"Is that girl still here?"
Kiyokawa Izumi stepped out wearing a cyan Kimono. When he met the old woman, he couldn't help but ask.
"Are you talking about that small girl? She just finished her bath..."
Her withered, branch-like hand pointed not far away.
"Look, she's right there."
Kiyokawa Izumi was slightly stunned, not having noticed her for a moment.
'I've relaxed too much; my whole self has become lax...'
Reflecting inwardly, Kiyokawa Izumi felt the reason wasn't entirely his fault.
It was mainly because she wasn't wearing her iconic haori or the exclusive Demon Slayer Corps uniform.
It was normal not to recognize her immediately.
The young girl wore an ill-fitting cherry-blossom pink Kimono, her cheeks flushed with a noticeable glow, as if the heat from the hot spring hadn't yet faded from beneath her skin.
Her damp hair was bundled up, and beads of sweat slid down her fair neck. She seemed a bit troubled at the moment; her small frame couldn't support the oversized Kimono, and she appeared to be hesitating over whether to change.
But what she didn't know was that this was already the smallest Kimono available here.
"Phew—"
Kiyokawa Izumi sat down beside Kochou Shinobu and exhaled a soft breath of warm air, finally feeling at ease.
Good.
Shinobu-elder sister wasn't that heartless after all.
She hadn't left him all alone.
Thinking back on his previous actions, perhaps he should restrain himself a bit more the next time he teased her.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye and was momentarily dazed.
The Demon Slayer Corps uniform was loose and baggy; even if one had a good figure, it couldn't be shown off.
Furthermore, her style of dress was extremely conservative. In terms of visual impact, she certainly couldn't be compared to the Love Hashira.
After putting on a regular Kimono, her slender frame and beautiful curves were fully revealed.
If anyone claimed she had long legs, Kiyokawa Izumi would be the first to disbelieve it.
With such a small stature, where would long legs come from?
For some reason, he suddenly remembered Uzui Tengen's evaluation of Kochou Shinobu—she was indeed the child-bearing type.
One could question Uzui Tengen's strength, but not his aesthetic sense.
Having three beautiful wives with distinct personalities, he stood far above the rest.
How did that saying go?
Don't envy the mandarin ducks or the immortals, only envy the Sound Hashira's every day.
There are some things that, even after dying once, one still envies.
Kiyokawa Izumi quite envied Uzui Tengen.
But that didn't mean he had those kinds of intentions.
Life is short; one is enough.
"Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, aren't you worried that those Team Members aren't training properly?"
Seeing his gaze shift toward her, Kochou Shinobu couldn't help but ask with a smile.
"What's there to worry about? Isn't Giyuu there?
Most of the Team Members have mastered Water Breathing. Isn't it quite appropriate for the Water Hashira to guide them?"
After saying this, Kiyokawa Izumi didn't forget to ask the old woman for two bowls of Ise Udon.
Perhaps because the clothing was too ill-fitting, it always felt loose and floppy on her. After adjusting it several times, Kochou Shinobu could only give up in frustration.
'Stop fiddling with your clothes!'
Kiyokawa Izumi really wanted to say that, but he didn't dare.
He was afraid she would interpret it as mockery.
Actually, he had no intention of mocking her at all.
Being small was also very cute.
"Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, you work very hard. Can you tell me why?"
While waiting for the two bowls of Ise Udon, Kochou Shinobu looked at Kiyokawa Izumi and suddenly asked seriously.
She couldn't sense any anger from him.
It seemed he hadn't joined the Demon Slayer Corps out of hatred for demons.
He wasn't that respectful toward the Master either.
During the Hashira Meeting, even when someone mentioned Muzan, his expression didn't change in the slightest.
Therefore, Kochou Shinobu was very curious why he worked so hard.
Was it simply out of responsibility?
Kiyokawa Izumi gave her a completely different feeling than the Flame Hashira; he wasn't the overly passionate, sunny type of young man, nor did he have a flame called 'protection' burning in his heart.
"Of course it's because I'm afraid of dying. Demons are so terrifying, and I'm incredibly cowardly, so I have no choice but to improve my strength."
"Two bowls of Ise Udon!"
The old woman handed over the two bowls of noodles, looking at them with a chuckle as if she were looking at a young couple.
Feeling quite uncomfortable, Kochou Shinobu shifted her body slightly, only able to avoid the old woman's misunderstanding gaze.
In contrast, Kiyokawa Izumi was much more composed.
It was just a misunderstanding; he had experienced plenty of such things in his past life.
There was no need to explain.
It was better to taste the Ise Udon.
A brief silence followed; Kochou Shinobu did not continue the previous topic because she sensed his obvious perfunctoriness.
"Another bowl!"
Less than two minutes later, Kiyokawa Izumi raised his right hand and shouted.
Anyway, he didn't have to pay.
He was at an age where he was still growing, so it was normal to eat a bit more... It was already evening when they left. Kochou Shinobu, having put her Corps uniform back on, finally seemed normal again and stopped fiddling with those loose clothes.
Just as they were about to leave, she noticed Kiyokawa Izumi suddenly standing still.
Following his gaze, she saw a staggering figure not far away.
Wearing a loose, dark-colored Kimono, the figure walked unsteadily, holding a sake flask in his left hand.
"It's the Former Flame Hashira..."
Kiyokawa Izumi's eyes darted around. Being the helpful person he was, he was about to step forward to "help" when he was pulled away by the person beside him.
"Wait! I won't do anything reckless! I'm just worried it's unsafe for him to be alone..."