Manipulation || KNY x Reader

4 | Unexpected tears

"I had no intention of sending you two off to Final Selection," Urokodaki starts, looking down at you two. "I had no wish to see another child die. I didn't think you would be able to split that boulder..."

He brings his calloused hands and pats both of your heads simultaneously, smiling gently under his mask. "You two did well."

You and Tanjiro gaze at the ground with shocked expressions.

Was... was he proud?

Proud of you two?

"Tanjiro... [Name]... you two are amazing children."

Tears slipped out of Tanjiro's eyes and fell onto the ground below him. Amazing?

He just called you both amazing.

That in itself was.. well, amazing!

You bit on your cheek and held back your own tears. You flash Urokodaki a wrenched smile as he engulfs your bodies in a comforting hug. It almost felt like your father was hugging you. At least, that's what you remembered it feeling like.

"Y-You're an amazing teacher...!" You managed to croak out. The small voice crack made it aware to everyone around you that you too were holding back unexpected tears.

"Go to Final Selection..." Urokodaki says groggily. "But be sure you two turn up alive... your sister and I will be waiting."

——

You sat on your knees, carefully cutting Tanjiro's hair as Urokodaki prepared a hearty meal for the two of you.

"Hey, Tanjiro?" You snip off a piece of his hair and place it down in the pile you had created.

He shifts in his spot, "Yes?"

"When do you think Nezuko will wake up? It's been two years. Do you think she'll ever wake up?" You hum lightly. You didn't care if it was a personal question; you wanted to know his opinion on this.

You knew demons slept to regenerate if they don't eat people, but you've never seen one sleep for this long.

Hell, you passed out multiple times when training with Tanjiro, but he always assumed it was from exhaustion and nothing else.

Tanjiro looked down at the floor with a defeated look. Ouch, maybe you struck a nerve?

"I.. don't know," he starts off with a sigh. "But I'll still be waiting for her to wake up, I'll always wait. No matter what."

You clip off the last piece of his hair, making everything back to its original state from two years ago. "Determined," you stand up fully, grinning. "I like that."

Tanjiro turns around to look at you and grins with you; it was contagious. No matter what situation you were in, you managed to smile through it. It was creepy though; you had sharp teeth so many people would assume your a demon if they saw.

"[Name], Tanjiro." You both turn to look at Urokodaki who was holding two masks. Warding masks.

"Take these, they'll protect you from any evil that comes your way."

You go over to Urokodaki and take the mask. It looked oddly similar to Makomo's, which made you tear up.

You loved Makomo with all your heart, so it was sad to see her vanish in thin air right in front of you. Despite that, you kept up your touch facade.

Tanjiro's mask was a fox; simple, but complex at the same time. The design on it showed just how much time and effort Urokodaki has put into it.

"And these," he pulled two blue haori's with clouds littering it out of nowhere. "Where them to Final Selection." He places one in your arms, and one in Tanjiro's.