Kiyokawa Izumi resignedly opened his mouth. The moment the medicinal soup entered his mouth, a bitterness that struck his very soul made his brows furrow tightly.
"You can't waste it!"
The girl's voice was as gentle as ever, but Kiyokawa Izumi felt as if he were being teased.
Suppressing the urge to vomit, he finished all the medicine. He lay on the bed as if he had lost his soul.
"Is it very bitter? Should I add some honey?"
Kiyokawa Izumi looked at her, who had a smile in her eyes, and remained silent.
'I want to drink soda!'
'I want to drink Cola!'
'I want to eat burgers and fried chicken!'
As the sound of muttering rose, Kiyokawa Izumi truly found his current life unbearable.
No phone, no novels to read, no videos to scroll through—the games he wanted to play would probably take over a hundred years to exist.
Exhaling a soft breath, Kiyokawa Izumi didn't stare at the person beside him like a pervert; instead, he seemed a bit cold.
It wasn't that he had any issue with her.
Feeding him medicine might have had a hint of teasing in it.
But that bit of mischievousness only made her seem cuter.
What Kiyokawa Izumi feared was forming bonds with others and producing unnecessary emotions.
Perhaps friendship, perhaps love, or perhaps something else.
Once he possessed these, could he really watch them step onto their destined battlefields and meet their destined ends?
A traveler drifting outside the world was actually unwilling to participate in these things.
The swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps had their own hatred and responsibilities, but he did not.
He had no relatives who died at the hands of Demons, no anger and hatred born from a happy family being destroyed.
He knew the existence of Demons was wrong, and he knew Demons ate people, and that many, many people would be killed and eaten.
But in the end, what did all this have to do with him?
He wasn't someone born and raised in this world.
And he himself didn't have the sunny, cheerful, and helpful personality of the protagonist, Tanjirou.
To put it narrowly, he was somewhat selfish.
But that was also normal.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person with a few little schemes.
"This is a Demon Slayer Corps uniform custom-made for you. Your sword will probably be delivered in seven days."
Kochou Shinobu placed the brand-new uniform by the bed, her gaze still lingering on him.
Mainly because he had been spacing out, looking a bit unintelligent and dazed.
If Kiyokawa Izumi knew she evaluated him like this, he would definitely retort fiercely.
Not very smart?
Are you kidding!
As a Transmigration traveler, there was far too much he knew!
"Mr. Izumi?"
A fair little hand waved in front of him. Kiyokawa Izumi snapped back to reality and saw the girl staring at him, which he found strange.
"Why... why are you looking at me like that?"
Thinking that she was, after all, the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, his tone became respectful.
A vein throbbed slightly on Kochou Shinobu's forehead, but her tone didn't change at all, still remaining just as gentle.
"Would you like something to eat? After all, you've been asleep for a day and a night."
"A day and a night?"
"Yes, when you were found, you had a fever."
"..."
Kiyokawa Izumi gently rubbed his temples—at that time, he shouldn't have done anything rude, right?
"Would. You. Like. Something. To. Eat?"
Kochou Shinobu once again felt that he was a bit unintelligent and could only repeat herself.
"I want a burger..."
Kiyokawa Izumi accidentally spoke his mind.
"What?"
"Nothing, anything is fine. I'm not a picky eater!"
"?"
Kochou Shinobu looked at him with a strange gaze.
'There shouldn't be burgers in this era, right? Western foods like tonkatsu, curry rice, and croquettes should be popular.'
The Colonel Sanders he missed so much would probably only be available fifty years later.
At the thought of this, Kiyokawa Izumi lost interest and had no desire to talk to Kochou Shinobu further. He lay on the bed and began to pretend to sleep.
The food was brought by a little girl. Kiyokawa Izumi didn't remember her name, only vaguely recalling that there were two others who looked similar to her, and they were known as the Butterfly Mansion's Three Little Ones.
He didn't really care about those things now; he was just exceptionally hungry.
There was nothing much to say about the food provided; the burgers, fried chicken, and hot pot he imagined were nowhere to be found.
Simple rice balls, a bowl of miso soup, a small fish, and a dish of pickles.
It was just that simple.
Starving to the limit, Kiyokawa Izumi didn't care if it was delicious or not. He grabbed a rice ball and stuffed it into his mouth.
One,
Two,
Three.
Even after eating a lot, he still felt his stomach was empty.
Kiyokawa Izumi also knew the principle of not eating too much after long starvation, so he didn't overeat and kept it moderate.
After finishing the meal, he looked at the uniform placed by the bed and fell into deep thought.
'How should I bring it up?'
'Sigh, should I mention this kind of thing to the Master in person? But I can't even see that guy!'
'Kochou Shinobu is a Hashira after all. Looking for her should be useful, right?'
'No, she isn't as gentle as she looks!'
Kiyokawa Izumi tugged at his hair in distress.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about how to just eat and wait for death here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kiyokawa Izumi's expression stiffened.
A familiar voice, a familiar smile. Kiyokawa Izumi explained calmly.
"Cough, I'm not talking about being in the Butterfly Mansion... I'm not that kind of person."
He was thinking about how to just eat and wait for death in this world, spending his life lazily.
But what he said was ambiguous.
It could be misunderstood as being in the Butterfly Mansion.
It wouldn't have mattered much to say that, but it was a bit awkward to be heard by the owner of the Butterfly Mansion.