こういうかんけい 0.6

"Yamanba-kun? How are you feeling?"

I looked up and saw her entered, having changed her miko-like attire into a much more simple kosode and carried a tray of tea pot, cups, and snacks with her.

"Much better," was my answer as I pulled down the tip of her haori that I still wore over my head.

She smiled at that while kneeling down and put the tray down. After she sit down before me, she commented, "Do you feel comfortable with the jersey? I can arrange for different clothes if you don't like it."

Like her, I had also changed my attire to be much more presentable. This clothing she called 'jersey' was given to me by the two men who treated my wounds (and turned out to be Nuguigami and Uchiko). When I had put it on and looked at the mirror present in the room, I thought that I look weird, but doesn't mind to put up with it since it felt comfortable against my skin.

"This is more than enough. I can't possibly be rude and ask you for something else."

"As long as you ask politely, I don't mind listening to any requests."

"I'm fine for now."

"If you say so." She filled the cups with tea and served it together with the snacks, an ohagi. "I hope you don't mind sweets?"

"I've never tasted one."

It seemed that for a moment there she had forgotten that I have only gained a human form for a short time and hadn't have the chance to taste any food before. "Ah. You're right." Light chuckles escaped her lips and her cheeks were tinted bright red from embarrassment. "Well, how about giving it a try now?"

Nodding, I brought the plate up and held the chopsticks, using them to carefully bring the sticky snack into my mouth. After the first bite, I did nothing else but chewing on it and my master seemed to keep waiting for my reaction, so after I gulped it down my throat, I said,

"It's good."

That brought another relieved smile to her lips. "Good to hear. I was worried that it wouldn't suit your taste since you belonged to an aristocrat, but I don't have any refined sweets here."

"You don't have to think about that kind of petty things. Even aristocrats eat ohagi, you know?"

"Really?" This topic seemed to spark her interest. The glimmer she had on her eyes when we had our first encounter returned as she spoke. "What else does your former master eat, Yamanba-kun?"

I had to think long and hard to answer that. Retrieving a memory from time long past isn't an easy feat, and it's not like he had me with him every time he filled his belly. I slowly started to mention his menu, mostly about vegetables and seafoods... but mostly vegetables.

By the time I finished my recounting, she asked about meat, and while she didn't seem surprised when I said that Nagao didn't eat much meats, she certainly looked a bit disappointed.

"... You seem to be concerned, but I don't mind if you're going to eat meat in front of me."

"That would be rude to you, if you're adopting the same policy as your former master. Beside, I actually planned to give you foods that has meats in it at least once a day...."

"Why?"

"Well, Yamanba-kun is going to fight in the battlefield from now on and I think you need to eat more meats for additional stamina."

I see her point, but eating more or less meats probably wouldn't affect me, as I originally am not a human.

Though...

"... You've been calling me 'Yamanba-kun' for awhile, haven't you."

She was about to bite at her own ohagi when I mentioned that. "Do you not like it?"

"Well, I, for one, am certainly not a female youkai living in the mountain and eating human."

"... True. Then, do you have a name that you want to be called with?"

That was another question that silenced me for a long time.

I am the duplicate of the real Yamanbagiri.
I have never been called otherwise in the whole time I lived as a sword.
A different name than the one I currently possess? I have never thought about it.
And I had never imagined that a chance to be called by another name would ever come...

"... Anything would be fine," I finally said. In the end I couldn't come up with anything. I had never accomplished anything significant either, so I couldn't derive a name from the experience.

"Anything?"

"Yes. Pet names would be fine too... I guess." Because, isn't that what I am to her?

But she laughed it off as if I had said it as a joke. If only she knew that I was seriously okay with names like Pochi or Tama.

"Then... Kunihiro-kun."

I blinked. "That's the swordsmith who made me."

"Yes, but it's part of your name. Yamanbagiri Kunihiro. Beside, aren't you his masterpiece? I think it's only right for you to be called by that name."

Another blink and I couldn't suppress the curiosity in my voice. "When did you look it up?"

"Just earlier, after I finished washing your clothes." She smiled meekly, like a child got caught doing a mischief. "Ah, speaking of your clothes... I'll return them to you tomorrow. It'll take awhile to dry..."

I didn't respond to that piece of info. Right now, I could care less about my clothes.

Another mysterious sensation overwhelmed me.

Unlike the previous one, however, this one created a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.

Which I recalled to have experience only once before. When I had just been finished by Kunihiro and yet to be presented to Nagao. A man had looked at me in awe and showered my smith with praises. The smile that he had that day...

"Kunihiro-kun,"

Looking up, I noticed that my master had been watching me the whole time my mind went through some nostalgic memories.

"you finally smiled."

She was smiling, and that smile overlapped with my memory of Kunihiro's smile. Unconsciously, that made the edges of my lips curve further.

"Thank you, Master."

---

Kosode: short-sleeved kimono, usually worn indoor.
Nuguigami: paper used in sword cleaning process.
Uchiko: blush-on look-alike, used to in sword cleaning process.
Ohagi: snack made from sticky rice and sweet azuki bean paste.