Hunting: Memories (I Transmigrated as a Memory Hunter)

Arc 1: Kumoshima Part 13

CHAPTER 13

“Does that mean there was a spy among us?”

Both Nephrite and Kazuyuki couldn't answer right away.

From the moment Aijin and Keichi got kidn*pped until they found the cave, everything feels like someone was luring them behind the scenes. However, even if Nephrite's involvement was a coincidence, it would still be possible for them to find the cave under different circumstances.

The enemy sowed too many things in front of them, making it hard to guess their motives. But there was one idea clearly hanging in front of them: This person wanted to instill doubts.

"It might not be the case," Kazuyuki finally said. "However, if we follow everything that happened, those who aren't with us will surely be doubtful, and so are we."

Like how his father thinks one of his comrades could be a spy, Kazuyuki also thinks the same on his father's side.

Kazuyuki grinned inside his head. Whatever the reason, the culprit is indeed cunning. Planting doubt is like destroying the insides of a formidable fortress. It may seem sturdy on the outside, but once the seed of doubt blooms, it will devour alliances, destroy friendships, nurture malice, and ruin any kind of relationship. When the insides are completely ruined, once the enemy pokes the wall, the outer shell will easily crumble, revealing nothing but ugly, rotten, broken bonds. People who once swore to protect each other, already ruined by deception.

Nephrite sensed the murderous aura in Kazuyuki, the latter's eyes darkening.

Shier sensed it, too. "Young Master, if that is the case, then we need to work hard. I'm afraid for Chunan and his brother since they are still suspecting them despite us vouching for them."

"Yes, so I will do my best to help you guys get stronger. We don't know when the person behind all these will attack. With this kind of enemy, we need to be cautious."

Kazuyuki was about to pick up a teacup when he paused. "Shier, I almost forgot. I met one of your aunts and they were asking to send you back home."

At the mention of his relatives, Shier slapped his forehead, "Oh, yeah. She probably wants to call me because of the tea leaves. I really need to attend to it. Young Masters, I apologize but please let me skip training today," he bowed.

Kazuyuki is in charge right now. Even if Shier was neither a slave nor an apprentice of the Miyazuya Manor, this politeness was a little expected.

After Kazuyuki approved, Shier left hurriedly.

However, the moment Shier was gone, the two young masters' gaze finally met. It was as if Shier was a calming incense before. With him around, everything feels normal. But now, a strange warm yet awkward feeling suddenly enveloped Nephrite and Kazuyuki.

The memory earlier during dawn swiftly entered their heads. As if on cue, Kazuyuki's ear flushed red, the same color added on Nephrite's cheeks.

They looked away from each other.

But Nephrite knew he couldn't delay things further. Chunan and Shujing might be safe for now, yet, who knows what might happen in the future?

He was about to speak when Kazuyuki broke the silence, "Keisuke, I know you are worried about your friends. I will do my best to help you."

Nephrite looked at him. Kazuyuki's eyes were not on him but on the floor, as if he could find enlightenment if he stared at the tatami mats.

Nephrite sighed, "Why are you willing to help us?"

Yes, why do I want to go these lengths for you? It was a question Kazuyuki asked himself many times already.

Sure, in the beginning, it was just about the bandits. Then, there was Aijin's a*******n.

But after that, he could easily cut his involvement. After all, the Second Prince already decided to handle this issue. To think he didn't even inform Keisuke about it.

But why? Why can't he let go? As if there was something that keeps drawing him into his business.

Kazuyuki can still remember when he learned that Keisuke got abducted.

His blood got cold, blood drained on his face. his heart felt like it stopped beating as if it turned frozen inside his chest.

The tips of his fingers were shaking as he searched for him, commanding the guards while hiding his rattled heart.

Not to mention every time he sees Chunan and Keisuke…

He shook his head suddenly, startling Nephrite. Then Kazuyuki looked and blinked at him, face turning red from embarrassment. As a last resort to save himself, he smiled.

"Don't worry too much about it. Plus, don't you think what happened to you might be connected to your father's a*******n?"

