ACT 11

Mitsuri breathed in and let out"Rengoku-senpai!" running and waving to Kyojuro who was obsessing in practicing the wooden sword. He snapped his eyes to her for a second before nodding and turning back on his business.

"Oh hi there, Kanroji-kun my student" He greeted her as usual, swung the sword with a unique dance that was strong and amazed every slayer and so did her as she mesmerized each of his movements which would draw his golden hair move beautifully.

"Have you been well, senpai?" A doubt and concern were written all over her face.

"Very well, Kanroji-kun! My heart is burning with passion today!" That's all she got. It a little disappointed her in a sense of intimacy, as it used to be much more.

Mitsuri forced a casual laugh. When it came to freetime, her mentor would invest into practising to his heart's content, not a light training but intensed long-hour one. She felt like something's missing because they rarely talked to each other after she had lots of missions, and it felt odd and distant for her so she needed to start rekindling with him.

"Ano..I don't know if it's the right time or not but I made you Takoyaki, I think you might feel hungry after training" She uttered decisively when he's going to angle the sword to slash down - he halted in that milli-second. It worked and it earned her a smile, full of hope back to her immediately.

"Hah?" Kyojuro turned to look at her with a change in his line of expression. His focus shivered into a relaxed one and moved to Takoyakis "Wow it's for me?"

"Takoyaki, I mean several Takoyakis for you, Rengoku-senpai. We rarely have time together lately so I want to make something for you. I hope you like it" Kyojuro lowered his hand, looked at her plate with Takoyaki as she held up, proudly presenting to him as an attempt to let him see. Her lip drew up in hope.

"Awesome! Kanroji-kun, It looks really tasty. Can I try it? Oh great you're so kind. you know me very well I will be hungry after training...Oh" He approached her enthusiastically, eating his first bite "um! Tasty! Tasty! Eating after training is the best, isn't it Kanroji-kun? I like your cooking skill, each Takoyaki is perfect and delicious"

"You can have it all, Rengoku-senpai" Mitsuri giggled, it all clicked because this was a part of her plan today, trying to make him something in order to rekindle with her mentor and had a short conversation together. And it worked!

Mitsuri hummed a rhyme cheerfully. Her plan didn't end here and the reason was she cared for every fellow Pillars who have been so dear to her. Another target, he should be in the training ground behind his estate. Not hard to find him as they always exchanged a letter.

A stern voice was like an arrow to point out each flaw from each slayer. Obanai sat in front of a terrace, lectuaring to every slayer with a stern expression. Mitsuri heard it and sneaked behind the tree, and felt very lucky that he's busy with the other slayers till he may not notice her being.

She had nothing on her hand unlike Kyojuro because he had no particular food in his preference. But his existence made her feel comfortable around.

What's he feeling? I want to know it, this was her intention. As recalled, she knew she got closer to him more and more but it seemed like he could read all her emotions, expressions, what's on her mind and what's she like because it would be good for her rekindling attempt. but would it work? because that's Iguro-san, he rarely showed off his emotion at all.

"Isn't he moody?" She shook her head again in a bit of frustration "no he must be acting tough in order to put pressure on them..Oh come on, I cannot guess his feelings at all. what kind of fellow hashira I am." she whined and moved to hide behind the tree and it earned a cracking sound when she stepped on the dried branch and it drew a silence all over the place immediately.

Mitsuri shut his eyes and screamed internally. What reckless I am! If he saw me, he would tell me to get away

"Who's it?" His voice directed, authoritative. She jumped slightly from a shock as he never used this tone with her before.

"Hey! show yourself before I manage to get you head out of the tree" his voice was growing in irritation. Before making him even more angry, Mitsuri decided to jump out and wave fidgetly to him "Hi, hi Iguro-san it's me. Sorry to get in your session" she's afraid she would make him more angry and it's not what she planned today. She didn't want to make him feel bad or negative.

