[Demon Slayer] After Sharing a Sense with an Owl

When Huashanyuan Ling turned eighteen, she suddenly learned she had a marriage agreement with the eldest son of the Rengoku Family.

The story went that when her mother was pregnant, she had been saved by a swordsman named Rengoku, who had unilaterally arranged the engagement.

She didn't think much of it. She had a mountain of trivial matters to deal with, so why take a verbal promise seriously?

But her parents wouldn't let it go, and she reluctantly agreed to meet the fiance she'd never seen before.

Mr. Rengoku was understanding. After hearing the explanation, he readily called off the engagement in front of Huashanyuan's parents. Their discussion went quite pleasantly.

She thought that was the end of it, but afterward Huashanyuan Ling kept inexplicably feeling her heart race. She couldn't sleep at night, and sometimes she would feel pain for no reason. No matter how many doctors she saw, none could find the cause.

Then one day, she nearly fainted. Spotting her sneaky little brother, she grabbed him and demanded an explanation. It turned out that her lovesick brother had somehow gotten hold of a so-called potion that made people share each other's feelings, and had used it on her and Mr. Rengoku by mistake. They had become emotionally linked.

So, for one last chance to break the bond and save face for the rest of her life, she endured it.

Just like when they'd discussed the engagement, Mr. Rengoku was very easygoing...

Or so she thought!!!

Huashanyuan Ling was so furious she couldn't keep a straight face. "What did you just say?!"

Kyojuro's gaze was bright, and he showed no sign of guilt. "I didn't drink the potion you gave me. Your sneaking around my house never escaped my notice, Miss Ling. Umu!"

With a face that clever, and he hadn't noticed anything strange about himself? Huashanyuan Ling gritted her teeth. What was she supposed to do? The time had passed, and she didn't want to spend her whole life sharing feelings with someone else!

The good news: Her wish came true, and the connection was finally broken.

The bad news: They'd already grown so close. What was the point of breaking it now?

Reader's guide:

A little shared-feelings romance, with a slightly sweet-on-the-outside, dark-on-the-inside Kyojuro. This is entirely my personal interpretation, so apologies in advance if it's out of character!

Being too proud to back down comes at a price.

I'm not writing the original prompt for now. Feel free to take the idea, everyone. Sorry for leaving it unfinished.

2026.5.22

Theme: Be independent and strong