- One Week Later
Kanae and Kagerou were walking through the market, arm in arm.
Kanae rested her head comfortably against Kagerou's shoulder, a blissful smile adorning her face.
Kagerou, on the other hand... Looked absolutely horrified.
Not because of what Kanae was doing.
But because of the consequences of what she was doing.
He could feel them.
The stares.
They were more obvious than any demon's killing intent he had ever experienced.
Kagerou could practically feel them drilling into the back of his skull.
This was the first time he had experienced something like this since the last time he had gone to the market with his mother.
He had thought he had already made peace with those memories. After Ruka's passing, he had continued visiting the market from time to time, and eventually, the stares had stopped bothering him.
But today was different.
For some reason, there seemed to be far more people watching him than usual.
Normally, most of those stares came from girls.
He was used to that.
He could ignore it.
But today... The men were staring too.
And their expressions were completely different.
There was envy.
Jealousy.
And, in some cases... Hatred.
Kagerou felt goosebumps spread across his entire body.
He had fought demons.
He had fought the Lower Moon Six.
He had literally cut through a Blood Demon Art Domain.
Yet somehow...
The murderous gazes of ordinary men were making him nervous.
He could practically hear them thinking.
Why him?
Why does he get to walk beside her?
Who does this guy think he is?
One particularly hostile stare made Kagerou instinctively glance over his shoulder.
Nothing.
The man was simply standing there.
But the murderous intent Kagerou imagined coming from him was enough to make him quickly turn back around.
"...What's the matter, Kagerou-kun?"
Kagerou turned his head.
And there she was.
The source of all his problems.
Kanae.
She looked at him with nothing but concern and affection in her eyes.
Unfortunately...
That only made the stares around them intensify.
Kagerou swallowed.
"I... I'm fine, Kanae"
He hesitated.
"But..." He glanced around nervously. "...Could you move away from me a little?"
"..."
Kanae stopped walking.
Her expression froze.
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Then her eyes slowly widened.
"...Why?"
There was a faint tremble in her voice.
"W-Why?"
Kagerou immediately sensed danger.
"N-No, I didn't mean-"
"Do you hate me?"
"Wha-No!"
Kanae slowly released his arm.
Then she took a small step away from him.
Her head lowered.
Her shoulders drooped.
And when she spoke again, her voice was just loud enough for several people nearby to hear.
"I'm... I'm sorry if I'm being too clingy..."
She sniffled softly.
"It's my fault... I'm sorry"
Kagerou froze.
His eyes widened.
'...'
'W-WHO ARE YOU?!'
'WHAT HAPPENED TO THE KANAE I KNOW?!'
The surrounding atmosphere changed immediately.
Kagerou could practically feel the murderous intent behind him multiplying.
Someone whispered from somewhere nearby.
"...That bastard..."
Another voice followed.
"How dare he..."
And then, from somewhere behind him-
"I'll kill him"
Kagerou's entire body went rigid.
'I'M GOING TO DIE'
Not from a demon.
Not from a mission.
He was going to be murdered in broad daylight by a mob of jealous men.
Without thinking, Kagerou immediately grabbed Kanae's hands.
"Come on"
"Huh?"
"We're leaving."
He began walking faster.
Kanae allowed herself to be dragged along, her head still lowered.
But Kagerou didn't notice the faint smile slowly forming on her lips.
He was far too busy trying to escape the battlefield, which made him not realize that behind her lowered bangs, Kanae's eyes sparkled with amusement.
She had finally discovered something.
The normally calm and composed Kagerou Rengoku... Was absolutely terrified of jealous men. And, for some reason... She found that incredibly adorable.
"...Kagerou-kun?"
"Hm?"
"Are you still afraid?"
"...No"
Kagerou glanced nervously over his shoulder.
Several men were still glaring at him.
He immediately turned back around.
"...Absolutely not"
Kanae's smile widened.
"Really?"
"Really"
"Then why are you holding my hands so tightly?"
Kagerou looked down.
"..."
He immediately released her hand.
Kanae giggled.
"You can keep holding it, you know?"
Kagerou stared at her.
Then sighed.
"...You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Kanae's innocent expression returned.
"Enjoying what?"
"...Nothing"
Kagerou resumed walking.
Kanae happily slipped her arm around his again.
This time... Kagerou didn't protest.
He simply accepted his fate.
After all… if being Kanae's boyfriend meant surviving the murderous gazes of half the market, then perhaps this was simply another form of training.
Kanae, meanwhile, kept smiling in amusement, clearly enjoying herself as she teased her boyfriend... and, even more so, the newly appointed Hashira.
The Smoke Hashira.
---
- Flashback: Three Days After Kagerou Regained Consciousness
After regaining consciousness, Kagerou's health had steadily improved.
His wounds were healing properly, his fever had disappeared, and his strength was slowly returning.
