As promised, here is the second chapter of the month.
Chapter 13
A pocket watch sounded off at 7 am, the absolute latest time to be out of bed. The former heir sat up form his bed and yawned loudly. After rubbing his eyes, the lanky student opens the blinds in his room and looked outside, ever so thankful to take in a beautiful scenery that is the butterfly garden. Opening the window was tricky since the storage wasn't built with one initially but proved beneficial during the summer days when his room in particular captured heat. Once the morning breeze filled the room, the dull eyed boy decided to change into his usual uniform, finishing off with donning his signature yellow haori with hexagon patterns, resembling honeycombs. He picked up a cup containing his toothbrush and prepared to head to the bathroom inside the butterfly mansion. Knocking his head on the door was fairly common in his routine, but today felt off because this time, the impact affected the lower section of his forehead, just above the eye sockets. A sense of dread seeped into the boy as he rushed inside the bathroom. Yuki stared at himself in the mirror and then looked at his arms. In doing so, he noticed his he had to lean even more forward than usual to see his face. He then went to the frame just outside the bathroom to measure himself, only to find himself gasping aloud.
"Is something wrong, Subachi-kun?" The insect pillar asked. She had gotten out of bed when she had heard her student yelling inside her estate. Yuki looked down at her and then shifted himself to sit on his knees.
"I-I got...taller." He whimpered.
"Is that all? The way I see it, you're fortunate to still have room to grow." She giggles.
"You're not upset?" He asked.
"Why would I be? It's natural for boys your age to continue growing much more than girls. I wish you could lend me your height for a day." She said lightheartedly.
"But, I'm scared because back at home, people always looked uncomfortable around me. A-and I feel bad when people have to look up at me constantly. And you're all so small and I don't want to be seen as scary. I don't want to grow any taller." The dull eye boy admitted. The wisteria doctor chuckled and patted his head.
"There is nothing for you to be ashamed of. Some people are jealous over what they don't have. However, you know that height doesn't determine if you're intimidating or not. As far as I seen, you are the most considerate and sweetest person I've met. You treat all my girls with respect and lend a hand when you can. Give yourself more credit" she explained assuredly. Yuki blushed lightly.
"You mean it?" He lowered his head.
"I really do. Might I ask why you have tendency to sit on your knees around us?" She asked
"My mother would tell me to be at her level, she got annoyed of craning her neck upwards. Therefore, I try to be more considerate and look at you all eye to eye" The former heir gave a sad smile.
"I appreciate your consideration, but there's no need to feel insecure. Should you continue, do it on your own volition, not an obligation." The Insect pillar commented
"Thank you, miss Shinobu." He replied softly. Yuki eased up once he felt Shinobu wrap her arms around him, rubbing his back in the process. On the petite doctor's part, she's was mindful of his insecurities. Without having his cards at hand, he had difficulty talking to anyone outside the butterfly girls. His dark brown eyes came off as muddy and colorless. She noted his compliance was in part because of his ignorance of the outside world. She was concerned his lack of experience would give the impression he was soft on the head. She realized he needed more exposure of the outside world and fortunately for her, she could kill two birds with one stone today.
Tāke-kun, would you like to go out today?" She asked.
Yuki took the reins of the horses to pull the wagon. He was excited to spend the day with Shinobu, that was until they had company.
"Miss Shinobu, remind me again but why is Tsuyuri-chan coming with us?" The former heir asked.
"She's my sister. Of course she has the right to come along. Not that it will be a problem, right?" Shinobu smiled at him.
Something within him sensed her smile was hiding her true emotions. Although he wanted to admit his desire to spent the day just the two of them, if there was one person he couldn't afford a strained relationship with was none other than the adopted sister of the Insect Hashira. He couldn't help but feel anxious since he and Kanao kept their distance from each other after the cup incident. What bothered him most about his senior was she rarely spoke to him. It was one thing to not be accepted with open arms, but the lanky student hated how whenever he tried to open up to her, Kanao would dismiss him and go about her day. It infuriated him seeing her stare at him in contempt without voicing her input, he had no clue how to improve their relationship. One glance from his senior reaffirmed her silent judgement towards him, but he couldn't risk causing a scene.
"None whatsoever, Kocho-sama." He spoke politely. Returning his focus on the road, the insect hashira was on route to travel beyond Tokyo alongside her students. The scenery shifted from the quiet villages and their abundant trees to the restless city surrounded with cars and heavy foot traffic. For Yuki, he felt almost at home.
"It's been a while since we came here, right Miss Shinobu?" He stated
"That's right, we came here for your birthday got you your haori." She replied.
"Are we going to spend the day here?" He wondered.
"No. I have a much better idea. Let's make a quick stop first and then continue our destination." Shinobu suggested.
