In Chapter 12~

"Oh! Y/n-san!! You were okay!" Zenitsu gasped out in surprised midway of wiping his snot when he noticed the woman standing at the doorway.

"Y/n-san!" Tanjirou exclaimed happily before grinning, his body movements still stiff.

"Woman?" Inosuke repeated with his raspy voice as he turned his head to look at her.

"Eh...? Y/n-san?" The three boys started to panic when Y/n strutted over towards him and when they looked a bit closer they noticed the tears had already started to stream down her face.

"I'm sorry...," Y/n whispered.

"For what?" Zenitsu asked worriedly.

"For not being there to protect you...," Y/n whispered. "I'm sorry...,"

"I'm sorry,"

The three boys couldn't do anything as Y/n kept whispering out those words again and again...

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"Are you okay now?" Tanjirou asked shakily as he fawned internally at Y/n slightly puffy eyes and pouty face. 

"...hmm," Y/n nodded her head her cheeks slightly turning into a rosy red. She wiped her eyes once more before she let out a soft smile before patting each three of them on the head. 

"I hope you all get better soon," Y/n whispered before she stood back up. "I'll visit you again in the morning," 

The three boys nodded as Y/n left the room with the Insect pillar.

The two women walked in silence until Y/n spoke. 

"Thank you...,"  Y/n's awkwardly scratched her head as she thanked Shinobu. 

"For what?"

"Thanks for encouraging me to to meet them... you were right... they weren't mad at me," Y/n smiled brightly at Shinobu before realising the insect pillars surprised gaze that was aimed at her. "Ah... Sorry Kocho-san... I'm-I'm not familiar in how to communicate with other women or well people well...,"

Shinobu shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about how pretty your smile was... you don't smile often do you... and please call me Shinobu," 

"Well, I didn't have many reasons to smile about," Y/n muttered. 

Shinobu stayed silent and Y/n was instantly bombarding herself with questions. 

'Did... Did I say something wrong?' 

'I was only trying to get a bit closer since this is were Tanjirou, Inosuke, Zenitsu and Nezuko 'works' ... and I hoped this time I could surround myself with people instead of pushing them all away... I guess this isn't really my strong point,' 

But Shinobu only chuckled at Y/n's deep thinking face before she tapped Y/n on her arm. 

"Ah!... Ah... yes?" 

"Tomorrow, after you visit the boys shall I give you a tour of the other pillars?" Shinobu asked before leading Y/n to her own room. 

"Yes!-I mean... would that be okay?" 

Shinobu nodded. "Meet me at the yard after you finish visiting!~" 

Y/n nodded her head before closing the door.

TIMESKIP~

Y/n flinched at the muffled shouts and wails that were coming inside the hospital ward. 

"That's why you must drink this  medicine!" A girls voice echoed. 

Y/n head Zenitsu gasp in fear before complaining like a kid.

"But it tastes so gRoSs! There's only so much gross a person can take!" 

"Then don't come crying to me if your arms don't go back to normal!" 

"So cold! That's such a cold thing to say!"

Y/n let out an amused smile as she peeked. There was a young girl with deep blue eyes, straight black hair in twin tails with a parted fringe. She wore two blue butterfly clips to keep her twin-tails in place. Her voice sounded firm, so did her personality as she scolded Zenitsu. Zenitsu eventually ran to Tanjirou's side jumping on Inosuke's bed on the process. 

"Zenitsu... What are you doing?" Y/n asked as she finally decided to step in. She thought if she didn't then the blue haired girl would try and force the medicine on him, which would be a hassle. 

"Y/n-chan!! Please help me!! I can't do it!!" Zenitsu pleaded as he scrambled to Y/n's arms when she reached Tanjirou's bed. Y/n tried to calm him down by trying to set him firmly on the bed but to no avail she eventually sighed before patting his back.

"Looks fun you guys," A sudden gloomy aura surrounded them. 

"Ah... you're... Mutata?" Y/n asked hesitantly. 

"It's Murata," Tanjirou corrected her immediately before they both flinched as Murata had had half of his life span taken away from him.

"Ano... What happened?" 

