Kanae looked at her sister in surprise, not expecting her to bring up a familial topic during the day trip.

"What do you mean-"

"You haven't been responding to my text messages nor my calls." Shinobu cut her off, her voice an accusation of her sister's lack of presence in her life. Despite the harshness, there was a hint of sadness, a longing for her sister's attention.

"Shinobu..." Kanae began but Shinobu continued.

"... Come back to Kimetsu no Academy..." a soft mutter emitted from the younger female's lips.

"Come on Shinobu, you know I can't do that. Kocho Corps needs me so I can't leave whenever I want." The older female attempted to reason.

"But what about your needs? You haven't even graduated yet! Do you know what that implies? I don't want you to be known as the only dropout from that elite school without a degree! More than ever, I really wanted you to enjoy your school years. I know how much Demon Slayer means to you and it hurts me knowing that you must cast your passion aside for the sake of our company. An inheritance you never wanted in the first place." Shinobu's sharp and accusatory voice sliced through the fragile air surrounding them, leaving Kanae momentarily stunt by Shinobu's sudden and reasonable emotional outburst.

Meanwhile, the others were having a blast on the beach, unaware of the conflict that had occurred between the siblings. Daki was soaking in the shallow seawater, having acquired a water gun, she was shooting pistols of water droplets at the other girls who were soaked in the waters too. Thanks to the shade provided by the Kocho family's tent, Daki had no problems playing.

Nezuko and Kanao were building a sandcastle together near the edge of the island where the ocean water would lap up against the soft sand. Molding various shapes with their nimble fingers, Kanao and Nezuko made a small sandcastle and adorned the sides with seaweed and twigs washed ashore.

Nakime was lounging idly against a beach chair, her hands and mind preoccupied with a magazine as she immersed in the world of top artists of the year. Thick layers of sunscreen covered her body and face, a massive straw hat sitting comfortably on the top of her head and black sunglasses covered her eyes, complementing the dark ribbon tied around the rim of her hat. She almost looked like a model.

(Y/N) and Mitsuri were soaked in the gentle ocean waters, taking turns playing with the water gun Daki had. Waters splashing and playful giggles filled the air, a testament to the immense joy the girls were experiencing.

"My turn!" (Y/N) got a hold of the neon coloured water gun and aimed at Mitsuri and Daki's bodies. It was difficult to pinpoint their exact location because the girls were constantly swimming around, dodging (Y/N)'s attack.

When it was Mitsuri's turn, she was too focused on perfecting her aiming instead of actually shooting water. The poor girl was having a hard time concentrating with water splashing everywhere, causing distractions and commotions that hindered her thinking. However, due to her agility she easily maneuvered her body through the gentle water ripples, effectively escaping the other girls' futile ambushes.

Not long after, Daki exclaimed that she was hungry. The girl stepped out of the water body, shivering slightly as the wind blew against her wet skin. (Y/N) and Mitsuri followed suit, emerging from the shallow waters and regrouping.

"It's about lunchtime so we should start preparing the table. I'll go ask Kanae- Wait, where is she?"

Mitsuri looked around.

"I don't see Shinobu around either."

"I saw the both of them head into the forest over there." Nakime looked up from her magazine, lowering her sunglasses to make eye contact with the soaked girls as she pointed towards a dense greenery.

"Shinobu did mention she wants to go look for insects. Perhaps they went insect hunting together." Mitsuri noted, pinching her chin with her thumb and index finger as she recalled her best friend's earlier comment.

"I'll go look for them." (Y/N) declared, "While I'm gone, could you set up the tables and bring out the food-"

Without even finishing her sentence, there was a commotion from the yacht. A walkway was formed, connecting the watercraft to land. As the door slammed open, staff under the Kocho company who accompanied the girls on their little excursion walked out of the yacht, each carrying a tray of delectable goods.

"Miss, please rest assured we will make all the necessary arrangements. We should be done in about ten minutes." One of the worker explained, bowing slightly. Darn these rich people.

"... Anyway I'll be going now. Save some food for us, alright?"

(Y/N) waved goodbye before slipping her sandals on, venturing into the jungle.

The girl walked deeper and deeper into the forest, nearing the core of this island. Her steps careful and calculated, her sense heightened as she constantly turned her head around, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of the two missing girls.

As (Y/N) edged closer to the Kocho siblings' whereabouts, her steps seemed to have slowed down. The volume of Shinobu and Kanae's heated argument increased with every step (Y/N) took. The young girl found herself walking in slow-mo as if afraid to startle them. Her ears perked up, picking up snippets of their conversation until-

Snap.

Too focused on snooping, (Y/N) had forgotten to be vigilant. The sudden sharp sound caused the Kocho siblings to snap their head back, their eyes landing on the witness of their personal conversation.

"... Hey guys, it's lunchtime and the others are wondering where you two ran off to." (Y/N) said casually, brushing off the fact that she got caught red-handed eavesdropping.

Awkward, Shinobu avoided eye contact while Kanae quickly attempted to reassure me, saying they'll be back soon.

"We've been gone for so long? So sorry to make you worry. We'll be heading back soon." Kanae said, flashing a reassuring smile with a lot of tension hidden beneath the surface.

"Great! Then let's go-"

As if on cue, a searing thunderbolt sliced through the air, halting the three girls in their tracks. Not even seconds later, a fierce thunderstorm came. Hostile thunderbolts cracking in the sky along with heavy rainfalls. Evidently, it was unsafe to even attempt to return to the others.

Panicked, (Y/N) immediately started looking around for a temporary shelter. Her eyes landed on the opening to a cave conveniently a couple metres away from their current location.

"Let's take shelter there and wait for the thunderstorm to pass!" (Y/N) yelled, her voice combating the booming sound of the heavy rainstorm. The Kocho siblings nodded and the three made haste, running into the cavern.

"We should be safe for now. I'll contact the others to let them know we're okay." Kanae said, sending a quick message to Kanao. Afterwards, the girl tucked her phone into her pocket safely.

Meanwhile, Shinobu had been really quiet ever since (Y/N) was caught eavesdropping. The purple-haired girl sat down, her upper body leaning against the rocky wall as her eyes flickered between her sister and (Y/N).

...

𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬シ︎

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 1288