Chapter 25

The weather has been surprisingly kind ever since you started your daily walks. You cast a glance overhead, gratified to see sky bare of low hanging clouds. The calm blue blanket stretches endlessly. Wips of white float in the far distance, not large enough to promise rainfall later in the day. If you ignore the piles of brown leaves piled in corners of the looming wooden fence and focus on the evergreen grass surrounding the mansion's grounds, it almost feels like Spring.

An affectionate wind brushes across your face, smelling of rain. Today looks set to be another perfect day for a stroll.

You step down the platform and out of the overhang. Blades of grass curl around the tips of your toes as you soak in the soothing chatter of nature. The air you get from the windows is as crisp, but without four walls boxing you in, you can appreciate it much more.

You smother a yawn and raise your arms above your head in a stretch. You hold your pose for longer than necessary, waiting until one particular shoulder aches in protest. You bear the brief discomfort and return your arms to your sides. The aching fades completely, as if it were never there.

If you had a mirror, you would dazzle yourself with a smile as bright as the mid-afternoon sun. Just a week ago, a simple stretch like that would invoke a incessant, needling pain. So long as you didn't purposely target the muscles there, you can pretend your shoulder is good as new. Shinobu had been right to wean you off the antibiotics.

You bend forward to touch your feet. Similarly, your back barely protests at the motion. Your morning routine of stretching had also been another good call. You had to endure a near unbearable soreness when you first started, but thanks to consistent and regular exercise, your back injury can be said to be fully healed.

Your light rehabilitation has lasted for six days, with this being your seventh. You can tell your body is in the best state it has been in since your return to the mansion, arriving bruised and beaten at the gates. You mentally recount how long you've rested and blanch. In total, you've been out of commission for two weeks and counting.

The itch under your skin grows stronger. The swordsman in you aches to run his thumb over the textured grip of his blade, and the traveller wishes to walk down dusty, downtrodden paths through winding towns.

Your kasugai crow has since 'forgiven' your transgression and helps you maintain steady communication with the your business partners, but while the mind was kept busy, the flesh was not. When can you get back to dicing up some demons?

One step a time, your mind soothes.

The tingling energy that has spurred your blade to carve up demons and lop ugly, mutated heads off shoulders settles into a dull hum. You fold your arms into your sleeves. Relax, Ryuu. You'll be back in action soon. But before that...

You feel your mouth stretching even wider. Shinobu had previously said she'll visit today for another check up. Once she's satisfied by your clean bill of health, you can finally start preparing for the date you asked her on weeks ago. Your plan isn't anything bombastic or insanely complex, but you hope she will enjoy herself.

You chuckle. You aren't sure what she expects of you, but Shinobu will soon find out that just because you're confined to the mansion doesn't mean you lack methods to execute your ideas. Even grand goals can be accomplished by putting a brush to paper.

You begin to move your feet, one in front of the other. The cool weather has its advantages, and you hardly break a sweat ten minutes in. By the time you turn the corner of the building to see flowering bushes, you've hit a comfortable rhythm. You are enjoying the quiet peace before you catch a flash of black in the corner of your vision.

The misshapen blob sharpens into a hunched figure. Hidden behind the bushes and leaning against the exterior wall of the mansion, the figure takes the shape of a person as you get close. You watch their leg extend, clothed in midnight black pants, to nudge the headpiece resting just meters away. The square cut of white cloth flaps absentmindedly as it rolls across the grass. Hmm, that looks familiar.

You turn for a closer look at the person just as they look up. Errant strands of brown hair falls across her tired face. Her glazed eyes fall on you. They are steady for a moment or two before her body snaps to attention, topknot bouncing.

Ah, you think. No wonder it looked familiar.

"A-A thousand apologies for my sloppiness!" You've gotten a good look at her face, but it doesn't stop her from snatching up the headgear and hammering it back onto her head. The crack of her neck makes you wince. "I just got off the morning shift because work takes longer to complete without Kocho-sama... ah! I-I'm not blaming Kocho-sama at all, so please don't take it the wrong way!"

The air is fraught with anxiety as she leaps to her feet, slapping off blades of grass sticking to her pants. Not all kakushi act like this, but then again, they are the type who rarely slip up in front of Slayers. Her distress is practically radiating off her in thick, vulnerable waves.

"How did you like the plum wine?" Your question seems to knock the frazzled breath out of her.

"U-Um. Plum wine?" Her mouth is covered by the cloth, but it's easy to imagine it thinning into a line now that you've seen her face. "Oh. Oh! I remember now. Yes, Kuroshio-sama, the wine was delicious. Sour, but refreshing. Each of us had a cup to ourselves, so the jar was quickly finished."

