kasshin school, I will repay them and answer your challenge!”

Himura stepped forward. “That won’t be necessary. In her stead, this one will accept-”

Koshijiro stopped him, clasping his shoulder. “No, let Kaoru take the challenge.”

“Kamiya-dono.” He smiled. It was a subtle difference, but after so many weeks being around him, Koshijiro could tell it was forced. “This one does not want to see Kaoru-dono hurt.”

“I know, neither do I. But as the master of Kamiya Kasshin, Kaoru has the right to take on a challenge. If you were her student or Maekawa’s, you could accept for her, but you’re not. To our schools, you are an outsider, and it would be a disgrace to rely on you. We have the duty and privilege of protecting our own reputations, Himura-san. Leave us our honor, at least. And also,” He added. “if it’s shinai kenjutsu, Kaoru won’t be easily defeated. It’s her life’s work.”

At least, he hoped she wouldn’t be harmed. Otherwise, he’d go after Isurugi himself.

Another student, a young man with close-cropped hair, volunteered to judge the match. Before Kaoru began, Himura stopped her, whispering something Koshijiro couldn’t hear. His daughter firmly nodded, giving Himura a brave smile he didn’t return. He didn’t sit down again, shoving his hands into his sleeves and keeping his eyes on Kaoru as she walked to the middle of the floor. She held the shinai in front of her, in a completely neutral manner. There was no telling which way she would move.

“First round!”

Ten seconds. That was the limit of Isurugi’s patience. He used his only strike, going on the offensive.

Kaoru did not counterattack, turning away at the last second. The force was intense, but after seeing Maekawa’s match, she recognized not to fight it. Instead, she moved into a basic stance, turning to the side, grounding herself, and keeping her wrists together as the shinai absorbed the impact. Deflecting was the correct decision, to protect the fragile bones of the hands and avoid the strike head-on. The shinai snapped, the broken half falling with a thud. Koshijiro let out a breath, relieved she hadn’t been hurt.

“Whew.” Yahiko wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “That was close, wasn’t it?”

The judging student eagerly called. “The match is over. A draw.”

But Isurugi didn’t bow in acceptance, only snarling. “Did you mean to force a draw?”

Kaoru didn’t answer, and Koshijiro noticed how her grip slightly shook. It had taken all of her focus to watch for an opening, and all of her strength to fend off that single hit.

Then, Isurugi raised his shinai yet again.

This time, Himura interfered, and Koshijiro was glad for it. He had grabbed another shinai, and as he pulled Kaoru back with one hand, the other gripped the bamboo to fully block Isurugi. Koshijiro blinked; his vision had strangely wavered, but it was only for a second. Himura’s shinai snapped as well, but a crack had appeared in the floorboards. If Isurugi had hit either Himura or Kaoru, they would have been severely injured.

As for Koshijiro, he took a shinai off the rack and stormed over. He’d absolutely had it with this black-hearted upstart, and if he wouldn’t leave now, he was going to pay. Despite how he had to crane his head to make eye contact with Isurugi, he was unapprehensive, giving him the full brunt of his glare. “The match has been called, that hit was illegal!”

“T-that’s right!” The judging student hastily added. But Isurugi didn’t budge, as if he was considering the matter.

“It was a one stroke match.” Himura coolly said. “And you have used yours. With this loss, retreat from the Maekawa dojo.”

“Immediately.” Koshijiro lifted his shinai, so it was level with the soft tissue above Isurugi’s stomach. A blow here wouldn’t be debilitating, but Koshijiro recognized his own physical limits and this was the best option for the most effective attack, should the other man retaliate. “I may only have one arm, but at this range, it’s more than enough. You’ve hurt my friend and threatened my daughter and boarder. I have no reason to hesitate, if you’re still feeling reckless.”

Isurugi did back off, snorting. “I planned to leave anyway. Have your pathetic sign. Come, Yutaro.”

“Uh, yeah!” The boy scrambled after, but not before delivering a last parting shot to Yahiko. “See, Raijuuta-sensei was superior the whole time!”

“Not without breaking the rules.” Yahiko argued. “It’s not settled until there’s a fair fight.”

“Well, until then, be glad you’re still alive!”

The pair marched out of the dojo, as quickly as they had entered. An uneasy silence lingered in their wake, no one mentioning that the sign had been left alone. Then, the doctor and a pale-looking Sachi arrived, and everything else was forgotten amidst the urgency of Maekawa’s state.

***

“Huh. Well, sorry I missed all of that yesterday, it sounded interesting.” Sagara remarked. The smell of alcohol hung around him; he must have gone gambling and arrived just as everyone had gathered in the yard, for the morning’s water break.

“It’s not interesting at all!” Kaoru snapped. “Maekawa-sensei’s confined to bed and their dojo has to close for a while!” It was unclear for how long, because slower healing accompanied age.

“Well, if it was a fair fight, then you can’t blame Isurugi’s strength. Isn’t that right, Kenshin?” He turned to Himura, who was sitting on the porch.

“He was strong, but even more than what’s needed to hone his skills or show off. He treated the shinai with contempt. What would he gain from storming other dojos?”

“Who knows? So, how did Jou-chan bring it to a draw?”

“Are you saying I couldn’t have?” Her tone was dangerously foreboding.

Yahiko sensed it, muttering as he inched away from his teacher. “Yeah, but you just had a shinai…”

Koshijiro chose that moment to speak up. “Kamiya Kasshin was of my own devising. However, the strongest influences are from my father-in-law, who was a kenjutsu instructor, and my own initial training in my family’s style. Although they were separate schools in name, they both claimed descent from one: Tenshin Shouden Katori Shinto.”

“Huh?”

However, Himura knew the name. “One of the major schools of martial arts, founded when Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was shogun. It was born in Chiba, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, in what was Shimosa Province. That was also where the Kamiya family lived for many generations. Kaoru even spent her childhood there, we didn’t move permanently to Tokyo until after the Meiji era began. But I made sure that Kamiya Kasshin maintained its ties to its forerunner. Kaoru had extensive learning in the theory of traditional kenjutsu, but only with the shinai and bokken.”

“You can’t kill with either of those.” Sagara pointed out.

