𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

十一

𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ー 残酷な意図

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧
⎡ 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 ⎦

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(Y/N) sat at a table with broken dishes and cups in front of her, the only other person in the room being Rui considering he had slaughtered the rest of his family members except for her. Yet, there was no food in bowls, no water in cups, and no laughter or the sound of silverware clinking against glasses.

It was all too silent.

Like they were playing a game of pretend.

In that moment, she knew that Rui's pretend-family had been kept hostage just as much as she, having to keep complacent in this stifling room lest they incurred his wrath. Glancing down at Rui who had his head on her lap with his eyes closed as she once again let her fingers glide through his hair in a soothing manner, she noticed that he was clutching onto her almost painfully tight—as if he were afraid at any moment, she would disappear.

This is just pitiable.

(Y/N) couldn't help but feel her eyes crest downward as her eyebrows furrowed, nothing but sympathy overwhelming her.

He's pretending.

With his old family... and now with me.

But he can never be satiated by just this... he must know that. A relationship of fear isn't a relationship at all... it's just abuse.

And Rui...

He needs to understand that.

(Y/N) wished to speak, to make some sort of indication that she acknowledged this large problem, but she couldn't move—couldn't even make a sound. A type of stifling feeling wafted through the air that made her sit still as if she were stone or as if she were dead.

It was unnatural.

"I can tell that you want to say something," Rui's soft voice finally broke the silence.

Blinking, she answered, "What... do you mean?"

His head turned so that she could no longer touch his head, instead his blue eyes staring at her with an intensity that made her freeze. They were dull and void, completely bare of any real emotion save for a strong type of yearning that she could easily guess at. It didn't help that with the angle which he was looking at her from, the kanji engraved 'five' in his eye could be seen perfectly.

"You stay silent, but I can tell that you're thinking many things that you want to say out loud," he tapped a finger against her forehead, the touch cold but holding obvious affection.

"Oh... yes, K—" (Y/N) stopped herself before she said Kenji's name, knowing only that it would provoke Rui's anger. "Others have also told me that I am very expressive."

"Then say what's on your mind. Since you're my older sister now, you should tell me when something's wrong."

"I... just wonder why you want a family..." she finally spoke the truth.

"Is that all?" Rui asked, sitting up, holding her hand tightly. "Didn't you also travel with another demon? Why is it any different from me?"

"Rui... your relationship... your family is based off of fear, not love or affection," she shook her head whilst squeezing her free hand into a fist, digging her claws into her palms hard enough to draw blood. "My relationship with Kenji-san was based on those qualities. We chose to be with each other. We chose to be siblings. I... chose to be with you because like you said, I could have run off. But I didn't. And your demon family which you killed... they had no choice in the matter, either."

"They're already dead," he stated plainly. "It doesn't matter if they had a choice or not."

"Doesn't it?" (Y/N) murmured softly. "Why did they deserve death? Just because you no longer wanted them... doesn't mean you should have discarded of them so carelessly."

"Then what do you suggest I should've done? They had no purpose, so what was wrong with how I disposed of them?"

"Everything, Rui," she uttered. "Everything."

The two stared at each other for quite some time as (Y/N)'s words settled between them, a type of thread that defined their relationship tightening to the point it could snap. However, before anything else could be said and done, both immediately snapped their heads in the same direction after hearing the same thing: two pair of footsteps approaching them, and another three pairs coming from the opposite direction. The different types of footsteps were separated, but they carried the sounds of Demon Slayers.

(Y/N)'s eyes widened at the fact as her breath hitched, already conscious of who it was.

Why did he return?

After everything... why did he come back?

Biting her lip as her anxiety levels rose, she glanced at Rui and met his gaze, he too already knowing who it was. He didn't say anything, merely stared at her with that hard gaze of his.

"I told you," he then whispered, lowering his eyes. "I told you that he'd come back. They always do."

꧁꧂

【 大正の秘密 | 𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐇Ō 𝐄𝐑𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 】

► Rui loves (Y/N) stroking his hair

► The bowls on Rui's table were empty because demons cannot consume human food or drink considering they just throw it back up

► (Y/N) truly does feel affection for Rui, but it mostly stems from pity due to the fact that she wants love from a family just as much as he does

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