⎣Demon Slayer: Yōkai Wife⎤ [雪花] |Kyōjurō Rengoku x Yuki-onna!Reader|

5: In Search

Kyojuro climbed up a tree before allowing his red and amber eyes to scan over the snowy woodland.

The woodlot was quite vast and opaque. The canopy was marked by pine, birch, and beech trees. Thick tree branches hung from several trees, and a mishmash of grass and plant growth stood out.

Luckily, the light from the sun was melting the snow in some areas, just enough to cultivate the sloping ground below.

"Hmm, now where could those bells be?" He said to himself, his gold and red eyes scanning the area.

There was movement from the corner of his right eye, and Kyojuro glanced to see Otsune's pet owl, Shiro, sitting on a branch of a nearby tree, watching him.

"I don't suppose you'll tell me where you've hidden them." He chuckled towards the bird.

As if Shiro could easily understand him, the owl only rotated its head as if telling him "no" and making Kyojuro laugh softly.

"Fair enough, my fine feathered friend."

It's only been three hours since his first test began, and already Kyojuro hasn't made much progress in his search for the bell.

Sighing deeply, Kyojuro descended from the tree and gathered his bearings. He wouldn't be able to cover much ground at this rate, and he most certainly didn't like the idea of staying out all night.

And giving up was definitely not an option.

"Now let's see, if I were a bell in the woods, where would I hide?" He says to himself, holding his chin, deep in thought.

Obviously, his best answer would be in a tree; however, considering how prodigious the woods were, there's just too much thicket. And he definitely wouldn't be able to find the bells by sunset if he were to search every tree.

"Okay, let's think." He closes his eyes, pondering.

"Hmm, what was it that Lady Otsune said again?" He mumbled.

'Remember to stay calm, remain visual, and spot the obvious!'

"Spot the obvious? I wonder what that could mean." The flame-haired male furrowed his brows in question.

It was then that he heard a 'woo' and averted his gaze towards Shiro. The owl's big, round, sun-yellow eyes glared down at him.

"Spot...the obvious..." Kyojuro repeated.

Shiro was the one that hid the bells, so therefore the bird definitely knew the answer.

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You constantly paced back and forth, your mind coursing with worry.

Rengoku's been in the woods for almost four hours now, and already your patience is wearing thin.

You'd huff, your eyes glancing towards the grove from time to time. Otsune was seated beside you with a book in her hand. She hadn't said anything to you since Rengoku went into the woods.

"He's got to be frustrated by now!" You say.

"You shouldn't underestimate Rengoku-san so easily, [Name]. Why do you wish for him to fail?" The wise old woman finally spoke.

You stopped your frantic pacing and quickly glared at her.

"It's not that I want him to fail, Obachan. I just think this whole thing is pointless."You say.

"I mean, what's the point anyway? What if Kyojuro grows tired of me? What if he ends up abandoning me like all the others?" You added.

Abandon.

That single word made your heart ache as so many emotions rocked through you like a tsunami. All of your insecurities are slowly crashing down around you.

Though you stubbornly won't admit it, you'd actually want Kyojuro to succeed. Indeed, the flame-haired boy had been a strange one when you'd met, but over the months of playing hard to get, you'd gradually developed feelings for him.

Was it his flamboyant(?) looks or perhaps his cheerfully eccentric personality? You don't know!

However, you'd been let down so many times by various people in your life, even by your own family, whom you trusted above all others, that you remotely believed that no one would ever love you.

No one would ever love the girl who people called the Snow Witch.

Otsune's brown eyes stared at you, as if sensing your inner turmoil.

"You overreact too much, [Name]. You must have faith." She says it softly.

"I believe Rengoku-san is different. He is a sedulous young man who, as I can tell, clearly loves you! But if you are unsure, then perhaps you should talk to him? After all, the only way to truly understand... is through communication."She smiles.

"Love is a very complicated thing, just like sewing with a broken finger!" She added, and you couldn't help but give a soft laugh at her peculiar wise quotes.

Though you'd known Otsune almost your entire life, the wise woman was an enigma.

But she was right-maybe you should stop overreacting. Perhaps Rengoku truly was your'soulmate' and that you were just being dumb?

"Then, what if he doesn't succeed by sundown?" You asked softly as you stared idly towards the woods.

"Well, there's always tomorrow! I did say that this was a test to test his resolve~ to see whether he'll give up or not. But I have faith that he'll succeed." Otsune explains.

"And besides, don't you think it's about time you stop being lonely and find happiness?" She asks.

You blushed before nodding.

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"I GOT IT!" Kyojuro exclaimed excitedly, causing Shiro to become startled by his sudden outburst.

He had an idea as he glanced up at Shiro, who was still perched in a tree.

'Shiro is an owl, which means owls would often hide out in tree hollows or burrows!' Kyojuro inwardly thought, and his red and amber eyes glanced up at Shiro.

"Hmm, now the real question is, where?" Kyojuro pondered.

He then recalled Otsune telling him something else.

'Shiro never strays far from the temple, so you have until sundown.'

"So that means the bells are somewhere near the temple!" Kyojuro says.

With that said, the Flame Hashira ran back to the temple, with Shiro following after him.

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Note: Obachan means grandma or granny in japanese. Just thought I throw it out there.