18 Vol. II Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

How should he face Shinobu's feelings? This question had been on Haruto's mind for a long time.

A girl's sincerity is the hardest to ignore—especially when it's someone he had watched grow up.

There were moments when Haruto had caught himself reflecting on Shinobu while she practiced her sword techniques in the flower fields. Though she hadn't grown much taller, her poise and demeanor had become more mature by the day. Perhaps it was because she had lost her parents so early, or because her gentle sister, Kanae, had been her anchor. Shinobu carried herself with a calmness that belied her true age.

But her heart...

Haruto knew that Shinobu often smiled around others because Kanae had once told her, "I like it when you smile more." Yet, behind those smiles, Shinobu was quick to anger.

When she was upset, her violet eyes lost all their warmth. Her lips, however, would curl into a perfect smile that somehow made her even more intimidating.

Her birthday is February 24th… a Pisces? Haruto mused. Girls born under Pisces are said to be the hardest to understand.

To better understand Shinobu, Haruto decided he needed to talk to her directly.

The soft chime of wind bells accompanied Haruto as he pushed open the door to the Butterfly Mansion. Inside, he was met with Kanao's empty, emotionless gaze.

Kanao looked at him briefly and nodded slightly, prepared to pass him by without a word.

"Uh, Kanao," Haruto called out, blocking her path awkwardly. "Could you let Shinobu know I'm outside once she's done with her work?"

Kanao stared at him for a moment, then nodded again, this time with deliberate seriousness.

Haruto settled himself on the veranda outside the bustling mansion. Sitting cross-legged with his head leaning against the wooden railing, he let the floral-scented breeze wash over him. The warmth of the afternoon made him drowsy, and before long, he drifted close to sleep.

It was unclear how much time had passed when hurried footsteps finally stirred him awake. Rubbing his eyes, Haruto looked up to see Shinobu standing before him, still wearing her white coat from work.

"Kanao… that child," Shinobu began, a slightly sheepish smile on her face. "She takes every instruction so seriously. She waited until I had truly finished everything before telling me you were here."

"It's fine," Haruto replied, stretching his arms overhead. His joints popped audibly as he gave a contented sigh.

Shinobu knelt down beside him, her delicate features framed by the late afternoon light.

"No missions today?" she asked.

"Not for now. Ever since Kyouka died, it's been strangely quiet in the area. There haven't been many reports of demons attacking people. I've just been making sure the patrols go smoothly."

Despite his nonchalance, Haruto couldn't help but feel uneasy about the quiet. What were the demons plotting?

At the mention of Kyouka's name, Shinobu exhaled sharply. Her jaw tightened, and though she looked straight ahead, Haruto noticed her clenching her teeth.

"What's got you so annoyed?" he asked with a chuckle, waving a hand in front of her face. "Am I really that awful? Is it so upsetting that someone like me has feelings for you?"

Shinobu's carefully composed expression cracked as her face scrunched up in frustration.

"It's not that!"

But after denying it, she fell silent, sitting down with a defeated slump.

"Well, if you can't say what you want…" Haruto scratched the back of his head. "I'll just say it first."

He paused briefly, watching her reaction. "You know how Gotokawa keeps pestering me to get married, right?"

Shinobu nodded, recalling a distant memory of her first visit to the swordsmith village with Kanae. Gotokawa had joked endlessly about Haruto needing to settle down, practically treating Kanae as royalty during their stay. Despite the elder's nagging, Haruto remained single, with no sign of a romantic connection in sight.

"Honestly, I only learned the real reason for the pressure a few years ago," Haruto admitted. He then shared the grim secret of his family's history and the curse that tied them to the Upper Moons.

"Being targeted by such a powerful demon… It's hard to even think about tomorrow, let alone something like love or marriage," he said with a wry smile. "What matters most to me is ridding this world of demons. Only then can the sunlight truly return to the earth."

Shinobu was struck silent.

How could he smile like that?

Faced with such tragedy and danger, how could he laugh so easily? Did the constant threat of death weigh so lightly on him that it had become second nature?

Shinobu's thoughts drifted to something Genya had once said during a pharmacology lesson.

"Why bother learning all this?" the boy with spiky hair had grumbled. "Because my brother's always getting hurt. Because my mentor doesn't value his own life. They act like their lives aren't even their own when they're fighting demons. If I'm the closest one to them, I want to at least patch them up after the battle."

"Why don't they care about their lives?" Shinobu had whispered back then, her gaze heavy. "Is it because they believe this cursed world will take it anyway?"

Now, her voice trembled as she repeated those words. "Do you think this world will just take your life, Haruto?"

Haruto scratched the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. "Someone has to test those experimental treatments, right?"

Shinobu's fists tightened at her sides. "You're not alone in this, Haruto! The Demon Slayer Corps isn't just one person's responsibility. Every Slayer, every Hashira, every attendant—every one of us is committed to this fight. We don't want sacrifices!"

Haruto turned to look at the courtyard, where the cherry blossoms swayed gently in the breeze.

After the final battle in the manga, the cherry blossoms bloomed again in spring. Yet, only two Hashiras remained standing at the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters.

Was that victory?

True victory wasn't meeting fallen comrades at the River Sanzu. It wasn't spirits embracing as they wept.

Victory was standing in the sunlight, watching the demons burn away into nothingness, and celebrating life with those who remained.

"Don't worry," Haruto said softly, meeting Shinobu's gaze with a warm smile. "I'm fine. I don't feel burdened at all."