Chapter 4
The atmosphere was strange.
For some reason, after Junichi Takahashi said he would redeem her from her servitude, Yoshiyuki Tomioka's face darkened.
Even after she shook her head and refused Mr. Takahashi, he rudely grabbed her wrist and left, leaving no opportunity for further conversation.
She didn't even have a chance to say a polite goodbye, which seemed to go against the landlady's instructions. Azhi felt a little guilty and confused.
Once outside, their tightly clasped wrists were released, and the skin that had been in contact with each other was burning hot from the heat of their bodies, yet there was a slightly stimulating coolness when they first came into contact with the air.
The black-haired swordsman walked a little faster. He probably didn't realize that Aori had fallen behind after her grip was loosened. She pouted and felt that the silhouette of Tomioka Giyuu's back was full of coldness and hardness.
"Yiyong, are you angry?"
Azhi hesitated for a moment, tilting her head as she jogged along, looking up at the cold, aloof swordsman who exuded a low-pressure aura. She unconsciously pursed her lips and said, "I didn't expect it to take so long."
Giyu Tomioka's expression was always indifferent and cold. He rarely expressed himself, and Aori sometimes had to guess to determine his true feelings.
Just like now, she could clearly sense his inner turmoil, but she couldn't figure out why.
Because of the sudden disturbance, Azhi stayed a little longer than expected. She wasn't sure, but subconsciously felt that it might be because of this incident that the black-haired swordsman was angry.
After all, Giyu Tomioka is a very busy person with many tasks to do, and he basically has no chance to take a vacation. Even so, he still has to take some time to see her, who is not busy at all.
As a lazy bum, Azhi put herself in Giyu Tomioka's shoes and realized that she would also be angry if she were Giyu Tomioka.
"…………"
Because of this short chase and conversation, the girl was already slightly out of breath, her pretty face flushed, and she could easily find herself in a pitiful situation if she wasn't careful.
"No."
Giyu Tomioka denied it, saying he wasn't angry about such trivial matters at all, and then fell silent.
Contrary to his outwardly unmoved demeanor, the black-haired swordsman subconsciously slowed his pace, maintaining just enough distance for the girl to walk beside him.
This strange atmosphere didn't dissipate even after they returned to A-Zhi's room.
"Don't be angry." Azhi pulled out a box of exquisitely packaged pastries from somewhere, trying to cheer up Yoshiyuki Tomioka with the dessert.
While carefully observing Yoshiyuki Tomioka's expression, she picked up a piece and offered it to him, coaxing, "It's a new flavor that's really delicious."
Desserts can make people feel happy, and A-Zhi always manages to feel happy.
"…………"
The girl's slightly parted lips were adorned with lip rouge, but because she had bitten her lip in her panic earlier, a piece had been accidentally eaten off. Her eyelashes were wet, and the corners of her eyes were slightly red, making her look extremely pitiful.
Tea was brewed on the table, steam rising and tea leaves floating. The refreshing aroma of tea mingled with the sweet scent of pastries. Warm light shone down from above, casting a halo around the girl's head.
What should have been a heartwarming scene did nothing to dispel the chilling aura emanating from Giyu Tomioka. He lowered his eyes and repeated, "I'm not angry because of you."
Yoshiyuki Tomioka couldn't quite put his finger on what was blocking his tight, throbbing chest. This feeling, so different from his usual self, made him frown in bewilderment, making him seem even more unapproachable.
However, rather than pondering the complex emotions he couldn't understand, Yoshiyuki Tomioka clearly recognized a pressing issue that needed to be addressed.
Azhi seems to never understand how weak she is, nor does she care about her own safety. Her behavior is reckless, and she is unable to avoid some crises that could have been avoided.
Perhaps they wanted to gather information.
Giyu Tomioka's face was half-hidden in shadow, making him appear even more aloof than usual.
His tone was as calm and even as ever, but his deep blue eyes were filled with seriousness as he stated the problem directly: "You don't need to do such unnecessary things."
Yoshiyuki Tomioka didn't know who Junichi Takahashi was, but his brief encounter with him didn't stop him from seeing the man's frivolity—he said those things so easily, and there was no sincerity in his words at all.
A woman who is redeemed from the brothel does not necessarily escape her tragic fate. If she encounters a bad person who redeems her, she may become even more unfortunate. Being beaten and scolded is common, and she may even be sold back.
If one is initially attracted by beauty, then one will naturally be attracted to the next person who is even more beautiful. Therefore, this man is just saying nice things to deceive people.
As for Azhi... in his mind, she was extremely easy to fool. She usually seemed to have no offensive power at all and was not very shrewd. It was very easy for her to be deceived by sweet words.
Yoshiyuki Tomioka stared intently at Aori, his tone completely flat. His intention was to warn Aori against "entertaining customers"—she was too weak to face unpredictable dangers alone.
Just like this time, if Giyu Tomioka hadn't arrived in time, Aori might not have been able to leave that room so easily. The thought of this possibility made Giyu Tomioka involuntarily frown.
The black-haired swordsman appears aloof, but once you get to know him, you'll find he's actually a very gentle person. He has a problem with his communication skills, often saying things that don't reflect his true feelings and are easily misunderstood.
So before the black-haired swordsman spoke, Aori was already prepared to be attacked. She sat up straight, trying to read the true meaning hidden in Tomioka Giyuu's words.
— Redundant!
—Recommended!
—That's unnecessary!!!
With just a few words, Azhi felt their power. Those words kept playing uncontrollably in her mind. They were too straightforward, and she couldn't understand any other meaning. All she felt was a cold and piercing verbal attack.