Her appearance with a shy expression sent an impact on Snake Pillar. "Kanroji?" Obanai gulped heavily as the girl walked out with an awkward face to him. He felt surprised to see her here. He hurried to reach her, walking past many slayers.

"Kanroji, what're you doing here? I don't know it was you. Sorry to say that. I didn't mean it to you" Obanai stuttered to her very obedient and it aroused curious eyes and ears from other slayers.

"It's actually my fault, not yours" Mitsuri scratched her head "I'm sorry, Iguro-san I don't mean to bother you, I just want to pay a visit to you but I saw you're too busy right now..so" Mitsuri bowed her head slightly and stepped back from him. He knew she's going to walk away and it stabbed him in his heart. They hardly met each other for almost a week, only a pen friend was not enough to fill her existence up in his scale realistically.

"It's okay, you don't bother me at all, you don't have to say sorry. I mean you can stay here if you want to" there's no way he would refuse her, he knew it and he, in turn, felt sad to ask her with that firm and authoritative tone like that.

"Really?" Mitsuri's tone suddenly change and so did her mood. "You sure?, I don't bother you if I stay here with you?" She also could sense what he said was from his heart and sincerity. Obanai felt glad to see her face lit up again in radiation after he granted her a permission, she sure is beautiful today, he concluded in his head as he observed her feature closely.

"It's totally fine, Kanroji" He confirmed and felt relieved. "As you see, I have a session so you wanna join or you can wait for me to finish. It will not take much time"

"Well, I think I'm gonna spend time watching your session! so then Iguro-san sorry to interrupt your session and all of you guys'' She said to everyone and paused "I will wait until you're done, Iguro-san because I'm coming here to see you. "We hardly spend time together lately, aren't we? She said with a wink and pointed her finger to him in a playful way.

"Hah? Err yeah, we are and we will! S-so welcome Kanroji" He almost was speechless as usual when his girl showed her honest feelings toward him "Well, I suppose it settles down this way so you may sit here" Mitsuri made her way to the terrace. Obanai sigh in and out heavily because she's a fresh air for him today, which was a huge change in his expression however strangely she cannot notice it at all.

Mitsuri rocked her feet and waved to him. "Fighting, Iguro-san I will cheer you from here" Fisting her hand up.

She's totally and destructively cute to him with that pose. Obanai nodded and turned away from her, even if his face almost exploded from heat. Gladly, she definitely could not notice.

Out of nowhere "Aren't he confused about me?" Obanai's feet halted suddenly as he heard her talking alone but clear and loud in his ears. He felt pressured due to the unpredictable and clueless what she meant or who she's talking about.

"But he looks really fine when I'm here..so I'm overthinking, he must be positive to let me join the session" now he knew she's talking about him.

During the rest of the session, It's like she was talking to herself about her random thoughts and he heard all of it.

"He is having a hard time comprehending things?" Obanai's jolted, she said it again as if she thought he would not hear it. Obanai tried to shake what she said out to not bother his mind "Or don't he? Hah? it's complicated, Iguro-san's so complicated" Urgh… he's not comfortable to have a watchful version of her here.

"Oh that! Hmm Iguro-san must feel happy about something.. maybe he's happy from practicing the sword like Rengoku-senpai!..um it makes sense! alright, what's next one" He didn't know what she deliberately did now but he's sure she kept staring at him more and more.

And then "Iguro-san looks pissed off when someone fails, he sure is so is he gonna scold them? or he's not! he's so kind and gentle!" Mitsuri still bore her eyes to him from a veranda attentively and openly. Obanai slowly felt edgy and unsure at this point. He had high temperance but facing this was not on his game.

She's not withdrawing "Oh! His look changes! Now he's moody for sure oop..so I have to lower my voice" Obanai just complained to one slayer who failed using the waist to bend the sword and she still caught his moment from a distance. Obanai groaned.

Again "Now Iguro-san is hungry? No it seemed like he's tired and want to take a break. I think he must be shy about something and what's that?" Obanai turned to her and it seemed Mitsuri knew he's coming to her. That's it, he let them practice and he returned back to where she sat. Mitsuri raised her eyes to him in anticipation of something happening but she looked happy though.

