Archive of Our Own

Nezuko slotted the final book into her backpack with a satisfying thunk. She had a couple of binders, a few notebooks, a pencil box, and all of the required textbooks for her classes arranged perfectly into her bag. 

She stood up and admired her handiwork. She was ready. Today was her first day of college classes, and she had made sure to be completely organized and prepared. 

Nezuko zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She patted her pockets to make sure she had her room key, and then headed out. 

“Leaving already? Don’t you have like half an hour until class starts?”

Nezuko looked over. Her roommate was lying on their bed and looking at Nezuko curiously. 

“Yeah, but it’s the first day of classes, so I want to make sure everything goes smoothly!”

“Wow, you’re so responsible. By the way, there’s a party happening tonight. Any chance you might want to come?”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. I want to make sure I get enough sleep.”

Her roommate stuck out their tongue. “What a party pooper. Well, have fun in class.”

“Thanks.”

Nezuko waved before opening the door and leaving. The sky was bright and clear, save for a few wispy clouds scattered across its vast blue span. The sun warmed her back as she walked through the school and took in the campus sights. Although she was starting to learn her way around, she was still in awe at how sprawling the campus was and how many different buildings there were. 

Nezuko wasn’t used to such a big, overwhelming place. She had grown up in a small town with her large family, so she hadn’t experienced much of the bigger city life. They weren’t very well off, and both her mom and brother had to work a lot to support the family after their father died, so she had decided to go to college to get a good job and help contribute. She wanted to take some of the burden off of her mom and brother’s shoulders. 

But even more than that, Nezuko wanted to experience something new. She hadn’t seen much outside of her small town. She wanted to see new things, try new things, create a new life for herself. This was a chance to start a new chapter.

Nezuko arrived at the classroom and cracked open the door. There was only one person there other than the professor. 

Maybe she had arrived a bit too early. Oh well, better early than late.

Nezuko walked in and claimed a seat. She set down her backpack and quickly took out her phone to shoot a quick text to her family.

Nezuko: Starting my first class of college!

Tanjiro: Good luck, Nezuko!

Mom: Everyone at home wishes you good luck!

Nezuko smiled and sent a quick thank you text before shutting off her phone and putting it back into her backpack. She sat and waited as people slowly began to file in. Excitement and nervousness began to boil and bubble in her stomach as class time inched closer and closer. Finally, after about 15 or 20 minutes, the professor walked to the front of the room and began to speak. 

“Welcome to English 101. I’ll start the class by talking a bit about myself, and then we can begin to discuss the syllabus. I’ll be passing that out in a second, but first…”

The professor continued to drone on. Nezuko took out a notebook and pencil to take notes and listened intently as the professor continued to talk about himself. 

However, her focus was soon broken as the door to the classroom opened. She looked over to see who the late student was, and her heart nearly stopped.

The girl had jet black hair tied into a ponytail on the side of her head and clipped with a butterfly pin. She had purpleish pink eyes that were still as a pond, and a small smile tinged with sweetness and a little something else. 

She was gorgeous. She looked like a doll, perfect and pretty, yet fragile and almost too flawless. She seemed like an angel, but for some reason Nezuko knew there was something more to her. There was something about her, something beneath that flawless surface, something in the way she carried herself that drew Nezuko in and lit her nerves on fire. 

It screamed trouble.

The girl made eye contact with Nezuko. Nezuko blushed and looked away. She was probably overthinking things.

Nezuko heard the girl’s soft footsteps as she walked through the room. Nezuko couldn’t stop her gaze from being drawn back to the girl. She sat down in the chair next to Nezuko and smiled. 

“What are we doing?”

“O-oh, we’re going to go over the syllabus after it gets passed out.”

The girl glanced down at the pencil in Nezuko’s hand and looked back up. “Do you have a spare pencil? I forgot to bring one.”

“Yeah, I can lend you one.”

Nezuko fished into her backpack for her pencil case and took out a pencil. She handed it to the girl.

“Here you go.”

The girl’s fingertips brushed over Nezuko’s as she took the pencil. Nezuko felt a spark travel through her body.

The girl smiled. “Thanks.”

Nezuko blushed. “N-no problem.”

Nezuko looked back up at the professor. She took notes as he went over key details of the syllabus, but her mind eventually began to wander as he went on long tangents. Her eyes drifted back over to the girl.

Her side profile was so pretty. At this angle, Nezuko could see different shades of purple in her eyes.

The girl looked over. She made eye contact and smiled at Nezuko before returning her attention to the front. 

Nezuko felt her heart do flips. She got caught, but… the girl didn’t really seem to mind. 

“And now that we’re done with the syllabus, I’d like you all to pair up and do a quick activity. Please read this passage that I’ve put up and discuss what you think the author is saying with your partner. We’ll take five to ten minutes to do so before sharing our answers.”

Nezuko took a moment to read over the passage, and then looked over at the girl. She was already looking at Nezuko.

“So… what thoughts did you have about the passage?” Nezuko asked. 

“I think it made a statement about the nature of love. Although it’s often presented as a romantic, idyllic experience, it can actually be extremely violent. One has to be vulnerable to be in love, which exposes one to pain and suffering. It is a very destructive force.”

Nezuko sat staring at the girl for a moment. She was surprisingly well spoken and insightful. Nezuko would be a bit blown away if she didn’t disagree.

“I can see where you’re coming from, but I understood it differently. I think the author is saying that although love can be tough sometimes, in the end it is always worth making yourself vulnerable. It’s a beautiful thing to open yourself up and have someone accept you. Closing yourself off will end up resigning you to a life of loneliness and solitude.”

Kanao looked at Nezuko. Her smile didn’t falter, but her eyes flashed with… curiosity? Perhaps even excitement?

Nezuko blushed. She was probably imagining things.

“Okay everyone, finish up your last thoughts and let’s reconvene for the group discussion.”

The girl gave Nezuko one last look and turned back to the front. They didn’t speak again until the group discussion ended and class was released.  

“Your pencil.”

Nezuko looked up. The girl was standing by her desk and holding out the borrowed pencil towards her. 

Nezuko gently grabbed it. “Thank you.”

The girl didn’t move. “I’m Kanao.”

“Oh!” She was introducing herself? “I’m Nezuko. It was nice to talk to you today.”

“Likewise.” Kanao smiled. “See you later.” She gave Nezuko one last look and walked away.

Nezuko felt her cheeks heat up. A cute girl sat next to her and talked to her on her first day of class? Things were really looking up.

Nezuko zipped up her backpack and stood up. Kanao’s smile flashed through her head.

She already couldn’t wait for the next class.

---------

Kanao didn’t show up to class consistently after the first day. She would miss days here and there, but when she was there, she would always sit next to Nezuko and be her partner for class activities. Even though she didn’t have the best attendance, she always had something insightful to say, and Nezuko always enjoyed their conversations. Nezuko found herself hoping for more, but she never had the courage to ask Kanao to hang out. 

Kanao was a step ahead of her, however.

“Class is dismissed.”

Nezuko let out a sigh and began to pack up her things. As she packed, she heard Kanao walk up to her desk. 

“Are you free tonight?”

Nezuko froze. She looked up at Kanao. 

“Am I free? Why do you ask?”

“I’m going out tonight. Do you want to come along?”

Nezuko’s heart skipped a beat. “Y-yes! I’d love to! Um… where are we going?”

“How about the diner near campus? Six o’ clock.”

“O—okay.”

Kanao smiled and turned to leave. Nezuko stared after her for a moment. 

Did that just happen? Did Kanao really just ask her out after she spent weeks agonizing over it? 

Was this a date?

Nezuko shook her head. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that she had finally gotten a chance to hang out with Kanao outside of class. She was going to have a good time, no matter what the nature of their meetup was!

Nezuko slipped on her backpack and walked back to her dorm, excitement fluttering in the skip of her feet. 

----------

Nezuko straightened out her outfit and patted her hair as she walked towards the diner. Although it was still bright out, a chill had begun to descend on the town and prick at Nezuko’s skin. The gentle nip helped to ground her as she tried to calm the butterflies flitting around her stomach. 

She was so nervous. She hadn’t ever been on a date before. She wasn’t even sure if this was actually a date. She had no idea what to wear, what to expect, or even what to feel. 

Nezuko took a deep breath as she stepped into the diner. It was your typical joint—slightly retro and dated, small but cozy, and filled with the sound and smell of sizzling grease. She was led to one of the booths and given a menu. Her foot tapped anxiously as she read over the dishes, her brain not taking in anything as she looked them over.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Nezuko finally caught sight of Kanao at the door. Her stomach lifted. 

“Were you waiting long?”

Nezuko shook her head. “Not at all.”

Kanao sat down and picked up a menu. Silence fell over them as they both perused the menu. After a few minutes, a waiter came over to take their orders, but silence soon fell upon them once more. 

Nezuko bit her lip. Was this silence bad? Was Kanao bored? Should she say something? What should she say? 

Words finally fell out of Nezuko’s mouth. “So, do you come to this place often?” Wow. Very imaginative.

“I come here sometimes.”

Nezuko waited for Kanao to continue, but she said nothing more. Ah, why was it suddenly so hard to hold a conversation?!

“Do you go out a lot?”

“I like to go out pretty frequently. I enjoy it a lot.”

“Oh, that’s cool.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve gone out with someone so pretty, though.”

Nezuko turned pink. “O-oh…” What the— Did she just—did she just flirt? 

Kanao looked completely unruffled, her usual small smile still unfaltering on her lips. How did she say that so matter of factly?

“U-um, uh… what else do you do outside of school? Do you have any hobbies?”

“I have my own car, and I like to work on it sometimes. I also like to play guitar and sing a bit, too.”

“Oh wow, that’s so cool!”

“If you ever want to hear, I don’t mind playing for you one day. I’m good at love songs.”

Nezuko’s face erupted in pink again. Was she doing this on purpose?

“Here’s your food.”

