Chapter Text
“Oh… I’m lost…”
Setsuna looked around her once more to make sure, but her initial hunch was right: she had no idea where she was. The trees all looked identical and she could barely see the sky beyond the canopy. That was bad. Her mother had told her not to wander too far off from her grandparents’ home, but it had been such a long time since Setsuna last saw the forest and she could resist walking away.
At eight years old, she had always been sheltered by her family, to the point where nothing felt exciting. No toy, no book, no activity could even make her crack a smile. It was all such a bore. And so, when an opportunity, any opportunity to do something against the grain presented itself, she took it. But it seemed like she had bit off more than she could chew, this time. She wanted to see the forest, well there she had it: trees everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Nothing else. How boring. She had tried to retrace her steps, but she couldn’t-…
Oh. Now that she was looking at her feet again, she noticed one of her sandals was missing. Her mother had spent all morning dressing her up for her grandparents. Hair up in a cute bun held by an ornate hairpin, a colorful kimono and a pair of expensive sandals. When she would come back home - if she even managed to! -, her appearance would be all messed up. Her mother would be angry with her. Well, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all; it would be a nice change of pace from the overprotection.
As she kept walking forward, figuring that surely she would end up somewhere eventually, Setsuna felt something constrict around her foot. Confused, she tried looking, but the world immediately spun around: the forest floor was above her head, and the trees’ leaves rapidly approached her feet. She blinked a few times, her eyes widening in surprise, before she finally stabilized. Looking around, she saw ropes and knots surrounding her, the ground a few meters down below. Somehow, she had gotten herself in a net dangling from a tree branch. She opened her mouth to call for someone, but closed it immediately. No one was around to help.
“Am I going to die here?...” she thought to herself, concerned. “I told Mother I would come back for dinner. And I’m already late…”
That was… annoying to say the least. Setsuna felt annoyed. But, at the same time… This situation was strangely exciting. For once, she had gotten herself in a truly bad situation. For once, no one was around to help her up and wrap her in a blanket. For once, there were actual, negative consequences to her bad actions.
That was new. That was… something. And Setsuna couldn’t help but feel thrilled at the prospect of being up here. For the first time in a while, she felt something.
“Mmmh? You don’t look like prey.”
Setsuna’s head spun around at the sudden words, surprised. There, sitting on the branch where her net was attached, was a boy. He looked a few years older than her, but he was definitely a child. Oh no, had this boy gotten lost as well? This forest must be cursed, Setsuna thought. Though, if that kid liked getting into nets as well, maybe not so. She took a closer look, trying to assess who this mysterious person was. His skin was slightly tanned, his brown hair stood on his head like a thornbush and he was clad in a simple grey kimono vest and pants. He seemed like a commoner. Focusing on his face, she noticed that his small eyes made him look like he was closing them, and his smile signaled that he derived some sort of enjoyment from this situation. If he was lost, he sure didn’t seem alarmed by the situation.
“I’m not prey,” she responded, her voice soft and slow as usual. “Is this your net? I’m sorry for taking your space.”
The boy frowned, keeping quiet for a second, before his mouth split into a grin again.
“My space? What are you talking about, you weirdo?” he snarked. “That’s a hunter’s net. If that’s anyone’s space, it’s an animal’s.”
“Oh…” Setsuna responded with a nod. “Okay.”
The kid looked at her some more. When he realized she wasn’t going to add anything, he scooted closer and leaned forward on the branch, looking down at her with a barely disguised smirk.
“You know… You look real comfy in there,” he commented, rhythmically kicking his feet in the air. “Maybe I should leave you here.”
Setsuna offered him a small smile. It seemed like the boy understood her desire to stay trapped. How kind of him.
“Thank you…” she smiled. “You’re very nice.”
The boy’s legs stopped moving, his eyes widening as his smile fell. He stared at her for a few seconds before bursting out laughing, throwing his head back.
“Ahaha! You’ve got to be the weirdest person I’ve ever met!” he laughed, sitting back up and getting closer to the rope. He wrapped his legs around the branch, securing himself as he pulled out a knife from his kimono. With his free hand, he grabbed the net that contained the strange little girl, below the part that connected the trap to the tree. “Well, now I don’t want you to stay there. So let me just…”
As he sawed through the rope, Setsuna pouted. Well, that was underwhelming. She hadn’t even been in that net for five minutes, and she was already getting out. Forcibly getting out, even, by some unknown, although very nice, young boy. But she wouldn’t forget this experience; finally, something exciting had happened in her life.