Yuki stepped down first then helped both his teacher and senior down the cart carefully by holding onto their hand. He watched them go on ahead to a nearby store to buy some goodies then he went to pamper their horse with head pats and fed a spare carrot. Once the women returned with their supplies, the lanky student helped them up the cart and continued onward. The tall buildings were no longer at front and center of their view and Shinobu and her student had given themselves distance from the city. Their scenery was replaced with a few trees from the mainland and a vast area of warm sand, baking from the suns heat. The winds blew at their direction, giving off a sensation of a chilly yet pleasant welcoming from the beach.
"We've all been working hard to become better versions of ourselves. I believe its only fair to take a moment to let go and enjoy ourselves, wouldn't you say?" Shionbu asked her students.
"Yay! I love the beach. Even if I never been to this one." The dull eyed boy confessed. The admission didn't nullify his smile in the slightest. Kanao on her part simply nodded, smiling ever so slightly.
The Odaiba beach rested just beyond the edge of the city life of Tokyo, acting as a natural mediator between the natural wonders and the integration of modernism found with its traffic of ships carrying goods from all corners of the earth. Across from them was a beach hailing from Inage of the neighboring Chiba prefecture. Meanwhile, the waves were gentle and a flock of seagulls were spotted from above.
The former heir helped Shinobu and Kanao down from the cart. He looked around and was amazed over what laid in front of him.
"Wow, I've always wanted to see this side of the bay. I've only seen the trees from a distance." He shouts in excitement.
"That's rather impressive, considering how large this body of water is" Shinobu replied in surprise.
"It's called the Tokyo bay. But seeing from a great distance is only possible on a clear sunny day like this." The former heir corrected his teacher.
"Which means you're not familiar with our current spot." Kanao quipped. Both the Insect hashira and the former heir turn to her direction.
"Y-Yes. But, I don't think it'll matter much since we're not going to stay here overnight. What I do know is we can't stroll the beach with our current outfits. Follow me, I'm sure we can find a shop selling swimsuits for us all." He gestures them to follow.
Eventually, Shinobu found a matching one piece swimsuit for her and Kanao, both a purple striped pattern that covered their thighs thanks a flapper which resembled a skirt. Once she bought their swim outfits, she met up with Yuki who found himself a pair of white undershirt and black shorts.
"How do we look, Subachi-kun?" Shinobu gazed at his body for a moment. She was happy her student's physique had improved since their first encounter. She hoped his confidence had improved as well. Meanwhile, Yuki flustered over the wisteria women's appearance.
"You both look good." The dull eyed approved.
"How come you're breathing rapidly." Kanao stated bluntly.
"Um, its just this is the first time a girl asked me how they looked who wasn't family. That, and I forget people can wear a color that isn't yellow." The former heir stammered.
"Does that matter?" Shinobu raised her eyebrow.
"Well, yellow is my family's color. It was required for us Subachi's. That's all there is to it." Yuki replied sheepishly.
They returned to the beach and let Yuki take charge. He took a whiff of the air and smiled once more.
"It's almost like being home again." He stood proudly. Once he shifted his focus on his companions, he led Shinobu and Kanao to sit on the sand, where he began to gather a pile of sand. "Let's build a sandcastle first. You two take care of the dry sand and I'll collect wet sand." He shouted as he rushed to carry as much as he could back and forth with his hands. As he continued his routine, both shinobu and Kanao fused the wet sand to help shape their first tower. After a while, their collaboration manifested in creating two towers along with the lanky student laying on the ground.
"Ara Ara. You're not tapped out are you?" The wisteria doctor leaned over and spoke softly.
"I just need a moment. I didn't think I'd be tasked to run back and forth."
"You volunteered, Tāke-kun." She giggled
"I didn't hear anyone else jump in" He chuckles, trying to keep up with her banter. Shinobu was shock momentarily because this was the first time he teased back.
"I…suppose not. Thank you for volunteering." She nodded. The petite woman offers her hand to lift Yuki off the ground. Once he got back on his feet, she looked up at him and Kanao. "I heard of a custom involving bashing a watermelon. Could you and Kanao be so kind to bring some here?"
"Sure, we'll find some right away." Yuki answered, nudged Kanao's shoulder to come along.
As they returned to the shacks, Yuki became distracted, staring at western goodies such as sweets and knick-knacks. It wasn't until he looked up when he saw his senior pointing at a stall filled with fruits. He chuckled in embarrassment then caught up with her. The dull eyed boy stifled his laughter when he noticed her scowl, clearly not amused over his lack of attention. As they picked out their watermelons, he decided to initiate a conversation.
"Um, is it okay if we talk, Kanao-chan?" He asked politely, awaiting for her response through her coin. After catching it midair, she looked up then nodded.
