"- such disparities are the result of established institutionalized policies in the criminal
justice system. Those policies do not directly involve extralegal factors such as an
individual's employment status, race, gender-"
The afternoon sun shone through the large classroom windows as Tanjiro Kamado sat with determination, listening to his professor while taking extensive notes on the topic at hand. It had only been three weeks into this school semester at his new University but already the workload he was receiving from his different classes was almost suffocating. So much information was being poured into him throughout the week and all for topics that could make someone's gut wrench.
Criminal Justice. Psychology II. Criminology. Forensics. Human Anatomy.
All tough classes and all for a single goal.
Thanks to the unconditional love and support from Urokodaki offering his assistance Tanjiro was able to move himself and his younger sister into a major city that provided services that helped benefit them, one of which being his new University that offered a degree in his desired career field. While he still worked at a local Convenience Store near his apartment for basic living income the older gentleman's financial support helped pave the way for opportunities that he would never have been able to achieve.
Not for himself or for…
He pursed his lips, realizing that he was becoming distracted with his most inner thoughts, and refocused on the professor's lecture. He needed to focus. Distractions were not something that he could afford. He needed to put his all into passing these classes.
As the door to the classroom opened everyone, including the professor, looked up and stared in silence as a tall man with wild black hair, sides shaved, entered. He gave a quick nod to the professor in an informal apology and took a seat near the back of the classroom.
As if nothing had happened the Instructor picked up where he had left off in an easy transition on his lecture with the topic at hand. Before becoming engrossed in the words Tanjiro glanced back at the man. He had never paid him any mind before other than noticing the scar on his face.
"- and make sure to read from page 457 to 485 in your textbooks. I want a minimum of 10 page essay discussing the 5 main principles of a criminal trial process and ways you feel like we can improve the system within our country on my desk first thing Thursday morning." The instructor spoke as he dismissed his class for the day.
Tanjiro inwardly groaned at the information he was just handed. Finishing a ten page essay by Thursday morning was going to result in him pulling another all-nighter, and that doesn't even include the homework from his other classes he had been assigned earlier that morning.
Collecting his belongings Tanjiro quickly walked against the flow of students trying to leave the classroom so he could reach the tall black haired man that arrived late.
"Hello!" Tanjiro spoke with a very kind voice that sounded as though he had a spring in his step.
The man faltered a bit and tilted his head up to look at the young man standing in front of him. Red crimson hair framing his young face and big, bright eyes to match. His excited smile and radiant irises shone with the similarities of a young puppy trying to impress their owner. The man scowled a bit at the sight. Who was this kid? How old was this kid?
Never speaking to this man before Tanjiro faltered a bit with the expression he was met with. This man looked so uninterested in his presence. Unlike himself this man seemed to have lost all of his baby fat as his strong facial structure held a stern expression; one of disdain and callousness. He almost didn't want to further speak at risk of potentially triggering him to cause a problem but smelled the air around the two. His expression held one of deep anger and threat but his scent wasn't one of malice.
The man with the sides shaved stood up from his chair, a few inches taller than the red-haired individual, and walked around him with a flat "excuse me." filled with disinterest in whatever the younger male had to say.
"My notes!" Tanjiro exclaimed, trying to grab the attention from the taller male. "Please! Look through them and make copies! I noticed you weren't here for the first half of the lecture and I wanted to offer my assistance." He quickly explained feeling anxious that he was being too forward with someone he had never had any previous interactions with.
The man stopped.
Tanjiro sighed in relief realizing he hadn't messed up. Not yet at least.
"Okay. Thanks I guess." He spoke awkwardly.
"Of course!" The excitable personality that was Tanjiro was seeping back into the conversation and the man recoiled a bit once again.
"Are you busy?"
Tanjiro opened his mouth to answer and quickly closed it. His eyes shifted away from the man in front of him as he began to contemplate something serious with his question. After a few moments he shook his head and his happy-go-lucky expression was back. "I'm not. Would you like to go to the library?"
"I actually have a meet up regarding Kendo practice a little later today." He shrugged, but he needed those notes. Maybe he should just take pictures of the pages. "I can try to- what..?" He looked uncomfortable at the sudden shift in Tanjiro's demeanor.