"Kanroji, what's you trying up to" Obanai asked her. But she however stared at his face.

"You're feeling..nervous or worried? I'm not sure this time" Obanai also looked back at her as he wanted to challenge her back. He's deadly awkward by her doing and his heart pounded furious though his facade showed nothing. He wanted to snatch her body and held in his embrace, in order to let her feel how hard his drumming heart was.

He gave no answer. Mitsuri puffed her cheeks in a surrender sign.

"Well, I'm trying to guess what you're feeling and now you're awkward? Or you're pissed at me? I try to come up with several theories but I don't know if it's true or not" Mitsuri innocently showed her card and it stung to his head and got the answer why she's acting strange this time. He scratched his head in disbelief.

"You did that, just to guess what I'm thinking? ...so You're passed, Kanroji" Obanai said what she wanted to hear, without giving her the real answer. At some point, he wanted to tease her back.

"You can ask me next time, it's strange when you're doing this to me" He mumbled and looked around hesitantly to check if somebody was watching over them, making sure before poking her puffed cheek as if to punish her, she giggled back and it's a good sign. Mitsuri gave in, pretended to cry in pain and then laughed together.

"Aww it will not be fun like this, right?" Mitsuri clasped her hand with happy expression "I think it's pretty fun to guess your feelings because I hardly guess yours, you always look calm and collected and we have know each other quite a time but I wanna know you more so than I can do anything to please you, I want to get closer to you more and more" Obanai felt like going to holy at her innocent admittance. This is why he always put her in a valuable position.

"I said you're passed and..do something else next time,please" Obanai answered and let her jump around happily. What's more, Mitsuri also jumped and slipped her hand into his hand, rocking his hand in rhyme. He absolutely flinched when her body envelopes him.

"Yippy! I'm glad I got to know you more and more" Obanai hummed to her in a response as his face were tinted in solf pink.

"Never do something like this again"

"I am.. I'm not guaranteed unless I wanted to surprise you" Obanai groaned at the fact that he wanted to act freely like her and saw what's her reaction to him in return.

"Come on, Kanroji" you're gonna give me a hard time.

After she spent a quantity of time with Snake Pillar in the afternoon with tea and snacks, she asked for her leave as she didn't want to bother with his session anymore. They departed from each other. Obanai sent her in front of his estate, waving to each other before he got back to the dojo, the sound of wooden swords woke him back to his real sense again. Nonetheless, he never denied having her accompany him in training also gave a special feeling to him.

He found out he could smile more easily when thinking about her. Up to the moment, a group of female slayers from butterfly estate delivered the First Aid supply to them. He heard them saying "what are they doing together? Shinazugawa-san and Kanroji-san? Don't tell me they're up to something"

Wait.. what?

He hoped she'd not fall for this ruthless, salvage and badass guy like Wind Pillar but another thought kicked in. Her cheeks usually painted pink when she's around that man. Oh no..

Back at the Love Pillar estate where the cooking and ingredient smell were over the place. "It's all done and it looks really good!" Mitsuri speculated what she cooked one more time before placing it on the plate before going out, humming in a rhyme.

Mitsuri went out from her estate, her face showed how content she was today as the plan went well. Another thing still bothered her mind because there's one person within the Pillars that she felt distant to him very much. She felt like she could get along with Stone Pillar easier than him. She was careful to not drop the newly made circle-shaped dessert. It's called Ohagi and it has been one of the favorite sweet to one of Pillar as she's heard from Giyuu.

Mitsuri tracked him down to the dojo of Wind Pillar. She spotted him alone in front of the dummy, slashing it furiously like hurrican in person "Shinazugawa-san hello! Shinazugawa-san!" Mitsuri waved to greet the owner cheerfully.

The vain throbbed "What the fick?" Sanemi wiped his sweat from self training, looked at her in moody "what's it? Kanroji, I don't have much time, say it" he wheezed back.

