After Dusk, Mitsuri Kanroji left first, cheerfully promising to return the next morning to visit Yohan. She practically bounced away, clearly looking forward to their meeting.
As for Yohan, he decided to stay in this village for a while—long enough to help Mitsuri Kanroji with her problems.
…
Back home, Mitsuri's mother noticed the lightness in her daughter's expression and smiled.
"Mitsuri, did your matchmaking go well today?"
"No, no, it failed," Mitsuri replied, waving her hands. "But… I think I met someone really interesting."
She hesitated for a moment before continuing, cheeks turning slightly pink.
"His name is Yohan. He's a traveler. He found out about my situation today… and he said he wanted to be my friend."
Her mother's eyes curved into crescents as she watched Mitsuri squirm, trying to contain her emotions.
"Well, that's wonderful, Mitsuri! Next time you see him, you should invite him over for a meal."
Then, with a knowing smile, she added, "For now, though, since you're back, go chop some firewood in the yard."
Clearly satisfied with the "spoils" of her daughter's day, the woman hummed as she disappeared into the kitchen.
…
Meanwhile, deep in the forest outside the town, a shadow moved swiftly between the trees. The air around the figure seemed eerily silent, devoid of any living creatures.
Under the moonlight, the figure's eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the shape of three distinct kanji.
…
The sun rose, casting a soft golden glow over the village.
Yohan was up early.
Today was his promised meeting with Mitsuri.
Though he had already made an impression on her yesterday, leaving a lasting mark—or better yet, a permanent one—would require more effort.
As he did some light morning exercises, he mulled over his plans.
Perhaps he should show her a glimpse of his strength? If he recalled correctly, Mitsuri's muscle density was naturally eight times that of a regular human.
And, according to the original story, she had joined the Demon Slayer Corps to find a stronger husband.
That meant it was essential to start training his muscles.
Time passed as he continued his thoughts.
…
"Yohan, good morning!"
Mitsuri's voice was bright and full of energy. She looked more refreshed than yesterday, even though her attire remained simple.
"So, what are we doing today?" she asked expectantly.
"Well… This is actually my first time traveling, so I was hoping you could show me some of your favorite foods around here."
He smiled. "I love eating, too."
Mitsuri's eyes immediately lit up.
Food? He likes food?
She pressed down her excitement. No, no, she had to restrain herself.
Sure, he'd seen her eat yesterday—but that wasn't even her full power!
It had been hard enough finding someone who didn't think she was weird. She couldn't risk scaring him away.
Clearing her throat, she replied, "Ah! W-Well, I do know a lot about food. Leave it to me!"
And so, their food-hunting adventure began.
…
The village wasn't large, so wandering through it didn't take much time.
At first, Mitsuri planned to simply give Yohan a brief tour before picking one spot to eat.
She had brought money with her today, but since her family had many siblings—and she herself ate so much—there was never much to spare.
She had enough for one meal, but a true feast was out of the question.
However, Yohan had an entirely different plan.
Despite only being in this world for a little over a month, he had already managed to earn a small sum. During his training days, he would chop firewood, hunt, or gather herbs, selling what he didn't need.
Since he lived alone, he had no extra expenses.
And money was meant to be spent, after all.
So, as they walked, he bought anything Mitsuri recommended—or anything that caught his eye.
Everything came in pairs: one for him, one for her.
After a single bite, he would comment on the flavor and then casually hand her the rest, claiming he had to save room for more.
Mitsuri, her hands already full of food, was stunned.
"Yohan… you… you're such a good person…"
Her mouth was still stuffed as she spoke, and her hands hadn't stopped moving.
There was simply too much food!
No choice, she had to help him finish it all.
What a tragedy.
What a delicious, sinful tragedy.
Her cheeks were puffed like a squirrel's, and she was in pure bliss.
Hearing her words, Yohan chuckled and shook his head.
A good person?
No, no, he wasn't here to collect "good person" points. Silly girl.
But watching her grow more at ease, seeing her talk more freely, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
If all it took was a little money to bring back her smile, wasn't that a worthwhile investment?
…
For lunch, they stopped at a noodle shop.
Mitsuri insisted on paying this time, feeling guilty about eating all his food in the morning.
Yohan let her win this round.
Afterward, he invited her to take a walk through the forest outside the village. He said he had something he wanted to show her.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been a red flag.
They had only known each other for two days.
For all she knew, he could have been a dangerous man in disguise.
But then she remembered—he had watched her eat all morning.
And he hadn't found her strange.
Maybe he really was different?
Trusting that feeling, she nodded.
Together, they headed toward the forest beyond the village.