82. I am Kotaro-sama's Cute Wife

"Kotaro-sama, why were you behaving like that?"

Kotaro just turned his head, wanting to evade her question. Why did he act like that? Isn't it obvious? He felt a bit jealous. And a bit...insecure. Even though in his heart, Kotaro himself knew well that Mitsuri wouldn't leave him, sometimes, at least once...one wonders about it.

And it scares him.

"Kotaro-sama!"

Gee...

Mitsuri just stared at Kotaro with her beautiful pale green eyes, trying to intimidate him, only making her cuter than ever. Still, her gaze was unrelenting, staying on him for more than five minutes, unsettling him.

"I...was a bit jealous. And a bit afraid."

"Huh?"

Seeing Mitsuri's bafflement, Kotaro just turned his blushing face to the other side. After a few seconds, Mitsuri came to her senses and understood his words. Kotaro-sama was jealous of Iguro-san? And afraid of him?

It was natural for Mitsuri not to be aware of what Kotaro knew. But Kotaro knew that his existence in this world was nothing short of a miracle. If it weren't for him, Obanai would be with Mitsuri.

So, doesn't it mean that even if he weren't here, Mitsuri would have been alright?

Kotaro was a very clear-headed person. Yet sometimes, he wondered about it. And it scared him. In the end, it was all because of his love for Mitsuri. The infatuation that started on her as a waifu character had turned into real love. So...

"I was a bit afraid that you might leave me."

It was a bit soft and weak, yet in the silent room, Mitsuri heard those words clearly. Her eyes widened, not expecting to hear those words from him. Not that she hated it, rather...

"Kotaro-sama."

"Sorry. Maybe I just—"

Before he could say anymore, Mitsuri jumped, taking him in her arms. She pressed his face to her chest and hugged him tight, letting Kotaro feel this familiar warmth and scent which he loved.

"Kotaro-sama...I am also afraid that Kotaro-sama will leave me."

Now it was Kotaro's turn for his eyes to widen. That one sentence made all his insecurities disappear. It seemed his presence mattered to Mitsuri. Yes, in the original story, Mitsuri would have been with Obanai.

But...this isn't the same story, right?

Just like Kotaro was scared, Mitsuri felt the same. For her, Kotaro was her everything. He was the one who rescued her. His efforts might seem small to some, but that small effort was done by no one but him. That's why Mitsuri loved Kotaro beyond herself.

And that's why she was scared to lose him. Kotaro was doubtful about the meaning of his existence, whether he mattered to someone or not, leading him to self-doubt, while Mitsuri's past rejection trauma led to her own insecurities.

Kotaro-sama/Mitsuri is over-deserving of me. Both of them felt the other was more than themselves, unaware of the fact that they were perfect for each other.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. After all, unlike me, Kotaro-sama is perfect. He is..."

Mitsuri just listed all the good aspects of Kotaro, which he didn't know himself. But all of it made him realize that just like him, Mitsuri too was insecure. Damn! He promised, as her husband, to make her happy for a lifetime, and yet she was insecure. Interrupting Mitsuri's speech, Kotaro, too, took Mitsuri in his arms.

"Mitsuri...I will never leave you. So, you don't have to be scared."

Mitsuri's hold on him tightened after his words.

"I know it."

"Oh...how do you know it?"

"After all, I am Kotaro-sama's c-cute wife!"

"Hahaha...You're right. Mitsuri is my cute wife!"

Kotaro blinked his eyes before bursting out in laughter, making Mitsuri's shy face bloom into a smile. She too then laughed, turning the silent room into a happy place. And then...

"W-Wait! Kotaro-sama, what—"

Kotaro just lifted Mitsuri up in his arms, leaving for another room.

"Isn't it obvious? I came after so much time; I have to check whether my cute wife's body is alright."

Poof~

Mitsuri's face turned red, and she started letting out steam like a steam engine, yet she just nodded to his words. And then...

"Hm~ Aah~ Kotaro-sama~ Hngh~"

Smack!

"Eek~ It's too deep, Kotaro-sama~"

In broad daylight, inside the room, thus ended the talk about insecurities, deepening the love between Kotaro and Mitsuri even more.

...

"The sun is quite bright. I should finish the chores before noon."

Senjuro showed a fresh smile, a dramatic change, all after Kotaro's words. Since that day, the weight on him had lessened, making Senjuro feel lighter than ever. Unlike his previous self, he no longer wore that depressed smile.

Since his father was a drunkard and his brother was out at work, he was responsible for the chores. With a bucket and a rag, he walked to clean the wooden floor, starting from the farthest corner.

But as soon as he came closer...

"Hn~"

A small, crying noise reached his ears.

"Huh? What is that noise?"

He was a bit scared, but he too was a son of a Demon Slayer family. He took a few more steps and...

"Aah~ Hnngh~ Kotaro-sama~"

It was Mitsuri-san's voice! He recognized it. But why was she making noises like that?

Then he reached the room, hearing the moans through the flimsy wooden sliding door. For some reason, he felt that he shouldn't peek. But curiosity killed the cat.

And he opened the door slightly, just enough to peek, and...

What he saw he could never describe. But this sight led Senjuro to take responsibility for continuing the Rengoku bloodline and to get a wife as fast as possible.