Nezuko slowly opened her eyes, her vision gradually adjusting to the morning light that streamed in through the window. The sun had already risen high into the sky, casting a warm glow over the entire room. As she stretched her arms and legs, the soft sheets cradled her body, and the fluffy pillows under her head provided a sense of luxury she had never experienced before. It was a stark contrast to the simple life she had lived before, where she would sleep on tatami mats with only a few cushions for comfort. The bed was a marvel, with a unique springiness. It had been a long time since she had slept so soundly.

Getting out of bed was by far the hardest part. She wanted to sleep in it forever. But this wasn't her home. She had to show her gratitude to her host by not overstaying her welcome.

She slipped her feet onto the plush carpet, feeling the softness and warmth of the material under her soles. She wandered down the hallway, scanning around as the interior structure was vastly different than what she was used to. It was far more spacious than her home back in the mountains, but it lacked the warmth and coziness of her family's humble abode. Her parents, siblings, and herself shared a small space, but the closeness they shared made it a haven of comfort and security. But her world had shattered on a fateful night when a certain demon slaughtered her family, changing her life forever. That horrific scene was etched into the depths of her mind, the last memory she possesses from when she was still human. Each time she remembered that scene, it made her blood boil, fuming with rage. But now wasn't the time to mourn.

As she stepped into the living room, she saw Ijin sleeping peacefully on the sofa. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, his breaths deep and even. She approached him, her steps soft, not wanting to disturb his rest. She stood beside him, looking down at him, a sense of contentment washing over her. Until she caught a familiar scent, one that demons were especially drawn towards on an instinctual level. She caught the scent of blood, and her expression changed, a look of concern emerging on her face. She could smell it, the dried blood on his body. Something must have happened when she was asleep.

Nezuko sat down beside Ijin, reaching out to touch his arm, gently shaking him awake. He stirred, his eyes slowly opening to meet hers.

"Good morning," she greeted him, smiling warmly.

After a moment of silence, the boy then grumbled, "Ugh… I guess everything that happened last night wasn't just a bad dream."

Nezuko's expression turned serious. "What happened last night?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Well… I met you," he said bluntly, causing her to frown.

"How did you get hurt?" she asked, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Hurt?" Ijin flinched, as if caught off guard. "What do you mean? I'm not hurt."

But Nezuko could smell it, the metallic scent of blood lingering in the air. She knew he was hiding something, and she was determined to find out what. She leaned in closer, pressing her hands firmly against Ijin's shoulders as if to pin him down. "If you don't tell me," she threatened, her face dangerously close to his. "I'll headbutt you!" Her voice took on a childish tone, but the look in her eyes was anything but playful.

Ijin recoiled in surprise. "W-What!? Of all the things you could have threatened me with, why headbutting!?" His confusion was quickly replaced by pain as Nezuko slammed her forehead against his with a resounding crack.

"OW! What is your forehead made of!? Is your skull made of iron!?" Ijin rubbed his throbbing head, but then the pain shifted, and he reflexively doubled over, a sharp jolt shooting through his abdomen. "Ugh," he gritted his teeth, suddenly aware of the injury he'd been trying to ignore.

Wait… how did she know I was injured?

The boy sat himself up, still rubbing his head, "Okay… I'm awake. You're a very violent alarm clock."

Nezuko pouted as she backed away from him. "Hmph," the girl crossed her arms, waiting for his explanation.

Ijin sighed wearily. "Do you… want breakfast?" he asked, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Breakfast?" Nezuko looked at him quizzically. "Ah… I can't eat."

"Huh?" the boy looked at her with a puzzled look. "What do you mean you can't eat? You're not hungry?"

"It's not that," she shook her head. "I don't need to eat. I haven't eaten anything in years."

"Um… how are you still alive? Where do you get your energy from?" Ijin asked, his confusion mounting.

Nezuko smiled sweetly, "Sleep!"

"Well, yes, I know you can sleep," Ijin said, a note of frustration creeping into his voice. "But what about food? I'm talking about sustenance here."

"Ijin," she looked at him with a straight face, "I slept for two years."

The boy was momentarily taken aback. "Uh... were you in a coma?"

"Sleep is all I need," said the demon girl. "I love to sleep."

Ijin gestured towards the kitchen. "Would you like an omelet or something?"

Nezuko repeated herself with an impatient look. "I can't eat."

"But I want to feed you… so that you don't end up eating me!"

"Why would I eat you!?" Nezuko exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief.

"Because the last demon I met tried to eat me!" Ijin retorted, his voice shaking with fear.

"When did I try to eat you!?" she didn't remember ever doing something like that to him.

"Not you! There was another demon I met when you were asleep!"

Nezuko was taken aback by his statement. "Another… demon?" She couldn't believe what she just heard. How could there be another demon in this world? Wasn't she the only one? "Did you have a bad dream?" she asked with a concerned look.

"I wish," he muttered, his tone heavy with a sense of gravity. He stood up, towering over her petite frame. "At any rate, I'm going to Nexus City this afternoon. You're free to stay here and continue sleeping."

Nezuko's heart sank at the thought of being left alone. The idea of being in a house all by herself made her uneasy.

"May I come with you?" she asked, her voice soft and polite. She stepped closer to him, her hand lightly grazing his arm as she looked up at him with eyes of pure innocence.

"Eeh!?" Ijin was taken aback by her sudden request. With one glance, he could tell that this girl would stick out like a sore thumb based on how she's dressed. Needless to say, he didn't own any clothes meant for girls to lend her. But when he looked into her eyes, he found himself unable to refuse. They were bewitching, and he felt like he was under a spell.

"Fine," he finally relented, his tone hesitant.

Nezuko's heart swelled with joy at his response. She felt like a child on Christmas morning, elated at the prospect of going on an adventure with her closest companion.

