Special Announcement at the end of the chapter


Chapter 8

The sun had risen, illuminating its light for all to awaken within the forest. The aspiring demon slayer, Yuki Subachi, finally rose from his bed and stretched his limbs before fixing his bed. He opened the sole curtain in his storage room and was blinded by the light. The intensity of the sun's glare head on was enough for him to flinch and found himself bumping onto the top of the door frame with the back of his head.

"Ow. Stupid door." He grumbled as he rubbed his bruise. This was enough for the tall demon slayer to regain full consciousness. Aside from the initial shock of pain, he turned and stepped out of his room. He took a deep breath and was beginning to embrace the fresh smell of pine. The ocean was his home but the luscious scenery of trees gave him a new sense of comfort.

He went inside the butterfly mansion to meet his head servant Kenji Haruno, who was unfortunately resting in bed motionless. Yuki held faith his friend would wake up, but he began to question himself. Even so, he made sure to take care of his personal hygiene and spoke to him: "Morning Haruno-san, It's me Yuki. Guess what today is? It's January 25,. my birthday. Remember last year when we had my big party at Mt. Nokogiri? It was so much fun, we visited the town there, hiked on a mountain, and we even found a giant statue of Buddha. I wish I could get myself a statue as big as his one day. It was one of the few times my mom was actually happy. No business talks, no etiquette lessons, just you, me, and everyone else having fun that day. I wish…you would wake up soon and we can share more memories together. Please… don't sleep in." He choked by the end of his speech and left the hospital room to the dojo.


As he made his way to the training room, he noticed the day had been going more or less the same. He had gotten accustomed to the morning stretches with the butterfly triplets. He had difficulty meeting his quota with the solo stretches, but he remained undeterred and continued until instructed to stop.

Afterwards, he moved on to the cup game with Aoi. He has seen the most improvement in this trial because the two were equal to one another. For every splash he got with Aoi, she'd splash right back. The only condition she had laid out was to not use any tactics similar to what transpired with him and Kanao. Since then, Yuki had been playing by the rules and received approval from the raven hair girl for his efforts in keeping up with her.

What got him stumped was the challenge of tagging. Since Kanao took over, Yuki had been struggling due to her heightened senses. Despite his best efforts, Yuki had been unable to tag Kanao once and was only able to dodge her a few times. He'd get frustrated, followed by becoming aggressive and within ten minutes, he'd stop to vent his frustration. Kanao watched the dull-eyed boy walk away before going up to him.

"Can't you let me tag you just once?" He whined as he stared down at her.

"No… but I can offer you some advice." Kanao looked up and responded.

Okay? He responded reluctantly.

"You may be getting a grasp on using total concentration breathing, but you still have ways to go. If you want to master it quicker, then you'll need to break the gourds." Kanao stated. She noted Yuki's look of confusion but turned to the butterfly girls to signaled them to retrieve the gourd. Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho carried a large gourd simultaneously and offered it to the tsuguko. She held it firmly and then destroyed with one blow.

"Wow! You blew that up with one breath?!" The dull-eyed boy exclaimed.

"This is what complete mastery of total concentration breathing looks like. Once you are able to break gourds the same size I can, then you'll have a chance of tagging me, gakusei-kun." She replied and then cleaned up after herself followed by heading out.

The dark-hair teen bowed to thank all the girls for making time to train with him, then left the training room. His train of thought was disrupted when he saw the Insect Pillar nearby, tending the butterfly garden. He ran up to her

"Miss Shinobu!" He shouted.

"Ohayo Gozamasu. Still having trouble speaking Japanese? The lavender eyed woman asked softly.

"H-Hai, I don't talk too much during training" He said bluntly as he read off his cards

"Subachi-kun, you mustn't get carried away by your traning, you need to socialize and open up to people, at least my girls." Shinobu looked up at him with a look of disproval.

"I'm sorry. Aside from Kanao, I talk to Aoi and the others when I can, honest." He said.

"As long you as you are making an effort to talk with them, I won't press further into the matter. I do however, wish you and Kanao would get along beyond my sake.

"I'd like that too. I'm doing my best to stay respectful and not get too angry when she beats me in tag." He pouted.

"You'll get to her level soon, Take-kun." Shinobu giggled when she saw her student's face turned bright red.

"Um, I wanted to let you know that today… is my birthday. I'm 18 years old now. The lanky child became even more flustered over how she would react.

"Goodness. Happy birthday, Subachi-kun." She smiled warmly.

