I can't believe he was actually passing some of my standards. Obviously, he'd still have to pass my important standards (for me to actually be attracted and want to marry him), which he won't. I sat on the ground for another few minutes, watching Tanjiro teach Inosuke how to pick up a child the correct way. Suddenly, I heard a few men talking about Akaza negatively.
Man 1: "Who is that unsightly teenager over there?"
Man 2: "Those tattoo stripes are so tacky."
Man 1: "What's with the pink hair? He looks like a clown."
Man 2: "He's not wearing any shoes, so you can see even his toes are blue! How ugly!"
Man 1: "His fingers are blue as well. Look at his eyes, what is wrong with them? They're yellow and cyan!"
Man 2: "His eyelashes match his hair, how unfortunate."
Okay. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. Akaza may be a demon, but he looks way better than most demons. I had regained my balance, so I got up, walked over and interrupted them.
Rengoku: "Excuse me, good sirs!"
Man 1: "Hm? Yes, what is it?"
Rengoku: "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation about that 'ugly clown' over there."
Man 2: "Oh, the pink haired eyesore? Yes, we were talking about him."
I really don't appreciate people beating down on others. Akaza is a demon. They should be hating on his kill streak, not his appearance. I'm just gonna say he's my friend.
Rengoku: "Well that 'eyesore' is a friend of mine, and I don't do well with people talking shit about my friends behind their backs."
The 2 men stepped away from me.
Rengoku: "Perhaps you would like to say it to his face? My friend is very strong and he could easily body both of you both in seconds."
I gripped the handle of my sword, while still smiling passive aggressively at them. One of the men saw that I had a katana and started panicking.
Man 2: "Okay! Okay! We're sorry, we won't say anything else bad about your friend. Please just don't hurt us!"
Man 1: "Spare us please!"
Rengoku: "I won't hurt you, not unless you don't get away from me in the next 10 seconds."
The men scrambled away and into the crowd. I sighed. Did I seriously just stand up for Akaza? A Twelve Kizuki? I turned around and Akaza was standing right behind me.
Rengoku: "AH!"
Akaza: "AH! Oh, sorry!"
I scoffed and sat down on the ground.
Rengoku: "It's fine."
He sat down next to me.
Akaza: "Sooo. How did I do?"
Rengoku: "Well, you didn't eat anybody so that's good.."
Akaza frowned.
Rengoku: "Okay, you did a lot better than I thought you would. Even better than Zenitsu. I actually found it funny that you almost started acting like Tanjiro when Zenitsu had started flirting with those girls."
Akaza: "Well, he reminds me of a lesser version of one of my demon acquaintances I have to deal with named Douma. Douma is a fucking pain in the neck. He is a pervert, he's annoying and he doesn't respect women. I am disgusted and embarrassed that he is the Upper Moon Two."
So the Upper Moon Two's name is Douma. Hmm.. if Akaza truly does want to stay with me, he could tell us more about the Twelve Kizuki and possibly help us defeat Muzan, but undercover. He could be very useful to the Demon Slayer Corps. Maybe I'll let him stay with me after all.
Rengoku: "Akaza."
He looked at me.
Akaza: "Yeah?"
Rengoku: "I'll let you stay with me, but you can't kill anybody. We can always find another way for you to get blood."
Akaza: "I- Okay yes. I won't kill anybody."
Rengoku: "Are you absolutely sure you want to stay with me? I travel a lot."
Akaza: "Well I mean it's not like I have a house or family to return to. It's just me, so I can go with you wherever you want!"
My heart rate went up a little from hearing that. He just checked off one of my most important standards: being able to travel with me.
Rengoku: "Alright, but you'll have to return to your demon buddies during the day. I'd stuff you in a box like Nezuko, but it's gonna be cramped in there. Unless you can somehow change your size, you won't be able to fit."
He stood up. He flexed out his arms and shrunk before my eyes. His clothing looked incredibly large on him. He had shrunk at least 2 feet. I went wide eyed.
Akaza: "Ta daa!"
Rengoku: "Wow. Alright so I guess I'm gonna have to get a box like Tanjiro's in order to bring you places. We're also gonna have to get you a robe or kimono, because your pants are falling down."
He looked down and saw his pants were sliding off his waist. He quickly gripped onto them to stop them from falling. He blushed in embarrassment.
Akaza: "Yeah. Good idea."
He went back to his normal size and sat back down next to me. I thought about the fact he's completing all the important qualities I want in a partner. My heart rate sped up again and I felt my face heat up a little. Suddenly, I felt arms wrap around me. Akaza was giving me a hug, which was bad because my heart started racing.
Rengoku: "I- what are you doing? I never gave consent to you hugging me."
Akaza: "Sorry."
He stopped hugging me. I rolled my eyes. We sat in silence for a while before he snickered.
Akaza: "Your pulse sped up when I hugged you."
Rengoku: "Yeah? So what?"
Akaza: "Does this mean you like me back?"
I gave him a glare.
Rengoku: "I'm still not gonna be with you. You're a demon. You'd have to be a human for me to like you back."
Akaza went wide eyed. Instead of backing out, he smiled.
Akaza: "Then that's what I'll do! I'll become a human again."