Whispers of Water and Wind

Chapter 19 Sanemi's Struggle

The weight of the moment pressed down on her until a soft, familiar voice broke the silence.

"Mom, I'm done cleaning my room. Can we have some sweets now?" Tsutako's small voice came from the other side of the door.

Giyuu quickly wiped away her tears and forced a gentle smile, standing up to face her daughter. She opened the door, masking her sadness behind a tender expression. "Very good, sweetie. Yes, we can have some sweets."

Tsutako's face lit up with excitement, but then her gaze softened, and she reached up, cupping her mother's face in her tiny hands. She kissed Giyuu's cheek, a comforting gesture. "Mom, how's Shinazugawa-san's injury? Did you treat his wound?"

Giyuu hesitated for a moment, the awkwardness of the situation tightening her chest. "Yes," she replied, trying to smile through it. "It was just a small cut. Nothing to worry about."

Tsutako smirked, crossing her arms confidently. "He's weak."

Giyuu couldn't help but chuckle lightly, despite her inner turmoil. "He's not weak, sweetheart. He's actually very strong," she said, tickling Tsutako's sides, making her daughter giggle. Giyuu then scooped her up into her arms, carrying her downstairs to the kitchen.

They sat at the table, Tsutako's favorite sweets in front of them. The young girl happily munched on them, her innocent joy a welcome distraction from Giyuu's troubled thoughts.

"Mom," Tsutako said suddenly between bites, "do you know where Shinazugawa-san lives?"

Giyuu's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected question. Her heart skipped a beat, the last thing she wanted was to think about him right now. "No... no, I don't know where he lives," she answered, trying to sound casual. "Why do you ask?"

Tsutako paused, her expression thoughtful yet mischievous. "Honestly, I wanted to scare him a little, but..." she trailed off, a smirk crossing her face. Then she looked up at Giyuu with a more innocent expression. "I think we should bring him something since he's hurt. Maybe some sweets? I was thinking of apologizing for being mean to him... what do you think?"

Giyuu froze, her mind racing. She couldn't allow herself or her daughter to get involved with Sanemi again. Not after what happened. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "No, sweetie. We should stay away from him. He's... a very grumpy person, and he doesn't really like kids."

Tsutako frowned, confused by her mother's words. "But he didn't seem that bad..."

Giyuu, struggling to hide her inner fear and unease, gently stroked her daughter's hair. "Trust me, honey. It's better if we don't see him again."

The weight of the situation settled heavily on Giyuu's shoulders as she watched Tsutako finish her sweets.

Meanwhile, Sanemi sat under a tree, his mind swirling with thoughts of Giyuu and her daughter, Tsutako. "How on earth does she have that attitude? That rudeness? He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. My Giyuu doesn't have that. That little brat..."

He stopped himself mid-thought, his eyes narrowing. "Wait... what am I thinking? If I want Giyuu in my life, I'll have to take Tsutako too. But she's rude as hell. No one has ever talked to me the way she did. She literally threatened me with that stupid toy gun. And she was serious... dead serious about killing me if I get too close to her mother..." His thoughts trailed off as Giyuu's face flashed in his mind.

Frustration boiled inside him. Without realizing it, he muttered aloud, "Ahhh, damn it! It's driving me crazy. Why isn't she my daughter? Ahhh!"

Lost in his thoughts, Sanemi didn't even notice the presence of the other Hashira nearby. His frustrated outburst had drawn attention.

"Who do you wish was your daughter, Shinazugawa?" a voice asked from behind him.

Sanemi jumped, startled. He whipped around to see Tengen Uzui standing there, his usual smug expression plastered on his face.

"N-No one, you idiot!" Sanemi snapped, his heartbeat racing from the surprise. "Mind your own damn business!" Sanemi said and left Tengen alone.

As Sanemi walked home, his mind kept drifting back to Giyuu and her daughter, Tsutako. His earlier frustration and aggression gave way to a deeper realization. If he truly wanted to win Giyuu's heart, it wouldn't be through force or intimidation. That path would only push her further away.

Determined to change his approach, Sanemi started visiting Giyuu and Tsutako regularly. He would ask Giyuu about her day, her missions, and if there was anything she needed. Whenever they were paired on missions together, Sanemi allowed Giyuu to fight her own way, listening to her strategies and respecting her methods. He was doing everything in his power to win her over with patience and respect.

Every time he visited, he brought sweets or small toys for Tsutako, hoping to win her heart as well. But despite his efforts, nothing seemed to be changing—Giyuu remained as distant as ever. Yet Sanemi wasn't deterred; he knew that love, especially with someone as guarded as Giyuu, required time and understanding. So, he continued, determined to break through the walls she had built around her heart.

Tsutako watched Sanemi as he consistently visited her and her mother. Though Sanemi had never managed to win Giyuu's heart, somewhere along the way, he had begun to change Tsutako's own feelings.

One day Giyuu was gone for long mission so Sanemi decide to visit Tsutako, Sanemi didn't bother knocking on the door. Instead, he climbed in through the window, searching for Tsutako. As he was about step inside, a toy gun shot him square in the middle of his forehead.

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Next Chapter : A Visit Through the Window