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thecinematicwriter · 10 months

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Stop, This Is So Embarrassing!

Charles Leclerc x Reader

Summary: You would do anything to attend a Formula 1 race week-end. Turns out, your mother's friend worked with the Formula PR team and got you some free passes to the Canada's Grand Prix. You still had to study though :(

Sneek peak: "God, I love when you say my name in french." He confessed right before the bartender gave you two your order. "I love talking to you in french." You said while maintaining the eye contact.

A/N: As a fellow canadian I couldn't be more excited for this week's race! And I still have to study for some exams so... come read a dream piece of my life I guess:) Warning: There is a lot of laughing in this fanfic(sorry in advance).

You were sitting quietly in the place your mom's friend said you could hang. Nothing could bother you there she had said. She had been the kindest human being there could exist. First she had offered you a free pass for the Grand Prix after your mother mentioned you were a huge fan, then she promised you to a private spot where only the drivers were allowed when you told her you needed to multitask and study for your test that was coming. Not one driver was here right now because it was only paddock visiting day and it was a good thing for you not to be distracted. They would only be coming in the afternoon to say hello to the fans. The only reason you were here today was for your mom to catch up with her friend and you took a walk around the track before starting your study session. As expected it was death. Learning all those different things by heart was excruciating, but then you could work in what you loved. It was a huge perk of why you were doing it... no kidding.

"Hello?" Somebody was here and that made your eyes look away from your notes. "I'm sorry to bother you, you look very occupied... but I was wondering if this was the driver's hang out spot?" Lando Norris. You couldn't believe your eyes. That is exactly why you were staring at him like a culprit found guilty. "Hum- Yeah. Yeah! Sorry... I can leave if you're more comfortable without a fan here." You started gathering your stuff only for him to come close to you and lay his hand on your notes. "A fan, huh?" He laughed at your nervous state and you nodded dumb founded. "Well... no. Actually, I would quite like the company. if you don't mind me bothering your...studying?" He sat in the chair in front of yours and that made you sit back down. "Yes. It's studying. And I wouldn't mind at all." You said eagerly, which made the driver laugh even more. You laughed with him this time. "I am so sorry. I tend to be clumsy with my delivering of words." You said looking him straight in the eyes. "Don't apologies, it's refreshing from all the other drivers. They always are too confident in what they say, I believe." You smiled at Lando and he had a confused face. "Wouldn't that make you a cocky speaker too? You are a driver." He laughed once again. "I guess so... But at least I'm not afraid to say I am." You both started laughing like little kids and only stopped when he asked you a question. "So what are you studying? And why here of all places?"

Your conversation seemed to have lasted forever when the one and only Oscar Piastri entered the room. "Hey, Lando!-" he stopped talking when you came in his view. "Who is that?" He asked while walking towards your table. "I just met her. Y-N, meet you know who." You waved shyly feeling like you were not in your place. Oscar simply smiled at you warmingly. "You know who?! You introduce me to your new friend that way?" He shoved Lando's shoulder while taking a chair to sit with you both. "Ouch! She already knows who you are, prick!" he said faking his offense. "Yeah... I am a huge fan of you all." You explained and laughed at their antics. Oscar was impressed. "Us all? No preference? That's the first time I hear that from a fan. Normally girls prefer Charles or Lewis." You laughed at his statement and he joined you. " Oh don't get me wrong, I do have a preference in looks... But to me you work all the same effort to be here and when it comes to the actual race, I support each and everyone one of the drivers." The boys were now interested. You were the nicest fan they had both met and they couldn't get enough of what you had to say next. "Do tell! Who's your racing daddy?" Your face cringed at what Lando had called a F1 crush. "Don't ever say that again, mate." Oscar shared your embarrassment. After an awkward silence you all started laughing. "Oh god. You guys are so kind. I felt so out of place being in the only place you had privacy, but you don't seem to mind. Thank you, I guess." They looked at you and simply nodded. "Well it's not hard to enjoy your company." Lando said smiling at you and you slightly blushed. You were so used to people telling you you were too much so this was the best feeling ever. "If I say it though, I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I am a basic one I fear." You exhaled dramatically to joke around. "Stop it! You are a Lewis girl aren't you..." Oscar matched your dramatics. "No... It's Charles for me." Oscar and Lando looked at each other and smiled. "What?" They looked back at you and smirked. "Why do you like him so much? Do tell." You sighed and smiled to yourself. "Well for starters, he speaks french as his first language, like me. Then he is so passionate about everything, his family, racing and so much more, from what the internet shows me at least. And it helps that he is like really good looking. Charles Leclerc for the win... I can't believe I am talking to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri about this, God!" Your laugh got stopped by a familiar voice. The one you listened to more times you'd like to admit after each race.

"I like how you say my name. Thank you by the way, you really did me good." Your eyes grew tenfold when you realized who heard you talking like this. "Oh mon dieu. (Oh my god.)" You hid behind your hands while the boys in front of you broke out in the loudest laughter. "I am so sorry. God, this is so embarrassing!" You said and felt your cheeks redden. "Y-N, don't be like this. Charles was just teasing you... Get out of there." Lando said between giggles. When you took your hands off your face, you saw how close Charles had gotten. "And who might this Y-N be?" Charles said looking at you. "Hey... I'm simply a random fan-" "She's not random. Don't be modest... She is amazing! We've been talking for the past hour and I am about to ask her her instagram." Oscar said while getting his phone out from his back pocket. "Really?!" You asked surprised. Lando also got his phone out to get your instagram handle. "Of course. We're practically besties after what you confessed." Lando joked and you laughed, again. "Way to make an impression. Can I sit here?" You angled your face towards the Ferrari driver now even closer to you than before. You soon realized he was talking about the chair right beside you. "Don't be shy." You told him with a warm smile and he laughed. "That's rich coming from the woman who just hid behind her hands." He sat down and chuckled. "I guess you're right." You giggled along. And that is when Charles looked directly in your eyes. "So what is it?" You broke your gaze from Charles' and looked at Lando. "I'm sorry, what?" The drivers all laughed. "I think they want your instagram account. Ne les fait pas attendre, ça serait cruelle!(Don't make them wait, it would be cruel!)" He dramatized his sentences which made you smile like a little kid. "Oh yeah... Sorry, here." You took your phone out and showed them your account. "No way! You are studying in (your choice of study)!" They all looked at what Oscar was showing from your profile and Charles got his phone out. "This is so cool!" Lando exclaimed. "You were studying for that weren't you? You nodded and blushed from all the attention you were receiving.

