koi no yokan | inosuke hashibira

𝟏.𝟕

I had to squint and rub my eyes a few times to really get myself thinking back to normal. My back stung slightly from the harsh fall and a large dust cloud was surrounding the area. Recollecting myself, I was skipping down a pathway, following my crow, Rita, as we go back to the estate when I run into-

"What the hell? Are you following me or something?" Inosuke flinched his arms up, one arm horizontally in front of him sheilding the sun while the other was below his other arm, maybe about where his neck met his shoulders.

Shaking and patting my shoulders from dust, I shook my head in reply to him. "Honestly, I was about to ask the same thing." I sighed while placing my hands on my hips.

Inosuke scoffed, relaxing his shoulders and crossing his arms as his head hung high. "Why would I follow a weakling like you? As if I would have time!" He cackled with a hoarse raspiness added in his tone.

As if I would have time? I would say the same thing. But the stupid thing is, you've been on my mind and I don't really like it. Sometimes it's subtle, but sometimes it's in the most strangest ways possible where I can't even snap myself out. I hate it and, I don't want to say it but I'll say it in the kindest way, I don't like you at all.

That was what I wanted to say. But instead, I said-

"What's your favorite food?"

Right then and there, I slapped myself so hard in the face that I threw my own body to the side of the pathway as a large red mark formed on my cheek, and on my eyelids. I didn't even bother to carry myself back up. Hence, there I was, laying on the ground while a shirtless boy in a boar mask laughed and cried while pointing at my hopeless body.

I felt like a slug.

I heard the sound of flapping wings  before a pair of claws of perched on my back. My cheek pressed against the rough dirt ground, Rita's head twitched down to my ear.

"Rita, I wanna go home," I whined as I lifted myself up with my arms. "Please?" Rita jumped onto my shoulder as I flipped myself up into a sitting position.

Inosuke was still laughing his heart out. He was on the ground as well, kicking and punching the air and dirt.

Rita looked over to Inosuke and let out a small croak. "You have another mission." She wiggled her tail and jumped onto my lap.

I snapped out of my world of "wanting to go home so badly" once she mentioned another mission. For a hot minute, I forgot I was a demon slayer. How embarressing. I might as well follow Rita along and then I can go back to the estates. Plus, I'm kind of hungry now.

"Another mission, huh?" I lifted her onto my shoulder once more as my legs straightened up into a standing position. "Lead the way..."

"OI! Where are you going?"

As I was about to step foot, Inosuke had screeched into my ear. Giving him a deadpan and monotone stare, I couldn't bare to tell him for some reason.

"As a demon slayer, we have missions. Now, I'm going on a mission." I sighed as I turned to him with my arms crossed. "You probably have a mission, too, Ino."

Inosuke backed up as he mimicked my posture, straight with his arms crossed as he swayed to and fro. "I did. I finished it. It was way too easy for me."

That was when I noticed that he had two swords strapped to his hip. Wait, so he's a duel weilder now? That's actually, pretty cool.

A small smile tugged at my lips. "Well, I have to go now, Ino." I bowed forward giving him a small goodbye. "I'll see you later?"