In the early morning in Tokyo, after preparing breakfast for her two younger sisters, Kanae left home and, following the address on the business card Mitsuba gave her, arrived before another apartment building in the city district.
This was a very ordinary apartment building. Whether looking at the building's overall decoration or its location, there was nothing special about it.
Even its grade was quite average—worse than the apartment where little Shinobu lived. Any Tokyo citizen with normal income could afford to rent an apartment here.
It was hard to imagine that the mysterious and powerful Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki, who made both God and the Demon Slayer Corps deeply wary, would actually live in such an ordinary and commonplace place?
No, if one thought about it carefully, the fact that Upper Rank One was willing to work as an ordinary editor at a newspaper, squatting in the editorial department writing articles from nine to five every day, was already quite an outrageous matter in itself...
Shaking her head, casting aside these strange thoughts from her mind, Kanae took a deep breath, adjusted her breathing, and walked straight into the apartment building before her.
At present, it was not yet the time for normal working people to go to work. If nothing unexpected happened, Miss Mitsuba should still be in her apartment.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the stairwell. In the process of climbing the stairs step by step, Kanae's heart once again welled up with some nervousness.
At the root of it, after meeting Miss Mitsuba later, what exactly should she say?
Would Miss Mitsuba really welcome her visit?
Stopping before the door number corresponding to the business card, Kanae did not rush forward to knock.
She gently closed her eyes, took another deep breath, and adjusted her breathing rhythm.
[Calm down, don't be nervous, Kanae... Yes, be natural, let everything flow naturally.]
"Mm, the reason I came this time is precisely to gather intelligence on Upper Rank One."
Her breathing steady again, standing before Mitsuba's room door, Kanae suddenly spoke.
"As the strongest of the Twelve Kizuki, she must possess much intelligence on other Twelve Kizuki members. For the Demon Slayer Corps, I must try to ask these things from her mouth.
Of course, this cannot be rushed. Asking these things right from the start would be far too reckless. I must first build a good relationship with her, taking it slowly.
In any case, today I'll first try to chat with her more, and then, if possible, invite her to go shopping together..."
With these words, Kanae finally raised her hand and lightly knocked on the door before her.
Soon, in her patient yet slightly nervous waiting, the door finally...
Did not open.
[Hmm?]
Slightly puzzled, Kanae raised her hand to knock on the door again, this time using slightly more force.
Then...
The door still did not open.
[Eh? Wait, could it be...]
After several consecutive knocks with no one coming to open the door, Kanae finally confirmed a disappointing fact—
Mitsuba was currently not home.
[How could this be?!]
Her face still maintaining that faint smile, eyes wide open looking at this cold door before her, Kanae's heart was already somewhat crumbling.
[I specifically dressed up carefully before leaving home this morning, even put on new clothes, yet Miss Mitsuba is not home?!]
[How could...]
So, where exactly did Mitsuba run off to?
"..."
Tokyo University campus, inside a certain teaching building.
"Good morning, Dr. Hakuji~"
"Ah, hello."
"Dr. Hakuji came early today too. Could it be you have classes during the day?"
"Mm, indeed so."
"Dr. Hakuji, who is this person beside you..."
"Oh, this is my elder sister."
"Ara~ so it was Big Sister~"
"You may not address teacher's elder sister this way. Hurry back to class."
"Naa~ Dr. Hakuji~ a new coffee shop opened nearby not long ago~ after you finish work today, why don't you go have a drink with me there~ okay okay~"
"You also may not say such things to teacher. Hurry back to class."
In the corridor of the teaching building, carrying teaching materials, Akaza walked toward his classroom while dealing with the attentions of female students around him.
As the youngest male doctor in all of Tokyo University, refined and cultured, approachable and responsible, and simultaneously still single, Akaza had always been quite popular among the many female students.
Similar conversations occurred almost every day, causing Akaza considerable annoyance.
Because he truly had no interest in developing any further intimate relationships with his students.
He truly only wanted to properly delve into academics, then teach a batch of excellent good students, nothing more.
Unfortunately, those female students rushing to enroll in his classes did not seem to think this way.
Perhaps, this was the trouble of being too popular...
In order to allow these young ladies in their adolescence to focus on their studies, Akaza normally exhausted his thoughts...
"I truly didn't expect that little Hakuji, you're so popular at school?"
Beside him, watching with great interest as Akaza dealt with those passionate female students one after another, Mitsuba said with a teasing smile.
That's right, she had come to Tokyo University early this morning.
Of course, this wasn't because she wanted to come herself, but because Akaza had called her here.
The reason was, he had a very important matter that he needed to ask her about in person.
Mitsuba, who for the first time in over three hundred years saw Akaza this serious, naturally came over without hesitation.
"So then, little Hakuji, what exactly did you encounter? How does your elder sister Mitsuba need to help you?"
"This isn't a place for talking. Perfect, there's still some time before my class. Let's go to my office first..."
Rarely not reacting to Mitsuba's teasing, Akaza merely led her, quickly walking toward the direction of his office.
"Eh~ what kind of matter could be so mysterious?
Could it be that a Demon Slayer discovered little Hakuji's identity?"
"It's not that. I encountered a person last night..."
"Mm mm, encountered a person?"
Recalling in her mind the scene at the izakaya last night, of that girl named "Koyuki," under Mitsuba's curious gaze beside him, the expression on Akaza's face gradually became strange.
"That was a somewhat special girl..."
"A special girl?"
"How should I put it, the moment I saw that girl, my brain..."
"Uwaa!"
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This story has ended in chapter 315, you can read on patreon.com/dzeref887 for faster access or wait until August to read on WebNovel until the story ends.