Chapter Text
"Hey, Tomioka!" Kanroji smiled brightly as she bounced over to Giyuu's desk. "Do you wanna get some food with us for lunch? We're thinking about some Ramen! Everyone else is already waiting outside, they were able to leave their classes early."
Giyuu looked away and to the side. "I'm not like the rest of you," he said quietly.
He really wasn't. Everyone else was so kind, smart, selfless, deserving. Nothing like Giyuu. He didn't deserve to be around them, they were too... good. Too good for him.
Kanroji frowned. "Hm... okay, I guess. Let me know if you--"
She was cut off by Kochou. Kochou with her constant polite smile and niceities. "This is why no one likes you, Tomioka."
Giyuu stiffined. Sure, he was undeserving and a theif and bad but he didn't think he was-- Why would Kanroji invite him to Pillar hangouts if he was--
"I am not disliked," he replied evenly. He wasn't. He was sure he wasn't liked but he didn't think he interacted with others enough to be disliked. It wouldn't match up if he was disliked; if he was hated.
Kochou continued to smile politely. "Oh, you didn't know?"
The room was silent, clearly awaiting Giyuu's response, even though there was only the three of them. Giyuu just barely managed the slightest shake of his head.
Kochou took that as permission to start ranting. "Well, Tomioka, no one really likes you. The only person that bothers to invite you anywhere is Mitsuri, and she's only doing it out of politeness. No one ever expects you to come with--in fact, we prefer that you stay behind. People aren't able to be around you for very long, you know. You just give off too much 'I'm an only child,' 'I'm a spoiled brat' vibes." Shinobu's stiff smile never leaft her face as she continued to list the things that were wrong with Giyuu.
Giyuu felt his eyes sting. Only child? He supposed Kochou wasn't wrong, Tsutako had left long ago and he'd never quite decided what he should classify Sabito as. He was sure neither of them would want him anyway, so Kochou was probably right in assuming that. Spoiled brat? Giyuu definetly got more than he deserved. He didn't deserve to get into this school, he didn't deserve the position as a Pillar. He was often given too much.
"--and you ignore the people around you so often, too. Why do you do that, Tomioka? Are you that stuck-up?"
Giyuu stood from his chair and started packing his things. He couldn't do this right now. He couldn't. Maybe what she was saying was true, but he just--it was too much, he just couldn't---
"Leaving already, Tomioka? I haven't even gotten to the worst part!" Kochou called as Giyuu finally opened the door to the classroom.
"Shinobu, how could you--?! Tomioka, wait!" Kanroji called hesitantly.
Giyuu stopped in the door frame, not looking back. He couldn't let them--Kochou--see his red face and glossy eyes.
"Tomioka, Shinobu didn't mean that, I swear! She's just--just having a bad day, y'know? Her big sister--well, it's not my place to say, but, well, Shinobu's under a lot of stress right now! She didn't mean any of that at all, promise! Right, Shinobu?" Kanroji stuttered and stammared.
"No, I meant every word," Kochou responded chipperly.
Giyuu's breath hitched and he brought a hand to his mouth to prevent the soft sob that tried to make its way out of it.
Only child. Spoiled brat. Stuck-up. Worst part.
Giyuu was going to disolve into sobs at any moment. He had to leave.
He sniffled quietly and tried to dry his eyes as he walked away as quickly as he could.
Selfish. Crazy. Unwell. Weak-link.
I am not disliked, Giyuu tried to assure himself as he laid on his bed, curled up and covered in blankets.
And yet--he was, wasn't he? Kochou was honest. Kanroji only invited him out to be polite. Shinazugawa had tried to beat him up before. Ijuro scoffed whenever he saw him. Rengoku had stopped trying to talk with him. Tengen always called him "unflashy." Gyomei barely ever acknowledged him.
Giyuu--
Giyuu was disliked. The Pillars didn't like him. People didn't like him.
"People aren't able to be around you for very long, you know."
Giyuu brang his legs closer to his chest. He felt that same stinging in his eyes and chocked back a sob as he burried his face into his comforter.
"We're sending you there so you can't infect anyone else with your--your insanity."
The next morning was an off day, which was good because Giyuu wasn't sure if he could look at anyone without bursting into tears. Due to Kimetsu Academy being a year-round school, they often had short but frequent breaks, sometimes consisting of just a day or two.
Giyuu had stayed up late the previous night, off-and-on crying for hours on end. Eventually, around five in the morning if Giyuu had to guess, Giyuu had finally fallen asleep. It wasn't very restful, sadly.
Giyuu blindly reached to turn off his alarm, hitting something else instead. Curious, Giyuu opened his eyes and brought the thing closer to his face after shutting off his alarm.
It was a phone. It seemed very new and expensive, and the case was a bright pink.
This was very strange, because Giyuu did not own a phone.
Giyuu turned the phone on, being greeted by a bright pink lockscreen. He opened the phone and instead of seeing an array of apps and such, the text WELCOME, GIYUU! stared back at him. Once he clicked the hello! button he saw the photos of all the people he knew--and some he didn't--staring back at him.
Out of curiosity, Giyuu clicked on one of them. It was an underclassman, one Giyuu had talked to exactly once. The phone displayed a profile for the boy.
Kamado Tanjirou
Age: 13
Birthday: July 14th
Star Sign: Cancer
Love Language: Acts of service
Values: Honesty, kindness, respect, family
Favourites: his family, dancing... (+)
Click for health facts! (+)
Fun Fact of the day!
Tanjirou spends rainy days calling his family and reading books by fire light.
Popularity scores:
Kimetsu Academy: 4.7/5
Kamado Family: 5/5
Friend Group: 5/5
Other Scores:
Friendliness: 5/5
Intelligence: 3.42/5
Looks: 3.64/5
Your Score!
3.42/5
Giyuu stared at the "Your Score!" It was a 3.42/5. That isn't that bad, Giyuu thought.
Maybe one person liked Giyuu, just a little bit. If one person could like him, who's to say others couldn't, too?