Chapter Text
“I’m leaving. Take care, okay? And text me when you return.” Sanemi called out to his adoptive mother as he put his shoes on at the doorway.
“I will, Sanemi,” Amane called out from the kitchen.
After a few seconds, she came to see him off before he left, then smiled, “You know you always worry too much about me.”
Sanemi huffed, “Yeah well, you say it every day ma. Especially when I do the bare minimum anyway.”
The man then headed to the door and mumbled an “I’m off” before leaving.
On the way to the academy, he quickly dropped a quick good morning message to his brother Genya, before pocketing his phone and getting into the subway.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, age 26, a highschool mathematics teacher at Kimetsu Academy, who has also been a graduate of the same school.
The man considers himself to be now leading a mostly comfortable life, but that did not come to him easily.
He had been the oldest of seven siblings, but unfortunately the child of an abusive father who he fortunately, only remembered as a blur now for the most part. The only thing he did remember about him was the fact that he always used to come home, drunk, and try to beat up him and his siblings.
But of course, his angel of a mother always protected them as a shield from his blows. She might have been small, but only physically. Her mental fortitude had been like no other. After his sorry excuse of a father got killed by some random moneylender, he, his younger brother Genya and his mother Shizu had taken charge of being the breadwinners of the family. Their life was hard and neither had a lot of luxuries going for them, but they were happy atleast.
Until, life had its ways of giving him a massive screw over.
When he was around thirteen and Genya was eight, the brothers had gone to run some urgent errands, hence they couldn’t accompany their mother or the rest of their siblings to the small family getaway they had planned. Shizu and all of their siblings had insisted that they could always reschedule it, but both brothers refused, knowing she had planned the trip for a long time.
The last memory the brothers had of their family were the joyful faces of them.
The next thing was a blur again, as he had painfully repressed the memories of the bus accident that took away the lives of his family forcefully.
If it hadn’t been for Genya, Sanemi didn’t know if he had the will to live anymore.
However, on the same fateful day, a woman had brought them in her home. While Genya was mostly trusting, Sanemi wasn’t. He was never very trustful of adults in general due to his past.
And then Sanemi recognised who she was. It was Amane Himorogi, one of the most famous actresses of the country, with the infamous reputation of staying in the shadows outside of her work.
Amane did not offer any faux words of empathy because she somehow knew that wasn’t what the brothers needed right now.
At that moment, all she had said was, “I used to know Shizu, and I’m indebted to her because she helped me through the loss of my husband and children too, despite her own hardships.. So.. I want to repay her.”
She collected herself, and then continued, ‘Is it okay if I call you by your first names?”
Both brothers just nodded after a while, so Amane continued, “I wish to adopt you as my own sons, but I won’t force it upon you.”
Sanemi took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure if he should be very trusting, but somehow.. his gut feeling told him that Amane meant no harm.
He passed a glance at Genya, who glanced at him right back.
Sanemi then sighed, then nodded. At least his brother deserved a comfortable life.
After that, without either of them realising how it exactly happened, Sanemi and Genya had started considering Amane to be the mother they never had. To the point Sanemi started calling her 'ma', a term he had solely reserved for Shizu only.
Genya’s passion was in rifle shooting, as he got accepted into a Sports University for the same. Sanemi couldn’t have been more proud of his brother, and so was Amane.
Due to Genya being busy now as a university student with a tight schedule, the brothers could only spend the evenings together, but it was alright.
Sanemi started his day at school and breezed through teaching his classes in a rhythm as usual, nothing out of the ordinary, and then spending his free time with his colleagues too. Even if he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he was grateful for them to be in his life, and preferred to show that with his actions.
To him friendships mattered a lot. Sanemi had never been in a relationship and neither did he have anyone who he liked ever.
After school was done, he travelled back home. His day was going normal so far and that’s what he had expected at least.
He would’ve never guessed the person that he would come across after seven years, right in the confines of his own home.
As he rang the doorbell of his house, Amane as usual opened the door for him.
“Sanemi,” she replied, “We have a guest. Someone who I think is very well acquainted with you.”
Sanemi raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Who?”
Amane smiled, “You should see for yourself,” as she ushered him inside.
On entering the living room and seeing the figure, rather, a very familiar man on the couch, Sanemi froze.
The very familiar choppy dark hair (which was cut short now, Sanemi recalled his hair had been longer), and the same deep blue eyes that could rival a literal ocean. And the man still had the very familiar neutral expression.. that somehow used to piss Sanemi off a lot all those years ago.
“What the fuck...” Sanemi blurt out on instinct, “Are you doing here, Tomioka?”