It's been a week since the incident. The Wind Pillar and The Stone Pillar were deployed to combat the demons in the north.
But for Giyuu, it wasn't a busy week. For Shinobu, it was, handling the Butterfly Mansion was a handful afterall.
They haven't spoke to eachother since.
Giyuu even forgot she kissed him.
He was in town to buy some charcoal until he encountered a familiar man whose always in high spirits.
"TOMIOKAAAA!"
Rengoku Kyojuro.
He nodded in response, still feeling awkward and shy.
"What brings you by?!" The Flame Pillar asked. Giyuu answered with honesty, not wanting to interact further.
But the man patted him in the back. "Come with me! My treat!"
"Alright..?"
"We've read that you like salmon so much! I love eating too, it gives you energy to perform better in battle! Not as much as Mitsuri however... But, you get my point!" Rengoku ranted. Giyuu just stared at him before nodding.
"Salmon is nice too, but have you tried sweet potatoes?! They are simply DELICIOUS!" To prove his point, be dragged him to a nearby restaurant.
Sitting down near the counter, Rengoku snapped his chopsticks and screamed "ITADAKIMASU!"
"You can't say that when you haven't ordered anything yet..." Giyuu mumbled.
"OH! RIGHT! Change of plans, Tomioka! I challenge you to an eating contest!"
. . .
I lost, but it was a very close one. I heard that Kanroji used to be his tsuguko or something, as the Breath of Love was derived from Breath of Flames. Maybe having an appetite is a requirement to master those? No, I'm being ridiculous. Although, I quite enjoy his company.
Giyuu smiled as he snapped the booklet shut.
. . .
"F-u-ck..!" The demon cussed as he was neatly decapitated.
The Water Pillar serenely whipped his sword to deprived the blade of the blood of the slain monster. He sheathed it.
"Oi."
His eyes darted at the source of the noise. Above the trees it was the Snake Pillar.
Giyuu nodded to greet him before walking back home. Obanai leapt and landed next to him "Just hold on a damn minute."
"Hello." Giyuu replied. "Look, I'll cut to the chase. I..." Obanai drifted off, this is so not like him.
"This is about..."
Beat.
"I want to..."
Another pause.
"Its..." he drifted off again as Giyuu just stared at him. The shorter man was a little thankful that this dumbass is silent otherwise he would blame him for not being able to spit it out. Obanai took a deep breath.
"You remember we read your journal, right?" He asked.
"Yeah..." Giyuu replied.
"I want to write something for Mitsuri." He finally blurted out.
"And I... Need your help." Obanai muttered silently, but Giyuu heard anyways. "Don't get me wrong, I am better at you with words, but you're... Almost on my level so... No harm done asking you for pointers." The Snake Pillar huffed.
"Okay. What do you have in mind?"
. . .
"I just can't... Express what I feel with words!" Obanai groaned. Giyuu simply nodded and added something to the paper.
The Snake Pillar leaned in to see what he wrote and asked "Is that okay?"
You make me feel things I can't describe.
"I think so." Giyuu shrugged. Obanai snatched the letter and read it. It was an anonymous love letter. The Water Pillar was about to say it would be better if he tells her about how he feels personally before remembering he doesn't have any right to say anything about talking since he hates speaking.
"This is great..!" Obanai glanced at the curious Giyuu before clearing his throat and removing the joyous expression in his own face "I mean. It wasn't half bad. I can do better but you did a good job."
Obanai leapt away to leave but he paused "I'm not gonna repeat myself. Thank you." He muttered.
"Your voice was too quiet." Giyuu comments.
"I SAID THANK YOU!"
The man with the mismatched haori scratched his head "I thought you aren't going to repeat yourself..?"
Obanai huffed before disappearing.Maybe I really am good with words. But I am very sure I am not good with speaking. I am happy to help anyways.
Giyuu raised an eyebrow after finding a heart shaped butterfly doodle in one of the blanks.
'What a waste of page... More importantly, who drew it here?'
. . .
Giyuu had the misfortune of stumbling upon the Sound Pillar.
"Tomioka-saaan! What's up?" The taller man asked.
Giyuu just shrugged in response.
"How are ya these past days, hm?"
