"You really have quite the appetite!" Tanjiro marveled, staring at the staggering stack of empty bowls piled up in front of Mitsuri.
"Do I?" Mitsuri held her seventh bowl of matsutake rice—which had just been served—her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's as she spoke through a mouthful of food. "I feel like I'm eating light today."
"By the way, Mitsuri-san, that person you ran into earlier was Genya Shinazugawa. He joined the Corps at the same time I did." Tanjiro scratched his head, let out a small sigh as he recalled the awkward scene at the hot spring. "He's a bit short-tempered and isn't the best at socializing, so please don't take it to heart."
Mitsuri chewed thoughtfully, her lime-green eyes blinking in realization before she clapped her hands together. "Oh—so that was him! I thought he looked familiar. I was actually pretty upset that he ignored me, but for the sake of this delicious rice, I'll forgive him!"
"Come to think of it, he's Shinazugawa-san's younger brother, right? But Sanemi-san always insists he doesn't have a brother. I wonder if they don't get along?"
"Yeah, I wonder why that is?" Tanjiro added, looking equally puzzled.
"Where's Aoi-chan? I haven't seen her around," Mitsuri asked, finally setting down her chopsticks to glance around the room.
"Aoi said she was going to the hot springs. There were people there earlier, and she isn't comfortable bathing with others." Tanjiro rubbed his nose and let out a soft chuckle, picturing how Aoi had bolted with her ears turning bright red.
Mitsuri nodded knowingly. "I see."
At the Hot Springs
Aoi leaned back into the steaming water, letting it submerge her up to her shoulders. The exhaustion from the day's journey began to melt away in the comforting heat.
"This is heaven... I haven't soaked in a hot spring in ages," Aoi sighed contentedly. Her fingertips traced the surface of the water, sending small, shimmering ripples dancing across the pool.
After an indeterminate amount of time, her head began to feel heavy and lightheaded. She stumbled to her feet, throwing on her yukata as she made her way toward the exit. "This is bad... I definitely stayed in too long."
Just as her knees started to give way, a hand reached out and caught her firmly.
The grip on her wrist was steady and carried a familiar warmth. Aoi looked up dizzily, her vision swimming, only to find herself staring into a pair of piercing eyes. It was Sanemi Shinazugawa.
"Sanemi...?"
"What, did the steam turn your brain to mush? You don't recognize me?" Sanemi frowned, his tone as gruff as ever, yet he held her swaying frame steady. "Who stays in this long alone? Did you want to pass out in there?"
"I just... haven't had a chance to soak in so long," Aoi replied with an embarrassed smile. "Wait, why are you here?"
"Oyakata-sama sent me, Iguro, and that guy Tomioka," Sanemi grumbled. His scowl deepened at the mention of the Water Hashira; clearly, he still held a grudge. "He wanted us to lie low nearby to prevent any surprise attacks from the Upper Ranks."
"Then why are you out in the open? Aren't you worried about being seen?" Aoi asked, her confusion cutting through the fog in her brain.
Sanemi's lip twitched. "I saw someone about to faceplant into the dirt, didn't I?"
Aoi froze, her face heating up even more. She quickly pulled her wrist from his grip and adjusted her disheveled yukata. "Th... thank you."
Seeing her looking so flustered actually caused a rare, tiny smirk to tug at the corner of Sanemi's mouth.
"Since you're not dead, I'm leaving."
Aoi nodded. "Stay safe, Sanemi."
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Sanemi waved a dismissive hand and vanished into the shadows with a single leap.
Back in her room, Aoi curled into a comfortable ball under her futon. "I hope I can actually get a good night's sleep for once."
The Next Day
Aoi was awoken by a rhythmic knocking at her door. She opened it to find Tanjiro standing there, holding a rice ball.
"Morning, Tanjiro."
Tanjiro grinned and held out the onigiri. "Good morning, Aoi-chan!"
"Mitsuri-san mentioned yesterday that there's something in this village that can make a person stronger. I'm going to go look for it—do you want to come along?"
Aoi took a bite of the rice ball; the salty tang of the seaweed and the warmth of the rice were a perfect wake-up call. She blinked, looking at Tanjiro with curiosity. "Something that makes you stronger? Sure, let's go!"
After packing their gear, the two headed toward the mountains behind the village. Tanjiro was buzzing with excitement. "I wonder what it is? A special sword? Do you think it's buried underground?"
"Who knows? But the air up here is amazing," Aoi said, taking a deep breath. The scent of pine and damp earth was incredibly refreshing.
"It's a beautiful place, but the sulfur smell from the springs is so strong—and since I haven't fully recovered my stamina, my nose isn't working as well as usual," Tanjiro said, rubbing his nose.
Suddenly, the sound of an argument drifted through the trees ahead.
"How annoying. Just stop already," Muichiro Tokito's detached voice rang out.
"You're the one who needs to stop! Arguing like this is just a waste of time..."
Aoi's eyes brightened. With so many Hashira lurking around, even if two Upper Ranks showed up, they should be able to handle it.
She pulled Tanjiro along as they hurried toward the noise. Before they even got close, they saw Muichiro reaching a hand toward a young boy. "Give me the key."
Kotetsu immediately shook his head. "No! This is a treasure made by my ancestors!"
Aoi's gaze fell on the "person" standing behind the boy, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Why does that figure look so familiar?
Then it hit her. That looks exactly like Kokushibo!
Muichiro appeared to be losing his patience. With a swift chop to the back of the neck, he sent Kotetsu crumpling to the ground.
Tanjiro didn't hesitate; he lunged forward immediately. "Stop it!"
"What an irritating voice. Who are you?" Muichiro turned slowly, his eyes devoid of any warmth or emotion.
"What are you doing to a child? Let go of him!" Tanjiro grabbed Muichiro's wrist, trying to pull him away from the unconscious boy, but Muichiro didn't budge an inch.
Tanjiro was floored. How? His arms are thinner than mine, and he's smaller, so how is he this ridiculously strong?
With a casual shove, Muichiro sent Tanjiro tumbling to the dirt. "You're so weak. How did someone like you even make it into the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Seeing things escalating, Aoi stepped in to help Tanjiro up. "Wait, Mist Hashira-sama! We're all on the same side."
Muichiro looked at Aoi's face and tilted his head slightly. "Oh, it's you. The noisy one."
Aoi's lip twitched. Great. So in his head, my only defining trait is being "noisy"?
Now wasn't the time for a snarky comeback. She forced a soft smile and tried to keep her tone diplomatic. "That's right, it's me. I'm impressed you remembered, Mist Hashira-sama."
As she spoke, she nudged Tanjiro with her elbow, signaling for him to grab Kotetsu.
Tanjiro caught on instantly. By the time Muichiro looked back, Tanjiro had already pulled Kotetsu safely behind them.