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It all started one quiet afternoon. Tanjiro had taken on kitchen duty and was preparing meals for the patients at the Butterfly Mansion. Did he have to do this? No, but since Shinobu was letting him stay here, he figured he should do some housework. So here he was, cutting vegetables and preparing a meal that he would later 'convince' Aoi to let him help cook. His intense focus was only broken by a soft prick to his side, not too hard to make him jump, but just hard enough that his body reacted. "Who?" Tanjiro muttered as he turned to see Kanao behind him. "Oh, hey, Kanao, do you need something?"
"No," Kanao shook her head.
"Oh, okay." Tanjiro turned back to his task, focusing on the colorful vegetables spread out on the wooden cutting board in front of him. Kanao stood quietly behind him, watching him work for several seconds before gently poking him in the same spot on his side as before.
"Yeah, Kanao?" Tanjiro asked, glancing over his shoulder with a curious smile. But she merely shook her head, her expression remaining serene yet mysterious.
"Is something wrong?" he pressed, his brow furrowing slightly with concern. Kanao remained silent, her soft gaze fixed on him, her gentle smile hiding her true feelings.
Returning his attention to the task at hand, Tanjiro picked up his knife to slice the final vegetable—a bright red bell pepper—when he suddenly felt another poke, this time on his cheek.
"Kanao," he said softly, his voice laced with understanding, "if something is bothering you or if you need my help, you don't have to poke me like that. You can just tell me directly, you know." He paused, looking into her eyes, hoping to encourage her to open up.
"I know," Kanao smiled.
"Then why?" Before Tanjiro could finish, Kanao poked him again, this time in the arm. "Did something happen?"
"No," she said with another poke, this time on his shoulder.
"Then why?" Tanjiro didn't finish his question, abruptly interrupted by another playful poke from Kanao. The situation felt increasingly strange. Up until that moment, Kanao had always been reserved, responding to his talking in her typically quiet manner. He would initiate their conversations, often carrying the discussion with gentle encouragement, but now she was the one taking the lead, leaving him both intrigued and bewildered. This behavior was new, yet it stirred a sense of familiarity in him, as if he had witnessed a similar interaction somewhere before. Just as he was about to dive deeper into his thoughts, another poke jolted him from his musings. "Um, Kanao, I really need to focus," he said, trying to regain his concentration. To her credit, Kanao simply beamed at him, her sweet, innocent smile radiating warmth and completely disarming him. It was a smile that held an unspoken power, one that could persuade him to do anything—he felt as though he would gladly comply with her requests, even if it were murder. 'I'm wrapped around her finger, aren't I?'
"Oh, you're fine," Kanao finally said as she poked him again, "besides, I'm helping us grow closer."
"Grow closer?" Tanjiro was confused, and the constant poking of random parts of his body was not helping. "But Kanao, we're already close."
"And now we're even closer," Kanao told him with glee, leaving Tanjiro to wonder what the heck was going on.
Later that same day, Tanjiro took a small break, sitting outside the Butterfly Mansion. His mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of what Kanao had done. Aoi had called her to help with something, so Kanao mentioned they could finish their conversation later. However, Tanjiro had no idea what she was working on. It felt strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't quite pinpoint where he had seen it before. "Tanjiro," a voice called, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka.
"Giyu-san," Tanjiro smiled, "what brings you here?"
"I was coming to check in on you," Giyu told him. "You seem to be deep in thought, though."
"Well, something weird happened," Tanjiro admitted. This got an eyebrow raise from Giyu as he took a seat next to Tanjiro.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Earlier, I was in the kitchen, and—" Tanjiro didn't get to finish his sentence as he felt a finger poke his cheek, startling him. Kanao had returned, and true to her word, she was back to her poking endeavor to help them 'grow closer.' Tanjiro turned to speak, but Giyu stopped him.
"Do not engage," Giyu all but shouted.
"Huh, why?" Tanjiro said as Kanao poked him again
"Oh my, I do hope you're not giving our sweet Tanjiro bad advice, Tomioka-san." And just like that, Shinobu Kochou appeared. "You wouldn't tell him to ignore my sweet sister, would you?" She poked him in the arm. "Would you?"
It was at that moment that Tanjiro pieced together what was unfolding before him, recalling a similar situation from the past. Shinobu, with her playful demeanor, was notorious for playfully poking Giyu at the most unexpected times, often catching him off guard in a way that was both amusing and effective in grabbing his attention. The sight of Shinobu's mischievous grin as she prodded Giyu was a sight that he hadn't paid much mind to other than the first time he had heard her tell him about her 'poking' theory.
"When you want to get close to someone, you poke them," she had said. Tanjiro had found it cute, but to be on the receiving end, his thoughts once again stopped by another poke from Kanao.
