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 for TungstenCat who has advised me with the romance aspect of the story!

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There was a commotion outside.

Kanao looked up from the slippers she and Kie were making, wondering who it could be. It couldn't be Tanjirou, because he had just left for the village to sell charcoal. Kanao stood up before making her way to the door.

Her eyes widened at what—or rather who she saw.

The Kamado children were yelling loudly at the unexpected man, who had a limp Tanjirou on his back. The man, the Water Hashira, dropped Tanjirou unceremoniously on the ground before doubling over in apparent exhaustion. Kie rushed forward to stop the children from beating the Hashira up for kidnapping their older brother.

Kanao paid them no mind, because there was another Hashira standing in front of her.

The Insect Hashira.

"Shinobu-nee-san."

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"You're alive."

The Demon Slayer lady was the first to break the tense silence.

"I am," Kanao bowed towards the elder Demon Slayers, voice as monotonous as her older sister's. "My apologies for not reporting back sooner, Nee-san."

Another tense silence filled the room, without so much as an introduction from the two Demon Slayers.

Tanjirou looked back and forth between the two sisters in confusion. It was weird, because while the conversation felt cold, he knew from their scents that they were happy to see each other. Despite her displeased expression, he could tell that the Demon Slayer lady was immensely relieved to see Kanao alive and well.

Tanjirou glanced at the last Demon Slayer in the room. The man with half-half haori was also mute, and his scent revealed his relief as well, though to a lesser extent. Tanjirou wondered if being expressionless was a requirement for Demon Slayers.

"... Are you injured anywhere?" The Demon Slayer lady asked another question as she scanned Kanao for any sign of wounds.

"My shoulder and my stomach," Kanao replied just as calmly.

"Have those been treated?"

"Yes. The Kamados are proficient in dealing with demon-related injuries. The wounds are healing well."

"Good," the Demon Slayer lady said before smacking Kanao's head with her fist.

Everyone jerked in surprise at the sudden violence. Even the unflappable Kanao widened her eyes at her sister as she rubbed her head, more so from shock than pain. She was taken aback once more when her sister grabbed both of her cheeks and pressed their foreheads together.

"I was worried sick!" Kanao's sister choked back a sob. "You were gone for two weeks! Why are you taking so long to come back?"

"...I'm sorry," Kanao mumbled in return. "Tenma was injured, so I couldn't report back immediately."

"You're my Tsuguko. You're my sister. Kanae-nee-san had ordered you to return home from every single mission, so when you didn't come back, I thought you were…!"

"I'm sorry, Nee-san."

"You dummy…!"

Tanjirou watched the Demon Slayer break down in a daze. Finally, she looked human to him.

"I think we should give them some space," Kie whispered to him while gesturing at the other Demon Slayer to follow her. "Come with us, Demon Slayer-san. I'll brew you some tea. It'll help you relax."

The Demon Slayer man nodded solemnly.

Moments later, they sat on the porch with a hot cup of tea in their hand as they overlooked the children who had returned to playing in the snow. Now that they were away from Kanao and her sister, Tanjirou could sense the man's fatigue. He looked as if he would collapse should Tanjirou poke him.

"Are you okay?" Kie asked him in concern. "Um…"

The Demon Slayer blinked at her before giving a slight bow. "My name is Tomioka Giyuu. I am fine."

"Call me Kie. This is my son, Tanjirou," Kie pated Tanjirou's shoulder before frowning at the man. "But are you sure? You look bone-tired. It must have been hard to travel here."

"It was...doable," Giyuu simply grunted.

Tanjirou sipped his own tea as he wondered what was considered 'doable' for a Demon Slayer. "Seems like you travelled by foot. How many days did you travel, Tomioka-san?"

"Two days."

Calculating the distance, Tanjirou frowned in confusion. "I thought there were no Demon Slayers stationed in nearby villages."

"We departed from Kitashiobara."

Kie spat out her tea.

"K-Kitashiobara?" She spluttered. "That is a week away! Did you even sleep? No, even if you didn't stop to rest, it should've taken at least five days!"

Tanjirou gaped at the Demon Slayer. He had heard from Kanao that Demon Slayers could do extraordinary things normal people couldn't do by utilising Total Concentration Breathing, but two days? Heck, he wouldn't be surprised if Giyuu just fell asleep here and now.

"We were rushing," Giyuu closed his eyes and sipped his tea. "I had just received the mission to investigate Tsuyuri Kanao's disappearance three days ago. We were assuming that she might still be alive by the time we arrived at the scene."

Kie tilted her head at his words. "Did you not receive our message?"

Giyuu stared at her blankly.

