koi no yokan | inosuke hashibira

𝟑.𝟕

"Huh?" Eiichi's brown eyes suddenly softened as a chuckle escaped his thin lips. Raising his hand above his head to ruffle his hand through his platinum locks, a drop of sweat dripped from his temples. "Partner? Sorry, (Y/N), I'm not signing up to be a Demon Slayer any time soon."

I relaxed my shoulders, hearing that Eiichi won't be joining me on this mission after all. It's so weird... wasn't his home in the mountains somewhere up north? If he's not here as a Demon Slayer, what is he doing here?

I was so confused. My mind was already set on too many things. Seeing Inosuke, finding the demon, patrolling the shore, finishing this mission so I can see Inosuke, Aish... too much work and things to worry about. Being an artist could've been what I wanted to do.

But honestly, being a Demon Slayer is like- the job of my life.

We were walking down this pathway together now. The sun had just risen, so it was blurring our eyes with its powerful and bright rays. With my hand hovering over my eye to cast a shadow over my face, we continued to travel together for the time being.

"Not a Demon Slayer? Why not?" I curiously asked as I looked up at him.

"Why not?" Eiichi rose a brow to me. "I would, of course, to travel the sword and have awesome skills. But I'd rather protect my family." He lifted his left hand. I noticed a red ruby ring on his finger, the same one I had given to him from that demon...

I nodded my head. "Speaking of your family, where is your mother?"

Eiichi suddenly groaned, rolling his eyes and slouching forward. I remember his mother, her spunky and outgoing attitude that welcomed me into her family as if I was one of her own. It would be nice to see her again, though I could clearly see she wasn't with Eiichi.

"She didn't want to travel with the baby." His hands raced to the straps that were on his shoulders. "So I'm traveling alone."

"Alone?" I giggled. "Forgive me for asking too many questions, but where may you be heading?"

Straightening his back his lips were twitching a tad as he let out a quick sigh, his head heavy as his eyes darted onto the floor. "A funeral. They found one of my missing uncle's bodies a while back."

My eyes widened as I felt a prickle suddenly poke at my throat. It was like I was trying to say something to him, but there was a blockage that completely stopped me. Instead, I just put my hand on his shoulder, a smile spreading across my face.

----

"Now, Inosuke, I need you to- Oh my, don't-"

Shinobu sighed at the feral boy, shaking her head as she placed her hands to her side. There he was, in her garden, throwing his swords from fence to fence. Every time he threw the chipped swords, they would hurl themselves right into, and slicing everything in its path, the fences. There were about twenty indentation marks inside the fences, each one deep and nearly going through the bamboo holders.

Tanjiro was clinging onto Shinobu, shaking as he saw his friend rage and shout. Was this even training anymore? And shouldn't Inosuke be happy for being sent on another missing this afternoon?

Breakfast had began to be served in the estate. Inosuke would be assigned to leave after breakfast for his own mission, north east. And boy, he was NOT happy when he found out (Y/N) had left early.

Ever since he woke up, he's been doing nothing but cutting everything with his swords. Even breaking a window in the process, Aoi woke up seeing glass everywhere in the hospital wing. Inosuke even had shards in his arm, bleeding out on the white sheets. The boy didn't even want breakfast. He didn't feel hungry. He only felt nothing but anger and frustration.