A waiter suddenly appeared by the table, saving Nezuko from her embarrassment. Nezuko and Kanao began to dig into their meals and continued with their small talk. After the initial clunkiness of their conversation, things were finally beginning to run more smoothly.

“…and so my brother headbutted the guy, and the guy was knocked out cold! He has the hardest head I’ve ever seen, just like our mom. It must be made of rock or something,” Nezuko said.

“Impressive.”

“Yeah, it’s really something. Do you have any funny childhood stories?”

Kanao looked away for a moment. “Well, not reall—”

“Hey ladies.”

Kanao stopped. A man was standing by their table. He was probably at least six feet tall and a few years older than them.

“Can I help you?” Nezuko asked.

“Why, yes you can. I just happened to notice how beautiful you are, and I was wondering if I could get your number.”

Discomfort pricked at her. “Thank you, but I’m not interested.”

The man leaned over. “Come on. You have nothing to lose, right? Just give me your number and go on one date. I promise I’ll change your world.”

Nezuko began to shrink in on herself. “I’m actually a le—"

“Leave.”

Nezuko and the man froze. She slowly looked towards Kanao. 

Kanao was no longer smiling. Her eyes were dark and dead serious, and her voice cut straight to the bone. Nezuko felt a chill run through her body.

“H-hey, I’m just trying to get a number here. Nothing wrong with that.” The guy tried to appear confident, but his voice had begun to quiver.

“She said she wasn’t interested. Leave.”

“No need to be so mean. Are you jealous, or something? I wouldn’t mind going out with you, either.”

Something in the air shifted. Nezuko felt an instinctual jolt of fear run through her. 

Kanao’s lips turned up into a cold, cruel smile. “Me? Go out with you? You have a lot of audacity.” She let out a laugh. “Clearly, you must be compensating for something. How sad.”  

The man’s eyes widened, and he took a step back. Kanao stood up and took a step towards him. 

“I suggest you leave, unless you would like to know how it feels to have your face so swollen you can’t even see.”

Kanao’s eyes glinted dangerously. The man swallowed and took another step back.

“O-okay, okay, I’ll leave! Sorry to bother you!” 

The man ran off. Kanao watched for a moment before turning back to Nezuko. The glint in her eyes had disappeared, and her smile turned sweet again. 

“It looks like we’re both done with our meals.” Kanao took out her wallet. “Do you want to take a ride in my car?”

Nezuko’s heart thumped frantically. The mood had shifted so quickly. Kanao always seemed so sweet, but when that man came up… it was like she was someone completely different. She was tough, dangerous, wild—

Intoxicating. 

Nezuko couldn’t deny she was scared, but this part of Kanao was new and exciting. It drew Nezuko in like the moon pulled in the tides, despite the fear keeping her anchored to the ground.

“I’d love to ride in your car.”

Kanao smiled. She took some money out of her wallet and placed it on the table before beckoning Nezuko to come with her. She followed, almost as if in a trance. 

Kanao walked out of the diner and towards the parking lot. She stopped in front of a shiny jet black car, vintage but clearly well taken care of. It had no roof, leaving the black leather seats exposed to the elements.

Kanao took out her keys and unlocked the car. “Take a seat,” she said as she opened the driver’s side door and climbed in. 

Nezuko tentatively opened the passenger’s side door and sat down. Once she had closed the door behind her, Kanao started up the car. The engine was loud, louder than most, and Nezuko could feel its thrum in her chest.

Kanao pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. She drove for a little bit, bringing them outside of the college town and into more rural areas. The road stretched before them, seemingly endless and eventually disappearing into the horizon, empty of cars for miles. 

The car began to speed up. Nezuko felt her stomach lift as they flew along the asphalt at even greater speeds. The scenery rushed past in a blur, and the wind whipped through Nezuko’s hair like a passing storm. 

It was fast. It was crazy. Maybe even a bit scary. 

But it was so, so freeing. 

Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. She was warm from excitement. She was cold from the wind. She felt like she was flying. She felt like she was falling.

She was experiencing so many things at once she didn’t even know how to feel, but she knew she couldn’t get enough. 

As Nezuko felt herself finally beginning to adjust to the rush, Kanao spoke. “Are you cold?”

Nezuko looked down at her arms. They had goosebumps. 

“Oh. I guess I am.”

“Give me one second.”

Kanao pressed a button, and then stood up in her seat. Nezuko’s eyes widened.

“Wait, Kanao, what are you doing? Aren’t we gonna crash?!”

“I put it on cruise control. We should be okay.”

“Are you sure about—”

“Here.”

Kanao had taken off her jacket and was holding it out for Nezuko. Nezuko’s cheeks grew warm, and she gently took it from Kanao’s grip and put it on. 

“Thank you.”

Nezuko looked up at Kanao. She was still standing up. Her hair had been blown out by the wind, her cheeks were pink from the cold evening air, and under the light of the setting sun her eyes glimmered with colors Nezuko had never even seen before. 

Nezuko gripped Kanao’s jacket. Her heart raced. She had never felt this way before. She’d never been this drawn to someone. No one had ever made her feel this giddy, this excited, this wild and untamed. 

This was the kind of feeling she had been looking for.

She let out a laugh. It bubbled from her chest and up her neck and spilled out of her mouth without warning.

Kanao looked over at her. 

“Enjoying yourself?”

“I’m more than enjoying myself.”

Kanao smiled. She looked back at the road and reveled in the feel of the evening air on her body for another moment before sitting back down. 

Nezuko didn’t know how much time had passed until they finally drove back to town and stopped at her dorm building, but it had long grown dark. The stars winked at them from above as they got out of the car and walked up to the entrance.

Nezuko stopped by the door. She bit her lip and averted her gaze from Kanao’s eyes.  

“Thank you for inviting me tonight. I had a great time.”

“Good.”

“If you want to, I—I would love to do this again sometime. If you don’t mind.”

“I would love to as well.”

“Great! Well…” Nezuko looked back at Kanao. She looked ethereal under the moonlight. Nezuko’s eyes flitted to Kanao’s lips for a moment before looking elsewhere.

Nezuko cleared her throat. “I guess I should be going back to my dorm now. I’ll see you in class.” She smiled and began to turn away.

“Hold on. There’s one last thing.”

Nezuko stopped. “Hm? What is it?”

Kanao leaned forward and pressed her lips against Nezuko’s. Before Nezuko even had a chance to return it, Kanao had pulled away. 

“See you later.” Kanao waved and walked away. Nezuko reached out towards the wall to steady herself.

Did she—she just—that was her first—she—aaaaaaaaaaaa

Nezuko let out a breath. She took a moment to compose herself. Kanao knew exactly how to sweep her off her feet, didn’t she?

Nezuko touched her lips. That really happened.

A small smile came to her face.

Well, now she knew that was definitely a date. 

Her heart skipped a beat. The smile didn’t leave Nezuko’s face for the rest of the night.

-----------

Nezuko was riding a high for the next few days. She couldn’t stop thinking about how she felt driving in Kanao’s car, the wind in her hair without a care in the world, her heart thumping from the adrenaline and how pretty Kanao looked. 

And that kiss…

Nezuko had to hold back a squeal every time she thought about it. It still felt like a dream. 

She wanted to go out with Kanao again so badly. 

As if reading her mind, Kanao spoke. “Nezuko.”

Nezuko nearly jumped out of her seat. That’s right. She was still in class.

“Y-yes?”

“Class is over.”

Nezuko blinked. She looked around the classroom. Everyone was packing their bags and leaving. 

“Oh. Already? That felt quick.”

“You looked distracted.”

Nezuko laughed awkwardly. “O-oh, did I? I suppose I was.” Kanao noticed? Was she looking at her that whole time? 

“Would you like to go to a party tonight?”

Nezuko snapped out of her thoughts. “A party?”

“My friend is hosting one. I thought I would invite you.”

“Oh…” Nezuko had never been to a party before. To be honest, she was a bit afraid to. It didn’t really seem like her scene. 

She looked at Kanao. “Well, I—” she stopped. Wait. Didn’t she want to experience new things? Broaden her horizons? This was the perfect chance to step out of her comfort zone. 

Nezuko blushed. And this was the perfect chance for her to spend more time with Kanao, too. 

Nezuko felt a rush with Kanao that she didn’t feel with anyone else. 

She wanted more.

“Okay. I’ll go.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at 8.” 

“Great…” Nezuko stared after Kanao as she left the classroom. She had thrown herself off the deep end, hadn’t she?

Nezuko sighed. 

Well, it would probably be okay. She would be with Kanao. 

Nezuko went back to her dorm and did homework until it drew closer to when Kanao was going to pick her up. She spent about half an hour agonizing over what outfit to wear and another half an hour actually getting ready. Finally, she walked out to the front of her dorm building and waited. 

After a few minutes, Nezuko heard the familiar rumble of Kanao’s car. She perked up. Kanao pulled up to the sidewalk and stopped in front of her.

“Need a lift?”

Nezuko giggled. “I do, thank you.” She walked up to the car and climbed in. She let out a breath as Kanao began to drive again. Nezuko really did love the feel of fresh air on her face as they sped along the road. 

After a little bit, they pulled into a neighborhood and parked in front of a large house. A number of other cars were gathered by the house as well. It looked like the party was going strong already. 

They walked to the front door of the house. The faint thrum of music and voices sounded from inside. Rather than knocking, Kanao simply opened the door.

“Is this okay? Don’t you need to knock?” Nezuko asked.

“It’s fine. Inosuke always keeps his door unlocked for parties.”

The two of them entered. Nezuko felt dizzy as soon as she stepped in. The music was loud and so bass heavy she could feel it in her bones. Smoke drifted through the air and stuck in her lungs, providing an almost sickening contrast to the bright, fruity smell of the drinks set out on one of the tables. There were couples in corners dancing and making out, groups of people drinking and smoking, and still others simply standing around and talking. 

Nezuko couldn’t even begin to take it all in. 

