"So, what are we going to do now?" I asked the girl who is walking beside me while humming a song, which I've never heard before.
"Anything is fine."
Hey! At least have some fear. You are going to stay with someone you've only met yesterday!
"Okay then. I've found a pretty good inn when I passed through the town. Shall we go there?"
"But what if it is expensive? I don't have much money."
"It's okay. I have enough to live for a while," I said while showing her the pouch.
We walked toward the town which is about 30 minutes away. The town is lively. The kids are playing on the street. Aunties are gossiping about this and that while smiling. Uncles are working under the sun while sweat is all over their foreheads. They didn't know that there was an oni on the mountain near their town.
Although this place is called a town, its living standard is only a little above a village. But what I can tell is that their village has a tourist attraction. That tourist attraction is a lake near their town. The name of the lake is Lake Kasumigaura.
I never thought in my past life that there would be time for me to visit the second largest lake in Japan. Although it was regarded as one of the sweet water lakes during my past life, it is currently a saltwater lake. But it doesn't make the lake any less beautiful. I am thinking of taking a look at the lake after taking a rest for about a day or two.
Nezuko and I are now standing in front of the inn. From the front, the atmosphere around it is cozy. I don't know about inside because I haven't seen it yet. But I hope it will feel the same as the outside.
Nezuko and I went inside the inn and what welcome is bookshelves neatly order around the room. Wow, I am falling in love with this place already. And the proprietress comes and welcomes us. After taking off my shoes, and for Nezuko, sandals, she leads us toward the room and were led to the central part of the inn which was open to the roof to allow smoke from the fire to escape.
We sit around the fireplace.
"We would like to have two rooms please," I said. Cliché. I am smelling cliché coming.
"I am very sorry, dear customer. We only left one free room." The proprietress apologizes with a bow.
I look toward Nezuko who is blushing. Her whole face is as red as a tomato.
"I don't mind," she squeaks out her voice.
I raise my brow. Seriously, this girl. Have some fears, will you? Sigh, even the girl agrees. Who am I to refuse?
"Then, it is fine," I nod at the proprietress.
"Then I would let the maid prepare the room for you and your wife, dear customer."
Wait, wut? How the hell did you get that idea? I asked you two rooms before because we are not husband and wife. Do you think I would ask you for extra room if we were married? And Nezuko! At least deny the claim! Why are you blushing again!
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Maids would come and serve us tea while essential baggage was stored away in the rooms allocated for sleeping and the bath was prepared. I sent Nezuko to the room to take a bath first. I then asked the proprietress some questions about the trip toward Lake Kasumigaura. She told me that there is a carriage going toward the lake about the day after tomorrow. But she insisted us to go on foot because the scenes on the way toward the lake are very beautiful.
When I got into the room, I see Nezuko drying her hair with a towel. It seems she has already returned from the bathhouse. When she saw me, she turns her head to the side, not daring to look at my face. I let out a sigh again. How the hell did she fall in love with me again? The only thing I did was turning her back to human. Well, I can't do anything about it. I am going to take a bath.
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3rd POV
Nezuko berate herself. Why did she agree to stay in the same room? What if Hiroto-san sees her as a loose woman? She won't be happy if he thought of her like that. But what kind of girl would stay together with a stranger man in a single room? She blushes whenever she thought of that.
Well, aside from the male from her family and the small village, Hiroto-san was the first one around her age who gave a good impression after all. She also remembers what happened when she was turned to oni.
There is one man who tried to hurt her brother just because he tries to protect her. He doesn't seem to have any friends by the way he looks.
And the other one she gets to know around her age is the boy who blames her brother even though her brother tried his best to protect both him and the girl.
After turning back to being human, she gets to know Zenitsu who made the way she sees the other males worse. Fawning all over her like a pervert didn't help at all. And let's not talk about Inosuke. He tried to attack her the first time he laid his eyes on her.
Back to Hiroto-san, he turned her back into a human but he didn't ask for any rewards. He made her brother happy. And that is all she needs. Her brother is the only family member left for her. If she has to choose a future husband, the person who made her brother happy and doesn't make her annoyed is an ideal husband for current her. And Hiroto-san fit in well with both criteria. It might seem rush for others but she had already made up her mind.
She might not know anything about Hiroto-san. But she will try hard to get to know him. They still have some time left before her brother gets heal after all. And she is sure that her brother will also give his blessings. Her brother can tell if people are good or bad. And he didn't talk anything bad about Hiroto-san even till now and even let her stay with Hiroto-san.
Thus, she will try her best to get to know Hiroto-san and make him agree on the marriage.
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Back to our MC's POV
"Achoo!" I think someone is thinking about me. Is Tanjiro thinking about me while thinking about 'Dance of the Fire God'? Or is Zenitsu cursing me? Or Inosuke thinking about trying to challenge me to a fight?
Well, I am staying inside the bathhouse long enough. Time to go back to the room. After getting inside the room, the proprietress came and gave us the meal. They even gave us sake! Oh, yea. I am considered an adult here, aren't I?
I lean toward the window while holding a cup of sake in hand. The only light in the room is from the candlelight. It was already night and the moon is hanging in the sky after we finished eating dinner. Looking at the moon while drinking is really addictive.
It somehow made me relax. For me who is in a different world, this kind of peace is not unwelcome. I need to do paperwork when I am back in my homeworld. Relaxation is sometimes needed for mental health.
I look at the cup. It is already empty. Nezuko comes and sits beside me and pours me a drink. Seriously, what is this girl planning? But I appreciate the drink. We sit there in silence. Nezuko doesn't talk anything but silently gaze at the moon.
"Well, let's get sleep," I broke the silence.
"Right. I had already prepared the futon. You can sleep if you want," Nezuko replied.
"Oh thank you."
When I see the futon, the corner of my brows is twitching.
"Nezuko-san," I started.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Can you tell me why is the futon laid side by side?"
"It is because there is no more room?" she tilts her head.
I look at the place she placed the futon. There are many free places besides those. I sigh again. I said nothing and lie down on the futon. Close my eyes and pretend like nothing like these ever happened.