"Loved her more than a sister."

Those words hit me where they shouldn't. It feels like a heavy rock weighs down my heart. The blood from my face drains as my eyeballs pop from its sockets.

How does he know? I never told anyone this. Not even Daisuke-sama.

I slowly let my eyes observe every direction that went to Tomioka-sama's deep sapphire irises. My hands tremble with each passing silent moment.

I blink once, looking at my watered-sweat, shaky hands. Twice and back to him and his stern expression holding his face together.

"How did.. how did you know?" The question finally left past my stiff lips. It feels as if time has slowed down, and, like clockwork, awkwardness circles the room around us.

"Because, Fujimura," his voice sounds like he's about to give the most outstanding advice he'd ever given to anyone, "of the way you looked at her.

His words stun me, and my eyes widen slightly at the answer he says. "You hesitated to kill Itsuyushi-san. You couldn't kill her not because you were exhausted but because of your past feelings for that.. oni." His voice darks a little at the mention of 'oni.'

"..."

"I'm correct, aren't I, Fujimura." I can feel his fingers curling into a tight fist, tight enough to make imprints of his nails against his peachy palms. "Well, yes, but -"

"It's okay, Fujimura.." The dark blue orbs that stare deep into me softens. Tomioka-sama's eyebrows furrow slightly up as the corners of his lips turn upward, barely and faintly.

But as I stare into his lips and his eyes, a glint of sadness reflects deep into his irises. His aura has changed into an unfamiliar wave of emotion.

Is he angered that I used to have feelings for Koshiko Itsuyushi?

"You can't control your feelings, and," he says softly, eyeing me with a glint of broken emotions deep into his eyes.

He swiftly stands up after realizing that his face was getting closer to mine.

"Nothing. Nevermind. Rest up, Fujimura." He says and then disappears into thin air. "Tomioka-sama.. something is wrong with you, and I dont know what I should do.." I say in a soft mumble.

Feeling his presence disappearing, I lift my hand to my mask and let it lay down on the tsukue (drawer) on my bedside.

I let out a low heavy sigh, letting fresh air replace the sweaty air my mask created. My face is immediately blessed with the cold and neutral air as I steady my breathing.

I shut my eyes and positioned my body fully down on my soft bed. "Daisuke-sama. Tsukori-sama.. you guys would've known what to do." I say, sadness creeping and swirling in my stomach.

---

It has been 3 days now, and Tomioka-sama moved to my room to be near me. He said,

"I just want to be near you more so I can make sure you are healing well."

And I replied with,

"Isn't that the same reason why you were always checking up on me last time?" But he would ignore me and continue doing whatever he was doing.

Though I didn't mind. I love his presence around me, but it was a bit awkward at times. He seemed to distance himself from me a little bit, giving more space than usual. He's usually close to me and always around me, but now he's a little distant.

I mean, it is better because we shouldn't be so close to each other. We should be maintaining an appropriate distance between tsuguko and master, of course.

~~•~~

Night soon rises from below, and the once light hue turns into a darker shade of midnight blue. The birds calm their singing, and it seems to be a signal for crickets to start jumping.

I sit down on my zaisu (low seat) with Tomioka-sama opposite me, his eyes closed and hands on his lap on top of his black hakama.

We were waiting for our food to arrive as my eyes shamelessly wandered around his emotionless black hair, to his closed eyelids, and to his neck down to the black cloth that covered around his entire body.

His breathing calmly increases and decreases his shoulders motion. "Tomioka-sama." I blurt out, a little unexpected.

"Yes, Fujimura?" He almost as immediately replies to me. His voice is soft and low, and a part of me hopes that he has let go of that 'conversation' we had that day.

I let silence sit for a few seconds. I debated if I should ask him or should go against it. He seems okay enough, though.

"Are.. are you okay? You've been off about Koshiko. I promise I don't have feelings for Koshiko. Anymore." My voice sounds defensive and desperate for his approval. My fingers start playing with each other as my mind races.

He finally and slowly opens his eyelids, showcasing the emotionless deep sapphire that was shoveled from behind.

He stares deep into my different colors of eyes. His irises went from the left and to the right, observing my movements rather than my masked face.

"Yes, Fujimura. I'm fine. You shouldn't even be concerned about me." He finally says, his face gently softening over my worried expression behind the kitsune mask.

My lungs thank me for finally letting air cease through easily after holding it for a short moment, and my tensed shoulders finally calm down, the lump leaving from my throat.

"You should be concerned for yourself. You're so selfless, Fujimura." A smooth chuckle escapes his throat, and the blood from my cheek boils as the chuckle slowly dies down.

"You're so–" A click in the room echoes, and it cuts off Tomioka-sama mid-sentence. The smile he wore faded as the door gently opened, revealing Kanzaki-san with a stern look, holding our food tray.

"Kanzaki-san." My cheery voice softens her face a little, then back to a serious one. "Fujimura-san. Tomioka-san. Good evening." She greets us respectfully with a bow and makes her way to us.

"Good evening, Kanzaki--san. Will you be joining us?" I inquire her, although fully knowing her answer, which is,

"Not today, Fujimura-san. I still have other members to tend to." She (mostly) says with a shy up curl on her pink-tinted lips and slanted eyebrows.

"Ah," my voice drops, but my back doesn't. "Well, I hope you will eat soon then!" My cheery voice comes back, somehow surprising her.

"Well, thank you for the offer, Fujimura-san. I should get going now." She quickly sets the tray down on our low table and walks to the door, closing it with almost no sound.

"She always seems embarrassed to join us." My voice comes back as sloppy and down as I separate my chopsticks along with Tomioka-sama doing the same.