You continued talking for a while longer before they all received a message saying it was time for them to go make their entrance for the week-end. "Oh I completely forgot we had that! So sorry Y-N... I hope we can see you again this week-end! I'll text you the info and put you in the guest list for our parties this race week-end. If that's okay with you of course?" Oscar explained while they all got up. "Are you crazy? Who would pass up the opportunity to party with F1 drivers that know how to make someone feel welcomed?! Count me in!" They all smiled. "Perfect, one of us will send you the info!" You all bid your goodbyes and went your separate ways.

That night before going to sleep, you were looking at the three notification that said Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc started following you when your notifications went off.

Charles Leclerc: Hello, Y-N! It was nice meeting you! I hope to see you at the parties the boy will send you the info for. I want to talk to you some more. (In the hopes of not freaking you out.)

You found it cute how Charles wrote his text.

You: Hey, mister Leclerc! I had even more fun than you during our long talk I might bet! Of course I'll come. It would be my pleasure to engage a conversation with you again! (I freaked you out from the beginning, don't worry.)

You hit send and left the chat only for your phone to buzz not even a minute later. God, that was fast.

Charles: Ça fait bizarre de texter de façon si formel. Mais, ça fait du bien. (It's weird to text in this formal way. But, it's refreshing.)

You: Toute a fait d'accord.(I agree.)

The night of the final race

Lando: You're still coming tonight like last night?

You: Ofc! I'll be there in an hour... I finally finished studying for my exam on tuesday!

Lando: Let's go! See you later then!

You: See ya!

You left home after choosing the perfect outfit (plus sized - skinny, mid-sized) you felt all the nerves from this week-end leave your body. There was no reason for you to be anxious when you made friends with three of the drivers and had great talk with the rest of them. Once you arrived at the party location, you texted Lando telling him you were there. You went inside and looked around you, mesmerized by the fancy decoration. Your lovestruck face was interrupted by Oscar. "Hey! Y-N! Come, the boys are in the back." You followed Oscar after telling him he looked great and he returned the compliment. "Everyone, Y-N's here!" Everyone cheered which made you flustered. How had you simply studying in a private hang out area turned into this? You still couldn't believe it. Lando came up and kissed both your cheeks and you gave him a hug. "Congrats on podium! Once again!" You congratulated him with a huge smile plastered on your face. "Do you mean I had to get podium to receive this greeting?" Charles arrived next to you two and you laughed. "Maybe..." You shrugged your shoulders. He got closer to you to make sure you could hear him over the loud music that was blaring in the VIP section. "Red? You wanted to surprise me or do you have a preference for my team mate?" He whispered so you only could hear.

When you opened your eyes, Charles' were still closed but he adorned a content smile on his lips. When he finally opened them, you pecked him once again and you both smiled like two teenagers experiencing their first love. This was bound to be a great experience... or more?

Charles had flirted with you for the entire week-end and you played right into his act. "I wouldn't dare show up in red for someone other than you Leclerc." You said turning you face towards his that was right beside yours. That resulted in your lips being dangerously close. "Good to know. I wore black because I didn't know what your favorite color was." He joked. You laughed hard at that. "Good to know." You gave him a taste of his own medicine which made him smile. "Suis-moi? (Follow me?)" You nodded at his request and he took you to the bar. "What do you want to drink?" "Nothing with alcohol... I want to stay clean for my exam, even if it's in two days." You over explained. "So, what do you want to drink?" Charles asked once more. "Oh, sorry..." You turned to the bartender and ordered a cranberry juice. "I tend to babble when I'm nervous." You said sheepishly. "Than be nervous more often, it's cute." You looked at him and tried to retain your laugh while Charles realized what he had just said. "God! Non, ne sois pas nerveuse... Je voulais simplement te dire que c'est mignon quand tu parles comme ça.(God! No, don't be nervous... I just wanted to say that it's cute when you talk that way.)" He hid behind his hands, his cheeks red under the already red lights of the private club. "C'est correct, Charles.(It's okay, Charles.)" You took his hands off of his face and he looked straight into your eyes. It was your turn to turn red. "God, I love when you say my name in french." He confessed right before the bartender gave you two your order. "I love talking to you in french." You said while maintaining the eye contact. "Ah oui? C'est bon a savoir. (Oh Yes? It's good to know.)" He got closer to you and you leaned in also. "Tu es vraiment beau, Charles. Je sais que tout le monde doivent te le dire, mais ils ont raison.(You're truly handsome , Charles. I know everyone must tell you, but they are right.)" You looked at him and focused on his eyes. "C'est encore mieux lorsque ça vient de toi. Tu es encore plus magnifique, Y-N.(it's even better coming from you when it's coming from you. You are ven more beautiful, Y-N.)" He took your jaw in his left hand and smiled at you earnestly. "Kiss me?" You asked, hopping for a positive answer. "I thought you would never ask." He said and took the opportunity. You never understood when people said the world around you faded if the kiss was good enough, but Charles made you feel like that. Like there was only you and the brunet boy present in the club and the music was only a background sound to your love story.

Want to know what happens next? Comment , like and reblog for me to write a second part!

#thecinematicwriter #charles leclerc #charles leclerc x female reader #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x y/n #charles leclerc x you #F1 #f1 #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic

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wysteriaz-blog · 1 year

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Two Worlds Collided & They Could Never Tear Us Apart

Chapter 1: The Beginning

You somehow end up lost in Japan, having little to no memory of your life before, or any understanding of the land and people here. But you meet extraordinary individuals, who over time become very important to your new life as you travel and fight together, forming unbreakable bonds.

However, with a centuries-old war between a secrect organization and demons waging on, these bonds are put to the test when you find yourself caught in the center of it all.

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

Hello and welcome!

Before you read, there are some things to know about this fic. I know it's long, but this fic is gonna be fairly long, and so are the chapters lol. Anyways, let's get to it!

I originally posted this on AO3, which you can find here! I'll be updating this story on AO3 first, as I find it much easier to work with. I'll slowly be adding more chapters here. This is also cross-posted on Wattpad, which can be found here!

Now then, onto the other important stuff about this fic!

First: This story will be canon divergent, meaning it will follow the original Demon Slayer story up until a certain point, and with a bit of a twist. Some things will be changed—added or removed—to fit the story. So certain characters, situations and dialogues may be slightly or completely different throughout the story!

All characters are aged up (18+) as there will be: language, blood/gore, violence, death, suggestive themes, and more as the story progresses. I will have warnings in the notes before a chapter if any are needed, so please be mindful!!

And as a side note, this is not an Isekai! You the reader, also known as Y/n, are an actual part of this world! And I've made her/you descriptionless for the most part, so you are able to picture her/you however you'd like and feel more immersed.

Second: Italicized text (dialogue) is spoken in Japanese and plain text is in English.

