Chapter Text
The unfamiliar sight of a square compartment appeared in his view.
Strange …
The Afterworld he imagined wouldn’t look like this. Moreover, there was an almost-unbearable pain, as if his body was being split apart, especially on his right arm. The experience was strangely similar to what he felt 4 years ago after the judgment day with Kibutsuji Muzan.
Crash!
The sound of China and other stuff smashing on the floor woke Tomioka Giyu from his daydreaming. He moved his gaze to the source of the sound. There stood a small figure of a girl with braids decorated with little blue ornaments. Her petite face expressed a sign of shock. At first, she froze, but after recollecting herself, she turned and shouted loudly while running out of the room, abandoning the broken China and the spilling liquid on the wooden floor.
“The Water Pillar … Tomioka-san regains his consciousness! Hurry! Call Kanao-san quickly!”
The Water Pillar? He hadn’t been addressed as Water Pillar for 3 years.
What was happening to him?
It was his last day, he remembered.
In his 25th year, he knew the time had come. He sat on the veranda, admiring the full moon for the last time before his departure to the Afterworld.
Even in the very last flash of life, before his eyes forever shut, she appeared.
Kocho, I will meet you on the other side. I have collected many stories in the past 4 years to pass them on to you. I hope you still wait for me …
He lost his conscious, just like that. When he opened his eyes, he was already here.
Soon, he heard fervent footsteps approaching. A figure of a girl with ponytail with a big green and pink butterfly-shaped hair ornament appeared at the door, a stethoscope in her hand. It was the Insect Pillar’s tsuguko, Tsuyuri Kanao.
“What a relief, truly a relief.” Tears started to well up in her eyes. The tears of joy, indeed, “Shinazukawa-san also regained his conscious 2 days ago.”
Now, he was assured. He had travelled 4 years back in time. Everything happened to him like a rewound film reel.
But why did this happen to him?
Carefully and thoroughly, Tsuyuri Kanao started examining the young man’s puzzled face, then put away her stethoscope before letting out a sigh.
“Stable, well recovered after the past 3 months.” She glanced swiftly at his missing right arm from the elbow down. “Sorry about the loss of your arm.”
“Unfortunately, Master … Shinobu-nee is still recovering; otherwise, she would be the one looking after you.”
Shinobu? Kocho Shinobu?!
He sprang up and grabbed the girl’s shoulder with his remaining arm, such strength that even Kanao, who had trained herself for a long time, grimaced with pain. Surprisingly, the man who had been unconscious from his injury for 3 whole months still had this much strength, but to her, he seemed to already lost his mind.
He said with a shaky voice.
“She’s still alive?”
“Yes, she is. Wait! Tomioka-san!”
Alarmed, the girl called out loudly when Tomioka Giyu leapt from his bed, pulling off his entangled I.V. drip before running around the butterfly mansion like a lunatic. He ran in and out of each infirmary like pain and fatigue had been all ridded off.
Until he saw her slender back.
Kocho Shinobu, in her hospital gown, was sitting, turning sideways next to an infirmary’s window. She was admiring the blooming summer flowers in the garden, outside the window. When she heard a ruckus outside the door, she turned to the disruptor of her peaceful moment. Seeing the face of the intruder, a beautiful smile engraved in Giyu’s heart, then bloomed on her charming face, even prettier than those butterflies that were flapping their wings gently in the garden outside.
“Tomioka-san”
Warm tears rolled down from his blue eyes. He leapt at her and gave her as big a hug his only arm could provide. He held her so tight as if to bury her in his chest.
She’s back. She really is back.
Kocho Shinobu had returned.
Once the adrenaline subsided, Giyu felt his mind became blurry. While embracing her, he passed out soon after the infirmary staff and Kakushi arrived, making so much noise and commotion within the room. With the same sense of relief, Shinobu was also very surprised. Could someone like Tomioka Giyu reveal this side of his? For a moment, she felt like someone he cherished with all his heart …
Impossible.
Shinobu released a soft sigh while carefully supporting his body and passed him to Kakushi’s care so that he could be back to his room.
Someone so weak and useless like her didn’t deserve such affection.
Memory of when she was in a battle with Upper Rank Two, Doma.
Memory of her fell on her knees when she was assaulted by that pair of sharp fans.
Memory of Kanao and Inosuke rushing towards her in panic… These were all buried deep in her aching heart.
She glanced back at the summer garden outside the window. Everything seemed so peaceful as though nothing had ever happened.
Nobody would have known the reason why, after regaining his consciousness, Tomioka Giyu strongly insisted on staying for recovery at the Butterfly Mansion, not to return to his residence like before. As curious as everyone was, no one dared to question him when encountering his serious expression.
When the former Insect Pillar, also the rightful owner of the Butterfly Mansion, was asked for her comment, Shinobu went speechless for a moment, then nodded in approval to let him stay in her mansion.
‘He can stay until he feels at ease.’
Apart from that, Giyu would ask for Shinobu’s examination and attention whenever there was a chance.
“What did Kocho say?”
“I don’t feel so confident. I would need Kocho’s advice on this.”
“I can’t move my left arm comfortably. Can you ask Kocho to have a look?”
At first, Shinobu patiently responded to his requests one after another, but one day, he finally pushed her to a breaking point.
