18

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Genji sits in my room with me, as I hug a pillow close to my chest and he brushes through my hair.

"He said that?" He says shocked and I nod slowly. "That's so mean!" He says and I huff.

"I couldn't even say anything back even though I had so much to day! I wanted to say that I didn't think that way, but for some reason I couldn't get anything out of my mouth!" I whine and Genji hums. "I was thinking about going to his house and apologizing but I'm too afraid to face him! I mean he's yelled at me plenty of times but this time felt different... I feel as if we've gotten so much closer over the past week so now that he's yelling at me it's a lot more hurtful than it used to me!" I whimper, burying my head in the pillow.

"I think you're both freaking out over nothing!" Genji says happily and I look at him confused, but he sternly redirects my head forehead so he can continue doing my hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... Mr Haganezuka is very scary everyone knows that! He doesn't have a wife... and mother says that any man who isn't married at his age must be doing something wrong!" I giggle softly. "If I was a girl I wouldn't marry Mr Haganezuka because I'm scared of him!"

"He's not that scary Genji!"

"That's the thing! He's not scary towards you! He's very nice to you... but only to you!" I sit there shocked at his words.

"I don't understand?"

"He hardly used to leave his home, but ever since you came he has been a lot more. It's cause he's always accompanying you! I don't know why... but I don't think that he hates you because I wouldn't be nice to someone I hate!"

"I see... You're surprisingly very wise Genji..." He holds his head up proudly.

"I also think that you like Mr Haganezuka!" He giggles as my eyes widen.

"E-eh!? Like Mr Haganezuka!? Don't be silly Genji!" I scold as he giggles some more.

"But mother says that when a girl likes a guy, she looks down at the ground a lot and her face goes red! I always see you doing that around Mr Haganezuka!" I cover my face embarrassed as Genji laughs harder.

"You're too young to be talking about stuff like that Genji!" I say and he shrugs.

"I don't care! When I'm old enough, I'll ask you to marry me so don't marry Mr Haganezuka!" I laugh as Genji is perfectly serious.

"Genji... I'm too old to marry you!" I say giggling and he huffs.

"But when I'm older I'll be the same age as you!"

"But I'll be even older then! I'll be an old grandma, you don't want to marry a grandma do you?" He shudders before quickly shaking his head making me laugh even harder.

"Fine! You can marry Mr Haganezuka... but don't forget about me when you do!"

"Mr Haganezuka and I are not going to get married Genji," I say and he snickers. "But you want to~" He sings and I glare at him.

"G-Genji!"

"Ok finished!" He says and I hold up a mirror to look at my hair. I deadpan as it looks like there's a literal birds nest on top of my head and Genji puts his hands on his hips proudly. "What do you think!?"

"Very...nice?"

-

I decided to try and take a leisurely walk to clear my mind from Haganezuka's outburst. I'm trying to not let it get the better of me, I mean I understand that Mr Haganezuka needs his time to work... and perhaps I have started to get on his nerves.

"Miss Nakahara!" I hear someone yell. I look over to see another swordsmith waving to me, so I wave back happily. "Come have dinner with us! We'd love to hear more stories!" He yells and I laugh awkwardly, rubbing my neck.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah yeah come on!" He insist, so eventually I give in an happily run over to the restaurant he was in front of. He leads me in and we take a seat with a bunch of others, and they all happily greet me as I do the same. They're all very friendly and give me lots of food to eat, and they urge me to tell them more stories about my missions and what it's like to be a demon slayer.

I happily talk for most of the night, my mind being taken off of my previous worries. The swordsmith drink the entire night, so as it gets later they become more and more rowdy making me giggle.

"Nakahara~!" One of them slurs, slamming down his cup and I roll my eyes. "Tell us cause we're all dying to know, why are you hanging around with that loner Haganezuke so much?" He says and they all laugh as I furrow my eyebrows.

"Pardon?"

"The man is such an otherwise person!" Another says.

"Yeah! He's always so grumpy and has no friends or family, he's not good company for a young and pretty girl like you!" They laugh again and I rub my neck awkwardly.

"I don't agree with that at all!" I insist and one pats my back aggressively.

"You don't have to pretend to enjoy his company Nakahara! We've all given up years ago tryna befriend the jerk!" I continue to listen to them throw insults around about Haganezuka, and my fists clench in my lap under the table. I can't just sit here and listen to all these... these lies.

"I think you're all being incredibly disrespectful right now!" I suddenly yell, making everyone look at me confused.

"Ha?" They slur and I cross my arms sternly.