You don't seem surprised." He tilted his head.

"Haruno-san mentioned your birthday before he lost consciousness. How do you feel being one year older than yesterday?" She looked at him with curiosity.

"Well, its okay. It's just, this is the first time my family… isn't with me" Yuki started tearing up.

It had been months since he saw his family, especially his sister Sarah. Back home, she would always wake him up and lead him to the dining room where their parents and servants congratulated his special day. Shinobu had a concerned look on her face when she saw the lanky student on the verge of crying.

"I know you still miss your family and I understand the pain of not being able to see them again for I too lost people precious to me. But, today is a day of celebration. Let's make today the most memorable birthday for you, Yuki-kun." The Insect Pillar tugged his sleeve, prompting him to crouch for her. Once he got to her eye level, the violet-eyed woman wiped the tears off her student's dull eyes and smiled.

"You mean it?" His brown eyes displayed a hopeful look.

"Of course. If you keep crying, I'll double your workload for a week." Shinobu replied happily, yet he couldn't tell she was kidding or not.

In that case, I'd like to take a stroll around the garden, please?" He asked

The petite woman helped the lanky child up and they walked around the garden. The flowers were in full bloom today. The sun radiated its warmth to all the residents within the Butterfly estate. The garden on its part gave off a pleasant aroma in which brought a plethora of insects. Yuki followed the Insect hashira to a patch of tulips.

"The flowers are beautiful today. The healthier a garden is, the more welcoming it comes off to the insects. What you see before you is the product of everyone's time and effort. Not one of us is related by blood. We come from different background and have gone through different experiences to get to this point of our lives. Yet, we share a unbreakable bond through the laughter and tears we've shared together. In a world filled with demons, we must never take our lives for granted or wallow in our sadness. We must strive to move forward. Accept what happened in the past and walk the path of becoming a better person, my dear student." Shinobu looked up.

"Yes, master." He hunched over and nodded.

"No need to call me master, but thank you for hearing what I had to say. Aw, would you look at that?" The purple hair woman giggled as she felt a butterfly landed on her forehead.

I wish a bug could land on me." Yuki looked down at his teacher. He loved how the woman before him may have been short in stature, but he was beginning to understand how big her heart truly was. She took in so many people who had all been but complete strangers. He lived with his family all this time yet felt a stronger bond here than back at home. Before he could call her again, he felt a insect land on his nose.

"Yuki-kun! That wasp is dangerous. Let me get rid of it for you." Shinobu gasped as she covered her mouth with her hands.

Yuki however, didn't respond and simply stared at the bee. He was admiring the creature from up close and carefully grabbed hold of its wings before it had time to react. This particular hornet had a body over two inches and mandibles capable of chewing through metal cages.

"Look Miss Shinobu, It's a Vespa mandarinia. An Asian giant hornet. These are the biggest hornets in the world and can fly really fast. You know what else? It's a boy." The dull eyed child looked at Shinobu as he sat on his knees to see her better.

"How do you know that?" Shinobu asked anxiously.

"I read in a book where if this was a girl, it'd try to use its stinger. Male hornets don't have stingers and are calmer." He showed his instructor the giant insect and placed it on a patch of Chrysanthemums once her worries were at ease.

The decided to watch the scenery in front of them. The male hornet crawled across the flowers to meet the butterfly Shinobu found earlier. Tension filled the scene because a hornets diets ranges from all sorts of insects, including butterflies. The little butterfly remained unfazed and stood its ground. In fact, the butterfly nudged the giant hornet off of its flower to lead it to another.

"Did you see that? That butterfly pushed the hornet away. It could've been eaten if it picked on a female." The lanky child replied with amazement

I did. It's quite admirable that despite the size difference between these two, the butterfly will stand up for itself. Goes to show size isn't everything." The Insect pillar replied.

The lanky teen couldn't help but feel his instructor remark was aimed at him. He wanted to rebuttal but held his tongue instead. More often than not, people had expected him to be a natural born leader. Instead, he had become accustomed to the look of disappointment or pity whenever he was on the verge of crying due to hurtful comments from others or from his own insecurities.

They continued to spectate the interaction with the insects. The hornet and the butterfly were content feasting the nectar of their respective flowers. In the blink of an eye, a praying mantis made an appearance and gazed onto the bystanders. It charged towards the butterfly and readied its claws. Its prey scooted away but the mantis was insistent on capturing its meal. The mantis religiosa stood tall and proud with its stature and robust green body. Before the mantis could lunge its claws at the butterfly, it nearly lost its balance from a sudden force. The culprit who pushed the mantis was none other than the hornet, who had headbutted the mantis from its abdomen and scurried to the butterfly's side. It stood between them, protecting its newfound friend.

