The World On His Shoulders | Demon slayer x Male reader

Chapter LIII

Oh yeah, this one is a rollercoaster of emotions, read until the end with a playlist as you go.  :]

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

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3rd Person's POV

 Kanae clutched Y/N's hands. She ventured cautiously into her confession, "About the kiss... I'm sorry, but I... I liked it." Her voice was a soft murmur, "You mean so much to me, and after what happened, after almost losing you, I wanted you to know how I feel," she continued, her fingers gently squeezing his.

She paused briefly searching for a hint of reciprocation. "You can take all the time you need to think about this. Hopefully, your answer will be yes, but whenever you're ready, just let me know," she added nervously. "And also--" 

Before she could further articulate her feelings, Y/N sharply retracted his hands, stepping back with an abrupt coldness. "I can't and won't return your feelings, Kocho-san," he declared, his tone detached, devoid of the warmth that had once been there.

Kanae's heart seemed to plummet at his words, her hopeful gaze faltering, giving way to a crestfallen expression.

As Y/N withdrew not just physically but emotionally, Kanae's confusion and hurt were clear as day. Her voice, once hopeful, now quivered with a mix of disbelief and pain. "I... I don't understand," she stammered, struggling to comprehend the sudden shift. "Did I... did I misread everything? Was it all just... just in my head? Your hands ...on...on my hips just now?"

He kept an unreadable expression and maintained his distance. "A mistake and for that I apologise." He said flatly.

With her eyes now brimming with tears, she desperately sought an explanation. "P-Please, tell me what I did wrong," she pleaded softly.

Y/N's words were like icicles, each one piercing Kanae's heart with its cold, unforgiving sharpness. "What you did wrong, besides kissing me, which was inappropriate and wrong, you didn't do anything else. I just don't feel that way about you," he stated.

"You better fucking thank me brother."  Y/N thought bitterly.

Kanae's eyes widened in shock, her voice trembling as she managed an apology.  "I...I...I'm sorry I..."

But Y/N was relentless, his words becoming more hurtful. "You should be ashamed for kissing me and for stealing my first kiss," he continued.

 "But I... I thought..." she began, her voice breaking.

Y/N interrupted her, "You're beneath me, Kocho-san. Isn't that clear enough? I thought you were intelligent, but maybe you're terrible at understanding me, someone who's supposed to be my friend."

Kanae's face contorted with pain as she struggled to maintain her composure. The man in front of her was not the Y/N she knew. She attempted to reassure him, "You are a friend, S-Shinazugawa-kun. I... I thought there was something more between us. I've tried, over the years, I... I've tried to understand you, to be there for you."

He cut her off again, "You've misunderstood our friendship, I've overlooked your attempts out of fondness, but I can't let you continue this delusion. I wanted to avoid the painful rejection you're facing now."

Kanae's world spun as she listened to his words, each one more hurtful than the last. She looked up at him, her expression one of deep sorrow and disbelief. 

 "It's better you forget this ever happened, Kocho-san. Don't talk about it with anyone, I don't want to be bothered about this,"

She tried to leave but he stopped her. Kanae looked up at him with her beautiful pale purple eyes filled with pain. Her lips trembled as she struggled to speak through her sobs. "P-please... I understand," she managed to say.