"I was summoned to the Hashira Meeting to give my report on the Mt. Natagumo incident. And it was hell!! Those Hashira's were too terrifying!! All pissed about how the quality of new Slayers has gone downhill... Because there were some who didn't follow precise orders... And they were like, 'Who trained them?' What good would it do to ask someone of my rank? Hashira's terrify me! " Murata kept rambling his complaints when a familiar butterfly-like patterned Haori fluttered behind him. 

"Hello," A petite voice greeted them. 

"Hashira! Lady Kocho!" Murata rapidly stood up in fear.

"Hello!" 

"Oh Hello! Goodbye!" Murata then rushed his greetings before running away. 

"Oh my! Goodbye!~ How is your recovery coming along?"

"I think we're all a lot better now," Tanjirou answered. 

"Then, let's have you start your Rehabilitation Training, shall we?"

"Rehabilitation Training?" Tanjirou repeated. 

Shinobu nodded her head as she smiled a yes. 

"Ah, if you don't mind I shall be needing to steal Y/n," Shinobu stated. 

"Eh?! Whyyy?!" Zenitsu cried as he started to burry himself into Y/n's warmth once again. 

Tanjirou's eyes shifted and something arose within himself that he didn't even know he had. 

"Zenitsu! Stop it!" Tanjirou said trying to calm down, he tried to shake off the weird feeling within his stomach. He grasped Zenitsu's arms before pulling him away. 

"Wait Tanjirou," Y/n said before walking up towards the blue-haired girl and putting her hand out. 

"May I help you?" 

"The medicine. I'll give it to him, thank you for trying to cure him," Y/n gave the girl a light smile before walking towards Zenitsu. 

"Wait... Y/n-chan... Wait!!!" Zenitsu screeched and squawked like a bird, his arms flapping wildly  as Tanjirou held him down. 

"Zenitsu, you have to get better don't you? Otherwise you might have to be left alone as Tanjirou, Inosuke, Nezuko and I go out for missions... you don't want that, do you?" Y/n smiled though it held a sinister vibe that made Zenitsu shut up and nod his head. He then gurgled the medicine down as Y/n poured it in. 

"Ok then... we can go now," Y/n turned to Shinobu who laughed at the scene. 

"Hai, let us go. Hope you guys get better soon!" Shinobo gave her greetings before walking out, Y/n following her. Before she left, Y/n peeked in. 

"Good luck!" She gave a pure-hearted smile before disappearing. 

...

...

...

"Y/n-chan is... so cute," The boys simultaneously muttered out. 

~

"We might not have time for all of the pillars but I'll introduce you to a few," Shinobu said as she turned her head up to look at Y/n. Y/n nodded. 

"This is the love pillar, we have hang out quite often. You should join us as well, Mitsuri-san would be delighted to have another female friend," 

Y/n stood outside the Love pillars mansion, glancing over it before quickly following Shinobu. Her heart was pounding... it was out if excitement... she might have another friend, another female friend... what do friends do though? From other villages that I travelled through, the girls wore heavy make-up and fancy kimonos that made them look like prostitutes... but they looked happy as they chatted to one another.

"Hello?"

"Y/n-san?" 

"Y/n-san!?" 

Y/n snapped out of her own thoughts and her eyes adjusted to what was in front of her. The Love pillar. 

'Ack! I was suppose to start off with a good impression!' Y/n internally squealed in frustration. She hesitantly bowed, before giving her a smile. 

"I'm sorry, I was spacing out in how to make a good impression... which I guess I failed at...," Y/n apologised quickly. But the pillar only laughed out loud, her voice was pleasant and girlish. It wasn't an annoying 'b*tchy' laugh... but it already sounded friendly in her ears, and that was enough to boost her confidence. And she tried more confidently this time. 

"My name is Y/n, you?" 

"Mitsuri Kanroji... You were really cool at the meeting you know!" Mitsuri squealed as she grasped Y/n's hand. "You seemed so elegant and you're moves were graceful but sharp like knife!~ It was the most beautifulest thing I have ever seen!!!"  

"Thank... you," Y/n was slightly surprised at the cheeriness and she tilted her head. "Does that mean... we are friends no?" 

Mitsuri and Shinobu both giggled before linking arms with Y/n. 

"Of course!" Shinobu smiled. 

"Let's go meet the others as well!!" Mitsuri cheered before dragging Y/n. 

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Thanks for reading :))

This chapter and the next will probs be more about building relationships :)) Hope you enjoy it!!~

Word count: 1444

ACE out!~