Kanao grabbed her hand. “Let’s get a drink.”

Nezuko’s cheeks warmed at the contact. “Okay.” She gripped Kanao’s hand like it was an anchor. It was the only thing keeping her grounded in the overstimulating atmosphere. 

Kanao walked over to the table and picked up one of the drinks. She handed it to Nezuko.

“Here, try some of this.”

Nezuko grabbed it. “Okay…” She took a tiny sip. Her lips pursed. 

It tasted rather sweet at first, much like fruit juice, but after a moment she was hit by something… pungent? Bitter?

“What do you think? I think Inosuke hides the taste of alcohol fairly well.”

Nezuko nearly spat out her drink. “Alcohol?! There’s alcohol in this?!”

Kanao stared at her. “It’s a party. Of course there is.”

Nezuko’s heart raced. Oh god. She was drinking alcohol. And she was underage. Oh god, oh god, she was breaking the law. What was she going to do?!

“I—I mean, we’re underage. Is this really okay?”

Kanao took a sip of her own drink. “It’s fine. Every party does this.”

“I-I’m not sure…”

“Hm. That’s fine.”

Kanao’s voice was flat and disinterested. Nezuko felt like she had failed some sort of test. 

“Well… I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to drink this once.”

Nezuko’s heart raced. She looked down at her drink. The surface rippled slightly. Her hand must’ve been shaking a bit. 

It was okay, right? It was just this once. If Kanao was doing it, she should probably do it too. It wouldn’t hurt. 

Nezuko brought the cup to her lips. After a moment, she let the liquid tip over into her mouth. 

The taste of the alcohol was subtler this time. Now that she was starting to get used to it, it actually tasted quite good. 

Kanao looked at her expectantly. Nezuko licked her lips.

“It’s good.”

Kanao smiled and squeezed Nezuko’s hand. “Let’s go to the back. There’s always something happening there.”

They maneuvered through the groups of people clustered through the house as they made their way to the back. Anxiety still tugged at the pits of Nezuko’s stomach, but she continued to follow Kanao. 

Kanao opened the back door, revealing an expansive backyard. A couple of ping pong tables were set up, but as Nezuko looked closer she realized that cups of beer were lined up in pyramids on the tables, and people were throwing the balls rather than hitting them with paddles.

Were they playing… beer pong? Nezuko had only heard about it through the Internet.

Kanao walked towards one of the tables. As she approached, a shirtless boy with blue tipped hair, wild emerald eyes, and a cheeky grin perked up.

“Kanao! You’re here! Play me! I want to win this time!” the boy yelled.

“Hi, Inosuke. Let’s play.”

Inosuke shooed everyone away from the table to create an empty spot for Kanao. She walked to the end opposite of him and caught the ball he threw towards her. 

Kanao threw the ball back at him. “You go first. You need the advantage.”

Inosuke growled. “Fighting words!” 

Kanao simply smiled in response. 

Inosuke threw his ping pong ball. It bounced off the edge of the cup and fell on the ground.

“Damn it!”

He leaned over to pick it up and threw it again. This time, it sank into one of the cups.

“Haha! Drink up!”

Kanao took out the ball and drank. She set the cup to the side and got ready for her turn. 

Kanao’s eyes suddenly turned steely and focused. Her figure was still but not stiff, perfectly poised to make a shot. She took a deep breath.

Nezuko blinked. 

Kanao threw the ball. It landed squarely in one of Inosuke’s cups.

Inosuke growled and drank from the cup. Before he could even set it to the side, Kanao threw a second ball and landed it in another cup.

“No!”

“As per the rules, I get a third shot now.”

Inosuke took out the ball and threw it back at Kanao as he chugged the drink. Kanao assumed her throwing stance once more. She focused in for a moment before flicking the ball. It landed in another cup. 

“Damn it!” Inosuke yelled.

The game continued on in this manner. Inosuke landed a few shots, but it didn’t faze Kanao in the slightest. She was ruthless. With her laser focus, she managed to land every single one of her throws and win with ease.

Nezuko watched in awe. The aura that fell over Kanao was the same as when she confronted the creepy man on their date. Intense. Sharp. Dangerous. Mocking.

Alluring. 

It scared Nezuko and made her want to run away yet drew her in and made her crave more. It pulled her apart but it stirred something in her she had never felt before. 

Her heart raced.

“No! Not again! I swear I’ll win next time!” Inosuke yelled.

“You say that every time.”

Inosuke pointed at her. “And I mean it this time! I’m definitely gonna win!”

“Okay.” Kanao turned to Nezuko as Inosuke stalked off. “Looks like I’m done here.”

“That was amazing. I don’t know how you made those throws so easily.”

“If you want, I can teach you.”

Nezuko blushed. “Really?”

Kanao nodded. She picked up one of the ping pong balls and handed it to Nezuko. “Why don’t you try it?”

Nezuko took the ball and rolled it over in her hands. The smooth texture was pleasant on her fingertips. “Okay…”

Nezuko looked at the cups on the other side of the table. She focused on the one she wanted to aim at, tilted her arm back, and—

Whoosh! The ball flew through the air, almost landing in a cup but bouncing off of it instead. She frowned. 

“That was good for a first try,” Kanao said. “You need to fix your throw a bit, however.”

“Oh, I do? How—” Nezuko froze. Kanao was right behind her, her chest pressed to Nezuko’s back. She snaked her hand up Nezuko’s arm and grabbed her wrist. 

“First, you have to relax.” Kanao’s breath grazed Nezuko’s cheek. She shivered. “Then, throw it like this.” She guided Nezuko’s arm in a small, precise motion. Nezuko tried to focus, but she couldn’t pay attention to anything other than Kanao’s warm body pressed against hers. 

Kanao stepped back, calm as ever. “Now, try again.” 

Nezuko closed her eyes and tried to envision what her arm felt like when Kanao was guiding it. After a moment, she opened her eyes and threw the ball. 

It plopped right into one of the cups. Nezuko gasped. 

“I did it!”

Kanao smiled. “There’s one more important part.”

“What is it?”

Kanao walked over to the table and picked up one of the drinks. “Drinking.” She handed the cup to Nezuko. “Try some.”

More alcohol. Nezuko didn’t want to drink any more than she already had but…

She looked at Kanao’s smile. There was something about it that always made her look so angelic. 

Well, one more drink couldn’t hurt. 

Nezuko grabbed the cup and took a sip. 

That was the last thing she remembered.

-----------

Nezuko groaned as she opened her eyes. She looked around. There were sheets, and a cheap wooden bed frame, and romance novel posters tacked all over the wall. She was at her dorm.

She sat up. Her head throbbed and swam. She clutched her head.

What… happened? She was at that party yesterday with Kanao, but how did she end up here? All she remembered was Kanao playing beer pong, and then offering her another drink, and then…

Oh. She drank a lot more than planned after that. Kanao must have somehow taken her home afterwards. 

Nezuko slowly leaned over to check her clock, careful not to disturb her head. 

3:37 pm

Nezuko leaped out of bed and nearly collapsed from the wave of nausea and pain that hit her. She reached out her hand to lean against the wall.

How was it that late? How did she sleep that long? When did she get back? 

Horror washed over her. She had missed class. She had never missed class before, except when she was sick. How had this happened?

As Nezuko straightened herself, another wave of horror washed over her. She was meeting Tanjiro at five o’ clock today. They had scheduled a meeting weeks in advance, and there was no way she could back out now. 

Nezuko sighed. Well, she still had about an hour to get ready. She could make herself presentable in that time. 

Nezuko quickly downed some painkillers, took a shower, did her makeup and hair, sprayed on some perfume, put on a nice outfit, and had a quick bite to eat before heading out to the café she and Tanjiro had decided to meet at. She still didn’t exactly feel great, but she was functional enough to hang out with him. 

Nezuko opened the door to the café. It was fairly quiet inside. There were a few students here or there with laptops, but the major rush of the day had already passed. All that could be heard was the hissing of the espresso machine, the sipping of drinks, and the occasional voice. 

“Nezuko!”

Nezuko looked over. Her eyes landed on messy auburn hair, a fiery scar, and kind red eyes. 

“Tanjiro!”

Nezuko walked over to his table and sat down. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Tanjiro shook his head. “I wasn’t.” He smiled. “So, how have you been? How is college so far?”

“It’s been fine. I’ve been enjoying my classes, and it’s been nice to be somewhere new.”

“Ah, I’m glad!”

“How is everyone doing? How are you doing?”

“Work has been fine. It’s long and tough work, but I’m doing everything I can to support mom. Everyone’s been doing well. Takeo got elected to the student council. Shigeru’s been doing well in school, and Hanako just won her first softball championship. Rokuta’s made some new friends.”

Nezuko smiled. “It sounds like things are going well. I’m glad. Don’t push yourself too hard, though.”

Tanjiro’s eyes gleamed with determination. “Don’t worry, I can handle it! I’m the eldest son, after all.”

“You still don’t have to push too hard. Have you done anything fun recently?”

“Ah, well, we actually all went to an amusement park! We weren’t able to go on all the rides, but I played some of the fair games and managed to win…”

Tanjiro continued talking for a few minutes. Nezuko felt her eyelids drooping.

Huh? When did her eyelids get so heavy? Why did her limbs feel like lead? Why was Tanjiro’s voice suddenly so soporific?

“Nezuko? Are you okay?”

Nezuko’s eyes shot open. Ack, she was falling asleep. Last night really took a toll on her.

“Yeah, I’m fine! Totally fine!”

“Are you sure? You seem really tired. Did something happen?”

Nezuko laughed nervously. “Well, I just, uh… had to pull an all nighter for a class. Nothing to worry about!” Why did she lie? She had never lied to Tanjiro before. 

“Oh, okay. You need to make sure you don’t push yourself too hard either.”

Guilt ate away at Nezuko’s stomach. “...Don’t worry. I won’t.”

“Ah, that reminds me! Your break is coming pretty soon, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s in a little over a week.”

