𝙸𝚝 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙴𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎 (𝔾𝕚𝕪𝕦𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕠) {𝓚𝓝Ⴘ}
𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 18: 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓹
Giyu POV:
Excuses.
Make a good excuse. Now.
"I- a demon got in here and blindfolded me. I don't know what happened, but I got knocked out and woke to my house like this." I quickly blurted.
"Was it an upper moon?" Shinobu immediantly, spun around, her eyes sharp. "It could still be here. We need to alert someone."
"No." I stood up, my legs shaking. I leaned on the wall for support. "I'll be fine, I can take care of it myself. Everyone's busy with today's festivites anyways, right?"
"But-"
"I'll call for help if I need it." I added to assure her.
"You look terrible. You need medical help, or this could be fatal." Shinobu frowned.
"I'll be okay. I can take care of myself. I don't even feel anything. There's nothing serious." I reassured her.
She opened her mouth to argue, but I quickly overlapped her voice with more words. "Besides, I have to repair the door you so kindly broke down for me, right?"
"There's no way I'm leaving you here by yourself." Shinobu said firmly. "I'm bringing in some Kazukis to clean up this mess."
I sighed in relief. "Do what you like." I said, turned around and walked down the dark hallway to avoid any more pressing.
Having the Kazukis come in meant they would make my house a picture-perfect place, neat and clean. It would probably bother me a lot, but I would have it messed up again in no time. Besides, they were too scared of the pillars to question anything, such as what was on the floor or why all the knives were off the racks.
Shinobu POV:
After giving precise directions to all the Kazukis (clean up the house, make sure Giyu was resting and recovering, watch out for any demons), I left the estate in their hands. I didn't want to stand up Shigeru. There was only a few more hours until I was to arrive at the celebration and I still needed to get ready and get Shigeru.
I headed back to the Butterfly Estate and decided to celebrate without any worry for Giyu. He was going to be fine, he could take care of himself, he didn't need me worrying over him. Not that I was going to anyway.
I wanted to make the best impression at the celebration, since Shigeru was going to be with me and I couldn't have him outshining me! I brushed my short hair until I could run my fingers through it without any knots. I put on a pearl butterfly hair clip but didn't tie it up.
A few days ago, I had bought a brand-new dress just for New Years. It was a sparkly violet silk strap dress, and I paired it with some silver flats. I wore pearl earrings to match my clip and put on more makeup than usual. Kanao and Nezuko happily painted my nails and Mitsuri even came over to curl my hair.
After sending Mitsuri off with a wave and a smile so she could get ready herself, I set out to Shigeru's house.
He lived in a small village close to mine in a shared building. He shared the block with a bunch of other Slayers.
After a nice, relaxing walk, I finally made it to the front of the apartment block. I pressed the ringer for Floor 3, Room 2, and it turned to speaker.
"Hello?" A crackly voice came out from the speaker.
"Shigeru? It's me, Shinobu. I'm here to pick you up for the party." I said into the speaker.
"Oh- that. Um. You should come up." There was some background sounds before the door opened.
"Okay." I ended the conversation and started up the stairs. How come he was making me come up? Was something wrong?
I walked up to Floor 3 and pushed opened the unlocked door to Shigeru's room.
Usually his room was familair and comforting to me, but right now all I saw was a bare, empty room.
Shigeru was sitting on the floor, using duck tape to seal one of many cardboard boxes. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. Each box had pernament marker labelled with words like, 'BOOKS', 'TABLEWARE', 'KITCHEN SUPPLIES'.
"Shigeru...? What..?" I was flabbergasted. My brain just wasn't functioning right.
"Ah, Shinobu." He stood up. "I'm sorry. I forgot about the celebration. I should have scheduled the move for a week later, huh?"
"What... move?"
"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. I'm moving to a far-off town somewhere near the city. I'm sorry I'm leaving you, Shinobu, but I know we can't mantain a proper long-distance relationship." Shigeru didn't look sorry at all.
"What do you mean... why are you moving?" I asked.
"Well, for one, I'm quitting my job as a Slayer. I'm leaving the Corps. The authorities have already approved of everything and my Nichirin sword and uniform have been recycled already. They said they will always offer me a position back in the Corps if I ever change my mind, but I probably won't take up that offer."
"Why are you..."
"I just want a more peaceful and stable life, Shinobu. You know I can't make ends meet. But I didn't want to ask you to move with me and give up your pillar title."
"I don't understand. Why didn't you say anything about this before... or tell me in advance?" I asked, hurt.
"I know, Shinobu, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stand you up like this. I mean, I can still go with you. I just won't be very dressed up, but at least I'll be there, hey?"
