───

     IT TOOK WAY TOO LONG FOR GOJŌ AND getō to leave; in sukuna's opinion at least. thankfully the two left with the four teenagers before sukuna could attempt kill them all.

that is, until himari had asked him to create a fake yumi just like he did with the holy sword.

"why me again?!", sukuna groaned.

"because you're the capable demon king", himari grinned, clearly pampering the male by giving him a tight hug and a cute pout.

     "ugh, fuck you!"

     "I'll be waiting when you come back then", himari waved, to which sukuna had momentarily paused, seemingly to finally be able to process the woman's words.

"HEY! YOU—"

"what the hell are you doing?", tōji asked, leaning his face against the palm of his hand, as he sat criss-cross-applesauce next to himari.

     "I'm making my outfit for when I'm supposed to perform for the shogunate", himari answered, as she had asked some of the women from the old brothel for some fabric.

     "hah? for the moon festival?"

     "apparently so", himari sighed, trimming the tool, as she most definitely wasn't going for the normal ancient japanese kimono.

     after all, she had came to the realization that she would never be able to be as elegant as those other women who have spent their entire childhood — growing up — practicing dancing; or an instrument, for that matter.

"are you not doing a traditional dance?", tōji asked, noticing the peculiar outlines on the fabric.

"now since when have I fit in the traditional category?", himari chuckled, running her fingertips across the baby blue — slightly teal — cloth to flatten it against the floorboards.

     "that's true...ah, that actually reminds me. are you from the future or something?", tōji casually asked, causing himari to freeze up.

     "e-excuse me? why...why would you say that? of course I'm not!!", himari awkwardly laughed it off.

     tōji skeptically hummed.

     "you know we're not as oblivious as the two brats", tōji stated.

"we?"

"me, that daimyo, and the demon manipulator. I'm pretty sure that the demon king already knows, just based on how much closer you two have been", tōji analyzed.

himari had now fully paused on her project, as she scratched the back of her head.

"haha...you uhhh...you noticed that?"

     tōji only gave a curt nod, as he titled his head; his deep emerald eyes seemingly to stare straight into himari's soul.

     "so are you going to tell me who you really are?", the dark-haired man inquired, to which himari's gaze had darted everywhere other than the man's piercing glare.

"I...umm...you're right", himari sighed, as she knew that there was no way to hide this anymore.

"I'm not exactly from the world...well, I suppose my soul isn't. I don't know what happened to the original owner of this body, but I only took her place...because...of my own selfish desires", himari truthfully admitted.

the fushiguro raised a brow in both befuddlement and revelation.

     "selfish desires?"

     himari's ears started burning as she cleared her throat, sticking her pointer fingers together as a small pout had unconsciously appeared.

"I-I...wanted to meet you all...", himari quickly muttered.

"huh? what'd you say?", tōji asked, leaning closer, as himari thought her face was quite literally about to overheat.

"I-I said...I wanted to meet you all...and yeah...", himari quietly repeated.

     a soft chuckle was heard, as himari felt a hand ruffle her hair.

     "that's it?"

     "what do you mean that's it?! it's...a big deal for me, okay? I'm honestly very lucky to have met you all", himari slightly smiled, fiddling with her thumbs.

     "but that also makes me wonder about something", himari started.

     "hm?"

     "so...since I like exposed myself...can you tell me why you uhhh...ya know...left megumi?", himari asked.

even though she's read the manga multiple times — meanwhile waiting for gege to update — himari felt that perhaps the tōji in this world was a bit different.

tōji slightly tensed up as his lips drooped into a frown.

"why do you care?", the man harshly asked.

"I...I just wanted to learn more about you", himari shrugged, showcasing a wry smile.

     tōji scoffed, as his mouth then curled up into a grin.

     "learn more about me? well, I fucked a woman and she gave birth to megumi. I stole her last name and left him because I didn't care about him; happy?"

     the auburn-haired woman then sniffed the air, making tōji confused.

     "smell that? smells like bullshit to me", himari boldly replied, causing tōji to click his tongue.

     "oh yeah?", tōji snorted.

     "despite how much of a player the fandom claims you to be, I actually believe that you loved her...at least at some point.

I also believe that you left megumi for him to prosper under satoru's care, because the zen'in household is toxic as hell.

I just wanted to hear you say it, but since you won't admit it, oh well", himari sagged.

     the woman then felt a palm against her back, as it pushed her forward, causing her to collapse into tōji's embrace.

     a prominent breath sauntered down her neck, as the man's scarred lips could be felt against the crook of himari's shoulder.

     "you're too naive, too pure, too kind for your own good", tōji deeply mumbled, his other arm snaking around himari's waist and holding her closer.

     "how do you even dare trust a man that once was tasked to assassinate you?", tōji softly questioned.

"because I believe that you're actually better than what most people perceive you as.

I know it must've been hard being born into a condescending household that places those who are born with powers at a high position; and I know your judgement may have been clouded a bit during those days...but I'm here to tell you that you're needed here.

     and I'll tell you that as many times as you need for you to actually believe me", himari comforted.

     he was lucky that himari couldn't see his expression right now, as the dark-haired male could only shut his eyes and widen his already present smile.

     it was indeed a rare occurrence.

     "though I must say, I am kind of jealous of megumi's mother...", himari muttered, as her chin was still propped on tōji's shoulder.

     a low chuckle vibrated near himari's ear.

     "why's that?"

     "because she had your love...and gave birth to a handsome child", himari straightforwardly answered.

     "had; and who said I couldn't love another?"