"Are they accepting any new students?" The smaller of the two asked quickly, eyes full of excitement and determination. "I've been meaning to look for a Kendo Dojo now that I'm all moved into my apartment!" He explained with much enthusiasm.
"This isn't some casual Dojo, kid." He retorted with a scoff.
"Please!" He begged and bowed properly at the waist. "Allow me to test to see if my skills are worthy!"
The man's grimace grew and he looked around the classroom. Shit. Everyone else had already left. He gave an exasperated sigh. He really needed those notes.
".. Fine."
Even though the voice was flat and filled with disdain at the idea of Tanjiro joining the younger males eyes grew with excitement and he looked back up at the man.
"Thank y-"
"This doesn't guarantee anything! And I'm only doing this because you're helping me with the notes I missed out on!" The man quickly cut him off. "I'll only take you there so you can meet the Sensei. If he rejects you, that's it. Nothing else I can do." He said flatly. Looking back over at Tanjiro he chokes as the boy's expression was still filled with enlightenment.
He sighed. "You wouldn't happen to have a car, would you?" He asked, calming down from the feeling of distress from the kindness he was receiving from this random classmate.
"I don't." Tanjiro responded casually. "I actually take the train to University."
He groaned at the expected answer. "Looks like we're taking the bus. Come on." He said and headed off with no warning, his long legs allowing him to take long strides that put distance between himself and Tanjiro.
"I'm Kamado Tanjiro!" Tanjiro introduced from behind the taller man as he tried to keep up.
"Genya. Shinazugawa Genya." the taller man responded with little interest. "Just call me Genya."
"Okay. It's a pleasure to meet you, Genya-San!" Tanjiro responded and the taller guy sighed at hearing the honorific. Being near this guy was going to become very exhausting very quickly.
The bus ride to the Dojo was very awkward and quiet. Tanjiro had attempted to make small talk with Genya but it failed miserably.
"Have you been practicing Kendo for long?"
"Yes."
"Oh! How long?"
"A while."
"Is the Dojo Kendo specific?"
"No."
"Interesting! What else does the Dojo offer?"
"Stuff."
"... Well, are you from the city?"
"Yes."
Tanjiro opened his mouth once again to ask another question but quickly closed it. While he couldn't pick up any ill will from Genya it was obvious that the man wasn't in a talking mood and he didn't want to ruin his first potential friendship in the new city.
Looking out of the bus window he was able to appreciate the homes that were passing by. Such beautiful, old archistructure with wide yards and walls separating the properties and allowing privacy. He always wanted to live in something similar growing up. His eyes saddened a bit as memories flooded his mind and he almost missed Genya's voice.
"Hey!"
"Oh! Uh, yes?" Tanjiro asked and perked up in his seat as he watched Genya standing in the moving vehicle.
"Our stop is coming up." He said flatly and headed to the front of the bus, Tanjiro in tow.
Tanjiro was confused. They were surrounded by beautiful homes, nothing like how the Kendo Dojo was like in his hometown. That was inside of a row of shops where the Sensei had owned his own small store and turned it into said business.
Once again, Genya threatened to leave Tanjiro with his long strides as he made way down the street for another block. Tanjiro sped up after him, still looking at the homes, and almost missed Genya when he turned down another street, going deeper into the neighborhood.
"Genya-San where are we-" Tanjiro haltered his speech when Genya stopped in front of a house and turned back to look at the slower of the two.
"You're slow. I doubt he'll have use for that." He commented and Tanjiro flustered in embarrassment.
"Ah sorry sorry." He said with a sheepish smile and Genya simply scowled at the kindness Tanjiro was emanating.
Turning his head to look into the yard of property the two were standing in front of Tanjiro let out a gasp of utter shock. He wasn't aware that he would come to find places like this in the big city. The archistructure of the home was old and beautiful with deep red wood and white walls. The garden that went from the entrance of the gate had stones leading a path, the yard framed by beautiful peach trees.
"This is a Dojo?" Tanjiro asked, bewildered at the beautiful sight in front of him, his voice a mere whisper as he took in the beautify of the scenery.
