"R-really…?"
Nezuko looked at the figure before her, her expression caught somewhere between fragile hope and lingering terror. Her hands, resting on her knees, twisted together unconsciously, betraying the turmoil in her heart.
Soma did not answer.
Instead, he simply lifted the sake cup and held it out toward her.
Hesitating, Nezuko stole a timid glance at him before carefully accepting the cup. She brought it to her lips, and as she began to drink, her eyes flickered upward once more—only to meet his gaze. Startled, she immediately lowered her head again, squeezed her eyes shut, and forced herself to drink the entire cup in one breath.
The effect was immediate.
She had clearly never tasted alcohol before. The liquid had barely gone down when she began coughing violently, her body jolting with each breath. Alarm flickered across her face, and she hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, as though afraid even her coughing might anger him.
"Cough… cough…"
Between coughs, she peeked up at him nervously, her eyes trembling.
But Soma, seeing that she had finished the drink, paid her no further attention. He simply turned his head and looked out the window, as though she had already fulfilled her purpose.
"Cough… cough…"
Nezuko coughed a few more times before daring to relax slightly. Seeing that he seemed indifferent, she stuck out her tongue and fanned at it softly, as if she could chase away the lingering heat burning in her throat. It did little to help. Instead, a faint dizziness began to creep into her head, leaving her unsteady.
At that moment, the owner, Imai, returned carrying a tray laden with dishes. He cast a careful glance over the scene, and seeing no sign of impropriety, quietly withdrew once more.
The meal laid out before them was lavish—far more than Nezuko had expected. Soma ate at his leisure, sipping his sake as he did, savoring the long-forgotten taste of food with evident enjoyment.
Across from him, Kano ate in small, composed bites, her posture elegant and unhurried.
As for Nezuko, the dizziness from the sake made her head swim. She wanted nothing more than to leave, yet she did not dare move. The demon had not dismissed her—and so she remained, rigid and obedient.
Between the faint haze in her mind and the rich aroma drifting from the dishes, her stomach tightened. Almost unconsciously, she swallowed.
Life had never been easy for her. Since moving to this unfamiliar place, everything had only grown more difficult. Their family had gone months without even a hint of meat.
Though she worked here, she was always careful—too careful—afraid that any mistake might cost her the job. Even when customers left behind uneaten food, she never dared to touch it. Losing this work would mean losing her wages, and that would only force her brother to shoulder even more burden, making their already difficult lives even harder.
So she endured.
And now, faced with such an abundant spread, she could not help but feel—
"Are you hungry?" Kanao's voice broke through her thoughts.
Nezuko startled, shaking her head in a flustered panic.
"N-no… no, I'm not…"
"If you're hungry, you can eat with us," Soma said casually, glancing at her as he continued his meal.
"I—I wouldn't dare…"
She lowered her head quickly, her voice small, though her mind still felt hazy.
"What, still afraid I'll eat you?" he muttered, almost to himself.
"N-no!"
She nearly jumped to her feet in fright. Seeing his gaze return to her, she forced herself to act, gathering what little courage she had left. Picking up her chopsticks with trembling fingers, she quickly reached for a piece of meat.
"I… I'll eat."
Soma said nothing more, simply turning his attention back to his meal. The food was indeed excellent—no wonder the restaurant was so well frequented.
Nezuko carefully brought the piece of meat to her lips and took a small bite.
The moment the flavor spread across her tongue, her eyes softened, almost closing on their own.
It was… delicious.
So delicious that, in an instant, her thoughts drifted home—to her younger siblings, to her exhausted mother, to her brother who worked so hard every day. If only they could taste something like this…
But even as the thought arose, she quickly pushed it away.
To be able to eat even a single piece was already more than she could have hoped for.
She chewed slowly, savoring every moment, the warmth of the food filling her chest with a quiet, fragile happiness.
Yet no matter how slowly she ate, the piece was soon gone.
And before she could stop herself, her gaze drifted once more toward the dishes spread across the table—and then, to Kanao sitting opposite her.
Sensing the look, Kanao lifted her eyes, meeting Nezuko's gaze.
"…Still hungry?"
Nezuko's face flushed instantly with embarrassment, a deep, burning heat rising to her cheeks. If the ground would only open beneath her, she thought, she would gladly disappear into it and hide from the world.
"If you're hungry, then use your chopsticks and take some."
Soma glanced at her briefly as he spoke, then casually picked up a chicken drumstick and placed it into Kanao's bowl. Kanao, in turn, withdrew her gaze from Nezuko and lowered her head, quietly enjoying her food, a faint happiness lingering in her expression.
Nezuko couldn't help but look at her.
She had already recognized the girl—she was the one she had seen before, gathering flowers in the hills behind her home.
Compared to that brief encounter, the girl now seemed taller, her complexion healthier, her presence more refined. Her hair was neatly tied into a high ponytail, adorned with a delicate butterfly hairpin, and her clothes fit her perfectly, their elegant design accentuating her slender figure.
Bathed in the warm glow of sunlight, her features appeared almost luminous—so radiant, so beautiful—that she resembled a carefully crafted doll displayed behind a shop window, flawless and untouchable.
Without realizing it, Nezuko lowered her head.
Her own clothes, though carefully mended and adjusted to fit, were plain and outdated in comparison. Standing beside someone like that, she felt like nothing more than a shabby shadow—a clumsy duckling before a graceful swan.
An unfamiliar sense of inferiority crept quietly into her heart.
At the same time, a thought surfaced, persistent and uneasy.
How could this girl stay beside a demon without fear?
Wasn't she afraid of being eaten?
Grandpa Saburo had always said that demons were cruel, merciless creatures. And yet… this girl seemed well cared for, almost cherished. I had seen that man's true form before—I knew how terrifying he could be.
So why...
Lost in her spiraling thoughts, she barely noticed when something was placed into the small bowl before her.
Startled, she looked up instinctively—only to realize that it was the demon who had placed the chicken drumstick there.
Her breath caught, and unease flickered across her face.
"Eat." Soma said simply, as though it were nothing at all. Perhaps he had already noticed her fear, for after speaking, he returned to his own meal without another glance.
Carefully, almost reverently, Nezuko lifted the bowl into her hands. She cast a cautious glance at him before lowering her gaze again, staring at the drumstick in disbelief.
A demon… had given me food.
Was he trying to fatten me up before eating me?
Maybe… maybe I shouldn't eat it at all.
Her mind tumbled once more into a whirl of anxious speculation, but suddenly, she felt a gaze upon her. Looking up, she found Kanao staring at her, cheeks slightly puffed, eyes fixed on her with an unreadable intensity.
Nezuko blinked, confused.
Without a word, Kanao bit down firmly on the drumstick in her own bowl, then turned her gaze away.
The faint hostility she had sensed lingered, leaving Nezuko even more perplexed. She tried to read something in the girl's expression, but Kanao no longer paid her any mind.
Lowering her head again, Nezuko stared at the drumstick in her bowl.
A demon... giving me food?
It made no sense.
Could I have been mistaken? Maybe this man only resembled the creature from that night. Maybe… he wasn't the same being at all.
Slowly, almost furtively, she glanced toward him again.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling directly upon his figure—and he stood there, entirely unaffected, basking in its warmth like any ordinary person.
But hadn't Grandpa Saburo said that demons couldn't endure sunlight?
Then what am I seeing now?
Had I truly misunderstood?
Gathering what little courage she could, Nezuko spoke hesitantly.
"S-sir…"
"Mm?"
Soma looked up from his meal, his gaze settling on her.
Nezuko clenched her small fists, mustering her resolve. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Are you... are you really a demon?"