33 (edited)
"Ok… Y/N… calm down. You're going to the Mugen Train. Just breathe… you got this." You kept pacing back and forth like a lion in a cage, mumbling the same line over and over. Every time you thought about the train, your heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t just another mission. This was the big one. The kind that made your stomach twist into knots and your hands sweat.
Nearby, Naho, Kiyo, and Sumi were already sniffling. "Y/N… Tanjiro… Zenitsu… Inosuke… do you really have to go?" Sumi’s voice cracked a little. She looked so small, holding her hands together like she was trying to make herself tiny.
"Yeah… unfortunately," you muttered, staring at the floor. "That’s the life we live." You tried to sound calm, but your voice betrayed you.
"We're sorry," Tanjiro said softly, his warm eyes full of regret. "But when we come back, we’ll spend more time with you. We promise."
Naho held out a neatly wrapped bento box. "We even made you three extra, Y/N, because we know you love food. Aoi wanted to say goodbye too, but she got busy…"
You glanced at Aoi in your mind. 'I can't say goodbye or I’ll cry. No way… too embarrassing,' she thought, blushing bright red.
Back in the real world, you gave them a small wave. "Thanks, guys… see you later." You felt a pang in your chest but forced yourself to focus.
Then you spotted Giyuu leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking as unreadable as ever.
"Giyuu? What are you doing here?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.
He didn’t answer right away. "...I wanted to see you before you left."
Your brow quirked. "Oh? What’s up? Don’t tell me you’re gonna act all like I won’t survive."
Instead of answering, he suddenly stepped forward and hugged you. Your brain short-circuited. "Uh… wha—?"
He pulled back and held out a small wrapped charm. "Take this."
Blinking, you accepted it. "Thanks… Giyuu."
"You're welcome," he said quietly.
"You better go before Shinobu catches you or something," you teased.
"I don’t care. I wanted to tell you something important."
Your eyes went wide. "O-okay? What is it?"
He opened his mouth, but just then, Shinobu’s sweet, teasing voice cut through the air. "Ara ara~! Tomioka-san, what are you doing here, pestering Y/N-chan?"
You and Giyuu froze. Your brain screamed: RUN. And he did, disappearing in a blink before Shinobu could catch him.
"Y/N-san, everyone is waiting. You should get going," Shinobu said, polite but firm.
"Alright," you sighed and turned back. As you walked toward Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, your nerves returned with full force.
"Why am I so nervous…?" you muttered to yourself.
Tanjiro patted your shoulder. "It’s going to be fine. We’ll be careful."
You nodded. "Yeah… okay. Fine."
Inosuke suddenly jumped and pointed at the massive train in front of you. "OH MY GOD! THIS THING IS HUGE! IT MUST BE THE KING OF THE LAND!"
Zenitsu groaned, slapping his forehead. "You’re such a country bumpkin, Inosuke."
"I mean… he’s not wrong. It’s huge," you said, squinting at the gigantic metal beast. "I’ll get the tickets," you added, spinning on your heel and walking toward the ticket counter.
Zenitsu immediately trailed you. "I’m coming too, Y/N-chan!"
By the time you two got back, chaos had already begun. Inosuke was punching the side of the train. "FIGHT ME, METAL DEMON!"
Zenitsu grabbed his arm. "STOP! THE POLICE WILL COME!"
Two uniformed officers were already approaching. "Hey! What do you think you’re doing with those swords?!"
"Run!" Tanjiro shouted, scooping you up bridal style. You yelped. "Tanjiro! Hey! Put me down! I.."
But there was no time. Zenitsu and Inosuke followed, shouting and flailing behind you. "TANJIROOOO BE CAREFUL WITH Y/N-CHAN!" Zenitsu’s voice echoed.
"WAHAHAHA! I’M COMING TOO, MONJIRO!" Inosuke roared, running like a wild animal.
Once inside the train, Zenitsu huffed. "Oof… that was too close. Are we sure bringing Y/N was a good idea?"
Tanjiro set you down gently and looked concerned. "I don’t know… the master requested it, plus… I have this feeling. Something bad might happen."
Zenitsu nodded. "Yeah… me too."
You and Inosuke walked together, but he immediately started banging on the windows. "THIS THING IS MOVING! I’M MOVING WITHOUT MOVING! AMAZING!"
Zenitsu waved desperately at the other passengers. "Please ignore him, he’s… special."
Tanjiro opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden shout stopped everyone. "UMAI!!! UMAI!!!"
You turned toward the sound and saw a flame-haired man eating with pure passion, chowing down like there was no tomorrow.
Blinking, you whispered, "Well… that has to be Rengoku."
Zenitsu nodded furiously. "Yep. That’s him."
You couldn’t help but glance at your friends around you. Tanjiro was calm but alert, always scanning. Zenitsu was panicking internally but trying not to annoy everyone. Inosuke was still screaming at the windows.
Your stomach twisted. This mission… this train… it was going to be insane.
You leaned back against the wall and muttered to yourself, "Okay… breathe… just survive… maybe eat some snacks if we can…"
Tanjiro glanced at you, a small, reassuring smile on his face. "We’ll stick together. Don’t worry."
You nodded, still feeling jittery, but a little braver.
The train began to move, shaking slightly. Inosuke bounced along with it, Zenitsu held onto your arm, and Tanjiro kept a firm grip on you both.
"Alright… this is it," you said under your breath. "Mugen Train… here we come."
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: ZingTruyen.Xyz