"Ah! Yoizumi-nii, are you alright?" Tanjirou nervously gripped Yoizumi's shoulders, checking him from head to toe.
For a demon to be covered in so much wisteria scent, he must have been in close contact. Could Yoizumi-nii have fallen into a wisteria patch?
"I'm fine." Although he didn't understand why Tanjirou was so nervous, he appreciated his concern.
Relieved, Tanjirou looked at Yoizumi with his crimson eyes.
Sure enough, Yoizumi-nii is a special demon.
Even wisteria, which demons detest the most, had no effect on him.
He wondered what other surprises Yoizumi-nii had that he hadn't discovered yet.
Hmm... Yoizumi-nii seems to be in a good mood?
A joyful aura surrounded him.
Tanjirou smiled at Yoizumi. Did something good happen? That's wonderful.
He clenched his fists, cheering himself on. Yoizumi-nii is watching! He had to work harder and become stronger!
"Yoizumi-nii, I'm going to continue training."
Tanjirou, full of vigor, walked inside, while Yoizumi found a spot to sit on the ground, watching the three train.
How much longer could this peaceful life last?
Late evening.
Yoizumi opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep without realizing it, and a blanket had been placed over him. He didn't know who had covered him.
Tanjirou and the others lay exhausted on the ground; their training for the day was over.
"Hah~ Hah~ So tired!" Agatsuma Zenitsu panted heavily, sweat and tea mixed together, making his clothes damp.
"Yoizumi-nii, you're awake."
Yoizumi took three towels and handed them to the people on the ground.
"Can you still get up?"
Tanjirou sat up, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel. He felt like he had no strength left, but he still needed to work harder. He shook his head, a smile appearing on his sunny face.
"Yeah, this is nothing!"
"Liar! I'm practically dead!" Agatsuma Zenitsu lay on the ground like a corpse, but his voice was still full of vigor.
"Uh..." Inosuke seemed to have already drifted off to another world.
Kanzaki Aoi walked in from outside.
"Lady Shinobu has instructed me to prepare a medicinal bath. Go soak in it quickly, then have dinner."
"Dinner!!" Agatsuma Zenitsu and Inosuke sprang up, rushing out of the room, seemingly very hungry.
"Yoizumi-nii, let's go." Tanjirou slowly stood up and said, "Phew~"
After showering, he felt much lighter, but continuing like this wouldn't do. Was there some technique he hadn't discovered yet?
Tanjirou walked towards the dining hall, deep in thought.
"Ah! That's mine!"
"Who cares about you!"
"Give it back!"
"Get out of the way."
Before even entering, he heard Zenitsu and Inosuke's voices. It seemed they had recovered their spirits. He should eat first; only with a full stomach could he have the energy to train.
"Please." Kanzaki Aoi served a full bowl of rice and placed it in front of Tanjirou.
"Wow! Thank you, Miss Aoi!" He picked up his chopsticks; the food looked delicious.
"I'm full. Thank you for the meal."
He tidied up his bowl and chopsticks, then helped Kanzaki Aoi take them to be washed.
"Thank you, Mr. Tanjirou."
"No, thank you, Miss Aoi. Your cooking is delicious."
"I can only help out here." Kanzaki Aoi washed the dishes with a forlorn expression. If she couldn't even do these things well, she might not be able to stay in the Demon Slayer Corps, or in the Butterfly Mansion.
Upon hearing this, Tanjirou shook his head earnestly, his gentle voice speaking, "No, everyone has their own responsibilities, big or small!"
"Miss Aoi is amazing. Not everyone can cook such delicious food and keep the rooms so clean!"
"Miss Shinobu, as a Hashira, must be very busy. If Miss Aoi didn't help manage the Butterfly Mansion, it wouldn't be so orderly."
Kanzaki Aoi was stunned.
Lady Shinobu had said the same thing to her. They were all gentle people, indeed.
"Thank you, Mr. Tanjirou."
"Oh, right, this is the milk pudding I made. Please take it back and share it with everyone."
Tanjirou carefully carried a tray containing five bowls of pure white milk pudding.
Wow! It looks so delicious.
Hmm... one bowl each for Yoizumi-nii, Zenitsu, Inosuke, me, and Kanao.
Would Kanao actually like this kind of dessert? That's unexpected.
Based on the scent, Kanao seemed to be in the courtyard. Tanjirou changed direction and headed towards the courtyard.
He saw the girl sitting on the veranda, butterflies fluttering around her. Her calm, placid, purplish-pink eyes were fixed on the butterfly on her fingertip, still maintaining that unchanging, tranquil smile.
It seemed he had never seen any other expression from her. Tanjirou approached with the milk pudding.
"Excuse me, Miss Aoi asked me to bring this. Please have some."
He placed a bowl next to Kanao. The girl's gaze shifted from the butterfly to Tanjirou, but she remained silent.
Still not speaking, huh.
Tanjirou didn't mind and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work today. Please continue to guide me tomorrow. Goodbye."
Turning to leave, Tanjirou could feel Kanao's gaze still on him.
Kanao is like a beckoning cat at a store counter, always waving and smiling.
Thinking this, he entered Zenitsu and Inosuke's room.
"This is milk pudding made by Miss Aoi. Hurry and eat it."
"Delicious! Can I have two?" Agatsuma Zenitsu scooped a spoonful. It had a smooth texture and was sweet; he loved sweets.
Inosuke swallowed the entire milk pudding in one gulp, smacking his lips. He ate too fast and didn't really taste it. "I want more too!"
"You guys can have mine, and there's one more bowl for Yoizumi-nii."
Tanjirou generously shared his portion. This kind of thing happened often when he was at home before.
He would always share his portion with his younger siblings, but Yoizumi-nii would also secretly give his portion to Tanjirou.
"Eh~ Then Tanjirou, you eat it yourself." Agatsuma Zenitsu said.
"I don't need it either." Inosuke turned his head away and said in a low voice.
"Alright, then I'll go find Yoizumi-nii."
..."Knock, knock, knock~" He raised his hand and tapped on the door with his fingers.
"Yoizumi-nii, are you there?"
"Mm." Hearing the reply, Tanjirou pushed open the door and saw Yoizumi sitting at a desk, holding a book. Nezuko sat on his lap, swinging her little legs, curiously staring at the book in Yoizumi's hand.
"Is Yoizumi-nii reading?" Tanjirou placed the tray on the desk and glanced at the book; it seemed to be a children's book.
"Yes, today I asked Terauchi Kiyo to teach me how to read."
Yoizumi seriously looked at the children's book in his hand. Tanjirou blinked. If Yoizumi-nii wasn't currently in a child's body, it would truly be very strange.
"For now, I've only learned the pronunciations. Can Tanjirou read?" Yoizumi looked at Tanjirou and asked.
"Yes, I can. Why did Yoizumi-nii suddenly want to learn to read?"
"There are some things I don't quite understand. I want to read books, but I can't understand them."
Can't understand?
"What kind of things?" Tanjirou asked, puzzled.
"I can't describe it. It's a strange feeling..."
Even though his heart had no problems, it was beating intensely.
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