It was a black-haired girl who looked to be about twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a pink kimono. Her skin was fair, and her features were delicate and lovely.
A smiling fox mask, slightly larger than her small face, was worn on the side of her head. The two small blue flowers on the mask added a touch of liveliness and playfulness to her.
At this moment, her beautiful large pale green eyes were looking at Shirakawa with a hint of curiosity and timidity.
Makomo.
I've finally waited for you!
Shirakawa muttered the name in his heart, a playful expression appearing on his face.
"I used a Breathing Style, and the blade didn't even touch that demon. How did you know I killed a demon?"
Makomo extended a slender finger and pointed at the sword at Shirakawa's waist, her voice still soft: "There's still a bit of a demon's scent... there wasn't any before."
"So, have you been watching me all this time?"
Makomo pursed her lips and said nothing.
Shirakawa took two steps forward, stopping about three to five meters away from Makomo, looking at her with great interest.
"I called out to you guys so many times before and was ignored. Why are you willing to show up today?"
He tilted his head, his smile a bit mischievous.
"Could it be that one must kill a demon for it to count as an 'initiation ritual'?"
Makomo felt a bit embarrassed by his gaze and lowered her head slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes. A very faint blush rose on her fair cheeks.
"Actually... I was quite curious about you too," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But... Sabito wouldn't let me... He said you look... improper..."
"Makomo... you've just sold me out like that..."
As soon as Makomo finished speaking, a slightly low teenage voice with a hint of helpless laughter abruptly rang out from the top of the giant boulder.
Makomo didn't expect Sabito to join the conversation and let out a soft "Ah!" Her head hung even lower, and even the tips of her ears turned red.
"I... I'm just telling the truth..."
As the voice faded, the air atop the giant boulder distorted slightly, and another figure slowly materialized.
It was a youth who looked slightly older than Makomo. He had rare peach-colored short hair and wore a slightly fierce-looking fox mask with a scar on it.
Even with the mask on, one could still feel his gaze "glaring" at Makomo, yet filled with doting helplessness.
Sabito.
Shirakawa understood clearly, the smile on his face brightening as his gaze shifted between the two.
As if to ease the embarrassment of being caught and to change the subject, Makomo looked up at Shirakawa again, a string of questions spilling out like pebbles:
"Um... Shirakawa-kun, I'm really curious! Why do you know about our existence? Even Master doesn't know we can appear like this..."
"And your sword!"
"It looks like a sword, that's for sure, but we can feel it... it's empty inside, like there's some kind of space. It's very strange."
"Also, what's the deal with that Breathing Style of yours? It's pink... so strange, but... when you use it, I feel like... like I want to get a little closer to you..."
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible, her eyes darting away.
Sabito, standing to the side, couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, Makomo! Why are you acting so timid? If you really think about it, you're his Senior Sister!"
Makomo shot Sabito a glare, then quickly turned back, cautiously checking Shirakawa's expression.
She saw the moonlight spilling onto his handsome face, perfectly highlighting the meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth.
Makomo's heart seemed to skip a beat (if she had one), and she hurriedly lowered her head again in panic.
Sabito, behind her, rolled his eyes.
He didn't know what was wrong with this girl; she was usually quite calm, but she became a flustered mess as soon as she saw Shirakawa.
Shirakawa also looked at Makomo with a smile.
He wasn't sure before, but now he knew for certain.
The favorability boost from his Color Breathing applied to humans, demons, and even souls.
It worked on everyone.
Judging by the girl's current state, while he had been carving the rock recently, she had probably spent a lot of time secretly watching him from the side.
Interesting. He had originally been thinking about how to draw them out, how to gain Makomo's favor, and how to make this little girl his sword spirit.
Now it seemed things were going much more smoothly than expected.
He just needed to add a little more fuel to the fire.
Shirakawa spoke slowly, his voice carrying a coaxing gentleness:
"Curious?"
Makomo nodded repeatedly, her small head bobbing like a chick pecking at grain.
This time, even Sabito beside her tilted his head slightly, showing his interest.
After all, unlike Tanjiro, who could be read at a glance, Shirakawa was far too mysterious and strange.
Then, Shirakawa smiled.
It wasn't the playful smile from before, but a mischievous one with a hint of teasing.
"I'm not telling you."
Makomo ⊙(・◇・)?: "...Eh?"
She froze, her small mouth slightly open, her pale green eyes wide and round. Her face was filled with confusion—a look that was simply too cute.
Sabito also clearly blanked for a moment, his mask turning toward Shirakawa as if radiating speechlessness.
"Want—to—know—?"
Shirakawa dragged out his words as if teasing a kitten.
"Tomorrow. Wait for me here. I'll tell you then."
"Wh... Why?" Makomo finally recovered from her daze, asking timidly, with a hint of grievance.
She had been curious for a year and had finally mustered the courage to appear...
"You watched me talk to myself for a year."
Shirakawa paused, winking at the still-confused Makomo and the speechless Sabito.
"What? Now that it's your turn to be curious, you can't even wait one day?"
After saying that, he didn't stay any longer. He turned around and walked down the mountain.
His figure soon merged into the shadows of the forest below and disappeared.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Makomo stood in place, staring in the direction where Shirakawa had disappeared, dazed for several seconds.
Suddenly, she puffed out her cheeks, stomped her feet twice, and vanished.
"Sigh!"
Sabito sighed softly.
"I told you... that guy is improper."
In the next second, his figure also seemed to melt into the moonlight, slowly fading and disappearing without a trace.
...
The next day, at nightfall.
After Tanjiro went back to rest, Shirakawa appeared punctually by the giant boulder on the mountain peak.
He stood still, cleared his throat, and called out softly to the seemingly empty surroundings:
"I'm here—"
No one answered.
"Makomo? Sabito?"
Only the sound of birds returning to their nests could be heard.
"Hey—if you don't come out, I'm really leaving!" Shirakawa raised his voice.
He waited for ten seconds, then actually turned around and started walking toward the path down the mountain.
One step, two steps, three steps...
Just as he was about to step into the forest shadows, his figure nearly obscured by the trees—
"Wait!"
An urgent, slightly annoyed yet soft voice called out from behind him.
"Don't... don't leave!"
Shirakawa stopped. With his back to the voice, the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably.
He slowly turned around.
Under the night sky, that slender figure stood there, pouting slightly, looking at him with a mix of complaint and anticipation.