Sanemi Shinazugawa, the man who scorched demons alive. The one who'd cut his own skin, to bleed and gain the upper hand against the enemy.
Sure, he was one of the best, but you hated him...
At least, you thought you did.
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#1 in #shinaz...
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"You're messing with me!" I said to Sanemi. I knew how passive aggressive he was with me. There was no way he didn't hate me at least a little bit.
He smiled that devilish smile that never failed to make me melt.
"I guess you caught me. My only gripe with you is that you didn't follow The Wind Breathing Technique. But I've gotten over it." He explained.
All my nerves seemed to have spoiled my appetite more than the stench of that nasty old guy earlier, so I pushed my plate away, insinuating that I was done.
"You're not gonna finish that?" Sanemi asked.
"No, you can have the rest if you want though..." I said, not expecting him to accept my offer. But he reached for my chopsticks and quickly finished the contents of the bowl.
It was kind of a special moment. We weren't close by any means, but no stranger would just finish someone else's food, especially with the same utensils. It made me feel like he felt somewhat comfortable, which made me smile.
It was strange seeing him in this new light. Sanemi was handsome, intelligent, and courageous. All traits that I looked at negatively before, but now I could see him for what he really was.
"You wanna head back?" He asked me.
"Sure."
I followed behind him, out of the restaurant and into the town. We walked silently, following the abundance of wisterias in the far distance.
"Oh, I forgot to open this..." He said, referring to the gift I gave him. My heart started to flutter at the thought of his reaction. What was I supposed to say when he asked about me knowing of his favorite treat? Part of me wanted to snatch the box and run, and never see him again, but I had to push past that nervous girl that dwelled inside of me.
He unwrapped the cloth that I tied tight around the box, and opened it.
"Oh...how'd you know?" He said vaguely.
"Just a little birdie..." I told him, not wanting to rat out Iguro.
He reached in for one and began to eat it like he was starved.
"This is so good! Where'd you get these?" He said, more excited that I had ever heard him speak.
"We'll, I made them! I'm glad you like it..." I said, trailing off. My heart raced at his eagerness as he continued to eat the contents of the box while walking next to me.
I realized how happy I was. I didn't really notice how sad I had been recently. It felt nice for a change...
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Later that night, I got ready for bed, since I wasn't needed on any missions. It had been some time since I had had a good nights sleep, and to be honest I dreaded it. If I got more than 5 or so hours, I would generally have a nightmare or two.