Nephrite couldn't tell him that he knew so he shut his mouth and showed a lost expression.

Kazuyuki ruffled Keisuke's hair, "Let's go. I'll teach you how to use the wooden staff."

___

Nephrite patiently waited as Kazuyuki rummaged through the courtyard's storage to get wooden staff for each of them.

Kazuyuki soon came back and handed him the rattan staff. Nephrite twirled it like how actors do it on TV. He laughed when it fell on the ground with a thud.

Kazuyuki observed him, "Do you know some basics?" Nephrite shook his head. "Okay, the rattan staff will do for now. Once you improve, you can switch to an oak staff. Let's start with the basics."

After stretching, Kazuyuki started training him. From the proper hold to the proper stances and the basic strikes, they practiced till night time.

Nephrite paid attention diligently. It is important for him to learn how to use a staff.

Any knowledge earned in any world will be his permanently. Nothing to lose in learning more skills.

Shier sent a messenger to inform them that he needs to stay a few days in their tea plantation and won't be back soon.

Kazuyuki taught him all the basic forms for three days. On the fourth day, the former was already satisfied with Nephrite's posture so they switched to basic attack combinations.

This time, Nephrite had trouble. Though there were some simple combinations that he could execute well, there were times when one of his feet would either get caught up or move wrong and he would stumble.

Nephrite looked so pitiful that Kazuyuki had to call it a day.

Later at night, Nephrite walked into the courtyard after dinner.

Traditional lamps made of stone illuminating the zen garden, highlighting the beautiful landscape, giving it a mellow glow.

The moonless sky was painted black, a curtain of stars blanketed the whole horizon, guiding his lonesome.

The scenery invoked melancholy inside Nephrite. There were too many things that happened. Who would have thought that having a fever would change his life drastically? Things became like this so fast, leaving him no chance to reflect on his current life until now.

Back then, Xei gave him a chance to think about the situation. But fate didn't give him a chance to accept nor decline.

Even so, Nephrite can't feel any resentment inside him.

Compared to the life he had back in his world, what he has right now wasn't so bad.

Nephrite always believed in fate. If he was here despite the choices served in the past, then it only means that this is for him. An inescapable destiny.

"Piece of your mind?"

Nephrite saw Kazuyuki walking on the stone patio at a slow pace, a calm smile on his face.

"Nothing, I just want some fresh air," Nephrite denied.

"Did you clean your wounds?"

With tacit understanding, they started walking side by side.

"Yes, I also applied some wound medicine from Shier,” Nephrite assured him.

For a while, they just stroll in the courtyard. There are many things to talk about, yet no one wants to break the calm atmosphere around them.

As they passed the rows of hydrangeas on the side patio, Nephrite suddenly thought of something, "Did your family inherit the manor this way?"

Kazuyuki seemed confused, "What do you mean?"

Nephrite gestured to the surroundings, "I mean this zen garden."

Nephrite saw Kazuyuki's eyes sparkle, "My mother decorated it. She even insisted to use pink hydrangeasㅡ"

Kazuyuki abruptly stopped. What the hell are you doing?! Are you insane? Kazuyuki scolded himself.

"Something wrong?" Nephrite asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Kazuyuki denied, "Just that this topic might not interest you. How about I teach you the basic combination that you can't execute before?"

Though he felt weird on his sudden halt, Nephrite didn't insist on pushing the topic further. Aside from that, Kazuyuki already walked away. All he could do was follow him to the training courtyard.

Kazuyuki quickly took one wooden staff then gestured to come beside him.

Kazuyuki demonstrated some simple attack combinations. Nephrite observed for a while.

Kazuyuki then handed the wooden staff to Nephrite, "Don't forget to set down your right foot in front before you rotate your hand," he instructed.

Nephrite tried to do a couple of moves but still stumbled, "I guess I'm too clumsy for this."

Nephrite's face burned with embarrassment. He wanted to learn how to do it but this move was not really for him.

Kazuyuki fell silent. "How about this," he suddenly said after a while.

