Chapter 212: Tanjiro Crashes
Immediately after, Kie hurried to the kitchen to prepare a light, nourishing meal to help Tanjuro regain his strength. This left Tanjiro and Nezuko to entertain Akira and the others, while keeping a close, hopeful watch over their father's physical condition.
Since this was the first practical application of such an unmatched medical treatment, careful observation was crucial.
Yet, while everyone's attention remained firmly anchored on Tanjuro's steady breathing, a subtle shift went entirely unnoticed. Nezuko, having just bowed deeply to Akira in deep gratitude, raised her head. As her gaze met his, the usual innocent light in her eyes had softened into something entirely different.
Only Tanjiro, blessed with an extraordinarily sharp sense of smell, twitched his nose. He blinked, glancing left and right in mild bewilderment.
A fleeting, incredibly distinct scent had just drifted through the air. It was a fragrance he recognized—a sweet, delicate aroma he had caught wafting from Akira and the girls at the Butterfly Mansion whenever they were together. It was the same warm scent that occasionally lingered between his own parents during their quiet, tender moments.
Though he had no real way to verify it, Tanjiro's sharp instincts told him that the emotion tied to this specific scent could only be described as 'affection.' More specifically, the romantic affection between a man and a woman.
But who in this room could possibly share that kind of dynamic? Tanjiro furrowed his brow, utterly baffled.
The only women present were Lady Tamayo and his younger sister, Nezuko. Aside from himself, the remaining men were his bedridden father, Sawaki who was currently monitoring the treatment, and Akira, the man who had brought them all together.
None of these people seemed to share any connection that crossed the boundary of platonic friendship or professional respect. More, even though the sweet scent was incredibly faint and dissipated almost instantly, Tanjiro was absolutely certain it had originated from just one person. That made the situation even stranger.
For a straightforward boy like Tanjiro, untangling the complex web of human romance was a monumental task. Unable to make sense of the invisible puzzle, he eventually pushed the lingering doubts to the back of his mind, refocusing his complete attention on his father's recovery.
Later that night, after Tanjuro had eaten and his vitals had completely stabilized, Tamayo quietly slipped away, returning to her hidden clinic under the concealing veil of darkness.
By the time the morning sun crested the horizon the following day, it was time for Sawaki and Akira to take their leave.
"Sawaki-san, Akira-san, words cannot express how grateful we are for your help," Kie said, bowing deeply alongside her family. "Safe travels."
With his failing organs restored to healthy, functioning levels, Tanjuro's recovery had been nothing short of miraculous. After a single hearty meal and a restful night's sleep, the once-bedridden man was already capable of walking outside, leaning gently against his wife for support.
As Akira and Sawaki prepared to depart, the entire Kamado family gathered at the edge of their property to see them off.
"Brother Akira, please come visit us again!" the younger siblings chimed in, waving their hands enthusiastically.
"I'll be sure to drop by whenever I have the time," Akira replied with a warm smile. He shifted his gaze to the eldest daughter. "Nezuko, you're always welcome to visit the Butterfly Mansion, too. Kanao would love to see you. You're one of her few close friends." Stepping forward, Akira gently rested his hand on Nezuko's head, affectionately ruffling her dark hair.
They had shared this casual, sibling-like interaction plenty of times before. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Akira noticed a faint, rosy flush creeping across Nezuko's cheeks.
The delicate dusting of pink on her fair, youthful face made her look undeniably adorable, sparking a fleeting urge to pinch her cheeks. Akira immediately reigned in the thought. Nezuko wasn't Kanao. He genuinely viewed the Kamado girl as a precious younger sister, and he knew he needed to maintain appropriate boundaries to respect that dynamic.
"Mm-hmm!" Nezuko hummed brightly. Just as Akira began to pull his hand away, she offered an eager nod, using the subtle motion to secretly lean into his palm, gently brushing her head against his warm skin. It was a tiny, hidden gesture—a secret known only to her.
Though merely a single night had passed since he saved her father, a quiet, unfamiliar warmth had taken root within the young girl's heart. Simple interactions she had once taken for granted now carried a thrilling, unique weight. Yet, she kept these blossoming emotions locked safely within her chest, revealing nothing to the outside world.
