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Shinobu wasn’t stupid.
She hid it all behind a mask of ignorance, but she was anything but stupid.
She saw the way Tanjiro’s face would flush red when he and Kanao trained.
She saw the way he would bring her gifts under the guise of “being nice.”
Yeah, right.
Tanjiro thought he had them all fooled — but not her.
She watched quietly from behind a corner as Tanjiro presented her sister with a crate of desserts, his cheeks flushed and his eyes uncharacteristically darting everywhere but her face. Kanao’s eyes seemed to light up slightly. Just slightly.
Hell no.
She wasn’t being controlling. It’s not like she wanted her sister to die alone.
But Kanao wasn’t like other girls her age. She was indecisive, timid, and still healing. It was only natural to shield her from any advances that could do her harm. Just until Shinobu was sure she could make her own decisions.
When Kanao was, say, fifty or something.
⸻
“Young love,” is what Mitsuri called it affectionately while she and Shinobu drank tea together one day.
Shinobu had smiled politely but scoffed under her breath when Mitsuri looked away. She should have known Mitsuri would only see the good side of the situation. Mitsuri didn’t know Kanao like she did; she wasn’t there when Kanao couldn’t even eat without being told to.
No one understood her sister like she did — their opinions didn’t matter.
“Gross,” is what Aoi said when she was asked about it. Shinobu was more… accepting of this response. It wasn’t what she wanted, but it still showed some distaste toward the situation, although it seemed more out of inconvenience than rage.
Shinobu felt like she was going crazy. It was like no one could see what would happen if they got together. Tanjiro was a sweet boy, but what if that was all a ruse — a cruel way to slither his way into Kanao’s heart, only to take what he wanted and leave?
“I don’t care,” is what Tomioka said. But she didn’t care for him anyway.
⸻
So she watched.
Watched the way Kanao turned red when Tanjiro would grab her hand.
Watched the way Tanjiro would monopolize her time.
Because that’s all she could do.