Koharu was never the one to dislike baths.
But the warm water inside the tub did little to ease her nerves. She hated the silence when she was alone, and even considered asking the stranger to stay in the room with her. However, she decided against the notion and forced herself alone.
Alone, with her never ending thoughts.
"You're...not Fuji."
The woman seemed kinder than the man from before. She smiled a lot, she realized, but the smile seemed to convey something more than 'I'm happy.'
She was afraid to release whatever was behind that mask.
To an extent, she felt the female's care towards her to be genuine. Her words and touch reminded her of her mother.
Ah, her mother.
Koharu sunk deeper into the water; Her mother was no longer there to comfort her, she was no longer there to tell her 'I love you' every morning. She was always there, yet with a single snap she was out like a candle.
She hoped it wasn't painful before her death.
Of course, she knew it was futile to wish she was alive. It was witnessed before her eyes, what was there to hope for? Perhaps if her ashes remained, she could give her a proper burial inside the village.
"You're...not Fuji."
Along with others.
---------------
The first thing she noticed about her clothes was how big it was on her.
It was a simple blue and green kimono, a black obi attempting to cling to her hips, yet to no avail, the piece of cloth continued to slowly slide down.
She felt much cleaner than before. Her arms and legs were less red from the burns, but it was still evidently present on her skin. Her face was no longer covered in grime and dust, and her hair looked much healthier than before, yet the burned edges still stuck out.
Holding onto her loose obi, she called out Shinobu's name, peeking her head out from the door of the washroom.
"Ko...cho-san?"
She let herself exit the room, looking left and right towards the long hallways to find the female. Soon enough the same, soft voice called out her name, ushering her into a room with a wave of her hand.
"Koharu-san! Over here."
Koharu complied to her calling, being careful not to trip over her kimono as she walked towards the adult. Shinobu helped her inside, softly chuckling as she saw how big the kimono was on the child. She helped her up one of the many white beds inside the room, telling Koharu to make herself comfortable while she got the ointments.
Koharu looked around, although there wasn't much to see. A bunch of the same looking beds were pushed against the walls of the room and aligned next to each other, various medical equipment also towards the side.
Shinobu soon returned with a can of ointment and bandages, her other hand carrying a bottle of pills. She began with her treatment, efficient with her work as she quickly yet carefully applied the lotion, gently wrapping the bandage around so that it was secure but not too tight.
The same was done for her legs as well, and Koharu was finally given some pills to take with a cup of water. Once Shinobu double-checked the bandages, she helped Koharu off the bed, making sure to take a comb and a pair of scissors before she led her back into the washroom.
"How about we give you a haircut, Koharu-san?"
Koharu looked up at Shinobu, a curious look on her face as she nodded, following the female back into the washroom.
She was seated on a wooden chair, Shinobu standing behind her as she made work with her hair. Koharu assumed that she took notice of the burnt parts of her hair, and the thought of someone noticing such a small detail and going such lengths for her made her feel warm.
As Shinobu made quick work with the cutting, she noticed strands of red hair on the left side of Koharu's hair, only the certain area being of different color compared to the rest of her raven locks.
"Have you dyed your hair before, Koharu-san?" Shinobu asked in curiosity, continuing to style her hair to the best of her abilities.
Koharu blinked in confusion. "My...hair? I've never dyed my hair before...I think."
Shinobu hummed in response, raising the strands of red hair for Koharu while providing her with a small hand mirror. "Well, you've got some red hair here. Is it from birth?"
The child stared at the hair with great confusion.
That was...never there before.
But in fear that she'd create a weird situation, Koharu could only nod with great hesitance.
"Yeah...probably."
The two stayed in silence for the rest of the time, and soon Shinobu clapped her hands together in satisfaction, turning Koharu around to inspect her work.
"I think I've done quite well!"
Koharu looked through the mirror Shinobu had raised in front of her, eyes widening in surprise at how...well the styling was done.
It wasn't anything fancy, per se, but it was decent enough to satisfy Koharu. Her hair now reached a little below her shoulders, and her bangs were also touched upon, nicely framing her face and forehead.
Koharu couldn't help but blush at the sight, shying away from the mirror and she whispered quietly.
"Thank...you."
Smiling, Shinobu patted her head.
"Of course."
-------------------------
Word count: 902
Chapter status: renewed [7/15/2022]
Thank you for reading ^^
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New Moon |KNY| [Discontinued}
Fanfiction"I thought I was saved, but I was only deceiving myself." If everything was left to fate, A fate where all you could do was meet death at your door, Would you then fight? ------------------------- DISCLAIMER: Kimetsu No Yaiba (Demon Slayer) does not...
