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It wasn’t easy, training to be a demon slayer. That much is obvious. But for Genya, it was especially difficult. Despite his determination and grit, he could barely run a meter without doubling over and hacking out all the air in his lungs.
See, his whole life, Genya had extreme asthma. Because modern medicine had only invented asthma relief for the rich, he had no hope.
No breathing technique.
No chance at becoming a hashira.
He had to though, he had to. How else would he see his brother? He just had to apologize for all the horrid things he said that day. Like really? A murderer? Genya wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for his older brother.
that night, the night Evreything went to shit, the worst night of his life. He had to make up for it somehow. His brother, his Nemi, was probably so mad. He probably didn’t want to or intend to see him ever again.
But…. What would he tell Gyomei? Although he wasn’t his official successor due to his lack of breathing technique, he’d still been training with him.
Gyomei had wasted so much time on such a talentless boy like Genya, only for him to falter the way he was now.
But… could he really do anything else? How could he just sit idly by when his brother could be dead any moment.
It was just like when he was a kid. Back before Evreything crumbled. Sanemi would always protect them, even as a thirteen year old boy. Genya would just sit there. He did his best, but his best was not good enough.
Even after their father died, Sanemi still went out and worked and worked and worked. Genya would just sit there uselessly.
Sanemi would claim otherwise.
He’d say,
“You watch the younger ones! Remember our promise?”
Then he’d smile the kindest, most genuine smile that anyone’s ever seen. His older brother really was the nicest person in this world.
So now what? Just do the same thing he always did? Just run away and cry? What was another way he could even help?
Gyomei would know.
Gyomei would totally know. Another way he could help, that is.
A week had went by since Genya had thought about these things. Now was the time. He’d built up to courage to, to well, quit. Pathetic.
He sat down across from his master, Gyomei Himegima, the stone hashira.
Today, they were eating a very high-protein meat dish. It would help build muscle, Gyomei would say. And of course it would. Why wouldn’t it?
According to Gyomei, Genya was already the hight or taller than the insect hashira. Although, she was pretty tiny anyways.
Genya placed his hands on his knees nervously. How would Gyomei react?
“Young Shinazugawa, how are you?”
Genya could feel a bead of sweat drip down his temple. He shifted his gaze down his hands, then to a small black cat that nuzzled his knees affectionately.
Cute. Genya liked cats.
“I’m doing good, master.”
Gyomei nodded happily.
“I’m glad…” Gyomei had a look on his face that implied he was thinking of something that happened today. Like, whether or not I’d be good to talk about with Genya. “I visited Shinobu recently.”
“How was that?”
“It was fine. She still is masking her emotions. Poor soul.”
Gyomei silently rubbed his hands together, prayer beads jangling due to the sudden movement. Now that Genya notices, neither of them has began eating. Both their dishes would get cold.
Genya took a small bite of his food, silently shouldering it Gyomei was to continue speaking or stay silent.
“She really has been taking Kanae’s passing badly,” Gyomei remarked. “It would help her to speak to sombody about her troubles”
Genya only nodded at this. Then after a moment of realization, he followed his nod with a ‘yes’.
“Final selection is right around the corner. Do you think you are ready this year?”
Genya tensed. It was time. What should he say? Would he be in trouble. He could only imagine Gyomei’s response.
He would say;
“I was right about children. They are all selfish. You waste my time like this, then you ask to quit? How entitled of you. You should be ashamed. Namu.”
Genya would quickly shatter Gyomei’s fragile trust in him to be different, permanently closing Gyomei off to humans under eighteen. He was so good with kids too. It would be sad.
Genya snapped back to reality, realizing he still had yet to respond to his master.
“Um, about that…”
Gyomei could sense genya’s apprehension.
“It’s okay if you can’t go this year. You are younger than the average final selection age group, which would be fourteen to seventeen.”
Genya waved his hands and shook his head.
“It’s not that, it’s just… I don’t think I’m cut out to be a demon slayer…”
Genya winced in expectation of yelling, but was surprised when he was greeted with a soft voice.
“Young Shinazugawa…”
“It’s just, I can’t do anything. I may be physically strong, but my lungs aren’t cut out for this… I just want to know… is there any other way I can be helpful. To the demon slayer corps, I mean.”
There was a long silence. Gyomei rubbed his chin with the palm of his hand, as if thinking what the right this to say was. This was indeed a delicate situation.
“Young Shinazugawa… I’ve seen your work ethic. Well, maybe I haven’t *seen* your work ethic,” Gyomei paused to laugh at his own joke. It wasn’t that funny. “Sorry. I can feel your determination and the fire in your soul. But, if you really feel that you have done all you can do, then,” Gyomei smiled warmly. “Then you can choose a different path. I would recommend becoming a kakushi or a nurse in the butterfly mansion.”
Genya almost nodded again.
“Okay. Thank you.”
Months later, Genya Shinazugawa was preparing to leave for the butterfly mansion. It was a warm day, well, warm for the mountains. A chill breeze still blew through Genya’s Mohawk, which was considerably longer than it was just a little while ago.
He stood with his belongings, although few, right outside the stone hashira estate. It was kind of awkward, leaving his master like this. They had been sharing a space for almost two years now.
“Well, I guess I’m off…” Genya practically muttered, looking at his feet.
“Okay, Young Shinazugawa. Please be well.”
The two kind of just stood there, not moving. This was extreme uncomfortable.
“Young Shinazugawa, I just want you to know, that you are always welcome here. Visit as much as you would like, and you are still welcome to join me when I train.”
