▪︎ℙ𝔼ℕ ℙ𝔸𝕃𝕊▪︎ •GenMui•

[22] - 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓?

"And that's how you fold a crane." Muichiro's mother gently smiles, displaying a red paper crane in her hands.

"Woah!" Muichiro's eyes gleamed with amazement. He is always fond of his mother's origami hobby, wanting her to teach him how to fold.

He looks down at his work, seeing a distorted looking chicken rather than a crane. He frowns, disappointed at his work.

The mother let out a small laugh, picking up the boy's crane and fixes it as she hums.

"You know, there's a thing with paper cranes..." She says, folding the last fold.

Muichiro tilts his head curiously, looking at his mother with eager eyes. "What's so special about it mom?"

The mother gave off a gentle smile as she finishes and place it beside her's. "Do you really want to know?"

---

Guilt and nervousness fills in Muichiro's mind. He sits by his desk, staring at the empty paper before him, gripping his own yukata with pouted lips.

It’s already late night, he could not sleep. When Ginko came home late after being with Matsuemon, Muichiro thought that maybe he could atleast send Genya a letter to apologize.

With one hand on his yukata, and the other holding the pen, Muichiro could not think of anything to say. His mind went blank and he can feel a lump in his throat.

How can he write a proper apology like this?

"Damnit." Muichiro grunted and drops the pen. He lets out a heavy sigh, feeling a headache.

Instead of writing, he decided to fold the paper to clear his mind. Swiftly and smoothly, Muichiro folds it step by step just as how his mother told him. He didn't recall who taught him origami before, but eversince he was in the water vase; he remembers.

His mother's sweet words rang in his ears as he continues his little hobby. Her sweet words and soft voice, he miss her dearly. After a fold or so, Muichiro is finally done. He withdraws the crane, letting it sit on his desk. Silently looking at it, still feeling overwhelmed.

"This is the same thing when nii-san was ignoring me over a dog..." Muichiro mumbled out bluntly as he scratches the back of his neck.

"967th crane, Tokito-san..." Ginko says with a wing over her beak, making a soft laugh.

"I made that much?" The bird nodded in response.

Muichiro didn't really coherent with that information; brushing it off his thoughts. Instead, he still wanted to write an apology even if he wasn't really good at it.

He brings out a new sheet of paper and set aside the crane across the table. Picking up his pen and gazes towards the paper, thinking of what to write.

Eerie silence filled the room after. The feeling of the cool wind brushing against Muichiro's cheek and hair didn't help him with the churning guilt that's pooling in his stomach. The bird watch intently by the open window, seeing the nervousness in his eyes.

"Tokito-san," Muichiro's eyes fell onto the feather-winged before him. "I think the letter should take time." Ginko says softly with no trace of her usual sassy tone.

The young Hashira sets down his pen and leans back a bit. "How can I do that?" His eyes narrow down to the ground. "I was rude to him. Having to realize this, maybe I'm not going back to who I was before."

"And? You're stressed." Ginko huffs lightly with her normal tone returning. "Do not think about that half-balded guy! You're a young and independent Hashira!" Ginko huffed, crossing her wings.