I couldn't understand it. I just couldn't.
How could he be joking at a time like this? He was literally leaving me, his long-term girlfriend. He didn't seem sad.... at all.
"Oh, Shigeru... you know you're my emotional support. You can't leave me!" I tried to make him feel guilty. "What will I do without you? Am I really not worth it?"
"No, honey. I just want a more stable life. I'm growing up, you know, and it's time I founded a proper job."
"What about me?" I blinked back tears.
"Oh, Shinobu. You know it isn't like that. I would be estactic if you would join me in this next part of my life," he clasped my cold hands in his warm ones, "But I know you wouldn't give up your life here for me. You've established so much here, and I'm proud of you for it."
Sweet, sweet, honey talk. Anger and hurt building up inside me. This is why I should never have dated a single person in my life.
"Don't mess with me." I tore my hands out of his grasp. "This is too sudden. You haven't mentioned anything about wanting to move. You must have some alternative reason. Tell me it."
"Shinobu. I don't have another reason. I just haven't mentioned it to you because I didn't want you to be hurt."
"So you think that's a good reason to make me hurt now?" I cried. "Is that a good reason to suddenly break this to me now? This isn't like you, Shigeru. Not one bit."
"Oh, come on, Shinobu. It's not like that." Shigeru sighed, looking exasperated. Like he was talking to a child, not his upset girlfriend.
"I don't understand. Oh, I don't understand at all. And what do you mean we can't mantain a long-term relationship?! Why not?" I asked furiously.
"Please don't make this difficult, Shinobu. I merely want a getaway from the stress and danger of being a Slayer. It's not about you." Shigeru said, getting fustrated.
"Shigeru, you're not being realistic. This is way too sudden. You wouldn't forget to tell me about things like this. There's something you're hiding. I'm right, aren't I?" I gritted my teeth. Because I was right. I could tell from his face, working so hard to hide this.
"Shinobu, I told you already, it's nothing. I just don't want to be part of the Corps anymore!"
"What a puny excuse. Why wouldn't you want to be? You've been training your whole life for one purpose- to kill demons. How could you quit now? Especially when you're so close to the top rank? How selfish can a person get?" I replied angrily.
The word 'selfish' sparked some sort of fury inside of him, and he shouted, "Being in the Corps forever until the day I get stabbed by some demon isn't how I want to live! I want to be a normal person and have a normal job with a normal life! I want to be able to afford a real house and a real three meals a day! I need to find a real paying job! Damn it Shinobu, I need money! You can never understand, with your perfect pristine conditions that your stupid sister left you."
Well. He'd gone and done it.
"Shut up. Don't drag Kanae into this. Maybe my money and house did come from Kanae, and maybe my luxuries were created by her success, but that doesn't mean I didn't work hard too! I treat hundreds of patients a week and save lives. Is that not enough?" I asked angrily, a vein popping out.
"Maybe that is enough, if you had money! If I had money, I would have gladly contuined being a Slayer! But I don't! So that's that!" Shigeru said.
"You selfish person! You're wasting all your talent and capabilities! You could save thousands of people! Yet you choose to be rich." My eyes filled with stupid tears. The fact that the person I thought I loved was this selfish, greedy man. "You're a sick man."
"God, Shinobu." Shigeru's face went blank. "Whatever did you think? How could you really believe I was going to stay with you?" He started laughing. "I thought I would treat your delicate feelings a little more tenderly and spare you the pain. But you've gone and done it now."
I took a step back, confused. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not moving to the city because of all my excuses," Shigeru smiled evilly. "I'm moving there because I want to be with someone different."
My heart stopped.
"She's the daughter of an important war official. She's rich."
"What... are you saying?" I whispered. "Were you cheating on me?!"
"Sheesh, Shinobu. Took you long enough." Shigeru laughed, completely unlike himself. His laugh sounded hollow.
Author POV:
Shigeru kept laughing until the funniness of the situation wore off and his laughter faded. There was silence for the next few minutes, Shinobu with her head down and her fists clenched, but not saying a word. Shigeru kept an amused smile on his face and waited for her reaction.
It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Suddenly, Shinobu seized a roll of duck tape from the floor that Shigeru had been using to tape up boxes, and hurtled it in his direction. The roll of tape hit him square in the eye, and he fell back in shock.
"You're just lucky that wasn't glass."
A/N: I'm so sorry this chapter took days to come out, I find my usual speed has been slowed a lot. In the next few days I will likewise be pretty busy. My life is gradually getting more cramped and I will have less time for my books now, but I hope to be able to update you at least once a week.
To everyone that hated Shigeru, here is your happy ending.
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