"Do you even understand, Tomioka-San!? He cares about you so much!"
Shinobu pulled him closer.

Giyuu blinked, her words like a splash of cold water to the face. He shook his head in disbelief.
"He... he doesn't. He doesn't care. I know it more than you do, Kocho..."

What is wrong with Tomioka-San...?
Shinobu wondered, gritting her teeth.
She grunted softly, her face flushing red with anger.

"You're so dense, Tomioka-San!"
She snapped, her voice growing louder.

"Do you even realise what he's done for you? He's supported you, encouraged you, and protected you!"

Giyuu opened his mouth to argue, but the words died on his lips as he remembered all the times Sanemi had been there for him, the countless times he had put Giyuu's needs before his own. The realization hit him like a hammer, and he felt his heart crumble.
"I-I..."

Shinobu's gaze softened.
"I'm sorry for lashing out on you... it's just, you're becoming so infuriating!"
She looked deep into his blue eyes, her heart feeling heavy.

"Shinazugawa-San told me everything. You're mad at him because he couldn't keep your promise... isn't it?"

Giyuu's breath was caught in his throat as he met her gaze, the truth of her words hitting him like a ton of bricks.
He felt his face burn with shame, and he looked away, unable to meet her big, purple eyes.

Shinobu placed a gentle hand under his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"Tomioka-San... Do you know how hard he's trying, only to get you back? A fight just over a little promise... it's so..."
She sighed, trying to control herself.

She sighed helplessly, a soft smile playing on her lips.
"You're so stupid, Tomioka-San..."

Giyuu looked at her, a sparkling gleam in his eyes.

"S-Stupid...?"
He questioned, curiosity filled in his voice.

Shinobu chuckled softly, her hand still resting under his chin.
"Yes, stupid. Think about it, you asked him to take care of himself, because you cared about him... Is that correct?"

Giyuu nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving her face.

"So...?"
He questioned, urging her to continue.

Shinobu's smile grew wider, the amusement clear in her eyes.

"...And now, you've left him because he didn't care about himself? Doesn't that mean that you left him because you cared for him a lot?"
She laughed softly, shaking her head.

"You're so weird, Tomioka-San!"

Giyuu's cheeks burned with a deep blush, the realisation dawning upon him slowly.

"O-Oh... Is that so..."
He muttered, avoiding her gaze.

Shinobu grinned mischievously.

"You should really talk to him..."
She suggested, her voice playful.

"...Or at least, stop sulking and making him worry."
She poked his cheek lightly.

"You're being so childish, Tomioka-San..."

Giyuu frowned, his hand instinctively reaching up to grab her poking finger.

"Shut up..."
He muttered, his face still flushed.

"Y-You're the one who's being annoying..."
He looked at her, his gaze softening.

Shinobu laughed, pulling her finger away.

"Okay, okay!"
She sighed, looking at his face.

He's so silly...
She smiled warmly at him, admiring his flustered self.

She knew Giyuu couldn't stay embarrassed for any longer, and decided to change the topic for now, though she enjoyed teasing him a lot.

"Say... What were you even thinking, when you decided to cut Shinazugawa-San off, Tomioka-San? That was a very unreasonable thing to do, you know?"

Giyuu's expression grew somber, a cloud of guilt settling upon him.

"I... wasn't thinking, precisely..."
He admitted, letting out a heavy sigh.

"I-I only wanted him to take care of himself... But... I only made things worse..."
He added, remorse filled in his voice.

Shinobu felt her heart clench at the sadness in his voice, her expression softening.

"I know how it feels..."
She sighed, her gaze shifting to the floor.

"But you shouldn't make decisions when you're not in the best mood, Tomioka-San."
She advised, taking a deep breath in.

"Try to think clearly all the time..."
Her eyes met his in an unsure gaze.

"Otherwise..."
She paused, exhaling softly.

"...You might end up making a decision that could scar you for the rest of your life."
Her voice sounded like a warning.

Giyuu nodded, his gaze dropping to the ground as he listened to her words.

"Y-You're right..."
He muttered, clenching his fists.

"I... I should've talked to him instead of cutting him off... D-Dumb... It was so dumb of me..."
He held his head, feeling sorry for every single action he did in the past.

Shinobu reached out, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Tomioka-San..."
She smiled softly, her voice gentle.

"You do realise that you can get things back to normal, am I right?"
She sighed gently.

"There's still time... it's not over yet."
She reminded him.

Giyuu looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of hope and fear.
"H-He wouldn't accept me, would he?"

Shinobu shrugged.
"I don't know... But there's only one way to find out, Tomioka-San."

She grinned mischievously.
"You need to talk to him!"
She insisted.

Giyuu looked away, letting out a heavy sigh.
"I... I don't think he ever will..."

Shinobu placed a finger under his chin, tilting his face to look at her.

"Tomioka-san... Stop getting on my nerves. He's a good partner, isn't he?" She gave him a reassuring nod.

Giyuu's eyes widened.

A good partner...?
He felt his heart beat fast, the flashbacks of that day replaying in his head again.

"Tomioka. Don't play dumb with me. I heard what Shinazugawa said. Did you two have a fight?"

"He said that he didn't care about your promise..."

Giyuu's heart shattered into millions of pieces. Just how serious Tengen looked at that moment was enough to make him believe the statement with no questions.

He looked at the floor, gasping softly. "Kocho... I..."

He swallowed hard as he remembered, unable to believe that he had almost forgotten.

___________________________________________

Sorry for giving out these pics all the time, I just want to keep my saved pictures somewhere lmaooo😭

Anyways, 3rd update for today.

🥪🧋🍰🍩🍪✨