“Mom is really looking forward to it. It feels like it’s been so long since she’s seen you.”

“It does.”

“How are you getting home? Mom is probably going to be busy and I have work.”

“I’m planning on taking the bus. There’s only one that’ll take me home, but if I make it on time I should be fine.”

“Ah okay, that’s good.”

Tanjiro and Nezuko continued to make small talk for a couple of hours. Normally, Nezuko found it easy to talk to her brother, but today it felt like she couldn’t quite connect with the conversation. It was almost like there was a fog between them that Nezuko couldn’t quite pierce through. 

It was very unnerving. 

Nezuko shook off the thought as she walked back to the bus station. It was just because she was knocked off balance by the events of last night. This was only a one-time thing. She was sure that she would be able to click with Tanjiro again when she came to visit her family over the break. 

But the feeling of foreboding still lingered in her heart.

---------

Nezuko zipped up her suitcase and patted the side. She let out a sigh and stood up. 

She was done packing for her trip. Break started tomorrow, which meant she had to catch the bus to see her family. She wanted to make sure that she was completely ready so that she would be on time. 

Nezuko picked up her suitcase and dragged it to the corner of the room. Now she could get ready for bed and go to sleep early.

As she turned around, she heard a clack on the window. She looked over.

Was there something there? Was she imagining things?

She waited for a few seconds and then turned away. It was just her imagination. 

Another clack. And another.

Or not. 

Nezuko walked up to the window. She let out a squeal as a rock flew up and smacked into the glass, right by her face.

A rock?

Nezuko looked down. Someone was standing at the base of the building, a rock in their hand. Nezuko squinted and leaned even closer to the window. 

Kanao?!

Nezuko grabbed the edge of the window and yanked it open. She leaned out over the edge.

“Kanao? What are you doing?”

Kanao lowered her hand. “Nezuko. I just wanted to see if you were there. I wanted to hang out.”

“You could always text me.”

“This is more fun.”

Nezuko let out a sigh, but she couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. “Okay. What did you want to do?”

“It’s a surprise. I promise it’ll be fun.”

Nezuko looked over at her suitcase. She really shouldn’t go out. She should go to bed now so she could be ready for tomorrow.

She looked back at Kanao. But she couldn’t resist that charm. Kanao had come all the way here just to ask her out. It would be rude to decline, right?

It would be fine. She could still make sure to leave on time tomorrow.

“Okay. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Nezuko closed the window. She threw on a jacket and took a quick look at herself in the mirror before heading down to the front door of the dorms. 

She opened the door. Kanao was standing there, a hand in her pocket and a smile on her face. Her bright eyes cut through the darkness and straight into Nezuko’s. 

Nezuko’s heart raced. “Hey.”

“Hey. Ready?”

Nezuko nodded. Kanao led her to her car. They drove through the town for a little bit until they reached an empty stretch of road. It was right next to a complex of buildings, probably home to businesses but deserted at this time of night. Street signs and dark windows glimmered as Kanao’s headlights hit them. 

As they drew closer to the complex, Nezuko realized that the road wasn’t empty. There were a few cars lined up along the street, and a few people stood next to them on the sidewalk. It was some sort of gathering. 

“Kanao… what is this?”

“You’ll see in just a moment.”

Kanao parked the car. She got out and walked up to one of the figures on the sidewalk. 

“Inosuke.”

“Kanao! It’s about to start. It’s your turn afterwards.”

“Are you going today?”

“You bet! I swear I’m gonna beat that lightning twerp!”

“Good luck.” 

“Um…” Nezuko interjected. Kanao looked over. 

“What exactly is about to happen?”

Kanao smiled. “Look over there.” She nodded towards two cars lined up next to each other on the street. Their engines roared to life with a deep, throaty rumble. A person stood between them with a flag in their hand.

“On your marks, get set… go!”

They waved the flag down. The cars sped off, their engines screaming and echoing off the nearby buildings. Nezuko felt anxiety spike through her at the harsh, haunting sound. 

Drag racing. She didn’t know people actually did that around here. 

After a few seconds, the screeching of rubber tires against asphalt rang through the air as the cars braked. The race was already over. 

The cars came circling back to the start line. After they parked behind the line of waiting cars, the drivers emerged. One of them, a girl about Nezuko and Kanao’s age, caught sight of Kanao and immediately came running over. 

“Kanao!” The girl’s voice was sugary sweet. She wrapped herself around Kanao’s arm. “Are you going to be racing today?”

Kanao made no move to release herself from the girl’s grip. Nezuko felt jealousy stab through her. 

“I’m racing next,” Kanao said. The girl’s face lit up, and she squeezed Kanao’s arm even tighter. 

Who was this girl, and why was she so touchy?

“I can’t wait to see you! You’re always so cool and composed when you drive.”

“You’re not bad yourself.” 

The girl blushed. “Y-you’re too kind.”

Kanao turned around to face Nezuko, removing her arm from the girl’s grip. Despite the girl’s affection, Kanao appeared as collected as ever, her face devoid of even a hint of a blush or tenderness. 

“It’s time to race. Want to join me?”

Fear coursed through Nezuko. “M-me? Join you? But I—I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m not sure…”

Kanao’s eyes turned dark and disinterested. “Oh. I see. That’s fine.” She began to walk towards the car. 

Nezuko once again felt like she had disappointed Kanao somehow. Kanao had suddenly walked miles ahead of her, off into her own world, leaving Nezuko behind without a second glance. Nezuko felt like if she didn’t go on this race with Kanao, she would be left behind for good. 

“Wait! I’ll come!” 

Kanao stopped. She gave Nezuko a small smile. 

“Good. Let’s go.”

Kanao stepped into the car. Nezuko stepped in after her and tightened her seatbelt as much as she could. 

The car slowly crawled up to the starting line. They waited as the other car fell into the space beside them. The person with the flag stepped in between the cars and held it up. 

Nezuko took a deep breath.

“On your marks… get set…”

Nezuko closed her eyes. 

“Go!”

Nezuko jerked back in her seat as Kanao gunned it. Her stomach floated, and she grit her teeth to try to push through that uncomfortable weightless feeling. They sped up even more. 

Her entire body was tensed up. Her heart beat wildly against her ribs. Her breath came in short gasps. Her knuckles were white from gripping the door handle.

She felt like she was going to die. 

But she had never felt more alive. 

She managed to open an eye and look over at Kanao. Her eyes were hard and serious, completely focused on the road ahead, yet a dark pleasure played at the edges of her lips. 

She was having fun. 

The tires screeched, and the car began to slow down. Nezuko looked behind them. The other car was only just crossing the finish line. 

“Did… did you win?” Nezuko asked. 

“I did.” 

Nezuko let out a breath. All of the tension melted from her limbs. She leaned her head back against the seat. 

Wow. That was an experience. 

“How was it?”

Nezuko turned her head. “Wild. Crazy. But amazing.”

“That’s why I do it.”

Kanao began to turn the car around and head back to the start. “Now we can watch the rest—”

Kanao stopped. Nezuko looked over. 

“What’s wrong?”

“We have to go.”

Dread crawled up Nezuko’s spine. Kanao sounded dead serious. Something was very wrong. 

Kanao began to drive away from the scene. Nezuko could hear the other cars starting up, and then—

Sirens. 

The police were here. 

This was bad. 

Kanao continued to drive further and further from the sirens. Something deep within Nezuko, something primal and instinctual, told her to leave. That this was trouble. That she should run far, far away from Kanao and never come back. 

But the voice quieted as she looked at Kanao and her heart raced.

The threat of danger frightened her, but the promise of excitement enticed her even more. 

The two of them remained silent as they drove away from the scene. Nezuko was so wound up she didn’t even realize they were driving through unfamiliar streets until a fair amount of time had passed. She turned to Kanao.

“Where are we going?”

“My place.”

Nezuko choked on air. “Y-your place?! I-I mean, not that I mind going there, but why?”

“It’s safer. It’s farther out, so the cops are less likely to trail us there.”

“Oh… I see…” So that’s all it was.

“I’ve been meaning to bring you there anyways.”

Nezuko blushed. “Oh.”

After a couple more minutes, Kanao pulled up to a house. She was right about it being harder to get to. The house was small and partially concealed by trees and shrubbery, almost blending into the greenery around it. It wasn’t completely in the middle of nowhere, but there weren’t many other houses around either. 

Kanao got out of the car and led Nezuko to the front. She opened the door.

“Here it is.”

The entrance led into a small living room, which held a TV, a small couch, and a rug. Next to it was the kitchen, decorated with simple tiles, sleek black cabinets, and white countertops. A hallway sat in between them. Other than that, there wasn’t much in terms of décor. 

It was very fitting for Kanao. It had a deceivingly simple and understated appearance that seemed to hide something else.

Kanao walked towards the hallway. “Let’s go into my room.”

Nezuko’s cheeks turned pink. “Your room? O—okay.” It was Kanao’s house. She had a bedroom. It would make sense for them to go in there. Yet it still felt rather… intimate. Nezuko couldn’t help but feel bashful. 

Nezuko trailed after Kanao as she entered one of the rooms along the hall. It was rather sparse, much like the rest of the house. There was a small bed along one of the walls, a dresser, a tiny nightstand, and an acoustic guitar set in the corner. 

Kanao set her keys on the nightstand. “We should probably stay here for at least a couple of hours just to be safe.”

A couple of hours? Nezuko still needed to get back to the dorms so she could be ready for tomorrow, but… better to be safe than risk being caught by the police. 

“Okay. What are we going to do in the meantime?”

Kanao took a look at the guitar in the corner and smiled. “Well, I told you I was good at playing love songs.”

Nezuko’s heart flip flopped. Kanao walked to the corner and slung the guitar over her shoulder. 

“Why don’t we sit down?”

Nezuko tentatively sat down next to the bed. She sat up stiff and straight, afraid to touch and break something. Kanao walked over and sat next to her, back leaning against the bedframe and legs touching Nezuko’s. Nezuko blushed.

