"Right now, I don't have the patience to deal with your stubbornness," Hokuto retorted to his horse, his voice laced with irritation as the uncooperative animal wasn't willing to move an inch. He clicked his tongue in frustration before shooting a pointed look in Taiga's direction. "And instead of just standing there and passing judgment, you could be doing something useful. Your presence is quite distracting."
Taiga shifted his posture and let out a sigh. "For your information, I wasn't judging, but okay," he responded curtly, failing to hide his annoyance from Hokuto's attacking attitude, "Any suggestions?"
"Do you have a gun?" Hokuto asked, sending another quick glance in Taiga's direction. His eyes were speaking for himself - yeah, come on, how could a pathetic guy like you possibly have a gun?
Taiga was almost ready to start arguing that he was happy not to hold any weapon at that moment because he couldn't guarantee what he'd do with it. But then he caught Jesse's firm look that was warning him not to escalate the situation.
"No, I don't have a gun," he replied tightly, trying his best to maintain a neutral tone.
"Jesse will give you one," Hokuto said, then added with a stern expression, "And remember, Kyomoto, shooting is strictly forbidden here unless you're told to do so."
As they walked away from Hokuto, Taiga couldn't help but comment, "So, he really seems to hate me." There was a tinge of disappointment in his voice.
Jesse glanced back at Hokuto, who was piling hay for his horse (which had finally obeyed his orders and moved).
"Nah, I don't really think that's the case. He's actually a fun guy most of the time, just a bit reserved at first," Jesse replied, shrugging. "He's also a bit weary and stressed today, I guess. Your... grand entrance wasn't exactly expected. I think it more or less caught all of us off guard!"
"Hey, it wasn't my fault you guys had set that stupid trap."
"I think we might have done you a favor, though," Jesse said. "It's dangerous out there alone. You know that."
Taiga huffed. He was well aware of the dangers that lurked around every corner; he had witnessed them firsthand. He wasn't naive. And perhaps Hokuto was merely having an off day, as Jesse had suggested. Yet still, even in that scenario, it didn't excuse Hokuto's behavior of treating Taiga like he had disrupted their community's peace and become nothing but their burden. They had been the ones who extended the invitation for him to stay. There was absolutely no reason for Hokuto to be that cold at him.
Curiosity got the better of him as they approached the warehouse. Taiga could see from the corner of his eyes how Hokuto was now gently patting the horse's velvety nose, a far cry from the guy who had snapped at him mere minutes ago.
Taiga gestured subtly towards Hokuto. "By the way, how did he end up here? I remember Kochi mentioning FEDRA briefly."
Jesse hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Oh, that's a part we don't delve into. It's like an unspoken vow between us. We don't talk about the past here."
Fair enough.
As they entered the warehouse, Taiga was taken aback by the organized sight inside. The place was filled with scavenged supplies: food cans, gasoline tins, and rice sacks. Rifles of different sizes hung on little hooks on one wall, while a wide shelf held smaller pistols and handguns neatly tucked into their holders. It looked more like a miniature army base than a warehouse owned by careless fellows of his age.
"Here's your gun," Jesse said, snapping Taiga out of his thoughts. He handed Taiga a worn but serviceable pistol.
"Take good care of it, and remember what Hokuto said about shooting. Keep it unloaded until we say so. We don't take lives lightly here, and finding bullets is no easy feat."
Taiga fiddled with the pistol silently, examining it, and then tucked it under the waistband of his pants, the cold metal pressing against his skin. He wasn't sure if he suddenly felt very old or very young.
"So, you don't want to talk about why you ended up here?" Jesse asked.
"I thought there was a silent vow that we don't talk about the past here," Taiga answered.
Jesse gave a faint smile, understanding the irony of the situation. "Very well. Let's go back."
He patted Taiga's shoulder reassuringly. "You're part of us now. That's what matters."