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There was a loud growl.

Giyuu was instantly alert. Sword unsheathed, he scanned his surroundings for demons. The room was empty save the three of them, but the growling sound persisted and it came from his behind —

Tanjirou!

…Was still sleeping, snoring lightly.

Nezuko, however, was wide awake. She looked at him with glassy eyes and wobbly lips. The growling sound echoed again, and it came straight from her stomach.

"... Are you hungry?" Giyuu asked, to which she replied with a nod. He sighed and sheathed his blade, before standing up to make a beeline for the shouji doors. "Wait here. I'll ask the inn owner to make you a meal."

Something tugged the bottom hem of his pants. Giyuu looked down to see Nezuko lifting both of her hands up.

He stared at her in confusion. He had no idea what the toddler was doing, but her eyes seemed like they were telling him to do something for her. Maybe she was asking for food.

"I'll bring one for you soon," Giyuu said.

Nezuko blinked. Then, she pouted, swinging her arms demandingly. "Up!"

"... Up?"

"Up!"

Giyuu looked up. Nothing suspicious was on the wooden ceiling. When he looked down, Nezuko was suddenly close to bursting into tears.

"Mu… Wan' up!" she whined, fidgeting restlessly. "Tomi-tan, up!"

But what was 'up'? It was the second time Nezuko had spoken, but her underdeveloped speech made it hard for him to understand. Did she want to be lifted up? To be carried? And he was Tomioka Giyuu, not Tomi-tan.

"Mmm…?" Tanjirou rubbed his eyes at her sudden outburst. Upon seeing the Demon Slayer hovering awkwardly over his teary-eyed baby sister, he sleepily said, "Nezuko wants to be carried, Tomioka-san."

"... I know," Giyuu said. He had figured it out moments before Tanjirou said it, though it was nice that her brother could confirm it. He bent down and lifted Nezuko up, before securing her in his arms. Nezuko happily clutched his haori. "I'll be going down to get her some food. Stay here and don't let anyone in."

"... Can't I come with you?"

"It's bright outside. You'll die if you step out of this room," Giyuu reasoned, patting his head. "Go back to sleep, Tanjirou. I won't be out for long."

"Mmkay then…" Tanjirou sulked, before curling up to sleep.

As Giyuu made his way down to the lobby with Nezuko in his arms, he tried to fix the toddler's mistake, to no avail.

"My name is Tomioka Giyuu."

"Tomi-tan!"

"Not Tomi-tan. Tomi oka ."

"Tomi… tan!"

"To-mi- o -ka. There is an 'o' after 'Tomi'."

"Ooh? Oohh…!"

"Try again. To-mi-o-ka."

"To-mi…"

"-o -ka."

"-tan!"

"... Try calling me 'Giyuu' instead."

"G… Gyuu?"

"... Not that. ' Gi -yuu'."

"Gyuuuuhh!"

Nezuko hugged his neck tightly. Giyuu looked heavenwards in resignation. Killing demons was so much easier than this .

He continued to teach Nezuko how to pronounce his name correctly until they reached the lobby. The inn owner was not around; instead, a different staff was now manning the reception desk.

"Tomi-tan!"

"It's not— There is no 'tan' in my name. It's Tomi-o-ka ."

"Tan tan tan tan tan~!"

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Right. Do you—Nezuko, don't pull my hair—Do you have some soft food for a toddler?"

"Um, we have miso soup with wakame and tofu in our lunch set. Would that be alright?"

"Yes, that—"

"Tomi-tan!"

"—is alright, thank you. Nezuko, for the last time, it's Tomioka."

"To… mi… tan!"

"I understand. Would you like it to be delivered in your room?"

"Yes, please."

"Tomi-tan, Tomi-tan, Tomi-tan!"

"It's not—"

"May I have your name, sir?"

"—Tomioka, it's Tomi-tan—I mean, It's, uh, Tomioka Giyuu."

Giyuu rubbed his face in extreme exhaustion as Nezuko continued to sing his incorrectly-pronounced name.

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