[Demon Slayer] Male Reader x Shinobu

Chapter 11 - Trial by Flower

I just need to see Shinobu one last time before I go. Break Haruka free.. escape the mansion and flee. Just run far, far away like we did way back then.

I peek into Shinobu's office where she's organizing her books and cleaning her shelves. I can see all the research papers just scattered about, many note books open and as always Shinobu is hard at work. Making new poisons, new formulas, and there are even rumours that Shinobu has been.. using her body for some experiments.

Her body is filled with poison? I find it hard to believe and I don't dare ask. I just need to knock and talk to her.. just knock on the door.

"Come in, I know you're there Mizu."

..

Right, she knows.

"S-sorry Shinobu.. I don't mean to intrude. Umm.. I just got lost in my head for a moment."

"You do that a lot. Anything I can help you with? If it's regarding Haruka then there's nothing I can do-"

"No no, it's nothing like that. I'm just praying that Haruka isn't sentenced to life in prison or has to commit seppuku."

"Yeah, me too Mizu. Haruka is a good girl.. she's a joy to have around. There are nights where I just stay up, thinking about the whole fight over and over again. All of us were pinned and the three of you were dying. Haruka using Hattori as a stepping stone was.. a lot to take in. She didn't have the strength to draw blood from the demons.. so she had to kill Hattori. It really was a desperate last choice she had to commit. I can't imagine what it's like to be in her shoes."

"Yeah, me too Shinobu. She just refuses to die and most of all- she wanted to protect us. So it costed Hattori's life.. what she did wasn't right either so.. I just feel bad about the situation entirely. I wish things turned out differently."

"Me too, Mizu, me too.. from here on we just have to become stronger. Even me, I stumble and fall, facing great big walls that are hard to overcome. Life is just unfair and we just have to struggle through it."

"Shinbou, I just want to thank you for everything so far. You've been helping me when I really needed it and in a way you set me in the right path. So.. yeah, thank you Shinobu."

Shinobu doesn't say much afterwards. I know she has a little hatred towards Haruka for killing Hattori. After all Shinobu and Hattori are friends. I can feel it that Shinobu is torn apart from pitying Haruka and hating her.

I guess this wasn't a good note to leave on and I can't confess my love to Shinobu, so I must go I suppose. I'll probably never love someone ever again, who knows. Shinobu is and always will be a one of a kind person. I am lucky to have her as a friend and I'm grateful that we'd did things together.

Shinobu was an overall joy to have around. It pains my heart when I waves goodbye and closed her office doors. My back turned on her and my sight focused on the future. I have to move on from here no matter how painful it is. I just have to go..

I have to meet up with Yuutsu before the trials. She's the only person that can help me otherwise I'm alone.

Yuutsu is probably in her recently built house nearby. She prefers small land worth about a few acres and a decent sized home. It's near the main mansion and it's also on the same pathway as the butterfly mansion.

It was only a few minutes worth of walking to reach Yuutsu's newly built home.. yeah I can already see some vandalism and signs protesting against Haruka.. as well as removing Yuutsu's title as a hashira. Yuutsu is associated with a murderer.. that doesn't look good on a hashira and the respect for my elder sis plummeted.