"I'm alright."
But Uzui wasn't convinced. "Say, after the fabulously flamboyant revelation back then, care to tell me where you and Kochou went?"
Giyuu paused, he doesn't remember much. Something about her apologizing and him asking for his journal back. The book was delivered to his shack by a female kakushi who swore on her life that she didn't read anything.
He didn't believe her however because he can see her flusterred expression despite the headwear she donned.
"I don't remember."
Uzui giggled "You see, people who experience immense pleasure tend to forget what happened."
Giyuu raised an eyebrow "What are you talking about, Uzui-san?"
"Take my word for it, I have three wives."
The Water Pillar's eyes widened and his ears turned red "It's nothing like that-"
"Look, since you held me in high regard, I am going to show you the ways of fabulousness. I am going to teach you, how to be a fornicating machine." Uzui wrapped an arm around the flusterred young man.
"But-"
"First! You need a simple makeover! Lets ditch that haori, what do you say?!" Uzui grinned toothily, but Giyuu turned his head down and stared at his mismatched haori.
"These... Are from my late sister and my fallen friend. I sewed them together so I will always remember them..." he muttered sadly.
"Oh. Damn... F-Forget I said that, then!" He gave the Water Pillar a reassuring pat before inspecting him.
"Uzui-san, I don't need to fix my appearance, our job is to slay demons and to protect the innocent." Giyuu told him.
"Nonsense! Have you ever heard the phrase 'Look good, feel good'? I swear it will improve your performance if you look flamboyant! Both in slaying those monsters and laying those girls."
"But I-"
"I see!" Uzui snapped his fingers "You need a haircut."
Giyuu stared up at his fringes before protesting "Uz-"
"The surefire way to impress is to get a haircut! I mean, your hair is way too bushy and long. Mine is long too but I keep it stylish, and judging by your simple ponytail, I doubt you have the patience to style it." Uzui grinned and gave him a thumbs up.
"I simply don't have the time... I'd rather spend most of it honing my skills." The Water Pillar said.
"Your face is really handsome, too. But your hair is... You look like a wolf." The Sound Pillar said as he reached for Giyuu's ponytail "What do you say I cut this off? Free of charge."
Giyuu sighed and closed his eyes "I'd rather not, just yet. I'm not free from the burden of a demon slayer. I will cut it when the day Kibutsuji Muzan finally perish."
"Well, I must say, Kochou is definitely gonna go weak on her knees when she sees you now!" Uzui grinned, holding a severed, thick, lock of Giyuu's hair.
The man in the mismatched haori opened his eyes to ask him what he was talking about but his eyes widened in horror.
"M-My hair!" He exclaimed as he touched the back of his head.
"It felt cooler too." He placed a hand on Giyuu's shoulder to give him an advice "Don't let yourself be a prisoner of your duty. Don't give those demons the satisfaction by robbing yourself of your own freedom to be happy."
Uzui tossed the lock away as Giyuu stared at it with horror.
"Now! You are looking fabulous!"
Giyuu pouted but he was still shellshocked. He did feel a bit lighter. "Thanks, Uzui-san."
"Wait! We're not done yet!" He blocked his way. The Water Pillar blinked twice.
"I am going to teach you how to mark someone!" Uzui grinned.
'Give someone... A mark? A demon slayer mark? Uzui-san has the ability to give people the mark?' Giyuu paused. "Give me a mark."
"What- no way, man! You're only supposed to give those to girls!" He stuttered.
Giyuu thought about it "Have you gave one to Kochou?"
"No! She's yours! I give marks to my wives." Uzui crossed his arms.
'Kochou is mine?' Dense as he is, he kept asking stupid questions.
"Your wives are demon slayers too?"
"What? What are you on about, Tomioka-san?" The large man asked, baffled.
"We are talking about the demon slayer mark, right?" Giyuu asked.
Uzui paused, before laughing, confusing the mismatched haori.
"That's not what I'm talking about! I am talking about love marks! Hickeys!" He grinned.
Giyuu's face flushed once more "..."
"Look, part your lips slightly, and place them on the skin." He says as he takes his own muscular forearm to make an example."..." Giyuu stared at him in curiosity and bafflement.