Third: I don't have an update schedule and I apologize if you get bored waiting! But please understand that I am human and have a job, friends/family, and other priorities such as my own mental and physical health in life to worry about. It takes time and energy to write, especially since most chapters are anywhere between 10k–20k words long, so I greatly appreciate your understanding and patience!! As a little gift to show my appreciation (and so you don't think that I've abandoned the story lol), I usually post at least one sneak peek for the next chapter that I'm working on while ya'll wait for an update ♡

[Sneek Peaks are AO3 and Wattpad exclusive!]

And last but not least: I plan for this to be a choose your own ending—hooray! Whenever I read other stories that have multiple romantic interests, I usually end up liking all of the characters, so I've decided I wanted to try and make this story where you get to pick at the end and have a chance to read all of the different endings! My plan is to make good endings, as well as some endings for the people who enjoy angst and suffering mweheheh! What can I say...? I love to indulge myself and I'm a sucker for pain in all forms—whether it be dying from wholesome overload or a broken heart—and that luckily (or unluckily) includes you heueheheu...!! (・`ω・´)

(Please note that only certain characters will be available as romantic interests, as I may not be able to write them in a way that I think would fit the narrative, or I simply feel like I won't be able to do them justice as I don't know/connect with their character well enough! More characters may be added later on or even removed, so keep that in mind...)

Oh, one more thing! I appreciate everyone who's taken the time to read this, give it kudos/likes, and leave so many amazing comments!! I also encourage you to let me know what think and feel as you read. It not only motivates me, but it also helps me figure out where I may need to improve, and while this is mainly self-indulgent, I want other people to be able to enjoy it as well!

Anyways, I'll stop boring you now and just say... I really appreciate you all and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing so much love and support!!! That's all and I hope you enjoy!

*.ﾟ+ヽ(○･▽･○)ﾉﾞ +.ﾟ*

▪︎☆°○°☆ Playlist ☆°○°☆▪︎

[This is currently in progress and this work is also under major editing! You may notice very slight or big changes in every chapter (the addition or removal of scenes, grammar/spelling errors, etc...) and I thank you all for taking the time to read. Thank you~]

Your eyes slowly open, blinking a few times as they try to adjust to the bright light of the sun shining overhead. You find yourself lying on the ground in a serene setting, but something feels off. There's a slight gust of wind as you push yourself up to take a moment to assess your surroundings, noticing that you are surrounded by an expansive plain of lush green fields stretching out as far as the eye can see, with forests and mountains dotting the horizon.

This place is not familiar; you don’t recognize a single piece of this land.

You're sitting just off of a dirt road, underneath a lone tree that has kept watch and somewhat protected you from the elements while you were unconscious. Confusion floods your mind as you try to recall how you ended up here. But to your dismay, your memory is as blank as a canvas, devoid of any recollection of the past. The absence of any recognizable landmarks or signs leaves you feeling disoriented and isolated. Panic begins to creep in, and questions buzz inside your mind like a swarm of bees.

Where are you?

How did you get here?

And more importantly... who are you?

You are only able to recall your first name... but anything more than that is a complete mystery.

You groan as you sit up even more and try to move, but your head begins pounding, and your leg feels incredibly sore. You must have been here for quite some time as you try to straighten out your leg from the uncomfortable way it was bent, feeling pinpricks as circulation rushes back into the limb. You also notice that your blouse and pants are fairly dirty, with a few places scuffed up but luckily not torn. Your throat feels dry and scratchy, and you're left to wonder just how long you've been out here.

Sighing, you try once more to stand up, but seeing as your leg won’t cooperate just yet, you give up on that thought and opt to just sit there with a dejected frown for the time being. You want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, so you pray that, by some miracle, someone will come along to help you, and you can only hope that it's someone you know. But seeing as you have absolutely no idea where you are currently or who you even are, you try to keep your expectations low.

It seemed like luck was on your side in some form, as a loud squawk rings in the distance, sounding an awful lot like the call of a crow, which is then followed by a few yells that were most definitely human. You squint and spot the ebony-feathered bird flying up above in the distance, then cast your eyes downward to find a figure running below it, both of them heading right in your general direction. It sounds like a man given by the way their voice sounds as they yell, but it doesn't matter to you whether they are a man or woman, as you just want to get help. Hope flares in your chest as they seem to finally spot you, veering off of the dirt road to swiftly make their way straight towards you.

The crow lets out another loud caw and circles the air overhead as it reaches you, the man not far behind it. He's wearing some kind of uniform, with a black and green checkered coat. His hair looks to be a dark reddish brown, which is swept back but slightly messy, with a few looser pieces framing the sides of his face. As he gets even closer, you also take notice of a plum-sized scar on his forehead, and dangling from his ears are a pair of rectangular earrings that swing with every step he takes, your eyes drawn to the interesting pattern.

As he bounds over, he shouts once again, and you are slow to realize that he must be speaking to you because he's looking right at you and waving his hands... however, you don't understand a single word that escapes his mouth.

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

You tilt your head forward, furrowing your brows, as you try your hardest to understand what he's saying. Even as you strain to take in every syllable with immense concentration, not a single word makes sense to you as your brain tries to pick them apart and put them together again.

Why couldn't you understand him?

Did you hit your head really hard?

"It's a good thing my crow spotted you! It seemed like you might need help. What..." He comes to a halt in front of you, his words trailing off as his eyes quickly scan you up and down, confusion mixing with the concerned look in his eyes. He has never seen someone like you before. A sheepish smile breaks out as he stops himself from staring, scratching his head. He quickly crouches down to your level, and his tone grows worried as he looks at you more closely, but he speaks softly so as not to scare you. "Ummm, are you okay? I apologize if this may seem rude, but why are you... here? Did something happen?"

You keep trying to focus and dissect the words, but still... nothing.

You shake your head, and the hope you had felt before dwindles down with nothing but a few sparks remaining. This... was not good. You don't know what he's saying; the words sound completely foreign to you, which could only mean that he was in fact speaking another language right now and that you didn't hit your head so hard that you forgot your own language. Considering that you are very much mentally and physically lost, this was not how you wanted this scenario to unfold, and the realization that you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with a stranger that doesn't speak the same language only adds to the turmoil in your mind right now.

"I... I don't know what you're saying," you say slowly, the words catching in your throat as you speak for what felt like the first time.

He appears a little shocked when he hears your own voice. You not only looked different, but you also spoke differently. His confusion and curiosity grow by the second as he continues to observe you. It's not every day that he comes across a foreigner. Sitting back on his heels, he looks to the sky and gains the attention of his crow by waving his arm around and calling out to it, and the bird swoops down to land on the outstretched limb.

Once he starts to speak to the bird, your hope of being saved from this peculiar situation you've found yourself in dwindles even further, until there's nothing left.

