KNY | The Mechanics Of Love (Tanjirou X Zenitsu)

Chapter 26 |

Tanjirou's POV

I walked down the street, my hands felt clammy in my pockets and I felt my heart racing in my chest violently. I hadn't felt this nervous ever before, I didn't know what to expect. My breath felt hot against my scarf and my hat seemed to be intensifying the heat of the sun on my head, which in turn was giving me a headache.

It'd been three days already, I got an address and a second name, I was more than surprised. Shocked, to see where Nezuko had ended up, but I was so happy. I had been worried about Nezuko for so long, and now I know that all that time I spent imagining worst case scenarios about here was a waste. Because she was safe, and she was probably happy, maybe still a little sad but she was doing well from what I'd heard and that made me overjoyed.

I walked into the nice apartment building, it wasn't old like the one I used to live in. There was a lobby with a receptionist and some seating with a few small tables. The walls were a clean white and the floors were a marble tile. I walked up to the lady working at the tall desk.

"Excuse me, which floor is apartment 7C on?" I asked her.

She looked up from her computer, "It's on the 3rd floor at the end of the left hall" she said simply.

I nodded, "Thank you." I walked over to the elevators, I could see my blurry reflection in the metal doors and I could see my furrowed brows slightly under the cap I was wearing. I pressed on the white arrow button pointing up, and then entered the elevator when it dinged and the doors opened.

I took a shaky breath and pressed on the button labeled '3' once I entered the elevator. The entire time the elevator was moving closer to the 3rd floor I kept getting more and more anxious, my heart beat harder and faster in my chest the closer I got.

And when it stopped moving and the doors opened in front of me I felt frozen. I couldn't move, it was as if all my bones and muscles suddenly turned rigid and refused to move. I took a second and inhaled deeply before stepping out of the elevator finally.

I looked down other ways of the wall on either side of the elevator, I turned to the left and watched as the numbers on the doors passed by me.

"4C, 5C, 6C, 7C" I mumbled the numbers and letters on the doors as I passed them, until I got to the last one. I clenched my hands at my sides and then stepped forward in front of the door.

I raised a tight fist and knocked on the door carefully. Then I waited.

I heard some shuffling inside, then there was the sound of a clicking lock, and then the door opened.

I was met with a silver haired man, with pale skin that sagged. He had a roughened face and was wearing baggy black pants and a blue flowing cardigan with a wave pattern and cloud shapes. It was my old teacher, Urokodaki. .

I saw his sharp eyes widen slightly and a look of recognition came over his face.

"Hey" I said softly and pulled off my hat.

"Tanjirou," he said in a tough but shaky tone, he stepped aside and let me inside.

Then he led me over to a square table with four chairs in the center of an apartment with an open floor plan.

"Sit," he said sternly.

I obeyed and slipped down my scarf, leaving my hat on the table in front of me. He sat down on the opposite end of the table.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, "Where did you even come from, and where have you been?"

"Well," I started, "I came to look for Nezuko, I didn't know she would be here with you until I found her though, I came from the train station a few blocks away, and since my family was killed all those years ago I have been committing crimes under the pseudonym Inferno" I admitted.