Cruelty

Worry

We continue walking, with Tokito taking charge. I take a glance over at Tanjiro.

I'm worried about him. I mean, I know anyone would be worried about him, but usually he's quick to bounce back. This is different though. He doesn't even give off the same sound anymore. It's stressing me out, and i'm starting to think that maybe that was the last straw for him. That we may never have the Tanjiro we know and love back again.

I think Inosuke somehow senses this too. He's been strangely quiet, besides the whole Genya thing, and every once in a while he will try to talk to Tanjiro.

At first he was asking questions about the battle, but now he's just asking things like "hey, did you know some plants are poisonous?" Or "what's your favorite bug? I bet I could catch one for you." He seems genuinely concerned.

Tanjiro kinda looks like a mess too. He doesn't smell very good, his hair is unbrushed, and it seems he hasn't been eating. I can hear his stomach gurgling so loud I'm sure he's starving. I know the butterfly mansion girls try as hard as they can to help, but you really can't do anything if the person you're caring for just isn't trying.

Not that I'm saying Tanjiro has just given up. Tanjiro, is the least likely person I know to give up. (The most likely person would be me).

While we are walking, I look around and start to recognize where we are. That bastard Tokito led us back to the headquarters! I knew he might pull something like this, I just wasn't paying attention. Whose idea was it to let him lead anyway? Oh, I think it was Genya. Damn it.

When we get back, Tokito says something along the lines of: 'we can continue the trial tomorrow since Tanjiro doesn't look too good'.

I feel bad leaving him, but I have to let Tokito walk him back. If I'm really being honest though, I'm slightly relieved that I don't have to walk with Tanjiro anymore, because he was starting to creep me out, with his cold stare and quietness.

I head back to my own dorm, with a couple other slayers. The hashira are lucky; they each get their own home, if they don't already have a place to stay. Actually, I think only two hashira have living parents and families, Rengoku and Kanroji. (Well, Rengoku's family doesn't have a living son anymore). From what I've heard, Kanroji just lives too far from headquarters, so she has her own home, and Rengoku had a rough living situation.

As I'm wondering what happened to the families of all the other hashira, I start to drift off into sleep...