“Do you have any requests?”

Nezuko thought for a moment. “Hmm… do you know how to play Love Story by Taylor Swift? That’s… probably a cheesy song to ask for, now that I think about it.” Nezuko laughed nervously.

“I do, actually. Someone I know used to ask me to play Taylor’s early songs all the time, and now I have a soft spot for them.”

She played songs for someone she knew? Did she do stuff like this with other people? Nezuko thought back to the girl at the drag race who was being extremely touchy with Kanao. Were there others in Kanao’s life?

But before Nezuko could say a word, Kanao had taken the pick out of her guitar strings and was strumming the beginning chords of the song.

It began soft and tender, subdued yet still radiating emotion. The notes hit Nezuko’s ears like a gentle whisper, and she felt herself instantly relaxing. 

Then, Kanao began to sing. Her voice was quiet but powerful, instantly taking command of the song. Nezuko found herself mesmerized, and before she knew it the song was over.

Nezuko let out a breath. She didn’t even realize she was holding her breath that entire time. She was completely captivated by Kanao’s performance. The song had never made her feel so spellbound.

Or so bitter. 

The bitterness crept up her throat and turned her adoration to ashes. It grew bigger and bigger until it trickled out of her mouth. 

“Who was it that you played this song for before?”

Kanao looked over. “What do you mean?”

“You said someone you know used to like to hear you play these songs. Who was it? Was it that girl from earlier today?”

Kanao tilted her head. “What girl?”

“The one that was practically hanging off your arm.” Nezuko knew that all of her words were filled with ugliness and vitriol, but she couldn’t stop them from coming out. 

“No, it wasn’t her. She just likes to be that clingy sometimes.”

“Is that so?” Nezuko hated the jealousy that continued to hang off her words.

Kanao looked at her for a moment. She then reached over and opened the drawer of her nightstand. She took something out and closed it. 

“I guess it’s a good thing we ended up here today.”

Nezuko’s eyebrows furrowed. Kanao opened her hand and revealed what she had taken out of the drawer. It was a metal chain necklace with a small pink gem at the end. 

“I’ve wanted to give this to you for a while. I guess now is a good time.”

“You… wanted to give this to me?”

Kanao nodded. “The pink in the gem reminded me of your eyes.”

Nezuko blushed. She looked down at the ground. 

“That’s… very sweet. Thank you.”

“Do you mind if I put it on you?”

“S-sure.”

Nezuko pulled her hair back and held it up. Kanao opened up the necklace and leaned forward to slide it around Nezuko’s neck. Nezuko shivered at the press of the cold metal and the touch of Kanao’s warm fingers. Kanao fastened the necklace around her neck and leaned back. She smiled.

“It looks good on you.”

Nezuko brushed her fingertips along the necklace. Her heart lifted at Kanao’s warm, angelic smile. 

“Thank you.”

The two of them stared at each other for a moment. Tension and unspoken words hung in the air. Nezuko’s lips twitched, but before she could utter a word Kanao looked away.

“I have a song I’d like to play.”

Nezuko smiled. “Of course. I’d love to hear it.”

Kanao stretched out her hands. She paused for a moment, took a breath, and then began to play. 

“It was the best of times, the worst of crimes
I struck a match and blew your mind
But I didn't mean it
And you didn't see it”

Like the last song, Kanao’s singing and guitar playing started off hushed and restrained. However, the music had a slightly darker, almost regretful tone. It soon grew louder, until Kanao reached the chorus.

“You were drivin' the getaway car
We were flyin', but we'd never get far
Don't pretend it's such a mystery
Think about the place where you first met me
Ridin' in a getaway car
There were sirens in the beat of your heart
Should've known I'd be the first to leave
Think about the place where you first met me
In a getaway car

No, they never get far
No, nothing good starts in a getaway car”

As soon as Kanao finished the chorus, she switched from her free, open chords back to the muted, subdued ones. The verse soon began to build on itself, growing in energy until it reached the chorus once again. However, as Kanao moved on to the bridge, she let the emotion run completely loose rather than subduing it.

“We were jet-set, Bonnie and Clyde
Until I switched to the other side, to the other si-i-i-i-ide
It's no surprise, I turned you in
'Cause us traitors never win
I'm in a getaway car
I left you in the motel bar
Put the money in a bag and I stole the keys
That was the last time you ever saw me”

Kanao played the final chorus in a tragic, moving climax to the song, and then arrived at the outro.

“I was ridin' in a getaway car
I was cryin' in a getaway car
I was dyin' in a getaway car
Said "goodbye" in a getaway car
Ridin' in a getaway car
I was cryin' a getaway car
I was dyin' in a getaway car
Said "goodbye" in a getaway car”

Kanao let the guitar ring, its sound slowly dissipating into the air like smoke leaving a candle. Finally, the vibrations came to a stop, and Kanao let out a breath. 

“What did you think?”

Nezuko blinked. She was so lost in the dying embers of Kanao’s sound that she almost didn’t hear her question. 

“I’ve always preferred romantic love stories to tragic ones, but this song sounded amazing. You’re so talented.”

“Thank you. I enjoy playing this song a lot.” Kanao flipped the guitar pick around in her fingers. “We have a lot of time to kill. Is there anything else you want to hear?”

“Where to start…”

Kanao continued to play songs throughout the night, filling up the sparse room until the two of them eventually succumbed to sleep. 

----------

Nezuko’s eyes fluttered open. She sat up and wiped away drool that had pooled at the corner of her mouth.

She hadn’t slept that deeply in a while. She must’ve been exhausted last night to sleep like that. 

It made sense, considering that she and Kanao had stayed up late playing songs. 

Wait. 

Nezuko looked to the right. Kanao was in the bed beside her, still sleeping soundly. Her face looked calm and peaceful, but in a different way than usual. It was less controlled. Natural. As if she let everything slip away.

Ah! Nezuko leaped out of the bed. This wasn’t the time to admire Kanao’s sleeping face!

Nezuko felt her heart thump throughout her body. She had slept in the same bed as Kanao! She had slept. In the same bed. As Kanao. 

How did this happen?!

Nezuko looked around the room frantically. Her eyes landed on the window. Golden light filtered through the translucent curtains.

Wait!

What time was it?!

Nezuko scrabbled around for her phone and found it on the nightstand. She opened it and checked the time. 

2:07 pm

Nezuko clapped a hand over mouth and fell back onto the bed. She had missed her bus! That was the only bus she could take! Aaaaa, there were too many things happening at once! 

Nezuko suddenly felt arms wrap around her waist. She stiffened.

“What are you up to?” Kanao asked, her voice a bit hoarse and groggy. Her arms tightened around Nezuko. 

Nezuko blushed and choked out an answer. “I—I was supposed to go somewhere, but I slept in too much and now—now it’s too late.” Her voice grew thick with emotion. “I don’t know w-what to do.”

Kanao sat up. “Just stay here.”

Nezuko turned around. “What do you mean, stay here?”

“Just stay here. If it’s too late to go where you wanted to go, you might as well stay here.” Kanao smiled, a hint of mischief touching her lips. “We could have some fun.”

“I don’t know…”

The smile fell from Kanao’s lips. She looked away, her eyes dull. “Well. It’s up to you.”

There it was again. A chilly distance suddenly appeared between the two of them. Nezuko knew if she didn’t catch up to Kanao, she would leave her. 

And she didn’t want that.

“Okay. I’ll stay. I just need to send a text.”

Nezuko opened up the family group chat. She typed in a quick message.

Nezuko: An emergency came up. I missed the bus, and I won’t be able to come and visit. 

Tanjiro: Oh no! Is everything okay?

Nezuko’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. What should she say? She couldn’t just tell them that she had spent the night with a friend (girlfriend?) because they were escaping the police and accidentally missed the bus.

After a moment, she typed out a response. 

Nezuko: A friend had a medical emergency. They’ll be fine, but they’ll need my help for a bit. I’m sorry about the sudden change in plans.

Tanjiro: I’m sorry to hear about your friend. Take all the time you need to help out. We understand. 

Mom: We’ll miss seeing you, but we know this is important. I’m proud of you for helping out your friend. I hope everything turns out well. 

Nezuko felt nausea well up as guilt settled in her stomach. She had never lied to her family like this before. She felt like she was crossing some sort of dangerous line.

Nezuko suddenly felt pressure on her forehead. She made a strangled sound of surprise. Kanao was suddenly in her personal space, her forehead touching Nezuko’s. 

Kanao quickly pulled back. Nezuko brought her hand to her tingling skin and flushed cheeks.

“W-what was that for?”

Kanao smiled. “You looked distracted.”

Nezuko found herself sucked into that sweet, charming smile. 

“Well, now I’m not.”

Kanao straightened up. “I’m going to have breakfast now.” She walked to the doorway and looked back at Nezuko expectantly.

Nezuko stood up but froze before she could take a step. She looked down at her phone.

Was this really right? Could she really go and do this when she was lying to her family? Should she?

Apprehension pulled at the seams of her stomach. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea…

“Nezuko?”

Nezuko looked up. Kanao smiled.

“Coming?”

Nezuko’s heart fluttered. She couldn’t say no to that look.

“Okay.”

Nezuko pushed down her guilt and followed Kanao out of the room. 

---------

Nezuko’s outings with Kanao soon became routine. Going on dates, going out to parties, even going to drag races—they all became a regular part of Nezuko’s life. 

And so did missing class. After dealing with late night after late night and hangover after hangover, Nezuko began to miss class more and more, and her grades began to slip. 

Nezuko even became isolated from her family. She canceled one family meeting after another, telling little white lies to excuse it and avert suspicion. Tanjiro messaged her the first few times to make sure everything was okay, but as Nezuko gave more excuses, his messages came fewer and farther between. 

Pretty soon, Kanao was the only constant in her life. 

