A Problem

Mizuki POV

"Hahhhh" I sigh out exhausted from training and walk inside of the little room of Yoriichi's. The cold wind that seeps through the door and windows nips at my skin, cooling me down as sweat drips from my forehead.

"Training. Training. Training." I mumble to myself as I lay on the futon.

I lay there staring up at the ceiling as the light from the moon shines through. My mind starts to wander yet again, thinking about everything that's happening.

As I recall the events from last week, my face burns up. "How embarrassing!" I yell silently as I roll on top of the futon.

"Ugh why did I cry???" I mumble to myself as I cover my face with my hands feeling self conscious. "It was really heart warming but really....What is this?" I say as I put my hand over my heart feeling my heart thumping loudly against my chest. And I don't think this is just from training.

My face heats up yet again and I roll on my side as I get a good view of the moon from the window above.

'I've never felt this way really about someone real... well as real as this reality is now. It's still hard to believe that somehow I'm in another world. But yet it seems I'm slowly forgetting that fact and even things are getting foggy in my mind....Before it seemed like I would struggle in this age but slowly I've becoming accustomed to things here and the way of life.'

But in all seriousness. This is my reality now, demons are real, Yoriichi and Michikatsu is real. Michi-san was real and she died and was right there in front of me. She was living and she cared for me and took me in. I can feel pain and exhaustion from training, I still have these frustrated feelings, regret, and confusion, all mixed in.

I sigh out and wipe my sweat away, propping myself off of the floor. As I slowly get up, I put my hand over my chest to feel it calm down. "Just what is this feeling?" I ask myself before heading out to freshen up and go to bed.

_________

Time Skip

"Good Morning." I greet Sato-san and Michikatsu as I set the table with breakfast. I had prepared stir fry vegetables with miso soup and rice. A small and simple dish.

"Good Morning." Michikatsu returns the greeting back with a small smile, causing me to smile back him way before sitting down. As Sato-san gave me a head nod in my direction as he sat down and picked up his chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu." We say before digging in.

As we finished our meal, I start the day once again with finishing the chores. But it seems that recently it has become Michikatsu's habit or something to help me clean up or reach higher things which I normally stretch up to reach.

During these times we spend making small talk followed by smiles and talk of our training or besting each other. A rival which I thought, a friendly rival and friend which I spend my days training, talking, and almost everything with.

I can't help but smile and feel my heart flutter when I see Michikatsu send me a smile as he looks my way. Or when I get to spend additional time together making small talk or jokes, or even going for a walk around the village. All these things end up making me happy beyond belief.

I didn't think that my time with the Tsugikuni's could be any better. Sure we had some ups and downs at some parts, but the three of us have been doing fine. As I would normally do the chores and things like the past years, as I would do training for swordsmanship or building up muscle by bringing water or exercises.

I could say I have grown a lot in mentality and physically as I spend a fair amount of time with Sato-san. Even though I don't think Sato-san considers me anything more than just the girl that his deceased wife brought in, I can kind of tell that he is thankful is some ways that I'm here. Or at least that's what I think.

I have surprised him multiple times on countless occasions. Times as when I have become stronger and able to master a new move, or being able to fight against our other teacher more than I have before. To my knowledge about reading and writing or the fact that I can have some kind of adult conversation with him. Though it's kind of uncomfortable and I don't really know what to discuss, but it's kind of like talking with an Uncle with things.

At times when I'm having my own issues, it would seem that Sato-san would come and give me inspiring words. I truly thought that this man was warming up to me after all these years and he cared.

This family and surrounding was truly nice and peaceful. But recently, where I hear of people disappearing from certain areas or rumors, it makes me come back to the reality that this world and this life is no joke. There are really demons who are causing these people to go missing and die.

But as these thoughts of the world and becoming stronger would oftentimes lead me to staring at Michikatsu, as I let my mind wander causing him to worry. But it always makes me smile to see that he cares and shows that new side of warmth and sweetness to me which I hadn't known too much about.

Recently I had realized that my heart would beat faster now each time I saw him, my smile would grow and I could feel my energy brighten up. Is this what Kanao felt when Tanjiro stepped into her life? Is this the type of energy that Tanjiro emitted as he was so pure and optimistic?

