丨Soar丨 Kimetsu no Yaiba x OC｜

Chapter 8

Muichiro's lips twitched into a pout. Who could be keeping Chizuko busy? Breakfast didn't taste as good, had he gotten so used to having Chizuko around already? She promised to show him what her friend drew. What is the name of her friend again?

Just where is she? It has been two days already. Has she forgotten about him? A shiver went down his spine, but he wasn't even cold. He didn't want to cry like a child who lost a toy, though he felt like one now. Being with Chizuko made him feel he was living at the moment, but not searching for a past that didn't exist, nor being led astray in the constantly changing world.

He flopped back in bed, wishing she were here.

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Uzui lifted an eyebrow, did the girl stay there for the whole night? Now that was something new.

He had come to ask Iguro for something yesterday and saw the girl. He did ask Iguro about her, but he deadpanned and told him to mind his own business. Sure, it wasn't very flamboyant for Iguro to ignore the little girl, yet he was right, it wasn't his business.

Still, he pitied the girl. Iguro was as stubborn as the boulders at Himejima's place, it wasn't what the girl could tackle. Has she eaten at all?

Speaking of food, he had groceries to bring home. His wives would be furious if he was late.

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Giyu observed the girl in front of Iguro's estate.

He was sure this had to be the thing that made Kocho extra irritable and snappy these two days. The usual 'Ara ara, no one likes you, Tomioka-san" had escalated to 'Tomioka-san? Could you do everyone a favour and jump off that cliff over there?'. He wasn't exactly immune to her words, but he would just shrug it off.

"A-ah! Mister? Am I blocking your way? I'm sorry," the girl stood with wobbly knees and staggered. Giyu sprung into action and caught her before her nose collied with the floor. She is burning hot, Giyu touched her forehead and concluded that she was sick. Giyu picked the girl up, he felt like he should bring her to Kocho.

"Wait! Mister! I can't leave yet," the girl struggled in his arms, causing Giyu to drop her accidentally. He watched as she tumbled back to her spot, "I... I am doing something important!"

Giyu was about to pick her up again by force when he saw the determination in her eyes. He froze, he have seen the same eyes on the boy who looked up and threw an axe at him in the snowy mountains.

He left, she knew what she was doing.

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Obanai looked out his windows, thunder rolled across the dense black clouds looming over the sky. He scowled, he was sure the girl was still there.

He had been leaving through the back door for three days. Uzui voiced his concerns and Kocho wanted to skin him alive, but he was unfazed. She would leave soon, he kept telling himself.

Rain started pouring from the sky, and it rained heavier than he expected. He shut the window and backed away, guilt was gnawing at his heart like a pesky rodent. She must have been gone by now.

Kaburamaru pointed at the direction of the gates, he could still feel the girl's presence. He hissed, he didn't quite approve with his companion's recent choices.

Sighing, Iguro rushed to the gates. "Oi," Iguro called for her, "Oi, Suzuki." He reached to tap her shoulder, only to find her unconscious.

"Oi! Suzuki!" Obanai covered her with his haori and raced back to his estate carrying her.

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Chizuko opened her eyes, where is she?

"Water..." she groaned, it was as if she were standing in fire with thousands of needles prickling at her skull. She tried to reach for the glass next to her, but it felt like she was reaching up from a cliff.

"Here," footsteps sounded and an arm lifted her up by the shoulders, someone fed her water. She thought she saw Iguro before sleep took over again.

Chizuko kept waking and dozing off, she couldn't quite distinguish reality and dream. She seemed to have seen Shinobu-san with a syringe, heard Hina, Aoi and the three little ones' worried voices, felt Ichika and Kanao's hands. She even seemed to feel Muichiro caressing her cheek. And a certain white snake would watch over her at night.

When was the last time she was this sick? Ah, she remembered. She had been fishing at the icy lake, and the bullies in the village pushed her into the bone-chilling water. She couldn't swim, her fingers turned purple, she thought she was going to die. Luckily her grandma had found her before she had become immobile. Unfortunately, she did fall ill for a whole month.

Someone kept replacing the wet towel on her forehead, fed her porridge several times a day, tucked her in when she kicked away the blankets. Her grandma used to look after her like that as well.

"Iguro-sama?" She would ask every time. "Shhh, just rest," the voice would shush her.

Chizuko nodded slightly before succumbing to a deep sleep.

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Obanai watched as Chizuko closed her eyes.

He had ran to get Kocho after taking in the half dead girl that day. A handful of people came visiting her, including Kocho's band of girls and a boy with long hair. Chizuko's crow, Hachi, also stayed by the girl.

And he had been looking after Chizuko for almost a week. Honestly, he was taken back by how the girl just knelt in front of his gates for three days and three nights. He hated to admit it, but he truly felt ashamed of himself for purposely ignoring the girl. Maybe he should have listened to Uzui. He found himself heading to check on Chizuko whenever he had free time, and he would ask for one of Kocho's girls to look after her when he had to go for patrol.

For the first time, Obanai actually cared for the well-being of another.

And he wasn't complaining. After all, he had brought this upon himself.

Get well soon, Suzuki.