"H-Hello, Shinobu-san…"
"Hello, Tanjiro-kun."
Tanjiro, who had just been enjoying the exquisite mitarashi dango, now completely forgot its taste as he greeted Shinobu with a forced smile, cold sweat running down his back.
If someone like Zenitsu were here, he would have immediately interjected—"Do you even realize the situation you're in? What the hell are you saying?"—but no one pointed it out.
Incidentally, Hotaru Haganezuka, who had been sitting next to Tanjiro and had not only forced him to pay for lunch but also the mitarashi dango, had already seized his chance to shove Shinobu onto Tanjiro before bolting like a startled hare, still clutching his uneaten dango.
By now, he had probably already returned to the Swordsmith Village.
Tanjiro had sensed this through his scent, but all he could do was mutter internally, 'Haganezuka-san…! You just abandoned me and ran away…!'—not that he had the luxury to dwell on it.
After all, far more pressing than Hotaru's escape was the fact that Shinobu, who had just greeted him so gently, was now standing before him, exuding a suffocating aura of fury. His immediate priority was figuring out how to escape this predicament.
However, an unexpected third party appeared, momentarily freeing Tanjiro from his plight.
"Oh! If it ain't Shinobu-chan! Long time no see!"
"My, Tetsuki-san. It has been a while. I'm glad to see you're as lively as ever."
The man who called out to Shinobu was the owner of the sweets shop—a tall, intimidating figure with a large scar running from his left cheek down to his neck. At first glance, no one would believe he ran a confectionery. If someone said he was a yakuza, it would be more convincing.
The moment she was addressed, Shinobu instantly concealed her anger, smoothing away the veins that had been bulging on her forehead, and greeted Tetsuki with a radiant smile that could captivate anyone.
As she began exchanging pleasantries, Tanjiro stood dumbfounded at her swift change in demeanor. By the time he recovered, their small talk was already winding down.
"Here you go, some mitarashi dango."
"Thank you… Oh my, isn't this a bit too much?"
"Nah, it's on the house. Just take it as a favor to me, alright?"
"Well then, I'll gratefully accept. The girls at the Butterfly Estate will enjoy these."
"Yeah, give my regards to Aoi and the others… By the way, that kid's a Demon Slayer too, huh? At first, I didn't realize because of that checkered haori."
Tetsuki's gaze and topic shifted to Tanjiro. Then, with a delighted expression, Shinobu sidled up to Tanjiro and linked arms with him, causing both Tanjiro and Tetsuki to freeze in shock.
The moment Shinobu's ample chest pressed against Tanjiro's arm, his face turned as red as an apple.
"S-Shinobu-san?!"
"Whoa—huh?! Shinobu-chan?!"
"Tetsuki-san, let me introduce you. This is Kamado Tanjiro, a recent recruit to the Demon Slayer Corps. He's one of our rising stars."
"Uh, yeah. I'm Kamado Tanjiro."
"Oh, right. I'm Asada Tetsuki, owner of this sweets shop, 'Asada-ya.' A long time ago, Shinobu-chan saved me and my wife from a demon. Been friends ever since. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be alive today."
"This scar here's my badge of honor—proof I protected my wife from a demon," he finished, thumbing the scar on his face. After staring at Tanjiro for about ten seconds, he suddenly stepped forward with a thud!
"Say, Shinobu-chan, mind if I borrow this kid—Tanjiro—for a sec, please? Don't worry, just wanna talk to him real quick. Ah, this'll be a 'no girls allowed' thing, so wait here, alright?"
"Hey! The missus is here—come say hi!" he shouted toward the back of the shop, likely calling for his wife, who had also been saved by Shinobu.
As the sound of hurried footsteps approached, Tetsuki dragged Tanjiro to the back of 'Asada-ya,' ignoring his wife's arrival. Tanjiro obediently followed, though he was slightly unnerved by the man's forceful grip.
'What's going on? I don't smell anger from him… just excitement and anticipation. What does this mean?'
