Their Tale [Kimetsu No Yaiba Oneshots]

Without realizing, here we are

Giyuu wondered why Oyakata-sama often paired him with Kochou during missions.

Not that he hated her or anything, but Kochou could be... overwhelming to deal with. Giyuu's well-aware that conversation was not his forte-that's why he hated doing that in the first place-but Kochou seemed to ignore that completely, constantly seeking to engage in a two-way communication with him. And she's quick to hold his arm to prevent them from being separated, leaving him no choice but to listen to her. During their early missions she kept mocking him: his face that always looked as bitter as a beverage called coffee she once drank with Kanroji, the fact he was hated by animals, or his appalling social skills that would put a goat to shame. Although it irked him, it was easier to handle; he just needed to completely ignore her, letting her words flow from his right ear to his left one. However, the more time they spent together, she started to talk less about him and more about other things: the moon, the stars, the birds, even the wind-things Giyuu didn't know that could serve as a conversation topic, and he felt bad for ignoring her. But her chatter was always random, and he simply didn't know how to respond. Even though he's listening, guilt still gnawed him for not reciprocating her conversation.

So one day when they're waiting for the train to depart to their destination for an investigation mission, he asked her.

"Kochou," he cut her amidst her sentence. She looked positively taken aback, probably didn't expect him to talk at all. "Do you ever stop talking?"

... Okay. That sounded bad after it left his mouth.

His companion was smiling, but it's the kind of smile that didn't tell the feelings of the person. "You hate it when I talk that badly?" she asked back, and he swore he could hear a tinge of sadness in her voice. Shit, now he felt twice as bad.

Giyuu was contemplating whether he should just glue his mouth shut to dismiss the conversation completely but let the misunderstanding go on, or explain to her although he's very, very bad with words, but potentially resolving this matter once and for all.

"I just... don't know how to respond, when you talk to me," he confessed, choosing the latter option.

Her violet eyes widened at his words. Why was she always surprised when he's talking?

Then, she snorted.

The snort soon turned into one long giggle, her shoulders shaking as she covered her mouth with her hand. Why was she laughing? He's positive he didn't say anything funny.

Offended, Giyuu turned his head away from her, looking out of the window and distracting himself with the dark scenery outside.

"I'm sorry, Tomioka-san," she wheezed, making attempt to stop laughing as she sensed his upset. "I wasn't laughing at you! I was just... hee-hee! You're worrying about the strangest thing."

He still refused to look at her.

"I don't do it because I want you to respond! I just like to talk, that's all." Her finger's poking him now to get his attention back. "Of course it would be nice if you answer to me, but don't feel pressured to do so. It's fine; I know you hate talking."

Having listened to her explanation, Giyuu felt his irritation dissipating, and he's finally willing to turn his head and look at her. She giggled again once their eyes met, but he knew she was telling the truth, so he didn't mind her laugh.

---

It became easier after that conversation. Maybe because he stopped feeling obligated to give her a reply, he started to enjoy her constant chirping beside him. And it made him become more aware of their surroundings, too. The wind indicated that rain was going to fall soon. The bright moon with no clouds obscuring its beauty suggested a clear sky for a whole week. The bustling of people reminded him they needed to work harder to exterminate demons, to ensure peace and happiness of everyone. It's not something he would admit openly, but it's all thanks to Kochou he noticed all these things.