Obanai sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Look, I'm not blind. I can see that you're both worried about something."
He crossed his arms and stepped closer.

"If there's something going on, you can tell me."
He said, his voice calm and reassuring.

Shinobu hesitated, glancing at Mitsuri, who nodded encouragingly. She took a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's... About Shinazugawa-San and Tomioka-San..."

What...?
Obanai frowned, leaning closer, as if eager to listen to the problem.

"They're not together anymore..."
Mitsuri added, her voice choking up. Obanai's gaze sharpened, his expression turning serious.

"What do you mean, 'not together anymore'? Did something happen? And why am I only hearing about this now?"
His eyes narrowed, unable to believe the words he was hearing.

Mitsuri and Shinobu exchanged a glance.

"It's... Complicated."
Mitsuri admitted.

"There seems to have been a misunderstanding between them... And neither of them is talking to the other now."

Obanai's expression darkened.

"Misunderstanding, you say?"
He frowned, as if trying to recall his last interaction with Sanemi.

"I... I only care about Tomioka..."

Sanemi's words seemed to replay in his mind. He cleared his throat, a concerned look in his eyes.

"Tell me, everything."

Shinobu took a deep breath and explained the whole situation to Obanai, starting from Giyuu's request to Sanemi.

Obanai listened intently, his expression growing grimmer by the second.

When Shinobu explained how Tengen told Giyuu about the things he had heard from Sanemi, Obanai's eyes narrowed.

He asked her to pause right there, as if he knew something.

"Wait a minute..."
He mumbled, his mind processing Tengen's misunderstanding about the situation.

Shinobu looked at Obanai, waiting for him to speak. Mitsuri also turned her attention to him, curious about what he was going to say. Obanai crossed his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Obanai replayed every single thing that had happened the day he was talking to Sanemi. He recalled every word, Shinobu's description of the current situation slowly making sense. His eyes widened, everything slowly starting to become clear.

Shinobu and Mitsuri stared at him expectantly.
"Iguro-San, do you know something?"

Obanai took a deep breath in, putting things together. It all made sense now.

"Shinazugawa... He didn't say that..."
He said, his gaze fixed to the ground. He swallowed hard, his expression thoughful.

"What...?"
Shinobu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wh-What do you mean, Iguro-San?"
Mitsuri asked, unable to believe in his words.

Obanai's gaze shifted to the sky, his expression almost unreadable.

"He never said that he didn't care about Tomioka... That idiotic Uzui must've misunderstood the whole situation and probably heard only half of the conversation and jumped to conclusions."

Shinobu's face paled.
"How... How are you so sure...?"

Obanai's eyes met hers, he swallowed hard.

"I-I was there..."
He uncrossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh.

"I was the one Shinazugawa was talking to that day..."

Shinobu's eyes widened.

"Kyaaa!!! Why didn't Uzui-San listen to the whole conversation! Poor Tomioka-San and Shinazugawa-San!!!"
Mitsuri cried out.

"Fuck. It all makes sense now..."
Obanai sighed out as Shinobu tried to console Mitsuri.

"So all this led to the end of their relationship, huh?"
He looked at the sky, Sanemi's smiling face appearing in front of him.

Shinazugawa really, really loved him a lot, didn't he...?

"I do get that Uzui's an idiot, but, what's up with Tomioka and Shinazugawa?"
Obanai asked, frowning a little.

"They could've talked things out..."
He face-palmed, clicking his tongue.

"Everyone's so immature!"
He snapped.

Shinobu shrugged helplessly as Mitsuri wiped her tears off.

"That Tomioka... He must've jumped to conclusions and misinterpreted everything. And as for Shinazugawa..."
Obanai took a deep breath in as his expression turned to that of annoyance.

"I thought he could communicate better than this... I know he probably ruined things even more for himself."

Shinobu sighed at his words.

"So... What now?"
Obanai asked.

"We can't do anything right now... since, Uzui-San is out on a mission."
Mitsuri replied.

"...But, we can atleast tell Shinazugawa-San about this... He doesn't even know the real reason behind Tomioka-San's heartburn."
Shinobu said.