"That's great," you say, nodding. "I was surprised by the taste myself. Good deals on wine aren't easily to come across, so when I saw how much they were selling it for, I decided to buy some back. I'm glad I did. "

The kakushi nods, her form no longer lined with tension. She folds her arms, the gesture more thoughtful than defensive. "I agree. Sake is easier to get since the nearby village has a brewery. Wine, though... haah, there isn't any place that sells that around here. Don't even talk about buying the good quality ones."

She suddenly goes stiff, probably remembering what triggered this conversation in the first place. Luckily, you predicted this and quickly interrupt, "Autumn is exceptionally good season to buy sake. I haven't been to the village you're talking about, but if it sells Hiya-Oroshi, I'd wish I visited sooner. I would have ran there faster than Orochi could regrow a head."

A surprised laugh slips out of the kakushi. "I prefer Kijoshu honestly. Expensive, but I can't get enough of its sweetness. Relaxing near a pond with a cup of that, and a plate of dried squid..."

Her voice is dreamy as she describes the scene. When you had caught a glimpse of her face earlier, she had looked fairly young. Indeed, you can't judge a book by its cover. Her idea of relaxing with a drink is quite similar to what your father used to do after a hard day at work.

The kakushi sinks into a squat, apparently lost in her thoughts. She seems to have forgotten your presence.

Putting your field experience to good use, you silently step past her, barely rustling the grass and leaves of the nearby bush. When you're out of her radius, you ease up, but keep your stride. It's not the most polite thing to leave someone crosslegged on the ground mid-conversation, but it would be better for both of you that way.

The relationship between Slayers and Kakushi is complicated. The hierarchal structure in the Corps mirrors large organizations, like the Merchant's Guild. Not completely, but enough that you can draw the parallels between them.

Established and well-known merchants treat new and less experienced merchants with disdain. In turn, that embarrassment is taken out on the clerks, salesfolk, labour workers. You've seen some high ranked Slayers treat Mizunoe little better than dogs, and you can guess the attitude they take on when dealing with Kakushi, who aren't considered part of the demon slaying forces.

You allow your sandals to crunch the grass beneath your feet, confident about the considerable distance between you and the exhausted woman. With a sigh, you tilt your head to gaze up at the ridiculously blue sky.

It is futile to wish the world was a better place. It worked as well as wishing demons did not exist. They had been here for years, decades, and would probably remain for as long as you exist. Your solution then, is not to disdain yourself for the inability to fix these things, but to focus on what you could. The least you could do is not cause more pain to someone who was already suffering.

You pull your arms out of your robes, extending a hand to cup the flower of a nearby flower bush. The flower is white and delicate, five petals curling out in near perfect symmetry. You rub a petal between your fingers. With a texture like velvet, it reminds you of the thick coat your mother would drap around your shoulders in early winter mornings you spent watching your sister and father pelt each other with snowballs in the backyard.

You sigh and tuck your hands into your sleeves again. You pull away to continue your walk, looking out for other kakushi. Thankfully, you don't find any.

That woman you happened upon is probably a mainstay at the mansion. If she came off of morning ward duty, it meant she knew medicine, or was one of the few who were taught it to keep the workload from overburdening Shinobu.

You wouldn't say that information gatherers and blacksmiths are non essential to the Demon Slayer Corps, because that would be a bold faced lie, but... field medics and doctors can be said to be fighting on a battleground of a different scale. Similar to Slayers, they're not merely responsible for their own lives. Unlike you though, their failure to save someone is a hundred times more difficult.

You wonder how Shinobu lives like she does. You don't think you could live with that kind of burden. If you didn't see it for yourself, you'd never believed she could be without that smile of hers.

Just how does she wear it so consistently? You're used to changing different faces and personas in your work, but keeping it up for days on end... Your feet slow. The only time you'd tried that was the year you struck out on your own. That had been a trying period, something you don't wish to remember.

You halt in your tracks when a strong breeze sweeps past. The sleeves of your robes flap wildly. It frames your stance, and you almost imagine it to be the pulsing wings as a bird prepares to take flight. And then you hear a voice, a familiar one carried by the wind that invites a flush of warmth that chases away the chill nipping at your exposed skin.

"Such a shame, isn't it?"

Shinobu's words hang in the air, an invisible current curling into the shape of a question.

There is another bend up front, and you've been walking this route long enough to know that the path will open into small garden surrounded by hagi bush clovers. You quicken your stride, the crisp sounds of flattened grass echoing out in shorter intervals than before.

