Breakable Heaven || Sanemi Shinazugawa x Female Reader

Chapter Six: Regret

I woke up at the crack of dawn, only to shiver at the absence of Sanemi's warmth against my back. I slowly shifted to look around the room and realized that he was nowhere in sight. Probably off to do his morning training, though I wondered where since we were in a partially residential area, where it would be alarming to see someone with a nichirin sword.

My eyes were automatically drawn to my own sword, and saw that Sanemi's was still right where he left it.

I sat up suddenly, my yukata almost sliding off from my shoulders in my haste. I rushed to the bathroom to find it empty, but I found that the door to our room was unlocked. Despite the cold, I stepped out of our room to look for him, almost sprinting down the corridor. Good thing it was empty.

I rounded a corner and bumped hard into someone, and I would've fallen if the person didn't hold me by the shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing, [Y/N]?" Sanemi asked in his usual monotone, looking annoyed, and then I noticed that his hair was wet.

A walk after a bath? But he was still wearing his yukata, so he must've been somewhere inside the inn.

I searched his face for any sign of injury, just to be sure, before asking the first question that popped into my mind, "Where have you been?"

Sanemi smirked at me as he leaned closer and teased, "Could it be that my wife is worried about me?"

I felt my cheeks redden gradually, and it was no use lying. So I answered him head-on, "Of course, I was. What kind of wife would I be if I let something happen to you?"

Somehow, playing the role of his wife felt natural, probably because I had been treating him like this when we were still together.

Sanemi looked taken aback, and he averted his gaze from me before saying, "I tried their hot spring, which is why my hair is wet."

I was about to scold him for leaving without saying anything, but I saw the innkeeper pass by, which is why I said instead, "Ah, my husband, do tell me when you're going anywhere. I was worried sick about you."

"What the fuck are you say-" Sanemi started when he followed my gaze and saw that the innkeeper was observing us with a soft smile, and he continued with a forced smile, "Yes, of course, my wife."

Nevermind that it sounded so painfully forced.

I felt victorious until he continued, "I meant to say, just what are you thinking? Going out of our room with nothing but a flimsy yukata covering you? You're the one who might catch a cold."

It was my turn to gape at him. He looked so pleased with himself that I was unable to answer, as my cheeks turned positively red.

The innkeeper passed by us as she said, "Young ones today, so romantic."

Now, even Sanemi was blushing.

"I didn't even need to say anything," I chuckled as I composed myself, glancing up at Sanemi.

He was still blushing - or maybe he was so furious that his face had gone red? With him, I could never tell which is which.

_

At around four in the afternoon, I was able to convince Sanemi to take a walk around the town, and maybe discreetly ask a few residents about the missing people. The innkeeper provided us with an umbrella, saying that "your husband wouldn't want you to get sunburned." Sanemi merely scoffed at the innkeeper but accepted the umbrella nonetheless.

"You hold it," Sanemi told me as he handed me the umbrella the moment we stepped out of the inn.

"Okay, okay. Calm down already. The umbrella isn't that much needed though since it's already late in the afternoon," I answered him as I opened it anyway to let it be of some use.