Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

Kochou Kanae was eating when she felt sparks land on her. She jerked her head up to look at the two of them.

But as if anticipating her move, they instantly averted their gazes and lowered their heads to eat.

When Kochou Kanae looked down again, they resumed their thunderous, unyielding standoff!

The atmosphere at this meal was so bizarre it defied description.

After finishing, as he walked toward his own courtyard, Tetsu no Sosuke's head throbbed. He really wanted to post online and ask: what do you do when you have a bad relationship with your sister-in-law? Or maybe: how to boost your sister-in-law's favorability toward you? Or: could he use the Forging Hammer to knock all the resistance out of her brain?

"I'm going crazy!"

Tetsu no Sosuke was exhausted, body and soul, his eyes aching.

The moment he stepped into his courtyard, he saw a girl standing there, staring blankly at the stars above.

"Kanae..."

He froze for a second, then saw the startled girl turn back to look at him and smile.

Ten minutes later, on the rooftop, Tetsu no Sosuke sat on the left, Kochou Kanae on the right.

"It's been a long time since I really looked at the stars."

Her voice reached his ears, seeming less ethereal, more real.

Author's note:

298316354

Ah, by the way, I flipped through the comments and saw everyone's good and bad feedback. How to put it... maybe from the day I suddenly hit the collection rankings, my mindset started to wobble.

Lately... what I've been focusing on has gradually shifted away from the book... I've started caring more about what everyone thinks.

After all, this isn't crowdfunded writing. With everyone throwing in their two cents, the whole system blows up in no time.

That's also made it especially hard for me to write lately.

One chapter takes me all morning; two chapters take me from afternoon to evening...

So many obstacles. I feel like every sentence has to be scrutinized so readers can't find fault... In the end, it's like I'm fighting against my readers.

That's not right. It shouldn't be like this, right?

So I figured, I'll read fewer comments from now on. Just glance at the bullet comments now and then. Seeing everyone's "GKD" actually keeps me motivated.

Stick to the original intent. Just write the way I first wanted to.

You can't please everyone. Even the masters can't do it, so how could a small fry like me?

Alright, that's it~ Thanks for the support~~~~ Also, if you're staying up late, get some rest early~~~

Chapter 31: Under the Starry Sky

Tetsu no Sosuke actually felt the same way.

Before he crossed over, he faced a steel city, rushing through mornings and evenings, busy from dawn to dusk.

The stars were always overhead, but how many people were willing to look up?

Now, sitting beside someone he admired, with fragrance filling his nose, gazing at the sea of stars, a peace he'd never known suddenly rose in his heart.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I looked at the stars."

He let out a soft breath, adjusted his unconsciously stiff body, and relaxed into a more natural state.

As he stretched his limbs, he heard laughter beside him.

He turned his head and saw Kochou Kanae looking at him, the amusement in her eyes making his face flush.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

He asked.

"Seeing you this relaxed, like before, just makes me happy."

Kochou Kanae smiled and said, "This time we met, you had a tension that wasn't there before. That tension even made me uneasy."

"Tension?" Tetsu no Sosuke blinked. "Was there?"

"Of course!" Kochou Kanae nodded. "Like every expression had to be carefully thought out, every move weighed for pros and cons, every word carefully measured. It felt... exhausting."

Tetsu no Sosuke thought about it. He hadn't paid much attention.

But it did seem that way.

On one hand, he was anxious about the answer to "I'll tell you next time." On the other, he hoped his actions would earn him some points.

Thinking back, except for that night they encountered Upper Rank Two, every time he saw Kochou Kanae, his nerves tightened.

Afraid that the next second, she'd say something that would crush his hopes.

So that tension had unconsciously leaked out?

"So that's how it is..."

He gave a bitter laugh, slid his body down, and lay flat on the rooftop, hands crossed behind his head. "I'm such a failure."

"Hmm?" Kochou Kanae watched him lie there, looking comfortable, and a hint of eagerness flickered in her eyes.

"Someone like me has got you all tense too, hasn't it?" Tetsu no Sosuke glanced at her, but he read the emotion in her eyes.

He suddenly smiled. "How about—try lying down?"

Kochou Kanae furrowed her brow. "I'm a Pillar. Lying down would be far too undignified."

"There's no one else here," Tetsu no Sosuke said. "Lie down, and you'll see it better. Otherwise, craning your neck the whole time—your neck will give out!"

"Really?" Kochou Kanae rubbed her own neck—it was indeed a bit sore—but she still insisted, "I train every day. How could my neck give out from this level of looking up? You're lying..."

"Just try it. No one will find out." Tetsu no Sosuke began to tempt her.

Kochou Kanae looked around. There really was no one nearby. Finally, she pursed her lips. "Just for a moment."

With that, she shifted her body downward, then—thump—lay down.