Sanemi is growling in frustration again.
"I hate you. I hate both of you."
He storms out of the room, heading straight to the staff room to clear his head, completely missing Mitsuri's knowing smile. Later that evening, Sanemi finds himself unable to sleep, thoughts of Giyuu and his family swirling in his mind. He tosses and turns, cursing himself for being so affected by someone he claims to dislike.His phone buzzes with a message from Mitsuri.
Mitsuri:
Can't sleep thinking about your future family? 😘
Sanemi throws his phone across the room. "Damn it all..."
The phone buzzes again, this time with a message from an unknown number:
Unknown:
Sanemi-san, are you coming to the mixer tomorrow? I hope to see you there.
Sanemi stares at the message in shock, realizing it's from Giyuu. His heart skips a beat as he types out a response.
Sanemi:
Of course I'm coming. Someone needs to make sure those kids behave.
He hits send before he can overthink it, then immediately regrets his choice of words. He stares at the ceiling, mentally preparing himself for whatever tomorrow will bring. His phone buzzes again.
Giyuu:
Good. I'll be looking forward to it. And don't worry, I'll make sure they don't give you too much trouble.
Sanemi is muttering under his breath. "Damn it, why does he have to be so..."
He can't finish the thought, feeling a strange warmth spread through his chest at Giyuu's message. The next morning, Sanemi arrives at school earlier than usual, trying to distract himself by grading papers. But every time he sees Tanjiro in the hallway, he can't help but picture him as Giyuu's son.
Tanjiro approaches Sanemi with a bright smile
"Good morning, Mr. Shinazugawa! Are you excited for the mixer tonight?"
Sanemi tenses up at the question, caught off guard.
"What makes you think I'm excited, brat?"Tanjiro laughs innocently.
"Because I saw you staring at the calendar earlier. You circled today's date."
Sanemi realizes he's been caught, his face turning red as he glares at Tanjiro.
"That's none of your business! Go to class!"
Tanjiro runs off, still giggling, while Sanemi buries his face in his hands, mortified. During lunch break, Sanemi finds himself watching Giyuu from afar as he chats with some other teachers. Giyuu catches his eye and gives him a small nod.
Sanemi quickly looks away, his heart racing again.
"Damn it, why does he keep doing that?"
He aggressively bites into his sandwich, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. As the day progresses, Sanemi becomes increasingly anxious about the mixer. He keeps checking his watch, counting down the hours until he has to face Giyuu in a more personal setting.
Mitsuri suddenly appears beside him. "You're acting weirder than usual today. Nervous about something?"
Sanemi shake his head. It is red, because he gets angry again.
Mitsuri smirks knowingly
"Sure, sure. Just don't forget to wear something nice tonight! Ah, and for your information the mixer is in the gym."
Sanemi mutters under his breath.
"I'll wear whatever I want. It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone..."
He storms off to his classroom, completely missing the fact that Giyuu is watching him leave with an amused expression. The final bell rings, signaling the end of school. Sanemi packs up his things slowly, deliberately taking his time to avoid rushing to the mixer. He glances at himself in the mirror, frowning at his reflection. Sanemi tries to fixes his hair slightly
"This is stupid. I look stupid."
Because Giyuu's house is to small he decided to do it in the gym. He sighs heavily, grabs his jacket, and heads toward the gym where the mixer is being held. As he approaches, he can hear music and laughter already. The gym is decorated with colorful streamers and balloons. Students are mingling with teachers, while a few parents have shown up as well. Sanemi spots Giyuu standing by the punch bowl. Sanemi takes a deep breath and walks over, trying to appear casual
Hey, Giyuu.
Giyuu smiles slightly when he sees Sanemi.
"You made it. I was starting to think you'd skip out."
He hands Sanemi a cup of punch, their fingers brushing briefly.
Sanemi quickly pulls his hand away, feeling that familiar flutter again.
"Yeah, well... I had to make sure everything was in order."
He takes a sip of the punch, trying to act nonchalant despite the fact that his heart is pounding.
Muichiro walk daydreaming through the gym. Since Giyuu adopted him he is concerning about his safety
Giyuu notices Muichiro and calls out softly.
" Muichiro, stay close to the wall."
He subtly positions himself between Muichiro and the more rowdy students, while keeping an eye on Sanemi's reaction. Sanemi watches Muichiro with a mixture of curiosity and protectiveness.
"Is he... your kid?"
He tries to sound indifferent, but there's genuine interest in his voice.
"I told you already I adopted him."
Sanemi scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Right, right. Just making sure. He seems... different from the other students."
He can't help but notice how quiet and spaced out Muichiro appears, unlike Tanjiro who is constantly chatting with others. Giyuu nods thoughtfully.
"He has his moments. Sometimes he forgets where he is."
Muichiro suddenly bumps into a table, causing a small commotion. Giyuu immediately moves to check on him.
Sanemi instinctively steps forward to help, but stops himself.
"Does he need... special attention?"
"No, he is just in his own world."
His concern is evident despite his gruff tone. He's always been protective of kids, even if he won't admit it. Giyuu returns with more juice for Muichiro.
"Thank you for understanding. Most people don't bother to ask."
He ruffles Muichiro's hair affectionately, and Muichiro leans into the touch. Sanemi is watching the tender moment, his expression softens further.
"Well, I'm not most people."
He takes another sip of punch, feeling an odd sense of warmth at seeing Giyuu as a caring father. Giyuu looks at Sanemi with a hint of surprise.
"I know. That's why I'm..."
He trails off, realizing he was about to say something he shouldn't.