As usual, a very big thank you to euphoricimage who has helped me beta the chapter, as well as LittleDoot and Nobody(Super_NovaGrey) who have helped me proofread. Also, thank you TungstenCat, for advising me on the romance aspect of the story :)
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New Year's Eve was coming soon.
How time flies, Tanjirou thought. It felt as if it was just yesterday when he had asked his father to join him in the dance. The Hinokami Kagura was performed by the men of the Kamado family on every New Year's Eve. He had performed the dance five times already, ever since his father's last dance prior to his death.
Tanjirou was both apprehensive and excited. The Hinokami Kagura began from sunset and ended at sunrise in the depths of winter. It was unbelievably tough and exhausting, as the twelve forms of the Kagura dance required the dancer to continuously perform physically-demanding feats over and over again until dawn breaks. The first time he performed it by himself, he couldn't last for more than four hours.
Yet, for some reason, dancing the Hinokami Kagura was exhilarating. He was a charcoal burner, as was his father, but during the dance he felt as if he could take on a full-grown bear. It may sound weird, but Tanjirou could truly feel his body getting stronger and faster as he danced through the night.
"I wonder if I can finish it this time," Tanjirou wondered out loud while mending the Kagura suzu. "Last time, I didn't even see the sunrise before I collapsed."
"That was already amazing, Nii-chan," Nezuko patted his shoulder to console him before going back to sewing. She frowned. "We could do without you collapsing for three days, though."
"Indeed. Don't push yourself too hard, son," Kie said while mending his Kagura clothes. "Even your father took a whole decade to master it. There is always next year if you can't finish it this time."
"You should teach it to me too, Nii-chan!" Takeo exclaimed, pointing a finger at his own chest. "I'm also a Kamado man!"
"Me too!" Shigeru followed loudly.
"Man!" Rokuta expressed his agreement by placing the Kagura mask onto his own head. Tanjirou laughed at his cute little brothers.
"Can we watch you dance, Nii-chan?" Hanako asked hopefully before grabbing Kanao's hand to raise it up. "Kanao-nee-chan can join us too!"
Kanao, who was helping Kie mend the outer robe, blinked in surprise. She didn't say anything, though. Maybe because of the coin flip just now.
"... Sure, if the weather's good," Tanjirou gave in. Though, the idea of Kanao watching him fumble around with his dance was embarrassing for some reason. He was fine if it was only his family watching, but with her, it was different. "But it's going to be really chilly at night, so you guys can only stay for an hour at most."
"Aww, I'm a man!"
"Doesn't stop you from freezing to death still, Takeo."
"That's why Nii-chan is so cool," Shigeru whispered loudly to Kanao. "He doesn't wear shoes and mittens when he dances, even if it's really cold outside."
"H-hey, it can't be helped, Shigeru," Tanjirou pulled his brother away from her. "Shoes and mittens are not part of the attire. Besides, I feel warm enough when I dance."
"Yeah, but don't you sweat when you move around that much? I thought that'd make you feel colder," Hanako asked worriedly. "It's also harder to breathe with the air so thin, especially when you're moving around so actively."
Tanjirou honestly didn't get it either. The place where the Hinokami Kagura dance was usually performed was located at a higher altitude than where their house was. Breathing in such a place during a winter night was normally very challenging, and he did struggle badly the first few times he performed the dance, but recently it had gotten slightly easier. Perhaps what his father had said was true; the Hinokami Kagura dance was able to take one beyond their own limit.
"Speaking of which," Nezuko turned to Kanao in awe. "Tsuyuri-san also wore very little clothes when we found you. How did you not feel cold? It was freezing outside!"
Tanjirou also wondered the same thing. She had only been wearing at most two layers of clothes, and her skirt had been awfully short. Did the Demon Slayer organisation not fund their people enough to buy basic winter clothes?
Kanao fiddled with her coin. He thought she was finally going to answer without flipping the coin, but she did flip it in the end. Baby steps, he supposed.
"... It's because of my breathing technique," Kanao replied after the coin toss.
"Breathing technique?" Tanjirou asked, his siblings echoing his confusion.
"It's part of my training as a... hunter," Kanao explained after a sharp glance from Kie. Tanjirou knew Kanao was a Demon Slayer, but he agreed with his mother that it was better for his siblings not to know, yet. "The technique is called Total Concentration Breathing. Basically, I am making use of breathing techniques to constantly regulate my body temperature. It involves forceful breathing using the diaphragm and visualisation of 'inner fire' within one's core, by burning away the harmful effects of stress caused by external frigid temperature."
His siblings looked at her in confusion, but Tanjirou blinked in surprise. Her explanation… was somewhat similar to what his father had told him.
"By burning away the harmful effects of stress," Tanjirou leaned forward in interest. "Do you mean removing natural but unnecessary movements of the body? Such as shivering uncontrollably due to the cold wind?"
Kanao tilted her head. "Yes, though it's more of increasing your own internal body temperature first before the chills could set in. One must be aware of one's own entire body down to the smallest blood vessels. That way, the body can keep only the necessary movements and close everything else."
"Huh," Tanjirou was in awe. "Dad also taught me that when I first learned the dance."
Now it was Kanao's turn to be surprised. "I had thought your father was not… a hunter. The technique is exclusively for 'hunters'."
"The Hinokami Kagura has been passed down from generation to generation within our family," Kie explained. "Although it is not a technique meant to kill, perhaps it has the same root as the techniques your people practice."
Tanjirou could see that Kanao was intrigued. So before she could flip her coin, he said, "You should come with us tomorrow night. I'm not a master yet, but the dance might interest you."
"Will Tsuyuri-san be fine, though?" Nezuko asked, concerned. "She's still recuperating."
