Roll to Me

Chapter 14

Moriko wasn't sure if she had talked so much in her entire life. Being Akemi was hard. She spent the entire ride back to Sagiri, her father and Akemi's home city, answering Tanjiro and Nezuko's questions about camp, as well as a quieter handful from her father. She spoke generally about most things, such as enjoying her time spent outdoors and making a new close friend with one of the other campers.

Close was technically an understatement since she had found her twin, but she couldn't exactly say that. Not yet, not for long time.

Yes, her mom would have asked questions, but this rapidfire questioning was more like something Mitsuri would try. And there were two of them, though Tanjiro was the more energetic. She knew that Akemi would certainly join the conversation with the same level of energy, so she had to keep her own up.

It was exhausting. She wished she could sit there like her father, driving and listening but not having to participate so much. It was draining.

By the time they parked, Moriko was relieved. The relief last for five seconds before she realized that she was now about to enter a party. Akemi had told her that more than half of her family and their family friends were lively and spirited; the other part were calmer, more like Moriko and their father. Maybe she could bond with the calm ones now that she had met two of the active ones?

"Maybe act surprised when we go in," Nezuko suggested as they approached a café on the corner. "Everyone's super excited about the surprise part." A waterwheel logo was imposed on the window, and inside she could see people and a few decorations. Part of her wanted to climb back in the SUV and demand to be taken "home." The other part of her did want to meet these new family members and family friends.

A hand landed gently on her shoulder. Her father sighed. "I told them a party might not be the best idea. I wanted to go home."

"I missed Uncle Sabito's birthday party," she said, remembering the details Akemi had fed her. She grinned like her sister would have even though going home sounded so much better than a party. "This makes up for my absence, right?"

His eyebrows rose. "Absence? You were at camp. No one expects you to make up—"

The door to the café flew open, nearly popping Tanjiro in the face since he was in the lead. A muscular arm darted out and grabbed Tanjiro by the front of his shirt, dragging him inside. Cackling followed. A blue-haired, wild-eyed, strangely beautiful man with an unbuttoned plaid shirt stepped into the doorframe. Moriko started to dart back behind her father but she was too slow.

"There!" The blue-haired guy grabbed her by both arms and hauled her inside, partially lifting her up and swinging her toward the café's main room. "Found her!"

Dizzy, Moriko felt like one of the café cats who had been snatched up by a kid who was overly excited. There was a wash of noise, people yelling 'welcome back' or whooping or generally making a hullabaloo. Moriko tensed. What was happening? The faces were a blur as she reoriented herself to the room. There were so many people. Was she being kidnapped?

"Inosuke, put her down," a stern voice commanded.

A flight or fight response welled up in her, but she chose the third option, freezing. She was rigid as the blue-haired man set her down and patted her head, grinning down at her. "Kamene's been gone for what, a year? Three? And I was being nice!" That last part was directed at a grey-haired man standing not too far away.

Moriko's mind started bringing up the information she needed, accessing mental files she had stored while talking to Akemi. Inosuke Hashibira. From the gym. The MMA fighter. Rarely said names correctly. Boisterous, rambunctious, did not adhere to personal space rules.