Are You Jealous?

The way Shinobu Kocho looked at Kiyohiko made him feel as though he were standing naked in the snow in the middle of winter, with all his secrets laid bare.

After a moment, Shinobu Kocho elegantly swallowed her food and smiled, a hint of mischief in her expression.

"My, Mr. Kiyohiko, you're quite interested in Mr. Tomioka, aren't you?"

She tilted her head slightly, and her purplish-black hair trembled with the movement.

"Mr. Tomioka is indeed... a little disliked by everyone. But he's actually a very kind person. He isn't good with words, but his awkward efforts can sometimes be rather cute."

Crack.

Kiyohiko had just taken a fresh pair of chopsticks from Aoi Kanzaki when his wrist jerked, and their tips nearly stabbed straight through the bottom of his bowl.

"Hahaha... Cute, is he? I think Mr. Tomioka is... very cute too. I didn't get to speak to him at the last meeting. I'd like to meet him too, if I get the chance."

As he spoke, he stuffed another large mouthful of rice into his mouth and chewed with a crunch, as though it were the bones of a certain Water Hashira rather than rice.

Watching him, Shinobu Kocho finally couldn't hold back a light laugh.

"Pfft~"

"Mr. Kiyohiko, you look just like a child worried that the neighbor's stray cat will carry off his pet goldfish."

She set down her bowl and chopsticks and leaned forward slightly, narrowing the distance between them. The faint scent of herbs and wisteria instantly filled his senses.

"Are you... jealous?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!!"

Rice went straight down Kiyohiko's windpipe, and he coughed violently, his face turning bright red.

"J-jealous?! You've got to be kidding! Why would I be jealous of that poker face? What's it got to do with me that you went on a mission together? What would I be jealous of? Miss Shinobu, that joke isn't funny."

Aoi Kanzaki patted his back with a look of disgust, striking hard enough to knock his lungs out.

"Since you're so concerned about Mr. Tomioka, Mr. Kiyohiko, why don't you tell him what you think yourself, if you get the chance to see him?"

Shinobu rested her chin on her hand, smiling like a cat that had caught a mouse.

"But before that, please clean up the rice on the table. Miss Aoi gets very angry when people waste food and make a mess of the dining room."

After his violent coughing fit, Kiyohiko finally managed to catch his breath. He obediently cleaned up the table and thanked Aoi Kanzaki.

He looked at Shinobu Kocho across from him, still perfectly composed, as though her astonishing remark had been nothing more than a casual joke. His eyes darted about, and before the flush had fully faded from his face, he forced an ingratiating, "obsequious" smile.

"Hehe... Miss Shinobu, don't keep making jokes that scare people to death. Here, look at these pickled ginger slices. Miss Aoi pickled them just right, and I haven't touched mine yet. You can have them all. Eat more and grow tal-cough, build up your strength."

He carefully reached out a finger and pushed the delicate little dish, piled high with Shinobu's favorite food, in front of her.

Shinobu Kocho raised an eyebrow, shifting her gaze from the pickles to Kiyohiko's big eyes, which had "I need a favor" written all over them.

She didn't reject his attempt to curry favor. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks again, gracefully took a slice, and chewed it with a crisp crunch.

"When someone suddenly starts being nice for no reason, they're either up to no good or trying to steal something. Go on, Mr. Kiyohiko, what trouble have you gotten into this time? Or have you played another prank on me and suddenly grown a conscience?"

"Is that really what you think of me?"

Kiyohiko protested weakly. He lowered his voice and leaned forward, his tone more serious than ever.

"Miss Shinobu, there's something I want to discuss with you. The next time you go on a mission, could you take me with you?"

Aoi Kanzaki, who was clearing away the bowls and chopsticks, abruptly stopped and stared at Kiyohiko in astonishment, as though he were a madman.

"Take you with me?"

Shinobu put down her chopsticks. Her smile hadn't diminished, but her gaze turned cold.

"Mr. Kiyohiko, have you forgotten who you are? Although you're behaving very 'docilely' now, according to the Demon Slayer Corps' records, you're still under close supervision. Letting a demon accompany a Hashira on a mission would not only be irresponsible toward me, but a provocation to the entire Demon Slayer Corps."

"Besides, most of the travel on missions takes place during the day. Aren't you afraid of being burned to death by the sunlight?"

Kiyohiko hurriedly waved his hands and pushed more of his food in front of Shinobu Kocho.

"I know, I know it's difficult. That's why I can only count on the heroic Lady Shinobu Kocho."

"Just like you saw on the first day. All you need to do is get a wooden box and carry me in it. I won't show myself or cause trouble, the sunlight won't reach me, and nobody else will find me."

"If you run into danger out there and I'm present, I can at least help shield you. The rest of the time, I'll just be your... 'portable accessory.' What do you say?"

If it were possible, Kiyohiko would never have humbled himself before Shinobu Kocho. But he was so sick of staying at the Butterfly Mansion that he couldn't stand it unless he got out for a while.

Then he could kill some demons and earn some goodwill with the Demon Slayer Corps. He wouldn't have to stay beside this bad woman every day anymore, either.

Most importantly, during the Spider Mountain mission later, he could follow Shinobu Kocho to find Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke and fleece the three of them. If farming Bond Value with the Tanjiro trio was easy mode, then the problem girls at the Butterfly Mansion were downright hell difficulty.

I think Shinobu Kocho and Giyu Tomioka went on the Spider Mountain mission together, right? Hmm... I can see Mr. Tomioka while I'm at it.

See him while I'm at it.

Shinobu Kocho watched him quietly. The boy's face, filled with longing, was reflected in her eyes.

She suddenly recalled what Kiyohiko had said to her on the roof that day, the story of the "bad woman" and the "handsome demon." Meeting Kiyohiko's eyes as he stared straight at her again, Shinobu Kocho found that the feeling of her body trembling slightly had returned.

Shinobu Kocho turned her head away so Kiyohiko couldn't see her face. "I can't."

When she turned back, Shinobu Kocho had put that gentle yet distant mask back on. She stood up and looked down at Kiyohiko.

"Your idea is touching, Mr. Kiyohiko, but rules are rules."

"Having a woman carry a demon on her back all day, and making the Demon Slayer Corps' Insect Hashira carry a box while she fights, would affect how fast I swing my sword. I won't agree to that. So please stay here obediently and be your Foodie."

With that, she gave Kiyohiko no further chance to argue and turned to leave the dining room. The butterfly pattern on her haori swayed gently with her steps, like a butterfly about to fly far away.

Kiyohiko watched her retreating figure, raked a hand through his hair in frustration, and sighed heavily.

"What a stubborn woman... Wasn't I sincere enough?"

"Aoi, contact the craftsmen in logistics."

"Lady Shinobu? Are you going to..."

"Shh... We can't let him know. I don't want him getting too happy."