“That’s right, but in order to protect others, it’s best to understand the techniques the enemy may use and use that knowledge to peacefully dispatch them. As we saw, it worked. Kaoru displayed excellent judgment during the match. She can tell you more, I’ve spoken enough.”

His daughter smiled. “I didn’t mind listening, Otou-san. You look a lot livelier when you talk about kenjutsu, that’s definitely an improvement from yesterday. Anyway, I did have help from Kenshin.”

“This one advised to let the shinai fall naturally, neither to the left or right, so Isurugi would not be able to read her moves.” So that was what he whispered, before the match. “However, it was expertise that resulted in the best outcome.” He smiled at Kaoru, and Koshijiro was dismayed to see her face redden.

“The best outcome wouldn’t have been a win?” Yahiko asked.

“Someone like Isurugi, who disrespected the dojo from the moment he walked in, would not have accepted a loss gracefully. It is likely he would have continued to challenge the dojo. Even now…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t have to. It was uncertain, how Isurugi would handle a draw.

“Excuse me? Is this the Kamiya Kasshin dojo?” A voice drew their attention to the gate, where an older man, wearing a Western suit, stood.

“Yes, it is.” Kaoru answered. “Can we help you?”

“I’m acting on behalf of Isurugi Raijuuta. He would like to meet with the residents, and there’s a carriage waiting, to take you to him.”

They didn’t have much of a choice. As they were taken out of the city, the carriage hit every bump on the road.

***

The Tsukayama estate was, in a word, wealthy. Carefully positioned rocks and shrubs were placed throughout the courtyard, and a number of pruned trees completed the picture. Broad stepping stones marked the meandering path to the gate. This elegance had to have come at a high price, and for a moment, they stared in awed silence.

Koshijiro remembered himself first. “That’s enough gawking. Let’s walk through.” Even the soil under his feet was soft from attentive turnover. The others followed after him, Sagara muttering.

“This Isurugi’s some moneybags?”

“Not at all, he looks like a thug.” Kaoru hissed in response.

They didn’t have to walk far, before a figure bowed and greeted them. He didn’t have any outstanding features, other than his topknot, styled in the way of former samurai. “Welcome to my estate. I’m Tsukayama Yuzaemon.”

“Tsukayama? Are you that brat’s dad?” Yahiko blurted, before he was suddenly tackled by Yutaro, who had leapt out of a nearby bush.

“Who are you calling a brat?! And what are you doing here? Raijuuta-sensei only-”

“Yutaro, behave!” Tsukayama grabbed his son’s collar, pulling him aside. “Regardless of what your teacher said, these are our guests. I apologize for my child’s rudeness.” He said to the rest of them.

“It’s no trouble.” Himura mildly replied. His hand held Yahiko’s shoulder, in a gesture that looked completely natural.

“Now, I’m not sure who exactly from the Kamiya Kasshin dojo will meet with Raijuuta-sensei. But my best guess would be the master, I suppose.” Tsukayama directed his smile towards Koshijiro, which he didn’t return.

“That would be my daughter. However, I’ll accompany her to this meeting.” Kaoru had not brought her shinai, and although he didn’t have a weapon of his own, he would never leave her alone with Isurugi.

“Oh.” He was genuinely surprised. “Well, Raijuuta-sensei should be in the garden. If the two of you would follow me, please. Yutaro, could you escort the other guests into the house? There should be leftover tea and perhaps something to eat.”

Yutaro was eager to lead the other three away, Himura trailing behind. Meanwhile, Tsukayama had walked on. In that direction, the garden was on the other side of a glittering pond, only reachable by a bridge, its surface bright with red paint. Tall, thin bamboo and contiguous shrubs framed the edges of the water.

“You have a very beautiful home.” Kaoru offered a sincere compliment, her eyes wide at the surrounding scenery. It was nice, Koshijiro had to admit, but his guard was still up.

“I’m a merchant, I export swords overseas. The Europeans and Americans think of them as pieces of art, and they pay highly. Not everyone agrees with this line of work…we were attacked by bandits while traveling. That was how we met Raijuuta-sensei, he rescued us and since then, he’s stayed here as Yutaro’s kenjutsu instructor. Ah, there you are!” He called out to a figure, approaching from the bridge’s opposite end. “Well, take your time.”

As he departed, a flicker of distaste ran through Koshijiro and he muttered. “He would leave his guests to meet this man alone? Is he even aware of what his son’s teacher has done?”

“Otou-san,” Kaoru replied in kind. “I don’t think he really cares. He seems to be the type of person who’s easily impressed by strength and not much else.”

“Nevertheless-” He broke off, a current of pain running through his left shoulder. He stopped himself from groaning aloud, clenching his teeth. Why did a phantom pain have to happen now?!

Kaoru helped him towards a nearby stone, large and flat enough to serve as a makeshift chair. “Here, rest. Do you want me to fetch Tsukayama-san?”

“No.” He also doubted their host could be of any help. “I only need a minute, it doesn’t get worse than this.”

“Okay.” Kaoru stayed with him for a few more moments, before he indicated that the pain was definitely fading. Her worried gaze darted back to Isurugi, who was still on the bridge. “I don’t think he’ll wait much longer. I’ll see what he wants, and I’ll be back.”

He was too weary to protest, but he glared at Isurugi’s figure. He needed to catch his breath, before returning to his daughter. Rustling from behind the boulder made him look along the pond’s edge, to see three figures crouching and just barely peeking above the bushes. With a sigh, Koshijiro dryly asked. “Was there no tea?” He could hardly register his own voice, but they had heard, turning to him.

Yahiko was nervous from being caught, and he twiddled his thumbs. “Well, Kenshin slipped out, so Sano and I just followed his lead.”

Himura explained himself. “This one was concerned for Kaoru-dono’s safety.”

“I can’t blame you, but if Tsukayama’s son notices you’re missing…”

“Eh, he’s not going to be an issue. Wait. Shh.” Sagara unnecessarily motioned for them to be silent, before subtly pointing at the bridge.

“Make it quick, what do you want with us?” Kaoru was asking, the beginning of a frown on her face.

“Nothing with you. You practice shinai kenjutsu, an imitation, the root of what’s made swordsmanship weak.”

