"...I spent the night with a woman"
The words left Kagerou's mouth plainly. Simple. Direct.
But the moment they reached her, something inside Kanae fractured.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't dramatic. There was no visible crack.
Just a sharp, silent break.
For a split second, her fingers tightened around the bundle in her arms. The paper crumpled softly beneath her grip. Her breath caught, barely noticeable before she forced it steady again.
Shock came first.
Then confusion.
Then something warmer. Sharper.
An emotion she couldn't immediately name.
It wasn't anger. Not exactly.
But it burned.
A strange, unwelcome heat rising in her chest, spreading outward before she could suppress it.
Why?
The question surfaced instinctively, but she didn't dare follow it.
Instead, she straightened slightly.
"I see"
That was all she said.
Her expression did not change. If anything, it grew calmer, too calm. Her face was composed, smooth, almost unreadable, as though whatever had stirred inside her had been sealed away behind careful discipline.
Without another word, she stepped forward and took the bag from his hand. Her movements were precise. Controlled.
"I don't need your help anymore." The politeness in her tone was flawless. "Thank you for helping me, Rengoku-san"
Not Kagerou-san.
Rengoku-san.
The shift was small. Just a name.
But the distance in it was unmistakable.
She gave a short, proper bow, the kind given to a fellow Corps member.
Not a friend.
Then she turned and walked away.
Her steps were steady.
Measured.
Not too fast. Not too slow.
But with each step, something inside her felt as though it were being left behind.
Only once she had put several paces between them did her grip tighten again around the supplies.
The paper crinkled under her fingers.
Her jaw clenched faintly.
Why does it feel like I lost something?
She didn't have an answer.
She only knew that whatever had existed between them, unnamed, undefined had shifted the moment he spoke.
And she hadn't been prepared for that.
Behind her, the street noise returned to normal.
Merchants shouted.
Children laughed.
The world continued forward.
But between them, a quiet distance had already taken root.
And Kagerou was still standing where she had left him.
---
For a long moment, he didn't move.
Didn't breathe. (Holding his breath)
Didn't think.
If she had yelled at him, he would have defended himself.
If she had cried, he would have panicked and tried to fix it.
But this?
This gave him nothing to fight.
She thanked him.
She bowed.
She left.
That was colder than anger.
It felt like stepping onto a battlefield only to realize the enemy's blade was already resting against his throat. No space to draw his katana. No opening to counter. No chance to win.
Only stillness.
"…Nii-chan? You okay? Your girlfriend's already leaving"
A firm pat landed on his shoulder.
Kagerou jolted slightly, the world snapping back into place.
The noise of the street rushed in all at once, vendors shouting, wheels creaking, footsteps passing too close.
"Oh? Y-Yeah? N-No, I'm fine. Thank you," he said quickly, blinking as if waking from a dream.
A middle-aged man stood beside him, arms crossed, shaking his head with exaggerated disappointment.
"Sigh… I don't know what you did," the man said, "but making a girl cry isn't good, nii-chan"
Kagerou froze.
"Cry?"
"You shouldn't hurt your girlfriend's feelings like that," the man continued casually. "It's not nice. She looked really sad"
"What? Who? No, she's not my..." He faltered. "... She's not my girlfriend"
The man raised a brow.
"Oh? Then what did you do? Reject her confession or something? What a waste," he clicked his tongue. "She's one of the finest young ladies I've seen. You won't find someone like her twice"
Kagerou's stomach dropped.
"She was… crying?"
The man shrugged.
"Maybe not loudly. But a girl doesn't walk like that unless something's wrong." He waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, I've got my own business to handle. Just make sure you apologize next time you see her. Be a man, will you?"
"I… I will," Kagerou said automatically, bowing slightly as the man walked away. "Thank you"
The uncle didn't look back. He simply waved a hand and muttered under his breath, "Young people these days… hard to understand," before disappearing into the crowd.
And just like that, Kagerou was alone again.
But now, the weight in his chest felt heavier than before.
Crying?
He replayed the moment in his mind.
Her calm expression.
Her steady voice.
Her measured steps.
There had been no tears.
No trembling.
No visible cracks.
And yet…
Had he missed it?
The way her grip tightened.
The way her name for him changed.
The way she didn't look back.
Kagerou exhaled slowly.
For a moment, he considered lighting his kiseru.
But even as his fingers brushed against it, he stopped.
Smoke wouldn't fix this.
Smoke dulled the noise inside his head.
This wasn't noise.
"…What did I do?" he muttered under his breath.
It hadn't felt like a mistake when he said it.
He hadn't lied.
He hadn't betrayed anyone.
So why did it feel like he had just lost something important?
For the first time since she walked away... He felt fear.
Not of demons.
Not of battle.
But of something far more fragile.
The possibility that the distance between them had already begun to grow.
---
- At the orphanage.
Kanae walked faster.
Then faster still.
As if something were chasing her.
But there was nothing behind her.
Nothing visible.
Nothing tangible.
What chased her was internal, a swelling pressure in her chest that threatened to spill over if she slowed down even for a moment.
