Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Something to Tell You

Two things happened when I came home from that visit. First, I told everyone that Kanao was planning on moving in. When I added that Aoi was also coming, Inosuke started laughing, cheering, and dancing around the living room so excitedly that he knocked over the lamp. Then, Zenitsu immediately realized what was going on between Inosuke and Aoi. He was so furious at himself for not figuring it out sooner that he stewed in the corner for several hours. Later, I told Nezuko that the kissing had only gotten better between me and Kanao and that I was sorry that her first few kisses with Zenitsu were so awkward. Then, to my surprise, she blushed and started laughing nervously.

“Um, no, they weren’t awkward at all,” she said shyly.

“Oh, well, you made it sound like they were.”

“No, I just told you that they weren’t dreamy.”

“But, they were okay?”

“Um, they were really intense. Like, it wasn’t the delicate, gentle kind of kissing that you described. It was like, we looked at each other just the right way, and then we just started making out. The first kiss was so strong, like we had been doing it forever. And, the second one was like that, and so was the one after it. But, we kept doing it, and now we don’t hesitate, as in, we don’t hesitate to control ourselves. We no longer feel like we need to be so intense about it. Now, we’re a lot more relaxed, like you saw. And, I may have made it sound like it was different on purpose to make you feel better.”

What I saw them doing in the shed didn’t seem relaxed at all! So… how intense was “intense?” There was a silence so thick that if I had tried to cut through it with a nichirin sword, the sword would’ve broken. Nezuko slowly turned redder the longer I stood there staring at her. Then, I just walked away. That night at dinner, Zenitsu tried stealing one of my dumplings, and I slapped his hand with my chopsticks so hard that it left a mark. He immediately froze.

“Hey, Tanjiro,” he said. “What’s with the death glare?”

I wasn’t even aware I was glaring at Zenitsu that hard. Later, before bed, I heard Nezuko explaining to him that she told me. I wasn’t going to let his relationship with my sister ruin our friendship. But, I certainly wasn’t all right knowing that he had kissed my sister like that, and on their first date. I’d have to talk to him myself at some point, but I decided to save it for another time. I had to be at the village council building early the next morning.

My apprentice position consisted mainly of learning the village laws, the customs of nearby villages, and assisting the councilman I was assigned to with his work. The village was in the process of expanding, and I was honored to be a part of it. I was no stranger to hard work and was willing to do it. Within just one week of working there, I had won everyone on the council’s approval. They’d already started referring to me as “Councilman Kamado,” even though I wasn’t an official member of the council. I became flustered and told them I just wanted to be known as “Tanjiro.” I figured my only option was to climb the ladder as a council worker, so I let them still address me that way. I was still uncomfortable with it, though. I was reviewing papers when my boss, Mr. Takeda, came to check on me. After the initial small talk and business talk, I decided it was okay to ask my burning question.

“Mr. Takeda… I was wondering when you’d allow me to be out of office again.”

“You want to take time off again?” Mr. Takeda asked. “Didn’t you just come back from somewhere?”

“Well, I’m not planning on going back so soon,” I explained. “But, there's still a few things left to take care of at the Butterfly Mansion.”

“I see. This is old business from demon slaying?”

“Um, well, it’s more like an old demon slaying contact, or colleague.”

I didn’t believe in lying, so I tried to just dance around the truth. Mr. Takeda figured it out instantly.

“Is this colleague of yours… a woman?”

“She’s my girlfriend…” I sighed.

It wasn’t an exasperated sigh, though. It felt so good to finally use the word “girlfriend.”

“I see.”

“The last time I saw her, I felt as if things are going to get very serious between us soon,” I explained. “Things are already getting serious. I just want to be able to move us both along in that regard. I may need to see her again in a few weeks.”

“Well,” said Mr. Takeda. “The soonest I can let you off again is the first week of July. How does that sound?”

“That will work. Thank you very much, Mr. Takeda.”

“How old are you now, Kamado?”

“I’m almost seventeen.”

“Wow, you seem much older,” exclaimed Mr. Takeda. “And, you’ve already got a serious girlfriend, too. You know everyone in the village has always looked up to you.”

I smiled. Mr. Takeda had a good heart.

“Tell me,” Mr. Takeda said as he was walking away. “What’s her name?”

“Her name’s Kanao Tsuyuri.”

“And, she was also a demon slayer?”

“She was one of the strongest slayers in the whole corps, if not the strongest.”

