Wild Flower (Bleach × Demon Slayer)

12 - A Gathering Respite

The truth was right beside them all along but those who knew the truth wasn't allowed to say it. Kanao remembered certain words from Muichirou, and she can only sigh at their complicated situation. "The truth... My apologies if I sounded like a broken record at this point, but why are you not allowed to tell what is going on with us?" Kanao had asked this question multiple times to him and he didn't gave her a straight answer every time she did. Mostly, it just consisted of him dodging the question.

"You're not giving up, aren't you? As I said before, because we are the 'leashed'." As always, Yuichirou dodged it.

"Then what kind of leash is it?" she revised her question.

"One that chokes you to death if you disobey."

She frowned. "You're making it sound like you're nothing more than a dog."

"That's why we are called the 'leashed'," he told her, sighing. "We're stray dog tied up with an unseen chain. Even if we want to say it, this 'leash' we carry would only incite misfortune. We'd rather keep our silence than bring bad luck around us."

"But your brother worked so hard to search the truth, why haven't you told him even under wraps? Even try tell him the truth secretly?" Kanao can't help the growing irritation within her, but the truth was so close that it was just right beside her.

"Did you listen what I just said earlier, little girl?" She was startled at the hissing, harsh tone from Yuichirou. "We have a leash that chokes us to death and it brings us misfortune. We were already shown an example for that."

"Example..." Kanao swallowed her gasp of shock. "Who..." ...is it? Who was the victim of that example? Unspoken words didn't made it out from her mouth.

An uncomfortable silence washed over them, as neither attempted to break it until, "Well, that aside," Yuichirou was first to do it. "You're supposed to be tired, Tsuyuri, why are you out here?" he asked nonchalantly.

It took her a while to respond. "Stargazing," she said.

"Stargazing," he mused as he looked at the dark sky with small dotted lights on it.

"I was reminiscing." Of the memories I've lost, she inwardly added, and Kagaya-san's Garden.

"Stargazing can be relaxing and great for looking back for past memories," Yuichirou acknowledged. "But... what are you reminiscing?" he frankly asked.

"Rukongai," Kanao admitted. "The Flower District."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I lived in Rukongai as long as I can remember, maybe even longer than I was alive." Kanao's eyes moved to a particular flickering star in the sky. "Because of that, this place... has been something like a home for me. Especially the Flower District."

Kagaya-san's Garden of Stars. Kanao doesn't know if living here in this seven-district area in North Region in Rukongai, particularly the 14th to 20th District, was something of an amazing coincidence. And also she doesn't know if she liked living here at all. Did she have a positive experience living here? Perhaps. Did she have negative reception of this place? Maybe—perhaps, she doesn't really know. But somehow, for some reason, the thought of leaving this place doesn't seem to sit well with her, as if she doesn't want to be plucked out. She was comfortable being here.

But Muichirou left this place despite hating the shinigami, she pondered about that.

"I get what you mean," Yuichirou sympathized. "It's just like seeing your family member off when they chose to start a new life in another place." He laughed humorlessly. "I'm used to that kind of thing."