'Bye, Hina,' I said.
'Bye, Di-ran.' She waved. 'And you, behave.'
'… Fine,' Saki said, crossing her arms like a sulking cat.
At the moment, both Saki and Eri were dangling from my hands, held by their collars like two naughty cats.
I thought it was over, but… their playtime had escalated. Again.
'Heh. Impressive, servant.' Eri declared, adjusting her glasses. 'To think you could subdue the legendary Swordfish Knight.'
'LET GO OF ME, YOU BASTARD!' Saki flailed around.
'Saki.' Hina said flatly.
'Can you tell the bastard to let me go?!' Saki immediately switched to puppy eyes, weaponising her cuteness.
However, it was ineffective.
'Bye bye.'
Hina turned and left without a second glance.
Abandoned.
'Let's go inside.'
Carrying them in was not a quiet journey.
'Hehehe.' Eri smirked, pushing up her glasses. 'Escort this noble lord to her chambers, servant.'
'I'M GOING TO BITE YOU!'
'Sigh.'
Looking after two children was exhausting.
One was manageable, but two was a headache.
Once inside the living room, I dropped them.
'Ow!'
They both landed on their bums.
'What was that for, bastard?!' Saki snapped.
Eri sat and crossed her legs. 'It seems you require re-education, my dear servant.'
'It seems both of you require a brain.' I rubbed my forehead.
'…'
They stared at me.
Then at each other.
Slowly they nodded their heads, as if confirming a shared idea.
'A bastard truly has a foul mouth.' Saki nodded.
'I have failed as the master of such an ungrateful servant.' Eri shook her head.
Where is Kasumi when you need her?
I exhaled and pointed.
'Saki. Training.' Then I looked at Eri. 'Do whatever you want.'
Eri raised her hand.
'Yes, Eri.'
'What do you intend to do with the Swordfish Knight?'
'I'm going to train her.'
Eri's hand shot up again.
'Yes?'
'Though I do not require permission from a lowly servant, but… may I come?'
'Sure.'
—————————————
'Your stance is too wide, Saki.'
She swung and missed.
'Now it's too tight.'
Her footing faltered.
We tried again.
While I was trying to train her, we also had the world's worst commentator.
'Ahahaha!' Eri laughed from the sidelines. 'To think a proud warrior would lose to a lowly servant.'
'Focus, Saki.'
Saki inhaled slowly, steadying herself.
We resumed.
'Maybe the warrior should retire.'
'Are you sure you're not just a rookie?'
'Hey, warrior—'
'I can't take it anymore!'
Saki snapped.
Lunging at Eri, her blade cut through the air.
*Clang*
I stepped in and blocked it.
'Saki!'
Her body jolted.
'You let your emotions take over again.'
She clenched her teeth, but slowly pulled her sword away.
'Do you understand what could've happened if that had landed?!'
I stepped closer.
'She could've been seriously hurt—!'
'I KNOW THAT!'
The words tore out of her.
Her grip tightened.
'I know…'
Tears slipped down her face, one after another.
'But… it was her fault…'
She pointed at Eri.
'If she didn't keep making fun of me… I wouldn't—'
'Saki!'
She flinched.
For a moment, she looked small.
Her eyes darted between Eri and me.
'Don't blame others for your lack of control—'
'Why do you always take everyone else's side?!'
Her voice wavered.
'Why don't you yell at her?!'
She wiped her face with her sleeve, but the tears didn't stop.
'Do you… hate me?'
'Is that why you always side with everyone else?'
I shook my head.
'Saki, I don't hate you. I'm hard on you because I care about you—'
'Liar!'
She pointed her bokken at me, her hand trembling.
'How is treating me like this caring?!'
Her hands tightened.
'You never respect me!'
She swung.
I disarmed her without thinking.
*Clang Clang*
The sword skidded across the floor.
The sound echoed.
Saki stared at it.
Then at her empty hands.
'…'
She wiped her tears, more roughly this time.
'I'm leaving.'
She turned.
'Saki. Don't go.'
She didn't stop.
'I'm done listening to you!'
And then she ran.
'…'
Silence followed.
'Ha. Seems the warrior isn't so brave after all.'
I turned to Eri.
'Eri. Stop.'
'What are you trying to say, serv—'
I knew they were just kids, but… they need to know.
'I've had enough.'
My voice cut through the room.
'If you hadn't insulted her at every turn, this wouldn't have happened!'
Eri froze.
'Why can't you act your age for once? Just once. Instead you act like a child.'
Slowly, she reached up and removed her glasses.
'I…'
Her eyes shifted, purple, glowing faintly.
A tail rose behind her.
Tears welled in her eyes.
