Demon Slayer: My breathing technique went awry after Nezuko pushed me down.

That call made Tamayo's heart skip a beat.

If you can't use your hands to hold it... then how do you hold it?

Tamayo was a smart woman and naturally understood Shirakawa Yu's implied meaning. Her face turned so red that it was almost dripping with water.

In such an ambiguous environment, amidst such a seductive atmosphere, and in such an alluring pose...

Before this dream flower she had longed for for hundreds of years...

Tamayo looked at Shirakawa Yu's face as it slowly approached.

His golden heterochromatic eyes were gazing at her tenderly.

Tamayo's cheeks were burning hot, and her eyelashes trembled slightly.

For the blue spider lily...

She slowly closed her eyes, her lips slightly pursed with nervousness.

She was waiting.

Waiting for a kiss that hasn't happened in a century.

However......

A few seconds passed.

The expected warm sensation on the lips did not occur.

Instead, a plant stem, carried by her heavy breathing, gently pressed against her lips.

Tamayo opened her eyes in confusion.

Shirakawa Yu's face was right in front of her, so close that she could see her own reflection in his eyes.

"This is the first and the last time," he said softly, his voice carrying a dangerous tenderness.

"Next time, if you close your eyes in my arms again... I won't let you off the hook."

Tamayo's face flushed bright red.

He...he didn't take advantage of the situation.

He seems frivolous, always saying things that make people blush and doing things that make hearts race...

But actually...

He did not use anything as a condition to belittle himself.

He...respects himself very much.

This man...

Tamayo's heart was pounding wildly, and she avoided looking at him.

For the first time in hundreds of years, she felt so shy, even... at a loss, in front of a man.

Shirakawa Yu smiled and stepped back, increasing the distance between the two.

When that warm feeling left, Tamayo felt a subtle sense of loss.

She hurriedly removed the blue spider lily from her lips, clutching it tightly in her palm, trying to mask her panic with a question: "Where did you get this flower?"

"Yoichi Tsugikuni, do you know him?" Shirakawa Yu leaned against the other side of the lab bench, regaining his usual relaxed demeanor.

Tamayo's eyes widened again, "Yoriichi Tsugikuni!!?"

“Yes.” Shirakawa Yu nodded. “Yoichi Tsugikuni and Tanjiro’s family are old friends. This blue spider lily blooms in front of Yoichi Tsugikuni’s wife’s grave.”

Tamayo was stunned.

I want to cry, I want to laugh, I want to mock others, and I want to mock myself.

Muzan...

That madman, in his search for the Blue Spider Lily, committed so many heinous crimes and killed so many people...

The answer to all of this lies in a place he absolutely dares not approach.

How ridiculous.

How tragic.

Not only him, but she herself was no different.

In her quest to find a way to kill Muzan, she had searched tirelessly for the Blue Spider Lily for many years, yet she had never considered that direction...

"It's normal that you can't find it." Bai Chuanyu's voice pulled her back to reality.

He saw through Tamayo's thoughts; at this moment, no matter how slight the change in those pupils, it could not escape his eyes.

"This flower only blooms for a few days each year, and only during the day. Ghosts... naturally, they are hard to find."

Last year, when he was still in Sagiri Mountain, Shirakawa Yu got the address and the time for Kaika to visit the grave from Tanjiro.

This blue spider lily is the one he specially went to Tanjiro's hometown to pick and has kept close to his body ever since.

Tamayo looked down at the withered flower in her hand, "That's why it..."

“It’s dried out and has been sitting for a long time,” Shirakawa Yu replied. “Whether it will work or not, you’ll have to experiment with it. It’s okay if it doesn’t work for now.”

"In about two and a half months, the blue spider lilies will bloom again. I'll get you some fresh ones then."

Tamayo's fingers, holding the flower, trembled slightly.

"How come you seem to know everything..." she murmured, looking at Shirakawa Yu.

Shirakawa Yu smiled, a smile tinged with mystery. "I might not know more than you. But, as I said before..."

"If you're curious, I'd love for us to get to know each other better!"

Tamayo's face, which had finally calmed down, flushed again. "Who...who wants...to get to know you...more deeply?"

She turned around, pretending to be engrossed in studying the flowers, but her reddened earlobes betrayed her.

Shirakawa Yu smiled and stopped teasing her.

He turned around and waved to Nezuko, who was sitting quietly in the corner, tilting her little head and looking at the two of them curiously with her beady eyes.

In Nezuko's mind, Tamayo, who takes care of her gently, is like a mother, while Shirakawa Hare is her fiancé.

What just happened was probably...

woo~~~

Ugh—? ? ?

can't read......

Never mind!

Little Bean came running over with a patter, and Bai Chuanyu lifted her little bottom and held her in his arms.

She naturally pressed her face against Shirakawa Yu's neck, inhaling the pleasant scent, and rubbed against him like a kitten.

"I won't bother you anymore." Shirakawa Yu hugged Nezuko and turned to Tamayo. "Get some rest after you're done tidying up. You'll be more alert and have a clearer mind."

After saying that, he really left the laboratory, and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

Tamayo was left alone in the laboratory, blankly holding the blue spider lily.

Her heart was still beating very fast.

At this moment, she was unsure whether the man or the flowers in her hand were more on her mind.

She shook her head, trying to focus.

But the curve of her lips just wouldn't go down.

This research lasted for a full day and night.

Shirakawa Yu really didn't bother her at all.

As she rubbed her temples and groggily returned to her room, a fist-sized hole above the headboard caught her attention.

Tamayo leaned closer, puzzled, wanting to take a closer look—

Boom boom boom!

A knock came at the door.

"Go in," she said wearily.

The door opened, and Shirakawa Yu walked in carrying a porcelain cup.

The cup was covered, yet it still emitted an... enticing aroma.

"No need to look, I opened it." Bai Chuanyu put the cup on the bedside table and pointed to the hole.

"Don't worry, it's not light-proof, only breathable. My breathing technique can let some of it through this hole, which should help you sleep more soundly."

Of course, his main reason was that he wanted to smell Tamayo's scent...

Tamayo opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know what to say.

This man... always does things that surprise her.

Bai Chuanyu didn't linger. He put down the cup, turned around, and walked towards the door. "Drink this before you go to sleep."

The moment she picked up the porcelain cup and opened the lid, Tamayo's purple eyes widened instantly, even turning slightly red.

The cup was full of bright red blood.

This smell...

It's Shirakawa Yu's blood.

Tamayo's hand trembled as she suppressed the urge that was about to overwhelm her reason. "Kawaba-kun, this..."

Bai Chuanyu stopped at the door, glanced sideways, and said in an extremely gentle tone, "If you must drink, I hope you drink mine."

Tamayo: "..."

"Don't worry, I'm very healthy. I've seen you get more nosebleeds than this before."

"Yeah~"

(/ω＼)Although, but......