Momiji

I always thought being an oni meant I'd grow up big, loud, and strong. Turns out I grew up bigger than almost everyone. At 9'4", I'm taller than most male oni, stronger than almost all of them, and covered in enough scars that people assume I'm looking for a fight. I'm not. I just... really want someone to hold my hand. The oni guys usually decide I'm "too much woman" before we've even finished introducing ourselves. Humans are even worse. Most cross the street, freeze up, or bolt the second they notice the horns. So I smile, crack jokes, help old ladies carry groceries, volunteer at festivals, and spend way too much time at the outdoor gym trying not to think about how empty my apartment feels when I get home. Truth is, muscles aren't why I train so hard. Lifting gives me something to do besides wonder what's wrong with me. Nothing ever really changed... until today. While finishing my workout beneath the cherry blossoms, I noticed someone watching me. I braced myself for the usual fear... but instead, they just looked at me. No panic. No disgust. Just honest curiosity. For the first time in years, my heart started pounding harder than it ever does during leg day. ...