Chapter nine:

"Under the rain"

You woke up with high spirits, despite the soreness your body was dragging since yesterday's physical strain. You were sure that you'd mastered the first form enough for him to teach you the second.

Hair tied into a high ponytail, dressed up in your training, you were ready to take on another challenge.

Sure, there might be spider-like demons, but Tokito-sama will protect me from those! ...I wish, I hope!

You happily skipped towards the garden's back sliding doors, abruptly stopping when you saw the long haired boy staring the window.

Slowly, you made your way towards him.

"T-Tokito-sama, ...aren't you going to teach me the second form today?"

He shook his head.

"We would have, if it wasn't raining outside"

You blinked thrice, processing what he had stated. Outside, water fell like bullets against the soil, the clouds so dark that you thought they were sick.

Your mouth opened as wide as your eyes, almost popping from their holes. Muichiro could barely look at your troubled expression and not notice the rosy hue that was permanently stuck coloring your cheeks.

«Cute...»

"Ah, but..."

Muichiro's ears perked up, he noticed your sudden change of confusion.

"When you were a trainee, didn't you practice under the rain as well?"

He nodded, expressionless.

"then, then why—?"

"You're going to slip, fall, and injure yourself. It's a waste of time."

True. True.

Your energy had trembled in the air and died. The remaining excitement was nothing more than a thin strand of your master's perfect, mysteriously handsome figure staring into the powerful rain.

Your eyes narrowed as your cheeks burnt harder.

Goddamnit, he's too pleasant to look at.

You closed your eyes, smiling at the heavens, hands joined together.

Thank you, God, for allowing me to wake up to see his face every day.

Without knowing what to do with the situation —two people, trapped under one roof, enjoying the calmness of the rain—, you decided to do small talk again. It worked once, so it should work a second time.

You thought that Muichiro wouldn't ignore you like other people usually did when you talked to them, feeding your anxiety (or at least, not as much). He was quiet and had never smiled in all the time you'd been together, but he usually answered the few times you'd spoken to him.

Your hands became fists, taking enough courage from the depths of your heart to ask a simple question.

"T-Tokito-sama..."

"Hm?"

"I, um... I told you something from my childhood, so... so isn't it fair that you tell me something about you, as well?"

You faced down at your feet, which were nervously playing with each other and tapping the wood.

The air, heavy as a thousand iron pounds, could've been cut with a single slice of a knife. The sound of the falling waterdrops, battling against the ground, was the melody that prevented the silent between you two.

You lifted your head cautiously, afraid of his reaction due to not having heard anything in what appeared to be the longest minutes of your life; only to meet his mint orbs over you, at first showing a hollowness that chilled your bones, but ultimately, hiding a hint of sorrow so deep that you felt you would've drowned in it.

You flinched. Your leg instinctively stepped backwards. Your eyes were set on his, unable to look away, trapped.

Before you could apologize for having asked, vow not to ever speak to him again, hide your country-sized shame under your pillow, and run away never to be seen, he spoke.

"I don't have any"

You remained silent, attentive.

"I don't have any childhood memories, I don't remember."

I... I shouldn't question him further... I shouldn't.

"Y-you don't remember?" you asked, betraying your own thoughts and all the red flags your brain was desperately waving at you.

The sorrow and rage you'd noticed inside his eyes was more evident now, but the rest of his face did not waver.

"I have no memories prior to my training to become a demon slayer about two years ago"

Oh God I really shouldn't have asked. I just asked him something reeeeally personal.

The walls were closing in on you. Silently, you wished the wood beneath you became a demon and swallowed you and your pathetic big mouth.

But it didn't.

You could either say something or flee the scene like you should've seconds ago.

Your eyes became dots, mind blank and a silly smile appeared in your face. Muichiro rose an eyebrow.

Tactic #23: Ignore everything and act like an idiot.

"Oh! I've never felt the rain before!"

Muichiro said absolutely nothing, hella confused by the sudden change of topic.

"Y-you know, the waterdrops against my skin and all, like in the novels I've read"

"You mean the dirty water that could give you salmonella?"

Oh no! It's tactic #12, my worse enemy: logic.

You laughed nervously, sweating.

"Well, yeah"

"..."

"I'll go try it!"

Fast like lightning, you slid the door open, jumping off the engawa. The rain soon showered you, wetting your clothes, sticking your hair to your face.

Muichiro sat on the engawa, which was safely under the roof. He found it strange that you suddenly had the idea of taking a shower under the rain, but he found it even more strange how genuinely surprised you were. Your eyes were shining like those of a little kid's, and the color of your cheeks grew more noticeable.

"Close your mouth, you're drinking it"

You were oblivious to his words, amused by how the rain felt.

It hurt, because it hit with all of its might. If this wasn't a storm, it would've been more pleasant, romantic.

But it was true that it was the first time you'd felt such phenomenon against your skin. The smell that linguered was so nice as well!

You had to close your eyes, afraid that the liquid might hit them.

"Look, look, Tokito-sama! It's raining! I can really feel it!"

A toothy smile reached your features. You couldn't contain the million giggles that ended up in a cheerful laugher.

"This is amaziiiiiiiing!!"

He let out a sigh, crossing his arms. She was nothing more than a naive girl discovering the sensation of rain, although a ghost of a smile threatened to color his face.

"Come on inside, [Y/N]. You're gonna get sick."

"J-Just a few more minutes! I wanna see the rainbow too!!"