Chapter Text
Zenitsu barely managed to pass the final selection. Her lip was wobbling as she did her best not to start crying again. It’s not her fault she’s a hormonal teenage girl who just spent seven whole nights trying to survive from demons okay!
Her tears were interrupted by the two children from before. Ahhh they were so cute! Matching kimono’s and wisteria hair pins! She wished she could be that cute, but her hair was too bright and her eyebrows were too thick, she was too plain for such cute things!
She should really pay attention. A small bird landed on her shoulder while crows flicked to the other three with her. How unfair!
When the brash dark haired boy grabbed the white hair on the young girl Zenitsu made a panicked noise. You can’t treat girls like that! He was absolutely never going to get a wife acting like that!
Luckily the other boy that passed stepped in. Zenitsu let out a soft sigh in relief, he seemed a lot nicer than that other boy. They were calmly called up to choose their ore pieces.
Oh wow.
She actually passed. She clutched at her borrowed sword and bit her lip. She hoped Jii-chan and Kaigaku would be proud of her. Holding the small ore made her heart pound, she’d really managed it. She thanked the two children when they took their ores.
When she was allowed to head home she barely stopped to rest. She had to get home, she had to show Jii-chan she’d made it, she’d kept going, just like he pushed her to do.
“Zenitsu! You’re home so soon!” Jii-chan laughed at her disheveled state.
Zenitsu finally burst into tears like she’d felt like doing since the selection ended. “I’m home, Jii-chan, I really did it.” He just laughed at her and patted her head as she cried into her knees.
“Why don’t you write a letter to Kaigaku yourself while I prepare dinner. You did well!” Jii-chan was always so nice to her, it almost made her cry harder.
She wiped her face and stood with shaky legs. Her priorities were set. Write a letter to her Nii-chan and then wash off as best she could before dinner. She had to keep wiping at her eyes so she didn’t smudge her writing with her tears. Once that was finished she set off for the bathroom. She wasn’t going to eat with Jii-chan while looking like a homeless girl ever again if she could help it.
Her face was dirty but luckily it seemed all the bruises from selection had faded. Her hair was a little greasy and the very ends were a tangled mess but she could just trim it a bit and it’d be fine. Then came her hands, scraping the dirt out from under her nails was a hassle but she thankfully thought ahead and cut them down farther than she usually did for selection.
She entered her room after cleaning up and chose to change into her favorite kimono, it was likely the last time she’d be wearing it for awhile. The demon slayers uniform was likely to be her usual day to day outfit from here out.
“Jii-chan? Do you need any help?” She said as she shuffled into the kitchen.
He hummed without looking at her, “If you could get out the dishes that’d be helpful.” Zenitsu did just that, she liked being helpful this way, she was a cry baby and training was hard on her emotionally, but helping Jii-chan around the house always made her feel better. She hoped she’d live long enough to be a wife someday, but if she only managed to help make Jii-chan’s life a little easier in the time she was alive that was okay too.
When he finally looked at her Jii-chan’s eyes started to water. For a second Zenitsu was afraid she’d upset him, maybe she shouldn’t have worn her kimono?
“You look wonderful Zenitsu,” she flushed at the compliment but didn’t try and deny it, even if she wanted to.
“Thank you Jii-chan,” she covered her red face with her sleeve.
The old man cleared his throat, “Alright I’ll serve us dinner you sit down now!” She giggled and did as he said. Kaigaku wasn’t there to celebrate with them, but that was okay, she’d just have to catch up to him.