Kimetsu no... Isekai? [Demon Slayer Various X Reader] - Chapter 24 - islands0fviolence - 鬼滅の刃 (2024)

Chapter Text

“Y-You just up and disappeared! You were gone before Kotetsu and I could even show you the cool sword we found! And then Mr. Haganezuka approached us, acting all big and bad for wanting the sword. I didn’t know who to focus on more, you or the sword- I mean, definitely you! W-Well… we were told not to worry about anything by Mr. Kanamori so… I figured his word was trustworthy. Ugh! I’ve been worried. Really.” He smiled at the end there, clearly nervous while he poked the tips of his fingers together. I sighed and shook my head at him, reaching out to mess his hair up.

“I’m fine–and well-fed now–so there’s nothing to worry about!” He stood there and examined me for a bit, a little uncertain.

“Where were you…?”

“Huh, um… I want to say it was probably Mr. Kanamori’s? Well, he was there when I woke up and then he- Oh my Gods, look at this-” I stopped talking for a moment to pull out the tanto Haganezuka had given me. I unsheathed the short blade, showing it off to Tanjiro. Since it was also nichirin steel, the blade had taken the pearlescent, dim purple hue that my normal weapon takes.

Tanjiro seemed to stare at it with wide eyes, a little confused at the sight of it. “He couldn’t make you a longer sword than that? I mean, he did hand me this replacement…” The redhead glanced over his shoulder, looking back at his sword that lay beside a table in the middle of the room he came out of. Nezuko’s box sat in the corner, but she wasn’t out to play. I guess it still is a little early for that.

“What- No, I requested this! Actually… my normal blade would be nice.” I narrowed my eyes, realizing that I was practically screwed over when the Upper Moons 4 and 5 came into play. Actually, at this point, could it be safe to assume it won’t be Hantengu and Gyokko at all that come here? Actually, scratch that, they only find this place because of Gyokko, right? What else could possibly happen? “I think I’m going to have to go back and beat him.” I turned to head back the way I came. I couldn’t believe I didn’t ask for a replacement sword!

“W-Wait, please don’t!” Tanjiro quickly interjected. I turned toward him, crossing my arms and waiting for him to explain. His eyes bounced around, looking at odd things in the room before they settled back on me nervously. “What I’m getting at is Mr. Haganezuka is refining my new sword, right? I don’t want him to lose progress on it!”

Very smooth, Tanjiro. I’ll give you that. “Fine. I’ll leave it alone for now. But only because that’s a valid reason.” Except for the fact that I’d really like a decent weapon. Not that this one isn’t decent, but it’s not as advantageous as using a longer blade. It’s gonna feel like slicing an uncooked ham when I try to behead a demon. Though, judging by Tanjiro’s expression, he seemed relieved at me agreeing to not see Haganezuka. He was smiling brightly at me.

“Great! Now we can go enjoy ourselves for a bit!”

I blinked at him. “Hm? You had something planned?” Are we going to see Genya already? I didn’t think that was until way later.

“Well… sort of. A little last-minute planning, but your showing up made it perfect timing!” He turned and glanced inside the room for a moment before reaching to shut the door. “You don’t need anything in here, right?” I looked down at myself. Even though I was missing for who knows how long, I did have everything. I mean, my clothes were a little dusty from when I was training, but I wasn’t expecting Mr. Kanamori to go full nurse and fix me up.

“I guess not-” He shuts the door before I could fully finish my sentence, causing me to gawk at him for a moment.

“Then let’s go, yes?” After confirming the door was shut firmly, he turned to face me and held his hand out nervously. I stared at his open palm for a moment before I stupidly realized he wanted me to take his hand. I didn’t want to leave him hanging, so I reached out and complied. The satisfaction was apparent on his face as he led us forward.

“What about Nezuko? Wouldn’t you want to bring her?” I did see her box still in the room, maybe he forgot about her…? No, there’s no way.

He stopped and looked back for a second. “She’s fine in the room! Last I checked, she was sleeping. She’d honestly be stretching out in the room but… I’m a little worried a worker would walk in and let a little sun in on accident without me there. At least I knew for sure she was fine back in the Butterfly Estate.” Turning back to face me, he smiled. I couldn’t help but think this was a little unusual. I’d figure he’d like to take her wherever he was since he’s so protective of her. Well, I guess he just lets her be at the Butterfly estate. And no one should just come in and rummage through his stuff. I’d figure they would only clean if they did go in.

“Uh, okay! If it’s fine with you, it’s fine with me. Lead the way then?” He gave a hum of affirmation before we began walking toward the exit. We walked calmly through the village, our hands still clasped together as Tanjiro led us to whatever destination he had planned for us. The path that we were walking began to look a little familiar and it wasn’t until we got to the steps that led to the springs did I realize where we were going. I glanced at him and he seemed satisfied so far with how things were going, so I didn’t want to spoil his mood and say anything about it. Though, if I’m honest, my muscles were aching. I bet another soak from the springs would be nice.

Each step up the steep case left my thighs and calves aching and I felt myself regretting doing this. I should make Tanjiro carry me… Nah, I’m sure he’d enjoy it too much. After many, many steps later, the steam from the waters began to thicken around us and we came upon the hot pools of water. Something I had suspected.

“So, the hot springs, huh?”

His cheeks tinted a light pink as he looked over at me. “Y-Yeah! Is that okay? I figured after the training Kotetsu put us through, we deserved a relaxing soak.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that logic, now can I?” He smiled, almost seeming relieved I wasn’t against the idea.

“How about you go ahead and get comfortable? I’ll be right back, I’ve got to go get something real quick!” He turned promptly after saying that, walking off. I stared, a little confused, at his figure as he walked away, but shrugged it off and began to find a quiet corner that wasn’t being used by the other occupants. Once I decided on a spot, I headed off and changed out of the training clothes that were worn. I sat them aside along with my tanto. Glancing around, I quickly made my way back to the water.

