I don't know if you have the same habit as me, but the bigger the thing I hug after falling asleep, the tighter I hold it. That time with Nezuko, she was small, so I didn't hug her tightly. But this time… the thing I was hugging was huge.
Muzan Kibutsuji was originally 179 cm. After I arrived here, I was 183 cm, the height I had before time traveling. Yoriichi Tsugikuni was 190 cm. It didn't seem like much, right? But that night proved the difference between 1.83 meters and 1.9 meters—or more like… the difference between hugging a child and hugging a tree. I curled around him like a small child lying on his stomach.
Time passed, and morning came. The sun rose, and though the light was filtered through paper windows, it still hit me with a faint heat that jolted me awake.
"Ah! Hot!"
I shot up, jumping out of bed to hide in a shadowed corner. Once the burning sensation eased, I looked around. Yoriichi and Tanjiro were gone. Only Nezuko was sleeping quietly in the darkness.
"Huh? Where are they?"
I could hear rhythmic breathing outside—smooth, controlled. I pressed my temples. I'd set up several blood-red eyes to resist sunlight, basically just black cloth covering them.
"Oh… they're training outside."
At first, I thought about waiting quietly. Then I thought again:
"They're training and don't know I'm awake. Does that mean… I can run?"
A perfect chance. Of course I wanted to take it. But then… something happened.
Yoriichi suddenly turned and looked straight at one of my monitoring eyes. He slowly opened his mouth, and though no sound came, the shape clearly said: Don't run.
I froze, feeling a chill down my spine. Escape would have to wait.
"When did he notice? Did he know all along?"
I couldn't figure out why he'd seen my spy. If he knew from the start, why not destroy it? And if he wanted to let me think I was sneaky, why reveal it now?
Eventually, their training ended. They returned to the house. The first thing they saw was me sitting upright, frozen.
"Fan-san, why are you sitting on the floor?" Tanjiro asked, rushing forward. I waved him off and pointed at the sunlight streaming through the window.
He understood immediately and closed the window tightly to block the light.
I got up and stomped past them toward Yoriichi, glaring.
"Where are you taking me?"
Yoriichi grabbed my hand. Hard. I couldn't move. I tried to speak gently:
"To the shower. Don't you see my clothes are covered in blood? Still staring?"
"Can."
"…Can?" I tried to pull away and looked at him, stunned.
"Ah."
That was it. I stopped caring. I swung my right hand and smacked him on the top of his head. Bump. He let go. I rushed toward the bathroom, yelling:
"I'll get you back for this!"
I slammed the door behind me. Yoriichi calmly sat in front of it, Sun Blade between his legs, eyes half-closed. Tanjiro watched helplessly, shaking his head. These two clearly had a complicated history.
After a long shower, dripping wet, in a soaked white shirt and loose black pants, I combed my hair and stepped out.
"No shampoo… and no towels…"
I stumbled, almost falling into Yoriichi's arms. Our eyes met—blood-red eyes locking—and the world went silent.
Then—snap! A sound broke the silence. Tanjiro ran in.
"Master Yoriichi! What happened?!"
I was leaning against him, still furious. Yoriichi had gone from cross-legged to kneeling, a red mark on his cheek.
"…I'm sorry. I'll accept any punishment."
I had held back for so long. Now, all my anger exploded. I used Red Sun Attack again, dark energy radiating, making the air heavy.
"Any punishment? Fine. I want to taste the flesh of the strongest man alive!"
Red light formed skulls on my shoulders, energy gathering in my mouth.
Tanjiro rushed in. "Fan-san! I don't know what mistake he made, but it's not worth killing!"
Yoriichi knelt, hand on the Nichirin sword, calm as ever.
"Then… we die together," he said. "If you attack, I'll destroy the house walls so sunlight comes in. You'll die too."
Tanjiro froze, speechless.
I calmed slightly, finally regaining rational thought.
"Then let me go."
"No."
"Then… give me back the jade pendant."
I reached into my haori for the white magatama pendant I'd hidden.
"Give it back. The white jade magatama tied with a red cord. Who else touched me besides you?" I passed Tanjiro and lightly smacked Yoriichi on the head—again. Another bump appeared.
"Why?" he asked calmly.
"It's mine."
"Anything special about it?"
"It matters… but not now. Just give it back."
He stared, unwavering.
Tanjiro, panicked, tried to mediate: "Maybe propose another condition?"
"No need."
I raised my hand to attack, but instead pressed it to my forehead.
"Untie."
Red energy dissipated instantly. Side effects hit briefly—just a little pain—and I walked straight into the bathroom. A few seconds later, I emerged holding a washboard.
"Kneel here until dark," I ordered, pointing at him. "If this house were taller, I'd hang you on the roof for a week, like Kokushibo."
