{[A\N] Sorry I wasn't able to upload chapter this days because of a family emergency. It should be regular from now on and I have also uploaded a new fanfic please give it a try.}
While they were sitting like this, a thought suddenly occurred to Haruki.
Didn't Shinobu say that boys and girls should not be close if they are not married?
He suddenly understood. Men and women should not touch each other casually. He had almost forgotten. So Haruki quietly moved to the side, trying to be respectful.
Now the two of them were sitting on the edge of the boulder, with enough space for three more people between them.
Shinobu turned her head, confused, and found Haruki had moved quite far away from her. They looked at each other, and Haruki nodded seriously, as if he'd accomplished something important and was waiting for approval.
What is he doing?
"Haruki. Why are you so far away from me?" Shinobu asked, genuinely puzzled.
"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," Haruki replied honestly, his tone matter-of-fact.
Hearing Haruki's answer, Shinobu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He really took everything she said at face value, didn't he? This was problematic. If he believed everything everyone told him, someone with bad intentions could easily deceive him.
Shinobu's expression became more serious. She looked at Haruki directly and said in an earnest tone,
"Haruki, listen to me carefully. Don't believe everything people say. You can know a person's face but not their heart. You should always be cautious with people you're not familiar with." She paused, then added, "Even with me, you should think for yourself about whether what I say makes sense. Don't just blindly follow—"
Before she could finish speaking, Haruki interrupted her.
"I don't think you would deceive me. You are a good person. Trustworthy." He looked straight at Shinobu, his eyes firm and sincere.
Shinobu blinked, caught off guard by the simple directness of his trust.
"I see~" She smiled gently, though something warm settled in her chest. "Then I can't let Haruki's trust down, can I?"
She studied him for a moment, noting his height. He was probably a head taller than her now. He should be around 15 or 16 years old, though it was hard to tell with demons sometimes.
A mischievous thought occurred to her. Since she was clearly older and more experienced, wouldn't that make her his elder? The three younger girls at the mansion called her "Lady Shinobu," but having Haruki call her "older sister" might be amusing.
"Since it looks like I'm older than you, wouldn't that mean Haruki should call me 'older sister'?" She said it with a teasing lilt.
"Older sister?" Haruki tilted his head, considering it. It didn't seem like a big deal to him. He didn't particularly care one way or another, so he simply said it. "Older sister."
His voice was pleasant and clear, carrying a youthful quality despite his usual monotone.
Shinobu's fingers suddenly tightened on her lap. A warmth spread across her cheeks completely against her will.
Why is my heart racing? What is wrong with me?
She hadn't succeeded in teasing him—instead, she'd somehow ended up flustering herself. This was ridiculous. She was the Insect Hashira, not some easily embarrassed girl! But something about the way he said it so naturally, so innocently...
"Older sister, what's wrong? Your face is red." Haruki looked at her with genuine concern, reaching out to place his hand on her forehead to check for fever.
The moment Haruki's cool hand moved toward her, Shinobu turned nimbly, dodging it, and said with her back to him,
"I'm fine. I just feel a little hot." Her voice came out more high-pitched than usual.
"Is that so?" Haruki tilted his head, confused. He actually felt quite cool out here. Was it because his body temperature had dropped after becoming a demon? That would make sense.
If Haruki took a few more steps forward, he would be able to see Shinobu's pretty face completely red, although he would still think she was just hot.
Shinobu took a deep breath, then another, using her breathing technique to calm her racing heart. She hadn't expected calling him to use that term would affect her so much. It made him seem even more like a younger brother—vulnerable, trusting, needing guidance.
Get yourself together, Shinobu.
Feeling that she'd returned to normal, Shinobu turned around, her expression composed once more.
"Never mind, Haruki. Just call me by my name. 'Older sister' is too formal."
"Shinobu?" Haruki said, trying it out.
"Yes, that's better~"
She shifted slightly, drawing her knees up. "Haruki, where are you going next? Are you coming back to the Butterfly Mansion?"
"I plan to wander around," Haruki said after a moment of thought. "Maybe I'll meet someone or something that can help me recover my memories."
