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Little Kanao had always preferred her own company. Being an introvert depends on many factors - genetics, experience, and understanding where one's sense of comfort comes from. In her case, all of these played a part. As a very small child, she had been abandoned by her parents, but fortunately, a loving family found her soon after. Still, even though the little girl was now surrounded by affection, she was never eager to be in large groups of people.
She preferred, first of all, to spend most of her time alone - and second, if she were to have any company at all, besides her parents, she loved being close to her sisters. She couldn't even explain what exactly drew her to them so much. Both of them were older: the eldest, Kanae, never stopped talking, her head always full of hundreds of thoughts that she sometimes struggled to express clearly. The younger one was quieter, easily frustrated, a perfectionist for whom any deviation from order was something that needed fixing. Together, they made a completely mismatched pair - and yet, it worked perfectly. They loved each other boundlessly, and they loved their youngest sister just as much.
Kanao got used to them - so much that she almost never wanted to let go of their hands or stop tugging at their clothes, something she often did to feel safe. Because of this, they had to slowly get her used to even small changes in her routine. Soon, she would have to go to school, where she'd have no choice but to be surrounded by others.
The simplest way to help her was to gently take her to places where other children gathered. Unfortunately, Shinobu - only two years older, yet already remarkably intelligent and sensitive - refused to take her little sister to any enclosed places. As she became more aware of the world, she entered a phase of fear of germs, and when that mixed with her childlike innocence, it created a very volatile combination.
Ironically, their parents worked in the pharmaceutical industry, so they knew a lot about medicine - and since Shinobu was endlessly curious, she discovered some rather disturbing facts about everyday life that most adults simply learned to accept. Of course, it was hard to explain that to a child, so they had to support her somewhat unreasonable (though not entirely) phobia.
Besides, it all came from her deep love and overprotectiveness toward her little sister - something so adorable that no one had the heart to discourage it.
Their options for safe places were limited, so the first choice was the playground. One of those nestled in a park among trees, filled with fresh air - a place where the chances of getting sick were smaller. It was usually less crowded too, which meant less noise.
The beginning wasn't easy. At first, Kanao just sat on the bench with her sisters, who were the ones taking her there. They had promised their busy parents to help her break out of her shell. After many failed attempts to get her interested in something - the slide, the swings, the merry-go-round, and other activities - it turned out that the sandbox was what she liked the most.
So, they had to buy her a bucket and other little tools, and for quite some time, they played there with her. Maybe they always came home covered in sand, and Shinobu would sternly make them all wash up, but none of them could say they weren't happy.
Eventually, the time came when Kanao could sit in the sandbox alone, watched from afar by her sisters. Still, she didn't speak to anyone or even look at the laughing and shouting children around her.
But there was one child who was the first to reach out to her.
"Hey," came a quiet boy's voice - though at their age, any voice sounded high-pitched anyway.
Kanao stayed focused on her little project, thinking it was just another sound from somewhere nearby. Only after a moment did she notice someone stepping into the sandbox - the sandbox that had always been hers alone.
"Hello? Hi!" said the boy again, trying to get her attention.
Kanao finally looked up and saw a boy with strange earrings - far too big for his small ears - and wearing a black-and-green checkered shirt.
"You've got such a pretty bucket and molds. Do you think we could play together?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.
A confused Kanao, finding herself in this kind of situation for the first time, looked toward Kanae, who was slowly nodding her head in encouragement - as if to show her younger sister what she should do. So Kanao turned back to the boy and nodded in the same way. He smiled even wider and sat down beside her but didn't make any other move.
"How do you do that?" he asked after a moment, curiosity in his voice.
"W-what? You don't know how?" the girl spoke for the first time, her voice soft and shy.
"No. I've never done anything like this before, but it looked interesting, so I wanted to ask you," he replied, fiddling with his fingers.
Kanao thought for a moment, then began to explain: "My sisters showed me that first you need to dig a bigger hole to find wetter and firmer sand. Then you use the shovel to scoop it into the bucket or mold. After that, you turn it over quickly on a flat surface and tap around it. If you did it right, when you lift it, you should see a sandcastle or other shape."
It was probably the longest sentence she had ever spoken to someone outside her family, but she felt comfortable talking about something she understood.
The boy watched her with great curiosity, his eyes shining. Kanao began to show him how to do it, and he grinned from ear to ear, following her movements closely. The girl felt that his smile was contagious, and before long, her own lips began to curl up slightly. Her new acquaintance tried to imitate her, though his first few attempts didn't go very well. He never gave up, though, laughing at his own mistakes - and before long, Kanao was giggling quietly too. The boy with red eyes looked as if this was the most fun he'd ever had in his life, something Kanao couldn't quite understand. Yet she couldn't deny that she liked it.