When the garden comes into sight, the view nearly knocks you off your feet. Buffeted by another gust, Shinobu's butterfly clip seems to have come alive. Purple tinted wings flutter to the beat of the wind. The curling ends of her fringe sway along with it, and you follow her hand as it tucks loose strands behind her ears, pink nails faintly shimmering under the wane sunlight. Then Shinobu speaks, and you're brought back to reality.

"If the demon did not kill indiscriminately and was willingly to hear us out, we might have had a chance to extend a hand in friendship. We could've been one step closer to a new era of peace." She smiles at the man standing before her. It is devastatingly sweet and edged with sharpness, the glint of a blade before it cuts. "Don't you agree, Tomioka-san?"

The acrid bite of jealousy immediately fades at the name she utters. A misstep nearly sends you tumbling into a nearby bush, but you catch yourself at the last second. You jerk yourself upright and frantically smooth down your robes. The noise makes both parties turn, and you suck in a sharp breath. Oh, man. You can't believe it. That person beside her really is...

"Ryuu-san?" You can hear worry in the way Shinobu says your name, and you hastily put yourself together. You'll never run away from a moment like this. Not when you've dreamed of it for so long.

You subtly swallow your nervousness and walk up to the pair with as calm a gait as possible. Don't mess up, don't mess up.

"Good afternoon, Shinobu-san," You say in a steady, confident voice. "My apologies, I didn't mean to intrude."

"Kocho. Who is this?" Tomioka Giyu, the Water Pillar, asks impassively. Shinobu glances at you from the corner of your eye. You straighten even further, bringing yourself to your full height to match his. It is impossibly hard to keep a straight face, but you manage it. You meet his gaze straight on before you bend your upper body forward. A perfect bow.

"Nice to meet you, Tomioka-sama. My name Ryuu Kuroshio."

"Hm." The Water Pillar closes his intense, heavy lidded eyes for a second. They snap open, and he nods. "Ah. I remember."

Right, he had been there when Oyakata-sama addressed you on the topic of your wages. Nevertheless, you would never think in a million years he would recall an existence like yours. There's been plenty of rumours about his standoffish nature, and you now know all of them have been petty, unfair lies.

"Thank you," you bow again. "I'm glad."

He tilts his head to the side, curiosity bleeding into his stare. Then he looks over to Shinobu, standing several feet beside you. "I said this before, Kocho. What you're describing is impossible. Showing mercy to demons is to court death."

"Tomioka-san, I know you're strongly opinionated on this topic, but it's rude to continue in the presence of a guest." Shinobu's tone resembles the one she uses on stubborn patients. Firmness layered with hints of sarcasm. "This is what Rengoku-san would call being impolite."

"Oh, it's fine," you say. "I don't mind at all."

Giyu blinks. All three of you stare at each other, Shinobu's forehead creasing with each passing second.

"I see," he finally says. "Then we will continue this another time." He inclines his head at Shinobu, then you. "Kocho. Kuroshio." With those parting words and the wind at his back, the esteemed Water Pillar climbs the steps onto the platform and disappears into the mansion.

You turn to Shinobu. "Tomioka-sama is so cool!"

---

Shinobu's eyebrows have yet to stop twitching. You stare at them, not knowing whether to laugh or smooth them out with your fingertips. When she glances at you in disbelief, bringing the total count to four, you smooth down the sleeves of your robe instead. They are badly creased at the cuffs, courtesy of Shinobu tightly fisting them as she dragged you back to the room.

You thank your recent slew of good luck that no one was roaming the halls. You wouldn't know what to say, and you doubt people would believe if you told them the reason for her dissatisfaction.

You seat yourself on your futon, and Shinobu plunks down opposite of you. The thump of her weight hitting the bamboo mats makes you chuckle. Her disbelieving stare melts into an annoyed one.

"I thought you said I was more amazing than Tomioka-san."

You did say that. You weren't lying, and you tell her as much. "Shinobu, you are amazing. But... and don't take this the wrong way," You weather her glare with dignity. "I think Tomioka-sama is the coolest out of all the Pillars."

Shinobu sheathes her gaze and lowers her head, muttering. "Tomioka-san... cool?" She shakes her head. "Ryuu, perhaps the medicine I gave you was too strong. Stop taking it at once."

This time, you do laugh. Shinobu reaches over and takes your hand, resting her fingers on the pulse of your wrist. You watch her fuss about and find yourself unable to get rid of the grin stretching from ear to ear. "Shinobu! I might be prone to jokes but this isn't one of them."

