As this thought popped up, Shinobu's face flushed red, and she buried her head in her knees. What was she thinking!
Shinobu lowered her head in annoyance. Whenever she with Yōsen, she would become strange. Something was affecting her emotion.
'No! I couldn't stay close with Yōsen any longer, or I would become crazy woman!'
Shinobu shifted her butt and moved a little further away from Yōsen...
"?...!"
Yōsen was a little puzzled at first, but then he suddenly remember!
'Men and women should not touch each other casually, I almost forgot.'
So Yōsen also moved to the side.
The two of them were sitting on the edge of a boulder, with enough space for three more people in between.
"?"
'What did he mean by this?'
Shinobu turned her head and found Yōsen moving away from her. They looked at each other, and Yōsen smiled faintly, nodding seriously as if he understood without Shinobu needing to say anything.
'What did Yōsen-san mean by that?'
Shinobu was confused.
'Was he starting to dislike me?'
"Yōsen-san~ Why are you moving away from me~?"
"You said... men and women should not touch each other casually, so... I thought it would be better to stay... a little further away from you," Yōsen replied honestly.
Hearing Yōsen's answer, Shinobu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He really listened to everything she said.
'This wouldn't do. He couldn't be deceived by others.'
Shinobu looked at Yōsen seriously and said in an extremely earnest tone,
"Yōsen-san, don't believe everything other people say. You should always be wary of people you're not familiar with. Even with me, sometimes..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yōsen's voice entered her ears.
"I don't think... you would deceive me. You are a... good person, trustworthy," Yōsen looked straight at Shinobu, his eyes firm and trusting.
"I see~"
"Then I can't let down Yōsen-san trust~"
"Just call me... Yōsen. You're probably... older than me."
Shinobu sized up Yōsen's height. He was probably a head taller than her. Shinobu suddenly had a mischievous thought.
'What would happen if I asked Yōsen to call me 'Oneesan'? Hmm~'
"Is that so? Then wouldn't you have to call me 'Oneesan'?"
"Oneesan?" Yōsen tilted his head. It didn't matter much. He didn't care and blurted out.
Her fingers suddenly tightened, Shinobu's fingertips were tinged with pink, and her face was even redder.
'This is bad! Why i was acting strange again!'
"Oneesan, what's... wrong? Your face... is so red?" Yōsen looked at Shinobu with some concern, reaching out and placing his hand on her forehead.
The moment Yōsen's cool hand touched her warm forehead, Shinobu turned nimbly, dodged it, and said with her back to him,
"I'm fine. I just feel a little hot."
"Is that so?" Yōsen actually felt quite cool. Was it because his body temperature had dropped after becoming a demon?
Adjusting her breathing, her flustered heart gradually calmed down.
'That was really a bad idea.'
Feeling that she had returned to normal, Shinobu turned around.
"Never mind, Yōsen, just call me by my name."
"Shinobu?"
"Yup~",
"Yōsen, where are you going next? Are you going back to Butterfly Mansion?"
"I plan to... wander around. Maybe I'll... meet someone or something that can help me recover... my memories."
Yōsen didn't plan to return to Butterfly Mansion.
Aside from the fact that staying there might cause trouble and inconvenience, Yōsen had a premonition that staying there wouldn't help him recover his memories.
Human emotions were too delicate. Most actions were based on emotions, with emotions as the main driver and thoughts as a supplement.
Yōsen couldn't understand what kind of actions he should take at times, or how he should do things. If he recovered his memories, would he be considered human rather than puppet like now?
Even though he had become a demon now.
"I understand. Then, Yōsen, we'll part ways here."
"I should go back," Shinobu said.
"Okay, goodbye."
Goodbye?
A gentle smile appeared on Shinobu's face.
"Goodbye, Yōsen. I hope that the next time I meet you, you'll be able to recover your memories~",
"Until then... don't die," Shinobu said the last sentence with particular seriousness.
"Okay."
The girl nodded and turned around, reaching the forest in a few steps. Yōsen quietly watched her back until the last bit of her haori disappeared into the darkness.
Withdrawing his gaze, Yōsen looked up at the moon. There were probably still a few hours before dawn.
...
In the distance, the sky was already tinged with a bit of fish-belly white. It wouldn't be long before it was bright. Fortunately, Yōsen found a dilapidated temple. He hadn't rested in a long time, so he took this opportunity to sleep for a day.
The side effects of using Blood Art last night still existed. Yōsen chose a place that wouldn't be exposed to the sun and lay down to rest. Too tired, he fell asleep the moment he lay down, forgetting even the most basic precautions.
"Ha~ What is this thing?"
A woman was running in the forest, panting constantly because of the running. She was originally a villager from a village at the foot of the mountain. Recently, her family didn't make enough money, so she came to the forest alone to pick wild vegetables to fill her stomach.
She didn't expect to spend too much time, and before she knew it, it was evening.
Seeing the sky getting darker and darker, she hurried down the mountain, tripping over a tree root in her panic. Scarlet blood flowed down her knees. Helpless, she tore off a piece of her clothes to bandage it and limped down the mountain.
A figure appeared in her field of vision. She couldn't see its face clearly in the dark night, until the clouds covering the moonlight moved away, and the moonlight shone down through the shadows of the trees. Only then did she see a man with a bluish face and fangs, a large amount of saliva flowing from his mouth, dripping to the ground without him caring. He was just staring straight at her.
She was a little scared but still mustered her courage to ask,
"What's wrong? Do you need help?"
"Yes, I'm hungry. Help me by letting me eat you!" The rough, hoarse voice fell into her ears. Eat her? What did he mean? Soon, she had no time to worry about it, because that man was already rushing towards her.
Ignoring the pain in her knee, she turned around and ran. Although she felt sorry for the wild vegetables in the basket, it was more important to save her life.