Mr. Takeda simply nodded, then he went back to his business. I went back to my work, too. Kanao was the strongest slayer in my eyes. I knew that many of the survivors would say that it was me, but in reality, Kanao was the only reason I was still me. One of the biggest guilts of my life would forever be how I was briefly turned into a demon myself at the end of the final battle. I had hurt so many people in that state, including Kanao and Nezuko. The scars down Nezuko’s left arm were all from when I attacked her, and I had slashed Kanao across her chest. And, what was worse, is that I could still remember all of it. Everyone I had inflicted told me that they didn’t blame me for anything I did while in that horrible state, but I couldn’t help but feel guilt-ridden and sick to my stomach whenever I thought of it. Nezuko had been a demon as well, for many years. My whole quest was to save her, and I did, thanks to Tamayo and her powerful antidote. If Kanao hadn’t given me the antidote when she did, I’d still be a demon. I couldn’t think about it anymore.

I decided to think about Kanao instead. However, if I thought a little too much about her, I’d end up with a nosebleed. A nosebleed at work would be unprofessional, and not to mention, embarrassing. My imagination was a mess, so I shook my head. The word “girlfriend” had tasted so wonderful when I said it. It was finally appropriate to use it. It was getting late and I would be able to go home soon. I could give myself a nosebleed then. Soon, I wouldn’t have to request time off to go to the Butterfly Mansion, because Kanao would be here with me. We would never be apart again.

I came home to Inosuke in the kitchen trying to cook dinner, wearing Nezuko’s apron and his boar hide, and still no shirt. He looked absolutely ridiculous. I distinctly remembered that it was Zenitsu’s turn to cook that night and questioned Inosuke on why he was doing it instead.

“Zenitsu went to take care of the fire and Nezuko went out picking vegetables from the garden. That was an hour ago. They never came back, so I started doing it instead! I’m hungry! I swear what I’m making is gonna be awesome, though!”

I instantly walked around the corner to check on the charcoal furnace. It was completely cold, and looked as if it had been for hours. Zenitsu was not checking the fire and I knew that Nezuko was not picking vegetables from our garden… Later, they showed up at dinner seeming like absolutely nothing had happened, which was kind of creepy. In the end, however, Inosuke did cook a pretty good meal. I was impressed.

Zenitsu and I talked about Nezuko eventually. I just wanted him to know that while he was still one of my best friends, he was also dating my sister now. Therefore, he and I needed to establish boundaries. He was actually very mature about it - until he hugged me at the very end.

“I promise to treat your sister right in all aspects of love, all of them,” he said.

The emphasis on the last part sounded a little too suggestive to me. At least, he wasn’t trying to propose to her every other day anymore. I just couldn’t imagine my little sister getting married. I could barely imagine myself getting married… but wasn’t that what I was building to? If Kanao was going to move in with me… that was likely what was going to end up happening next. But, I couldn’t allow myself to think about that. I had to keep the pace, and only focus on one thing at a time.

I had been thinking about how Kanao started her sewing projects to keep her busy when we were apart, so I started to look for my own hobby. I decided to try out several different ones and see what worked best for me. First, I tried painting. It was easy to do with one hand and it killed a lot of time. My first painting was of a flower. Flowers reminded me of Kanao, because, as a slayer, she had used the flower-breathing style. Painting was easy enough, and I thought that it came out well for a first attempt. But, then, Zenitsu walked by.

“Why are you painting a purple waterfall?” he asked.

“It’s a flower,” I corrected him. “It’s a purple orchid and it’s slightly droopy.”

“That’s a purple waterfall.”

“Well, it’s not finished yet. Once I’m done, it will look more like a flower.”

“Even Inosuke’s drawings are easier to figure out.”

“Well, what would you do if you’re so artistically gifted?!?!”

Zenitsu picked up my brush, dipped it in paint, and added a leaf on the stem.

“I didn’t want a leaf on it!” I protested. “It looked more elegant and natural without it.”

“Now it’s more obvious that it’s a plant.”

“Can I have my brush back, please?!?!”

Within minutes, Zenitsu called both Nezuko and Inosuke over and asked them what they thought I was painting. Nezuko said it was an “abstract thought” and Inosuke said it was just a triangle. I told them it was a purple orchid. Nezuko announced she could see it better now and told me I just needed more layers, but her scent told me that she was just trying to make me feel better. Inosuke didn’t even know what an orchid was. Flowers were just flowers to him. I didn’t paint anything else after that.

