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Kagetsu had been pulling his weight. He had been insightful in strategy meetings, he had never missed a day of training, and he had made good relations with even the most skeptical members of the army. Most impressively, he had built a good rapport with Princess Ivy, and gotten her approval, if not exactly trust or friendship.
Yes, Kagetsu was a good coworker. And Zelkov would die before ever saying it.
Their interactions were purely professional. They were not, and would never (never!) be friends. No matter how hard Kagetsu tried. Kagetsu went out of his way to do activities and chores to coincide with Zelkov’s schedule, and Zelkov was never receptive but Kagetsu was never discouraged. It was annoying, but he had to admit there was a little charm to it. No one had ever pursued Zelkov’s friendship so earnestly. Though he’d never say it, he did think some sort of peace offering was in order. To show Zelkov didn’t entirely hate him (not that he’d be his friend, of course. That would never happen. Never!).
Kagetsu struck Zelkov as the type to be pleased with most anything, but that didn’t mean he would gift him some meaningless trinket. Zelkov’s standards were too high for such a thing.
He watched Kagetsu from a different table in the dining hall - usually they ate together, but Zelkov had successfully fended him off earlier that day. Little did Kagetsu know, Zelkov had been closer to him than ever before, watching his every move.
He tapped his notebook with his pen. So far his list of potential items was quite short despite his stalking. He had a long list of what Kagetsu liked, but wasn’t sure how to translate “likes making friends” and “likes licking snow” into gifts.
Kagetsu pulled something out of his pants. Zelkov was scandalized as he took a bite, not having the object in any sort of wrapping.
But he was familiar with Kagetsu's pant-snack. It was the top of the list. “Onigiri”, as Kagetsu called it. Zelkov had not quite figured out what it was, but observing it now, he finally realized. It was a most familiar dish, in fact! Onigiri must have been what his people called an analogous dish. He scribbled some observations on exactly what Kagetsu’s onigiri looked like, smirking to himself in a way that made other soldiers back away. Oh yes, Zelkov would make the most delectable onigiri, it would ruin whatever paltry snack Kagetsu was currently getting by on. He would ruin Kagetsu.
*
“Kagetsu…” Zelkov’s nerve failed him as he approached Kagetsu a few days later. Now that the onigiri was complete, to perfection of course, and wrapped in a little pink box, he was wondering if the gift was too strange. Going from barely being on speaking terms to giving Kagetsu the gift of a lifetime was a large leap. But the onigiri had already been made - it would be a travesty for Zelkov’s best work to go unadmired.
He handed Kagetsu the box, gruffly huffing out, “For you. It’s onigiri.”
Kagetsu leapt a solid foot in the air. “Onigiri! For me?” He shouted. He hopped a few more times in excitement, trying and failing to contain himself, and hugged Zelkov. “You are the most amazing friend in the universe!” He said, squeezing tight.
“This is not an act of friendship. It’s… I simply wanted to make onigiri.” Zelkov lied.
“Whatever your reasons, I am most ever grateful.” Kagetsu bowed regally and almost looked cool for a second, then grabbed the box and was back to jumping around like a dork. “May I eat one now?”
“Do whatever you want.” Zelkov said. He tried to be casual, but he had been hoping for such a response. He wanted to see Kagetsu’s awe as he tasted the greatest of Zelkov’s culinary conquests.
Kagetsu opened the box, revealing six elegant onigiri, powered with only the best sugar he could afford. Kagetsu licked his lips.
“Hmm, we do not put flour on the exterior… No mind, an Elusian variant of onigiri will probably be most delicious.” Kagetsu said optimistically. He picked it up, and promptly put the whole thing in his mouth.
He chewed once.
He chewed again.
He chewed a third time, and tears fell.
He swallowed.
“This isn’t onigiri…” He mumbled sadly.
“It’s not worth crying over.” Zelkov said, crossing his arms. As if his cooking were bad!
Kagetsu wiped his tears. “I know! And I am so sorry for crying. But this is no onigiri! This is… it is madness! To adopt the form of onigiri, but be sweet instead of savory… I have never felt such betrayal. It’s such a disappointment I can only cry.” He looked at the box, and took a deep breath. “But a gift from a friend cannot be discarded, I shall have another.” He took another, taking a small bite this time. He observed the filling. Zelkov had thought he got the filling perfect - Kagetsu’s had been red, so he assumed strawberry or raspberry - but Kagetsu looked on in scorn.
“Dough and jam…” Kagetsu said. “Yes, there has been a misunderstanding. Zelkov, these are delicious, but they are no onigiri. Onigiri, in this language, means rice ball.”
“Rice ball.” Zelkov repeated, unimpressed. “As in, a ball of rice?”
“Indeed.”
“That’s your favorite food? A ball of rice? Rice shaped into a ball? Kagetsu are you…” Zelkov rubbed his forehead. “You started crying because you were met with my most intricate, meticulous jelly donuts and were instead craving plain ball rice?”
“I really like onigiri.”
Zelkov took the box from Kagetsu, and plucked a jelly donut for himself. “Your plebeian palette does not deserve these.”
Kagetsu made a motion for the box, but Zelkov held it above his head.
“No, not if you’re just going to cry about it not being onigiri.”
“I’m sorry! They are so delicious, and I am so hungry!” Kagetsu pleaded. “Can we at least share? Three and three? Please?”
“Hm…”
“I will do anything you wish.”
Zelkov lowered the box back to normal level. “Three and three. Your punishment for your ingratitude will be that you must come by tomorrow, this time and place, and show me just what’s so great about onigiri. If it’s as delicious as you claim, you better make enough for a proper lunch date.”
“Of course! But, Zelkov, going on a date with you is no punishment!”
“No, I meant… Whatever. Just eat your last jelly donut.”