“Tomioka-san”, she said coldly, “from my conclusion, there is nothing to worry about your condition. I think it’s time to make room for other patients.”
Giyu pulled a straight face, a combination of playing dumb and pure innocence. He ignored her cold shoulder and murmured that his wound tore opened again.
Shinobu felt her veins bulge on her forehead. After realising that she would never beat his ‘thick skin’, she then ignored him completely and sent over either Kanao or Aoi whenever he called for her. However, Kano sometimes claimed that she needed to care for the unconscious Tanjiro, while Aoi also said that she needed to make sure that her patient, Hashibira Inosuke, wouldn’t be troublesome for others. Both girls would prefer to quietly flee from this dilemma.
This mind game of the former Water Pillar and the former Insect Pillar continued for weeks, causing such an indescribable kind of headache to the members of the Butterfly Mansion and the Kakushi who were helping around.
“Where’s Kocho?” The question was shot towards the young girl with pigtails as a morning greeting. Aoi was holding a tray and walked into the room to treat Giyu’s wounds as usual. She tilted her head, carefully figuring out the right answer before opening her mouth.
“Shinobu-san, ah …, she confines herself in her office doing her pharmaceutical research. As you already know, we have a high number of patients since the judgment day with Kibutsuji Muzan. Therefore, Shinobu-san is working on a recipe for a more effective astringent.”
Giyu nodded in acknowledgement.
“I see. I will see if there is anything I can help her.”
Aoi jumped. She hastily put the tray on the nightstand and tried to stop him at her best.
“Normally, Shinobu-san will not allow anyone to disturb her during her research since she needs to concentrate. Also, you are still ‘injured’, Tomioka-san. Please take care of yourself first.”
If I let him pass, Shinobu-san would kill me.
As if fully understanding the situation, he uttered ‘ah’. Just when Aoi let out a sigh of relief, a little girl with shoulder-length hair and pink butterfly ornaments on both sides of her head called her from the front door.
“Ah, you are here, Aoi-san. Shinobu-san asked if you could fetch some ingredients for her medicine from the town …”
Aoi didn’t imagine that she could run this fast, but, unfortunately, she still wasn’t fast enough to cover Kiyo-chan’s mouth in time. With her mouth covered, the little girl widened her eyes, shifting her glance between Aoi and the former Water Pillar.
It was too late. Giyu’s ears caught the girl’s words. He slowly rose from his bed and said, “Kocho suggested that I do some exercises as a rehabilitation. She is now in trouble. I will help her out.”
Not just talking, he held out his hand, asking for the list of ingredients from the little girl’s trembling hands. Kiyo-chan rapidly shook her head while still having Aoi’s hand over her mouth. Her hands clutched the paper even tighter.
“I stayed here without doing anything to pay back Kocho’s and everyone’s generosity.” Giyu lowered his gaze, looking very susceptible and sentimental.
Both Aoi and Kiyo were at a loss for words. In the end, they had to give up and gave him the list.
My apology, Shinobu-san
They could only apologise to their benefactor in their own minds.
The sound of footsteps behind caught Shinobu’s attention while she was busy compounding chemicals in her colourful glass tubes.
“You have come, Aoi”, she said, even with her back turned “, please place my stuff on the right-side desk.”
However, Aoi’s footsteps were heavier than usual today?
There was no response. Shibonu was so surprised she put down the glass tube in her hand and turned her face to ask her adopted sister a few words. Her purple eyes suddenly met a pair of blue eyes.
“Inventing a new medicine, Kocho?”
Giyu leaned over her from a side. His face was so close that she shuddered and lost the rhythm of her breath. By instinct, Shinobu backed away but tripped over her own feet, but there was a warm hand holding her arm just before her fall. Her petite face blushed vividly. She quickly got back on her feet then gently shook away from his grip, being aware that he was still rehabilitating.
“Tomioka-san! What are you doing here?”
“I went to the town to buy the ingredients for you.” Giyu acted all innocent while turning to pick up the bundle and placed it in Shinobu’s hands. Escaping this awkward situation, she quickly accepted the ingredients with both hands, then opened it to check the contents while complaining, “If you are still not well, please act like one. Why don’t you have a rest? Stop loitering around, Tomioka-san”
“You bought the wrong ingredient.” Shinobu frowned and pointed at the contents of the paper bag “I need dried ‘Myoga’, not ‘Shoga’” (Myoga and Shoga are different kinds of Japanese ginger.)
She sighed. “Seems like I need to do it myself.”
“I will come with you.”
“You stay here and rest. I will go alone.”
Since Tomioka Giyu regained his conscious, his weird approach seemed to bring back her 14-year-old self. She now expressed her real emotion, spoke and acted to how she truly felt. She no longer needed to wear a mask of a gentle Kocho Kanae as when she was a Hashira, especially the anger and frustration every time he got on her nerves. This also includes the feeling of bashfulness and the beat-skipping of her heart.
“I bought the wrong ingredients. I take responsibility for my mistake.” he raised his eyes to look at her “You are also recovering, Kocho. I can walk you. Just in case.”
If he were a cat or a dog, she would probably see his ears and tail drooping.
“No need. I am a doctor myself. I know my own limit.” She gave him a stern look, acted tough, then walked past him to exit her office. Then, she changed her clothes and continued her other businesses.
Leaving Tomioka Giyu behind, she didn’t look back at all.