Shinobu huffs. She doesn't pull her hand back, resting it on top of yours instead. Your chest tickles with something warm as she pouts. This is your first time seeing her act, for the lack of a better word, childish. But entertaining as her reaction has been, you can tell she doesn't believe what you're saying. People might have mistaken her eternal rivalrly with Giyu as a spiteful relationship, but based on the glimpse you'd caught earlier, the two of them were clearly quite close.

If Giyu wasn't someone you idolized, you'd probably be jealous. Although Shinobu doesn't need to know that.

You place your other hand on top of hers. "As someone who uses Water Breathing, it's only natural I admire him. His reputation precedes him, and his skill among those who use this breathing style is unmatched."

Shinobu allows you to gently stroke the back of her hand. You do so with relish. Like yours, her palms have roughened due to years of work. It seems the rest of her, however, retains a soft, milky texture.

"Also... Tomioka-sama saved me once." Shinobu's head snaps up, and the weight of her stare almost makes you wince. "It was a long time ago, back when I'd first joined the Corps. I can't even remember the details of the mission. All I remember is that I'd tripped, and then the demon was on me."

An excessively long tongue reaching the top of your shivering knees. A slight hiss, drops of the demon's saliva eating holes into the material covering your thigh.

The sound of your breathing. Ragged, harsh, out of breath. This was how you were going to die.

"And then Tomioka-sama was there," you say wistfully. It had been a one hit kill for Giyu. You watched the demon's body fade into nothingness then looked at the Water Pillar's stoic figure, eclipsed by the early morning sun. "The seventh form is the fastest attack one can execute in the Water Breathing style, but unfortunately, it's not a form I can use given my limited stamina."

You blink and miss the moment she leans forward to kiss you. She tastes slightly bitter, perhaps from the tea she drank, but it is mixed with an endless, mind-numbing sweetness you've started to label as uniquely 'Shinobu'.

You sink deeper into the kiss. If you're not careful, you might get addicted.

"I suppose it won't hurt to let Tomioka-san be someone's favourite for once," Shinobu's breath curls against your cheek. She pulls back to sit down, her dainty form unruffled as ever. You briefly mourn the loss of her before she speaks up again. "Since I'm here, I'll take this time to deliver a piece of important news."

You tense. Did she change her mind about going out with you? Are there a new batch of patients she has to take care off, pushing your date further back?

Shinobu brings her hands together. The soft clap echoes like a ringing bell. "Headquarters have received a report," she says. "Hairo has been eliminated."

"Wow." The Slayer the Pillars had advocated had proven himself. Good! No one else would have to lose their lives to that wolf fiend ever again. "Shinobu, that's great news!"

Shinobu nods, her smile brilliant. "The remaining patients can now dedicate themselves to their recovery, and because the biggest group has been cleared to return to their duties, I will have fewer obligations to fulfil next week."

You begin stripping your top robes. "And I'll be one of them, right?" You pause, one arm half hidden in the sleeve when Shinobu levels you with an amused look. "Did I say something wrong?"

"From my observations and reading of your pulse," Shinobu says, her eyes shining with laughter. "I was also going to say that I'll be allowing you to resume your regular duties." Your face heats up. You quickly pull your robes back on. "There's no need to be embarrassed, Ryuu. Your enthusiasm warms my heart."

"Yeah, yeah..."

You want to crawl into a hole and disappear. She hadn't told you to strip, but since it's something she has always asked you to do... You resist the urge to smother yourself with a pillow. Death can wait.

You clear your throat. "So, I take it that our date will be happening next week?"

"Yes, and I have already made the necessary arrangements. I will be having an entire day to myself two days from now, if things follow their schedule."

Shinobu sounds excited. You drink in her smile and give her a nod. "Then that is when we'll head out."

"And before I forget. This belongs to you." Shinobu reaches inside her haori and takes out a rectangular boxy object. It is your journal. You'd loaned it to her last week since you had a handful of medicine related questions you'd wanted her opinion on, such as the possibility of synthesizing a painkiller pill. "I wrote my explanations on the pages like you asked."

You take it from her and gently pat the cover. "Thanks for humouring me. I'll take a look at it later."

You probably won't read it until you've completed your preparations. There are people to contact, letters to write and deliver. A kasugai crow to wake up, because it was probably napping in the trees somewhere. But before you start on that, though, you have a burning question in need of answering.

"Shinobu," you ask. "I understand we're keeping this courtship a secret. But without my haori, I feel like wearing the Slayer uniform to the village might be a little too eye catching." Not to mention absolutely boring.

"My, if that's the case, then it should be fine to forgo it for our date."

With that problem solved, you find yourself on the cusp of another, more dangerous one.

What in the world are you going to wear?