This whole thing was starting to become a little too much for you to process right now, especially in your current state. You are most definitely dehydrated and probably haven't eaten in a while, so your energy levels are extremely low and you feel weak. You desperately need to get things figured out right now, but how can he help you if you don't speak the same language, let alone understand each other? Not to mention... he's talking to a bird, and you’re pretty sure that that is not normal. He turns to you and speaks again, giving you a puzzled look, but all you do is just stare back at him. Only when he makes a gesture with his free hand by opening and closing his fingers together as he mouths words to you do you get an idea as to what he may be trying to say right now.

"Uhh, do you… want me to speak?"

The crow perched on his arm watches you intently, its wings flapping up as it caws loudly after you speak. You grimace at the loud noise, growing a little agitated when it makes the pounding in your head worse, but it's quickly forgotten in a moment. You're absolutely shocked and intrigued when the crow starts speaking as well, and not in just any language, but in English nonetheless!

"Girl, not from here? English! English is what you speak, yes?!"

"W-What?! Yes, correct... how did—"

Before you can even finish your sentence, though, the crow caws loudly once again and then speaks to the man in the other language, which your brain is now finally recognizing as Japanese.

Wait...

Japanese?

Then does that mean you are in Japan?

Why are you here, and more importantly, how did you get here?

The man rubs his chin thoughtfully as he nods along to the bird speaking to him, then turns his attention back to you. "Ehh... English?" he stammers a little, his brows slightly furrowed as he gazes at you.

You dumbly stare at him, your mind a little slow to catch up to what he had just said, but once it clicks, you nod and quickly try to get up in your newfound excitement. But the rushed movements cause you to clench your jaw and settle back down after causing some pain and discomfort to your tired and aching body. However, with the flames of hope rekindled, you can't stop grinning and ignore the pain.

Yes!

Maybe there is a chance that you'll find your way out of this confusing situation and figure out who you even are, how you ended up here, and where you live so that you could possibly go back home.

He notices the way you subtly wince in pain and fretfully raises his hands in concern, a frown making its way onto his face as he stops you from moving any more. He swiftly stands back up and holds his hands out towards you, lightly pushing them forward in a gesture for you to take hold. Instead of watching you try to painfully get up on your own, he's offering to help you. He's patient as you hesitate for a moment, slowly placing your hands in his as you look up at him momentarily to give him a curt nod, signaling that you are ready to stand up. He hoists you up with a lot more ease than you were expecting and keeps you steady with one of his hands lightly sliding to your arm. He loosens his grip around your joined palms, but he doesn't release his hold entirely so that you don't lose your balance and fall over.

"Thank you..." you mumble.

After a painfully awkward and very silent minute, you lightly pull away to give the hint that you feel strong enough to stand on your own now. He lets go of you with a small smile, happy that you seem to be fine for now. You can practically see the gears turning in his mind as he then looks off to the side for a moment. He slightly startles you as he suddenly perks up and turns back towards you with two fingers pointed down, making what appears to be a walking motion. You're quick to understand the gesture, so you give another short nod and grin a little as he eagerly nods along.

You're still a little shaky after being on the ground for so long, so you sway a little as you both start to walk, but he's quick to offer his arm for you to hold onto for support. Although you don't want to lean on a stranger so much, you're much too tired to be rejecting the support he's so kindly offering, so you reluctantly grasp onto him in fear of falling down and potentially hurting yourself even more. With your hands firmly secured around his bicep, you carefully walk away from the tree and head towards the dirt road. It proves to be a little difficult as the ground is uneven, and your legs are still trying to get used to being active again after who knows how long you've been out, but you slowly start to get the hang of it. As he continues to help you walk forward, you become lost in your thoughts once more. The dragging of your feet as well as the subtle change in your scent catch his attention.

He suddenly stops walking, turning to face you as his expression shifts, quietly observing you. His gaze holds a gentle kind of warmth that you're entirely unfamiliar with, sympathy and genuine care gleaming from within deep pools of red, and for some reason... you don't think that you've ever had such kindness directed at you before. Not even from a person that you might have known in the past. And yet, here he was—a total stranger—looking at you as if you had value... as if... you actually mattered.

Why...?

How can someone be so gentle, compassionate, and warm?

You don't know why, but those thoughts and feelings nearly make you want to cry; however, you manage to hold yourself together and maintain eye contact for just a few more moments. But it almost feels too intimate to have someone look at you in such a way, as if they were trying to look past what was right in front of them and peek into your very soul. And you don't believe that your soul was meant to be viewed with such closeness and care; it makes you nervous, something deep down inside telling you that you weren't worthy of such things. So, you quickly look away and try to appear as nonchalant as you possibly can. But you're unaware that he has a keen sense of smell, although your scent is very faint, and he's able to pick up on your emotions right now, which are a swirling mix of confusion, anxiety, fear, and sadness…

He’s always been so sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others, and you were no exception, even if you were harder to read.

He glances in the direction that he was heading in earlier before coming across you, then his gaze slowly falls back onto you. You were clearly very lost, so he couldn't just leave you here. Not that he planned on doing so anyway. He’s hoping to find a nearby village or town where you might be able to receive better help, as he was heading to a mission and needed to focus on it, but you would be safe with him for the time being. And even though you don't understand each other, he thinks it would be best to make sure that you are okay with following him. Seeming to have luck communicating with you by using his hands and making simple gestures before, he tries once more to get your attention and convey his intentions.

"Do you," he begins by pointing at you, then pointing to himself, "want to follow me? I'm on my way to a mission, but maybe we can find a place along the way and you can get help?" He makes the same walking motion as before as he continues to speak, then points at you again before holding his hand up to his chest and clenching his fist. "You can accompany me, and I'll make sure you're safe until then."

You watch his actions intently. While spoken words may be difficult to understand, body language is fairly easy to decipher if you pay close enough attention, which is exactly what you do. And you think that you get the gist of what he is trying to tell you. He must be asking you to follow him, and while he is a stranger and you should probably be much more wary, you are extremely tired, weak, and very much lost. You have no idea where to go from here. But he most likely knows where the closest town or city is located, so it only makes sense to follow him. He's also been very kind and helpful thus far; he didn't have to go out of his way to help you, but he chose to spare his time to come check on you—a random person that he found laying on the ground in the middle of nowhere—when he could have easily just minded his own business.

Sadly, not a lot of people would have shown as much sympathy as he has. If someone else had come across you, it's very likely that they would have just left you to rot there. So, you're quite lucky that he was the one to find you. As you see it, there really isn't any other option, so you nod and give a quick thumbs up. He grins once more and slowly leads you down the road, heading in the direction of his mission and where you will hopefully find a village on the way.

After around half an hour of walking, a bunch of shouts and wails can be heard in the distance. You both frown and slightly pick up the pace, curious to find out where the noise is coming from. The shouting gets closer as you make it to the top of a little hill, and you see two figures in the middle of the road, about one hundred yards away from where you stand. It appears to be a woman and a man; he's dressed all in yellow and orange, and his hair is just as brightly colored. He's on the ground, his hands clinging to the woman's clothing as he appears to grovel at her feet. The woman, on the other hand, seems frazzled, and it looks like she's trying to shake him off without having to get too physical, but to no avail.

