25 Giyu is a stalker

"Sister, shouldn't you say something?" Shinobu asked, her brows furrowed in displeasure. She walked along the forest path with Kanae, her voice tinged with frustration.

Kanae thought for a moment before answering, "Hmm, I do think that moving alone is more efficient for a Hashira, but it's not like he's doing anything wrong." She didn't seem too bothered, but Shinobu was still annoyed. She turned her head to glance backward.

Behind them, Giyu walked at a steady pace, his eyes fixed on the passing trees, clearly lost in his own thoughts. Shinobu's irritation grew as she noticed his calm, unbothered expression. For the past two weeks, Tomioka had been following them on missions. Initially, she wasn't too disturbed, but now it was getting on her nerves.

From what she understood, Giyu had asked Master Ubuyashiki for permission to accompany them, and although Kanae didn't mind, Shinobu found it infuriating. She felt like she couldn't act naturally or let her guard down with him constantly trailing them. It was as if he was there only to monitor their every move.

"Shinobu, don't be too harsh. I believe Tomioka has his reasons for acting this way." Kanae reassured her, sensing her sister's anger. But that did nothing to change what Shinobu thought of his actions. To her, Giyu was now nothing more than a creepy stalker. Although she gave him the benefit of the doubt initially, she had now made up her mind, he was unfit to be a Hashira.

Giyu, walking a few paces behind, closed his eyes momentarily as he kept pace. His actions were logical in his own mind. He couldn't recall the exact day Kanae had died in his past life, but he knew it was around this time so he had no choice but to follow them for a brief time.

He had requested permission from Master Ubuyashiki to accompany the sisters on a few missions, and while the Master had hesitated, he ultimately agreed, as long as the Kocho sisters allowed it. Giyu was relieved to receive approval, but even if the master or the Kocho sisters were to reject, he would have still followed. He believed that what was right should always take priority, it was the same mentality he held in his past life and a mindset that led him to put his neck on the line for the Kamado siblings.

Today was no different from the recent days; they were assigned for another mission, and Giyu followed close behind, ready for anything. Fear and hesitation had no place in his heart. He had one clear goal: to keep the Kocho sisters alive and slay the demon that killed Kanae in the past,

If Kanae stays alive, the Corps would have an extra Hashira, in the future maybe Sanemi wouldn't be as angry, and Shinobu wouldn't have to endure the pain of losing her sister. He smiled, recognizing how special the sisters were. They were both strong and hardworking, suited to be Hashira, also intelligent, effectively managing a medical facility for the Corps. His gaze was fixed on the sisters walking ahead, eyes full of admiration

But his thoughts were interrupted when he caught Shinobu's frowning face glaring back at him. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, sensing her displeasure.

Recently, he had received only cold stares and snide comments from her. This saddened him deeply. Even in his past life, Kocho had never treated him this way. Perhaps she used to hide her true feelings back then, but now he was certain: she disliked him. And that hurt.

'Such things don't matter,' he told himself, clearing his mind of the negative thoughts. 'As long as they stay alive, I don't care if I'm hated.'

***

This mission differed slightly from the previous ones, leading Giyu to believe it was the one he had been anticipating. They were to investigate a village further north, where rumors spoke of a cult worshiping a demon. Due to the far distance, the journey would take around five days on foot. It was a long trek, and one that meant they wouldn't be able to receive support from other Demon Slayers if things went south. Giyu knew that the worst was bound to happen.

"Warm meals! Get your warm meals here! Don't be shy!" a rotund man shouted, advertising his food stall. Kanae's attention was drawn to the scent of the food, and knowing there was still a long road ahead, she tugged her sister by the hand before turning back to call out for Giyu to join them

Inside the small shop, the three of them took a seat at one of the wooden tables. "Is there anything to your liking?" the man's wife asked, gesturing toward a sign listing their menu.

"A bowl of Tsukudani, please," Shinobu ordered first, her expression neutral.

"I'll have the same," Kanae added with a warm smile.

"Simmered salmon," Giyu said last, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Right away!" the woman replied cheerfully as she left them to prepare their meals and an awkward silence settled over the table. While Giyu found the quiet comforting, Shinobu's irritation grew with each passing second.

"Tomioka-san," she suddenly broke the silence, her voice sharp. "If you don't mind, can you please tell us why you keep following Kanaein her missions, as a Hashira, shouldn't you be quite busy yourself??" Her tone made no effort to mask her displeasure, earning a disapproving glance from Kanae.

"Shinobu, don't be rude," Kanae scolded gently as Shinobu replied in a whisper, "I'm not wrong, though."

Kanae turned to Giyu with an apologetic smile. "Tomioka-san, please don't take it the wrong way. Your presence is always welcome."

Giyu remained silent for a moment, understanding that his actions might have seemed intrusive to the two sisters. He struggled to find the right words to explain himself without sounding like a crazy pearson. "Bad feeling," he muttered, "I have a bad feeling." He repeated himself avoiding eye contact.

"So, you're worried about us, Tomioka-san. I knew you had a good reason." Kanae's smile widened, but the tension remained as Shinobu kept staring at Giyu with visible disapproval, which only made him more uncomfortable.

"Here's your food! Enjoy it while its warm!" the woman said cheerfully as she set their dishes down on the table. The warm meal helped ease some of the tension, if only for a moment. After eating, they resumed their journey, leaving the small town behind.