“Say, little missy…” the boy said as he worked on the net. “Your clothes are really fancy. Are you a noble or something?”
“Ah… Yes, I am,” Setsuna responded in earnest.
The boy frowned, but still focused on his initial task.
“Oh, really? I had no idea there were noble families around here. It’s just some mountain far from the capital.”
Setsuna thought back to her grandparents, a flicker of sadness passing through her eyes. She had been so excited at the prospect of experiencing something new that she had completely forgotten about her family. That thought suddenly made her feel very guilty. Her parents had brought her all this way to see her elders, and she had been ready to give up on them to die in a net in the forest. That was… very mean, really. Thank the gods this boy had come her way!
“Thank you,” she voiced out loud.
The kid stopped working for a second, shooting her a confused glance. He then shrugged and moved the knife again.
“I came here to see my family…” she continued. “My grandfather is a commoner.”
“Mmh, that explains it,” he responded absent-mindedly.
Setsuna looked up at the kid, taking in the slight furrow in his brow as he focused on freeing her. She was used to having people work for her sake, so this was no new experience. Still, she appreciated the fact that this boy, whom she had just met, was trying his best to help her out of this situation. Only a truly kind person would do that, she thought.
Eventually, the rope gave way. Setsuna shrieked as she started falling, but thanks to the grip he had kept on the trap, the boy kept her dangling above the ground. Stuffing his knife back in his clothes, he grabbed the severed strand and lowered it as far as he could. Still, Setsuna was too far up in the air.
“Mmmh…” the kid mused. “Let me see…”
Making sure his legs were locked around the branch, the boy suddenly let himself hang upside down, extending his arms as far as he could to help the little girl get down.
“Is the ground close enough?” he asked.
“I… I think so,” Setsuna responded, evaluating the distance between her and the ground. She would still be falling, but it was manageable.
After she gave him the go, Setsuna was then dropped on the ground. The landing wasn’t pleasant and she let out an “oof” as she hit the ground, but at least she wasn’t hurt. She looked up at her savior through the ropes that still trapped her.
“Thank… Oh?”
The boy was still hanging upside down, looking at her with a self-satisfied smirk.
“Isn’t… Isn’t that uncomfortable?” she asked, genuine concern in her voice.
“This?” he laughed. “No, it’s really fun actually. You should do it sometimes. You look like someone who doesn’t have fun often.”
Well, he certainly wasn’t wrong.
He reached up - or was it down? -, holding onto the branch with his hands. He unwrapped his legs and let himself dangle in the air for a couple seconds before letting go and landing next to her. He turned to her with the smile she had seen on his face almost the entire time she had known him.
“I was debating whether I should leave you in that net or not,” he smirked. “But if I do, you might get eaten by a bear.”
Setsuna blinked.
“That… would not be good.”
“Incredible observation,” he congratulated her. How nice! “I might be a little… mischievous, but I’m no murderer. So… I guess I’ll just have to help you.”
He knelt next to her, taking out his knife again to help the girl out of the trap. He worked a lot more quickly and efficiently now that he didn’t have to hold a little girl’s weight with one hand. Setsuna stared at him as he worked. Eventually, he looked back into her eyes, a little annoyed.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
Setsuna shook her head with a smile.
“No… You’re just really nice.”
He paused, looking straight at her as if he was trying to discern her real intentions. But Setsuna was entirely genuine, and she knew her face reflected it. He shook his head as a different kind of smile appeared on his face.
“Nice… Well, that’s a first.”
He sliced through the net, unraveling it as he pulled it around Setsuna. She stood up, a little wobbly after having been in the air for so long. As she patted down her kimono to dust the dirt away, she looked up at her savior.
“What’s your name?”
“My name?” the boy asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you care?”
“Well… You’re nice. I just want to know,” she smiled.
He shook his head with an exasperated sigh. Still, he smiled as he looked back at her, patting her shoulder.
“My name is Azama,” he introduced himself. “I’m not sure what you’ll do with that, but… Here you go.”
Setsuna accepted the information with a smile. She looked at him for a little while longer before her expression slowly fell into one of curiosity.
“... Aren’t you going to ask for mine back?”
Azama laughed again. Setsuna wasn’t sure what was so funny about any of what she had done today, but… He was happy, at least. Setsuna didn’t always understand people, but as long as they were happy, she was happy.
“No, I don’t care about your name,” he responded, poking her on the forehead. “You’re just a cute, clumsy, weird little girl I met in the woods once. The knowledge of your name would serve me no purpose whatsoever.”
