Giyuu's teardrops fell on Sanemi's cheek, one after another.

He wailed, wanting to escape the reality...

He wailed, wanting to escape his despair...

He wailed, unable to accept Sanemi's death.

He knew Sanemi would never open his eyes again, and look at him with the affection he usually used to. He knew Sanemi would never answer him, his repeatative questions...

"Tomioka..."
Tengen pressed his hand over Giyuu's head.

"I know... how you are feeling right now... and it hurts us as much... I can't even forget Shinazugawa's voice even if I wanted to... but, we need to understand the circumstances."
He paused, taking a deep breath in.

"You, me, all of us... We need to...
Accept Shinazugawa's death."
He added, his own heart racing.

"Stop crying now, if Shinazugawa would've been alive... He'd say the same thing, you know...?"

Giyuu's eyes widened as he imagined Sanemi being alive again, sitting next to him.

"Tomioka? Why the hell are you crying, huh!? Stop that, you idiot! I had to die someday!"

This made Giyuu cry even harder.

Tengen's eyes widened.

"He... He really loved him..."

"I knew that from the start, Shinazugawa... He loved Tomioka very much... I could always tell... By the way he used to speak to me..."
Gyomei replied, tears streaming down again.

"M-My heart can't take it... I... I want to see Shinazugawa-San alive again!"
Mitsuri's voice was low and trembling.

"Why... Why would you leave me, Shinazugawa-San? Wh-Why...? What am I supposed to do without you..."

Giyuu looked at Sanemi's motionless, cold body.

"Look at me!"
He continued to wail loudly.

He couldn't believe that the same body, filled with extreme warmth, had now turned as cold as ice.

"What if I don't wait for long?"

"Then I will run after you!"

Giyuu remembered the conversation again.

"Th... That's right, I will run after you..."
Giyuu muttered out, his mind telling him to kill himself if he wanted to see Sanemi again.

Shinobu read Giyuu's expression.

"...Don't you dare say that you want to die, Tomioka-San..."
She glared at him.

Giyuu's eyes widened.

"I-"

"You think that you can die that easily? Do you know what Shinazugawa-San would've told you right now!?"
Shinobu snapped.

Giyuu imagined Sanemi sitting on the bed, looking at him with an intense stare.

"I told you not to mention killing yourself!? What the hell, Tomioka?"

Giyuu swallowed hard, breathing shakily.

Shinobu sighed.

"I know it's difficult for you, infact, it's difficult for all of us! So... Eat something, Tomioka-San... It'll help you feel better..."
Shinobu gently patted his head.

Giyuu refused the offer.

Now even thinking of eating caused his heart to ache.

He knew, if he opened his mouth to eat something, he'd remember Sanemi.

"You look like a squirrel forcing food into it's mouth!"
Giyuu imagined Sanemi's happy and smiling face.

"I ain't your mom, idiot..."
Sanemi's voice seemed to echo inside of his mind.

They really loved each other, huh? This... This makes my heart hurt!
Mitsuri's tears streamed down at the thought of both Sanemi and Giyuu not being able to tell each other their feelings.

As Giyuu's tears slowly dried out, the last drop travelled down his cheeks, falling on Sanemi's hand, which Giyuu squeezed.

That's when Giyuu felt Sanemi's finger caress his hand back.

Huh...?

"Sh-Shinazugawa-San!? Y-You're alive...?"
He muttered out.

"What!?"
They all asked collectively.

"This cannot be, Tomioka-San... He isn't breathing... It's nearly impossible."
Shinobu said.

"B-But-"
Giyuu was interrupted as Tengen rubbed his back gently.

"Tomioka... You've went through a lot of stress... Which is why you think that Shinazugawa's alive... It's an illusion... It'll take time for you to snap out of it..."

"He was moving his hand! Sh-Shinazugawa-San, show them... You're alive! Please, just, move again!"
Giyuu pulled Sanemi by the collar.

With no response, Giyuu's hand slowly released Sanemi's collar, his breathing shaky.

