Song: Happier (Marshmallow, Bastille)
Post War Au (spoilers)
Taisho Era
Shinobu's POV:
I and Tomioka-san have already become close to each other. The fact that he started to socialize with the other pillars as well during the Pillar training period made me happy.
He did improve a lot. I wouldn't admit it to him openly that he is not disliked by people now. Not by me. Not by Tanjiro-kun and his sister.
I did like him. He's tall, good looking and is kind too. But he's very stubborn and that annoys me. The stubbornness to not speak more.
I tried many ways to make him speak more but he never went over a speech lecture less than a minute. I know that people should talk to the point but not that much that it would start to annoy them.
My ultimate weapon for making him to talk more is salmon daikon. You can't make him more happy than that thing.
I did invite him to have some at my office during the Pillar training. It was hectic but also I needed to have a 'last' and 'proper' talk to him because I had plans for the war.
"Kochou..."
"Ara Ara~ The water pillar has at last come after I summoned him. This late, not to forget."
"You wanted to talk?"
"Correct guess! I have your favourite thing too."
"... Th- thank you, Kochou. I hope that I am doing well in communication..."
"Yes! Good going. The rest of the crew are doing great in the training as well, don't you think, Tanjiro-kun and his friends?" *Helds the bowl of freshly simmered salmon and daikon.*
"Yes... They're doing quite well." *Eats a piece* "What did you wanted to talk about, Kochou?"
"Well, nothing special. Just wanted to have a proper talk before something bad happens."
"What do you mean?"
"I am very happy that you're able to socialize with the other people, Tomioka-san. You seem happy as well. Might be because of Tanjiro-kun's positive aura around you, isn't it? What are your plans about moving on with someone if the corps successfully execute Muzan and all the other Upper Moons though?"
"I don't know."
"Haven't you met someone? Someone special?"
"Special on what basis?"
"Aren't you being to dense, Tomioka-san? Obviously I am talking about someone whom you would like to spent the rest of your life, have family with them."
"Uh... I guess I had. I have actually."
"Good!... Good!..."
Oh... So you have met someone. Bad luck.
"Why ask?"
"Just curious. I know we have duties and responsibilities but love isn't something you can avoid, can you? You might have found someone and talked to them and felt all the pros and cons of love, Tomioka-san."
"Yes. I have. What about you?"
You. It's you.... Dense man.
"Yeah. I did. He's a good person."
"Oh... Great! I hope he takes care of you greatly in future if we made our way out of this... War."
"Oh, I won't even bother him. He won't have to take care me me much."
"What? H- how? Like... Won't you two get married and have a family?"
I wish it were true but... I am sorry Tomioka-san.
I won't be able to make it up to you , after all.
CAW CAW!! Kochou Shinobu, Dead! CAW CAW!!
~~~
"Nee-san! Stop teasing me like that!"
"Ara Ara~ little Shinobu still likes the raven haired boy, i see."
"Yes! I do. What now? It's no use when I am not with him now."
"Love doesn't die, tell me, Shinobu?"
"But he doesn't love me. My is still alive and I don't even know if he used to like me or not."
"Why don't you look it for yourself?"
I turned down to the lake, where the Earth could be seen.
The lake focused to a house. Then, it penetrated to the clear window, where a two kids sat near a man, with short, black hair, blue eyes, and one lost arm. He was smiling.
He was Tomioka-san.
What a beautiful smile he had. My lips weakly curved up as he had now two beautiful kids and had been married to a very beautiful woman. Tall, slender, pale and wore western dress.
She had prepared some tea and was serving to Tomioka-san.
I was jealous.
She was perfect for him.
A very calm, composed, beautiful and mature woman. More ladylike. Had long hair, blue eyes and pink lips.
One of the kids, who was a girl, wore a hairpin similar to mines. A purple butterfly hairpin.
I placed my palm over my mouth as it was the exact same one as mines.
Then, I noticed the girl drawing butterflies around a stick figure. She added the butterfly hairpin to it as well. She looked like the woman.
"My, my! What a lovely drawing, Miyuki. Isn't it, Giyu dear?" The wife asked Giyu.
Stop. I can't take this. Stop calling him by his first name, woman!
"Sure it is, Hana. Miyuki did a lovely drawing." Giyu said, smiling at his daughter.
"I made Fairy Shinobu Kochou! Will she like it, Dadda?" Miyuki asked Giyu, raising the paper with the drawing.
My eyes widened. The little girl mentioned my name and made the drawing of.... Me?
"Yes! I am sure she will love it." Giyu said, while caressing her hair gently.
I love it! It's beautiful. It's too much for me to handle.
"I will marry Fairy Shinobu Kochou one day and help her with loads of things like you do with momma!" The boy, who was a little older than Miyuki, said, with his nose flared up and raised his chest proudly and spread his hands in the air to emphasize it.
I giggled. Such a cute boy. He looked very much like Giyu.
"No! She won't because nobody likes you, oni-chan!" Miyuki pouted and roasted her elder brother, copying the same words as I used to say to Giyu when I was alive.
"You're talking like her, Miyuki! Don't act like her! She's better herself than you acting like her and I don't like you." The boy complained.
These kids, they're so adorable. Fu fu~.
"There, there. You shouldn't talk to your sister like that, Mizuki dear! Then, fairy Shinobu won't marry you." Hana scolded Mizuki, politely.
