冬

TEA IS JUST LEAF JUICE

YUKI DIDN'T realize that being away from Inosuke would cause this much anxiety. Not only did she miss him, but she was also worried that when she came back that their tree house would be in shambles. Not just the tree house, the entire forest surrounding them. She entrusted him to train with an actual blade, and looking back, it may have not been one of her best decisions.

Through her favorite form of transportation, tree hopping, she made it to the clearing in record time. Not that she expected that she would be the only one, but it surprised the hell out of her to see so many kids there. Were that many parents so uncaring that they would let their child participate in an exam for an unofficial demon-killing group? Apparently so.

It was to her great amusement to watch the others boast about how they've trained like hell, or how they have the shiniest sword. Yeah it's shiny, but that's going to be ruined when you lop a demon head off, now isn't it. And for those who think they've worked to hell and back for this, props to you for cutting down a tree. She wanted to laugh at them for thinking that a few push-ups and sword swings was all it took to become a good swordsman. You think that's training? How about you try sparring out in the cold for hours on end? Let's just say that it's not easy.

Scanning the area from her perch on a Wisteria Tree, she found a young girl who seemed to be around her age upholding her refined expression. She too, looked listlessly among the crowd of over confident pre-teens, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. What caught Yukina's eye was the purple butterfly clip holding up her dark (purple) locks. The way she held herself, with a admirable amount of confidence, was something that separated her from the group. She wasn't flaunting her sword or her training regimen, nor did she look like an edgy teenager trying to get away from her parents. She looked as if she truly wanted to become a Demon Slayer.

Softly, Yukina landed behind her, causing the other girl's eyes to widen at the sudden chill. She spun on her heel, her grip on the sword's hilt tightened. It was to her relief and confusion that it was a tired looking girl who was smiling lazily.

"Yo."

The butterfly girl blinked before relaxing herself and responding, "Hi."

.

"So are you always this pretty or-"

"W-what!?"

Yukina chuckled a bit before bowing her head slightly. "I'm Homura Yukina."

"Kocho Shinobu."

Kocho hesitantly did the same, remembering how a certain flower hashira wanted her to make a friend before returning home. "What do you want?"

Yukina cocked her head to the side, "Huh? Do I need a reason to greet someone?" Kocho stuttered as she tried to think of an answer before Yukina waved her off, "Chill, I'm just kidding. I thought you're hair clip was pretty."

The girl blushed as she reached behind her head for the said accessory, "Oh, thanks. My sister gave it to me."

"But anyway, everyone, except for us of course, are try-hard noobs thinking that this is some weird escape from her parents-" Yukina winced slightly at insult she spit out realizing that the last part could apply to her, and then shrugged it off as she continued to roast the sea of pre-teens. Kocho nodded every now and then, agreeing with everything that came out of the tired girl's mouth.

The butterfly remained quiet as she listened to the other swordswoman next to her. How did you make friends again? Do you just ask them or does it happen over time? Am I supposed to ask her out- no, that's dating. Every brain cell that she was gifted began to fizz out as she contemplated making friends with this random girl.