Paper Rings |Tanjiro x Muichiro|

sleepless nights

Muichiro didn't sleep well for the next few days and soon it was the last day of school. Friday morning he struggled to get out of bed so hard that he woke up to Yuichiro poking him repeatedly, with an annoyed look on his face.

"Get up you stupid loser. Normally you wake up before me. What's wrong with you" Yuichiro scoffed. Still the same old Yuichiro, although he wasn't nearly as insensitive as he used to be, the guy was still a prick.

Muichiro didn't say a word and just opened his eyes, a glum expression on his face. He sat up slowly into the lamp light and the bags under his eyes became visible. Yuichiro's face was overtaken with what looked to be a trace of concern, but he said nothing, not being one to be compassionate.

Muichiro got up and got ready even though he really just wanted to stay in bed and sleep longer. Each night he tried so hard to fall asleep, and was going to bed earlier and earlier but his thoughts would cloud his mind and it became too hard to sleep.

He was avoiding Tanjiro, making somewhat dry responses when Tanjiro came up to him. It seemed as if the red-haired boy didn't notice he was acting strange although he did ask if Muichiro had been sleeping enough because of the bags under his blue eyes.

He got in the car, walking slowly, the weight of his backpack seeming to crush him even though there were only a few notebooks in there. The drive as silent, and Yuichiro considered asking Muichiro about what was going on many times, but decided against it. Yuichiro thought it was too late to start being a better person now so he stuck to glares even though he knew it would only make everything worse for his brother.

Eventually as Muichiro was about to get out of the car, Yuichiro patted him on the back, and his brother's eyebrows raised in surprise but that was it. No words were exchanged but the strange feeling stuck with Muichiro as he walked in the door for the last time of eighth grade. Maybe his brother was changing.

Tanjiro happened to be right at the door when Muichiro walked in and started walking next to him. "How'd you sleep Mui?" Tanjiro asked. He'd been getting more worried about his blue-haired friend as the week went on, but he never got any responses that indicated anything. 

He even asked Kanao if she knew what to do about it but she shrugged and said to give it time. Tanjiro was too worried to just stop talking to Muichiro so he tried to act as if nothing was wrong and keep trying to cheer him up but it seemed that nothing was working.

"Ok I guess" Muichiro responded quietly. Tanjiro nodded. Muichiro was usually quiet but he was more talkative than he was being right now and it just felt wrong.

Finally Tanjiro snapped and just flat out asked "Are you ok? It seems like something's bothering you and...I'm worried about you Muichiro." Muichiro looked up, his eyes clouded with some emotion Tanjiro couldn't quite place.

Then the smaller boy opened his mouth as if to say something but he closed it and just stared at the ground for a while. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure. Did something happen at home? Or... I don't know. But I know when your lying to me and I don't know why you won't just tell me. I can try to help you Muichiro!" Tanjiro said, exasperated. He normally didn't lose his patience but his worriedness got the better of him.

"Fine! I'm mad cause you didn't remember what you promised me ok?" Muichiro snapped. He started walking faster, leaving Tanjiro behind. He got to his first class, that didn't have Tanjiro in it and sat down, the first one there.

Tanjiro on the other hand stopped in the hallway, tears forming in his eyes. A promise? What was Muichiro talking about. He couldn't remember but if it was having such a bad effect on the person he cared the most about then he was going to figure it out. He went to his first class, which Kanao was in and just thought the entire time. They were watching a movie in the class and Kanao kept reaching for his hand but he was oblivious, his mind elsewhere.

Suddenly it clicked. The paper rings. He still had his, in a drawer stowed safely. There was no way Muichiro was referring to that was he? "Tanjiro?" Kanao asked, but didn't get a response. She decided to leave him alone because he wasn't responding anyway.

Muichiro on the other hand sat through his own class wondering why he said that. It's not like Tanjiro had meant what he said. He was so young and young kids say foolish things. It wasn't Tanjiro's fault and he'd been so mean.

Muichiro sighed, anxious about what would happen when he saw Tanjiro next, and so tired that he could have fallen asleep right then and there if his mind wasn't racing.

Eventually the class ended and Muichiro had to go to his next class, English. Unfortunately Tanjiro would be there and Muichiro still had no idea what he was going to say. He walked in, determined to apologize, but he just moved on his own and sat down saying nothing. Tanjiro moved seats to sit next to him, and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again.

Thirty minutes of silence went by during class, and Kanao had enough sense to stay out of it and sat with Aoi across the classrooms. It was essentially a free period since they presented the day before and Tanjiro still didn't know what to say.

Muichiro fell asleep with his head on top of his arms on his desk, and Tanjiro just admired his soft features and his sleeping figure. The boy looked like an angel despite the bags under his eyes. Tanjiro felt bad that something he'd done had caused so much suffering but he wasn't sure how to make things better.

Time ticked, and Muichiro was still sleeping. When the bell rang, Muichiro's eyes fluttered open at the feeling that a fly was on his face. But when he opened his eyes slightly, he realized it was actually Tanjiro who was kneeling beside his desk, softly brushing the backs of his fingers against the blue-haired boy's cheek. Once he saw that Muichiro woke up, he whispered "I'm sorry Mui" and then walked away.

Muichiro didn't see him again that day.