Blissful [Shinazugawa Sanemi]

Chapter 21

"It's very peaceful here, isn't it?"

Sanemi was sitting on the grounds, leaning his back against the tree trunk. Beside him was Shiori, laying flat on her back, a contended smile on her face. She was surrounded by flowers of all assorted colours.

"So... You only want me to accompany you here?"

"Yeah." Shiori nodded.

"Do you know what Sayu said when she found this place? She said this place is like a secret place only the three of us know." She chuckled and Sanemi hummed.

"Are you really fine now?" Sanemi asked.

"Yeah, I no longer feel any pain now." Shiori smiled at him. Sanemi made a mental note of how Shiori's not being formal to him. She usually would say 'yes' instead of 'yeah'.

Shiori stared at the blue sky, the clouds whiffing above like cotton. Her mind was at ease and she felt in bliss. She didn't know why, but all she knows is it's thanks to this person beside her.

"... Hey Shinazugawa-san, why did you join the corps?" She asked.

"Just wanted to kill the demons." Sanemi answered shortly.

"Do you have a reason to kill demons?"

"Do I need a reason to kill creatures that prey on humans?"

Shiori hummed in response.

"What about you?" Sanemi asked.

"I became a hunter to find someone."

"What does that have to do with being a demon hunter?" Sanemi raised a confused brow.

"Well, because he's a demon." Shiori stated. "I trained hard just so I could kill that person."

"Who is he?" Sanemi asked.

"The person who sold my family to a demon."

"My father."

Sanemi was shocked. He stared at Shiori with wide eyes, not uttering a single word until Shiori turned her head and smiled at him.

"Would you care to listen to my story?"

•••

Eleven years old.

That's how old I was when my life started to go downhill.

"Shiori, isn't it?"

I raised my head to look at the old man who I met while gathering firewood every day. We lived in the same neighborhood and we often met in the forest. Although he's very strong, he was suffering from an illness, his face was always pale. It was snowing hard, but he still gathered firewood by himself even though I offered to bring him some to his house.

"Are you on good terms with your father?" The man with a birthmark on his forehead asked.

"My father? Yes, he is very nice to me." I answered and he hummed.

"I see..." He mumbled as he chopped another wood.

"Is something wrong, Tanjuro-san?"

"... I'm not being rude, but I have doubts about your father."

I didn't understand what he meant. My father has always been nice to our family. Well, he sometimes comes home drunk but he never harms us in any way. He also takes care of my sick mother. But this man is not the person to doubt someone without a clear reason.

"I heard the labour went well." He said.

"Yes, mother gave birth to another girl. She looks the same as her." I smiled. "But... her condition gets even worse after giving birth."