Zenitsu has been living the most boring life that he could ever imagine, study, complete test, study, and complete test. Really, it was a never-ending cycle that Zenitsu wanted to escape desperately... But his mother somehow always managed to find him and drag him back into it.
It's better for you... It will help you in the future... They were the words she kept repeating over and over like a broken record.
It's been so long, that he doesn't even remember when she first started to say those nauseating words.
He doesn't have much friends, Inosuke was the only one to try and bother him... But honestly, he doesn't really know why Inosuke is talking to him. Zenitsu was never a very brave person, nor was he very friendly.
He would sometimes just ignore people who try to interact with him.
But-- That didn't stop his bullies, and neither did it stop Inosuke himself. He was picked on during the start of middle school, this only lowered what little self-esteem that he owned.
He'd always put his studies in front of anything and everything, and luckily, he'd always leave with amazing grades. Although, he was never a competition to him.
Tanjiro.
Zenitsu was talking about Tanjiro.
He, was an amazing person, smart, athletic, and his kindness always attract everyone. From pretty girls to weird people. Really, Tanjiro is one to attract many others... but Zenitsu steers clear from him.
Well, no, it's not that he hates him or anything, it's just... If he gets too close, he might find himself attached to him. Being so alone, he could easily to start relying on one, and they'll just leave in the end--
Because they won't be able to stand his attitude.
It's just-- no, he doesn't want Tanjiro, to hate him as well. Zenitsu could sense Tanjiro's pitiful, lingering gaze on him at times, since it wasn't something you can forget easily.
Zenitsu could start crying and sobbing in the middle of a conversation because of the sudden paranoid thoughts that hides in the back of his head. You could start talking to him about something totally innocent, like those little ponies, and he'll start crying for no reason at all.
He-- doesn't really know why he's so fragile.
Just at the simplest touch, he could break.
He's been like that ever since when he was 8. Ever since he moved to an elementary school near his home, he has been crying at the simplest things.
Well, that's when he thought he became so fragile.
And for that reason alone, he was picked on during middle school. Funny, seeing him now, you'd probably over look him and see him as one of many foolish boys at school. This was probably why he turned out to be such a loner.
He's sitting at a table in the library in his school, tapping his pencil against the table as he tries to cram the facts into his damn brain. From far away, he could already hear Inosuke barging his way into classrooms... Probably looking for the library just to find him.
Just as expected, the library door slammed opened with the barbarian laughing, crazy as hell. Zenitsu gave Inosuke a half-lidded stare, oh no, he was not amused.
Who would be? When you were associated with Inosuke?
This brought attention to him, and he did not want that. "Senitsu! Senitsu!" Inosuke slammed his hand onto the desk, gasping and wheezing. From what Zenitsu could hear, his heart was racing loudly in his chest...
From adrenaline, most likely.
He perhaps had been running, or playing a sport, or maybe, fighting someone?
He'd never gotten rid of his old habits, shouting at people to fight him was one of the few things people remembered Inosuke for, and the oh so famous title stuck to him like glue.
Beast.
Inosuke was called a beast, not creative, but for some really odd reason, he actually liked it.
"Were... you fighting?" Zenitsu asks, staring into Inosuke's widened eyes. Yep, he was probably fighting someone. If there was a time that he would look so out of breath, so alive, was when he fought.
And-- it seems like he fought someone good.
"Kenjiro! I fought Kenjiro!" He shouts, and wheezing almost out of happiness. "I fought Kenjiro! It was so fun! It made me feel so amazing!"
He didn't stop the shouting. It's like he drank liters of energy drinks or something.
Zenitsu covers his ears, "I heard you the first time." He eyed Inosuke, he was covered in sweat and his hair was messy. And-- was that dirt on his clothes? "Take a shower or something, Inosuke. You reek of sweat." Zenitsu comments.
But, Inosuke wouldn't stop rambling on and on about Tanjiro. "He was absolutely amazing, he managed to get a grip on me and wrestle me down like it was nothing!" Tanjiro never fought, and he was normally a friendly student...