How come you never want to talk to me?" He asked directly. His senior gave no response.
"The whole point of an outing is for everyone to have fun." His patience was running thin.
I am enjoying myself. It just so happens not involving you in the slightest. Pick up the pace, Gakusai-kun." She spoke dismissively, retreating to the Insect Hashira.
Yuki breathed deeply, his annoyance towards Kanao had reached a new level. Everytime they were together, it always resulted with her brushing him off or outright avoided him. He'd grown sick and tired over his efforts of reaching out to his senior ended in naught. As a former heir, he had grown accustomed to people always giving him their attention. Having someone who deliberately ignored him was unheard of. The dull eyed boy wondered what it would take for her to finally open up. Could someone do it? Because at this moment, the most he could get out of her were cold stares and hurtful comments. He treaded towards their rendezvous.
Shinobu had been sunbathing in her students absence, enjoying the wind and the sound of waves steadily rolling on top of the sand. She couldn't recall the last time she herself went to the beach with her sister Kanae and their parents, but she was content taking the day off to enjoy the sun. In their line of work, demon slayers work with one foot on death's door. The loss of a demon slayer was nothing new, yet as the top doctor, she put all of her efforts to save as many patients as she could, regardless of their condition. For now, she wanted a peace of mind and savor being under the sunlight, never taking her life for granted. She became alerted hearing footsteps coming her way, only to be at ease upon seeing her students arriving.
"Oh, that took a bit longer than I thought, everything went okay?" The Insect hashira said with curiosity.
"Yeah, I got distracted checking out western goodies. Thankfully Tsuyuri-chan found what we needed. We even brought back some ramune." Yuki answered for him and Kanao and he placed two watermelons on the ground while Kanao dropped hers gently. She made sure to hold onto their drinks.
"Shall we get started on our next activity?" Shinobu wondered aloud. Her students nodded. Kanao raised her hand to commence the watermelon game. The insect hashira tied the blindfold around her tsuguko then prompted her other student to spin her around several times.
"I remember when my sister and I played this game. We missed every time and our papa and Haruno-san had to help us out." He laughed. Once he spun Kanao several times, they back away to give her the space needed to find her watermelon.
"Keep going straight, Kanao-chan." Shinobu cheered.
"You got this, Tsuyuri-chan!" Yuki followed. He paused when Kanao glanced his direction momentarily before resuming the game. Once she got into position, she slammed the watermelon with all her strength. Shinobu clapped then thanked her younger sister for giving her the stick. It was Kanao's turn to wrap the blindfold around her sister's eyes, followed with Yuki spinning his teacher around for a few seconds. After the preparations were complete, they gave the insect hashira her space.
"It's on your right. Head to the right!" Yuki exclaimed.
"Four more steps." Shinobu's tsuguko muttered.
"Now you're too close, Miss Shinobu." He yelled
"Step back, Kocho-sama." Kanao whispered. Once the Insect hashira found her spot. She stabbed the watermelon and lifted it up with ease. Both her students were dumbfounded. She then pulled off her blindfold to discover why her students were dumbstruck.
"Whoops, old habits die hard" The insect Hashira winked and giggled. Once she had tilted her stick downwards, the watermelon finally fell and split in half perfectly.
"We'll count that. Congrats, Miss Shinobu!" Yuki cheered. Kanao simply clapped.
"Thank you, I'll remember to swing the stick down next time." Shinobu bowed in apology.
"It's okay. Now it's my turn." The former heir shouted. He sat on his knees for Shinobu to place the blindfold over his face. When he stood up. He felt the butterfly sisters spinning him around. Afterwards, he felt so dizzy he was swaying side to side.
"Careful, don't fall." The Wisteria doctor remarked.
"On your left." Kanao said as Yuki swung his stick down.
"You're too far away. Go in closer." Shinobu expressed with concern.
"Take three big steps." Kanao said nonchalantly. Once he followed the women's instructions, he he swung the stick as if swinging a golf club.
"Yuki, listen to me. Swing up, and then down." The wisteria doctor yells. The former heir nods, lifted the stick as high as he could, took a deep breath and swung downwards. The soft squishy sound of a watermelon exploding into pieces could be heard by all in their immediate radius.
"You did it, Subachi-kun." The insect hashira replied merrily.
"Good job" Kanao said in a neutral tone.
Several minutes later, everyone was tasked to clean their mess with Yuki throwing the chunks at the nearest trash can. Once he returned to the beach from the sidewalk, he runs up to the women who were standing just next to the water.
"Are we all ready to jump in?" Shinobu wondered, looking at her students. Kanao nodded.