Setsuna frowned. Sure, that… made some sense, but…
“… But… surely it doesn’t cost anything to hear my name?” she argued.
“Ah, but it does!” he shrugged with a wide grin. “My precious memory is limited, you know. I can’t have your name clogging it when I should be learning more important stuff.”
He took a step closer, his eyebrows furrowed but a big smirk on his face, wagging his finger at her. A smile meant that he was happy, right? But that didn’t match his words. Curious.
“Imagine this: what if I move one day and have to learn my new address, but there’s no more space in my brain because of your name? That would be terrible, wouldn’t it? I wouldn’t be able to go back home! And it would be aaall your fault.”
“Oh.”
She paused for a moment. She had never considered things from this angle. What if she were to find herself in a similar situation because she had learned his name? That would be really bad. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked for his name. He was right, too: it wasn’t even useful.
As Setsuna lost herself in her thoughts and worries, wondering if learning anyone’s name had been a huge mistake, Azama’s eyes caught onto her mismatched feet, one of them wearing a dark sandal and the other bare. He frowned.
“Hey, why do you only have one shoe?” he asked. “Is it a weird fashion choice?”
Setsuna looked down, suddenly remembering she had lost her sandal. They had cost a lot, apparently. Her mother would definitely be angry.
“I lost it somewhere… I don’t know where or when,” she told him.
The boy rubbed his chin, seemingly deep in thought.
“Where does your family live? I know a few villages around here.”
“Um… Yasumizu, I think,” she responded, trying really hard to remember the few times her parents had mentioned the village by name.
Thankfully, she seemed to have gotten it right, because Azama smiled and turned around, pointing forward.
“Ah, it’s that way. Your sandal is probably on the way there.”
“How do you even find your way around here?...” Setsuna asked, genuinely impressed.
He sighed, but a small, fond smile played on his lips.
“I spend a lot of time around here. You know, running away from all the adults,” he chuckled.
“... Are the adults mean to you?” she enquired.
He shook his head and snickered.
“No. But I’m mean to them.”
He pulled her by the arm and started walking in the direction of the village. However, Setsuna felt a sharp sting in her foot as they walked. She started limping to avoid having to stand on her bare foot. The boy quickly seemed to notice. His eyes narrowed as he looked behind them, before his face devolved into a full frown.
“... You’re bleeding,” he commented.
Surprised, Setsuna turned around. As he had observed, there was a faint trail of blood on the ground and leaves behind them. She raised her foot to look at her sole, and spotted a bloody cut close to her heel. She looked up at her savior, anxiously waiting for him to say something. He was older, clearly wiser and had already helped her once. He would surely come up with a solution.
He stared at her injury silently, as if assessing the damage. Without saying a word, pushed her down so she was sitting, before grabbing a handful of large leaves on a nearby low-hanging branch. He then knelt by her side and started cleaning the wound with whatever he could. But the leaves weren’t very efficient for this purpose.
Seeing that he wasn’t getting anywhere, he sighed and grabbed the edge of his vest, staining the fabric but getting the dirt out more efficiently. Setsuna watched in silence as he removed his sash to tie it around her foot, stopping the blood from flowing. She admired his work, wondering what she must have done for the gods to put such a kind person on her path today.
“I don’t know much about medicine, but… That should do it until you get back to your parents,” he explained, getting up. He extended his hands and pulled her up to her feet as well. “You should probably ask someone who knows what they’re doing.”
Setsuna looked up at him, gratefulness and sincerity shining in her eyes.
“Thank you, Azama. You’re really kind.”
As seemed to be a common occurrence with him, he stared for a moment. But this time, he quickly extended a hand towards her while the other rested on his waist. With a big smirk plastered on his face, he spoke.
“Well… My kindness doesn’t come for free, you know,” he revealed. “First I fish you out of a net, and then I bandage your injury with my clothes. My own clothes! My parents are gonna be really mad, you know?”
Setsuna’s eyes widened at this revelation. Remorse seized her heart as she looked down at her foot bandaged so cleanly and kindly.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean for you to get yelled at by your parents,” she apologized, her voice getting weaker on each word.
“Yeah, they’re gonna be sooo mad!” he continued, still smiling. “Because they totally care what I get up to in my free time. And I totally care what they think.”
Setsuna bit her lip. If his parents’ approval meant so much to Azama… Then yes, she had better find a way to repay him somehow. She didn’t want him to go home to his parents empty-handed.
