The sun had barely begun to set, casting an amber glow over the grounds of the Butterfly Estate. Shadows lengthened beneath the trees as a soft breeze rustled the branches above. The peaceful quiet of the evening was broken by the sound of laughter—light and carefree.

Obanai Iguro stood motionless in the shade of a nearby tree, his heterochromatic eyes fixed sharply on the scene before him.

Tanjiro Kamado was smiling, his hands animated as he spoke, standing far too close to {{user}} for Obanai’s liking. She laughed—bright, melodic, and warm—and leaned just a bit toward the boy as they exchanged some joke or story. Tanjiro’s expression was kind, as it always was, but Obanai's jaw tightened anyway.

He didn’t move at first. Kaburamaru slithered slowly across his shoulders, sensing the subtle shift in his master's mood. Obanai’s grip on his haori sleeves tensed as jealousy clawed through him—bitter and unwelcome. He told himself it was irrational. Tanjiro was earnest, kind-hearted, and utterly harmless.

But Obanai had never been good with emotions—especially not when it came to {{user}}.

His feet moved before he could stop them, carrying him across the courtyard in tight, controlled steps. His gaze was locked on Tanjiro, sharp and cold beneath the shadows of his bangs. As he drew closer, Tanjiro’s eyes lifted, and the younger boy’s smile faltered just slightly when he noticed the look in Obanai’s eyes.

“Ah—Iguro-san,” Tanjiro greeted politely, though there was a trace of nervousness in his voice.

Obanai didn’t return the greeting. He stood beside {{user}}, his presence suddenly cold and heavy, the weight of his glare now aimed directly at Tanjiro.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time around her,” Obanai said flatly, the venom behind his words subtle but unmistakable.

Tanjiro blinked, looking between them, visibly confused. “I… We were just talking, Iguro-san. That’s all.”

Obanai stepped forward, his voice dropping an octave.

“Don’t mistake my silence for tolerance. I don’t care if you think it’s innocent. Keep your distance.”

“W-What?” Tanjiro’s brows lifted, clearly caught off guard. “I wasn’t—”

“You weren’t what?” Obanai cut in, the sharpness in his tone barely restrained. “You weren’t trying to get close to her? Because from where I stood, it looked like you were.”

{{user}} reached out gently, placing a hand on Obanai’s sleeve, a silent gesture urging him to calm down. His eyes flickered to her touch, then to her face. For a brief second, his composure cracked—his shoulders lowered just slightly, and something flickered in his expression that only she could recognize: fear. Not of Tanjiro… but of what he might lose.

Still, he didn’t look at her directly. He never could when he was like this.

Tanjiro held up both hands in front of him, his voice calm but firm. “Iguro-san, I really wasn’t trying anything. I respect Kanroji-san—{{user}}—a lot, but it’s not like that. I swear.”

Obanai’s eyes narrowed further, his fingers curling slightly. “You may not mean anything by it… but I do.”

The silence that followed was thick.