On May, when the last cherry blossoms fell from a tree in Japan, spring is a time of rebirth for nature and human celebrations throughout the country. One of the most beautiful seasons in Japan, whose arrival has always been awaited by the public so far.
Likewise with the man who wearing Hanafuda earrings who has been sitting nervously since a few hours ago outside a delivery room.
Several years have passed since their fierce battle with the First Demon, Muzan. That certainly becomes an unforgettable day.
Kamado Tanjiro, who was 15 years old during the last battle, is now 25 years old. Yes, it was 10 years ago, but no one has ever forgotten that incident.
Tanjiro grew into a strong man, as heir to the sun's breathing, his strength could not longer be doubted.
He spent a lot of time with other Demon Slayer members. Joy and sorrow always accompany them.
Until this day.
The day became the most stressful day for him.
Anxiety and fear increasingly enveloped his heart as time passed.
This anxiety is different from what he felt before. Not because there is a demon who will attack his residence.
It was not the anxiety he felt when Nezuko, his younger sister turned into a demon at that time.
It was not anxious when the Pilar members judged him for bringing the demon who adventure with him who was a member of the demon slayer at that time.
And it's also not anxious to think that someone will die while fighting the demon with him.
But the anxiety that he felt this time was the anxiety felt when a husband waits for his wife to give birth to their child for the first time.
Yes, that feeling was felt by Tanjiro when his wife, Tsuyuri Kanao was struggling in the delivery room a few hours ago to give birth to their babies.
Time passed, and their relationship grew closer and finally ended with a romantic bond that bound the two of them to become lovers. And today comes the time when "lovers" will turn into "parents"
A few months ago, when Kanao began to feel something strange in his body like a feeling of dizziness, sensitivity to smell and nausea. That made Tanjiro worried and immediately called a doctor for his beloved wife. Tanjiro was afraid that Kanao was sick, but when the doctor said the reason why Kanao felt strange lately, Tanjiro was crying happily. Both of them felt the happiness they had always been waiting for. Kanao is pregnant!
And that was the first moment why Kanao was currently in the delivery room and Tanjiro was waiting outside feeling anxious.
Several hours had passed and from behind the room still showed no signs of anything.
Tanjiro could only sit still, but his heart was beating fast, cold sweat ran down his body, his mouth never stopped moving to pray and his heart always hoped to God that his wife and child would be safe.
"Kami-sama, I beg you .. please meet me with a healthy child and wife ..." those were the words Tanjiro had always said for several hours.
He was not sure how long he would keep doing that. What he remembered on May 9, Kanao began to feel pain and in the middle of the night the pain could not stand anymore which made Tanjiro call a doctor for him.
And the dawn was near, indicating 5-6 hours had passed since Tanjiro and Kanao were separated from one room.
Tanjiro wants to be by Kanao's side when labor takes place. He wants to help his wife and encourage her. But the doctor said it would be better if Tanjiro waited outside, and let the doctor and her assistant help Kanao. Tanjiro accepted it with a heavy heart, but deep in his heart he felt happy that they would accompany his wife.
Tanjiro tries to dispel the anxieties and fears he felt before by thinking about what their child will be like.
What color will the eyes be? Is it crimson like his father's eyes? Is it purple like his mother's eyes? How about his hair? Is it bumpy or straight? Will he be full of enthusiasm or calm?
The sound of a baby crying immediately erases Tanjiro's thoughts about it, if only the sound did not come at that time, then Tanjiro would not stop to think about what his child would look like.
He immediately stood up and headed for the door where his wife was. Only when he was about to open the door, a young woman opened the door from the opposite direction and smiled at Tanjiro.
"What about my wife-" before Tanjiro had finished his words, the woman immediately tapped Tanjiro's shoulder slowly and told him to enter the room with a warm smile.
Tanjiro immediately entered, although his footsteps trembled. Once he entered the room, he could smell the blood of his wife and the smell of several people there. Like the smell of Kanao, the smell of the doctor and her assistant. But there is one more smell. There was a smell he had never felt before. The origin of the source of the smell was from the small bundle Kanao was holding in her arms.
