Gifts and roses..-*

Chapter 8 - revealing.

Mitsuri froze mid-exclamation, her eyes growing as round as saucers.

Her mouth was open in a stunned silence, and she looked as if she might faint from the sheer shock of the revelation. Blinking rapidly; her face flushed with disbelief.

"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me... it's you?!" She practically leapt out of her seat, her hands flying to her cheeks in sheer astonishment. "I can't believe it! This is- Oh my gosh- this is so unbelievable! You're the one who's been leaving all those gifts?!"

She barely had time to catch her breath before another realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "No, no, no- wait! You have a crush? Giyuu Tomioka has a crush? On Shinazugawa of all people!?"

Giyuu winced slightly, bringing his hands to his ears as Mitsuri's excitement reached a fever pitch. He waited patiently for her to get all her energy out, a bit stunned by just how animated she became- was it really that shocking?

She gasped, clutching her hands together as if trying to physically contain the burst of excitement coursing through her. "Oh my goodness, this is huge! I can't believe I never knew! This is so unexpected!"

When the room finally quieted down, Giyuu slowly lowered his hands, "I don't quite believe it either," he sighed, reaching for a Sakura mochi and taking a small bite, hoping it might settle his nerves.

"That's adorable!" Mitsuri beamed. "I never took you for the romantic type! Leaving gifts is such a sweet gesture!"

Giyuu shrugged slightly. "Hmm, it felt easier than just confessing, I guess."

"So did you want help revealing yourself to him? I have a million ideas already!" She asked.

Looking down at the mochi in his hands, Giyuu sighed "No... I'm not at all ready for him to know it's me yet." He squidged it a little between his fingers before taking another bite "When I went today, I saw that he had left a note asking who I am. I panicked and wrote something cryptic because I didn't want to drive him insane by ignoring it."

Mitsuri nodded, trying to act as if this was news to her. "I see... When I first heard about it, I thought the admirer wanted him to figure it out, like it was some kind of game... but that makes sense."

She leaned on her palm, realising how wrong she had gotten the situation- and how she had mistakenly led Sanemi to believe she was going to solve the mystery. But now she understood- Giyuu had been nervous, and that's why he left the gifts instead of confessing outright. It was actually kind of cute.

"I promise I won't say a word to anyone," she said with a gentle smile, hoping to reassure the anxious man in front of her.

"Thank you Kanroji-San... I appreciate it," Giyuu replied quietly, avoiding her gaze.

Mitsuri gestured for him to take more food, passing him the plate "So you aren't ready to confess? That's fine!"

"I mean..." The water hashira sighed, taking another mochi "I feel bad for not telling him... a part of me wants him to know... but I know how he will react if he does."

"What do you mean?" she asked

Giyuu shrugged, looking away. "I mean, he can't really stand me, so..." he said, his tone flat and resigned.

Mitsuri paused and leaned closer. "Don't be so sure. He actually defended you in the Hashira meeting you missed."

"He did?" Giyuu's eyes widened.

Was that true?

Had Sanemi defended him?

There was no way that could be right- was she talking about the same Sanemi who would punch him for just looking at him? The Sanemi who would lament about him behind his back? The guy who threatened to cut off his arm for stepping into his space during a mission?