Slipping in, I let out a long sigh as the warm waters enveloped me. I could almost feel the aches in my muscles floating away from me with the movement of the water. I leaned back and felt myself dozing off at the sensation. Tanjiro did have a good idea, so points to him. I can also see why he didn’t bring Nezuko. As much as she may want to have fun, it is still daylight out. That’s not so safe for her.

The water around me began to disturb slightly and I opened my eyes to see what was up. I was greeted by Tanjiro’s soft expression. I couldn’t help but let my gaze trail down his chest as he stood before me. I swallowed and sat up a little straighter, my eyes finding Tanjiro’s again. “That was fast, find what you needed?”

He nodded and took a seat beside me, a little close if I may say. “Yeah!” The redhead didn’t say anything further like he normally would.

Actually, the fact that he didn’t elaborate on what he did was a little suspicious, especially with that short answer. I shrugged it off, trying to not be too concerned with it. It’s Tanjiro. I honestly shouldn’t be concerned since he’s such a modest guy. I’d go as far as to call him golden retriever material, so I don’t think he would have any weird intentions. “I’m glad you got it figured out then. Now you can relax!”

He hummed in agreement as he got comfortable, sighing as the hot water enveloped him as he sat back. “Yeah! Other than food, I was thinking about how nice it was to soak in the springs. It’s like a reward.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that, both for the comedic history those few words had in my time and how he managed to meme successfully without intending to. “You’re not wrong. Well, you’ve already got somewhat of a reward for finding that sword, right?”

“Well, you’re not wrong! I suppose I did even though I can’t use it for another 2 days.”

Haha, we’ll see about that. “You just gotta wait for the perfect opportunity! You’ll see!”

“Think so?” He questioned, turning his gaze upward to the leaves. I hummed softly in response. I was absolutely positive.

I looked up at the small canopy of trees that hovered over the hot springs. The sunlight dappled through the leaves, shielding us from most of the sun that bled through. For it being the day, it wasn’t a bad time to be out here. I’d worry that the sun would make it too hot to enjoy, but the breeze that was bypassing us and billowing the mist kept it mellow. Though, no matter how nice this experience may be right now, it still didn’t wash away the underlying guilt I carried with me from the previous battles with the Upper Moons. “Tanjiro? Think you could do me a favor after we leave this place?”

“Hm? What is it?” He brought his gaze from the sky and turned to me again, and I couldn’t help but notice the subtle flicker of his eyes downward. Not that he could see anything at this moment, anyways.

“Ah, let me clarify. I mean leave the village. Would you want to travel somewhere with me?”

Tanjiro seemed to think about this for a moment. “You don’t think we’ll get another mission right away? I don’t think it’s time for a vacation just yet. In fact, this might be the closest one we get.” He gave a light laugh after saying that.

Well, I didn’t really want to spoil the way his trip ends, so I’ll try to be vague. “Maybe, but it would really mean a lot to me if you did.”

It was obvious that he was trying to weigh in on the decision of making the promise of going with me. The superior objective of saving his sister and working toward a cure versus some free time with me must’ve been a hard choice on his behalf. After several moments of the redhead staring down at the steaming water, he nodded slowly. “S-Sure… As long as we don’t get assigned anything big.”

I couldn’t help but feel relieved at that. One of the hardest parts is already done, I’ve just got to wait until a little later to inform him of the cons of this trip. One of them is that the hard work that he’s put in on past fights is… absolutely worthless now. “Thank you. It really means a lot to have a friend like you.” I smiled over at him, hoping he understands how grateful I really am for him.

He glanced away quickly, giving a nervous chuckle. “No problem.” Yeah, no problem until you find out what I’m hiding. “Do you mind me asking where we’d be going?”

I thought about this for a moment, deciding it would be less suspicious if I told him. “Tsumeharu. It’s, uh, a ghost town as far as I know.”

“Tsumeharu…?” He made a funny face as he processed the word, trying to remember where he’s heard it from. “Is that… maybe that place you went to for a solo mission?”

I snapped. “Yeah, actually.”

“What for?”

“Well… I left a few things there.” Not technically a lie, as long as they followed my instructions and went there.

Tanjiro seemed to accept that, surprisingly, and nodded. He didn’t have any further questions and we fell into a comfortable silence. Thankful for not having to use my brain at the moment, I leaned back once again, using one of my arms to cover my eyes from the light around me as I relaxed. Nothing but the sound of leaves rustling and water rolling against the smooth stone around us filled the air as we shared this moment. I felt like I should be embarrassed at our co-ed situation, at least a little bit, but couldn’t find myself caring about it.

I could feel myself beginning to drift off again at the easy atmosphere, the only thing keeping me from falling completely asleep being my will to keep my arm from sliding off my eyes so the light didn’t disturb me. I didn’t pay any mind to the displacement of the water around me until I felt something press against my thigh. Rough finger pads were noted on my knee and I jumped slightly at the sensation, removing my arm and looking to see who it was. At my sudden surprise, Tanjiro pulled away, his face flushed noticeably red, and it wasn’t the heat from the springs that had caused it.

“S-Sorry, I just… I, uh…” He was fighting so hard to find some sort of excuse, however, knowing Tanjiro… it was hard for him to lie. “You’re just so soft.” But still, even with knowing him and his brutally honest personality, I wasn’t expecting him to say that.

“Come again?” I wanted to be certain I had heard him correctly. This was almost Zenitsu behavior.

I watched as his face went through several different emotions as if he was struggling to put what else he wanted to say into words, trying to appear less creepy. “I just…!” Tanjiro took a deep breath, gathering himself. “I feel like we barely know each other. Yeah, we get to go on these missions together, but this is the first time we’ve actually had time together.” I couldn’t help but look at him curiously, unsure what he was going for just yet. He was pretty worked up so I was determined to hear him out. “You tend to get along with everyone you see, and even the hashira are drawn to you! Well–”

“–except Sanemi.” We said at the same time, causing us to pause and laugh slightly despite how tense the situation was for a moment. Tanjiro cleared his throat after, continuing to try to put his thoughts into words.

