Through Time She Returns

Chapter 3

The next morning, Kotoha wakes to Tanjiro practicing his forms. A sword of black in hand as he slashes at nothing. She sits on the porch watching him.

It was impressive, especially with the sunrise happening behind him. Her hand itched to record him and she did. She had plenty of storage for it.

She had only recorded for thirty seconds before stopping. She replays it, making sure it was fine.

Then she heard the intense breathing of one Inosuke.

"THAT'S SO COOL!!" He was loud in her ears and she jumped.

"Inosuke-kun not so loud please." Inosuke pauses, studying her for a moment. He then comes to hit down next to her.

"That's a cool trick." He mumbles under his breath. He then points to himself. "Can you do me?"

His voice was raspy and cracking when he asked. Kotoha couldn't help but fulfill the request. So with a soft smile, she nods, holding up her phone and gesturing for Inosuke to get ready.

Tanjiro would move when Inosuke jumps into his space.

"PANCHIRO! Kotoha is going to do her magic trick on me! MOVE!" Kotoha doesn't pay much mind to how rude he is. Tanjiro didn't seem to mind being pushed out of the way. Zenitsu could be heard opening the door to the sight of Kotoha filming Inosuke. After a few slashes, he would come running up to her, his shins hitting the wooden porch edge to look at her phone.

"Kotoha, aren't I so cool?!" Kotoha laughs, patting Inosuke on the head, even when he was clearly a wild child, his hair was unexpectedly soft.

"You are doing wonderful!"

Inosuke would continue going back and forth between showing off his moves and then seeing what Kotoha had recorded. He didn't understand why his heart swelled for this woman. She made him feel icky inside. Like the way he would curl up during a bad snowstorm, conversing energy.

She made him feel warm.

"Inosuke, please live!"

Inosuke blinks, his grip on his swords loose when Kotoha calls out to him.

"Inosuke-kun, breakfast is ready. Come on." Inosuke takes a moment, nodding finally as he runs up to her. He stops short of the door to wipe his dirty feet. He feels Kotoha's hand gently pushing him in and closing the door behind him.

It was nice feeling warm.

—
Inosuke became increasingly attached to her. Showing off whenever he could and offering to do her favors. Protecting her from Zenitsu's advances as they made their way to headquarters. She would watch them talk with their crows. Though Inosuke's crow would land on her shoulder, cawing softly by her ear. Inosuke would have his hands grabbed by Kotoha before he could try to eat the poor thing as warned by Tanjiro.

It was nice for a few days, but their traveling speed was slowed by Kotoha who wouldn't be able to keep up with how fast they run even when she was in high school.

One evening, she met Tanjiro's sister.

She had been singing, letting one of her demo tracks play as she wrote in her notebook.

Then she would hear the sound of the door creaking open.

It was an evening when the boys had received word of a demon attack and had to go take care of it. They left her at a wisteria house with Tanjiro's box.

Crawling from the box now was the cutest girl she had ever seen. Her eyes are so innocent and big as she makes her way over in her kimono oversized and dragging.

"Hello." Kotoha stops her singing to watch the girl. She would gesture to her muzzle and then point to Kotoha.

Kotoha smiles, before going back to singing her lyrics she was testing out.

—
"Nezuko-chan~~!!" Kotoha instantly raised her hand for Zenitsu to quiet him down. Inosuke smacked him, and Tanjiro corrected him about hitting people so harshly. Nezuko looked up sleepily from where she was on Kotoha's lap. She would lay her head back down. Zenitsu weakly cries out for Nezuko again, clawing at the floor as Inosuke drags him out to bathe.

Tanjiro sits down, listening to her hum a nonsensical lullaby.

"You remind Nezuko of our mother. She would also sing to Nezuko, especially if she had a hard time falling asleep." Kotoha continues combing through Nezuko's hair lightly. She had been at a daycare as a part-timer and people think she was a natural.

She didn't get it but when the time came, she wouldn't mind having a child or two. It's more of finding the right person at this point.

.
..
...
Not in this era. She can't get a crush or get too close romantically to anyone in this era.

She doesn't know what she would do if she did outlive them because of the century difference.

She believes in connection.

She can only pray to Kami that she doesn't get involved with anyone who will make her heartache.

—
Oh, Kami was good to him!

He had said once or twice about how he wasn't good at detective work but he became quite good at tracking the last few days.

He thinks he has a trail. His targets are unique individuals and he only needs to listen to the gossip of town folk as he eats the arm of his latest victim on the rooftops. He would hop to another roof, walking with whatever crowd of people who's conversation caught his interest.

"The boy with a scar on his forehead was traveling with three others. The lady was clearly a sister to one of them. Bizarre bunch with those young men carrying swords and that one fellow wearing a boar mask."

How odd. He could have sworn his lord had turned the girl. It wasn't currently possible for her to be able to walk in the daylight. Muzan-sama wouldn't give him that great of a treat.

Surely this must be some other sister.

Perhaps one he can devour.

He does wonder if she may actually be a slayer. He could probably play with her for a bit before killing her, taunting the slays as he bites into her flesh.

He can't wait to meet this mysterious woman.