If she stopped, she might have to feel it.
So she didn't stop.
Even when the orphanage gates came into view, her steps didn't slow. If anything, they quickened.
"Oh~ Kanae, you're finally back," the matron greeted warmly as she stepped inside. "I'm sorry you had to handle the shopping. I know you're tired. Shinobu-chan has been waiti-"
"Matron, here are the groceries," Kanae said quickly, extending the bags without lifting her head. "I'm sorry… I'm not feeling very well right now. May I leave the rest to you?"
The interruption was unlike her.
The matron blinked.
"You're not feeling well? Are you sick?" Concern filled her voice immediately. "Do you need medicine? Should I call someone?"
"N-No," Kanae replied, a little too fast. "I just need some rest. And… a little time alone"
She still hadn't looked up.
The matron fell silent.
She had known Kanae since the day Gyomei had brought the two sisters here, small, grieving, and far too composed for children their age.
Kanae had always been strong.
Even after their parents' death.
Even after bruises from relentless training sessions with the cultivator Gyomei had introduced her to.
Even when returning home scraped and exhausted, she had never failed to smile gently in front of the younger children.
She was good at hiding pain.
Too good.
But this... This was different.
Kanae's shoulders were too rigid.
Her hands trembled ever so slightly before she clasped them together to stop it.
And she still hadn't raised her head.
For the first time since the matron had known her...
Kanae looked fragile.
Not physically.
But as if something inside her had been shaken loose.
"…Kanae," the matron called softly.
Slowly, Kanae lifted her face.
Her eyes were clear.
No tears.
Her smile was gentle.
Perfect.
And yet... It didn't reach her eyes.
"Please don't worry," she said quietly before lowering her head again. "... I'll be fine"
But even as she spoke the words... She wasn't entirely sure that was true.
"Kanae," the matron called again, this time more gently.
She stepped closer, warm hands cupping Kanae's cheeks, lifting her face so their eyes met.
"What happened?" she asked softly. "You're not fine. And at a time like this, you don't need to be alone, you need someone to talk to"
Her thumbs brushed gently beneath Kanae's eyes. The faint warmth and dampness made it unmistakable, Kanae had been crying only moments ago.
"So tell me, dear… what is it? What made my beautiful Kanae look like this?" Her voice grew even softer. "I'm all ears. Come, let's sit down and talk. Okay?"
Kanae's composure trembled.
Just slightly.
"…Yes"
---
- With Kagerou.
After what felt like hours of standing in place, Kagerou finally forced his feet to move.
The walk home was longer than usual.
Or perhaps it only felt that way.
He staggered slightly, like someone who hadn't slept for days.
"…Something is wrong," he murmured under his breath.
Again.
And again.
"Something is definitely wrong"
The words looped in his mind like a curse.
Even when the gates of the Rengoku residence came into view, the feeling didn't fade.
If anything, it grew heavier.
"Kage-nii! You're finally back!"
"Kage-nii, welcome home!"
"Welcome back, nii-san"
Kyojuro's bright voice rang out first, followed by Senjuro's softer greeting, and Obanai, who stood slightly behind them with arms folded.
Kagerou walked past them.
Slow.
Unfocused.
Eyes distant.
"Kage-nii!! Hallo? Kage-nii, did you hear me?!" Kyojuro shouted, waving a hand in front of his face.
Nothing.
Senjuro and Obanai exchanged a look.
"…Something's wrong," Senjuro whispered.
"Father!" Kyojuro suddenly called out toward the house. "Come take a look! Something's wrong with Kage-nii!"
By the time their father stepped out, Kagerou had already lowered himself onto the engawa, staring blankly at the garden.
"What is it?" Shinjuro's voice carried a sharp edge of concern. "What happened to Kagerou? Is he injured?"
"No," Kyojuro replied quickly. "He's just… like that since he came back"
Shinjuro's eyes narrowed slightly as he studied his eldest son.
He exhaled, relieved that there was no visible blood.
Then he walked over.
Without warning, he flicked Kagerou's forehead with a firm finger.
Hard enough to sting.
Kagerou blinked.
"…Father"
"There you are," Shinjuro muttered, sitting down beside him. "What's wrong? Did your mission not go smoothly?"
"It went fine"
Shinjuro snorted.
"Don't tell me you faced one of the Twelve Kizuki on your first official mission and got shaken by it?" he said gruffly. "Even then, coming back unharmed would still be something to boast about"
"…It wasn't a Twelve Kizuki," Kagerou said quietly. "And I completed the mission"
Shinjuro raised a brow.
"Then why do you look like someone stole your soul?"
There was a pause.
A long one.
Kagerou stared at his own hands.
"It's… about a girl"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
"…Huh?!" all four of them exclaimed at once.
Kyojuro's eyes widened like blazing suns.
Senjuro gasped.
Obanai's arms slowly uncrossed.
And Shinjuro stared at his son as if he had just declared war on the Demon Slayer Corps.
"…A girl?" Shinjuro repeated slowly.
Kagerou swallowed.
"…I think I messed up"
And somehow... Facing demons had been far easier than saying that.