"I'm begging you, please, marry me! I'll die any day now, and I don't want to die alone!!"

Was this… a lover's quarrel?

In the middle of nowhere?

You and the man with the checkered coat briefly glance at each other, confusion sweeping over your faces.

"What on earth...?" he mumbles to himself.

"Marry meeeee," the man in the distance warbles pathetically. The woman tries to break away from his grasp, but he doesn't budge. "Please, find it within your heart to give me a chance before I inevitably die!!"

A little sparrow quickly flies over, chirping wildly as it lands on your new companion's hand. It seems distressed as it hops around in his palm, its small wings flapping about frantically. This causes a look of concern to cross his face.

"Yes...?" His brows shoot up as its chirps grow more desperate. "Huh...? Okay, I'll try to help!"

Was he... talking to the little bird? First the crow, and now this?

The crow was easier to accept because it actually talked like a person, but this sounded like your average sparrow. You must be going crazy or something because last time you checked, humans and birds did not speak to each other, but he somehow understood them. Little did you know that his ability to understand them was linked with his heightened sense of smell; he is able to perceive things outside of the normal range of perception, such as the feelings and thoughts of other living things.

So, he could understand animals if he really concentrated.

He takes off with the little, round-shaped bird, and you rush after him, not wanting to be left behind. Once he gets close enough to the couple, he promptly grabs onto the back of the man's attire, effectively cutting off his wailing as he drags him away from the woman.

His voice is still mellow, even as he rebukes the man with a rather cross look. "What are you doing? Why are you making such a scene in the middle of the road?! She's clearly not interested in you! Also, you're stressing your sparrow out! So could you please stop this nonsense?!"

The man chokes on air after being yanked away from the woman so suddenly. Your new companion looks down at him with a scowl as the man cries and yells even more while trying to grab the woman again. She turns her face away and takes a step back, ignoring his pleas. He blubbers incoherently, tears streaming down his face as he rambles on. But clearly, whatever he was blubbering about was somewhat comprehensive, as the woman immediately screeches very angrily and points her finger at him. She looks like she wants to leap over and smack him as she clenches her fists by her sides, but she miraculously holds herself back.

After a few moments, your companion slowly releases the other man as he seems to calm down a little.

The blond stares at him with a tilt of his head as he's released, sniffling pitifully and wiping at his nose. "Wait... that uniform," his eyes widen a fraction, and he gasps, "aren't you the guy from... Final Selection? I know you!"

"What?" Your companion's face twists. "Don't go pretending like we know each other, cause we don't.. 'kay? You're not getting out of trouble by trying to associate with me."

"HUAAAGH?! But.. we have met! Don’t you remember?! I was standing right by your side at Final Selection as we chose which ore to have our blades forged with! Don't get angry at me when you're the one with a terrible memory!!"

You zone out and look over at the other woman, who has quickly been forgotten now that the two men were too caught bickering with each other. You catch her eye, and she gives a strained smile, so you offer one back. Her expression was one that all women could unfortunately understand at one point or another in their lives; it was the look of a woman who has been dealing with a man for far longer than she'd like. She was trying her best to be polite, but it only made matters worse, and he wasn't taking the hint that she was not interested.

Some men were absolutely clueless and persistent, and as she glared at the blonde who was still arguing with your new companion, you knew without a doubt that she felt he was insufferable and she wanted nothing more than to strangle him. With a quick glance at the men, you turn back to her and nudge your head to the side, wordlessly telling her that this was her chance to leave now without being noticed. She gives another smile, slightly bowing her head as she quickly and quietly walks away and heads down the road.

You turn back to the men and become startled as the blonde suddenly realizes that the woman is leaving, yelling once again. You're not sure how his vocal cords haven't given up yet, it's almost impressive how loud he is.

"HANG ON, WHERE IS SHE GOING?!!! HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE! THAT GIRL WAS MADLY IN LOVE WITH ME!! THE TWO OF US WERE GONNA GET MARRIED!!!"

He tries to follow her, but he's stopped once again as your companion sighs in exasperation. "Would you give it a rest already... she wasn't in love with you!"

"How do you know? And why'd you have to get in my way?! This had nothing to do with you!" When your companion only stares at him with a strange look akin to disgust, it sets the blonde off into hysterics. "Why are you looking at me like that?! STOOOP IT!!!! You're staring at me like I'm some sort of pitiful creature or something!! Now, you listen here! The reason I missed out on getting married is all your fault, so you owe me!"

A gust of wind blows by and causes you to shiver, your arms shifting up to wrap around you in a weak attempt to warm yourself back up. Suddenly, the man seems to teleport right in front of you and clings onto your legs, shaking his head around as he squeals in delight. You gasp and swing your arms in a circular motion as you try to stay upright and not fall over from how abruptly he attached himself to you.

"Woahhh, so cute! Where have you been all my life?! Please… I beg of you!! You're the only hope I have left of not dying alone!! I promise I'll be the best husband you could ever have if you could just give me a chance!!"

As quickly as he was latched onto your legs, he's just as quickly removed when your companion snatches him back with incredible speed.

He raises his voice more sternly than before as he scolds him for his behavior. "Hey, don't grab at her like that!"

The man in green looks a little frustrated and displeased at having to restrain the blonde so much, but the man doesn't seem to hear him or care as he continues to reach out for you. He manages to slip free for a split second, almost grabbing you a second time, but your ‘hero’ quickly intervenes once again by jumping in front of you and blocking the man with a deeply disapproving scowl. They collide, bumping heads, and the blond collapses ungracefully and lets out a yelp as he lands on his backside.

"Agh! Go away! Stop interfering with my proposals! Just who do you think you are?!" The blond screeches, pointing an accusing finger at him as he scrambles back up. "What exactly is your name anyway, huh?!"

"My name is Tanjiro Kamado," he states with a hand on his chest. "And you are?"

"Okay, Tanjiro Kamado, my name is Zenitsu Agatsuma! Now, go away and let us get married in peace! I need her to be my wife, so I don't die as a complete nobody!!"

"No!" Tanjiro makes a face, pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes at Zenitsu while he crosses his arms. "Aren't you being a bit dramatic? Why did you even become a swordsman, anyway? You're acting utterly pathetic right now..."

"Well, I got conned by a woman and racked up a lot of debt. The old geezer who took it over for me happened to be a tough-as-nails instructor! He made me train to the bone every day; it was so hellish, I just wanted to die!! I was hoping it'd happen during Final Selection, but since I survived, this nightmare continues to haunt me! You see, I'm not that strong, and I'm absolutely terrified of fighting, and you know what we fight... right? Demons! I don't want to fight demons—I'm going to be eaten!" He grabs at his hair and pulls on it, shaking uncontrollably while biting on his lip. "I don't want to die alone, so that's why I have to marry a beautiful woman before my inevitable death happens!"

