After barely surviving a brutal encounter with the legendary demon slayer Yoriichi, Muzan Kibutsuji is discovered by (Y/N), a compassionate and unassuming village girl. Her soft, peculiar nature captivate Muzan, sparking an unexpected bond.
On a jo...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
You dreaded the day Kiyoko would leave with every bone in your body. It made you anxious just thinking about it-the thought of being in a room alone with 'Yoriichi' seemed so awkward. It wasn't that he was a bad man, in fact, you knew the opposite to be true. He had saved your life and had helped readjust your shoulder when you had strained it.
Still, the thought of being in a room alone with him seemed uncomfortable. It seemed even more unfortunate because over the last day you had taken a special liking to Kiyoko.
She seemed awesome to you.
A swordswomen in this era? And also skilled at healing?
You couldn't help but admire her.
You tried to take your mind off it, both her leaving and the terrible weather.
"Is he...going to be okay?"
Currently, Yorrichi was not with you. He had gone out during the night into the mountains.
Kiyoko looked up at you, "Who?"
"That man..."
She suppressed a laugh. She knew you were bothered by his presence, but your reluctance to be around him was something she found slightly amusing.
Her eyes returned to what she was doing, "You mean Master Yoriichi?" she corrected.
You nodded.
"I didn't expect him to still be out in the middle of a snowstorm. Where did he go?" you asked.
She shrugged. She didn't quite know herself. She was a demon slayer of sorts, but she wasn't near presumptuous enough to accompany him on one of his night routines. Although she hated to admit it, she would only slow him down.
"I'm sure he's out saving someone. He's a busy individual."
You bit your lip.
"Saving another person?"
She nodded.
You gulped, looking away from her.
She scoffed, as she mixed an ointment and prepared to put it on your shoulder, "Are you still embarrassed?"
You covered your cheeks with your hands, "N-No."
It was a lie. You both knew it.
She chuckled, "You don't want me to leave you alone with him?"
"I never said that!"
You looked away from her flustered and she couldn't help but smirk.
"He's not going to hurt you, you know? He was the one who saved you."
You sighed. You knew that. It was just uncomfortab-
The door opened.
He was right there.
Yoriichi stood calm as ever.
In he walked, the snow lined all through his red hair and falling down his cloak onto the dry ground. He wore the same unreadable expression you had recognized the last time you saw him and you held your breath for a moment.
Kiyoko's eyes lit up when she saw him, "You're back?" she said.
He gave a nod.
She turned her back to him rushing to finish rubbing the ointment on your shoulder before hurrying towards her equipment.
She smiled at you, "I'll be going (Y/N)."
The two of you made eye contact.
As you died inside, she smiled.
You watched as she rose from her seated position and headed towards the corner of the room. You hadn't noticed before, but as she picked up her bags, she swiftly withdrew a long sword from a hidden stash. She held it firmly in her hands as she headed towards the door, the long handle fitting nicely in her hand.
She was about to exit when Yorrichi spoke, "I've cleared the mountain...there should be nothing threatening your journey but be alert."
Kiyoko looked back.
She gave a nod before bowing a bit, "I'll be leaving now," she said.
The door closed swiftly after and immediately the room was filled with silence.
You bit your lip at the awkwardness in the air, as you shut your eyes for a moment.
This could not be real.
You slowly lifted your gaze to look at him only to see he was staring directly at you.
You were stunned, your eyes widened a bit but instead of breaking eye contact, you found yourself unable to look away.
"..."
"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
You stiffened.
He could speak?
Or rather, you knew that already but still, he had chosen to speak?
His confession eased you a bit.
You gave a nod, "It's all right."
You felt yourself relax a bit. Just a bit.
"I'm sorry for being a burden. Kiyoko-san told me you're usually busy. You shouldn't be watching me like this. "
He blinked, "I am...but dawn is going to break soon."
You didn't quite understand the correlation. What did dawn have to do with him being busy? You decided you didn't want to figure it out.
You watched as his eyes landed on your shoulder. He blinked as he examined it from a distance.
You spoke, "I'm surprised at how much better it's gotten. I think I'll travel back home later today."
He gave a nod.
"..."
"You said it's almost dawn... I'll head out as soon as the sun rises."
He gave another nod.
"..."
"I'll accompany you," he said.
You were startled.
His statement caught you off guard.
His suggestion in itself didn't bother you but you felt embarrassed. Wasn't it bad to rely on someone so much? He had already gone ahead and saved your life. He was now waiting on your recovery? Weren't you indebted to him enough?
"I feel I've already depended on you enough. I would like that but...would that really be alright?"
Yoriichi spoke, "Am I to allow you to wander down the mountain by yourself? And what if something was to happen to you?"
You didn't know what to say.
"Is it really okay?"
He nodded, "I will protect you."
"..."
His statement seemed bold to you. It was strange...you almost felt flustered. He seemed like such a gentleman. You could feel your cheeks warming but before it could show on your face you tried to clear your expression. In the end, you couldn't suppress the smile that ended up coming out.
"Thank you, Yoriichi-san," you spoke with warm eyes.
Yoriichi was stunned at the progress. Your smile was something else.
More than that, he was the one who had made you smile.
