Chapter Text
Kanroji had to hold in a squeal, these two were just so cute together!
She was sitting under the blanket that her dear mother made, reading a new chapter of her favorite fan fiction.
“Yknow, you don’t have to help with cooking,” She said, looking over at her significant other.
”It wouldn’t be right, Kiyoko! I have to help! I don’t want to leave you here doing all the work while the boys relax. Not that they don’t deserve to relax, but you need to too! I mean, you need to as well! I want to-“ Yachi was cut off from her rambling with a kiss from Kiyoko.
“You worry too much, darling.”
Kanroji read those words for too long.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep. But she certainly knew the time she woke up.
-
As she opened her eyes, there was a sharp pain behind her them. Kanroji groaned and sat up, rubbing at her temples. Opening her eyes, she saw sunlight peaking through her drapes and gently lighting the room.
Sunlight. There was sunlight?
Kanroji stretched and turned towards her alarm clock.
8:27am
She squinted at the clock, unsure if that was the right time. Rolling over and grabbing her phone, she turned that on.
Monday, October 7th
8:27
”Nononono!” Kanroji said frantically, throwing her phone onto the bedside table and falling out of bed. Stumbling up, she hobbled her way to the closet.
She snatched her dress from the hanger and haphazardly put it on. Then, running back into her bedroom, she grabbed her phone and hustled towards the front of her apartment.
Hopping to the front door, while trying to put on her flats, she grabbed her keys from the bowl.
”Why didn’t I set an alarm,” she whined as she rounded the corner to the parking garage.
“Good morning, Miss Kanroji!” Beamed the flame-haired security guard. He always said hello whenever she passed. She waved and rushed past him, trying to get to her car.
“In a rush this morning?” He laughed.
”A tiny bit Mr. Rengoku! Sorry for not stopping to chat!” She called back.
Slamming the door to her car, she buckled her seatbelt and hightailed it out of the garage, with Rengoku waving as she left.
8:58am
Kanroji jogged to her shop’s front while finishing her last braid off. Opening the door, she glanced around her store. Taking a deep breath in, she looked around at the small building. Spices lined the shelves in most of the front room, but in a little corner, there was a variety of teas. She smiled and walked in, adjusting her uniform.
“Good morning, Miss Kanroji!” Nezuko chirps, while sweeping around the check-out counter.
”Good morning, dear! I’m sorry I got here so late, I must have forgotten to set an alarm last night,” She sighed as she pulled an apron out from underneath the counter.
“Don’t worry about it, you were here before 9! Plus, you need a break sometimes too. You’re here every morning before 8, so it’s about time you slept in,” She grinned at Kanroji and leaned the broom against the counter.
Kanroji only smiled back while she attached her name tag to her apron. “I suppose, but we still need to open shop, right?” She replied.
“Yes ma’am, of course,” Nezuko said.
Kanroji smiled at her employee and opened the cash register. She started to think about the day ahead of her and the jobs that lay ahead, when she realized she missed something.
”I forgot to brush my teeth!” She cried out.
—
Kanroji was beginning to think that today would be able to move smoothly.
Customers steadily moved through the shop, buying a thing here and there. The sunlight streamed through the windows and Kanroji couldn’t be more thankful for her little spice store. Though sometimes stressful managing a business, the scents and sounds always calmed her down.
She has always loved the way her store smelled. The way the spicy jalapeño flavors mixed with the sweeter maple teas. The way an individual’s perfume would mix with the seasoning they were buying.
She remembers most of her regulars, and tries to keep their favorite seasonings or teas in stock; always making sure to make everyone’s experiences great.
But while restocking shelves, she was reminded that sometimes in order to have fluency, there needs to be faltering as well.
”Oof-“ She felt a bottle of Red Chili powder fall out of her hand and onto the floor, with the substance exploding everywhere.
“I-I’m so sorry, Miss Kanroji! I didn’t mean to bump into you,” She turned around, ready to wave it off and send the person on their way.
”Tanjiro! What did I say about coming here to help?! I know you mean well, but this is my first job! I can handle myself, thank you!” Nezuko huffed out, shuffling over. However, when she saw the mess her mouth made an “o” shape and started to help Kanroji with the mess.
”Mister Tanjiro! It’s so good to see you. And don’t worry about the mess, Miss Nezuko and myself can handle it,” Kanroji said. However, she looked down at her clothing and grimaced. Red dust covered the bottom and middle of her apron, and the smell already started to consume her sense of smell.
The gods are after me today, huh? She thought. The one bottle of red chili powder had to break.
“Nezuko? Could you clean some of this up please? I’m going to get a new apron,” Mitsuri asked while walking toward the back of the store
”Yes ma’am! I got this, don’t worry about me!” She smiled and started to wipe up the powder (While scolding her older brother for ‘being so clumsy, how could you not see her?’).
Walking back to the the break room, she tossed the soiled apron into a basket and tried to wipe off any red that snuck onto her dress, hoping the smell would smear away with it. Eventually, after 5 minutes, she gave up and returned to the front.
Kanroji hoped that there would be no more falling today.
—
She watched as the Kamado siblings walked out the door, steadily bickering about what to fix for dinner. It makes Kanroji jealous, she hasn’t seen her siblings in months. Due to her busy schedule and as well as theirs, they don’t have time to see each other anymore.
Sighing as she picked up the broom, she started to tidy up the shop. Kanroji wishes she had more time to do other activities besides running a store. Don’t get her wrong though, she loves what she does. She just wishes she had a tiny bit more time to do other things she loves.
And maybe find someone she can love? She was already in her late 20s, and she hasn’t had a partner in years. When she and Obanai split up, (Due to both figuring out they were interested in…other areas) she knew she wouldn’t have time for a partner, but she didn’t think she wouldn’t have time for this long.