“Yeah… I just feel like we–no, I want us to get closer.” I couldn’t help but stare into his ruby eyes as I processed this. It didn’t click immediately, but after a few moments, I confirmed what I had thought at some point earlier. Tanjiro was jealous. He was trying to get my affection despite everything happening around us. And to be honest, it was a little cute.

I sighed after a few moments of gathering my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what to say, honestly. I didn’t want to immediately shoot him down but… I’m not sure what I want in this life, let alone need to do. There was some kind of reason or event that led up to me being in this world and that should have priority at this moment. “It’s kind of hard to when you’re unconscious about half the time I’ve known you.” I finally say, hoping this was neutral enough. His cheeks flushed as I teased him, causing him to stutter trying to defend himself.

“H-Hey! I’ve had to work hard to try to defeat those demons! They were strong!”

I shook my head, humored at his reaction. “I know and… I’m sorry. I should’ve done more so it wouldn’t have ended up that way.”

Tanjiro frantically shook his hands in front of him. “No! D-Don’t think like that! Honestly, as a new swordsman… you’re lucky to be alive.”

“Maybe you’re right about that, but I’m getting better! Before you know it, I’ll be the next Muichiro!” I smirked, flexing one of my arms, careful not to stand too straight so my breast don’t pop out over the water. He’d enjoy that too much.

This elicited a laugh from the redhead. “Maybe you should work out your upper body a bit before you try to compare yourself to a prodigy?”

“Whaaat? You honestly think Muichiro has muscle?!” Well, scratch that. Thinking back to his home life with his twin, he ought to have gathered some sort of muscle mass during that time. “Hm, just imagine, buff me.”

I watched as he paused for a moment, thinking about something seriously. “No, no. I can’t see it. Or maybe I don’t want to.” Tanjiro laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

I laughed alongside him. “I don’t know, imagine me with muscles like Tengen’s!”

“Please, no! I don’t want the image in my head!” He shook his head, his laughter fading as he put on a serious face and took a breath. “(Y/N), do you ever think about what the future could be like…? Theoretically speaking, if we defeat Muzan?”

Well, you don’t really need to when you know what happens but… I did save Rengoku, he’ll get a chance at a full life hopefully. Not only that but the demons I spared and are connected to me—what would happen to them? In the end, what if I caused a Tamayo-like effect and these demons survive after Muzan is taken out? They would be like Yushiro then. “Normally, I would say yes, but I guess I really haven’t. I don’t know what would happen then.”

“Yeah, the thought of demons becoming a distant memory is a little hard, huh?” Tanjiro smoothed back his hair as if he was nervous about something. “But I think about it often. And I, uh… I want you a part of it.”

I swallowed, my mouth feeling oddly dry. “Hm? Well, yeah. I don’t plan on dying. That would be unfortunate.”

Telling from the expression on his face, that was not what he was referring to. “N-No, well yes. I really mean…” I wasn’t going to lie, I’m not completely stupid. I felt like I knew what he wanted to say and it was making me nervous. Squeezing his eyes shut, he suddenly turned away, speaking through gritted teeth. “I have s-something for you.” I guess he didn’t have the complete courage to say it after all. I watched as he stood and fully turned away from me, everything below his waist securely staying below the surface of the water as he waded away a few feet. He leaned over the rock-siding and reached for something out of my view, Tanjiro waddled back over to me, his cheeks nearly matching the shade of his eyes. “H-Here, I’d prefer it if you open it once you go to change, though.”

He was holding a plain, rectangular box out to me. The packaging wasn’t as sturdy as I thought and it was lightweight, so it was a bit hard to determine what was inside. “Really? What if I take a peak now?” I shift the box around slightly, trying to determine the best way to open it. It appeared the lid just slid up and off.

He screwed his eyes shut and a soft whine left him. “Please, don’t. But if you did, well it’s yours so… I couldn’t really complain as long as you like it.” The redhead opened his eyes and smiled softly down at me. I felt a jolt in my chest as if my heart had beat weirdly. I couldn’t bear looking up at him now for some reason so I chose to look down at the beige of the box I held.

“I should’ve expected such a fair answer from you.” I said lowly.

I could feel his gaze fixated on me, but I couldn’t help the flustered feeling I had. With a soft chuckle, he spoke further. “Like I said, I hope you enjoy it. I’m going to go ahead so I can try to meet up with someone, so I’ll see you in a bit!”

This caused me to look up and at him again, but when I did his back was turned away from me and he was already leaving the spring. Words came to my mind, perhaps even my throat, but I couldn’t muster the courage to speak them so I just watched as he left, catching a faint glimpse of his ass as he got out of the water before the steam fully engulfed his view from me.

“What the f*ck was that.” My hand found its way to my chest, feeling for any abnormalities in my heartbeat. I waited for a few moments and nothing. It was a little fast, but maybe that’s because I’m getting too hot. I should get out as well and maybe it’ll calm down once I cool down.

After waiting a few extra moments in the spring to ensure he was gone, I got up from my place in the hot water and began to walk carefully with the box he had given me. Once I was sure I was in the clear, I left the safety of the waters in search of my items that I had left behind. Glancing around nervously in case anyone saw me, I finally made it to where I stored the training clothes I had changed out of. It was a little nerve-wracking walking around in the nude, not that it would matter since I was at a spring, but it still made me feel a bit more secure that I knew no one was just watching me.

I eyed the box that Tanjiro gave me. He did say I could open it once I got out, right? Smiling slightly, I gave the box a slight shake as I loosened the lid off of the box to see what was inside. The next thing was a type of tissue paper, a deep green color that was slightly transparent. All I had to do was fold it back twice and I could finally see what was underneath it. My mind instantly went back to when I was in the redlight district and the ladies of the house I had infiltrated had given me an expensive looking kimono to wear.

