Demon Slayer: Love Is...[Book 1] || Tengen Uzui x OC

Chapter 11- Love Is Not Easily Angered

We set out on our journey at dawn. Hastily packing our newly acquired weaponry and shoveling spoonfuls of breakfast in our mouths to ensure we would have the maximum amount of time needed to travel to the swordsmith village and back before night. Usually, I wouldn't push myself to eat like that, mostly because I simply didn't have the ability to do so, unlike someone I know (*cough* Ryuichi *cough*). Also, I hardly thought we would have the time, nor did I believe that the swordsmiths would be so welcoming as to allow us to stay the night should it get too late to walk back.

One thing I couldn't bet on was the hospitality of others. Because unfortunately, no matter how nice I might be, I didn't know the extent to how many knew about the "cursed children" thing.

"I know ya wanna get to walking as soon as possible, but don't inhale the food like that. I don't want ya chokin' an' knockin' unconscious before ya even take two steps from the hut." Tengan-sensei said leaning back against a tree in an oddly comfortable seated position. I honestly started to find it strange how he seemed so comfortable no matter where he would be sleeping. I shook the thought from my mind and started to focus on not choking. As just the thought of checking out from choking on my breakfast nearly was enough to get me started on my journey to the afterlife a bit too early as well. Nearly.

We had finished our food rather quickly and stood slinging our respective weapons on our backs or around our waists, as we all bid Sensei our goodbyes. Then, just as we were about a good 20 feet away from our temporary home, a wave of confusion washed over me, and I realized just how little direction we had to get to where we needed to go. I sharply turned and called out to Tengan,

"Wait a minute...Where is the village anyway?"

Tengan only offered me a sheepish grin. He shrugged his shoulders before hiding his face behind a bowl of his own soup, pretending to drink from it of course. He didn't do a very good job at pretending though. He exaggerated the sounds and peaked from behind the bowl so much that it was hardly believable that there was even something in the bowl for him to be drinking in the first place.

Of course, my hot-headed brother didn't take too kindly to this.

"Oi...Sensei," he called lowly.

When all he got in reply was more dramatized slurping, Ryu's eye twitched, and he clenched his fists until the knuckles were white.

"Would you quit slurping from that damn empty bowl?!" he started towards the man, but before he could have gotten closer, I reached out and grabbed hold of Ryu's arm. He snapped his head back around to look at me, his eyes were smoldering and alight with fury. I refused to let him deter me. I've seen him angrier, and I had comfort in the fact that he wasn't angry at me.

"Let it go, Ryu, I don't think he knows." Ryuichi looked at me in utter shock, and for a moment, I don't think he believed me. Then, the four of us turned and looked at Tengan, seated comfortably against the tree with bowl in hand. His eyes were always honest.

He knew nothing.

Seeing that I was right, Ryuichi calmed himself. He huffed before turning around and marching off grumbling something under his breath. Along with Yuu, I apologized on behalf of Ryuichi, turned around, and proceeded to walk behind my brothers, with Kaida at my side.

I figured the moment that Tengan asked us last night to got to the village ourselves, we would be making the trip with no clear directions. We would simply have to find it ourselves. And I didn't resent him for it. Usually, that made things more exciting.

I assumed we had walked for about a few hours before we finally came across someone. And, amazingly at that, someone who knew nothing of our history. Someone who wouldn't look at me and my siblings as the "cursed children."