"Tada! Guess what I made you. It's Ohagi!" She proudly took it out behind her back and showed it to him. Sanemi bit his lip into a snarl, his brows furrowed into a disapproval.

"Keep your voice down, noisy! If you come just this sweet, get out. I have plenty of things to do more that this bit!" He said in a dismay tone, though it's enough to scare her away by his macho way. Mitsuri knew he would refuse and utter something like this.

"Please, I put my effort into doing this for you, I want you to accept it" Mitsuri stood a firm ground "Tomioka-san said he used to see you secretly eat Ohagi so I made you the most delicious one!" The more she talked, the more he gulped but the anger's boiling instead. His face twisted, several veins popping around his face vividly.

"Said what? That jerk ass told you so? Goddamn it! Stay out oy my personal life, woman!"

"Please! Take it please! I want to be friends with all of Pillar! Please Shinazugawa-san. I feel like you're so distant to me and we rarely talk to each other" For men, talking was when a necessary and right time but for her, it's against Mitsuri's rule governing a good relationship

"Tsk, I said go away! Don't you hear it? Or you don't understand my words?"

"Please take my Ohagi and I will go" she pleaded and pleaded till he twisted his face in annoyance.

"Then put it down and get yourself over her

and What are you smiling at?" Sanemi gritted his teeth in the recent fume while Mitsuri put down the plate, hesitated what to do next before he called her.

"Oi stop smiling if you want to say something, say it" Mitsuri flinched.

"I just want to say..um our outfits are the same!" Mitsuri awkwardly answered him with full acknowledgment that it's so embarrassed to thid such answer because, in fact, she's just happy to see him stop fuming and on the verge if accepting her snack.

"Listen, I'm not here to play. If you got some goddamn gut to approach me, show it then" Sanemi scowled and threw her a wooden sword. Mitsuri took it in doubt.

"I'm not here to fight. I'm here to be friends with you" she almost cried in protest while he hissed back.

Sanemi grimenced "You have to pass my standard first and show your strength first"

Sanemi then explained "the reason why we should have spared, we could improve and see each other's flaws. It will help to be stronger. Stop whining, woman" Sanemi tud his mouth. His actual intention was to see the girl's ability and to fix her mistake as a payback but he didn't want to say it openly. How will he be perceived for paying this girl back by offering the training session? He knew from Flame Pillar that this girl's strong and should not judge her by its cover but a girl is a girl in real fight.

"No need to back down" he drew a sword in his own stance, flexed muscle for fighting pose, concentrating on breath, his eyes told he meant business. While Mitsuri was distracted by his stance with dreamy eyes to his muscular pacs and broadened chest, especially his acrossed scar, his manly demeanor melted her like a chocolate on the heating. He cursed slightly and lunged forward and hit on her wooden sword so harsh in order to call her sense aback. Sanemi sighed heavily once more to see her not being serious so he charged her.

"Don't close your eyes! Dammit! Close your eyes for what! If it's in a real battle, you are dead meat for sure!"

"G-Got it" Mitsuri shook her head to wipe out her previos daydreaming, tried to guard his slash uneasily for never training under Wind Pillar or even spar with another Pillar. Noting how he's so strong and powerful with awe and woo in her heart. Because of his strength and manliness, his sweat grinding over his jawline. Oh god, Mitsuri backed away from his swing. In fact, she has been trained under solely Flame Pillar but Wind Pillar was another level. Each of his swings was decisively hard. His guard was also firm and reflected her slash every time. She felt off-guard when she cannot fling any moves to him, his expression was unmoved as if volcanic mountain before erupting.

"Oi Kanroji! Bring you damn focus here! If you lost focus one more time, I'm gonna beat you to pulp and cry over like a kid!" It worked, his provoke motivated her.

"I'm gonna do my best! Please give me the advice" Mitsuri didn't want to withdraw easily, her fire of passion was on. She gripped the sword firmly as she wore the expression of readiness for a real fight. But he read her expression like a kid's going to cry after her big brother didn't allow her to play with. They deflected and charged each other a few times before backing.

