Shinjuro was sitting in his room and he was drinking Sake. Senjuro slowly opened the door and just looked at his father.
After what seemed like a minute, he finally said something.
"Um, Father... I'm here to tell you Kyojuro's last words."
Shinjuro put his alcoholic drink down.
"I don't need to hear them. It's probably just his gripes towards me. I already know what he'd say."
"But, Fath-"
"Shut up! Now get out of my sight!"
Senjuro sighed in sadness, but decides to tell him his brother's last words anyway. "'Please take care of yourself.' Those are the only words that my brother left behind for you, Father."
Shinjuro just said nothing at all, not even a whisper. But Senjuro knew his father better than anyone, he knew he was going to be upset. He just knew it!
Senjuro took a few steps forward, but made sure Shinjuro didn't hear him. He then closed the door behind him.
Senjuro just stood there, waiting for his father to move or make a sound, but nothing happened. But just as he was about to leave, he saw some movement.
Shinjuro grabbed the Sake bottle and went for another sip of alcohol, but as soon as the bottle reached his lips, he stopped. He put the bottle down and let go of it, the next thing made Senjuro smile.
His father was crying. He was sobbing with the tears flowing out of his eyes.
"Kyojuro."
Shinjuro was now full on sobbing.
Senjuro walked over to his father, sat down on his knees when he was right behind him, and hugged him with his arms wrapped around his waist and his head pressed onto his back.
"It's okay, Father. Just let it all out. I know you've been holding it all in since Mother has passed away, and even more now that Kyojuro's gone as well."
Shinjuro just couldn't stop crying, the tears just kept coming and coming.
"But you can let it all out now. Nobody's going to judge you for it. I want you to grief, I want you to mourn their deaths, I want you to move on. I... I..."
The young Rengoku was close to crying himself now. He knew he had to say it now.
"I want you to stop hating me and hurting me! It's almost like you want me dead as well!"
Shinjuro's eyes widened at the horrific realisation of what he has done. All those years after his wife, the mother of their children, had passed away, everything went downhill.
He retired from being a Hashira, started drinking alcohol, became aggressive and distant, and he let his anger out on his sons. Mostly on Senjuro, followed by physical abuse.
Just like earlier today. He punched his own son in his face when he tried to get him off that demon slayer boy with the hanafuda-earings.
Shinjuro turned around and faced his son. Senjuro closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain he thought he was going to receive.
Yet it never came.
Instead, he felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his body as his father pulled him into an embrace.
Senjuro looked up and saw Shinjuro's watery eyes staring into his own. His father's tears falling onto his face.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Please forgive me."
Senjuro smiled as he returned the embrace. He felt a little bit more at ease now that his father was finally mourning.
"To be honest, I don't think I can do that."
Shinjuro's eyes widened, but before he had the chance to say something, Senjuro grabbed his father's hands, letting their fingers intertwine while he was smiling.
"I know you did all those things because you were in such a bad place at the time, that's why I forgave you from the beginning. Besides, I love you too much to hold a grudge against you."
Senjuro felt his father embrace him again, which was a good sign to him. But then he felt a stinging sensation coming from his right cheek. Shinjuro heard his painful moan and pulled back in order to look at his son.
He saw that his cheek was red and a little swollen, and then realised it happened because of the punch he gave him earlier today.
Feeling a wave of guilt wash over him, Shinjuro stood up and walked into the house, leaving a confused Senjuro behind. After a minute or two, Shinjuro came back with a wet washcloth in his hand.
He sat down in front of Senjuro and then pressed the cloth on his injured cheek, causing the boy to hiss in pain because of the stinging. A tear fell down his face, Shinjuro wiped it away with his thumb.
"Are you alright?"
Senjuro looked his father in the eye and smiled at him, with more tears streaming down his face. "I-I... I..." Senjuro just kept struggling with his words, which was weird. 5 minutes ago he knew exactly what to say, but now it was like he couldn't speak properly.
Shinjuro had an idea that might help the poor kid. He grabbed Senjuro and put him on his lap, then he kissed his injured cheek and pressed the washcloth back on it, while cupping his left cheek at the same time, resulting in holding his soft face.
"My son... I want you to know that from now on, you can always talk to me about everything. No matter what it's about, I promise that I won't get mad or hurt you in any way."
Senjuro gulped nervously before he took a deep and shaky breath. "I've decided that I don't want to be a swordsman anymore." Shinjuro was a little shocked at his confession, but he quickly added something. "I'm going to find some other way to be useful."
Shinjuro just stared at Senjuro, he thought that his father was going to be mad. He looked down and could feel his eyes tear up again. But then, he felt a hand grab his chin and move his face up, looking straight into Shinjuro's eyes.
"If that's what you want, then I'll support you. I'll help you out in any way I can."
Senjuro just stared at his father.
"And Senjuro...?"
Senjuro snapped out of his trance, he looked at his father and saw a smile on his face.
"I love you. I love you very much."
That's when he couldn't hold back his tears anymore.
Senjuro's eyes were flodded with tears, he wrapped his arms around Shinjuro's neck and pressed his face into his chest.
Senjuro started sobbing like crazy. Shinjuro didn't blame his son though. Never in his whole life has his father told him that he loved him.
Shinjuro smiled and hugged the poor boy back tightly, comforting him, pressing a kiss on his forehead and rocking him back and forth for the rest of the night.
"Shh. Shh. Daddy's here. And he'll never hurt you again in any way he used to."