"So tell me, Aoi - tell me, why do you, a person who doesn't even want to lift a sword, can make a strong man like me feel sick and weak without you?"
"You annoy me, kiss me when you're not supposed to and always steal food. But you broke my walls d...
It had been one month since the battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan, but none of his friends had woken up.
Each morning, he would come by Tanjiro's bed only to discover him sleeping soundly on the mattress, not scolding Inosuke of his less sensible behaviour.
No matter what, Inosuke could sense his heartbeat reverberating through Tanjiro's body, making him feel slightly better.
"You said you were stronger than me, Gonpachiro! When the hell are you waking up?!"
He had even memorized Tanjiro's name, but he deliberately got it wrong in case the Sun breathing user would be irritated and wake up.
On the other hand, Aoi had those three assistants that were always ready to support her, but Kanao, her best friend, was also still unconscious.
She prayed everyday that those who were left would never leave her.
As her eyes fluttered open to the sound of chirping birds she kept in her room, she saw the image of Kocho sisters that was hung.
She cursed herself. If she was a bit stronger and braver, she could contribute to make sure they'd come back alive.
Instead, even Kanao was partially blind - something she found out after examining her eyes.
"I shall live up to your expectations, Shinobu-sama, Kanae-sama."
She would whisper that every single day, motivating herself to be strong.
Aoi stood up, feeling her mid-length hair dangling on her shoulders and grabbed her blue-black uniform. From the corner of the room, she used the wooden pail that she made and put her bathing tools before going out of her bedchamber.
She passed by her mirror before sliding the doors open and saw the skin under her eyes growing dark.
Even outside, the sun was not yet up, but the sky was getting lighter.
This was her routine: to wake up before dawn and to go to sleep when everyone else had settled down onto their beds.
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The Kocho sisters once told Aoi that the girls complained that taking a bath at the well could cause men to peek. Aoi, Kanao and the three assistants decided to surprise them when they were on a mission.
They paid some men to make walls around the well, making it a little private bathroom for everyone to use. After taking her bath, Aoi wore her pressed uniform, hands flailing in the dark as she tried to find where she had hung her clothes.
Her hair remained loose as she left her comb and butterfly clips in her room.
As she stepped out with her towel wrapped around her neck, her ears caught of some strange noises around her, even though it was faint.
