A pretty moon

Tanjiro: Hope

Woah...

That was the only thought which came to my head, after Kanao yelled at me. I had never seen her that mad. The first time I met her, she barely knew how to listen to herself, so she'd often wear this vague smile. She has really grown...

Now she really hates me... I thought to myself. She probably thinks of me as a weak, self-doubting, vulnerable child. She'd never want to have anything to do with me now. Whatever good impressions she had of me are now gone.

"Tanjiro! What have you made Kanao-san do to you?" I heard Nezuko's voice from behind. She ran over to me and placed her hands on her hips, as though demanding some sort of explanation.

"No, it was my fault. I should not have hurt her."

"You did nothing to her. Why do you condemn yourself so much? You were never so condescending. By doing so, you are not only hurting others, but hurting yourself."

"But it is my fault, isn't it?" My eyes began to tear up. I just can't give up the thought. "Had I been stronger, Rengoku-san would not have died."

"And had you been, you would have died instead. And had you died, what would have happened to me? What would have happened to Zenitsu, Inosuke, Rengoku-san. What would have happened to Kanao-san?"

I stood silent. Nezuko had an irrefutable point as well.

"Not everything in this world is your fault, Tanjiro. You have to understand that. You are only human. You make mistakes, I make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes. But we must not blame ourselves consistently for everything we do. The moon God Tsukuyomi had killed the goddess of Food, Uke Mochi, and thus earned the wrath of his wife. Had he condemned himself, we would never have the beautiful full moons we often see in the night sky."

"Hold yourself high Tanjiro. Don't mind your past mistakes, for they have been done. Instead, focus on yourself right now, in the present. You are a beautiful man, Tanjiro, with a beautiful soul. You have helped countless people, including Kanao-san. Especially Kanao-san."

Nezuko's words lifted me out of my dark gloom. She was right! I did help Kanao with accepting who she was. 

"Now, go to Kanao-san, and reconcile with her. I am sure she will forgive you."

With that, Nezuko pecked my cheek and walked away to the verandah to attend to Zenitsu and Inosuke. With a newfound vigour, I run over to my room and look for a quill with ink and a piece of paper.

Hopefully she finds it in her heart to accept this...

In big letters, I write on the piece of paper,

"Dear Kanao, I'm very sorry about what happened in the morning. Please meet me tonight at the bridge behind your house. From- Tanjiro."