Before Nephrite could ask, Kazuyuki stood behind him.

Kazuyuki held on to the middle area of the wooden staff, beside both of Nephrite's hands.

Nephrite stiffened. He felt Kazuyuki's body heat on his back, penetrating through the layers of their kimono.

"Maybe we can do this. I will guide you while you memorize the feeling of the movements," Kazuyuki said, his voice a bit hoarse than usual.

Nephrite felt Kazuyuki's warm breath on his ear. He tried to maintain his calm but his erratic heartbeat said otherwise.

"Alright," Nephrite agreed.

"Ready. Step back, block, right overhead strike, left overhead strike," Kazuyuki dictated, his body moving as he spoke, swinging the wooden staff over their head.

Nephrite praised Kazuyuki in his mind. Their movements were fluid.

At first, Nephrite didn't know why the other suggested this kind of training. However, he realized this action indeed suited him. His body remembered the pattern well with Kazuyuki's guidance as if the latter was engraving the movements in his body.

Kazuyuki first taught him arm movements. After Nephrite got used to it, the former started including the foot works. Nephrite thought it felt like they were dancing tango.

Kazuyuki continued dictating the movements. "Bring up your front knee, draw back the staff in a straight line, step out," This time, Kazuyuki used his knee to nudge his left leg out.

Until this moment, Kazuyuki maintained a few inches of distance away from Keisuke. He got used to the situation and got carried away teaching. But the moment he did the last move, he stiffened.

Nephrite could swear the moment Kazuyuki's knee touched the back of his leg, he felt a jolt of electricity, making his nerves alive. Something twitched in his center. Nephrite's face grew hotter as he did his best to fake calmness despite the rush of blood.

However, Kazuyuki already lost his momentum

Both of them were out of wits, not aware of what actually happened but they just found themselves falling.

Kazuyuki's reflexes were good. He twisted his body so he would fall first. Kazuyuki pushed the staff away seconds before they fell down, then grasping Nephrite's side as the latter's upper body fell on him. Nephrite hissed as his right buttocks and thigh hit the ground.

"Are you alright," Kazuyuki asked, letting go of the man above him as if nothing happened.

"I'm fine, thank you," Nephrite answered. He quickly stood up.

However, before he could even process how thankful he is for avoiding a certain embarrassing situation, he was pulled back down.

He heard Kazuyuki groan. In a flash, he found himself sitting on Kazuyuki's hidden dragon. The 'certain embarrassing' situation indeed happened.

It turns out a part of his kimono got caught behind Kazuyuki when they fell.

"Y-your Kimono," Kazuyuki said under his breath as he looked away again.

Nephrite looked down on himself. Blood rushed on his face. His Kimono was pulled open, revealing his legs. Men can wear trousers under a kimono but Nephrite didn't wear one earlier. He thought it was fine since he will bathe later anyway. Who would have thought his legs would be on display?

It usually won't matter but the scene just added fire to both of them.

"You, ugh, lift your body a bit," Kazuyuki ordered in a husky voice.

Maybe because they were just practicing just a while ago, despite his confused mind, Nephrite was able to do as he said.

Kazuyuki moved his body a bit and pulled out Nephrite's kimono under him.

Both of them stood up while facing different directions.

"I-I'll go ask if the warm bath is ready," Kazuyuki said and left immediately.

Nephrite just nodded in acknowledgment as he stood there, fixing his kimono, his heart racing. His face was red, not just because of the embarrassment but because his body remembered how big the 'hidden dragon' underneath him just a few moments ago.

"p*****t," he muttered to himself. Whoever it was for, he didn't know.

Kazuyuki didn't come back. He sent a servant to inform Nephrite that the bath had been prepared.

However, Nephrite couldn't help but think he doesn't need warm water right now to ease muscle sores but instead an ice-cold bath to douse his roaring desires.

He didn't see Kazuyuki until he went to bed later that night.

It was already deep in the night when Kazuyuki went back inside the house, his whole person drenched in water from the well.