Second, I tried going for hikes with Nezuko and playing scavenger hunts. It started out as really fun. However, Inosuke got jealous very quickly and then we had to bring him along. What began as a nice little game with my sister turned into Inosuke insisting that he had to catch dinner every time. After five times of waiting for Inosuke to be done hunting fish in the river, it was all over. The last thing I tried was writing poetry, like Zenitsu did. I didn’t share them with anyone this time. My first poems were about nature. It actually helped put me to bed sooner. However, I ended up writing about Kanao. The poems made me miss her even more, which was the opposite effect that I wanted. Then, I understood why Zenitsu only wrote about Nezuko in his poems. It was because falling in love was all-consuming. So, instead, I was lying awake for hours missing Kanao. I had to stop writing poetry after that.

In the end, I just went back to doing what I was already good at doing - training. I started training a lot more in the two months leading up to when I would see her again. Sometimes I would disappear for hours in the mountains, always when Inosuke was on charcoal runs, so he wouldn’t try to join me. Then, when I would come back and take a bath, and only then would I let myself think of her. After that, I’d be so exhausted that I’d just fall asleep. And, so, I kept at the training, until one evening, about two weeks before I was going to be able to see her again, a crow landed outside our front door.

“KAW! A MESSAGE FOR TANJIRO KAMADO!”

It was the voice of Kanao’s crow. Finally, I had news from her. I untied the message from the crow’s leg with the utmost care, as if it were a precious artifact. I was ready to savor reading every last word that she wrote.

I had the house all to myself. Inosuke was busy making charcoal in the furnace outside, and Nezuko and Zenitsu were on a “date” in the village. I didn’t really ask what it was they were doing on the “date.” I just knew they’d be gone for a while. I was free to sit in the living room by myself and read Kanao’s letter.

Dear Tanjiro,

I miss you. Missing you never gets any easier. I hope that everything is well with you and everyone else. I hope that your job is going well. In the past few weeks, we’ve had a number of patients here that needed Aoi’s immediate attention. That is why I couldn’t write to you sooner. But, I have good news. Aoi and I talked to Kiriya and his sisters. If Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho pass the doctor’s training and exam in August, then Aoi and I should be able to leave the Butterfly Mansion in mid-September. Aoi wanted to know if she would be able to find a job as a doctor in your village. As for me, I have enough money saved up that I won’t need to find a job right away. When you come back, we’ll talk about this more, but I needed to let you know what was most important.

I visited Kanae and Shinobu’s grave yesterday. I hadn’t been in a few weeks because I was busy helping Aoi. While I was there, I saw a flower growing at the foot of their grave that wasn’t there the last time I had went. The way the afternoon sunlight hit this flower made it look like it was glowing. I could actually see the sunbeams. It made me think about you. You used the sun-breathing style, and I used the flower-breathing style. It was as if Kanae and Shinobu were telling me that I was meant to be with you, that it was okay to leave the Butterfly Mansion, and it was okay to leave them behind. If anything, Shinobu and Kanae always wanted me to forge my own path, and I’ve decided that that path leads to you. Soon, we won’t be apart anymore. Let my crow know when you’ll be coming back. I can’t wait to see you again. There’s more that I have to tell you, but it’s best if I tell you in person.

Kanao

Tears welled up in my eyes. Kanao always wrote so beautifully. I couldn’t stop thinking about what she wrote about the flower in the sunlight. I read and reread her letter several times, wishing there was more. She was always short and sweet, but sometimes I wanted her letters to be novels. I was grateful no one was around to see me cry. The huge, wet tears were falling out now, and my one hand couldn’t stop them all. But there was one thing I was nervous about. What did she have to tell me? That last line was making my brain do somersaults. Yes, I understood that there was definitely more to discuss when it came to planning for her and Aoi leaving the Butterfly Mansion, but was the last line of her letter referencing something else? Whatever she needed to tell me in person, would it mess up my chance to tell her that I loved her? I would see her in two weeks. That’s when Mr. Takeda said he could let me off again. But, I wanted to hit the road that very moment. I took a deep breath and wiped away the tears in my eyes. I couldn’t become impatient. I had a tangible date now. She would be here, with me, permanently by mid-September. That was three months away.

“Tell Kanao I’ll see her in two weeks,” I told the crow, and it flew away.

