𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 , the sequel

✴ 𝟎𝟖

TANJIRO DRIED Y/n's head with a towel Urokodaki had provided them with. Y/n shivered in the coldness, as the wind rolled and made contact with her bare skin. Tanjiro planted a sweet kiss on Y/n's head and sniffed the strong aroma of tulips. "Do I smell nice?" Y/n asked, hopping for a validation. Tanjiro chuckled. "Yes," he eye-close smiled at her before setting the towel aside. He took a children-sized kimono and slipped it through her small head. 

Y/n patted down the soft fabric as she gave a small smile. "Do you like it?" Tanjiro questioned her with a glint of nervousness in his burgundy-colored eye. He spent a week making that for Y/n himself. Y/n nodded eagerly. "This is my new favorite kimono!" Y/n exclaimed with bright eyes. "It's so warm and soft, I love it!" She continued blabbering on. 

Tanjiro's heart skipped a beat when the child complimented him unintentionally. His face blushed bright pink in embarrassment and he smiled warmly at her little sister. "I'm glad you like the kimono I've made for you," he clasped his hands together with utter joy. Y/n's eyes widened and she blinked repeatedly. "You made thwis?!" Y/n screeched in surprise, not expecting Tanjiro to be a good fashion designer. I mean.. you can't really expect much from someone who wears the same clothing every day now, can you? 

Tanjiro sweatdropped awkwardly. "Yes, I did," he answered. "Wow! Big brother I've never known you're this good in fashion," Y/n commented as she twirled around, the kimono flying behind her. An arrow struck in Tanjiro's heart. Coming from a child, that gotta hurt. 

✦

Y/n painted messily on a long piece of parchment that read 'GO ONII-SAN! YOU CAN DO IT!' as she drew a messy Tanjiro, Nezuko and her herself holding hands together on a grassy field. There was also a cat she drew. It looked eerily similar to Shoga, though she didn't recognize the cat. It was just from her 'imagination.' 

She drew a big dinosaur too and added dramatic exclamation marks. The sun at this point was high up in the sky, lighting up the skies and land. It blaringly shone as Y/n waited a bit for the ink to dry. She plopped down on the floor and collapsed on the ground, her back hitting the floor gently. 

She looked up at the ceiling with bored eyes. "Hm, what should Y/n do?" Y/n questioned herself as she raised her arms, making grabby hand towards the ceiling--- pouting adorably. She blinked repeatedly before flinching, suddenly a random memory flashed. 

"Mom--?" Y/n trailed off as she made her way towards the kitchen, there she saw a tall man, drenched in a familiar red substance she hated seeing for some reason. The man was peering down at the woman who's eyes were wide. Her organs spilled out disturbingly as the man only let out a chuckle. "How amusing," he mumbled quietly. 

A familiar feeling of nausea came up on Y/n. Her heart plummeted to the very grounds. The man swiveled around, Y/n couldn't see who the perpetrator was. He reached out an arm towards her, sending her into an unconscious state. 

Y/n's eyes snapped open wide. She jolted up to look around; what was that? Her breathing was unstable as perplexity drenched her features. "What was that?" She asked herself. Then, she felt something wet soaking her kimono. She looked down to see a pool of water that was soaked by the kimono. 

Her brows furrowed as she blinked, only then she realized she was crying. Her face was drenched in the salty substance. Y/n raised her arm to clear her tears, a few sniffles came out. 'It was just a dream,' she thought silently. But then why was she feeling crestfallen about the silly dream? Only perplexity and shock swirled in her heart. She felt so-- betrayed. Was the man someone she knew? Was that her, Tanjiro's, and Nezuko's mother?

It felt hurt. No, it didn't hurt. It was beyond agonizing. She felt like she wanted to puke-- this feeling was so familiar. It felt deja-vu. Little did she know, she was feeling what she felt when she saw Kuno dead all over again. 

She let out a breathless sigh before she shook her head. It's not worth her time to think about a stupid dream. It's been a year since she's forgotten about everything in the past. She smiled proudly as she peered on the now dried parchment paper. 

She rolled up the parchment paper and got on her little feet. She quickly scampered out of the hut and hopped away, deeper into the forest, in search for her beloved older brother. 

Y/n found the burgundy-haired boy swinging his sword with power. "Onii-san!!" Y/n exclaimed loudly as the boy perked up at the authentic voice and his face lit up brightly. He felt a warm embrace from her legs as Y/n was latched on to his legs. Tanjiro patted Y/n's head adoringly with his calloused hands. Y/n let go as she stepped back. 

"Look! I made this for you, Onii-san!" Y/n exclaimed loudly as she grabbed the roll of parchment and unrolled it with glee. The parchment fell to the ground and unroll the glorious drawings and messy handwritings. Y/n grabbed the other end of the parchment and skipped away, sitting on a bamboo bench Urokodaki had made since Y/n loved to see her big brother train. 

Tanjiro's gaze followed Y/n's small figure as she sat down. He blinked repeatedly with dotted eyes--- holding his laugh since little Y/n had held the banner upside down. Y/n raised an eyebrow at her brother's reaction before she peeked at the banner, realizing that it was upside down, her whole body shifted into a color of red in embarrassment. She quickly flipped the parchment upside down and had a proud-- yet embarrassed, and a hit of meek toothy grin to Tanjiro. 

Tanjiro squinted his eyes, reading the words in his head before his eyes went wide. An arrow struck on to his heart, but this time, in a good way. His face twitched into an unreadable expression, he placed a hand on his chest and gripped on to the kimono, trying not to cry in front of his little sister. He felt his heart melt at the simple gesture, though it was a small act, it meant the world to him. 

Even if they weren't blood related, Y/n had held a special piece of Tanjiro's heart. She meant more than any prize in this world.

Tanjiro snapped out of his trance when he felt a substance spilling from his eyes. He didn't realize it. He was crying.