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While Setsuna gave the proper obeisance when needed, there were precious few who truly had her respect, such as her grandmother and father whose strength and grace she admired. Grandma Kaede, Aunt Kagome, Lady Shiori, and Chief Sango, taught her how to defend herself as a hanyō and a woman. The monk Miroku, welcomed her into his household without hesitation, treating her with the same gentleness he gave to his blood daughters and son. Master Kohaku took her on as his disciple despite the insults he endured for allowing a child with yōkai blood to learn their clan’s techniques.
Moroha, who was always growing at an exponential rate Setsuna had to take note of lest she be left behind. And the vague memory of the older sister she lost, what strength had she gathered in the time they were apart? Had she died, or perhaps did not need to return home - to her ?
And then, there was Hisui, a sweet-tempered, good-natured boy around her age. Someone she would compare to the distant likeness of her mother’s memory with how open-minded and forgiving he could be toward yōkai and humans alike.
During their childhood, she thought him weak-hearted for his unwillingness to fight, even against the village children who tried to bully him simply for his friendliness toward herself and Moroha.
At one time, it frustrated her so profoundly that she cruelly called him a coward. His face, still rounded with childhood innocence, seemed to age right in front of her with patience and understanding that turned her tongue to lead and stirred shame in her stomach. Grey eyes crescented as he tipped his head to one side, saying, “Hahaue would be upset with me if I fought someone weaker than me for fun…” Then he held out his hand, showing the rough skin of his palm from what she later understood was a result of countless hours of training under his mother’s watchful eye.
“She told me that our clan’s techniques are meant to protect the weak and punish the wicked. If I used them for anything else, she would make me do handstands in the courtyard with Chichiue as punishment.”
He laughed at that, but Setsuna remembered seeing others endure the chief’s punishments, and it was no laughing matter. Still, he laughed anyway, and Setsuna felt so ashamed that she refused to meet his eye as he walked her back home. On the way, a trio of boys, who’d been particularly persistent in their attempts to cajole her and Moroha into a fight, jeered and followed them at a distance.
“Aren’t taijiya supposed to kill monsters?” One of the boys shouted at Hisui, earning the chortling laughter of his friends.
Setsuna ignored them, crossing the bridge over the river bank with her head held high and hands strained to remain loose with the appearance of ease at her sides, but Hisui stopped a few steps behind her and turned. She glanced over her shoulder, half-expecting him to ask the trio if they had nothing better to do and demand them to be on their way. Instead, her gaze was drawn down to the fist he pressed to his hip.
The boys seemed to notice this as well, amusement sapped from their faces, replaced with indecisiveness and apprehension.
“What?!” The same boy from earlier shouted. “You want to fight?”
Hisui didn’t say anything, and the wary glances from his friends spurred the boy into action, approaching with a punch thrown sloppily at Hisui’s face. Everything that occurred next would’ve been too fast for anyone else, but Setsuna saw it. Hisui’s hand opened, swiftly raising to bat the boy’s fist away with the back of his wrist. Then, he shifted his foot to one side, sweeping the boy’s feet from underneath him. A few scattered gasps and shouts followed as the boy teetered toward the side of the bridge, his straw sandals fraying at the heel when his soles scraped against a loose plank.
Yet, just as he’d nearly toppled headfirst over the bridge’s side, Hisui snatched the boy from the water’s embrace by the collar of his kosode. Setsuna watched as the boy’s eyes widened, watering with fear and uncertainty at what had almost occurred until he was yanked backward into Hisui’s waiting arms.
Hisui wasn’t much taller than them, then, but the boy looked up at him and was startled so severely that he’d almost flung himself onto the dirt road in his haste to get away from Hisui. The duo left behind watched with held breaths, startling into action when their friend rushed past them, fearfully crying out. Sparing a glance over their shoulders at Hisui, the two quickly followed the fleeing boy until their silhouettes disappeared within the village.
“... What did you do?” Setsuna asked. Her brows furrowed at Hisui as he turned around to face her. “You said that you wouldn’t fight someone weaker than you.”
Hisui scratched his cheek, smiling sheepishly. “I wasn’t fighting, I was protecting a friend. Besides, chichiue said a man shouldn’t pretend he didn’t see when a woman is in danger.”
Setsuna sniffed at that, folding her arms. How could he consider himself a man when he was still so small? And she wasn’t even close to reaching womanhood. “I wasn’t in danger. Those three couldn’t do anything to me; we both know it.”
Hisui’s smile slackened a bit, softening into something that was infuriatingly knowing , and it bothered Setsuna all the way home, where she refused to walk beside him - though she knew he was trailing at her heels even when she purposefully walked faster to spite him. Once Kaede’s home came into view, she looked back and saw Hisui slow down from a jog with a little laugh like they’d been playing a game.
I don’t understand you, Setsuna thought, looking away stubbornly as he bid her goodnight and offered to play with her again tomorrow, starting towards his home. In what way could they have hurt me? It makes no sense—
Monster.
“Setsuna?”
She flinched despite herself, looking up to find Hisui standing a short distance away, staring back at her with worry. Then, he smiled and said gently, “Don’t let what they said bother you. Setsuna is the kindest person I know.”
With a little wave, he turned around and continued his strides home, leaving Setsuna to numbly watch him go until the fire stoked a soft, warm glow in the windows, and Kaede stepped outside in search of Setsuna - surprised to see her standing stiffly on her doorstep.
“Come inside, child, before ye catch your death.”
Woodenly, Setsuna followed her instructions and carried on throughout the night without thinking much about her actions, for her mind was filled with those few sentiments he shared. She couldn’t sleep through the night as Kaede did, but once her grandmother turned in and the quietness of the night took its place - Hisui’s voice remained.
Setsuna is the kindest person I know.
Staring up at the rafters, Setsuna thought he was wrong. And to the point of the present, when he was still calling her the kindest and strongest, she thought he was wrong.
Hisui was the kindest and strongest person she knew.