At the tender age of 29, (Y/N) Rengoku found herself grappling with a reality she never envisioned. The tragic demise of her beloved husband aboard the Mugen Train, plunged her into a profound and shattering sorrow. The very fire that had once kindl...
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Chapter Twenty Nine:
Dinner at the Rengoku estate was a lively affair, filled with laughter and chatter.
Hinoko and Kijuro bombarded Giyu with questions about his life as a hashira, his training, and other personal matters.
Giyu did his best to answer, but (Y/N) intervened, telling her kids to ease up on Giyu.
"You don't have to answer everything," she said to Giyu, shooting her children a warning look.
As dinner came to an end, Hinoko announced that she would start clearing the table. But before she could move, Giyu stood up.
"I'll help," he said, surprising everyone.
(Y/N) opened her mouth to protest, but Giyu stuck out his tongue playfully and grabbed the used plates, following Hinoko to the sink.
"Unbelievable." (Y/N) watched in disbelief as Giyu seemed to effortlessly fit into their home.
Kijuro, seeing Giyu's gesture, stood up as well. "I'll lend a hand too," he said with a grin.
(Y/N) shook her head, a mix of exasperation and fondness in her expression.
"Just don't make Giyu do work much," she told Kijuro before turning to leave the room.
"I'll be outside enjoying the fresh air." (Y/N) stepped outside, inhaling the cool evening air.
Inside, Kijuro made his way to the kitchen, where he found Hinoko and Giyu chatting amiably. Giyu’s hands were immersed in the sink, washing dishes as he conversed with Hinoko.
"You don’t have to do that," Hinoko insisted. "I can handle the dishes myself."
Giyu shook his head. "I want to help. Sitting and resting all the time makes me feel weaker."
Kijuro watched them, noting the light smile on Giyu’s face and the enthusiasm in Hinoko’s voice as she spoke animatedly.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced: his late father, Kyojuro Rengoku, standing at that same sink, washing dishes with a younger Hinoko beside him.
They were laughing together, just as Hinoko and Giyu were now.
Hinoko's voice snapped Kijuro back to the present. "Kijuro! Are you going to help or not?"
He blinked. "What?"
With a hand on her hip, Hinoko said, "You need to put the dishes back in the rack. Giyu washed them."
Kijuro shrugged, smiling at his sister. "Sure." He gathered the dishes Giyu had finished. Hinoko turned to Giyu.
"Your work here is done," she said with a grin.
Giyu nodded. "Alright. I’ll be outside with your mom." He gave a small bow and left the kitchen.
Hinoko and Kijuro watched him walk away. After a moment of silence, Hinoko spoke. "Giyu totally likes Mom."
