He's gone by the time you wake up.

"(Y/N)-sama, he left at dawn this morning. I hope you don't mind..."

You blink. Already?

"No, it's fine. I don't mind."

You do mind.

After a quick breakfast of onigiri and roasted sweet potatoes- you can't help but think of Kyojuro now and you secretly think Taro-kun planned this- washed down with some green tea, you leave the house and head for Oyakata-sama's residence. Last night via your dove, he had sent out a message to all the Pillars and you, notifying you of a meeting taking place tomorrow morning.

I wonder what could Oyakata-sama want... you ponder to yourself as the gates surrounding his estate come into view. A Kakushi standing outside bows deeply at the waist upon seeing you and wishes you a good morning, to which you return the greeting.

Oyakata-sama is not here yet. Some of the other Pillars are mingling in the garden outside. Most of them are here already, but a few of them are missing.
The Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu, and the Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi. They are not here yet.

You already know that the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Shinjuro, will not be here today.

"Ara ara! (Y/N)-chan!"

Upon hearing that fluttery and soft female voice, you spin around to see the Flower Pillar, Kocho Kanae, with her ever-present gentle smile gracing her face. Her lavender eyes glimmer fondly as she gazes down on you and the wings of her butterfly hair clips flutter in the wind. Her hot-tempered and opinionated little sister, Kocho Shinobu, is nowhere to be seen, but considering their tight-knit bond, you knew she was around here somewhere.

"It's nice to see you again, (Y/N)-chan! Ara, you're still wearing that butterfly hair clip I made for you when you first joined? It still suits you perfectly as it did back then!"

The hair clip in question was a white butterfly with pitch-black spots and edging. It is pinned to the bun you wear your hair in at the crown of your head and it's huge on you, as big as the span of your hands side-by-side with your fingers spread out. As it was so huge, it was highly attention-grabbing, especially with its stark color contrast of black against white, but you didn't mind. In fact, it was one of your favorite hair accessories.

When she had made it for you, she deliberately chose a white butterfly to work off of.

"Don't doctors wear white? Earlier today, I saw you wearing a white haori at your official introduction and you wear that white smock of yours whenever you're in your office."

She spun you around and pinned it to your hair.

"There, all done. Ara ara, it suits you perfectly! I did make it for you, but I didn't expect it to turn out this well. What a nice surprise!"

She handed you a mirror and you examined your reflection. The butterfly hair clip was huge and was easily recognizable, even at a distance. You had to admit it did suit you quite well.

"(Y/N)-chan."

Her hands closed around yours. They were small and delicate, fitting for a young woman like her, but her hands were unexpectedly rough and calloused from thousands of hours of sword practice. By comparison, yours must've felt as smooth as silk and as soft as a baby's.

"(Y/N)-chan, our angel in white. Can you promise me that whenever you're on duty or out in the field that you will wear this hair clip?"

Flustered by the title, all you could do was nod and try to cover the flush on your face.

Only now did you understand why she made you promise that. You were the only one in the Corps who had a hair accessory like that and it became a beacon of hope for all the slayers. If they were injured, they could come running to you for treatment after recognizing your iconic hair clip.

"It's nice to see you again too, Kanae-san! But has it seriously been over a year since I joined the Demon Slayer Corps?"

You'd never forget that day and the trepidation that came with your official introduction.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet the new official doctor for the Demon Slayer Corps. Her name is (Y/N) (L/N) and I do hope you will get along with her."

The Pillars immediately take a knee in front of you. You are sitting seiza-style on the engawa alongside Oyakata-sama and Kiriya, fidgeting a bit.

"It is an honor to meet you, (Y/N)-san. We look forward to working with you in the future."

You bow in return. "Likewise."

They get back up and upon seeing what you look like, their faces break out in shock.

"O-Oyakata-sama! With all due respect, she is the new official doctor? She's so young!"

"True," he says. "She is only fifteen years old but shows much promise and talent already. I personally have great faith in her and I trust that you all will too."

You notice one pillar is staring intently at you. His brows are furrowed as if he's trying to remember something from the past. His hair, the color of a raging fire, catches your eye.

