As evening approached, the sun began to set, casting a hue of orange-red mixed with pale purple on the horizon.
Giyu finished his day of independent training and started walking back from the waterfall on the back mountain.
His muscles were still a little sore from being washed all day, but his breathing was incredibly steady.
He walked through the Dojo and down the corridor toward his room. As he passed the Kocho Sisters' room, he inexplicably stopped for a moment.
The paper door was ajar.
The light of the setting sun shone through the crack, cutting a narrow golden line across the floor. Giyu looked through the crack and saw Kanae kneeling by the window.
She wore a cherry blossom-colored kimono today, and her long hair was not tied up as usual, but flowed smoothly down her back, with the ends slightly curled at her waist.
She had her head down, holding something in her hand, and was focused on doing something.
The setting sun shone through the window, bathing her profile, neck, and the hand holding something in a warm golden light.
A slight smile played on her lips, her eyes were as gentle as melting honey, and she was completely quiet.
Giyu glanced at it for two seconds before looking away.
What a girl does in her room is none of his business.
He looked away and prepared to continue walking.
Just then, Kanae seemed to sense the gaze from outside the door and suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met.
"Huh?~"
Kanae's expression froze instantly.
Her eyes widened slightly, her face flushed red in an instant, and she hurriedly hid the things in her hands behind her back.
"Brother Yi, Brother Giyu?!"
Her voice sounded a little flustered.
"You... how did you get here?"
Giyu stood outside the door, answering expressionlessly:
"Just passing by."
His gaze swept behind her, and although she hid quickly, he still caught a glimpse of a small piece of red fabric.
It's a very bright red, very similar to the color his sister left on his haori.
But he didn't think much of it.
It might be her own, or she might be making a hair accessory for Shinobu.
Kanae seemed relieved, but her face was still red.
She raised her hand to tidy up the stray hairs on her forehead, the movement a little awkward, but she quickly returned to her usual gentle and dignified demeanor.
"That..."
She spoke softly, her voice a little gentler than usual.
"Brother Giyu, would you like to come in and sit for a while? Anyway... we'll be parting ways soon, so it'll be good to chat."
As she spoke, her eyelashes drooped, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the fabric of her kimono sleeves.
Giyu could hear the barely concealed disappointment in her voice.
He didn't say anything, and after two seconds he nodded:
"Good."
He took off his shoes, went inside, and closed the paper door. His movements were swift and decisive.
The two knelt down facing each other by the window.
Kanae's cherry blossom-colored kimono shimmered subtly in the light, making her exposed neck appear as white as fine porcelain.
Giyu was still wearing that light blue haori today, with a few strands of dark blue hair sticking to his forehead.
His kneeling posture was very standard, his back was as straight as a sword, and his hands were naturally placed on his knees.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The only sounds were the distant chirping of birds outside the window and the rustling of leaves in the wind.
In the end, Kanae spoke first.
"After going to Flower Valley..."
She spoke softly, her voice clearly audible in the quiet room.
Will we... ever meet again?
Giyu thought for a moment, "I can do it when I pass by while doing a mission."
"That..."
Kanae looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.
Will Senior Brother Giyu miss us?
This question came out of the blue.
Giyu paused for a moment, then began to think about it very seriously.
To what extent does "thinking" constitute "thinking"?
Yes! You are important comrades!
Kanae heard the word "comrade," her fingers twitched slightly.
She lowered her eyes, forcing a small smile at the corners of her mouth.
"I see... Thank you."
Another silence fell.
Kanae's face was half-hidden in shadow, her eyelashes casting long shadows beneath her eyes. She pursed her lips, as if making a difficult decision.
Giyu waited quietly.
He doesn't usually initiate conversations, but he's willing to listen if Kanae wants to say something.
Finally, Kanae raised her head again.
This time, her eyes were fixed on Giyu, and there was a Giyu in her eyes that Yi Yong had never seen on her face before.
Her face was still red, but her expression was very serious, so serious that Giyu subconsciously straightened his back even more.
"Mr. Giyu."
She spoke, her voice even softer than before, but each word was enunciated clearly.
What am I to you...?
Giyu was stunned.
Kanae took a deep breath, as if squeezing out the last bit of courage, and continued to ask:
What exactly is the relationship between us?
After he finished speaking, the room was so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat.
Giyu looked at Kanae.
She knelt there, her back ramrod straight, her hands gripping the fabric on her knees so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her eyes were wide open, filled with anticipation, nervousness, fear, and many other complex emotions that Giyu couldn't understand—emotions that belonged to a young girl.
The light of the setting sun shone into her pupils, making her gentle, pale pink eyes appear as if they were filled with scattered gold.
