Dark Winds | Sanemi Shinazugawa x Female Reader

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊

I ended up chickening out like three times the day before, so I woke up this morning, dead set on speaking to Sanemi.

I got dressed, and walked towards his Estate, my heart racing faster than it ever had. This was the first time I had gone to see Sanemi in a long time, and to be honest, I had kind of forgotten where his residence even was.

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When I finally found him, he was setting up bamboo posts, to further his training. I hated interrupting him, but there was never a time when we Hashira were just "hanging around".

"What are you doing here?" He said, seeming very angry. Normally he was a dick, but this time was different. He was infuriated.

I didn't know what to say...

"I, uh, just wanted to tal-" I stuttered.

"Not you..." He said, barley moving his eyes so that they were directly looking at me. That's when I noticed that I wasn't here alone. I turned around to see Genya standing ten feet behind me.

"You aren't welcome here, you prick. Now leave, before I make you."

"Sanemi, stop..." I said quietly, my heart breaking for Genya.

"Brother, please! Just talk to me..." Genya yelled.

"I could never! You can't even use a breathing technique! You're worthless!" Shinazugawa spatted, almost as if it was amusing. "ONLY TRUE SWORDSMAN CAN STEP ONTO MY ESTATE!" His voice growing louder with each word.

The interaction sickened me. I had had enough.

"SANEMI STOP IT! HE'S YOUR BROTHER! THE ONLY ONE YOU HAVE LEFT!"

"How do you even know that, huh?" He said, sneering at me. "This isn't your place..."

"I don't care!" I said, my blood beginning to boil. "He just wants your approval...Is that really too much to ask?"

"(Y/n), please..." Genya whimpered behind me. "It's fine, I'll leave..."

That's when his footsteps grew distant before I could defend him further, and I was left standing there, anger radiating through my whole body.

And Sanemi just went on about his business, continuing to set up his bamboo as if nothing had just happened.

"So, what do you want...?" He said, not making eye contact.

Normally, I would curse Sanemi in my head, and go about my business since getting riled up over his idiocies was pointless. But right now, nothing could stop the expletive words that left my mouth so easily.

 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I yelled, now catching his attention. "YOU KNOW HOW MANY OF US WISHED THAT OUR SIBLINGS WERE HERE TODAY? TOMIOKA, KOCHO, TOKITO...NEED I GO ON?"

"Huh? (Y/n), this is not your figh-" He began, but I didn't care what he had to say for himself.

"SHUT UP! THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I CAN'T STAND YOU!" I yelled, but I took a quick breath, to calm myself down.

"To think, I originally planned on coming to apologize. After our mission a couple of days ago, I actually thought you and I could get along. But I was wrong. I could never be friends with someone as heartless as you."

"Is that right?" He said, mocking me, but I wasn't done.

"I never thought, I'd meet someone as empty as a demon, yet here we are, Sanemi."

I couldn't believe those words came out of my mouth, and instantly I regretted them. I wasn't ready to accept what he had to say to me, but I had no choice.

"AT LEAST I'M STRONG. I'M NOT HUNG UP ON THE PAST LIKE SOME FOOL. YOUR PRECIOUS BROTHER DIED? OH BOOHOO! GO CRY A RIVER TO SOMEONE ELSE. YOU WON'T FIND ANY SYMPATHY FROM ME."

His words stabbed my heart. Sure, I never felt butterflies, like Mitsuri explained, but it coming from him hurt more than it would from anyone else. But, I couldn't expect much else. I had started it.

"YOU WERE WORTHLESS THE OTHER DAY! IF I HADN'T BEEN THERE, YOU WOULD'VE LOST TO A LOWER DEMON...How pathetic..."

"IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU I GOT DISTRACTED, YOU ASSHOLE!" I said, as I pushed my tears back for the time being.

"Is that what you tell yourself? Does that help you sleep better at night?" He yelled, insulting me.

But I ignored him. I turned around and stormed off, not letting myself listen to anymore of his horrible denunciation of me.

Tears fell from my eyes as I realized I did deeply care about him, yet hated him all the same. But his image of me was now ruined. He would never think of me in a nice way.

I stopped in the middle of the garden, far away from Sanemi, and anyone else for that matter. I crouched down, wrapping my arms around my legs, huffing and puffing as I struggled to catch my breath in between all the tears. 

Why was I letting myself believe that he or I could ever change. I was naive to think this world could be loving to either one of us. A perfect fairy tail ending doesn't exist. It would simply be too easy. 

Bitterness, was all I felt...

But just as I began to think that this couldn't get any worse, my crow landed on my shoulder.

She told me something I would never be ready to hear.

"Kyojuro Rengoku died, at the hands of an Upper Moon..."

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