Time Tells • KNY (DISCONTINUED)

•Chapter 13•

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•Who i am and why I'm here•

TW : Death, Arguing

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The day of Ruka's death, many tears were shed and grief was in the air. Shinjuro had stopped training you and the Rengoku brothers and isolated himself in his own room with his sake.

You were not that close to Ruka but you were lying if you said you weren't saddened by her passing. She was a sweet lady although she may hold the same emotionless expression most of the time, her smiles were always welcoming. Just like your biological Mother..

You shook your head as a scowl made its way to your face, clicking your tounge in distaste at the memory of your biological Mother. You wiped some dirt off your cheek with the back of your hand as you put the wooden sword down and sat on the engawa with a man spread and your hands behind you to support your torso.

Every shrimp head in the house was in their own rooms or still sleeping. You woke up early, three days after Ruka's death, not like you got proper rest anyway because you kept going back and fort from your room to Shinjuro's to make sure he doesn't do anything while you're carelessly sleeping. That's how it was for the past three days.

Shinjuro was too busy drinking to even notice you everytime and you only got proper rest after he passed out due to the alcohol and exhaustion, only to wake up 2 hours later to train because you had nothing else to do considering you couldn't cook for shit.

It didn't affect you as you were used to improper sleep schedules, it's just that the atmosphere really bothered you. Not being used to this as it was usually lively in the place. But you didn't dare utter any complaints as you knew how it was like to lose a loved one, you knew all too well.

Suddenly you heard a bottle of sake shatter somewhere near as you immediately perked up. Your gut immediately told you to check it out as you ran towards the noise, after all the training you couldn't help but notice how fast you were and how you could run with light steps making it hard to hear you coming unless you have enhanced hearing.

You peeked by the hallway as you saw Shinjuro looking at the broken bottle of sake with a pissed expression. His eyes were red and puffy as he clicked his tounge and turned away from the broken bottle and turned the other around to make his way towards a room you knew all too well.

The room that contained all the records about flame breathing and its history.

You narrowed your eyes, stepping over the broken bottle of sake and silently followed the man. 'didn't even clean your own mess, oh well' you thought to yourself as you peeked around the hallway again to see the man slide open a door and went inside.

You clicked your tounge as you came out of your hiding spot. Your body growing taller as your clothes tightened around you, thanking the Kami's for Kyojuro having an oversized Hakama and for the clothes to be stretchy enough to not rip apart when you changed appearances.

Shinjuro's POV :

I stood in front of the door for a moment before i raised my glaring eyes to a certain collection of books in the shelves and started walking towards it.

'if only I hadn't become a demon slayer. If only I spent more time with you I would have noticed sooner that you were slowly dying. I could have given you the proper medical attention sooner if it weren't for me saving those weak people.' I thought as i grit my teeth and clenched my fists, my figure shaking as my wide and angry eyes glared at the books that caused me to be so careless.

I roughly held the shelf and threw it down on the floor as the books went everywhere. I lifted my foot to start stomping on them when suddenly the door slid open to reveal an oddly familiar woman that looked to be a woman in her teenage years.

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOME?! GET OUT OR ELSE." I yelled at the woman as a serious expression made its way to her face. I glared the woman down as she continued to stare back at me with narrowed e/c eyes.

"wait.." I muttered loudly with wide eyes as I came to a realisation. "e/c eyes..h/c hair..you..." I muttered as an expression of disbelief made its way to my face before my glare intensified and the woman didn't even falter, still staring back at me with a serious expression and her eyes flickering towards the books from time to time as I grit my teeth even more.

"explain yourself now. Before I bash your skull in." I threatened with a low voice  as the woman once again continued to be unbothered by my threat as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I will gladly explain later but for now i need you to step away from the books. Shinjuro-San."

"or what?" I asked with an intimidating glare as the woman now returned a glare of her own, making me falter as a swetdrop formed on my neck and face. But I tried to keep up the facade as I averted my eyes away from hers as I turned to pick up one of the books by my feet, noticing how the woman perked up at my action.

"Shinjuro-San I know how much Ruka-San's death had affected you and how much pain you must be in right now. But destroying those books will only cause you more bad than good."

I flinched at the mention of her as I turn back to her with a very angry expression.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW SHIT ABOUT HOW I FEEL!? YOU'RE JUST SOME RANDOM STRANGER WHO TRESPASSED INTO MY HOME SO DONT YOU DARE TRY TO SYMPATHISE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT."

"I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR LONGER THAN YOU THINK. I'LL GLADLY EXPLAIN HOW IF YOU WOULD JUST GET AWAY FROM THOSE BOOKS."

"WHAT ARE YOU SOME STALKER NOW?! THESE BOOKS ARE THE REASON SHE'S GONE"

"YOU'RE WRONG!! RUKA-SAN DIED OF A DISEASE THAT HAD NO CURE. not in this era.." she muttered the last part as a silence engulfed the both of us before i roughly held her collar.

"what are you talking about..HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IF HER DISEASE HAD A CURE OR NOT?! AND WHAT ARE YOU SAYING ABOUT IT NOT BEING IN THIS ERA?! HUH?!" I yelled, confusion, anger and grief mixing up in my chest as I shook.

"I WON'T REPEAT MYSELF AGAIN SHINJURO-SAN. WHY WONT YOU JUST GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND HEAR ME OUT?!" she snapped as i was violently shaking in anger.

"GET MY HEAD OUT OF MY ASS?! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HAS THE AUDACITY TO BREAK INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES AND BRING UP A SUBJECT THAT SHOULDN'T CONCERN YOU"

"YOU'RE RIGHT. BECAUSE IT CONCERNS YOU AND YOUR ELDEST SON AND I'M JUST A STRANGER TRYING TO HELP FROM THE SIDELINES."

"HELP?! SOME LADY LIKE YOU?! IF ANYTHING YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE Y-"

"AND YOU THINK TAKING AWAY YOUR SON'S OPPORTUNITY TO GET STRONGER AND SAVE MORE PEOPLE AND HIMSELF IS ANY BETTER?!"

At this I was taken aback as her expression was laced with anger just like mine. We fell into an awkward silence as I stood there in shock, confusion and anger before she sighed and rubbed her temple.

Looking down at the floor with crossed arms as she spoke with a sincere and serious expression.

"...i..apologise for yelling at you in you're own home and bringing up a touchy subject but please. Step away from those books and let me explain myself, who I am and why I'm here.."