"That's— Um, well..." Tanjiro sighs and shakes his head. "Look, I'm sure you aren't going to die. You're a lot stronger than you may think. I mean, you've made it this far, right? You passed the Final Selection, so that has to prove something!"

"Yeah, I guess..." Zenitsu replies hesitantly, not fully sharing Tanjiro's optimism. "It was just dumb luck..."

They stare at each other for a few moments before they seem to calm down even more, turning their attention back to you. You feel so awkward standing there, not understanding a single thing that has been going on. And the guy who was yelling and crying at your feet just a few seconds ago now stares at you with a curious sort of gleam in his eyes. His voice is more slow and quiet, a startling contrast compared to before, as he squints and leans around both sides of your figure, closely observing your features.

"Hey, now that I really look at her, she doesn't exactly look like she's from here...? Who is she? Where is she from? Why are you two together?"

"I... actually don't know..." Tanjiro rubs the back of his neck as he smiles sheepishly. "My crow spotted her out in a field a while ago, and she seemed lost, so I'm watching over her while I head to my next mission. I'm hoping there's a place along the way where she can receive proper help." He then glances at you, his tone questioning. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name before. Could you tell us?"

You blink, and you imagine your face gives away your confusion because he tries asking you again in a much slower manner, trying his best to get you to understand what he was asking, but it doesn't help much—you still have no clue what he is saying. It hits you once again just how lost you are, and the frustration of not being able to properly communicate with anyone is really starting to get to you.

Even though you are in the presence of two other people right now, you've never felt more alone. You don’t know these men at all. You don't know anyone. You don't know this place. And worst yet, you don't even really know yourself right now. But what you do know is that you're tired. Everything also aches. And you just really want to go home.

Tanjiro's eyes widen slightly, his expression morphing into one of surprise and mild panic. You don't realize that you've started to cry until he cautiously steps closer and looks at you with a worried expression. The tears slowly slide down your face, and you wipe at them with shaky hands, your breaths coming out uneven and choppy.

"AHHH," Zenitsu yells loudly. "WHY IS SHE CRYING?! W-WHAT HAPPENED?! DID—"

He abruptly stops when Tanjiro turns around, placing a finger over his lips to shush him before giving you his full attention once again. He tries his best to soothe you by very cautiously putting his hands on your shaking shoulders and gently patting them while he leans down to try and get a better look at your face. But you're reluctant to let him fully look at you as you cry, stubbornly keeping your head held down to cover your expression.

"Are you okay...?" he asks softly. "Are you feeling alright?"

Even though he knows you won't answer because you can't understand him, he still felt the need to ask, but you likely wouldn't have answered him anyway, even if you did. And even if that were the case, he wouldn't have taken it personally; he could understand that you are likely very stressed and not in a talkative mood given your situation.

He just wants to make sure that you're fine, at least in the physical sense... as you clearly weren't feeling all that well on the psychological side of things. He has yet to detect the strong, distinct metallic smell of blood, which was a good sign that you had no vital injuries. But he leans back with his eyes sweeping over you from head to toe, just to be sure, because he wasn't able to fully pick up your scent before. After a quick scan confirms your well-being, he speaks once again, hoping to mitigate your growing emotions.

"Hey, everything will be fine; don't worry. I'm here to help, okay? Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out!"

When your quiet crying slowly turns into full-blown sobbing, his face falls with growing uncertainty. He's come across some emotional people throughout his life, but he found himself feeling unsure of what to do in this situation. He's dealt with emotional people before, whether he knew them or not; he had a fairly big family with a couple of younger siblings growing up, so he was no stranger to random tantrums or crying outbursts—although they were few and far between. With that said, he had some experience and seemed to have a knack for making people feel better, so he's taken it upon himself to try his best to comfort you in this moment.

But... how does he comfort someone when there are language barriers?

Not to mention, there may be cultural differences in what is considered acceptable conduct—especially between the opposite sexes. He has no idea where you're from. While most people were more private and reserved in his culture, it wasn't completely taboo to get close to or even touch a stranger with the means to console them in a respectable manner. But you aren't from here, so he worries if he's allowed to try doing anything more than simply placing his hands on your shoulders, even though his intentions are well-meaning. He truly doesn't want to make you uncomfortable, but he feels as if he has to do something, so he tentatively moves closer while opening his arms in a manner suggesting an attempt to bring you into a light, albeit rather awkward hug.

His movements are rather slow, giving you the time to react and reject his (rather bold for him) advances. But you don't dodge his encroaching figure and allow him to move forward. He figures if you haven't pushed him away by now, then this was probably fine and you weren't too uncomfortable with the close proximity. And the fact that he doesn't smell anything that would suggest you were afraid eases his mind a little more, even if your scent was harder to pick up than most.

You let him close the distance and bring you into his arms, not caring that he or the other man are witnessing an embarrassing little meltdown. But who could blame you? You're confused, tired, and lost, with no real memories of who you even are. Anyone would be overwhelmed and overcome by the torrent of emotions you're currently dealing with in this situation. You can't seem to stop the tears from falling, nor do you have the energy to try, so you give in to the growing tide of emotions and pull yourself closer as you cry into his shoulder.

The poor man was probably very confused and uncomfortable, but you remind yourself that he was the one to initiate the consoling embrace in the first place. And even if he had reservations about it, he wasn't doing anything to stop you from soaking the thin fabric of his uniform as you clung to him, so you don't put too much energy into worrying about it. The longer you stand there in his hold, the better you actually start to feel. Like before, his presence is very… soft and warm, and the pressure of his arms loosely wrapped around you was comforting.

It was rather… nice.

His quiet demeanor keeps you somewhat grounded and allows you a moment to self-regulate. You didn't feel trapped or have any lingering sense of unease with being so close to a stranger—a man, no less—and there was no impression of judgment or discrimination. He just felt safe to be around, so you slowly begin to relax until you've calmed down enough to take a few deep breaths and finally step away, releasing your tight hold of his clothing as you keep your eyes downcast.

You are a little embarrassed for clinging to him and crying like that, but oh well...

Ever so slowly, you glance back up at him for a brief moment, your gaze bouncing to the other man as you sniffle and wipe at your face. "Sorry about that..."