Gyomei planted his hand on Genya’s head, ruffling his hair gently. Genya suddenly sniffled and embraced his master. He didn’t sob, but silent tears streamed down his face. It was the same for his master.
“Master… I… thank you so much for training me… I just wanted to say… you’ve always been a father to me…”
Gyomei cried as he reciprocated the hug.
“And you have been a son to me.”
They hugged for what felt like a year, then finally let go of each other. Now Genya was on his way to the butterfly mansion, on his way to the next chapter in his life.
Genya had been working as a nurse in the butterfly mansion for a couple months. In the short while since he embarked on his journey, he’d grown considerably taller and beefier. He towered over his coworkers like Aoi and Kanao, but they didn’t seem to mind all that much.
At first he was very irritable.
The butterfly girls were quite scared of him. It was only when he had spoken to one of the three youngest, Sumi, that he had softened up a little. When he was near the butterfly girls though, he still became red as a tomato.
See, he had had a youngest sister named Sumi back in the before times. She was the most selfless little girl he’d ever met. Shed go days without eating nuts so the youngest, Koto, could live past his infantile years.
This Sumi was quite similar. She’d work overtime as a nurse just to be completely sure that every visiting patient was a-okay. It’s on like she was even getting paid either.
She would tell Genya that it was fine, that she wasn’t tired. That the only reward she needed was the smile on a wounded hunter’s face when they were finally able to continue their demon-killing journey.
Genya also got along with Aoi. They were in a similar place, of course. They had both not gone to final selection due to weakness.
They had really formed a bond so to this. An unspoken sibling-like kinship. It was nice to have siblings again like this. It had been a while since he really felt a strong sibling bond.
Speaking of strong bonds, during his work in the butterfly mansion, he had met a slayer named Tanjiro Kamado. Tanjiro was a strange boy, always claiming they were friends. Genya would of course scream at him like the tsundere he was, but slowly they actually formed a healthy relationship.
Tanjiro also had a sibling. A girl named Nezuko. Apparently, she had been turned into a demon by the demon king himself, she did not devour humans. She saw them all as family. Including Genya.
Genya really liked tanjiro. I mean, he really really liked tanjiro. Everyone did, well, maybe except a couple hashira, but he was well liked.
Soon, Genya learned his feelings were reciprocated, and he found himself with a romantic partner. They couldn’t go on dates in the traditional sense due to Tanjiro always being on missions, but they spent almost every free moment together. Of course, Nezuko and maybe Zenitsu and Inosuke were there too, but still. It was enough for them.
Today, Genya was tasked with taking care of injured slayers. Selfishly, she always wished that Sanemi would be there, and they would reunite.
He knew that wasn’t likely. Sanemi was a hashira, he was rarely injured in battle.
He was carrying a tray of food and gooey black medicine to sombody’s room. Genya read a tag he was given, that showed the room number; room 202.
This work was exacting because there wa always sombody who was injured, that’s just how this job worked, but he knew it wasn’t half as bad as being an actual demon slayer.
He softly knocked on the door to room 202, bit to ask if he could come in but more to warn for his arrival. He softly twisted the doorknob open.
“Um, pardon me, I’ve come to deliver your f-.”
Genya stopped dead in his tracks. He could hear the tray he held clatter agents the floor, making a big mess that he would definitely have to clean up later.
“A-aniki?” He whispered softly. The mad sitting in the bed aged of him was none other than his dear older brother. It was scary almost.
Sanemi’s arms and face were riddled with scars. His eyes were extremely blood shot like he had sent slept in weeks. They locked eyes of a long second, one that felt like years. Sanemi finally spoke.
“Gen-“
Genya ran over and hugged his brother tightly.
“Aniki, is this really you? Truly?” Tears pored down his face and he grasped his older brother. He had now lowered to his knees, with his head buried in his brother’s shoulder.
“Aniki, it’s me, Genya! Don’t you remember me? I’ve always wanted to apologize for all the horrible things I’ve said! Please forgive me!”
Sanemi still hadn’t reciprocated the hug. His arms lay lip at his sides, his eyes staring blankly across the room in utter disbelief. They suddenly tensed.
“You joined… the demon slayer corps?” Sanemi pushed his brother away roughly and balled his fists. “You joined the demon slayer corps???”
“A-Aniki, I-“
“Quit, right now! You talentless piece of trash! Quit!”
“Aniki you-“ Genya stumbled to his feet, waving his hands. “No, Aniki, I’m not a demon slayer I’m only a nurse! I’m not strong enough to be a demon slayer.”
There was a long stretch of silence. Genya didn’t know what to think or say.
“Why are you here?!?! You should be starting a family, living a happy life!!!”
“I… Nemi, I had to find you! I had to! I have always wanted to apologize for-“
“Apologize? You’ve never had anything to apologize for!!! You were a kid, a sad, confused kid who didn’t understand the situation!!! I never once blamed you for the things you said!!!”
“R-really?”
“Yeah!”
More tears pored down Genya’s face.
“I just… I just had to see you…”
He cried and cried and cried. Although the two brothers were hugging, Sanemi kept cursing his brother out through his tears.
Eventually, they had both called and sat together. Sombody had cleaned up the mess that Genya made earlier during his crying, but it was so inconspicuous that he didn’t even notice.
They had talked and talked and talked, spent so, so much time catching up on life.
The important thing was, they had finally reunited, after all this time. Now, they would never be apart again. Never.