"Are you trying to make me angry the moment you get back?" Lady Shinobu, feeling both annoyed and amused, reached out and pinched one side of Yoizumi's cheek.
"No, I'm fine, Shinobu," Yoizumi gently took Shinobu's hand that was pinching his soft cheek, slowly leading her backward.
At this moment, the sunlight crossed the wall. Shinobu looked at Yoizumi standing in the sunlight, breathing heavily, her beautiful purple eyes misty. She blinked hard, as if confirming whether she was dreaming again... Yoizumi looked up at Shinobu, who was half a head taller than him in the long corridor. Their clasped hands were exactly at the boundary between light and shadow.
He gently tightened his grip, pulling Shinobu into his embrace. They hugged in the morning sun, Shinobu resting her chin on Yoizumi's shoulder, his voice by her ear.
"See, I'm fine."
She wrapped her arms around the neck of the person in front of her, hot tears rubbing against Yoizumi's shoulder. Where her soft hair touched, it brought a faint itch.
Yoizumi didn't mind, he just held Shinobu tighter and tighter. Even the oil-paper umbrella he was holding fell to the side, letting the white snow fall into their hair... He carefully brushed the fallen snow from Shinobu's head. After making sure he hadn't messed up Shinobu's hairstyle, Yoizumi nodded. He picked up the oil-paper umbrella from the ground with one hand and took Shinobu's hand with the other.
"Shinobu, let's go back."
"Idiot, bend down." Yoizumi cooperatively bent down, bringing his head close to Shinobu's raised hand. After Shinobu slowly brushed the fine snow from Yoizumi's golden hair, she mischievously ruffled his hair.
That's for not telling me sooner, making me worry!
Yoizumi was a little surprised but didn't move his head, silently enduring until Shinobu was satisfied and let go. Only then did he straighten up, his hair a mess, watching Shinobu cover her mouth and snicker. Yoizumi couldn't help but laugh along.
Oh, right!
Yoizumi took out the necklace he had forged in Swordsmith Village. The silver butterfly reflected the dazzling sunlight.
"Shinobu, a gift."
She took the necklace. It had been well-protected by Yoizumi; one could even feel his body warmth when holding it. The necklace draped over her fingers, the silver butterfly dancing freely with the occasional breeze.
Shinobu clutched the necklace tightly to her chest as if it were a precious treasure, her joy clearly visible in her eyes, her soft voice filled with happiness.
"Thank you, I love it."
It's good that she likes it. In an unnoticed corner, Yoizumi quietly let out a sigh of relief, the slight apprehension in his heart disappearing. It's good that Shinobu likes it... In fact, Shinobu liked anything Yoizumi gave her.
The value or extravagance of the gift was secondary to Shinobu; the most important thing was the person who gave the gift.
The person she loved... She looked at the butterfly in her hand again and again, as if scrutinizing every detail.
And wasn't Yoizumi the same?
Shinobu's expressions were all taken in by his eyes; not a single subtle expression was missed—her curved eyebrows, her upturned lips, her joyful smile.
This softened Yoizumi's heart. The bright smile in his sapphire eyes was shown only to Shinobu.
Shinobu... cute... "Yoizumi, help me put it on." It was an order, yet the girl's blushing face revealed something else.
"Okay," Yoizumi picked up the necklace from Shinobu's palm, walked behind her, and slowly leaned in, his hand passing through to lift her black-purple hair.
Shinobu lowered her head slightly, her ears turning bright red where Yoizumi's hand brushed them. Yoizumi's gaze fell on Shinobu's fair neck, and for some reason, his heart began to beat faster...
The necklace, exposed to the cold air, felt cool against her sensitive neck. Shinobu flinched her shoulders from the prickling sensation. Yoizumi's hand was also cold, and he accidentally touched the smooth, tender skin of her nape.
Yoizumi inexplicably couldn't look directly and shifted his gaze, carefully putting the necklace on Shinobu.
"It's done."
She placed her fingers on her chest, smiling as she looked at Yoizumi. The silver butterfly stood out prominently against Shinobu's black Demon Slayer Corps uniform.
"Does it look good?"
As if dazzled by Shinobu's smile, Yoizumi unconsciously closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his eyes held a clear, soft glow, appearing exceptionally gentle, his voice very light yet full of emotion.
"It looks good..."
Hearing this, Shinobu's smile widened. With her hands behind her back, she slowly approached Yoizumi, tilting her head slightly, her tone full of intimacy.
"Then... does the necklace look good or..." Before she could finish her sentence, she received Yoizumi's unhesitating reply.
"Shinobu looks good." Yoizumi paused, then added, "Shinobu looks the best."
The rising heat on her face blurred Shinobu's vision. She slowly took Yoizumi's hand.
"Idiot..."
"Let's go back."
"Mm," Yoizumi didn't understand why he was called an idiot again, but if Shinobu said so, then he must be.
He clasped Shinobu's hand back, tilting the oil-paper umbrella towards her. They left one deep and one shallow footprint in the snow, walking in silence, only their clasped hands continuously conveying each other's warmth... "Ah! Lady Shinobu is back," Kanzaki Aoi exclaimed in surprise, smiling as she watched the two return hand in hand.
So the Yoizumi-ge she met yesterday was real.
He really overcame the sun.
Yoizumi-ge is truly an incredible demon, Kanzaki Aoi thought. From now on, no matter how big a matter concerning Yoizumi, she would probably no longer be surprised.
"Eh?!" The meat bun in his hand dropped to the ground. Agatsuma Zenitsu raised his hand, pointing at Yoizumi and Shinobu in disbelief, his finger trembling.
"Eh? Eh?!"
What's going on with those two?
Holding hands?
Since when did Yoizumi-nii and Miss Shinobu become close enough to hold hands like that, so intimately?!
What happened that he didn't know about while he was away?!
"So Yoizumi-nii went to find Miss Shinobu," Tanjirou said as he walked over to Zenitsu. The next second, Zenitsu grabbed his shoulders and shook him frantically.
"What's going on with those two?!"
"Ah... Stop, Zenitsu! I'm dizzy," Tanjirou was shaken until the world spun. It took him a while to recover after Zenitsu finally let go, and he explained.
"Simply put, Miss Shinobu has become my sister-in-law."
"What?!"
Zenitsu immediately fell to his knees, pounding the ground frantically with his hands.
He thought Yoizumi-nii's type wouldn't like anyone.
He had even lamented then that when heaven opened a window for him, it would close a door.
He never expected, Yoizumi-nii, that you were secretly doing something big!
And he even tried to stop him from developing feelings with Nezuko!
Yoizumi-nii is too mean!!!
Zenitsu, with his peculiar focus, was even slow to realize that Yoizumi had overcome the sun...
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