ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ sʟᴀʏᴇʀ: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs ʙʟᴏᴏᴍᴇᴅ "ᴋʏᴏᴊᴜʀᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴋᴀʀɪ"

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"Walking hand-in-hand"

Both Akari and Kyojuro hadn't realize that they were walking in the street, hand-in-hand. They had felt embarrassed with each other and looked at their surroundings instead of focusing on themselves. There were a few people walking around the busy town and the food had compel Kyojuro to focus on them instead of his hand. Akari has never felt like this before. She became an orphan at such a young age, along with Shinobu and Kanae that they had become busy with vengeance, they had forgotten to connect with other people or fall in love – though Akari thinks that Kanae had fallen in love with Sanemi. When they arrived at their destination, a food stand, the vendor looked at them and smiled. "What would it be for the two lovers", Akari looked at the vendor furious, and felt humiliation. What did he mean by lovers? She thought. "Nanto osshaimashita-ka? (I beg your pardon)", she asked angrily. The vendor got himself embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I had thought you were lovers. You're holding each other's hand", the vendor said scratching his head and laughing awkwardly. When the two hashiras had noticed their hands tangled with each other, they jumped off and they let go of their hands together, laughing at their predicament. "I'll have some Yakisoba, please", the gray-haired girl said as she puts her hair behind her ears. "Make that two", Kyojuro says at the vendor and he nodded. He gestured for Akari to sit at an empty seat with him. It was really a difficult situation they were in. Kyojuro didn't have much experience with girls, unlike Tengen who never really tried talking to one, instead girls would fall over him. Akari didn't have much experience with boys too, she hadn't even considered herself a wife-material. She thought she would fight for the rest of her life, and that wasn't a problem for her. "I'm sorry, for holding your hand", Kyojuro smiled ear-to-ear, but was red as a strawberry. She laughed at his face, covering her mouth as she chuckled. Kyojuro looked at her cheery face and it was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. It was amazing. They received their food and as always Kyojuro could not stop himself from saying "Umai!" because it was truly delicious. The vendor looked happy that the two non-lovers loved their meal. After eating, they wondered through town, not knowing where to go. They got to the hilltop and the town lights were beautiful from a mile away. Kyojuro sits down the grass and takes a deep breath. The view was beautiful, the air was cold, and he was with someone great. Akari sits down after Kyojuro and takes a deep breath as well. "I once imagined a world without demons. How I would run to the arms of my parents and have a fun time with my sister at festivals. It was a beautiful imagination", she said like she was dreaming. Kyojuro had felt her sadness. "My mother imagined a world without demons as well. She was sweet and kind and there wasn't a time where she would never smile", Kyojuro felt pain in his chest. It was hard losing his mother, and the current situation he has with his father is more so. "I'm sorry about your mother. I haven't met her before, but if I did, I'm sure I would have loved her", Akari eased a great amount of pain, Kyojuro was feeling. They both looked at each other with a smile so soft and soundless. "I'm sorry about your family", she sighed so loudly, keeping her tears inside of her heart. She didn't want to cry anymore; she was too tired to do so. She became quiet and Kyojuro thought that he might have said something wrong. He became anxious. Akari noticed this and in her mind, she was laughing. She, then, puts her head in Kyojuro's left shoulder. Kyojuro blushes again. He became stiff and was shocked. But then he relaxes a bit and the silence filling them was a good feeling. 

