"Yoizumi-nii, it's been half a day, and Nezuko still shows no signs of waking up," Tanjirou said, sitting by the bed, his crimson eyes filled with worry.
His rough, calloused hand carefully stroked his sister's head; he always worried excessively about his family.
He had waited too long for this day; it wasn't that he couldn't wait, Tanjirou was just afraid... afraid it would all be for nothing.
Afraid his long-cherished hopes would be dashed.
Actually, he was even more afraid of one thing.
That was... what would he do if Nezuko woke up and found that her family was all gone?
Nezuko had been very sensible since she was a child; whether it was her grandmother's or her father's passing, she never cried or made a fuss. Nezuko would comfort her younger siblings.
"Everyone is sad. Both Grandma and Father would be very worried if they saw us constantly crying."
"Cry hard today, but face life with a smile tomorrow."
Even though Nezuko's eyes were filled with tears and her whole body exuded sadness, she still forced herself to perk up and encourage her younger siblings, being even stronger than him, her older brother.
Tenderly holding his sister's hand, Tanjirou frowned. His sister was so wonderful, why did she have to go through such things?
Perhaps the medicine to suppress the side effects of the Mark had taken effect, or perhaps the huge stone that had long weighed on his heart had finally loosened. Tanjirou's eyelids were so heavy with sleep that he could barely keep them open. Yoizumi stepped forward to catch his falling brother.
He rested his brother's head on his shoulder, and in a daze, Tanjirou murmured softly.
"Yoizumi-nii... Nezuko..."
"Home... home..."
"..."
Yoizumi's breathing trembled, his sapphire eyes gentle. Because he wanted to return quickly, Tanjirou was very tired, and he had worked very hard.
Tanjirou...
Sleep... everything will be alright.
The small bed was occupied by his siblings. Yoizumi stood by, his eyes tracing the features of his family members one by one, his hands gently stroking Tanjirou's and Nezuko's heads.
Now... it's big brother's turn to wait for you to wake up.
He couldn't go see Shinobu today, but Shinobu would surely understand him... Yoizumi looked out the window. The crescent moon cast a pure white glow, piercing through the wind-blown curtains. Gentle moonlight streamed into the room, and Yoizumi saw it.
The moon had stars accompanying it... "Ah ah ah ah! I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die!" Agatsuma Zenitsu irritably tugged at his hair here and there, accidentally pulling out a few strands. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the short hairs in his hand.
"Am I going to die soon! I haven't seen Nezuko-chan in two days!"
"Even Tanjirou and Big Brother Yoizumi aren't leaving the house!"
"What in the world are the Kamado family doing?!"
Agatsuma Zenitsu knelt on the ground, pounding it with his hands. Then he looked at Inosuke, who was eating and drinking as if nothing was wrong. Zenitsu raised a finger and pointed at Inosuke, who was still chewing on a meat bun.
"You still have the heart to eat!"
Inosuke picked his ear, indifferently taking a big bite of the meat bun in his hand. His boar mask was resting on his head, and his green eyes glanced at Zenitsu, who was sprawled on the ground.
"What are you even worried about! That's Yoizumi and Tanjirou. What could happen to Douzi with them watching her?"
"Besides, the new trainees are coming soon, and I'm going to be the boss!"
"You, who haven't even eaten and have no strength at all, can just be the lowest of the low!"
"Hmph hmph~"
Taking a forceful bite of the last meat bun, Inosuke put on his mask and went off to train.
"What's the 'lowest of the low'?!" Zenitsu shrieked, suddenly standing up. "I don't want to be that!"
Interrupted by this, Zenitsu rubbed his stomach. He was indeed very hungry.
"Grrr~"
He'd go train after eating.
When it came to training, Zenitsu dared not be careless in the slightest.
After all... Big Brother Yoizumi had that kind of cheat-like skill.
Appearing and disappearing like a ghost.
Who knew if he would suddenly pop out when Zenitsu was slacking off, giving him no chance to react at all.
It was even more terrifying than Yoizumi just standing there watching him train!
His yellowish-brown eyes glanced in the direction of Yoizumi's room. Although he didn't know what exactly had happened.
He hoped it was something good.
"Eat~ Eat~"
"...!!!"
Tanjirou!?
Zenitsu looked in surprise at the dining hall, where stacks of bowls and plates formed a small mountain. Tanjirou was sitting nonchalantly in the middle of them.
"Tan... Tanjirou?" Zenitsu called out uncertainly.
"? What's wrong, Zenitsu?"
Tanjirou finished the rice in his bowl and smiled as he handed it to Kanzaki Aoi, who was beside him. "Miss Aoi, please give me another bowl!"
Kanzaki Aoi was clearly startled by Tanjirou's appetite. This was too abnormal!
Tanjirou had already eaten four times his usual daily intake!
It was as if... the Flame Pillar had possessed him!
"Tanjirou, are you really alright?" Kanzaki Aoi swallowed and asked.
"I'm fine."
Tanjirou replied with a smile. Ever since he woke up after sleeping for two days, the intense hunger had almost made him faint again right after waking up.
His body felt different somehow, but he couldn't pinpoint it. Big Brother Yoizumi had checked him and found no problems, only drawing a tube of his blood.
After he ate his fill, he still had to go back and watch over Nezuko.
"Tan~ji~rou~"
Zenitsu hugged Tanjirou, sobbing and complaining.
"What happened to you these past two days!"
"I thought I wouldn't get to see you again."
"Did Big Brother Yoizumi come up with some new torturous method?"
"To make you like this!"
Tanjirou freed a hand to pat Zenitsu's back, and his gentle voice came from above Zenitsu's head.
"Zenitsu, Nezuko is going to turn back into a human."
"?" Zenitsu looked up, bewildered. By his voice, Zenitsu could tell that Tanjirou wasn't lying, or rather, Tanjirou would never lie about something like this.
Nezuko-chan... turning back into a human... a human...!!!
Which meant that the Nezuko-chan, who Tanjirou had described as so gentle, so beautiful, so cute...
was coming back!
Zenitsu suddenly felt a little worried... Would such a wonderful Nezuko dislike him?
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