~𝘓𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳~ // 𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘻𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘸𝘢 𝘹 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

- 𝕍𝕀𝕀𝕀: Deception -

It was hard to not appreciate everything Mitsuri had done for you, but right now, it was also equally as hard to not be furious.

Why did she have to send you on a mission with him alone? Why couldn't she have come?

Okay, sure. She had told you a million times over that she has her own mission to attend to, and couldn't come because of that, but that's obviously total bullshit. So what if her crow sent her off and she genuinely seemed sorry she couldn't come? She's a good actor!

Inside, you knew you were just being pissy. You knew she had business to attend to, and she couldn't always be there to help you, but why Shinazugawa? Why him out of everyone?

The walk was very, very silent. The only noise that could be heard was your feet hitting the ground. You kicked a rock and it skipped to the side of the path. Shinazugawa have you an unreadable look, and you turned attention to the dirt path.

Wow, this rock is really interesting... you tried distracting your thoughts and bent over to pick it up. It was shiny, and looked well rounded. You turned it over in your hand, not realizing you had stopped in the middle of the road.

"What are you doing?" He spoke for the first time that entire day.

"Oh, uh... Looking at a rock?" You held it out for him to see. He looked at it and scoffed.

"This rock is much more interesting." He pulled out a stone from his pocket and showed you. It glittered in the sunlight. It was a beautiful color of pink, denser in some places, and lighter in others. This wasn't a stone.

"That's not a rock! That's rose quartz!" You grinned and reached out to look at it better.

You held it up to the sun and looked at it. "It's so beautiful! It's huge too! This could sell for a lot! Did you buy it or find it?"

"I found it."

"Wow! This is so cool! Look at the way it was formed! Is that know rose quartz is seen as a crystal for love? It's so pretty!" You laughed and handed it back to him. He looked at for a minute longer.

"If you like it so much, keep it. I don't need it." He handed it back.

"What? Really? Why'd you pick it up then?"

In truth, it reminded him of someone, but he didn't know who. That's why he picked it up, but he would never dream of telling anyone that.

"Does it matter? You have it now, don't you?"

"Right. Thank you." You smiled and slipped it safely into your pocket.

You both stood in silence for a moment, Shinazugawa's eyes studying you closely as you dropped the rock you had initially picked up.

He heel turned and left, making you jog to catch up. Whatever had happened in the meeting... he must be over it. "Do you know what we're dealing with?"

"A demon's been hunting and killing small children and women. Praying on the weak." He scowled.

"Okay- how much further?"

"We'll get there tomorrow if we keep walking through the night."

"Sounds great!"

He didn't reply to you. And a comfortable silence settled over the two of you as you walked side by side.

"Why did Kanroji send you my way for this mission?"

"Oh, so you knew she requested it?"