"Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, Tanjirou and the others are almost fully capable of Total Concentration Breathing," Shinobu said, gazing at the sky painted with the evening glow. "They'll be able to go on missions again soon."
"Mhm." Yoizumi-nii sheathed his nichirin blade, looking a bit distracted. He had his nichirin blade now; he should find some time tonight to try it out. Even the best weapon would be useless if it didn't feel right in his hands.
If Haganezuka Hotaru heard that, he'd probably jump up and down in anger.
"The Butterfly Mansion will be quiet again soon." Lately, he'd gotten used to seeing the three of them bickering and running all over the Butterfly Mansion every day. Shinobu glanced at Yoizumi-nii beside her.
They would be parting ways again.
Who knew when they would see each other next?
Yoizumi-nii showed no reaction, but that was just his personality, leaving Shinobu no outlet for her anger.
She sighed. To expect this block of wood to show any reluctance—she must have lost her mind.
"What's wrong with that?" Yoizumi-nii held his nichirin blade at his side, his blue eyes meeting Shinobu's. "It means no teammates are injured, and you can relax a bit. You need rest."
Shinobu instinctively touched her eyes as he pointed his index finger at his own eye corner. Yoizumi-nii's tone was still flat and uninflected, yet Shinobu detected a hint of concern.
"You're very tired; you need to take care of yourself."
It seemed Yoizumi-nii wasn't entirely unchanged. Shinobu's lips curved into a beautiful arc, and she let out a soft chuckle.
Or perhaps Yoizumi-nii had changed her.
She had never wanted to understand someone so much, wanted this person to smile because of her, wanted to be by his side, her mood changing because of him. She hoped Yoizumi-nii felt the same.
When their eyes met just now, time seemed to stop. She found herself silently holding her breath, only hearing the frantic beating of her own heart.
Her emotions were entirely swayed by the presence that occupied her every gaze.
Shinobu mustered her courage, her fingers trembling even hidden in her sleeves, trying her best to suppress it. Her ear tips still uncontrollably flushed red. She tried to make her voice sound normal, her gaze unwilling to shift even an inch, afraid of missing even the slightest expression from Yoizumi-nii.
"In Yoizumi-nii's eyes… what kind of person am I?"
She asked it!
Her lips were pressed together, the pink color turning white.
What kind of person?
Strange question.
Yoizumi-nii lowered his eyelashes, searching his mind for all possible words. He looked up and, under Shinobu's expectant gaze, said,
"Shinobu… hmm… is a good person."
Whether it was an illusion or not, after he spoke, Yoizumi-nii felt Shinobu's expression crack a little, followed by a look of helplessness.
"Is that so? A good person, huh? Not a bad evaluation." Shinobu's gaze was unusually calm. The stone she had thrown with all her might into the spring didn't even make a sound, only a slight ripple on the surface.
Clenching her fist in her sleeve, she was angry but also inevitably disappointed. She really wanted to pry open his head and see what kind of wood it was made of!
"Then I'll listen to Yoizumi-nii and go rest. Goodbye." Shinobu maintained her usual demeanor and took a step to leave. Her raised foot suddenly paused, and she waved to Yoizumi-nii, signaling him to lower his head.
"What is it?" He complied, bending down and bringing his head close to Shinobu. Immediately after, Yoizumi-nii felt a pair of hands messing with his head.
Shinobu mischievously untied a few of the knots on Yoizumi-nii's head, making his golden hair stick out in all directions. She then casually ruffled his neat hair until it was messy before stopping.
Huh?
He blankly raised a hand to smooth his hair.
Seeing Yoizumi-nii like this, Shinobu smiled and walked away, saying,
"This hairstyle suits you very well~"
She felt much better now.
Even Yoizumi-nii realized it.
Shinobu was not satisfied with his answer.
With his messy hair, Yoizumi-nii lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
To him, what kind of person was Shinobu?
This answer would probably take a long time to figure out… "Clap…"
"Yay~!"
With Tanjirou finally succeeding in placing the teacup on Kanao's head, Tanjirou won!
Under Yoizumi-nii's nightly supervision, Tanjirou had maintained Total Concentration Breathing even while sleeping. He clearly realized he was changing, his body becoming more resilient.
Now he had finally beaten Kanao!
With his body, he wondered what it would feel like to wield his nichirin blade.
He had become stronger; he could finally protect Yoizumi-nii and Nezuko properly.
"Mr. Tanjirou, that's wonderful!"
"Mhm mhm!"
"He won!"
The three little girls were happy for Tanjirou. They all knew he worked hard every day and had seen it. The joy of his success now infected them too.
"This is bad!" Agatsuma Zenitsu and Inosuke saw that Tanjirou had already succeeded. They could only train harder, or they really wouldn't be able to keep up with Tanjirou.
"Nezuko-chan! I will definitely succeed!"
"I won't lose to Tanpachi!"
Kanzaki Aoi, who was collecting the futons that had been put out to dry in the courtyard that morning, carefully folded them and placed them in a bamboo basket. While thinking about what to make for dinner, she heard the shouts of Agatsuma Zenitsu and Inosuke. She thought for a moment.
"I'll make something lavish."
Night
Yoizumi-nii picked up his nichirin blade and walked out of the house. He stepped onto the ground, gripped the hilt, feeling its cold touch, and drew the nichirin blade from its platinum-white sheath.
Under the moonlight, the frost-white nichirin blade seemed shrouded in a silver veil, emitting a chilling glow that made one's heart palpitate.
The blade's white color appeared even purer, like snow, against the moonlight, as if it were forged from moonlight itself. The icy glint permeated every detail of the blade.
He closed his eyes, carefully feeling the weight and every aspect of the blade. The air temperature around him plummeted, and a chill seemed to continuously emanate from the blade.
Yoizumi-nii's steady breathing transformed in an instant. He opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his sapphire-blue eyes, and clear breaths escaped his lips.
"Ha… hiss…"
The scene before him shifted. It was no longer the Butterfly Mansion. Countless tall pine trees were covered in white snow. His breath was cold, and icy air filled his lungs.
Thick white snow pressed down on the treetops. The branches, unable to bear such weight, bent, and the snow fell rapidly from the sky, silently, only making a sound when it hit the ground.
"Thud!"
Back to reality.
Yoizumi-nii looked at the wooden block cut in half before him.
What was that just now?
…Short Skit… Tanjirou: I heard Yoizumi-nii and Miss Shinobu also had a reflex training session once, but I was still training then, so I didn't get to see it. I wonder who won. (๑❛ᴗ❛๑)
Nezuko: ●▽●
Tanjirou: Nezuko is curious too? Then let's go ask Miss Aoi!
Tanjirou: Miss Aoi! Who actually won that thing? (´◊ω◊｀)
Kanzaki Aoi: Hmm… how should I put it? No one won.
Tanjirou, Nezuko: (ㅎ.ㅎ)
Kanzaki Aoi: Both sides offered each other a cup of tea, and neither spilled it on the other.
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