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Zanka wasn't shocked anymore when his mentee started sniffing him like he was a curious puppy.
As his mentor, Zanka had been used to Rudo's unexpected behavior. This boy had unique eyes to view the world, and even if sometimes he could be a bit unsettling (especially when he attempted to smile), Zanka found himself not as bothered as he previously was.
"What are you doing now?"
It was a shame that he didn't have his Lovely Assistaff with him, maybe that was why Rudo thought it'd be okay to stand this close to Zanka, and practically sniff the air before he went to observe Zanka with his nose.
"You smell like smoke," Rudo frowned, rubbing his nose.
Zanka was so glad there was no one nearby, because his first instinct when he heard that sentence was to tackle Rudo to the ground to shut his mouth.
He didn't do it though, lucky Rudo.
Zanka had tried it, attempting to identify any scent that might linger and get rid of it, but he couldn't really control how someone would perceive him through their nose.
He had been pretty thorough; cleaning up his space, lighting up some incense to purify the room and—oh.
Maybe that was it.
"Describe it," Zanka said. "What do I smell like?"
Rudo sniffed the air again. "It's like something burning. Like, um, burned logs but also with a hint of something fragrant. Almost like a cig—"
Zanka quickly cut him off. "It must be my incense."
It had to be something that Rudo had never heard before because he widened his eyes, curiosity colored his face.
"What's incent?"
"Incense," Zanka corrected him. "It's something I use when I meditate. It helps me relax and focus on my energy. You saw it when you visited me at the hospital, weeks ago. It looks like a sparkler, but it emits smoke, instead."
Rudo let out an understanding 'oh' at that.
"You smell nice," he ended up saying, catching Zanka off guard by the honesty and the genuine remark.
Zanka snorted. "Of course, I do."
Rudo asked him a few questions to satisfy his curiosity, before Zanka eventually had to cut their conversation short when Riyo approached them and informed them of their upcoming mission.
The next time, Rudo walked backwards only to match Zanka's steps.
The boy frowned when he saw him.
"What now?" Zanka mirrored his expression.
"You smelled different," Rudo did the whole sniffing thing again, this time, dare Zanka said, was more intense, as if he wanted to be 100% sure of what he was smelling.
"It's the showers," Zanka deadpanned. "You should try it sometimes."
The mockery flew over the boy's head, and came right back at Zanka in full force, because Rudo said, "You smelled like smoke, but not those insense things."
"Incense," Zanka corrected him automatically.
"Yeah, that. You smelled nice before, but this time—"
Zanka huffed. "You're saying this time, I stink?"
Rudo stepped back as if he wanted to see the bigger picture. A habit that Zanka had taught him, whenever they trained. His student truly had evolved.
"Not really," Rudo shrugged, then he frowned again, like he was trying his hardest to remember something. Until something flickered on his face.
A recognition.
"Oh, I know, you smell like smoke, the real smoke, like Enj—"
Zanka turned on his heels so fast, he almost tripped.
"Your nose must be blocked by a snot or something."
Rudo glared at him. "My nose is fine!"
Zanka shrugged. "Then, I don't know what you're talking about."
This time, they were just taking a break from their training, when Rudo did the sniffing again.
Zanka had made sure he had gotten rid of any possible trace, that it would be impossible for Rudo to catch anything.
And it seemed to work.
"Hm," Rudo hummed, before he retreated and leaned back to the bench they shared.
Zanka glanced at him, and couldn't help himself from asking, "What is it?"
Rudo tilted his head.
"Did you also give Enjin some of your incest?"
"Incense," Zanka corrected him again. "And yes, I did. Enjin said, it helps him sleep better."
Rudo hummed again, those words noises got Zanka agitated for some reasons.
"Why are you asking?"
His mentee stretched his legs, before he got off the bench.
"I just think that sometimes you two smell the same."
Damn, maybe Zanka was being too thorough.
However, it was a big mistake, to tell Rudo something and expect him to keep things to himself, unless he was told explicitly to not share.
Because they were just casually enjoying their ride back to the HQ, when Rudo decided to drop the bombastic question.
"Enjin, what kind of insent does Zanka give you?"
They were all jolted up when Enjin swiveled the car. Zanka glanced at Enjin, the moment the older glanced at him too.
"Incense," Zanka automatically corrected.
Enjin slowed down the ride; just a bit, just enough.
"It's the same, just like what Zanka usually uses," Enjin said.
