Falling For K.T. [A Muichiro x Tanjiro Story]

Chapter 8

Muichiro didn't sleep well last night. Not only was he woken up from his nightmare, his head also couldn't stop creating scenes of Yuichiro finding out about his lies. Talking about it with K.T. made him feel a little better. He was really comforting—a natural, Muichiro must admit solemnly. He couldn't forget the sentence he wrote onto the page.

ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ꜰʀᴇᴛ, ᴍᴜɪ. ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ, ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ʏᴜɪᴄʜɪʀᴏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ.

He used Mui, his nickname. The boy felt a flutter of emotions fly through him, he found this inexplicably adorable—more than he should, actually. He's so glad that he gave K.T. his nickname.

"Right... right. Things aren't that complicated." Muichiro told himself in a hush tone and hissed a sigh. He tried his best to relax his muscles against his pillow. K.T. said that Yuichiro would understand—he should. He has to understand. Muichiro squeezed his eyes shut.

K.T... I wonder who you are.

"You look gloom today. If you wanted to read that 'limited edition' book, you could have just asked. You didn't have to play sly and make up a whole story of finding this book in the bookshelf." Muichiro sat down onto his chair, his face might as well have been a sheet of glass because his expression completely sold his saltiness out. His uncle ruffled his hair playfully.

"You're right, I don't. I already apologized to them over the phone so—"

"There's no way you think that apologizing over the phone is enough." Yuichiro cut in, his tone strict like a teacher hitting a ruler against their desk. Goodness, it always sends a jolt through his spine. Yuichiro would do so well in the military.

Muichiro sighed, and rested the top half of his body on the wooden, polished table.

"You don't get it." He muttered quietly, laying his head on his arms that were crossed on the table. "This is the only copy, err—one of a kind! I haven't even finished it but now I've got to return it!" He exclaimed, sighing another heavy breath. He grumbled incomprehensible mutters; all of this act to try and waver his twin and his uncle's decision to give the book back.

He had a foolish thought, maybe—just maybe. If he showed enough longingness towards the book, they would let him keep it.

Both Yuichiro and their uncle exchanged eye-glances towards one another. They've never seen Muichiro act like this, and it certainly surprised his twin. "But that doesn't make you—stealing it—right." He reminded sternly, emphasizing on the word. Muichiro gave him a slight glare of annoyance.

I shouldn't have admitted to stealing it—I hate hearing him say that! Muichiro thought, but never said. He should have used a better excuse, one that was more believable!

Muichiro's head shot up, "Okay but you don't have to shove that in my face—"

"Now now," Their uncle sighed as his words cut Muichiro off, "You two always fight over the stupidest things. Look I don't have enough time to stand here and listen to your arguments. Can't you two just have your scuffle somewhere else?" He rubbed his eyes tiredly, hands sore from making all these pastries by himself. Uncle has never worked so hard that both his hand was red and sore.

Yuichiro seemed to take notice of that too and obliged.

Muichiro has never heard his uncle say this. In fact, all his uncle has ever done during their normal sibling arguments is just joke and laugh to ease off the heavy atmosphere. Hearing this come out of his mouth was as much of a shock to Muichiro as it was to his twin.