"If… I hadn't seen you for the first time, I might've actually thought you and Yoriichi were father and son—just because of that burn scar on your head and the earrings you're wearing."
By now, Tanjiro's makeup was almost done. The style I chose was very different from his usual look.
Tanjiro is gentle, kind, and bright by nature. To shake things up, I gave him a sharp, striking style—more like a confident queen. If his eyes were colder, his movements more elegant, and his tone slightly haughty, he'd look like a commanding CEO.
"Wait… do I really look that much like—No! How do you even know that scar is from a burn?!" Tanjiro blurted out, eyes wide. Only his family knew about that scar. And this wasn't just any mark—it had a pattern now.
He flinched as I nearly shaved off one of his eyebrows while trimming them. Quick as I was, I caught it in time.
"Why are you so worked up? Forget it, we've met before," I said, tapping the top of his head. After all, one missing eyebrow and one intact would've made him look like a gangster.
"Oh…" Tanjiro muttered, falling quiet and glancing toward Yoriichi.
Really… like that? I thought to myself.
I didn't press further—he'd only start messing around again. After a few careful adjustments, his makeup was finished. I gave him some headbands to try, then moved on.
Once I packed up my tools, I walked over to Yoriichi and sat down. He seemed to expect me. A warm cup of tea sat on the table in front of him. I sipped, picked up a book, and pretended to read, using it to cover half my face while watching him.
"That scar on Tanjiro's head… no longer looks like a scar, right?" I asked quietly.
Yoriichi didn't speak, just nodded slightly.
Satisfied, I frowned, then glanced at Tanjiro as he fussed with his hair. I had expected this reaction, but not so soon.
Never mind…
Squeak—the door suddenly opened, and a familiar figure walked in.
The others—Yoriichi and the kids—tensed, wary of the newcomer.
Tengen Uzui, having removed his usual makeup, struck a dramatic pose like a thinker: bent over, hand on forehead, and announced proudly, "You mortal eyes are about to behold the most gorgeous man in the world! Witness the god of flamboyance in all his glory!"
But then, he froze. His confident expression faltered, disbelief filling his eyes.
"…I can still tell you three apart. You've gotten more glamorous, but only about 1% of my level," Tengen said, voice rising. Finally, he pointed at Yoriichi. "This… is outrageous! I can't even tell if it's a boy or a girl!!"
The room fell silent.
From the doorway, the head of the Wisteria Pattern House peeked in, half her head visible, watching the scene with curiosity.
Click… click… click… The faint cracking of glass echoed in the quiet, followed by the final shattering sound. Then silence again.
It came from Yoriichi.
"Pfft…ha…uhhh…"
I couldn't hold it in. I folded the corner of my book and tossed it aside, pressing a hand to my stomach as I laughed quietly.
I didn't know I had this talent.
After calming myself, I stood, patted Yoriichi's shoulder, and said, "Alright, go easy on him. He still has a mission. I'll go clean myself up."
"…Don't run away."
I shook my head slightly. He replied with a calm, measured tone, "Understood."
I opened the next door, stepped through, and closed it behind me. The woman who had been peeking noticed my gaze and turned sharply. Just as she opened her mouth, I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling her to stay quiet, then walked into another room.
. . . . . .
Flowers bloom even when the years don't wait.
Note: I also cleaned up the ending note:
Well, one thing—I've finished my studies for now. I might start updating daily again, but nothing's confirmed yet. Honestly, I'm not really enjoying novels these days.
So… don't expect too much. ?(ˊvˋ*)?
"So… you're not a Pillar?"
I walked through the food district in Yoshiwara, Yuichiro Tsugakuni by my side, both of us carrying small bags filled with snacks. Of course, all the food was mine.
Yoriichi followed, holding his purchases in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Even with a veil over his face, he drew attention wherever he went.
When I asked, he replied calmly.
"Well… I'm not qualified to be a Pillar."
I bit into an octopus ball. It should have been hot, but it was perfect. I chewed and tilted my head, giving him a sideways look.
"Because of that incident?"
Yoriichi froze. I stopped too, noticing the sudden change in him.
"What… what's wrong?" I asked, confused.
His expression turned serious. Somehow, he realized I knew more than I should.
"You… know what happened?"
I swallowed my bite, shrugging. "Don't know~" I said, a little unclear because I hadn't finished chewing.
"Then how…?"
"Guess," I interrupted, smiling.
Yoriichi sighed. He decided not to push the conversation further—after all, chatting with me could lead anywhere, from the Demon Slayer Corps to debating whether Martians existed.
His mind drifted back to his past life, to the time he was judged by the Pillars and punished for failures.
Flashback
The Lord of the Demon Slayer Corps' residence.
"Yoriichi! You let Muzan escape!"
"Not only that, your own brother became a demon! He killed our Lord!"
The Pillars surrounded him, shouting accusations. Only Rengoku defended him—but it didn't help. Yoriichi stayed calm, accepting responsibility, even when told he must commit seppuku.
The new Lord, a boy of nine, stepped in. He wanted Yoriichi to continue as a Pillar, but Yoriichi knew he could no longer bear the burden. He removed the gold button from his uniform and promised to continue fighting demons—but outside the Corps.
End flashback
"So, even though the current Lord offered me the Pillar position again, I refused. I'm not qualified anymore. And if I accepted, another Pillar would have to step down. I don't want that…" Yoriichi explained.
I nodded slowly, pretending to hear it for the first time. "The Pillars who accused you… bold. You trained them, made them stronger, and because they couldn't kill me, they demanded you commit seppuku. That's… insane."
Yoriichi sighed, dismissing old memories. "Even if you fail once, there's a second chance. What matters is… my brother killed the Lord."
I almost choked on my food. Dropping the skewer, I turned, looked him in the eye, and said firmly:
"You can't blame me for that. I didn't tell your brother to do it! Listen to me!"
Yoriichi wasn't looking at me—he was scanning the street. I followed his gaze and froze.
A tall figure stepped out from the alley.
"Haha! What a beautiful one to find here! Tonight, we'll have quite the duel~"
The figure was… grotesque. Dark-skinned, strangely fragrant, and moving with an unsettling grace.
Yoriichi's eyes stayed calm, expression unreadable. The figure's gaze shifted to me, and I tried not to laugh.
"Oh~ a beauty wearing men's clothes…"
I blinked. Men's clothing? Who was this? There was no one else in the alley.
The figure spoke again. "A fine figure… even if a little flat, not bad~"
I narrowed my eyes at the figure, and Yoriichi did the same. Instantly, the figure snarled, transforming into a grotesque low-level ghost.
"How dare you, a mere human, look at me like that!"
The stench of the ghost spread, but Yoriichi was ready. Sword drawn.
"Blood Demon Art—Blood Words: Explosion!"
I felt the invisible force slam into the ghost, swelling it violently.
"Blood vampire magic!? A human…?" the ghost stammered.
Boom! The ghost exploded, spraying blood in all directions. I quickly used Chiyang to form a protective wall.
"Looks like beauty doesn't mean weakness," I muttered. "Now, there should be more of you. Time to finish this!"
Yoriichi watched, a small, almost imperceptible smile on his face. Even when angry, he's… kind of cute, he thought.
To be continued…