Chapter 11
It was late at night at the Butterfly Mansion, and somehow Giyu found himself on the roof, running his fingers over the seam of his haori where Tsutako's half met Sabito's. Aoi had been kind enough to sew the rips in it after the battle, and Giyu was very grateful. Most of the Hashira didn't know why it was so important to him, and he was even teased for it being unsymmetrical.
Suddenly, Shinobu sat down beside him. She tilted her head, looking at the haori in Giyu's lap.
"I never thought to ask, why is your haori mismatched?" she said. Giyu didn't look at her. He could feel the tears welling in his eyes, but finally, he spoke.
"The red side belonged to my sister. And the other side was my best friend's. They were both killed by demons."
"Oh, Tomioka. You should have told me earlier. I'm sorry for teasing you." She said. She took off her own haori and set it in her lap. "I'd be pretty unhappy if something happened to this. It's the only thing I have left of Kanae." She paused and ran her fingers over the fabric. "You know, even though I always smile and act happy, it's not how I really feel. Kanae was always so happy, and even as she died, she pitied demons. She loved to see me smile, so after she died, I tried to smile more, even though all I feel is anger." Giyu looked at her for a moment, before pulling his haori over his shoulders.
"I guess we both have more to learn about each other." He said. Shinobu smiled, and slid her haori back over her shoulders. Giyu slid closer to her. "I've never really been much of a social person." He said. "After Sabito died, I didn't feel worthy of becoming a demon slayer. He saved my life, and I can't repay that."
"Even if you can't repay him for saving your life, he'd want you to keep going. Like Kanae wanted me to keep going. So let's stop living in the past and live now." Shinobu said.
Suddenly, Giyu smiled. He turned to face her, and gently grabbed the folds of her haori, pulling her closer to him. She smiled and did the same, closing her eyes as Giyu gently placed his lips on hers.