丨Soar丨 Kimetsu no Yaiba x OC｜

Chapter 39

"Grandma!!"

Chizuko leapt into Grandma Suzuki's arms like a child.

Clinging onto her grandma, Chizuko sobbed her heart out. Her body shook and she had to clutch onto her grandma's kimono for support. She felt the damp in her heart collapse, washed apart by the salty tears crashing down from her puffy eyes. I'm sorry! A voice howled inside her, I should have followed you that night! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

"Chizuko?" Grandma Suzuki was confused, "Why are you crying like this all of a sudden? Did you have a nightmare? Have you taken a shower already? Your friends are coming over soon!"

Eh? Shower? Friends? Chizuko's bawling halted abruptly, huh? "Hello? Chizuko? Are you alright?" Grandma Suzuki placed her palm on Chizuko's forehead, was her granddaughter sick?

"I-" Chizuko felt as if she had a lot to tell her grandma, but she was at a loss of words. What was it? What did she want to say? Why couldn't she remember?

Knock knock!

"Chizuko? Your friends are here," Grandma Suzuki patted Chizuko's head dotingly, "Now be a good girl and lead them to the table, alright? Grandma has cooked your favourite food."

"H-Hai!" Chizuko grinned uncontrollably, it was like her heart yearned to hear this sentence for one more time.

"Chizuko-chan!!" seven girls with butterfly hairpins engulfed Chizuko in a bone-crushing group hug.

Tears spilled from Chizuko's eyes again, besides Aoi, Kanao, Naho, Sumi and Kiyo, there were Hina and Ichika.

"Sh-Shinobu-san, and Kanae-san?" the words slipped out of Chizuko's lips with ease as she glanced at the two smiling girls by the door. Something just doesn't feel right, what is it?

"Chizuko-chan!" another voice dragged Chizuko away from her thoughts.

"Mitsuri-san! Iguro-sama!" Chizuko dismissed the strange feelings she was having to greet the couple. She didn't know why, but seeing the silver bands on their ring fingers kind of stung her heart. What's wrong with her?

Chizuko then greeted the Shinazugawa brothers who had their arms on each other's shoulders, Uzui and his three wives, Gyomei and his kittens, Giyu and a pink haired boy, Haruto and his brother, the four members of the Rengoku family, and of course, last but not least the Kamaboko squad.

Watching her family-like friends laugh and chatter, Chizuko was drunken with happiness. She felt somewhat like a firework, with joy as her fuel, bursting and burning in an array of colours.

If only she can stay here forever, an unknown thought popped up.

"Ahhh! I'm sorry!" having accidentally spilled her tea across the table, Mitsuri apologised profusely. Chizuko shook her head, both to reassure Mitsuri and to clear her mind, "I-It's completely fine! Mitsuri-san! I'll get a towel!"

However, Chizuko jolted and almost stumbled backwards as she approached the table with a towel.

The spilled tea reflects a completely different scene.

Rather than sitting side by side with big grins on their faces, Sanemi and Genya sat far apart, avoiding eye contact with each other. Rather than a loving family, Kyojuro and Senjuro looked lost beside their father who was drinking. Rather than holding each other's hands, Obanai and Mitsuri only sat next to each other. Rather than a beautiful girl smiling, Nezuko had a bamboo muzzle in her mouth.

What struck Chizuko the most were the empty chairs.

All Hina's, Ichika's, Kanae's, Haruto's, Kyojuro's mother's, the pink haired boy's, and her grandma's seats are empty.