The eye of the storm (Sanemi x Reader)

36| Chained to the past

Last night, Tokito and I trained with the animatronic until dawn. Tonight, we planned to train again, and I wanted to invite Genya to join us. Genya hadn't fully integrated into the guild yet; this would be an opportunity for him to get closer to Tokito and improve by training alongside other pillars.

Tokito was already waiting for us in the forest with the animatronic ready. By now, Genya and I should have met up with him, but he insisted on inviting his brother as well. I warned him that it might not be a great idea, but encouraged by Shinazugawa's surprisingly kind attitude the day before when he wished us a good meal, he decided to try anyway.

So now we were walking toward the house where one of the blacksmiths had told us Shinazugawa was staying. I felt a knot of nerves thinking about seeing him again, remembering how close our faces had been the last time. I forced myself to push those thoughts aside if I didn't want my cheeks to flush.

Genya seemed excited, his face showing a mix of relaxation and anxiety. I couldn't help but smile seeing that all he needed to be happy was to see his brother, even if just for a few minutes, even knowing that he would probably decline our invitation to train. Besides, I got the impression that Genya felt more confident talking to his brother when I was with him.

"Do you think he'll come with us?" he asked eagerly.

"I don't know..." I murmured, trying to lower his expectations so he wouldn't be disappointed later.

"I think he will," he assured, looking at me with happy eyes. "You're here, after all."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Things between you two have gotten better, right?" His smile grew wider.

"Well, we're not...," I felt a burn in my cheeks. "What do you know?"

"I know you slipped away from dinner to talk to him yesterday," he commented as we crossed the wooden bridge over the lake.

"Were you...?"

"No, no, I wasn't spying or anything," he hurried to say. "It was Tokito who told me. He said you changed the bandages on his hands."

"And nothing else?" I inquired, a bit embarrassed.

"No, why?" he responded, confused.

"No, nothing."

I let out a sigh of relief knowing that Tokito hadn't told him about the part where Shinazugawa was on top of me. Genya looked at me for a few seconds in confusion until his features relaxed and he gave me a small smile.

"Thanks for changing his bandages, (l/n), he never takes care of himself."

"I had to insist a lot for him to agree. He's very stubborn."

"You can say that again." Genya let out a few laughs that were contagious.

I had gotten used to spending time with him. Somehow, he was filling the empty space Kaigaku had left in me. When the laughter faded and only joy remained in the atmosphere, Genya looked up at the starry sky.

"You know, the other day I was wondering who took care of my brother when we were little," he said with nostalgia. "Now I know the answer is no one. Sanemi protected all of us, but no one protected him. Our father was supposed to take on that role of protector, but he was never there for us. He never could take care of Sanemi the way any child deserves. My brother always had to be on alert, always watching over Mom and us, his younger siblings. He took on the role of a father when he was just eight years old, and he did it to keep our family going. A family that later ended up destroyed..."

"Because of the demons," I added, my fists clenched in anger. Just imagining Sanemi at eight years old having to kill his own mother after watching almost all his younger siblings die... It made me want to cry, and it wasn't even my story.