Obanai gave them a quick nod.

"I'll go talk to Shinazugawa... He needs to know the truth."
He promised, his expression growing determined.

"L-Let us know what he says..."
Shinobu muttered, holding Mitsuri's hand and squeezing it lightly.

"We'll try our best to help them get together too. Right, Kanroji-San?"
She asked, a soft and reassuring smile playing on her lips.

Mitsuri nodded, sniffling softly. She gently squeezed Shinobu's hand back.
"M-Mhm!"

Obanai nodded firmly.
"I'll let you know once I talk to him, we've got to fix this mess..."
He turned around to leave.

"T-Take care, Iguro-San!"
Shinobu and Mitsuri waved at him, blushing softly.

Obanai's face fumed red, he took quick breaths to calm himself down.

He nodded without facing them and walked away, determined to find Sanemi now.

Damn it, Uzui...
He gazed at the sky, carried away by his thoughts.

Shinobu watched as Obanai left, her brow furrowed with concern.

"I really hope he can fix this mess..."
She murmured, absently fidgeting with Mitsuri's hand.

"Stupid Tomioka-San, making things so complicated..."
She mumbled quietly.

Mitsuri squeezed Shinobu's hand, leaning against her shoulder.

"We should support both of them, no matter what happens... Besides, maybe Iguro-San can help clear up the misunderstanding!"
She smiled, trying to get Shinobu to be in a better mood.

Shinobu sighed softly and smiled back at Mitsuri, grateful for her support. She felt her heart swell with affection for her.

"You're right, Kanroji-San."
She sighed again, her gaze turning distant. She looked less tensed, and even calmer.

Mitsuri noticed her calm demeanor and felt a warmth spread through her chest. She loved seeing Shinobu this way, so carefree and relaxed in her presence.

"Hey, Kocho-San?"
She said, her voice soft and gentle.

"Hmm?"
Shinobu hummed, turning her attention back to Mitsuri. Her eyes were filled with warmth and affection.

"What is it, Kanroji-San?"
She asked, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

Mitsuri blushed at the way Shinobu was looking at her.

"I... I was just wondering..." She started, her voice barely a whisper.

"If you'd like to... To go out with me sometime? Together?"
Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for Shinobu's response.

Shinobu's heart skipped a beat as she heard Mitsuri's request. A soft smile spread across her face, and she reached out to gently stroke Mitsuri's cheek.

"I'd like that very much, Kanroji-San,"
She said, her voice filled with warmth and love.

Mitsuri beamed at Shinobu, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Really!?"
She exclaimed, before hugging Shinobu tightly.

Pulling away from the embrace, she jumped with excitement.

"You know? The spring festival's pretty near!!! Maybe we could go there! And watch the cherry blossoms bloom!"
She smiled brightly.

Shinobu's eyes widened with excitement.

"The spring festival? That sounds like a wonderful idea, Kanroji-San!"
She smiled gently at the idea.

She looked at the sky, imagining all the fun they would have.

"Yay! I can't wait! We could call the other Hashiras too! It would be such a fun and lovely time together! Kyaaa!!!"
Mitsuri squealed, excitement filling her to the brim.

Shinobu laughed at Mitsuri's enthusiasm, her heart fluttering with happiness.

"Alright, alright... We'll invite everyone..."
She chuckled, holding Mitsuri's hand in a firm grip.

"But winter's only started, there's so much more to come before spring arrives. So let's focus on the present, shall we? Shinazugawa-San and Tomioka-San haven't even made up yet, remember?"

Mitsuri giggled before nodding with a sweet smile.

"Sure thing!!! We need to get them together before the festival, so they could enjoy their time together!"
She suggested.

Shinobu smiled mischievously.

"Exactly! We can't have them sulking at the festival when we'll be having so much fun!"
She said.

"So... Let's give our very best."
She added.

Mitsuri clapped her hands together.

"Yes! Let's do it!"

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Oop- 2nd update!🎀

(Last chapter before I disappear)

Take care pookies, I love you a lot!
🥹🩷

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