𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

PART SIX; THE REMINDER

𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ー muzan kibutsuji

𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ー kokushibo

KOKUSHIBO'S presence soon became a constant to (Y/N). At first, he would disappear during the day only to then reappear again at night, always a silent presence until he spoke softly. However, that soon gradually changed to him staying through several nights and several days before then disappearing for long periods of time.

    It was strange to her.

    She always wondered where he would go—most commonly she assumed to kill someone again as ordered by his 'master.'

She then discarded those thoughts.

All (Y/N) wanted from life was to be able to live independently in solitude. The lives of other people didn't concern her when she didn't even know them, even more so when she couldn't care about them or what they did to deserve such a brutal death. What Kokushibo did, what he was, she ignored it all for the sake of her own want out of life.

    Tranquility.

    And Kokushibo was the perfect companion when regarding such a state.

    He was a reserved and silent man, as (Y/N) already knew, who rarely spoke up unless it were to ask questions about almost nonsensical things. Most times however, he either followed her around the house as she cooked, cleaned, and did other mundane chores, even helping out at times, or do nothing with her as they sat out on the back porch staring up at the stars.

    And such was what (Y/N) and Kokushibo were doing currently, a warm mug of tea in her hand while he merely had his hands on his lap.

    She always wondered about that.

    He never seemed to want for anything, even necessities like heat, food, or drink.

    "Kokushibo?" She hummed, waiting for a type of clarification that he heard her but was answered with nothing but silence, deciding to take that as her cue to continue. "You said that you're a demon. It's obvious you are even if I sometimes question that due to your manner, but... does being a demon also mean you do not want what you did when you were human?"

    "Why do you ask such a question?" Kokushibo turned to face her, gazing down at her even when her eyes were still directed towards the sky.

    "I've just always wondered."

    The demon stared at her for a moment longer, his eyes tracing the curve of her face before looking back at the looming darkness of the forest around them to then say, "There is a fundamental difference between humans and demons as you've noticed. Demons have no need for human food, water, or sleep. Our flesh can heal in an instant when wounded, we never tire and are always in optimal physical condition. A demon's speed, strength, and durability far surpasses that of a human. In comparison of demons and humans, it is obvious who surpasses and who remains weak."

    (Y/N) took a slow sip of her tea, the liquid spreading warmth to her entire body—the fact that she had a blanket wrapped around her helped.

    "Maybe..." she mumbled softly with a tilt of her head. "Humans are weak, pitiful beings. With just a small cut, we start to bleed. We cry over the most minuscule of things. When we grow old, our bones wither away and our organs start to fail us. We are licentious and murderous and fearful of what we cannot understand or fathom. We start wars, cause terror, snuff out the weak, and control those that we can. Humans truly are piteous beings for falling under the control of such a fate."

    Her eyes then grew wistful as the corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly, a fact that puzzled Kokushibo greatly.

    She had spoken of such atrocities.

    He had revealed to her that no matter what humans did, demons would always be superior.

    Yet... she smiles.

    ...Why?

     "But then again..." she let out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes, looking so peaceful in that moment that Kokushibo didn't dare move even a fraction of an inch. "...humans are such wondrous creatures all the same. We love to form connections, we love to help those in need, we dream of better lives for us and those around us, we strive to become better. We love... we laugh... we cry... and in those cold nights when we believe the world is crumbling around us... dawn breaks and the sun rises again to remind us why we are here."

    "And what is this reminder?" Kokushibo watched (Y/N)'s expression intently, his eyes widening when she finally turned to face him.

    She was blinding, in a way.

    He couldn't explain it.

    The way she looked in that second, the space in between them, their soft breaths that puffed into a small cloud from the icy cold air—everything was drowned out except for her and him in that moment that he didn't even realize that the sky had parted to allow the small, white traces of snow to fall.

    "Just to live—because that day, you can surround yourself with what you love," (Y/N) answered softly, then turning away again. "Oh... look at that, Kokushibo. It has started to snow."

    He didn't look away from her.

    If he were being honest, he wasn't sure if he could even if he wanted to.

This woman whom Kokushibo had met purely by chance on an order from his master was able to shatter everything that he believed in. She, even in all her pain and torment and agony, was still able to see the pure side of humanity that he had all but turned a blind eye to so long ago. He should have known as soon as he met her, for even though her expression was one of delight upon her parents' death, there was a type of mourning reflected in her (E/C) eyes—the mourning of what could have been: a happy family where she had loving parents.

But it was not to be.

And yet, she still strove forward and chose to see both sides of the world and hope for the better instead of being so black and white on the subject.

Kokushibo lowered his head.

For in that moment, he felt shame.

For in that moment, he wished he could have rewritten his past.

For in that moment, he realized that (Y/N) was truly the one and only person whom he had met that made him have hope for what could be.

つづく | to be continued