The New Winds

Planning to meet Utaku Oichi to ask her for a lesson, Kokyou wants outside the sensei dormitories until he's able to see her.

In slow motion, she crosses by and the young Mantis boy is rendered completely paralyzed in his admiration for her. She compliments him about his actions from yesterday with a beautiful smile, but Kokyou doesn't manage to say anything back that made much sense.

Oichi giggles at the young boy's stuttering imminent shyness and moves to her dorm.

--

Several heartbeats after the incident, an amused Hida-sensei puts his sake away to shake the Mantis boy out of his shock.

"You shouldn't stare, it makes everyone uncomfortable, Mantis-san"

Kokyou returns from his paralysis to look at his rather impressively large sensei, and his previous blush wanes off. "Aye. Sensei. I apologize. 'tis 'cause, well..."

He nods, finding an opportunity, and asks, "'tis a kind o' grapplin' lock I haven't been able t' figure out how t' weigh anchor. Wha' be the trickiest one sensei could teach me?"

"A grapple you cannot escape? Explain more"

"Did sensei ever hear the tale o' the siren's chanty at sea. That lure away scallywags out o' thar ships into the clashin' waves against the rocks. So, that be the kind o' grapple I am natterin' about I find hard t' escape."

He smirks, correcting, "But that's jus' a tale. Wha' I am mighty interested at be t' know more o' sensei techniques in grapple 'n carve me path t' become the Yokozuna!"

"That isn't a story that the Crab know, Mantis-san. Though, if I understand what you just said correctly, it is a warning against allowing things to distract you from your duty"

The Hida motions for Kokyou to follow.

"Come then, let us train!"