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Sanemi walked at a brisk pace, eager to get his mission over with quickly. The sound hashira at his side noticed his urgency and snickered. " What's got you in such a rush? "
Sanemi clicked his tongue. “It’s none of your damn business. Stay out of it.”
Normally he would’ve ignored the teasing, but today he was fidgety. Truthfully, he didn’t even know why he was in such a hurry. It wasn’t as though he had something he wanted to do after—
“Ohh, I get it now,” Uzui smirked, nudging him with his elbow. “This is about that seller from the market, isn’t it?”
Sanemi said nothing, only scoffing as he continued to monitor the area. Uzui was just looking for a reaction and he refused to give in.
“What was their name again?” Uzui attempted to play dumb. Sanemi’s silence was enough to tempt him further.
The moment your name fell from Uzui’s lips his composure nearly crumbled. “I said stay out of it!” Sanemi snapped, momentarily stopping to glare at him in warning.
It had started with receiving a simple mission from his crow a while ago. Complaints of missing livestock and missing people started to circulate, enough for the demon slayer core to become involved.
While surveying an area Sanemi had stumbled upon you selling sweets at a modest little stand in the night market. He made a mental note to check out your stand once his mission was over.
Cut to a few minutes later he found you in an alleyway struggling beneath a demon.
He dealt with the demon quickly before asking if you were alright. He examined you carefully and helped you up—you were surprised at how gentle he was given how he reacted with the demon earlier. Luckily you were unharmed, ignoring the small scrapes on your elbows and knees.
To thank him you offered him something from your stand, free of charge of course. Your smile when you thanked him caught him completely off guard; he almost forgot to respond to you.
Wanting to deny your offer his voice got caught in his throat when he noticed something you were selling.
Ohagi.
Noticing his stare you smiled and offered him a piece. He accepted it, savoring every bite and finding he craved more with each one. You had wordlessly packed some up for him, handing him a box once his hands were free.
You introduced yourself, pleased that someone genuinely enjoyed your cooking. Business had been slow, so his silent praise lit up your day.
Even after the mission ended, Sanemi couldn’t get you out of his head. During hashira meetings, his mind wandered—would he ever be assigned to a mission in your area again? While he was out shopping for food—how was your business doing? Even when he encountered crazy drunks— did you have to put up with customers like that?
The point was.. he thought about you. A lot.
Uzui didn't push the topic any further, fearing that he might actually anger the wind hashira and earn a fist to the jaw. As the trees began to thin and the path became more developed, Sanemi suddenly recognized the familiar gated property on the outskirts of the area. His stomach twisted in a way he didn’t like.
This was your town.
For two hashira to be called in meant this mission was serious.
“Alright, I’ll scout the forest perimeter. You head into town and check there,” Uzui instructed, sprinting off before Sanemi could protest. He opened his mouth to yell that the sound hashira had no right to issue orders to him—but then paused.
This was a chance to see you again, to make sure you were okay.
He suspected Uzui had planned this somehow, but quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way the flamboyant idiot knew this was where you two met. Even so, he silently thanked him for the opportunity to check up on you.
The sun was about to set, and the demon would be making its move soon.
He walked into town, muscle memory taking over, guiding him toward the marketplace. People were beginning to set up their stands and merchandise, you included. He breathed out a sigh of relief when he spotted you. There you were, unharmed and still breathing.
Once he knew you were safe he moved quickly to complete his mission. With both hashira on the move and the sun now fully set the demon would begin its hunt.
They quickly found it targeting a couple and disposed of him without so much as breaking a sweat.
He found himself annoyed. With how many slayers had been dispatched to this area then killed many figured there’d be at least a lower moon here. To their dismay, it was a regular demon, one that should’ve been killed easily by any other slayer.
“Don’t get so worked up, what happened happened. A shame, really, but what can we do?” Uzui tried to console Sanemi, but his words meant nothing.
With each slayer that was sent the demon got stronger and stronger, which only put you in more danger.
The two separated, Uzui loudly stating he would be heading back to his wives. Without realizing it, he found himself standing in front of your stall. You were preoccupied and didn’t notice him at first, but when you turned and caught sight of him, your eyes widened in surprise. You nearly dropped what you were holding.
“Shinazugawa! I didn’t expect to see you again!” You said brightly, genuinely happy to see him again.
He gave a quiet grunt in response, awkwardly shifting where he stood. He hadn’t planned what to say, hell, he hadn’t expected to see you again, especially so soon.
You didn’t mind his silence. Instead, you grabbed a plate and placed three fresh sweets on it, offering them to him with a smile. “Last time you said you liked them, right? Take them as a thank you gift for helping our small town again!”
He blinked, visibly taken aback by your kindness, but took the plate and sat down on a bench beside your stand as customers began lining up.
Given what happened last time you knew why he was here again. The thought of something lurking in the shadows once more sent a shiver down your spine. Though, if he was here eating calmly, that could mean..
You shook your head in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts. Whatever reason he was here, whether it was to just see you or to buy something sweet, you were just glad you got to thank him again. You felt as though nothing you did could ever repay the kindness he showed you that day, so even if offering something as little as a candy brightened his day you’d continue to do it.
By the time your last customer left, Sanemi had cleaned the plate and set it aside. You started packing up, but he stood and began helping you even when you protested. “I said I got it—”
“Just shut up and let me.”
You paused, then smiled softly, allowing him to help you pack your things. Others might’ve taken his words as rude, but you knew better. In the short amount of time you've spent with him you could tell he didn't mean to offend you—or anyone for that matter. Sure, he may have a resting bitch face, but deep down Sanemi Shinazugawa was just a grumpy softie with a big sweet tooth.
When the last of your things were packed up, you gave him a polite bow. Just as you turned to walk away, his voice stopped you.
“Wait.”
You turned. He was clenching his fists at his sides, like he was struggling to force the words out.
“I think about you all the time,” he muttered. “It’s... freakin’ annoying.”
Your eyes widened. “O-Oh. I’m sorry?”
You didn't know how to respond to that. Out of all the things he could’ve said you never would have guessed it would have been that.
He scoffed, quickly walking over to your side. “Don’t apologize.”
The two of you walked in silence. Somehow, without realizing it, he ended up walking you home. Neither of you said much, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. When he left he didn’t say much, but you knew he'd be back. Whether it was for some more ohagi or just to see you, only time would tell.