Zenitsu puts a finger in his ear and twists it. "Huh... what? I didn't understand her at all! Wait, are my ears still working, or does she not speak Japanese?!" He stares at you and starts shouting as he maneuvers closer to speak directly to you. "Hey, what language are you speaking?! Where did you come from?! I haven't met very many foreigners before! Whatever it is, it sounds nice! Do you—"

You can feel the tears trying to surface again as he continues yelling in your face. Damn it, not again! You don't get the feeling that he's yelling at you—not in the way that would suggest he's angry or anything—no, you could tell he's just a very loud and enthusiastic person. But apparently you are quite sensitive to someone yelling directly in your face, because it starts to overwhelm you to the point of making you want to cry again.

It was like some kind of subconscious impulse. You have no idea why you're reacting this way; he wasn’t acting scary or mean, but you can't help it, and you feel so pathetic. You feel weak and frustrated. And you're more than sure it's just as frustrating for them to try and deal with a random lady who's become a blubbering mess, and not only that, but someone who doesn't even speak their language. The tears start to fill your lash line once again, and you try your best to keep it under control.

"Ah, no, it's okay!" Tanjiro frets, waving his hands around and shooting the blonde a subtle glare to stop him from rambling on. "Please, don't cry… I really apologize if we did something to upset you!"

He bows down low to the ground, and Zenitsu squeaks as he quickly follows suit. You don't quite know how to react. This was all so confusing, and you were almost at your wits end trying to make sense of anything. But they looked a little nervous and frazzled themselves, which momentarily took your focus away from the building pressure inside of you that was threatening to burst.

You blink a few times, your voice a little strained. "Uhh...? No, no... please, don't do that!"

Admittedly, you don't know a lot about their culture, but from what little information you are able to recall, bowing was generally used as a form of greeting, reverence, apology, or gratitude in social or religious situations. You have no idea how you know that, as you don't remember ever being in a situation that would include the customs of Japan, but you do. Anyway, you did not want them bowing to you. It didn't feel right, and given the context, you didn't feel as if they needed to apologize for anything. They lift their heads at the distressed sound of your request, watching as you grab at their arms to make them stand back up.

"I'm sorry," you sigh morosely. "I don't know what's going on... I don't know where I am. I'm tired and overwhelmed. And I just—"

You slump down as your body seems to give up, having no will to stand hip anymore. You don't finish your sentence and fall silent, except for the occasional sniffle as you try to regulate your breathing once again. Both of them react quickly as they help you back onto your feet, waving their arms around with strained smiles. They look between you and each other, unsure of what to do at this moment. Neither side could understand each other. It was a tough situation to be in, but they had to keep trying to communicate with you somehow; otherwise, none of you would get anywhere.

Tanjiro has found that communication isn't successful with only words alone; that was proven earlier when he had gotten you to understand him, if only a little bit, when he had used his hands to make signs as he spoke. With that in mind, he stands in front of you again and asks the same question he had asked before, but this time he points to himself while saying, "Tanjiro Kamado," and then pointing back at you.

He keeps repeating himself slowly, trying his best to help you understand that he is giving you his name and that he's also asking for yours. He desperately wants to help you, now more so that your scent has somewhat grown stronger and he's able to pick up how frustrated and lonely you feel.

You blink a few times, your face slightly scrunching up in concentration. He'd said the same thing earlier, except this time he was pointing at himself as he repeated a few words, which sounded like, 'Tan-jiro Kama-doh'.

Was that maybe... his name?

You hope so. It sort of made sense. And with him also pointing at you, could that mean he was asking for your name? You swallow the lump in your throat, desperately hoping that's what he was trying to get at; otherwise, you fear there truly may be no hope of communicating and getting the help that you need.

You'd be lost forever, alone...

Maybe that was an exaggeration, but you weren’t in the most optimistic or brightest of moods right now. Sure, you might get help eventually, but you want to figure things out as soon as possible. You can't stand being in a constant state of confusion and uncertainty—it would drive anyone mad. And the thought of being completely lost, with little to no memories or real knowledge of how to survive on your own, absolutely terrifies you...

You take in a shaky breath, pursing your lips. "Are you asking for my name?"

You sound a little unsure as you point at yourself, but you try to keep your nerves down as you wait to see if he somehow understands you. His eyes light up as you do that, and he nods enthusiastically as he repeats, 'Tanjiro Kamado,' while pointing at himself, then pointing back at you with an expectant gleam. You can only assume from his reaction that the both of you have understood what each other was trying to say, so you finally smile a little in hope.

Well, here goes nothing...

"My name... is Y/n..." You speak slowly at first, enunciating as clearly as you can while pointing at yourself.

You also repeat yourself a few times, and he smiles wider as he echoes it, committing it to memory. As the smile on your own face begins to grow, he points back at himself and repeats his own name a few more times, wanting to make it as clear as possible between you both as to who you are. It wasn't much, but being able to communicate and understand each other, if only a little, was enough to make you excited.

He then turns to the other man, speaking for a few moments before having him do the same thing, which the man does happily. You feel a little lighter now that you at least know their names—Tanjiro and Zenitsu. It's a lot better than referring to them by their appearances or how they acted. It helped you feel less lonely and scared, as they felt more personal now... more real, if that made any sense.

You let out a soft breath and smile in relief. Once they see that you look less agitated than before, they start speaking amongst themselves. You catch Tanjiro saying the word 'English,' and Zenitsu peers at you curiously while nodding along. You're definitely curious about what exactly they're talking about right now, but you don't pay much mind and continue standing off to the side, your eyes drifting up to the sky. After a few seconds, they finally stop and gain your attention again as Tanjiro clears his throat, while Zenitsu tilts his head as he looks at you both.

"Y/n-san... uhh, English?" Tanjiro asks curiously, trying his best to correctly pronounce the unfamiliar word on his tongue.

He just wanted to double-check what his crow had told him earlier. He smiles when you grin a little and nod, taking it as confirmation of what he had learned earlier.

Zenitsu perks up. "So...?"

"Well, it seems my crow was correct. She speaks English. I asked if he would be able to help translate earlier, but he said he couldn't speak it well—only understand."

"You said you were taking her with you, right?"

"Yes, do you think we'll be able to find anyone who speaks English?"

"Sure, but I highly doubt anyone all the way out here would know anything. Your best bet is probably in one of the bigger cities, although... they're a long way away. The closest one is about a four-day trek on foot from here."

Tanjiro hums in thought, nodding along. "That is pretty far... and I have a mission I have to complete, but do you think you'll be able to lead us there afterwards, Zenitsu?"

"Yeah, of course! I couldn't just leave a fair lady in need of help! But if you're heading in that direction," he gestures to behind him, "then it'll probably take even longer."

"Well, that's fine. As long as we can find some towns along the way to recuperate, we should be okay." Tanjiro then turns back to you, smiling softly. "Y/n-san, will you follow us?"

All you can catch is your name, but once he points in the direction you were heading in earlier with him, you bob your head happily, as you knew what he was asking now. He wanted you to follow him, and it looked like Zenitsu was tagging along now. Tanjiro grins wider, and Zenitsu bounces on his feet with a little cheer, feeling excited to finally travel with other people after being on his own for a while. You laugh a little, and Zenitsu stops moving to stare at you with wide eyes.