Well, she isn't that bad though, Hana. For the first time Giyu had ever made a good choice. On women, specifically. I giggled at the siblings fighting over me.
I noticed that Giyu was breathing heavily. His hands were trembling.
"Kids! Go play outside now. Dadda needs some rest." Hana told her kids politely and took them outside the room.
When the three left, Giyu took out a book and opened it. It had a photograph of me in black and white, and had something written on it.
I wanted to glance at those pages. What was written on it? Why is my photograph with Giyu?
He took the photograph between his fingers and brought it closer to his face. Tears started to roll down his eyes on his skin.
"Did you hear them, Shinobu? I know you're looking us from up there." He said with a weak smile.
I pressed my hand on my mouth as it was very much emotional for me to handle. My body trembled.
I nodded as I closed my eyelids tightly and my tears dropping on the lake. Giyu again smiled.
"I hope that you heard them. Your answer will be yes, I am sure of that. Because, you're looking at us from heaven after all, and you must be living a very happy life along with Kochou-san and your family." He scoffed as he said it.
Why? Why are you making my observations on you so difficult? T- That's why nobody... nobody likes you,... Giyu-san!
"I built a family of my own now, Shinobu. I remember you asking about if I had someone special, with whom I would like to spend the rest of my living years, before the final battle." He left a sigh. "Hana is a very great person. I met her after the war. She's very polite, caring and loving person. We married and had two kids, Mizuki and Miyuki. I told them about you through a fairy tale made by me on our missions together. They love you a lot. They admire you. Hana also came to like your personality and she's very understanding when I told her about you. I am happy with them but..."
But what?
"I regret one thing. Only if I had told you that I liked you. Then, I would have told you that I loved you."
What? You- you liked me? You l- loved me? Me?
"You talked to me a lot. You were very hardworking, ambitious and and intelligent person. You style was very unique and I never that you were weaker than any of us because you were strong in your own way. No wonder why Oyakata sama never left a moment to appreciate your skills.
But I still wish to spend some more time with you. To get to know you better when now I have started to talk more and socialize more with people."
Stop flattering! Of course you regret on such a thing because you're so slow and dense, Giyu-san!
I hate to admit it but I also regret about not being able to tell you how I felt when I lived.
"Maybe telling you how I felt for you before the war would have been a wrong decision because it would have done a very huge emotional damage after knowing that I told you that I liked or... Loved you and any one of us die afterwards."
When did you get so mature and responsible, Giyu? After I left the world?
"Maybe you're are thinking about how I turned so mature and responsible all of sudden. Only after you passed away." He took a deep breath and sniffed. "Because, I-... Losing things make you know their worth and make one realise about their mistakes in the past. I lost everything close to me, my older sister, Sabito and then, you.
I realised that if I had been stronger, smarter confident and optimistic, then I would have been able to not lose people whom I were close earlier. Maybe... My survival in this war was because of Tanjiro making me realise about these things and giving me a second chance to correct my mistakes. And I am now doing that by building this... Family... With Hana and enjoying my life to the fullest with my kids, Hana, Tanjiro and the rest of the surviving demon slayer corps.
I couldn't find a good job though because I lost my right arm so Hana is doing the earning thing as she works in an office right now. I do the teaching stuff to my kids. It's great living with them but I wished only if you're were the one whom I would have done these things with."
I wish for the same, Giyu San. But...
"But..." Giyu took a deep breath.
"I am happy that you are happy with your family up there."
I am happy that you're happy with your family down there.
"Thank you for everything, Shinobu."
Thank you for everything, Giyu-san.
"Let's meet in our next lives and be friends, spend more time together than we did in this one, Shinobu."
"Sure. I will be waiting for you, Giyu-san!"
He stood up and looked above outside the window, in the sky and gave the most genuine and beautiful smile. It was like he was looking at me. We both cried and wiped our tears with the back of our hands.
Hana came and helped Giyu have his meal. He lost his right arm so it was a problem for him. Giyu was right at some point and I am really happy that he survived and was living a life with Hana perfectly.
Hana is a life saver, I suppose. She was there for him for his support when I was not there. She's really good. I have no regrets or grudges against her now. I am jealous but it's okay that he moved on.
The image of them in the lake disappeared when the children came back to Giyu and Hana with Giyu giving one last look at me.
I cried and cried. I heart was pounding so much. He has progressed so much to live a better life than me.
I am happy to see him happier than ever. Maybe it was a good thing. I am also living with Kanae and mom and dad up here to the fullest. I am happy with them as well.
Maybe we aren't destined to be together but do know that I Always will love you. - Giyushino quote by Misty (myself, the author)
-xxx-
Hey dear readers! I am really really sorry for my inactivity. I am quite busy with school work nowadays since the schoolings are done offline now.
So I have been recently addicted to angst stories and I don't know if this Oneshot fulfilled the parameters of writing an angst Oneshot.
I had been quite thinking about the main storyline and it mentioned that Giyu did end up marrying and have children after the war ended. So I thought of creating the story based on this one.
I hope that you liked this Oneshot and I made you cry a bit. I cried while thinking about this Oneshot too, to be honest.
Anyways, thank you so much for your support since the book has now reached 2.4k+ reads with 120+ votes and I am really happy about it. It's a huge success and please keep supporting me like that.
I have a part two of this Oneshot which I will be posting soon enough if I get time. Till then, take care and keeping loving giyushino.
See you in the next Oneshot.
Loads of love<3