"Onii-chan, Nezuko-nee is still resting?" His little sister Hanako asked while chewing a rice ball slowly. She had settled herself on his lap the moment he arrived.
Giving a gentle nod, Tanjiro headpatted her. "Yes, she must have been that tired. Let your Nee-chan get some rest. I'm sure she'll be fine once she wakes up."
"Mhm." She answered with a hum, enjoying the food and his headpat.
Her Nee-chan had been working too much lately, helping Aoi-san in every way possible. That was why she had exhausted herself. She knew her sister was very responsible; even back at home she would help Mother all the time and take care of others. That was why she had also started to give her all lately. She wished to be like her Nee-chan in the future: hardworking and beautiful!
"Maybe she got a fever?" Takeo asked, worry written on his face. He was drinking tea, as were his other two siblings, Shigeru and Rokuta.
Currently, they were in one of the living rooms on the ground floor, having afternoon snacks.
Given the massive size of the mansion, there were over a dozen rooms on just the ground floor, and they were in one of the most used rooms for gatherings. If the other building used for housing patients were added, the Butterfly Mansion would easily have over sixty rooms. Not to mention, the size of the room they were in was much bigger than Tanjiro's room. Some were even three times the size of normal ones, reserved for multi-purpose use.
Hearing his little brother's voice, Tanjiro casually cleared up the unnecessary worry. "Don't worry. I already checked. She's not sick, just tired."
"Oh, okay…" Takeo nodded and resumed devouring the rice balls with green tea. Shigeru didn't really care, while Rokuta was being pampered by Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho.
His three students were still busy practicing outside. They had already eaten their share some time ago, so they kept training without disturbance.
Next, Tanjiro's gaze landed on a blue-eyed girl seated on the other side, who was quickly making rice balls. His sensitive nose picked up her intense emotions very clearly.
'Worry…' He raised a brow. 'For who?'
Using his mind fully, he connected the dots and figured out who Aoi was feeling so much worry for.
'Nezuko…' Since Aoi chose not to say it, the topic wasn't meant to be discussed. Worry for Nezuko… something that cannot be spoken. Nezuko had turned twelve not long ago.
Tanjiro's eyes narrowed in surprise. 'Oh… Did she start menstruating?' He nodded inwardly.
If that was the case, no wonder Aoi was staying quiet, and it could very likely be the reason Nezuko had acted that way.
Shaking the thoughts away, he simply enjoyed his time with his siblings. Aoi, Mitsuri, and the other girls were there for his sister, so there was no need to be concerned.
A few minutes passed gradually before he stood up and began to leave.
Aoi's tense gaze caught his attention. She was being weird around him, he noticed.
Appearing next to her, he spoke straight. "Is everything alright, Aoi?" His voice was gentle and calm.
She wasn't spooked this time, though her body shifted slightly back upon noticing his close distance. With some hesitation on her serious-looking face, she replied, "How… should I address you?"
Listening to her honest question, a funny look appeared on his face. "Aren't we like a close family? Why are you being so uptight?"
She turned quiet suddenly.
Her heartbeat elevated, which didn't go unnoticed by Tanjiro.
Since Aoi was used to masking her emotions, she didn't let a single feeling show on her face.
Hiding her joy, she said in a sharp and indifferent voice, "But that would be disrespectful—"
Tanjiro's finger moved next to her lips, cutting her off. "Address me as Tanjiro from now on…" He smiled faintly. "That's an order."
'…'
Aoi's cheeks slightly reddened as she backed off.
Why was this person so overbearing?
She had never once said she accepted him as her family. But he didn't care and accepted her as one of his own. There were simply no boundaries for this person. He was always sneaking up around her, freaking her out most of the time. Aside from the fact that he casually killed an Upper Moon like he was on a night walk, he didn't feel a thing showing off his scary, hardened manhood to others. Now he had left every other Hashira behind and secured a position equal to Oyakata-sama for the first time in Corps history.
But… even though he was unpredictable and frightening, he was surprisingly sweet to the people close to him.
Biting her lip, Aoi exhaled loudly and could only accept his order. "Understood."
Hearing that, Tanjiro almost deadpanned.
Understood… Seriously?
'Hm, she'll need time to get used to it.' Dismissing the thought, he looked into her deep blue eyes and asked, "So, what's the problem?"
