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The master had sent Sanemi on a mission. Usually it wouldn’t bother him but this time his mission was with Tomioka.
When he met with Tomioka, he looked more gloomy than ever, which infuriated Sanemi even more.
Tomioka noticed he was more agitated than normal and tried his best to keep his distance. He didn’t exactly enjoy this day either, he hardly remembers his family at all aside from his sister, Tsutako, who practically raised him.
Even then, his memory of her has gradually faded over time and he’d almost completely forgotten what she looks like. His heart aches at the thought of her.
“Fucking hurry up, Tomioka!” Sanemi growled from up ahead.
Tomioka quickly sped after him as he shook himself out of his thoughts.
The two headed up the hill in total silence. The sun began to set and the two kept their guard up for any demons.
From what they know, this demon had been causing a lot of trouble in the local villages, and specifically targeted children.
They reached the village not long after the sun had fallen completely. They split up briefly and began to search for the demon.
Giyuu came across it first and attempted to slice of its head but missed and chopped its arm instead.
“What has gotten into you, Tomioka?! That should have been easy for you!” Sanemi spat before speeding off towards the demon.
In his anger, Sanemi fealty the finishing blow to the demon and watched it slowly disintegrate. He had expected Tomioka to follow him instead he was nowhere to be found.
The sun was rising so knew wherever he wouldn’t be in any demon trouble.
It wouldn’t usually bother him but he felt something was off the second he saw him. He had nothing better to do, so decided to go search for him.
He eventually found him bent down by a river. He stomped on over but stopped when he saw what he was holding.
Giyuu held a baby bird on his hands, which Sanemi assumed he must have scooped out of the river.
He had the bird wrapped in a small piece of cloth and he was gently drying it off as it tweeted in his hands.
Giyuu looked up and Sanemi for a second before looking back to the baby bird.
“Sorry for leaving you with that demon.” Giyuu spoke softly.
“It’s fine. I was more than capable of dealing with it.” Sanemi told him.
Giyuu hummed and stood up, making sure to be careful of the bird in his hands. Sanemi watched Giyuu’s cautiousness when it came to the bird.
When he knew the bird was dry, he carefully put the bird back on a branch in a tree nearby.
He'd never seen Tomioka show so much concern over people, but watching him care so attentively made him want to regret being so harsh on Tomioka in the past.
He could have sworn he actually caught a glimpse of him smiling as the bird reunited with its mother, before his smile turned to a look of sadness once again.
"You don't have to stay." Tomioka told him, eyes fixated on the ground in front of him. "If the demon has been defeated, there's no reason you have to stick with me anymore, and I'm sorry I wasn't much help.”
‘That's what he's thinking?’ Sanemi thought to himself. He almost felt bad for him, but at the same time knew he should probably and report back to the master.
"I... I don't exactly hate your company, Tomioka." Sanemi told him. "Your gloomy face just pisses me off sometimes."
"Oh I'm sorry..." Tomioka told him, finally looking up at him. "I don't know i'm doing it half the time... My sister used to call it 'Resting bitch face."
Sanemi let out a snort of laughter at that. "So you do have a sense of humour! Wait till i tell uzui this!"
"i doubt he'll believe you tho." Giyuu told him.
"Oh fuck, you're right." Sanemi mentally smacked himself.
Before Giyuu could reply, his crow gracelessly face-planted the floor. Giyuu, with a sigh, bent down to help the poor old thing up.
"Hashira meeting! Shinazugawa! Tomioka! Report back to the master!" It squawked after catching its breath.
"Duty calls." Sanemi sighed.
The two headed back to base together, not talking the entire way back..