Had the hornet been born with a stinger, this would have been a drawn-out fight against superiority; a hornet's stinger or a mantis's claws. Unfortunately, the only weapon a male hornet can rely on are its size and color. The mantis was on high alert at the start, but realized its opponent posed no threat. The battle came to a close with the mantis latching onto the hornet with its claws and made a meal out of it. Diverting its attention away from the butterfly that had since fluttered to safety.

"That hornet was a nice bug and that mantis just ate it." Yuki stared at the flowers with a melancholy look on his face.

"I know, but as you said, he didn't have a stinger, yet it still protetcted the butterfly with its life. I have never seen an instance like this happen before. For that, we must never forget its noble sacrifice, Subachi-kun." The petite woman placed her hand on his shoulder.

He flustered over her actions since the only people who'd calmed him down were his sister and father. He was heartbroken to see the hornet lose its life to the praying mantis, but he agreed with Shinobu. The hornet had no reason to pick a fight with a mighty insect. Despite its disadvantages, it still protected someone in need of help.

"Shinobu, since I'm going to be learn insect breathing. I have decided what bug to be associated with. I want to be just like the Asian giant hornet. Become big, strong, and kind like the one we saw." Yuki declared.

"How thoughtful of you. Now, what do you say we go out today?" Shinobu suggested to her student.


After an eventful morning, the student and his instructor had since taken a wagon and travelled to the city of Tokyo. The regression of trees were incredibly blatant. At the Insect Hashira's territory, the trees loomed much of the area and were abundant. This however, wasn't the case at the capital of his part, Yuki loved seeing a familiar scenery after living at the countryside for so long, he let his senses run wild. The constant chattering of citizens conversing and the orchestra of construction and automobiles running about. The foul aroma of pollution with traces of all sorts of food. The dull-eye boy's stomach growled when his nose picked up the scent of Naptolitan; Japanese style spaghetti. He could visualize the savory tomato sauce sauté, mixed with garlic, onions, mushrooms, and diced ham. Yuki's stomach growled over its craving of western food.

"Oh my, good thing your belly isn't loud enough to cause a scene in the city. Remember the time when your stomach shook the whole mansion?" Shinobu teased her student and poked his shoulder.

"Please don't remind me." Yuki pouted and looked away from her. Within his second week of training, he had just finished running the designated course Shinobu had made for him. He skipped out breakfast that day in favor of wanting to eat a big meal. By the time he had entered the dining room, his stomach growled for all to hear. The dark hair teen was so embarrassed he hugged his stomach and followed Aoi who had led him to the kitchen to give him his lunch and sat him on a table to eat. He remembered avoiding everyone the remainder of that day.

"Do not fret, Take-kun. Since we will be here for some time, I will cover our meals today. Consider it my treat." Shinobu replied with a smile.

"Are you sure?" The dull-eyed child hid his face using his notecards.

"No need to be shy. We're going to spent a lot more time together. You need to be more assertive and protect little old me from danger." She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Um, I-I can try. But you're way stronger than me, Miss Shinobu." Yuki blushed and looked away from her face.

"Careful, that kind of talk won't help you come off attractive to women." She smirked

"I never had women look my way." Yuki said

"For some reason I doubt that" Shinobu raised her eyebrow. While she enjoyed teasing others, the insect pillar was enthralled just how expressive her student is. She asked as she got off the wagon and offered her hand to help her student.

It's true" he pouted, allowing Shinobu to giggle some more.

"Now that I had my fun, what would you like to eat?" The Insect hashira asked.

They walked towards the first vendor selling Naptolitan and sat down to eat. The streets were fairly crowded with people, vendors and cars. No matter, the lanky child was craving for some spaghetti. Once the food arrived, Shinobu and Yuki thanked the cook for the food and they began to eat. He took one bite and his whole world stood still. As a former heir, he was taught etiquette on eating. Since he and his family have held and participated in various events, they had an image to uphold. No matter how revolting flavor's of his meals were, his mother taught him to never spit out his food. Instead of causing a scene in public, the most he could do was show his disgust with his face. He was accustomed to eating authentic tomato sauce found in Naptolitan, not ketchup.