Keeping up with my reading will just have to do, Kanroji thought.
She sighed and put the broom in the cleaning cabinet and made her way to the door. Making sure everything was in its right position, she locked the door behind her and made her way to the car.
6:04pm (18:04)
Kanroji unlocked her apartment door and walked inside. Setting her things in the bowl by the door, she then walked into the kitchen for a snack.
”The gods really are out for my neck today,” she groaned as she closes her fridge door, realizing all of her quick snacks have been depleted. She whined as she trudged into her tiny living room and plopped down on the couch.
bzzt
bzzt
Kanroji dug her phone out of her dress pocket and looked at the messages.
Suma💙
u busy rn??? i found this bar the other day and i wanna take u with me.
Suma💙
i don wanna go alone 😔
Kanroji smiled at her friend’s messages. A night out won’t hurt, like Nezuko said, she could use a break! And a snack. Maybe a few snacks.
Me
when and where?! ٩( ᐛ )و i’ll go!
Suma💙
YAY!!! 🫶 it’s down the street from your store! it’s called “Wisteria Vices.” i’ll meet you in front of your shop!!! 30 minutes!!
Kanroji grinned and hopped up from the couch. Today can and will be better!
Picking out a skirt and shirt, she hurriedly put it on and put her work dress on her bed. This time brushing her teeth, and then making her way out of her apartment.
On her way to her car, she gets another message from suma, “PS might not want to bring your car, we’re both gonna be drinking!” Kanroji nodded to herself and decided against driving. She changed her direction and walked out of the parking garage.
—
“You look so cute! Gods I am so excited to show you this place! I think you’ll love it!” Suma squealed as she ran in front of Kanroji. The latter giggled and jogged to catch up with her friend.
“You’re so excited! Is there anything special about this bar?” Kanroji hooked her arm through the other woman’s. “And please tell me they have food.”
Suma smiled at her friend and started to skip along the sidewalk. “They have bug and flower themed snacks. I don’t think they’re actual bugs though…I don’t really know. Makio told me about it, and she said it was good, though! So it must be,” She nodded to herself and tugged Kanroji along.
Kanroji hummed and skipped along with Suma.
—
The food was peculiar, with flavors Kanroji hasn’t thought of before: chicken and jasmine, cheese curds and rose, lavender flavored ice cream. It wasn’t just the flavors that were unusual either, the way some of the food was shaped too: Cicada shaped candies, cookies with grasshopper stamps, brownie sundaes with chocolate spiders.
Already a few plates and drinks in however, Kanroji didn’t care about what the food looked or tasted like. The buzz of the alcohol made her slightly dizzy, so she didn’t join Suma dancing.
Instead, she focused on the sights around her. Kanroji had a sudden realization, as she looked at the people around her.
Suma failed to tell her that this was a lesbian bar.
Not that she was complaining though. Maybe it was time to be brave and try and find a girlfriend! Yeah! She could do this!
“Hello there.”
Kanroji just about fell off the bar stool. She turned towards the voice and tried to introduce herself, but her breathe caught in her throat.
The woman was beautiful.
Her hair was just above shoulder length, with the tip dyed violet that matched her eyes. Her eyes. They reminded Kanroji of an insects’ eyes. The woman was wearing black scrubs and her smell…
”You smell like hand sanitizer,” Kanroji blurted out.
The other lady smiled at her. “Well, that would make sense, considering I work at a local clinic,” she said laughing at Kanroji’s beet red face.
”I’m…so sorry,” the flustered woman replied. She covered her face with her hands. “That was so embarrassing. I’m sorry. Not that hand sanitizer doesn’t smell good, but I just didn’t expect it. In fact, I love the smell of-“
”Kocho.”
”Pardon?”
”Kocho Shinobu, nice to meet you. This is my sister’s bar,” she said.
What a pretty name, Kanroji thought.
“You’re beautiful,” Kanroji whispered to herself.
“Sorry? I couldn’t hear you.”
“Uh, this food is flavorful! It’s so unique, I’ve never thought of these combinations before. I own Tea and Spice shop down the street!” Kanroji grinned, hoping the diversion worked.
Kocho smiled at Kanroji.
Kanroji’s mind went blank. She stared at the other woman in front of her, captivated by her beauty. The way she held herself. The way her hair fell. Was that a beauty mark?
“-llo, hello? Miss? Are you alright?”
Kanroji fumbled for words, “A-ah! Yes, I am, my apologies.”
Kocho shot a look at the bartender, silently asking a question. Then, she looked back at Kanroji, “Normally, Miss, people tell me their name when I introduce myself.”
”Oh! I’m Kanroji Mitsuri, it’s wonderful to meet you!” She rubbed the back of her head, but doing so, caused her to be a little nauseous. Maybe all of those drinks was not a good idea.
Kocho furrowed her eyebrows. Kanroji didn’t like that look on her face, she liked how she smiled.
”How many drinks have you had, Miss Kanroji?” Kocho said as she leaned closer to the other woman.
”U-uh, two? Three? Three, I think.”
Kocho hummed and nodded.
“So, Miss Kocho, did you…come here alone? By chance?”
The other woman smiled slightly, “In fact I did. Did you?”
Kanroji shook her head, but was quick to clarify when Kocho frowned, “My friend brought me here, we aren’t…together or anything. She’s sweet and all but…I don’t think I would be able to keep up with her and her partners.” She laughed as she thought about her friends.
Kocho grinned and asked, “Where is your Spice shop located?”
”Just a few blocks away from this place. Your sister runs a magnificent bar, by the way. Everything is so pretty!”
”I think she’ll like to hear that.”
Mitsuri smiled. Maybe the rest of the night won’t be so bad.