I reached out to touch the fabric of the cloth in the box, feeling slightly relieved it wasn’t fine silk. It was soft, but definitely a cheaper fabric. I pulled it out of the box, letting the yukata unfold completely where I could see the full design. It was a dark green, a light pink sash to match with it laying in the box still. The cloth had a simple, faint, light green design etched at the bottom, in a geometrical pattern that faded into the dark green. The pink seemed a little tacky at first, but setting the material beside its wrap made me think otherwise since it was such a baby pink. If my heart wasn’t racing before, it was now. I was hoping that getting out of the water would help calm the rapid beating of my heart, but opening this box just seemed to kickstart it.

I looked between it and my worn training clothes that I was wearing before I got here and decided on the yukata. It’d be rude not to, right? I just hope he didn’t spend too much on it. I groan slightly once I realize I’ll have to remember how to put it on properly, which shouldn’t be too terrible. I’ve tried to practice a little to get it right. I slip on my undergarments and then the white under-robe that was provided with the yukata. Following that was the actual yukata itself and I clumsily began to wrap myself with it. I didn’t have a mirror to look into at the moment, but it was fine, I’ll get it even somehow.

The hardest part would have to be the obi. I’ve tied the folds of the fabric in place decently, I think, but the act of making the bow at the end of the obi… was something I wasn’t good at. I awkwardly wrapped myself in the light pink fabric, sloppily tying the ends in a large, unsightly bow. From the angle I was looking at it, I thought it was pretty decent, so I turned it until the bow was sitting at the small of my back. The fabric felt like it may be touching the ground slightly, but it didn’t fit loosely or too tight, so I thought it was a win.

Gathering the remainder of my clothes that I was clearly not wearing at the moment and then tucking the tanto in my yukata, I began to walk back to the village. The sun had began to change to a golden color, and I couldn’t help but feel like the day was going by fast. Though, that may also be because I slept most of it away. Masked people passed by me, and I saw more and more of the village inhabitants as I made my way deeper into the village. I came across a few shops and took my time, window shopping at what the village had to offer at the few stores it did have. Most of it was food, and I almost caved in and bought a few things.

I shook myself out of it and began to walk past the shops, continuing down the road to where I was staying for the time being. Since Kanamori had shown me the way back here, it was. There was a lone man, or woman, I don’t judge, sitting at the front. Their mask tipped toward me for a moment before they went back to reading something. I just nodded back as I made my way down the hall that my room should reside in. After walking a few feet, I stop in front of the sliding door. What if Tanjiro was in there? For some reason, my chest feels a little tight. Was I really nervous? There’s no way.

Taking a deep breath, I grab the door and slide it open, bracing myself mentally for what was in the room. When I opened it, it was dark. There was the faint form of Nezuko from what I could see, laying across her own futon lazily as she napped. I felt stupid for getting worked up over nothing and sighed, stepping inside. I guess he hadn't finished whatever he was doing… I turned a small light on, set my dirty clothes to the side, and stepped over to the middle of the room.

Crouching before Nezuko, I watch as she breathes softly, sleeping peacefully. I reach out and poke her cheek, which doesn’t get any response from her. I tried again and still nothing, she was sleeping pretty good. I stood and stepped away from her, deciding not to bother her too much right now.

To the side a small table was pushed against the wall and I sat at it, not sure what else to do. I tapped at the wood of the table, waiting for whatever was next.

I tried to sit in a neat way, so I didn’t disturb the fabric that I carefully had to tie to look neat. It got boring extremely fast as I tried to wait for Tanjiro’s arrival back to the room. What was he planning to do? What was he doing? I was beginning to feel a bit impatient, especially since Nezuko hasn’t awoken yet. At one point I had heard footsteps outside in the hall and I sat up straighter, expecting it to be Tanjiro coming back to our room. They kept going, passing the room to our door and fading away. The disappointment I felt was immense, and I learned to ignore any other set of footsteps after that to avoid getting my hopes up.

I laid my forehead against the cool wood of the table I sat at, contemplating taking a nap like Nezuko. The sound of the door suddenly opening caused me to jump from my spot on the floor, snapping my face in the direction of whoever just opened it. When I saw it was Tanjiro, I was relieved, though with how the suddenness of the door opening had scared me, I should’ve been paying attention.

“You’re back!” He stood there for a moment, in his hands a round bamboo container. It had a lid, covering whatever its contents were. I eyed it for a moment before looking back at Tanjiro’s face, seeing his cheeks tinted with pink. I stood so I could see what he was up to and nearly tripped over the material of the yukata, flailing as I tried to reach out for something to hold on to. Tanjiro noticed what was happening and tried to catch me, holding the bamboo container in one hand as he used his other arm to attempt to cushion my fall. However, it did not work as smoothly as you would expect. In my ditzy panic, I fell toward the arm that was carrying the container, which smelled pretty nice now that I was this close to it. I ungracefully crashed into the container,

Now I’m hovering inches from the floor. I reach out and touch the tatami with wonder, curious how I’m suspended. There are rice cakes discarded across the floor in front of me now from my not-so-careful actions. Maybe it hasn’t been five seconds yet?

“Oops-” I grunt as I’m pulled up by the material of my yukata, Tanjiro’s hand firmly gripping what slack there was. I gave him a sheepish grin as he looked from me to the treats with faint disappointment. “Sorry?”

He sighed and let the material go, letting it drape down loosely once more. I paused, waiting for him to say something—anything—but all he did was look down at me and stare. I felt a little nervous as his eyes trailed my form, and I remembered that I was wearing the yukata he gave me. After he snapped out of his daze, a soft smile appeared on his face. “I thought the colors would look nice on you!”

His compliment made me feel a little hot, but I tried to ignore the feeling. “How’s it look?”

Tanjiro laughed, responding without missing a beat. “Too long. Which is probably why you tripped over it.”

“Look, I did the best I could! It’s hard to see all of the angles when you haven’t grown up doing this type of thing–or without mirrors.” I grabbed the material of the yukata and pulled it up a little, picking it off my feet.

“We’ll get it fixed, sometime, so don’t worry. You did pretty good!” Tanjiro bent over, picking up the food I had shoved out of his hand as I tried to catch myself. Feeling guilty, I also crouched down and began to help him. We made quick work cleaning the food off of the floor, finishing up with a dust pan now that the bigger pieces were off. “I guess we’ll have no snacks to bring to Genya…” He sat the container of ruined snacks to the side, no longer needing to carry them.