There was a noise outside the door. I was so engrossed in the letter that I jumped. Inosuke stood in the doorway, without his hide on, covered in soot from his hair down to his feet.

“Inosuke?” I asked. “What happened with the charcoal? It looks like you rolled in it!”

“I did!” Inosuke replied happily. “It was fun!”

“…Why?”

“I just felt like it!”

He puffed up his chest and snorted, then walked off to the bath. I wondered if Aoi knew what she was getting into.

The next two weeks that went by were unbearable. Nothing bad happened, it was just that getting closer to seeing Kanao again put butterflies in my stomach at random times. I was even distracted while training. Two days before I was going to leave, I sat in the doorway with a cup of tea all evening. I wasn’t even drinking the tea. I just liked the warmth of it on my palm. It was like I was holding Kanao’s hand and feeling its warmth. My brain was on fire overthinking every last detail about my upcoming visit. I was going over several possible situations for how to say, “I love you.” Many of them were very unlikely to actually happen. My tactical slayer’s mind just wouldn’t turn off, even when it didn’t need to be on. I thought of everything Nezuko had told me about just letting things happen naturally. Suddenly, I heard the shuffling of feet behind me. It was in my blind spot, so I had to turn all the way around to see who it was. I was expecting Nezuko, but it wasn’t. It was actually Zenitsu. He was smiling at me. I was a little confused, but I smiled back at him.

“Can I join you?” he asked.

“Sure.”

He sat down next to me. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. The summer breeze blew past us without a care.

“You’re finally going to tell her, aren’t you?” Zenitsu said.

“How did you know?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m trying to eavesdrop or anything…” Zenitsu chuckled awkwardly. “But, I can hear you rehearsing in your room.”

“Oh…”

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. I know just how you feel, remember?”

“Yes, of course I remember.”

“I think you’re really brave, actually,” said Zenitsu. “I have a hard time containing myself when I like a girl, sure, but even I can’t drop ‘I love you’ that fast.”

“Someone once told me ‘there’s nowhere else to go but forward,’” I said. “I don’t have as much time as you or Inosuke, so I don’t want to hesitate when I know what I feel for her is true.”

“You mean the curse of the mark.”

“Yes.”

“I thought that didn’t bother you.”

“It doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean I can just pretend like it’s not going to happen.”

“It does bother you a little, though.”

“I’m okay with it because manifesting the mark and the power that it brought me helped bring about a world of peace without demons,” I explained. “But, nobody wants to die young.”

“You want all the time you have with your loved ones to be meaningful,” Zenitsu added for me. “We all want our time with you to be meaningful, too.”

I smiled. “Thanks. Is that why you came to sit with me?”

Zenitsu smiled back. “Yes.”

We sat for another moment in silence.

I whispered, “What if she doesn’t say it back?”

“What makes you think she won’t?”

“Just an invasive thought,” I sighed.

“I don’t really know Kanao… yet,” Zenitsu said. “But, from everything you’ve shared, it sounds like she’s crazy about you.”

“She is,” I whispered, and blushed.

“That’s so weird about Inosuke and Aoi, though.”

“Yeah, that was a little strange to think about at first.”

“I think Aoi is scary,” said Zenitsu.

“Why?”

“Because she barks things at you! She’s got this shrill voice and kind of glares.”

“Maybe she and Inosuke are perfect for each other, then.”

“Oh, that actually makes a lot of sense.”

The tea in my cup was completely cold now. I still had no intention of drinking it. I sat in the doorway with Zenitsu for another twenty minutes, but we didn’t talk anymore. I did offer him my cold tea, which he accepted, and then he went inside. It was dark now, and I sat by myself for another five minutes just looking at the stars. I thought about how starting in mid-September, I could sit in the doorway with Kanao. We could hold hands and she could rest her head on my shoulder. We could certainly kiss a lot, too. So, I got up and went to bed. If I spent too much time thinking about her, I knew I wouldn’t sleep at all.

Two days later, I was finally off on my journey. While I was walking, I told myself that I was only going to think about it once every few hours. I controlled myself up until the very last leg of the trip, when it completely consumed my brain. The scenarios were flying left and right, and I was talking to myself. Kanao, I have something to tell you. Don’t worry, it’s good. It’s that I love you. No, that wouldn’t work. Kanao, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say this. I’ll tell you now. I love you. That wouldn’t work, either. It was all too calculated. I was so distracted by my thoughts that I actually walked head-first into the mansion gate. Because of my hard head, I barely felt anything, so I ended up walking in place with my head bumping against the gate for a few minutes. Finally, I shook my head from side to side, snapped out of my trance, and opened the door.