"Understood," he said. Without complaint, he knelt on the washboard. Pain shot through his legs, but his face remained calm.
Tanjiro understood it was a punishment, nodded, and left to continue training.
I set my coat and haori aside, tied up my hair, and muttered to myself:
"Sooner or later, I'll get that jade pendant back… and I'll make you regret it."
Yoriichi just stared, but I turned my head, dismissive.
"Abnormal."
Just like that, Nezuko slept, Tanjiro continued to scold, and Yuichiro Tsuchiya knelt on the washboard. I went to a shady place where I could still see Yuichiro Tsuchiya. I sat on a stool with a book on my bookshelf.
"How to improve cooking skills, etiquette, retirement life...what is this?"
I impatiently closed the book in my hand, held it in my hand, and turned it with my fingertips, looking at Tsugikoku Yoriichi with contempt.
The latter lowered his head slightly to avoid my gaze, but how could I let him go? I had to taunt him a few times.
"How to improve cooking skills? I think even a cow can learn from this book. Others use a small spoonful of salt, but you use a tablespoon of salt."
"The most amazing thing is that I never thought that you could fry a large spoonful of salt until it was dry. You fried the salt into granules after it was melted. You are really..."
I originally wanted to continue talking, but I stopped after glancing at him just now. It was not because of anything, but in that instant, I actually saw multiple emotions on his face, loss, grievance, wanting to cry...all kinds of emotions kept changing on his face in an instant.
"Uh... don't do this, I... I didn't mean to do that, I did it on purpose... ah no! I didn't mean to do that."
I quickly explained that what I said was really hurtful, and even if he was a piece of wood, he would not be able to bear it.
Tsugumi Yuichiro still didn't say anything, but his expression had returned to its original state.
There was nothing I could do. I couldn't just continue talking when I saw he was fine. So I opened the book again and continued reading. Even if it was boring, there was nothing I could do. He only had these few books, and he was staring at me. I couldn't just stare at him.
As night fell, I was able to go out. I stood up, stretched and yawned, looked out the window at the pitch-black night, nodded, and prepared to go out.
"Okay, get up."
Hearing this, Ji Guoyuan, who was still kneeling on the washboard, stood up and spoke to me in his normal tone.
"Are you going out?"
"Yes." My eyes were still looking out the window. I didn't turn around to look at him. I just replied with a word hastily.
"go together."
Although I already knew that he would say this, I still rolled my eyes at Jiguo Yuanyi in my heart.
......
Department store.
"This, this, this…pack them all up."
I picked up bag after bag of merchandise, and under Ji Guoyuanyi's dazed and puzzled gaze, I successfully filled the two largest bags in the store and threw them directly to Ji Guoyuanyi.
"Why buy so much?"
I paid the bill to the shopkeeper with shining eyes while listening to what Tsugumi Yuichiro said, and walked out of the department store after paying.
"Now I carry a lot of money with me, and if I don't buy much, I will have to pay a lot of change, which is annoying."
Hearing this, Jiguo Yuanyi tilted his head and asked me with a little confusion.
"You...are rich?"
"You're just kidding. If I live for so long without money, what's the point of living these hundreds of years?" I spread my hands and said nonchalantly.
Hearing this, Ji Guoyuan nodded, said nothing more, and slowly walked forward to my side.
Our two figures were particularly dazzling walking in the night market. Tsugumi Yuichiro was still wearing his usual clothes. His tall figure and handsome face attracted countless girls to come and see him, but his face was too intimidating. Although his scarlet eyes made people feel gentle, his appearance was not good at revealing emotions, otherwise he would definitely attract more people to come and see him.
As for me, since there was nothing on my coat to clean the blood, I didn't wear it, so I was wearing a white button-down long-sleeved shirt, blue suit pants, and my long hair was combed into a strip. I exuded a faint fragrance all over my body. My slender figure was somewhat different from that of Yuichiro Tsugakuin. On the contrary, my figure could be described as enchanting. My face was so delicate that it could surpass that of an oiran. I looked like a noble princess, and I instantly became the focus of thousands of eyes.
I ignored the strange looks from people around me and continued walking slowly towards where I wanted to go.
clothing store.
Our surprised looks attracted countless people following us, but I still ignored them and went straight into the clothing store, while Jiguo Yuanyi followed behind me.
After watching the Ghost King go in, Ji Guoyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but then turned around and looked at the crowd behind him. His originally calm eyes suddenly became a little sharp.
"Please stop."
The crowd was instantly stunned by Jiguo Yuanyi's aura. After a while, the crowd slowly dispersed. Jiguo Yuanyi waited until there was no one left before walking into the clothing store.