"Let's go!" Yuki, being in the middle, held onto both Shinobu's and Kanao's hand, taking the first step to pulling them inside the ocean. The waves only reached to their knees at most, yet the freezing sensation was more than enough to send shivers to the core of their bodies.
"Goodness, it's ice cold." Shinobu shivered. Both her students nodded in agreement.
"I'm pretty sure the beaches at my home region were much warmer." Yuki trembled "Let's all dive in together." He stuttered with a sly smile while grabbing hold of butterfly sisters under his arms.
"Tāke-kun, wait!" Shinobu screamed in horror as she and her sister were helpless in Yuki's hold while he ran deeper into the water. One moment they were breathing the salty air and the next, found themselves submerged into the murky bone chilling water. The lanky teen finally came up to breathe, keeping himself and the women afloat.
"Wasn't that fun?" He expression turned blissful.
"No, it wasn't!" Both Shinobu and Kanao shouted. He flinched but swam back to shore, where only their feet were submerged in water.
"Im sorry." He bowed apologetically, only to receive a splash on the face.
"No, no. You can't just apologize and not face repercussions. Especially since you ruined our hair." The insect pillar looked up and smirked.
"Oh yeah?" Yuki pouted while splashing water back in retaliation.
Kanao joined in against him, prolonging the Wisteria doctor and her students water fight for several minutes. Eventually, they grew tired of being in the water and walked back to their cart. Shinobu allowed her students to change out of their swimwear first, after they had rinsed themselves. Both her students nodded respectfully and went to the opposite sides of the bathrooms. It was just past three in the afternoon when people from both Tokyo and Chiba city began to crowd the beach. By the time Kanao and Yuki met up again, they spotted their master being harassed by several boys their age. They weren't too worried because they knew Shinobu was more than capable to taking care of herself, but they knew the last thing she wanted was to become upset today of all days.
"Gakusei-kun, we've got to chase those guys away. They're annoying Shinobu-sama." Kanao urged her junior. She was appalled when she found him frozen in fear. "Come on, grow up and stand up for once. It's the least you can do after all she's done for us." Kanao annoyance reached its limit as she dashed off to intervene.
Yuki heartrate increased yet breathed ever so slowly.
"Speak up, crybaby. We can't hear you over your wailing."
"He has all the riches in the world, yet he's a literal baby. Can't do nothing by himself."
"He's just a useless waste of air." A group of boys chanted.
The former heir curled into a fetal position with his back against a palm tree. At the age of eleven, he begun his training for maintaining a public image. His mother dreaded this day for his constant crying and complaining never faltered. Yet, as heir to the Subachi family, she knew introducing him to the public was all but inevitable. He was enjoying his day at the beach with his family when he took a wrong turn and found himself picked on by a bunch of boys, all bigger and older than him. Now, he found himself sniveling and scared like a cornered animal.
"Hey, leave him alone, meanies!" A young girl voiced her disapproval at the boys. She ran past them and stood in front on Yuki. "My brother is the nicest person ever. You have no right to bully him." Sarah said firmly. Although she stood no chance against the boys, she loved him dearly to the point of protecting him.
"You're so pathetic. Only a coward hides behind their little sister with no shame. You'll never be a man." The boys snickered and drowned Yuki's crying. His sister was determined to not leave her brother no matter what. The leader of the boys picked up Yuki's sister with ease and taunted over her inability to do nothing. The Subachi heir froze in fear when he saw Sarah above the ground, being laughed at in his place. Before the bullies could do anything to the Subachi children, they heard footsteps approaching their way.
"I'm only going to say this once. Put. Her. Down. Now." Their head servant bellowed. His voice, filled with authority filled the area, forcing the boys to lose focus. They made sure to drop younger Subachi carefully before taking off.
"Sarah-chan, are you okay?" Haruno-san asked softly. He enveloped the younger sibling in his arms while the other servants surveyed the area, making sure to obscure the scene from the public eye.
"Yuki was in trouble, again" Sarah black eyes were brimmed with water, ready to cry at any second. "I had to find him and protect him, Haru-san." She pleaded then pointed where Yuki was at.
Haruno-san walked up to the Subachi heir and opened his free arm for a hug. The brown eye boy finally eased up and proceeded to walk up to their head servant, leaned into his arm as a sign to show his gratitude and acceptance of the hug.
"Yuki-kun, are you okay? He asked.
"Why did they bully me? I didn't do anything to them." The Subachi heir choked on his words. His face was filled with tears and mucus.
"They are jealous of yours and your sister's luxurious life." Haruno tried to comfort the boy.
"I just wish I wouldn't get picked on anymore." He cried uncontrollably.
"If only life was that easy. Right now, you have a family to look after you. One day though, you must step up to protect those closest to you. Do you understand?" Haruno-san looked at the Subachi heir. He simply nodded and sniffled as he held onto his head servant and sister dearly.
