chapter three: haze
08.13.20
"HUSH, HUSH, KEEP YOUR PRETTY MOUTH SHUT."
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forget.
forget.
Wake up, you'll forget everything soon- it's all up
to you now.
Her eyes fluttered open, and in an instant, she was met with the bright beams of the vermillion sunset. Jolting up in shock, she placed her two hands onto her head as if she was searching for something. (Y/n) didn't know why, but she had expected to feel a silk veil, or perhaps a ring-...
Snapping her out of her train of thoughts, a young boy with owlish eyes gazed up at the woman as he hesitatingly spoke, "(Y-Y/n)-san! Do your injuries- d-do you still feel any pain or discomfort?"
Although she didn't recognize the boy, it was as if a gentle voice had reminded her of who he was. "Senjuro, I'm fine." She said, her voice was hoarse, and she sounded as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. "Why.. am I all wrapped up in bandages?"
For a moment, confliction flickered in his eyes, as if he was debating whether he should lie, or tell her the raw truth. "I don't know, I'm sorry." He muttered, refusing to look her in the eye.
"I see."
And with that being said, the two sat in silence for minutes on end. No words were exchanged between the two, nor did the two budge from their seats.
Her eyes were empty, and her mind was boggled. (Y/n) couldn't recall what had happened earlier, it was as if somebody had wiped away her memories. Though, with each passing second, memories that were supposedly hers would pop up in her mind. It was..
Sucking in a deep breath, Senjuro abruptly stood up, "A-Actually, (Y/n)-san, you should know t—"
Before he could finish speaking, thunderous footsteps bounced off the walls of the estate. The tatami door abruptly opened, and a man who looked like the older version of Senjuro bolted into the room.
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he hoisted her up, bringing her into a bone-crushing hug. His expression showed nothing more than pure bliss and was truly ecstatic about her recovery. "(Y/n), It looks like you've finally recovered! Care to join me for tonight's dinner?"
All her suspicions from earlier had instantly dissipated, and without hesitation, she hugged him back, causing the male to unconsciously hold her closer. Although (y/n) didn't recognize the male at first, once again, a soft voice reminded her who he was to her.
"Ky-Kyojuro, I thought I'd never see you again! O-of course! But what about Senjuro?" She sobbed, for her heart ached uncontrollably the second her eyes laid on him- after all..
With care, the flame hashira wiped away her tears. "Senjuro has already eaten, and so has father." He chuckled, and with ease, he picked up bridal style, "Nine! We'll return by nine o'clock at night."
"Where are you taking me? I'm still.. injured."
"A picnic, of course!" He chortled, speeding off into the distance with a screaming (h/c) haired woman in his arms.
While the two ran off to god knows where, Senjuro remained still, fiddling with the hems of his shirt. In his eyes, both figures were important to him. Although she wasn't related to him in any way, he saw her as an older sister figure. Senjuro wanted to reach out to them, and warn (y/n) of the truth. Despite that, he didn't want to destroy their happiness.
"I'm sorry, (y/n)-nee-san."
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"(Y/n), here, try this!" Kyojuro added, passing a sweet potato to the (h/c)-haired girl who eagerly accepted it from his hands.
The duo sat by a riverbank under a massive wisteria tree. Blissful smiles were planted onto their face, and all their worries had disappeared. Sure, the flame hashira knew that (y/n) had just recovered, however, he wanted to be the first one by her side. Plus, if anything were to go wrong, he would protect her as if his life depended on it.
On the other hand, (y/n) had completely forgotten about what had happened earlier. Foreign languages, strange voices, and unknown memories? Oh, what a bother, for her attention was solely on the fire-eyed man.
"(Y/n)," Kyojuro began, "What happened during your mission? You were severely injured." At once, the mood shifted, and his tone was no longer cheery.
Upon hearing his words, (y/n) had almost dropped her sweet potato. "I.. don't remember," she answered. That was the truth, after all, it was as if her memories had been scattered like a puzzle piece.
Heaving a sigh, he gazed down at the shorter female who was squirming in his hold. Without a doubt, Kyojuro believed her words. Though, it was indeed quite troubling that she had forgotten about what had occurred during her mission. Any lower-ranked demon wouldn't be able to inflict such wounds on her, let alone damage her memory. Thus, he had concluded that she had encountered one of the twelve kizukis.
"H-HELP! SOMEBODY— FIND KOCHO-SAMA! THE UNITY HASHIRA IS INJURED, HER HEART RATE HAS SEVERELY DROPPED! AT THIS RATE, SHE'LL DIE!"
Oh, what a sight indeed. The flame hashira who was always high-spirited and smiling had lost his gleam, and his effervescent facade had cracked and shattered.
Placing down his own plate, Kyojuro stood up. He extended his arm, offering her his hand. "I-Is something the matter..?" (Y/n) stammered, her voice shaky and cautious.
He chuckled, shaking his head once more. From the corner of his eye, he watched as a shooting star lit up the jet black sky. Oh, to wish upon a shooting star. "(Y/n), this time, I'll protect you." He declared, causing her face to redden in embarrassment. "Have some faith in me— after all, we're friends, aren't we, (Y/n)?"
As if she was love-starved, she accepted his hand with stars in her eyes. "I.. of course, Kyojuro!"
'just friends.'
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08.13.20
edited: n/a
word count: 1059
A/N:
[1.] I'm sorry, I can't write fluff scenes for the love of god- that was horrible
[2.] YES- I'm aware that (y/n)'s personality had done an entire 180, and that was not an accident
[3.] Y E S, I will explain what had happened later on
[4.] and yes, it took me an entire 1-2 weeks to write this.. and if you spot an error, please do point it out
the next chapter: attachment
the next chapter includes: slight vulgar language, fluff, and rengoku kyojuro