"Do not engage, or they will not go away," Giyu instructed. "Just say nothing and bear it." His worst fears had been realized, and things were getting out of hand. Now they're two of them.'
"Oh, playing the quiet game, are we?" Shinobu teased. "Pretending to be deaf will not help you, right, Kanao?" Kanao eagerly nodded as she continued to poke Tanjiro
"Come on, Tomioka-san," Shinobu said playfully, giving him another gentle poke in the side. "You really should set a better example for our juniors, you know." Giyu, to his credit, remained silent, maintaining his usual stoic demeanor. Undeterred, Shinobu shifted her focus to his cheek, poking it with a teasing grin. Bothering the Water Hashira was her favorite pastime, and she loved every second of it; seeing his normally impassive face crack with just the slightest hint of irritation made her heart skip a beat.
Kanao continued her playful teasing mission. She had started to find this lighthearted method of teasing a fun way to bond with Tanjiro. Finally, Kanao understood why her sister enjoyed playfully teasing Giyu so much.
"Maybe we could…" Tanjiro began.
"Do nothing, they'll get bored and leave," Giyu told him. They did not, in fact, get bored and leave. The quiet only seemed to make them more determined than ever, as Shinobu and Kanao continued their poking onslaught, and thus, for the next several minutes, Giyu and Tanjiro endured the barrage of pokes.
"Tomioka-san," Shinobu started.
"Tanjiro-san," Kanao said with a playful tone, almost making Tanjiro give in.
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
"Tomioka-san,"
"Tanjiro-san,"
Back and forth they went as if it were a game, with both Tanjiro and Giyu feeling themselves pushed to their very limits. It wouldn't be long until...
"Stop it, Kochou!"
"Stop it, Kanao!"
The air fell silent as Tanjiro and Giyu slowly processed what had just occurred. Their cheeks flushed a deep crimson, embarrassment washing over them, while Shinobu and Kanao exchanged gleeful smiles, radiating joy at the unexpected moment.
"See, Kanao?" Shinobu exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just like I said, sometimes a simple poke is all it takes to bring two people closer together." The warmth of the moment enveloped them, highlighting the playful tension in the air.
"You were right, nee-sama." Kanao poked Tanjiro again. "It's also really fun."
"Kanao is becoming more like Shinobu," Tanjiro told Giyu. "Should we be worried?"
Giyu gave a long sigh. "No," he finally said, "just accept your fate."
"Oh, you know you like it," Shinobu smiled as she poked him again. Giyu smiled at her and looked away. "You're blushing, Tomioka-san."
"Are we closer now, Tanjiro?" Kanao smiled as Tanjiro gave her a defeated sigh.
"Yes, Kanao." Tanjiro let out a shy laugh, his cheeks tinged with a hint of pink as an idea struck him. He turned to Giyu, his eyes sparkling with mischief, hoping his friend would catch on to the lighthearted atmosphere. Before either of them could react further, they simultaneously reached up and gently booped Shinobu and Kanao on the nose. The unexpected gesture left both girls momentarily frozen in surprise, their eyes wide with disbelief. It was a playful move that neither Shinobu nor Kanao had seen coming.
"Look, Giyu-san," Tanjiro said playfully, gesturing dramatically as if revealing a grand secret. "I found the off button!"
"I see," Giyu replied, a warm smile spreading across his face as he raised an eyebrow in mock seriousness. "I guess we've discovered the secret to achieving some peace and quiet."
"Oh, shut up," Shinobu laughed, a melodic sound that filled the air. She leaned in, her playful demeanor softening as she planted a quick kiss on Giyu's cheek, her affection evident in her playful eyes. Meanwhile, Kanao, with a shy smile, mirrored the gesture, pressing a gentle kiss on Tanjiro's cheek.
"You both love the endless attention we give you!" Shinobu declared, her voice playful and teasing, her mischievous grin and light laugh complementing it and filling the air with warmth. The cozy atmosphere wrapped around them like a comforting blanket, making everything feel more intimate.
Giyu, usually reserved, chose to remain silent for a moment, holding her hand gently as he flashed a soft smile. It was a rare sight, one that made Shinobu's gaze melt in admiration. With a playful poke to his cheek, she added, "I told you, Tomioka, that smile of yours is dangerously captivating." Her grin widened in delight, clearly enjoying this lighthearted banter.
Without missing a beat, Giyu gently booped her on the nose. "Stop it," she protested, though her tone was laced with playful annoyance. Giyu noticed the genuine happiness etched on her face; despite her feigned irritation, she couldn't hide her smile. In that moment, he realized that she could ask him for anything, and he would gladly oblige, no questions asked, simply because she was being herself.
"Tanjiro, stop it." Kanao laughed. It had gotten to the point that every time she poked at him, he would boop her nose.
"I'm only helping us grow closer, Kanao," Tanjiro teased as he booped her on the nose again.