So I'm a Narcissist, So What?

Shiro felt someone staring at him and turned to look. His eyes met Shinobu Kocho's striking purple eyes. Surprised at being noticed, Shinobu's lips curved into a gentle smile, her calm demeanor unshaken. It was the kind of smile that said, Oh, you noticed me? How adorable.

For a second, Shiro froze.

'No way. Shinobu Kocho. In the flesh. I have no regrets.' Shiro suddenly began to stumble, his feet faltering as if he were about to collapse, his exaggerated movements making it look like he was in pain. Shinobu tilted her head slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her otherwise composed expression.

Regaining his balance, Shiro managed a small wave, grinning like an idiot. To his amazement, Shinobu waved back, her smile so perfect it could probably end wars.

'Yep, this is officially, the best day of my life.'

Before he could bask in the moment, Shinobu's attention shifted, her smile turning weird as she noticed someone else.

In the crowd, a man reached for Yae's rifle without so much as a hello.

"Hey! Hands off my gun!" Yae snapped, swinging her elbow at the stranger.

The man blocked her attack effortlessly, his blank face showing zero reaction whatsoever which simultaneously surprised and annoyed Yae. "You're Yae."

Yae glared. "And you are?"

"I'm Giyu Tomioka of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"...What?" Question marks appeared at everyone's head except Shiro and Shinobu.

"Tell me about the demon that attacked your father."

Yae stared. "What are you talking about? The man eating bear!"

"It was a bear!" one of the hunters chimed in.

The crowd started whispering. Who is this guy? Is he okay? Does he have a problem in the head.

Shiro couldn't help but muse at the reactions of the ignorant crowd. Classic. Still, it was better this way—the less they knew the better.

"Are you with the police?" an older hunter asked, clearly skeptical. He took a step back, just in case Giyu's mental illness was contagious.

"No," Giyu said, completely serious. "I'm with the Demon Slayer Corps."

"...Is that a government thing?" another hunter asked.

Before Giyu could answer, his stomach growled so loudly it could've scared off wildlife. He knelt slightly, clutching his gut.

"Uh, what are you?" the first hunter repeated, more confused than ever.

"I'm Giyu Tomioka of the Demon Slayer Corps," Giyu said again, as if that cleared everything up.

Silence.

"...There's no talking to this guy," one of the hunters muttered.

"Should we call the police?" another whispered.

"Oh no! Remember the murder of that charcoal family?" someone shouted. "Didn't they say a creepy guy was seen nearby?"

The hunters turned toward Giyu, narrowing their eyes.

"This guy looks creepy," one muttered, tightening his grip on his rifle.

"Indeed," another chimed in.

"No, wait—" Giyu started, but his stomach betrayed him again with another growl.

"Someone get a rope!" a panicked hunter shrieked, lifting his rifle.

Shiro, who had been watching the chaos unfold, was holding back his laughter. This is gold.

A bag of popcorn seemed to materialize out of thin air, and Shiro, without missing a beat, grabbed a handful and tossed it into his mouth, thoroughly enjoying the unfolding chaos.

Shinobu covered her mouth, hiding a small smile. He really hasn't changed.

The crowd of hunters surrounding Giyu began wrapping him up with a thick rope. Despite the absurdity of the situation, Giyu remained perfectly still, his expression as blank as ever.

Sighing, Shiro stepped forward, still grinning with a popcorn bag in hand. "Okay, okay, everyone, calm down," he said, waving his free hand in a mock attempt to diffuse the tension. He gestured toward the tightly bound Giyu. "This guy's terrible at introductions, I'll give you that, but trust me—he's harmless."

Shiro tried to reassure the hunters and villagers, though the dubious glances they exchanged suggested he hasn't succeeded.

The hunters and villagers turned their suspicion on Shiro. "And who are you?"

Shiro puffed out his chest dramatically. "Me? I'm just a friendly traveler," he declared with mock grandeur.

The next moment, Shiro was sitting in the snow, tied up just as securely as Giyu. He glanced down at the ropes and sighed. "Well, this escalated quickly."

"These two must be in cahoots!" one hunter growled.

"Call the police!" another shouted.

"He's creepy and suspicious! They might be working together!" one of the hunters barked, raising his rifle.

Shiro froze at the word "creepy," slumping to the ground with a lifeless expression. 'Creepy? Me?'

Shinobu, watching the chaos unfold, stepped forward, her calm presence cutting through the commotion. Standing next to Giyu, she lightly poked his shoulder. "Tomioka," she said, her tone both amused and exasperated.

Giyu turned to her. "Kocho?"

She smiled faintly. "What a coincidence… as usual, your communication skills are lacking."

