More To Life
I don't know if I should be mad that I missed my chance to attack or sad that I just flopped on the ground like that...I do know one thing though, and it's hard to miss.
My body is pretty sore...
Is this what it feels like to train, to constantly try to push yourself past your limits...?
I could hear the future cries of my poor torn muscles...
Maybe I should have stretched before training...? I heard that it makes a difference...
While lost in my thoughts, I hear the door slide open
"Oh, you're up."
I turn my head and see my abuser from earlier.
"Yep, I'm up now. My body's pretty sore though..." I looked her straight in the eyes when I said that.
She huffs and rolls her eyes.
"Maybe if you surrender earlier in the match, you wouldn't be in as much pain as you're in right now," she counters.
Now it was my turn to huff and roll my eyes.
Putting my eyes back on her, I missed that she was holding a tray full of something.
She noticed my stare.
"I didn't know if you were hungry or not, but I brought you some food."
Now that she mentions it...I do feel a little peckish.
*GRROOWL*
...ok, maybe not a little...
"Sure, that would be great, thanks."
She walked over and folded her knees to lay on her legs.
I slowly pick myself up and sit in a crisscross position.
She sits the food in front of me and I observe what's on the tray.
A bowl of rice, cutlets of meat, a plate of vegetables, a slice of bread, and a glass of water.
Just staring at the platter of food makes my stomach crave food even more.
So much so that it almost made me forget to do the ritual all anime characters do in front of good food.
I close my eyes and put my hands together, prepared to say the magic words.
"Itadakimasu."
I went to grab the chopsticks (I was lucky I know how to use them) and grabbed a chunk of rice.
I put the rice in my mouth and chewed.
...I don't know if I was hungry or anime/manga food is just that good, but I started to stuff my mouth full of rice.
I continued eating before I remembered Kuina is still next to me, so I looked at her.
She's currently holding a slightly disgusted expression.
...I decided to mess with her a bit.
"Do you…enjoy watching me eat or something?" I said with an equally disgusted look.
An anger mark appeared on her forehead.
"N-NO! I was only waiting for you to finish eating so I could ask you something, bastard!"
Kids these days...using such language already...
"Then ask away, I don't mind answering."
I took a bite of meat and waited for her question.
We sit there in silence before Kuina begins to speak again.
"Do you want to be the greatest swordsman in the world?"
"Nope," I quickly replied, still eating.
She blinks, and after a couple of seconds, my words finally register for her.
"What do you mean no! I saw how you were improving when we were fighting, in half a year, you could even surpass me! Why are you even here if not to be the greatest!!"
I sigh and place my chopsticks down.
Her voice carried frustration, desperation, and anguish. Something, at her age, shouldn't be feeling at all...but how can I blame her?
As soon as she picked up a sword, she was told that she wouldn't amount to anything if she follows this path, but she kept going despite that.
For years, she constantly works hard to prove all of them wrong, and look at what it got her.
Dying in the stupidest way possible...
She lived by the sword...and died by it.
In her 8 years of living, she only knew the way of the sword...isn't that sad...
However...I won't let that happen to her. I won't let her die.
I know she has the potential to be something great. She just needs a chance to.
But I won't be the one who helps her.
I mean...we will train with each other, but I won't be the one to push her to be the best...that's Zoro's job.
What I want…is for her to live life to its fullest. To relax, to play, to show her...
"I'm here, to live a valiant life."
...that there's more to life than just swinging a sword.