The courtyard was empty. There was no sign of anyone. I looked around and sniffed the air. I didn’t smell anyone familiar. It was a beautiful summer day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the sun was bright, and it was perfectly warm. Why wouldn’t anyone be outside? I thought of Kanao’s letter, which mentioned that they had been very busy with patients lately. I guessed that she and Aoi were probably in the medical ward working. I let out a big sigh. I sat down on the rock that I had found Kanao sitting at the last time I visited. You are incredibly special to me, Kanao. I love you. Better. The truth is, I love you, Kanao. That was keeping it simple. But, it also had to be more intimate than just the three words themselves. I knew it really didn’t have to be that hard. I felt a little bit of sweat in my hair, so I fished around in my backpack for a towel. All of a sudden, I heard the fluttering of feathers behind me.

“Kaw? Tanjiro Kamado?”

I whirled around to see Kanao’s crow. It was looking at me curiously with its head tilted to one side. Kanao’s crow also had very peaceful eyes - unlike my crow, who was really cranky. More specifically, Kanao’s crow also always had a pink ribbon tied around its neck.

“Hello,” I said to the crow. “Where’s Kanao?”


“She is tending to a patient with Aoi Kanzaki,” the crow replied. “She will be done soon. Do you want to wait here? I can let her know, kaw!”

“Actually, I need to find a bathroom,” I admitted. “Tell her that I’ll be waiting for her by victory sakura tree.”

The crow squawked in agreement and flew off. I went off to find the bathroom. I didn’t really have to use the bathroom, but I wanted a quiet, private place to compose myself. My gut felt like it was twisted. I knew that I would calm down and everything would fall into place the second I saw her. Once she was back in my arms, I would have everything figured out. I stayed in the bathroom for maybe about ten minutes. I didn’t want Kanao to get to the victory tree and not see me there, so I took several deep breaths and ventured out. She was not there when I got there. So I sat in the shade of the tree and breathed in the soothing smell of cherry bark. At least that put me at peace. I zoned out for a while, and only came to when I heard a single word.

“Hello.”

My eyelids fluttered open. I was lying on the ground, my head propped up in my hand, and Kanao was kneeling next to me with a big smile on her face.

“Was I asleep?”

“A little,” she replied. “My crow told me that you fell asleep as soon as you sat down.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I just got here.”

I sat up. I must have fallen asleep out of anxiety, even if it was only for a few minutes. Once I was on my knees, Kanao gave me a big hug. I squeezed her back and immersed myself with her sweet, flowery scent. Her hair smelled good in particular. She had her hair pulled to the side like she always did, her butterfly hairpin holding it all in place. She actually smelled a lot like the sakura tree.

Kanao sat down next to me, still with her arms around me.

“How was the trip here?”

“It was calm,” I responded. “Except in my head.”

“What goes on in your head?”

“I overthink about you.”

She giggled. “I overthink about you, too.”

We sat there in silence for a few minutes. Her hand was resting on my knee now, so I took it and held it. She leaned on me more.

“What do you want to do on this visit?” she asked.

“Well, we do have to talk about all the details for the move.”

“Yes, we will. I figured we would do that after eating dinner.”

“That sounds good,” I said. “And, uh, what was that other thing you wanted to tell me?”

Because she was leaning on my good shoulder, which was the same side as my bad eye, I couldn’t see her that well from the position we were sitting in. But, I knew what I saw. Kanao suddenly blushed a deep red, and then she gripped my hand harder. It wasn’t an affectionate grip, though. It was like she was anxious. I smelled the scent of anxiety through her sweetness, too.

“That other thing I wanted to tell you can wait,” she finally said. “We’ll get to it after we talk about the move.”

“Okay.”

She didn’t move.

“Do you want to go inside?” I asked.

“I want to just hold you for a few more minutes.”

“Okay.”

Something was bothering her. I began to get anxious, too. But, I couldn’t show her that. I needed to put Kanao at ease somehow. I leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. She smiled and sighed happily, but the scent of anxiety didn’t go away. There was something complicating the move that she didn’t tell me about in her letter. That had to be it. I was determined to play it cool, though, and not let on that I was expecting something.