In the middle of their play, however, the boy suddenly blurted out:
"Would it be okay if we were friends?" he asked quickly, looking at her with an eager expression.
Kanao glanced at him, the gears in her head working hard under the weight of confusion. She didn't really understand what was happening, or why this child had asked her such a thing. A friend. She had never had a chance to experience something like that, though her sisters had told her what it meant.
"Why?" she asked after a moment's thought.
"Because I don't have any friends," he said sadly, lowering his gaze. "My mom brought me here so I could meet someone, because I'm always busy taking care of my siblings. I'm starting school soon, and I don't know what it's like..." Then, looking back up with sudden determination, he added, "But I'm having such a good time with you, and I want to be your friend!"
Kanao blinked several times, never having seen such motivation before - especially not directed toward her friendship, something she had never experienced.
"Okay," she answered quietly, overwhelmed by the boy's emotions.
His whole face lit up instantly, his smile becoming even brighter and more joyful. His eyes sparkled like gemstones as he jumped to his feet, excitement overflowing.
"Can I show you to my mom?" he burst out.
"What?"
"I want to show her that I made a friend!"
"Uhh... okay?"
The boy immediately grabbed her hand - not even realizing what he was doing - and gently tugged her toward one of the benches, where his mother was sitting.
"Mom! Mom! Look, I made a friend! Her name is-" the excited boy suddenly stopped mid-sentence, realizing something. "What's your name? I forgot to ask."
"Kanao. Kanao Tsuyuri," the girl answered shyly.
"Her name's Kanao! She's awesome! Can we see her more often?" the boy continued enthusiastically.
"Calm down, Tanjiro. Let her breathe a little," the woman said kindly, smiling. Then she turned to the girl. "Who did you come here with, sweetheart?"
"My sisters," Kanao replied, pointing toward the two older girls sitting nearby.
The woman nodded and began walking toward them, following her was Tanjiro still holding Kanao's hand.
"Hello. My name is Kie Kamado. It seems my son really took a liking to your sister. May I ask if you come here often, so they could meet again?" she asked politely, bowing slightly to Kanae and Shinobu.
"Of course. We come here every weekend at the same time. We were just about to leave, actually, but we didn't want to interrupt our little sister. Usually, we stay for about two hours if the weather's good," Kanae answered politely.
"I see. Then I'll try to bring him here more often," Kie said, turning back toward her son.
"Yay!" Tanjiro cheered, jumping up and finally letting go of Kanao's hand, his bright eyes fixed on hers.
"But we should be going now too. Say goodbye, Tanjiro," his mother said gently, noticing the girls were getting ready to leave.
"See you, Kanao! Thank you for a great day!" he said, bowing slightly and taking his mother's hand. He kept turning around and waving to his new friend for a long time, and Kanao, though a little puzzled, tried to wave back.
Shinobu returned from the sandbox, carrying her sister's toys. She grabbed Kanao's arm, gently pulling her hand forward.
"He held this hand, didn't he? Give it to me - I'll disinfect it," she said with care, pulling out a small bottle of antibacterial gel and rubbing it onto Kanao's hand.
Kanae just widened her eyes and mouth, silently thanking fate that Tanjiro and his mom were already gone before Shinobu could embarrass them all in front of them.
Their meetings, however, continued. When the weather grew colder, their families exchanged phone numbers to arrange gatherings in other places - mostly at their homes. Kanao also got to know Tanjiro's family, which was large enough to be hard to count. She quickly developed a bond with the boy - one that felt very similar to the one she shared with her sisters. It was even her idea that they should attend the same school. She wanted to see him more often and always felt only the warmest emotions when he was around.
Being an introvert doesn't mean disliking people - at least, not always. It just takes time, or pure chance, to find that one person you truly connect with. And when that happens - when you choose that person to grow close to - there is no stronger bond in the world.
That's the kind of bond she built with Tanjiro - her first true friend, and from that moment on, an inseparable part of her life.
Their friendship lasted for many years. They ended up attending the same school - even the same class. One day, Tanjiro invited her out on a date. They were thirteen at the time, so not exactly the most mature, but for their age, they were fairly emotionally developed. They already saw each other every day, not just at school - Kanao often visited his family’s bakery, and since she loved sweets, that gave her even more reason to stop by.
Having known each other since childhood, they were always together. They loved holding hands - it made them feel more connected, and that bond kept growing stronger and stronger until neither of them could quite tell if there were any boundaries left between them.
During that date in the park where they had first met, they weren’t playing in the sandbox this time. Instead, they sat on a bench, each holding an ice cream cone. Then, out of nowhere, Tanjiro asked a very odd question.
“Would it be okay if we were a couple?” he asked casually, stopping mid-lick and looking at his friend.
Kanao also paused her eating and looked at him with a neutral expression.
“Aren’t we already?” she asked just as innocently.