"This is the home of Kuwajima Sensei." Genya answered, admiration filling his voice as he talked about the man. Tanjiro broke his gaze from the beautiful scene to look over at the taller male. It was the first time his voice wasn't filled with displeasure and agitation.
Tanjiro suddenly felt anxious. "What's the monthly fee?" He asked. A place this beautiful was expected to be expensive and while he would at least want to try and be accepted by this mysterious Kuwajima Sensei he wasn't sure if he could budget this in with his Convenience Store income.
"It's free."
"Huh?!"
Tanjiro turned his head to look at the Genya dumbfounded that this man had the audacity to make such a bold claim.
"What?" Genya looked annoyed again at the sudden influx of Tanjiro's volume.
"How?! Why would anyone host a Dojo at this beautiful estate and not charge?!" He asked, still stunned at Genya's answer.
"Because he doesn't do this for the money, idiot." Genya snapped back. "I told you, this isn't some casual Dojo! He does this because he enjoys it, not to make a profit."
Before Tanjiro could say anything else Genya quickly left the smaller males side and entered the estate with a groan.
"Wait!" Following the brooding man while still looking around at the beautiful scenery, being able to fully embrace and appreciate the garden layout.
He smiled to himself at the idea of bringing her here.
"Where the hell have you been?!"
The loud voice brought Tanjiro out of his thoughts and his eyes saw a topless boar man running full speed at Genya, wrapping his strong arms around the taller man's waist, and picking him up with ease, the taller man's expression one of pure animosity.
"Why do you care?!" Genya's voice was loud and filled with venom as he slammed his elbow into the head of the boar mask but the man wasn't letting go that easily. "Let go of me!"
Tanjiro grimaced at the scene developing in front of him. He had hoped to god this wasn't the Kuwajima Sensei that he had heard about. His eyes shifted towards the third voice.
"Inosuke! Genya!" A blond came running after with an expression of distress. "Not in front of guests! Not while Jii-Sama could see!"
Genya grabbed his school bag and threw it hard at the blonds face. "Why are you lumping me in with him?!" He yelled with ferocity as the blond tumbled over from the attack and whined. "Help me!"
Tanjiro took a step back, his expression contorted into one of weary disgust. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.
"Ahem!"
With the sudden noise came a shift in the air and the chaotic attitude ceased. Before he could process the movement the three young men who had been fighting amongst themselves were all bowing towards a figure passed Tanjiro. Turning, his eyes fell upon an old man with a gentle face as he looked up at the red read, his white mustache almost hiding the smile he held. His eyes shifted to the man's small hands, then the cane, and then the leg. What had this small, frail man gone through to warrant a missing limb?
This must be the Kuwajima Sensei that he had heard about.
"My apologies. I hope my students haven't deterred you from whatever has brought you to my humble estate today." His voice spoke with a gentleness that matched the feeble man, his scent engulfing Tanjiro's senses. It was of kindness and love, the kind of scent he remembered from his grandmother.
Tanjiro quickly bowed towards the man who gave a deep chuckle.
"Don't flatter me, young one."
Tanjiro dared to look up at the man once again and found nothing but pools of kindness in his aged, tired eyes that held so much information; a lifetime of experiences. He opened his mouth but a sense of fear muted the words before they could reach his lips.
"Tanjiro."
He heard Genya whisper from the side and that grounded him enough to get his words out.
"Please!" His voice came out strained and heavy, the thumping of his heart filling his ears. "Please allow me to learn from your wisdom!"
Kuwajima Sensei's expression softened with a chuckle and he approached the taller, younger male. "Let me have a look at you." He spoke and extended his frail hand out to touch his face.
Grab. Grab his face.
The small, frail old man with the extended aged hand gripped his cheeks with such power and ferocity, pulling Tanjiro's head closer so he could see into the young man's eyes; into his soul. It felt like an eternity of being groped in the face by hands stronger than he had ever felt before they released, and the boy touched his jaw, a soreness beginning to seep in from where Kuwajima Sensei had grabbed.
"What's your name, boy?" His voice was now rough as his gentle smile turned into a dangerous, calloused grin. Who was this man?