Thank you…Haruno-san. You too, Sarah." His voice muffled in Haruno-san's sleeve. His younger sister rubbed his back in silence.
The former heir recalled his past, stood tall and proud. His fear eradicated and stormed towards the men surrounding the butterfly sisters. On her part, Kanao arrived as quickly as she could to defend her older sister. Her intervention paused their advances for a moment, but resumed shortly.
"For a moment, we wondered how we'd share a babe like her with the two of us. How about joining so we can set up a double date?" One of the boys said flirtatiously. Kanao simply glared at them.
"For the last time we aren't interested, gentlemen. Please step back and respect our wishes." Shinobu spoke with a neutral expression, doing her best to keep herself composed, but her irritation had reached its peak. Just then, a shadow loomed over them.
"She said leave her alone. If you mess with them, you mess with me." the former heir growled, cracking his knuckles and glared down at the boys. They in return were so frightened by Yuki's stature, they scurried in the opposite direction. He calmed down once they were in the clear.
"Subachi-kun, Kanao. I had everything under control. Honestly, I was prepared to inject them with my sleep serum. Or perhaps tested out my first non-demon poison made just for an occasion like this. I'm a little sad this experiment will have to be postponed for another day. But, thank you for putting aside your differences for my sake. It means a lot to me." She gave off a smile unlike any other. For some reason, Yuki felt this was the first time showing a genuine smile before him. Kanao nodded and smiled in return. Yuki was caught off guard for this was the first time his senior smiled around him.
"Yeah, we care for you, Miss Shinobu. You're our favorite person in the world." The lanky student crouched down to meet the women at eye level.
"It won't be long before the sun begins to set. What shall we do next?" Shinobu prompted her students.
"Hmm, how about a sailing on a boat?" The dull eye boy suggested.
"Good idea, but how do we do that? She wondered.
"Leave that to me." Yuki said slyly as he eyed a shack filled with wooden boats. "Follow the instructions on my notecard and set up my outboard motor. I'll do the talking." He offered Shinobu and his senior his note card, fill with instruction as he scurried over to the shack and went up to the owner. He glanced over his special notecard to memorize the lines, took a deep breath and went to meet the owner face to face.
"Hi mister." He spoke confidently.
"Whoa, you're a big fellow, aren't you? The old man said looking up.
"I get that a lot. My good sir, I see you have a wide variety of boats. I can't help but wonder how you got into sailing." The former heir replied smoothly
"I haven't been asked this in a while. Let's see…" The owner prattled.
During this duration. Shinobu and Kanao snuck into the shack, carrying the outboard motor as swiftly and carefully as they could. The butterfly sisters picked the first good looking boat they could, placed the motor inside and pushed the boat into the water. They look over the instructions from Yuki's notecard and prepare to assemble the outboard motor.
"…After I served my time in the Imperial Army, I'm happily retired and now I make money from renting and selling boats to visitors." The owner concluded.
"Wow, that was a long and intriguing story. Thank you for your service, sir. Remind me again, how long have you been living in here, in Tokyo." Yuki wondered.
"I got it. Been around here all my life. You?" The owner asked in return.
"I…" The dull eyed teen hesitated to answer for he never imagined himself casting himself as a mere visitor. "I uh, stop by this area every summer with my family." The lanky student played off his nervousness.
"You interested in a boat?" The owner asked. Their conversation came to a halt because a motor could be heard rumbling within a narrow passage of water just outside the warehouse.
"HEY, THAT'S MY BOAT! Kid, do something!" The old man demanded. Yuki hurled several hundred yen at the owner.
"Gotta go" Yuki shouts as he ran to catch up with the women. Thanks to his long legs, he caught up to his teacher and senior in the nick of time. Kanao reached her hand for him to be pulled in.
"Thanks a lot. I had to give up my spare change." He grumbled.
"Oh my. Maybe next time, you should fill us in on your plan and not leave it for interpretation." Shinobu voiced feigned worry.
"Hmph" Yuki conceded. Suddenly, he noticed one of his special card fell from his pocket. Shinobu took noticed and skimmed through it.
"Ah, so this is why you were able to come off suave out of nowhere, hm?" The wisteria doctor looked up at her student.
"Yes, my father said to use those particular cards for emergencies." The lanky student confessed
"Can I see the rest of them?" She asked softly yet firmly, clearly not to be confused as a request.
"Sure." He offers the Insect hashira his remaining special cards. After feeling their weight in her hands, she shredded them and let the wind carry the pieces away.
"Why would you do that?! Those are my special cards for a reason!" He exclaimed.
