52
(Okay so I was gonna write your gonna stay with Uzui but I changer my mind since there weren't many scenes with him in it you know? So it'll be better if you go with Tanjiro, Zenitsu or Inosuke at least it'll create more drama and shit)
(Also publisbed this one late cuz I didn't sleep at my house yesterday)
Suddenly, a chill ran down your spine as you remembered what was going to happen inside that house-the one Zenitsu had been taken to. You glanced back quickly, only to realize Zenitsu and the lady who had escorted him had already vanished.
"Oh fuck.. "
You knew things weren't going to be easy, but seeing them disappear so fast reminded you that this was reality it wasn't an anime anymore
Everyone had been picked.
Tanjiro was sent to the Tokito House. Inosuke to the Ogimoto House. Zenitsu... he got dragged off last
Tengen turned, brushing his hands off like the job was done. "Alright. That's everyone."
You stepped in front of him, arms crossed.
"Wrong. You forgot one."
Tengen narrowed his eyes. "Y/N, we already went over this-"
"No. You talked. I let you talk. Now I'm talking."
His brows lifted slightly, clearly not used to being challenged like this.
"I need to go to Kyogoku House."
Tengen gave a long, annoyed sigh. "Why are you so dead-set on that?"
You leaned in a little. "Because Hinatsuru is there. And something's not right."
His shoulders tensed.
"I know that house is dangerous. You feel it too. I can see it on your face. Let me go."
"You're not a shinobi," he muttered.
"But I'm not stupid either. I can blend in. I'm flashy enough, remember?" you smirked. "And I can handle myself."
Tengen turned away and thought for a moment, clearly struggling.
"I'll get in anyway," you added bluntly. "So either you sell me to Kyogoku House, or I sneak in and blow your whole operation wide open."
He turned his head slowly to glare at you.
"...You are so annoying."
"And you're lucky I'm on your side."
Tengen pinched the bridge of his nose. After a long moment, he gestured to a nearby woman he knew in the district-a manager of the Kyogoku House, who was watching from a distance.
He leaned down and whispered a few convincing words to her. She gave you a once-over and nodded.
A deal was made.
You stood tall, back straight, as you were led toward the gates of the Kyogoku House. Just before you stepped through, you turned over your shoulder.
"I'll find her."
Tengen met your eyes. For once, he wasn't joking. "Come back alive."
You smiled. "I always do."
The doors shut behind you, and your undercover mission began.
You walked through the Kyogoku House with your head high, eyes taking in every detail. The decor was lavish, but something about it felt... off. Too pristine. Too perfect. Like it was covering something up.
After getting shown around briefly by a few whispering attendants, you slipped off to wander. You had no plans of sticking to whatever schedule they had in mind.
And that's when you heard it.
Crying.
It wasn't loud. In fact, it sounded muffled, like someone was trying to hide it. Your feet padded quietly down the polished hallway, your sharp senses guiding you closer.
You slid open a door just slightly-and there he was.
"Zenko?"
Zenitsu froze in the corner of the room, still in his ridiculous disguise, face covered in blush, eyes puffy and watery.
"Y/N??"
He bolted up and almost tripped over his own kimono, practically sobbing.
"W-What are you doing here?! You weren't assigned here! You're not supposed to be here!!"
You closed the door behind you and locked it. Then leaned against it with a sigh.
"I know."
Zenitsu stared at you, jaw dropped.
"I came here because I knew something was off," you explained, lowering your voice. "And because I remembered what happens to you here."
Zenitsu blinked. "Wait-what do you mean remembered-?"
You walked toward him, voice deadpan. "Let's just say I've got spoiler vision."
"HUH?!"
"I'll explain later." You placed a hand on his shoulder. "But I wasn't gonna let you suffer in this weird-ass house alone."
Zenitsu wiped his face. "Y/N... I'm seriously freaking out. The Oiran here is terrifying. She's been interrogating people, and girls keep disappearing!"
"I know." You looked around the room. "We need to play this smart. Don't do anything reckless. You just gather intel and act cute. I'll take care of the rest."
Zenitsu nodded furiously. "R-Right! I can do that! I can totally be cute!"
You stared.
"...Okay I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that."
Suddenly, you both heard approaching footsteps.
Zenitsu panicked and dove under a table.
You raised your brows. "Seriously?"
"PANIC HIDING IS ALL I KNOW!"
You sighed and fixed your posture just as the door slid open.
One of the attendants peeked in. "There you are. You're being summoned."
You gave a charming smile and stepped forward. "Coming."
As she turned, you gave a small glance under the table.
"Be good, Zenko."
He gave a thumbs up with a trembling hand.
The doors slid open with a gentle shhhk, and you stepped into the oiran's private room, every step deliberate and quiet.
Daki sat poised like a porcelain doll, surrounded by silk, lantern light, and power.
Her beauty was impossible to ignore-hair cascading in waves, kimono tied flawlessly, and that sharp-eyed smile that never quite reached her eyes.
You bowed gracefully.
She didn't stand. She just tilted her chin, eyeing you like a cat watching a bird that flew too close.
"You're the new one," she said, voice like syrup laced with venom.
You smiled back with the same sweet poison.
"Only for a little while. I'm fast."
Daki's smile twitched, just slightly.
"I don't like fast. I like polished. Experienced. Pretty girls who know their place."
You blinked slowly. "Pretty girls come in all kinds. Some just shine brighter."
The tension between you snapped like a fan shut too hard.
Daki stood-taller than expected-and walked around you, inspecting you like you were some overpriced vase.
"Who did your makeup?"
"I did."
"Too bold," she said.
"Too bold for you," you corrected gently.
She stopped.
Turned.
You held her gaze with practiced grace, not a hint of fear.