Rudo popped his head between their seats.
"Yeah, I figure that since you two sometimes smelled the same," he said, and Zanka hoped the way Enjin halted just a bit went unnoticed.
It didn't.
Through the rearview, Zanka knew Riyo was giving them a knowing look from her seat.
"But I can't tell what kind of smell they are."
Zanka huffed, before he said, "Smoke." the moment Enjin said the words too.
Zanka could feel the heat crawling on his cheeks, when Enjin gave him a surprised and yet amused face.
"I know that too!" Rudo groaned. "That's not what I mean."
Later, Zanka would eventually tell Rudo that what he smelled was probably lavender.
It was one of the fragrances that could induce sleep, and while the real, actual lavender is impossible to acquire down here, the imitation being crafted for his incense actually had been working wonderfully.
"And it really helps you sleep better?" He turned to Enjin.
"Of course."
Zanka thought the worst had passed, but it clearly hadn't, when Riyo walked past them, mumbling something along, "What can actually help you sleep better is the company, though."
Loud and clear, Rudo caught on.
"Which means, the incense."
Zanka added hastily.
Riyo snorted.
Enjin once told Zanka that he always viewed Rudo as some kind of overexcited puppy, who would wag his tails when he got something interesting, and an overprotective one, who wouldn't hesitate to do anything to protect.
That leader of the Akuta team also said that sometimes, Rudo resembled a monkey to him; with the way he just casually climbed on things, how he couldn't stop talking when he got something going on, and such.
Deep down, they both knew Rudo was a 100% puppy.
That was exactly why Enjin didn't seem surprised when Zanka nearly got a heart attack, the moment Rudo suddenly appeared between them, inserting himself that they could see him was sniffing them both.
"Do I smell that bad?" Enjin chuckled, taking the drag of his cigarette.
Zanka scrunched his nose, showing how he didn't really appreciate getting sniffed.
Rudo caught his annoyed expression and merely retreated before he focused on Enjin.
Zanka glared at him.
"You're okay," Rudo said. "But I noticed something different. You usually smell like smoke, cigarettes. But now, you smell more like incense?"
Enjin ended up tripping on his feet, though thanks to his remarkable balance, he didn't fall on his ass, upon the shock.
"What?" He asked, a tad bewildered.
But Rudo didn't even look like joking or mocking him.
He was simply curious.
"I'm here, you know. Maybe you sniffed wrong," Zanka interrupted. "And didn't I tell you, I gave Enjin some of my incense?"
Rudo hummed. Zanka started thinking the humming was his way to say something along, 'I know you're bullshitting me but let's see how this played out.'
Fortunately, Enjin knew how to diffuse the situation, faster.
"Dinner!" Enjin hauled the smaller boy into his side. "Aren't you hungry, Rudo?"
The offer wiped out whatever things that Rudo had in mind, because not long after, he had immersed himself and listed the foods he wanted to eat.
Zanka glanced at Enjin, and Enjin grinned almost too apologetically at him.
After a series of almost getting caught, Zanka learned how to be better at being subtle. He had done a remarkable job so far. No question, no intruding commentaries. Rudo had stepped back from acting like a dog around him, finally get bored of doing the same thing, over and over with the same answer from Zanka.
Zanka who had learned to cover his track so much neater.
Until Enjin got back from the mission, missing him, and pulling him aside to the quietest corridor of the HQ to show Zanka, how much he missed him.
Zanka had made a mistake.
A grave mistake.
He had been distracted and now he got his karma. In the form of Rudo managed to use his jinki to tackle him to the ground, pinning him down by his chest.
Zanka knew, the moment Rudo's nose sniffed the air, before he seemed to follow the trail to his mentor that he had just defeated.
"Riyo told me," he began. "but I don't believe it, unless I see it myself."
Zanka tried to wiggle himself free.
But he had somehow gotten separated from his Lovely Assistaff and he was not in position to get away.
What could Riyo possibly tell you Rudo?
There was no way Rudo saw anything because Zanka was the one who sent him away to see Amo in the infirmary.
Rudo sniffed his face, which would be creepy and uncomfortable, if not for the horror that overrode everything.
"Zanka, you smell like cigarettes.”
And if Zanka thought the humiliation stopped there, he was deadly wrong. Because the next thing Rudo did was apparently jerking back and getting off him with horrified face.
"HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE JUST KISSING ENJIN."