Chapter Text
*15 years later*
A new day rose over the quiet town of Akamori. It was late summer, and a haze of heat was already settling upon the earth. Birds chirped lazily, and the town’s inhabitants woke slowly from sleep. On a morning like this, most could take their time, and enjoy a little more rest before greeting the day proper.
But not everyone.
Sunlight streamed through an uncovered window, casting its glow upon the face of a young man. Red eyes, trained to rise with the first rays of light, opened and blinked away sleep. The man sat up and stretched, letting out a yawn. As a familiar smell reached his nose, his tiredness gave way, and he smiled.
Kamado Tanjiro stood to get ready for the day. The smell of fresh-baked breads and pastries wafted from downstairs, the little bakery below already in full business mode to meet the morning demand. Normally, he’d put on his uniform and head right down to the kitchen. But today was a little different.
He put on something casual and breathable for the summer, grabbed his backpack, and headed out into the hall. The enticing scents grew even stronger as he descended the stairs and entered the bakery proper. It was fairly busy, a line of customers already formed and nearly reaching the door. He waved to the two people behind the counter.
“Good morning, Mitsuri-san! Good morning, Iguro-san!”
“Tanjiro-kun! You’re up early!” The woman at the counter, Mitsuri, greeted him cheerily, her pink and green curls bouncing in excitement. “Come here! I have a cinnamon bun just for you!”
“Thanks, Mitsuri-san!” Tanjiro said as he walked up and took the treat set aside on the counter. He cast a nervous glance towards the black-haired man behind her, but he only glared wordlessly, before returning to the kitchen to bring out more fresh-baked goods.
Tanjiro breathed a sigh of relief, considering that a good interaction between them.
“What are you doing up so early?” Mitsuri asked as she handed a bag to a waiting customer. “Your shift isn’t until later, you know? You can sleep in!”
“Normally I would, but not today. Nezuko’s coming, remember?”
Mitsuri’s eyes went wide. “That’s right! I completely forgot! Here, let me get some treats for her! She likes strawberry mochi, right? Oh, and you two are going to the memorial today, aren’t you? I’ll pack some sandwiches, too!”
“You really don’t have to do all that, Mitsuri-san…” Tanjiro laughed awkwardly, especially since she was now holding up the line as she frantically packed a lunch for him. But she didn’t listen, and even though he tried to protest, he found her concern to be sweet.
She was always like this, anyway. Ever since he first started working here, she doted on him like a mother, even though she was only six years older and had five kids of her own. Granted, those kids were practically a second set of siblings to him now, with how much time he spent watching over them.
He’d been working at this bakery for about three years. At first, it had just been something to make money, and he was good at baking, so why not? But even though he’d been more than willing to take out a loan for his own place, Mitsuri insisted that he stay with them in order to save up. Tanjiro suspected a large part of it was because of how big a help he was with her younger children, and much they adored him in turn. She’d been especially grateful for his help, both with the bakery and the kids, ever since her oldest left for college just this year.
Her husband, Obanai, by contrast, had been less enthusiastic about him staying here. But Tanjiro cleaned the house and paid rent, so his presence was tolerated.
“Here you go!” Mitsuri finished putting everything together and shoved a large paper bag into his hands. “If you want, you can hang out here until Nezuko-chan comes!”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.”
But despite her offer to relax, Tanjiro was never one to sit idly when he felt there was work to be done. Even though he wasn’t in uniform, he still helped to throw away trash and clean the tables to take some weight off the bakery’s two co-owners. He even cleaned the cage of the store’s unofficial mascot, a white snake named Kaburamaru. It was a little strange to have a snake as the face of a place called ‘The Lovely Rabbit’, but it seemed that the patrons were all very fond of the docile serpent.
Well, usually docile, anyway. He was quite hostile to Tanjiro whenever Obanai was around. But he was friendlier when the older man wasn’t present, so maybe he didn’t actually hate him. Hopefully.
An hour passed, and Tanjiro was so preoccupied with keeping himself busy that he didn’t hear the bell chime as the bakery door opened.
“Hello, welcome in-” Mitsuri’s usual greeting was cut off by a cheerful gasp. “Nezuko-chan!”
Tanjiro’s head shot up, snapped out of his reverie. And there she was: his little sister, all grown up. She didn’t see him at first, eyes focused on Mitsuri as she approached the counter.
“Nezuko!”
The girl stopped, and turned towards him with a wide smile. “Tanjiro!”
Tanjiro ran to her, and she met him partway with an enthusiastic hug. As they separated, he spotted the little girl with brown hair and orange eyes clinging to Nezuko’s skirt, trying to hide behind her legs. His smile grew even brighter.