"I sent a message to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters last week," Tanjirou explained, recalling his contact with his father's acquaintance at the nearby village. "Kanao's crow is injured so there was nothing we could do but use the slow route. Perhaps it has not reached the headquarters yet."

Giyuu looked up at the two crows flying in circles above their heads. "...No, it has not."

Tanjirou hummed in thought. Perhaps he should ask his mother whether he could buy a Demon Slayer crow. Otherwise, letters might take months to reach their destination.

There was a pregnant pause as the three were occupied by their own thoughts.

"Since you have found Kanao-chan, are you required to return as soon as possible?" Kie finally asked the Demon Slayer. "If not, you should rest here for a while. You look like you might actually die if you travel some more."

"I won't," Giyuu deadpanned. Or maybe that was just his default expression. "Die, I mean. Thank you for your offer, but I have to leave immediately—"

"Nonsense, Tomioka-san," a new voice joined their conversation. Kanao and her sister finally emerged from the house. The Demon Slayer lady smiled. "We both know that you are exhausted. Was it not you who reprimanded me to not push myself too hard? Something along the lines of being too tired to fight demons properly?"

Giyuu scrunched up his nose, speechless. Tanjirou wondered if the man was usually this dour. Even his companion had begun smiling now.

The Demon Slayer lady's smile widened slightly, acknowledging his defeat, before bowing towards the Kamado matriarch.

"My apologies for not introducing myself properly. I am Kochou Shinobu, a Demon Slayer and Kanao's older sister. Please accept my deepest gratitude for saving and taking care of my little sister."

"The pleasure is all mine," Kie bowed in return. "My name is Kamado Kie and this is my oldest son, Tanjirou. Kanao is a very nice girl, so we are happy to have her here for the past week. Speaking of which, you should also stay the night, Kochou-san. It might be a little cramped, but hopefully you can get some rest first before returning to your duties."

"I wouldn't want to impose—"

"It would be our pleasure, Kie-san," Shinobu interrupted Giyuu's attempt to refuse, giving the man a pointed smile. Giyuu was rendered speechless again. "Ah, but we will still have to leave tomorrow morning. The demons don't rest, after all."

"Will Kanao leave with you?"

All eyes turned to him. Tanjirou flinched. Blushed when he saw his mother try to cover her widening smile.

Shinobu tilted her head at his question.

"She will not," she replied, strangely to his relief. That was, until Shinobu continued. "The Kakushis will fetch her instead. They are part of the Demon Slayer Corps, tasked with supporting missions such as cleaning up the aftermath and transporting the injured."

"...Oh. That makes sense, I guess," Tanjirou nodded, trying not to think too much about what 'cleaning up' means. Then, he stood up. "Would you two like some tea? I'll get more cups for you."

"There is no need, Tanjirou-san," Kanao said, showing the two empty cups in her hands.

"Ah, right," Tanjirou beamed at her before patting the spot on the porch where he had just been. "You should sit, Kanao. You're still recovering. You too, Kochou-san. The trip must have left you exhausted."

Kanao nodded and handed the cups to him before plopping down on the offered seat. For some reason, though, Shinobu did not do anything and merely stared at Kanao. Tanjirou began to fidget awkwardly as the silence stretched, and he squirmed when Shinobu turned to stare at him instead.

Then, she tilted her head and gave him an enigmatic smile, making him blush. Tanjirou couldn't help it; Shinobu was a pretty lady after all.

"Kochou."

"Nee-san."

Tanjirou flinched when two voices suddenly interrupted their strange exchange. He turned to find the other three in the group looking at him with various expressions. Kie covered her mouth and giggled. Kanao simply smiled as usual.

Giyuu sipped on his tea impassively, but his scent was rather familiar. Just like the love quarrels Tanjirou had often stumbled upon in the village—

Oh. Oh.

Tanjirou scratched his eyebrow sheepishly. He poured some tea into the two new cups, before passing them to the two ladies. Stepped back and pointed over his shoulder at the rowdy children.

"Anyway, I'll be with the kids," Tanjirou said before bowing. "Nice to meet you, Kochou-san, Tomioka-san. Please enjoy your conversation without me."

He all but bolted from the awkward scene then and there.

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"That's a cute son you have there, Kie-san."

"I know right? He's adorable. Ah, don't worry, Tomioka-san. You're quite a cute one too, being grumpy like this."

"...?"

"Well then." Ignoring Giyuu's perplexed look, Kie stood up before gesturing inside. "I recommend that you rest now, Demon Slayer-san. You two have had a rough week. Come with me; I'll show you where you can get some rest."

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