"bro what the f*ck is up today." you groan into your pillow. your phone chimed once again. you peel one eye open and lift your phone up.
the groupchat was being ungodly spammed in the last few minutes. you sigh as you roll over onto your back. you unlock your phone and open up the chat.
[inosuke😒]: "why doesn't [y/n] wanna hang w us?"
[tanjirou🤍]: "i'm sure she's being productive. let's give her time.
[bestie boo]: "i haven't seen my best friend in three days im gonna die 💔."
[tanjirou🤍]: "you'll likely get to see her on monday😄."
[inosuke😒]: "she bailed bowling on us that's lame😐."
you silently curse yourself as you remembered that you were told the boys would be going bowling last night. you begin to type on your keyboard to plead your case.
"sh*t guys i totally forgot I'm sorry. i got caught up yesterday 🧍♀️."
[inosuke😒]: "yeah cuz you probably had your tongue down gyutaro's fucking throat 😒."
"and i did. what about it?"
[bestie boo🤞]: "seriously [y/n? you bailed on us for him?"
[tanjiroi🤍]: "or maybe she just had a long day and forgot all about it. it happens 😃."
[bestie boo🤞]: "🥺."
[inosuke😒]: "🖕."
[tanjirou🤍]: "😁."
"okay guys I'm sorry. let's do something today!!"
[tanjirou🤍]: "you can join me for my morning walk."
"alright! text me your address and I'll be there."
[tanjirou🤍]: "163 ubuyashiki drive."
you thumb up the message before sitting upright in your bed. it was only 10:23am. you stretch for a moment before slithering out of bed.
you walk through your apartment and do your daily cleaning such as brushing your teeth and showering. after you dry off completely, you wrap your towel around yourself and return to your room.
you rummage through your closet to find an old pair of grey spandex shorts. you found a worn green t-shirt with black letters imprinted on them. you weren't sure what they said anymore after years of wearing it.
you pull out some old black running shoes you haven't used in about three years. you wanted to start working out again.
"maybe in another life." you chuckle to yourself.
you set the shoes by your front door and go grab your wallet as well as some sun glasses. you had a plastic water holder that you filled up with some tap water. you slide on your shoes and leave your apartment. as you walk to your car, you type in tanjirou's address.
"starting route to 163 ubuyashiki Drive." your navigator said aloud. you strap yourself in and begin driving to your destination. the road seemed never ending as your navigator continues to tell you where to journey to.
you figured it wouldn't be that far from you, but you were horribly wrong. the roads turned from asphalt to dirt. you kept your eyes peeled for wildlife as you drove through rows of trees.
"your destination is straight ahead."
you stop your car in front of an old cabin-like house. tanjirou emerged from behind the home shirtless and sweaty. he dropped a pile of wood down at his feet and ran his hands through his hair. "tanjirou!" you called as you opened your car door.
he looked up at you and smiled. he stepped over the wooden logs and met you in front of your car. "i'd hug you but i'm super sweaty right now." tanjirou chuckled. "it's okay!" you smile. "let me take this wood inside and i'll freshen up so we can walk."
you nod at tanjirou's statement, and you watch as he hauls the wood off inside. while you wait for him, you scroll through your phone. nothing important seemed to be happening on any social media sites.
you click your phone off and stare around the trees. the scenery was somewhat saddening. there was this lonesome cabin surround by large oak trees. sunlight seemed to shine down right on the house as if it was glorious.
"sorry about that." tanjirou called. he had changed into some cotton grey cotton shorts, an all black t-shirt, and some blue and green running shoes. "there's a trail i like to walk behind the house here." tanjirou says.
he leads you behind the cabin where a section of trees are missing. he turns to smile at you before you venture in.
"do you live in that cabin?" you ask. "something like that." tanjirou sighs, hurt clearly evident in his face. "i'm sorry if i brought bad memories." you say.
"it's okay. do you mind if i tell a story [y/n]?" tanjirou asked.
"not at all." you reply.
"shen i was thirteen, my entire family was murdered." he said. his eyebrows furrowed as he recalled the details.
"i out of town for the day to help sell charcoal as a vender. my family made income like this. i remember telling my siblings i would come back with sweets for them." he said.
"it got too late at night and a neighbor offered to let me stay with him for the night. he didn't want me walking through the woods at night alone. when i awoke and started home, i remember this metallic smell wafting around me when i got to the house."
tanjirou continued looking at the ground as he talked.
"i opened the cabin door to see my mother, brothers, and sisters slaughtered. the blood, the horror in their faces. i blame myself for not coming home that night." tanjirou sighed.
"my father had succumbed to illness years prior, so i was the man of the house in a way."
your heart sank deeper as tanjirou talked. you could hear how hurt he was just having to relieve that moment. "my sister nezuko was the only one who survived . she was so badly injured she was in a coma for four years. i stayed by her every single day." tanjirou's voice wavered a little bit.
"she's in highschool now, though. she's at the cabin right now."
"i'm sorry tanjirou. it's not your fault." you say. "it's okay. i've come to terms with it now. it still hurts though. i wish i could've done more to save them all." tanjirou's shoulders sink and he sniffles a little.
when his eyes come up to meet yours, they're brimming with tears. "oh!" you gasp.
you instinctively pull tanjirou into you. you wrap your arms around his back, and he squeezes you back as he cried silently into your shoulder.
once he pulls away, he wipes his eye with his shirt. "i'm sorry [y/n], i didn't mean to cry. i really am okay now." tanjirou sheepishly smiles.
you give him a weak smile, still feeling guilty for making him speak about his past. you both blabber on about various topics from your past.
"my mom and dad live back on mt . nataguma. i wanna visit them soon." you say. "family is really important. maybe you should plan a trip and take gyutaro with you." tanjirou suggests.
"why him?" you question. "because you clearly like him, [y/n]. although you see that we all don't really care for him, you continue to stay by him. that's has to mean something right?".
"he's not like my boyfriend or anything." you sigh. you wanted him to be closer to you though.
"well then, first make him your boyfriend then take him." tanjirou smiled. "i wish it worked that way." you chuckled.
"well look at that! we walked the full trail." tanjirou beamed. looking up, you saw that you were now back at the front of the cabin.
"i'd love to walk with you again sometimes." you say.
"me too." tanjirou replied. he gave you a warm hug before waving you goodbye. yo got in your car and began your drive home.
you seemed to be driving a lot these days.
