Notes: This chapter will takes place in the canon timeline
"Kamado-kun, are you alright?"
The restaurant owner, who's the reincarnation of the Serpent Pillar Obanai Iguro kept staring at Kanata out of concern. The young boy didn't ate his soup noodles even a bit.
"Why are you still not eating yet? Is there something wrong?" the restaurant owner asked.
After a few seconds, Kanata finally 'returned' to the reality.
"Ah, sorry...I just a bit stressed" Kanata said.
"The noodles is getting cold sooner. You should eat your meal now" the restaurant owner said.
"Okay" Kanata nodded as he grabbed his chopsticks.
Kanata was hungry. Yet at the same time, he wasn't in the mood to eat. There were a lot of things he need to think, especially about his younger brother.
"Dear, can you come here and help me, please?" the restaurant owner's wife, who's the reincarnation of the Love Pillar Mitsuri Kanroji called her husband for some help from the counter.
"Okay! I'm coming!" the restaurant owner quickly rushed towards his wife.
Kanata just realized that he need to go to Aoba's house after this. There's something he need to talk with him. Now he need to finish his lunch first.
...
The police officer Sanehiro Shinazugawa couldn't believe it. He was suspended from his duties for six months, something that he couldn't accept. Some of them, seniors or juniors kept blaming him for that incident, yet it wasn't his fault at all. Sometimes he wondered, why did he was forced to carry someone else's mistakes?
Sanehiro sat alone on the bench in the public park with a grumpy face as he just stared silently at the clear blue sky, thinking about his current fate.
"Sanehiro?"
Sanehiro then noticed someone stood not far from the bench where he sat. It was the painter Yushiro, and he carried a rifle for unknown reason. The painter first met him since the Shinazugawa was in the high school, and he also find out that Sanehiro is the descendant of Sanemi, the last Wind Hashira of the disbanded Demon Slayers Corps.
Yushiro then sat next to Sanehiro.
"It's a rarity for you to not wearing police uniform" Yushiro said.
"I got suspended" Sanehiro replied.
"For real?" Yushiro was half-shocked.
"Yes" Sanehiro nodded.
"Why?" Yushiro asked in disbelieve.
Sanehiro closed his eyes for a few seconds before finally spoke.
"It's...a long story" Sanehiro said.
"You don't need to be so secretive when it comes to your problem" Yushiro commented.
Sanehiro then glanced at Yushiro.
"You shouldn't carry a firearm in the public, Yamamoto-san" Sanehiro reprimanded. "You'll scare away the kids who come into the park"
"I don't carry it for fun, okay?" Yushiro's eyebrows arched.
"Whatever" Sanehiro rolled his eyes.
Both of them then resumed staring at the sky.
"What about if we go eat at Chef Rajasekhar's restaurant tonight?" Yushiro suggested.
"Sure, I love his Indian cooking" Sanehiro was agreed.
...
"Hashibira-san!"
Kanata had already knocked the door several times, yet no one opened it from inside. It looked like Aoba wasn't in the house now.
"Perhaps I've come in the wrong time after all" Kanata sighed.
Kanata then walked away from the door as he briefly looked at his watch. The current time was 3:45PM now.
However, as he reached the street, he saw a pale-faced boy with short black hair came from another direction. It was Mutou, one of his classmates, and he didn't came to school for one month. Everyone had already asked him about why he didn't came to school, but he only kept silent, leaving the question unanswered.
"Eh? Mutou?" Kanata raised his eyebrows.
"Ah, good evening, Kanata" Mutou greeted him with a gloomy smile.
"Are you okay, Mutou? You don't look very well" Kanata was concerned about him.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine" Mutou assured. "I'm still the same Mutou you know at the school"
Mutou then left Kanata alone as he walked away. The Kamado suspected there's something strange about his friend as if he was hiding something from the others, and he need to figure it out.
To be continued...