Chapter 26: The Dream
The sakura trees were in bloom. Birds were chirping happily.
Someone was preparing tea.
A woman was fast asleep, while a man was sitting with his back to her.
Someone was holding a tray, walking to the man sitting on the engawa.
"I poured some tea." a male voice said, coming closer.
The first man was holding a baby in his arms.
He had wavy long black hair with red-burgundy tips, a red haori and hanafuda earrings.
"Ahh. Thanks." his voice was gentle.
"Aaah, fast asleep." the second man said, as he looked at the baby in the gentle-voiced man's arms, "I'm so sorry. My wife also happened to fall asleep. I'm really, really sorry. You are a visitor and I made you watch over my kid." the second man said.
He was a young man with black shoulder-length hair tied in a ponytail, dark red eyes, wearing a checkered yukata and a kind smile. He carefully took his child back in his arms.
"Don't worry about it. It's no trouble. She's probably tired. Birthing a kid and raising them is hard work. After I finish drinking this, I'll be on my way. I can't keep eating meals for free like this."
The man with the kind face held close the sleeping baby.
"Oh, no. Don't worry about it! I owe you my life. If you weren't around back then, then I, much less my children, wouldn't be here now."
The gently-voiced man only sipped his tea.
"…Alright then. At least tell me your story for future generations."
"…No need."
"But…it must be hard since you have no successor at hand. With no heirs, who will remember…? It may impossible for me since I am a simple, humble coal burner, but one day, someone will…"
"No need." the man said again, "Sumiyoshi. Masters of their craft will always find their way to the same place." he turned to face Sumiyoshi and it was revealed he had maroon eyes, but what stuck with him was how sorrowful they felt. On the left side of his forehead, he had a mark in a flame like pattern, "Even if the times have changed, even if they have taken different paths to that point, they will always reach the same place." he continued, "You seem to see me as some kind of special human, but that's not true. I couldn't protect a single thing that was precious to me. And I couldn't achieve what I was supposed to achieve in this life." he stood up, ready to go, "I am a man of no worth."
'Ahhh. Just don't. Don't speak like that, please. Please. I'm begging you, don't think of yourself like that. Tragic. Just tragic…' Sumiyoshi thought, tears falling from his eyes.
Tanjirou opened his eyes, tears running down his cheeks.
'A…dream…? Where…am I…?' he thought.
Something crashed.
"…Are you okay?" a voice asked timidly from his side, "After the fight ended you didn't regain consciousness for two whole months."
"Oh…really…? I…see…"
"I'm glad that you're awake…"
"Uhh…I brought some castella over. So please clear the way so I can put it down. If it looks spoiled, please just go ahead and throw it away or eat it."
"Th…Thank you…so much…" Tanjirou mumbled.
The Kakushi dropped the plate.
"HE WOKE UP?! WHY AREN'T YOU SCREAMING?! YOU'RE AN UTTER AIRHEAD! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CALL SOMEONE! HE MANAGED TO REAGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS, YOU DUMBASS! EVERYONE'S WORRIED SICK ABOUT HIM! I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE MY SUPPERIOR! RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST!" he went to the door, "KIYO-CHAN, NAHO-CHAN, SUMI-CHAN, AOI-CHAN! TANJIROU'S AWAKE NOW!" he shouted.
Soon, the three little girls were in the room, crying in relief, Naho-chan was kneeling on Tanjirou's feet while Kiyo-chan and Sumi-chan were draped over the bed. The Kakushi man was trying to salvage the castella while Kanao was smiling at the girls.
"I'm glad!"
"I'll bake you some anpan!"
"The castella is falling off…!"
Quick footsteps where heard and then the door opened and someone covered in a sheet rushed inside.
"MONSTEEEER!" Kiyo-chan screamed.
Aoi-san gasped, freeing herself.
"Oh, it's just Aoi-san caught up in the laundry." Naho-chan said relieved.
Aoi knelt by his side, crying.
"I'm so glad you're awake! You guys went in my place and got hurt, so…" she cried, Kanao trying to comfort her.
"Thank…you… Are…the others…doing…okay…?"
"The blonde dude who left this place the day before yesterday?" the Kakushi asked.
"Yes," Naho-chan replied.
"He's back in service. He's already out on a job. He was screaming and crying."
"Zenitsu-san woke up the day after the incident." Naho-chan explained, "And the Sound Pillar walked off on his own, with his wives supporting him."
"The Kakushi backed away from him because he was just way too tough. They were really scared." the Kakushi said.
"Oh, okay… And Inosuke…?"
"Inosuke-san was on the verge of death at one point." Naho-chan said sadly.
"Inosuke-san was in terrible condition. The poison had circulated through his body, so we were too late to stop the bleeding." Aoi-san was saying through her tears, "Even Tamayo-san's antidote was almost not enough to help him."
"Oh… Okay… In that case, then I must be hallucinating Inosuke clinging to the ceiling there…" Tanjirou said.
There was a pregnant pause as they all looked up, where Inosuke was indeed clinging to the ceiling. They girls and the Kakushi screamed.
"What is wrong with you?!" the Kakushi demanded.
"I'm impressed you noticed me, Tanpachirou!" he laughed, excitedly.
"Well…I am lying facing up, so…" he smiled weakly.
Inosuke dropped on top of Tanjirou's legs.
"I am the man who woke up seven days before you!"
"Get off him!" Naho-chan said softly.
"Oh…good for you…Inosuke…"
"Praise me more! And you are a feeble boy! You made me worry!" he laughed.
"You're not normal! Shinobu-sama said that herself, right?!" Sumi-chan said.
"Oh, yeah. Look at this book, Tanjirou-san." Kiyo-chan opened a book, "It's a weasel from overseas called a 'honey badger'!" she said, "It's thick hide is like armor. It'll be completely fine even if it fights a lion. And poison doesn't work on it, so it can also eat poisonous snakes." she explained.
"Cute…" he mumbled.
"Shinobu-sama said Inosuke-san is just like this thing." Kiyo-chan concluded.
"Kochou-sama is pretty random." the Kakushi said.
"Thinking about this guy is a pain in the butt, though, so maybe she got tired worrying about him?" Aoi-san said, "Get off!"
Tanjirou chuckled softly.
"Nobu-chan…" he breathed out, eyes closing and breath evening out, just as Aoi, Inosuke and the others started fighting.
One week later, he had made a full recovery.
He was so happy, he was picking up the girls and they spread their hands apart, like they were birds or the wind.