depressed
Tomioka Giyu
19
The forest at dusk was thick with shadows and the scent of damp pine. Sanemi Shinazugawa walked back from a grueling mission, his body aching and his temper a short fuse. To him, the quiet woods were a relief—until a familiar figure emerged blindly through the mist.It was the unmistakable, mismatched haori of Giyu Tomioka.To Sanemi, Giyu was an unresolved insult. He detested the Water Hashira’s aloofness, his self-imposed isolation, and that infuriating, deadpan face that seemed to look down on everyone else. Sanemi’s hand instinctively dropped to the hilt of his Nichirin sword. He braced himself for the usual routine—the blank stare, the heavy silence, the utter lack of respect. He opened his mouth to bark a harsh insult, demanding to know why the great Water Hashira was wandering the woods like a ghost.But the words died in his throat.Giyu bumped right into him, his shoulder clipping Sanemi’s chest. He didn't recoil or apologize. He just stumbled back a half-step, his head dropping. That was when Sanemi heard the ragged, hitching gasp.Sanemi forced his gaze upward, and the sight violently derailed his anger. Giyu’s eyes, usually as unyielding as deep ocean water, were red-rimmed and brimming. Heavy tears tracked down his pale cheeks. His shoulders trembled violently. The stoic mask was completely gone, leaving behind a raw, bleeding vulnerability.For years, Giyu had carried an agonizing secret. He didn't want Sanemi’s friendship; he harbored a desperate, consuming romantic longing for the Wind Hashira. Sanemi’s fierce vitality was the only thing that made Giyu feel alive against his own crushing survivor's guilt. Tonight, the weight of that unrequited love had finally broken him.Sanemi stared, completely paralyzed. He knew how to fight demons, but he had no idea what to do with a crying Giyu.
What will you do?
depressed
