He tried, he tried so hard. But his problems all came rushing back to him right as the mission ended, the Pillars keeping their individual facades on... until Oyakata left.
(Y/n) tried to get up and leave, only for two firm hands to clasp onto his uniform shirt. He was flung back into a wall with such great force, he lost all the wind in his lungs. He immediately knew who those hands belonged to, Uzui Tengen and Iguro Obanai.
"You told him, didn't you?" Obanai spat with hatred. (Y/n) could only shake his head, and mentally prepare himself for what was to come. The other Pillars watched idol, minus Giyu, and made sure (Y/n) didn't try to get away. "Answer me!" He yelled.
(Y/n) slightly winced, "No..." he muttered quietly.
"Speak up." Another voice, belonging to Sakura spoke up. (Y/n) looked up at her, though unlike her eyes, his weren't full of hatred. He only looked tired, like he could sleep for one hundred years... though if you looked deep enough... you could see he wished to never wake up again.
"No." He spoke louder. Though this didn't appease their tempers in the slightest, when a fist connected with (Y/n)'s face. (Y/n) was shocked, not by the hit, but by how soft the hit was. He looked up confused and saw it was Sakura who punched him, though it didn't hurt as much as it used to. Granted it still hurt like hell, but it wasn't the same.
(Y/n) then stood up, granted slightly wobbly, since his leg was most likely broken.
"So it's true..." he spoke up. The Pillars narrowed their eyes at (Y/n), "You have gotten weaker." He spoke, though not with malice. He was talking like he was stating a fact.
This made them only more pissed, though before they could do more, "Enough." A monotone voice spoke. They looked to see the Water Pillar there, his katana drawn and pointed at them. "Leave him alone."
"Oh Tomioka isn't so lonely after all huh?" Shinobu taunted.
"No... he's not." (Y/n) stated. "I'm his friend." (Y/n) spoke with a louder voice. Giyu didn't let it show but... that meant a lot to him.
"Now leave him alone." Giyu snapped for the last time. Surprisingly the Pillars listened, and just left with Sakura. Immediately after, (Y/n) was near collapsing, so Giyu caught him.
(Y/n) chuckled a humorless chuckle, "I can't tell who weaker... them... or me." Giyu didn't know how to respond, or even if he should, so he just kept quite.
At Infirmary
The Butterfly Girls just got finished patching (Y/n) up, when Giyu walked to the side of his bed.
"(Y/n)..." Giyu started. (Y/n) looked up at him confused, "how?"
(Y/n) raised an eyebrow at this, "How what?" He asked.
"How do you do it?" Giyu's voice started to grow louder, "How do you keep smiling? How do you wake up every morning, knowing, this is what waits for you? How... haven't you given up?"
(Y/n) was shocked by his outburst though places his hand in Giyu's, "I'm going to give you one of the greatest advice I've been told." (Y/n) smiled.
"There is no greater satisfaction to people like the other Pillars, than for you to end up like them." (Y/n) started...
"Sad, alone, and forever to feel like the only way to feel happiness... is to drag others down with them."
