Formalities Aside, Please!

Jinko: "I'm hoooome~." (Jinko had shouted this oddly flat greeting into the thin air, a habit born of his troubled mind.)

Jinko's Mother: "Jin-kun, aren't you a little late?" (His mother appeared at the entrance, wiping her hands on her apron, her voice warm and steady.)

Jinko: "Sorry, Ma. Guess who I met?"

Jinko's Mother: "Tenmichi-chan, right?"

Jinko: "Huh? How'd ye know that? How did—"

Jinko's Mother: "That child was here, you see. She played with your sister for a bit, and then asked where you were."

Jinko: "Hmph... Effort points are A-plus, then. Fer a guy like me, that is."

Jinko's Mother: "Oh, don't say such gloomy things. As long as we're here, you don't have anything to be depressed about, do you?"

Jinko: "Sorry, Ma... but na, if things keep goin' like this, I don't know how long that 'as long as' will last."

Jinko's Mother: "Watch it! Don't say things that could bring bad luck!"

(A faint wind slipped through the doorway, rattling the old shutters. For a heartbeat, both fell silent — the scent of cooking rice mixing with cold air. Jinko forced a small smile.)

The Next Day.

The hammer’s rhythm echoed through the valley. Snowflakes caught the morning sun, drifting lazy and slow.

Then, a voice split the calm—

“YOO-HOO! JINKO~~~~!!!”

Jinko: "Oh... Tenmichi, is that ye."

Tenmichi: "You don't sound very happy, do you?"

Jinko: "Nah, nah, that ain't it... I don't think so, na."

Tenmichi: "What is that!? You don't even know how you feel!? Ugh, cut out the messing around!"

Jinko: "Calm down, calm down. So, what did ye come for?"

Tenmichi: "Oh, right, right. You wanted to see them, right? I caught those two. They were apparently hunting on that hill for a few days." (She points toward a distant, snow-covered rise.)

Jinko: "The hill, eh. That tracks."

Tenmichi: "...'That tracks'? What does that mean?"

Jinko: "It means 'oh that makes sense' or somethin' like 'oh that follows' in a way."

Tenmichi: "Heeh. Whatever. Let's go, let's go see them!"

Jinko: "Nah, the roof work ain't finished yet, n ya."

Tenmichi: "Oh, come on! That's Old Man Hasegawa's house, right? That weirdo who dumps work on everyone, saying 'ye gotta know the meaning o' work while ye be young!' Nobody dreams of fixing a roof, I tell you!"

(Before Jinko could stammer a weak protest, Tenmichi lunged, grabbing his ear with surprising force and pulling him away. She started running instantly.)

Jinko: "OW!! HEY, STOP IT! THAT HURTS! WHY'D YE GRAB SUCH A PAINFUL SPOT!?"

Tenmichi: "YOU SHOULD BE GLAD I DIDN'T GRAB YOUR HAIR!" (Tenmichi laughs maniacally.)

Jinko: "WHY ARE YE GRABBIN' SOMETHING ON MY HEAD TO BEGIN WITH!? AND YE'RE FAST! WHEN DID YE GET SO GOOD AT RUNNIN'!?"

(A short distance from the village cluster, a lone, traditional gasshō-zukuri house—was visible, perched on its own rise.)

Jinko: "Is this the place?" (Jinko was panting, his ear burning red from the rough handling.)

Tenmichi: "I'd bet on it~." (Tenmichi seemed quite proud of her exertion.)

Jinko: "Hey, is anyone there? ...See, no one's here. Let's go home."

Tenmichi: "Hold on, Choir Boy. Don't rush like that. They could be out getting lumber or something."

Jinko: "Nah, I can see unused lumber on the corner, and it's clearly—"

(At that moment, Jinko's highly developed senses, honed by years of unrest, picked up something eerie: a faint shift in the energy of the snow and air around them.)

Jinko: "...I hear a sound. No, I feel somethin', na."

(Jinko instantly dropped his banter and went on high alert, his hand instinctively hovering over his sword hilt. Tenmichi also went silent, taking a subtle, balanced stance, proving they were both well-accustomed to situations demanding immediate vigilance.)

(A bush nearby moved. A plume of snow drifted gently down. Jinko spun to face the opposite direction, his Scarlet Hilt katana swiftly tearing from its scabbard.)

Clang!

(The chilling sound of blades colliding echoed sharply. A masked figure had sprung from the snowdrifts, their sword aimed for Jinko's flank.)

Jinko: "Tch... Do ye guys just have a habit o' drawin' yer swords on me every time we meet?"

???: "I merely wished to observe if my friend's skillful arm had yet become dull."

Jinko: "Ye're not the first to try somethin' like that. Take off the mask. I can see yer curly bangs pokin' out."

???: "Hoh, it has been revealed, has it? There is no objection, then."

(The figure deftly tossed the mask into the air, where it fell onto the clean snow. Beneath it was a familiar, if slightly pompous, face.)

Jinko: "Just as I thought... Michinori."

Michinori: "Greetings, Jinko-dono. You are unchanged, I see. Does that frizzy hair not get dragged about during battle, I wonder?"

Jinko: "My opponents don't have kinks like that, na."

Michinori: "Hah? What do you—" (Before he could finish, Jinko parried Michinori's defensive block and executed a swift, precise light jab near Michinori's face. The force, though minimal, was enough to send Michinori landing awkwardly on his rear in the snow.)

Tenmichi: "Haa... cut it out already with the immature ambushes and provoking, Michinori. You're old enough to be getting married."

Michinori: "Silence! I was engaged in hunting during my time deep in the mountains; surely that is sufficiently masculine and mature!"

"He’s always been stoic, but… this pride of his is something else," Jinko murmured under his breath.

Tenmichi: "Tenkai, stop hiding and come out!"

(Jinko's eyes widened, scanning the surroundings rapidly. He had missed the presence of a third person entirely.)

Tenkai: "Tch, so I got caught, you jerks." (He leaped dramatically out of the snow bank, scattering a cloud of white powder.) "Hey! Oppa-Pii~!!"

(None of the three—Jinko, Tenmichi, or Michinori—were surprised by the jump-scare; they merely looked exceedingly exasperated.)

(Jinko, his face a picture of anticlimax, turned his head back to Michinori.)

Jinko: "...Hey Michinori, I hear a new issue of 'Marumaru Chinbun' arrived at Danjiki's place. Wanna go check it out?" (He asked this as a clear, deliberate means to ignore Tenkai's terrible attempt at drama.)

Michinori: "Ah... That is quite adequate, then." (He answered, adjusting his clothing while still glaring pointedly at Tenkai.)

(Jinko turned his head the other way, still utterly deadpan.)

Jinko: "Tenmichi, are ye comin' too?"

Tenmichi: "...Sure, I guess." (She answered, likewise keeping her scathing glare fixed on Tenkai.)

(The three started walking away with the same, unified stride, leaving a trail of undisturbed snow in their wake.)

Tenkai: "OI! YOU BASTARDS! BE A LITTLE MORE SURPRISED! I WAS HIDING HERE BUTT-NAKED WITH JUST A LOINCLOTHE FOR THIS! SHOW SOME GODDAMN APPRECIATION!!" (Tenkai's enraged shout echoed pathetically in the distance as the three walked away.)

(The four—Jinko, the practical hick; Michinori, the pompous fencer; Tenmichi, the cynical delinquent; and Tenkai, the theatrical buffoon—now headed toward Danjiki's house. The personalities of the two newcomers, Michinori and Tenkai, and what kind of impact they would have on Jinko’s search for a reason to exist—no one could yet know.)