Ichiro burst out laughing.
Katashi shook his head.
Masa rolled his eyes.
And before anyone could answer or ridicule him for what must have been the dumbest question of all time, given their reactions, a loud snap sounded in the forest off to his right.
Ryuichi lifted his spear.
Shaking his head, Ichiro gave him an irritated smirk. “You won’t need that.”
How could he be so sure? That noise didn’t sound friendly.
At least not until a figure stumbled out of the darkness. “Excuse me for being late. There was a sale on sake, and I got distracted.” The tall, lanky man hiccuped and snickered. “And then I imbibed more than I should.” He grinned, then hiccuped again.
And wobbled before he staggered forward.
You’ve got to be kidding me...
Surely this couldn’t be their sensei.
But as the others bowed, his worst fears manifested. This was the man charged with training and overseeing them?
I have definitely messed up my future. Ryuichi felt like crying.
Their sensei almost fell as he came closer.
Ichiro caught him.
Scoffing, the man pushed him away. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
After more stumbling—mostly in the wrong direction—he belched, then found his students in the darkness.
He began a head count by tapping them on their shoulders while he staggered between them. “One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six...” He stopped at Ryuichi and squinted. “Seven?” He blinked and felt Ryuichi’s face. “Seven?”
Their sensei leaned back to try and examine his face in the darkness. “Didn’t I lose you last week?” He smiled, pinching Ryuichi’s cheeks in a rough grip. “Ryota! You came back! But you’re taller! Doesn’t matter. You’re back! Oh, how I missed you!”
Shigeru cleared his throat. “Koichi-sensei, he’s not Ryota. He’s a new student. Ryota’s still missing.”
With a disappointed sigh, Koichi shoved Ryuichi back. “Crap, I knew that trip to the canyon was a bad idea. Always lose students on that trip. One day I’ll learn better.”
His face brightened. “Since you’re new, I’ll give you the introduction. Name’s Koichi, and no, I don’t have a family name, so don’t bother trying to figure it out—you’ll only make me angry and give yourself a headache.”
He gestured with a sake bottle toward the others. “Welcome to the Kai-dan, our ‘little broken group,’ as the others call it. Eventually, you’ll learn everyone’s name—if you survive long enough, that is.” He leaned in to whisper in Ryuichi’s ear. “I’ll be honest though. Recently our prospects haven’t been so great on that front.”
Clearing his throat, Koichi straightened up and clapped him on the back. “But who knows? Maybe you’re the lucky charm we need... or not. Either way, this is where they send the students who are too undisciplined... or the ones they just don’t want to be bothered with.”
Koichi leaned in again, right next to Ryuichi’s face. Ryuichi could smell the alcohol on his breath. “I wonder which one you are.”
With him so close, Ryuichi could finally see his sharp features clearly. Koichi wasn’t like any samurai he’d ever beheld. His haphazard and filthy blue kimono barely concealed his athletic chest, and it was full of holes. He reeked of sake and body odor, making even Ryuichi, who was used to shoveling manure, choke at the stench. He couldn’t understand how someone like this was allowed on school grounds, let alone given the honor of teaching.
It made no sense.
Koichi let out a sinister laugh. “I do hope you’re ready. We’re not like the other spoiled brats cooped up there in the big fancy school, with clean floors and basic insulation. No, sir. We here at the Night Patrol do things dirty, and we do things quick... and dangerous. So leave your faint heart in the barracks. From here on out, your training is going to be hands-on. Practical. The kind of stuff that’ll make youwantto break the rules.”
Never.
The only thing on Ryuichi’s mind was how to get back so he could be with his friends, Kato and Takara. All he wanted was to be by Kato’s side as he recovered.
