▪Deadly Thorns and Violent Storms▪

Chapter 38

Inosuke's POV:

After the... thing with Monichi I had ditched the rest of the schoolday, Salami didn't try to get me to stay, he just told me to enjoy the rest of my break.

It was really hard to enjoy it because all I could think about was the look on Monichi's face as I hurt him.

No wonder he picked Monjiro over me. Monjiro would never injure Monichi the way I did, or at all.

After I saw Monjiro and Monichi together I told myself that Monichi didn't deserve me anyway, but now I think it's the other way around.

So when I saw Monichi texting me to ask if I'm okay I blocked him to stop myself from hurting him even more.

Luckily it was the weekend now, so I can easily avoid the two of them.

And avoid all of my guilt.

Zenitsu's POV:

I was in my room just lying on my bed with an icepack on my chest, Gramps was a little concerned with why I needed an icepack and he asked if I was okay.

I told him I was fine and he frowned, he definitely didn't believe me, but he didn't ask me anything else about it.

Yesterday, after Inosuke beat me up, I couldn't find him anywhere, I didn't even see him with any of the popular kids.

So I tried to text him, turns out he blocked me. The fact that he could figure that out impressed me, but it made me sad at the same time.

I didn't ask Tanjiro to check if Inosuke blocked him, too, because I didn't want to upset or worry him.

Speaking of Tanjiro, he invited me to go somewhere with him today, but considering... things, like my body state, I told him that I wasn't feeling well.

He panicked a bit, but I told him it was nothing to worry about. That seemed to calm him down a little, but he still seemed kind of anxious.

So now I'm just resting, hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow and I can go out with Tanj.

I was jutted out of my thoughts when Gramps started screaming up the stairs. "MY BOY!!! YOUR FRIEND TANJIRO IS HERE TO SEE YOU!"

Agh!! Why did he say it like that!!?

WAIT. TANJIRO. COMING IN HERE??

I threw my icepack across the room so he wouldn't see it and I started to get up to go see him, but when I stood up it felt like I had just been kicked in the chest again.

I clenched my stomach in pain and had to sit back down on my bed, I can't let Tanjiro see me like thi-

"Zenitsu!" The door swung open and of course Tanj is the one standing in the doorway.

"H-Hey.." I stuttered.

Concern filled his eyes as soon as he saw me. "Are you okay??" He ran to my side and placed something on my side table.

"Yeah, what's that?" I asked him, trying to shake the pain from my voice.

Tanj sat down next to me, "Just some flowers, I was hoping they'd make you feel better."