"Then you suck the skin hard enough but not too hard." Uzui kissed his own forearm like a vacuum and as he released it, he grinned and showed Giyuu the mark.
"Is that a bruise?" The curious man asked. "A love bruise! It doesn't hurt and I think Kochou will like it!" He grinned, nudging Giyuu.
The man became flustered and immediately walked the other way. "Hey, where are you going? The lesson in flamboyant fabulousness isn't over!"
"I have... Errands to run..." he excused himself.
"Okay! We cut this session short! Uhh, if marking is too advanced for ya, try the french kiss! You kiss her and force your tongue inside her mouth!" Uzui yelled as Giyuu picked up his pace.
. . .
My hair became shorter and what's left of my innocence disappeared. But I did learn something new. Knowledge is knowledge.
. . .
Giyuu was outside the Master's mansion when he stumbled upon Muichiro. He paused, afraid he is going to bother him like the previous pillars.
But Muichiro just nodded at him before staring up the sky, standing and still holding his sword.
"Oh..." Giyuu muttered, before staring at the sky as well.
. . .
We spent the noon cloudgazing. With him muttering the name of the clouds every now and then. It was a calming experience and past time, it feels very similar to meditating. And I am glad Tokito-kun isn't talkative.
Giyuu closed his journal and puts his pen down before sitting down and meditating.
"Oi."
He opened his eyes as he sensed Obanai's presence.
"She loved it." He said with a hint of gratefulness in his voice. "I only came here to disturb your peace." Obanai said before leaving.
. . .
Giyuu took Tanjiro's advice and snuck some ohagi to Sanemi's bag.
The scarred man, just returned from a joint mission with the Stone Pillar, was pissed.
Giyuu wondered where he went wrong.
"Where you went wrong?! You should have placed it on a container or something, you dumbass! Now I have to clean this!" was Sanemi's reply.
"Let me clean it for you." Giyuu offered.
"No. Go away, I got this." He shooed him away.
. . .
I found some crushed dangos inside my bag, it must be Shinazugawa. I ate it anyways, I don't like wasting food.
He kept the journal back inside his haori pocket as he saw a familiar hulking figure in the woods.
"Tomioka-san." Himejima called without looking at him. Giyuu said nothing as he sat next to the man.
"Your new look suits you."
Giyuu blinked "Himejima-san. Aren't you..?"
"I am blind, not dumb." Himejima chuckled. "Let us meditate shall we?"
Giyuu closed his eyes and meditated. He heard Himejima whispering prayers before saying "Ommmmmmmmmm..."
Giyuu tried to focus but he heard him speak "The key to enlightenment is knowing yourself. Once you know yourself, you can become stronger. When your body collapses, your mind and spirit's strength can give you the resolve you need to push through."
. . .
He lectured me about humility being the secret to enlightenment. It was a spiritual experience meditating with him, but I am not going to hum "ommmmm" whilst meditating.
. . .
He was well aware that his encounters with the pillar are not coincidences, he made the effort to avoid Mitsuri at all cost to avoid angering Obanai.
"TOMIOKA-SAAAAAN!"
Kanroji Mitsuri.
He failed.
She gasped and oggled his new haircut "Your hair! I love what you did with it, you look so handsome!"
He hurriedly picked up his pace as the Love Pillar approached him. "You promised to eat with us!" She whined as Giyuu refused to look at her.
"I-I already did, with Rengoku."
"YOU GUYS ATE WITHOUT ME?!" She exclaimed in shock.
"I-It's not that! It was sudden too!" Giyuu tried to calm her down.
"What's going on here?" Obanai appeared out of nowhere. Mitsuri smiled and pinched his cheek "Iguro-saaaan!"
Giyuu gave Obanai a look that says "Help me."
Obanai, having read the situation, told her that the Water Pillar must be busy. Although if this happened months before, he would have lashed out on Giyuu. But now, he knew better."Oh, I know! Since you're here, lets have an eating contest!" She chirped, a bit bummed out Rengoku was sent on a mission however. Giyuu and Obanai glanced at eachother in fear.
. . .
I lost. And it was NOT a close one. Her appetite is truly outstanding, even the Snake Pillar was too weak to even move after, trying to stuff himself to prove he has what it takes to hang on. I myself felt a little nauseaous. The contest was over and she still ate 3 bowls of ramen and sushi.
