丨Soar丨 Kimetsu no Yaiba x OC｜

Chapter 47

Chizuko didn't know where to look at first.

She inhaled as deeply as her lungs would allow her to, intoxicated by the sugar and caramel scented air. Rows and rows of lanterns, dressed in stripes of fern green, baby blue, pastel pink and lemon yellow with white, lit up the pitch black sky. There were almost as many stalls as the lanterns hung midair, parents, children and couples wandered around with big smiles and booming laughter.

"Iguro-sama!" Chizuko's eyes were sparkling, excitement thrummed through her veins. When was the last time she grinned till her cheeks hurt? Her head spun with joy, she had to steady her elated steps, or else she might trip on her geta*, "Let's go to eat first!!"

Dragging Obanai by the arm, Chizuko almost sprinted towards the food stalls. She licked the saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth as she stared at the sprinkle-covered chocolate bananas, the ruby red candied apples and strawberries glistening under the lights, the beautifully charred squid and corn, the refreshing kakigori* with generous servings of rainbow-coloured syrup.

But her grin froze the next second, Shinobu-san has asked her to eat less sweets, and not to stay up late.

"Eat as many sweets as you want tonight, and we will leave after the fireworks show," Obanai seemed to have read her mind, "It's just for one night, so it'd be fine."

"R-Really?" Chizuko was over the moon. She felt as if she were freed from a cage, she was... a normal girl once more. She could forget about being sick for one night, and that was enough.

"Th-Then come on! Iguro-sama!" the wide grin returned to Chizuko's face, "Let's go!"

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Obanai watched as Chizuko and Kaburamaru munched on the cotton candy, and many other snacks.

He never knew his snake companion, who now comfortably wrapped himself around Suzuki's shoulders, had a sweet tooth like her.

To him, cotton candy was just sugar spun on a stick. But to Suzuki , it was what the clouds in heaven were made of.

Just as he was about to roll his eyes at her childishness, he saw the box of medicine in the back of his mind.

Stop, Obanai squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments, he shouldn't be thinking about that tonight.

"Iguro-sama?"

Obanai jolted as something poked his face. Realising it was Kaburamaru, he cleared his throat, trying to portend nothing had happened.

"Thinking of Mitsuri-sama again?" Chizuko wriggled her eyebrows, her lips curling into a good-for-nothing smirk.

"Wh-What? No," Obanai denied quickly, at least this time he was telling the truth. Though he knew that Suzuki wouldn't believe him.

"Yea yea," Chizuko was clearly unconvinced.

Obanai glanced at his former student, he would rather she doesn't know.

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"Ahhhhh!" Chizuko threw her hands in the air.

She and Obanai were at the goldfish stand.

"That was the last one..." Chizuko puffed up her cheeks, disposing her paper scoop that had a big hole in the middle. Staring at Obanai, Chizuko pouted, "How come are you so good at this?"

"You are just too impatient," Obanai scooped up another goldfish perfectly, "And you can have the fish," he proceeded to swap the wooden buckets beside their feet.

"E-Ehh!!?" Chizuko's eyes went round, she reached to touch Obanai's forehead, "Iguro-sama, d-do you have a fever?" Why is he so nice to her all of a sudden?