Kaoru’s expression contorted in anger. “Weak?! Is this why you’re challenging dojos? If that’s the way you think, you’re wrong. There’s nothing weak about protecting others, and unlike you, we proved it. After all, we saved the Maekawa dojo, without real swords.” She took a single step forward.

Isurugi sneered, his hand falling to the hilt of his sword.

Then, there was movement at the edge of Koshijiro’s attention. Himura had decided that crossing the pond was the fastest way to reach Kaoru. He must have cut one of the nearby bamboo, for he plunged a long stalk into the water. Using momentum, he climbed up its other end, and the bamboo bent with his weight, carrying him over the water. It was still whole when it dropped with a noisy splash, just as Himura landed on the bridge, between Kaoru and Isurugi.

“Alright, Kenshin!” Yahiko whooped. “That was awesome!”

“Man, only he could pull that off, he’s light enough.” Sagara said with a grin. “And you can sit back down, old man, he can handle it.”

Koshijiro was on his feet, but he continued to stand, rigidly watching the unfolding scene. “So that’s how it is. Isurugi was after Himura-san all along.”

Indeed, the man appeared to be pleased by Himura’s intrusion. “Himura Kenshin, was it? I want you to join my Shinko school, and help me revive the old ways of kenjutsu. There’s nothing to learn, only strength is needed.”

“Rather than a school, it sounds like a unit of swordsmen.” Himura evenly said.

“Call it whatever you like, but you were the first to block my secret technique, the Izuna. Such power is needed to destroy these weak schools. Only the most talented should carry kenjutsu into the Meiji era!” His words echoed in the air. Himura didn’t react, but Kaoru had grown pale.

“He has a point,” Sagara conceded, murmuring. “If only the best practice kenjutsu, like in Noh and Kabuki, that’s how it can be preserved.”

“I disagree.” Koshijiro said. “Noh and Kabuki have their own traditions, but the old ways of kenjutsu are no longer needed. In this era, its form must change, and if it can serve to protect people, it will outlast any instrument of war. Because, no matter what, people grow tired of killing, and yearn for peace.”

And Himura was no exception. “This one will not join you. This one has sworn never to kill again, and a future, where swords are used to take lives, is unacceptable. You can have your school or unit, but if you persecute those who want to protect life with kenjutsu, this one will stop you at all costs.” He was honest, and behind him, Kaoru gave a little smile.

“…I see. Then, this must be settled out in one way.” Isurugi drew his katana.

“Kaoru-dono, please stand back.” Himura told her.

“Be careful.” Then, she slowly retreated towards Koshijiro. Neither Isurugi nor Himura had moved. They were only watching each other, as the wind sent leaves drifting aloft.

Isurugi struck first and Himura drew his sakabato up, to block the attack in midair. A heavy pressure had settled in the air, and the sole sound was from Isurugi’s katana, protesting as he was forced to end his attack and step away.

“Oh, a match between master swordsmen!” Tsukayama interrupted. He was oblivious to the atmosphere, bringing in a tray of tea and setting it on the grass. “Well, don’t mind me, please continue.”

But Isurugi was no longer interested, sheathing his sword and walking past Himura. “If people are going to interfere, we’ll leave our match for later. But don’t forget, join me or be killed.”

Himura had the last word. “This one refuses both.” He left the bridge as well, and Sagara and Yahiko disentangled themselves from the bushes.

“I’m glad it turned out well.” Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief.

Sagara wasn’t as happy, he probably wanted to see more. “Yeah, I guess we’re done here.”

“Although, we’re forgetting something…ah, that brat!” Yahiko suddenly took off.

As it turned out, Yutaro had been tied to a tree in the courtyard. Once he was freed, he made his indignation known. “You bastards! I’ll get you for this, I swear!”

“Shut up!” Yahiko scowled. “If you’re strong enough to scream like that, then come to the Kamiya Kasshin dojo. We’ll have a fight of our own, but with shinai!”

Their departure was accompanied by Yutaro’s glare on their backs.

“You just issued a challenge, you know.” Kaoru admonished her student. “And he probably expects to take our sign.”

“That’s if he wins, which he won’t.”

“Geez, you should take this seriously!”

“Yahiko, listen.” Koshijiro cut in before the boy could talk back. “A challenge means that you put your school’s reputation on the line. In every fight, you represent the Kamiya Kasshin dojo and its ideals. Please remember that, before you act.”

“…fine.”

Himura clapped him on the back. “You are capable, we all know that. However, this opponent is not an undisciplined gangster, but another student of kenjutsu. By challenging Yutaro, you’ve declared your will to defend the sword that protects life. And it is now your responsibility to prove that with your shinai.”

Sagara felt like he needed to join the conversation. “Or if that doesn’t work out, just be a fighter for hire, like I was.”

Yahiko wasn’t fond of that possibility. “And be like you? No way!”

“Hey!”

***

It must have been around dawn, when Koshijiro was woken by a loud shout.

“Alright, I’m here, you shrimp! Come out!”

In his grogginess, it took him a moment to place who it was. It was Tsukayama’s son, probably here for his match with Yahiko. But this early?

Footsteps shuffled, most likely the other three moving about in the house. Koshijiro rose, grudgingly realizing he wouldn’t get much more sleep. The darkness in the hallway was gradually receding, as the sun began to leave the horizon. Near the open door, Kaoru was rubbing her eyes, and Himura leaned against the wall.

Yahiko’s voice was a little hoarse. “Do you know what time it is?”

“You never said when, so let’s fight now!”

“Get dressed…first…” Kaoru yawned.

A few minutes later, they had gathered in the dojo. Koshijiro took a seat, taking deep breaths to dissipate the lingering drowsiness. Yahiko was in uniform, looking more awake. “Hey, Kaoru, judge for us.”

She was still half-asleep, slapping her own cheeks in an effort to be more alert. “First round.”

“Let’s go!” Yutaro held the shinai before him, but it was glaringly wrong and Yahiko pointed it out. Kaoru demonstrated with her own.

“You grip it with the hands separated, the left at the bottom and the right below the hilt.”

“I-I train with real swords, so I don’t know any shinai grips.”