This was the first time you didn't look so confused or upset since he met you. And he could hear you better now—your inner sound—which all living things had. Every person has their own unique sound, giving off different frequencies and vibrations depending on their thoughts and feelings. And yours had sounded off before; it was, for lack of a better word, pathetic and held a muted sort of overtone. But now... it was like listening to something soft yet light, like wind chimes tinkling in the breeze. His eyes sparkle as he brings his hands together, giggling to himself.

You had the most adorable laugh!

Sure, he thought you were quite cute before, but seeing you smile and listening to how happy you sounded right now made you even cuter in his eyes. Call him a fool, but he felt like he was in heaven. There's a dopey smile on his face as he looks at you and falls to your feet, and you can only look down at him perplexed, as you don't have a single clue as to what his deal was now.

"Waaah, she's so cute! It's an amazing honor to be in the mere presence of such a lovely lady~ Oh man, I could actually die happy if I was married to a girl like her. Wouldn't you agree, Tanjiro? Isn't she just the cutest?!"

You seriously have no clue what Zenitsu is suddenly raving on about, but now that he isn't crying and screaming every five seconds, he actually isn't all that bad. He was kind of strange, in an endearing sort of way, and fairly amusing to listen to so you found yourself laughing a little more at his theatrics. You notice Tanjiro looks a little caught off guard by whatever Zenitsu was saying, though, your eyes flickering between them curiously.

"Huh...? Uhmm, yes...? I mean... I can agree, she is cute," he mumbles honestly, scratching at his cheek.

Zenitsu is still giggling to himself, rolling around on the ground, but he stops abruptly when Tanjiro's words register in his head, his grin suddenly dropping as he stares at him with a blank face. "So... you think she's cute, too, huh..."

"Ah, well—"

"Listen here!! I asked her to marry me first! You got that?!! I can forgive you for ruining my first proposal, but I will never forgive you for trying to take her for yourself, alright?!?"

Tanjiro accidentally makes eye contact with you as Zenitsu starts wildly yelling at him, and his eyes flash with the slightest bit of panic and embarrassment before he quickly looks away, his shoulders tensing up. He faces Zenitsu again, waving his hands around frantically.

"Zenitsu, slow down! That's not what I meant at all! There’s no way I would marry her! No, I mean... it's not that I wouldn't marry her because she isn’t cute—she is... b-but that's not the point," he rambles on, trying to backtrack, but Zenitsu continues to glare at him. "I was just agreeing that she is attractive! But I wouldn't try to marry her, especially just for her appearance! I would actually like to get to know someone and eventually marry for love..!"

He stands still, completely stiff, staring straight ahead with an awkward grimace as he finishes his proclamation. He looks beyond flustered with whatever their conversation is about, which only makes you wonder what was going on.

Damn, you wish you could understand them.

It's silent for just a few seconds before it's broken once again by Zenitsu screeching, "WHHHHAAAT?! LOOOOOVE?!?!?! DID YOU JUST SAY THAT YOU LOVE HER?!?!"

"N-No! I just met her!" Tanjiro chokes as Zenitsu grabs him by the collar and starts shaking him around. "Where did you get that idea?! I couldn't love her! Well, not that I couldn't... who knows what will happen, r-right? I'm just saying if I got to know her—or anyone, really—and fell in love, then it would only make sense to get married! Aghh, b-but I don't mean that it will happen!! It could, but— I was just agreeing… I was just—"

Tanjiro finally snaps his mouth closed, his cheeks dusted a bright red as he quickly turns away and slips out of Zenitsu's grasp, trying to escape his unreasonable wrath. He was done with this conversation now, feeling slightly awkward and uncomfortable. He doesn't understand where Zenitsu was getting all these ideas, but he wasn't going to play into it and make matters worse by trying to explain himself.

He wasn't blind and could recognize attractive-looking people, so he simply agreed with Zenitsu—you were in fact cute. But the thought of love and marriage has not once crossed his mind. Why would it? And it's not like he doesn't like you, because he already likes you; it's just not in the same way that Zenitsu does. He just met you! The way that he sees it, he can appreciate the outward beauty of a person, but what he truly admires about someone is what lies in their heart, and it takes some time to get to really know someone.

He refuses to base his feelings on the shallowness of appearance alone.

Although there was a time when he was younger, living with his family on a mountain, he briefly thought about his future when he got older. It wasn't entirely true that he never thought about love or potentially getting married someday; he did think about that, and it was something he hoped to achieve in his life at some point.

But that was a long time ago... and things are a lot different now.

True, he is older now and right around the age where many people start getting serious about their future, but he's much too busy to even think about pursuing a relationship with someone right now. Not to mention, he didn't even know if he'd be alive in the next couple of years, seeing as he was a Demon Slayer. People die all the time; it's not a guarantee how long you'll get to live, but the risks that came with his occupation meant he could very well die at any given moment, and his death would likely not be a peaceful one.

Right now, he could only think about doing his duty as a Demon Slayer, finding a cure for his little sister, who was turned into a demon, and defeating the very demon who had turned their lives upside down by shredding their entire family apart with cold, bloody claws...

...Muzan Kibutsuji...

He doesn't want to think too much about any of this, so he shakes his head and starts marching off, ignoring Zenitsu, who's still spouting nonsense. "Come on guys, let's go!"

You don't know what they were talking about, but you found it amusing nonetheless. Their faces were pretty comical. You gather your bearings and try to catch up to Tanjiro, who's hastily walking away, and Zenitsu quickly follows close behind, finally quieting down and allowing a moment of silence to hang over your small group. You don't know where you're going, but you trust them enough to follow them, as they truly seem like good people.

Besides, they were the only people that you know right now, and you definitely aren't going to go out on your own, especially since you can't speak Japanese.

Though the path ahead remains uncertain, you take solace in the fact that you are not alone and won't have to fend for yourself in unknown territory. You were going to stick with them, and with the help of these two kind-hearted, albeit peculiar men, you hope to unravel the mystery that has enveloped your existence and reclaim the fragments of your memory. So, with a newfound hope, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and you set out on a journey together. You have a feeling that things are only going to get more interesting from here on out. You smile lightheartedly, excited to see where this new path takes you in life. A warmth and sense of peace wash over you.

This was just the beginning...

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

Taisho Secrets

* The Kasugai crows are specially trained birds, as they are the main method of communication among the members of the Demon Slayer Corps. English is one of the many things that they may choose to learn, although it is fairly basic, as they will rarely encounter people who speak the language. Tanjiro's crow was one of the few to pass the test with flying colors (compared to some of the others…) and can understand the language quite well, however, his speech is somewhat limited.

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