My attention was caught with this comment. “Genya? We’re going to see Genya?”

He hummed in affirmation. “Yeah! I thought I would try to make friends with him–for real this time.” He sheepishly tacked on the last part, glancing at me. “And I think I’ll give his tooth back.”

“Sounds perfect to me! Hey… do you think he’d be weirded out if we walked in with his tooth in our mouth? Like using it as an extra tooth to freak people out?”

The redhead just stared at me for a moment, wondering if he really heard what he just thought he did from me. When I didn’t continue, he blinked and it looked as if his brain went through a factory reset. “Ah, (Y/N)? I, uh, I think I’m a little weirded out.”

I don’t say anything yet, nodding slowly as this sinks in. “That’s probably a good thing.”

“Yeah… Maybe you should stay here? I’m sure you can hang out with Nezuko.” We both glanced back to her, seeing her sleeping soundly still despite our commotion.

“Nah. Going to see Genya with you sounds more fun.” A sigh left the redhead and he nodded solemnly, as if he just lost an embarrassing bet or something similar. Stepping forward, being careful not to trip again, I slid open our door and stepped out, looking back at him. “Let’s go! Actually, you’ll have to lead the way. I’m not too sure about where his room is exactly.”

Shaking his head, he turned off the sole light I had lit to see in the room and shut the door behind us. “Then let’s go! If I’m right, I think he’s in his room now.” Genya’s room wasn’t actually that far from ours, being down the hall and around a corner. Knowing this now, maybe I’ll go to bother him more now. It might be fun. Tanjiro seemed to have no trouble knocking at Genya’s door, and my social anxiety said no thank you. I stood to the side, trying not to be the first thing the slayer saw when he opened the door.

Tanjiro didn’t announce himself, just knocked, and I found out why. As soon as Genya slid the door open and saw him on the other side, he slammed it shut. I winced as the door stopped in place, leaving about 5 or 6 inches to see inside his room. I looked down and saw Tanjiro’s foot stuffed in between the door and the siding. He didn't even wince at the feeling of the door hitting him as hard as it did. “Go away!” Genya’s gruff voice called out through the opening.

I watched as Tanjiro just smiled. “Hi! I thought we could sit down and talk a bit, to get to know each other!” A low growl is heard from the other side of the door. I moved closer to Tanjiro, trying to see Genya through it.

Violet hues meet my own as I glance into his room. “Genya! Hi!” I smiled up at him, watching as he lost his composure for a moment. A rough sigh left him as he let go of the sliding door, Tanjiro’s foot pushing it back open just enough for us to walk through now. Genya stiffly turned around, walking away from us as he sat at a smaller table with ink and paper. Tanjiro and I stepped in and I shut the door behind us softly, feeling a little weird to be intruding on Genya’s personal space. But… he only asked us to leave once, so I suppose he’s fine with it since he let us in.

Taking a comfortable seat at the table that sat in almost the middle of the room, Tanjiro made himself at home. He didn’t have the snacks like he did in the anime, so I felt a little bad at ruining that for him. I stood, not wanting to sit just yet. “Oh, Genya! What have you been up to?” The redhead tried to start a conversation, staring at the back of the slayer’s head as he attempted to look busy with the papers in front of him.Genya didn’t answer, even though he was directly addressed. Tanjiro waited just a few moments before continuing. “We’ve been training recently with some cool training doll! It’s like its from the future-or was, It actually broke. I didn’t think I’d ever get to land a hit on it!” He glanced up at me, a playful smile on his face. “(Y/N) didn’t get a chance to, unfortunately. No matter what, when the doll broke, I found a cool sword! This is what happened-”

I crossed my arms in a huff as he commented about my failure to land a hit on the training bot. Tanjiro continued to speak, recalling the events that had happened, in full detail, much to Genya’s displeasure. Genya picked up the pen he was using and gripped, bringing the tip to the paper and then away when he realized there’s nothing for him to write. Or maybe he was just having some sort of writer’s block, I don’t know what’s on that paper. Tanjiro was just babbling on, no care for the tense atmosphere that was in the room.

I tentatively walked over to where Genya had sat, looking over his shoulder at the words there. “So what are you writing?” I say quietly, that way Tanjiro doesn’t pay any mind to my words. I glanced over at the redhead for a moment, watching as he used big arm movements to tell his story he thought Genya was listening to.

Genya stiffened in place, before dropping the pen he had and flipping the papers over so I couldn’t see what was written. He didn’t even speak to me. What was his deal? I know he has this shyness around girls in general, but really? Even when Tanjiro’s here he’s going to act like this? “You’re no fun.” He doesn’t even respond to that comment.

I sigh softly as he ignores me. I was hoping that we could be some cool, unstoppable duo–terrorizing Sanemi, that is. Though, he may not even want to terrorize his brother since he’s trying so hard to get on his good side. Getting tired of standing, I stepped away from him and sat across Tanjiro, who had… found some sort of flower stem that he was using as a fake sword in his storytelling. Man’s hands must be bored after I ruined the snacks he was going to bring.

“So, yeah, that’s what happened yesterday! The sword he’s preparing should take 3 days and nights to complete, but… I’ve heard that the method he’s using is dangerous. People have died doing it. So, I’m a little worried. You two think I should go check on Mr. Haganezuka?” His gaze panned from between me and Genya.

A low growl sounded from Genya as he threw the writing utensil he had picked back up onto the ground. He turned, a scowl on his face as he glared at Tanjiro. I couldn’t help but notice the faint, pink blush on his cheeks though. “I don’t care! Stop talking to me like we’re friends!”

Tanjiro blinked innocently at Genya, dumbfounded at the new information. “We aren’t?”

There’s a slight pause as Genya looks at Tanjiro in disbelief before he’s back into his frustration. “No! Do you not remember what happened at final selection? You broke my arm!” He held his arm for effect.

