This guy was actually pretty shy.
Beside him, Kyojuro kept shaking his head, admiration already written across his face.
Shinazugawa really was meticulous.
He had actually taken advantage of everyone looking elsewhere to sneak closer to Su Chen!
Then he could get his questions answered before Kyojuro did!
What a brilliant move!
But...
How on earth had Shinazugawa thought of that?
Generally speaking, Kasugai crows carried confidential information from the Demon Slayer Corps.
Almost every member of the Demon Slayer Corps would instinctively look up to hear what a Kasugai crow had to say.
And the news Kocho's crow had brought just now had been so explosive that everyone had been stunned, but not Shinazugawa!
He had actually resisted!
What a fearsome opponent.
At that thought, Kyojuro couldn't help breathing another sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Shinazugawa had run in the wrong direction, or Kyojuro would have had to line up behind him!
Tap, tap, tap.
Kyojuro hurried over and lined up behind Shinazugawa.
Now no one could cut in line.
Among the crowd, Su Chen gave Shinazugawa a suspicious look.
This was too strange.
Everything that had happened up to this point had been too strange.
First of all, what exactly was Shinobu Kocho trying to do?
And what exactly did Shinazugawa want to ask?
Judging by Shinobu Kocho's smile with its hidden edge, this Wind Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps probably wasn't here voluntarily, was he?
The truth was pretty much what Su Chen had guessed.
At that moment, Shinazugawa...
Was caught in a fierce internal struggle!
He swore to himself.
He absolutely wouldn't say anything in a moment!
As long as he kept quiet, Shinobu Kocho couldn't do anything to him!
As long as he kept quiet, he could still save face today!
Perhaps even Shinazugawa himself hadn't realized that his original intention had changed.
His original goal had been to avoid Su Chen.
Now Shinobu Kocho had completely disrupted his plans!
The initiative had passed entirely into her hands.
Seeing that Shinazugawa refused to speak, Shinobu Kocho put her little mouth to work again.
Wearing a perfectly harmless smile, she said sweetly, "Mr. Shinazugawa, why aren't you asking anymore?"
"Don't like talking? Would you like me to give you a little reminder?"
Kyojuro, who was lined up behind him, also spoke understandingly. "It's all right, Shinazugawa. Don't worry that your lack of talent will keep you from understanding. Be bold!"
Kyojuro patted Shinazugawa on the shoulder and said in a booming voice:
"Look at you! You're clearly here to learn, just like me, yet you're being so shy!"
"Be like me! Ask openly!"
"Even if you don't understand, that's fine! If you don't know, you don't know!"
They tightened.
Shinazugawa's fists tightened.
Silence was his last act of defiance!
These people were here specifically to mess with him!
I'll endure it!
Looking at Shinazugawa's flushed face...
Su Chen had more or less figured it out.
He quickly worked out the sequence of events.
Su Chen deduced that Shinazugawa probably wanted something from Shinobu Kocho, but she didn't want to tell him.
And she had turned around and passed the buck.
Shinazugawa standing before him now was the best proof.
The man's flushed face said it all!
At that thought...
A plan suddenly formed in Su Chen's mind.
He abruptly spoke. "Shinazugawa, do you want to know exactly how to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark?"
Shinazugawa froze at his words.
Then he went completely numb.
How did Su Chen know?
He turned his head away without answering Su Chen's question.
The stubbornness on his face had already given him an answer.
Seeing that, Su Chen understood.
Looks like that's it.
When he first arrived, he hadn't had much contact with Shinazugawa.
At most, he had explained the effects of the Demon Slayer Mark and the physical changes after awakening it in Kagaya Ubuyashiki's room.
According to the original plot, Shinazugawa was a man who yearned to become stronger.
There was no reason he would pass up this opportunity to awaken his Demon Slayer Mark.
Su Chen deduced everything in an instant.
Perfect.
He also had something he needed Shinazugawa to do.
"Shinazugawa, want to learn? I can teach you if you do."
Su Chen made the offer generously.
Shinazugawa froze.
Kyojuro and Shinobu Kocho beside him also looked interested.
Only Piggy looked utterly bewildered.
Kyojuro and Shinobu Kocho were both Hashira. They understood that awakening their Demon Slayer Marks would let them kill demons more effectively.
As for the side effects of the Demon Slayer Mark...
As Hashira, they hadn't given those much thought.
Now that Su Chen was willing to teach them, the Insect Hashira and Flame Hashira naturally wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
But hadn't Su Chen already explained the method at the very beginning?
Sure enough.
Su Chen had still held something back.
He had just been waiting for a Hashira to come asking!
Hearing this, Shinazugawa hesitated.
His expression had visibly wavered.
In his mind...
I've already lost most of my dignity anyway.
It seems...
Asking one question wouldn't really hurt, would it?
Shinazugawa finally wavered.
Looking constipated, he asked, "What are your conditions?"
Su Chen smiled. "Very simple. Compete with me. We'll make it a wager. If you win, I'll teach you."
Hearing this, Inosuke couldn't help shouting from beside them, "We get to fight?"
Bam!
He had barely finished speaking when Aoi Kanzaki's fist came flying over.
Looking ashamed, Aoi Kanzaki said, "I'm sorry. Please continue, everyone!"
The next moment, Shinazugawa lowered his head and thought for a while.
Su Chen's meaning was simple. If Shinazugawa won the competition, he would tell him how to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark.
So the question was what kind of competition it would be.
Influenced by what Inosuke had just said, Shinazugawa suddenly suggested, "How about we go outside and fight one-on-one?"
Shinobu Kocho kindly reminded him from the side, "No fighting near the Butterfly Mansion~"
Proposal rejected!
Then Kyojuro spoke again. "How about a rice ball eating contest?"
Hearing that, Shinazugawa nodded.
His appetite was pretty good, too!
But Shinobu Kocho's expression stiffened.
Her fair little hand instinctively felt around in her embarrassingly empty pocket.
Noticing her predicament, Su Chen held back his laughter and said, "No, I don't like rice balls. That wouldn't be fair!"
Hearing this, Shinazugawa and Kyojuro lowered their heads to think again.
Shinobu Kocho's hand froze as she searched her pocket.
She could tell Su Chen was helping her out.
But how did Su Chen know she had no money?
This was so embarrassing!
Could Su Chen have deliberately said that because he thought she couldn't even afford rice balls anymore?
After all, Su Chen was only fourteen now, still a growing boy.
Just yesterday, she had seen him eat dozens of rice balls in a single meal. How could he possibly dislike them?
Shinobu, oh, Shinobu.
You're so pathetic.
You can't even afford rice balls anymore!
But then again...
Su Chen really was considerate.
If only she had met him a few years earlier.
Maybe...
Slap, slap!
Before you continue