"They're not you. You don't have to pretend to be someone you're not, especially around the demon slayer corps. Practice your confidence until you don't need any of your cards all together. You have it in you to become the person you want to be." Shinobu explained. The lanky student understood her point. It wasn't the first time he was told to grow out of his cards, but given the growth he had made away from his home, he believed this sentiment now more than ever.
"Yes, Kocho-sama." He smiled softly. He adjusted himself to sit next to Shinobu, allowing Kanao to have to front row all to herself. Afterwards, the dull eye boy turned his attention to the ocean and the horizon.
"Mama, papa, look over there! I see something swimming." Yuki shouted to catch his parents attention. He was seven at the time, enjoying his first celebration on a giant boat. The Subachi's were one of many members of an extravagant party exclusive to the elite class. Fresh seafood all over the dining room, supplied with drinks, and an unforgettable view of Japan. The new but prosperous city of Tokyo on the right and the vast pacific ocean from the left, where cargo ships from all over the world were welcomed. His parents took this time to network with families and businesses from within the country and beyond Japan. But for the Subachi heir, he was interested in searching for sea animals.
"Yuki, try not to wander off, okay." His father Hugo said.
"That's right. You need to be an example to our community and your sister, my little snowflake." His mother quipped, holding tightly onto Sarah, the newest addition to their family. She rested her head onto her husbands arm, bestowing them with a rare smile upon her face.
"Mama, papa, sis. Look at the dolphins!" He exclaimed, pointed at a family of dolphins swimming in the bay. Everyone was amazed at the spectacle.
"Someday, I want to meet them in person." He giggles.
"I'm sure you will, Yuki. It's better to go out with friends. Trust me." His father smiled kindly.
"You okay. You seem distracted, Subachi kun." Shinobu expressed with worry.
"I'm fine. I just remembered a time when I spotted dolphins at my hometown. I even heard a whale was found in this bay once. It would be nice to see them today." He said wishfully.
They explore the edge of the beach on their motorboat. Aside from the annoying hum from the outboard motor, the butterfly sisters were amazed as to how fast they could sail without lifting a finger.
"I've never even seen a motorboat in my life. This is truly an experience." Shinobu shouted and looked around with wide-eyed expression.
"I know. I've seen that look whenever a tourist get on one of these." Yuki laughs.
After they finished sightseeing, they felt the boat rock back and forth. Kanao held onto edge, Shinobu followed suit. It was now Yuki's turn to have his breath taken away.
"Those are-" Shinobu was cut off.
"Dolphins!" Yuki yelled as a group of them screeched and most passed by them. Two however, stuck around to allow the humans to pet them. Kanao got to pat one on the head while Yuki held Shinobu's hand and guided it to stroke the marine mammal's head. The dolphins giggled in satisfaction as the duo hurried to join the others. Yuki's hand lingered onto the Insect hashira's.
"Subachi-kun, what are you doing?" She whispered.
"Um, I'm just making sure you don't fall off the boat." He muttered in response, hoping she'd buy into his lie. His face turned completely red.
"I see. Thank you for looking out for Kanao and I." The insect hashira nodded in understanding. She knew her student was lying. Yet, after all he had done to make this day special for her, she allowed him to keep hold of her hand, considering it his reward from her. It was foreign sensation, feeling her hand wrapped around someone else's, let alone someone's whose hand enveloped hers easily. Yet, she felt safe and comfortable, knowing how kind and considerate Yuki was towards her. After another ten minutes in the bay, Shinobu and her students sailed back to the beach. With some hustling, they lifted the boat and shoved in inside their cart.
"What do you say we grab a bite, stroll the beach and head home for the day?" Shinobu asked aloud.
"Sounds good to me" Yuki stated.
The pocket watch now read 4pm, Yuki and the butterfly sisters walked from one end of the beach to other, holding their lunch in a bento box.
"Back at home, I love trying dishes from all over the world. If that wasn't an option, then my go to meal would be grilled eel and rice." The former heir hunched over to see the women better. A big smile was plastered on his face over the aroma of his leftovers.
"I admit we've may have eaten a bit too much, but I'm sure the girls back home would love to try these White Gyoza dumplings and this peculiar sushi they call Futomaki. I must say, I never had sushi with egg inside. Is there a reason for this?" She pondered.
"I don't really know. I didn't eat this dish often. But it's a delicacy in the Chiba region. All the festivals and parties I knew of had a platter of them all the time." He admitted
They walked in silence, enjoying the sound of the crashing waves, the seagulls all over them and the soft snoring from Kanao whom Yuki was asked to carry on his back. The beach was nearly crowded with new visitors, who would no doubt enjoy themselves as much as the former heir and the butterfly women had.
"We've made it the other side of the beach." The petite woman sighed with contentment.
"Yep, We did a lot today. I hope we can do this again next year." He nodded.