Giyu's mind was working much faster than usual at this moment.
"What's the meaning?"
What answer was she hoping to get when she asked that?
"Companions? Teammates? Senior and junior brothers/sisters? Or..."
He recalled Shinobu's half-joking remark, "It seems like your older sister really cares about Mr. Giyu," he remembered Kanae always quietly saving him an extra portion of food, and the focused yet gentle look in her eyes as she watched him train...
... So that's how it is.
Giyu understands!!
He sighed inwardly.
"Good friend!"
Three words, clear and steady, without the slightest hesitation.
Kanae's expression froze instantly.
The bright light in her eyes vanished instantly, fading away little by little until only a hollow gray remained.
Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. She just stared blankly at Giyu, at his blue eyes that were completely devoid of any emotion.
... just friends.
So... we were just friends.
Something inside me feels like it's shattered!
She should have known!
Giyu is a Pillar, a powerful figure standing at the very top of the Demon Slayer Corps, bearing the weight of countless lives.
His eyes were only focused on slaying demons, becoming stronger, and protecting others.
Those delicate and bittersweet little thoughts that belong to ordinary girls are probably... not worth mentioning at all in his eyes.
What exactly is she expecting?
Did he say "a very important person"?
Did he say "more than just companions"?
Did he hope that he would clumsily wipe away the tears that might fall from her eyes with the same hands that held the knife?
That's so stupid!!
Kanae, you're so silly!!
My nose suddenly felt incredibly sore! My eyes were burning, and something warm was desperately trying to well up inside me! o(╥╥)o
She quickly lowered her head, not wanting Giyu to see her current expression... It must look awful, so pathetic and wretched.
"Just... friends."
Giyu looked at the girl in front of him who had her head down.
She curled up into a ball, her shoulders trembling slightly, her knuckles white from gripping the fabric so tightly.
That beautiful cherry blossom-colored kimono, which should have been warm in the sunset, now made her look as thin as a leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.
A slight tug was felt in his heart.
But he didn't move or say anything.
He knew that no amount of comfort would help now.
If I can't give her the answer she wants, then all my gentleness will turn into a crueler knife.
That's it!
That's it! Let her be disappointed, let her be sad, and then slowly forget about it!!
... It's better than giving her false hope and then, when she depends on him the most, sending her a cold corpse.
"... Mr Giyu."
When Kanae spoke again, her voice had returned to calm... at least on the surface.
She looked up, a faint, polite smile on her face.
His eyes were red, and there was still some moisture in his eye sockets.
"I... I'm a little tired."
Her voice was a little hoarse.
"Could you... leave for a moment? I'd like to be alone for a while."
Giyu stared at her forced smile for two seconds.
Then he stood up.
"Good."
He walked to the door and opened it.
The light of the setting sun streamed in, casting a long shadow of his on the tatami mat. He paused at the doorway, not turning around, but speaking softly:
"Have a good rest."
Then close the door.
Click.
The sound of the door closing was particularly clear in the quiet room.
Kanae kneeling on the spot, motionless.
She looked at the closed door, at the last ray of light filtering through the crack, and at the faded footprints of Giyu on the floor.
Then, she slowly bent down and buried her face in her knees.
The first cry was very soft, as if afraid of being heard.
But soon, the suppressed sobs burst forth uncontrollably from his throat.
Large tears streamed down her face, landing on her cherry-colored kimono and leaving a dark stain.
She cried quietly, her shoulders heaving, but she bit her lip tightly to keep herself from making too much noise.
Only intermittent sobs echoed softly in the gradually darkening room.
Outside the door.
Giyu did not leave immediately.
He stood in the corridor, leaning against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. The light of the setting sun shone in from the window at the end of the corridor, bathing the entire corridor in a warm orange hue.
He heard it!
A very soft sob came through the paper door, like that of a wounded little animal.
He closed his eyes!!
He slowly clenched his fist, his nails digging into his flesh, leaving deep crescent-shaped marks.
He knew that what he had just said was cruel.
But he doesn't regret it!!
Kanae is a good girl!
Gentle, strong, and hardworking, she will definitely become an amazing swordsman in the future, and maybe even a Pillar!
She deserves better... someone who can be with her through thick and thin, someone who can give her a stable life, someone who can say "good morning" to her every morning.
Not him!!
A guy who might die at the hands of some ghost tomorrow, who couldn't even protect his own sister!!
"That's good!!"
He whispered to himself.
As you release your hand, the crescent-shaped mark on your palm slowly fades away.
He took one last look at the tightly closed door, then turned and walked away, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun.
At the end of the corridor, the setting sun was sinking into the silhouette of the distant mountains.
It's getting dark.