"The clearing is not too far from here, so it should be fine," Kie smiled at Kanao. "I'll have to check your wounds first, but so far they've been healing nicely. I'd say you're even healing at a faster rate than normal, probably due to your breathing techniques."
"Even if you can't, Nii-chan can carry you," Shigeru added innocently. "I can help carry your legs."
"Then that's settled," Takeo grinned without even waiting for Kanao's reply. "Now, help me sew this part. We have to hurry if we want to finish this by tonight."
"Takeo-nii-chan!" Hanako looked affronted. "It's your task, not Kanao-nee-chan's! Do your own work!"
"But I can't sew! It's a girl's work!"
"What are you saying? Look at Tanjirou-nii-chan. He can sew a whole kimono by himself!"
"... No, maybe not to that extent, Hanako-chan."
"Kanao-nee-chan, you should marry Nii-chan."
"Ouch!"
All eyes turned to Tanjirou, who had just yelped when he accidently stabbed his own palm with a sewing needle. Tanjirou ignored the pain, because he had to shake Rokuta's shoulders for blurting out such ridiculous nonsense.
"What are you saying?!" Tanjirou squeaked in panic. His face became even redder when he saw the normally unflappable Kanao turninged flustered. "Look! Y-You're making Tsuyuri-san feel uncomfortable!"
Tanjirou felt immensely disturbed when all of them sans Kanao stared at them both with identical serious expressions.
"I mean… You two look good with each other," Nezuko nodded sagely.
"Since Kanao-nee-chan is a hunter, maybe Tanjirou-nii-chan can be the househusband," Hanako piped in.
"Oh, I agree!" Shigeru crowed in delight.
"Nii-chan is good at house chores, after all," Takeo said solemnly with fingers on his chin. "The girls in the village always say that he's a good catch."
"I wanna be an older brother too," Rokuta added, pouting. "I'm always the youngest here."
"A grandchild would be nice…" His mother placed a palm on her cheek and sighed dreamily.
"M-Mum!" Tanjirou spluttered helplessly. "You guys, stop making assumptions! We're nothing like that!"
They all ignored Tanjirou and smoothly turned to Kanao.
"Kanao-chan, do you have a boyfriend already?" Kie went straight to the point.
"Um," Kanao stuttered, eyes wide like a surprised rabbit. "No?"
"YES!" Tanjirou's siblings cheered at her answer. "He's got a chance!" Someone added.
"Hey, Onee-chan," Rokuta tugged at Kanao's sleeve. "What do you think of - Mmph!
Tanjirou covered his youngest brother's mouth before he could say anything further. He only had two hands, however, so he couldn't stop the rest of his siblings from bombarding the confused Demon Slayer with his supposedly good qualities.
"Nii-chan is very caring and attentive. He'll take care of you well."
"He's super kind. He always helps people whenever he visits the village."
"His face is not bad. He always runs up and down the mountain to sell charcoal, so he's fit too."
"Nii-chan is very good with kids."
"You should see him with the girls in the village."
"He's dense, but he's also very smooth."
"I know right."
"Everyone falls in love with him instantly—"
They froze, as silence abruptly fell between them. Slowly they turned to Kanao, who was blinking innocently. Tanjirou swore he heard her murmur something just now.
"What did you just say?" Kie asked her tentatively. For a brief moment, the Kamado family wondered if they had crossed the line—
Until Kanao dropped the bomb.
"How do I fall in love with him?"
Tanjirou's embarrassed scream rang through the mountain.
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"Tsuyuri-san…"
"Yes?"
"You… how should I say this... I know the person who gave you the coin told you that falling in love with someone is a great way to change, but please. Don't go around asking people how to fall in love with some random person."
Kanao blinked at him in confusion. "But you're not some random person?"
Tanjirou crouched down and hid his blush with a facepalm.
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"I am sorry for going overboard just now, Kanao-chan," Kie said to her as she checked her wounds. The slash wound that stretched from Kanao's chest to her abdomen had closed and was healing nicely, a testament to the effectiveness of her husband's special ointment. Kie wrapped fresh bandages around the Demon Slayer's torso as she continued, "We must have been too excited to have such a pretty guest in our home."
"It's alright, Kie-san," Kanao replied, her usual smile on her face.
Kie patted Kanao's cheek once she was done before standing up. "It's just that, it's been awhile since the last time I saw my eldest son this happy."
Kanao dressed quickly. After some hesitation, she also put on the extra haori, mittens, and scarves Tanjirou had given her. She had her breathing techniques to keep herself warm, but it would be rude not to wear the extra clothes he had thoughtfully provided for her. She was going to watch the Kagura dance and the night was unforgivingly cold, after all. Then, she fidgeted with her coin. "... How so?"
"Ever since my husband passed, Tanjirou has had this conviction that it is his responsibility to take care of the whole family," Kie explained while she arranged the bottles of ointments back to their place in a box. "He never does anything fun for himself, and doesn't have any interest in anything apart from our well being. He cares about us more than himself, to the point that he once collapsed from exhaustion just so that he could sell more charcoal and buy his siblings trinkets from the village. I know that he's content with the way things are, yet I'm worried that he'd live and die for us.
"But ever since he found you, he's never stopped talking about you," Kie smiled warmly at Kanao. "He goes on and on about how cool your coin toss is, how pretty but sometimes scary your smile is and how mysterious your aura is. He's always been very mature, but whenever he talks about you, he turns into the teenager he is. I haven't seen my son being this lively for years.
"So bear with him a little bit longer, okay?" Kie patted Kanao's head and laughed apologetically. "Even if you don't love him as a man, at least be his friend. If you want, consider it a payment for saving you."
"Friend…" Kanao murmured before nodding. "I understand, Kie-san."
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