Tanjiro could not say anything. As a result he could only stand in front of the door. His mouth was open, but he didn't know what to say.
Kanao smiled, tears running down her cheeks, "Come here ... meet your son, Tanjiro" her voice was slow and rather hoarse because he shouted too much before, but happiness were clearly heard in her voice.
Hearing that, Tanjiro tried to step his foot and he almost collapsed in front of Kanao. Tears had rolled in his eyes and tears broke out when Kanao handed the small bundle to her husband.
"So small ... but warm ... very warm ... he smells like the sun .." Tanjiro could not hold back his tears when he hugged a child who had been in his wife's womb for a long time. He buried his nose in his son's head which was overgrown with a little hair. Trying catch the smell as much as possible. Cries also broke out at Kanao. Seeing this the doctor and her assistant came out of the room to give privacy to a husband and wife who had just had the greatest happiness in their lives.
"Kami-sama ... thank you ... thank you for answering my prayers ... thank you.." Tanjiro did not stop saying his gratitude.
Kanao also tried to hug her husband and child in his arms. Tanjiro noticed and pulled his wife into a warm, loving hug.
The hug was long enough and finally Tanjiro tried to break the silence between them.
"You've fought well Kanao, thank you for giving birth to this child." Tanjiro kissed Kanao's forehead gently. Tears adorn their cheeks again.
"This is all thanks to you and the others too. Thank you for always helping me until I could give birth to this child safely Tanjiro. The others too .. they always pray for me the best. Because of you I can do this.."
They held back their hugs until that hugs broken with a small voice issued by a little angel who was still in his father's arms. They both looked back at their child. A warm feeling enveloped their hearts.
"You look a lot like your mother ... beautiful white skin, pretty dark black hair. Are your eyes similar to your mother's too little one?" Tanjiro noticed his son who was very similar to his mother.
Kanao chuckled slightly at that. Is it possible that Tanjiro was a little upset because their first child did not resemble his father at all? But that thought suddenly disappeared when Kanao saw Tanjiro's eyes that looked softly, affectionately towards the child in his arms.
"Tanjiro ..."
Tanjiro is still focused on his little angel.
"Tanjiro ..!" This time Kanao slightly raised her voice volume because Tanjiro was still unaware of his call.
"Huh ?! W-what's up- ?!" Tanjiro snapped out of his reverie and immediately answered Kanao's call.
Seeing that Kanao laughed softly and continued,
"What is his name..?"
"Haah ..?" Tanjiro answered that he was still not fully conscious
"I asked, what is the name of the boy Tanjiro" Kanao continued.
"The name ..? Oh yeah, the name ... haha .. what did I think about?"
"So? Have you thought about the name of your first son?"
Tanjiro fell silent hearing Kanao's words.
Name?
Yes, certainly he had thought about it. A name is a reflection of one's self. The name will also be a talisman in the future, whether bad luck or good will come to him. There's no way Tanjiro didn't think of the name of his first child.
But..
Unlike people in general who have trouble finding names for their children. When he heard the news that Kanao was pregnant, he immediately got a child's name for his child later.
"I ... I've thought of a name for this child before ..." Tanjiro whispered, his head bowed, his cheeks slightly reddened.
"Oh? Really? What's his name?" Kanao was excited to hear that. She always wondered what name Tanjiro had prepared for his first son.
"... K-Kyoujurou ..." Tanjiro answered.
Silence covered the room again after Tanjiro said one single sentence.
Tanjiro doesn't know how to respond to Kanao's silence. Does Kanao not like that name? Is he too selfish to name their child alone without first discussing it with his wife?
However, this thought was lost when Kanao stroked Tanjiro's cheek. A smile adorns hee cheek and tears reappear in her eyes.
"Kamado Kyoujurou ... yeah ... That's a good name ... thank you for giving this name to this child Tanjiro ..."
Kanao's smile made Tanjiro cry too. Did he feel relief? Touched or happy when he heard those words?
