This went back to after Kanzaki Kumo had taken Nezuko back to Mount Kumotori.
When Kanzaki Kumo returned home, he saw Kanao crouching alone at the entrance to the little courtyard, gazing eagerly ahead like a tiny stone figure waiting for her husband.
Her fair, rosy, slightly chubby face all but had "unhappy" written across it, and her large pinkish-purple eyes betrayed a hint of sadness and dejection as she blinked.
The emotions she showed were clearly not intense, yet the instant Kanzaki Kumo saw her, he felt as though this girl who always loved clinging to him might shatter at any moment.
Before he could think about why Kanao's mood had suddenly taken such a sharp turn, Kanzaki Kumo had already rushed forward instinctively and gathered the girl into his arms, as though she were a little beast curled up alone, licking her wounds.
"Big brother..."
Kanao, who would usually greet him excitedly from far away, seemed to only belatedly register his presence once Kanzaki Kumo held her in his arms, calling out softly with deep attachment.
Her voice was a little hoarse, with a slight tremor and a nasal note, as though she had just cried.
The form of address he had long grown accustomed to now seemed to become a heavy hammer, striking Kanzaki Kumo hard in the heart.
He hurriedly lowered his head, supporting the petite body that had wrapped itself around him the instant he embraced her with one hand, while gently lifting the girl's little face with the other to examine it.
There was no redness around her eyes, no tear tracks at their corners, no unusual bloodshot streaks in the clear whites of her eyes, and no excessive moisture pooling in them...
"Whew-"
Having confirmed that Kanao had not actually cried, Kanzaki Kumo