𝓡𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓜𝓮 [ ObaMitsu fanfic/ R-(M)] Kimetsu No Yaiba

Chapter 8 - Whispers of a Butterfly

6 AM the next morning

Mitsuri lay in her dark room, waiting for him to leave for his shift. With every sound he made, she could imagine exactly what he was doing, right up until he grabbed his car keys and closed the door behind him. The house fell silent. She had been unable to sleep, her anxiety keeping her up all night. Thankfully, Kanae had been texting her, offering company until she eventually fell asleep.

Mitsuri curled up into a ball under her quilt and began to cry. It felt as if she were the only person in the world going through this, making it difficult for her to feel happy. She began to question whether leaving her parents' house had been the right decision, but after thinking it over for a while longer, she convinced herself that good things would come if she took the first step and left him.

With no sleep, Mitsuri finally took the opportunity to rest now that being home alone felt safer than when he was there. Moments after falling into a deep slumber, her phone vibrated with a text message from someone new.

In her dream, he appeared again—this time, Iguro's face was clear and vivid with a long scar traced across his face. His smile was soft, almost tender, but the sadness in his eyes pulled at her heart, stirring something deep within her.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, her voice barely audible in the dream's haze. She couldn't hear his reply, but his eyes spoke to her, full of unspoken desire. She reached out, gently cupping his face, feeling the roughness of his scar. He grasped her hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing a lingering kiss to her palm, his eyes never leaving hers, dark with longing.

Suddenly, he was over her, his body pressing her into the bed. His breath brushed her ear, warm and teasing, as he leaned in close.

"If we go any further," he whispered, his voice low and thick with desire, "I won't be able to control myself."

The heat of his words surged through her, jolting her awake.

She tilted her head up and saw her cats sleeping beside her. She checked her phone; it was 10:45 AM, but something else caught her attention—a new message from an unknown number. She opened it, and her eyes widened as she sat up in bed. It was a message from Iguro.

[9/21 - 6:12 AM: Hey, it's Iguro. I asked around for your number, hope that was okay. Just wanted to make sure you got home safe yesterday and there weren't any problems.]

Mitsuri read the message twice, wondering what he meant by "problems." She texted back, [9/21 - 10:50 AM: Thank you for checking on me, it means a lot.] Then it hit her: was he the reason for her boyfriend's injury? She added to her message: [9/21 - 10:51 AM: Did you see my boyfriend at the party?]

He responded with a simple [9/21 - 10:51 AM: Yes.]

She leaned back on her pillow and groaned in frustration. She had hoped they would never meet, so she could leave the past behind and move on. But that wasn't the case. Staring at the ceiling, she received another message from him:

[9/21 - 10:52 AM: I have some free time before work tonight, want to grab some coffee?]

A smile spread across her face as she quickly replied, [9/21 - 10:53 AM: Yes, I'd love to!]

After deciding where to meet, Mitsuri showered, dressed casually, and left her house. She had promised to meet the girls to discuss their plans for an apartment.

___

An hour later, she arrived at the Kocho residence and was greeted by their mother with a warm smile and hug. Mrs. Kocho had always been kind to her, making her feel at home, though Kanae had mentioned she wasn't too keen on Sanemi. The fact that he was going to college to become a cop was probably the only thing in his favor.

Mitsuri waited in the living room, sipping tea, when Shinobu walked in and gave her a big hug. Shinobu wore beige suit pants, a long-sleeved lilac blouse, and beige heels.

"Mitsuri! It's so good to see you!" Shinobu sat down beside her. "Sister told me everything that happened last night. Your boyfriend is insane for that. I don't condone violence, but I'm glad Iguro put him in his place."

Mitsuri looked down, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed that so many people were now involved in her problems. She didn't know how to react, so she smiled quietly. Sensing her discomfort, Shinobu quickly apologized for her comment and spread apartment pamphlets across the table, trying to change the topic. But Mitsuri brought it back.

"Shinobu... I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I can't help how I feel. I've been disconnected from him for so long, I don't think there was ever a real connection. I think I was so blinded by love, I missed all the red flags. What I feel for Iguro... it's different. It's like... I've known him before. I keep dreaming about him, even before we met, but in the dreams, he always looked different. It feels like we were together in a past life or something. When I look at him, I freeze. My body craves to be close to him, but I feel guilty for having these feelings while I'm still with someone else..." Mitsuri trailed off, tears filling her eyes.

Shinobu gently took her hand and smiled. "Mitsuri, if I can be honest... what you're feeling is love. Maybe you're right—maybe you were distant lovers in another life, and now you have a second chance. If that's true, then take it, but take your time. As for your boyfriend, it seems like you want things to end smoothly, but the reality is, you did fall for someone else while in a relationship. It's a form of cheating, even if you didn't plan for it to happen. And yes, Iguro was wrong too, but the connection you feel is real, and you have the right to feel it. Just know, there's no going back now. Your boyfriend suspects something, and we need to help you. I'm so glad we're moving into an apartment soon."

"Mitsuri, just like everyone in this world, you deserve to be happy. It's your turn now. Whether it's with Iguro or just learning to love yourself and being single, you deserve everything." Shinobu smiled at her. Her words alone brought happy tears to Mitsuri's eyes as they hugged.

"Thank you, Shinobu."