Fluttering Hearts Unveiled

Final chapter

"Tomioka-san!" Tanjiro called out, Zenitsu and Inosuke were with him

Inosuke was in the only clothes he really owned, an outfit he'd have to wear when at the butterfly mansion. He had to return the leggings he had from the Demon Slayer Corps outfit since the corps disbanded.

Giyuu looked down at Tanjiro, "I saw a box of cookies in my bedroom, did you put those there?"

Tanjiro winked and wagged his finger "Nope, it was from all of us, and Aoi and Kanao of course"

'I guess what Shinobu said about them getting me something for fathers day was true'

The thought of Lady Kocho brought a sense of sadness creeping up on him.

"Giyuu-san? What's wrong?" Tanjiro said with a wide grin on his face

"Nothing, is Kanao dealing well with Shinobu's passing?"

The room went silence brimmed through the room "I don't know... no one is well with the Hashira passings, not even us"

Inosuke and Zenitsu looked back on the friends they made. They both loved their time with Genya and Muichiro. As well as Lady Kocho of course, but they weren't the ones taking it the worst.

Most people knew that Giyuu had a small sense of love towards her, and god forbid someone someone say the word "Shinobu" around Kanao, Aoi, Kiyo, Sumi or Naho.

"Kanao Tsuyuri" he adressed

"Tomioka-san?" she called "Why did you come here?"

"Wanted to check on you and your sisters" Giyuu looked away to avoid eye contact

Kanao looked to the corner of the room "I don't know how to comfort the little ones, Aoi knows more about how to deal with loss than I, but she's running the place on her own now"

You'd think that the butterfly mansion would go to the strongest in the house, Kanao. But it went to the eldest, his former student Aoi Kanzaki.

Giyuu didn't say a word before walking down the halls to find those little girls. Spotted them in the laundry room sitting with their knees hugged to their chests in a row like piglets.

"Kiyo-chan, Sumi-chan, Naho-chan" he started before realizing that he had no clue how to comfort children

"Water pillar-sama?" Kiyo said

"I'm no longer a Hashira, Kiyo" he said, surprised he could remember which girl was which.

Before he could speak it came out "Do you miss Shinobu-nee sama?" one of them asked sadly

It came out surprising that she'd led with that within seconds. "Huh?" he took a bit to process all of that then looked down and nodded. 

"I loved Shinobu-sama, did you?" Sumi asked

He was tired of looking surprised, he just smiled and nodded quietly. "We both wish she was still here, right?"

They all said yes at the same time like minions, Aoi stopped immediately at seeing the four. Giyuu looked behind him and saw Aoi.

"Tomioka-sama?! W-Why are you here?"

Giyuu blinked "Came to see you all" it's not like he came to see Shinobu or anything.

"Okay, can I get you some tea?" Aoi asked, the bottom of her eyes were red like she'd been crying for at least four hours.

He shook his head and looked back at the girls. He patted one of their heads. She smiled.

Turned to the wall once and saw the picture of Kanae Kocho on the wall with a flower chain on her painting. 

But this time there was one of Shinobu Kocho, every slayer of the butterfly mansion was painted so the pictures could be hung up when they died. 

'I suppose I'll never forget how gorgeous she was now' he thought

Giyuu closed his eyes turned around, left the mansion and found his way to a bridge over a river connecting to the ocean. 

Butterflies weren't uncommon around the place, which purple or blue butterfly wouldn't remind him of the beautiful, petite mistress Shinobu Kocho was.

All he could think of was Shinobu, and the rest of the Hashira in extent. Mitsuri and Obanai would never be heard from again. Neither the petite Muichiro Tokito, neither would the short tempered Shinazugawa Genya, neither the honorable Himejima Gyomei, neither would the hundreds of slayers who died to Muzan to save the Hashira.

 And of course, not the woman he could say he loved, Shinbou Kocho. He didn't regret never telling her, it would never work out with the way Shinobu knew damn well she would die.

'I'll only live five more years.. maybe I'll see her once more in heaven if I'm fortunate enough'