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“So why do you always act like you’re better than the rest of us!?” Giyuu sighed, finally turning to look at the Wind Hashira.
Sanemi paused for a second, this was the only sort of reaction he’d ever gotten from the arrogant bastard, he was usually just ignored until the Master got there. So while he had been a bit more aggressive today, he still wasn’t really expecting anything.
“Do you have an inferiority complex, Shinazugawa-san?”
All the Hashira present froze.
“….What?”
Giyuu stared at him, “Well, even though I never said I was better than anyone, you’ve always assumed that’s what I thought?”
“You-!”
“Yes, me. Me, who lets you yell atrocious things about me every time we meet. Me, who has never never said anything bad about anyone here, or anyone at all, really.”
“Me, who is just a quiet person by nature. Me, who is hated by people for just breathing. Me, me, me.”
He took a step closer to the scar covered man. “Then, there’s you.”
“You, who insults people you’re only just meeting for the first time. You, who never listens to anyone else’s opinion. You, who I so desperately wanted to befriend, but couldn’t find the right words to do so.”
Sanemi had gone quiet, face getting paler for every word that came out of the revenette’s mouth.
Giyuu turned to Shinobu. “And you.” She stared at the ground.
“You approached me saying you wanted to be friends, it made me happy. Then you started to ‘make fun’ of me. No. It wasn’t simply making fun. You told me repeatedly that I am hated, that no one will ever like me.”
Mitsuri was crying a little by now, and Iguro hopped down from his tree. “Hey, you-!”
Giyuu turned to him, practically seething. “And you.” He said it with so much venom that some of the Hashiras shivered.
“I spoke to Kanroji-san. She laughed, and she smiled, and that made you hate me. You picked up on anything insultable about me and used it to hate me. I’m quiet? Iguro hates me for it. I speak? Iguro hates me for it. I’m gloomy? Iguro hates me for it. I literally just exist? Iguro hates me for it. All because I made the girl he’s smitten with smile.” He walked closer and closer, until he was standing directly in front of him.
“You still-!”
“Do you want to know why I spoke to her, Iguro!?” The shorter man froze. Tomioka never raised his voice.
“Because the way she smiles, the way she laughs, even the way she does her hair! It reminds me of my older sister!” He punched Iguro, sending him stumbling to the side.
“My older sister who is dead!” Shinobu blanched at that. Him too..?
Giyuu turned to the other Hashira. “And all of you! You knew what was happening, how absurd it was, and you chose to do nothing! I bet you all secretly agreed with them, didn’t you?”
He took a deep breath.
“Even Himejima-san and Uzui-san. We’ve been colleagues for the longest. Himejima-san is kind to everyone, so why? I understand Uzui-san not doing anything, but even Himejima?”
Himejima, who already had tears running down his face, seemed genuinely sad now.
“I never wanted to be a Hashira, I don’t deserve it.” Sanemi, though he seemed angry, stayed quiet for once.
Giyuu stared at them all for a moment longer, gaze lingering on Rengoku, before turning away and leaving Oyakata-sama’s garden. “I quit. I will no longer be holding the place of the Water Hashira.”
The tension was palpable. A sigh was heard and all the Hashira snapped their attention to Oyakata-sama, who had been sitting there for who knows how long.
They all dropped to their knees, “Oyakata-sama!”
The man in question sighed again. “It took me so long to convince him to join us, too..”
Uzui risked a glance up, “…What?”
“Giyuu was already at Hashira level when he was 15 years old, but he refused the position until he was 17, because he believed himself unworthy.”
Muichiro’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t say anything.
“What to do…” Oyakata-sama sighed again. “Well, I’ll figure it out. For now, let’s continue with the meeting…”
Later, when Oyakata-sama had gone back inside, the Hashiras stood quietly.
Kanroji had been sniffling for a while now, and Rengoku patted her back, comforting her quietly.
“I didn’t realize what I was saying affected him so much..” Shinobu said
Uzui sighed, his usual upbeat demeanor toned down, “I don’t think any of us did. Though I suppose all of us are at fault.” Himejima nodded, rubbing his hands together in prayer, tears still streaming down his face.
Iguro quietly climbed his tree again, facing away from everyone.
Rengoku, who had stopped smiling, had a slight red tint to his face.
“It was kind of hot though, wasn’t it?”
The tension snapped, and everyone stared at him.
Well.
He wasn’t exactly wrong.