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

chapter 30 - Unspoken Bonds

Next Day

It was another gray, dull day as students filtered out of the classroom. Rengoku sat at a table near the exit, watching the stream of people go by, but his attention was focused on the absence of one person—Mitsuri. She hadn't made it to class again, and he was worried something had happened between her and Obanai. He had heard some shouting coming from Obanai's room the day after their fight, but he didn't want to interfere after what had happened the night before. As he rose to leave, his art history professor called out to him.

"Mr. Rengoku, a moment of your time."

Rengoku turned, his usual energetic smile still intact despite the exhaustion he felt. "Yes, of course!" He walked toward the professor.

"I know it's none of my business," the professor began, glancing at Rengoku's face, "but are you alright? You seem to have a few bruises, and is that a grip mark on your neck?"

"Oh, yes, sorry for the appearance. I've been practicing Jiu-Jitsu, and things got a bit out of hand," Rengoku lied, not wanting to explain the real cause—his fight with Obanai.

The professor nodded but didn't seem entirely convinced. "I see. Make sure to take care of yourself. By the way, I know you're close with Miss Kanroji. She's missed two classes. One more, and she risks failing this course. Please pass the message to her."

Rengoku's smile faded slightly. "I'll let her know. Thank you, sir."

As Rengoku walked down the hall, he couldn't stop thinking about that night with Obanai. The fight replayed in his mind, filling him with frustration. Obanai was shorter, but he always knew how to keep a fight going, even against someone as strong as Rengoku. He respected Obanai like a brother—family, blood or not—but that side of him, the cold, calculating one, was something Rengoku hated.

He made his way to the bakery where Mitsuri worked, hoping to find her there, but she was nowhere in sight. He noticed a young lady behind the counter and approached her.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother, is Mitsuri in today?" he asked, still looking around the room.

The woman smiled brightly. "Oh! You're Mitsuri's boyfriend, right? Unfortunately, no, she's not. She took three weeks off for her move."

Rengoku shook his head, correcting her with a gentle smile. "I'm not her boyfriend, just a close friend. I've been away for a bit, so I didn't know. Do you happen to know her new address?" he asked, his face turning slightly red.

The employee hesitated, looking conflicted. "I'm sorry, I can't give out employee information."

"I understand, thank you. Can I buy some of her favorite desserts instead?"

The employee nodded and began packing up a selection of treats. She hesitated again, then asked, "Is everything okay with Mitsuri? She hasn't really responded to my texts. I hope her move went well."

Rengoku's face softened with sadness. "She's had a rough time with the move, so I was hoping to cheer her up with these."

As she finished packing, she slipped a small note onto the box and handed everything to Rengoku in a bag. "I left a little something extra for her. I hope it helps," she said with a knowing smile. Rengoku glanced at the note—it was Mitsuri's new address. He thanked her before leaving, his heart feeling a little lighter with hope.

Later that Day

Rengoku arrived at the address that was given to him. He rang the doorbell, and after a few moments, Shinobu opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Rengoku? What are you doing here?"

"Hey Ms. Kocho, I hope I'm not disturbing you. I wanted to check on Kanroji. Is she home? I brought treats!" He held the bag up with a smile.

Shinobu smiled and opened the door wider. "Yeah, come in." She led him inside, glancing at the bruises on his face. "What happened to you?"

"Obanai," Rengoku replied simply, removing his shoes at the door.

Shinobu sighed. "I guess everyone's feeling his wrath lately." She walked him down the hall towards Mitsuri's room, which was slightly ajar. Mitsuri lay on her bed, wrapped up in her comforter. Shinobu whispered, "Be gentle, they broke up," before leaving them alone.

Rengoku stepped inside, softly calling her name. "Mitsuri..."

Mitsuri peeked out from beneath her blanket, her eyes red and puffy. "Hey," she muttered, sitting up. Her hair was unbraided, tangled, and she wore a pink shirt she had clearly been living in for days. She looked at his face with concern. "What happened to you?" she asked, reaching out to touch the bruise gently.

"Obanai and I... had a fight," Rengoku chuckled lightly, though there was no real humor in it. "It was my fault. I pushed him too far, and, well, he reminded me who he is." He tried to smile. "How are you? You haven't been to class."

Mitsuri buried her face in her knees. "I broke up with him..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't know what happened, Rengoku. One minute we were fine, and then... it's like I didn't exist anymore." She began to cry, her body shaking with each sob. "I'm so mad at him... even though I'm the one who broke up," she whispered.

Rengoku's heart ached at her words. He pulled her close, holding her gently, wishing he could take her pain away. A part of him wished he was the one dating her, but right now, all he wanted was to be there for her, even if it meant being just a friend.

"I know Obanai still cares about you," Rengoku said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Believe me, I wouldn't look like this if he didn't. But he's been through so much, Mitsuri. What happened to him when he was young—it broke something inside him. He's spent years trying to piece it back together. I hope telling you didn't make things worse."

Mitsuri looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why? If it wasn't for you, I don't think he would have told me."

"I'm sure he would have. He almost did when you moved in, didn't he?"

Mitsuri stayed quiet. Rengoku was right—Obanai had tried to talk about it, but she wasn't in the right mindset to listen. She started to believe she had caused the confusion between them. "You're right..."

"Obanai doesn't know how to talk about it. He's always been like that—keeping his feelings bottled up. That's why he smokes so much. Trust me, I've tried to get him to stop, but he's stubborn. It's his way of numbing the pain. But there are still parts of the story you don't know. If he opens up, he'll tell you his point of view, and I'm sure it'll be darker than what I've shared." Rengoku smiled sadly.

Mitsuri wiped her tears and nodded. "Do you think I should try again?"

Rengoku's words got stuck in his throat. He wanted to say no, but he knew that would be wrong. He forced a smile. "Yeah, the breakup is fresh, so I'm sure you two will get back together in no time," he said, trying to be supportive.

Mitsuri smiled. She focused on his face, her fingers tracing the bruise on Rengoku's cheek. "Does it still hurt?"

Rengoku shook his head. "Not anymore. Though it did when it happened. Obanai is pretty strong, I'll tell you that," Rengoku laughed.

Mitsuri smiled, looking down at her hands. "I wish he'd let me help him."

Rengoku handed her the bag of treats. "Give him some space, Mitsuri. When the time is right, you'll talk. He cares about you. You'll see." He smiled at her one last time before standing to leave, but Mitsuri was too caught up in her thoughts to notice the tender look in his eyes.

"Before I go, the professor told me to tell you not to miss another class or you'll fail," Rengoku said, scratching the back of his head.

"I'll go back to class soon, Thank you" Mitsuri smiled nervously. She looked through the box and smiled. As she grabbed one of her treats, Rengoku glanced back at her before closing the door quietly behind him, his unspoken feelings still held within.