Breakable Heaven || Sanemi Shinazugawa x Female Reader

Chapter Two: Hesitation

It was as if time had stopped, and I held my breath as I processed what Kagaya had said. I could only lower my head as I heard myself whisper, "If it is your wish, Oyakata-sama, then I will follow it."

The silence continued for a few more seconds before Sanemi said, "That...goes for me as well, Oyakata-sama."

I glanced up only to see that Kagaya was smiling ruefully as if our acceptance truly brought him joy. It was a refreshing feeling, as I knew the weight of the pressure he's experiencing, and the sacrifices that he was willing to do for the demon slayers.

Pretending to be married to Sanemi was a small price to pay.

There was a knock on the door and the other pillars entered, suddenly making me feel self-conscious. Was I even allowed to stay and join their meeting?

I was about to stand up when Kagaya said, "[Y/N]-san, please do stay. We will talk about how we came to this decision, and I will also inform all of you what the mission is about."

I bowed as I sat back down, waiting for him to start.

Kagaya sighed before saying with a smile, "It's nice to have all of you here again. Let's begin. For [Y/N]-san and Sanemi-san's mission, they will have to pretend to be a married couple because demons were sighted nearby the hot springs at Takayama, and we're investigating a certain inn where most of the guests have disappeared. However, that specific inn only allows guests who are married, for some reason."

Amane handed over to me a neatly folded letter, and I accepted it with a bow before asking, "May I open it right now?," and Amane nodded with a soft smile on her lips.

I carefully unfolded the letter and saw that it was a marriage certificate, with my name as well as Sanemi's.

"You might want to see this," I said with a small sigh as I handed it over to Sanemi, who almost grabbed it with haste.

I saw his eyes widen as he read through the content, and Rengoku's loud voice echoed around the room as he asked, "They're...actually married at this point?"

Kagaya shook his head and answered, "They would need to sign it to make the document official. Before you arrived here, these two kindly agreed to the plan."

"I had no idea that I'd be dressed like this in my own wedding," I muttered under my breath as I looked down on my uniform.

"And I had no idea that my wife would marry me so readily," Sanemi sarcastically retorted, to which I shot back with, "So did you, Sanemi-san. You must still be head over heels for me to willingly agree."

We heard the collective sigh of the pillars behind us, and Uzui raised a hand to ask, "With all due respect, Oyakata-sama, are you sure that these two can keep up with the act? They could barely stop arguing whenever they're in the same room. I could ask one of my wives to go on this mission with me."

"Or I could just pretend to be [Y/N]-san's husband," Rengoku offered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

I didn't see that Sanemi's face hardened for a second, before going back to his usual nonchalant expression.

Shinobu raised her hand as she said, "Rengoku-san, I think that you and [Y/N] would only look as though you were siblings."

For all I know, Shinobu was merely saying this because she wanted to set me up with Sanemi. I threw her a glare, which she returned with a knowing smile.

Kagaya nodded at this and added, "And I don't want Uzui-san's wife to get caught up in any more of our missions, they've already been through a lot, after all."Uzui looked as though he wanted to say something, but thought otherwise about it.

"Do we have any other concerns?" Kagaya asked as tension filled the room, and upon hearing no other comment, nodded and said, "It's decided, then. If you may, please sign the document, [Y/N]-san, Sanemi-san. The two of you will be leaving this afternoon, please take care of yourselves."

Hesitantly, I accepted the inkwell and quill that Kagaya's daughter gave me, and I signed the document as my hands shook ever so lightly. Afterward, Sanemi signed it as well, his lips formed into a hard line.

Kagaya's daughter then verified our signatures before folding it neatly and handed it over to Sanemi.

"Congratulations, you two. Now, off you go for now and prepare for your mission. I'll talk with the two of you after I finish the meeting with the other pillars."

Sanemi and I bowed to him as we left the room, my mind all over the place. As the door slid shut behind us, I looked over at Sanemi and asked, "You're really okay with this?"

"What choice do I have?" Sanemi answered coldly, and it was then that I realized something.

I grabbed the document from Sanemi's pocket, ignoring his protests, and read it clearly.

"Sanemi, does this look like an imitation to you? Didn't Oyakata-sama say that we only have to pretend to be married?" I asked as I checked the document, before Sanemi grabbed it from my hand.

His eyes widened in horror, and I could only ask, "Does this mean...that we're actually married?"

[Extra Scene]

"Oyakata-sama, are they really officially married now?" Mitsuri asked, her voice laced with worry for the two ex-lovers. The other pillars shared the same look, except for Iguro, Giyuu, and Muichiro who looked impassive as usual.

Kagaya couldn't help but smile as he answered, "The document is only an imitation, though it closely resembles the legitimate one. But if they knew that it was a fake, those two might not take their marriage act seriously, especially Sanemi-san."

"Oyakata-sama, you really are something," Uzui responded as he ran a hand through his hair.

[Author's Note]

And there you have it! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and I promise to update regularly! Do tell me your thoughts and opinions on the comment section below! Thank you!