"Are you okay?" Shinobu whispered with concern, who responded by shaking his head.

"I don't remember Naptolitan tasting so… gross." Yuki said bluntly.

"Subachi-kun, you need to be more considerate. This gentleman here made time for us to eat. You must finish your food. "You wont always find your favorite meals when you are on a mission." The inset pillar said firmly.

Once he thought over his instructor's words, he nodded and turned and proceeded to finishing his plate. He stood up and thanked the cook for the food and followed shinobu around the city.

"Thank you for finishing your food and not making a scene." The petite woman looked up at her student.

"Even though it wasn't like how I remembered, I'm thankful you invited us for lunch." The lanky teen said politely. In the past, his mother would've scolded him for embarrassing the family.

"Now that we enjoyed a nice meal, I'd like for us to acquire some items for the butterfly mansion and then we can head back." Shinobu led the dull-eyed boy to a large pharmacy department. She instructed her student to stay around the main lobby because she needed to check on the status of medicine she requested. She ensured him it wouldn't take long and went ahead.

In the meanwhile, Yuki decided to check out the lobby. His first action was to check out the aquarium. He couldn't help but admire the number of goldfish within the tank. There were about ten goldfishes with unique patterns. Some were pure red orange, some had patches of white or black on them, others were pure black. Perhaps the most unique of them all was the sole Ranchu. It was a large goldfish with a large red forehead and white mandible. The boisterous fish also had a white body with black spots. It was the anomaly of the group but it dominated the tank, no goldfish dared to get in its way.

He eventually lost interest and picked up the latest newspaper. The headline read: First French Private School Opens in Tokyo! Although his family had welcomed a wealthy guest from France into their home, the only countries he was required to keep updated with were Japan and the United States. Meaning, the dull eyed child could care less about the affairs of France or Europe in general. Eventually, Shinobu returned with several boxes covering her view.

"Yuki-kun. A little help please." The violet haired woman asked loudly. The dark hair teen dropped the newspaper and lifted the packages with ease.

"Will that be all?" He asked

I just need to go to one more store and that'll be it" Shinobu responded. He follows her to a clothing shop and was puzzled.

How does buying clothes relate to being a doctor?

Silly boy. You of all people know first impressions are crucial in socializing from your personality to the clothes you wear. Trust me, this will be worth it." She smiled softly and went inside the store.

He groaned and placed the boxes down. Yuki leaned back on a pillar and wondered what was happening at home. He could only imagine how his days would play out: Being lectured by his tutors about the history of Japan and the United States, and the current state of affairs of each country. When he wasn't being taught world history, his mother would teach him and sister the history of their family tree and how imperative it was to uphold the wealth and reputation they've built themselves as clairvoyants.

He smiled to himself because aside from the tedious lectures, he had his dad who took him to stage plays or festivals along with Sarah. Granted, they still needed to remain professional during their outings, but he was thankful to have gone out leisurely. The lanky student turned his attention to his instructor once she called his name.

"Close your eyes." She asked politely. He was skeptical but complied with her instruction. An audible gasp could be heard right outside to shop.

"For me?!" Yuki was shocked.

"Of course, I was able to get your measurements and asked to have tailored made. Consider it a reward for remaining diligent with your training." Shinobu smiled warmly. She offered him a yellow haori with black found on the collar and the tip of the sleeves. He eagerly tried it on.

"I love it. Thank you so much, Shinobu!" He crouched for her and gave a big smile.

"I'm so glad you like it. The tailor couldn't believe the measurements when I gave him the size numbers." The petite woman shrugged

"Thank you so much, mister." He waved at the tailor. A detail Shinobu's student noticed as he picked up the boxes to the wagon was his haori seemed transparent. This would be a detail most people would overlook given how similar the color of his shirt is in comparison to the haori but Yuki's eyes were able to pick out this detail even on a sunny day. It raised a question for him since he felt Shinobu was the type of person to plan out every little detail. For now, he was thankful this lovely gift to end their time in Tokyo. He whipped the horse lightly to kickstart the wagon and they headed out.

"Ive been meaning to ask, but if you were raised in a wealthy family, how did you learn to manage a wagon, Subachi-kun?" She gazed at him.

"I had a horse of my own and ever since I moved into my inn, I would study Haruno-san and memorize the motions he made handling our wagon. Yuki declared. He looked ahead and looked forward to seeing the butterfly mansion and the women who stayed behind.

