Dispassionate

39

39) To Lazy For Another Chapter Name

This is so stupid! How am I supposed to get information if I can't talk!?

"You have the voice of a dying animal, don't even try to put on a girls voice, it'll just make you sound creepier! Don't even talk."

Not to mention this stupid dress dulls my senses, so I can't sense any demons. Damn this mission! I turned the corner, hearing the hushed voices of women. "Makio hasn't come out of her room for a few days, I left food outside her door, but she hasn't come to get it."

"If she doesn't come out soon, the madam will drag her out and force her to see a doctor." One responded. Makio? That's Uzui's wife. (Yet you can't remember your friends names...)

Her room must be somewhere upstairs.

☆彡

Inosuke carried a plate through the hall. I don't really remember what was on it so— um, yeah.

"Inoko, slow down! You might drop something." A woman advised him. He turned towards her and did a small bow, before carrying on in the hall. He grimaced, gripping the tray tighter.

"What a quiet girl." One muttered. He grit his teeth together, suppressing a groan. This was such an unnecessary hassle.

He hastily walked up at stairs, kimono threatening to trip him at any moment. He looked at some of the doors, not paying much mind to them. Those weren't the rooms he was looking for. He started to slow down at the sight of food, left at a door.

"Makio's room..."

Tell me. The words echoed throughout the room, a flower printed fabric clung to the walls, ceiling, floor. Any surface it could cling to. "Tell me, what was your name? Makio. Tell me, Makio. Who were you sending all these little letters to?"

The letters were laid messily on the floor, papers torn up, almost shredded. Any opening of light was covered by papers. Makio lifted her head up in an aggressive manner, the obi limiting any movements.

The ugly ass belt that somehow had eyes and fucking lipstick turned its attention to the door. Someone was there, could it be the house madam? No. The belts suspended Makio in the air, making her grunt as they tightened.

"Make one noise and you're dead!" She forced herself to silence as she was forced to, fall asleep I guess? I don't know, don't shame me.

The door slammed open, and the ombré haired boy was met with a gust of wind. "Hey! I know you're there!" He took a bowl, the one that was left at the door, for MAKIO (this rude bitch smh) and threw it all the ceiling. Broth spilled on the floor as it had broken.

He could sense it down. Some type of thin sheet was sliding through the roof. He turned around, giving it chase.

Tanjiro placed the boxes on the ground, hoping that was the last of them. "It's so hard to believe Miss Suma commit ashinuke..." a young girl murmured to another, who agreed. Tanjiro knew he shouldn't be listening to this, but he did. In fact, he joined in on the conversation. Technically.

He tilted his head to the side, catching one of the girls attention. "Oh, wow! So many boxes!" She exclaimed, staring at the gifts wrapped neatly in paper. He nodded.

"Did you bring those up yourself?" The other asked, eyes shining a bit. "Wow!"

"What's ashinuke?" He asked in an unfamiliar tone, trying to mimic a females voice. "You don't know what ashinuke is?" He shook his head.

"Oh, well, it's when someone runs away without repaying their debts." She explained. He bowed his head to her as a thanks.

"Please, don't talk about such matters. After all, there's no proof she actually did run away." The oiran of the house, in all of her beauty, slid the door shut behind her.

"So you brought these up yourself? Thank you." She used a hand motion to signal him over. He took a few steps towards her. "Hold out your hand." He did ask she asked, and she dropped something in it. Candy?

"Don't tell anyone, or you'll have to share."

"Oiran! I want candy too!"
"Me too! Same!" She laughed, a pleasant expression on her face. "Now now, I already have you some earlier." He could smell the disappointment from the girls, but, nonetheless, they were still bashful.

The oiran turned her attention back to him, smile never faltering. It's an expression he'd only ever seen his mother, or older woman in his village make. It was somewhat nostalgic.

"Why were you asking about Suma?" She inquired, making him tense up in the slightest. The little girl from before, who saw him tilt his head, definitely took notice of that.

Lie.

"She's um, she's my older sister." He muttered in a meek tone. The woman's eyes widened slightly, before calming back down. "Ah, I see. You were sent here after your sister?" He nodded in a response.

"You must be so worried for her, but I hope she's happy with the mans she's with right now." Shes not with anyone, there's a chance she could be dead. "Suma... isn't the type of person to just, up and leave like that... it has to be a false rumor."

He pressed his thumbs together to the point they were beginning to turn red from the pressure. "I'd say the same thing, if they wouldn't have found her diary. Apparently she'd been planning to leave for a while now."

The only thing he could think was that it was forged, of course he wouldn't say that, and only tipping his head forward in the slightest. "Ah..."

Zenitsu walked through the hall, passing girls who rushed to get ready before nightfall. He almost forgot he was there to find Uzui's wife, Hinatsuru.

He put his hand up to his ear, trying to blister for any mention of the name.

'I need to find my obi!'
'My hairpins are all a jumbled mess now!'
'Did you hear about what happened with the Ogimoto house? They lost a ton of fabrics!'
'Help me with my hair!'
'Hahah!'
'Aww, giggleshitter is the cutest little rat!' (I had to)
'Hah...' A little girl sniffled, a sob escaping past her lips.

"A young girl is crying, now that's no good." He changed his plan last minute and followed the sound of weeping. He found himself at a room with the door ajar, the inside a complete mess.

"Woah, what happened?! Did someone get into a fight!?" He yelled, making the girl turn around. Her cheek was red and beginning to bruise. She started wailing even more.

"Hey, wait! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry!" He knelt down to check on her, hands shaking a bit. It's felt like something... wrong.. was about the happen. "Hey.."

"What are you doing in my room?" A harsh voice asked from behind him. He didn't even hear her come into the room. Her sound was so ominously quiet, there was no way this woman was a human being. Is it possible that she's an upper moon?

"You. I told you to get this place cleaned up almost an hour ago. Why is it still a mess?" She lifted the young girl up by her ear, painful shrieks being left ignored. "Well? Answer me." Zenitsu could see blood run down her face with the tears.

Zenitsu didn't even think. He grabbed the demonesses hand, tightening his grip on her wrist. "Please, let her go."

"God, you're even uglier than I thought."