( — THREE ; AMONG THE TSUGUKOS )

TRAINING, even on the weekends, has become a habit for me. I didn't have my uniform and katana yet, so I couldn't formally accept missions. Also, I named my crow Miki, courtesy to Mitsuri.

I heard my master squeal from the house and I knew that we had visitors. Her squeak sounded like a mouse's when she was excited to see the person, and a squirrel when she wasn't expecting the visitor. I gently placed my katana down, dusted my training yukata, and went inside.

A kakushi was sitting in the couch as Mitsuri was rambling about her infamous pancakes. I could see the kakushi squirming in her seat, and I bowed before them, flicking Mitsuri's forehead.

"Owwie! Mila-chan, that hurt!"

Even the kakushi seemed surprised, and I could tell why. I, who was a simple tsuguko, had the utter nerve to flick a Hashira's forehead. Not just any Hashira, but my master. Oh well. Mitsuri was nice anyway. She wouldn't mind.

"Good morning," I greeted the woman before sitting beside my master. "I assume that's my uniform?"

"Yes, and I saw your sword smith coming this way, Kanata-sama," the kakushi nodded, placing a medium-sized box on the coffee table. "Please try it on and see if it fits."

I took the box and went to my bedroom. I opened the cover and removed the fabric from its casing, before cursing so loud that Mitsuri squeaked out from the living room.

"H-Holy shit!"

° • ° • ° • °

"MILA-chan! You look so perfect! You look just like me!"

"Y-Yes, and that's a bad th-thing!"

I'd changed into the clothing and bounded downstairs. We were going to have a problem. I was totally ready to rat the kakushi out, but I knew Mitsuri wouldn't let me. Not when she fully convinced herself I looked good.

No, my uniform didn't have an open chest like my master's, but the chest area was tight, fully emphasizing my...boobs.

I never understood why Akime was always complaining that she was older than me, and yet, my chest was bigger than hers ever would. I just realized it right now. I figured that when I turned sixteen, my chest would be four inches bigger than my own mother's.

Not only that, the skirt was a completely bigger ordeal. The fabric barely covered my legs, and it displayed at least half my thighs and all of my legs. I could be called a harlot if I wasn't careful. Even the kakushi was gaping.

"We might've exaggerated that you were a size small..."

Tell me about it!

"I can take it back so we can make you a new one, Kanata-sama. I sincerely apolo — "

"No it's fine, kakushi-san!" Mitsuri interjected before smirking at me secretly. "This uniform is alright! It's perfect for a Breath of Love user!"

"M-MITSURI-SAN!"

° • ° • ° • °

MY sword smith, Jeuchi-san, was a man in his late forties, and had wisteria earrings dangling down his earlobes. I almost forgot my uniform situation, since I was giddy to see my katana.

"Your sword is forged from the Sunshine Wisteria Ore, Kanata-sama. It means that not only does your sword harvest sunlight, one of its components is wisteria blossoms ground into powder and mixed with its steel. Just a touch and a demon will get poisoned."

It was a pretty good ore then. Thank you, squirrel.

The katana Jeuchi-san handed me was a masterpiece. It was just like Mitsuri's whip-like sword, and the second I touched it, my sword turned to an apple-green to white gradient color.

"What a lovely color. Never saw gradients in my time, only solid colors." Jeuchi-san praised, nodding his head thoughtfully.

I thanked him as he set off back to the sword smith's village, and I decided to turn in for the night.

How I was going to survive the next day, I didn't know.

° • ° • ° • °

"WHAT do you mean, tsuguko presentation?!"

I was just about to search for my crow Miki when Mitsuri hugged me and told me that we were going to the Corps headquarters for a meeting.

I knew that Kanao was going to be there; she was the Insect Hashira's — who I hadn't met yet — tsuguko. However, Mitsuri told me that Kanao had already been introduced last month, and it was my turn.

"Come on, wouldn't you want to meet the other Hashiras?" Mitsuri quipped, clapping her hands as she spun herself around repeatedly. "And you're wearing your uniform tomorrow too! And you're bringing your brand-new awesome sword! They'll like you, Mila-chan!"

"B-But Mitsuri-sama!" I only called her formally whenever she annoyed me, and Mitsuri knew it. I normally called her 'nee-san' or just plain Mitsuri. "I don't w-want to wear it! I look...like... a prostitute!"

"Hushhh!" Mitsuri put a finger on her lips and frantically shushed me. "That's not a kid's word, Mila-chan!

"It's settled then!" Mitsuri clapped her hands again, and her haori was dancing with the wind as she did so. "Come on, Mila-chan, please?"

"Y-You better be lu-lucky you're m-my master..."

° • ° • ° • °

"DEAR child, I don't mean to sound ill, but what has happened to your uniform's skirt?"

I'd just met the other Hashiras earlier, and I could tell that they all admired me, just like Mitsuri said they would. I loved Rengoku-san's loud self, and Shinobu-san's smile, and Iguro-san's quietness and his pet snake Kaburumaru.

Here I was now, flustered in front of Oyakata-sama. I could tell from his gentle tone that there wasn't an ounce of anger at all, but I was still embarrassed. I guess the slayers would only notice me because of my clothes, then.

"Excuse me, Oyakata-sama!" Mitsuri bowed swiftly, her voice a flustered one as well. There was a light shade of pink on her cheeks, and I knew that it was because she was either shy or truthfully and genuinely excited. "My apologies, but I requested for her uniform to be made like mine, just a little modified. Is it that bad, Oyakata-sama? Please say so."

The leader of the Corps shook his head before chuckling, the sound like tinkling glass. "It is fine, but at least give the young child a pair of socks, just like what Iguro-sama also did."

"O-Of course, Oyakata-sama!"

° • ° • ° • °

MITSURI decided to stay with the leader to clear some stuff up, and she said that I could go to the Butterfly Estate to see my fellow tsuguko, aka Kanao, the butterfly girl I met in the Selection.

I followed her orders and headed straight to the estate, where I found a stern-looking girl with similar azure clips, except that her hair was in pigtails. She was hanging up some ivory bedsheets, and I walked over and tapped her shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked, and I found out that her name was Aoi. I asked where Kanao was, and she said that she was out back.

I skipped towards the backyard, knowing that this presentation didn't flop after all.