Aside from having a 000 bound to her, Aori is just an ordinary human. She has never received training from the Demon Slayer Corps system and only took on the mission of gathering information at the Tokitoya by chance.
Unlike the other team members who gather information on demons, she specializes in collecting information on humans. Since the Demon Slayer Corps is not recognized by the government, someone has to do this kind of work to get more information.
Yoshiwara, being a melting pot of people and frequented by high-ranking officials and nobles, was the perfect place to gather information.
Compared to others, her mission was much less dangerous and didn't require much skill. Azhi knew she was useless, but it was only when others said it that her inner defenses were more likely to crumble.
—It has appeared: Giyu Tomioka's verbal attack.
Azhi: ………
Azhi was stunned for a moment. Tomioka Giyuu's words lingered in her mind. She put the neglected snacks back in their place, opened her mouth but didn't say anything.
He looked like a little mushroom huddled in a corner, drooping dejectedly, muttering, "Why...why did he do that?!"
She has self-respect too.
000 witnessed the entire process and offered a relatively objective comment: "In some circumstances, what he said wasn't wrong."
However, A-Zhi saw this impartiality as biased, and she couldn't believe it; her heart was breaking: "You... how could you be like this too?"
"Nothing is being done unnecessarily..."
Aori's eyes were almost brimming with tears. She glanced quickly at Tomioka Giyuu, then slumped down listlessly, her voice growing weaker: "Although...although I didn't help much."
She was supposed to be here to help gather intelligence, but over the years she felt she hadn't found out anything. Sometimes she couldn't understand when the guests were discussing official business, so she couldn't get any useful information.
Besides the landlady's request, Azhi was also hoping to find out some useful information, but she was in trouble as soon as she heard about the railway.
— It's definitely better to just lie down; it's useless, but at least you won't run into any bad luck.
Azhi herself couldn't defend herself anymore. She became somewhat dejected, her slender white fingers curled up, and she slowly lowered her head: "I'm so useless."
Without Tomioka Yoshiyuki saying anything more, she had automatically completed the process from making excuses to admitting her mistakes.
Giyu Tomioka: That's not what I meant.
His intention was to remind Azhi to be careful, but things didn't go as he wished. He easily noticed Azhi's low spirits.
It was obvious that the girl's colors had suddenly dimmed, and her eyes were no longer as bright as they had been at the beginning, which made him unsure of how to start the conversation.
Giyu Tomioka was bewildered.
If a swordsman, or a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, were to casually say "I'm useless" in front of him, Giyu Tomioka would be furious and would severely reprimand the person for being irresponsible and a coward.
Because of his past experiences, he is particularly sensitive to such matters. Instead of lamenting his powerlessness and complaining, he should start making changes now.
However, Ah Zhi clearly couldn't withstand such blame.
She wasn't a demon-slaying swordsman, and upon closer examination, she couldn't even be considered a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Even the people in the 'Hidden Ones,' who were in charge of logistics and not particularly skilled in combat, seemed to be more capable than her.
Aori feels out of place among the demon hunters, who could die at any moment.
She seemed to belong in a safe place, being taken care of wholeheartedly, like a pampered daughter in a noble family, where everything she wanted would be delivered to her, allowing her to live a carefree life.
For a moment, Yoshiyuki Tomioka even had a question: Why did Aori come to Tokitoya in the first place?
"…………"
I don't know if it's because she's been hurt so much, but Azhi has become very good at comforting herself, or rather, brainwashing herself.
Although there's no way to change your own incompetence, you can try to become less incompetent... like this.
Azhi's frustration came and went quickly. Wanting to ease the atmosphere, she cheered up again, her eyes shining with undisguised joy.
000 just scanned Giyu Tomioka's body and found that he was not injured at all this time, which is a rare and something to celebrate.
Ever since Azhi learned that 000 had this function, she would have it secretly scan her every time she met Giyu Tomioka. The results usually made her terrified - how could someone with several broken ribs be able to talk as if nothing was wrong?
Aori had seen "ghosts" before; they looked terrifying and ate people. She didn't have the ability to fight the evil spirits alongside Giyu Tomioka, but that didn't stop her from sincerely admiring Giyu Tomioka's courage.
In Aori's view, every member of the Demon Slayer Corps has a kind of courage that is willing to risk their life.
However, the battles against the demons were not always smooth sailing; injuries were inevitable, and Aori was often worried about Giyu Tomioka's safety.
Out of concern, she gradually accumulated more and more medicines to treat wounds, just in case.
She naturally hoped she wouldn't need these medications.
“Yiyong…” Azhi rested her chin on her hand, her voice rising slightly at the end, drawing the black-haired swordsman’s attention back to herself.
She pouted and, with a hint of smugness, flirted with the vase, causing the origami cranes inside to sway instantly: "Looks like the origami cranes we folded together were actually useful."
Paper cranes carry sincere wishes, hoping that every moment will be peaceful and smooth.
"The gods heard our wishes, and this time you were indeed unharmed." The girl cleared her throat and sighed earnestly, a smile without a trace of gloom on her lips.
Like a sudden gust of wind, stirring the heartstrings.
Giyu Tomioka was much taller than Aori, so he didn't have to exert much effort; he could easily see every subtle expression on Aori's face by simply tilting his head slightly.
—It's too dazzling.
As if glowing, the girl's eyebrows curved with joy, soft strands of hair brushing against her cheeks. Her pure and unadulterated emotions made Yoshiyuki Tomioka's heart skip a beat.
As if by some strange twist of fate, Giyu Tomioka reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen down Aori's cheek behind her ear.
A note from the author:
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Let me see! Let me see! Let me see!
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