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They've been walking for hours, Kanao is starting to wonder if they'd actually find him.. 'I mean, why would he? Why would I even believe Inosuke..'
"C'mon! It's just around the corner! I promise you'll get to talk to him later and have fun! Maybe you'd even get a kiss!" He teased.
"You've been saying that two hours ago, we've walked all around the city. Please let it go." She said, ignoring the last part.
"Please! I mean it this time! C'mon we said we'd meet up with them at the market!"
"Yes, and I would like to know why we haven't seen said market yet, we've passed three already. And it's starting to get chilly," she says to him.
He doesn't answer the girl and trods along. Kanao gives up on trying and follows Inosuke along.
Suddenly a phone rings, it's Inosuke's. He fumbles his hands and almost drops the phone as he attempted to answer it. He holds it up to his ear and asks, "Hey, who is this?"
"Inosuke, it's me, Tanjiro." It's Tanjiro... I knew it, he wasn't going to show up.
"Oh yeah, Tanjiro. How's it hangin'?" He said casually.
"Not much, I just want to ask you if you're almost here."
"Here where?" Inosuke was either forgetful or dumb. Of course, Kanao decided it was the first.
"Umm, here at the "Mar Kett's?" You know the place we're staying at for the party?"
"Oh... I thought you said market." The girl thinks about it for a second and wonders, 'Wait, Mar Kett's? Why do I feel like I've seen that so many times?'
"Okay, we'll meet you there if I find it." He says and hangs up.
Kanao almost slapped her head and grabbed Inosuke's arm.
"Inosuke, I think I know where it is."
"You do?"
"Well it turns out you do.. never thought it'd be this place. Sorry for getting us late. Please forgive me."
"It's fine, it's an honest mistake. C'mon, we should get in, they've been waiting for us."
'Okay, all I need to do is greet everyone and Tanjiro. Have fun with everyone, and Tanjiro. And have an amazing night with everyone.. and Tanjiro.'
She knocks on the door and hears someone muttering on the other side, Inosuke on the other hand was playing with his fingers.
The door opened and the two are greeted by Zenitsu,
"H-Hey, please come in. T-Tanjiro's waiting for you guys."
To Kanao, Zenitsu was a sort of little brother figure, someone she helps a lot, and she truly loves him like family.
He lead Inosuke and Kanao to the sitting area where the two saw Tanjiro's little sister, Nezuko, one of Kanao's closest friends like Tanjiro was, even though she wouldn't admit it, she likes him a lot.
"Hey, guys, welcome to the party, sorry about not giving you guys better instructions.." he said trailing off. She hadn't even noticed he was there, too busy staring at Nezuko.
"How are you, Kanao-chan?" He says waving towards the girl.
"I'm... well, though I'm pretty tired from walking, I hope you won't mind if I sit down." She says, trying to avoid his eyes, they're so captivating it makes her want to get closer to him.
"Uh, sure. Nezuko, can you please help me out in the kitchen?" Nezuko practically jumped out of the couch and walked to his brother.
"Hey! You two-stepped under the mistletoe!" Inosuke said pointing to the doorway. There was, in fact, a plant with berries hanging from there.
"This thing? Shinobu-san hung this up earlier saying, "It's just a little decor to spruce up the place." So I just let her." He explains.
"No! I didn't mean that! According to the Western Christmas laws, when you walk under that plant with someone you must therefore kiss them on the cheek or the lips."
Kanao was dumbfounded by this, to think that Western people would do this.
Tanjiro didn't seem too bothered by it. He just bent down and kissed Nezuko on the cheek.
'Lucky,' she thought unconsciously.
After that the two disappeared into the back, leaving Inosuke, Zenitsu, and the girl on our own to entertain ourselves.
They finally came back, about half an hour later, bringing some drinks with them. Zenitsu stuttered and took it gratefully and went into the kitchen to do something.
"Come on guys, let's have fun! Let's eat till we're full! Let's make this party a fun one!" Tanjiro says enthusiastically, trying to get Kanao and Inosuke to have fun with them.
He holds out his hand for me and grins from ear to ear, making her blush. She takes his hand nevertheless, he pulls her up and makes her heart flutter. He lets go of her hand and tells Nezuko to turn on the speaker and play some Christmas songs.
He jumps and spins around, smiling at me and bumping into Zenitsu. Under the mistletoe... Kanao holds back a scream from coming out. Zenitsu, like he always is, apologises frantically, which Tanjiro just replies with his usual, "It's okay, Zenitsu, you don't have to apologise."
'Hopefully, Inosuke doesn't remind him about the mistletoe.'
"Oh, it seems two men have gone under the mistletoe! The rules don't specify that it has to be two people of opposite genders."
Great.. she looks at Tanjiro, who shrugs and leans down towards Zenitsu's head, planting a kiss on his forehead, making the boy blush deeply.
Kanao is starting to hate the plant. This single plant got two other people a kiss from Tanjiro, and she hadn't even had a proper conversation with him. She wouldn't say it out loud, but she's actually jealous.
After that and Zenitsu stumbles around mumbling words that didn't make sense to Kanao. She was both jealous and sorry for Zenitsu because of this. She felt sorry because it was Zenitsu, and he already had a lover.
Jealous because, it's Tanjiro.. her heart felt like it was being punched with each encounter with the stupid mistletoe. She sighed to herself.
'Maybe I can get a kiss too if I get under the mistletoe with him!' She thought, but quickly shook her head, 'No! I must be tired from all the walking, I can't be that desperate, can I?'
'Can I?'
Yes, yes she was, proof of this was when she forced herself to get up and walk towards Tanjiro, her mind screaming no and but her body wouldn't listen.
Inosuke, who was trying to calm Zenitsu down noticed this and smiled.
Kanao on the other hand was panicking, her body didn't listen to her, and her face was as red as Tanjiro's eyes.
Speaking of Tanjiro, he was just about to bump into her, except Kanao had been walking a bit too fast.
Being a bit, vertically challenged as some would say, she hit her head on Tanjiro's head and fell on top of him on the floor.
She was panicking, she opened her mouth to say something but there was something on them.
Tanjiro's lips. She didn't notice because they didn't clash their teeth against each other, thank God, but she still was mega embarrassed.
She quickly pushed herself from him and stood up, turned away, and looked at her feet, and started to walk away.
She won... technically. She walked silently back to the couch, not listening to Tanjiro asking her if she was okay, and heard Zenitsu whisper something to her, "G-Good for you."
She wanted to bury her face on the ground until she didn't remember what a kiss was. But of course, she couldn't, and she knows someone isn't gonna let her live it down.
And here he was, whispering to her, "I mistletold you so." He walked away snickering to himself, Zenitsu following suit, and leaving Kanao to herself and Nezuko trying to console her.
Kanao had her first kiss.. technically, and it would be a Christmas that will live in her memory for the rest of her life.