"How would you feel if we weren't close and I'd invite you to eat with me?" He observes my movements, making flutters swirl in my stomach.

"I'd.. I don't know..? Feel honored, but gently refuse?" I say, uncertain of my answer. I lift my hand to my mask and leave it just above my nose after thanking the meal with Tomioka-sama.

"Exactly. That's what she's feeling everything you asked her if she'd join or not."

"Oh.."

"..."

"Ahh! Aoi-san made my favorites!!" I say as my favorite food scent circles around my nose, making my smile wider and genuine.

"These are your favorites?" Tomioka-sama says, quite unsure of his words. "Yeah, I love tonkatsu and tamagoyaki!! Oh, she also made sudon noodles." A smile creeps up on my lips as I happily pick up my bowl and start eating with a happy mind as I feel someone staring at me with a calming aura.

•

•

•

♣︎•3rd POV•♣︎

Yashimi happily slurps her noodles as the feeling of heat spreads through the coldness of her body.

Although she eats little chunks of food, she would occasionally cough, and that would make Giyuu's shoulders tensed, and he would be full of worry, though Yashimi would wave him off, saying that she'll be more careful.

The crickets singing outside of the Butterfly Mansion made everyone realize how quiet it really was. As shiny dots of stars appear in the sky because of how dark it was.

The cool breeze would flow in from the window above Yashimi's bed as it spirals and circles around the room before disappearing again.

As they continued their moment of silence, Yashimi would try to ask questions like, "Where did you train? With whom? Why become a demon slayer?" Questions that would be easy to answer.

Giyuu mostly said little to no to confusing answers, making Yashimi think he's uninterested and uncomfortable, disappointing herself for thinking she could get him to open up.

•

•

•

☆•Yashimi POV•☆

"Ahh, Tomioka-sama is so uninterested in talking. Do I make him feel uncomfortable? Or weirded out? I should apologize." My inner voice doesn't come out from my throat but continues to echo in my head.

I was about to reach my chopsticks out for another omelet when I refrain myself from continuing my impulsive action and gently place my dark brown bowl on the wooden table.

"I shouldn't be eating a lot. Tomioka-sama might be disgusted. The omelets are almost finished because of me. That would be embarrassing."

I gently fold my hands on my lap after fully covering my face, looking down. The sound of chopstick moving stops as I feel Tomioka-sama's gaze piercing into me. "Why aren't you eating more?"

His question makes my body jerk in my seat. I slowly turn my head up and face him. "Tomioka-sama?" His name comes out more as a question rather than a statement.

"I said, why aren't you eating more?

"O-oh! Uhm.. because men don't like it if their women are fat, and I also don't want to be chubby." I say, waving myself like an excuse.

Tomioka-sama doesn't say anything, and a gulp from his throat can be quietly heard as it roams through the room before disappearing.

The clamping of his chopstick moves away from his bowl and to where the omelets are. He puts chopsticks in between and gets two, placing it on my bowl.

"Eat if you must. Don't starve yourself just for some men." He says, his tone mad at the mention of other men. He continues to slurp his noodles quietly as I stare at my newly filled bowl.

"Well? Go on. Eat." He demandingly says. As I slowly reach for my bowl, I realize how much care Tomioka-sama holds for me. Kochou-san always did mention how much he cares whenever I'm back here.

And I didn't realize it until now.

He doesn't even care if I'll get fat or not. Chubby or not. He just wants me to eat and not starve myself.

"You don't have to starve yourself. Remember that, Fujimura. YOUR health matters more than mine. So, I'll need you to take good care of yourself if ever I'm gone." He finishes eating as I bite into my omelet with soup from the noodles that had already been swimming in my stomach.

"Okay, Tomioka-sama. Thank you!" I say happily as I finish eating.

~~•~~

The eyes of most people close, their breathing flowing in and out in a calming pattern, relieving their lungs, crickets jumping, and the heating sun seeps sunlight through another place as the moon in our sky sleep with us, illuminating a shiny light, mimicking a ring around itself, making it look a beautiful view for those to crane their necks to.

I snuggle in my bed under my cold sheets, feeling the sense of familiarity from the last time I was here.

"Tomioka-sama..?" I call out my voice, whispering low. "Fujimura? Go to sleep." He says, also in a low whisper.

My mask comfortably sits on my tsukue as crickets sing along with the wind dancing and whispering. Begging to be let in the warm room.

"Okay.. good night."

"... good night."

•

•

•

My eyes snap open as the small and low snores of Tomioka-sama continue to circle around me. After a while, I let my tired body sit up, turning my different eyes to the left side, looking over at Tomioka-sama's slightly open lips, hearing his breathing.

The moonlight shining down on him makes his face look soft to touch. I hesitated before slowly swinging my legs down to the ground, slightly making a creaking sound, but it didn't wake Tomioka-sama.

I walk around him and towards the tall closet that towers over us.

My mind becomes heightened, and I slowly open the right side of the closet, which is always locked. I stop to hear Tomioka-sama's snoring, that still continues, and open the door slightly, enough to let my hand slide through.

I let out a soft and quick, shaky breath. "Faster, Yashimi. Before he wakes up." My voice silently warns me. I reach out on a small, thick, transparent bottle, holding onto it when I finally feel it against my pale skin.

It shakes under my trembling fingers. This is something that I shouldn't be doing. Tomioka-sama is so close that he could be awake at any time.

Either way, I lift the bottle to my lips and gulp it down, feeling the watery texture of the medicine, the black kind of medicine spreads through my body.

"I'll need you to take care of yourself if ever I'm gone."

Tomioka-sama's voice remains and repeats in my head. "Take care of yourself." I say in a very low mutter, feeling a slight pink tinted of warmth across my cheeks.