fire & water (TanjiroxReader)

Chapter 34:Sunset

Shinobu's POV
    "-... So? What happened?" Even with the sun catching my gaze in a harsh to squint through, I know my eyes don't decieve me when seeing the steam rolling off the soup Aoi made earlier- still warm, looks untouched, a bitter sight. A frown formed on my cherry-touched lips when I faced away from my office's window and to the girl, looking at her and the meal that's come along for the ride.

    I know there's no point in questioning her, seeing how things have already gone, but a strange hope in me aches to believe that there's a reason why she came back so soon, why that supper isn't in the hands of someone who needs it.

    "She still won't answer the door." My assistant exhaled after setting the steaming meal and it's utensils down on my desk. She glanced my way afterwards, glum at the face. Who're we referring to you may ask? ... (y,n).

     Four days... It's been over four days since the girl hasn't shown her face, after hearing the information about her family. Perhaps trying to process the facts I told her, maybe take a mental break? It requires ones imagination to say what (y,n) might be doing.

    I wasn't actually the first to recognize the issue, but rather...  Insouke. You can imagine my surprise when he barged into my office on just the first night of this ordeal- coughing, still- demanding to know where his comrade was. God bless his vigilance, or maybe just the fact that he never misses a meal. Watched the entire day as (y,n)'s usual seat at the mess hall stayed vacant, as well as the rest of the estate vicinity. Without his... outlandish assumption that the slayer had been kidnapped, Aoi and I would've been none the wiser to the problem.

    The only other time I've seen her out was two nights ago, in the garden once the mansion had fallen still for the night. I found her there once coming across the empty room she'd left behind. I only got a few glimpses of her eyes past the hair that shaded her face away from me, but they were enough, enough for me to be worried. The amount of despair that had taken over her (e,c) gaze couldn't be left unacknowledged, especially to that dismal extent. I couldn't bring myself to tread any closer than the progress I'd already made towards her, not with such a look drawing a line where her boundaries ended.

    I'd never seen her so dispirited before.

    Yes, I can easily open the door to her room and speak to her with the extra key in my care (opens every door to my estate), but I know that the best option is to leave her be. She needs time to take in everything, let her mental state heal its wounds, rushing the process is a terrible idea, anyway you put it. I've already written out a patient's note to headquarters to take her off mission rosters; give her a break from fighting.

    My assistant brought herself a step closer when observing my dark face. "Ma'am," She spoke calmly, but her eyes took a keen turn to them, eybrows following. "I can't help but feel as if you're keeping something from me... about (y,n)." The teen straightened her posture out after she declared that, her breath going shallow when my gaze bounced onto her.

    "What makes you say that?" I raised myself up from my desk from where I've been leaning by my hands.

     "When we first learned about (y,n), you seemed like you knew what was happening already. I've worked with you enough to know when you've got secrets on your plate. It shows." She's on to me, apparently. I knew it would come to this eventually, I suppose. I haven't been concealing it much either, couldn't care much to do so. My actions, comments, behaviours, they're almost dead give-aways that; in whatever way, I've played a role into this situation.

    I leaned my head back, an exhale coming up tiredly. "Your intuition is perfectly correct, Aoi. I apologize, but I cannot tell you the full extent if this. For the time being, please keep providing your assistance." I looked away from the black-haired girl, surveying the very scroll that started this all from where it sits next to my hand.