"Yes ... I really want to give that name to my son" Tanjiro again hid his face in the neck of his first son,
"I.. I want ... I want my child to grow strong like him. Always shine. Always uphold the truth with enthusiasm. Always there for people who need his helps. And also ... always protecting people even if he has to sacrifice his own life. .. " Tanjiro could not hold back his tears anymore, he let the tears flow freely from his eyes, he was not afraid even though those tears made the child under him uncomfortable with his father's tears.
Kanao couldn't hold it anymore either, she hugged her husband, patted his back slowly, hoping that Tanjiro's cries would subside a little.
"I-I'm sorry, Kanao ... I'm ... I'm a selfish person, right? I should have discussed with you about the name of our child. But I ... I ... I decided it myself ... I'm a bad father-"
"That is not true!" Kanao suddenly interrupted Tanjiro. She continued, "I believe ... I believe you has prepared the perfect name for our first child, I believe that. That's why I don't mind when you didn't discuss with me about our child's name. As soon as I heard the child's name today, I'm relieved, my tears can't stop. You gave him the perfect name,Tanjiro. Thank you ... you are a great father ..! "
Tanjiro's tears couldn't stop falling as Kanao called out all of her heart just now,
"I'm sorry .. apparently I still can't forget him..."
"Yes, it's alright my husband.." Kanao nodded in understanding with her husband's feelings.
"How I want this child to be like him.. I want to always see him grow strong like him. Can I educate this child to be the same as him, Kanao ??" Tanjiro ask his wife with a tremble voice.
"You can do it ... a strong and kind heart from Rengoku-san you already inherited it Tanjiro, and soon this child will also inherit that ..." Kanao looked proudly at the child she had just given birth to.
Tanjiro nodded with tears still wet his cheeks.
'Rengoku-san ... Rengoku-san ...' Old memories crossed Tanjiro's mind again.
10 years ago, Tanjiro met a man who changed his life going forward. The man he thought was a little strange, but when he saw the man protect the people on the train from the devil, awe immediately filled his heart. How we want this man train him to become his tsuguko. And when the man said that he would train Tanjiro and his two friends again, he found happiness and enthusiasm.
He still felt the warm shoulders that made him lean while sleeping on the train, the soothing smell coming from the man made his sleep more peacefull.
He also remembered the fierce battle that had taken place within those few hours, when an unexpected enemy came over to them. That's when Tanjiro felt he was going to lose someone valuable to him again.
It was painful to imagine him protecting himself and others from one of the strongest demons. But Tanjiro never felt doubts about the man's heart to protect them. With all his heart the man fought even though fresh wounds adorned his body. But the spirit of the man was still there even though the demon's hand hit the vital part of the man.
Still, Tanjiro could hear the scream of two of them. One voice from the man who tried to cut the demon's neck and another voice from the demon who tried to escape from the man's grasp.
And also ... Tanjiro can still feel tightness on his heart when the demon tries to run away from the sunlight that will burn him down. Tanjiro shouted. He shouted, shouting that the demon was a coward who ran away from the battlefield. The pain was unbearable anymore, not the pain he received from his former battle with the lower moon demon on his stomach. But the pain in his heart ... the tightness is unbearable ...
"Come here .."
The sound immediately made Tanjiro's heart stop beating.
"Come here, let's have final chat Kamado my boy," the man said. Although his condition did not allow him to speak again, but he still continued the conversation with a smile that still adorned his blood-filled face from the results of his battle a few minutes ago.
At that time ... when Tanjiro sat facing the bloody man in front of him. He could not hold back his tears, no matter how strong he held it but still useless.
He still remembered clearly the last words of the man he hoped would train him after they returned from the mission this time.
He remembered that moment clearly, a moment that he could never forget. The moment that made him cry quietly or wake up from his sleep with tears in his eyes and he immediately embraced the man tsuba he received from that man younger brother.
The last time Tanjiro he remembered was the last smile that the man gave and that was the last moment of life of the man that Tanjiro admired even though he spent only a few hours with him over.
And,that man name is Rengoku Kyoujurou.
A person that Kamado Tanjiro will never forget.
"Kyoujurou ... Kamado Kyoujurou ... thank you for being born in this world as our children. I hope you can be like him too someday.."