“Is that who I think it is?” He bent down to meet her gaze, and as soon as she made eye contact, the girl’s shyness vanished. She smiled wide and leapt into his arms.
“Uncle Tanjiro!”
“Shizuka!” Tanjiro picked her up with ease, hefting her up to eye level. “How’s my favorite niece doing?”
“I’m your only niece!”
“You sure are!” Tanjiro agreed; for some reason, his other siblings had only had boys so far. “How old are you now?”
Shizuka was happy to answer. “I’m eight years old!” she exclaimed, holding up the corresponding number of fingers.
“You know that, Tanjiro. You were there for the party a month ago, remember?” Nezuko pointed out.
“Of course I remember. I just wanted to hear her say it,” Tanjiro laughed. He set Shizuka down and turned to his sister. “It’s great to see you again! I’m surprised you brought Shizuka along; is Zenitsu okay?”
“Oh yeah, he’s fine. Just his usual self, still refusing to go anywhere near a place with ‘ghosts’…” Nezuko rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. “But Shizuka wanted to come, so he’ll probably be hanging out with Inosuke this weekend.”
“Poor guy,” Tanjiro chuckled, already imagining the chaos that would unfold from those two being alone together. Nezuko laughed as well before changing the subject, though her smile remained.
“So, ready to go?”
“Where are we going?” Shizuka asked.
“Someplace very special,” Tanjiro answered vaguely.
Shizuka blinked, looking curious. “Can I get a melon bread first?”
Before either could answer, Mitsuri spoke up. “One melon bread, coming right up!” As she handed over the treat to the girl, and Nezuko not-so-reluctantly paid, she turned to Tanjiro and said, “Oh, Tanjiro-kun! Don’t forget, there’s a family coming to pick up their birthday cake this afternoon!”
“At 1 pm, right?” She nodded, and Tanjiro waved. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry! See you tonight!”
And with melon bread and other treats in hand, the three of them were off, heading for someplace very special indeed.
—
The sun shone bright over the grounds of the former Tsugikuni Manor. At this time of the morning, almost everyone was either working or in school, giving the three of them the whole place to themselves. As they passed through the gate, Shizuka gawked at the sight of the burnt out manor towering before them.
“Oh! Is this that place you talked about, Uncle Tanjiro? The Tsu-ji… the Tsugikuni Manor?”
“It is,” Tanjiro nodded. Over the past fifteen years, the town of Akamori had converted the manor grounds into a memorial of sorts. The manor’s husk was not torn down, but left to be reclaimed by nature instead. At the center of the courtyard stood a large stone plaque, engraved with a simple phrase:
This memorial is dedicated to those who perished in the tragedy of the Tsugikuni Manor. May they find peace beneath the clear blue sky.
“Wow… it’s so big…!” Shizuka marveled as they approached.
“It used to be even bigger,” Nezuko said. They looked upon the manor, reduced to only its outer frames. But in the absence of the corrupting impurity, nature had taken its place. Moss and vines covered the remnants of wood and stone, and small flowers blossomed amongst the green. Life flourishing, where none had dared grow before. Ruined, yet reborn.
A strong wind passed by, stirring the colorful blooms.
“Come on, you two, over here,” Tanjiro beckoned them towards a set of wooden stands that had been constructed near the memorial. Atop the stands were three boxes with glass doors, within which stacks of colorful paper could be seen. Tanjiro opened one of the doors and took out three pieces, handing two to his sister and niece respectively. “Take these!”
“What are we doing?” Shizuka asked, examining her pink, flowery paper with bright-eyed curiosity.
“We’re making paper airplanes. It’s tradition to make and fly them whenever we come here!” Tanjiro explained, folding his own as he spoke. The stands and their free origami paper had initially been built to entertain children, but the activity turned out to be popular with adults as well. The amount of planes that had filled these skies over the years… he was sure the twins would have loved it.
Shizuka looked to her mother as if for permission; Nezuko smiled and nodded. “It’s true! And whoever’s plane flies the farthest gets a special reward!”
That got the young girl’s interest, as she immediately set to work on folding her paper plane. Soon they had three planes between them. Tanjiro grinned and raised his own to eye level.
“Ready… and… go!” On his mark, the planes flew into the sky, carried by the summer breeze. Tanjiro’s plane flew the farthest, which was hardly a surprise given how often he did this. Shizuka’s plane hit the ground first, and as the little girl started to pout, he laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Just keep practicing; you’ll get the hang of it,” he said. “And in the meantime, you can have my reward, okay?”
“Okay…” she mumbled, but she already looked less upset at the prospect.
