sᴀʏ ʏᴇs ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ || ᴛᴏᴋɪᴛᴏ ᴍᴜɪᴄʜɪʀᴏ ||

020

☁️ WATER HASHIRA ☁️
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THE TWO YOUNG SLAYERS chatted with each other for a long time until Giyuu arrived back at the Water Estate after completing his patrolling schedules, a sort of mission that was usually tasked for Hashiras.

It was already the evening by now, the sun was almost going to set at this point. Kaori enjoyed chatting and learning how to make paper airplanes with the black-turquoise-haired boy. 

Giyuu walked up to the gates of the whole Water Estate's premises, opening the gates and closing them back after going through it. His tired and dull sapphire blue irises widened when he heard the familiar cheery giggles of his tsuguko.

He raised his eyebrows, walking along the garden gravel pathway and onto the engawa outlining his house's model structure. When he got closer to the source of the cheery giggles, he saw the little girl's figure facing her back at him.

In front of her was the familiar long-haired boy he remembered as Kocho's amnesiac patient, watching her laughing while he showed her how to make the perfect paper airplane.

"Kaori..?" 

He called out in a silent whisper but since Kaori has enhanced senses, she could hear the Water Hashira's calls. The white-haired girl turned around, spotting Giyuu peaking out of the corners.

"Ah- Tomioka-sama!" She smiled, "Muichiro-kun and I were just making paper airplanes. Do you want to join in?" 

"Who are you?"

"The Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyuu."

Giyuu glanced towards Muichiro who didn't seem unbothered by his presence, his once soft eyes that he had when he was teaching Kaori changed into his usual dull and empty ones when he returned Giyuu's stares.

"Oh.. I'll just go back then," Muichiro stated, staring blankly at Giyuu, who looked slightly confused towards the teen.

"What?? Why?? I still want to make paper airplanes." Kaori turned to look at Muichiro again.

"It's getting late. I should get going to the weird butterfly lady girl's place.." He muttered, spacing out.

"Ooh.. what a shame. Well then, see you soon Muichiro-kun." Kaori stated as the long-haired boy stood up, holding his neatly created paper airplane in one hand.

"Wouldn't he-.." Giyuu stated but immediately zipped it when both Muichiro and Kaori glanced at him at the same time.

"Forget? Oh right. Muichiro-kun, do you know the way back to the Butterfly Estate?" She asked, turning at Muichiro who seemed confused.

"Ah, that.. I forgot the way.."Kaori smiles, lifting her hand and letting out a clean whistle. Faint sounds of rushed flapping wings can be heard, fluttering their way as Kaori's kasugai crow came flying towards them.

"Caw, caw!!! You called, Tsugikuni-sama?" Kuro, Kaori's personal kasugai crow chimed - tilting its head to the side slightly as the girl pointed softly towards Muichiro.

"Kuro, if you won't mind, please guide Muichiro-kun to the Butterfly Estate. He forgot his way back." 

"Caw!! On it!! Please follow me, Tokito-kun. I'll guide you back to the Butterfly Estate! Caw!" Kuro cawed, flapping his magnificent black wings to bring him upwards into the air.

The long-haired boy hummed as a response, following the crow's small figure fluttering its wings across the skies with his hazy mint green irises.

"Goodbye, Muichiro-kun!!" The white-haired beauty called out, waving her hand shortly as the long-haired boy glanced behind his shoulder when he heard his name being mentioned. He raised his hand slightly, nodding before following the crow and not turning back again.

"So, Tomioka-sama," Kaori called out, turning to the stoic water hashira. 

"What's up? Based on your expression and silence, is there something Tomioka-sama wants to tell me?" She questioned, crossing her arms underneath her chest.

Ever since Kaori lived underneath Giyuu's roof, she has succeeded in observing what the silent hashira acts like if he wants to do something since he mostly won't voice his thoughts directly.

"Kanroji told me that your kill streak is getting closer to the 50s... and you must've already reached the Kinoe rank by now, am I right?" Giyuu muttered, staring directly into Kaori's blood-red irises.

"Yeah! Isn't that awesome?" Kaori smiled cheerfully, tidying the paper airplanes and the scrambled origami papers all over the engawa's planked floor.

"Hmm... I guess the time is near..." Giyuu whispered silently, looking away and making Kaori's ears twitch slightly.

"What do you mean the time is near? Tomioka-sama, are you thinking about doing something ridiculous!?" Kaori panicked, dropping all of the paper airplanes she was carrying.

"No. I'm just thinking of retiring from being the Water Hashira." Giyuu implied with a stoic look on his face as Kaori let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank god. I thought Tomioka-sama was going to do something dumb!" Kaori paused, picking up the paper airplanes that were scattered on the wooden floorings of the engawa.

"But Tomioka-sama, how many times do I need to tell you that you're worthy of being a hashira? If you didn't work hard, you would've not become who you are today. The corps still needs the Water Hashira." Kaori exclaimed, tidying the mess she made on the engawa.

"So don't retire yet. I still want to spend my time with Tomioka-sama as fellow hashiras." Kaori flashed a small grin before walking past the water hashira and into the house, carrying the leftover origami papers and the paper airplanes.

Giyuu stood silent, he was kinda touched by his tsuguko's comforting words. Questioning himself if he is really worthy of the hashira title that is currently bestowed upon him by the corps.

"Tomioka-sama! How about decorating the house with these paper airplanes? Then the Water Estate will look less boring!" Kaori suggested, peaking her head out of the door frame and outside where she faced Giyuu's back.

"Hmm, sure." 

"Great! Tomioka-sama, let's decorate together then!" Kaori chimed excitedly, hurrying the silent jet black-haired man.

"Alright.." He replied, turning around and started walking towards the white-haired girl.

Throughout the entire night, the two spend the whole night chatting with each other to tell stories and also decorate the house with paper airplanes.