Nezuko was infatuated. She couldn’t resist spending time with Kanao, even if she wanted to. She was a fly attracted to honey, only to get hopelessly stuck in it.

But she didn’t care. 

Today, she and Kanao were doing something a bit different than usual. Kanao decided to bring Nezuko to an underground concert with a band she liked. It was Nezuko’s first time going to a concert, let alone an underground one, so she had no idea what to expect.

If it meant she could experience the high of spending time with Kanao, however, she was willing to do anything.

Their footsteps echoed off the eerie, empty buildings around them as they walked to the concert. Night had fallen long ago, leaving only the flickering light of lone street lamps to light the way. They struggled to cut through the thick, heavy darkness. 

Nezuko clung to Kanao’s arm as they walked, partly out of affection and partly to find some warmth in the cold, bracing night air. They made their way to what looked like an abandoned warehouse. As they got closer, however, Nezuko soon realized it was far from abandoned. 

Light filtered through the cracks in the doors. The faint sound of murmuring voices, crackling amps, and clicking drumsticks trickled out. The whispers of a concert in the works. 

Kanao pushed open the door. Nezuko looked around the warehouse in awe. 

It was huge. The ceilings, supported by a vast network of wooden beams, swept way above Nezuko’s head. At the center of the space was a raised platform, upon which the band had set up a drumset, mics, some amps, guitar stands, and a mish mash of wires. A crowd was already forming in front of the platform. 

Kanao walked over to one of the groups of people that had clustered around the warehouse. Nezuko recognized Inosuke, and a few other people looked familiar, but the rest she didn’t know. She trailed a few feet behind Kanao.

Kanao greeted the group with a wave, and they soon fell into conversation. Nezuko caught bits and pieces here and there. After a moment, one of the people looked over at Nezuko.

“Who is this? Is she a new one?”

A new one? What did that mean?

“This is Nezuko. This is her first underground concert.”

The person smirked. “Really? Well, hopefully you’re up to the fun. It can get real intense.”

Nezuko felt a twinge of annoyance. Why did it feel like they knew something she didn’t?

“I’m sure I will be.”

The person raised an eyebrow, but before they could get a word in, the lights dimmed. One of the mics screeched from feedback for a moment, until a voice sounded. 

“Thanks everyone for coming today! It’s time to get crazy!”

The stage lights flipped on, illuminating the band. Dirty, distorted guitar chords began to play. The crowd screamed. Nezuko felt something stir in her veins.

The music was raw and thumping and intense. People danced and jumped around and bobbed their heads along with the music as the lights strobed. Nezuko felt like she was being drowned in the sheer amount of energy and passion coursing through the air.

After a few songs, however, Nezuko felt like she was beginning to go along with the current of the music. This wasn’t the type of event she was into, but perhaps she could understand why Kanao liked it. 

Nezuko looked around. Where was Kanao, anyways? After the lights began to flash and the music became almost deafening, Nezuko had lost track of her. 

After a moment, Nezuko caught sight of Kanao’s butterfly pin gleaming under the strobe lights. There she was! Now she could—

Nezuko froze. 

Kanao was not alone. She was dancing with one of the girls she was speaking to earlier, their bodies mere inches apart.

That probably didn’t mean anything. It was just the energy of the concert, right?

Kanao leaned in and closed her eyes. The other girl met Kanao, and their lips connected. 

Nezuko’s heart crumbled. This wasn’t happening, right?

Nezuko walked towards them, about to confront them when she caught sight of something on the girl’s neck gleaming. She couldn’t make out much, but she swore she saw a chain and a glimmer of something pink before the girl turned away. 

She couldn’t see well. It was just a trick of the light, right?

A tear fell down Nezuko’s face. Oh. She was crying. This was happening.

Nezuko looked back at Kanao. She had noticed Nezuko looking at her.

But she didn’t move away from the other girl. 

Before Nezuko even knew what she was doing, she ran out of the warehouse and outside into freezing night air. She collapsed by the side of the building.

She really thought she had meant something to Kanao. All those crazy, freeing, adrenaline infused moments. Those quiet, sweet, intimate days. Did it mean nothing in the end?

Nezuko buried her face in her arms. Was this even the first time Kanao had done this? Had she been seeing other girls this entire time?

Nezuko’s eyes widened. Wait. 

They never had said they would be exclusive, did they?  

She thought she was special. She thought they had something. But she wasn’t enough to keep Kanao faithful.

She was a fool. The blame was on her. 

Nezuko wanted to leave. She wanted to run from all of the emotions this place made her feel. But Kanao was her only way home. 

So Nezuko sat outside, wallowing in her sea of emotions and choking for air, until the concert finally ended.

Nezuko jolted as the doors opened. She heard voices and the echoing of footsteps as people filed out of the warehouse. She stood up and wiped her eyes. Some of her mascara came with her drying tears and smeared on the back of her hand. 

She probably looked like a complete wreck—eyes red, cheeks carved with tear tracks, makeup streaked all over—but she didn’t even care at this point.

Kanao finally emerged from the warehouse. The girl was no longer with her. She looked over as Nezuko peeked over from the side of the building. 

“Let’s go,” Kanao said. 

No acknowledgement of what happened. No concern for Nezuko. There wasn’t even a flicker of emotion in Kanao’s perfect, pretty eyes. 

She was right next to Nezuko, but she was long gone.

They walked back to the car in silence. A thick tension weighed on them, but Kanao acted like it wasn’t even there. 

Nezuko looked out the window as they drove back to the dorms. There were so many things she wanted to say. So many things she wanted to ask. Who was that girl? Did she have the same necklace as her? How many other girls was Kanao hanging out with? What did Nezuko mean to her?

Nezuko glanced over at Kanao. Her eyes were still and calm, the same as when she was kissing the other girl, and when she saw the hurt that shone in Nezuko’s eyes, and when she saw the wreck Nezuko had become. 

Kanao didn’t see her cry and pretended not to know she was the reason why. 

Nezuko gripped her pants. Deep within her heart, she knew what the answers to her questions would be. And she knew didn’t want to hear them.

So she stayed silent. 

Neither of them spoke a word for the rest of the night.

---------

Nezuko laid in bed, her body completely subsumed under the covers and sheltered from the prying light of day. She stared listlessly at her phone. 

She had barely gone out over the past couple days. She had been hurting so much after the concert that she could barely bring herself to do anything. It felt like everything up until that point had been a lie. Useless. Meaningless. 

It hurt.

But what hurt the most was how much she missed Kanao.

Even after everything that had happened, even after Kanao had crushed her heart, she still wanted to see her. Nezuko’s heart ached in her absence.

She was truly in love. Head over heels, hopelessly, dangerously in love. And there was no turning back. 

Nezuko’s finger hovered above the contacts in her phone. She wanted to call Tanjiro. She felt like she needed someone, anyone to talk to right now. 

She sighed. But she had missed so many family meetings now. She had fed him so many lies. She had no right to ask for his support now after treating him so poorly. 

Nezuko turned off her phone and let it flop onto her bed. She just had to go through this alone. 

She flipped the blankets off of her and cringed as the bright morning light hit her . Maybe she should go to class. That could be a good way to get her mind off of things and help pass some time. 

Nezuko walked over her dresser and quickly pulled on an outfit. She neatened her hair and put on some makeup to make herself look presentable enough before slinging her backpack over her shoulder. 

Hopefully, the day would be kind to her.

----------

Nezuko sighed as she opened the door to the classroom. She was a bit late for class, but it didn’t matter much at this point. She just needed something to distract her. 

Nezuko weaved through the desks to her usual spot. As she listened to the professor lecturing, she realized she had no idea what he was talking about. 

She had missed a lot of class, hadn’t she?

Nezuko smiled sadly. She looked up and nearly tripped over her feet. 

Kanao was there, sitting nonchalantly in the seat next to Nezuko’s.

Why was she here? Why did she have to come now of all times? She was the last person Nezuko wanted to see. 

Kanao looked over at Nezuko. “You’re here.”

Nezuko’s stomach flipped. Who was she kidding? Kanao was the only person she wanted to see.  

Nezuko walked over to her desk and plopped into the seat. “Yeah.”

“Class is boring without you.” 

Nezuko blushed. She hid her face. How did Kanao make her feel this flustered so effortlessly? She was supposed to be upset, and yet it all just seemed to melt away.

“Oh.”

They stayed silent after that. Nezuko tried her best not to look at Kanao. She knew that if Kanao talked to her again, all of her resolve would crumble. 

The professor went on about one of the readings and then invited a class discussion. After one student gave a rather pretentious explanation of the reading, Kanao raised her hand. 

“I disagree with that interpretation. It clearly misses some key points made in the reading, and is honestly borderline misogynistic. The narrator’s character development is very well written and very believable. None of her moments ‘come out of nowhere.’”

Kanao’s eyes sharpened, and her smile turned poisonous. “All of her major plot points are built up to, and if you think otherwise, you are illiterate or just hate women. Either way, it’s rather embarrassing.”

The student who had given the explanation paled. The professor jumped in.

“Miss Kochou, this is a constructive discussion. Please don’t attack other—”

Kanao glared at the professor. Her piercing gaze struck straight through him. His mouth shut.

Nezuko shuddered. She realized she was staring at Kanao and tore her eyes away.

Stop it. Stop drawing me in. Stop being so dangerous and irresistible. 

Stop making me want you. 

Kanao leaned over towards Nezuko. “I’m almost certain his father paid to let him into the school.”

Nezuko nearly laughed, but she held it back and put a hand over her mouth. 

Damn it. Why did Kanao know exactly how to draw her in?

The rest of class passed without much else happening. Nezuko had managed to stop her attention from constantly drifting to Kanao, until Kanao decided to approach her at the end of class.

“There’s a bonfire happening this weekend. Do you want to go?”

Nezuko looked up. She shouldn’t go. She had already gotten her heart crushed once. She was a fool if she laid it out to get crushed again. 

