“Can you get up Kan?”

“Yeah, thanks Big Brother.”

Cole helped Kan up from the ground and the both of them were drenched in mud. Kan had it worst since he was slammed into the mud but Kan’s magic had also successfully gotten Cole dirty.

“Go and wash yourself Kan. We can continue your training after you’re all cleaned up.”

“Ok, why don’t you join me too? You’re also dirty.”

“Ah. It’s ok Kan. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll just go and get a change of clothes.”

This wasn’t the first time Kan had asked Cole to shower with him and it also wasn’t the first time he was rejected. Kan didn’t know why Cole would always reject his offer because Kan found showering time, a time to bond.

When he had first met Cole, Kan felt that Cole knew something about Nicole but as he spent more time with Cole, his goal changed into wanting to become friends with Cole. Cole was a kind and caring person but also strict when he needed to be. Even though Kan still wanted to find out more about Nicole, he didn’t want to just use Cole as a means to find her. Kan instead decided that if they became friends, then maybe one day Cole would open up to him and tell him about Nicole.

Kan would always invite Cole to go shower or bathe after training but he would always reject the offer. Kan felt dejected because showering was how he bonded with all his close friends and family. He knew that Cole had a reason for wanted to avoid showering with him but he didn’t want to be insensitive and ask Cole.

So instead he went to ask his parents about reasons why someone wouldn’t want to shower with others.

“Well, Kan. Some people just aren’t comfortable showering with others. Maybe they feel insecure about their bodies so they don’t want to show others.”

“Cole was once a knight, so he probably has many scars from the battles he has been through. He probably doesn’t want such a young child to see all of his scars.”

These were the answers that Claire and Clive had given him but Kan didn’t see this as a problem. Kan felt that Cole shouldn’t feel ashamed of his body or even ashamed of his scars from battle. Instead he should be proud of it, so on that day Kan decided that he would always invite Cole to go clean themselves after training. He would continue this until Cole opens up to him and decides to shower with him.

Today’s invitation was another failure as Cole still rejected the offer to shower with him. Kan wanted to shower together with Cole and become friends. He also wanted to know why Cole is constantly avoiding his invitation, so he decided to ask him.

“Big Brother, why do you always reject my offer to shower together?”

“I’m sorry Kan but Big Brother has many scars from his days as a knight and I wouldn’t want to show it to you.”

“I don’t mind though Big Brother!! I want you to shower with me so we can become friends.”

“Friends?”

Cole was surprised at Kan’s concept of becoming friends. Never in his life had he ever heard of making friends through showering, so the only thing he could do was smile awkwardly.

“You never join me when I shower. You always just give me an excuse for not wanting to shower together. Do you not want to be friends?”

Cole started to feel guilty about rejecting Kan’s invitations. Thinking about the amount of times Kan invited him, it had probably been in the hundreds. The more and more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt. The last straw that broke the camel’s back were the sad eyes that were currently looking at him. Kan was practically begging him to shower together. The only thing he could do was accept Kan’s invitation.

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“*Sigh. Ok, I will shower with you but I am not taking my clothes off. I will only be washing you, ok.”

“Yeah, that’s great! Thanks Big Brother!”

Kan was overjoyed at the moment. Although Cole wouldn’t actually be showering with him, Kan was still happy. It was a small step towards them becoming friends. Eventually it could lead to the point where they could shower together. Kan was just too happy thinking about the future.

The two of them walked towards the well next to the alarm tower. Since the alarm tower wasn’t close to any other buildings it needed a way to secure water, so a well was built next to it.

As they approached the well, Kan began to take off his clothes one by one. By the time he was at the well he was completely naked. Cole could only watch at how bold Kan was as he proudly stood there naked.

“Aren’t you embarrassed Kan?”

“Why should I?”

Kan was confused at what Cole had asked him, and Cole could see this. Cole didn’t know what to say. Although Kan was very smart and strong, there were some parts of him that were quirky. Cole was also stumped at what to do. He could explain to Kan that he should feel embarrassed when showing someone your naked body but did he have the right to do this. He was just an acquaintance of Kan and wasn’t his parents or anything like that, so what right did he have to reprimand Kan.

“Uh, nothing Kan. Let me get the bucket of water and wash you off.”

Cole decided to not say anything about Kan’s behavior. He didn’t have the right to and someone else will eventually correct him on his behavior, right?

Cole grabbed the wooden bucket next to the well and threw it in the well. He then began pulling the bucket by the rope attached to it. The bucket was now full to the brim.

“Ok, stand still Kan.”

Cole rolled his sleeves back, before grabbing the bucket and pouring some water over Kan’s head. The mud from their battle had already hardened up so the water helped wash some of it off. Seeing that not all of the mud had come off, Cole grabbed a piece of cloth he had in his pocket and began scrubbing Kan down.

“Hahahaha, that tickles Big Brother.”

“Ah, stay still Kan. I still have to scrub the dirt off of you.”

“Your hands and arm are very pretty Big Brother. They aren’t rough or masculine like all the other men in the village.”

“Is that suppose to be a complement or an insult?”

“”Hahahaha.””

Cole hadn’t realized it but he was slowly opening up to Kan. They were now just having fun talking to one another instead of always just training. Kan was happy that they were slowly becoming friends.

“Oh, you have a mole on your chin Big Brother. I never realized it.”

“Yeah, I do. I usually hide it with makeup because I heard a rumor in the capital that women like men with a clean and fair face.”

“I don’t think you need to hide your mole here though. You aren’t masculine like all the other men in the village but you are still very handsome. I think many women in the village would like you just the way you are.”

“Thanks Kan.”

“Oh, why don’t I introduce you to Aunty Jane. She is very pretty and nice.”

“Aunty Jane. Who is she?”

“Aunty Jane’s full name is Jane Fallen. She is 42 years old but don’t judge her by her age Big Brother. She is still healthy, beautiful, and kind.”

“Jane Fallen!?”

Kan was surprised to hear Cole repeat Jane’s name again. It sounded like he already knew Jane’s name.

“Do you know Aunty Jane, Big Brother.”

“Yeah, I do. She saved me when I was a lot younger. It was probably when I was the same age as you were right now.”

“Good, then we can go and see Aunty Jane after training then.”

“No, it’s ok Kan. She probably doesn’t remember me anymore and I wouldn’t want to bother her.”

Cole became silent but still continued to scrub Kan down. Eventually Cole felt that he had made the atmosphere awkward so he decided to talk about something else.

“How did you get this injury on your left arm?”

“Oh I forgot to tell you Big Brother, I won the fight against Leo today.”

“Good. Tell me how the battle played out.”

Kan began to tell how the battle played out to Cole. He told him everything about the battle except the part where he and Leo both obtained their skills. He knew that skills were very important secrets and so he decided to not include it in his recount of the story. Eventually Kan was done talking about what happened and Cole was also done cleaning Kan.