Giyuu just returned from a mission, it was a very easy one however. He decided to write the entry above while eating some onigiri that he mysteriously found inside his bag. Gee, I wonder who put it there?
. . .
He was expecting he would encounter her sooner or later.
But this time, he sought her out himself. Albeit, not by intention.
"Giyuu-san, you cut your hair!" A really large smile from Tanjiro's face was present.
He visited the boy in the Butterfly Mansion after hearing that he got injured fighting a Lower Moon.
"Calm down, don't move too much or your injuries will act up." He told him.
"But it looks so nice on you! You look handsome!" Tanjiro grinned before knocking on the box his sister lives in.
"You think so too?" Giyuu asked as he fondled his hair.
"Nezuko! Nezuko..! You awake? You have to see Giyuu-san's hair!" He said as he opened the box with the small demon crawling out "Mmm? Mmm!"
"Yes! I think Shinobu-san will agree with me as well!" Tanjiro told him.
Nezuko reached out and started squeezing Giyuu's hand "Mmm.. Mm!" It made him smile as well.
"Agree with what?" Shinobu opened the door and saw a visitor. Giyuu was facing her so she still haven't seen his new look.
"Oh my! Tomioka-san! What brings you by? And why haven't you seen me for 2 weeks?" She smiled but anger was evident in her tone and scent as Tanjiro felt uneasy.
"Has it really been 2 weeks?" He asked. "Yes, and visitors were supposed to write in the log book..! This is why people hate you, you know?" Shinobu stomped her way towards him and punched him in the shoulder.
Giyuu looked at her with confusion before turning to Tanjiro to quietly asked what did he do wrong?
As he turned his head, Shinobu's eyes widened.
"You cut your hair..." she mumbled.
"I didn't."
He was stunning. Stupid Tomioka-san making her heartbeat skyrocket above normal pulse rate. "S-silly, how did that get so short then?!" She stuttered.
"Uzui-san did it." He shuffled his feet but his face was cupped by Shinobu.
Tanjiro simply watched them with wide eyes. Giyuu was as confused as he was as Shinobu marveled at his new appearance. Nezuko tilted her head innocently.
"Oh!" She said as she remembered that they're not alone in the room "Excuse us, Kamado-kun. Rest well!" She said as she dragged his hand out "Wait, where are we-"
"B-Bye, Giyuu-san! Bye, Shinobu-san!" Tanjiro waved.
"Mmm, mm!" Nezuko mirrored her brother's movements. Tanjiro looked at her "Nezuko, do you think those two are..."You weren't injured or anything are you? You were always so careless, I'm surprised." Shinobu said as she gave him a check up. "Why are you concerned anyways?" Giyuu asked as she checked his pulse.
"... I don't know, maybe kissing you wasn't a clear message that I care for you alot." she gritted her teeth as she gave his forearm a hard squeeze.
Giyuu became flusterred "You kissed me?"
"2 weeks ago, yes!" Her eye twitched but her smile was still there. "Oh, so that's what happened. I seemed to have forgotten." He rubbed his head.
Shinobu sighed "You are an idiot."
"But it seems like... People are starting to like me now." Giyuu told her with a hint of smile on his stoic lips. "I guess you can't tease me about it anymore."
"My! You were being quite talkative! Just because you are alot more attractive right now doesn't mean you are likable." She teased, causing his face to be flushed "Stop making a big deal out of my hair please." He mumbled so quietly.
Shinobu stared at him dead in the eyes as she slowly pulled him closer by his haori sleeves.
"... What are you doing?" He asked.
"Since you need constant reminding of how I feel about you, I am going to kiss you, over and over again."
"Wha- Mmph?" She kissed him softly as her hand enjoyed the short hair, cupping the back of his head to stop him from fulling back. Giyuu's eyes widened but his body wanted to reciprocate her affection. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him.
Shinobu smiled and tilted her head to deepen the kiss, moaning on to him, he tensed up and she thinks its cute. He closed his eyes forcefully and submitted to her. Her hands trailed down his muscular back as she continued to assault his lips with hers.