I started to wonder and question myself even more, what did these feelings mean. I wasn't comfortable talking about these types of things to the Tsugikuni's or even the villagers as I still felt that certain things should be kept hidden from time to time. As I also didn't think much of it, I had brushed them off, thinking that I get excited to see him as we started to grow really close. We were becoming such good friends.

Though at that word, friends, my heart would ping from time to time, I had wondered why. Indeed now that I think about it, I can say that I really am dense and stupid about my own feelings.

But I think I realized my own feelings and understood them too late.

_______________

The moment Sato-san had mentioned of this girl from the next village over, Kira Ochiro, my heart sank with the next few words that came out.

"Michikatsu, I want you to marry this girl, you are already at the marrying age." Sato-san said sternly as he looked straight at Michikatsu causing me to look from Michikatsu to Sato-san.

"I see. I'll do as you say father." Was Michikatsu's response.

The first thing that came to my head was 'You're gonna except that, that easily? Your just gonna let someone decide your life for you? Aren't you...? '

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Sato-san adressed me soon after. "If your done with your dinner, you can clean up or rest for tonight. Mizuki I'd like to address something to you, before you clean up for dinner and end the night." Sato-san said as he stared straight into my eyes.

"Yes??" I had weakly replied as my head spun. My heart began beating hard and it became hard for me to process what had just happened. Things.....Things had escalated to soon, to quickly.....what is this.....

I feel that it was just yesterday where Michikatsu comforted me. It was just yesterday where we had laughed and joked together. It was just yesterday where I had won a match again and made improvement with my training. It was just...weeks..no almost...maybe more than a month when I had saw that I made a great improvement with my Star Breathing technique that I had kept hidden for the past month.

I had honed it some more and was able to make a new move. But everything felt that it was going to fast. I really didn't think that maybe everything wasn't just yesterday, everything is-

My wandering thoughts were cut off as I looked up to see Sato-san calling my name.

"Oh sorry Sato-san I was lost in my own thoughts. What can I do for you?" I ask as I force a smile and look back into his eyes.

I watch as Sato-san sighs out before grabbing his tea cup and swirling its contents. "Mizuki. You've been really helpful in this family for the past years ever since Michi let you stay here. You have took care of both my son and I, as I have trained you and gave you a place to stay. But I'm sure you don't want to be stuck here forever." He tells me as he looks up from his cup and looked at me.

I widened my eyes at his words. "What are you talking-" I'm cut off.

"Mizuki. I can see the way how you recently started to look at my son. I can see it clearly, maybe you don't see it but I want Michikatsu to marry that girl, Kira Ochiro. She is a good woman for him and you'll be able to leave this house and marry a man that you love. Then you could start a family and be happy, you too are at the age where you need someone. I feel that Kira Ochiro is a good person and it had been decided. I don't want to hurt you, but I think you don't have to stay attached to this place anymore." Sato-san continued as I looked at his confused, unsure and another feeling I couldn't really describe. Hurt?

"Are you kicking me out?" I ask absentmindedly as I looked down at my dirty dish before me. Before Sato-san could say another word, I started to grab the dishes on the table and spoke up.

"Yes, you are right. I am unsure of my feelings right now and I don't see it. I am still uncertain and confused of what's happening still. But I do know is that, my job and training is over. That message is clear and I'll move out as soon as possible." I state as my eyes become dull as I pick up the remaining dishes from the table.

"I hope that when I leave you will keep good health and that you remain happy." I state as I slowly meet his gaze and his eyes slowly widen as he looks at my dull expression. "If you'll excuse me now."

"Mizuki-" Sato-san calls out but I act as if I don't hear him. Yes, I don't hear him anymore at the moment.

I walk towards the kitchen and place the dirty dishes in the sink as I start washing them.

Was I a nuisance that Sato-san had to finally kick me out? Was I too clingy or bothersome to Michikatsu? Was I in their way? Did I cause some misunderstanding? How do I look at Michikastu? I just know that I am really close to him and I admire his strength and adore the friendship we have.

I am really clueless. Did Sato-san want to separate me and Michikatsu? Or was this Sato-san's idea from the beginning? Maybe now he thought that he could finally let my hand go and release me into the world, telling me it's time to make my mark.

Is this the message telling me to leave everything I cherished behind now? But I can't help but feel that I did something wrong? Was it the way I looked at Michikastu? Was it disturbing?

