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Aoi knew a lot of things. She possessed extensive medical knowledge, which proved invaluable when demon slayers got injured. While she might not be as skilled as Kanae or Shinobu, her focus on medical studies—without the need to balance them with actual slayer work—allowed her more time to practice. Additionally, she was recognized by the entire core for her culinary skills. Although she didn't see anything particularly remarkable about her cooking, she couldn't argue with the fact that her dishes became the hallmark of every slayer's stay at the Butterfly Mansion. This is why she found the current state of her kitchen so odd. "What happened?"
"Oh, Aoi," Kanao chuckled, a bright smile on her face as she surveyed the chaotic scene around her. Pots of various sizes cluttered the countertop, their surfaces gleaming from recent use, while an assortment of utensils lay scattered across the table, some even teetering on the edge. The aroma of spices still lingered in the air, a testament to her culinary efforts. "I'm really sorry about the mess; I promise I'll clean it all up once I'm done here."
"I'll help Kanao." Aoi smiled at her, "In exchange, you'll tell me what you're doing."
"Oh," Kanao's face turned red as she looked away. "Well, I was umm trying to make something for Tanjiro."
"Oh, I see, planning a romantic dinner," Aoi teased as Kanao turned redder.
"No, nothing like that, I" Kanao pressed her fingers together "well, I wanted to make Tanjiro his favorite food, you know, like how you always make Inosuke his."
"cause he asks me to." Aoi defended, sure she was coming to make him some unprompted this time, but it meant nothing, just a thank you for helping her on a previous expedition, nothing romantic in the slightest
"Oh, I see," Kanao smiled that innocent smile she had clearly learned from Shinobu, which told her she didn't believe her at all but was going to drop it.
"Come on, let's clean up this mess, and I'll guide you through it, okay?" Aoi said, hoping Kanao would drop the subject. Kanao nodded as they started cleaning the pots and pans. "By the way, what is Tanjiro-sans favorite food?"
"Well, it's-"
"Oh my, what happened here?" a voice called out as the two girls turned to see their older sisters standing at the kitchen entrance. "You two sure look like you have been busy." Shinobu laughed
"This is Kanao's mess," Aoi explained, "she's trying to make Tanjiro's favorite food, and it wasn't going so well."
"Hey," Kanao playfully pushed her shoulder.
"Oh, that's so sweet, Kanao." Kanae beamed. "It looks like we all had the same idea."
"What do you mean, nee san?" Kanao asked
"Well, I'm here cause I'm making something for Nemi, of course, and Shinobu is here to make something for Giyu, and I can only assume based on context clues that Aoi is here to make something for Inosuke."
"I am not!" Aoi shouted, her voice echoing in the small room. She took a deep breath, her heart racing. "I just saw Kanao in here and came to help." She nervously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, hoping no one would notice the pink flush creeping across her cheeks. Kanae looked at Aoi, and a warm smile spread across her face—one of those smiles that had the power to dissolve any lingering anger or frustration. "I'm only doing this to say thank you for your help. don't get the wrong idea."
"Whatever you say," Shinobu moved with a quickness. "I need to see if we have the ingredients I need."
"What are you making, Nee san?" Kanao asked
"Giyu's favorite Salamon daikon," Shinobu smiled
"And I will be making Nemi's favorite ohagi." Kanae said, "I'm pretty sure I left some ingredients lying around."
"Doesn't he always get angry when someone gives him that?" Aoi laughed
"It's Sanemi, so I'm pretty sure that's his default emotion," Shinobu said
"Oh, stop you," Kanae laughed. "And what are you making, Kanao?"
"Oh, I'm making angelica sprouts for Tanjiro; those are his favorite," Kanao exclaimed with a bright smile on her face. With that, the four sisters sprang into action, each taking on their assigned tasks in the bustling kitchen. Shinobu focused intently on cutting the salmon. Meanwhile, Kanae busily rummaged through the pantry, pulling out bags of flour and gathering various ingredients they would need for their respective dishes. She carefully checked each item, ensuring they had everything necessary to create a delicious meal. Kanao, on the other hand, was methodically washing the vegetables, her brow slightly furrowed in concentration. As she rinsed the leafy greens under cool running water, she muttered softly to herself, "I need to get it right this time."
Aoi would be a liar if she said she didn't enjoy this. Simply spending time with her adoptive family made her forget everything else in the world, even for a moment. "I have to ask, though, why does Sanemi-san get so angry when he sees ohagi, though?"
"Oh, that's just how he is, the dish means a lot to him," Kanae explained. "If I remember right, he and his siblings would make it together all the time. Every time they had a little bit of money, they would buy the ingredients and make some together." Kanae smiled
"That's so sweet," Kanao said, "it must be a good memory for him then."
"Yes," Kanae smiled, "I'll never forget the first time I brought him some, I don't think I've ever seen him smile like that" Kanae's gaze turned wistful like she was looking at something else the memory clearly important to her "it brings up a lot of memories for him good and bad so he just vents bur he does really love it, and I enjoy bringing it to him"
"Aww," Shinobu smiled, "I swear, nee-san, you're too good to him."
"Oh, so I'm the only one bringing their boyfriend their favorite food," Kanae teased. "I don't recall Tomioka asking you to bring him some Salmon Daikon."
"he doesn't have to ask," Shinobu said, her voice turning soft. "Besides, he hasn't had any in a while, so I wanted to make him some."
