Shinobu Kocho left Mr. Urokodaki angrily, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration.
"Really, how could I like that annoying demon?"
"What is Mr. Urokodaki worried about?"
"He actually thinks that I like that demon, what is this all about?"
"It's too late for me to hate demons; how could I like a demon—well..."
Shinobu Kocho muttered angrily. Thinking of Sakonji Urokodaki's meaningful eyes just now, she felt annoyed.
"Although, that demon seems to be less annoying recently."
"Although, the demon I feel recently is so interesting."
"But you can't just say that I like that demon, can you?"
Turning her head, she looked at Kanao Tsuyuri who was being carried on her back: "Kanao, do you think I like that stupid demon?"
Silence.
"How can I expect an answer from you?"
Seeing Kanao like this, Shinobu Kocho muttered unconsciously.
Returning to the courtyard of the room again, Shinobu Kocho's eyes unconsciously fell on the room where Sam used to live.
The demon left suddenly, and she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
There was a very empty feeling.
"I won't really fall in love with that demon like Mr. Urokodaki said, will I?"
She murmured, shaking her head vigorously:
"I just... just treat him as a friend, so I don't like him."
"Yes, they are friends."
But, if it's just a friend, what about the fact that he kissed me secretly a few days ago?
Can friends kiss?
"Oh, it's so annoying."
The girl felt like her head was going to explode.
In all these years, she had never become so irritable because of one person.
"It would be nice if my sister was by my side."
At this moment, Shinobu Kocho suddenly missed her sister. If she were around, her gentle sister would definitely tell her the answer.
Shadow Peak was a small town thirty miles to the west.
Originally...
This small town was very lively, but recently, almost every once in a while, girls from the village would disappear mysteriously.
"Have you heard? Another girl disappeared recently?"
"Yeah! It seems to be Oka Hiroyuta's daughter."
"I saw it. Hiroyuta Oka cried so pitifully today that he almost fainted from crying."
"Yeah! It's been a bit uneasy recently. Is it caused by some human traffickers?"
"I think it's more likely...a demon."
"Demon? Are you kidding me? Why are there demons in this world?"
Walking on the streets of the town, you could hear such conversations from time to time. A man wearing a bamboo hat and covered in black clothes stopped.
Under the bamboo hat, Sam's golden eyes flickered slightly.
Next to him was a girl wearing a fox mask with a flower pattern.
Such a strange combination made people nearby look over from time to time.
After all, recently, young girls in the town had been missing late at night from time to time. Now, two people in strange clothes suddenly appeared in the town. It's hard not to make people suspicious.
"Did a demon do it?"
Makomo tilted her head and pointed the cute fox mask at Sam.
"It should be."
Sam said softly. If memory serves correctly, in the anime, this demon was supposed to be killed by Tanjiro later.
But now, apparently not dead.
"Then how do we find that demon?"
Makomo frowned delicately.
Sam was also slightly annoyed.
Tanjiro found the demon by relying on his keen sense of smell, detecting the scent of the demon, and searching for it.
But he doesn't have Tanjiro's nose.
However...
That doesn't mean there's no other way.
Involuntarily, he looked at Makomo.
She had short black hair, a slender figure, and was wearing a pink dress embroidered with petals. Although she was still young, her figure already showed exquisite curves.
She was a young girl who fit the demon's preference.
Being stared at by Sam, Makomo felt a little uneasy.
"Don't look at me like that... If you have something to say, just say it, sir."
Makomo couldn't help taking a step back.
"Well, okay, come here with your ears, and I'll tell you."
Sam beckoned.
Makomo showed hesitation but still put her ear close to him.
As Sam whispered in her ear, Makomo's cute little ears trembled accordingly.
After a while, Makomo raised her head shyly.
"How can this be?"
Makomo pinched her sleeves with her small hands. Although the mask covered her face, the girl's cheeks must have turned red.
"No way, you heard it too, that demon seems to be very interested in young girls, so I can only trouble Makomo as bait."
"Besides, there is no other way to find it in a short time, and if the demon is not found soon, I am afraid other girls may fall into the demon's clutches..."
"Okay, why don't I agree?"
Sam had explained it all; how could she not agree?
"Okay, but you can't dress like this now."
Sam looked at Makomo up and down, resting his chin in his hand, and pondered. Although Makomo is cute now, due to her simple dress, it doesn't perfectly showcase her beauty.
Stared at by Sam's scrutinizing eyes, Makomo always felt a little flustered.
"Then what do you say you need?"
Makomo nearly closed her eyes.
"Leave it to me."
While speaking, he first removed Makomo's mask, and then took off the girl's hairpin.
As the hairpin was taken off, the girl's hair fell down all at once.
The girl's hair wasn't particularly long, but it wasn't short either, just shoulder length.
All of a sudden, she transformed from a cute girl into a more mature young lady.
It's just that something was still missing.
"Let's go to the tailor shop and the jewelry store to do some shopping..."
As he spoke, he took Makomo's hand and led her away.
"Is he your suitor?"
In the jewelry store, the clerk looked at Sam who was helping Makomo choose the jewelry and couldn't help asking Makomo.
"No, no..."
Makomo shook her head hastily.
"That's such a pity. It can be seen that he treats you very well. Also, look at how beautiful the jewelry he picked for you is. It really looks so good when it matches you. His taste is so accurate!"
The clerk showed a hint of envy: "If someone were so generous to buy such beautiful jewelry for me, I must fall in love with him."
Under the bamboo hat, Sam's golden eyes couldn't help but glance at the clerk. The clerk said this on purpose, and the plan was obvious, just to stimulate him to buy jewelry.
Sure enough, no one in this world should be underestimated.
Makomo, with her lack of worldly experience, couldn't know that the female clerk was being manipulative. Her face turned red when she was complimented, and at the same time, she glanced at Sam from time to time, quickly looking away.
She just felt a little joy in her heart.
Ever since she was a child, no one had ever bought anything for her.