A few minutes have passed and Akari had fallen asleep. Kyojuro tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't or at least couldn't. She seemed so tired and peaceful at the same time. He carried her down the hill and to the Butterfly Estate where Shinobu was still awake. It was already midnight. "She fell asleep in my shoulder", Kyojuro says as he puts her down her bed and takes off her weapons and kimono as quiet and gentle as possible. "It means she's comfortable with you", Shinobu says smiling. Kyojuro is now red, redder than the color of rose. "I wouldn't say comfortable, she's still a little hostile towards me", he said scratching his head as he stood up in front of the short insect hashira. "Well now she is, she had fallen asleep in your shoulders. She is only like that when she's comfortable with someone", Shinobu declares. She chuckles at the clueless sunset-haired guy in front of her. Shinobu leads Kyojuro to the exit. As Kyojuro was about to walk out of the mansion, Shinobu stops him. "Rengoku-san, don't leave her", she said. At first, Kyojuro didn't understand what she was saying. He didn't even understand why Shinobu is saying that to him, but he only nodded as a response and went on his way. He couldn't sleep when he arrived at his house. He felt happy though, knowing that Akari was comfortable with him. Mitsuri had fallen asleep while reading something, so Kyojuro had to carry her as well to an empty bed. He checked on Senjuro and his father who were now asleep in their own rooms. As he laid in his bed, he looked at the ceiling of his room. "What are these feelings? It seems weird", he muttered under his breath. "Is this affection? Or admiration?", the meaning of these words differs from one another. Affection means that you have fallen in love with somebody, maybe upon meeting them, but you have and there might be no way to stop your heart from beating so loud whenever they are around. Admiration means that you admire someone for their strength and talent, their passion. There might be no way to stop yourself from falling over their feet if they passed by. As Kyojuro examined himself, he realized that he feels both for the gray-haired girl with brown eyes, small body, but strong heart. She wasn't short like Shinobu, probably 5'8, but still. Kyojuro had fallen in love with Akari and at the same time, had fallen over her passion and her ability to trust people with just a look at them from head to toe. Now, Kyojuro had begun feeling uneasy and scared. He has never been rejected by anyone before, because as mentioned, he never had much experience. So, he had to ask someone who knew exactly what this feeling was, but he might have asked the wrong guy.

In the morning, he had visited Tengen, the sound hashira, who wanted to train with him. He asked his question as firm and straightforward. "What will you feel if you got rejected by someone?", Tengen looked at him, surprised. "I have never been rejected before, because I'm the most flamboyant guy you will ever see in your life and I've got three wives, so it doesn't matter if someone rejects me. But truthfully, I don't know what it feels like when it comes to girls", Tengen says. Kyojuro's face fell down and he felt sick. Three wives? You have got to be kidding me? He thought to himself, but oh well, shinobis practice polygamy and there was nothing Kyojuro could do about that. But he was still enthusiastic and optimistic so he wasn't feeling down. He didn't know which one to ask right, so he went to Gyomei, the stone hashira. "What will you feel if you got rejected by someone?", he asked him. Gyomei suddenly cried and Kyojuro felt bad. "I got rejected so many times, because of my blindness, but it doesn't matter to me. Although it feels a little hurtful", Gyomei says his hand in prayer-position as he cried in tears. Then on to the next guy of the group, Giyu. "What will you feel if you got rejected by someone?", he asked him and to Giyu surprise, he was a bit hurt. "I...", he hesitated. "I don't know", he said and Kyojuro looked down, thinking of who else to ask. Luckily, Sanemi had passed by and he asked him immediately. "Shinazugawa, what will you feel if you got rejected by someone?", Sanemi who was walking and drinking a glass of juice in his hands, spits in out in anger. "I have never been rejected by someone", he lied and pointed at Kyojuro. "Don't lie Sanemi", Giyu says and Sanemi got mad big time. "WHAT DID YOU SAY? COME ON, FIGHT ME TOMIOKA", he shouted at him, trying to get to Giyu who was just standing in a corner, but Kyojuro carried him by the arms and stopped him from causing trouble. Shinobu suddenly walks in the room. "Ara ara, Tomioka-san surely lied too", she said as she pointed at Giyu and laughed elegantly. Giyu who wanted to be alone, looked at her, shock and vexed. Kyojuro lets go of Sanemi and he walks out of the room like an angry child. "Rengoku-san, being rejected is better than saying nothing and hopelessly hoping. If you love her, tell her", she said as if she knew why Kyojuro was asking around. Indeed, she knew. She might be the only one who isn't blind when she sees that Kyojuro has a crush on Akari and Akari as clueless as a pufferfish, doesn't notice this. Kyojuro thanked Shinobu for the advice and takes it up to heart. He was going to do exactly that; the only problem now is. How on earth will he protest his love for Akari Mitsuma.