Chapter 276 - Sleep

"Sho, if you wanna hang then I won't stop you but don't cause trouble OK!" Kenichi said when he saw Sho entering the garden with him.

Sho didn't reply to him but just shrugged his shoulders as he sat on his chair on aside.

"Oh, Kenichi, you are here!" said Izumi as she entered the garden then turned his head to look towards Kano Sho, "You are! Kano Sho right. Did Kenichi bring you here? Are you interested in joining the gardening club?"

"Ah!" Kano Sho was stumped silent as he didn't know what to reply to her.

Kenichi hurriedly caught Izumi and pulled her back as he didn't want her to enter Sho's personal space where Sho attack her on reflex.

Sho saw Kenichi's actions and felt a little relief as he didn't want to be the first person to break the school rules when he had ordered his comrades to not do so. Where would his reputation as a leader go when he becomes the first one to break his order himself.

"Izumi! Kano Sho is here to only look around since he doesn't know much about the school he decided to check up on the Gardening Club with me" said Kenichi

"Oh, Is that so! I am sorry Kano-san, I was a little excited to know that someone came to our club" said Izumi.

"That's not right Izumi, we may not have crowds such as the theaters club or Gymnastic club but people still come here to walk around the gardening club don't they!" Kenichi said

"Yes that true," Izumi said nodding her head and continued, "Then you guys talk I will go take a look at the plants"

As Izumi walked away from the two, Kenichi turned his head back towards Sho and said "The current you won't reach anywhere around me Kano Sho, just sit in silence and don't create trouble"

"Wh-What do you mean by that?" asked Kano Sho but Kenichi didn't reply to him as he had already walked away from him.

Seeing as that he won't be getting any reply to his question Kano sat down on his chair with a huff.

As Sho sat there to relax, he heard Izumi humming a song as she watered the plants. Soon enough, Sho's eyes began to droop as time passed.

'What's happening? Why do I feel so... relaxed?' mused Sho as he closed his eyes. For some reason, this atmosphere and the music made him feel at peace.

Sho was a child of Kuremisago Clan, Chosen to succeed the One Fist himself when the time would come. Yet he was always criticized not only by others but by his own clan members. For never having the 'correct' or 'strong' heart. That he wasn't merciless enough. There had even been talks about disposing of him while he was still just a child and had just begun his training with his master Hongo. Even to this day, he knew there were mutterings about how he wasn't worthy despite having proven himself over and over again. Only Hongo truly believed in him, even when he tricked a few of the elders into believing he killed a chick he had found. He took care of the chick, where it grew into a mighty bird and flew into the endless sky. Hongo never cared about what the Kuremisago wanted.

It was because of all the pressure that despite his carefree attitude, he was always tense even if he didn't show it. His nerves were always bundled tightly, never having a chance to relax, even while sleeping. And now, somehow, he could feel those tightly bundled nerves slowly unraveling, allowing him to feel... safe. Free.

Even a bird flying in the endless sky needed to rest its wings. For Sho, it felt like he was a bird standing on a branch of a tree, where he was protected while being able to rest.

"Kenichi! Is it really alright for us to leave him like that" asked Izumi as she looked at Kano Sho's sleeping figure.

"Don't worry Izumi, he looks like he could use sleep like this so we shouldn't disturb him for now. You can go back, I will stay here until he wakes up then will lock the doors that" Kenichi said

"OK then take care, I will tell Miu and Saeko about this so they don't worry about you," said Izumi with a smile.

"That will be really helpful, thank you," said Kenichi.

As Izumi left the gardening club room Kenichi sat on the ground and started to meditate waiting for Kano Sho to wake up. Though Kenichi didn't like Kano very much, it was his first time seeing such relaxed expressions on Kano's face so Kenichi didn't have the heart to break his sweet dreams and wake him up.

After an hour or so Kano Sho woke up on his own and became extremely vigilant in a second ready to strike anyone close by him.

"Relax there isn't anyone other than me and you here" came Kenichi's voice.

"Shirahama Kenichi! I.. I slept for a long time didn't I?" asked Sho after remembering everything that happened before his sleep.

"Well, It depends! Are 1 and half hour a long time for you or not" replied Kenichi

"So it's only been 1 and a half hour! But I didn't feel so refreshed for a long time" said Sho

"That's because it was your first time sleeping without any worries and calm nerves" Kenichi replied as he beckoned Sho to leave the gardening Club.

After getting out of the club with Sho, Kenichi locked the door behind him and said "You have been living your life with your nerves always bundled tightly and have never truly relaxed before hence for the first time you relaxed you fell asleep and felt refresh after waking up"

"Oh!" exclaimed Kano Sho then looked around as if trying to find someone.

"Are you looking for someone?" asked Kenichi.

"Yes, Did your club president left, I wanted to thank her! If not for her I won't have slept so peacefully" replied Sho.

"She left an hour ago for her home, you can thank her tomorrow" replied Kenichi.

"That's fine for me" replied Sho as he and Kenichi walked towards the school gate.

"Wait! What did you mean earlier when you said I won't reach anywhere around you?"