“There’ll be s’mores.” Kanao smiled. Sunlight came in through the window at the perfect angle and illuminated Kanao’s face. With her saccharine smile and the halo of light around her head, Kanao looked like she had just descended from heaven. 

Nezuko felt herself cracking. Maybe she still had a chance to have something real with Kanao.  Maybe if she was honest and confessed her feelings, she would be able to get through to her. 

She couldn’t believe that someone who looked so much like an angel could truly be so cruel. 

“I’ll go.”

A part of Nezuko still screamed at her to run, to not be bewitched by Kanao’s beguiling smile. 

But she was too far gone to listen.

---------

The bonfire snapped and crackled like crunching twigs and blazed like a raging sun. Its tendrils licked and bit at the dark sky, breathing smoke and ash that dissipated into the air. A group of people sat in a circle around it, drinking and talking and making s’mores. 

Nezuko and Kanao held their marshmallows over the fire and watched as the white puffs slowly tanned under the heat. Next to them sat a box of graham crackers and a couple bars of chocolate. They had been making small talk to pass the time.

“Do you like s’mores a lot, Kanao?”

“They’re okay. They’re a little bit too sweet for me, though.”

“Really? Then how come you’re making one?”

“So I could make it with you.”

Nezuko’s face felt hot. She blamed it on the heat of the bonfire. 

“O-oh.”

Nezuko looked at her marshmallow. It had turned a pleasant golden brown. 

“Ah, it looks like the marshmallows are done!” Nezuko quickly fished out a couple of graham crackers and broke off a piece of chocolate. She placed the chocolate on one of the crackers and scraped the marshmallow off the stick so that it was on top of the chocolate. Finally, she set down the stick and put the other cracker on top of the s’more. 

“This looks so good! Time to try it.” Nezuko took a bite. The crunchiness of the graham crackers contrasted perfectly with the gooiness of the marshmallow and the smoothness of the melting chocolate. The different type of sweetness that each element offered blended perfectly together, creating the perfect package of flavor.

Nezuko scarfed down the rest of the s’more. She turned to Kanao.

“That was really good. What did you think?”

“It was good. Even if it’s not my favorite.”

“I’m glad! I—uh… Kanao?” Nezuko trailed off as Kanao leaned forward and reached towards Nezuko’s face. She swiped her thumb across Nezuko’s cheek.

“You had chocolate on your face,” Kanao said, displaying her thumb. She brought it up to her mouth and licked it. 

Nezuko swallowed thickly. Her face turned pink. “O-Oh…” This girl was going to be the death  of her. 

Kanao reached down and picked up a can, infuriatingly unfazed. “Do you want a drink?”

“Sure.”

Kanao handed her a cold can of beer and took out one for herself. She cracked it open and took a sip before setting it down beside her.

“I’m going to play some songs now. Do you have any requests?” she asked. 

“Anything is good with me.”

Kanao nodded and reached over to the guitar case she had set next to her. She unzipped it and pulled out her acoustic guitar. After taking a moment to tune the strings, Kanao began to play.

It was a playful, lively song that Nezuko didn’t recognize but had her tapping her foot nonetheless. Kanao’s sweet, smooth voice rang through the air and perfectly complemented the light, airy chords that she strummed. Other people in the group began to sing along with the song, until there was a small chorus of people.

This continued for a couple hours as Kanao went from song to song. Eventually, the songs she played began to grow softer and gentler, and her voice had become quieter and huskier. The other voices dropped off until Kanao was the only one singing. 

Nezuko had begun to grow a bit warm and fuzzy from all of the beer she had drank and was resting her head on Kanao’s shoulder as she played. She could feel the tiniest vibrations as Kanao sang. She felt like she was about to fall asleep, until Kanao began to play a song that she recognized. 

“Say you're sorry, that face of an angel
Comes out just when you need it to
As I paced back and forth all this time
'Cause I honestly believed in you
Holdin' on, the days drag on
Stupid girl, I should've known, I should've known”

The song was simple and soft yet painfully forlorn. Nezuko found herself relaxing and settling into Kanao’s shoulder even more. 

“That I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale
I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet
Lead her up the stairwell
This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town
I was a dreamer before you went and let me down
Now it's too late for you and your white horse
To come around”

Nezuko stared at the bonfire as Kanao continued to sing. It was a shadow of its former self; all that was left now were tiny flames, glowing coals, and a heap of ash. It struggled to cast even a faint, spectral light over the partygoers.

“Cause I'm not your princess, this ain't a fairytale
I'm gonna find someone someday
Who might actually treat me well
This is a big world, that was a small town
There in my rear-view mirror disappearing now
And it's too late for you and your white horse
Now it's too late for you and your white horse
To catch me now”

Nezuko looked up at Kanao’s face. The fire’s pale light accentuated the curve of Kanao’s cheek and the tiny flecks of light in her eyes. She was beautiful.

“Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa
Try and catch me now, oh
It's too late
To catch me now”

Maybe it was the atmosphere. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was how beautiful Kanao looked. But before Nezuko even knew it, violent, vulnerable, beautiful words were spilling from her mouth as Kanao finished the song.

“I love you.”

Silence. 

Nezuko looked at Kanao. Her eyes were cold and emotionless. 

“Hm.”

Kanao looked away.

Nezuko felt pain and regret slice through her stomach. She wanted to reach out to Kanao. She wanted to take Kanao’s cheek in her hand. She wanted to make Kanao look at her. She wanted Kanao to be there with her and not a thousand miles away.

But Nezuko had fallen hard, and Kanao had taken a step back without her.  

Nezuko had to do something. 

She forced out a laugh. 

“I got you! Good joke, wasn’t it?”

Nezuko pushed back the tears that threatened to spill over. Now just wasn’t the right time. She had scared Kanao by confessing like this. Maybe, if she just stayed with Kanao a bit longer, she could make things work. 

The moments that made Nezuko blush, that made her heart race, that made her stomach flip, that made her feel completely at ease with the world—those had to be real. They had to mean something. They proved that Kanao felt something for her.

Right?

The fire died out, leaving them in darkness.

---------

Nezuko would be lying if she said she wasn’t hurting. 

Of course she was hurting. She had offered up her heart, and Kanao had turned away. There was no way she wouldn’t be feeling the effects.

But she had been trying to remain positive the last few days. She wouldn’t let this get her down. She was convinced that there was still some way to reach Kanao with her feelings. There had to be. 

Because if there wasn’t, everything would’ve been for naught. 

That last part remained unspoken, a painful yet undeniable truth hidden deep in her heart. 

Nezuko managed to push it down even deeper when Kanao had procured a couple of fake IDs and asked Nezuko if she wanted to come to a bar with her. It was another chance for Nezuko to try to chip away at Kanao’s heart and get through to her, so she accepted the offer. 

And now it was time to see if her choice would pay off.

Nezuko chewed her lip as the bouncer looked over her ID. His eyes scanned over the card. After a few seconds, he passed it back.

“Come on in.”

Nezuko internally let out a sigh of relief and stepped into the bar. There was a pool table at the center, surrounded by a few small tables and chairs. The bar area stood to their right, with shelves of various drinks set behind it. The clack of pool balls hitting each other and the clunk of glass cups on wood sliced through the buzzing of voices. 

Kanao walked up to the bar. “Can I get a scotch on the rocks?” The bartender nodded. Kanao turned to Nezuko. “Is there anything you want? I’ll pay.”

Nezuko had no idea what to order. “Why don’t you choose for me?”

Kanao nodded. “Can we get a pink lemonade margarita too?” Kanao turned back to Nezuko. “It’s one of the prettiest drinks they have. It reminds me of you.”

Nezuko’s heart fluttered. She would never be able to understand how Kanao could say things like that so easily. 

Nezuko watched as the bartender made the drinks. The bartender dipped the margarita glass in lemon juice and laid it in a pile of sugar before pouring all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and mixing it up. She flipped over the now frosted glass and poured the mix from the shaker into it, and then placed a couple of sliced fruits along the rim. Once that was finished, she took out a small glass and poured in some ice cubes and a bit of scotch.

She slid the drinks over to Kanao and Nezuko. “Here you go.”

Nezuko’s drink was a bright, pretty pink, perfectly complemented by the vibrant red and yellow hues of the strawberry and lemon on the rim. She took a sip. It was as sweet and refreshing as it looked. 

She glanced over at Kanao as she took a long sip of her scotch. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of a grimace as she downed the drink.

Kanao looked over at Nezuko. “Did you want some? There’s a bit left.”

“Well… I am kind of curious.”

Kanao slid the drink over to her. Nezuko took a look at it before taking a tiny sip. Even though she only drank the tiniest amount of it, the scotch still burned as it made its way down her throat. She coughed and set down the drink.

Kanao took the glass back. “It’s a bit harsh at first.”

A bit? The drink felt like liquid fire. Nezuko had no idea how Kanao drank it without any sort of reaction. 

It was almost… hot.

Nezuko took another sip of her drink. She finished the rest of it in short time. As the bartender collected their glasses, Kanao stood up. 

“Do you want to play pool?”

Nezuko’s face fell. “I’ve never played before.”

Kanao smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll teach you.”

Kanao walked over to the pool table and began to place the billiard balls into the rack. Nezuko followed her and watched curiously. Once all of the balls were inside, Kanao lifted the rack, leaving them in a pyramid shape. Then, she picked out a couple of pool cues from a shelf on the wall. 

Kanao handed one of the cues to Nezuko. “Here. This should be a good size for you.”

Nezuko took the cue. It was surprisingly heavy, yet somehow it made it easier to handle. 

Kanao brought the cue ball towards her and then leaned over the pool table. She rested the edge of the cue on her hand and leaned down so that she was almost at eye level with the cue ball. The air turned still around her as she focused in on the ball. A moment passed, and then—

Crack!

Kanao hit the cue ball and sent it rocketing towards the pyramid of balls. It slammed into the pyramid, causing it to explode and send the balls flying in every direction. Nezuko couldn’t even keep track of all of them, but she saw some of them roll into the pockets at the end of the table. 