"…"

With a serene smile and a playful twinkle in her purple eyes, Shinobu tilted her head slightly, holding a large scroll in one hand—actually her concealed sword—while casually raising her pinky in a teasing gesture. "Shall I explain to them?" she asked, her tone light but brimming with mischief.

"No, I've got this," Giyu said, his voice steady and low, directing the words to Shinobu rather than the increasingly agitated hunters.

"Well, it doesn't look like it," Shinobu replied without missing a beat, her tone as light and teasing as ever.

Giyu remained silent, his gaze unwavering. His lack of a response only seemed to amuse Shinobu further.

Shinobu shifted her attention from Giyu to the young man kneeling on the ground. His glassy eyes stared off into the void, his expression so vacant it looked like his soul had taken a coffee break and left him to ponder the meaning of existence alone.

Meanwhile, Yae, standing a short distance away, was visibly sweating, her face pale and her breathing uneven. Her energy had been drained, and she now looked on the verge of collapsing. "I don't know who you are," she muttered weakly, her voice trembling, "but if we're done here—" Her words trailed off, and her knees wobbled as she struggled to keep standing.

"Hey…" one of the hunters standing nearby began hesitantly, noticing her unsteady form.

The air was tense as Yae, her face pale and drenched in sweat, stumbled forward, her strength finally giving out. After days of ceaselessly trekking up and down the unforgiving mountain, hunting for what she thought in denial was a man-eating bear but was, in truth, her demonized father, her body could take no more. Her knees buckled, and she crumpled to the snow-covered ground.

"Yae!" one of the hunters screamed, rushing toward her as the others echoed her name in alarm. Their concern rippled through the crowd, and the chaos of murmurs and shouts filled the chilly air.

Shinobu wasted no time, her ever-present serene smile fading into a look of sharp focus. She knelt beside Yae, gently pressing two fingers to her neck to check her pulse. Her expression softened slightly as she glanced at the worried hunters. "She has a fever and needs rest," Shinobu announced, her tone calm but firm. "Stop messing around and lend a hand."

As the crowd stirred, unsure of how to proceed, there was an audible snap. Heads whipped around to see Giyu, standing completely free of the thick ropes that had bound him. The hunters stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, as the now-loosened ropes lay in a heap at his feet.

"H-How did he—?!" one of the hunters stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Giyu, as stoic as ever, didn't even glance at them. Instead, his dark eyes met Shinobu's.

"I can't turn back now," Shinobu replied, her tone carrying an unwavering determination. Her gaze never left Giyu as she stood, the wind lightly tugging at her butterfly-patterned haori. "I'll help you. After all, it's our job to exterminate demons."

Meanwhile, Shiro, who had been kneeling nearby, finally snapped out of his daze. His eyes widened in surprise to find Shinobu's face mere inches from his own as she turned to him. The unexpected closeness sent him flailing backward in an embarrassing tumble, rolling once before landing face-up in the snow.

"Wh-What was that for?!" Shiro blurted, his cheeks burning red as he scrambled to sit up.

Shinobu's serene smile returned, though it carried a playful edge. She tilted her head slightly, her teasing tone cutting through the tension. "Oh my, I didn't realize you're startled so easily. Should I have announced myself first?"

Shiro narrowed his eyes at her, brushing the snow off his sleeves. "Careful now, my lady. You never know—I might bite," he shot back with a mischievous grin.

Shinobu chuckled softly, clearly amused by his retort. "Hmm, is that so?" She extended a hand to help him up, but before she could reach him, Shiro stretched his arms, and with an effortless pull, snapped the ropes binding him as if they were threads.

The action left everyone speechless, including Shinobu, who raised an intrigued brow. "Well, well," she murmured, her interest clearly piqued. Even Giyu's usual stoic demeanor faltered as his gaze flicked to Shiro for the first time, a shadow of recognition passing over his face.

Before the tension could build further, the shopkeeper of the local pharmacy rushed over, her expression frantic. "What happened to Yae?!" she cried, looking down at the unconscious girl.

Shinobu gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, her voice calm and soothing. "She's only exhausted. With some rest and care, she'll recover."

Relieved but still concerned, the shopkeeper nodded and motioned to one of the hunters. "Let's take her to my house. It's warm and quiet there."

The group was soon led to the pharmacy owner's home. The hunters carried Yae inside, they're movements careful and precise, as Shinobu, Shiro and Giyu trailed behind. Shiro hummed to himself, glancing between the two Demon Slayers, clearly amused by the situation.

Inside, Shinobu settled Yae on a futon, her hands working deftly to cool the girl's fever. Giyu leaned against the wall in silence, his gaze distant, while Shiro made himself comfortable in a corner, his grin never quite fading.