——
————
Tanjiro, bewildered, allowed himself to be pulled along by Tetsuki.
Upon arriving behind Asada-ya, Tetsuki hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, facing Tanjiro directly.
"Kid—no, wait. Uh… Tanjiro."
"Tetsuki-san, you can call me whatever you like."
"R-Right. Then 'kid' it is. And just call me Tetsuki."
Clearing his throat, Tetsuki straightened up, and Tanjiro listened attentively.
"Kid, I'll cut to the chase. Are you Shinobu-chan's lover? Or maybe her betrothed?"
"…Huh?!"
The unexpected question made Tanjiro's face burn red in flustered panic. He immediately shook his head.
"N-No, nothing like that! There's no way someone like me could ever be a match for Shinobu-san! You're overthinking things, Tetsuki!"
"Hmm, really? But think about it. Would Shinobu-chan, who's normally so composed, go out of her way to link arms with you just to introduce you to a nobody like me? Last time she was here, some idiot kept hitting on her, and y'know what she did? Smiling, she kicked him right in the groin."
"Bet that hurt like hell…" Tetsuki mused, recalling the scene with a wince.
Tanjiro couldn't help but grimace, instinctively tensing up at the mental image of that man's agony.
"U-Um… I still think you're overestimating things. A mature woman like Shinobu-san wouldn't see someone like me as anything more than a kid."
"Nah, even if she ain't sweet on ya yet, there's definitely something there. I've been runnin' this shop for years—seen plenty of couples come and go. My eyes don't lie!"
Tanjiro wanted to ask what kind of logic that was, but the mere suggestion that Shinobu might harbor feelings for him made his face flush even harder. Ignoring his reaction, Tetsuki pressed on.
"Shinobu-chan used to come here all the time with her older sister, Kanae—a real beauty."
His tone grew nostalgic, and Tanjiro caught the faint scent of sorrow and loneliness wafting from him. Hearing Kanae's name—Shinobu's beloved sister—Tanjiro listened intently.
"After Kanae was killed by a demon… Shinobu-chan changed, for better or for worse."
"Later, she became a 'Pillar'—a high-ranking position in the Demon Slayer Corps. Don't know the details, but damn, it's impressive for someone her age. I respect her for it. But… she's still just an eighteen-year-old girl. Life forces everyone to grow up, but I wish she'd let herself be a little more selfish—lean on someone, rely on 'em, y'know?"
Tanjiro's breath hitched. 'That's right.' He'd always admired Shinobu's strength, but hadn't he glimpsed the vulnerability she desperately hid that night on the Butterfly Estate's rooftop? Shame prickled at him for failing to notice sooner, for his own weakness.
"All I can do for Shinobu-chan is give her sweets—a momentary distraction. I can't protect her, support her, or heal her. It's damn shameful, a grown man like me failing to shield a kid like her. So I'm begging you!"
Tetsuki bowed his head deeply.
"I ain't saying ya gotta fall in love with her. But I want ya to become someone strong—someone she can rely on, someone who can protect her. We just met, kid, but I've got a feeling about you. I ain't the sharpest, but running this shop's given me a good eye for people."
"…Tetsuki-san. I understand."
Tanjiro's voice was steady as he answered the plea.
"Honestly, I don't know if I can become that kind of man. But I've sworn to myself—I'll become a swordsman as strong as the people I admire. A Hashira. And Shinobu-san… she's precious to me. I don't want her to die. I want her to be happy. That's what I truly wish for. So I promise you, Tetsuki-san—I'll become strong enough to protect Shinobu-san, my fellow Demon Slayers, and everyone else!"
His declaration rang with conviction. Tetsuki felt something bright and warm radiating from Tanjiro—like sunlight—and smiled.
"That's all I needed to hear. Thanks for humoring an old man's selfish request… I'm counting on ya, Tanjiro."
"And don't you dare die either," Extending his right hand.
Tanjiro grinned. "Yes!" Their handshake was firm.