He remembered what the Sound Pillar told him before he left and gave it a shot.
Shinobu's eyes widened his tongue busted through her lips.
She pulled away rather quickly, much to his confusion.
"T-Tomioka-san! What are you doing?!"
"... I thought you'd like it." Giyuu told her in deadpan. "What gave you that idea?!" A vein popped in her temple "That was a bit too lewd, you know?!"
Giyuu frowned, his face still crimson. "I'm sorry."
She can't stay mad at a face like that, so she recomposed herself "Just-Just don't do it again."
"Oh, let me try something else, if that didn't work then this has to."
"What are y- OH!"
Giyuu yanked her closer towards him and started kissing her neck. She yelped in surprise and moaned in pained pleasure.
She grabbed a handful of his hair as he finished. Sniffing his scent as he pulled away and looked up at her.
"What did you just do..?" She asked in a breathless tone.
"I gave you my mark..?" He replied unsurely before glancing at the hickey. 'Oh, I did it at first try, that was nice.'
"Y-You fool! How- I have to hide it, you dummy!" Shinobu whined. "But why? People will know that you're mine now." Giyuu replied innocently before receiving a sharp poke to the cheek.
"This is inappropriate- you really are an airhead! You don't think things through-" Shinobu said, flusterred beyond belief. "Kochou... What are we?" Giyuu asked.
She gasped and paused. She remembered her responsibilities as a pillar, a doctor and a sister. But even with those titles, she is still a young woman.
'Nee-san, I know I told you that its selfish to find happiness for yourself when you pestered me about romance... But, maybe, just maybe, it won't hurt to try.' She gulped and stared at him sadly.We... Are pillars." Shinobu told him, causing him to blink. "In love." She continued with a grin "Do you like me, Tomioka-san? Who knew you were capable of feelings?"
Giyuu rolled his eyes toward you "..."
"Come on, tell me why!"
"You go first. Since you're the first one to move." He muttered. Shinobu smiled at him warmly "I think it will take me 6 years of nonstop talking to tell you everything I like about you."
Giyuu looked at her with suspicion. "Its true! You're very, very interesting." She told him with a poke. "And I guess, I do like the fact that nobody likes you, but me. Because I don't have any competition for your attention. And I love that."
"People don't dislike me..." Giyuu muttered shyly, averting his gaze. Shinobu grabbed his chin and made him face her "I do. You're so stupid."
Her disarming smile once again is making him melt. He wondered why he felt such things for her? Maybe because she was so persistent on making him open up. They both understand eachother. Despite being opposites in personality, they share the same wavelength.
"So, what about you? Why are you letting me kiss you and hold you like this? Enough for you to give me a mark..!" She gave him a light slap as she said the last sentence with fake anger.
Giyuu thought about it. They are just some things you feel for someone that you will never feel about anyone else. And it can't be forced, it comes by naturally.
"You are the noise to my silence, you complete me." Was his simple answer but it made her heart gooey and soft, her faux glare replaced with a warm expression. "Tell you what, I like you even before everyone did. I liked you before it was cool." She teased.
"..."
"Come on, aren't you going to say something?" Shinobu whined. "I love you." He blurted out. "Wha- y?! Uh?!" She blushed and stuttered. "That was so sudden! I- you're so..!"
Giyuu simply smiled. 'Nee-san, Sabito... For you, I will live on.'
Now he was determined to become even stronger, because he has alot of people he cares about. Alot of people who he needs to protect, despite them being capable of handling themselves.
He was brought back to reality as Shinobu buried herself to his neck. He felt a sharp, yet pleasurable pain, making him involuntarily moan as he gripped her butterfly haori.
She cheekily turned to face him. "Now we're even."
'Oh. She gave me one too.'
The Insect Pillar was a very affectionate lover, he soon finds out. She snuggled on to his neck very caringly, making him lean back, causing his journal to fall from his pocket.
"Oh! Your journal! I wonder what you're gonna write after this, hm?" She reached for it without breaking the hug.
"Hey, Kochou. Not again."
"I am not going to read anything, I am just going to write something."
"When did you get a pen-"
"There!" She showed him what she wrote.
Apparently, he was now a property of the Insect Pillar.