𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 [[Kimetsu Academy au]] (fem reader)

≋34≋

"Come in." Her voice beckoned you in kindly

Tentatively, you slide the door open with your foot before placing it inside of the room

It's so dark, and only a few candles are placed on rotting old furniture. The place smells of old wood, and only a few new things have been moved around to give the illusion of safety. A chill runs down your back, and you swallow cold.

Makomo is standing off to the side with her hands clasped together in delighted silence

"I knew you'd come." She says softly

"Hm." You manage to grunt in response, giving a sharp nod

"I missed our conversations." she added

I hate you. you thought

No. No, I don't. What's wrong with me?

A short pause passes before the girl turns to walk briskly away into another room. You open your mouth to speak but your throat dries up before the words can come out

By the time she returned, she was carrying a soda--ramune, to be exact. What a cruel joke.

"Glad you decided to stay. I really hoped you'd come around." Makomo plopped down onto the couch, grinning with the soda still in hand

"This 'cheers' goes to me, for finally getting away from my parents. Bottom's up!"

There was something so malevolent...so violent about her obnoxiously clear avoidance of the truth. After all this time, every scenario you made in your head, and how constantly you worried about rescuing her from some predator or even from herself, and she gets to sit here knowing this and not feel a thing?

The girl stopped gulping down the drink to cast a curious glance at you "Hey, why aren't you sitting down?"

"...Everybody is looking for you. Even your parents." you said

Her smile faded quickly, sitting the drink in her lap

"They even got the cops involved. If anyone knows anything and doesn't come forward...they can get in trouble, too."

Makomo tilts her head to one side "well--"

"you got Genya and Aoi wrapped up into this too. All of it was orchestrated by you? I don't even want to believe this." You breathed

"But it's only half true!" Makomo pleaded "I didn't want it to get out of control. I only told Genya to hurt Sabito...I didn't want him to try to kill him. I tried to fix it, but our friendship never went back into place."

"Why?!" You ask, too stunned to even raise your voice above a whisper "Please, don't tell me you did this for me. Because you didn't. You did this for yourself."

You suck in air through your teeth, and pull your arms close to your chest. It feels like thorn-covered vines are constricting your throat while you try to hold your tears inside.

You really didn't want it to be true--but alas, the girl sitting on the couch before you had fallen completely silent. Perhaps there really wasn't anything she could say that you hadn't already figured out.

To top it all off, instead of telling you the truth from the jump, she just ran away from all of it like a coward.

"I'm sorry." She says

Gently, Makomo falls to her knees in front of you, dragging her forearm across her face like a little kid

"Don't leave me. I don't want to be alone. Please."

I want to say no.

You follow her with your gaze as she weeps silently, mumbling incoherent pleas. Her disposition reduced her to the likeness of someone who was lost, and completely shattered. Who, if not you, is going to help her?

Tanjiro would do it. Even if she was lying.

You relax your shoulders with a long exhale and drop to one knee, scooping the girl up hastily in your arms. It was a firm hug, but not without a little bit of sweetness. Although, the last thing you should be doing is coddling her.

You rose to stand, pulling her up with you as you did

"Let's go home." You mumble

Reluctantly, she nodded into your shoulder, and the two of you left that horrible place. You left, and not once did either of you look back.

That night, the police released an official statement to the public that Makomo had been found staggering home through the woods alongside her best friend, (Y/n), by her parents.

According to the mother, the two of them looked battered, exhausted, and most of all, relieved.

Really, it was way more anticlimactic than you anticipated it would be.

"Before you knock on the door," Makomo said "Can I tell you something?"

You looked down at her blankly "sure." You chuckled as if it were a casual conversation

"I'm...really glad that Sabito loves you." She sniffled

Behind you, you could faintly hear the light raindrops start to fall.

"Why?" You inquired

She shrugged "It just seems right, you and him together."

"Pfft.." You scoffed, pulling your old friend into a tight hug "I guess. You just worry about getting better at home, okay?"

She gave a final nod, and then turned to knock at the door, behind which would be the parents who would welcome her back with open arms.

[[THIS IS NOT THE END!!>]]