Chapter 87 – Fate! A Beauty Beyond Words
In the end, Shizuka Hiratsuka could only sigh in defeat.
There was simply no point trying to lecture Yukinoshita Akira anymore. She couldn't overpower him physically, and her words bounced off him like pebbles against steel. For the first time in her life as a teacher, she genuinely felt powerless.
Soon after, the elementary school camping trip officially began. Hiratsuka-sensei led her "volunteer team" as they split up to guide the children through their activities.
After a short orientation and pre-departure speech, the cheerful group of kids started their hike toward the mountain trail.
"Something's bothering you," said Yukinoshita Yukino, walking up beside Akira, who had been unusually quiet, his gaze drifting elsewhere.
Since Akira had previously mentioned the possibility of a demon's presence, Yukino had been extra alert.
"I just saw a child that caught my attention," he replied calmly.
"A child?"
Following Akira's line of sight, Yukino noticed a small elementary school girl—a cute one, but her expression was heavy, lonely.
And unlike the other kids, who naturally formed little groups of twos and threes, this girl stood completely alone.
"Is she… being isolated?" asked Yukino softly.
"Seems like it," Akira said, his tone even.
"That's awful…"
Yukino's brows furrowed, a trace of anger flickering in her eyes.
She couldn't help but remember her own childhood. Her beauty and talent had made her a target—envy, gossip, exclusion. She knew that pain all too well.
Though her family's influence had prevented anyone from physically bullying her, she had endured countless petty cruelties: rumors, cold stares, deliberate isolation.
Once, she'd even had her indoor shoes hidden sixty times. Fifty of those were done by other girls.
If not for her strong will, she might have broken long ago.
Now, seeing this little girl—so young, yet facing the same kind of loneliness—Yukino's heart softened.
At that moment, a commotion erupted up ahead.
A snake slithered across the path, making some of the kids scream. But Hayama Hayato stepped forward, catching it calmly and releasing it into the bushes.
His confident, heroic act immediately earned squeals of admiration from the little girls nearby.
"Hmm?"
As Hayama turned, he spotted the solitary girl at the back of the group.
Something about her struck a chord deep within him—a ghost of regret.
He remembered how, years ago, he'd failed to help Yukino when she was in a similar situation.
Without thinking, he started toward the girl, his heart urging him to make amends for that mistake.
"Onii-san…" the little girl whispered softly.
But before he could reach her, a few of the nearby girls shot the child cold, hateful looks—silent warnings that she wasn't welcome.
Hayama didn't notice. But from a short distance away, Akira and Yukino saw it all.
"Even elementary schoolers… can be that cruel," Yukino murmured bitterly.
"Children are still human," Akira replied. "And as long as humans exist, so will desire. From desire comes attachment, and from attachment—factions."
"What is Hayama trying to do?" Yukino asked.
"He wants to include her, to bring her into their group."
"That'll only make things worse," Yukino said immediately. "She'll be targeted even more. Isolation will turn into bullying."
"Then what will you do?" Akira asked.
"Leave it to me."
She stepped forward without hesitation.
Akira smiled faintly.
Compared to the Yukinoshita Yukino from the original story, this version of her had changed tremendously.
The old Yukino wouldn't have taken initiative like this.
"Yukinoshita-san?" Hayama blinked as she approached.
"I'll handle this girl," Yukino said simply.
Hayama smiled, stepping aside. "If it's you, I'm sure she'll be fine."
But Yukino didn't even glance his way. He gave a small, helpless laugh.
The lonely little girl—Tsurumi Rumi—now stood face-to-face with someone who looked eerily like her older self.
"What's your name?" Yukino asked.
"If you're going to ask someone's name, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" the girl replied with quiet defiance.
"…Fair point. I'm Yukinoshita Yukino."
"Tsurumi Rumi."
Their eyes met—and something clicked.
Perhaps it was an unspoken bond between two people cut from the same cloth, but Rumi's guarded expression softened.
People often underestimated children, but in truth, they were more perceptive than most adults gave them credit for.
"It seems you two are getting along," Akira said, walking up beside them, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.
Yukino shot him a sideways glare. Over time, their relationship had grown more relaxed—almost natural.
Then, to everyone's surprise—
"Onii-chan!!" Rumi suddenly cried, throwing herself forward and hugging Akira tightly.
Akira blinked, completely caught off guard. Yukino looked equally stunned, silently asking with her eyes: You know her?
"Hey, little one, I don't think we've met before. Why are you calling me Onii-chan?"
"Onii-chan forgot? Back at the station—you saved me and Mama from a monster! You even patted my head after that! Don't you remember?"
"Station… monster… patted head?"
Akira's memory stirred.
Yes—some time ago, during one of his demon hunts, he had saved a mother and daughter from an aberrant demon at a train station.
To calm the crying child afterward, he had patted her head and said something reassuring—something "cool," most likely.
It had been a brief, passing encounter—he'd almost forgotten.
He hadn't even seen her face properly that night, focused entirely on the demon.
Who would've thought fate would reunite them here, of all places?
What a strange, beautiful coincidence.
"Onii-chan, do you remember now?" Rumi asked, eyes shimmering with hope.
"Ah… yes, I do now. So it was you. I didn't expect we'd meet again like this."
"I'm so happy! I finally found you again, Onii-chan!" she said, wrapping her arms around his leg.
Yukino watched the scene in quiet amazement.
So this was the connection between them.
For her, who had recently begun training as a Demon Slayer, the moment carried weight—a silent affirmation that their fight truly mattered.
Demons devoured humans. To slay demons was to protect them.
For someone like Yukino, who had always sought truth and justice, this was the purest form of righteousness.
"Well then," Akira said, resting a hand gently on Rumi's head, "since you're part of the family now, you can stay with me for the next few days."
"Okay, Onii-chan!" she said brightly.
Akira smiled. He couldn't help it.
Because really—who could possibly resist the charm of such an adorable little girl?
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