Wild Flower (Bleach × Demon Slayer)

12 - A Gathering Respite

Kanao glanced at him. "Just like Muichirou left you to become a shinigami?"

"...yeah. You know, nothing really gets past to you, aren't you?" he said incredulously.

She blinked. "Is... it a bad thing?" she asked confusingly.

He shrugged. "Not really. I think Muichirou could use someone like you or something." He went silent after that remark and looked at the stars above them. Kanao decided to join him, comfortable silence washing over them. "Well," Yuichirou started, slightly startled her. "I forgot to tell you about this earlier, but I think my brother will finally have a free time tomorrow. Just prepare yourself if you still haven't reached your decision."

Kanao offered him a small nod of gratitude and said her thank you with that. Yuichirou left without a word and silently went back inside his home with muted footsteps. She returned her attention to the night sky.

Home, Rukongai, Flower District, the truth, and shinigami. What a predicament. If she was on her usual self, she could have refused the offer (which she did) but the truth always tips the scales. But she's undecided of leaving Rukongai—the Flower District, even though the thought seem superficial, but her gut says otherwise. So in the end, after all, I should become a shinigami, huh...

An existence that was unwillingly accepted. That is what we are, but not without a price. In order to be accepted, the wild flowers had to be pull out from their roots and planted to a proper garden.

Kanao still wondered what Kagaya truly meant with those words.

...

Kanao didn't expect Muichirou to come back with a new face beside him. Even though Inosuke, now covered in bandages just as she had met him first, was also with him, the blonde-haired person was a surprise. Is this the Agatsuma Zenitsu he talked before? she recalled. Muichirou did say before he was going to meet him before but she never expected she would meet him now.

"Good to see that you are doing well, Tsuyuri," Muichirou greeted before he turned to his twin brother. "Kanroji and Iguro still not here?" he asked.

Kanao also turned to look at Yuichiro inquiringly. Kanroji and Iguro? She thought she heard them somewhere before. "No, not yet," he replied to his twin brother. He seemed to notice her stare and he replied to her, "You'll meet them eventually. Muichirou told me to never tell you about them."

"Don't worry, they're the same... kind as us," Muichirou added. "They're not really outsiders."

Ah, she finally remembered. Kanroji and Iguro, they were part of the names he told her before. If she recalled correctly, they were the ones who didn't become a shinigami.

"Anyway, you already knew this Inoue here," Muichirou continued, pointing at Inosuke who yelled 'hey!' at him which was ignored. "This depressing guy here is Agatsuma Zenitsu. He may not look at it at first glance, but he is your senior in terms of breathing technique."

"Nice... to meet you." The blonde bowed his head to her. "I don't mind being called Zenitsu," he told her in a mumble that Kanao didn't almost catch it.

Looking over his appearance, Zenitsu was... not something she didn't expect. She doesn't know why but there is an accompanying disappointment as she observed him and his mellow disposition. Kanao was confused of her own expectation. Why am I expecting him to be loud, not this...? she wondered. "Nice to meet you," she greeted back with her own bow. "I'm Tsuyuri Kanao."

"Hey," came a callous voice. Kanao looked over to Inosuke. "You still haven't forgotten about it, don't you?" he asked.

Kanao stared at him, trying to remember what he was talking about.