“There’s no such thing.” Koshijiro automatically said, and Himura added.

“It would be the same grip on a sword.”

An awkward pause followed.

“So you really don’t know how to fight with a shinai? And you still came all the way here?” Yahiko scoffed, incredulous. Yutaro flinched, and he continued. “Don’t tell me you got up this early, so you’d win before we figured it out.”

“Your teacher hasn’t been training you?” Himura approached Yutaro.

“It’s not his fault.” He was quick to defend Isurugi. “He’s busy, spreading the word of the Shinko school. It’s important for the sake of kenjutsu, so I can’t interfere.”

It was clear that Isurugi was neglecting his student, and the boy didn’t deserve that. Koshijiro felt sorry for him, yet now, he had a small inkling about Isurugi’s ulterior motive…

Kaoru’s gaze softened. “Well, since you’re already here, I’ll just give you a lesson. First, the grip. Move the left hand down, and your pinky right there, catching halfway…”

“Well, I’ll leave it to the master.” He nodded at his daughter, before excusing himself to start on his paperwork for the day.

He didn’t check on the dojo again until mid-morning. Yutaro was already practicing the basic upper-level posture; he was a fast, thorough learner, and Koshijiro could tell how serious he was about the lesson. Kaoru applauded him. “That’s very good, Yutaro.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm, you definitely have talent for this.” The compliment made him grin from ear to ear.

The door slid open, as Himura entered. “It should be time for a break. We haven’t eaten yet, so this one made onigiri.” There were two for each person, wrapped in bamboo sheaths. “Here you are, Kamiya-dono.”

“Thank you.” He took a seat near Yahiko, whose brow was furrowed in irritation.

The boy accepted his portion from Himura, muttering. “Whose side does she think she’s on?” He proceeded to stuff one of the rice balls in his mouth.

“There are no sides in education.” Koshijiro calmly told him. “And did you already finish your lesson?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Himura passed Kaoru her share. “This one thinks Yahiko is sulking.” He murmured to her, and she glanced at her student.

He snapped at her. “What is it?”

She sighed, walking over to give him a lecture. “Yahiko, you shouldn’t be so petty. If more people want to learn about the sword that protects life, that can only be good for the school. Don’t be in such a bad mood.”

He didn’t respond, instead finishing off the last of his second onigiri. Kaoru sent a desperate look at Koshijiro, but he shook his head. She had to learn as well, how to deal with this kind of situation.

Meanwhile, Himura was talking to Yutaro. “Is shinai kenjutsu fun?”

“It’s just playing.”

“Oro!”

“Of course, it’s fun.” He mumbled. “But I’m not doing it any more, playing won’t make me stronger. I want to be unbeatable like Raijuuta-sensei, and show my father.”

“But without practice, you won’t get any stronger.” Kaoru pointed out. After a moment, she offered. “So, why don’t you be a student here?”

“What?!” Yahiko blurted.

She ignored him. “You don’t have to worry about becoming strong or showing anyone your skills. Just think ‘I want to learn kenjutsu’. If you continue training, you can even compete with Yahiko.”

“…no, I’m sorry.” Surprisingly, he declined. He stood and bowed, preparing to leave. “But! I’ll be back tomorrow. N-not to practice, just to see how this guy will fight!” He pointed to Himura. “After all, Raijuuta-sensei wants a match with him, so I’ll keep coming to get information. See ya!” With that, he dashed off.

And so, ten days passed. Yutaro had showed up every day, as promised, but he was still attending lessons. He had progressed well, and it was difficult to tell he had once held a shinai the wrong way. Also, it wasn’t as if he could get much information out of Himura, who only performed his usual routine of housework.

Yahiko still wasn’t pleased. “Back again, you brat? You’re not even a student, why do you keep coming here?!”

“As if I have to answer to you!”

“That’s it, stop fighting! The two of you are here to practice!” Kaoru intervened in their bickering. “Yutaro, you’re practicing the jumping face stroke. Yahiko, you’ll be the target.”

“Why me?” Yahiko complained.

“I’m too tall, it’s better to practice with someone his own height. Now, hurry and put on the mask and everything else. That’s an order from your master! Geez…”

“This is a good opportunity.” Koshijiro spoke up from the sidelines. “Sparring is best between those of similar expertise.”

Grudgingly, Yahiko outfitted himself in the set of practice armor: the face mask, the gloves, the torso protector, and the cloth belt. He stood almost casually, as Yutaro inhaled and prepared himself. The first strike had enough power, although it was only a glancing blow. The second was better, hitting Yahiko’s mask on the forehead. He continued to repeat the movement, and each time, he adjusted and seemed to improve.

“This one is surprised.” Himura had entered at some point, and he commented. “He has a lot of potential.”

“He does, it’s too bad he wasn’t taught properly.” Kaoru agreed. However, Yahiko protested at being hit so many times, and the practice session devolved into yet another shouting match. She gritted her teeth. “That’s enough! Both of you, give me your shinai. No more practice, the two of you are going to clean the dojo, top to bottom.”

“Oro…the master’s discipline is something to be feared.” Still, he gave a slight smile, watching Kaoru direct the boys to the dustiest spots.

Koshijiro deliberately coughed. “It’s about time, they were getting out of hand. And the dojo could use a good scrubbing.”

***

That evening, they had dinner at the Akabeko. After their drinks were brought out, Sagara had strolled in, joining their table as if he had expected to meet them. The hotpot was as good as always, and the bowls of rice were warm to the touch. There was only a small amount of broth left, when Tsubame shyly paid a visit to their table.

“I wanted to thank you all again.”

“It was our pleasure to help you. Has Nagaoka bothered you again?” Himura inquired.

“No, not at all.”

“If he does, just find us.” Sagara said.

Tsubame nodded, before noticing Yutaro. “Oh, are you a friend of Yahiko-kun’s?”

“Not really. I’m Tsukayama Yutaro.” He extended his hand towards her, in the Western greeting of a handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Um…nice to meet you too.” Tsubame hesitantly clasped his fingers for a second.

Yahiko dug his elbow into Yutaro’s ribs, causing him to yelp. “Stop annoying her, let her get back to work.”

