The sun was already high in the sky.
In front of the Kanroji family home, a black-haired girl with three thick braids stood perfectly still like a statue, waiting at the gate.
Her face showed a mix of nervousness and excitement. Every few seconds she rose up on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see farther down the road.
The moment a man's figure appeared in the distance, her whole face lit up with pure joy.
"Shuya-san~!"
Mitsuri waved both arms like she couldn't wait another second. She broke into a light, bouncy run and stopped right in front of him, eyes sparkling.
"So, so, Shuya-san! Where are we going for our date today?"
This black-haired beauty was none other than Mitsuri Kanroji—the girl Shuya had gone on a blind date with a few days ago and the future Love Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Mitsuri had never experienced anything this wonderful in her entire life.
Here was an amazing guy who didn't mind her ridiculous strength, didn't care how much she ate, and never looked at her like she was some kind of freak. He was actually happy to spend every day going on dates and eating with her.
If you had told her a week ago that something like this could happen, she would have thought it was just a dream.
These past few days with Shuya had easily been the happiest of her entire life.
She was already dying to start today's date.
Shuya looked at her calmly and said, "Mitsuri… I actually came today to say goodbye for a little while."
"Eh—? W-why?!"
Mitsuri felt like she had been struck by lightning. Her whole world drained of color. Her legs went weak and she nearly collapsed, but she forced herself to stay standing, voice trembling.
"H-how can this be…? I finally found a boy I like…"
Only then did she notice the petite, beautiful girl standing a short distance away, watching them quietly and clearly waiting for Shuya.
It all clicked.
Of course. That girl was gorgeous and definitely didn't look like a big-eating, super-strong weirdo like her. It made perfect sense that Shuya would choose someone like that.
"Shuya-san… I'll cheer for you two!" Mitsuri said, eyes glistening with unshed tears even as she tried to sound strong.
"Mitsuri, you're misunderstanding something, aren't you?"
Shuya reached out and gently tapped her forehead with his index finger.
He had to admit—this girl had way more drama in her than he expected. She had been the same way during their blind date, always jumping to wild conclusions in her head.
The pretty girl waiting for him in the distance was none other than the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.
Only a few hours had passed since he met the Demon Slayer Corps members. He had agreed to go with Giyu to meet their leader, and there were other places he needed to visit—the Butterfly Mansion, the former Water Hashira's home, and possibly Fujikasane Mountain to deal with that Hand Demon.
All of it would take at least ten days to a month.
If he just disappeared without telling Mitsuri, he really would look like a guy who ghosts after getting what he wants.
That's why he had sent Saeko ahead with the Kamado family and Giyu to meet the Corps' leader first. He would go with Shinobu, say a quick goodbye to Mitsuri, then head out and regroup later.
Besides, he didn't actually want his time with Mitsuri to end just yet. Even though they had mostly just walked around town eating together, it had been a refreshing new experience for him.
"Eh?"
Mitsuri blinked, eyes full of confusion as she looked up at him.
"I'm only going to be gone for a few days. I'm not leaving you. Why are you panicking?" Shuya explained with a soft laugh.
"R-really?"
Mitsuri's eyes widened as she searched his face for any sign he was lying.
Shuya gently brushed his fingers through her smooth black hair and smiled. "Of course it's true. You're so cute, Mitsuri. How could I ever not want you?"
"Hehe… cute, huh…"
Mitsuri giggled shyly, fidgeting with her hands. "No way…"
But every few seconds her eyes flicked back to him, silently asking: Do you really think I'm cute?
Shuya didn't answer with words. He just kept gently stroking her hair.
For Mitsuri, that was more than enough.
Satisfied, she asked, "When are you leaving, Shuya-san? How long will you be gone? You will come back, right?"
"Probably half a month to a full month," Shuya answered gently. "So when I return, I want to see the real Mitsuri Kanroji. Can you do that for me?"
"Y-you knew…?"
Mitsuri froze.
She felt the warmth of his hand on her hair and realized the truth. Her hair wasn't naturally black. Every time they had a date, she secretly used an expensive dye to color it black just for him.
She never thought he would notice.
Her voice turned small and anxious. "B-but… my real hair color is really ugly…"
"You're wrong," Shuya said firmly. "Because you're cute, Mitsuri. No matter what color your hair is, you're still my cute Mitsuri. That will never change."
"B-but…"
Years of strange looks from other people had left Mitsuri extremely self-conscious about her natural hair color. Even hearing Shuya say that, she still couldn't fully believe it.
Seeing her hesitation, Shuya didn't wait any longer.
He gently lifted her chin, leaned in, and kissed her.
Eh—?!
Shuya-san… he's going to…?!
Mitsuri squeezed her eyes shut, too nervous to look at his face, but she could feel his warmth getting closer and closer.
Their lips met.
The second they touched, Mitsuri's mind went completely blank. A sweet, electric tingle shot through her entire body.
"Sh-Shuya-san… we… we kissed…"
When they finally parted, her face was bright red. She opened her eyes and looked at him, still a little dazed and stuttering.
Shuya smiled. "Now do you believe me?"
Mitsuri's gaze was unfocused. Her head felt like it was floating in warm clouds. She barely registered what he said and just nodded on instinct.
"All right, I have to go now."
Shuya glanced over at Shinobu, who was starting to look a little impatient. "Don't forget—when I come back, I want to see the real you, okay?"
"O-okay…" Mitsuri answered in a dreamy haze.
"Shinobu, let's go."
After saying goodbye to Mitsuri, Shuya walked over to Shinobu and spoke calmly.
"Hey… you didn't trick my sister the same way, did you, Mr. Scumbag?"
Shinobu watched him approach, face blank, and couldn't resist one sharp, venomous jab.
She had seen everything that just happened between him and Mitsuri.
And it only made her more certain:
This man was 100% a scumbag.
The only unfortunate part? If he had used the same moves on her gentle older sister… Kanae probably never stood a chance.