The woods had always been my favorite place.
No rules. No chores. No staring siblings. No adult worries that weren't mine. Just me, the wind, and the trees.
That day, I was skipping through a narrow path between the pines, humming the same tune I'd stolen from a weird horror anime remix I downloaded last week. I wasn't thinking about demons—well, maybe a little—but mostly, I was thinking about him.
Him.
Kokushibo.
Yeah, the six-eyed demon from my brain-obsessed fan life. The Upper Moon I'd watched fight over and over in my timeline. The sword-wielding, tragic, absolutely terrifyingly cool samurai demon who had made me swoon in my last life.
And here I was. Out in the forest. Alone. Totally not expecting to find him.
But then… I did.
The Encounter
The first thing I noticed was his eyes. Six golden eyes with red sclera, staring at me from the shadows of a tree. My stomach did the little flip it always did when I saw fan art of him.
"Uh… hi?" I said, waving. Because apparently, that's how you greet demon warlords in anime.
He tilted his head slowly. A strand of black hair with red tips fell across his eyes. He didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't breathe visibly.
"You are… unusually small," he said, voice like gravel sliding over silk.
I grinned. "Yeah, well, duh. I'm a kid. But I'm also awesome. And you… you're Kokushibo, right? Upper Moon One? Sword guy? Cool hair?"
He frowned—or maybe that was just his resting face. Six eyes narrowing at me like a predator deciding if I was food.
"I am Kokushibo," he said, voice low, dangerous, melodic. "And you should leave."
I blinked. Did he not get it? Did he not know who he was?
"Leave? Pfft. No way. I'm not leaving."
I could feel him stiffen. The first of his eyes gleamed with irritation.
"You… persist," he said.
"Yes! I persist! It's my thing. Look, I could leave, but I don't want to. You're way cooler than my family. And also… Tanjiro is like the only person I actually care about, so it's fine."
Six eyes stared at me. A long, heavy silence. I fiddled with the hem of my kimono, trying to look innocent but failing miserably.
"You are… strange," Kokushibo finally muttered.
"Thank you! That's literally my brand," I said proudly.
Adoption by Annoyance
He sighed. Not a normal sigh. A "how do I exist with this tiny creature clinging to me" sigh.
"Fine," he said at last, almost grudgingly. "Stay. But… do not impede me. I do not require… companionship."
I didn't hear the last part. I was too busy squealing inside.
He was letting me stay with him. My favorite character. The one I had replayed scenes of until my eyes hurt. And he wasn't attacking me. Not yet.
I followed him through the woods, careful not to step on twigs. He walked silently, sword strapped to his back, hair swaying with red-tipped streaks catching the sun. I could hardly believe I was alive. Alive, walking next to Kokushibo.
And apparently, he was starting to accept me.
Happiness and Attachment
I felt… happy. Purely, unadulteratedly happy.
Not with my family. They were okay, I guess, but this was different. This was like meeting the ultimate character you obsess over in real life and discovering that they're… real.
Sure, I cared a little for Tanjiro. He was nice. Loyal. Kinda sweaty sometimes, but sweet. But the rest of my family? Meh. Fine. Love them, but… distant. Not thrilling. Not someone whose presence made my heart race.
Kokushibo did. Even if he didn't know it yet.
He didn't talk much, and when he did, it was clipped, sharp, intimidating—but that only made me cling harder. Because he was mine. Not in a creepy way. More like… a lost, sad, wet cat who suddenly had someone to annoy relentlessly.
"You are quiet," I said, leaning against his arm. "Do you… ever talk to anyone else? I mean, besides murder stuff?"
He didn't answer immediately. When he did, his voice was low, like distant thunder.
"Not… usually. You are… persistent."
"I know! Persistence is my middle name! Or… not legally, but I should make it my middle name."
He didn't answer. But he didn't push me away. That was progress. Big progress.
For the rest of the day, I followed him, talking nonstop, asking about swords, demons, and his hair care routine (I had to know the red tips came from somewhere). He walked with patient irritation, sword clinking, eyes golden and sharp.
And for the first time in my life, I felt… safe.