(OC x Kanae Kocho) My Precious Butterflies "Kimetsu no Yaiba"

Chapter 11- Kanao

Yamato's reunion with Kanae and Shinobu took an unexpected turn the following day. As they approached the estate, Yamato stepped forward to greet them, but his words caught in his throat when he noticed a small figure between them.

"Welcome ba-," he began, but stopped short, his gaze falling to a girl with messy hair and clothes covered in thorns.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, then knelt down to the girl's height. "Hello, what's your name?" Yamato asked gently.

The girl stared back at him blankly, not uttering a word.

Kanae stepped in, her expression somber. "The man who owned her said her parents didn't give her a name."

"Owned?" Yamato echoed, his voice rising in disbelief.

"Yeah," Kanae confirmed. "He said this girl was sold to him by her parents."

"What!? That's horrible..." Yamato's shock turned to anger.

"Shinobu," Kanae called, "can you take this poor girl to the bath?"

Shinobu nodded and gently led the girl towards the washroom. Yamato and Kanae moved to the veranda to talk.

"So, what happened with your mission?" Yamato asked once they were alone.

Kanae sighed. "We finished it earlier than we expected. But on our way back, we noticed that girl tied to a rope being led by a man. The man said that her parents sold her as a slave..."

Yamato's eyes widened. "Wait, so you stole her?"

Kanae quickly shook her head. "No, no. Shinobu got annoyed at the man, so she threw all the money on the ground, and we took the girl and ran."

Yamato leaned back against the railing, his expression softening. "So, are you going to give her a name?"

Kanae walked over to a tree and picked a chestnut from the ground. She held it up thoughtfully. "Kanao... How about Kanao?"

"Kanao?" Yamato repeated, a smile forming. "That's cute. It's close to your name."

Kanae nodded, pleased. "I know, right?"

An hour later, Kanao emerged from the washroom, her hair now clean and neatly combed. She looked almost unrecognizable, a stark contrast to the disheveled girl who had arrived earlier.

After another hour, Shinobu came into the veranda, her expression a mix of frustration and concern. "Nee-san! Nee-san! This girl is completely hopeless... She won't eat unless told to do so, even when her stomach is growling!"

Kanae approached her sister, her demeanor calm and reassuring. "Ara-ara, now, now, Shinobu, don't be like that. I just love your smile."

Shinobu frowned. "This is dangerous, nee-san. We can't just let her be alone if she can't make decisions for herself."

Kanae nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that is true. How about this."

Kanae walked towards Kanao and gave her a coin. "Alright, Kanao... When you're alone, decide what you want to do by flipping this coin, right, Kanao?"

Kanao looked at the coin curiously.

"Nee-san!!" Shinobu exclaimed.

"Now, now, you don't have to take this seriously, you know, since Kanao is so cute." Kanae lightly giggled.

Yamato stepped forward and gently lifted Kanao into his arms. She stared at him with the same blank expression, her eyes wide and unblinking. "Hello, Kanao. Looks like that's your name now, huh?" Yamato said softly, a warm smile on his face.