Had he turned to his head to the right upon exiting the city, he would've gotten a glance of a ceremony for an opening of a new school. A girl several years younger than him, one who donned charcoal black hair and coffee eyes, who wore a golden yellow kimono with a floral pattern. The girl a glimpse of his wagon, but all she caught was a boy with a particular hairstyle only found among upperclassman.

"Yuki?"


It was now evening by the time they arrived to the Butterfly mansion. Yuki stepped down and assisted Shinobu after stopping their wagon. He grabbed the boxes and followed the petite woman inside her estate. She advised him to drop the supplies outside of her room and told him to meet her in the kitchen. He placed them down gently and was astounded upon arriving to the dining room.

"Surprise!" All of the women shouted cheerfully expect Kanao, who only offered a smile. The triplets came up to Yuki first and hugged him simultaneously.

Happy Birthday, Take-kun! We missed you today" they cried onto him.

I mean, you girls saw me in the morning, but I'm glad to be back. I didn't think I'd be missed this much." He hugged them firmly yet carefully.

"There no way we'd miss you, considering how you easily tower everyone here. Besides, who's gonna help us bring down stuff from high places?" Aoi retorted.

"Fair enough. I missed you too, Aoi-chan." The tall student looked her way and smiled warmly.

Kanao did not say anything to Yuki, but she brought forth a vanilla cake with strawberries on top, prompting all the women to gather around and sing happy birthday:

ureshii na kyou wa.

tanoshii na kyou wa.

tanjoubi omedetou.

outa wo utaimashou.

They followed Shinobu's lead in cheering and clapping for the dull eye boy's special moment. As he placed down the cake on the table, all the girls present him with a gift of their own.

The first gift belonged to the butterfly triplets, revealing to be a box of edible goodies: mochi, rice crackers and a bag of jellybeans.

"Please enjoy these delicious goodies!" They shouted in unison.

The second gift he opened was from Aoi, containing a cookbook for Japanese and American dishes.

"Now that you have your own cookbook, it'll make teaching you that much easier." She said bluntly.

Kanao presented the third gift which was a bonsai tree. All he could do was chuckle when he held onto the tree since it was so tiny compared to him then placed it next to his cake.

"Since you have no decorations in your room, I figured this would be practical." Kanao replied. He nodded and turned to the Insect hashira.

"Subachi-kun, I'd like to see you eye to eye. Shinobu asked gently. She waited until Yuki sat on his knees.

Like this?" He asked politely.

"I know I haven't been too involved with your first stage of training. My apologies. I want you to know I stop by when I can and I am proud of your progress on mastering total concentration breathing. As such, I want you to have this." Shinobu spoke in a serious tone.

Yuki accepted the box and opened it, revealing two katanas. What caught his attention was the light hue of purple found within the blade. He had never seen such color on a sword and held them in his hands. The hilts felt perfect in his grasp.

"Once you are done with your trials. I will teach you how to handle a proper sword." The Insect hashira looked directly into his eyes.

"I'll master total concetration breathing soon enough, Kocho-sama" He declared and bowed politely.

"Good. Now, let us enjoy the rest of the night." The purple-eyed woman announced

"Wait! I have a one more gift in my room." He exclaimed and rushed to his room to retrieve it and return hastily. He brought forth a long box with blue wrapping and a yellow ribbon. He had retrieved this when he raided his raided alongside the two kakushi's. Everyone waited in anticipation for the reveal of the final gift. Yuki immediately recognized it as an outboard motor. He remembered asking his dad for one after watching fisherman riding on motor boats in the ocean. The lanky child couldn't help but tear up remembering that day and how his family was nowhere in sight.

"We may not be related by blood, but I speak for all us when I say we are honored to be celebrating your birthday for the first time, Take-kun." She spoke kindly and her smile returned.

"I know you told me not to cry but… I just want to thank you all for being here with me. I love you all so much. Thank you for making this the most special birthday ever. I just wished Haruno-san could celebrate with us." Yuki began to sob, only to feel everyone huddle for a group hug. He wrapped his arms around all of the women's shoulders and wept.

"There, there. Let us slice the cake and enjoy ourselves." Shinobu replied gently.

"Yay!" everyone cheered.