"Mr Haganezuka isn't anything you all said about him! He's thoughtful... and kind... and funny... and I don't pretend to enjoy his company at all! I don't have to pretend because I see Mr Haganezuka as one of my closest friends!" They're all silent for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

"That's cute Nakahara, but it's not true at all!" One says and I glare at him. "If anything, Haganezuka is probably just trying to secure a wife so he has a son and can continue his blood line. Since you're the only woman to ever show him kindness, he's got no other options-"

I can't hold myself back anymore. I grab the nearest cup of sake, pouring it all over the man which quickly shuts him up. It goes dead silent as they all look at me shocked, and I take deep breaths before standing up abruptly.

"Excuse me." I say before storming off... leaving them all sitting there speechless. "Those... those jerks! I cannot believe the audacity of some people!" I grumble to myself, storming outside into the cold night with my arms crossed. I make my way back to my room, my anger making me just miss the swordsmith hiding behind the wall, hoping not to be seen by her.

Haganezuka was on his way to fetch some more materials for her sword, when he passed by the restaurant and heard her loud laughter and voice. He tried to restrain himself, he really did, but he just couldn't resist standing by the door and listening in.

At first it was just innocent stuff. He smiled to himself as he heard her boasting about her numerous wins and laughing at the horrible jokes the men made. Her charm is undeniable, that's for sure.

He was just going to brush it off as a normal dinner, until he freezes in his tracks. He listened to each men make their remark about how much of a jerk he was, his jaw clenching in anger. He knows that the others think of him like this, and he doesn't care. What's pissing him off though, is the fact they're saying it to her.

She probably thinks no better of him, especially after how he spoke to her earlier, so he doesn't know why he's getting so uptight about it. He's just waiting to hear her sweet voice agree with their comments, adding her own little insights about his intolerable character.

Instead, his eyes widen as he hears her disagree, her voice strong and unwavering. She then went on to defend him... complimenting him... he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"If anything, Haganezuka is probably just trying to secure a wife so he has a son and can continue his blood line. Since you're the only woman to ever show him kindness, he's got no other options-"

This line... this is what pissed him off the most.

Never in a million years would he consider her as nothing but a mere option to take as a wife. He has no interest in a wife or children so to even suggest that in the first place is absolutely ridiculous! She'll probably think of him as some perverted creep who cares for nothing but-

He hears it go silent, and with curiosity he peaks in. He's at a loss for words, seeing her standing there with a cup in her hand... and the man dripping with sake. He grins, almost wanting to laugh at her reaction. He didn't think she actually had it in her to be rude to another person.

As he sees her going to leave, he quickly ducks behind a corner safely out of sight. He peers out slightly, watching as she storms out with her fists clenched and her cheeks puffed out in anger. He smiles with amusement, seeing her kick the small pebbles on the floor out of the way and grumbling to herself softly.

How cute... he finds himself thinking.

Once he's sure she has no chance of spotting him, he begins to head back home with a soft smile on her face, completely forgetting his point of leaving his house in the first place.

In the dimly lit home of his, he sits cross-legged while pondering what he just witnessed.

"Mr Haganezuka isn't anything you all said about him! He's thoughtful... and kind... and funny... and I don't pretend to enjoy his company at all! I don't have to pretend because I see Mr Haganezuka as one of my closest friends!"

He thinks back to what she said, tapping his chin perplexed. Did she mean it? It wouldn't have made sense for her to say it if she didn't mean it... in fact it would've benefited her more if she were to agree with those dirt bags. Yet she still didn't? Did she somehow know he was watching? No... if she did she would've said something, not pretended she didn't know...

He's such an idiot.

He's truly an expert at shutting out people who actually care about him... isn't he. He did it to Takahashi... and now he's doing it to her. It's not like he wants to, he'd love to be able to talk to her freely and be her friend, he just can't. He doesn't know how to express his feelings and thoughts unless it's anger... for so long the only thing he really felt was anger.

That's why he's so skeptical of her. No one has ever made him feel the way she makes him feel. Is it just her charm that has this effect, does she make everyone feel this way? Even if she does, he doesn't know what to do about it. He can't decide if he likes this new feeling... or if he absolutely despises it.

Whatever it is, he needs to figure it out. Her sword will be finished soon, and in that case who knows how long it'll be until he can see her again.

-

"Izumi-?! Are you ok!?" The men say, quickly drying off the sake to a still stunned Izumi. He then yells, falling onto his back with his hands over his heart and hearts floating around his head. "I-Izumi!?" They say, shaking him with concerned voices.

"I'm in love~!" Izumi exclaims, making the others shake their heads with disappointment.