In Chapter 4~

Y/n fully stopped eating as she stared blankly at her food.

"Ano! If it's personal then you don't need to share anything!!" Tanjirou immediately regretted asking as the atmosphere turned chilling and quiet.

"...Pain huh?" Y/n said as she looked up. "Is that how I look like to you?"

"...Yes," The three agreed.

Y/n looked away.

"I see...," She muttered as her voice cracked a little...

The three immediately felt guilty as Inosuke hit Tanjirou on the head.

'I deserved that...,' Tanjirou thought as he stared at the female. She looked so lost... so lonely... so... much pain... so much pain was hidden in her eyes. Before he knew it he had already spoken out...

"Isn't there any way for me to get rid of all that pain?" 

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Y/n's eyes wide opened in surprise... the three stared in shock, that was probably the most emotion she had showed them for the day. 

'ACK...,' Tanjirou panicked inside as he finally realized what he said.

"Ah... Ano...," He hurriedly tried to find an excuse with a huge blush on his face... It sounded like a confession! And they just met!!

"Would you...?" Y/n's voice rasped quietly. 

"...,"

"Would you?" Y/n asked more clearly. "...No could you?" 

Y/n looked up... Her eyes looked soft as they glimmered slightly. 

"Could you take all this pain away from me?"

"...I...I'LL TRY!" Tanjirou promised as he stiffened up. 

"ME TOO!!" Inosuke yelled at the two. "NO WAY I'M GONNA LOSE TO YOU!"

"Then... Me... Me too...," Zenitsu blurted after.

"Then I look forward to it," Y/n smiled as she nodded her head. 

'GASPPPP!!' 

"What...?"

"You smiled!!" Tanjirou beamed. 

"Wahh!! Y/n-chan you look so pretty when you smile!!" Zenitsu shouted cheerfully. 

Inosuke aggressively nodded his head. 

"...I did?" Y/n asked confused. "...It's been such a long time since I've smiled...," 

"W-Will you tell us?" Tanjirou asked. "Why you're so sad...,"

"Will it help?" Y/n inquired. 

Zenitsu smiled. "If you have someone to talk to I guarantee that you will feel better!"

Inosuke and Tanjirou nodded their heads.

"Then...Okay," Y/n agreed before moving her tray of food to the side. 

The three boys leaned closer in order to hear Y/n's mysterious past. They saw her take a deep shaky breath. 

'She's nervous...,' Tanjirou thought as he stared. 

"A long time ago...," Y/n started. 

"Was it a really long time ago?" Zenitsu interrupted causing the two to glare at him. "...Sorry,"

"Then... a few years ago... I had someone," Y/n started as she stared blankly past them. "Someone special that pulled me out of my darkness when I was at the lowliest point of my life... When I was lost,"

"You loved that person...," Tanjirou spoke. 

Y/n lifted her head to look at the ceiling as if in deep thought before she slowly nodded. 

"Yes... I did... That was the feeling," Y/n sighed.

"Did... Did something happen to that person?" Zenitsu stuttered.

"...Yes, he disappeared," Y/n muttered.

"So suddenly?" 

"I think that man is a bastard," Inosuke grumbled. 

"...He isn't," Y/n softly defended. 

"Ano... What happened to that person?" Tanjirou asked. 

"I don't know... He just disappeared suddenly... so suddenly," 

"You don't know where that person is?" 

"...Hmm," Y/n hummed.

"Why?" Inosuke gruffed. "You never tried to find him?"

"Because I think he left because he was sick of me... because he found someone else... because he doesn't love me anymore...," Y/n whispered out as she gritted her teeth. "When I was with him I was happy... I had a swirl of such... warm emotions but I wanted to ignore them.... because I thought I didn't deserve someone like him... but he told me that I was allowed to be happy, so I decided that I would love him... that I would show him all my affection... I wanted him to know that I loved him too...,"

"But he disappeared," Zenitsu confirmed and Y/n just nodded with her head hung low.

"So you were afraid," Tanjirou tenderly spoke. "But you don't know... He may still love you... he might have left for a reason... Wouldn't you want to know what that is?"

"...But I'm terrified," Y/n admitted as she made eye contact with the three boys, her forehead was scrunched up in sorrow. "Terrified that when I find him he would look at me with disgust and hatred... terrified that he would tell me to go away... terrified that he would tell me that... he had never loved me,"

'That's why she hasn't tried to find him,' The boys stayed silent as the pondered in their own thoughts. 

'They can't get rid of this pain... they can't do anything to take this pain away...,' Y/n thought as she stared down. 

"It's okay," Tanjirou comforted as he embraced her breaking her out of her opposing state of mind. 

"I'm sorry...," Zenitsu muttered softly. "I asked about love before and I bet that made you recall your painful past...,"

"It's okay woman," Inosuke huffed out as he patted her back soothingly.

