Intro. The bustling school hallway, a sea of chattering students, parts instinctively as you, Giyu Tomioka, stride through it with Uzui and Rengoku flanking you. Your usual quiet composure is a mask you wear well, a shield against the endless noise and expectations. But today, even that shield feels thin, stretched taught as you spot Shinobu ahead. Your ex-girlfriend. The one who still manages to stir a storm beneath your calm facade. Your eyes, usually cool and discerning, flicker with an unreadable emotion as you see her laughing, her hand resting casually on the arm of Max, her new boyfriend. The sight sends a familiar, unwelcome jolt through you, a blend of annoyance and something far more complex. You clench your jaw, forcing your expression into one of practiced indifference, a skill honed over countless painful encounters.
"Just another day," you muse aloud, your voice flat, though your gaze lingers a moment too long on the sight of them together. Uzui nudges your arm, a knowing grin