You have never seen anything quite like it before.

"Oyakata-sama, could she possibly be...?"

An ambivalent smile appears across his face.

"You're right, Shinjuro.

"(Y/N) is the daughter of the former official doctor for the Demon Slayer Corps, (D/N) (L/N)."

At the mention of your father, your throat clenches up and you feel as if you can't breathe. Your hands clenched into fists beside you and you grab the fabric of your skirt. The other Pillars seem to notice this and quickly divert the topic away from him. You can feel the newfound sense of respect they have for you, but you want nothing more than to leave this meeting.

The rest of the meeting passes in a blur and you don't remember anything, only Oyakata-sama dismissing you all.

As you stand up to leave, you make eye contact with a certain Pillar. His uniform is unbuttoned at the top and scars are stretching across his chest and face. His head of white hair stands out like a pile of freshly fallen snow.

He nods at you and you smile back; an exchange of familiarity that lasted only a second but left all the other Pillars baffled.

"Thanks for back then, Sanemi," you say before leaving.

"Mm. No need to thank me."

The shoji door slides shut behind you, and you are gone.

"It has, (Y/N)-chan! Time sure does fly by, doesn't it? Ah, Shinazugawa-san!"

Kanae waves towards the Wind Pillar who has just walked in through the gates. He perks up just a bit upon seeing her, jogging over to greet her. The barest hint of a smile is present on his normally-scowling face.

You suspect the two are dating.

The Water Pillar, Tomioka Giyuu, is not far behind him. He makes eye contact with you halfway across the garden and nods in greeting.

"Good morning, (Y/N)-san."

"Good morning to you as well, Tomioka-san."

He's as stoic and emotionless as usual. Some things never changed.

"Oyakata-sama has arrived."

The sound of shoji doors sliding open immediately makes you all get on one knee to acknowledge his presence. You are kneeling between Kanae and Giyuu, which is your usual spot during Pillar meetings.

You still feel out of place here, and it's not just because you are the shortest among everyone present, excluding Oyakata-sama's children.

"It seems as if all of my children are present here today," he says, examining all of you lined up before him. "That's good to see. Today's meeting is just a check-in to see how each of you are doing."

It seems as if everyone is doing alright. Casualties on missions have been kept to the barest minimum and their daily patrols at night are going smoothly. Those who have Tsuguko report that their training is going well.

"(Y/N), my child?"

"Yes?" you ask.

"A little birdie told me that you're spending quite a bit of time with a slayer by the name of Rengoku Kyojuro. Is that right?"

You can feel everybody's gazes lingering on you now and it doesn't help the blush that's creeping up your neck.

"Is that a flamboyant blush I see?"

You shoot a glare that could kill at Uzui, who's smirking down at you.

"Watch your tongue, Tengen, or that'll be the next thing I slice off."

He rolls his eyes, knowing you'd never do that.

Your dove, Poyo, lands on Oyakata-sama's outstretched finger. He flutters his wings and you swear he is looking at you smugly, as if to say what are you going to do about it?

Steam is coming out of your ears at this point. If looks could kill, your dove would be nothing more than a pile of ashes.

Poyo, you little-! I am so going to kill you when we get back!

But you cannot lie to Oyakata-sama's face. So, while cursing Uzui and Poyo and swallowing your pride, you nod.

"Yes. That is true, Oyakata-sama. I treated his wounds on his first mission and we've been good friends ever since."

"Good friends, you say?" asked Kanae next to you. You can hear a teasing lilt to her voice and it drives you insane to no extent. "Are you sure that's all?"

"I think (Y/N) over here has a flamboyant crush on someone!" declares Uzui.

You are this close to throwing a fistful of pebbles at his face to shut him up.

"I repeat, we are only good friends, nothing else. I'm far too busy with my work to even have time for a crush anyways."

"Uh-huh," Kanae and Uzui say in sync. It sends shivers up your spine and you don't have a good feeling about this.

"I'm glad to hear one of my children has a lover. I wish you both well in life."

