>> Kanae POV <<

We went out of the ramen shop. 

It's about 8 PM now. 

'Hehehe ~ He's so cute ❤' 

I felt my heart tugging at the sight of him awkwardly holding his chopsticks earlier. 

'He is so sweet too ~' 

Like me, he also didn't release our lover's hold. Even if he knew it was really hard to eat, added to the fact that he isn't good at using chopsticks, must be inconvenient for him.

It was just a normal occurrence for us as we also did this back then, like feeding each other out. But today, what happened earlier had that extra mile of sweetness I felt. 

"Hehehe ~ Shin, how was it, the ramen?" 

I asked Shin who was beside me, that was putting his hand inside his chest.

'She's patting Syri.' I thought.

"It was good, yeah. It tastes sweet? I don't know, I couldn't savor the taste that much since you were acting so sweetly to me. That's all I could taste." He said and gave a sly smile at me.

"Hehehe Is that so ~" I giggled.

"So, you're sugar levels must be shooting off the roof right now. Want me to check up on that?" I asked with a teasing tone.

"Keke ~ Well, you may do so doc." He chuckled and playfully patted his chest. 

"If you don't mind…" I moved closer and bend a little to put my ears in his chest and listen to his heartbeat. 

We were close in height. Shin was 5'8 ft., while I was 5'6 ft. tall. 

There was a way to check a person's sugar levels manually, without the help of modern technology which I learned from my parents back then. But it wasn't like this. 

Well, whatever.

I then sense a hand caressing the back of my head that felt very comforting. The act was making me feel safe and well guarded. His strokes were slow and gentle as if treating me like delicate glass. 

'Comfy ~ ❤'

In response, I put arms around him, closing it from his back, hugging him tightly — like I was afraid to lose him again.

I was standing in an awkward position because I was tilting my body. I didn't want to smother Syri that was sleeping in the area around his abdomen which I can see from the slight bump from there.

"I missed you…" I said, my voice trailed off.

"..." He didn't say anything and just continued caressing my head.

We spent a couple of minutes glued in that position.

The cold night wind brushed off, I was feeling slightly freezing by the minute.

I wasn't wearing my demon slayer uniform but just a normal kimono. The uniform was built so that we can stay warm at night when fighting the demons. 

I left it in the house which was a home designated to me just for the entire course of my mission here. 

A mission that was likely a failure since I haven't caught on to any demon or sort of supernatural entity that disturbs this place. 

The reports about young women being abducted were just a false alarm, at least according to the information I gathered by staying here in the village. I had asked people about it but most of them said that there was no one from the village that was missing. 

I disguised as someone that had arrived here as a traveling Dango shop owner and decided to stay in the village for a while. The natives were so accepting so they welcomed me with open arms. 

Almost a month has passed already…

Now that I thought about it, It's been a week since I sent my report to headquarters. 

I've already sent back the troupe that accompanied me on this mission. I'm just exactly waiting for the retreat order to be issued at any moment. 

*Woooooosh*

Another wind which was a lot colder than before brushed off my body. 

"... Shin, I'm cold." I'm not faking it right now I do feel cold but I can still handle it. My body is trained after all. 

He stopped caressing my head and asked,

"... I am invited to your home right?"

"Of course you are. Silly, I am the one who invited you earlier." 

"Then, let's go home."

I looked up and see him smiling at me.

"Hehehe ~ Let's go." I giggled and agreed with him.

Then I took a step and started to walk but I noticed that Shin didn't move which made me stop.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"You're feeling cold right? Hop on my back, It'll make you warm."

"Hehe ~ How am I going to feel warm about that when my back is totally going to be exposed, stupid ~" I chuckled at his idea. 

"You just want to feel me up right? Admit it ~" I teased him.

"It's that too but try it you'll see, I'm telling you the truth. But if you don't want –"

"Ara ~ What do I do with you, you're such a perv." I didn't let him finish what he was about to say as I moved to his back, put my hands on his shoulders, and climbed up.

His two hands then took hold of my legs and fixed my position.

His back was slightly wider than mine. We were not too far different in body frame. But he was bigger and much more compact than I am. It was expected since he was a man after all.

I can feel his hard, lean, back muscles.

But still —

'It's comfortable.' 

Then I saw his body — No, his clothes shined brightly and seconds later I felt something wrapping the exposed skin of my body which was the arms and feet. My clothes were being layered too.

I was suddenly not feeling that slight cold in my skin. It was warm. 

"What was that?!" 

I was surprised and raised my voice slightly and asked Shin.

"Kekeke ~ It's warm right?" He chuckled and asked.

"Yes it's warm but what was that?"

I asked him once again.

"I'll tell you about it later."

"...Okay." I am curious but I didn't push for more.

He then started walking.

"Where is your house located?"

"Just go in that direction. It's a bit far from here. It's in the opposite corner of the village."

I pointed to the south, in the opposite direction from the ramen shop.

"You're a regular here right? Do you always eat at night there?" He asked. He was talking about the ramen shop.

"I do eat there often at night. Hehehe ~ but don't worry about it. I'm strong. I can defend myself." 

"..." He fell silent. I saw from the side, that his face made an angry expression for a second, and that went away quickly as if it didn't happen.

I know what that meant. 

He was worried that I, a girl, was walking alone at night. 

There might be crazy men out there wanting to commit a crime and assault a woman. 

There was a time when I encountered that scenario but I taught those dudes a lesson back then.

The villagers here aren't that strong. They're weak. The only thing that can endanger me is a demon — No, specifically a high demon. Like an upper moon for example. Though, I haven't encountered an upper moon yet. 

I want to tell him about me being a slayer but I have to be against the thought, at least for now. I have to start from the beginning and it would take ages for me to finish the explanation because I know he would likely ask for more in-depth details.

It's not that I want to keep him in the dark.

I'll just tell him tomorrow. Explaining is a chore for me. I just want to have a good time with him today — to catch up for the moment that I had never been with him for a very long time.

'I missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed missed him sooooooooo much' 

I don't want distractions. 

My head was currently resting on his shoulder with my hands beneath my chin right now.

'I want to feel him more ❤'

So I moved my head to his neck and wrapped my arms around his chest. 

My lips and nose touched his skin. 

*Sniff* *Sniff* *Sniff* 

I sniffed at it.

He smells good. Like a fresh, wild scent of nature — wood-like, mixed with a little bit of sulfur present on hot springs. 

"Keke ~" I heard him chuckle. 

…