Their Tale [Kimetsu No Yaiba Oneshots]

Take Roundabout

It's late morning when a knock sounds at the door and Shinobu answers it blearily. She's been studying since 4AM, and it takes her a minute to get her bearings.

"Oh, you're...Tomioka-san, aren't you? Makomo's friend?" she says, after she stares at the man at the door for a moment.

He nods. There's a paper in his hand, and he looks a little bit troubled.

"Is Makomo in?" he asks, and belatedly, Shinobu steps aside to let him into their common room.

"Ah, my apologies. Yes, come in, I'll get her."

He stands stiffly in front of the sofa while she knocks on the door of her suitemate, who comes out after an extended moment. Shinobu goes about her business, going to the fridge for some water, only to find out that their filter is empty. She holds the pitcher under the sink, trying not to make too much noise as her suitemate and her friend converse.

"Hmmmm? What's the matter, Giyu?" Makomo says, and Giyu holds up the piece of paper.

"Sabito's sick. Very sick. He says he needs these things by tonight. Told me to ask you for help."

"Ahhh," Makomo says. "Yes, you're not very good at...navigating the town, are you?"

Giyuu tenses.

"That's not true," he says.

"Mmmm. Yeah. The last time you went out by yourself, you got arrested due to a misunderstanding that you didn't explain your way out of. We aren't going to go through that again." Makomo scratches her head, looking troubled herself now. "The problem is...I have a seminar I'm hosting with my professor in about an hour, so I can't really be going out."

Giyuu shrugs.

"Then it can't be helped. I'll go by myself."

"Absolutely not. Sabito sent you here because he knows you can't. Hmm. Shinobu, will you do me a favor?"

Makomo turns, startling the other girl out of her dazed state. Shinobu hastily shuts off the water, setting aside the pitcher to filter.

"Can you go with Giyu to pick up some things? I know you've been studying for a while-you're due for a break. Giyu'll buy you lunch," Makomo says, and Shinobu glances at the man, who raises an eyebrow but doesn't protest. "Please? He's really bad at communicating and has some awful luck whenever he's out in town, and Sabito's requests can be a little unusual sometimes."

Shinobu is silent for a moment, then works the cricks out of her neck.

"Okay," she says. "I could use some air."

"Thank you!" Makomo exclaims. "Have some fun, if you can. The both of you are always buried in your studies. Shinobu, Giyu's not the best conversationalist, but he's not a bad person. Go easy on him. Giyu...make an effort to get along, alright?"

The two people in question look at each other, then look back to Makomo, who merely smiles and waves them off.

"...Shall we go, then? I still have sixteen pages of reading to do by tonight," Shinobu says, already halfway out the door, and Giyu nods before following her out.

.

It's afternoon by the time they step off the bus into town. Apparently, one thing on this mysterious list of Sabito's is bread from a particular café, so Giyu leads her to the café in question for lunch, as well.

"You don't actually have to buy me lunch," she says, looking around inside the café. It's a very cute place, very rustic and charming.

"You look tired," is all Giyu says, and a waitress leads them to a booth by the window.