To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

Bonus Chapter: Five Senses Squad Special

Kanao has good eyes.

Her eyes may seem dazed, but they were sharp. Her eyes were mostly what allowed Kanao to learn Flower Breathing without a proper instructor. Her eyes were what allowed her to memorize the slightest movements of Flower Breathing. Her eyes were one of her strongest points. Her eyes were her ace.

She used her eyes for lots of things, from going about her daily life to surviving as a demon slayer. Her eyes may not be able to gaze past the flesh, but Kanao often thought her eyes allowed her to judge a person on first impression quite accurately.

Kanao first saw Inori when Sanemi broke the estate door open with a kick, a mummified Inori held so gently in his arms. It was actually quite a sight to see, the fearsome Wind Pillar cradling a little girl with his haori wrapped around her like a blanket. Kanao was sure his intimidating image decreased after that incident, not that she paid attention to the gossip. But she did watch from the sidelines as Shinobu immediately ordered the other girls to prepare a room and all the needed medical tools. She watched as they spent nearly a whole day treating Inori. She watched it all without being of much help.

"Kanao, can you watch over Hoshizora-san for tonight?"

Sat on the prepared chair, Kanao didn't sleep that night. Her eyes were on Inori's unconscious form, analyzing the way she breathed. Total concentration constant, she realized. That was the first time Kanao was interested in Inori. Because she knew just how difficult it was to maintain Total Concentration Constant breathing when unconscious, and the younger girl did it while in a state of comatose.

Nobody would deny that Inori was memorable. Her unusual appearance made her easy to remember. Kanao didn't remember most of the demon slayers who got treated in the Butterfly Estate, but she immediately recognized Inori despite it being months since she last saw her.

"You really are cute, just like she said you are." Were the first words Inori said upon meeting Kanao. Her voice was soft and so was her smile. Kanao couldn't help but see Kanae's face overlapping with Inori's.

Inori didn't even need to try, her existence alone was enough to leave a lasting impression. That was why she wasn't surprised when Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo kept begging Shinobu to bring Inori back. Kanao herself didn't know why Inori suddenly decided to leave the Butterfly Estate just after a day of staying there, looking obviously stressed and flustered, but she did, and the little girls wanted her back.

Kanao didn't know how, but Shinobu one day came home from her visit to the Ubuyashiki Estate with Inori following behind her like a nervous puppy. The estate welcomed her warmly, they welcomed her as if she had always been part of them, and Kanao could see the way Inori's face started to brighten as the days passed.

It didn't take them long to realize that Inori was a very touchy person. Kanao herself had her fair share of hugs from Inori, not that she complained. She just wondered why Inori liked to call her cute. Fueled by curiosity, she flipped her coin and asked, "Why do you call me cute?"

"Because Kanao-san is very cute." Inori smiled and again, Kanao saw Kanae's face overlapping with hers. "Kanao-san is fine the way she is, but I hope Kanao-san can fall in love someday. The man you fall in love with will surely be the luckiest man alive."

Kanae nee-san's words. Kanao felt her eyes going wide. She didn't know whether Inori was deliberately mimicking Kanae's words or those were her own thoughts that just so happened to be the same as Kanae's. Either way, Kanao unconsciously reached out and tugged on her sleeve, earning a confused look from Inori.

"Can you perform your forms again?"

Inori obliged with a small smile, as if she knew what Kanao had been doing since Kanae's death. She performed all the forms of Insect and Flower Breathing, deliberately performing them slowly so Kanao could burn each movement into her memories.