"K-Kamado Tanjiro!" He exclaimed quickly with a nervous quiver to his voice.
"Well then, Kamado Tanjiro." He chuckled with a devilish demeanor engulfing his previous kind aura. "Come by before the week is over, before the night sets in, and prove to me that I should even consider you as a student." He cackled and turned around, walking off towards the front of the home.
"Y-yes, sir! Thank you!" He called out after the old man.
"Don't thank me yet, young one. You might end up regretting your request." He said and disappeared, his bellowing laugh filling the air before dying out.
Tanjiro was awe-struck as his gaze lingered over to where the man was once standing at.
SMACK!
The red headed male let out a strained groan from the painful slap on his back. He turned around to face the boar-headed man.
"What was that for?!" He asked, flustered and frustrated at the man's actions. The masked man cackled out and patted Tanjiro on the head. "Stop it!"
"Looks like you'll be testing your skills and I already call dibs on fucking you up!" He bellowed with excitement from behind the mask.
"Who is he?" the blond guy asked Genya as they watched Tanjiro attempting to force the masked man's hands off of his head.
The taller man laughed, enjoying the scene of someone else being tormented by their friend, arms folded in front of his chest.. "A classmate. Work stalled me so I was late to class. Tanjiro, here, said he'll let me copy his notes if he could hurry up and get over here!" Genya yelled the last part to his classmate who finally wrangled out of this strange man's grasp.
He hastily made it over to his acquaintance with an exasperated expression. "Sorry sorry…" He sighed and got his notebook out of his backpack and handed it over to Genya who quickly walked into the back part of the estate.
"Hurry up!" He grunted and Tanjiro complied.
Genya quickly went to make a copy of the notes while he, Tanjiro, and the masked man sat down at a kotatsu together.
"That's a gnarly scar. How'd you get it?" The man with the boar mask pointed out. The male in question touched the left side of his forehead where a red scar was located and smiled awkwardly. "Oh, no special reason or anything." He quickly dismissed the topic as the blond came back into the room.
"Sorry about the delay!" The voice broke through them and Tanjiro smiled with gratitude as the blond came back with cold bottled water for everyone.
"Thank you!" Tanjiro smiled while the bare chested man took his mask off for his drink. He opened the cap but stalled when noticing the red head's shocked expression and lips parted as if to speak.
"Don't say a word." He barked. His extremely effeminate features a shocking contradiction to the man's brash personality and toned body.
"Ignore him." The blond spoke. "I'm Agatsuma Zenitsu. That idiot is Hashibira Inosuke."
Inosuke flicked the cap of his bottle at Zenitsu hitting him right between his bushy eyebrows, the blond whining in frustration.
"Uh, I'm Kamado Tanjiro." He introduced himself, trying to get used to the weird dynamic between the three of them.
Inosuke spit out his water, a spray of mist hitting the others, in a cackle and slammed his free hand on the table.
"Hey! What t-"
"What kind of name is Kamaboko Gonpachiro?!" He laughed.
"Hey!" Tanjiro frowned.
"He doesn't mean it!" Zenitsu chimed in desperately. "Please! You get used to him! I promise!"
"Will you three keep it down?!" Genya groaned out. "I'm trying to focus!"
Inosuke rested his head against the Kotatsu and looked at Tanjiro. "So how did you two end up meeting?"
"Obviously from class, dumbass." Zenitsu chuckled
"Hey!"
"Shut up!" Genya roared and the two cowered into the kotatsu like boys.
Tanjiro nodded slowly. "Uhh yeah.. From class." He said with a shrug and looked at his phone. It was starting to get late. His lips pursed.
"Tanjiro-San, are you okay?"
Tanjiro perked his head up towards the blond and suppressed his anxieties with a smile. "Oh yeah! I'm fine! I just have plans to meet with my sister soon so I don-"
"Sister?!" Zenitsu leaned over the table towards him. "How old is she?! Is she cute?! Oh I bet she is! I haven't found a single female who isn't!" He exclaimed in an almost sing-song voice.
Tanjiro leaned back a bit.
Inosuke slapped the back of Zenitsu's head and the blond whined. "What the hell?!"
"You're such a simp!" The Boar-headed man cackled.