But as she looked at herself, Setsuna couldn’t find anything to offer this kind boy. Aside from the hairpin holding her hair up, there wasn’t really anything of value she could offer him; and her parents had been really mad at her the last time she had lost it. She didn’t want a repeat of this situation.
Azama moved his hand in a gesture that invited her to give him something, inching closer to her.
“Come on. It’s only fair, right? Give me something, little miss noble.”
Setsuna then got an idea. She smiled as she looked back at him, a proud smile on her face.
“My mother… She makes some really delicious rice cakes, you know. I could bring you some tomorrow if you’d like.”
Azama raised his eyebrows for a second, but his face fell the moment after. He sighed, moving back as he ran his hand through his full head of hair.
“Ah… No, that won’t do. I turn twelve tomorrow, and my parents are gonna make me start my training to become a monk. I won’t be able to go outside.”
Setsuna blinked in surprise. She tilted her head, wondering how to process this new information. She wanted to comment on the fact he wouldn’t be able to go in the forest and play anymore, but she had a feeling he already knew that and wouldn’t be too happy to hear that again.
“Oh… Happy birthday in advance?”
He let out a genuine huff at her words, shaking his head as he tried to hold back his smile. Still, that smile was as amused as it was bitter.
“I’m not gonna thank you, you know. Birthdays aren’t special. And this one won’t be very fun.”
He then took her by the arm, pulling her along as he started walking again. Setsuna let out a surprised squeak as he did, but diligently followed behind him.
“Tell you what,” he said after a moment, turning to her with a smile. “I’m just gonna ask you to remember me, alright? I’m gonna be stuck working at a shrine for years. If at least one person remembers I exist, then that’s enough.”
He stopped for a second, his expression getting more serious as he spaced out.
“Besides, I didn’t do that good of a job helping you,” he added, mostly to himself. “I… I should learn how to heal a wound. That’s a basic survival skill.”
Setsuna looked at him for a moment. She took the time to memorize his face, his kind eyes, his smile, the way his hair stood on his head like a bird’s nest… Hoping this wasn’t yet more useless information that would doom her memory in the long run, she nodded with a candid smile.
“Okay. I won’t forget you, Azama.”
He thanked her with a nod and kept pulling her along the path. To Setsuna, they were just going from tree to tree, but he seemed to know what he was doing. They even found Setsuna’s sandal along the way, which she happily put on. That was one less reason for her parents to be mad at her after her little adventure. It was a bit uncomfortable with the sash wrapped around her foot, but it was better than nothing.
Eventually, tree trunks stopped blocking the view in front of them, and Setsuna spotted a familiar roof. With a smile, she trotted forward, barely feeling Azama let go of her arm. Once she got closer to the edge of the forest, she was sure of it: she was back home. She turned around with a wide smile.
“Thank you, Aza-...”
He was gone. Confused, she looked around, but the kind boy who had helped her today was nowhere to be found. Setsuna blinked, confused. Was he even real? Had she dreamt the time she spent in the forest? Just as she pondered this eventuality, a woman shouting her name rapidly approached from behind her. She turned around and saw her mother’s half-angry half-worried face. The woman knelt in front of her, taking the girl’s face between her hands.
“Setsuna! Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick!”
Setsuna opened her mouth to respond, but her mother kept talking.
“What happened to your hair? It’s all messed up!” her mother chided, carefully taking out the hairpin.
As she did, the kid’s hair fell over her face, covering her left eye entirely. The woman sighed at this sight, no doubt annoyed by her child’s hair’s eccentric tendencies. Her gaze then fell down to Setsuna’s feet, and she frowned.
“What’s that around your foot? Where did you find it?”
Setsuna looked down and saw the sash still secured around her injury. She smiled. So this really was real. She really had met a very strange yet very kind boy in the forest, he had really helped her out of a net, and he had really cleaned and bandaged her foot with his own clothes after he saw she had injured herself. He had asked her to remember him, and Setsuna knew she would. She would never forget Azama’s kindness.
Setsuna stepped into the palace, a smile playing on her lips. In her arms was a bundled souvenir from her visit to her parents’ hometown. It wasn’t every day that her duties as retainer allowed her to go see her family, and so she took every opportunity she could to come back with something.
But today was special. Today was the first time she came back from her very rare week-end off after having met her new coworker.
