A POT OF STEW
Although she hadn't been exposed to things outside her village, Hanabi knew the face of disdain and grief well. The way people's faces contorted when they were angry, the shrill and guttural tone of their voice when they shouted…Hanabi was far too familiar with those feelings.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO! JUST GET OUT!" Rengoku Shinjuro shouted so loudly that his voice cracked, and his veins bulged in his neck.
He lifted his sake jug and threw it at the wall behind his son as he stood there. The jug shattered on impact, and pieces of pottery and alcohol fell over Rengoku's hair and face like a rain shower.
Rengoku's little brother looks on with large, frightened eyes. He and Hanabi had walked out in the hallway just in time to see Shinjuro throw his sake. Senjuro's entire body was shaking, and he probably wasn't aware of how close he stood beside Hanabi, even clenching ahold of her haori as he watched the situation unfold and wrap up within mere moments.
Shinjuro had retreated back into his room and slammed the door behind him, surrendering the hallway to silence once more, but with a couple extra hearts beating with anticipation.
Rengoku said nothing and stared at the ground, sake dripping from his hair and onto the floor. He only became aware of Senjuro and Hanabi when the floor creaked, and he looked up to see them.
Instantly, his typical smile returned to his face, like nothing had ever happened. "Hanabi-san, it looks like you'll be staying with us for a while," he said with a hearty laugh.
Hanabi said nothing as Senjuro quickly rushed off to get a towel. Once everything had calmed down, they returned to Hanabi's room. She stood behind him and dropped the towel over his head and began to dry his hair.
Rengoku said nothing of the matter and just closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Hanabi gently rubbing his head with the towel. He spoke a time or two, but nothing regarding what happened. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her, and she spoke up within the still silence that haunted them.
"Was he always like this?" it was a simple question, but her heart became heavy after asking it.
Surprisingly, Rengoku didn't hesitate to answer her and was open about things. "Not always. He was once a very supporting man, helping me train when I was still very young, but..." his cheerful expression sharpened a little. "He stopped being like that after our mother passed away. After that happened, he refused to help Senjuro and I anymore and is now neglecting his job as a demon slayer."
Hanabi crinkled her brows, and she pulled the towel over his shoulders, "What does he do now? He doesn't just...drink all day, right?"
Rengoku looked over his shoulder at her but didn't answer. He didn't have to. The look in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
Eventually, Rengoku left her room to clean himself up. Still, it left her feeling a little guilty staying at his home now. Yet, she felt that he would immediately deny that she would cause trouble if she spoke up about it.
Hanabi woke up the following day after a chaotic night inside her own mind. Her head was like an untamed storm of questions and doubts. Even though her night was nearly restless, Hanabi woke up without any aches or pains in her body. She was a little tired but not exhausted like she usually felt.
Hanabi dressed quickly and walked out of her room, making her way to the kitchen. She made herself familiar with everything around the room before getting to work and preparing something to eat for her and the family.
During her brainstorming session last night, she wondered what she could do in order to make her stay in their home less of a burden. Cooking for them was one of her ideas. Hanabi knew how to cook and even found some comfort in it. It was a mindless task to her that didn't require much thinking. There were no strong scents of smoke or black powder, and the rich aroma of fresh vegetables was a nice change of pace.
She was chopping up radishes when she heard the gentle sound of sandals rubbing against the floor. Hanabi looked over her shoulder and saw Senjuro walking into the room. His eyes were wide with shock and slight curiosity. He shuffled up close to her side and looked at the boiling pot filled with vegetables.
"What are you making?" he asked shyly.
Hanabi finished chopping up the radishes and dumped them into the pot. "Vegetable and beef stew," she said, suddenly looking apprehensive. "I can pay for the things that I've used. I just thought...I could help out with the cooking."
"Don't worry about it," he assured her with a boyish grin. "You're cooking for all of us, so you're not wasting anything."
Hanabi felt any burning doubt in her fizzle away with his reassuring words. "Are your family big eaters?" she asked.
Senjuro laughed. "My brother is, and I can be too sometimes. I'm not sure about my father though."
Hanabi nodded. "I'll make sure to prepare him a big bowl. A pot of stew can fill someone for a whole day, you know."
He nodded in agreement, but his smile faltered a little. "But...I'm not sure he'll eat with us."
Hanabi waited for a moment, thinking back to last night's chaos. She had a feeling that Rengoku Shinjuro wouldn't eat with them, but that wouldn't stop her from at least giving him a bowl.
"Delicious!" Rengoku chanted so loud that it made both Senjuro jump and Hanabi almost drop her bowl.
"Thank...thank you," Hanabi laughed awkwardly while composing herself.
Rengoku snapped his full attention to the woman sitting beside him. His smile was intoxicating and bright like the rest of him, and it warmed her heart to see him that way. He was such a stark difference from what she was used to. The people of her village were always downcast and gloomy. Like the life had been sucked from their souls.
"I placed a bowl for your father outside his room," Hanabi began. "I don't know if he'll take it, but..."
"I'm sure he will," Rengoku said enthusiastically. "It's hard to resist good food, and the vegetables and beef are so masterly cut too," he said and held up a piece of radish that she had cut into the shape of a star. "You're quite skilled with a kitchen knife...I can only imagine what you could do with a blade."
Hanabi nearly choked on her food, laughing a little. She clearly thought it was a joke. "A sword? You must be joking. I cut them that way to make it more fun."
"That might've been the case, but you are undoubtedly skilled enough to do that." His expression then turned serious as he held her gaze hostage. "Tell me, Hanabi-san...have you ever thought about being a demon slayer?"
Hanabi was speechless.
