“We’re having lunch with him?”
Inosuke scowled at the boy sitting across him.
“Yes, and I expect you to be polite,” Tanjiro scolded, lightly nudging him in the arm.
Zenitsu just sort of shrank down in his seat. He was starting to regret accepting this offer.
Tanjiro sat between the two, a small smile on his face. He glanced at Inosuke expectantly.
Inosuke groaned, plopping his elbow down on the table. “How was your day,” he grunted.
Zenitsu blinked in surprise. “Huh? Oh, uh, it was okay. Yours…?”
Inosuke glanced at Tanjiro, who simply offered an encouraging smile.
“… it was pretty awful, thanks for asking.”
Tanjiro frowned. “Hey, come on. Why’d you say that?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“Would it kill you to be a little friendlier?”
“Yes.”
Zenitsu glanced at Tanjiro with a small frown. “I think I should be going now.”
“Eh?” Tanjiro frowned. “Why?”
“He clearly doesn’t want me here.”
Tanjiro wasn’t happy, but he couldn’t blame Zenitsu for wanting to leave. He made no move to stop him, instead drooping down in his seat and crossing his arms.
Zenitsu was hesitant. And then, after a moment, he said,
“Why don’t we all go somewhere together?”
“… eh?” Both males looked up in surprise.
Zenitsu shifted a bit. “I mean, I feel that’d be the best way to become friends… so…”
Tanjiro lit up, smiling brightly. Zenitsu looked away.
“Really? That sounds like a great idea! What do you have in mind?”
Zenitsu shrugged. “Uhm, the arcade?”
Tanjiro looked over at Inosuke. “That sounds fun, doesn’t it?”
“No.”
“Aww, come on!”
Inosuke turned his head away. “Nope.”
Tanjiro huffed, before standing. He went over to Zenitsu’s side and, much to the blonde’s surprise, draped an arm arpund his shoulder.
“Well, that means Zenitsu and I will have to go ourselves,” he stated stubbornly.
Zenitsu turned red. Inosuke scowled.
While Zenitsu didn’t mind that idea one bit, Inosuke did. He stood, snorting.
“Like I’d let my partner be seen with a wimp like him. Let’s get going.”
Tanjiro beamed, while Zenitsu had to try his best not to seem disappointed.
The arcade was an…interesting experience.
For one thing, Inosuke absolutely sucked at playing video games. The only time he won was when he played against Tanjiro, who always let him.
Zenitsu showed him no such mercy.
He,to put it simply, absolutely demolished Inosuke in every way possible. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that, assuming he had declined Tanjiro’s offer, they would be here together. Alone. Y’know, sort of like a date.
But, no, he went ahead and decided to come and had the nerve to suck at video games on top of it all. The audacity.
“Er… Zenitsu…”
Zenitsu turned to face Tanjiro. “Hmm?”
Currently, he and Inosuke were facing off in a simple one on one fighting game. Inosuke was losing horribly, of course, despite the fact that Zenitsu wasn’t even looking at the screen.
He was so mad, he looked ready to break it in two.
“You’re very good at videogames,” Tanjiro commented with a nervous smile. Zenitsu smiled, his fingers moving on the buttons rapidly.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Right… but do you think you could… go just a little easie—“
“Huh?!”
Inosuke whipped around to yell at Tanjiro. “You want him to go easy on me?!”
Tanjiro squeaked. “Uhh…”
“What do I look like? A wimp? A loser? I happily accept the challenge, because I’m going to win!!”
“No, you’re not,” Zenitsu said matter-of-factly.
Inosuke turned back to the screen just in time to see the words, ‘PLAYER TWO: WIN!’ flashing boldly on the screen.
“Let’s play another game!!”
“We’ve played all of them,” Tanjiro pointed out.
“And we’re all out of money,” Zenitsu continued.
Inosuke deflated, before looking over at Zenitsu.
The blonde shut his eyes, fully expecting a punch or something.
“You’re… good,” Inosuke admitted begrudgingly.
Zenitsu opened his eyes. “Eh?”
“I said you’re good!” Inosuke huffed, clearly not happy to be admitting that. “For a wimp, anyway.”
Zenitsu blinked as a hand was offered to him. He reached out and hesitantly shook it, while Tanjiro grinned from ear to ear.
Oh, boy, Zenitsu thought. What have I gotten myself into?
YOU ARE READING
FLOW {inotan}
Fanfiction(×modern au) inosuke has always despised tanjiro, ever since the day he had been embarrassed by the latter in the worst way possible. over time, this dislike only grew stronger as he witnessed tanjiro achieve things he could only dream of. and now...
