DS Chapter 96: Sneaking a Peek at Shinobu Kocho's Diary — Part Three!
The faint fragrance of wisteria quietly lingered in the air.
Ren glanced inside the laboratory and immediately spotted Shinobu slumped over her desk.
She had actually fallen asleep in the middle of her research.
Resting her head on folded arms, Shinobu slept soundly. Her violet-black hair spilled loosely across the desk, and the fatigue written across her delicate face made her look unusually vulnerable.
It was obvious she hadn't been getting enough rest.
Ren's gaze drifted across the tabletop.
A neatly folded butterfly-patterned haori...
An open diary...
And an exquisite butterfly hairpin.
The desk itself was rather cluttered, yet the haori had been folded with meticulous care.
Ren stepped forward and naturally picked up the diary.
The owner is here...
The door is open...
So this can't possibly count as sneaking a look.
Satisfied with his reasoning, he opened the diary to the first page.
---
Monday — Sunny
"Big Sister, it's been a long time since we last talked."
"I've had so many things I wanted to tell you lately."
"Today I ran into Ren on the way home. Honestly, I didn't want to see him at first. You probably know why, Sister."
"But I couldn't avoid him. Ren is still a boy, after all, and your gentle, graceful little Shinobu couldn't very well ignore him."
"Waaah... Sister, I lost miserably."
"Ren is far more dangerous than I expected."
"I almost started liking that annoying guy..."
"Shinobu!"
"You absolutely must stay away from Ren!"
"Love is the graveyard of Total Concentration Breathing!"
Ren nearly laughed out loud.
"Sister, today Ren suggested holding a medical rescue competition at the Butterfly Mansion."
"I agreed."
"You won't be angry with me, right?"
(๑＞ڡ＜)☆ Hehe~
"Ren did an amazing job today."
"Not only did he earn a great deal of money for the Butterfly Mansion, he also helped treat so many patients."
"I'm really grateful to him."
"Sister..."
"Why couldn't Ren have appeared sooner?"
"Ugh! Sanemi was so annoying today!"
"He turned the Butterfly Mansion upside down!"
"I'm so angry!"
"Ren got hurt."
"Sister, I'll stop writing now."
"I'm going to take care of him."
"After all, Kanao has been watching over him all night."
---
Tuesday — Sunny
"Sister, Ren woke up really early this morning..."
"He actually caught me sleeping!"
"I'm so embarrassed!"
"Although..."
"Something feels strange."
"Did Ren get taller?"
"When I helped him get dressed, I almost strangled him by accident."
"Maybe I'm just imagining things."
"Sister..."
"Ren did something he shouldn't have."
"He interfered in my affairs."
"I never thought he'd remember my Nichirin Blade."
"To be honest..."
"I'm conflicted."
"You probably know exactly what I'm thinking."
"What should I do?"
"Sister..."
"I've finally opened my heart to Ren."
"Honestly..."
"Ever since I confessed everything to him..."
"I've never felt this relaxed."
"Why couldn't Ren have appeared sooner?"
"I'm conflicted..."
"Sister..."
"I'm afraid I don't have much time left."
"To avenge you..."
"I've already injected myself with sixty times the lethal dose of wisteria poison."
"But..."
"Ren appeared."
"He's like the morning sun..."
"Warm..."
"Gentle..."
"Sister..."
"I'm so weak."
"I've... started not wanting to die anymore."
"Sister..."
"I'm scared."
Ren's fingers froze as he turned the page.
He instinctively glanced toward the sleeping girl.
Fortunately...
She was sleeping peacefully.
She looked utterly exhausted.
A faint smile appeared on Ren's face.
Rubbing his fingertips together, he quietly turned to the next page.
---
Tuesday — Sunny
"Did I fall asleep?"
"Did I write the wrong date?"
"No!"
"It's still the same day!"
"Today's Ren's match!"
"I overslept!"
"Aaaah!"
"Sister, I don't have time to chat!"
"I'm going to be late watching Ren's match!"
"I have to hurry!"
"Huh?"
"Why is Kanao back already?"
"What?!"
"There are demons beneath the Butterfly Mansion?"
"How is that possible?"
"Sister..."
"Those demons may have already discovered the Butterfly Mansion."
"Thankfully Ren warned me."
"I'll head up the mountain to investigate first."
"Sister!"
"There really are demons near the mountain!"
"My detection reagents confirmed it!"
"No!"
"As the Corps' medical support facility, the Butterfly Mansion must evacuate immediately!"
"I need to prepare a complete relocation plan!"
"It's finished..."
"I'm exhausted..."
(っ╥╯﹏╰╥c)
"It's getting late."
"Aoi just made me a pot of tea."
"She also told me Ren came back."
"It sounds like he did incredibly well against Sanemi!"
"I'm so happy!"
(๑＞ڡ＜)☆
"Sister..."
"Ren is injured."
"I went to see him just now..."
"And I was completely shocked."
"His condition was terrible."
"But by the time I prepared to treat him..."
"Most of his wounds had already healed!"
"Hmph!"
"How annoying!"
"He made me worry for nothing."
"It's okay."
"I'll let Ren sleep a little longer."
"I still don't know how to face him..."
"So this time..."
"I'll simply listen to my heart."
"Oh dear..."
"It's already dark."
"Sister, I'll take Kanao to report the Butterfly Mansion's relocation now."
"I'll finish writing the rest tomorrow!"
---
Wednesday — Sunny
"Sister..."
"Am I dreaming?"
"Guess what I found out?"
"Ren actually became one of the Butterfly Mansion's managers!"
"Oh my goodness!"
"How did he manage that?"
"Sister!"
"I have to tell you this!"
"Last night Lady Amane came to visit."
"She brought us a Kasugai Crow and told me Ren had become the Dragon Hashira."
"Before I even had time to celebrate..."
"She said Ren now oversees half of the Butterfly Mansion!"
"That little brat!"
"He's only just moved in and he's already causing trouble."
"If Ren becomes the manager..."
"He'll definitely do whatever he wants!"
"It's not that I don't want him helping manage the Butterfly Mansion."
"He's just so young..."
"He's bound to overlook things."
"Maybe..."
"I should reluctantly spend some money buying him delicious food..."
"Then ask the Master to withdraw the appointment."
"Everything happened far too suddenly."
"Ren is only fourteen."
"I think someone as talented as him belongs with the Demon Slayer Corps, not hidden away in the Butterfly Mansion."
"Someone like him shouldn't be confined here..."
"But..."
"I don't want to be separated from Ren..."
"Waaah..."
"I really don't want him to leave..."
(っ╥╯﹏╰╥c)
"Sister..."
"I'm sleepy..."
"I'm going to take a nap."
"Let's meet again in our dreams."
"Mwah~!"
The final page came to an end.