Averting her gaze quickly, she spoke up. "Shinobu-san hasn't eaten anything since morning. Would you please check on her if she's okay? She also didn't eat much last night…"
'Shinobu, huh…' He probably knew the reason. It was likely that, he was sure.
"Okay, leave it to me." Tanjiro gave a small nod. "Anything else?"
Aoi pressed a finger to her chin, thought for a moment, and shook her head.
'Ah, I almost told him to clean the dishes…!' She panicked inside.
Perceiving her swirling emotions, Tanjiro chuckled in his mind.
Currently, she was knitting a sweater for the upcoming winter. Not because there was a shortage of clothes or anything, but because she wanted to prove that she had completely inherited Yoru-san's teachings.
Smiling, he turned around and waved his hand before speaking in a gentle tone. "Please make a scarf for me too, Aoi. Thanks in advance."
He left the room, leaving a stunned Aoi behind.
Holding the half-knitted sweater tightly in her hand, her cheeks swelled as she pouted. 'Idiot… I was going to anyway.'
Alone in the room, she took a deep breath and resumed her work shortly after.
...
Coming outside, Tanjiro noticed Mitsuri, Kanao, and Nayuta concentrating on their breathing. The company of one another and Nayuta's genius was propelling their progress even further.
Approving of their efforts, he turned at the corner and moved toward the lab like a normal person.
He wasn't short on time, so there was no need to hurry either way.
His siblings were with the other children, playing or doing whatever they wanted since most of the chores were done.
'Birth Control, hm… It will come in handy.' Having already claimed the reward after Kie was finally satisfied, the information about Birth Control had rushed into his mind.
Birth control, unlike what he had expected, functioned much like his other senses. It wasn't a simple on-off switch, but a deliberate process he had to maintain, killing the sperm long before they ever left his body.
At first, he didn't know how to feel about it.
But a few seconds later, his mind adapted, and he stopped caring.
It was natural selection… nothing more, nothing less. There was no reason to rack his brain over something so trivial.
Tanjiro smirked in his mind. 'The system really wants to get me laid without worrying about any consequences… Not that I dislike it. This way, I'd get to choose who to impregnate first in the future… haha, even nature's under daddy's control.'
Holding back his laughter, he swiftly arrived at the lab and entered without knocking.
Shinobu's figure flashed before his eyes, seated on the chair and writing something down.
Since he had neither turned on Selfless State nor cut off his presence, Shinobu sensed him immediately.
She made a heartbroken face, touched her cheeks, and said over-dramatically, "Ah, I thought a certain someone forgot about this maiden after taking advantage of her."
'…'
His brow rose weirdly. "Pardon?"
'This girl… what's her problem.' The corner of his lips twitched unknowingly.
Seeing his face, Shinobu released a sigh and shook her head with closed eyes. "I knew you were a monster, but being this heartless… how could you do this to me—"
"Mhm–?" Her eyes opened suddenly.
And as she thought, a face stood close to her, warm crimson eyes looking into her purple ones as their lips connected.
Smooch—!
"Wa… mm… Wai—Mm, ah." A few seconds passed before she escaped his pursuit. "Wait, goddamn it, I said wait~!"
Face red, eyes sharp, Shinobu wiped her lips with her hand and stared at his cheeky smile as she clenched her hand into a fist tightly.
"You asked for it." He shrugged.
Rolling her eyes, Shinobu clicked her tongue. "You're the horny one here. Don't make excuses."
Smelling her scent, he closed the distance, placed his hands on the arms of the chair, and leaned over.
His face came close to hers once again. Brushing his nose against hers, he mumbled, "Oh really~?"
Shinobu's gaze softened in a moment as she unknowingly leaned forward. But…
Before she could taste his lips, Tanjiro backed off and began to laugh softly. "Who's the horny one now?"
Face totally flushed, Shinobu turned her head down and a few seconds later, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
She looked at him with a tiny, dangerous smile. "You… Let me show you why one shouldn't piss off a poison user…"
Tanjiro's laughter disappeared as he played along, making her chase him around the lab using all her strength.
As he made a fool of Shinobu and got completely invested in the moment, he forgot to confirm the Senzu Bean's effects on her.
Six hours passed before they knew it, and unexpected news arrived at the Butterfly Mansion through Shiori.
~~~~~
Oh well, Pat reon link is in the Auxiliary, I won't bother putting it here anymore.