I'd like that. But, there is something I need to discuss with you, Yuki-kun." Shinobu's expression turned serious. The dull eye boy was on alert. When she addressed him by his first name, he knew the matter was of utmost importance.
"Yes, Kocho-sama?" He replied anxiously.
"We will pick up the second half of your training at the start of next year. We'll use this time to ingrain my first two breathing techniques until it becomes second nature. I also want you to start participating taking care of patients in critical condition. It's time you take your medical expertise to the next level. Above all, it's time I teach how to make the wisteria poison. It is essential for Insect breathing.
"I understand. It's just, a lot to take in right now. What if I don't live up to your expectations and fail miserably?" Yuki replied, clearly shaken over the multitude of tasks ahead of him. The wisteria doctor reached for his hand and grasped it gently.
"It's okay. Let's get through this one day at a time. Remember, what you do in the present will impact your future. You have the support of the butterfly mansion. Always." Shinobu look up reassuring her student. She allowed him to hold onto her hand a little longer.
"The Subachi family is always focused on the future. I'll always wonder about the what-if's. However, it means so much to me over how patient you've been. Thank you, Shinobu-sama. I'll stay by your side to the end. I promise." Yuki smiled sweetly.
The Insect hashira's heart skipped a beat when she looked at her student. She couldn't believe how fortunate she was to have found a student who not only obeyed her every order, but was able to crack the façade she built around herself. Since Kanae's death, she took it upon herself to run the butterfly estate as the head doctor and hashira. Despite the grief over the loss of her sister and the pressure of her duties, she forgone her former personality to mimic her beloved sister, in hopes to bring a peace of mind to other in the same manner her older sister had done. Yet, as she spent more time with Yuki, she couldn't help but open up to him. She may be helping the former heir become an improved version of himself, he was helping her too, his sincerity creating a safe space where she could express her true feelings, even for a moment.
"Today would've been my sister's birthday. It's been several years since her passing. It means the world to me both you and Kanao made this day memorable. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." She smiled authentically.
"Y-you're welcome." He blushed profoundly.
"Are you ready to head back to the butterfly mansion?" She spoke gently.
"Just one moment please. Across this bay, lies my family's beach in the Chiba region. I've kept true to our agreement. I just…hope my sister and papa are getting by without me." Yuki sniffled. He wasn't sure whether to cry because he was at arm's reach from his home or because he just learned his master's deceased sister. Perhaps, it was both.
Shinobu felt a pang in her heart, she felt terrible for barring him to meet his family. She was however, thankful he had kept true to his word. Thankful for how much trust he had in her. She let go of his hand and rubbed his back instead. Giving him additional comfort before they needed to head home. She wondered how Kanae would've handled this dilemma in her place.
Across the Tokyo bay was the Inage beach of the Chiba region. A land privately owned by the Subachi family. Today however, was an exception. In an effort to maintain a good image, Mizuho Subachi, head of the family, opened her beach to the public during the week days. She even sponsored a local animal shelter to allow their dogs to run around as a means to sell their canines for adoption.
A young girl crouched onto the ground, petting a Shiba Inu puppy. She was 15 years old yet revered for her beauty. Her luscious silky hair, dark as charcoal reach the middle of her back, allowing it to flow with the wind. Despite her pure black eyes, they were brimmed with life with how outgoing and sociable she is. She had a warm presence, both people and animals could feel comfortable around her in an instant. Donning a yellow haori, she looking nothing less than ethereal. However, her divine image upended once she started crying.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Her father approached her cautiously.
"I should be happy, being surrounded by all these puppies. Yet, I can't stop thinking about big brother. How he would've enjoyed this moment with us." Her voice cracked. The father held her tightly in his arms.
"I know, Sarah. I miss him too. More than you'll ever know." He whispered to his daughter. He couldn't help but chuckle. "If Yuki were here, he'd go on naming every breed of dog around us.
"That's true. I bet he would've pick out the cutest or easiest dog for us." The dark eyed girl giggled.
"The animal shelter said they'll be bringing in the remaining dogs back. Thanks to us, the majority of them found families to go home to." He said.
"That's makes me happy to hear, papa." She smiled
"Anything caught your eye?" He looked concerned over her refusal to look at him
"I remember when Yuki would sit here and stare across this bay. I'd like to visit what's on the other side. It's as though something is calling me there." Sarah responded. Her gaze fixated on the trees, across the Tokyo bay.
"Sure, but I was referring to the puppies." Her father chuckled.
"Sorry. Um, I've grown found of this puppy." She held up the shiba inu.
"Excellent choice, lets go and talk to your mother. She's not a fan of animals, but I'm sure she'll make an exception, given what we've gone through." He gave off a sad smile.