"Be careful with your damn foot work, it needs to be more rigid, not a lousy jump like that" He complained again while she nodded. A grone came out of his mouth. He wondered why that Snake always stuck with her because her persona was opposite to Snake very much. That kid-like attitude and womanly personality and please somebody would not get a proper uniform to her?

"What's about Ohagi?" This damn girl! Sanemi retorted in moodiness, he didn't understand a girl's head.

"For god's sake, Kanroji! You still think of food amid fighting? What's inside your head" their sword clashed each other in loud before leaping off to ground the stance.

"Because.. because I made it to you! I want you to have it! I put my whole heart into it! I don't want you to throw it away because it's a sin to throw the food. Please accept it" Sanemi felt his blood rushing to his face. If someone was here and heard, a girl made him Ohagi, what would they think about him? He sent the murderous glare to warn her to shut up or else having a death wish.

"The hell! Fucking win over me that's it!" Sanemi scowled back in an attempt to stop her. Her face dumped slightly.

"I'm gonna win and..and you have to eat all of it!" She switched her position and ready to launch an attack. Sanemi can deflect and reflect her attack stance with fast footwork. He could push her out again.

"Your swing is too wide. Try to lower it. It's full of openings, that still sucked! I said lower it, woman! " Sanemi grabbed her sword before instructing and repeating it to her. It's his intention as a senior Hashira to a new Hashira.

"Not too good" commented Sanemi with slashing with no warning and backing down and then she slash back. "Don't wield it too wild.. and that jump attack, make sure you do it faster than the enemy.. hey Kanroji! are you listening?" He snorted suspiciously, gave her an annoying look.

"Ye-y-yeah I'm listening, Shinazugawa-san" Mitsuri felt out of place to stay close to a man. She also felt guilt hanging over her head to not keep focus on it. The main thing was he tried to sharpen her skill while she felt overwhelmed by getting closer to him.

"Kanroji! Shinazugawa, you bastard!" A voice came out at some point aback from them.

"Hah?" They both grasped at the same time when there's a flash of light across their gap. It deflected an unarmed Sanemi with one slash. Seeing a wooden sword dropping on ground. Sanemi scowled in challenge and his adrinaren pumped very high.

"Cut it out! You jerk bastard" Mitsuri gasped in her zone while both men sent a dead glare to each other. The challenging adrenaline pumped to a ton within their body.

Sanemi smirked like he's waiting fir this right damn time "Iguro! The hell you are here! Perfect timing? I wanna have some real fights!" In front of him was Obanai holding his own sword in a fighting stance.

"The hell you're doing to her, why you put up a fight with a woman. She never did something wrong and what's wrong is your damn short temper!"

"You the fuck? Go ask her! You bastard airhead" Sanemi challenged. "Iguro-san, stop it, don't fight" Mitsuri put her hand over his shoulder to sooth him down but it's not working as Obanai seemed furious and unstopped.

"Shinazugawa, if you wanna fight, I'm ready for it. Don't get on her..let me handle it, Kanroji I will not let anybody hurt you and you don't ever get in a fight with her" hearing that made Mitsuri flushed suddenly till she was speechless in shyness, she never thought of someone protecting her and it shivered her stomach.

Obanai drew his index finger backward to Mitsuri, authoritative and demanding.

"Listen, she's not someone you will throw a tantrum on," Obanai wondered why none of the reactions were from Wind Pillar. He simply lowered his eyes and averted it with less serious intent, what happened to him. Obanai gritted his teeth as well as Kaburamaru, fuming like a hot magma beneath the ground. "Oi! Listen to me. Don't you dare look away" Sanemi turned away and tsk again.

However, it gave him a soft texture, what's under his finger?. His finger touched on something very smooth, fluffy and soft, it urged him to frown his brows. Sanemi hung his mouth down in a mild surprise.

