"These honey pancakes you made are so good, sis! Why aren't you eating any?"
Mitsuri's little brother happily stuffed another bite into his mouth while looking at her with concern.
Mitsuri waved her hand weakly. "You two eat. I don't have much of an appetite."
She still picked up her spoon and took a small bite out of politeness. The sweet honey and fluffy texture should have been perfect together, but right now it tasted like nothing.
Mitsuri set the spoon down and stared blankly out at the empty courtyard, letting out a quiet sigh.
If only Shuya-san could taste these pancakes too…
Shuya-san… when will I get to see you again?
Her father glanced at her wistful expression and gently placed a hand on his son's head.
"Your sister's in love," he said with a knowing smile.
The little boy tilted his head, clearly confused by the word.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it! I'll get it!"
The boy jumped up immediately, glad for any excuse to escape the strange atmosphere.
Mitsuri didn't react at first. She was still lost in her own thoughts until her little brother's excited voice called out from the entrance.
"Sis! There's a really handsome big brother here asking for you!"
Mitsuri's heart skipped.
Shuya! It has to be Shuya!
She shot up from her seat, heart racing, but her mouth moved on its own.
"Tell Shuya-san to wait thirty more minutes—no, ten—no, five—"
She was already running back to her room before she finished speaking. She yanked open her dresser drawer and started digging through it frantically.
"Nothing… nothing… still nothing…"
She had thrown away every single bottle of expensive hair dye after Shuya told her he wanted to see her real self the next time they met.
Mitsuri touched her pink-and-green hair, anxiety twisting in her chest.
Will Shuya-san really not hate seeing me like this?
She took a deep breath and walked back out.
When she returned to the living room, Shuya was already chatting with her father.
Her dad was holding Shuya's hand warmly. "Shuya, what does your family do?"
"I'm an orphan," Shuya answered calmly.
"Ah—sorry about that," her father said quickly, looking regretful.
Shuya shook his head. "It's fine. I'm used to it."
Her father studied him for a moment, then asked, "So what do you do now?"
Shuya thought for a second. "I guess you could call me a traveler. I go to different places, see different things, and meet interesting people."
Her father's eyes lit up. He gripped Shuya's hand tighter. "Would you be willing to take our Mitsuri with you on your travels?"
Shuya nodded without hesitation. "That's actually why I came here today."
He had planned to bring Mitsuri back with him. The trip to the Butterfly Mansion had gone far smoother than expected. Not only had he half-revived Kanae, he had also contracted both Shinobu and Aoi, kissed Kanao, and basically swept up almost every cute girl in the mansion.
And all of that had happened in just one day.
Mitsuri's father looked overjoyed. "Then I'll leave Mitsuri in your care, Shuya. Do you need any financial support? Our family—"
"Dad!!"
Mitsuri's face turned bright red as she rushed over and started pushing her father toward the door.
"Aren't you supposed to take little brother out right now? Hurry up and go!"
"Ah, right, right. Look at me, getting carried away." Her father chuckled knowingly and didn't expose her obvious lie. He simply patted her head and gave her a meaningful look.
"Then I'll leave this handsome young man in your hands, Mitsuri."
He took his son and left, giving the two of them space.
Once the house was empty except for them, Mitsuri suddenly became shy again. She stood in front of Shuya with her hands behind her back, nervously pinching the hem of her clothes while keeping her head down.
"Shuya-san… my hair color… is it ugly?"
Shuya stepped closer, gently lifted a strand of her pink-and-green hair, and kissed it.
"No. It's beautiful," he said softly. "Cherry blossom pink fading into green. I like it a lot. Especially when it matches your pretty face."
Mitsuri's cheeks burned.
Shuya looked straight at her. "You heard what I said to your father earlier, right?"
She nodded.
"Then what do you think, Mitsuri? Do you want to come with me?"
He added gently, "Of course, you don't have to cut ties with your family. You can come home to visit whenever you want."
"I want to!"
Mitsuri didn't even let him finish. She jumped straight into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him like she was afraid he would disappear if she let go.
Shuya smiled as he held her.
Perfect.
He had come here to take Mitsuri back to the Butterfly Mansion. Saeko was already teaching Nezuko Sun Breathing. Mitsuri could train alongside her.
In the original story, Mitsuri had started by learning Flame Breathing from Rengoku before creating her own Love Breathing. Her talent with Breathing Styles was no joke. Training with Nezuko might create some healthy competition.
Either way, bringing her along was the right move.