A large part of that improvement could probably be attributed to one particular person.
Kanae.
Ever since Kagerou had awakened, she had practically appointed herself his personal caretaker.
Every morning, she would arrive at the Rengoku Estate carrying groceries, homemade cookies, medicine, and enough food to feed the entire household.
Today was no different.
Kagerou sat comfortably on his futon, his upper body still wrapped in bandages.
In front of him sat Kanae.
She held a bowl of warm porridge in one hand and a spoon in the other.
"Aaa~"
Kagerou stared at her.
"...I'm not disabled, Kanae, you know that"
Kanae simply smiled.
"Aaa~"
Kagerou's eyebrow twitched.
This had been happening since breakfast.
And lunch.
And dinner.
Every meal.
Every single time.
Kanae insisted on feeding him herself.
At first, Kagerou had found it sweet.
After the tenth time... It had become slightly unbearable.
"Kanae, I can feed myself"
"Aaa~"
She completely ignored him.
Kagerou stared at her.
She stared back.
The smile on her face remained perfectly innocent.
"..."
"..."
Eventually, Kagerou sighed.
He opened his mouth.
"Aaa..."
Kanae immediately brightened.
"Good boy"
*Nom*
She happily fed him a spoonful of porridge.
Kagerou slowly chewed.
'She's enjoying this way too much'
Kanae returned to stirring the porridge, clearly preparing another spoonful.
Watching her, Kagerou couldn't help but smile.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
"...So, what does this make us?"
Kanae's hand stopped.
Her eyes slowly moved toward him.
"What does this make us?"
Kagerou's smile deepened.
"You know"
He maintained eye contact with her.
"You love me..."
He paused.
"And I love you"
Kanae's cheeks immediately began turning pink.
"So..." Kagerou leaned slightly closer. "What does that make us?"
"What... What does that make us?"
Kanae repeated the question, desperately attempting to maintain her composure.
Unfortunately, the rapidly spreading blush across her cheeks betrayed her completely.
Kagerou raised an eyebrow.
His smile remained.
"Hm..."
He pretended to think about it.
"Nothing, I guess"
Kanae's expression stiffened.
Kagerou turned his head away and sighed dramatically.
"If that's the case..." His voice became heavy. "...then I suppose we should remain frie-"
"No!"
The word escaped Kanae's mouth instantly.
Kagerou turned back toward her.
"No?"
"I-I mean..."
Kanae's face had become completely red.
She lowered her head, suddenly unable to look him in the eyes.
"I-If you want..."
Her fingers nervously tightened around the spoon.
"Y-You know..."
Her voice became smaller.
"W-We can..."
Kagerou watched her for a moment.
Then-
"Kanae"
She slowly raised her head.
"Hm?"
Kagerou leaned forward.
Before Kanae could react-
*Chu*
His lips briefly met hers.
"!!!"
Kanae's eyes widened.
Her entire body froze.
For one heartbeat...
Two...
Then she slowly closed her eyes.
But almost immediately... The sensation disappeared.
Kanae opened her eyes again.
"...?"
Kagerou was already sitting back in his place.
And in his hands... Was the bowl of porridge.
Kanae stared at the bowl.
Then at Kagerou.
Then at her empty hands.
"..."
"I can eat by myself, you know"
He gave her an innocent smile.
"Now..." He held out his hand. "Give me the spoon"
Kanae's face twitched.
"Y-Y-You..."
"Hm?"
"You..."
Kagerou tilted his head.
"What?"
Kanae's entire face turned crimson.
"THAT WAS MY FIRST KISS!"
She immediately threw the spoon at him with all her strength.
*BONK!*
"Ouch"
Kagerou rubbed his forehead.
"Kagerou!"
"Kanae, you're supposed to be taking care of an injured person"
"You stole my first kiss!"
"You were about to agree to being my girlfriend"
"THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO STEAL IT!"
"I don't think 'stealing' is the correct term"
"You kissed me without warning!"
"Technically, yes"
"Then it's stealing!"
Kagerou thought about it.
"...Fair enough"
"KAGERO-"
*CAW! CAW! CAW!*
Both of them froze.
Slowly...
They turned toward the window.
A Kasugai Crow sat on the wooden railing.
Its head tilted slightly as it stared at the two of them and continued to stare at the two of them for several seconds.
Kanae was hiding her face behind both hands, while Kagerou calmly took the spoon on the floor as though nothing unusual had happened.
Then-
*CAW!*
The crow puffed out its chest.
"KOCHO KANAE! RENGOKU KAGEROU!"
Its voice echoed throughout the room.
"OYAKATA-SAMA HAS SUMMONED BOTH OF YOU!"
Kagerou paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth.
"...Now?"
*CAW!*
"IMMEDIATELY!"
---
#A/N: ... And here's the cliffhanger, see you next time!