𝓚𝓮𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓜𝔂 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 [Giyu x Shinobu] {KNY}

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕆𝕟𝕖- ℍ𝕒𝕟𝕒𝕙𝕒𝕜𝕚

Author POV:

All of the Hashiras sat at the long, round table, piles of food set before them. It was the usual breakfest time, and everyone was eating and chatting happily. 

Usually Shinobu would be joining them, but today she wasn't feeling quite right. And she knew why. A few days ago, she'd been in her bedroom when suddenly she began coughing up flowers covered in blood. Being the healer, Shinobu knew it was the Hanahaki disease- the effect of one-sided love, you would begin coughing up flowers until eventually it killed you, unless the person you loved returned their feelings.

But Shinobu was not going to confess, she was too embarrased, it would make things awkward during missions and she'd mess it up anyways. Let her die if it was to be. She would never, ever tell Giyu. 

Suddenly, just as she reached for a warm golden pancake, she felt the familiar discomfort in her throat. She began coughing and quickly excused herself to the bathroom. Mitsuri, her best friend, looked after her, clearly worried.

Shinobu's POV:

Oh god, I wish I didn't start coughing in front of everyone else! Mitsuri was definetly worried, she's going to find out, no, no, no. 

There's no way I can let anybody know about this. They'd either laugh or spread rumours and I would be forever embarrased. But luckily, it seemed only Mitsuri had noticed something was wrong, and if I had to tell someone, it would be my trustworthy friend, the love pillar. 

I dashed into the bathroom, and quickly checked that no-one was there, before I gave up controlling my throat and started coughing up flowers into the sink. The blood was worse this time. It seemed like it would be only a week before the mystical disease took a hold of her, approx. 

Suddenly, Mitsuri ran in, and gave me a fright. She really was a Hashira- I didn't even hear her footsteps or else I would have tried to hide the flowers.

"Is something wrong, Shinobu? You looked uneasy when you left and- oh! Oh my!" Mitsuri gaped at the bloody flowers in the sink. She looked to them, then to me, and back again, processing. She quickly realised what had happened. Mitsuri wasn't advanced in medical care, but she was the love pillar, and knew about such diseases.

"Is it.. Hanahaki?" She asked gently. 

"Y-yes. Please don't tell anyone." I pleaded. 

"Of course I won't, Shinobu, but I've gotta know- who is it?" Mitsuri asked, curiously. She was always desperate for more ships.

"I- I... do you promise you won't tell him?" I asked, unsure.

"Of course. Secret swear. Pinky promise! Now spill." Mitsuri said, her excitement overtaking her worry.

"It's.. it's Giyu." I said softly, a faint blush on my cheeks. 

Mitsuri's POV:

TOMIOKA-SAN!! I always knew it was going to happen, they were so cute together!!

"Oh Shinobu, what a good choice! Tomioka-san is so handsome!!" I squealed, delighted.

"Shhh! You think everyone is handsome." Shinobu said, a smile playing on her lips.

"But still! You two are such a perfect pair! Made in heaven! But... doesn't that mean.." I trailed off, dissapointed.

"Yes.. it's one-sided," Shinobu sighed, "But it's not like he would ever like me anyway. Besides, it would ruin our missions. Just, don't tell anyone, okay? I'll make a medicine soon." 

"But.. you have to tell him! He probably just hasn't realised how awesome you are yet!" I said passionatly. 

"No, no... you can't tell anybody, and neither will I! I don't want this to get out, it will be so embarrasing." Shinobu sighed.

"Of course I won't tell! I promised, after all! But take care of yourself! Hanahaki is dangerous," I frowned, but quickly smiled again, "Well, let's go! It looks like your throat's all better now, right? I'll cover for you."

Shinobu's POV:

I smiled. Mitsuri was such a good friend.

Together, we headed back to the breakfest table. Everyone was still chatting, except for Tomioka-san, whom of course was eating silently and sitting tilted slightly away from everyone else.

Mitsuri took her seat happily and started chatting away, while daydreaming about everyone, of course. It seemed no-one was suspicious, which was just as well. After all, I had been able to hold in the flowers till I got to the bathroom. But I wondered, next time, what if I'm not so lucky and everyone finds out?

But that's a problem for another day. Right now, everything was fine and no-one knew and hopefully no-one would ever know.

I started talking to Renguko about favourite foods and halfway through our conversation, I noticed again that Tomioka-san was alone, and felt a dash of pity. After all, he wasn't really included by anyone else, whom had seemingly given up on trying to talk to him. Only I still tried to chat with him. 

Author POV:

"Hey, Tomioka-san, do you want to join us? What's your favourite food?" Shinobu asked pleasantly. Renguko faltered for a second when Shinobu decided to include Giyu, since he was incredibly hard to talk to, but he quickly gathered himself and smiled warmly at the water pillar.

Giyu stared coldly at Shinobu for a second and replied, "I don't have one."

"But you love salmon daikon, don't you?" Shinobu smiled. 

Giyu flinched at her words, but quickly turned emotionless again. "I don't have a favourite food," he repeated slowly.

"Oh, but you must! What's your favourite thing to eat? Everyone has one, you must join the trend!" Shinobu said cheerfully.

"My favourite is sweet potatos!" Renguko said, attempting to arouse the cold Hashira.

"I don't follow trends." Giyu sighed, seeming tired of this conversation.

"Still! You can't not have a favourite food!" Shinobu tried.

"Well, I don't." Giyu snapped, then abruptly stood up and excused himself. 

Renguko and Shinobu looked to each other and shrugged, but inside, Shinobu felt a little down that Giyu had become so exasperated with her. Usually he put up with it. She wondered if something was bothering him today.

Giyu's POV:

I walked away from the group of laughing, chatting pillars, feeling angry at Shinobu. Why would she try so hard to interact with me? Everyone else had already backed away. I felt bad wasting her time.

But after a few moments, I felt a little bad for snapping at her so roughly. She had, after all, just trying to be friendly, even if it bothered me. Shinobu was the only one who still talked to me and teased me. Even Mitsuri had stopped talking to me, even if I often caught her staring at me like she stared at everyone. Loving came so easily to Mitsuri, it made me a little jealous, a little angry.

Soon, I reached my room in the Hashira estate. The Master was away, but he had declared all the pillars needed to have some bonding time, and there would be no missions for them for a while so they could relax for a bit and get to know each other better.

I had immediantly despised the idea. Demon Slayers didn't need to bond- they just needed to kill demons. That was their job, that was all we should do as pillars. But no- everyone else loved the idea. The Master had given everyone a temporary room in the Hashira estate. I preferred my own house.

Soon, I reached out and opened the door to my room. It was bare- I hadn't bothered decorating it like everyone else had. After all, it was only temporary, although everyone had this strange idea in their heads that the Master was going to give them these rooms forever. Besides, what was the point in decorating? It just took up precious time.

As I lay in bed, thinking about my outburst, I wondered if I should apologise to Shinobu. I didn't usually apologise, but considering how abrupt I'd been, it would be nice, right? It would make me seem less mean- I wasn't mean, I just didn't like socializing. I didn't need too many friends and I wasn't capable of having too many anyways.

A/N: Thank you for reading this first chapter! I will try and post daily!