Butterflies' Dance - [A Kimetsu No Yaiba Full Story]

Chapitre 16

    Everything was perfect in Nezuko's mind. Almost everything.

    She liked to think that it was because of her and her brother that this opera could get a brand new start. But it was mostly a combination of circumstances that led to their new situation.

    Time was flying by, and the due date was getting closer and closer. She had slowly worked and started to learn the pointes. At the end, her feet were aching, especially her toes. She did her best to ignore the pain, and Kanao had been giving her advice — willingly, she had to say, without the coin — to ease it, nevertheless, joy to perform always felt like wings grew on her fragile back and made the aches disappear.

    She could — and it was no longer a secret for anyone who knew her or spent time with her newfound friends — dance for hours, get transported by the music and wishing to never come back.

    Unfortunately, it was possible until her feet tripped and her head got dizzy.

    She was at the moment training with her teacher, the graceful and lovely Miss Kocho. Her cold but reassuring hands were placed on her shoulders, her back, sometimes her legs to adjust her position, in order not to have elongations.

    She stood on the tip of her toes when she was told.

  "Good. Now, alternate between demi-pointes and pointes. Next, you will try to do it with the rhythm of the celesta." She stepped back. The sakura eyes waited for the signal, waited for her eldest to step out of her trance where melancholy passed. "Hum... Go."

    And with that she practiced. Her mind wandered somewhere else. She thought about her brother, how hard he was working for her, how skillful he had been to take his own personal time to go and convince a group of young dancers from another school to participate in their "coming back".

    So far, they had found someone. Thanks to the incredible former dancer that was Ms. Shinobu Kocho, as well as a firm negotiator, she had convinced a dancer's class from a big city to come.
A student had happened to visit a relative and found the ad in the bakery where her still living brother worked. They had a nice chat and he talked about it to his teacher. At least, that is what he told her before going to sleep

    Now that she thought of it, she had never seen such dark circles under her brother's eyes. Even when he replaced her father in their previous life.

    Previous life, father... Those words hit her like an arrow straight to her heart, a deadly arrow. She could still see them, there, right in front of her eyes, blood flashing before everything went dark. Before she woke up next to Tanjiro's empty eyes, as he carried her around, away from their home. Before everything stroke back, and she gripped him angrily, crying, shouting, asking why did he take her, did he save her when she would have preferred to di-

   Crack.

    A breaking sound, followed a large white noise, something big falling down.

  "Are you okay, dear ?" rushed the petite woman, jumping on the stairs, looking like an anxious fluttering butterfly

    Nezuko pushed on her small arms to straighten herself up from the ground. She had gotten too distracted again, hadn't she ?

    And now, she was on the floor, reaching for her ankle that had just snapped. The other one seemed to have taken the hint, as she bent down, and let her careful digits auscultate it.

  "Mh. It is not broken, fortunately. Perhaps we should–"

  - I hope I am not interrupting."

    A man with a displeasing smile had announced himself. His smile grew at Ms. Kocho's confused, than irked expression.

  "It has been a long time, dear, hasn't it ?" He stepped out showing a group of young males : "I let them enter. Even though your little show will end right now."

  - My little show ?" A tick appeared on her face. She caught sight of a tall, lean man, with sad blue eyes burning a hole in the carpet. "But I paid you."

  - You, indeed, repaid your debts."

  - Debts ?" Her tone was incredulous. "I never–"

  - Perhaps you paid everything on time, but the place is getting quite..." His fingers brushed on a red velvet seat. "...old."

    Sakura saw closed fists trembling.

  "You cannot–"

  - Oh but I can. And, unless I am moved to tears by a little dance, I shall make you all leave." Before she could reply, he added : "Time is money, my dear. You would not want to throw those kids out of their home."

   Losing their home ?

    Nezuko did not think twice when she got up, steadying herself with her master's arm. She was a little taller than her. A little stronger, too. She pushed Miss Kocho towards the celesta, made her sit down, and despite the throbbing pain prepared herself to dance. She recognized among the young males, the orchestra that came last time. Unknown faces glanced at her, waiting for something, except one with long black hair, and lost in thought.

    She breathed, trying to reduce her pain and the stress. It was her first time performing in front of so many people, some wanting to see her destroy her own chances.

    Sudden, hasty steps were perceived, and soon barged her comrades in, Zenitsu on the front line.

  They must have been alarmed by the noise.

    Nodding towards the musician, she danced. She winced the entire time, trying to smile.

    Many times, she flinched and tried to cover it. Many times, she hissed, feeling the pain in her leg. Many times, she searched and found comfort in her friends' eyes.

   Crack.

    In a cry of pain, she fell on the ground. She could no longer ignore it. She looked up, teary eyed, seeing disgust and satisfaction to have her seen fail. She saw the last time teenager, mocking her with his friend all alike.

    She hung her head low, and when water fell on the scene, she stood up, running and ignoring the weakness in her limb, ashamed to have failed in front of them.