Different (Chainsaw man x Male reader)

Chapter Thirty-six : Verdict

After the demise of Aki, it is revealed that he had saved a large amount of money for the trio, some of which went toward Himeno's family to pay for Himeno's hospital bills. Denji then used the money to rent a house with enough space for the three of them, albeit being a bit cramped. They enjoyed a steady diet of good food, played games, and watched movies together on occasion. 

However, after Aki's passing, (Y/n) has been unusually quiet. Whenever Denji and Power try to engage him in conversation, he would nod and shake his head in response, but would never speak a single word.

(Y/n) is no longer smiling most of the time, and he rarely sleeps during the night. Sometimes, Power catches him waking up in the middle of the night, simply staring out the window with a somber expression. 

The black eyebags beneath his eyes had also grown in size, while his skin became even paler than before. The large cut scar that he gained from his battle with Aki was still fresh, the toll of Aki's death on (Y/n)'s wellbeing has been noticeable even though it has only been mere 3 days since his death.

Every time he falls asleep, his mind falls into the same dream; he sees Aki laying on the ground, and his hands are stained with Aki's blood after he ended his life with his sword. The dream haunts him in his sleep, constantly repeating like a twisted game meant to mock and torment him. As the dream continued to repeat each night, (Y/n)'s sleep began to become increasingly disturbed, draining him even further and causing him to further lose sleep. He would wake up in the middle of the night, crying silently to himself.

Denji observes his little brother wellbeing, he cannot hide his anguish and distress at seeing his carefree little brother becoming a hollow shell of his former self. His once carefree little brother, who was always able to smile the brightest, had changed dramatically, to the point where he felt like he no longer knew who (Y/n) was. 

(Y/n) once seemed to be a sunbeam of joy and smile, now stands a shadow of himself, lacking that spark and bright smile that had always comforted Denji's own troubled soul. Denji was worried, troubled, and even a bit afraid, as his beloved little brother had become an entirely different person after Aki's death.

As for Power, she felt powerless in the wake of (Y/n)'s dramatic change in demeanor following Aki's death. She had no clue how to make him smile again, and all that she could do was offer him a hug as a form comfort. However, even during the embrace, it did not feel as though he was hugging her, as if his body had automatically gone on autopilot. 

He hugged back, but she felt as if he was no longer the person that she had known so fondly for so long before. She was overwhelmed with a wave of sadness and helplessness as she observed her beloved companion changed beyond recognition.

Both Power and Denji were both deeply worried and saddened by (Y/n)'s emotional state. They were well aware of the spiral of despair he had been descending into, but it seemed as if he was adamant to keep his feelings to himself, despite the both of them caring deeply for him. They felt a sense of helplessness as they felt unable to help (Y/n) overcome his grief and return to the person that they had both known before Aki's passing. 

No matter what they did or said, it seemed as if nothing they could do could lift his spirits and make him smile once more.

One night, Denji wanted to go a grocery store, buying some stuff to eat "I'm going to get some ice cream, you two would like anything?" Before leaving, Denji asked them "A meaty onigiri!"  Power happily requested, while Denji simply nods in response to the request "You want anything lil bro?" Then, he inquires as to whether (Y/n) would like anything as well.

After a few seconds of silence, (Y/n), who is laying on the couch next to Power, then turns his head to gaze at Denji from over his shoulder "Can you get me some potato chip?" (Y/n) requested "Of course, bro! You can leave it me" Denji replied, Denji and Power both smile slightly at seeing (Y/n) communicating with them once more, despite his nod and head shaking.