The smile that was on Tanjiro’s face wasn’t unsettling, but it wasn’t exactly warm either. “Oh, Genya. I recall that was your fault! You shouldn’t have put your hands on that girl.”

I made a dramatic gasp, looking at Genya in faux horror. “Genya, really? I can’t believe that’s the kind of man you are.”

The pink before blew out into a full blown red across his cheeks as he stuttered, trying to get his words together. “I-It wasn’t like that, I-I was just…”

“Just what?” Tanjiro urged, wanting to hear the excuse he had to give me. Genya just grit his teeth, keeping his words to himself now that he was backed into a corner by the both of us. Tanjiro leaned in slightly, trying to get a better look at something. “Didn’t you lose a tooth?”

The hostile expression he wore was wiped away as he went stoic. “No. You must be imagining things.”

All I could do was shake my head as Tanjiro rummaged through his pockets. “Huh? But I still have your tooth from the hot springs…” He held up the now polished.

The absolute shock and horror that was on his face was satisfying to watch, if I was honest with you. Especially since he tries to act all big and bad all the time. “What?! What the hell! That’s so gross, throw it out!”

“But… you dropped it. And I cleaned it so I could give it back.” This poor sun breather… the epitome of innocence is what he was—er, I could say that if the situation in the hot springs didn’t happen earlier.

Genya decided he’s had enough of Tanjiro’s shenanigans and stood. “Just throw it out, and get out!” He grabbed Tanjiro by the back of the uniform he was wearing and threw him out of his room, slamming the door shut after.

There was a muffled “Wait!” as Tanjiro got separated and shut out. Surprisingly, he didn’t try to enter. I sat there, watching it all, and pretty sure Genya forgot I was here in the midst of his abject horror over Tanjiro keeping his tooth.

He turned back around, a sigh leaving him once he was sure the red head wasn’t going to bother him again. He looked down at me, freezing in place at the sight. I waved. “Hey! Does this mean I get to stay?”

I smiled up at him from my position on the floor as an intense staring contest began between us. He seemed almost overwhelmed at the sight of me still sitting there. I felt a little hurt, it’s not as if I was quiet the entire time I was here! That tooth incident must have done more to his poor brain than I thought it did. After his brain successfully rebooted, he managed to grit a few words out. “G-Get out.”

“Did you… just stutter? Come on, can’t you tear into me like you do Tanjiro?” I tease him, enjoying the way he blushes at my words. Stop it, bad (Y/N). You’ve got to make some kind of friendship with him, so stop!

He cleared his throat. “There’s no reason to.” His voice was a little gruff, as if he didn’t know for sure how to speak to me.

“That’s unfortunate, and a little surprising, especially since your brother tends to do that.”

Genya seemed suddenly interested in the conversation. “What about my brother?”

“Oh, just that he’s the biggest asswipe. Like honestly, I can’t get over how intolerable he can be.”

I watched the gunman’s expression closely, expecting him to react in some way. And of course, he did. “Hey…! You don’t know him! You can’t just say stuff like that.” He scowled down at me with a newfound confidence.

“But I do know him? At least, maybe not too personally, but he did teach me how to use a sword!”

Genya stared down at me, dumbfounded. “He… he taught you the sword?”

I nodded proudly. “Yeah! And then he pretty much told me I was worthless and should give up before disowning me as his student.” I shrugged, trying to show that I wasn’t actually hurt by the actions of his older brother when I actually was.

It almost seemed like Genya wanted to dispute what I had said, but as soon as he opened his mouth he shut it again. I waited patiently for him to try to get his words together as he considered my words. “You’re lying. He’s not that type of person.”

“What do you mean I’m lying? Look, I’m not ignorant, Genya, I know how he treats you and I’m here to say it’s honestly no different than how he treats me at this point.” Huffing, I crossed my arms over my chest as I looked up at him.

“Wh-What—how would you, no, wait. W-We don’t even know each other, you shouldn’t be referring to me as my first name…!” I almost couldn’t believe how easy he was to fluster. He didn’t even know which to complain about more, his relationship with his brother or me using his first name.

“But we do know each other. Remember when I walked into you back at the butterfly estate?” He seemed to consider this. “Either way, is it really that bad…? You’d really rather me call you Shinazugawa? What about sir? Should I be that formal?” I tilt my head slightly, my neck beginning to ache from looking up at him. His hand flew up to cover the lower half of his face and a strangled sound came from his throat as he stared at me unsure what to do. I looked away for a moment, cracking my neck in both directions as I try to relieve the ache that was there and choosing to stand so I’m not looking at such an extreme angle. “Or maybe Mr. Genya? Sir Genya? There’s several things we could choose from.”

“N-None of those…! I don’t want you to call me anything!” He makes an X with his arms, swearing profusely as he denies each of the alternatives I provided him.

“Then how do I address you? Come on, I’m trying really hard to be friends here!” And maybe a little bit of teasing since he was reluctant to speak to me.

Genya looked away from me so I couldn’t see his face. “I don’t need friends.”

“But what if I want you to be my friend? You can’t just expect to be a loner all of the time.” He didn’t respond, remaining facing away. I wonder if he’d ever throw me out like he did Tanjiro. He sure does have some patience.

“Like I said, I don’t need friends.”

“I thought we could bond over Sanemi-“

“No.”

“Please?” I stepped around him, trying to look at his face since I was tired of him facing away from me. He attempted to turn in the opposite direction of me, but I reached out to grab his shoulder, trying to stop him from turning. Instead, he ended up turning roughly which jerked me to the side with him and caused me to yelp as I stumbled forward. Except, unlike earlier, nothing cushioned my fall as I fell onto my face in front of him.

A short, muffled laugh was all I heard from him. Almost too quiet—-too short to notice, but I did. That’s fine, if he wanted to laugh at me and be so adamant about interacting with me, I might as well try to enjoy myself.

“Oh, Genya—oh, sorry. I mean, Master Shinazugawa, if you wanted me on my knees, all you had to do was ask.”