Nezuko shook her head. “You spoil her.”
“Can you blame me?” Tanjiro asked with another laugh. He turned back to the wooden stand and took two more mist-patterned papers from its stack. One he folded into another plane, and returned to Shizuka’s side, crouching behind her.
“Here, throw it like this.” He put the plane in her hands, using his arm to guide hers through the motion of pulling back and throwing. Shizuka nodded, and as he stepped away, she pulled back and threw just as he had shown her.
A powerful wind picked up at that moment, carrying the plane high and far into the air. As it sailed through the sky, Shizuka’s face broke into a wide grin.
“I did it!” she cheered.
“You sure did!” Tanjiro cheered with her. “Great job, Shizuka!”
The little girl ran to her mom, chattering excitedly about how far her plane had flown. As she did, Tanjiro took the other paper in his hands, smiling wistfully at its pale blue and white coloring. His fingers moved carefully, folding it into a little paper crane, before he faced the two girls again.
“Alright, let’s go. This way.”
As much as he enjoyed the newfound calm of this place, they weren’t here to visit the manor or its memorial. At least, not entirely. Their true destination laid behind its walls, well into the forest.
They walked around the side of the manor, and made their way to the back garden. Here, too, new life and greenery had replaced the twisted and gnarled plants that struggled to thrive in impurity. But towards the other end of the garden, a part of the wall had been converted into a small gate, with an unassuming path leading deeper into the woods.
They walked in silence for a while, following the path Tanjiro knew by heart. Even Shizuka stayed quiet, though she observed the forest with childish wonder as she clung to Nezuko’s hand. Only the sounds of wind and their own footsteps filled the air.
Until they reached it: that familiar clearing. The season for the blue spider lilies had just passed, and the vibrant azure blooms had withered down to brown reeds. But the sunlight still cast its warm glow upon the dormant flowers, and the granite plaque that laid before them.
The words engraved in its surface stared back at Tanjiro.
Tokito Yuichiro Tokito Muichiro
Dutiful onmyoji, beloved brothers, true friends
A gentle breeze stirred the air. Neither of the two adults spoke, content to enjoy the peaceful quiet that reigned over this place. Instead, it was a sharp caw that broke the stillness. They looked up, and saw two crows come to settle on the branches of a nearby tree.
“Ginko,” Nezuko greeted the larger crow calmly. “It’s been a while.”
Ginko regarded her with an aloof stare, saying nothing. Her eyes swept over Shizuka, who hid behind her mother, with minimal interest, before narrowing as they settled fully on Tanjiro.
Tanjiro smiled awkwardly. “Come on, Ginko. Haven’t we known each other long enough by now? We’re just here to visit, that’s all.”
Ginko continued to glare at him, but her posture relaxed slightly. She ruffled her feathers and chirped something that was probably insulting in crow language. But the smaller crow next to her remained silent, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the young man below.
Tanjiro’s smile grew strained. The crow was Ginko’s son, Kuro. He thought he remembered Muichiro saying long ago that Ginko only had daughters, so Kuro was a surprise. But while he wasn’t mean and haughty like his mother, Kuro was… peculiar. Always silent, with a blank, wide-eyed stare that seemed to pierce into Tanjiro’s very soul. But he was fond of Kie, so that was something, at least.
With the crows assured that they wouldn’t cause trouble, Tanjiro was allowed to approach the grave at last. He bent down and placed the paper crane between the two names, amongst many others laid over the stone. He heard small footsteps behind him, and looked to see Shizuka crouch down at his side, reading the inscription.
“Who were they?” she asked, surprisingly somber.
”Their names were Yuichiro and Muichiro,” Tanjiro answered softly. “They were twin brothers, just fourteen years old. Only a little younger than we were, at the time.”
Shizuka nodded, looking at the grave again. “…Did they die?”
Tanjiro chuckled at her bluntness. “Well, yes, but it was long before any of us were born. They were ghosts, you see.”
“Ghosts? Like in the scary stories?”
“Heh, kind of. But these ghosts weren’t scary. Not once you got to know them. They were trapped in the manor by the evil spirit there, and they just wanted to move on to the afterlife. And your mom, Grandma, and I - all of us, really - we helped them do that.”
“What were they like?”
“Ah, well…” Tanjiro paused to think. “They were good kids. The younger twin was forgetful, and loved to play pranks, but he had a kind heart. And the older twin, he didn't really like us at first. He was grumpy, and wanted to be left alone, but that was only because he wanted to protect his brother. Still, he had an intense way of showing it; the first time we met, he threw knives at us to chase us away!”
