Gifts and roses..-*

Chapter 10 - admirer

"I was at training with you today."

Sanemi read it again

"I was at training with you today."

He read it a third time

"I was at training with you today."

He looked at the note in disbelief- he had spent the day with the admirer, and he didn't even notice?

The idea that someone had been there, watching him all along, and he hadn't realised, was baffling. Sanemi's pride stung at the realization that he had been so oblivious. He prided himself on being sharp, aware of his surroundings at all times. Yet, somehow, this admirer had slipped through the cracks, unnoticed. They had been, right under his nose, and he had missed it- it made him feel like a fool.

He strained to recall if anyone had seemed unusually interested or if any of his interactions had felt off, but nothing stood out. His eyes darted around the room, as if the answer might somehow be hidden in plain sight. He replayed the day's events, scrutinizing every moment for something, anything, that could explain how he had been so oblivious. But all he could remember were the same terrified faces, the same nervous glances. Every trainee he had encountered seemed more focused on not screwing up in front of him than on anything else- no one had even dared to meet his gaze, let alone give him any sign of admiration.

He groaned as he leaned back, Mitsuri's words echoing in his mind.

'I still believe it could be a Hashira'

He hated to admit it, but she could just be right.

He sighed, maybe if he just crossed them all off the list, he could be done thinking about it and prove Mitsuri wrong. So... that meant other than the trainees it was just himself, Kanroji, Tomioka, Iguro and Tokito.

Sanemi had already crossed Kanroji off his list, having interrogated her thoroughly before he went home to confirm that she wasn't behind the gifts. Tokito, being too young, was dismissed from consideration as well. Iguro could have been a contender, but the man was far too whipped for Kanroji for him to be interested in Sanemi- let alone look in his direction.

That left only Tomioka. Yet, the thought of it being him was almost inconceivable. Tomioka was so detached, so indifferent- how could he harbour any romantic feelings, let alone for someone like Sanemi? It was a notion that he found difficult to entertain, let alone accept.

And so, he found himself back at square one.

He got into bed, lying down as he huffed. He retraced every detail of the day all over again- every interaction, every glance, every member of the corps he had observed at the training session. Each face, each conversation replayed in his mind, but no matter how many times he reviewed them, the mystery remained unsolved.

They rotated groups throughout the day... so he was sure he saw them all, but still, the answer evaded him.

Sanemi's thoughts drifted back to Tomioka, unbidden and persistent. He recalled earlier that morning, how he had nearly mistaken Tomioka for the secret admirer when he had appeared at his gate, holding that dark red cloth. Tomioka standing there, so calm and unassuming, had thrown him completely off balance, making him question everything he thought he knew. It was kind of ridiculous how quickly he assumed it was him.

As he thought about it, the image of Tomioka, framed by the morning light, holding out the cloth as if it were the most mundane of errands, lingered in Sanemi's mind. Despite his attempt to dismiss Tomioka as a possible suitor, the unexpected encounter had sown seeds of doubt. Each time he recalled their brief interaction, a flicker of uncertainty crept in. Could it be possible?