“The only annoyance here is you.”

Koshijiro loudly cleared his throat, and they both paused. “The two of you are being disruptive. If you can’t behave, there will be consequences. In comparison, cleaning the dojo would be a warm-up.” Actually, he didn’t have anything in mind yet, but the threat served to subdue them.

The ensuing silence was broken by Kaoru. “Yutaro, I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to become a student of the Kamiya dojo? You’ve worked hard, and you and Yahiko would become fine swordsmen of the Kamiya Kasshin school.”

He didn’t answer right away. Then, he set down his chopsticks and lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I used to think shinai kenjutsu was stupid, but when I tried it out, it was fun. I really did like training, but if I want to be strong, Raijuuta-sensei can teach me more…”

“I understand.” Kaoru looked downcast, it was always hard to lose a student. Yahiko’s expression was impassive.

The meal was paid for, and their group left the Akabeko, walking through the side streets. It was a quiet, lukewarm evening. Stars shone above, in a river of soft light against the dark sky.

“I first met Raijuuta-sensei on a night like this.” Yutaro suddenly said. “We were on the road home, and the carriage was attacked by bandits. My father…he acted so pathetic, telling them he’d pay whatever they wanted, even kneeling on the ground. But Raijuuta-sensei saved us, just one blow sent the bandits running.”

“He saved you?” Sagara snorted. “That’s hard to believe.”

“Shut it, rooster head! He’s often misunderstood, but I know how he really is. If I’m strong like him, I won’t be weak like my father. Himura-san, if you ever fight Raijuuta-sensei, just make sure it’s fair. A real match.” He turned back to look at them, smiling at the prospect. But his expression quickly changed, to that of fear. “Raijuuta-sensei!”

Koshijiro was suddenly pulled back by Sagara, just as a katana swung down in the middle of the group. Sagara’s other hand was fisted in Yahiko’s collar. On the other side of the road, Himura had retreated, both hands on Kaoru’s shoulders.

“Is everyone alright?” Koshijiro called out, and his daughter nodded as Himura released his grip on her. It was fortunate that Yutaro had alerted them, because the katana had cut a deep line in the earth.

“Making an ambush from behind at night, so this is how you really are.” Sagara’s cocky smile widened.

Yutaro was staring aghast at his teacher. “No! Th-this is just a greeting! You’re not being serious, right, Raijuuta-sensei?”

Isurugi didn’t answer, his focus on Himura.

“Kaoru-dono,” Himura informed her. “This one will face him again this time.”

She seemed anxious, but out of the six of them, Himura was the only one with a weapon. Silently, she stepped aside, and not a moment too soon. Isurugi began to attack Himura, with full force.

Each strike had an immense amount of power behind it, but Isurugi couldn’t connect. Himura had skillfully dodged, and Isurugi turned, snapping his heel to stir up a cloud of loose dirt. But Himura was already in the air, leaping for a strike to the shoulder. Isurugi took the hit…and smiled.

“I guess I’ll use a stronger technique, then. You won’t be able to stop it!”

The tip of his katana wavered, as the shinai had in the Maekawa dojo. Himura pivoted but recoiled, blood seeping through his right sleeve. However, he wasn’t the only casualty. With a strangled gasp, Yutaro suddenly flew backwards. Isurugi’s katana hadn’t touched him, but the impact must have. His right elbow had been sliced open, and they hurried to attend to him.

Koshijiro reached him first. “There’s quite a gash. We should take him to Dr. Gensai, he’s close.”

“Leave him. It’s not a fatal injury.”

“Bastard!” Yahiko cried out. “You just hurt your own student!”

“That child?” He scoffed.

Kaoru was appalled. “What’s with that attitude? You’re his teacher!”

“That was a role I played, to acquire funds for the Shinko school. It’s just too bad to lose him, even after staging that robbery. But I can always find another patron, whose brat wants to play with swords.” He shrugged.

Koshijiro wished he could be outraged, but he wasn’t. He had suspected that Isurugi was just using the Tsukayama family, ever since Yutaro unwittingly revealed he wasn’t being taught. Isurugi was dishonorable, he had proven that multiple times, and this admission didn’t come as a shock. It didn’t change the situation, there would be no point in swaying a man as far gone as Isurugi. For now, they had to help Yutaro.

Himura had decided as much, turning away from Isurugi to carry Yutaro. “Wait there.” His tone was ominous. “You’ll taste hell soon enough.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t run away.” Sagara folded his arms, standing between them and Isurugi. “You’ve screwed up now, you’ve got the most dangerous man alive angry at you.”

Himura’s injury slowed his pace, yet they were fortunate enough to make it to the streets, and Koshijiro called out to a patrolling policeman.

“Send for a carriage, this boy’s hurt.” Koshijiro told the officer, who immediately whistled for one. “After you drop us off, go to the Tsukayama estate and tell his father we’ll be at Dr. Gensai’s clinic.”

Takani met them at the clinic; her gaze went straight to Yutaro’s bleeding arm. “We’ll take it from here. Dr. Gensai! Patient to room three!”

Takani examined him first, while Dr. Gensai stitched Himura’s wounded arm. Then, he joined Takani in the examination room. They waited for close to half an hour, before the doctors emerged.

“He’s asleep from the anesthesia. The cut was wide, but the blood loss wasn’t too bad. You did well, to bring him in so quickly.” That made Kaoru smile, but Takani continued. “Nevertheless, the nerve bundle and muscle have been severed. Ken-san took some of the blow, so Yutaro can keep his arm, but it won’t be very functional. He’s your student? Then, to put it simply, it’s unlikely he’ll practice kenjutsu ever again.”

The prognosis made Kaoru recoil in shock, but Koshijiro inclined his head. “I see. Thank you, for doing your best to save him. When he wakes, we’ll inform him.” He didn’t look forward to breaking the news. It meant the end of Yutaro’s dream of training in kenjutsu. His daughter was still stricken, Himura somber.

Yahiko refused to accept this. “But he was doing great, he was a genius or close to it! Come on, you can do something, can’t you?”

“I’m so sorry, Yahiko.” Takani was sympathetic, gently clasping his shoulder. “It’s hard, but medicine can be imperfect.”

