Blossoming Fissure | Tanjirou Kamado

19. The blessed one from the present (and a few hundred years ago)

Tamayo and Yushiro say their goodbyes on the door and send them off with a smile (from Tamayo) and a scowl (from Yushiro) as the Sun starts setting over the horizon.

Not much time goes by before Nezuko gets out of her box, on Aya's back, and joins their walk, instantly holding onto her hand. Tanjirou watches happily at how both of them slowly distance themselves from him and Yuu, recognizing the love Nezuko was starting to have for Aya and vice versa. If someone had told him Aya tried to kill her just a few months ago, he wouldn't have believed it.

He wouldn't have believed that the Aya in front of him was the same Aya that told him to screw off the first time they met, but him more than anyone was familiar to change, and just like Tanjirou wasn't the weak kid that kneeled and begged for his sister's life to be spared against the snow, Aya wasn't who she used to be either. Changes weren't as unpleasant as he had at first thought, although it always hurt to keep going.

He looks at Yuu, who remains silent by his side, and realizes they're both alone and suddenly Tanjirou really, really hates silence, especially when Yuu has looked troubled ever since he talked to Tamayo.

"Um, when I was a kid me and Nezuko used to go with our mum to pick persimmons nearby," he cheerfully starts, trying to get something out of him.

Yuu's frown becomes lighter and he smiles. "Ah, I used to pick up herbs with my mum too!" He says, and Tanjirou recognizes that they're both hiding their respective reds under happy memories. "There was this huge book, 'The use of Medicinal Plants and other Natural Nutrients'. I read it in about three days."

"That's impressive," Tanjirou compliments. "You're really smart, aren't you, Kobayashi?"

Red flies to the tip of his ears as his cheeks fill with warmth. "It's not that impressive, really."

"But still, I think you're very cool," Tanjirou presses on with a smile. "You managed to figure out how dreams work back then, didn't you? And so quick too!"

"Oh." Yuu chuckles again. "I mean, I knew that dream was a lie from the beginning, it wasn't very complicated."

Tanjirou whispers how cool he is again and Yuu's cheeks only redden further.

"So, will you learn under Shinobu's wing now?"

"Yeah." His voice is surprisingly light compared to the last time they talked about this. "I talked with her back when you guys were in the nursery, before coming here. She looked very happy, even offered to take me in," he chuckles with a shrug, "it was nice to see a genuine smile on her face."

"How come you changed your mind?" Tanjirou inquiries.

"I just want to save lives, make my mum proud, wherever she is." Yuu gets very close to him. "I don't think she's in heaven, you see. I don't think I'll be in heaven either."

At this, Tanjirou's eyebrows furrow the littlest bit. "Why do you believe that?"

Yuu finally steps back and regresses back to his relaxed attitude. "A hunch."

"Well," Tanjirou says, uneasily, "what about your dad?"

"Oh, he was a mediocre kind of guy." Amusement crosses Yuu's face when he talks. "He wasn't good or bad at anything, he didn't get into fights, didn't believe in anything superior like Makoto-san did. He only joked, really, Aya always laughed a lot around him."

"Then his jokes must have sucked." The comment escapes under his breath but Yuu stares at him with surprise. Then, they both burst into chuckles.

"They really did!" Yuu says in between choked breaths, "They sucked so bad!"