Leaves brought by Love (Mitsuri x OC)

Chapter 2: Moonlit Breeze, Scent of Blood

3rd POV. Dojo, Rengoku Household.

Soon after Akito left, Mitsuri and Kyojuro are sitting at the veranda of the Rengoku Household as Kyojuro begins to narrate the Final Selection that Akito participated two years ago.

Kyojuro: He immediately participated at the Final Selction when I trained him just after 2 months when I introduced him to the Corps.

Kyojuro: At the Final Selection where he participated, there are only three who survived the Final Selection.

Mitsuri: Three?

Kyojuro: Masato, Suzuki, and Akito.

Kyojuro: Masato is a Water Breathing User, Suzuki is a Wind Breathing User, and Akito, who hasn't been able to create his breathing technique during that time, relied on his own swordsmanship.

Kyojuro: The three of them became close friends....because according to Akito, Masato and Suzuki decided to team up with him because of they would be able to survive together.

Kyojuro: And so, the trio worked together and they are the only ones left. Thus, passing the Final Selection.

Kyojuro: Soon afterwards, the three of them would've been together in almost all of their missions........

Kyojuro: The three were inseparable, until.......

Mitsuri: Until.......?

Kyojuro: Suzuki died. 

Mitsuri: What?

Kyojuro: In one of their missions, the three of them are fighting the former Lower Rank Four.

Kyojuro: They managed to defeat the demon. But what came after the battle was the tragedy.

Kyojuro: Suzuki has been suffering from tuberculosis for at least three years.

Kyojuro: Akito somehow knew what was going on due to the what he described as a wind inflicted with illness.

Kyojuro: In fact, when Akito and Masato discovered Suzuki's disease, they told her to retire as her disease is something deadly. But Suzuki was known to be stubborn.

Kyojuro: After their battle against the demon, Suzuki began coughing up blood, to which the two boys quickly brought her to a doctor but they were too late as her body already took the heavy toll from exhaustion after the battle and from her disease.

Mitsuri frowned when she heard the story about her senior's friend.

Mitsuri: So, Kaedehara-senpai experienced losing someone close to him.....it's just too sad.

Kyojuro: Kaede didn't show it, but deep inside, he's in pain. He is someone who doesn't want anyone to see his weak side.

Kyojuro: He always wears a mask of a tranquil person, yet the soul is conflicted.

Mitsuri: So, he's good at hiding his emotions?

Kyojuro: No, he's not really good. I heard from Masato that Akito can subtly express his emotions through the tone of his voice.

Kyojuro: They even say that to someone with a trained ear, can easily deduce Akito's emotions. But to those who doesn't have sharp hearing, they need to observe his body language.