I have already bought the clothes I need. Tanjiro will wear the Demon Slayer Corps uniform in the future, so I won't buy any. I guess Nezuko will not change her clothes either, after all, how can she change clothes that are made at home? As for Yoriichi Tsugakuni... he probably doesn't need it, because all the types of clothes in his wardrobe are exactly the same as the ones he wears.
Even if I bought my own clothes, there would still be more than enough. As expected, this pile of things filled up Tsugikuni Yuichi's hands. After paying the corresponding money, he walked out of the clothing store.
Ji Guoyuan was busy picking up these things, and just when he was about to go out, the owner (female) of the clothing store suddenly spoke.
"Madam is so nice. She bought all the clothes for her husband and didn't buy anything for herself."
Yuichi Tsugumi, who was about to step out of the clothing store, stopped, holding various packages in his hands, and looked at everything in front of him calmly, as if thinking about something. Finally, he raised his head, made up his mind, turned around and looked at the owner of the clothing store and said.
"He is a male."
After saying that word, he immediately walked out of the clothing store and followed me.
I looked at the things piled up in his hands, nodded, and prepared to go back.
The owner of the store seemed to be still at this moment, his mouth unconsciously opened wide, and he kept repeating what Jiguo Yuanyi said in his mind. His eyes looked into the distance, fixed on the person who was said to be a man but was more charming than any woman in every way...
The more I looked at it, the more I couldn't believe it. The more I thought about it, the more I felt it was impossible. But...it's impossible for someone to joke about gender, right? The owner of the clothing store frowned, shook his head in confusion, and slowly walked to the door of the store.
Facing all the people standing outside the store, he said with an exaggerated and distorted expression, "I...I, am I crazy?"
"No, that's not right! It's this world that's wrong. It's this world that's wrong! It's all this world's fault!! How could it be a man?!"
......
We walked on the path to the cabin. We didn't say a word along the way. I looked up, looking through the leaves at the full moon, and for some reason I felt a little lost in my eyes.
"No...what should I call you?" Tsugikoku Yoshiichi suddenly spoke in a soft tone, breaking the silence.
I lowered my head, held my left wrist with my right hand and placed it behind my waist, facing the messy ground and jumping like a child.
"You can say whatever you want about those three names. Except for Muzan Kibutsuji's name, they are all code names..."
When Jiguo Yuanyi looked at the figure of the Ghost King, it was as if he had returned to the way he first met him in his previous life. He was not as cruel and murderous as the legend said, whether in his previous life or in this life where he was resurrected for unknown reasons.
Every time I see him, he is like this. There has been tenderness, worry, and coldness in his eyes. In short, his personality is hard to understand, and it is impossible to guess his true appearance under the multiple masks of personality on his face.
None of his images fit the rumored brutal appearance of Muzan Kibutsuji, but he doesn't seem to be in disguise... But all the tragedies were attributed to the name Muzan Kibutsuji, which has been passed down for thousands of years.
Thinking of this, Ji Guoyuan frowned, looked at the Ghost King in front of him with complicated eyes, and once again asked the question that he had asked countless times in his previous life without receiving a response.
"Kibutsuji Muzan, why did you become a demon?"
Hearing his question, I paused. Originally, I ignored this question, but today was different. It seemed that I was in a good mood today. After being silent for a moment, I finally spoke.
"If a person's life countdown is determined at birth, everyone will feel unfair. This is what happened to me. I became a ghost by accident under the treatment of a doctor. I broke that inequality."
"I am in darkness but yearn for light. God has blessings and curses, and I am cursed. I have no choice but to give up light and walk into the abyss of darkness..."
"In life, there are often many things that are beyond your control. From resistance at the beginning, you become accepting, until you can no longer change them."
Having said this I stopped talking, not caring whether he understood or not. Anyway, saying this was enough.
"Blessing...curse..." Ji Guoyuan was muttering these words while thinking about the meaning of my words. His voice was so soft that I couldn't hear it, as if he was just speaking in his heart.
"But I don't care about curses and blessings, I am who I am. God? Sorry, I'm an atheist." I suddenly spoke, but the words I said were not directed at the real Muzan Kibutsuji.
But it is the truest thought in my heart and the fact that I follow.
For me, I believe more in scientific facts.
Jiguo Yuanyi was stunned by the boy's smiling face, but he quickly looked away. However, in his heart, he still wanted to stay a little longer, even for less than a second...
Tsugumi Yuichiro raised his head again, and saw that his expression looked extremely calm, but his mind was in turmoil.
["That easy-going yet irresistible feeling... maybe my choice is right..."] Yuichiro Tsugikuni said secretly in his heart.
But after a while we saw Tanjiro standing in front of the wooden house...