For a fleeting second, Nezuko felt as though she finally understood exactly how Kanao felt. However, when it came to certain matters of the heart, her perspective remained distinctly her own.
The Kamado family lingered at the courtyard gate, waving until Akira and Sawaki's silhouettes vanished down the winding mountain path. It wasn't until the forest completely swallowed them from view that Nezuko finally snapped out of her daze.
Turning around, she noticed Tanjiro staring blankly at the empty path. His wide eyes held a swirling mix of shock, deep confusion, and utter bewilderment.
Just moments ago, Tanjiro's nose had caught it again. That exact same, unmistakable scent from the previous night—the fragrant aroma of romantic affection. Only this time, it was significantly stronger and lingered much longer in the crisp morning air. The heightened intensity had finally allowed him to pinpoint both the source of the emotion and the person it was directed toward.
The sweet scent was pouring directly from his beloved sister, Nezuko. And its absolute focus was none other than the man he deeply respected: Akira.
The sheer weight of this revelation hit Tanjiro like a physical blow, causing his straightforward brain to completely short-circuit.
He always knew that Nezuko would eventually find a sweetheart and get married. As an older brother, Tanjiro had long since mentally prepared himself for that inevitability. He wasn't the type to throw an emotional tantrum just because his sister fell in love.
But for that person to be Akira...
Up until now, Nezuko had never displayed even a hint of romantic inclination toward the Sound Hashira. Their dynamic had always mirrored her relationship with Tanjiro—pure, wholesome sibling affection.
Now, however, those innocent feelings were rapidly evolving into something far more complicated.
During his grueling training sessions with Zenitsu and the others, the topic of Akira's rather flourishing romantic life had inevitably come up. Tanjiro's stance had always been pragmatic and respectful: since the women involved were fully aware of the situation and happily accepted each other, it wasn't any outsider's place to judge or criticize their unconventional household.
In fact, witnessing the genuine warmth and unwavering support they shared often left Tanjiro feeling a faint twinge of envy. He sincerely wished nothing but lifelong happiness for those kind-hearted people.
Yet, the sudden realization that his own precious sister might actually join their ranks was an entirely different matter.
As a fiercely protective older brother, his immediate, knee-jerk instinct was to grumble about Akira's flaws. After all, the man already had several beautiful women by his side! How could he possibly drag Nezuko into that complex web?
But Tanjiro's inherently honest and gentle nature quickly silenced that protective flare. He knew full well that Akira hadn't intentionally done anything to court Nezuko, and slandering a man who had just saved their father's life was incredibly dishonorable.
Caught in a vicious tug-of-war between his protective brotherly instincts and his unwavering moral compass—while simultaneously trying to calculate exactly when Nezuko's feelings had shifted—Tanjiro's mind simply gave up. He stood frozen, his brain completely crashed.
"Brother?" Nezuko tilted her head, her brow furrowing in concern. She stared at Tanjiro, who was rooted to the dirt path like a statue. His jaw hung slightly open as if he wanted to speak, but his unfocused burgundy eyes were staring blankly into the void.
Her soft voice acted like a spark, forcefully rebooting Tanjiro's stalled mind and snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts.
"Ah! I-I'm fine!" Tanjiro stammered, waving his hands frantically. "It's just... Nezuko, you and Brother Akira..."
"Brother Akira?" Nezuko cut in smoothly, her tone perfectly even. "He's already left. What are you daydreaming about, Brother? We should head back inside. Aren't you supposed to be training? You shouldn't slack off. Mom and I can handle the chores, and you saw Dad yourself—he's getting better by the minute!"
Without missing a beat, she spun on her heel and marched back toward the house to join their parents and younger siblings, expertly steering the conversation away from the dangerous territory.
To anyone else, her deflection would have seemed entirely natural and seamless. But Tanjiro's nose didn't lie. Beneath her cheerful tone, he caught the distinct, sour scent of fleeting panic—and perhaps, just a faint trace of a guilty conscience.
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