"I- ugh!"

You bury your face in your hands, wishing you could just die at this moment and not have to hear the laughs of the other Pillars around you. Even Nichika and Kanata are in on it, laughing at your embarrassment.

Who knew Oyakata-sama had such a mischievous side to him?

»»————　♔　————-««

You are still fuming even after the meeting is over, but whether it be of embarrassment or anger, you do not know.

"Nee-san! Nee-san!"

You hear Shinobu nearby. She is leaning against the gates, usual scowl on her face. It does not disappear, but her expression does lighten a bit upon seeing you and her big sister.

"That took longer than you told me it would, nee-san!"

"Sorry," she apologizes with a sheepish smile on her face. "I'll make it up for you by letting you decide what you want for dinner tonight."

She lets out a "hmph" and looks the other way, but you can tell she is secretly pleased.

"Shinobu, do you know (Y/N)-chan has a boyfriend already? You should get one too!"

Both of you scream in shock at the same time.

"Kanae-san!"

"Nee-san!"

Shinobu turns on you, an expression that's somewhere between anger and confusion on her face.

"Do you really have a boyfriend, (Y/N)-chan?"

"I don't!" you shout back. "I tried to explain to them that he was just a friend, but they couldn't get it through their thick skulls!"

"I don't need a boyfriend!" declares Shinobu. "As long as I have nee-san and (Y/N)-chan, I'll be just fine! But..."

She shoots a glance towards you, curiosity in her compound-like violet eyes.

"... What's this guy like, (Y/N)-chan?"

"Oh, well, um, he's-"

"He's right here!" declares a voice from behind you. You flinch at the feeling of warm, calloused hands resting atop your shoulders.

You already know who they belong to.

Shinobu and Kanae cover their mouths in shock, and also to stifle their laughs upon seeing your beet-red face. You're biting your bottom lip so hard it's on the verge of bleeding and you are looking anywhere except at the Kocho sisters.

"Oh my," Kanae chuckled. "(Y/N)-chan, he's quite the handsome man. Are you sure he isn't your boyfriend?"

Now the both of you are a flustered and embarrassed mess. Kyojuro removes his hands from your shoulders and you find yourself missing the warmth of his hands but you have no time to dwell on that thought as you quickly move away, taking a particular interest in a tree off to the side of the path.

"He is not," you snap. "We are friends. I repeat, we are only friends."

"Aw, that's a pity," whined Kanae. "If I were you, I would so totally take him as my boyfriend. What if another girl comes around and tries to steal him?"

You are this close to losing it. She doesn't miss how the veins at the back of your neck are bulging in vexation.

Kyojuro rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and coughs, breaking the tense silence.

"A-anyway, (Y/N), I just stopped by because I wanted to let you know that I'll be heading out soon!"

You turn towards him, all traces of your previous irritation gone and as calm and serene as the glassy surface of an undisturbed lake now. Even Shinobu is surprised by how fast your mood has changed.

"You are? What's your mission this time?"

"It's in a town to the northwest of here. Over 30 women and girls have been reported missing there. There's a chance it could be a demon's doing, so they're sending me over to go check it out."

"Hmm. I see. But I do feel bad for the families of the missing girls. Let's hope they're alright."

"Indeed!"

Somewhere in the middle of your conversation, Kanae and Shinobu have silently left so it is just you two standing in the middle of the path, lost in your own world.

"Well then, I'll be off!"

"So soon?" you ask, tilting your head to the side. You gaze at him with your doe eyes and Kyojuro's heart pounds in his chest erratically.

Why must you look at me like that...?

"W-Well, the town is quite a distance from here, after all. I'd best get a head start before nightfall, lest I arrive too late, no?"

You offer him a doll-like smile in response, not unlike the one Kanae wears.

"You do make a good point. If you have any injuries afterwards, don't hesitate to stop by my estate. Your health is of the utmost importance, Kyojuro."

He nods and turns around, ready to be on his way to his next mission.

"I will, but I will also try not to get injured in the first place. After all, I know you care deeply about my well-being, (Y/N)!"