'I hate you…'
'I don't even know why I chose to follow you…'
She threw the glasses to the floor and ran away.
…
The dojo was silent.
I rubbed my forehead.
'Now I'm the villain.'
I bent down and picked up the glasses.
They were intact. Not a scratch.
'… At least you're durable.'
I stared at them for a moment.
Then looked up at the empty space they left behind.
'Is this what you all felt… when you trained me?'
——————————
[The next day]
*Knock Knock*
'Eri, it's time for school.'
'…'
Silence.
'Eri, I'm coming in.'
'GO AWAY!' Her voice slammed through the door. 'LEAVE ME ALONE!'
I froze for a moment… then exhaled.
'There's breakfast on the table.'
No response.
So I left.
—————————-
On the walk to school, the silence followed me.
'I don't get it…'
'All I did was yell.'
That was it.
I didn't hit them.
Didn't punish them.
So why?
'I just don't understand.'
By the time I got to school, nothing had changed.
Kasumi greeted me.
I greeted her back.
Classes passed by quickly. The teacher's voice droned on like an audiobook.
I spread out my senses.
Nothing.
No Eri.
'Guess she stayed home.'
I rested my head on the desk.
How long was she planning to keep this up?
For me, a night was enough.
Sleep it off and move on.
That's how it works.
*Ding Dong*
It was time for lunch.
Kasumi and I made our way to the rooftop.
The usual routine.
'Um-yum-yum.'
I opened my bento, but the food didn't taste like anything.
'Oh… where's Eri?' Kasumi asked.
My chopsticks paused mid-air.
'She didn't come.'
'Is she sick? Should we check on her?'
'No.' I shook my head. 'She's not sick.'
'We… had a fight yesterday.'
Kasumi didn't interrupt.
So I told her everything.
Saki. Eri. The shouting. Everything.
'I don't understand why they're mad,' I muttered, staring down at my food. 'I'm just looking out for them.'
Kasumi was quiet for a moment.
'Maybe… you're too hard on them.'
'Sigh… I'm only hard on them because I want them to grow.'
I set the bento down.
'If they don't, life will hit them harder than I ever could.'
The wind brushed past us.
'I was raised like that. That's how I survived. That's how I got stronger.'
My grip tightened slightly.
'I just don't want them to waste their lives.'
'…'
Silence.
Just the wind.
Then, I felt a gentle pat on my back.
'Di-ran… can I ask you something?'
I nodded.
'How did you feel… back then, when they were yelling?'
I leaned back.
'I felt like shit… like I wanted to run away.'
'But now, looking back… I get it. They were helping me. So I'm grateful for the things they did.'
'… But they don't know that.'
Kasumi's voice stayed soft, but steady.
'Even if your intentions are good… they don't know that.'
She looked at me.
'All they see is you yelling, screaming at them to work harder.'
'Just like you did back then.'
That felt different.
'Sigh…'
I leaned back further, staring at the clouds.
'I get what you're saying, but… my mentors were way harsher than I am.'
'If they can't handle this, how are they going to handle the real world?'
Kasumi didn't answer right away. She just looked at me.
'Di-ran… are Saki and Eri you?'
'No. They are themselves.'
'Everyone is different.' She said gently.
Her gaze shifted to the sky.
'We don't feel things the same way. We don't grow the same way.'
'What feels mild to you… might already be too much for them.'
'…'
'You may have grown up fast, Di-ran… but maybe… they need more time.'
The wind picked up again.
'You can't measure them using your past.'
'Because they're not you.'
…
'I…'
I stopped.
I didn't have another thing to say.
All I had… were memories.
Saki's trembling hands. Eri's voice breaking. And my party members, all saying the same thing.
The way they looked at me.
Not angry, but hurt.
'… Oh.'
I looked down at my hands.
When did I start thinking like this?
When did I become…
…
'I was the same. I hated it.' I muttered.
Not them.
The way it felt.
The loneliness. The frustration. The expectations.
Being told it was 'for my own good' while waking up with bruises all over my body.
And now…
'I did the same thing they did to me back then…'
'But I never actually showed I cared.'
Only the harsh part.
'I… should apologise.'
Kasumi smiled softly.
'That's a good start.'
'But… how should I even?' I scratched my head. 'Where do I even begin?'
'Sincerity. Even if they don't understand it, they can feel it.'
'And…' She added. 'Try to see things from their perspective.'
'Yeah.' I nodded. 'Thanks… Kasumi. For being here with me.'
'That's what friends are for.' She lifted her arm and the bracelet dangled.
*Ding Dong*
'Time to head back.'
I reached my hand out.
'Mm.' She nodded, taking my hand.