They made their way through the bustling streets of Nexus City. The sun shone down upon the city, casting sharp shadows and blinding reflections off the chrome and steel structures that towered above them.

As they walked, Ijin couldn't help but feel apprehensive. The neon lights flashed in garish colors, illuminating the graffiti-covered walls that lined the streets. The air was thick with the stench of oil and pollution, and the sounds of machines and chatter filled their ears.

Amidst the chaos, Nezuko seemed oddly at ease, her large pink eyes taking in the sights and sounds of this strange new world. Her long black hair blew in the wind, almost as if it were a living entity of its own. She would occasionally pause to take in the scenery, but Ijin wouldn't stop his fast-walking pace, leaving her to have to catch up.

The people they passed were a mixed bag of humans and cyborgs, all with their own stories and secrets. Some were adorned in flashy cybernetic enhancements, while others had crude machinery built into their very beings. It was a world where flesh and metal intertwined, where the line between man and machine was blurred.

As they made their way deeper into the city, the buildings grew taller and more imposing, their cold metal exteriors reflecting the sun's harsh rays. They could feel the weight of the city bearing down on them. Ijin had his hands shoved deep into his pockets, and the hood of his jacket was pulled tightly over his head, shielding his face from prying eyes. The crowds around him surged like a turbulent sea, jostling him this way and that, but he remained steadfast, moving with a sense of purpose towards his destination.

Suddenly, he realized that Nezuko was no longer beside him. He frantically searched the sea of bodies for any sign of her, but it was no use - the crowd was too dense, and he couldn't see her anywhere.

Meanwhile, Nezuko found herself separated from Ijin, standing alone amidst the jostling masses of strangers. Her heart pounded in her chest as she found herself alone in this unfamiliar place. She tried to keep her head down and move quickly, hoping to find Ijin in the chaos.

But before she could make much progress, she was approached by a group of intimidating individuals. They were dressed in ragged clothing and wore vicious scowls on their faces, and Nezuko couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine as they surrounded her.

"Hey there, little girl," one of them sneered, grabbing her by the arm. "What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Nezuko tried to pull away, but his cybernetically-enhanced grip was unyielding, far stronger than an ordinary human. She looked around desperately for any sign of Ijin, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"She's pretty cute," said the other cyborg with a grin.

"Let go of me!" Nezuko's voice thundered through the air as she demanded her freedom, her words filled with an authority that commanded attention She raised her foot and stomped the ground. The force was so powerful that it caused the ground to buckle and crack, sending shards of concrete flying in all directions.

The cyborgs stood frozen in shock, their eyes widening as they watched the petite girl unleash such raw power. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. This was not the kind of strength that a human being was capable of possessing, not even a cybernetically enhanced one. Nezuko's pupils had narrowed into slits, giving her an almost feral appearance. Her veins bulged from the side of her temples, a sign that the power coursing through her body was not of this world. The cyborgs realized with a jolt that they were dealing with something far beyond their comprehension.

Ijin's voice cut through the tense atmosphere like a knife. "There you are," he called out, approaching the group with his hands in his pockets and his hood over his head. "Your pink kimono made it easy to find you."

"Ijin!" Nezuko's face softened and turned towards the sound of his voice, relief washing over her like a wave as she rushed towards his side.

The cyborgs grew alarmed as they recognized Ijin. One of them muttered, "Did that girl just say 'Ijin'?"

"Shit! Why is he here?" said another one, his mechanical voice laced with fear.

But their panic was short-lived as one of the cyborgs let out a chuckle. "Naw, man. It can't be him. You think that scumbag would be hanging around with a little girl? She'd be running away from him, not towards him."

Nezuko turned towards the gang with a fierce glare. "What did you just call him? Why would I run away from him?" she demanded, her voice ringing with righteous anger.

Ijin stepped in, trying to diffuse the situation. "Hey," he spoke to her, "You do realize they weren't insulting you, right? Why are you the one upset?" His dark eyes flicked towards the group of cyborgs, who had now grown tense at his presence.

The cyborg who had chuckled earlier seemed to come to a decision. "Ah, never mind, we probably got the wrong guy," he brushed it off, gesturing to his companions to leave the scene altogether. They quickly scurried away, disappearing into the throngs of people on the street. Ijin looked down at the cracked concrete beneath his feet, where a small foot-shaped dent marked the epicenter of the damage.

Did she do this? Come to think of it, I don't even know how strong this girl is. Due to her appearance, I thought she was weak, but if she was able to damage the ground like this, that would make her significantly stronger than the demon that attacked me last night.

His eyes lifted to watch the group of cyborgs disappear into the crowd, his expression unreadable. He continued off into the bustling street as Nezuko followed closely behind him, her gaze fixated to his pocketed hands.

As they walked, she reached out and clung to his arm, her fingers curling around his forearm before she pulled his hand out of his pocket and clasped it tightly with her own. Ijin stumbled at the sudden contact, halting his steps with a jolt of surprise.

"What are you doing!?" He spun around to face her, alarmed by her strange gesture.

"I don't want to get lost and separated again," she said softly, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Ugh…," he hated that her reasoning was sound, but the idea of holding hands was just plain awkward.

"What's wrong?" Nezuko tilted her head to the side, her expression curious.

Trying to come up with an excuse, he blurted out, "If I get attacked, I'd only have one free hand."

Nezuko's face fell, her hand still clasped tightly in his. "Oh," she said, sounding disappointed.

Ijin sighed heavily, feeling a sense of guilt. He looked down at her small hand in his, feeling the warmth of her skin against his own. With a resigned shrug, he laced his fingers with hers, dragging her along, but his free hand pulled his hood lower, hiding the rest of his face as much as possible.

How the hell did I end up in this situation?