Dance of Time (Tanjiro x OC)

Chapter Nineteen

*Tsubaki's POV*

"It's not fair...How come he can get a girl but I can't?"

"Maybe If you weren't such a blubbering baby, you could."

I groaned softly and my eyes fluttered open to see that Zenitsu and Aoi were looking at me. I tried to sit up before noticing a pair of arms around my waist. I had completely forgotten that Tanjiro and I fell asleep in the same bed last night which caused me to blush. "T-Tanjiro...wake up..." I whispered softly as I pat his chest. I watched as his eyes fluttered open and face turn red upon seeing the position we were in. Zenitsu made a big deal out of Tanjiro and I being in a relationship while he's still single, which was beginning to get on my nerves. "Hey, Tanjiro...can I sit in on your training today? I'm really curious to see what it's like." I inquired "Of course, I don't mind at all."

I followed the three boys into a large room that had a few mats laid out and a table with a bunch of cups. My gaze fell to the girl that had knocked Tanjiro and I out on the mountain and I couldn't help but glare at her. "Alright Zenitsu, since you'll be joining us starting today, I will explain the training regimen again." Aoi said, causing me to direct my attention to her instead of butterfly girl. "You will begin there. Those girls will get your bedridden bodies limber again." I watched as the little girls began stretching Inosuke's limbs and back out. 'That looks painful...' I thought as I remembered my days in gymnastics class and how painful the stretches were at first. "Next is reflex training. These cups contain medicated water and the objective is to throw that water onto the other person." Aoi explained as Tanjiro sat opposite of the butterfly girl. "Your opponent is able to block you from picking up your cup." As soon as Aoi said go the girl splashed Tanjiro in the face. She was so fast I hadn't even seen her grab the cup. The second time Tanjiro managed to grab a cup but the girl stopped him, throwing more water on him. "That's enough!" Aoi shouted "Lastly, full body training, or put simply...a game of tag. You will face myself and then Kanao."

Tanjiro and Inosuke looked like they'd had their souls sucked out while Zenitsu just looked overwhelmed. "Excuse me, can I say something?" He asked and slowly raised his hand "Hm, Is there something not clear?" Aoi asked, sounding slightly annoyed. "No, not that...you two, come with me..." He said softly before literally dragging them out of the room. While they were outside I decided to see if I could still do gymnastics. After some butterfly stretches I got into a standing position and managed to do a back handspring. 'YES! I still got it!' I mentally cheered. I then took a few steps back and got a running start into a short series of front flips followed by some cartwheels. "All girls have nice chests, great butts and strong thighs!! They smell so nice when they pass by and just getting to look at them makes my heart race!!!" Zenitsu yelled, his voice carrying through the walls. I blushed uncontrollably and covered my chest with my arms. 'Please tell me he hasn't been leering at me like that!!' I thought now feeling self conscious and embarrassed.

"I look forward to training with you!" Zenitsu said gleefully after coming back inside and laughed happily as the girls stretched his limbs out. He even refused to throw water on Aoi, who looked at him in disgust. Next was the game of tag. After the signal was given, Zenitsu disappeared only to pounce on poor Aoi. "I win!" He cheered only for her to pummel his face in. "I won the battle but I lost the war..." He mumbled. "I wanna win too!" Inosuke shouted and began acting more like himself. I heard Tanjiro sigh softly beside me, causing me to glance in his direction. "What's wrong?" I asked softly "I'm the only one on a losing streak..." he answered dejectedly. I smiled softly and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You can do it...I believe in you."

I sat in on their training for the next five days while also refining my old gymnastics skills with the intention of implementing said skills in future battles. On the sixth day Zenitsu and Inosuke stopped coming to training while Tanjiro continued. Night had fallen and Tanjiro and I were walking back to our living quarters when the three little girls stopped up. It took three times of calling his name to snap him out of his trance. "Tanjiro, are you alright?" The girl with the blue butterflies in her hair asked "We've been calling to you over and over." She added. "Oh, I'm sorry! What is it?" he asked causing them to fidget before handing him a towel. "Thanks, this helps." He said and began wiping his face. "I wanted to ask if you keep up the total concentration breathing state all of the time?" The pink one asked only to receive a blank stare. "Do you use total concentration all the time? Morning, noon and at night while you sleep?" she asked once more. "Can't say I do...never thought to. Can someone really pull that off?" He inquired nervously. "Yes! We're told that being able to do such a thing makes all the difference in the whole wide world!" she said and encouraged him to master it.

"I think you should you should come back to training, Inosuke. Feeling sorry for yourself won't do you any good...You too, Zenitsu." Tanjiro said the next morning. "Well, those were good times for me. Tell them my injuries have gotten worse." Zenitsu replied before prancing off somewhere else. "Coward..." I mumbled softly before following Tanjiro outside so he could work on his breathing. "Hey Tanjiro...could you teach me how to do that total concentration breathing thing?" I asked. He nodded and walked me through the basics and getting me started while he worked on the constant form of his. 'I feel like I'm dying!' I thought after only 10 minutes of practicing. "How does he do this so easily?!'

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Little backstory of Tsubaki: When she was a child she was enrolled in gymnastics but after her parents died when she was 9 years old she dropped out and took up music instead. Tsubaki also taught herself how to play the piano and the violin.