Once again, his hand flies up to his face, covering the lower half and moments later, blood spews from between his fingers and he falls backwards. This felt oddly dramatic. No matter, I was worried so I rushed over, his head luckily missing the table’s edge.

“G-Genya? You okay?” I reached out and shook his shoulders, his eyes currently rolled in the back of his head as he had some sort of divine experience. “There is no way in hell this just happened… Where are smelling salts when you need them? I bet you’d wake the f*ck up then.” I mutter to myself as I wiped the light trail of blood from his nose down his cheek. Hasn’t he already been through puberty? You’d think he’d have some kind of chill.

Groaning, I stood from his side and looked around the room, trying to see if there was anything that I could use to speed up the process of him waking up. His room was unfortunately bland, though. Not even a water pitcher for him to drink from. Does he fast or something?! I’m starting to be a little concerned for his well being. Eventually, my gaze found a vase sitting to the side on a shelf. I stepped over to it and removed the branch of whatever flower was stuck inside and peeked into the slender vase. Perfect. I picked it up and walked back over to the gunman and poured the water across his face. After a second of the water hitting his face, he began to splutter and sit up, wiping at himself to see what was going on.

“What the hell–” He began to curse, stopping when he turned and saw me crouching beside him once again.

“Morning, princess. Sleep well?” I sat the vase to the side, no longer needing its contents.

So many emotions flashed through his eyes at once and when he finally had a grasp over what was happening, he spoke through clenched teeth. “Why am I wet?”

I looked back over at the vase. “Sorry, it rained just a bit.”

Without hesitation, he grabbed the vase and thrust the open end toward me, the remaining water splashing out against me. I sat there, unmoving, as the water ran down my face and soaked the front of my yukata. Not going to say I didn’t deserve that, but just I was surprised he actually took the initiative to do it.

“Looks like… scattered showers?” I speculated, deciding to continue with the rain schtick.

Genya continued to look at me for a moment, contemplating what he should say before a small smile broke out across his face. It went away as fast as it came, but I couldn’t help but feel… light inside. Maybe even giddy…? No, it has to be pride. I was prideful of myself for making him smile, that’s all. “You’re so stupid.” He spoke harshly, his eyes narrowed. It made me think back to Sanemi.

And yet those words don’t instill hurt like Sanemi’s did. It was quite obvious that Genya was trying to push me further away to cover up his vulnerability. All I did was laugh at what he said. “Stupid? Maybe. Or maybe I’m just obstinate?

He sighed, running his hand across his head. “Are you sure my brother trained you? I feel like you’d be insufferable to him.”

I scoffed at that. “More like he was the insufferable one. It was like talking to a rock with an attitude!”

That actually got him to laugh and I felt that feeling again from earlier, what was that? I rubbed my chest absently as I looked down. “Maybe so. But… maybe we just need to prove ourselves to him?”

Oh, you poor baby. But it does seem like he’s more comfortable around me, or at least, confident. “Maybe… or maybe he doesn’t want us to prove ourselves? Only time will tell with how he is.”

Genya shook his head in response to that. He adjusted how he sat, crossing his legs in front of him and facing me fully. “I want it to be sooner rather than later, though.” Genya looked down into his lap for a moment before looking back up. “I guess we do have a lot more in common than I first thought.” He admitted.

“See! I thought we could bond over some sh*thead!” I smiled confidently at him, pleased with myself for advancing our friendship.

My head was suddenly pushed down, his heavy hand on top. I grunt as he hesitates with his hand still on my head before ruffling my hair. “I still won’t tolerate any bad-mouthing towards him.”

I grabbed his hand and pulled it off my head, dropping it as I reached back up to fix my hair. “Awh… I can’t believe you would do that!” I pushed it out of my face, trying to fix it to where it was somewhat neat.

“I think it looks fine either way.”

“Ha-ha, very funny,” I muttered, not looking at him until I was satisfied with my hair. When I looked back at him, his cheeks were pink again. For what this time, I have no idea. “You sick or something?” I reach forward and tried to touch his forehead.

His hand quickly grasped my wrist, pulling my hand away from his face. “No. I’m fine.”

We stared at each other silently for another few moments before I pulled my hand away, relenting. “Mkay. You’re fine. Your face is just a little pink.” He didn’t seem pleased with me pointing that out, a soft groan leaving his lips as he glanced away from me. That’s fine, I’ll just change the topic. “So, uh, I heard you and that Stone hashira are pretty close. What’s the story behind that?”

He cleared his throat and looked back at me, clearly taken off guard by my question. It looked like he was contemplating how much to tell me. “Ah, uh… I guess… I could consider him a type of father figure? He took me in. When I was younger.”

I nodded. “That’s cute! You know, I don’t think I’ve ever really spoken to him before. Maybe you could introduce us! I’d like to get to know more about you and how you ended up here now.”

This seemed to stupe him as if he hadn’t expected me—or anyone for that matter—to express their interest in him. I could visibly see the sweat rolling down his forehead as he stressed internally over the situation. “M-Maybe sometime. I’ll have to see wh-what-” He was cut off at the sound of a slight rumble. The room grew silent as we sat there, trying to see if we heard things right.

“Are earthquakes normal for this area?” He shrugged. After another few moments of waiting, there was an even larger rumble, this time shaking the building. “OK, what the f*ck is happening?!” I stand shakily as I wrack my brain for whatever could be causing this. I immediately facepalm, feeling stupid for getting caught up with Genya and forgetting. “Come on, we need to go.”

I tighten my yukata around me, the water stain still present on the material. This was the last thing I wanted to fight with. Fight… I felt around my person. I don't even have a sword, but let out a sigh of relief as I feel the knife that Haganezuka gave me. I scramble for the door, my goal to get back to Tanjiro and I’s room so I could procure a larger weapon of sorts if I was lucky.

There was a sudden, terrible ripping sound. The roof above us creaked and swayed under some sort of pressure. I winced, expecting it to cave in at any moment, but it didn’t. I went to pull open the door but had trouble as it appeared the door was jammed shut with the uneven distribution of the building’s weight.

