2nd Chances

Part 4

Sanemi walked up and down the halls of the butterfly estate in search of something with a very serious expression on his face, he came as soon as his mission was completed.

"Where? Where is she?" He worried if she was alright, he heard from his crow that not only did Kanea get hurt on her mission the day prior but she had fought an upper moon.

He desperately read the labels on each of the doors trying to find the one she might be in.

"Shinazugawa-San?"

Sanemi heard someone call out to him from behind, he turned around after recognizing the voice.

It was Giyuu, wrapped from head to toe in bandages and not wearing his haori.

"She's in the room at the end of the hall, to the left." Giyuu said to him after seeing Sanemi's serious expression.

Sanemi stayed silent for a moment before darting off towards the end of the hall.

He knocked on the door of one of the unmarked rooms a few times.

"Come in." He heard a voice call out to him.

Sanemi opened the door after a moment, taking a sharp breath as he stepped in completely unsure of what he was about to see.

Shinobu was sitting next to her sister who had a blanket covering herself as she laid in bed.

"Kocho-San? W-w-what happened?" Sanemi said struggling to keep himself together.

Shinobu helped Kanae sit up  against the bed before walking out of the room.

"They'll need some alone time." She thought to herself. Kanae had warned her if he were to come to leave them alone for a while. She shut the door behind herself as she left.

"Shinazu-" Kanae didn't even get to finish her sentence before Sanemi had her wrapped in an embrace.

"Don't-..... don't please." Sanemi pleaded to her.

Kanae ran her hand through his hair while she patted his back softly.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Kanae said with a small sigh.

"You know I can't-" Sanemi tightened his grip on her a little more as he struggled to finish his sentence.

"It's ok, it's ok, I'm fine." Kanae said, sounding like a mother consoling her child.

Sanemi eventually let go as he pulled himself together a little before he were to break down. The two looked at each other for a while and remained completely silent.

"I was scared, I wasn't there. You could've-..." Sanemi was trying his best to not burden her too much with his emotions but was failing anyway.

"I know, it's ok, If it weren't for Tomioka-San, I-...." Kanae gripped onto the cuff of Sanemi's uniform as she got quiet.

The reality she likely would've died loomed over the two of them like a low hanging fog.

Sanemi squeezed her hand in response. He leaned into her a little more until their foreheads touched. He was just happy she was alive.

"Please, be safe, I don't know if I can continue without you." He pleaded with all of his heart.

Kanae grabbed onto his collar with her other free hand and pulled his body in closer, planting a kiss onto his cheek.

"We'll talk about it later, I'm tired, please, let me rest."

Sanemi let go of her hand as he stood up, he helped Kanae lay back down before quietly exiting and closing the door behind himself.