ikigai | s. sanemi

二

"She's so small!" Amane comments, laying down on her stomach with her elbows propped on the floor, cheeks resting in the palm of her hands as her feet simultaneously move up and down as she lovingly stares at Tsukihana.

Tsukihana, asleep and wrapped around her baby cloth laid on top of a warm futon bed, her little chest rising and falling as she sleeps.

"Back then, you're just like that, Amane." Lady Himorogi replies, extending one arm out to gently cup Amane's cheek. "So small too!"

"But I'm big now!" Amane responded, accidentally raising her voice that caused Tsukihana to stir awake from her sleep, crying afterwards.

"Oh dear" Lady Himorogi says, scooping Tsukihana's small figure into her arms, gently swaying her. "No need to cry anymore. It's only your older sister." She coaxes, gently hushing her while her hand supporting her bum gently pat it.

Amane, who suddenly felt like bursting into tears, pursed her lips into a thin line. "I...I didn't mean to make Tsukihana cry..." She says, sniffing afterwards, tears rolling down her face.

"Of course you didn't." Lady Himorogi responded, offering her a small smile while extending one hand out to wipe away her tears. "Would you like to try and carry your little sister? She's calmed down now." She says. True to her words, Tsukihana had finally stopped crying and assumed back to sleeping.

"Okay!" Amane beams, smiling happily as she extended both arms in front of her.

"You have to make sure your little sister doesn't fall, so you should carry her like this" The older woman begins to explain, teaching Amane the correct way to carry a baby before handing Tsukihana to her, Amane now finally carrying her little sister.

"How do you feel?" Their mother asks

"She's so small and smells like milk" Amane replies, smiling widely as she looks down at Tsukihana. "Hurry up and grow big already so we can play together!"

Hearing her words brought a smile onto the older lady's lips, a heartwarming sight right in front of her as her eldest bonds with her youngest.

"Amane," Lady Himorogi begins to say, "Since you're the older sister, will you look after Tsukihana?"

"Yes I will!" Amane responded rather quickly.

"Will you love your sister too?"

"Yes!"

"I'm glad to hear that then." She says, scooting a little closer to get closer to them, opening her arms as Lady Himorogi hugs both Amane and Tsukihana.

"Be a good role model and support for Tsukihana. In return, she'll return the love and care you give her."

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

Later on that night, as every member of the Himorogi household is fast asleep and warm in their beds, a man swiftly passes by through the roof, quiet and still like the night; deciding which of which among them to devour and which among them to turn into a demon.

Although all of them would pass as either his dinner or be the next line of demons he creates, he was particularly drawn to the mixed sweet scent of milk, soap and fresh lavender of the morning.

Following that scent, it lead him to go down and land his feet on the ground, slowly parting the sliding door - ruby red eyes landing on the sleeping baby who slept in a separate bed from it's parents.

The particular scent had him conflicted - to kill or not to kill?

A newborn baby almost has the same nutrients as a woman - calcium, fat, iron, folate, protein, carbohydrates and zinc. Surely if he had her as his dinner, he'd have his fill. But the problem is, she's only a baby, and most likely, he wouldn't feel full afterwards.

A newborn is still dependent on the mother, therefore, if he had her as his dinner, it wouldn't feel fulfilling nor the same as eating as a full grown woman. With his eyes glaring down at the innocent infant, he wondered just what could she be - of use or of no use?

Given by his evaluation of the situation and his fair judgement, Muzan sharpened his nails and swiftly clawed the baby, ripping the cloth as he watches the crimson red color slowly sipping and spreading out, staining the cloth in the process, the baby violently crying and disturbing the peace of the night.

With the blood on his nails, Muzan brought it close to his lips, licking it. Indeed, the baby tastes wonderful.

The violent cries of Tsukihana suddenly awoke everyone, their eyes widening and their mouth gasping at the sight of the infant bleeding almost profusely besides them in her bed. Mister Himorogi immediately leapt to his feet, running around bare foot to call onto the nearest priests, priestesses and doctors while Lady Himorogi tried to stop the bleeding, her heart racing, hands shaking and eyes almost blurring with tears. 

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

Tsukihana Himorogi, by all means, miraculously recovered.

Given the aftermath, Lady Himorogi nor Mister Himorogi were able to sleep well that night, too afraid that the same person or creature would attack their youngest.

"Good afternoon to you all." An elderly man with almost gray hair, worn eyes and wrinkly skin poked his head from their veranda. Mister Himorogi immediately getting up to his feet, tired eyes greeting the elderly.

"Thank you for seeing us again, doctor." He spoke, bowing his head low to show his respect.

"Mister Himorogi, given by your appearance, I advise you to get a good night's sleep." The elderly man, or the doctor responded, entering inside their home.

"Doctor, it's going to be difficult to sleep again." Mister Himorogi reasons, closing the sliding door as he lets the doctor inside. "Ever since what happened to Tsukihana, we've found ourselves in a difficult situation to sleep. Even when we just close our eyes, her cries that night suddenly alarm us awake."

"Indeed" The older man replies, putting on his glasses. "That the events of that night is traumatic, but in less than a week, death will consume you before it consumes me." He says, eyeing both Lady and Mister Himorogi.

"I've studied the scratch on Tsukihana's left chest, three long lines that starts from the middle and ends in the in between of her chest and arm." The older man responded, pausing before continuing.

"What attacked Tsukihana that night is no ordinary human with a weapon nor an animal let loose." He says, "It is without a doubt, a demon. A man eating demon."

Upon hearing his words, Lady Himorogi's eyes begin to brim with tears that cascaded down on her face, Amane could only cling her arms around her mother's while Mister Himorogi placed a hand on his wife's back, soothing her.

"What do we do, doctor?" He asks, voice laced with great distress. "She's so young. We can't give her up yet, we just had her! We don't want to send her to the mountains nor-"

"There is no need to do such a thing." The elder man replies, raising a hand up. "I'm glad to hear that you have prepared for the worst but rather, prepare yourselves for the upcoming years instead."

"Why is that?"

"Tsukihana may have survived the attack but that doesn't mean it won't delay the process."

"Process?" Lady Himorogi questions. "What process?"

"Tsukihana will become a demon." The elderly man breaks the news, causing Lady Himorogi to finally break down into tears.

"Although I am not so sure about what is the cause of the delay but she is already doomed to be one." The elderly man continues. "The wound is deep, the layers of her skin are damaged yet they healed in less than a day. And for an infant like Tsukihana to survive that attack is a miracle."

"As what I have said" The elderly man says, slowly getting up on his feet again after sitting in front of the family of four. "Prepare for the worst. Whatever is holding the transformation back will eventually falter and Tsukihana will begin to show signs of changes. Until then, Tsukihana is human until the time comes."