QT: Reborn As a Canon Fodder

1.14 - Messenger

"If you can bring Gyutaro back home, perhaps, just perhaps, I might find it in me to forgive you."

That was easier said than done - what greeted Kyoko when she finally smelt the familiar autumn decay was a mountain of bodies; and sitting above was her target.

"Gyutaro."

"Look who came crawling back," Gyutaro sneered, his tone laced with bitterness.

"Crawling? Please, I was merely taking a detour," Kyoko shot back, her voice holding a mixture of defiance and frustration.

Gyutaro's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched at his sides. "You left without a word, without any explanation. Do you know what it was like for us?"

Kyoko's jaw tightened, a storm of emotions swirling in her eyes. "I had my reasons, Gyutaro. It wasn't easy for me either."

"Reasons? Don't forget who taught me how to read people, Kyoko..... It was you," Gyutaro's voice echoed, the sharpness of his words underscoring the pain he felt.

Kyoko's eyes met murky pale blues, and for a moment, the air crackled with the unspoken acknowledgment of their shared history. The teachings she imparted on Gyutaro now stood as a testament to the bond they once shared, a bond that had been fractured by her sudden departure.

As the silence settled, Kyoko's shoulders slumped, and she took a deep breath, the weight of her choices pressing on her. "I know, Gyutaro. I know."

"You know nothing. If you pretend to be dead, you should stay dead."

The alleyway seemed to shrink as the tension escalated, Kyoko struggled to find the right words, grappling with the consequences of her decisions.

"I never meant to hurt you," Kyoko whispered, her voice laden with regret. "But I understand if you can't forgive me. I just... I was selfish, but I-"

"Shut up." Gyutaro's gaze remained fixed on her, behind them was only coldness. Like a puppet. "Shut up, and leave. Leave before you can hurt Ume and I even more."

Kyoko's eyes faltered as Gyutaro's words reverberated in the desolate alley. Despite the painful history between them, she needed Gyutaro's assistance to navigate the complexities of Muzan's potential connection to the blue spider lily. "Gyutaro, please. I need your help. There's something far more significant at play here, something that concerns all of us."

Gyutaro's gaze remained unyielding, but Kyoko saw a flicker of uncertainty before they harden once again. "Leave, before I make you."

".....Ume said you haven't been back home since last month-" Kyoko's heart skipped a beat as a gun, once a whimsical gift, now rested in Gyutaro's hands. The metal cold against her skin mirrored the chill that settled between them.

"I don't need your sympathy, Kyoko. And I certainly don't need your concern," Gyutaro's voice was sharp, each word a carefully measured blade.

Kyoko swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to steady herself. "Gyutaro, it's not about sympathy. There's a threat looming over the district, one that we can't ignore. I came back because I need your help."

He scoffed, the corners of his mouth twisting into a bitter sneer. "You think you can just waltz back in and ask for help? After abandoning us?"

Kyoko's gaze remained steady, her eyes meeting his with a mixture of regret and determination. "I know I messed up, Gyutaro. I can't change the past, but I can try to make things right now. The enemy we face is powerful, and I can't face it alone."

He tightened his grip on the gun, the metal creaking in protest. "I've moved on, Kyoko. Ume and I have built something without you. We don't need you."

A pang of pain shot through Kyoko's chest, but she held her ground. "This is bigger than us, Gyutaro. I'm not asking you to forgive me or take me back. I'm asking for your help, for the sake of everyone in the district."