He broke away, tearing off into the night. Himura took that as his cue, rising from the clinic’s spare bed. “Then, this one will go.”

“Are you able to fight, Kenshin?” Kaoru glanced at his bandaged arm.

“Yes, and this one knows the secret behind the Izuna technique. It’s a wave of a vacuum, but this one didn’t realize until now, with Yutaro’s injury. The only way to make amends for that is to defeat Isurugi Raijuuta.” He headed out, his determined figure following the same path Yahiko had taken.

Minutes later, Yutaro stirred, and he tried to leave his bed. Kaoru urged him to lie down again.

“How are you feeling?”

“I can’t feel my hand. Raijuuta-sensei did this to me…” The betrayal had hit him hard.

“Yutaro…”

He jerked his head to address Koshijiro. “What’s it like having one arm? Do you feel useless?”

He gave an honest answer. “Sometimes, I wish that I could do more, to protect the ones I care for. Instead, I must rely on them.”

“Oh.” Yutaro’s voice was very small.

“But I’ve gained a different kind of strength. I’m glad to be alive, and I work in other ways, to do my part in making this era peaceful. As for physical demands, I can put my trust in my daughter, Himura-san, Yahiko, Sagara-san, and Takani-san. You have your father, and although you don’t think highly of him, he is still your father. He wants the best for you, which is why he has pursued the career he has. If you speak with him, you may find that out for yourself. You may even learn to have faith in him again. And unlike me, you still have your arm intact. There is still hope for you.”

Then, Tsukayama burst into the room, and he anxiously fussed over his son, who remained stubbornly mute. Koshijiro excused himself, motioning Kaoru to do the same.

Sagara, Yahiko, and Himura had been waiting outside the clinic, the latter with more bandaged wounds.

“Isurugi Raijuuta was arrested by the police.” Sagara explained. “Kenshin beat him with just one arm.”

“His self-confidence was shattered, he’ll never pick up a sword again. But that won’t heal Yutaro.” He quietly said, and he was right. No one else could reply to that, and the journey home was marked by enveloping silence, and the cold starlight overhead.

***

During the following days, they visited the Tsukayama estate. Yutaro had enclosed himself in his room, unwilling to accept any visitors. On his behalf, the manservant graciously accepted the food they had brought.

Kaoru was still troubled. “Kamiya Kasshin is the sword that protects life, but what should we do when something like this happens? It’s a tragedy, and I don’t know what to say…” She trailed off.

“For now, we should honor his wish to be alone. It will take time for him to adjust.” Koshijiro explained. When he had lost his arm, he was only relieved to be alive, but Yutaro was a child and this development would have devastated him.

Tsukayama met them at the gate. The recent events had changed him, lending a weariness in his eyes and a slump to his posture. Then, he spoke to Koshijiro. “You were once a samurai, weren’t you?”

Samurai. He had not considered himself to be one for many years. “The branch I belonged to was not high-ranking.”

“I was the same, but you must have had connections, to have a school of your own. I didn’t, all I had was an eye for swords so I became a merchant. The ruin of the four classes made me a fortune, but I’m no better than a dog. I made a living out of bowing to others. That’s why I wanted my son to be strong, and I was fooled by Isurugi, at the cost of Yutaro’s dreams.” He was genuinely regretful.

Himura attempted a reassuring smile. “…we’ll pay another visit soon.”

“Thank you, but we may not be here. I’ve decided to go to Germany, and I’m taking Yutaro with me.” At their surprised faces, he continued. “It’s the most advanced country in terms of medicine, and if Yutaro can be healed, his best chances lie there. Also, living in a foreign land can take his mind off kenjutsu. I don’t know when we’ll return to Japan, but we’ll be leaving at the end of the week, at Shinbashi Station. I think Yutaro would appreciate it, if you came to see us off.”

Who could say no to that? And so, they waited at the crimson building, sitting on wooden benches.

“Well, he’s finally getting out of the house, but what else can we do?” Sagara wondered aloud.

Koshijiro shared his opinion. “It depends on Yutaro. Unfortunately, I think he interprets gentleness as pity, and his pride won’t accept that. However, it’s important not to push him. Right now, he’s emotionally fragile, and if he doesn’t want to talk, we have to respect that.”

A carriage pulled up, and Tsukayama and his son disembarked. They were dressed in Western shirts and trousers, Yutaro with a sling for his injured arm and a cane for additional support.

Tsukayama greeted them. “Thank you again, for everything you’ve done. Come, Yutaro, say goodbye.”

Yutaro’s head was lowered, and he didn’t respond. Then, the conductor called for passengers to board, and the crowd began to stir. Without much of a choice, Tsukayama led his son towards the train.

Suddenly, Yahiko sprinted after them. “Yutaro!” He raised his shinai, and Yutaro was forced to use his cane to parry.

“What the-?!”

“Don’t tell me you’re just going to give up! Raijuuta may have betrayed you, but you should become stronger than him! Not the person he really was, but the teacher you believed in! Otherwise, you’ll be pathetic for the rest of your life!”

Yahiko’s words were rough, but perhaps, that was the key in motivating Yutaro. He gritted his teeth. “Who’s pathetic? I’ll never quit kenjutsu! If my right arm’s not good enough, I’ll use my left and that’ll be enough to deal with you!” Once again, they started to argue, as they usually did. But it wasn’t a nuisance this time, and Koshijiro smiled. Maybe, the goal of beating Isurugi’s shadow was spiteful and petty, yet for a young boy like Yutaro, it was enough of a reason to keep living. Or at least, until he was more mature.

“Ah, there was nothing to worry about after all.” Himura murmured.

Yutaro and his father boarded the train, and Kaoru called out. “We’ll keep the position of second student waiting for you!”

“You’d better come back.” Yahiko darkly added, but there was an underlying kindness in his tone. Yutaro’s eyes widened, then he relaxed, understanding.

They waved, as the train pulled out of the station. Smoke billowed in its wake, and then, the train was only a speck in the distance, before disappearing altogether.

Sagara stretched his arms. “Well, if we came all the way here, let’s get some Western food.”

“You just want to freeload again.” Kaoru griped, before noticing Himura’s thoughtful expression. “Kenshin? Is there something wrong?”

