Day & Night

Stage Five: Trading Space

Tanjiro's POV

After the incident with Mr. Rengoku, I stayed away from the hospital. Everything felt like it was my fault, even when Ms. Kajiura said it wasn't. The look of hurt in her eyes every time I saw her told me otherwise. This was the first time I chose to come on my own.

"Come on, Tangerine," Inosuke said, holding his weird boar head instead of wearing it. Well, somewhat on my own.

Walking in together, Inosuke bolted off somewhere, and I had to call out after him.

"Inosuke, please behave! If you bite another nurse, the Kocho sisters will kick us out," I said frantically.

"I'm not! I don't want blueberry or butterfly lady coming after me again. I'm going to find that girl who cooks," he said, rushing off.

Cracking a small smile, I made my way to Mr. Rengoku's room, where I almost decided not to go in because of the scary-looking guys standing guard. Sometimes I forgot what Mr. Rengoku did outside of the Hashira. I walked in without either one of the men saying anything to me and stopped dead in my tracks.

Ms. Kajiura looked as though she was sleeping, her head facing away from me. But, what really got me was the tall guy with long black hair and a swollen eye reading the newspaper in the corner. I think this was the same guy that Mr. Rengoku would have around him when I sometimes visited for training.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," I whispered, about to turn away.

"Tanjiro, I'm not asleep," Ms. Kajiura said, sitting up.

She looked so...defeated. She didn't look like the same person when I first met her. She didn't even look like the same person a few days ago when we were training.

"I can come back-"I stopped when she held her hand up.

"I come here every day. I can share him," she said, standing up and the feeling that this was my fault engulfed me again. "Tanjiro..."

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," I said, feeling my face fall.

"Come here," Ms. Kajiura said.

I walked to her but looked at Mr. Rengoku as I did. The nightmares of that night have lessened over the weeks, but they still occurred. Ms. Kajiura placed her hand on my shoulder as she did when we started training again, but I couldn't look her in the eyes while looking at Mr. Rengoku's body wrapped in bandages.

"Tanjiro, I can't tell you how many times that this isn't your fault," she said gently. "He was doing his duty, something everyone in the Hashira would have done."

"I know that, but the way that he was talking to me as if he was dying...I can't stop seeing it," I said, finally looking at Ms. Kajiura. "I think I'm ready to tell you what he said."

"And you choose now to tell me?" Ms. Kajiura asked, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. Now that I think of it, I've not seen Ms. Kajiura smile since the incident. I don't blame her; I probably would have been this way in this situation.

"I feel like I've betrayed you or failed you. You haven't been yourself, and if I told you, it would have made things worse," I said, bowing my head.

"You have a kind soul Tanjiro, and while I appreciate you looking after me, I think you might be right about making things worse. But, you have not betrayed me or failed me. I can promise you that," she said.

I opened my mouth when the door slammed open, causing me and Ms. Kajiura's head to jerk to the door just as Inosuke and Aoi came in. Inosuke was shoveling food into his mouth while holding a tray of food.

"He's yours again," Aoi said before leaving.

I heard Ms. Kajiura sigh before I turned back to her. She nodded her head for me to go on.

"Mr. Rengoku asked me to speak with his parents and brother, which I did the last time I saw them, but he wanted me to 'Tell Tsukie that I love her dearly and that having her in my life was the best thing that could have happened to me. Tell her I'm sorry. I wanted to be there with her as my wife and one day a mother of our children.' I, Ms. Kajiura, If I could trade places with him, I would and-" Ms. Kajiura searched my eyes before she hugged me tightly. I returned her hug feeling the hurt and stress in her back.

"Thank you," she whispered before pulling back, and I could see that her face softened.

"He told you to shut up too, don't forget that," Inosuke said with food stuffed in his mouth.

"That sounds about right," Ms. Kajiura said, releasing me.

Just as she was about to say something else, the Hashira guy with all the scars, me, Mr. Uzui, walked in. I could see Ms. Kajiura's body tensed again.

"What's wrong?" She asked which had Inosuke stop eating and listen to the conversation.

"We located the rat that Akaza mentioned. Apparently, the warehouse situation last year was their doing as well. That son of a bitch-"

"Sanemi, we have children in the room," Ms. Kajiura snapped at Mr. Shinazugawa.

"Like I give a fuck," Mr. Shinazugawa said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, dumbass, with the warehouse situation. They changed your location because you were supposed to be eliminated first. When that didn't work, they changed the location again. You were supposed to be with Rengoku and the kids the night this happened."

I looked at Ms. Kajiura, and all the blood drained from her face. She looked back at Mr. Rengoku and then at Inosuke and me.

"We know which demon did it. It's the one under your command," Mr. Uzui said, and I could tell he was angry. "It's the one with the long hair that grows."

"I know which one you're talking about," Ms. Kajiura said, color slowly coming back to her face. "I'll set up a meeting in a few days. Fuck, I don't have time for this. I have other shit I need to do.

"What was that about cussing?" Mr. Shinazugawa teased.

"Fuck off, Shinazugawa," Ms. Kajiura snapped.

"Lady Kajiura, I'll handle the situation at hand. Your people aren't done with the investigation, so you aren't needed right now," the tall guy with a swollen eye said behind the newspaper.

"The situation?" Mr. Shinazugawa asked accusingly.

"Not in your jurisdiction, so not your problem," Ms. Kajiura snapped. "I'll need you two and Gyomei in case this might be a setup again."

"I want to go with you," I said, grabbing Ms. Kajiura's arm. "Please, I need to help. I..."

What was I going to say? I'm not even sure myself.

"Me too. Kajikiki and Renjiro can't have all the fun," Inosuke said, picking at his ear.

"Tengen, if you want to bring Zenitsu, you can, Tanjiro. I would like for your sister to sit out on this one just in case," Ms. Kajiura said.

"Yes, ma'am," I said as everyone exited the room. Before I left, I looked at Mr. Rengoku and nodded my head to him. I will avenge you.