Chapter Text
“A…a thread?”
This had been the fifth time Zenitsu asked and, quite frankly, Kaigaku was growing tired of answering. If it weren’t for their shihan, he would already be beating the brat to a pulp for being so dense.
Can’t he just leave me alone? Kaigaku thought to himself.
He saw Zenitsu’s shoulders tense up before relaxing as if nothing ever happened.
Shit, so the brat heard me. Sometimes, he forgot about the twerp’s excellent hearing and his uncanny capability to read the minds of those close to him if he focused hard enough. No matter how much he hated him. No matter how much they hated each other.
He sighed. Giving Zenitsu hell for being alive was one thing but the stress of a soulmate was another. Granted, he was answering his questions in unhelpful one-word responses. Not only that, but Shihan Kuwajima refused to answer either of them regarding the topic.
Either you chose the path of a slayer or the path of normalcy. The two cannot coexist.
Those were his exact words. The harsh reality struck them both in one way or another.
For Kaigaku, he already knew what he wanted. He had chosen strength.
For Zenitsu… Kaigaku would sometimes hear him breakdown during the night. While the two barely talked, he was made aware of the manipulation and heartbreak the younger teen faced. All he could think of in response was how it served him right. The kid was an utter mess with his unevenly cut hair, cowardice, and self-pitying doubts. Anyone could take advantage of someone like that. Even Kaigaku himself, if he wanted to.
Too bad his need to beat him up and see him cry was much stronger than breaking his mentality. He was sure the daily turmoil was its own kind of psychological horror, in a sense.
“Yes, a thread. Well, more like a strand. It wraps around your wrist like a kind of bracelet. It only appears after someone turns fifteen but…” Kaigaku saw the anticipation held within Zenitsu’s golden eyes stare back into his own turquoise pair. He watched Zenitsu twitch back in fear as he continued. “You’ll be dead long before the time comes.”
Within a millisecond, Zenitsu went from sitting on Kaigaku’s bedding to clinging onto the shoji door. His voice ran nearly a million miles per hour as he shouted, “Thank you for answering my questions!” before bee-lining straight to his room.
Kaigaku chuckled. The day that brat was removed from life forever would be the best day of his life.