"Maybe a dog will do us all good." She said with a hopeful tone.
"You got a name for it?" He said as he began to walk away. The charcoal hair girl turned to face the city of bay one more time. She looked forward to the day she'd get to visit the other side. Until then, Sarah rushed to join her father.
"She's a girl puppy and I do have a name in mind." She pouted lightly.
Welcome back to a taisho era secret. It's been a while since I got to say what's on my mind. Anyways today's secret: Volleyball was created in 1895 by Americans. Because it's considered an elite sport in Japan. I didn't even bother teaching Shinobu or Kanao how to play. That and I would've won easy thanks to my height advantage. I think that about wraps up todays session. See you-" The lanky student was caught off guard when he saw his senior's hand raised.
"You want to share something too?". All he got in response was sound of a coin flipping in the air
"Here is my Taisho era secret: The nobility restructured in 1869. I read being a noble was easier than ever. I wonder how much power Gakusai-kun's family truly has?"
"Seriously, that's how you wants to end this segment?" He muttered, glaring at Kanao. " Um, we get by comfortably. We were nobles even before the restructure." He cleared his throat then watched his senior walk away with a deadpanned expression. "On a different note, next time on chapter 14: New year, new start, new challenges, and a new hashira?! That's amazing, we're that much closer to having all nine of them again. Bye!" The former heir waved goodbye.
WanderingTree here.
To be honest, I can't believe it only took me a week max to complete this chapter. I'm a little sad went over 7k words. I wanted this to be only 5k words, but it is what it is. Even so, I had so much fun writing this, mainly in order to write this one, I spent the day at an actual beach. Even without researching, I had been wanting to go for some time, it all worked out. Not to mention with the past two or three chapters being written back to back, I nearly had a burnt out, led me to take a two week break. I enjoy writing wholesome moments. I hope this chapters proves it. To anyone who'll complain I made Kanao feel out of character, I'm sorry in advance. For me, I was never a fan of Kanao since she was a mute most of her time on screen or in the manga. Now, I know her backstory and why she doesn't open up easy. I wished she opened up sooner. With that said, I also needed someone who doesn't open up to the MC to clash against him. Since he gets along with all the other girls, Kanao just got the short end of the stick. That and I wanted to be respectful to the fact Tanjiro was the one who helped her come out of her shell. You can't win them all, at least not right away.
Speaking of Shinobu, I am content with how she and Yuki interacted this chapter. I didn't expect them to kiss or anything, but I'm glad they are slowly opening up to each other in a deeper level. My MC is just happy she didn't smack his hand away.
What makes this chapter significant is this is the end of year one of the time skip arc. Year two will be a lot shorter than this first half, I'll say that much. We're almost at the main events of demon slayer. All that's left are Obanai's and Mitsuri's inclusion, the last two trials, the remaining insect techniques and that's it.
Thank you to everyone who's been patient with me. I know my stories can be lengthy and wordy, but it means a lot to me to have people interested in this story. I'm very glad to have split the previous chapter with Gyomei and this one because not including this note, the word count would be 10k words. Nobody wants to read that :p
While we are on the topic, I mention often this work was greatly inspired by Towfu-san. But, there is another individual who inspired this story. Not a writer, but an artist named Erin Lindsey. I stumbled upon her artwork and fell in love with her content. She has an OC, similar to Yuki where they fell for their teacher, yet their personalities couldn't be more different. After reading her OC's lore and passion behind her artwork, that was the last push I needed to begin the Red Hornet as well as reignited my desire to draw. Funny how Erin probably feels indifferent at best towards Kanae x Sanemi (totally not for biased reasons). Don't quote me. But in all honestly, I can relate too towards Shinobu x Giyu. I don't hate it, but obviously I'd pair Shinobu with my OC. Check out erinlindseyart on Instagram and Twitter, she also has her own site. I'd love to have her create an artwork of my OC one day. But I digress.
To be honest, I was inspired by this year's volleyball games at the Olympics for the taisho era bit. Both the women's and mens teams from US, China, and Japan all played great for their respective team. I also wanted to include a moment focused on Yuki's family. The intention I had with the MC and his sister's gaze was if you look up the odiaba beach and Inage beach on google maps, they are nearly parallel from each other. They were essentially staring each other at the same time, separated by the Tokyo bay.
Normally I wish you all a good day, but for some reason, my emails finally caught up to with all the notifications I been lacking on here for some time. The second review on this story, all the faves and follows, and the updates from authors I follow piled on up until a few days ago. In other words, I will end this by listing all the people who've yet to be acknowledged. Thank you to the following: Charley023, traymondlinhardt, JJohn34, sans uzumaki, ArkaelSatanSombra, PyroraptorOmegas, AI the Obsessive, and finally, VSNO.