Genya seemed to catch on to what was happening, ensuring he was well-prepared with weaponry before running forward, kicking in the door and successfully leading out into the hall. I watched in astonishment as he ducked through the cracked door, veering to the left as he attempts to look for the source of the violent shaking. I shake myself into focus, repeating his actions and following suit, having a slight issue with catching up with him. Bitch was a f*cking track star.

Instead of rounding the corner where my room was, Genya headed straight down the hall. I glanced toward the room that was currently under assault and could see faint clouds of dust and debris settling, showing definite proof that the cause was there. He punched out the window that was at the end of the hall and jumped through, turning and climbing upwards. So that’s how he got on the roof… I ran up to the shattered window, leaning out to see what was going on. The faint sounds of fighting came from the roof and it made me even more determined to climb up. I glanced at the wood lining on the outer wall of the inn, hoisting myself up carefully so I didn’t cut myself on the glass or fall and break a leg.

I almost slipped once, my hand becoming sweaty with nerves as I climbed up the side not so gracefully. Huffing, I finally haul myself over the lip of the roof, the rough shingles digging into my palms as I desperately tried not to fall. I carefully balanced myself as I stood on the roof, looking forward to see Genya with his back toward me. He had his gun out, aiming down the barrel looking for precision for his targets below. I stepped closer, glancing down at the scene below.

Karaku and Sekido stood there, their attention fixated on Nezuko and Tanjiro. Muichiro had been long blown away, most likely from intense shaking from earlier. I was suddenly overcome with uneasiness as I watched them converse. I don’t have my usual weapon so I’m not confident in this fight at all. My ears ring as Genya shoots his shots, managing to hit both demons, however leaving Karaku’s neck barely attached. I almost gagged at the sight.

“Whoa! That one felt different!” The demon of pleasure exclaimed, his hand ghosting around the normally fatal wound.

“Felt different. Just felt different, huh?” I muttered under my breath, watching as Genya pulled out his own wakizashi and severed the remainder of Karaku’s head. I stood at the edge, tsking. “Hey, that may just make it worse…!” Tanjiro and Nezuko’s heads snap toward me, relief in their gaze. Snapping back into battle mode, Tanjiro faced Genya.

“That’s just going to make them split further! Their heads aren’t their weakness!” Genya scoffed, turning to watch the demons regenerate around him.

The roofing under my feet gave away, causing me to lose my footing and fall, my yukata getting caught on a wooden beam from the framework. I hung there before everyone, embarrassed at my predicament. The sound of the fabric tearing made me panic a little. “No, no! I just got this!” And it tore just enough to leave an ugly scar in the fabric and let me fall to what used to be the floor of the room we were staying in. I groaned, sitting up.

Tanjiro sighed loudly while Nezuko stared at me concerned while I sat up, pulling the tanto out of my yukata. “I can’t believe… Never mind. I think I’m just thankful you have some kind of weapon.”

“Well, you and me both. Though, I’m not as pleased with this as you think I am.”

He nodded curly. “I hope that means you’ll be cautious.”

I grinned and looked around at the demons, lewd thoughts the first thing on my mind. Honestly, how could you not? These four clones are something you’d never expect to come out of a demon like Hantengu. When considering attractiveness, that is. “Maybe. In fact, I may have just the idea.” I began to sink to my knees. “Gods, I thank you for this wondrous meal—“

Tanjiro let out an exasperated groan. “(Y/N)? What the hell are you doing?! We’re supposed to be fighting.”

“Oh, I am. Just not with my sword.”

Odd looks from around the room were thrown at me, from both human and demon parties. Except for Nezuko, she was oblivious to the nature of the banter. Loud, cackling laughter is heard suddenly as Karaku doubled over, slapping his knees. “Ahaha! I’ll take this one!” His green eyes gleamed as he stared at me.

“No!” There was a chorus of refusal from around the room, coming from not only Tanjiro but also the demon of Anger, Sekido. It seems Sekido was just as aware of how the battlefield would’ve turned if it could go Karaku’s way.

“Unfortunate, right?” I muttered, standing once again.

“Terribly so,” Karaku responded, pouting.

“Honestly, I can’t bring you anywhere—“ Tanjiro and Sekido both speak at the same time, stopping mid-sentence once they realized they were in sync. They glared at each other for a few moments as they registered their dislike for the situation.

Suddenly, in our distraction, one of the demons swooped in and grasped Tanjiro, pulling him into the sky before Nezuko could reach out and grab him. “Oh, Karaku! It’s been forever since someone had last figured us out! This will be so much fun!” I grit my teeth as Urogi flew high, keeping Tanjiro suspended from the battle.

My eyes snapped to Nezuko, who suddenly found herself in a dilemma. Struggling, Tanjiro looked down, searching for her gaze. “Nezuko! I’ll be fine—help Genya and (Y/N).” At the sound of his voice, I looked up in time to see his gaze widen in horror. I turn sharply on my heel, raising my knife in defense just to misjudge the situation and experience the moment Genya was run through with Aizetsu’s Jumonji Yari. I winced at the sight, opting to keep my eyes open so I could be aware of my surroundings.

“Keep your eyes straight, marechi.” A gruff voice called out, gathering my attention. Genya will be fine, I need to worry about myself. Looking at the demon of anger, I realized I was facing against the hothead of the four. “You—You’re the marechi that master wants.” His scowl turned into a smirk, his large fangs stretching his lips apart grotesquely.

I squeak, looking for some way out. “Oh man, I don’t want to fight you–Nezuko? Genya? Swap with me?” My sight darted between the two, Karaku already locked on Nezuko in hand-to-hand combat while Genya has to worry about the Jumonji Yari shoved into his abdomen. I groan.

The sound of the rings on the Khakkhara clanging against each other brought my attention back in front of me. Sekido seemed to not care about my inner dilemma as he rose his staff, getting ready to strike it down. “How about you shut your inane babbling and come with me quietly.” The way he held his staff insinuated that no matter what I tried tonight, I was definitely going to get electrocuted.

“Oh no.” Was all I could say at the moment, preparing for what was to come.