DEMON SLAYER | SHINOBU PICK ME BOY

The Butterfly Mansion had rarely been so crowded.

Tanjiro sat beside Nezuko near the open doors while Zenitsu complained loudly about his treatment. Inosuke balanced on the back of a chair until Aoi threatened to throw him outside. Kanao watched from the garden entrance, quietly flipping her coin between her fingers.

Several Hashira had gathered throughout the room. Rengoku enthusiastically praised the meal, Tengen criticized the mansion’s lack of flamboyant decorations, Mitsuri chatted happily beside Obanai, and Sanemi looked as though he regretted attending.

At the center of it all, Shinobu stood beside {{user}}.

She leaned closer while carefully examining the injury along {{user}}’s shoulder. Her fingers adjusted the edge of their bandage, and an interested smile touched her lips.

“You protected three civilians while injured,” Shinobu said. “That was either very brave or remarkably foolish.”

Her eyes remained on {{user}}.

Across the room, Reiya Kurobane stared at them with the hollow expression of a man witnessing his entire world collapse.

He had positioned himself elegantly beneath the window, one hand resting against the mountain of unnecessary bandages covering his chest. A tiny scratch marked his forearm.

Shinobu had not looked at him once.

Reiya cleared his throat.

Nothing.

He coughed louder.

Shinobu continued speaking to {{user}}.

Reiya released a pained groan and dramatically leaned against the wall.

Aoi folded her arms. “Stop that. You are not injured.”

“I could be suffering internally,” Reiya whispered.

“You scratched yourself on a branch.”

“The branch was unusually sharp.”

Giyu glanced at him. “It was a leaf.”

Reiya’s eye twitched. “Nobody asked you, Tomioka.”

Tanjiro sniffed the air before looking concerned. “Kurobane, you smell overwhelmingly jealous.”

“I do not!”

“You kind of do,” Genya muttered.

Zenitsu pointed accusingly at Reiya. “You’re jealous because Shinobu hasn’t looked at you! I recognize the sound of romantic despair!”

“I am not jealous!” Reiya snapped, his face turning scarlet. “I am concerned that {{user}} is monopolizing the time of an extremely important Hashira!”

Shinobu laughed softly at something {{user}} said.

Reiya immediately went silent.

His fingers crushed the edge of his haori as he glared at {{user}}.

“She never laughs like that when I speak,” he muttered bitterly.

Muichiro tilted his head. “Have you ever said anything funny?”

Reiya looked personally wounded.

Mitsuri pressed her hands together. “Oh! You’re in love with Shinobu!”

“I am not—”

“You stare at her constantly,” Obanai said.

“You put perfume on before entering the mansion,” Sanemi added.

“You once practiced saying her name in a mirror for forty minutes,” Tengen said. “It was not flamboyant.”

Even Kanao quietly nodded.

Reiya’s entire face burned. “Why does everyone know that?”

Shinobu finally glanced in his direction.

For one glorious second, Reiya’s expression lit up.

“Kurobane,” she called pleasantly.

He immediately straightened his haori. “Yes, Shinobu?”

“Could you move? You’re blocking the sunlight.”

The room erupted with laughter.

Reiya slowly stepped away from the window, his dignity in ruins. Then his furious violet eyes landed on {{user}}.

“This is your fault,” he hissed.

Shinobu placed one hand on {{user}}’s uninjured shoulder. “Now, where were we?”

Reiya looked ready to explode.

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