"You can meet other people and learn to feel again," Tanjirou chirped as he let her go from his embrace. 

"Who? Who would want to be with me?"

"Us," The boys spoke confidently. 

Y/n's eyes widened. 

"Why... Why would you do such things for me?" Y/n asked as her face scrunched up in confusion. 

"... I don't really know... but I feel like I want to be the one who stays by your side," Tanjirou beamed as he scratched his head in embarrassment. 

"Me too!!" Zenitsu giggled. 

"Hmf...well... me too," Inosuke grumbled. "Ack!! I'm being so cheesy that I feel disgusted in myself!!" 

Y/n lifted her hand and patted Inosuke's hair soothingly causing him to blush. 

"Don't touch me!!" Inosuke snapped with a beetroot face before he turned around and walked outside to calm his burning face down.

Y/n looked at the two who were smiling softly at Inosuke's behavior before she patted their heads away. 

"Zenitsu... you asked me if I could marry you right?" Y/n suddenly asked. 

"HUHHH!!! THEN... YOU'LL MARRY ME THEN!!" Zenitsu shouted with joy. 

"No... but I'll protect you... you too," Y/n muttered as she turned to Tanjirou. 

"Thank you... I'll protect you too!" Tanjirou cheered. 

"Now then...," Y/n's expression darkened as the two stiffened. "Tanjirou... what's in that box of yours," 

"Ack...um...nothing special!!" Tanjirou stuttered. "Why all of a sudden...-,"

"It smells... peculiar," 

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure Inosuke and Zenitsu already know that you carry a demon in a box... let alone it smells like a human at the same time... I'm curious," Y/n shrugged. 

Just then the old lady came in to show them to their sleeping bed. 

'Nice save Oba-san...,' Tanjirou thought before letting out a sigh of relief.

"You may sleep in another room," The old lady said as she turned to Y/n. 

"No, it's okay," Y/n muttered as she walked in the same room.

"EHH!! Y/N-CHAN YOU'RE SLEEPING WITH US??!!" Zenitsu squealed as he blushed. 

"...Is that a problem?" Y/n asked.

"No!!" Zenitsu yelled. "I'M SO HAPPYYYY!!~"

...

"I see," 

"I'm taking this one!" Inosuke shouted as he lunged himself on the middle left futon.  

"Which one are you taking?!" Tanjirou and Zenitsu shouted at the same time. 

"...Um...I don't really mind," Y/n said. 

"No no! You should choose!" 

"...Then...," Y/n walked towards the futon causing all the boy's heart to beat nervously as they gulped. However, Y/n walked past the futon area before she opened the door to meet the night's crisp air. 

"Y/n-chan! It's cold! What are you doing?" Zenitsu panicked. 

"...Sleeping," Y/n said as she eyed him. 

"We meant for you to choose a futon...," Tanjirou said as he pointed to the three leftover futons. 

"I usually sleep outside... I haven't slept in a bed in years...," Y/n spoke. "It's more comfortable to sleep outside," 

"You'll catch a cold!" Tanjirou said concerned before walking up to Y/n. He grabbed her hands softly and slowly closed the doors. "Please sleep on a futon... it'll be better for your health," 

Y/n started nonchalantly at the futons before she sighed and nodded. She then proceeded to lead Tanjirou to the futons.

"Wait! Y/n-san??!" Tanjirou shouted flustered and confused as she pulled on his hand. 

"You too... you can sleep here," Y/n pointed to the futon next to her. 

"Eh?!" Zenitsu shouted. "Y/n-chan! What about me?!" 

"Then where do you want to sleep?" Y/n asked. 

Zenitsu eyed Tanjirou like a pouty child.

 "I see!" Y/n confirmed, determined, when she followed his gaze. "You want to sleep next to Tanjirou!!"

"Eh?" 

"It's okay, I'll move," Y/n said as she lifted up an arm as she stood up. 

"WAITT!" Zentisu hugged Y/n's kimono slipping his arms around her slim waist. "DON'T GOOOO!"

"I'm not going anywhere... I'll be in the same room as you...," Y/n said as she shrugged. 

"I WANNA... I WANNA SLEEP WITH YOU Y/N-CHAN!!" Zenitsu yelled. 

"You... wanna sleep with me?" Y/n repeated as she raised an eyebrow.

Zenitsu flushed red as he nodded his head violently. 

"Um...," Y/n pondered in her own thoughts for a while and the three boys anxiously waited for her answer. "You know what... I'll sleep outside," 

"Y/n-san!! Noooo!!" 

*CREAK* 

A sudden creak brought their attention to the box Tanjirou always carried around.

...

...

...

"AH!!!" Zenitsu screamed. "It's... IT'S A...-," 

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Lol 

It's a... ???

Hope you enjoyed today's chapter!! :))

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Word Count: 1564

ACE out!~