Kanao straightened back up. “Now you try. You need to go over to the white cue ball and hit it so that it hits the other balls into the pockets.”

“Okay…”

Nezuko walked over to where the cue ball was and leaned over. She tried to place the cue on her hand like Kanao did, but she couldn’t get it to stay stable. She struggled for a few seconds until she felt Kanao slip behind her. 

“Do it like this.”

Kanao’s breath caressed her cheek. Nezuko shivered. Kanao pressed her chest to Nezuko’s back and placed her arms on top of Nezuko’s. She guided Nezuko’s right arm so that the cue was in the optimal position, and then her left so that it was in the correct place on her hand. 

“This should be a straight shot, so just aim right for the center of the ball.”

Kanao pressed in even closer. Nezuko felt her body growing warmer. 

“Move your arm like this,” Kanao guided Nezuko’s right arm back, “And then push it forward.” Kanao brought Nezuko’s hand forward, pushing the cue into the cue ball. The cue ball flew towards one of the other balls and smashed against it, causing it to shoot straight forwards and into one of the pockets. 

Kanao leaned back, her fingers brushing against Nezuko’s arms and leaving tiny trails of fire in their wake. “Good shot.”

Kanao shot her a smile. Nezuko blushed.

She hadn’t felt this flustered in a while. It was like Kanao knew exactly what to do to turn her into putty.

It was moments like these that convinced Nezuko that there was something there. 

They continued to play the game for a little while. Kanao explained the rules as they went along and gave Nezuko… hands-on guidance, while Nezuko tried to keep up and not combust from the close contact. Kanao won in the end, but Nezuko wasn’t unhappy at all. 

“You’re so good at this, Kanao! How did you get so skilled?”

“Well, I come here relatively regularly.”

“Would you be able to teach me more in the fu—”

A gruff voice suddenly cut in. “Hey. You. The one with the butterfly pin. Did you beat a guy at pool a few days ago?”

Nezuko looked over. A group of buff and rather unhappy looking men had gathered by the pool table. She felt unease creep up her spine. 

“I beat a lot of people.”

“He had a lot of tattoos, and a beard. Also a ripped vest.”

“I think I remember him. He bet a lot of money and lost. You… look familiar too. Did I beat you also?”

The man scowled. “I haven’t ever seen you in my life. My buddy, though… he’s one of the best pool players I know, and yet he lost a lot of money to a little girl like you. I don’t believe it. Play me and prove that you didn’t cheat him out of that money.”

“It’s not my fault he was a terrible player, but if you don’t believe me, I’m happy to play you. I always get a kick out of showing men how mediocre they are.”

Kanao’s smile was sweet but deadly. The man growled but didn’t say anything more. 

Nezuko took a step back. “I think I’ll watch from the side.” She walked back to the bar area as they set up the game. 

Tension sat in the air, thick as honey and heavy as lead. The game started off uneventful. Kanao let the man start off the game to give him an advantage, and he managed to land a few balls before it moved to Kanao’s turn. Once it was her turn however, she made shot after shot after shot without so much as hesitating. She remained cool and collected, but the men slowly began to grow more and more frustrated and angry with each shot. 

Finally, once Kanao had reached her last ball, one of the men spoke. “This isn’t right! There’s no way you could’ve landed all of those shots! You have to be cheating!”

“You really think that I’m cheating just because you’re losing so badly? Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re just that bad? What a sorry excuse for a person. Face reality. As you said earlier, you’re losing to a little girl.”

The man’s face grew red. “Shut up! I know you have to be cheating! That’s the only way this could be happening!”

Kanao’s smile grew cruel and wicked. “The only person who’s cheating is your girlfriend.”

The man’s face paled. “What—what is that supposed to mean?!”

Kanao’s smile grew wider. “I know why you look familiar now. I saw a picture of you when I went on a date with your girlfriend a couple of weeks ago.”

“You—You’re lying! She would never do that!”

“Pretty black hair, brown eyes, bubbly, obsessed with ladybugs. That’s her, right?”

“How—”

Kanao laughed. “She seemed to enjoy being with me a lot more than with you.”

The man smashed his pool cue against the pool table. It broke in half.

“You bitch! I’m gonna kill you!”

The man swung at Kanao. She dodged with ease, still smiling. Her eyes gleamed with a malicious excitement.

“You’ll regret this.”

She swung back at him. Her fist collided with his face, and a loud crunch echoed through the bar. Blood dribbled down his chin and onto the floor, and he screamed out in pain. 

The other men stepped up. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

Kanao wiped off her knuckles. “Teaching your friend a lesson. Do you want to be next?”

“You’re dead!”

Nezuko watched in fear as the men lunged towards Kanao. She had to do something. At this rate, things were going to escalate even more, and Kanao was going to get hurt. 

Kanao ducked under the men’s arms and punched them both in the stomach. They froze in midair, the wind completely knocked out of them. Kanao took the opportunity to kick both of them onto the ground. 

“Is that all you’ve got? I guess you talk so much shit because you have nothing to back it up with.”

The first man came running towards Kanao, his face smeared with blood. He grabbed the collar of her shirt and pushed her up against the wall. 

“You think you’re hot stuff, bitch? I’ll show you.”

Nezuko’s feet moved before she could even think. She ran towards Kanao and grabbed the man’s arms, pulling back with all her might.

“Let her go!” she yelled. 

The man struggled against Nezuko. “What do you think you’re doing?!” he spat. He tried to release himself from her grip, but she refused to let go.

Kanao smiled. A threat danced behind her eyes. The man faltered for a second but didn’t let go. 

Kanao kicked and hit the man straight in the crotch. He immediately let her go and collapsed to the ground. 

But before Nezuko could even get a word out, she was shoved into the wall. Hard. Pain lanced through her body as she fell to the ground. The necklace that Kanao had given her snapped and fell in front of her.

The other two men had recovered and come back to attack Kanao. They were sending a barrage of punches and kicks towards her, but she evaded every single one. She was eerily calm, almost as if she were merely dancing around rather than dodging the blows of two burly men. 

Nezuko tried to get up, but pain shot through her leg and she fell back down. One of her bones must’ve been badly bruised. She felt so helpless just lying here on the ground while Kanao fought the men. 

Kanao appeared to be holding her own quite well, however. She had soon managed to take down one of the men, leaving just the other for her to fight. Nezuko let out a sigh of relief. Maybe they would get out of this oka—

Suddenly, the man pulled something from his back pocket. He pressed a button, and a blade popped out. The edge flashed under the pale lighting of the bar. 

Panic struck Nezuko like lightning. Oh god, he had a knife. He could really hurt Kanao. He could kill her. 

Kanao’s eyes flicked down to the knife. Her smile grew wider with amusement.

The man looked taken aback by her look for a moment, but he steadied his fighting stance before slicing at her. 

The dance began once more. Kanao weaved up and down, left and right, dodging each of the man’s slices and stabs. She laughed.

“You’re not very good at this, are you? I guess I shouldn’t expect much from someone with nothing better to do than getting revenge for a friend who got beaten at pool. ”

The man yelled and increased the furor of his attacks. Kanao was still completely unperturbed. She jumped and sidestepped, working the man up more and more until he lost his balance. 

“Shit!” He looked at Kanao. “You—oof!”

Kanao punched the man straight in the gut. He crumpled over and fell onto his knees. Kanao kicked him in the head, knocking him flat on his back. Nezuko saw his face shift in an unnatural way.

Kanao placed her foot on his chest and ground her foot down. “Not so hot now, are you?” She ground her foot down even harder, and the man cried out in pain.

She looked… chilling. Her boot dug into the man’s chest. Drops of blood littered her cheeks. She held his life in her hands, but she was still smiling, her eyes completely cold. Emotionless.

Just like they were every time she hurt Nezuko. 

Nezuko felt a shudder run through her. 

“Do you give up now?”

The man began to cry. Before he could say a word, however, the sound of sirens began to echo from outside. A bang came from the door. 

“Police!”

Kanao lifted her foot and wiped off the blood on her face. She searched around for an exit and zeroed in on the back door. 

The front door opened. Kanao ran towards the back. Nezuko reached towards her, still lying crumpled on the ground. 

“Kanao…”

Kanao’s eyes met hers. They stared at each other for a moment, until Kanao looked away and continued to run towards the back. 

Nezuko felt her heart shatter. 

Oh. 

Kanao really didn’t have affection for her, after all. There wasn’t anything deep inside. There wasn’t a part of her that cared. It was all a lie. A daydream. Something that Nezuko had just told herself to cope with what she didn’t want to accept. 

Her hand fell to the floor. 

It wasn’t Kanao leaving that hurt the most. It wasn’t being abandoned. It was the fact that Kanao’s eyes still remained unmoved, even as Nezuko reached desperately for her. 

It was the fact that Kanao’s eyes looked like that every time she looked at Nezuko, even after everything Nezuko sacrificed for her.

Nezuko stared at the necklace in front of her, battered and broken just like she was. A sad, cold fear creeped in.

Kanao probably never loved her.

Or the other girls.

Or anyone. 

Or anything.

The police spread out through the bar. One caught sight of Nezuko and ran over.

Kanao flew her to places she’d never been. She’d given Nezuko the excitement she had been craving. 

The cop said something that Nezuko couldn’t hear. 

‘Til Kanao put her down.

The cop crouched down.

Now she was lying on the cold hard ground. All alone.

The cop tried to help Nezuko up. Her leg buckled and sent her crashing back down to the ground. She could barely feel the pain.

She had no one to help her now. She had estranged herself from everyone but Kanao, and now she had left her.

Another cop ran up to them.

This wasn’t the fairy tale she thought it was. The power of love couldn’t fix someone so far gone, and she was a fool to think so. 

The joke was on her. After all…

The cop accidentally stepped on the necklace and crushed it.

She knew Kanao was trouble when she walked in.