A Pretty Face (KNY x Reader Fanfic)

Chapter 7

She left everything behind that day.

Y/N said she'd be back, but instead she made haste to get out of the district. Leaving with nothing but the clothes on her back, she relied on her mother's crow to lead her to the training grounds.

It was almost strange how much peace she felt. The days blurred within one another, and before she knew it, a year had came and gone. She couldn't remember the names of the Hashiras, nor did she care too. Her body had been marked with so many scars and wounds, but they all healed and told a story. Sometimes, she worried if she wasn't good enough.

Her mother was a renowned Hashira before passing. She didn't fall because of demons, but because of untreatable heart problems. Everyone expected her daughter to take her place. Y/N never wanted to in the first place, rather wanting to spend her life with Gyutaro. Was it so wrong to stay naive and unaware of the lurking dangers? She would have been much happier if it had been that way.

Something was wrong. Gyutaro never answered any of her letters. Y/N figured he'd be desperate to have some form of communication, but it was complete silence. It felt selfish to only think of him and not Ume. She would've been fourteen now. Y/N wondered if she ever opened the birthday gift she left a year ago.

"Little demon slayer...it sickens me to say this, but I'm actually extremely proud of you!"

Y/N groaned, her hand slowly grasping the handle of her blade. They heard it click as she unsheathed it.

"Don't be like that," his cold hands pulled back her hair, beginning to part it into three sections. "I only came to keep you company. You looked like you were lonely." he clicked his tongue as he ran into a few knots, using his fingers to carefully untangle each one.

"You just love rubbing it in, don't you, Douma?" She felt some tension ease away, which felt strange since she was letting a high ranking demon touch her so easily.

He happily sighed, getting back to what he was doing. "I'm not rubbing anything in. I genuinely wanted you to know that I care for you. After all, I was the one made sure you were left alive." His braid was then finished, completely smooth with no bumps or loose pieces.

"I don't even understand why you...never mind. The sun will rise soon, and you're starting to scare me a little bit."

Douma pouted, but placed a small kiss on her cheek. She didn't feel so much fear anymore. Beheading demons for months on end had changed something within her. Y/N wouldn't tremble in his presence anymore.

"Be safe, Y/N. It also wouldn't hurt for you to return home for the holidays, like you promised."

"What? How did you-?"

He was then gone, leaving nothing but that same chilly gust of air like last time. Although, it felt nice feeling her hair out of the way for once. Y/N never had the time to cut or maintain it. She was surprised Douma knew how to handle her hair the way he did. It was still strange, though.

The sun was warm against her face. Times like these reminded her of when Gyutaro would shake her awake at dawn to see it rise in the mornings. They would sit together on the Rashomon River dock, too shy to hold hands. She couldn't imagine why he'd risk everything doing what he did.

Y/N shouldn't have left so abruptly. She could have worked something out, or helped Gyutaro solve whatever problems he was having. It was wrong of her to leave so abruptly. Of course he wouldn't answer her letters, why should he? She abandoned both of them after being apart of their family for so long.

Her kitsune mask lay limp in her hand. She couldn't believe she'd even made it this far. There were so many secrets she had to keep, making her feel as if life wasn't worth living. What would Gyutaro say? He wouldn't have the slightest clue, only rambling how he could do a better job than demon slayers.

She had a difficult decision to make. Y/N needed to leave absolutely everything behind. Perhaps, she should wait a few decades until everyone from this generation had passed. Taking a deep breath, she looked for a small piece of paper in her pocket.

It took an hour to write everything she could think of that would fit on the paper. Two tear drops marked the bottom part of the page. When she could no longer fit any words, Y/N called her crow. He originally belonged to her mother, but now answered to Y/N. The crow took the message without complaint, immediately flying away to deliver it.

The cut to her palm was swift. After a few moments, her blood flowed freely like the Rashomon River. Y/N hesitated. There would be no going back. After one last sigh, she held her wounded palm to her mouth and drank everything that flowed.

Nothing happened at first, but then she could feel the change. She could feel the sizzling burn in every single cell. The change was nowhere near as terrible when turning into a demon, but Y/N still screamed as her body went through the dramatic change.

Everything was done and over with after a few hours. No one came looking for her. The sun had now set, leaving the full moon to shine brightly up high. Her skin nearly glowed in response, a single shade lighter than it used to be. She felt cold.

In every physical aspect, Y/N looked the same. She had no craving for human flesh, nor had the bedazzling eyes of a demon. A huge sacrifice had been made. More than one, actually. She'd never get to feel the sun against her skin again, or be allowed to age into an old woman.

While she was distraught over her decision, someone else couldn't be more happy. A few more could say the same. He watched from the distance, grinning gleefully.

A wise decision, in his opinion. He'd have a lot of fun keeping Y/N around for eternity, just like he always wanted to.