She would never forget that day. Lady Hinoka, a very nice and caring princess of Hoshido, had called her to the throne room one evening. When Setsuna had arrived, she had seen Hinoka and crown Prince Ryoma sign papers, a tall man clad in a monk’s garb standing next to them and facing away from her. Hinoka had caught sight of her, smiled and beckoned her to come closer. She had gestured to the man, who had turned around to face Setsuna. The archer had barely listened to her liege’s next words.
“Setsuna, meet Azama,” Hinoka had said. “He saved my life when I got lost in the mountains the other day. He’s a very selfless man, so I asked him to become my retainer. From now on, you’ll both be working under me.”
Setsuna had stared at her new coworker as he had bowed before her, a peaceful smile on his lips. When he had come to face her again, nothing, not a single glint of recognition had passed through his eyes.
“Greetings, Lady Setsuna” he had greeted her, his voice so much deeper than she remembered. “It is of my understanding that you have been working under Lady Hinoka for a few years. I trust you to tell me all about the best ways to serve her.”
Setsuna had kept staring, her mouth slightly agape as her gaze had roamed over him. Some fifteen years or so had passed, and yet he still looked the same he did when he was twelve; only more mature. There was no mistaking it. It really was him. Azama, however, had frowned and looked back at Hinoka after a few seconds of silence.
“Is she always this… slow?” he had asked.
Hinoka had shaken her head, then stopped with a pensive expression, then shaken her head again. She had then put on her best smile for her next words.
“Venerable monk, should you… Should you really be making this kind of comment about others? I don’t mean to judge, of course!” she had hurriedly added. “But… This doesn’t seem very…”
Azama had only smirked at his liege. It was the exact same sort of smile Setsuna had seen on the little boy from the forest. Soon, whenever he would make this face, Hinoka would sigh, groan or erupt with rage. Setsuna never really understood why. Whenever she received this kind of smile, he would always go on to praise her or tell her some very important life lesson. Hinoka kept telling her to stop listening to him, but Setsuna didn’t want to. She had been reunited with her savior, the boy who had been there to witness the first time she ever felt alive, and he was just as kind as he was when he was younger. No matter what the others said.
Setsuna entered Hinoka’s quarters after announcing herself. The princess, kneeling at her desk as she inked a report, smiled as she looked at her retainer approaching with a package in her arms.
“Good evening, Setsuna,” she greeted her. “How was your week-end?”
“It was very nice, Lady Hinoka…” Setsuna responded. She put the bundle on her liege’s desk, peeling away the cloth to reveal small rice cakes inside. “I bring cakes from my mother. Would you like one?”
With a delighted grin, Hinoka took a sweet and plopped it in her mouth, chewing enthusiastically. After she swallowed the treat, she let out a content sigh and looked back at Setsuna.
“Your mother’s baking is as good as I remember,” she commented. “I should give you more time off so I can eat these more often.”
Setsuna smiled and bowed, accepting the compliment in her mother’s stead. She wrapped back the rest of the cakes and paused. She took a deep breath before speaking again.
“My Lady… Would you happen to know where Azama is?”
At the mention of his name, Hinoka’s eyes rolled back in her head on pure instinct. She let out a sigh, tapping her quill against the table.
“Probably in the infirmary. He’s been holed up in there all week-end. He said we had to prepare for winter… or something.”
Setsuna smiled upon hearing these words. Of course he was.
“Azama is so caring…” she commented. “Thanks to him, we won’t get sick.”
Hinoka let out a disbelieved huff at her words, shaking her head in disapproval.
“Whatever you say, Setsuna,” she responded.
With a polite bow, Setsuna left Hinoka’s chambers, her feet carrying her to the infirmary. According to Azama, he wasn’t an expert in classic medicine, but he wanted to master this skill. He had once said that they shouldn’t be so reliant on staves, that they should be saved as much as possible if they could treat injuries the old way. And so, in his free time, whenever he wasn’t busy meditating or amicably chatting with the people in the castle, he stayed in the infirmary to learn how to heal ailments and injuries through non-divine powers. Setsuna found his dedication admirable.
She slowly slid the door open, peeking inside. She immediately caught a glimpse of him, hunched over a desk as he scribbled on a piece of paper. His expression was severe and several different cups were strewn around the desk; he must have been researching and comparing different kinds of medicine. Judging from the look on his face, it wasn’t an easy task. Thankfully, she was now here with something to help him feel better.
She entered the room, sliding the door back behind her. The sudden noise alerted the monk, who looked up from his task. He frowned as he took in the sight of her and let out a deep sigh.
“Setsuna…” he groaned without even greeting her. “What is it this time? Have you fallen into a trap and need my help to get out?”
