sᴀʏ ʏᴇs ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ || ᴛᴏᴋɪᴛᴏ ᴍᴜɪᴄʜɪʀᴏ ||

006

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chapter six

☁️ nice strangers ☁️

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"say yes to heaven.."
"say yes to me?"

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KAORI EXITED THE  Ubuyashiki Mansion with her head lowered while she held back her tears so it doesn't spill. 'I shouldn't cry over him! No! He's nothing to me anymore!!!'

Since she was trying to wipe the tears from her eyes, she didn't pay too much attention to the path ahead of her - she took another step forward but when she brought her foot down, it never seemed to stop to hit the ground.

Kaori widened her eyes when she was brought downward by her unstable legs. Kaori shut her eyes, blocking her face with her arms but the impact never hit her so she opened her eyes to see that she was staring at the ground while tilting slightly.

"Woah!!" She yelped, moving in surprise and realizing that someone was holding her by her collar.

"You should be careful." The deep and calming voice exclaimed as Kaori glanced behind her to see the water hashira staring at her rather nonchalantly.

Kaori's cheeks flushed red due to embarrassment as she quickly freed herself from Giyuu's grasp and bowed slightly at him, "I'm sorry! I will pay more attention to my surroundings..." She apologized, her head lowered as Giyuu sighed.

"No need to apologize." He answered simply, "Follow me. You'll be staying with me from now on, you're my tsuguko."

"Hmm." Kaori hummed as Giyuu started walking ahead of her, the little girl following him from behind as if Giyuu was the mother duck while she was the baby duck - following her mother everywhere she went.

It was awkward but Kaori felt comfortable staying by his side, he saved her once - that was more than enough for her to trust him amongst the other strangers that she met when she woke up.

Further, Giyuu's persona was a tad bit similar to Kokushibo's - she didn't realize it at first but it seemed like she was still stuck with the uppermoon.

Giyuu leads her to a simple-looking estate, opening the door and letting the curious little girl enter the big building first. Kaori looked around, it was pretty neat and peaceful.

"Do you live alone? Tomioka-sama?"

Giyuu closed the door, "Pretty much. Not anymore though." He answered simply as the girl looked around the house.

"It's pretty big! Can you get lost?"

"Not really. If you become a hashira, you'll get some kind of estate like this." Giyuu responded, following the curious little girl who explored every inch of the house out of curiosity as she had never been inside a house that big.

"Woah... does that mean being a hashira means being rich?" Kaori asked, tilting her head.

"Well... if you put it up like that then... yeah"

"Wow really!? I want to become a hashira now!!!" Kaori beamed in excitement, jumping up and down as the hashira observed her actions, "I'll wish you luck."

He paused, "Right. I'll show you your bedroom..."

●○●

Kaori entered the room where she would stay. It was not surprising for her to be this clean as the water hashira seemed to like everything being neat. Her room had a big space, it was quite wide, unlike her old bedroom that's very small.

Kaori's eyes brightened and her mouth gaped wide open- staring at the wide space that she would sleep and stay in. "Woah~! Are you really going to make this big space my room?"

"Hmm." He replied while nodding slightly, "I never had tsuguko before... so I wish to provide the best facilities for my tsuguko..." He lowered his head as Kaori smiled brightly, "Thank you, Tomioka-sama"

"No need to thank me..." Giyuu glanced at her clothes, "We'll go shopping for your room, clothes, and things necessary... I'll get my wallet... stay here."

Kaori's eyes widened, tugging Giyuu's mismatched-patterned haori, "Why are you being so nice to me?? I don't want to be a burden..." Giyuu looked at Kaori who looked like she was guilty about something.

"You're not a burden." He replied simply, "Well... I guess you heard Kocho's conversation with me before... It's pretty obvious how no one likes me... I'm not fit to become a hashira. To be honest, I was quite excited that someone would be living together with me - it's lonely living in this big mansion alone..."

Giyuu's deep sapphire eyes stared deeply into Kaori's crimson blood-red irises, "I want to make sure you're comfortable living under the same roof as me." He paused for a second, as if tempting or hesitating to open his mouth once again.

"You're a little girl but yet... your eyes lacked true happiness." Giyuu exclaimed, "I took you as my tsuguko since I want you to see what the world looks like. You can go out as much as you like. You'll not be cooped up."

Kaori's eyes widened, her pupils vibrating as she heard Giyuu's words, "That's why... it's okay to feel afraid or to cry... don't fake your feelings, it'll just make it harder for you." He looked at Kaori who seemed like she was going to cry because she was so touched by his words.

"I'll be taking my wallet now. Be ready." He simply exclaimed, turning his back and walking towards the wooden stairs to which he climbed up. Kaori's lips quivered, 'What the hell...' She sniffled, wiping her incoming tears using her haori sleeves.

She smiled slightly, 'I guess I can trust him... just... a little bit...'

●○●○●○●

Giyuu ended up bringing Kaori shopping for her clothes, groceries, and other items she might need. Kaori saw the shopping bags that Giyuu was carrying without any difficulties, "Tomioka-sama... that's too much don't you think? I think that's enough-"

"No." He cuts in simply, "We haven't bought other things."

Kaori choked on her saliva, "What things!? I think that's more than enough!!!"

"Footwear... pajamas... daily activity clothes..." Giyuu paused to think, "And a pet, kids like pets."

"Tomioka-sama~" She whined, "I'm not a kid. I'm fourteen years old!! I don't need a pet-"

●○●○●○●

Kaori's blood-red irises glimmered as she lifted the ragdoll cat breed into the air, her head tilting as she observed how the small kitten meowed at her. She brought the kitten down, cradling it on top of her arm as the two started walking back to the estate.

"Tomioka-sama... buying me an expensive cat is not necessary..." Kaori muttered, staring at Giyuu whose face wasn't visible anymore since the shopping bags he was carrying were stacked up highly. "Do you need help, Tomioka-sama?"

"No thanks..." He replied, "I heard cats can absorb negative energy so it can help you cope with the training." Kaori sighed, "I'm used to hard training so don't worry."

Kaori helped open the door for the water hashira as they entered the house - Giyuu placed all the shopping bags in Kaori's room. He looked towards Kaori who was petting the kitten on her arm, "Training starts at 6 in the morning, so wake up at 5"

"Hmm... got it" Kaori replied as Giyuu nodded once, turning again as he started advancing up the stairs. Kaori straightened her lips, "Thank you and goodnight, Tomioka-sama!" She yelled before hurrying inside her room, shutting the door close as the water hashira turned around to look at her.

When he turned around, the door of her room was slammed shut and Kaori was nowhere in sight. The corner of his lips twitched upwards, cracking a small smile.

"Good night."