As this thought popped up, Kochou Shinobu's face flushed red, and she buried her head in her knees. What was she thinking! What did 'because her smile is good' mean?
Kochou Shinobu lowered her head in annoyance. Whenever she met Yoizumi, she would become strange. An indescribable emotion controlled her thoughts. No! She couldn't stay with Yoizumi any longer, or she would become strange!
Kochou Shinobu shifted her butt and moved a little further away from Yoizumi.
"? ...!" Yoizumi was a little puzzled at first, but then he suddenly understood! Men and women should not touch each other casually. He almost forgot. So Yoizumi also moved to the side.
The two of them were sitting on the edge of a boulder, with enough space for three more people in between.
"?" What did he mean by this? Kochou Shinobu turned her head and found Yoizumi moving away from her. They looked at each other, and Yoizumi smiled faintly, nodding seriously as if he understood without Kochou Shinobu needing to say anything.
What did Mr. Yoizumi mean by this? Kochou Shinobu was confused. Was he starting to dislike her?
"Mr. Yoizumi~ Why are you so far away from me~?"
"You said... men and women should not touch each other casually, so... I thought it would be better to stay... a little further away from you," Yoizumi replied honestly.
Hearing Yoizumi's answer, Kochou Shinobu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He really listened to everything she said. This wouldn't do. He couldn't be deceived by others. Kochou Shinobu looked at Yoizumi seriously and said in an extremely earnest tone,
"Mr. Yoizumi, don't believe everything some people say. You can know a person's face but not their heart. You should always be wary of people you're not familiar with. Even with me, sometimes..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yoizumi's voice entered her ears.
"I don't think... you would deceive me. You are a... good person, trustworthy," Yoizumi looked straight at Kochou Shinobu, his eyes firm and trusting.
"I see~",
"Then I can't let Mr. Yoizumi's trust down~", Kochou Shinobu smiled gently.
"Just call me... Yoizumi. You're probably... older than me."
Kochou Shinobu sized up Yoizumi's height. He was probably a head taller than her. He should be 15 or 16 years old now. Kochou Shinobu suddenly had a mischievous thought. What would happen if she asked Yoizumi to call her 'older sister'? She was actually a little curious~
"Is that so? Then wouldn't Yoizumi have to call me 'older sister'?"
"Older sister?" Yoizumi tilted his head. It didn't matter much. He didn't care and blurted out.
His voice was very pleasant, distant yet carrying the vigor of a young man, paired with that indifferent, handsome, and somewhat childish face. If it were some older women, perhaps no one could resist it.
Her fingers suddenly tightened, Kochou Shinobu's fingertips were tinged with pink, and her face was even redder. She didn't succeed in teasing him but instead made herself blush and her heart race. Why was she becoming like this! It seemed that since she met Yoizumi, she had become very strange. Once she met him, she, Kochou Shinobu, was no longer the imposing Insect Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, but an ordinary girl.
"Older sister, what's... wrong? Your face... is so red?" Yoizumi looked at Kochou Shinobu with some concern, reaching out and placing his hand on her smooth forehead.
The moment Yoizumi's cool hand touched her warm forehead, Kochou Shinobu turned nimbly, dodged it, and said with her back to him,
"I'm fine. I just feel a little hot."
"Is that so?" Yoizumi actually felt quite cool. Was it because his body temperature had dropped after becoming a demon?
If Yoizumi took a few more steps forward, he would be able to see Kochou Shinobu's pretty face completely red, although he would still think she was just hot.
Adjusting her breathing, her flustered heart gradually calmed down. She didn't expect his saying 'older sister' would have such a damaging effect on her. Feeling that she had returned to normal, Kochou Shinobu turned around.
"Never mind, Yoizumi, just call me by my name."
"Kochou Shinobu?"
"Yup~",
"Yoizumi, where are you going next? Are you going back to Butterfly Mansion?"
"I plan to... wander around. Maybe I'll... meet someone or something that can help me recover... my memories." Yoizumi didn't plan to return to Butterfly Mansion. Aside from the fact that staying there might cause trouble and inconvenience, Yoizumi had a premonition that staying there wouldn't help him recover his memories.
He eagerly wanted to know his past, his experiences. If he recovered his memories, would his understanding of emotions become more thorough, rather than acting purely on instinct as he was now, like a puppet? If the strings weren't pulled, he wouldn't take action.
Human emotions were too delicate. Most actions were based on emotions, with emotions as the main driver and thoughts as a supplement. Yoizumi couldn't understand what kind of actions he should take at times, or how he should do things. If he recovered his memories, would he be considered human?
Even though he had become a demon now.
"I understand. Then, Yoizumi, we'll part ways here."
"I should go back," Kochou Shinobu said.
"Okay, goodbye."
Goodbye?
A gentle smile appeared on Kochou Shinobu's face.
"Goodbye, Yoizumi. I hope that the next time I meet you, you'll be able to recover your memories~",
"Until then... don't die," Kochou Shinobu said the last sentence with particular seriousness.
"Okay."
The girl nodded and turned around, reaching the forest in a few steps. Yoizumi quietly watched her back until the last bit of her haori disappeared into the darkness.
Withdrawing his gaze, Yoizumi looked up at the moon. There were probably still a few hours before dawn. He should leave here first and make other plans.
...In the distance, the sky was already tinged with a bit of fish-belly white. It wouldn't be long before it was bright. Fortunately, Yoizumi found a dilapidated temple. He hadn't rested in a long time, so he took this opportunity to sleep in this dilapidated temple for a day.
The side effects of using Blood Demon Art last night still existed. Yoizumi chose a place that wouldn't be exposed to the sun and lay down to rest. Too tired, he fell asleep the moment he lay down, forgetting even the most basic precautions.
"Ha~ What is this thing?"
A woman was running in the forest, panting constantly because of the running. She was originally a villager from a village at the foot of the mountain. Recently, her family didn't have much income, so she came to the forest alone to pick wild vegetables to fill her stomach.
She didn't expect to spend too much time, and before she knew it, it was evening. Seeing the sky getting darker and darker, she hurried down the mountain, tripping over a tree root in her panic. Her knee was in pain, and scarlet blood flowed down. Helpless, she tore off a piece of her clothes to bandage it and limped down the mountain.
A figure appeared in her field of vision. She couldn't see its face clearly in the dark night, until the clouds covering the moonlight moved away, and the moonlight shone down through the shadows of the trees. Only then did she see a man with a bluish face and fangs, neither human nor demon, with a large amount of saliva flowing from his mouth, dripping to the ground without him caring. He was just staring straight at her.
She was a little scared but still mustered her courage to ask,
"What's wrong? Do you need help?"
"Yes, I'm hungry. Help me by letting me eat you!" The rough, hoarse voice fell into her ears. Eat her? What did he mean? Soon, she had no time to worry about it, because that man was already rushing towards her.
Ignoring the pain in her knee, she turned around and ran. Although she felt sorry for the wild vegetables in the basket, it was more important to save her life. This person was very strange. She had a feeling that she couldn't let him get close!