The day had come.
The day before Friendship Day.
As the morning sun cast its proud and brilliant light over the school of Kimetsu Gakuen, the voices of students began to fill the hallways.
Kanao was an exception. She sat in her desk, fidgeting quietly. The bell hadn't rang yet, and she stared at the hallways as people passed by.
Kanao suddenly felt a hand tap her shoulder, and she turned around to see Nezuko's smiling face.
"Hi there, Kanao!" Nezuko exclaimed happily. Kanao raised her hand in a small wave, a small smile spreading across her face.
What did you need, Nezuko? Don't you have to get to class? Kanao wrote, as she tilted her head in confusion.
"Ah yes." Nezuko said blandly, as if she was remembering the reason she was standing in the wrong classroom. "I was meaning to ask you a very important question."
Kanao tilted her head in confusion.
"My question was, what are you planning on doing for Friendship Day?" Nezuko asked. Kanao paused a moment, glancing here and there before writing, Nothing.
Nezuko gasped. "But how could you just do nothing? You have so many friends now, and I think this is an opportunity passing by."
Kanao thought about it for a moment. What are you thinking of doing, Nezuko? she asked through her writing.
"Oh, every year I invite some friends to make chocolate with me." Nezuko said nonchalantly, as if it was nothing. "I always make chocolate for my family anyways, so I decided, why not share the experience with some friends?"
"Would you like to join me this year?" Nezuko questioned nervously, her pink eyes shining with hope.
Kanao thought about again. True, she thought, it would be an opportunity passed by if I said no. Besides, I've never made chocolate before... That is something interesting I'd like to try.
Kanao nodded. Nezuko gasped happily, and asked, "Wait, is that a yes?"
Kanao nodded again, smiling peacefully as Nezuko hugged her in a happy embrace.
"Oh, but also," Nezuko said seriously, turning her gaze over to her brother, who was listening in. "Nii-chan, you're not allowed to join us. This is a girl's night."
Tanjiro jolted. I wasn't thinking about asking to join, though... he thought, sweatdropping.
•°•°•°•°•
And, as promised, that night, Kanao stood before the Kamado bakery, looking up at the ominous looking closed sign.
She didn't need to worry, however, as the door creaked open, and Nezuko was standing there with an unfamiliar girl that Kanao did not recognize.
"Come in, Kanao!" Nezuko exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Make yourself at home and we'll get started!"
Kanao came in, still staring apprehensively at the girl she didn't know. Nezuko followed Kanao's gaze.
"Oh, how rude of me." Nezuko said. "This is my best friend, Hifumi Toko."
Toko remained silent, and she just stared at Kanao, slack jawed.
"Toko, are you okay?" Nezuko asked in confusion. Turning to Kanao, she said, "I'm sorry Kanao, I'm not sure what's up with her. Normally she's super energetic and happy, but-"
"Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh!" Toko suddenly screeched. This freaked Kanao out, and she was sent into a terrified fit of trembles, and she fell into the seat of a nearby booth.
"Nezuko!" shrieked Toko. "You didn't tell me that you were friends with THE Tsuyuri Kanao, princess of the school and goddess of Class 2-B!"
"Oh... Right." Nezuko mumbled feebly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. To clear up the fear and confusion, she said, "Toko, Kanao, why don't we, ah, go to the kitchen and get started?"
Kanao nodded quickly, jumping up. The three girls headed to the kitchen, where they saw the younger Kamado siblings at the counter, waiting.
"So, let's make some chocolate cake!" Nezuko exclaimed, pulling back her hair and rolling back her sleeves. Toko shrieked happily and Kanao gave a 'hmph' of determination.
"Now... Kanao, you melt this butter over there, and Toko, you sift the flour and cocoa powder..." Nezuko began, showing them the ropes.
The first part of the cake making went smoothly, but suddenly, Toko shrieked like a banshee when Shigeru placed his cold hand on her neck (he had dipped his hands in ice).
Kanao jolted, and she placed her hands on her neck in fear as she sensed another brother (Takeo) behind her, and he was planning the same thing.
"Ack!" Nezuko cried, as small cold hands touched her neck too. It was her youngest brother Rokuta, being held up by Takeo.
Nezuko glared at her brothers, who recoiled instantly. "You know what Father always says. No messing around in the kitchen. Or else... I'll flick your shoulders!!"
This sent her brothers running, and Toko and Kanao could still hear their mischievous snickers even after they had gone upstairs.
Finally, after the little troublemakers had gone, Nezuko showed Kanao and Toko how to separate egg whites and yolks (which resulted in cheering from Toko and soft applause from Kanao to a very bashful and modest Nezuko).
After they mixed the yolks, sugar, cream, and brandy, they were going to make meringue.
At this point, Nezuko's younger brothers had come back, this time dragging Hanako along. They were all begging to help, and finally, Nezuko gave in and sweatdropped as they banged whisks into the mixture.
"Nee-chan!" they complained after a while. "Our arms are tired!"
"Oh come on. It hasn't peaked yet, so keep going!" Nezuko said, evoking moans of complaint from her siblings.
"Kanao, can you help them?" Nezuko asked in exasperation.
Kanao went over, and the youngest Kamado siblings watched in awe as she quickly beat the mixture, not allowing a single drop to escape the bowl.
When she stopped for a break, she jolted when she heard Rokuta say, "Woooow. Scary nee-chan is good at beating."
After this little incident, Kanao showed the siblings how to beat properly, and soon enough, the merengue was fluffy and delicious, and it passed Nezuko's test. She was smiling from ear to ear.
After they mixed in the merengue, flour, and cocoa, Nezuko was cleaning up the kitchen while her youngest siblings, along with Kanao and Toko, played in the dining area.
"Hey, scary-neechan." Shigeru mumbled, as he stopped playing for a bit. "Why don't you speak? You didn't talk when you came here to play video games before, and I've just been kind of curious about that ever since."
Kanao jolted. She looked at the rest of the siblings, and then at Toko. They were looking at her in expectation, all the same.
Thankfully, Nezuko saved her as she peeped into the dining area, saying, "It's because she's shy."
"Shaa?" Rokuta questioned, earning giggles from his older brothers and sisters. "Can you say 'aah', shaa-neechan?"
Kanao blushed a moment, looking down at her shoes. But, in the end, to make the kids happy, she said, "..a-ahh."
The kids suddenly lost interest and were coloring on paper at this point, but they got excited again when they went to check on the cakes.
As they peered into the oven in awe, Hanako stared at Kanao and smiled.
"Kanao-neechan, you should talk a lot more." Hanako said, with nods agreement from her brothers behind her. "You have such a pretty voice."
Kanao's eyes widened, but all the same, a fleeting smile crossed her face.
"I... I'll do my best..."
•°•°•°•°•°•
Bonus Scene
When they were finished baking, Kanao and Toko were walking home, their batches of chocolate cake in hand.
"You know, Kanao-chan, you seem like a very nice person." Toko said into the silence. "Would you like to be my friend?"
I would love that. Of course I'll be your friend, Toko. Kanao wrote, smiling again.
•°•°•°•°•°•
Toko Hifumi belongs to CuteLilCookie24 !