Judging from what he heard from other students.
So, Inosuke must have did something to make him angry. "What did you do? You know that Tanjiro would never try to pick a fight... what did you do to make him fight you?"
"I punched his friend, square in the damn face!" Oh god, he was damn proud of it too.
Zenitsu remains silent, and turns back to his work. Inosuke only went on and kept rambling about Tanjiro, how good he was at fighting, and-- how incredibly amazing he was. It was so much that Zenitsu regretted coming to the library to study...
Oh, he might as well stay home.
The night was a bit chilly in the middle of summer, but it was an amazing feel. The starry night was an amazing sight to see, but Zenitsu stayed glued to his phone.
He was just finished his dreaded night class, and about to head onto his usual bus and go home. Maybe do one last review for the night and go to sleep early... And then wake up early tomorrow?
He sighs a breath, and shuts off his phone.
Practically no one else was on the streets, aside from him alone.
Maybe, he should come home earlier from now on, petty robberies were a common thing around here. He shivers, he does not want to be caught up on some stupid crime, it would only serve to waste his time.
The lights around here were dim, sometimes flickering, and the more Zenitsu thought about it, the more paranoid he got. And... from what he heard from gossips... Wasn't there a murder that happened here a bit ago?
He sat down onto the bench uneasily.
He pulled his zipper a bit higher in an attempt to conceal himself. Deciding to distract himself, he pulled out his phone again, and set in some ear buds to silence everything out.
He would play the rushing waves of an ocean... or the faint rain that drips onto the roof, creating a soft rhythm... Sometimes, lullabies would also be something he listened to during his day studying.
They all seemed to always calm him down.
As he was caught up in his own little world, a disgusting, and foul smell suddenly filled the air. He tried not to puke, and pinched at his nose. He glanced around, looking for the source of the horrible stink.
He blinks, as his eyes searched for a body, broken trash bag... or something that explained the smell. He pulled out his ear buds to get a better focus, but all he heard was the abnormal thumping of what he could only assume was the heartbeat of something.
He's never heard this noise before.
It was behind him.
He turned around to see a large figure walking its way to him... Him. Straight towards Zenitsu! It... was too large to be a human, well, a normal human anyways.
And... Zenitsu swears-- he could hear the deep mumble coming from it, but didn't see his mouth moving...
A ghost, perhaps? Could it be... the ghost of the person that was killed... a while ago?
Whatever it is, Zenitsu knows that he needs to run-- that he needed to get away from here as soon as possible... But-- he couldn't get his fucking legs to goddamn move! He could feel the sudden rush of dread burning in his chest, as he stared at the ghost.
It got closer, and closer-- and closer. Zenitsu stared unblinkingly in fear, as sweat trickled down his face.
As it came closer... Zenitsu could see the eyes were staring right at him.
Fucking move!Zenitsu cursed in his mind, but he only managed to stagger a weak stumble. His eyes stayed glued to the ghost, as he fell to the ground. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Get your shit together!
"L-leave me al-alone!" Zenitsu shouted out, and once he got sentence out, he finally got a grip on reality. He pushed himself up onto his jelly legs, and grabbed his backpack. The ghost was coming slowly, so-- if Zenitsu were to run full speed, then-- he should make it!
He should be able to outrun the ghost!
He breaks eye contact with the ghost, and makes a dash for it... Well-- that was until he stopped dead in his tracks... When he turned around, he met eye to eye with the same ghost just meters away from him.
Crap!It was the only thing Zenitsu could think.
There was-- two identical ghosts?
He turned around again, and saw the same ghost standing still, right in front of him. The cold, hatred filled eyes was enough to make anyone's heart drop down to their stomach and fall to their knees.
Especially Zenitsu, who was born cowardly.
Just then, the long-awaited bus rolled around, as it slowly halted to a stop. Zenitsu stared in both dread and happiness, he didn't want two people to die here-- but yet, he saw the hope that he'll make it out of here alive.
The doors pushed open automatically, and the driver blinked at Zenitsu, on the floor, on the brink of tears.
