𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲. | 𝗚𝗶𝘆𝘂𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗼

C H A P T E R 17 ✹

GIYUU

Kochou settles herself on the rock next to me, smoothing her skirt over her knees and looking over the treetops in front of us.
"I've never been to Suttenborro Peak before." She says.

I'm not surprised. Suttenborro peak—
which isn't really a peak, more of a rocky outcropping overlooking the woods we cut through on our way out of college— is Tokyo's so called scenic area. It's also a popular spot for drinking, drugs, and hookups, although not at three o'clock on a Monday afternoon. I'm pretty sure Kochou has no clue what happens here on weekends. I've never been here myself before, I just heard a lot about it from Uzui and Rengoku.
"Hope reality lives up to the hype," I say.

She smiles. "It beats getting ambushed by the bastard Douma." We had another sneak-out-the-back routine when he showed up at the front of the Café this time unlike the last time. Driving to the mall again seemed like a bad idea given the amount of gossip about us being 'together', and I'd like to avoid such rumor. So here we are.

Kochou's eyes are down, watching the line of ants carry a leaf across the rock next to us. She licks her lips like she's nervous, and I shift a little closer. Most of time with her is spent on the phone, and I can't tell what she's thinking in person. "My sister is arranging for me a blind date." She says.

Oh. That's what she's thinking about. I shift back. "Okay."

"I think it's an interesting idea, I've not dated anyone in a while, what do you think?" She says calmly, like she has got it all figured out.
"I don't really care."

"Have you ever been in a relationship before?" A note of pride creeps into her voice.

"A few."

"Oh my!" She says as she uses her hoodie's sleeve to cover her mouth, "who would have thought the unlikable Tomioka Giyuu has ever been in a relationship." She says, but the truth is that I receive confessions almost everyday.

I frown at her. "I'm not unlikable."

"I wish you can say something else once," she says, tracing her fingers over the rock between us. "But I don't really want to date anybody, it just may help getting rid of Douma." -she rises a palm at my skeptical look- "I'm not saying it's gonna work one hundred percent, but it may be worth the try."
"Do you have anybody in mind?"
"No." Kochou sounds hesitant, and for some reason that pisses me off.

"Is there anybody you like? I can help you if you want." Im kidding, but Kochou goes rigid. "Not really, but there's someone I'm kinda attracted to, but I'm sure he doesn't feel the same, he just sa-" she pauses, her cheeks get red, giving her that flushed look that always unsettles me. Though, it's not surprising that she can be really pretty sometimes.

"You don't have any other choice." I say, but I myself isn't convinced by what I'm saying, the idea of her dating someone else is annoying me. I shrug, "Anything is possible, he may like you as well, you don't know." I hate this.

"No I'm positive he doesn't like me," she picks up a small rock and juggles it mediately in her hand. "Any better ideas how can I get rid of Douma?" Kochou adds, but a smile twitches at her lips. The afternoon's sun is making her glow, putting glints of gold in her dark hair, and for a second I almost can't breathe.
God. This girl.

I stand and hold out my hand. She gives me a skeptical look, but takes it and let's me pull her to her feet. I put my other hand in the air. "Shinobu Kochou, I solemnly swear not to stalk you today or at any point in the future. Deal?"

"You're ridiculous," she mutters, going even redder.

"It concerns me you're avoiding a promise not to stalk me."

She rolls her eyes, "this is so not like you, and do you say this to all the girls you bring here?"
Huh. Maybe she knows Suttenborro's peak's reputation after all.

I move closer until there's only a couple of inches between us. "You're still not answering my question."

Kochou leans forward, stands on her tiptoes, and brings her lips to my ear. She's so close I can feel her heart beating when she whispers, "I promise not to stalk you."

"That's hot." I mean it as a joke, but my voice comes out like a growl and when her lips part I kiss her before she can laugh. A shock of energy shoots through me as I cup her face in my hands, my fingers grasping her cheeks and the line of her jaw. It must be adrenaline that's making my heart pound so fast. The whole nobody-else-could-possibly-understand-this-bond. Or maybe it's her soft lips and wisteria scented hair, and the way she winds her arms around my neck like she can't stand to let go. Either way I keep kissing her as long as she lets me, and when she steps away I try to pull her back because it wasn't enough.
"Giyuu, my phone." She says, and for the first time I notice a persistent, jangly text tone. "It's my sister."

"She can wait," I say tangling a hand in her hair and kissing along her jawline to her neck. She shivers against me and makes a little noise in her throat. Which I like.

"It's just. . ." She runs her fingers across the back of my neck, "She wouldn't keep texting if it weren't important."
Kanae is our excuse— she and Kochou are supposed to be at Kanroji's house together— and I reluctantly step back so Kochou can reach down and and dig her phone out of her backpack.

She looks at the screen and draws in a quick sharp breath, and goes completely pale, the color of her face is drained out of her and she drops her phone on the ground, I look at her a concerned look, but I can clearly see tears well in her eyes.

I kneel down to grab her phone off the ground, and I saw what's on the screen.

"Shinobu nee-Chan! Please come to the Kimetsu Hospital immediately, Kanae nee-Chan fell of the roof, her condition is extremely bad, it's not known yet whether she survives or not.
~Kanao"

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