"The master of the house sent me to help serve tonight," you added.
"I don't need help," Daki said.
"Then I'll just watch and learn," you replied sweetly, voice soaked in challenge.
Daki's gaze narrowed, her pride stung.
"I don't like girls who think they're clever."
"And I don't like oiran who are scared of a little competition."
For one brief second, her smile vanished.
Then it returned-twice as fake and twice as sharp.
"This district eats girls like you alive."
"Then I'll be the one doing the biting."
The silence sizzled between you.
Then, soft and airy, she clapped her hands once.
"Let's serve tea then. I'd hate for you to embarrass yourself so soon."
You bowed with elegance. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Then you left
You stormed down the hallway, eyes blazing, kimono flying behind you like a cape. Daki's smile still lingered in your brain like the stench of rotten perfume.
"That bitch thinks she's slick? Please. I watched the anime-I know how this ends," you hissed under your breath.
Turning a corner, you spotted Zenitsu-sorry, Zenko-sweeping awkwardly while avoiding the watchful eyes of the attendants.
"Psst! Zenitsu!" you whisper-hissed.
He jumped two feet in the air. "It's Zenko! Stop saying my name-ugh, what are you doing here?!"
You yanked him into a shadowed corner.
"I just had a little chat with Daki. She's 1000% the Upper Rank demon. I felt it the second I walked in, but after that convo? Yeah. I'm gonna need a bath in holy water."
Zenitsu's face paled. "Wait-the Upper Moon? Already?!"
"Yes. And she's not just some Upper Rank. She's flashy. Cocky. The kind that makes you wanna throw hands even if you've got half a sword and a paper cut."
Zenitsu froze, his hand still pressed against the wall.
"There's... someone crying."
You immediately turned toward him. "Where?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing. "Behind the wall. A few rooms down. She's terrified."
You didn't even wait.
"Move."
You grabbed his wrist and the two of you took off, sprinting silently down the dim hallway of Kyogoku House. Your slippers barely made a sound against the floorboards as you ran, ducking past attendants who didn't pay you any mind, too busy with customers or errands to question it.
Zenitsu skidded to a stop in front of a sliding door.
"Here," he whispered. "It's coming from this room."
You nodded and glanced around. No one in sight.
He slid the door open carefully, and the both of you slipped inside.
It was dark.
Dusty. Cold.
"HEY! IT'S LIKE A DISASTER STRUCK HERE?! WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS ROOM?" Zenitsu burst out, scanning the mess around them with wide, frantic eyes.
The girl flinched and turned slowly when she heard him, but didn't say anything-just kept sobbing with her tiny hands covering her face.
You, knowing exactly what this scene was and what it meant, stayed quiet. Your eyes flicked around the room, scanning for traces of the obi that had done this.
Still, you approached slowly, kneeling down beside her with Zenitsu trailing just behind.
"Are you alright?" you asked gently, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Your voice softened. "Hey... you're safe now, okay?"
Zenitsu squatted next to you, fidgeting. "Come on, settle down okay? I wasn't angry when I said that, all right? Sorry about that!! If you're in any kind of trouble-"
Suddenly, a cold, dangerous aura filled the room like someone had just dropped ice water down your back.
You turned first, your instincts already firing off alarms in your head.
Zenitsu slowly turned too, voice dying in his throat.
Standing behind him was Daki.
She didn't smile. She smirked-the kind of smirk that says she knows she's the most powerful one in the room and she's about to prove it.
"Hey, you..." her voice dripped with venomous sugar. "What are you doing here?"
Zenitsu was frozen, trembling.
'𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦...' he thought, eyes wide.
"HEY! Are you hard of hearing or something?!" Daki snapped, her tone cracking like a whip.
You stood up between them.
"Oh I heard you, Cruella de Vil. I just didn't care."
She blinked at you in disbelief. "Excuse me?"
Zenitsu looked like he was about to pass out.
"I said," you cocked your head, smile unbothered, "why don't you explain why you left a crying child and a wrecked room like this behind? What happened, huh? Another 'bad customer'?"
Daki's eyes narrowed. "You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that."
"And you've got a lot of foundation but that doesn't make your attitude pretty."
Zenitsu whispered, "𝘠/𝘯, 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵-"
You ignored him and leaned in just slightly toward Daki, eyes calm but sharp.
"We're just workers, right? Just lowly little girls in training? So maybe you should stop threatening us like you've got something to hide."
The tension crackled like lightning between you.
Daki said nothing. Her smile faded.
But the little girl behind you clutched your sleeve tighter.
Zenitsu reached a shaky hand for his shamisen, his instincts telling him this wasn't gonna stay peaceful.
Daki's eyes stayed locked with yours for a few long seconds... until the crying behind you broke her focus.
Without warning, she stepped forward and grabbed the little girl's ear, yanking her up so hard it made the child scream.
"Shut it! Stop that screaming!" she hissed, her tone laced with malice. "You clean up this room. Now."
The girl sobbed harder. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll do it right now!! Please forgive me-!!"
Blood began to trickle from her ear, sliding down her cheek.
You tensed, your fingers twitching at your sides, already halfway to stepping forward-
But before you could, Zenitsu moved.
Quick as lightning, his hand shot out and grabbed Daki's wrist, stopping her in her tracks.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Everyone in the room froze.
Zenitsu's voice shook but held steady.
"Please... take your hands off her."
Daki turned her glare to him, her hand still clamped tightly around the child's ear.
"What did you say to me?" she said, quiet and cold-far more dangerous than if she'd screamed.
Zenitsu tightened his grip on her wrist just enough to make his point clear.
"She's just a kid. She didn't do anything wrong."
Her smile returned-but it was twisted now, all venom and no charm.
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