I can't seem to calm my thoughts as millions of questions and comments flood my brain. Somehow I want everything to drown out and stop, I can't stop though. They keep flooding my brain making me light headed.

I slowly lean down as I place the last dish on the counter. I take a huge breath and sigh out, bringing me back to see that I needed to finish some other things.

"Just what am I doing wrong? I thought everything was okay. Just why am I feeling this way?" I ask myself as I feel my eyes wanting to let out tear. But I wasn't going to let myself.

"Mizuki?" I hear and slowly turn around to see Michikatsu staring at me in worry. 'Ah you shouldn't look at me like that.....It makes me feel weird. Maybe it's because you look at me like that..that Sato-san doesn't want me to stay.'

I hum slightly and pick myself off the ground and stretch my back as if nothing was wrong. "Did you get hurt?" Michikatsu asks as he walks towards me, his tone laced in concern. I slowly look back up at him. "I'm fine, I was just feeling a bit tired. Are you done with the shower?" I ask as I see his hair is dripping with some water.

He nods his head slowly as he scans my face. "Truly I am fine." I say forcing a smile and pat his shoulder. "I think I need some rest and a shower. If you excuse me now." I say as I step to the side only to be blocked by Michikatsu's body.

"Did Dad say something to you that hurt you?" Michikastsu asks as his brows furrow, causing me to clench my hands.

I....I didn't want to say anything. I wanted to be left alone and figure out what I was feeling. I didn't get what Sato-san meant behind the first part, but I understood that he wanted me out of this house. Even though I don't attend modern school anymore doesn't mean that it made me stupid or forget everything.

"No, he just wanted to discuss some training." I say and nod at him before moving to the side so I could shower.

"I see...If something is bothering you...You can talk to me you know. After all you said those years ago, that if you are looking out for me, I'll look after you. That is what we do." Michikatsu says as he stares into my eyes.

I nod my head and give him one last smile, a genuine one that shows thank you. I turn around and start to walk down the hall. I keep clenching and unclenching my hands. The silence of the hall seems to be drowned out my own thoughts making everything loud and noisy.

'Yeah....that is what we said. I had told you something of the sort that I would protect you and you'll protect me, and even said later that we were friends.' But in the end it seems that even that won't be of use. It's not like we can keep that promise or words of mine true.

I'll be leaving soon, just like Yoriichi, except I'll be taking out demons way before Yoriichi and doing my own thing. Married? My own Family? What are you even talking about?

I let a heavy sigh out as I open the door to my bedroom where I grab my necessitates and clothes that I need to shower. I then leave my room and head back down the hall to the bathroom.

'I really need to clear my head....' I think to myself as I start to clean myself.

My head really hurts...Even as I clean and dunk my head underwater. My head keeps spinning and asking these questions that I never thought I had. Somehow thinking 'Was I not enough? Did I upset Sato-san? What did I do wrong?' Yet I really had no answer to anything. I was clueless and left in the dark about my own feelings and understanding of things.

It seems I still lack the knowledge about myself.

As I dry myself and get dressed into my new clothes, I find myself walking out of the bathroom heading back to Yoriichi's old room where I have been visiting for the past years. It had somehow brought me comfort, the only person I felt comfortable about speaking and confronting some things to was Yoriichi. But the only thing that I could think and hope for was the best for Yoriichi.

I slowly opend the door leading straight into Yoriichi's room and close the door behind me. Letting the cold air in the room keep me awake as I lay down on the semi dusty futon.

"Yoriichi, just how did you survive in this room? This fall it gets really cold as it enters winter. Are you living alright? Do you have food? Do you have friends and someone with you?" I mumble out as I pull the blanket over me and turn to my side, as I look out the window.

I stare at the full moon, which I have been looking at for the past years and grown to admire the way it shines along with the stars beside it.

"You know I miss you....and I'm hurting right now I think. But I don't really know the answers to any of my questions. Maybe I should go out and search for you." I mumble out and pull the blanket up some more to cover my face.

'But there is something I do know....My heart aches and I want it to stop. My heart and my feelings, my emotions are so out of control right now. I want everything to stop. I can't bring myself to touch my sword tonight. How pathetic.' I think to myself before drifting off to sleep.

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