“Well… I guess it could look that way, but technically, you’re supposed to ask to make it official,” Tanjiro said, deep in thought.
“What exactly does being in a relationship mean?” Kanao asked, going back to her ice cream before it melted.
“I think it means caring for each other, holding hands, sometimes kissing. You spend a lot of time together, go on dates, tell each other everything. Those are probably the most important things,” Tanjiro said in his usual cheerful tone.
“Then I guess we already meet almost all the criteria.”
“That’s exactly why I thought about it. But I wanted to ask so I’d know if you want me to be your boyfriend.”
“I do. Does that mean I’ll get to call myself your girlfriend?”
“Looks like it.”
“Great. But I don’t think anything will really change. We already loved each other anyway, right?”
“Of course. I told you I love you very much, Kanao.”
“I didn’t know that’s what you meant. I thought you had to love someone even more to be a couple.”
“I don’t know… how could I possibly love you any more than I already do?”
“I don’t know either. I guess we’ve already passed that point. I love you very much too, Tanjiro,” Kanao said sweetly, looking into his eyes again.
Tanjiro’s face brightened, and he smiled widely.
“Thank you, Kanao. I didn’t think it would be this easy.”
“Why would it be hard?” she asked curiously.
“Nezuko started saying weird things about what you have to do to get a girlfriend. She said I’d have to take care of her, help her, care about her, think she’s pretty, and give her compliments.”
“But you already do all that,” Kanao interrupted, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Exactly! That’s why I thought maybe we’re already boyfriend and girlfriend. But Nezuko also said you have to go on dates, so I wanted to take you on one. Do you like it?”
“Very much. I love coming here - especially with you.”
“Then I’ll do my best to be the best boyfriend in the world, Kanao! I’ll take you anywhere you want and take care of you even more!” Tanjiro shouted with fiery determination. His eyes shone like two suns, and his smile, as always, seemed to warm everything around him.
Kanao froze for a moment, feeling a pleasant shiver run through her body. She smiled too and leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to Tanjiro’s cheek. But since her lips were smudged with chocolate ice cream, she left a little mark on his skin.
“Oh no, I got you dirty. Sorry,” she said, blushing slightly.
Tanjiro blinked, then leaned over and did the same - leaving a kiss on her pink cheek, smudging it with his strawberry ice cream.
They both blinked in surprise for a second before bursting out in bright, cheerful laughter.
“You know what, Tanjiro? Maybe it is possible to love someone more. I think it happens every day - I just hadn’t noticed before,” Kanao said after a moment of laughter, still smiling warmly.
“Now that you say it like that, I think you’re right. Maybe that’s why I finally wanted to ask you - because I care about you even more. You’re really special, Kanao,” Tanjiro said, tilting his head gently and smiling radiantly.
“Thank you. You’re special too,” Kanao replied softly.
Tanjiro chuckled quietly under his breath, then continued,
“So that means someday we’ll get married?”
“You’re supposed to ask about that one, Tanjiro,” Kanao giggled, remembering what her parents had once explained to her.
“Then will you marry me?” Tanjiro asked innocently, his tone pure and sincere.
Kanao burst into laughter, unable to hold it in.
“What? Do you have to say some kind of magic spell or something?” he asked, a bit confused.
“You need an engagement first - at least that’s what Mom said. She told me Dad gave her a ring when he proposed.”
“Oh, I don’t have a ring for you… I’m sorry,” Tanjiro said sadly.
“You don’t need to buy me a ring. I can still be your wife without one. Let’s just say that was the engagement,” Kanao said cheerfully, smiling from ear to ear.
Tanjiro’s face lit up again. “Alright! But I promise - one day I’ll buy you a beautiful ring before we get married!” he said loudly and excitedly, wrapping Kanao in a tight, warm hug.
Kanao thought back to all those memories as she sat in the living room of their home, looking at her hand - at the beautiful engagement ring resting on her finger, and the wedding band right beside it, placed there by her husband.
Then she looked toward the source of laughter filling every corner of the house. On the carpet, Tanjiro lay on his back, holding one of their two daughters high in the air as she squealed and giggled, pretending to fly. The other little girl sat beside them, clapping her hands as if to make sure her sister wouldn’t fall.
A wave of warmth filled Kanao’s entire soul. If anyone had told her back then how much weight their innocent words would one day carry, she never would have believed it. That one boy who once stumbled into her life had become the man she loved - now her husband, the father of her children - and she couldn’t have been happier or more fulfilled.
She stepped down from the couch and picked up her other daughter, lifting her high into the air so she could “fly” too. Another burst of laughter echoed through the room, sending sparks of joy through Kanao’s heart. She never would have imagined that building sandcastles could one day lead to building a family of her own - but she silently thanked that little girl who had nodded her head all those years ago, the one who had found a friend that would stay by her side for the rest of her life.