When Giyu Tomioka stepped into the mansion that his Master had assigned him, it was already dusk.
The fierce battles during the Hashira Training, the complex expressions of shock, resentment, and awe in his colleagues' eyes, and finally, the lonely figure of Mr. Himejima lying in a pool of blood... all of this brought his nerves to a breaking point.
However, just as he walked through that familiar courtyard with a few maple trees, preparing to return to that cold room, a warm scent, quite unreasonably, entered his nostrils.
That's... the aroma of food.
The rich aroma of soy sauce and broth, along with the comforting bubbling sound of cooking, wafted slowly from the open kitchen door.
This aroma, full of the warmth and life of everyday existence, was like a gentle hand, instantly soothing his tense nerves and dispelling the lingering resentment from the battle in his heart.
Giyu Tomioka's steps faltered instinctively.
He walked slowly toward the kitchen, which was bathed in warm light.
Before he even got close, a slender yet busy figure came into his view.
Kanae Kocho, wearing a soft light pink apron, stood with her back to him in front of the stove, intently stirring the food boiling in the pot.
Her long, smooth black hair was loosely tied up with a simple hairpin, with a few mischievous strands falling unruly down her smooth, fair, and beautiful neck, swaying slightly with her movements.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone lazily through the kitchen window, casting a soft, warm golden edge around her gentle profile.
For no apparent reason, Giyu Tomioka's heart skipped a beat.
He suddenly felt a dryness in his throat.
At this moment, this place no longer felt like a cold, impersonal mansion.
It is a... true home.
A place filled with warmth, light, the aroma of food, and the warmth of family waiting for his return.
Just as he was lost in thought, the figure with its back to him, as if it had eyes in the back of its head, spoke softly in an incredibly natural and gentle tone:
"You're back, Mr. Giyu."
"The salmon and radish will be ready soon, please wait a little longer."
Giyu Tomioka's heart jolted.
He wanted to say something, opened his mouth, but found that any words would seem superfluous and pale in this extremely warm and cozy scene.
He could only stand silently at the kitchen doorway, like a greedy traveler, almost obsessively gazing at this warm back view that could melt even the hardest heart.
It felt like being in a sweet dream I didn't want to wake up from.
"Want to try it?"
Kanae turned around, a gentle smile on her face like the warm spring sun, picked up a small piece of stewed, translucent white radish with her chopsticks, and held it to his lips.
In an instant, the distance between the two was shortened to a dangerously ambiguous level.
Giyu Tomioka could even clearly see her eyelashes and those pink eyes that were always filled with gentle smiles, reflecting his own somewhat dazed and bewildered foolish appearance.
He instinctively opened his mouth and ate the piece of radish.
The warm radish, with its sweet and savory flavor from the fish and the salty aroma of the sauce, melted in his mouth, instantly warming his entire stomach.
"I was worried about you the whole time in Flower Valley."
As Kanae spoke, she reached out her slender hand and, with remarkable ease, straightened his collar, which had become somewhat disheveled from the intense battle.
Her voice was as soft as a feather, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.
Seeing you come back safe and sound is better than anything else.
"Whenever it's about Mr. Giyu, I can't help but... overthink things."
Her slightly cool fingertips, intentionally or unintentionally, traced his Adam's apple, which bobbed slightly with nervousness, and finally landed on his well-defined collarbone.
At this moment, Giyu Tomioka's brain completely shut down.
He could clearly smell the unique floral fragrance emanating from her, a fragrance that belonged only to a young girl.
This scent, like a magical net, completely enveloped and captivated him from head to toe.
It made him dizzy and weak, as if he had been stripped of his ability to think.
He wanted to back away, to escape this ambiguous trap that was making him feel uneasy and confused.
But his feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground, heavy, stiff, and unable to move.
Under Kanae's expectant and adoring gaze, which almost melted him, Giyu Tomioka felt like he was suffocating.
He struggled to activate his rusty brain.
"No!... We... are comrades."
He heard his own voice, and even he himself found it utterly unconvincing.
Upon hearing this familiar, classic answer, Kanae's smile froze for a moment.
Then, within that gentle smile, there was a hint of helplessness, indulgence, and a touch of mischievous, devilish cunning.
She sighed softly.
"Oh dear..."
"Mr. Giyu... you really are..."
"A complete blockhead."
"Huh?"
Before Giyu Tomioka could react, Kanae moved.
She suddenly took a step forward and stood on tiptoe.
The soft hand that had been adjusting his collar suddenly shot upwards, grabbing the back of his neck and leaving him no chance to back away!
With her other hand, she gripped his shirt tightly, forcefully pulling his tall frame down towards her!
The next second.
In Giyu Tomioka's suddenly contracting pupils, two soft, slightly moist and sweet lips pressed against his without warning!
"Ugh...!"
Giyu Tomioka froze, his eyes widening like saucers, his hands instinctively hovering in mid-air, unsure of where to put them.
My mind is blank.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
His senses, however, were amplified countless times more than ever before.
Her lips were soft, moist, and carried a touch of that uniquely youthful, heart-fluttering warmth.
He could even clearly feel her long eyelashes, trembling slightly with nervousness, gently brushing against his cheek, bringing waves of indescribable, tingling, itchy sensation.
The taste... is very complex.
There was a faint, fresh fragrance on her lips, like flowers and grass after the rain, mixed with a hint of... the sweet and savory flavor of fish sauce.
It's salty with a hint of sweetness, and within that sweetness, there's a unique, irresistible fragrance that belongs only to her.
The smell set his already malfunctioning brain ablaze.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Inside his chest, his heart, dormant for many years, began to pound violently at an unprecedented, frantic pace!
I don't know how much time passed; perhaps a century, or perhaps just a moment.
The audacious attacker, finally satisfied, released him.
Giyu Tomioka gasped for breath, completely frozen in place.
Kanae's exquisitely beautiful face was already flushed, her eyes sparkling with seductive charm, yet also carrying a sly smile of triumph.
She stuck out her pink tongue and seductively licked her lips, which had become even more moist and glossy from the kiss.
Then, tilting her head, she asked softly in a tone that was both innocent and alluring, enough to drive any man crazy:
"Yes, I've confirmed it, it tastes like salmon and radish."
"Mr. Giyu, now... do you understand my feelings?"
Looking at the completely dumbfounded man in front of her, Kanae smiled with satisfaction.
She transformed back into the gentle, considerate, and virtuous wife with remarkable ease, as if nothing had ever happened.
She turned around, scooped the salmon and radish from the pot into a bowl that had been prepared beforehand, and served it on the table along with rice and miso soup.
Then, speaking softly to Giyu Tomioka, who was still in an out-of-body state:
Dinner is ready.
"Could you please ask Mr. Giyu to go upstairs and call Shinobu?"
She said she'd help you tidy your room; she's already upstairs and has been there for quite a while.
Go upstairs... Shinobu?
For Giyu Tomioka at that moment, this request was like a godsend!
He practically fled, nodding haphazardly, not daring to look at Kanae again, before turning around and rushing towards the stairs leading to the second floor at an almost runaway speed.
He had neither the capacity nor the energy to ponder the deeper meaning behind why Shinobu was tidying up my room...