"God, they never shut up." Genya said as he closed both notebooks. "Thanks again, Tanjiro." He said flatly, looking exasperated from all of the comotion.
"Of course, Genya-San! Anytime."
The honorifics at the end of his name made Genya feel awkward and he threw his pencil at Zenitsu in frustration. "Hey! You're taking me to pick up my bike from my school!"
Zenitsu whimpered at the airborne attack and rubbed his forehead. "No! Why'd you even leave it there?!"
"Because I didn't have a spare helmet! I'm not about to risk getting in trouble with my work over something so minute as riding without a helmet!" He exclaimed back.
"What a baby!" Inosuke cackled, receiving a glare from Genya.
"Have inosuke take you!" Zenitsu whined.
"No one in their right mind would trust his driving." Genya retorted flatly. "You're driving me and that's final."
"I'm not that bad!"
Tanjiro awkwardly sat between the bickering of three friends. Were they even friends? It didn't sound like it. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
Genya looked over at Tanjiro and pursed his lips. "It's whatever. I needed those notes."
"I hate taking notes…" Inosuke sighed, his over the top personality deflating a bit, as he rested his forehead against the cool wood of the Kotatsu.
"That's why you have the DRC dummy." Zenitsu's voice was kind and filled with sympathy as he patted Inosuke's head with a gentleness that Tanjiro hadn't seen from any of them yet. It made him smile. Maybe this friend group wasn't a disaster after all.
Putting his notebook away into his backpack Tanjiro stood up and the rest followed. "Thank you for your hospitality." He said with genuine gratitude and gave a bow to the three in front of him.
"Just introduce me to your sister and we'll be even~!" Zenitsu sang out with a blissful smile before Genya wrapped his arm around the blond's head and roughly dragged him off by the hair. "Ow ow ow!"
"Come on, we're getting my bike!" He said and gave a wave to Tanjiro. "See you Thursday."
"See you all Thursday!" He waved back and headed out around the estate and through the front entrance, heading to the bus stop, patiently waiting. In the distance he could hear an engine revving. He was surprised vehicles could still get that loud in the busy city.
Tanjiro got off the bus once he reached his destination, a small bouquet of flowers in his hands, the sky above turning into a mixture of deep reds and purples, blues beginning to seep in from the East. The moon was already out; a waning crescent. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
Walking up to an extremely large and modern building he was greeted by automatic sliding doors and a gust of cold air that ruffled his hair. Entering, the sound of casual chatter filling the air, before a familiar sound brought him back to reality and he gave a large smile.
"Tanjiro!" A woman exclaimed as the male lessoned the distance between them. He stood behind the desk she was sitting at.
"Good evening, Kiyo! How have you been?" He asked as he wrote his name down on the visitors list.
"I'm good! She's right up stairs waiting for you." She spoke with a kindness that helped console his aching heart.
"Thank you." He gave her one last smile before heading off down the hall.
Every day. He came to visit her every day. He would talk to her about his day, tell her all he wanted to show her once she could leave, and would bring her fresh flowers. He did this so often that even though the two of them had only been in this city for two months he had already become familiar with his route to her room that it was now a part of his muscle memory.
His hands on the handle to her door, turning it, and hearing the familiar click, he pushed it open and entered slowly, a smile on his face, as his eyes were met with the familiar sights of his sister. His expression saddened once he was inside, the door closing behind him.
He switched the flowers out of the vase with care and poured fresh water in, hoping that the scents of different, fresh flowers every single day could help her recovery, even if just a little bit.
He sat down on the chair next to her bed, something that was always there because of how often he would visit, and held her gentle, frail, unmoving hand in his. Her eyelids were closed, her body still, the heart monitor beeping the usual thumps behind him while her life support machine softly rumbled, providing oxygen via tube down her throat. When he spoke his voice quivered as sadness dripped from every syllable.
"Good evening, Nezuko. I had an eventful day today."
Thank you so much for checking out the first chapter of my story! I already have the first 5 chapters written out and up to chapter 11 planned out in notes so please stay tuned!
Since I've seen people make comments on the music they listen to most of this story that has been already written was done while listening to Attack On Titan OST