early morning
Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
Teiichi, Kanae, and Shinobu Kocho were sitting leisurely under the eaves at the edge of the courtyard.
The eaves are carved with intricate and exquisite patterns, which complement the scenery below.
Before the three of them was a large courtyard, complete with flowing water, ancient trees, flowers, birds, fish, and insects.
On a summer morning, the air is filled with a fresh and cool atmosphere, and a gentle breeze occasionally blows by, carrying the freshness of morning dew and the fragrance of flowers and grass, making people feel relaxed and happy.
It has been more than ten days since Teiichi woke up.
Fortunately, his injuries were not serious; most were superficial wounds.
After more than ten days of careful recuperation, most of the wounds have healed almost completely.
Only a few deep, large wounds remained that hadn't fully healed, and those were the only places still wrapped in clean white bandages.
Just then, a light and delicate footstep sounded quietly, coming slowly from the corner of the courtyard corridor.
The three of them turned to look at the sound in unison, and saw a woman wearing a Demon Slayer Corps uniform with three long, cherry-pink braids gradually coming into their view.
When Mitsuri Kanroji saw Kanae and Shinobu Kocho sitting under the eaves, her face immediately lit up with a bright smile. She waved excitedly and quickened her pace, like a cheerful little bird running towards them.
"Hui! Ren! I just went to your room looking for you, I didn't expect you to be up so early!!"
After she finished speaking, her gaze inadvertently fell on Teiichi, who was sitting next to Kanae.
His hand gestures paused involuntarily for a moment, then he quickly resumed waving, his face beaming with a warm and friendly smile.
Good morning, Mr. Kato!
Upon Teiichi, Teiichi returned a gentle smile to Mitsuri Kanroji.
Good morning, Kanroji!
Wow! So handsome!!!
Gazing at the smiling Teiichi, Mitsuri Kanroji couldn't help but swoon.
Mr. Kato perfectly fits her criteria.
He's stronger than her, handsome, and has a better personality!!!
It's a pity I already have a partner!
Sigh! If only I had joined the Demon Slayer Corps sooner!
"Sit down, Mitsuri!" Shinobu Kocho patted the seat next to her.
"Um!"
Upon hearing this, Mitsuri Kanroji sat down, then looked to the side and asked with concern:
"Have you had breakfast yet? Headquarters is providing a lot of breakfast today, including delicious sakura mochi, rice balls, hagi mochi, tempura..."
Seeing that Mitsuri had said several sentences in a row and seemed to have no intention of stopping, Shinobu Kocho couldn't help but interrupt:
"Stop, stop, Mitsuri, you didn't eat everything, did you?"
Mitsuri Kanroji nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Of course! This was specially prepared for us by our Master after investigating everyone's preferences! And I also wanted to see what flavors everyone usually likes to eat!"
As she said this, she leaned back contentedly, gently stroking her round belly with one hand, her face beaming with a satisfied and happy smile.
"If I weren't already full, I would have liked to keep eating!"
When I'm at home, I don't dare to make too many different kinds of food because I'm always alone, otherwise it would be too much of a waste of time!
It's great to have a meeting at headquarters!
You can eat so much!
Shinobu Kocho looked at Mitsuri Kanroji's satisfied expression, feeling both amused and helpless.
Although she already knew her best friend was a complete foodie, hearing her express her love for food so openly still made her jokingly say:
" Mitsuri, aren't you afraid of getting fat if you eat like this? What if you get so fat that you can't find someone you like?"
Upon hearing this, Mitsuri quickly raised her arm, and then...
"Hmm--"
A long, drawn-out groan escaped from Mitsuri's lips, carrying a hint of effort and perseverance.
Teiichi, who was leisurely enjoying the scenery, couldn't help but turn his gaze towards the sound.
Mitsuri Kanroji placed her left hand on her right shoulder and raised her right hand, parallel to her shoulder.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she kept making muffled sounds, as if she was exerting her strength.
Is this... a display of muscle?
Teiichi looked puzzled and glanced at Mitsuri Kanroji's arm.
The arms beneath the dark uniform showed no signs of bulging; instead, they appeared slender and graceful, completely devoid of any trace of strength.
Mitsuri Kanroji, maintaining her raised arm posture and beaming with a confident smile, said:
"See, don't worry! I've never gained weight since I was a child! No matter how much I eat, I've always maintained a great figure!"
Seeing this, Kanae couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, "So, what's Mitsuri's favorite food?"
When the conversation turned to a topic she enjoyed, Mitsuri Kanroji immediately lowered her arm, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and replied:
"Of course it's sakura mochi! Although I've been eating it since I was little, and it even turned my hair green because of it, I still love sakura mochi the most!"
"Sakura mochi can't really be considered a delicacy!"
True gourmet food seeks to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients!
For dishes like Pufferfish sashimi, my masterful knife skills allow me to slice each piece of meat as thin as a cicada's wing!
Then dip it in some sauce, and that's real delicious food!
A loud voice rang out, and the group looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Tengen Uzui's figure appear at the end of the corridor.
Mitsuri Kanroji looked at Tengen Uzui as he approached and retorted in defense of her own truth:
" Pufferfish sashimi is delicious, but sakura mochi is also very good!"
It's soft, sweet, and fragrant, but not cloying, and has a subtle cherry blossom aroma.
It's a perfect blend of all sorts of things!
So sakura mochi is a real delicacy!
Tengen Uzui retorted, "It's precisely this kind of mishmash that's not real gourmet food!"
"Sakura mochi is delicious!"
"Not food!"
"It's delicious!"
"That is!"
"No!"
"That is!"
"No!"
"At once..."
"Alright, alright! Everyone has different tastes when it comes to food. Just do what you like. There's no need to make it so professional!" Teiichi interjected, trying to smooth things over.
"Snort!"
Mitsuri Kanroji snorted in dissatisfaction and turned her head away from Tengen Uzui had walked to the side.
Her little mouth was pouting, even more so than the biceps she had just shown.
Teiichi looked at Tengen Uzui: "When did you become an expert on ingredients?"
Tengen Uzui strolled leisurely to Teiichi's side and sat down casually.
One foot rested leisurely on the wooden floor of the corridor, her body leaned back slightly, her right hand gently supporting her on the ground for balance, while her left hand gracefully rose and gently covered her unique headdress.