"Oh, I thought it was his favorite food," Aoi asked
"It is," Shinobu laughed, "I'll never forget, on one of our first missions together, we stopped at a small shop that served it, and when the chef placed it in front of us, he smiled."
"Oh, was that the first time you saw him smile?" Kanae asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She leaned in closer, clearly eager to hear every detail. It was apparent she was looking for a romantic angle, hoping Shinobu would reveal this was the exact moment she realized her feelings for the man who usually wore a stoic expression. Kanae's mind was already racing, filled with images from the romantic novels she adored, and she hoped that Shinobu's story would mirror those enchanting tales she had always dreamed about.
"Wait for it," Aoi muttered
"It was the most horrifying thing I had ever seen." Shinobu laughed
Aoi had never seen someone deflate so fast as Kanae did, "Shinobu!"
"What it's true?" Shinobu laughed, "Even the chef was terrified of it." Kanae ran a hand across her face
"Sometimes I really do wonder about you," Kanae whispered
"It happened again a while later, so I had to ask." Shinobu continued, "he told me yes." Surprisingly, Shinobu's gaze softened as she finished seasoning the fish as if she were recalling a precious memory. "So for his birthday, I made him some. It was small and not noteworthy, and honestly wasn't my best work; it even made him cry."
"That bad?" Kanao asked, "I assume you got better."
"No," Shinobu said, her smile unwavering. "I asked him if it was bad and why he was crying. He told me that it tasted just like his mother's cooking." The room fell silent after she spoke. "One of his only memories of her is when she fed him salmon with daikon."
"That's" Kanae couldn't form words; she could only listen as Shinobu continued her story.
"he thanked me for it and asked if I could make it for him again sometime" Shinobu gave a smile "so of course I made it for him, again and again, so that he can be a little more connected with his mother" she laughed "he still gets that horrifying grin though and I've told him to stop but I'm pretty sure its muscle memory."
"And she's back," Aoi laughed. "That story was extremely mean, sweet, and tearful at the same time," she said, "only could the two of you pull that off."
"Thank you," Shinobu smiled. "Well, Kanao, why are you inspired to make Tanjiro angelica sprouts?"
"Oh, I just wanted to," Kanao smiled, "plus I like to see his reaction."
"I'm sorry, what reaction?" Aoi asked.
"They have this really strong smell that he enjoys, so when you set some out on the table, his nostrils will start to flare." Kanao, "It's really cute, no matter how calm and composed he appears at that moment, he can't help but break his facade." She smiled at the thought.
"That can't be it," Kanae laughed.
"Well, there is more." Kanao smiled. "From what he told me, he and his grandfather would often go to a field where a bunch would grow." Kanao continued. "And this is entirely from Tanjiro. The smell was always relaxing, like he didn't have to worry about anything." She smiled. "It's a comfort food for him."
"Comfort food, huh?" Aoi asked
"Yes," Kanao smiled as they put the finishing touches on their dishes. Aoi hadn't even noticed that she was so caught up in it. "Have you ever asked Inosuke why he likes tempura so much?"
"No," Aoi said, looking away. "I never thought to."
"Maybe you should," Shinobu added.
"The answer may surprise you," Kanae finished as she wrapped up the food. With that, they all started to finish cleaning up the kitchen.
"I guess," Aoi whispered as she placed the tempura on a plate, "maybe."
"Well, I should get going," Shinobu smiled, "thanks for the help, Aoi."
"Yeah, thanks, Aoi," Kanae added as the four got ready to go their separate ways. The thought remained in Aoi's mind.
Why did Inosuke like Tempura so much
It was hours later that she saw him and granted him the plate. If you told her that she had a large grin on her face as she watched the man do jumps for joy, she would have called you a liar. But she did
"Thanks so much, Aoi." Inosuke practically beamed, "This is your best Tempura yet."
"You say that every time," Aoi laughed
"And I mean it every time," Inosuke smiled
"Hey, why do you like Tempura so much?" Aoi asked, recalling the stories her sisters had told her earlier.
"Huh, because you make it." Inosuke looked at her like she had a second head
"I know that, but I mean, why this dish in particular?"
"And I told you it's because you make it," Inosuke said with a warm smile spreading across his face. "I still remember the first time I tried it. It was during my very first visit here, and it was so incredibly delicious that I couldn't help myself—I had to sneak in for more." As Inosuke enthusiastically continued to recount his story, Aoi found himself drifting off, his mind fixated on the words Inosuke had just spoken.
'So he likes it cause I made it for him,' she tried to stop the blush that rose to her face. She honestly did. She could hear Shinobu teasing her now.
"Well, now that I've eaten tempura and gotten full to go punch some rocks for training," Inosuke announced enthusiastically as he lifted his boar mask with a flourish, fixing it snugly onto his head. With a spirited leap into the air, he proclaimed, "Get ready, because the king of the mountains is coming!" However, just as he was about to charge forward, he felt a gentle tug on his arm. He turned to see Aoi, her cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink, visibly embarrassed. She glanced down, trying to hide her blushing face, yet her wide eyes told a different story. "Hey, I'm trying to hype myself up here!"
"You know," Aoi finally managed to say, "if you ever want more Tempura, you can always ask me right."
"Really," Inosuke asked in excitement. Aoi said nothing but nodded as he smiled, "That's great, I knew I liked you for a reason," he cheered, not realizing the effect his words were having on her as he charged off, leaving Aoi to sigh.
"When they find out about this, I'll never hear the end of it."