Your smile turns giddy and you have to forcefully suppress the squeal building in the back of your throat. It was true, yes. You did care deeply for his well-being, although maybe it was too deep and maybe considered unprofessional by most standards.

The crunch of sticks and leaves underfoot makes you mentally slap yourself back to reality.

Turning around, you see Sanemi walking towards you, most likely on his way back to his estate. He sees you and raises his hand in greeting. You return the favor.

"Good morning, Sanemi."

He stops a few feet in front of you.

"Good morning to you too, (Y/N)."

"Are you on your way back home?"

"Yeah. I've got the rest of the day off, so I'm planning to use it productively. What about you, (Y/N)?"

"Ah, I'm still on duty the rest of the day. I'm just going to be holed up in my office the rest of the day like usual."

He flicks your forehead. You flinch at the mild pain, but the gesture is affectionate, much like what an older brother would do.

"That's bad for your health and especially your eyes, (Y/N). You need to go outside more and give yourself a break. If anyone has anything against that, I'll slaughter their asses."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," you grumble, rolling your eyes and massaging the spot where he has flicked you. "But, Sanemi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks again. For what you did for me back then."

He rolls his eyes. "Not this again," he grumbles, but you can tell he doesn't mean it. "How many times have I told you to stop thanking me for that? You're here and that's all that matters."

Kyojuro is standing off to the side, unsure and a little curious as to what the shared history between you two was. He's not sure how to step in and he's not sure if he wants to, as the Wind Pillar's aura terrifies him down to his bones.

"Take care of yourself, (Y/N)."

"You too, Sanemi. Stop throwing yourself in front of danger so recklessly, ok?"

He bids you goodbye and walks away until he is out of sight. Kyojuro waits until he is out of earshot before exhaling a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"... You mentioned that he did something for you a long time ago," he began. "What was it?"

"It wasn't that long ago," you corrected. "But he did something for me that I'll never forget when I first joined the Corps."

"What was it?"

You are silent for a moment.

"He played a huge part in my official acceptance as the new doctor for the Corps."

Kyojuro's eyebrows shoot up so fast that they look like they're going to fly to the moon. His mouth forms a little "o" shape as he blinked owlishly at you.

"Really? How? What'd he do? What happened?"

You hold a finger to his lips, effectively shushing him. It is a bold move on your part, but you want to tease him a little bit and see his reaction.

Kanae's nature must have rubbed off onto you more than you expected.

"I'll tell you the whole story when you come back, alright? How does that sound?"

You remove your finger from his lips and you cannot help but think about how soft and warm they were. His face is as red as the tips of his hair and he is nodding eagerly.

"Sure, that sounds good! I look forward to hearing the story when I get back!"

He spins around with a bit more force than necessary and takes off, waving goodbye to you.

"I'll be back soon!" he calls out.

The doll-like smile is still on your face, but a hint of sadness is present in your eyes.

"Do be safe, please," you whisper.

But it goes unheard.

»»————　♔　————-««

Shinobu flops onto your Western-style bed, the bedsprings creaking in protest beneath her. Kanae is helping you organize your closet and you allow her to take whatever clothes she wants that you do not.

"Do you think this cloche hat would suit me?" she asks. You look up from tuning the strings of your biwa to see her holding a cream-colored hat with a pink ribbon going around the brim of it and tied into a bow near the front.

"Try it on," you suggest. "There's no way to know for sure until you do so."

The three of you were currently gathered in your room. You had invited them over to your estate for dinner and now you were just having some bonding time together. Shinobu is lying on your bed, flipping through some of your fashion magazines with great interest. Kanae has a pile of clothes and accessories she plans to take home lying next to her.

You furrow your brow. It's not quite in tune yet.

Twisting the pegs at the base of the strings, you strike them with the bachi. The twanging, buzzing sound of the biwa echoes in your large room and you nod in satisfaction.

There we go. That's the sound.

You pull out some sheet music and play through it as a warm-up for your fingers a few times before progressing onto more difficult pieces. It goes smoothly at first until you are about halfway through another piece, when your fingers get