“Huh?” Shizuka paled. “That sounds scary!”
Tanjiro laughed. “Yeah, I guess it was, huh? But looking back on it…” He paused again, a nostalgic smile coming to his face. “I do miss them, even now. They were- they are friends of ours. That was a promise we made to them, that we would always be friends.”
Shizuka’s fear faded, as she took in his words and wistful expression. She turned to the grave and bowed her head, clasping her hands in prayer. Tanjiro smiled wider and left her to it, standing and returning to Nezuko’s side.
“She’s a good kid,” Tanjiro whispered to her.
Nezuko smiled proudly. “Yeah, she is.”
A moment of quiet passed, in which only the wind rustled the tree leaves, and the sun beat down gently upon them. Tanjiro’s gaze lingered on the grave.
“…Do you think, wherever they are, they’re happy?”
“I’m sure of it,” Nezuko said with complete certainty. Then she turned to him, a questioning, hesitant expression on her face. “But, I think I should be asking you that. Are you-”
“We’ve talked about this,” Tanjiro said, firmly but without any anger. He smiled fondly. “I like it here. It’s peaceful, and the people are kind. Genya, Kanao, Mitsuri-san… they’re all good friends of mine. There’s a lot more keeping me here than just this grave.”
“I see…” Nezuko studied his face a little longer, as if searching for falsehood. But she didn’t find it, and soon she looked away with a small smile. “Forget I said anything, then.”
A brief silence followed; Tanjiro decided to change the subject.
“You guys should come back in the fall,” he suggested. “The trees all turn red that time of year; it’s a beautiful sight! And we should introduce Shizuka to Genya and Kanao! They have a daughter around her age!”
“I’m sure she’d like that.”
The flapping of wings along with a quizzical sound from Shizuka drew their attention. Kuro had flown down, peeking curiously at the half-eaten melon bread sticking out of the girl’s pocket. Shizuka blinked, and took the food into her hand.
It was at that moment that Kuro’s beak shot forward, snapping the bread from her fingers. The young girl shrieked.
“Mom! It bit me!” she cried as the crow pecked at the treat. Her other hand brushed the grave, knocking over some of the cranes, and Ginko cawed angrily. She immediately flew down, wings flapping as she berated the poor girl, which only made her cry harder in response.
“Ah… we should do something about that,” Tanjiro chuckled.
“Right,” Nezuko agreed. “I’ll get Shizuka, you calm down Ginko.”
“Why do I always get the hard job?” Tanjiro asked in an exaggerated whine.
“Because you’re not the one raising a kid,” she snarked, already moving to comfort her daughter.
“Hey, I babysit!”
“Not the same,” Nezuko said with a smirk on her face. “Talk to me when you get a girlfriend.” Her smirk grew even wider. “Or a boyfriend, I’m not picky.”
“Yeesh, you too, Nezuko?” Tanjiro sighed, hanging his head in defeat. “As if Mom asking wasn’t bad enough. I just haven’t met the right person yet...”
His little sister chuckled, her expression softening. “Relax, Tanjiro, I’m joking. There’s no rush. You’ll find someone one day.”
“Right,” he said back, mood lifting a little. Then he turned his attention to the angry crow righting the fallen cranes atop the grave. “Here, Ginko, let me help you with- Hey! Don’t peck me! I'm trying to help!”
Nezuko tried and failed to cover up a laugh with her hand, which got Shizuka to crack a teary grin as well. Meanwhile, Kuro continued to eat his stolen melon bun, completely oblivious to the world around him.
Tanjiro sighed as he rubbed his cheek where Ginko’s beak had nipped him. But truthfully, he didn’t mind all that much. His heart was light, enjoying this moment with his family, in the place built to honor their old friends.
He didn’t need anything more than this.
—
After placating Ginko with more offerings of paper cranes, Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Shizuka enjoyed a picnic beside the twins’ shared grave. The atmosphere was calm as they ate their sandwiches and fed scraps to the two crows. The siblings regaled Shizuka with stories of their time spent with Yuichiro and Muichiro, reminiscing on all the fun they had together.
Tanjiro could almost imagine they were right there with them.
But all too soon, the sun rose higher in the sky, and the time came for them to head back. Nezuko and Shizuka returned to the hotel to rest, with plans to meet up again later. Tanjiro, meanwhile, made his way back to the bakery. He still had a job to do, after all.
He arrived half an hour before one o’clock, and had a little time before he needed to reopen. Tanjiro made his way back upstairs and to his room, opening and closing the door behind him with a quiet click. In the privacy of home, he laid down on his bed, and looked at a picture frame set atop the dresser.
