It all went back several days.
Mount Kumotori, the Kamado Family home.
Nezuko sat on the steps beneath the eaves, reading all the replies Kanzaki Kumo had sent over the past few months, over and over.
There were only a few pages in total, but she traced each word with her finger, silently reciting them in her heart.
Even though she had long since memorized those words, she still often repeated this without ever tiring of it.
In truth, the letters contained nothing more than simple greetings and a few fairly interesting snippets of everyday life. There was little affection between the lines, and his wording stayed carefully within the bounds of "close friends."
At most, there was a slight touch of an older brother's concern for a younger sister, but only a little.
Nezuko could tell that the Big Brother Yun she longed for did not feel the same way about her.
Still, she held on to a sliver of hope.
After all, Big Brother Yun already had quite a few girls around him, so one more should not matter much, should it?
At that thought, Nezuko blushed a little. For her usual self, such a thought could be called bold, even "utterly outrageous."
Yet although the thought that had suddenly popped into her head instinctively surprised and embarrassed her, she also felt an inexplicable hint of excitement.
Just as Nezuko's thoughts wandered further and further, a call rang out.
"Nezuko, time to eat!"
"Okay! Coming!"
Nezuko hurriedly put the letters away and sat down at the table.
Although they had not used the money Kagaya had given them to improve their meals, Tanjuro had recovered his health, and Tanjiro's experiences over the past few years had also improved his physical fitness considerably. Whether gathering herbs in the mountains