That night, we talked about all the technical details of the move. Aoi joined us, but she didn’t ask anything about Inosuke. I let her know that there was a doctor in the village that might take her as an apprentice. I described my house to them. Since Zenitsu and Inosuke moved in, we had actually made it bigger, adding more rooms and furniture. I told Aoi and Kanao that they would have to share a room with Nezuko for the time being. Both of them didn’t mind. I knew that Nezuko would be happy to have more women in the house. Afterward, Aoi went to bed and Kanao stayed behind with me. I could tell that she wanted to tell me whatever it was that was bothering her, but I didn’t pressure her. In cases like this, I always let her make the first move.

“How long will you be here this time?” Kanao finally asked.

“My boss gave me four days.”

“I see.”

“Are you all right?” I asked gingerly.

“Yes.”

“You know you can always tell me anything.”

“I know.”

“You can take all the time you need, Kanao.”

I could tell she wanted to move closer to me again, but she was hesitant. She stared into space. She still had some trouble saying how she really felt, despite how far she had come, so I tried to be patient. But, if there was something extra she wasn’t telling me about the move, then I did need to know soon. Finally, she spoke.

“Tanjiro,” she said quietly. “I need to get this out now. Do you mind if we go out by the Victory Tree again?”

“Of course,” I assured her. “And, actually…”

I trailed off because of a lump in my throat. She finally looked up at me, waiting for me to finish.

“Yes?”

“I have something to tell you, too…”

“Okay, let’s walk.”

The sun had already set, but it wasn’t completely dark. It was nearing twilight. We held hands out to the tree, but her fingers didn’t fully close on mine. She was actually very nervous. I held my breath. I prayed nothing was seriously wrong. We stood underneath the tree.

“Do you want to go first?” Kanao asked.

“Um, why don’t you go first?” I replied nervously.

I was worried that whatever she was going to say would ruin what I was going to tell her, but my heart was pounding so hard that I could feel it. I knew that she probably felt the same way, though, so it kind of wasn’t fair to make her go first. One of us had to, though. After an awkward pause, Kanao reached into her skirt pocket. She pulled out her copper coin. She used to use it for making decisions that weren’t ordered, but she had grown out of that. I hadn’t seen it in a while, but she had kept it all this time.

“If it’s heads, I go first. If it’s tails, you go first,” she said.

“That’s fair enough.”

So, she flipped it. For a moment, it disappeared in the tree’s branches, and I was worried that it would get lost. It seemed to hang in the air, obscured amongst the leaves, forever. Finally, it came back down. Kanao caught it, waited, and then slowly moved her hand.

“It’s tails.”

I inhaled and exhaled. I could tell that Kanao was anticipating that I had bad news, so I took her hand to put her at ease. I felt her relax, but only slightly.

“Kanao,” I started. “I’m not going to tell you anything bad. Please, it’s okay.”

She hesitantly closed her fingers. I could feel the blood in her hands slow its circulation, but my heart rate was increasing rapidly. It was time. I took another deep breath, and worked up a nervous smile.

“I-I, you see…”

I was terrified, but I couldn’t contain it any longer.

“I love you, Kanao Tsuyuri.”

For a moment, there was a silence. However, it wasn’t heavy or awkward. Kanao stared at me wide-eyed, trying to register what she had just heard. I felt her fingers clasp, and her blood circulation speed up again.

“Okay, now what were you going to tell me?” I managed shakily.

She burst into the biggest, most beautiful grin I’d ever seen. Then, she moved in close to me, and placed her hands on my shoulders. My arm swung around her. I wasn’t thinking. I was hanging on the moment.

“I love you, too, Tanjiro.”

The words kept ringing like a bell over and over again. Now, I was grinning from ear to ear, too. I was filled with the most wonderful feeling I’d ever had. The sky was completely dark now, but the two of us were shining under the tree. All my anxiety was completely gone. I teared up in relief. She was tearing up, too. There had been so many heartbreaks in my life, but there had also been so much beauty. We both felt it now, this absolutely beautiful happiness. Then, she completely melted into me. The following kiss was so sweet and tender. We actually lost track of time kissing. It may have been half an hour, an hour, or more. But, it was some of the best wasted time of my life. I saw the future, and it was vivid and bright. It bloomed in my head like a flower, with all the sounds, scents, feelings, tastes, and sights. In that moment, I knew that the rest of my life, no matter how long it would last, would be wonderful. If Kanao, this beautiful, incredible woman, was in my life, every last day would be a day well spent. It truly was amazing - loving and being loved.