☆•Yashimi POV•☆

Pain surges throughout my body, making my lungs hard to breathe. I feel my chest going up as air goes in through my nose and down as air flows out.

"Tomioka-sama.." I manage to whisper out, breathing softly as my chest goes down. It seems like a soft blanket lays down on my body, gently giving me warmth.

I feel someone's cold presence next to me, looking at me. "Fujimura..?" Someone's voice calls my name in a soft tone.

It's Tomioka-sama's emotionless voice, but it isn't so emotionless. It has a bit of worry that laces through.

"Tomioka-sama!" I swiftly pull myself up in a sitting position as panick overflows my emotions. The last thing I remembered was that they were going to kill him.

Suddenly, a rough cough erupts from my aching, dry throat, making it even more painful. I fisted my hand into a ball and slammed it onto my chest, trying to push the cough away.

"Here.." Tomioka-sama says calmly and holds my hand away from my chest. I open my eyes and grab the cup full of water from his offering hand. He lifts my mask just above my nose, and I immediately chug the water down, relieving my throat from the painful dryness.

"Arigatō." I embarrassingly mutter. He gently takes the cup away from my delicate fingers and places it onto the nightstand nearby, letting my wrist go.

"..."

He sits down on the bed, a little close to me, and reaches his hand out, pulling my mask down to cover my face. I shake my head away, letting my long hair weave around, feeling dismay.  "I can do that myself." I softly let out a desperate breath. I hadn't realized that I was holding my breath.

Sunlight dawns my mask but glares through my eye holes, hitting me with a harsh heat. "Ah!" I yelp and look the other way around. A whispered, "shoot.." goes out of my throat.

"I know, but your hands are injured, and you're tired. Don't you even know why you're here in the first place?" Tomioka-sama asks. I could feel his lingering stare, observing me.

"I.." I perk my head to him in disillusion. Why am I here? Wait.. oh, yeah, "I passed out. I fainted, didn't I?" I turn my question to him.

"Good guess, now, why did you faint?" His question makes my stomach churn.

"Because.. because I.. went out to‐"

"Natagumo Mountain, now why did you go there in the first place?" Suddenly, his stare feels pressuring like it's purposely crushing me, and I feel insignificant under his grimacing look.

"..."

"Fujimurs, when I ask you a question. Answer it." He says calmly, yet his voice seems to be infuriated, like if I utter one wrong word, he would explode.

Though he has a gentle and expressionless casting over his face, his eyes say otherwise. I could see the fire behind those unmoving, unnerved ocean eyes.

"Why did you go to Mountain Natagumo? When I specifically asked, no, I ordered you, not to?" One eyebrow from his face raised, perplexed. His face slowly molds into an annoyed look.

"I.. y'know.. I thought I was getting better. My body usually heals very fast!" My voice acts as my defense trying not to make Tomioka-sama furious.

"You thought?" He repeats, and his tone makes a shiver go up my spine. His raised eyebrows go back down, and his face relaxes. But his aura didn't feel relaxed.

"You thought you were healed? Then why the hell would I not let you train?" He says, clearly feeling furious.

Nice going voice, you made him angry.

"But I–"

"No buts, that's how you can get yourself killed by a lower moon." His voice tones down into a lower wave. "Do you know what could've happened if I was a minute late? You could've gotten yourself killed! That boy could've died!" He seems desperate to let me see things his perspective.

"You almost died because of those webs around your.. body!" Hesitation splits his sentence slightly.

"But he didn't! And I'm alive! That's all that matters, right?" I soothed my voice, assuring him, trying to get him to calm down, "so here I am. You don't have to be so worried."

"You don't get it.." He whispers, but my ears manages to catch it.

"Oyakata-sama announced that after your recovery, which should be a few months, I can start training you." Tomioka-sama stands up, and a wave of shame and guilt swims in my heart and stomach, eating me from inside.

"I'm—"

"Your haori is under your bed. I picked it up before we left for that meeting." He goes to the door, opens it, and leaves. Leaving me with the same hard feelings.

"I'm sorry, Tomioka-sama.."

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★•Giyuu POV•★

I step outside and swing the door close. My face still looks at the door as my fingers still wrap around the doorknob.

"Fujimura, why do you make me so mad?" I whisper as unfamiliar emotions make my heart sink deeper. "Keep yourself controlled." I whisper to myself and exhaled a tired breath.

"Just let her rest, Tomioka-san." A gentle voice slit through my moment of hesitation. "Kochou." I turn to my other side.

As I turn my head, the familiarity of black locks and purple tips, purple butterfly clip, white haori with designs of a butterfly's wings, and short structure catches my sight.

"You've been in there for the last two days. Just because Oyakata-sama didn't give you more missions, it doesn't mean you can barge in without telling me." She says, holding her smile.

"..." She knows I've been here? But I'm always quiet to make sure no one hears me.

"Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo told me. Whenever one of them checks up on Fujimura-san, you'd be there, and they always report back to me." She slowly reveals my little secret.

"I know you're worried, but let her rest. She needs it. She took a big toll." Kochou's footsteps passes mine. "I know she's your tsuguko, but isn't this behavior more than just a master caring for his tsuguko?"

I stop in my tracks before I can go any further. Disillusion made my legs stop working, mostly it's her words. What did she mean? Of course, I cared about Yashimi. She's my tsuguko.

"She's my tsuguko, nothing more and less." I say and turn a corner to the exit.

As I walk down the small stairs. The more the thought of Yashimi and Kochou's words lingers longer. What did she mean? I feel like she said that with a different meaning.

Master and tsugukos can't be together. We all know that. The relationship would mess up the progress the tsuguko has if both would ever fight. I just care for her.

Right?

Also, why is she so concerned about Tanjiro? Isn't she concerned about herself? Doesn't she know how much blood she lost during that fight? How broken is her ankle? Or does she just ignore her own wellbeing.

"Fujimura," sunlight hits my scalp, hitting my head as I continue walking away, leaving with confusing and annoyed feelings.

"Why do you make me feel so infuriated?"