"Find the opening thread of this stone?"
Tanjiro stared at the massive boulder before him, uncertainty rising in his heart. "But… how am I supposed to find it?"
He turned to Soma, confusion clear in his eyes.
"I can't find it either. It's not something I can do," Soma admitted calmly, patting Tanjiro on the shoulder. "But I believe you can."
He gave his shoulder a firm, reassuring squeeze.
"Focus on finding the Opening Thread in this rock. Once you find it, follow it—and cut it."
Tanjiro's confidence wavered instantly.
If even Soma couldn't do it… how could he?
"…Can I really do it?"
His voice carried a clear lack of confidence.
"I believe you can, Tanjiro."
Soma's tone remained steady as he continued, "Your sense of smell is far sharper than you realize. You can distinguish all kinds of scents, can't you? Not just that—you can even sense things beyond ordinary smell… like joy, or sorrow."
Tanjiro blinked, listening intently.
"That's why, after defeating demons on Mount Fujikasane, you stepped forward to gently close their eyes," Soma went on. "You could sense their sadness. You understood the pain they had once endured. That's why you did it."
He looked at Tanjiro with quiet certainty.
"You can perceive things others can't. Your nose can pick up what no one else notices. That alone proves you're different."
"So in the same way… you should be able to sense it."
"The Opening Thread in this stone."
"And once you do…"
"You'll be able to cut it."
Soma's voice softened as he finished, offering both explanation and encouragement.
Tanjiro tightened his grip on his sword and looked at the massive boulder once more. Slowly, he began to focus, drawing in careful breaths.
His sense of smell was extraordinary.
He could detect countless scents carried through the air—the faint fragrance of wind brushing through leaves, the subtle rhythm of Makomo's heartbeat nearby, even the cold, unyielding scent of the stone before him.
And yet…
No matter how he tried, he couldn't detect anything resembling a "Opening Thread."
"What exactly is this 'Opening Thread'? And how am I supposed to smell it…?"
He considered asking Soma, but the answer came to him just as quickly.
Soma had already said it—this was something even he couldn't do.
Which meant…
He had to rely on himself.
"Then… how do I find it?"
Standing before the boulder, Tanjiro slowly closed his eyes and focused with all his might, trying to grasp every trace of presence around him.
But what did that "Opening Thread" even feel like?
…
Seeing Tanjiro standing silently before the stone, deep in thought, Soma chose not to disturb him and quietly walked away.
Makomo glanced once more at the boy standing beneath the boulder, eyes closed in concentration, before following after Soma.
As they walked along the forest path, she couldn't help but ask, "Sir… is it really possible to smell something like a 'Opening Thread'?"
Soma stopped and turned to look at her.
"Perhaps others can't do it," he said. "But Tanjiro… I think he can."
"Why?"
Makomo frowned slightly, unable to understand. "Is it just because his sense of smell is so sharp?"
"That might be part of it," Soma replied thoughtfully. "But I think it's more than that."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Tanjiro has a heart that's very close to nature. A heart that's incredibly perceptive."
Makomo couldn't quite grasp what he meant. She turned back instinctively, looking once more at the boy standing beneath the towering boulder, eyes closed as he searched for something invisible.
Could he really… sense that so-called "Opening Thread"?
"…Then what about me?" she asked, turning back to Soma. "Can I do it?"
Soma shook his head lightly.
"I don't know," he said. "After all… your sense of smell isn't particularly sharp."
Soma spoke as he pointed lightly toward the girl's nose beneath her mask.
Makomo blinked in surprise, then frowned slightly in thought. "Then… if I want to cut through the boulder, how should I do it?"
"How would I know?" Soma shook his head.
Makomo paused, then continued, "You were able to judge that Tanjiro could find that 'Opening Thread' because of his keen sense of smell… so what about me? From what aspect should I try to find it?"
As she spoke, she raised a hand and pointed to her eyes. "Would my eyes work?"
"Your eyes are certainly beautiful," Soma said thoughtfully, "but they don't seem much different from an ordinary person's. If it were Kanao… her eyes are exceptional. She has remarkable dynamic vision. If it were her, then perhaps…"
"Then what do you think I should rely on?" Makomo pressed.
"This… I'm not sure either."
Makomo bit her lip slightly, her gaze turning faintly reproachful. "You can point Tanjiro toward a way to cut the boulder… so why can't you do the same for me?"
Soma fell silent for a moment.
Naturally, he couldn't tell her the truth—that this was something Tanjiro would achieve in the future.
If he remembered correctly, the first time Tanjiro sensed the "Opening Thread" was during his duel with Sabito, when he detected a "thread of death." By following that thread, he had managed to cut through the massive boulder—and later, by sensing that same thread, he severed the Hand Demon's head.
As for Makomo… she was a girl who, in another fate, would have died at the hands of that very demon. He didn't know enough about her path or potential.
And those were things he couldn't possibly explain to her.
After a brief hesitation, he could only answer, "Maybe… it's because I don't understand you well enough yet."
"…You don't understand me."
Makomo murmured the words softly. Then she lifted her head and looked at him.
"If you want to understand me, then tell me what you want to know. I'll tell you."
Her voice softened further.
"Anything… I can tell you anything, as long as you want to know."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how ambiguous they sounded. She quickly lowered her head again. Though her mask hid her expression, the faint blush spreading to her ears—visible beneath strands of her dark hair—betrayed her completely.
For a moment, Soma found himself at a loss.
No matter how much he learned about Makomo, he still wouldn't know how to guide her toward finding a "Opening Thread." That ability, in truth, was something almost uniquely belonging to Tanjiro.
"…Do you really want me to understand you?" he asked quietly, looking at her.
"Mm."
Makomo nodded immediately, her head still lowered. A soft blush spread across her cheeks as her thoughts began to wander—if Soma were to ask something very personal, how would she answer?
No matter how embarrassed she might feel… if he wanted to know, she would tell him.
…
After training for a while, Nezuko noticed that both her brother and Soma were gone. She paused her practice, asked a few nearby trainees, and then followed the direction they had taken.
Before long, she spotted two figures standing along the path.
She also saw Makomo—head lowered, posture shy.
Relying on a girl's keen intuition, Nezuko immediately sensed that Makomo's feelings toward Soma were… different.
It wasn't the way an ordinary girl looked at a boy.
That shy, hesitant demeanor—almost like a coy little fox trying to hide something—made it obvious.
A faint irritation stirred within Nezuko's heart.
As for Soma, however, she didn't think much of it. A man as outstanding as him attracting girls' affection was only natural.
...
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