"I think you need to rest, Tomioka-San..."
Shinobu looked at Giyuu, whose eyes were still fixed on Sanemi.

Giyuu looked restless.

"T...Tomi..."
Sanemi mumbled out, causing everyone's breath to hitch in their throats.

Giyuu's eyes widened, his tears overflowing once again.

"I... I knew it! Shinazugawa-San!"
He leaned closer to Sanemi as his tears rolled down.

Shinobu gasped, stepping closer to Sanemi as she noticed his chest rising and falling now.

"What...? Th... That's impossible... He's really alive?"
She couldn't believe it, her tears falling down as she smiled happily.

Huh...?

"I-It's unbelievable how... his body is trying to fight back, fighting to be alive... He's suffering a lot yet, his body is trying its best..."
Shinobu's voice cracked, her smile widening even more.

Mitsuri couldn't take it anymore, she burst into tears.

"KYAAA!!! SHINAZUGAWA-SAN!!! I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN, WAHHH!!!"

"This... This feels nice..."
Muichiro muttered under his breath, smiling softy.

Iguro's eyes welled up with tears, he chuckled softly.

"I... I... knew you could do it, Shinazugawa!"

"He... He's alive!"
Tanjiro said, his ears trying to listen through the wall.

"R-Really?"
Zenitsu looked at him with disbelief.

"BAHAHAHA! I KNEW HE'D BE ALIVE!!!"
Inosuke jumped with joy.

"Shinazugawa..."
Gyomei cried once again, his hands joining together.

"SHINAZUGAWA! YOU REALLY HAVE A STRONG WILL!"
Kyojuro wiped his tears, his voice all happy again.

"...We shouldn't celebrate now... Shinazugawa-San has yet to heal up... His condition is not good at all... I think we should let him rest."

Shinobu put the bandages over Sanemi's injuries as he slept quietly.

"It's a very critical condition..."
She said.

They nodded understandingly.

"I knew you had it in you, Shinazugawa..."
Tengen whispered, squeezing Sanemi's hand gently.

"W-Will he survive, Kocho...?"
Giyuu asked, his breathing heavily.

Shinobu sighed out.

"You see... I will not guarantee you that he can survive... But, if his body continues to fight back for life this way... There's no doubt he would recover soon."

"...I think we should leave him alone now..."
She added.

They nodded, slowly walking out of the front door.

"My heart feels so much lighter, Iguro-San!"
Mitsuri clapped her hands together.

Obanai nodded.
"I'm glad he's alive... I mean, it's Shinazugawa we're talking about."

As soon as Giyuu stepped out. They all looked at him.

"You love him, huh?"
Tengen teased.

Giyuu's face turned red.

"It's... It's just..."

He felt Gyomei's hand on his head.

"Tomioka... Being true to oneself is difficult, but never try to hide it. Show Shinazugawa, how much you really love him."

Giyuu's eyes widened.

He nodded, smiling happily.
"I will return the love and care he had given me!"

"That's the spirit!"
Kyojuro shouted from a distance.

"KYA! You guys are so cute!!!"
Mitsuri squealed, blushing softly.

Giyuu smiled warmly at the others.

"Tomioka..."
Obanai sighed.

"If you really love Shinazugawa, don't you dare do something... Or try to take advantage of him..."
His gaze shifted to the ground.

"As much as I hate to say this... He's madly in love with you... So don't fucking break his heart."

Giyuu smiled, nodding gently.

"Loosen up, now!"
Tengen wrapped his arm around Giyuu's shoulder, causing him to stumble.

"You really love him so much... He must be a lucky man, Tomioka..."

Giyuu blushed even more.

"Let's go!"
Tengen said, as they slowly walked away.

___________________________________________

Alright, y'all actually thought the story would end with Sanemi dying?

Come on, now!

The description of this book says:

Smut, Angst, Fluff...

Well, what smut if the top is dead?

Hehehe! Here, eat this up...

🍩✨

Enjoy Salami being alive.

___________________________________________

POV: How Akaza felt after nearly dying and still sending Sanemi off to his almost death-like state...

See you in the next chapter pookies!
😅💗