Obanai, hidden in the shadows, stretched lazily, his eyes filled with deep confusion as he muttered:
"Staying out this late just to trick a girl—what a creep!"
"Sssss!" His snake, Kaburamaru, nodded in agreement.
He had seen through Tendo's act from the start. He'd thought something was actually wrong—what a waste of worry.To figure out what Tendo was up to, Obanai followed him from a distance.
After navigating through a maze of narrow alleys, Shinobu Kocho and Tendo came to a stop in front of a dilapidated thatched hut on the outskirts of town.
Tendo surveyed the fragile hut, which looked like it could be blown away by a gust of wind, and sighed imperceptibly.
Honestly, seeing the living conditions of the Kocho sisters broke his heart. He hadn't expected Shinobu to be living in such hardship.
If only he had met her sooner.
"It's a bit shabby, but please don't mind it!" Shinobu, noticing Tendo frozen in place, assumed he was put off by the rundown hut. After all, someone who could buy so many dango at once surely wasn't short on money.
"No, no, no!"
"It's perfectly fine! I don't mind at all, really!"
Tendo waved his hands frantically, feeling utterly mortified. After all, who wouldn't yearn for a better life?
"Tendo-sensei, you're acting strange. Why are you so flustered?"
"I get it now!"
Shinobu was puzzled. She could vaguely sense that Tendo Kazama always seemed overly cautious around her, as if afraid she might dislike him.
"I wasn't—"
Before Tendo could finish explaining, a frail yet unmistakably gentle voice called out from inside the hut, undiminished by illness.
"Shinobu, do we have a guest?"
"Or did you cause trouble again?"
The voice, though weak with sickness, carried a note of concern. Shinobu's expression darkened, and she hurried inside.
"Sister, I didn't cause any trouble!"
"And you—lie down! I'll go make the medicine right away!"
Tendo stepped inside. The air was thick with the scent of age, and the dim light barely illuminated the interior.
His eyes swept across the room, taking in the sparse furnishings—just a rickety wooden table, a straw mat, and some bedding.
The Kocho sisters' life was even harder than he had imagined. Thinking about it, how could two young girls, orphaned and alone, fare any better?
On the straw mat nearby, Kanae Kocho had just sat up. Her face was pale from illness, yet it bore a resilience and maturity beyond her years.
Of course, a child her age should have been enjoying the warmth of her parents' care. It was circumstance that had forced her to grow up too soon.
"Sir, has Shinobu caused you any trouble?"
Seeing the sword at Tendo's side, Kanae grew nervous. She shielded Shinobu behind her like a mother hen, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.
"No, no, no!"
"I'm not here to cause trouble!"
Once again, he'd been mistaken for a troublemaker. Sigh.
"Huh?"
"Does your stomach not hurt anymore?" Shinobu suddenly asked, catching Tendo off guard. His heart sank—he'd completely forgotten about that act.
"Uh, well… I actually feel much better now. Maybe it's because I've always been a bit… unusual? Ahahaha!" Tendo scratched his head awkwardly, forcing a laugh.
Hearing this, Shinobu relaxed. As long as he was fine, that was all that mattered. It never crossed her mind that Tendo might have been faking his illness.
"By the way, since I'm here, let me help you prepare the medicine!"
"You two talk first!"
Tendo took the medicine pouch from Shinobu's hands and dashed outside. He'd spotted a medicine pot out there earlier.
"Sister!""Even though Tendo-sensei carries a sword, he's not a bad person! He helped me!" Shinobu Kocho hurriedly explained to her sister, smiling as she spoke. Kanae noticed this keenly but said nothing more.
She didn't know what had happened, but she was certain the sword-wielding boy their age posed no threat.
Outside the thatched hut, Tendo sat dejectedly beside the medicine pot, sighing heavily.
It seemed he was disliked. Maybe he shouldn't have brought the sword.
Wahh! (╥_╥)
"Pervert, did you get kicked out?"
"Faking an illness just to—"
Obanai had appeared beside Tendo without warning, arms crossed, mercilessly taunting him.
Tendo reacted swiftly, clamping a hand over Obanai's mouth and whispering urgently into his ear:
"First of all, I'm not a pervert!"
"Second, give me a break—don't expose me!"
Despite his aggressive posture, his words were pleading. Obanai nodded, and only then did Tendo release the ever-elusive man.
Obanai stood with his arms crossed, watching as Tendo alternated between grinning and sighing. He was starting to think the guy had lost it.
This kid's really sick in the head!
Just then, the door to the thatched hut opened, and Shinobu emerged, supporting her sister.
"Tendo-sensei, I deeply apologize for the earlier misunderstanding!"
"Thank you for saving Shinobu!"
Kanae Kocho looked at Tendo with sincere remorse in her eyes.
Though dressed in patched, coarse clothing, her every movement exuded the grace of a well-bred young lady.
After all, the Kocho sisters came from a wealthy family of physicians—refinement was ingrained in their bones. Hardship hadn't dulled Kanae's elegance.
"Don't worry about it. This guy just loves sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. Ignore him."
"I'm Obanai Iguro, his friend."
Obanai introduced himself. He didn't understand why Tendo was so intent on getting close to these sisters, but he trusted Tendo unconditionally.
"Hello, I'm Kanae Kocho."
"If you two don't mind, please allow us to host you?"
Cough, cough!
As she spoke, Kanae coughed a few times—she had forced herself outside despite her illness.
And so, fates that should never have crossed paths intertwined because of Tendo's presence.
The future Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps came to know each other in this way.
"By the way, we're all around the same age. No need to keep calling me 'sensei.'"
"Tendo Kazama—my friends call me Tendo!"
"Oh, and the medicine's ready!"
"Wait, I'll handle it!" Shinobu helped her sister back inside.
As soon as the Kocho sisters disappeared into the hut, Obanai asked calmly, expression unchanging:
"Do you know them?"
At the question, Tendo's hand jerked, nearly dropping the medicine pot.
Obanai became even more certain—the look Tendo had given him when they first met was similar to today.
It was the look of someone recognizing an old acquaintance, an unconscious slip of genuine emotion.
"Do you believe in fate?" Tendo suddenly asked cryptically. Just then, the medicine poured into the bowl, releasing a wisp of steam that veiled his eyes.
"Maybe I saw all of you in a dream!"
"Hahaha!"
"Of course, that's impossible!"
"I just like meddling in other people's business!"
Tendo laughed heartily.Obanai Iguro froze for a moment, then smiled beneath his bandages without saying another word.
If this was fate, it seemed like a good one.
Fate had allowed him to meet a good person and had even given him a sword worthy of atonement.