Seventh Moon

Shinazugawa Sanemi: SANEMI

          If it weren't for my vision, I'd think that the kiss was just some kind of a fever dream. Shinazugawa-san and I never acknowledged it and it's been weeks. Oh... just calling it a kiss makes my skin prick. It was not a kiss. And now I'm thinking of it too much, I'd better stop.

I turned to look at the door, as if willing Shinazugawa-san to open it and enter. While we never directly discussed the events that transpired, a lot of things changed. He does not watch me like a hawk all the time now – I'm free to go out at nights to hunt and even just walk around on my own. Still, I opted to accompany him whenever he goes on missions. He's also became more open about how caring he could be – no longer hiding behind rude remarks. That doesn't me he can longer be rude, he still is. But I don't know how else to describe it aside from endearing.

Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd say he like me. I couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. Shinazugawa-san liking me? Impossible. He despises demons. I don't blame him, with what he and his family experienced. And I'm a demon. Us... that's never going to happen.

I looked around the small room once more, contemplating whether to stay up and wait for him or just go straight to sleep. See, we're out on yet another mission, staying at a house provided to demon slayers assigned to this area. Last night we went our separate ways; I hunted and fed while he hunted the demon.

The sun was already up and he still wasn't back. Taking a deep breath, I decided to take a peek outside. I did and saw a sight that stung a bit as if sunlight reached me. Out front, still in the street stood Shinazugawa-san talking to a beautiful lady. A completely normal human lady, talking to him as sunlight touched them both. Huh.

I swallowed something bitter as I looked at them both. They look good together. Of course, they would. They're both humans. I can hardly remember how sunlight was supposed to feel on my skin, and the last time it did I was burnt and smoking.

I turned back inside and decided to just turn in for the day. As I started preparing my futon, Shinazugawa-san very noisily entered the house. He gave a hearty laugh when I jumped in surprise. "Why are you still up?" I just hummed in answer. I'd rather eat my foot than outright tell him I was waiting for him... like a puppy.

Still not turning away from what I was doing, I asked him in what I hoped was an indifferent tone, "who was that outside?" He wasn't answering. I think it was barely a minute, but his silence felt like forever so I turned to look at him just to find him looking at me as if I was something very amusing. "Just some lady asking for directions. Why?"

I just shrugged and continued what I was doing. "We can go back home tonight, by the way." Of course, he'd be done with the mission quickly. Still, I can't help but feel a little down – this was a nice town with a river right in the middle. I've spent almost the whole night walking around it and imagining how it would feel if it was morning. In yet another jump-inducing move from him, Shinazugawa-san was suddenly in front of me and tapped my nose.

"You look unhappy." A sigh, "I like it here." Another act of kindness from him, "We can stay here for two more nights, then." He shrugged at my look of bewilderment. "The days are getting shorter. The sun sets as soon as late afternoon, anyway. We can walk around then." I can't help but squint my eyes as I examine him and wait for the snark that I'm sure would accompany his kindness. It came in the form of a forehead flick. "Just go to sleep."

I woke up just as the sun was starting to set, painting the sky a beautiful purple and orange. A knock on the door shook the lingering sleepiness off of me. Carefully sliding open the door, I was surprised to see the lady from this morning standing in front of me with a basket of fruit.