Back at the Subachi estate in the Chiba region, the atmosphere was the polar opposite of the Butterfly mansion. Instead of festivities, despair filled in their home because today marked the first birthday without a complete famiy. Yuki's father Hugo was alone in his study room, weeping over the loss of his firstborn son. For him, not a day went by with him feeling remorseful over staying silent and allowed the search for Yuki to end abruptly. On top of that, the burglary that invaded their home felt like a blow in the gut when inspection revealed prized possessions of his son were stolen along with money from their vault. He'd give his fortune away in an instant, if it meant holding Yuki in his arms again. He heard a knock on the door and opened it after recognizing his daughter.

"How are you holding, papa? The younger Subachi asked as she entered the room.

"It's been five months since he left us. I miss your brother, Sarah. Hugo addressed plainly.

"How come mama doesn't seem fazed?" Yuki's sister asked softly.

"She just… expresses her emotions differently. Your mom misses him deep down. She funded the construction of the school in honor of Yuki and give children a good future." Hugo articulated his words carefully.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to name the school after him instead of me." Sarah wondered.

"She thinks its time for you to become actively involved with public events, just like your brother was." Her father replied.

"Papa, you're not gong to believe this but just outside the ceremony, I saw someone with the same hairstyle as Yuki. He's alive.

"Please, don't joke around like that. It's too soon to make such claim." Hugo tried to contain his tears.

"I'm serious, I saw him riding on a wagon. If we can just go back to that area one more time-."

"ENOUGH, SARAH. Don't give me false hope. Please" Hugo slammed his fist onto his desk, then looked up to see his daughter, frightened over his actions. He immediately felt guilty and hugged her tightly

"Forgive me, papa. I didn't mean to upset you." Her voice was trembling.

"Its not your fault. We both miss Yuki. Let's just honor his memories of the sweet boy he was." He sniffled.

"I'll never forgive the thief who stole his whistle. It meant the world to him." She stated furiously.

"I know. However, we both know he wouldn't want us to be angry." Her father chocked up and started to let down his tears.

"I know, papa. I miss my big brother" She rubbed her father's back.

"Don't think for a second your mother and I love you any less, Sarah. We love you, always." Hugo kissed her head.

"I love you too, dad." Yuki's sister broke down in tears alongside her father.

Silence filled the room as they stayed in place, mourning the loss of the Subachi heir.


(My name is Kenji Haruno, but you can call me Haruno-san. It's time for Taisho era secrets. In the past, the Subachi family always hold extravagant parties for any occasions. Fun fact: For Yuki's 12th birthday, we bought out the whole petting zoo for him and it was there he adopted his horse, Matsuda, the one introduced back in chapter one. I still can't believe the young master greeted a horse first over me. In any case, I hope he doesn't mind me not getting him a gift this year. Now if Yuki could get me another blanket for the night that would be great.)

I have no idea what he said, but I guess that's it other than: Next time on chapter 9, Another day of training and someone close to Miss Shinobu is arriving? Um, bye!" Yuki scrunched his notecard.


Wanderingtree here. I have to say, this chapter took much longer than I expected it. In fact, it went through two rewrites at least, but i'm happy I kept the core of this chapter intact, which was celebrating Yuki's birthday. After all the trauma I put this character to, he deserved a break and what better way than to write about his first birthday away from his family? I'm also beginning to have Shinobu tease him some more. I love Shinobu, but I admit she's not an easy character to write about especially since I don't tease or being on the recieving end in real life. Fun.

Anyways, I want to make it a goal to write one chapter at least monthly, but its hard as of now, I gotta look at this story as a writer, an editor, and a fan. It gets tiring and the pressure is there. You know, unlike my Jack and the Beanstalk where I could basically make up whatever I want, I'm trying to be respectful to the source material and keeping everyone in character. Not only that but I have the subplot involving Yuki's family throughout the main plot line.

Forgive me if the story feels slow right now, but once we complete the two year time skip, it will pick up. Speaking of events, next two chapters will focus on Giyu, Valentine's day, and Shinobu's birthday. Leave the planning to me.

Important announcement. I got myself a full time job starting this week. This will definitely stall me brainstorming ideas 24/7, but once I get my new schedule, I will work with what I have. I also want to point out I'm really proud of the momentum this story has gotten. As of this publishing, It's surpassed my first fanfic except for reviews and faves. No matter what, this story will not be abandoned.

Finally, thank you for the follow and fave, Sen Tobi.

Until next time. I wish you all a great day.

4/24/24 Edit: I decided to go back and rename the world wide wonder segments to Taisho Era Secrets. As the saying goes: if it isn't broke don't fix it. Yuki will still share random facts about the world around the 1900's though.