In Demon Slayer With Heavenly Insight

Chapter 43: Embarrassed Sanemi

"Re...Ren."

Seeing who had arrived, Kocho Shinobu's expression faltered slightly.

Ren walked up to her, his height of just over 1.7 meters creating a stark contrast to Shinobu's petite frame.

With a slight smile, he said, "Shinobu, thank you for taking care of me the other day."

"It was nothing," Shinobu replied quickly, avoiding his gaze and walking toward the basement.

Her behavior was obvious—she was trying to avoid him.

Ren noticed this immediately.

But he wasn't here to let her evade him; he came to address the awkwardness between them. How could he let the elusive little butterfly slip away?

He followed her.

The gap between them quickly narrowed.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Ren's foot slipped, and he accidentally stepped on Shinobu's delicate foot.

Two fair, soft feet overlapped.

A strange, warm sensation spread.

Shinobu's face turned crimson as she hastily pulled her foot away.

In her haste, she lost her balance and stumbled.

To regain footing, her other foot landed—right on Ren's foot again.

Shinobu: "..."

Her face flushed deeper, resembling a ripe apple.

She wanted nothing more than to vanish into thin air.

Ren stood frozen, watching Shinobu's uncharacteristic clumsiness.

He even joked internally, If this continues, will she start stuttering too?

"Alright, alright," Ren said, steadying her with a gentle grip. "Be careful when you walk."

He smiled warmly and asked, "Are you overworking yourself recently?"

Shinobu's heart skipped a beat, and regret immediately set in.

Why did I have to talk to him? Every time I do, I embarrass myself.

Her mind wandered to Kyojuro Rengoku's story the day before, detailing his training session with Ren. Even the cheerful Rengoku had been left speechless and flustered.

Shinobu could empathize now—she needed a hole to crawl into.

She straightened herself, took a deep breath, and gave a curt response. "I'm fine."

Then, her sharp mind concocted a plan to divert the conversation.

"Where's Kanao?" she asked, pretending curiosity.

Ren blinked. "Oh, Kanao's Nichirin sword has been repaired. She's outside chatting with the swordsmith."

"Chatting?" Shinobu repeated, astonished.

Kanao? Chatting with someone?

Her disbelief was palpable.

How has Ren managed to pull this off without me knowing?

Before she could inquire further, Ren handed her his wooden practice sword.

"Shinobu," he said earnestly, "can you exchange this for a Nichirin sword made of orangutan iron ore? I'm not used to wooden swords."

Shinobu hesitated. "That might be... difficult right now."

Ren squinted slightly. His intuition told him she was facing financial constraints.

He waved it off casually, masking his concern. "No worries. I'll earn a Nichirin sword after I win against Sanemi tomorrow."

But Shinobu's expression tightened. Her delicate hands clenched slightly.

How humiliating. A Hashira worrying about money...

Ren noticed the tension and quickly tried to ease the mood.

"It's fine. Sit down and rest for a bit—I'll get you some water," he said, pulling out a chair for her.

As he left, Shinobu smirked slyly.

Finally, a chance to escape.

She quickly headed toward the basement.

Her plan was simple: lock herself in and avoid further embarrassment.

But as she approached the basement door, her path was blocked by a tall, scarred figure.

Sanemi Shinazugawa.

A vein bulged on Shinobu's forehead.

"Sanemi," she said through gritted teeth, "what are you doing here?"

Sanemi shifted awkwardly. He had followed Iguro Obanai's advice and decided to visit the Butterfly Estate.

But seeing Shinobu's anger, he started second-guessing his decision.

"I... I'm not here to talk about Kanae. His tone saddened

That's all in the past," he blurted in a whisper, only to realize his mistake immediately.

Shinobu's glare intensified.

"Are you here to stir up trouble, Sanemi?" she asked sweetly, her words laced with venom.

"No, no, I'm not blaming you for anything!" Sanemi panicked, waving his hands.

The more he spoke, the worse it got.

Before Shinobu could unleash her fury, Sanemi quickly changed the topic.

"I came here to talk about... something else!"

Shinobu arched an eyebrow, her skepticism evident.

This was the first time she'd seen Sanemi look so hesitant.

"Go on, then," she said, crossing her arms.

Sanemi sighed in relief and explained his predicament: he had been struggling to awaken his Demon Slayer Mark.

"Awakening the Mark?" Shinobu echoed, her surprise genuine. "Didn't Ren already explain the method at the meeting? Haven't you been practicing it?"

Sanemi's silence spoke volumes.

Shinobu's lips curled into a sly smile.

"Ah, I see. So, Sanemi, the mighty Wind Hashira, can't do something even after Ren's explanation?"

Sanemi's face darkened.

Shinobu wasn't about to let the opportunity pass.

"Oh, but it's okay, isn't it? Not everyone can awaken the Mark. I'm sure Ren could give you some private lessons."

Her teasing tone grew saccharine.

"Shall I introduce you to him, Sanemi-kun? Or are you too embarrassed to ask him yourself?"

Sanemi clenched his fists, wishing he could disappear.

"Don't worry, Sanemi-nii," Shinobu added with a sing-song tone, "Ren would be delighted to help someone as capable as you!"

**