Love at First Sight - Rengoku Kyojuro

A Pitiful Heart

The slayer came back again every week or two, and she thanked whatever gods existed that she was gifted with yet another day to live every time he departed.

Although, she had to admit... She was always disappointed to see him leave. Was she just lonely?

No, she knew what loneliness felt like...

She felt very conflicted about his visits now.

On one hand, she feared for her life, and on the other, well... She simply wished that she could engage in a friendly conversation with him without being wary.

Once he came by later in the night, while she was gardening, and watched her for a bit.

She knew he was there, but... His presence made her lose focus, and she ended up accidentally snipping one of her flowers heads off while she was trimming a shrubbery.

She wasn't very happy about that, of course.

Another time, he'd come into her home via patio door without saying anything, and she'd walked out into the kitchen to get something without being properly dressed, not knowing he was there.

Long story short, she'd screamed quite loudly, threw something at him, and ran back into her bedroom with her face on fire and half-looking like a tomato.

He'd apologized profusely after that little incident, of course, and even taken the liberty to make it up to her by offering his help in uprooting a couple of tree stumps near the path that she'd been dreading pulling out.

He'd gotten them out like it was nothing, and she felt very embarrassed; she was a demon with supposedly enhanced physical strength(though it admittedly wasn't much), yet he'd still been able to complete the task with ease.

She'd made plans to use those stumps as firewood after treating them properly.

After a while, she asked him if she could trouble him with acting as a model for a painting, even though she'd already painted or drawn him before... Still, it was better with the subject's consent.

Now sitting remarkably still in his chair while she painted, he wore his signature smile. Hoping to accurately capture the emotion his expression held, she spent a bit longer than she normally would on his face than she did with others... It was fine.

After about two hours, she had finished most of it, and could work on the finer details later. “You can get up now and stretch your legs if you like, I'm nearly finished. Thank you very much, Rengoku-san.”

“Of course! May I see?”

The woman moved aside, carefully holding the canvas up so he could look. He laughed, folding his arms. “You're quite talented! You've captured my likeness so well, if I didn't know it was a painting I'd have been positive I was looking into a mirror!!”

She chuckled awkwardly, setting it back down on the easel. “Ah, you flatter me; thank you for the compliment, but I'm sure I still have much more to learn. Would you like me to make you something to eat? You've been sitting for a long time...”

“If you're offering, then I certainly won't reject your goodwill, miss,” the fiery man said with a smile, the tiniest wink flashing her.

Her cheeks warmed, and she shook her head, walking back towards the kitchen.

•

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•

It had gotten late, so she'd lent him her guest room, insisting that he care for his safety and sleep there instead; currently, she was sitting out on the stool she'd set out in the moonlight.