"Iguro-san, waoh! It's in my.. kyaaaaaa." Followed with the loud scream of a girl. Obanai turned and learned the soft pad under his finger was her boob and his finger was between her cleavage. Mitsuri grabbed her face which was flushed in mortification.

"K-K-Kanroji! I'm sorry! I don't mean it" Obanai took back and sprung like a glass hopper, startled, looking back and forth between his finger and her breast, "sorry, Kanroji! I didn't mean it. I merely tried to get over this man. I'm sorry" crouched and bowed his head in an attempt to show his sincere apology.

Unforgivable, the wind magicked the situation. It blew her skirt up in order to allow the audience witness what's inside her skirt. Obanai found her white underwear right in front of his eyes. Mitsuri squeaked again from a sudden shock, hurried to close her skirt down but also covered his face within her skirt. Then followed with her shy scream.

Finally Obanai could get out of her skirt, a sweet trap. Dumbfounding, Obanai closed his nose to prevent nose bleeding. Sanemi watched a chaotic scene before his eyes in boredom and felt a tinge of annoyance from both of them.

"Iguro-san, it's okay you don't have to do this, stop it, you're doing too much, stand up, noo! You have to stand up" they both were fighting to claim their need like a dumbly love bird in Wind Pillar's eyes.

"Fuck's sake…" Sanemi muttered, wrinkling his nose in annoyance at this couple. It's the damn eyesore to his eyes. And it became a talk of the town in the Demon Slayer Corps.

Later on Mitsuri explained story to him ;what's more, to other pillars as well "This is the story. We're not fighting together, Shinazugawa-san also helped me practice how to use a sword. He gave me the most useful advice as well even though he's too strict! The stricter, the more useful! Ha-ha" the more she tried to cheer him, the more he felt guilty. Obanai lowered his face to not dare to bore his eyes to her or even to his fellow pillar who made a way to them after a scream of Mitsuri.

"Well, Iguro you dimwit bastard!" Sanemi stepped in, retorted so fast after her. Again, he daren't say a word. Fiddling, Obanai didn't respond back because there were not only both of them here.

"Ara ara, I thought it's the real emergency. Iguro-san, you pull it through! Great job on you" Shinobu said and patted his back, her voice was on the verge of sarcasm. It caused a couple bashful from the previous incident.

"Iguro! The flamboyant great man! You're a true man now, I command you!" Tengen also presented here with an unique pose as always while his face showed how laughable this story was. Obanai wanted to zip his lip with a needle and thread.

"Cut it out.." Obanai managed to say only this after it was followed by every Pillar. .

"I'm sorry everyone. I'm sorry to make you worry and hurry to come here." Mitsuri bowed to every Pillar. All happened because her scream went throughout the Demon Slayer Corps.

"But I think your Ohagi's really good! Yummy!" Kyojuro said and complimented Ohagi he held in his hand. The sparkle in his eyes showed he meant it.

"Not that much.. don't ever get a big head, Kanroji. It's still not perfect" Sanemi chewed after commenting. Everyone joined in and had one Ohagi, it became a party of Ohagi. "Who think you wanna make Ohagi for Shinazugawa, Kanroji! You're so rock and roll! No one wants to get close to him!" Then a shot of laugh followed after Tengen made a joke while Sanemi gushed over it.

"I feel like I want to know everyone but I rarely come across Shinazugawa-san so I decided to do Ohagi for him" her mentor praised her and grabbed another one.

Mitsuri looked from the side and still saw him looking very down. It partly was from her fault to scream so loud and caused trouble. She poked him but he still kept looking down.

"Iguro-san, here you are.. you could have Ohagi too. I put my whole heart doing it" She handed the last one to him. Obanai glanced before averting "you have it, I don't have a feeling to eat something"

Obanai's having a headache because she thought it's her fault and said sorry to everyone. He said sorry to her but she said it's like everything is okay, it's not a big deal; nonetheless, he really meant sorry to her and wanted her to take it seriously.

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