Chapter Text
刀派 青江 – School: Aoe
恒次作、鄙田青江。我輩には特別なこと一つもないし…お館様無視しないでくれるかな…
Hinata Aoe, work of Tsunetsugu. There's nothing special about me, so I wonder if oyakata-sama won't ignore me…
Juzumaru slid open the door to the repair ward to be greeted by a spectacle that actually startled him so much he jumped back a few centimeters – one of the repair beds turned into a garden of origami flowers folded in a variety of elaborateness, from the very ornate icosahedral kusudama to laughably simple tulips and lilies, while his younger brother who had just manifested two days ago sat amidst it, his nimble fingers still working another sheet of paper with amazing speed – a quality usually not expected of a tachi – and skill and his attention not at all paid to the grievous injuries he sustained in battle and the blood, both his and the enemies', staining the pure white origami bellflowers attached to his twin ponytails. He couldn't help but notice that, though his burgundy military suit was taken off him, leaving him shirtless save for the bandages across his torso, the ornate embroidered obi he wore with said suit was draped over his lap. Once he noticed Juzumaru, the sword with long blueberry hair called, "Oh, it's you, ani-ue. I was waiting for you." as he said, he let go of the lotus he was folding and grabbed the obi, "You know I need help wrapping and tying the obi."
"Hinata. I am not here for that." Juzumaru replied, clearing a space amidst the origami flowers, careful not to crush any kusudama, so he could sit down on the edge of the bed. "You should not expect to wear your obi when your shirt is not on."
"But you know it's…"
"Hinata." Juzumaru repeated his name, firmer, and he had to quiet down, "I am here to talk about something else. Though you shouldn't be expected to excel in your first battle, there is something I have to tell you. In fact, it is precisely because it was your first battle that your charging recklessly at the enemy leader was that more dangerous, and that was after I had warned you not to stray far from me at all costs. It was extremely dangerous, and yet…"
"Ani-ue. Listen to me." Hinata interrupted him, "You know I'm already an unremarkable sword, and the last thing I want is to be an unremarkable and useless sword. That's why I wanted to take down the enemy leader on my own on my first battle. I finally managed to take it down, didn't I?" he carried on, "That's what I want to do ever since I received this human body – to do something, to actually accomplish something useful as a trusted warrior of oyakata-sama, to give people something to remember Hinata Aoe by to make up for the uninteresting past I have. You know, I didn't slay ghost and stone like Nikki, didn't scare an entire clan into submission like Kissaki and of course am not a tenka goken sword like ani-ue, despite being made by the same hands, no less! Out of the entire school, I'm probably the most boring one, especially next to you – hell, even down to my name; Hinata is already the most normal human name around and who on Earth knows who Hinata Hanbē is? – so can you tell me what else I can do to go anywhere at all if not to 'recklessly charge at the enemy'?"
Juzumaru didn't know what to answer at that, so he stood up, Hinata's obi in hand. "I'll take this back to our room." he said and left, ignoring his brother's vocal, noisy protest.
Juzumaru looked down at the obi, a sash made from the softest, coolest to the touch material embroidered in the most beautiful, colorful pattern, the only part of his clothing not even remotely damaged from the brawl he caught himself up in. In fact, he seemed to treasure the obi with all his life.
たとえ心臓に傷つけてもかまわないが、帯に触ると、めちゃくちゃ痛い目見るぜ！
I don't care even if you stab my heart, but the second you touch my obi, you're as good as dead!
He roared in a moment of pure, unbridled rage the moment the injury got a bit too much for him to stay calm before trouncing the enemy to admittedly a glorious victory for someone heading to battle for the first time. Aside from the fact it was where he usually stashed his origami paper, Juzumaru wondered if the garish sash that clashed with the rest of his clothing, much like his using wagahai of all pronouns, was also part of his mission to make himself stand out as much as possible.