In it were five people, poised for the camera. His younger self at fifteen years of age. His friends Genya and Kanao, only a little older. And the twin ghosts, Yuichiro and Muichiro. Floating and transparent, bearing the scars of their deaths, but still finding the will to smile. The precious memory captured in this photo was irreplaceable.
Tanjiro smiled too, and closed his eyes for a brief spell. A mere five minutes to unwind. Then he opened his eyes and got up; there was work to be done.
He headed down to the bakery, donning his work clothes and apron. He opened up the shop with practiced ease, and in the lull before customers would arrive, he went to the large fridge for the birthday cake that was to be picked up soon.
He found it tucked in a neat cardboard box, cutely decorated with images of rabbits and mochi. As he brought it out front and set it on the counter, it occurred to him that he should open it and make sure everything was in order. He knew that it was a cake for twin boys, celebrating their fifth birthday, so it would be embarrassing if there was only one name on it…
He opened the box up gently, peeking at the blue frosting and large icing letters written in Obanai’s delicate handwriting:
Happy Birthday Yu-
The front door bell rang as it opened, and Tanjiro hastily closed the box back up. He heard the patter of small feet running on tile and lifted his head, trying not to look like he’d just been peeking at two kids’ birthday cake a moment before.
“Welcome to The Lovely Rabbit!” he greeted, slipping into professional mode. “How may I…”
He stopped, the air leaving him in a single breath.
Two young children. Two young boys. Short black hair tipped in turquoise. Large teal eyes shining with innocence. Identical brothers, they held each other’s hands, each garbed in boyish shorts and shirts with green cartoon frogs on the fronts.
They ran into the store, laughing, only to stop at the sight of him.
For a moment, all three only stared. The boys blinked owlishly. One of them - Tanjiro had to presume the older - frowned, a look of skepticism coming to his face. Tanjiro was at a loss for words, but as he cleared his throat and tried to speak-
“Look, Nii-san!” the other twin said suddenly. “He’s got red eyes, just like Dad!”
With that, whatever spell was cast shattered. The older twin’s eyes widened with realization, mouth forming an ‘O’. His suspicion vanished in an instant. Tanjiro, too, found himself letting out a breath, his body relaxing all at once.
The door opened again with a ring, an older woman walking inside. The younger twin let go of his brother’s hand and ran up to her.
“Look, Mom! That man has red eyes like Dad’s!”
The woman, his mother, smiled tightly. “That’s nice, dear, but you shouldn’t say things like that out loud. Some people might find it rude.”
The young boy frowned, and Tanjiro quickly spoke up. “I-It’s fine, really! I don’t mind…”
The boy grinned and returned to his brother’s side. His mother looked up, and her smile grew easier at the sight of Tanjiro and the box set before him. Her eyes were tired, speaking to many long nights as of late.
“Still, I must apologize. We’ve only just moved here, and the boys are still so curious about everything and everyone.”
“Oh, it’s no problem!” Tanjiro shook his head. “But in any case, welcome to Akamori! My name is Kamado Tanjiro; it’s nice to meet you all!”
“Mom! Mom!” The younger twin ran up to her again, hands clinging to her dress. “They have melon bread! Can we get one, please?”
“Get two! I want one, too!” The older twin begged as well, running around and tugging on her dress from the other side.
“Oh, and a sakura mochi, too!”
“Two sakura mochi!”
“Boys, please,” she struggled to keep her smile up in front of Tanjiro. “You’ll ruin your appetites. We’ve got a whole cake for the party, remember? There’ll be more than enough…”
Her words faded into the background, as Tanjiro’s gaze lingered on the two children. They looked just like them. Only four - or perhaps five now - years old, but he knew. Somehow, they had come back to this place…
The older twin glanced back at him, and his eyes went wide. He frowned, looking concerned. “Mister? Are you crying?”
Tanjiro blinked, smearing tears across his vision as he did. He hadn’t even realized…
The younger looked concerned as well. “Are you sad, mister?” he asked, his voice starting to tremble.
Tanjiro blinked again. But he shook his head, before the boy had a chance to blame himself. No, he wasn’t sad. “Ah… it’s nothing, don’t worry.” He wiped his eyes and smiled. “Happy birthday, you two.”
The two boys smiled back. “Thank you, mister!” they said in unison.
They didn’t recognize him, but that was okay. They were only children, unburdened by responsibility, by curses and regrets, by any memories weighing them down. And that was how it should be. They deserved this, this life they were never able to have.
“Congratulations, Muichiro, Yuichiro. I’m happy for you.”
The sun shined down on the quiet town of Akamori. And life went on, as it always did.