If there was one person in this world Tanjiro Kamado cared for above all others, it was undoubtedly his sister, Nezuko.
It could be said that his greatest dream was to see her become human again; his most sacred duty was to protect the only family he had left. So, the moment he heard Horitake mention her name, Tanjiro's spirit surged with an electric intensity.
He scrambled to keep pace with Horitake's long strides, his voice filled with urgent hope.
"What?! Horitake-senpai, did you just say Nezuko is about to wake up? Is that true?"
Horitake didn't slow down as he answered, "Based on what I observed with my spiritual vision about two years ago, Nezuko needed a deep sleep of that length to fundamentally reconstruct and adapt her body. Those two years are almost up. It's nearly time for her to truly return to us."
"Really? That's... that's wonderful!" Tanjiro's face lit up, though a shadow of anxiety remained. "But do you know exactly which day she'll wake?"
"How could I know that?" Horitake chuckled. "Two years was just an estimate. I can't pinpoint the exact second. However... perhaps by the time you return from passing the Final Selection, Nezuko will be there to greet you."
"I see..." Tanjiro murmured, his tone a bit hesitant. "I hope your words come true, senpai."
"Listen to that voice. You don't sound like you believe me at all, do you?" Horitake teased. "Tell you what, let's make a wager. We'll see if she's awake when you get back from the mountain."
Horitake grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "If you pass the Final Selection and come back to find Nezuko awake, I win. And if I win, you have to start calling me 'Brother-in-law.' But, if you come back and she's still asleep, I lose. In that case, I'll have to call you 'Big Brother-in-law.' How about it? Do we have a bet?"
At first, the logic didn't quite click in Tanjiro's mind. He blinked, looking utterly bewildered.
Then, the realization hit him like a physical blow. He stopped in his tracks, looking at Horitake with a sudden, intense wariness.
"Hori... Horitake-senpai, what did you just say? If you win, I call you 'Brother-in-law'? And if you lose, you call me 'Big Brother-in-law'?"
Tanjiro spent a few frantic seconds processing the linguistic implications, burning through several mental gears. Once he fully grasped what Horitake was implying, he turned a look of pure, unadulterated disbelief toward the older man.
"Horitake-senpai... so that's what this is about! You've had your eye on my sister Nezuko this whole time! How... how could you even suggest such a thing?"
Horitake, far from being sheepish, crossed his arms and retorted defiantly, "What's wrong with that? I like Nezuko. Is liking her a crime?"
Tanjiro looked torn, his face twisting in a comical display of conflict. "It's... it's not that it's wrong or impossible, but this sort of thing..."
"Oh, come on, Tanjiro, my young friend! Why the hesitation?" Horitake draped a heavy arm around Tanjiro's shoulder, pulling him into a brotherly huddle. "I remember the very first time we met, I said something similar. I told you then that once Nezuko becomes human again, I'm going to make her my bride."
Tanjiro's distress only deepened as he searched his memory. He sighed, looking defeated. "I... I think you did. You really did say something like that back then. I just thought you were joking."
"Well, that's where you were wrong, Tanjiro. I wasn't joking then, and I'm certainly not joking now. So, what do you say? Don't you think I'm a catch? Am I not the kind of man you could trust to protect your sister for the rest of her life?"
Horitake leaned in, acting like the best of friends, but the question put Tanjiro in an impossible position. Between Horitake's overwhelming physical presence and the sheer weight of the proposal, the poor boy was left floundering, unable to make a choice.
When it came to his sister's lifelong happiness, how could Tanjiro be anything but cautious?
And yet, as he looked at Horitake, Tanjiro couldn't deny the truth. Whether it was character, strength, or integrity, Horitake was a man beyond reproach. Furthermore, Tanjiro owed him a debt of gratitude that could never be fully repaid. If it hadn't been for Horitake that day in the snow, Tanjiro would have likely perished in the wilderness. If not for him, he never would have met Master Urokodaki or learned the skills he possessed now.
Taking all that into account... entrusting Nezuko to Horitake-senpai actually sounds like a pretty good idea...
Tanjiro suddenly shuddered, shaking his head violently to clear the thought. He felt he was getting far too ahead of himself. He hadn't even passed the Final Selection yet, and he wasn't even a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. To be blunt, the day Nezuko would become human again was still a distant, uncertain dream. Thinking about her marriage now was the definition of "counting your chickens before they hatch."
Finally, Tanjiro gave Horitake a wry, helpless smile.
"Horitake-senpai, I really can't be the one to decide something like 'entrusting' Nezuko to you. For one thing, I have no idea how Nezuko feels about you. For another, Nezuko is still a demon. Nothing is certain yet. I can't make a decision, so please... you'll have to wait."
Horitake slapped Tanjiro's shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Fair enough! I can understand your concerns. These things aren't settled in a day. We'll wait until things stabilize and Nezuko is human again. Don't worry, I'm just stating my intentions. I'm not forcing you to decide right this second. You don't think I'm the kind of scoundrel who uses past favors to demand a bride, do you?"
(Are you not exactly that kind of scoundrel?)
(From the very beginning, your motives for saving Nezuko weren't pure! I'm almost embarrassed to point it out!)
(His intentions are as clear as day to anyone watching. It's only because Tanjiro is so fundamentally kind-hearted that he hasn't looked at it from that cynical perspective.)
The two continued their lively bickering, walking side-by-side like a pair of close brothers, until they arrived at the small hut on Mount Sagiri.
Inside, Sakonji Urokodaki was taking his usual rest while keeping a watchful eye over the sleeping Nezuko.
When the two entered, the master looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his hidden features. His surprise was aimed primarily at Horitake.
Over the past two years, Tanjiro had been so consumed by his training—focusing entirely on honing his skills—that he was largely cut off from the news of the outside world. But Urokodaki, as a former Pillar, had his ways of staying informed.
He knew very well that the boy standing before him was no longer the simple apprentice he had met years ago. Horitake was no longer a trainee who could be easily handled.
As he saw Horitake and Tanjiro arrive together, Urokodaki stood up to welcome them.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Horitake. You are a rare guest—and a distinguished one at that."
Horitake, still keeping his arm around Tanjiro's shoulder, waved the comment off with a casual gesture. "No need for 'distinguished guests,' Master Urokodaki. You're far too formal. To me, you're still a respected senior."
Seeing that Horitake was still the same person—not letting his change in strength or status inflate his ego, and showing no sign of looking down on his elders—Urokodaki felt a wave of relief.
"I see. You haven't changed, Horitake. That is good. So, tell me... did you come all this way just to see Tanjiro and Nezuko?"
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