"Why is Miss Shinobu here?" Yoizumi-nii tidied his hair. It was too long; any slight movement would obscure his vision. He wondered when he could change back.
"Uh..." She couldn't very well say it was because of him, could she? After much thought, Shinobu gave a concise answer.
"Just passing by."
Despite the utterly unconvincing statement, Yoizumi-nii believed him.
"I see." Yoizumi-nii nodded, and the golden hair he'd tucked behind his ear fell out again. Seeing this, Shinobu, under his confused gaze, walked behind him and gently lifted his soft golden hair.
"How about I style your hair for you?"
"Okay."
He obediently placed his hands on his knees, his eyes downcast, not moving. Shinobu found it inexplicably amusing. Her fingers ran through his silken hair, which was so smooth it would make even women envious.
What kind of hairstyle should she tie? A thought sparked, and Shinobu smiled, picking up the comb. Her hands moved continuously as she asked,
"How's the mission going?"
Yoizumi-nii closed his eyes, clearly feeling Shinobu's hands messing with his head.
"We're still gathering information. Uzui Tengen's wives have all lost contact. The demon's presence is very subtle, making it hard to pinpoint."
It had to be said, Uzui Tengen, that guy, actually felt comfortable embedding his wives in a place like this... But his wives were all excellent kunoichi, and they all lost contact here. Perhaps there really was a powerful demon.
"What do you think, Yoizumi-nii?"
"Can't be sure, too little information."
Finished, she stopped her movements with satisfaction and walked in front of Yoizumi-nii. Only then did Yoizumi-nii notice that Shinobu's hair was down, her black-purple strands cascading over her shoulders. It was the first time Yoizumi-nii had seen her like this.
She picked up a mirror. Now, his hairstyle was the same as the one Shinobu often wore. She had placed the butterfly hair ornament from her own head onto his.
Yoizumi-nii shook his head, feeling it didn't quite suit him. Shinobu was more suited for this style.
"By the way, how did Yoizumi-nii become an Oiran?"
"I don't know. I played the shamisen once, and the madam told me to stay here."
"Played the shamisen?" Shinobu saw the shamisen and was a little curious what Yoizumi-nii sounded like playing it.
"Do you want to hear?"
"May I?"
"Mm." He picked it up casually and, following the memory, recreated last night's melody. The graceful, flowing music poured out little by little.
Shinobu blinked. Why did something feel off?
She was currently in the Red-light district, listening to an Oiran play music.
And the Oiran was Yoizumi-nii... The madam passing by outside.
"Is Miss Izumi practicing the shamisen?"
"She's playing even better than yesterday, full of emotion. She truly is talented!"
After a while, she heard someone knocking outside. Shinobu wanted to hide but was stopped by Yoizumi-nii.
"No need, it's Tanjirou."
"Sister Izumi, are you free right now?"
Hearing this address, Shinobu's expression froze. Seeing Yoizumi-nii calmly accept it, she walked over to open the door for Tanjirou.
Sister Izumi... What a cute name indeed~
Pressing her lips together, she let out a quiet chuckle. Tanjirou entered the room and saw his brother's hairstyle and Miss Shinobu's loose hair.
Hmm?
He inexplicably felt he had come at the wrong time.
But he had something important to say. Tanjirou's face became serious. "Regarding Suma."
"According to the Oiran Koinatsu here, based on Suma's diary, it's presumed she ran away."
"Running away doesn't make sense. Here, the simplest reason for a demon to make someone disappear is 'running away,'" Shinobu pondered.
"Yes, but I went to Suma's former room, and I didn't smell any demon scent. That's another strange point."
This was also the problem Tanjirou couldn't figure out.
"We can only wait for news from Zenitsu and Inosuke."
"Are most of the people who disappear here exceptionally beautiful?" Shinobu suddenly asked.
"Probably."
"Shinobu means that the demon likes to eat good-looking people?"
Yoizumi-nii thought for a moment and considered this point. Would that mean it would come after him?
That would be even better; it would save him the trouble of finding it.
"Tanzi! Where are you?"
"Ah, someone's calling me. Miss Shinobu, Yoizumi-nii, I'll be going now!"
Tanjirou left the room, leaving only Yoizumi-nii and Shinobu.
Reaching up, she undid the hairstyle she had just done for Yoizumi-nii, and in a few swift movements, tied her own hair back to its original style. Shinobu walked to the window sill in a few steps and climbed out.
"Anyway, I don't have a mission right now, so I can stay here and help you all. I'll go find that guy, Uzui Tengen, and exchange information."
"Okay, see you later?" Yoizumi-nii looked up at Shinobu from inside the room. The sun was intense right now, so he couldn't get close.
Shinobu curled her lips, her pleasant voice subtly teasing.
"See you later..."
"Sister Izumi~"
The window was tightly shut, and the room was so quiet it was as if no one had ever been there.
Yoizumi-nii rubbed his messy hair. The address was originally nothing, but after Shinobu uttered it... it felt so strange... "Yo~ Kochou, why are you here?" Uzui Tengen turned his head to look at Shinobu, who was slowly landing beside him.
"What if I said I came to demand an explanation from you?" Standing at a high vantage point, she lowered her head slightly. The Red-light district streets during the day were not crowded, as if in a deep slumber. Who would have thought that once night fell, it would transform into a completely different scene?
"No way, I didn't take anyone from your Butterfly Mansion, did I?" Uzui Tengen asked in surprise.
"Hehe~"
Hiss... Uzui Tengen sensed something was off.
"You... you didn't come chasing after that demon, did you?"
"You're really keeping a close eye."
When that demon was a Pillar last time, the flamboyant him had already sensed that Shinobu was very familiar with him. Now, it seemed their relationship was definitely not ordinary.
He had only taken the demon away for less than two days, and she had already come chasing after him.
"What are you saying, Mr. Uzui? I don't understand~" Shinobu, of course, couldn't admit it, so she denied it with a smile.
As a man with three wives, if he couldn't detect his wives' thoughts in time, it would be very troublesome. So, Uzui Tengen easily understood, his voice slightly teasing, accompanied by his confident expression.
"You like him."
"ꐦ"
Shinobu saw his irritating demeanor, and the smile on her face turned into anger. Her nichirin blade unknowingly pressed against Uzui Tengen's back.
"Hey, hey~ Kochou, this is against corps rules."
"What are you talking about? Didn't Mr. Uzui bump into it himself?"
"Women who are too violent don't win men's favor."
"Say one more word, and the blade won't be on your clothes anymore."
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