“It’s nothing. This one was only thinking about how pessimistic Maekawa-sensei and Raijuuta were, about the future of kenjutsu. But the Kamiya Kasshin school and its students make that future bright.”

Kaoru smiled. “Mm, you’re right about that.” She nudged Himura, and he didn’t back away as they walked towards the building.

Their elbows were still touching.

Koshijiro strode between them, ignoring the flash of displeasure in his daughter’s eyes. “Yes, the new era promises a great deal of change, and we’ll all see it through, for as long as we can.”

The government had changed hands, the social structure was reconstructed, and now, they were in a transitional time for kenjutsu. He couldn’t fathom what it would become in the years ahead, but embracing the flow of time was the only way to move forward without regrets. Although, he could have done without Western cuisine. The “Hayashi rice” dish they ate for lunch was too rich for his taste.

#rurouni kenshin #fanfic #at arm's length #the actual protagonist of this chapter is kamiya kasshin

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courage-a-word-of-justice · 7 years

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Kado 7 (includes notes on Kado 6.5 + Tsukigakirei 6.5) | Boku no Hero Academia 21 | Grimoire of Zero 7 | Royal Tutor 8 | Tsukigakirei 7

Kado 7 (includes notes on Kado 6.5 + Tsukigakirei 6.5)

Some notes on the recap: It’s interesting they styled the title card to be like a silent movie, but the embellishments in the top corners are high-tech. Tsukigakirei’s recap was a slog because it awkwardly cut, but because of all the indications of time and the fact there’s already a narrator, this show fits a recap style much better (but the titlecards and changing of the eyecatch make this ep feel fresh, which is great!). Also, it seems I was wrong about how it had been three days since Kado’s appearance (see ep 5’s commentary), because the counter hits 5 days when the first passengers are released.

Wait…that “brain” was a device???

“Hi Setten”, LOL. Also, I found out “kado” (with this combo of kanji -> 過度) can mean “excess” or “immoderation”, and “setten” means “settings” or “options”...I first remember seeing the word in the Boueibu game, where “setten” of course would refer to things like “volume on/off” and that.

Apparently, the Google CEO’s name is Sundar Pichai…I thought it was Larry Page and Sergey Brin as co-CEOs, but I guess I was wrong…Also notice Ward’s iPad says “ihou sonzai” (anisotropic being).

Oh flap. Adam’s pulling a Great Fitz here…

I’ve seen the “I can’t dry my laundry!” screenshot before, but seeing it in context is funny all over again. In fact, it makes it even funnier.

I was worried about how the show might get a little too philosophical after ep 6’s end, but it’s good to see Hanamori retains his sleeping capabilities. *stifles laughter* They even rendered Hanamori’s bedhead.

“Kado comes here, and instead of running, they find a way to market it.” – It’s an interesting, yet extremely obvious point that we tend to ignore because we’re so used to it. That’s why tourism – even fake tourism - sells. Why do I bring this up? Because I want to, for one, and because I hope to exploit this angle for Half-Paid Heroes. (I wanna know how to make Kado cake, too…)

CR subbers, I thought Gonno’s first name was “Takumi”?...

That’s cute, it’s a helicopter landing spot, complete with “H” marking.

If I didn’t know any better, I might’ve called Shindo zaShunina’s sidekick. (LOL)

This “stacks of books” scene is something like what I imagined when I wrote White Parasite’s La Luna’s hideout in the mountains…that’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to give Kado and zaShunina an unyielding love. Also, I thought the promo 2D Shunina looked creepy, so this 2D shot of Shunina stole my heart!!!

The cube seats remind me of those child corners in libraries and that, where you have mini stools for playing pretend. Oh. Speaking of which, it reminds me of this Rubik’s cube.

Okay. I thought Kado would be a show devoid of such things, but let’s play the game of “What drugs were the producers on today?”

Okkkkkkkkkay. (stifles laughter) Did you realise the Shunina heads made a heart, with the “real” (existing in the normal dimensions) Shunina in the middle? Hahaha…

Wait. That screaming thing in episode…2, I think it was? The bit where Shindo grabs his head in agony?...was Shunina giving him (Shindo) the sense of the anisotropic? Ahhhhhhhhh. That makes sense now!

“They were good humans.” – Just in case you didn’t forget Shunina is an extradimensional bishie being. I guess it’s kind of along the lines of Kai’s (Royal Tutor’s) “You’re all good boys!”, which is true both there and here. In most cases (except maybe Shunina and Ward), the boys of Kado are good boys.

A bookmark. For an avid reader like Shunina (or myself…haha), it’s a perfect gift. Just make sure they’re not so heavy they fall out of books, because then they’re useless.

They put the festival scene in 2D! (It would be a cost cutting measure for sure, but…you know what I said about 2D Shunina previously? Yeah, that.) Also, it just goes to show you even a high concept sci-fi show like this goes for the jugular in depicting fanservice for the “people who like hot guys” and “people who like tsunderes”. However, did Shunina change his own clothes? Did Shindo or someone else get the yukata for him? Does Shunina even have the concept of “changing clothes”???

Fake Nintendo Switch. I’ve also seen this screenshot making the Tumblr rounds before.

LOL, giant turtle. I like turtles.

Haha, negotiating even at a festival. I LOLled too hard at the line, “What is buttered potato?” (but I also like buttered potatoes…I like a lot of things).

“Saraka-san, zaShunina, you, and the turtle will be in group B.” This typo’s the same case as the Gonno one earlier this ep.

“Are there any negative effects?”

How do you lose an anisotropic being at a festival? I actually hope he isn’t being rabidly devoured by a bunch of girls who think he’s hot.

Just seeing the credits reminded me that Shinawa was absent this ep (which was good). Also, has Natsume appeared in every ep’s credits so far? I don’t remember because I normally don’t watch credits.

Boku no Hero Academia 21

“Sparking Killing Boy”, LOL.

The more I watch Mei, the more I feel like I’m watching The Truman Show (where there’s one woman who advertises things near the beginning of the movie).

The belt transformation refers to sentai heroes.

Hmm…I agree with Deku on Aoyama’s strategy, since his laser is best used from afar.

