Purple Lotus [Kimetsu no Yaiba]

~Forty~

"We will make a formidable team, you and I!" Rengoku told the new child Hashira as he pet her head. 

"Oh! Why if it isn't little Tsu-chan?" Shinobu beamed happily at her friend. "It seems you really were serious about proving Tomioka wrong, weren't you?"

"Shino-chan!" Tsubasa jumped and landed in her arms as well. "I'm a Hashira now! I told you I would be!"

"That you did," the Insect Pillar smiled. "Well, you sure did work hard. You deserved it. But don't go running around too much just because Tomioka won't be watching you as much, okay? It really would be such a shame if you died so soon. I'd lose my dearest friend."

*****

~Zentisu's P.O.V

It's been four months since we returned from the Mugen Train. Rengoku has made a full recovery. So has Tanjiro, Inosuke and I. And everything is back to the way it was. Except it isn't. Tsubasa still hasn't woken up. Shinobu says there's a chance she might be brain dead, but Inosuke won't believe it.

He trains twice as hard as Tanjiro and I and beats himself up everyday for not being able to protect her. He goes to visit her every single day without fail too.... I'm starting to think.... Inosuke is actually in love with Tsubasa! Because there's no way that dumb boar is capable of worrying about someone unless he really cares about them.

I just hope Tsunbasa wakes up soon. Seeing Inosuke this way is starting to worry me...

*-*-*-*-*-*

The boar headed boy had just finished his morning training and was ready to spend the rest of his day protecting Tsubasa from loneliness. He was on his way when...

"Inosuke!" Aoi called and he stopped in his tracks. "You have to eat something. You're from training."

"Later! Lemme see my brat first!" he snarled back and continued walked. The butterfly girl wasn't ready for arguments. So she simply grabbed him by his hide and dragged him to the eating area. There the boar laid his eyes on several piles of freshly fried shrimp tempura.

"Eat something," Aoi said with no room for discussion. The boar didn't just eat something, he cleaned out every single plate in the room! When he was done he laid back with a rich satisfying burp.

"Just what I needed!" he exclaimed. "Now I can go see my brat!"

"Inosuke," Aoi stopped him again.

"Arrgh! What is it this time!?" he growled at her. The butterfly girl wasn't fazed by his harsh tone.

"Inosuke," she repeated. "It's been four months. And so far, Tsu-chan hasn't shown the slightest sign of recovery. I care a lot for her too. I don't want her to die! But," she sighed. "...All I'm saying is.... Don't get your hopes up too high."

The boar looked at her a moment, ready to lash out and yell at her about how she had no faith in his brat! But that would take too much time. He wanted to be with her now! So he simply huffed."The brat gets fussy when she's lonely. I'm going to her." Without waiting for a response, he walked off.