The girl had originally decided not to pursue the matter.
But then Zenitsu started yelling that she liked him.
Uncle could tolerate it.
Auntie absolutely could not.
You think I'm Hello Kitty if I don't show my claws?!
She suddenly raised her arm—
Smack!
Her palm landed squarely across Zenitsu's face.
Tears, snot, and saliva flew in every direction as he learned exactly why today's flowers were so red.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The crisp sounds echoed through the street.
The scene was too brutal.
Aoyama tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle and closed his eyes, listening to the rhythm.
Suddenly, he felt poetic.
Ah—
The ocean, full of water.
The beach, full of legs.
Zenitsu Agatsuma—
Beaten so beautifully.
Tanjiro couldn't watch any longer and hurried forward, grabbing the girl's arms.
"C-Calm down!"
Zenitsu, his face covered in bright red handprints, stumbled behind Aoyama for protection.
He truly couldn't take another hit.
"When did I ever say I liked you?!"
"I just saw you crouching like you weren't feeling well, so I asked if you were okay!"
The girl's words changed everything.
Tanjiro slowly loosened his grip.
Perhaps…
He deserved that beating.
"Eh?! Eh?!"
"You didn't talk to me because you liked me?!"
Zenitsu stared in disbelief.
The man had absolutely zero self-awareness.
"Alright, alright. That's enough. Miss, you can go now. We'll deal with this guy," Aoyama finally interjected.
The girl huffed and stormed off.
Zenitsu instinctively tried to chase her—
Until a lazy voice drifted into his ear.
"Was that too light? Want another round?"
Zenitsu turned stiffly.
Aoyama was smiling.
But not smiling.
A chill crawled down Zenitsu's spine.
Terrifying.
Aoyama draped an arm over Zenitsu's shoulder.
"Here's the thing. You should find a girl who actually likes you. That one clearly didn't. Slaps landing left and right—didn't that hurt?"
Zenitsu touched his burning cheek and nodded faintly.
Tanjiro, now fully aware of the situation, looked at Zenitsu as though he were some unknown lifeform.
Under that gaze, Zenitsu felt deeply insulted.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm some other species?!"
He pointed accusingly.
"You take responsibility! It's your fault I couldn't get married!"
Aoyama raised a hand to his forehead.
Everything he'd just said—
Completely useless.
Truly worthy of the title:
Marriage Maniac — Zenitsu Agatsuma.
Respect.
Tanjiro's mouth twitched.
Aside from Senior Brother Aoyama, this was the first person who left him utterly at a loss.
"Senior Brother, let's go. Don't bother with him. Tch—so embarrassing."
Tanjiro adjusted the wooden box on his back and walked off.
Aoyama shook his head.
The fact that Zenitsu could provoke even gentle Tanjiro to this degree—
That was talent.
Seeing the two walk away, Zenitsu leapt to his feet.
"Hey! Hey! Don't just leave! Say something!"
"You should know—I'm going to die soon! Probably on my next mission! I'm weak! Don't underestimate me!"
Aoyama glanced sideways at Tanjiro.
"Have you been overestimating him?"
Tanjiro answered honestly.
"No. I've only been underestimating him."
Seeing they truly weren't slowing down, Zenitsu scrambled after them.
Finally meeting fellow Demon Slayers, he wasn't letting go.
"Hey! At least protect me until I get married!"
Aoyama murmured to Tanjiro,
"Remember that word I taught you? Perfect time to use it."
"What word?" Zenitsu asked, poking his head forward.
Tanjiro inhaled deeply.
Then declared solemnly:
"Shameless."
Zenitsu blinked.
What kind of word was that?
He'd never heard it before.
But that didn't matter.
He puffed out his chest.
"I'm Zenitsu Agatsuma! Please take care of me!"
"Tanjiro Kamado. This is Aoyama Ren, my senior brother."
"Tanjiro! Senior Aoyama—can I call you that?"
Seeing no objections, Zenitsu immediately pushed further.
"Senior Aoyama! Tanjiro! Please save me!"
Tanjiro grabbed his shoulders firmly.
"Zenitsu. Why are you shouting for help? Why are you so shameless? And why did you even become a swordsman?"
"Pfft—"
Aoyama couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
He waved dismissively.
"No, no, continue. Don't mind me."
Blue sky.
White clouds.
Tanjiro repeating "shameless" over and over.
That was not his responsibility.
Zenitsu scratched his head and looked at Aoyama, who was laughing so hard he nearly bent over.
"Tanjiro… what does 'shameless' mean?"
Aoyama forced himself to stop laughing.
"It means you have no sense of shame. Completely thick-skinned."
"Ahhh! That's too harsh!"
Zenitsu collapsed dramatically onto the ground, curling into a ball.
Farewell.
Cruel, loveless world.
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