Sorry, Kiyohiko

The smile on her face stiffened for an instant, then returned to its perfect curve.

"Oh my, what are you talking about, Kanao?"

Shinobu Kocho tilted her head, her tone a little too deliberately casual. "He's a demon, so of course I have to pay extra attention to him. After all, as the Insect Hashira, that's part of my job."

"It's not work."

Kanao shook her head.

"He's a demon."

Kanao stated the fact calmly. "You hate demons, Master. You hate them very much."

Everyone at the Butterfly Mansion knew that.

Even Aoi Kanzaki knew not to bring up anything positive about demons in front of Shinobu Kocho.

"But..."

Kanao tilted her head, her gaze piercing straight into Shinobu's eyes. "You were really happy just now, Master. You weren't pretending. And..."

She paused, seemingly searching for words to describe the subtle feeling.

"And you were angry, Master. Not the kind of angry that makes you want to kill him. It was... more like the kind of angry you get when you argue with Aoi."

That anger had a touch of everyday life to it.

A little hurt, a little helplessness, and a little embarrassment turning to anger after someone had struck a nerve.

Those were feelings she would only have toward a "person."

Not a "demon."

For the first time, Shinobu Kocho felt at a loss when faced with Kanao.

She lowered her eyes, avoiding Kanao's all-too-innocent gaze. She picked up her teacup, intending to take a sip to hide her embarrassment, only to find it empty.

A little annoyed, she set the cup down with a soft tap.

"That guy... is an exception."

Shinobu Kocho took a deep breath, trying to explain it all. "The Master acknowledged him, and he saved many people during the Final Selection, even at the cost of hurting himself. Judging rationally, he really is different from ordinary evil demons. As the Insect Hashira, I have a duty to monitor him and assess how dangerous he is, and I'm also... a little curious about how he's put together."

Her explanation was flawless and reasonable, in accordance with the Demon Slayer Corps' rules.

But Kanao didn't nod.

Shinobu Kocho looked at her expression and felt uncomfortable all over, the defenses in her heart crumbling bit by bit.

She sighed and lowered her head slightly. Her dignified composure finally slipped a little, revealing a trace of the weariness and confusion of an eighteen-year-old girl.

"I don't understand it either, Kanao."

Shinobu Kocho's voice grew quieter, tinged with self-mockery. "He's a demon, yet he's always doing things that make no sense. He's weak as can be, yet he dared grab my hand and lecture me. My poison caused him so much pain, yet he still transferred my wound to himself..."

She raised her right hand and looked at her palm, smooth and unblemished once more.

"He's so strange. So strange that... he keeps making me forget he's a demon."

After deciding to carry out that plan, she had locked her heart away in a room built of hatred. Yet now, an idiot demon who knew nothing at all had suddenly appeared, insistently knocking on the door, trying to force his way into her room.

The feeling frightened her, yet it also left her with a faint, inexplicable feeling toward Kiyohiko.

"So I suppose I'm angry."

She classified that feeling as anger.

Shinobu Kocho lifted her head and gazed blankly at the ceiling. "Angry that he doesn't know his own limits, angry that he meddles in other people's business, and angry... that I actually laughed at how silly he was."

Kanao listened quietly.

She didn't really understand those complicated inner conflicts.

But she understood one thing.

Kiyohiko-kun, who was like a gecko, was different to her master.

Kiyohiko: What do you mean, like a gecko???

"I understand."

"I don't hate him."

Kanao spoke softly. "If he can make you smile, Master... then I hope he can stay by your side too."

With that, she bowed slightly, turned, and left the room.

Shinobu Kocho was left sitting alone at her desk, her cheeks faintly flushed by the straightforward words, "I hope he can stay by your side too."

"When did that girl learn to say such embarrassing things?"

Shinobu Kocho composed herself, and her gaze drifted out the window again.

What was that idiot doing in his room now?

Was he still angry, or... was he planning something stupid again?

After a long while, Shinobu Kocho went to the kitchen. That conversation had taken quite a toll on her. It didn't feel good to have her disciple see through her feelings, especially when she hadn't even fully sorted them out herself.

To calm the inexplicable restlessness in her chest, Shinobu Kocho decided to find some "comfort" in the kitchen.

For Shinobu Kocho, nothing was more calming than a dish of perfectly pickled ginger. The spicy flavor burst across her tongue, instantly dispelling all her confusion and fatigue.

"Aoi, is there any pickled ginger left today? I'd like..."

Wearing her trademark gentle smile, Shinobu Kocho pushed open the kitchen door and walked lightly toward the little cupboard where she kept her snacks. But as she reached for the familiar dish, her hand stopped.

The dish that should have been full of pickled ginger was now spotless, without even a drop of brine left.

"Huh?"

Shinobu blinked, her smile frozen on her face.

Unwilling to give up, she checked the back of the cupboard too.

Nothing.

It really was all gone.

Aoi Kanzaki, who was washing vegetables by the sink, stiffened abruptly when she heard her.

She turned around mechanically, the radish in her hand nearly falling into the water.

"Lady... Lady Shinobu..."

Aoi's face was a little pale, and her eyes darted about. She looked just like a child caught by a parent after breaking a vase.

"Aoi."

Shinobu turned around, still smiling, though her smile now carried a distinctly "nuclear-friendly" air. "Where's my pickled ginger? I remember there was a full dish this morning."

"Um, well..."

Aoi swallowed, the kitchen knife in her hand scraping helplessly across the cutting board twice. Finally, as though making up her mind, she shut her eyes and shouted, "I'm terribly sorry, Lady Shinobu! That guy took it all!"

"That guy?"

Shinobu tilted her head, a flicker of confusion passing through her purple eyes before she quickly understood. "You mean... Kiyohiko-kun?"

"Yes! That demon!"

At the mention of him, Aoi's fear seemed to give way to anger. Waving the radish in her hand, she began to complain indignantly:

"Just a moment ago! He hung upside down from the ceiling like a giant gecko! He scared me half to death! Then he kept demanding raw meat and blood! I said we didn't have any, so he took the fish food... and then... then he took all your pickles too!"

Sorry, Kiyohiko-kun. If Lady Shinobu finds out, I'm done for. I'll make sure to prepare lots and lots of delicious food for you next time. I'm really sorry.

A little vein bulged on Shinobu's forehead.

Crawling around like a gecko?

And he'd taken her favorite pickles?

So that was what he'd been up to when Kanao saw him. That was the stupid thing he'd been planning.

"Hehe..."

Shinobu let out a string of light laughs that sent a chill down the spine. "Since he ate my food, he'll have to pay the price."

"Kiyo... hiko..."

Aoi Kanzaki trembled with fear beside her.

I'm sorry, Kiyohiko-kun.

[Detected an increase in target Aoi Kanzaki's Bond Value. Current Bond Value: 10]

Huh?

Kiyohiko was jolted awake from his sleep by the system notification in his mind.

"What's going on? I just took a nap, so how did Sunflower Seed's Bond Value go up so much?"

Kiyohiko tried to think.

Kiyohiko tried to understand.

Kiyohiko decided to give up once again.

Whatever. Maybe she suddenly realized how handsome I am. At that moment, Kiyohiko's brain was so full of sleepiness that he couldn't think at all. After arriving at an answer so ridiculous that even he didn't believe it, he went back to sleep.

He had no idea what kind of drama was unfolding in the kitchen at that very moment.