"You died before you could find your happiness," Nao said with woe in her tone.

"And it was because you chose to believe on a false dream."

Nao's voice sounded sad as well. "I will never be able to return your affections. I will never love you or have feelings for you. Not now or a thousand years later. I only love one person."

Yuu gritted his teeth.

"Nonsense. It was because he bewitched you. Mimi-san, should have been mine from the beginning. I met you first! It was me who grew up beside Mimi-san, not him."

Yuu felt agitated.

"He stole you from me."

His eyes glowed darkly and his teeth elongated like fangs. When he became a demon, his emotions had heightened tenfold. The smallest thing made him angry but decades of practice had prevented him from losing control yet at the very mention of the past, of his past regrets, Yuu felt a wave of immense anger that he could not explain.

It was anger he could not control.

'I was born poor and a lowlife.'

This very thing haunted him and made him sick with anger and resentment. Men were not born equal and he could not accept it.

If only he was born in a different family.

If only he wasn't born poor then maybe, just maybe, things could have been different. He could have stood beside her on equal ground without the insecurities of his background and his self-worth weighing down on him like a boulder.

Yuu wouldn't have to kill her for trying to leave... because he was unworthy.

"Mimi-san, what matters is we're together now. Do not think about the past. It is useless to daydream about things that have happened. We can only focus on the present. This life is another curse. We do not have long. Your death approaches but I will be here. I would stay beside you until you take your last breath. I'm the only one worthy to stay beside you."

Yuu held Nao's hand in his. Nao felt the difference between his demonic hands and her human skin.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. Muzan's hands weren't like this. Despite his cruelty, he did not have hands like this. Muzan hid his monstrosity well and she was a fool for still loving a monster in human skin.

Nao's eyes wavered like water as she thought of him before clearing her mind.

Yuu's hands were also not like this. They used to be a pair of human hands, rough and calloused from working too much. She of all people knew how much he worked harder than anyone else.

If things had been different...

Nao breathed deeply. Even if things had been different, Yuu was her friend and she would never see him in any other light.

A family. A friend. A brother.

Those things were possible but in her heart, only Muzan exists.

Only one person could occupy it and perhaps she would burn in hell for still choosing to love him.

For thinking that a demon who had ruined many lives and killed countless innocents still deserves a chance.

'In this life, let us resolve the grievances of the past once and for all.' Nao thought.

"Yuu-kun, forgive me." She told him, despite the haunting memories of his violence and violation towards her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Nao repeated.

Yuu's face twisted.

His teeth were grinding against each other.

"Mimi-san, why do you apologize?"

"I'm sorry."

"Mimi-san, is this because you want to leave me? That you would rather die than stay with me again?"

Yuu's face darkened, veins bulging in response to his heightened emotions, his eyes dilating.

His hands were twitching.

Why why why why why why-

Even in this life... Even after so many years of trying, he was still faced with her rejection. Yuu lowered his head, biting down on his lip, the skin wounding and immediately bleeding.

An emptiness that gnawed at him caused his face to freeze up, eyes staring at the ground with dark impulses that could hardly be contained.

Death it is then.

Yuu raised his hand.

"I cannot die yet."

The words quickly halted his movements.

"Mimi-san..."

"I still want to see him one last time." Nao said with a firm voice.

"I want to see Muzan. I want to see my brother. My nephews and nieces. And even if I don't like Akane, I want to have a sincere conversation with her. I also want to see Giyuu-kun and Himejima-san. I miss my family and all of my loved ones. I used to think I was alone and lonely but thinking back, I had been so foolish. I did not realize that many people loved me."

Nao held his hand tighter.

"I'm sorry, Yuu. I'm sorry that I couldn't return your affections. I cannot force myself to love you. It would be the most disrespectful thing I could do as your friend. It would mean that I had loved you out of pity and not with sincerity." Yuu gritted his teeth, more blood coming from his mouth.

A tear fell from the corner of Nao's eye when she saw this.

"Back then, I wanted to be friends with you because unlike everyone else, you did not have any ulterior motives. I was so happy to have someone as my equal. I was an only child, I never thought I could have a brother." She continued.

"But Yuu...."

"It pains me... How you've changed so much."

"I thought I could trust you because you're my friend."

"But why? Why now, are you forcing my hand? Why do you want me to love you? Why do you want me to give you something I don't have?"

Yuu's eyes narrowed.

"You've become no different from everyone else." Nao told him with finality.

"You've become no different from the people who want to take advantage of me."

"After realizing this, I can no longer see you as my friend. All the grievances I've experienced in your hand, my death and my misery.. Would a friend do that? A brother? You asked me why I can't trust you." Nao let his hand go and took a step back.

"It's because you killed me."

"You forced yourself on me."

"You imprisoned me."

"Took my freedom away and threatened the lives of my family and friends."

"Are those actions something a friend would do?"

"No, Yuu. They were the actions of a liar and a monster who has no conscience."