The hot spring was a godsend.
Steam curled into the evening air as I sank deeper into the water, the warmth pressing into my sore muscles like a quiet lullaby. Every joint, every bruise from that brutal fight with the Hashira throbbed with dull pain, but the water softened it, made it bearable.
For the first time in days, I felt… weightless.
"IT'S TOO HOT! I'M GONNA DIE!"
Zenitsu's voice cracked through the peace like a lightning bolt. I cracked one eye open to see him thrashing around like a drowning cat, limbs flailing, face red as a tomato.
"It's not that hot, you weakling," Inosuke growled, slamming his hand into the water and sending a spray toward Zenitsu. Zenitsu yelped and flailed in protest, looking like a startled fish. Inosuke's sharp eyes then darted around the spring, always ready for a fight, when he suddenly froze. He was staring intensely at a massive boulder that was half-submerged in the water.
Its surface had weird, dark streaks that looked exactly like a twisted, grinning face—definitely not normal for a rock. "Hold up," he snarled, pointing at it, "this rock's a demon! It's mocking me!" Without another thought, he charged forward, tackling the boulder with all his might and trying to flip it right into the water. "Take this, you ugly freak!" he bellowed.
"I swear it's just a rock," Tanjiro sighed, smiling that exhausted, always-patient smile as he tried to separate them. "Just… maybe stop fighting the landscape for once?"
I leaned my head back against the edge, letting their chaos drift into the background. The steam blurred the stars above. The longer I sat there, the quieter the world became. My heartbeat slowed.
But peace always came with memories.
The silence made space for the ghosts.
I saw my mother's gentle smile, my father's proud gaze. My little sister's tiny hands tugging at my sleeve. Ichiro's laugh—loud and reckless, like he never believed death could touch him.
Now he was gone. They all were.
The ache stirred in my chest again, not sharp, just… heavy. Familiar. I clenched my fists beneath the surface of the water, jaw tight. I need to be stronger. No more losses. No more regrets.
But then my thoughts shifted, pulled by a different kind of weight.
Yuki.
Lately… she'd been different. Distant. She wouldn't meet my eyes sometimes. Her words had an edge. Her smiles—when they came—felt forced, like she was trying too hard to pretend she wasn't hurt.
Was she angry?
I scoured my memory. Had I said something? Missed something?
Then the realization hit me like a slap to the face.
I never actually married her.
I'd taken her from that wedding. We'd run. I'd promised her something better—but I never gave her the security, the clarity. No vows. No ring. Just the mess of our love and the fire of the moment.
I'm such a dumbass.
The guilt hit like a punch to the gut. I surged out of the spring, water sloshing everywhere.
"YOU GUYS GO ON WITHOUT ME!" I yelled as I grabbed my towel and started throwing on my clothes.
"Huh?!" Zenitsu blinked. "Wait, what's happening?! Are we under attack?!"
"No time," I muttered, tugging on my haori. "Mission. Very important. Life-or-death level."
Inosuke roared, fists in the air. "TAKE ME WITH YOU—"
"Stay in the bath!" I snapped, already sprinting toward the market.
The town was still alive with the hum of night—lanterns glowing warm yellow, shopkeepers shouting their last-minute deals, the scent of grilled skewers and sweet bean cakes hanging in the air.
I ran past it all, eyes scanning every vendor, every stand.
I needed a ring.
Something worthy of her. Something quiet but meaningful. Not flashy—just… honest.
Then I saw it.
Silver. Simple. A single pale blue gem, smooth as moonlight. It caught the glow of the lanterns and reflected it like a star in the dark.
I didn't even ask the price.
I emptied my pouch, handed over every last coin. The shopkeeper blinked, stunned, but I barely noticed. I took the ring, wrapped in velvet, and held it like it was the most important thing in the world.
Because it was.
The walk back to the Butterfly Mansion was quiet.
But my mind wasn't.
What if she says no?
No. She wouldn't.
…Would she?
Idiot. Why would she reject me. She left her family for me and ran away with me. She obviously likes me. I am overthinking.
I stepped through the mansion gate, nerves climbing. My legs suddenly felt heavier than they had during that fight against the Hashira.
"Yuki!" I called.
She stepped out onto the veranda, dressed in her usual yukata, hair tied loosely. She looked surprised to see me—and not necessarily in a good way.
That mood still lingered in her eyes.
Before she could say a word, I stepped forward and grabbed her like a princess.
"Come with me."
"Ryo, wha—"
The world blurred. I leapt up, past the roofs, until we landed gently on the highest point of the Butterfly Mansion. The night air was crisp and silent. The full moon hung just above the horizon, massive and glowing like a guardian spirit.
Yuki gasped softly. "Why are we up here…?"
I turned toward her, my heart trying to break free from my chest.
"I've been an idiot," I said quietly. "You've followed me into danger, into madness. You gave up everything for me… and I never gave you the one thing you deserved."
I took out the box. Opened it.
The ring glinted under the moonlight.
"I'm not perfect. I don't even know what tomorrow holds. But I want to face it with you. All of it. Yuki—will you marry me?"
There was a beat of silence.
Then—
Like the world itself responded, fireflies emerged from the trees below, swarming up in glowing spirals. They floated around us like tiny stars, flickering gold and white, lighting the rooftop in a slow dance of light.
Yuki stared, stunned. Her lips trembled.
Then she laughed—a shaky, breathless sound—and threw her arms around me.
"Yes," she whispered. "A thousand times, yes."
I slid the ring onto her finger, my hands still trembling. She looked at it, then back at me—and smiled like the sun rising after years of rain.
We stayed there under the moon, wrapped in fireflies.
And for that brief, perfect moment…
Nothing else mattered.
Just us.
And a promise, sealed under the Moon.
To Be Continued…
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Author here. If you don't like romance. Don't worry, I won't be focusing on it anymore. This much was needed for character development. I don't think it needs anymore of it. If you think otherwise, you can tell in the comments.