Beauty of Her Spring [KNY Reader Insert]

Chapter 5: Model

"I, uh..."

"What is it?"

"Fujihara-san...I don't know if you're trying to tease me, but..."

"Hm? How am I teasing you?"

"...Well...! Look! You can't be serious!"

You blinked, arms crossed, and seated on a bamboo bench close by to keep watch of his practice.

"...I still don't understand."

Kaede didn't hide the evident scowl on his face at your confusion.

"This...!" He tried to keep himself from fully shouting. The edge of his sword was pointed up to the tree you had assigned him to, and he jabbed the air a couple of times for emphasis. "This practice. What is the whole point of it? Why are you having me do this?!"

If there was one thing you had quickly learned with your time training Kaede, it is that he did not like elusiveness. He hated being kept in the dark and became disgruntled when something wasn't clearly explained. This led him to bubble over often, coming off as impatient, which he was naturally to some degree and shrewd to many others.

It had been about a little over a month since you started training him, and he had made progress. But he had gotten stuck on the third technique. He was still in that rut even after you returned from your mission and short vacation at Minako's place.

"I believe I explained it before," you mumbled, "you need to cut down each falling leaf's stem."

Kaede glared at you.

This boy warmed up to you...in an endearingly brazen way. Before, he was awkward and stiff as a board whenever you weren't directing him or having him practice, but now he wasn't afraid to talk back and give you all sorts of faces whenever he disapproved of your methods. While you were impressed with his bravery to speak to you in such a way, you were also sometimes tired of his conflict-prone nature.

You wondered if you could prank and scare him using Urokodaki as the catalyst. A little more respect or intimidation was warranted. Maybe Urokodaki would agree to a plan like that.

"Are you listening to yourself?!" he exclaimed, pointing his sword at you in a crude manner. "What kind of lunacy is that? How am I supposed to do that? You'd need the eyes of a hawk to pull that off."

"But I did it."

"You're the exception! Not the standard."

You frowned, "Hey...that sounds like an insult."

The pepper-haired teen grunted and sheathed his sword.

"Yeah...well..." he crossed his arms with closed eyes, "only if you think it is. I'm trying to say that the level between you and me is too great. You can't expect me to pull something off you can do. You're a Hashira, the best of the best."

You gave him a crooked smile, "I had to earn that title, you know. I wasn't born with talent."

"I sincerely doubt that."

With a small sigh, you stood up from the bench you had only claimed a few moments ago, walking over to where Kaede stood under the cherry tree.

"I know it might be hard to believe when you only see the results and not the progress it took to reach them," you looked up at the tree, one of the many you had become antiquated over the years. It was one of the prettier ones, not to mention larger ones.

According to Haruka, this tree had been planted by his great-grandfather for his great-grandmother in an attempt to court her. It was said to be the sakura tree that inspired her to develop her breathing technique after being refused to be taught one by many masters. You weren't sure if the story was true, but you liked to believe it was. It gave character to the tree other than how grand and beautiful it was.