"What are you doing on the floor, kid?" The driver asks, blinking at Zenitsu with a confused expression. He didn't seem to notice the ghost, "Get up, you're going to make your clothes dirty."
Zenitsu instantly crawls his way up, "A ghost! There's a ghost here! We need to go!" He was just about to step onto the bus, when the ghost suddenly appeared right beside the driver, and gruesomely sent a slice at his neck with its long and sharp nails.
The driver only stared in shock as the color instantly drained from his face.
"N-no!" He once again, fell onto the floor in shock. His eyes widened, as he tried to crawl away in a hopeless attempt to escape. "No... No... Wait--" He tried to deny that this was happening right in front of him, how could a ghost do something like this?
How is the ghost able to physically kill someone?
"Resistance is futile, kid. There's no way you'd be able to escape me."
Zenitsu froze altogether, and he was about to faint from fear. The ghost stepped out from the bus, and smeared the blood on his hand onto his stomach, as if it was trying to clean its hands.
Damn it, damn it, damn it... What the hell is going on. Why is he dying here...? Why is he about to die here just like all the other people? What did he do to deserve this?
Zenitsu couldn't think about anything else, it was all just a jumbled mess inside his head. Regrets, pleas, and thoughts all roamed the little space he had in there. If he knew that he was going to die this young, he would have ditched school, ditched night class--
And lived the damn time of his life!
Sadly, that was all too late. Zenitsu's vision blurred, he was losing a grip on reality out of fear.
But-- "Zenitsu, don't be scared, I'm here."
A soft, and calming voice filled Zenitsu's ears. It gave him the hope and energy to try and drag himself back up.
Those words-- th-- they brought Zenitsu back to consciousness. "I-- am so sorry, I am a bit late, Zenitsu." A person softly landed onto the glass roof of the bus stop. "I am so sorry." They apologized again.
Both the demon and Zenitsu looked up at the person.
The ghost was caught off guard, and it stumbled backwards, its eyes widening in shock. "This-- this aura..." He abruptly points at the person, "You're a Demon Slayer, aren't you?!" Zenitsu could hear the irregular heart beat pick up pace.
The person huffed a chuckle, and jumped off from the roof, in between Zenitsu and the ghost. "How did you know?" It was obviously a question to tempt the ghost. Zenitsu didn't get a glance of their face, and he could only see the black hooded silhouette...
But his voice... They sound a bit too familiar.
"Damn it! Damn it!" The ghost made a run for it, as the person followed in hot pursuit. "There shouldn't be any more Demon Slayers!" The person easily caught up to the ghost, but it was all too blurry for Zenitsu to follow.
It didn't make it better that he was on the verge of fainting.
"First Form: Water Surface Slash!" Before Zenitsu could comprehend what just happened, the person landed onto their feet, and smoothly tucked their sword into its case. The ghost, however, its head was cut off in what seemed like a single slash and it rolled down onto the floor.
Everything happened so fast, Zenitsu's voice was caught up in his throat.
The person turned towards him, and it was only then, that he caught the glimpse of the terribly crafted Fox Mask. "Are you okay?" Zenitsu gasped for breath, and tried his hardest to blink the tears away. Under the hood, the red hair was visible...
As well as the familiar hanafuda earrings. But it was all too blurry.
It was so sudden and weird that Zenitsu's mind blanks, he just sits on the floor, blankly staring up at his savior. The person sighed, and kneeled down in front of Zenitsu. "You must have been so scared... I am so sorry."
His voice was so soft.
The person turns, and stares at dead driver. It was as if Zenitsu could hear the person's inner thoughts, Zenitsu could somewhat sense the sorrow that has built up inside of him.
But then the person turns around again, and holds Zenitsu's hands. To comfort him, possibly? "Are you okay?"
His voice was so lulling, so sad, it made Zenitsu feel the tears that he hid emerge. Zenitsu started to cry, unable to stop the tears, he tried to hide his face from the person. His savior.
He doesn't really remember anything after that.
The next time he came to his senses, he was in bed. He was at home.