That was an unexpected (for me) win for Tokoyami. I knew his Quirk was good all around, but I thought Yaoyorozu would win for sure. It’s just the difference in confidence, eh?

“…focussing on the shield Yaoyorozu made.”

I kinda get what Uraraka’s saying. After all, she might end up dragging Deku down one day by relying on him too much.

Grimoire of Zero 7

It annoys me how tavern girl looks so similar to Zero.

Why do fantasy travellers (or Brock in Pokémon, for that matter) never have big packs? You’d think they do…

The colour of the night sky in this episode is pretty.

This wolf’s like Sonic (One Punch Man). Such a sore loser.

Hey wait, did Thirteen see her…uh, assets? Did he dress her wounds?! Eep! I do not ship this. *shakes head*

Royal Tutor 8

Ouch, Licht, you got burnt! On the other hand, I agree with Bruno that he should sleep forever, noting past comments I’ve heard him (Licht) say.

Ah, the zoo. What nostalgia that brings. I’ve been to the closest zoo at least twice…thrice…four times…? I don’t remember anymore, but the zoo is always a fun place.

It’s smiling, ReLIFE style!

Braunbar (with umlaut over the second a) is German for…wait for it…brown bear.

Bunnies can bite you when you least expect it. From my experience, they don’t draw blood though. (How do I know this? There’s one outside my window as I speak. He’s probably someone’s stray, although no one’s come for him so my family have had to take care of him.)

Shut up, Licht! That’s not comedy, that’s just killing time!

I still wonder…how does Kai actually wear that jacket? It must be troublesome to put on if he’s always wearing it like that.

Ahhhh! Dangit, Kai’s too good for words. The only thing that can quell my “fan of bishies” heart is fangirl screaming.

Those “tricks” of yours didn’t work, Licht. Get out. Besides, Bruno, I barely remembered that brick joke.

My heart sank a little when I saw they weren’t using the cheesy live-action version of the ED. Still the next episode looks like it will address some plot-critical things, and I’m worried for Kai because he’s the sort who can’t get over his problems easily. (As a sidenote, a similar tabloid article shtick was used in SGRS, so I welcome this plotline.)

Tsukigakirei 7

Vita Sexualis is a Mori Ougai work, so I’m kinda on edge about it…knowing Bungou’s Ougai, that is.

Why does this ep’s title sound like it should be a Boueibu one instead???

These (mostly still) shots of theme parks just make it seem like the staff are scrounging for money.

According to the omake at the end of one ep, you’re meant to ship Roman with the teacher (as ick as that is), so I can understand why Roman’s on his lonesome.

Stop egging her on, Hira! She’ll get nervous! (I say that because I don’t like roller coasters much.)

I feel like the word “viva” is being overdone, attendant person. Google-sensei says the word means “live (verb)”, so it doesn’t make sense at all.

Hira’s freckles really don’t seem to be a mistake. Also my brain can’t make sense of “sorabune” – the word for ship/boat is “fune”, but it doesn’t become “bune” when attached to another word...not that I know of, anyway.

Yamashina? We’ve never been told Roman’s surname before…

Potori Water, LOL. Parody on Pocari Sweat if you didn’t know that.

It’s nice that they didn’t do the full-on “can on face at aumsement park” thing I’ve come to expect from romances, because Detective Conan kinda solidified that as the norm for me.

The Big O in this case isn’t an anime, it’s a Ferris wheel.

Josei Next Door did a CR article where she suggested people needed to talk to each other more, and while it was on The Royal Tutor, sometimes I wish Akane and Kotarou would talk to each other properly too…welp, I spoke too soon (sort of).Why “sort of”? Because Kotarou is speaking to Hira, but he ain’t speaking to Akane.

I feel a twinge of guilt in that I wanted Chinatsu’s and Hira’s dreams to be shattered to make way for the canon couple, and Chinatsu’s tears exacerbate that feeling. I guess this is what it’s like to be a shipper, eh – to ignore the feelings of couples in order to get your own way, knowing your dreams may not even become reality? (But can’t these kids all be happy??? It could easily be a “pair the spares” situation, now that I think of it.)

The takoyaki’s nice, but that background with the screaming girl is creepy…It appears to be a parody on Beavertails, for some odd reason. Why is there a Canadian product being used as product placement in an anime (and why a product I’ve only ever heard of from a Canadian TV show, to boot)???...*record scratch* Okay, I’m weirded out, and I admit defeat. Beavertails exist in Japan.

Couple selfies. That just goes to show how much trends can permeate culture…hey, does that mean people may one day use memes in anime? (Even though anime creates memes?) It’s meme-ception!

It seems live action footage was used for this show, if you look closely, and it’s not just the OP I’m talking about…

Finally, a part of Tsukigakirei I can get behind! These night scenes are so real! If it weren’t for Kotarou and Akane, I’d think these scenes to be photos and not animation at all.

I get this feeling that we’ll end with either their graduation or them as adults, with Kotarou telling their kids “…and this is how I met your mother.” Which would be awkward as all get out, but okay. (I haven’t seen How I Met Your Mother by the way, although it sounds like a scenario that would happen in it…)

Aw, dangit. They got their kiss interrupted. At least it wasn’t by Chinatsu, that would’ve caused more tears on her end.

Mireta (used in “Did you see the fireworks?”) seems to be an odd formation of mieta, but in slang, people break the grammar rules all the time, so I’d suspect people break the spelling rules too.

I was surprised to find out this ep’s ED LINE chat is a wife to a husband. That confirms my How I Met Your Mother thoughts, somewhat. (The husband had overtime and got the wife juice. It seems they were going to an event, because the wife says to check the invitation guest list...and so on, so forth.)

Oh? There are more omakes? I’ll watch ‘em someday when I’m bored…I guess.

#simulcast commentary #grimoire of zero #seikaisuru kado #oushitsu kyoushi haine #tsukigakirei #boku no hero academia 2 #Chesarka watches Grimoire of Zero #Chesarka watches Kado #Chesarka watches Tsukigakirei #Chesarka watches Boku no Hero Academia #Chesarka watches Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine #that was longer than I thought it would be.

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