He didn't plan to return to the Butterfly Mansion. Aside from the fact that staying there might cause trouble—if anyone discovered what he was—Haruki had a premonition that staying there wouldn't help him recover his memories.
He wanted to know his past, his experiences. If he recovered his memories, would his understanding of emotions become more complete? Right now, he felt like he was acting purely on instinct, like a puppet. If the strings weren't pulled, he wouldn't know what to do.
Human emotions were too complex. Most actions were based on emotions, with feelings as the main driver and thoughts as a supplement. Haruki couldn't understand what kind of actions he should take at times, or how he should respond to things. If he recovered his memories, would he understand better? Would he be more... human?
Even though he had become a demon now.
"I understand." Shinobu nodded slowly. "Then, Haruki, we'll part ways here."
She stood up, brushing off her uniform. "I should get back. The Kakushi will have transported those slayers by now, and I need to check on their conditions."
"Okay. Goodbye," Haruki said simply.
Goodbye. Such a simple word, but it carried weight.
A genuine smile appeared on Shinobu's face, softer than her usual practiced expression.
"Goodbye, Haruki. I hope that the next time I meet you, you'll have recovered your memories~" She paused, and her tone became more serious. "Until then, don't die. That's not a request—that's an order."
"Okay," Haruki agreed.
"And Haruki?" Shinobu added, "If you need help, or if something happens that you don't understand, you can always find me."
Haruki nodded, absorbing this information.
"Be careful out there. Not all demons are like you, and not all humans will understand what you're trying to do."
"I will be careful."
"Good." Shinobu nodded once more, then turned around. In a few steps, she reached the tree line. Haruki quietly watched her back until the last bit of her butterfly-patterned haori disappeared into the darkness between the trees.
Withdrawing his gaze, Haruki looked up at the moon. There were probably still a few hours before dawn. He should leave here first and make other plans. Maybe head toward a different region, somewhere new.
He stood, taking one last look at the river, then began walking in the opposite direction from where Shinobu had gone.
---
In the distance, the sky was already tinged with pale light. It wouldn't be long before sunrise. Fortunately, Haruki had found a dilapidated temple nestled in the forest. He hadn't rested properly in a long time, so he took this opportunity to shelter in the abandoned building for the day.
The side effects of using his Blood Demon Art still lingered. His body felt heavy, sluggish. Haruki chose a spot deep in the temple's interior where the sunlight wouldn't reach and lay down to rest. He was too tired. The moment he lay down, he fell asleep immediately, forgetting even the most basic precautions like checking for other occupants or setting up any kind of warning system.
---
"Hah~ What the hell was I thinking?"
A woman was walking quickly through the forest, panting heavily from exertion. She was originally a forager from a village at the foot of the mountain. Recently, her grandmother had a little fever, so she'd come to the forest alone to pick wild vegetables and herbs to sell or eat.
She hadn't expected to spend so much time searching. Before she knew it, evening had arrived. Seeing the sky growing darker and darker, she'd hurried down the mountain, but in her panic, she'd tripped over a tree root. Her knee throbbed with pain, and scarlet blood seeped through her torn clothes. Helpless, she'd torn off a piece of her sleeve to bandage it and continued limping down the mountain as fast as she could manage.
Then a figure appeared in her field of vision.
She couldn't see its face clearly in the dim light at first. The clouds covering the moonlight moved away, and pale light shone down through the shadows of the trees. Only then did she see clearly—a man with a grayish-blue face, sharp fangs protruding from his mouth, and two small horns on his forehead. Definitely not human. A large amount of saliva dripped from his mouth, falling to the ground without him caring. He was just staring straight at her with hungry eyes.
She froze, terror locking her muscles. But somehow, her mouth moved before her mind could catch up, some ingrained politeness forcing out the words:
"What's wrong? Do you need help?"
"Yes, I'm hungry," the demon said, his rough, hoarse voice scraping against her ears like rusted metal. "Help me by letting me eat you!"
Eat her?
She had no time to process the words because the demon was already rushing toward her, clawed hands outstretched.
Ignoring the shooting pain in her injured knee, she turned and ran. The basket of wild vegetables she'd spent all day collecting fell from her hands, scattering across the forest floor. She felt sorry for losing them—her family needed that food—but staying alive was more important.