Setsuna paused, blinking as she processed his words. A slight frown formed on her face as she responded.
“But, Azama… I wouldn’t be here if I had.”
The monk shook his head with a rueful laugh.
“Good job, Setsuna. You understood the joke.”
“Thank you,” she giggled, her heart soaring at his unexpected praise. “I just came back from my parents’ hometown. It’s the first time since we’ve met, you know.”
Azama stared at her, his face unreadable, trying to contain his exhaustion.
“Woah. Am I supposed to care?”
“Yes,” she responded without missing a beat, “because I have something for you.”
He frowned again, but this time she could see curiosity on his face. He leaned back a little, moving his cups away to allow her to put her present on the table. She gently opened it again, presenting the rice cakes to her coworker. He inspected them, cautious.
“These look… weirdly normal. Did you make these?” he enquired.
“No, my mother did,” Setsuna responded.
“That explains it.”
He took one of the sweets, examining it from all angles to make sure Setsuna’s cooking skills didn’t happen to come from her mother. Once he had assessed the situation and evaluated that the cakes looked edible, he looked back at her, a wary look in his eyes.
“Why are you giving me one anyway?” he asked.
Setsuna simply smiled at him. She pushed the pile of sweets a little closer to him, making sure not to hit the cups or crumple his paper as she did so.
“They’re all for you, actually,” she told him.
His eyes widened for a second, before quickly reverting back to their previous air of wariness.
“... Is this an attempt to kill me? To make me overdose on sugar?” he scowled. “You do realize how suspicious it is that you would want to give me a present, right?”
“No, of course not,” Setsuna laughed, ignoring the last part of this accusation because it simply didn’t make any sense to her. “Just don’t eat them all at once.”
Azama stared at her for a moment, looking both really annoyed and seemingly lost in thoughts. He then looked back at the cake between his fingers for a few seconds before hesitantly biting down on it. As soon as he did, the traits of his face softened. He chewed on the treat for some time before looking up at Setsuna. To her absolute delight, he was smiling.
“Not bad. You know, I wouldn’t be so hard on your cooking if it was half as good as your mother’s,” he commented. He laughed before continuing. “But I’m glad it isn’t. Trying to annoy you is too much fun, even if… Even if you’re not the most receptive to it.”
Setsuna simply smiled as she looked at him. She got transported back to that day in the forest. She had promised him she would remember him, and she did. She had offered him her mother’s cakes, and he was now happily eating them. It was like dealing with unfinished business, repaying an old debt she owed him.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little sad. As the months had passed, she had wondered when he would finally recognize her. And if he did remember, he showed no signs of it. She really wished they could talk about that day together, about the promise she had made and the fact that she had thought about that boy every time she had fallen into a trap - which had happened exponentially more frequently after her initial incident. She didn’t want to bring it up, either; he seemed like the kind of person who would tell her and tease her about it, unless he had some reason to not want to talk about it. And so she kept quiet, patiently waiting for the day he would remember or open up… Or not.
“Thank you…” she whispered.
He looked up, surprised. He shook his head, a look of confusion on his face.
“What are you talking about, Setsuna?” he sighed. “I just said-... Nevermind…”
Setsuna kept quiet for a moment. She couldn’t tell him what was really on her mind. So, instead, she responded with something else that wasn’t quite a lie.
“I wanted to thank you for everything you do for us… You’re really dedicated to your craft, aren’t you? So… thank you.”
Azama opened his mouth to respond with a sarcastic quip, but closed it immediately. He looked down at his paper and the cups of medicine on the table with a frown. Eventually, he shook his head with a heavy sigh.
“Fine…” he conceded. “You’re welcome, Setsuna. And yes, I am. Someone needs to master medicine to take care of the two disasters that you and Lady Hinoka are.”
“I know you work hard,” she added. “So… I’m really happy I could make you smile. You have a lot of different smiles, but I really like this one.”
Slowly, as her words sank in, Azama’s eyes widened. He tried to respond, but his words died in his throat. Setsuna was delighted to catch a glimpse of reddened cheeks as he turned around and nonchalantly placed a hand over his face.
“Whatever, Setsuna,” he responded, his voice a tad huskier than before. “I don’t… I don’t get you. You’re a weird one, you know?”
Setsuna’s smile widened as his words transported her to the past once again, to a time when some kid in the forest had told her over and over again how strange she was. Now, that boy had grown up into a man, but some things just never changed. With a wistful smile, she nodded.
“Thank you… I know.”