BUTTERFLY : SHINOBU KOCHO (PART ONE)

Part 1: Chapter 28; Saku-san

The next day, things felt....off, for Shinobu.

Almost....tense.

The two Hashira were sitting in silence as breakfast was served around the entire large table once again, while Yae and the Kakushi engaged in conversation just as they had so many times before.

Neither teenager looked away from the food in their bowls, with the butterfly girl pulling at her pants leg a little with her fingers, trying to muster the courage to speak.

Tch, what the hell, Shinobu.....talking to this guy shouldn't be so hard for you....

"Oi."

Sakusa poked the girl out of her daze, and she turned to face him with a strained smile on her face.

"Y-Yes, Kari-san~?" Shinobu squeaked.

"We need to start training again soon, so get ready for that today." The Hashira said, "Bring your stick with you, you're gonna need it."

Shinobu felt a tick mark spark on her forehead.

....stick?

"Ah~, I'd rather you not call my needle blade a stick, Kari-san~" She said with her gentle tone, "It doesn't credit the kind swordsmiths who put so much time into it~"

It also doesn't give me the credit I deserve for making the blueprint for the damn thing!

"Pft, whatever." Sakusa coldly brushed Shinobu off, turning back towards his food and roughly stabbing at the egg and rice with his chopsticks, only irritating the Hashira to his left even further.

Oi. What the hell is wrong with you, dickhead? She peered a little at him while he ate, sneaking glances at him in between her bites of food.

You seemed to finally be getting a little nicer, but you just went cold again.

Tch, stupid prick....

Suddenly, though, Sakusa stood up, taking his half-empty bowl away in his hands and walking out of the dining room, shutting the door a little bit harder than normal behind him.

Of course, Shinobu noticed this, her kind expression softening in shock.

"Kari-san....."

"Uhm, Miss Kocho?" Yae suddenly piped up from the girl's left, tilting her head in confusion, "Is everything alright between you two?"

"Eh?" The girl in question turned back towards the hunter and broke out into a bright smile, laughing the question off. "Ahaha~, of course, Yae, we're alright~"

"Really? Because you guys seemed much more relaxed yesterday at dinnertime." Yae commented, stuffing her cheek with rice. She swallowed her food, and then shined a toothy grin, saying, "Actually, you guys seemed like a happy couple last night!"

Shinobu blushed almost instantly at her words, especially considering her dream of the night before.

C-Couple?!

"Ah~, I'd rather you not joke about something like that, Yae~, Kari-san is just a work colleague~!" Shinobu nervously chuckled, feeling a nervous sweat come over her.

"But....I wasn't joking?" Yae replied bluntly, narrowing her eyebrows, "You guys would look good together."

Shinobu spat out her egg all over the table.

W H A T -

"M-M-M-M-Me? And him?" The butterfly girl almost spat that last part out, pointing to the exit of the dining room with a confused look on her face.