丨Shunrai 丨Kimetsu no yaiba x oc 丨

Chapter 2

The wooden floor of the small restaurant was dappled with gentle sunlight, the faint clinking and clanking of ceramic bowls could be heard over the chitter and chatter. Filling the air was the aromatic smell of ramen broth from the ever so busy kitchen, everyone's tastebuds were tickled by the delicious scent.

Feet dangling, Kanao sat beside Kaisa quietly.

"Say... Kanao-chan? Have you chosen which ramen you want?" Kaisa blinked at Kanao who stared blankly at the menu for the past five minutes.

Kanao kept staring blankly at the menu.

Noticing how the younger girl fiddled with her fingers under the table, Kaisa probed her chin on her hand.

What Kanae-san said was for real... Kanao can't really decide for herself.

Standing, Kaisa smiled and gave Kanao a light pat on her shoulder, "No worries, I'll order for you then. I heard that their shoyu ramen is quite good, wanna try?"

Kanao pressed her lips into a thin line, she reached for the coin in her pocket. The truth was she preferred miso. But Kaisa was a well respected senior, and was Kanae's friend, Kanao didn't wish to disappoint or upset her. Should she just go with what Kaisa suggested? Or should she speak up and tell Kaisa what she really wanted?

The coin... the coin can decide for me. Heads for shoyu, tails for miso.

Noticing how Kanao was hesitating whether to flip her coin or not, Kaisa scanned the menu again, trying to find where Kanao was staring at a while ago. Rats... she must have something she wants... what is it?

"Does miso sound nice?" Kaisa asked before Kanao's coin landed on her palm.

Kanao caught the coin and nodded with her mouth falling slightly agape, a fuzzy feeling slowly warmed her chest.

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Sanemi couldn't help it, his whole focus on something other than the freshly cooked ramen in front of him.

Somewhere to the middle sat Kaisa and Kanao, he never expected to run into them during lunch.

The slippery noodles slid off from his chopsticks as he watched how Kaisa tugged a strand of Kanao's banks to the back, it must had been soaked in the soup. Raising his chopsticks, he bit into air as Kaisa asked to refill Kanao's cup of tea.

"Is it really okay?" Sanemi nudged Kaisa and whispered.

Kaisa tilted her head, "Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Sanemi was cut off by his siblings.

"Kaisa-nee!! Kaisa-nee!!" the little girls surrounded Kaisa excitedly, joy sparked in their eyes, "Can you please braid our hair?"

"Of course," Kaisa smiled and combed Teiko's hair with her fingers. Humming, she braided Teiko's hair and twirled it into a rose like bun, and then secured Sumi's hair with a flower hairpin of her own.

"Yay~ You're the best! Kaisa-nee!" the two girls giggled and ran off to join the others, "Arigato!!"

Sanemi cleared his throat and continued, "I mean... You're using your pocket money to buy my siblings mochi right? Thank you but... Is it... really okay? Don't you have things you wanna buy for yourself? It's fine if you don't treat them to anything."

It was true that he was grateful for Kaisa's kindness. Although he and his mother were both breadwinners of the family, there never seemed to be enough money for them to spend. It was impossible for them to catch up with the ever sky-rocketing prices of food, water and rent. However, he found out that other girls would either put their pocket money into their savings or buy themselves different knick knacks like combs or hairpins.