Bound by Fate - SaneGiyuu

Chapter Four - An Unexpected Pancake Interruption

At the end of the day, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, Shinobu and Giyuu waved goodbye to Sabito and Makomo at the campus gate. Shinobu wished Sabito good luck for his baseball game the next morning, recalling how she had learned during lunch that he was on a sports scholarship for his exceptional skills in the game. It was one of those details Giyuu had missed, his mind too preoccupied with the strange newness of the day. Still, he appreciated the information when Shinobu shared it, nodding along as if he had been fully engaged.

Sabito had been friendly and inviting, even asking them to come watch the game. But Shinobu, ever perceptive, noticed how exhausted Giyuu looked, with dark circles forming under his eyes and his usual stoic expression leaning more toward a weary frown. She had politely declined the invitation on both their behalf, fabricating a plausible excuse about feeling overwhelmed from their first day and needing to focus on their homework. Sabito, with his usual easygoing nature, accepted it without issue, laughing off Giyuu's apology for being so quiet during lunch.

"I know how hard the first day can be," Sabito had said, his tone light and reassuring.

As the two walked off campus, the day's events weighed on Giyuu. On the surface, everything had gone surprisingly well—his classes were manageable, and no one seemed suspicious of his and Shinobu's true identities. But despite the smooth sailing, a gnawing sense of failure crept in. He hadn't seen Sanemi again since the morning, and that alone felt like a misstep in their mission. For some inexplicable reason, Giyuu felt like he should have done more, gathered more information, or at the very least, established some connection with Sanemi.

"Oh, cheer up, Giyuu. It's the weekend!" Shinobu's voice broke through his thoughts, her tone light and cheerful as she pulled out her phone to search for the address of their temporary home.

Giyuu's frown deepened, his brows knitting together in frustration. "We know nothing more than we did yesterday. We didn't even interact with Sanemi," he moaned, feeling hopeless and more than a little useless.

Shinobu sighed softly but didn't take her eyes off her phone as they continued walking. "It's fine. It's only day one," she reassured him, her voice carrying a note of optimism. "Besides, we had a lot of adjusting to do to the mortal world. I think we did well just focusing on that today," she explained, trying to lift his spirits.

Giyuu thought it over, her words sinking in as he let out a small hum of agreement. She had a point, he supposed. The day had been more about acclimating to their human roles than anything else. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to take things one step at a time.

They fell into a companionable silence after that, the quiet punctuated only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the evening breeze. Shinobu, ever the guide, would sometimes grab Giyuu's arm, steering him around a corner or across a road when he became too lost in thought.

Finally, they arrived at the address Shinobu had been leading them to. She pointed ahead, her voice tinged with excitement. "Oh, this is it! Our home for the next little while!"

Giyuu looked up, taking in the sight of the house before them. It was an intriguing mix of modern and classic design, a two-story building with clean lines but an air of vintage charm. The exterior was painted a warm beige, the color calming and inviting. A low hedge lined the front, coming up only to Giyuu's waist, neatly trimmed and adding a touch of greenery to the scene. The door, however, stood out the most—bright red with a golden knocker shaped like a lion's head, gleaming in the last rays of sunlight.

For a moment, Giyuu simply stood there, staring at the house. It was strange to think of this place as their "home," even temporarily. Everything about this mission felt foreign and unsettling. But as he stepped forward, following Shinobu's lead, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief. The day was over, and despite the bumps along the way, they had made it through. Perhaps tomorrow would bring more clarity—and with it, a chance to finally make some progress in their mission.