You see, life isn’t always hard for some people. As long as they have a source of happiness.
Maybe a job they might love.
Maybe the hope of waiting for someone they love.
Or just something they might love to do that simply brings them joy and happiness. It makes life worth living for some people. It's different for everyone.
However nothing is ever stable. While the period of sadness leaves eventually, the period of happiness doesn’t stay forever either.
A very happy life could turn into that of grief in a single night. Besides, whenever happiness is destroyed, there’s always the smell of blood.
“How does he feel now, Hanajima-San?” A young lady about 500 years old gave a small smile.
She’s just discharging a patient that she had treated along with his mother.
“Thank you, Tamayo-San.” says the boy while bowing.
“Thank you for not getting sick again, you need to grow and become a healthy young man for your mom y'know?” she said.
“I’ll try my best!” he says enthusiastically, jumping out of the house as the two ladies watch him go. Giggling at the boy's cuteness
“Well, Tamayo-san, thank you so much. Don’t know what I’ll do without you.” says the mom.
“It’s fine, I love doing this anyways,” Tamayo replied.
“Well, I'll take my leave. Thank you, again. Oh by the way, where’s that other boy?”
“Yushiro? He’s out on an errand. He’ll be back soon”
“Well he needs to hurry, he’s been gone for quite a while and your house is very much visible”
“Must’ve been a blunder on his part. He doesn’t do this often”
“Okay then, i’ll see you later” the mom says.
“Bye-Bye, Don’t get sick again!!” Tamayo waved, smiling before walking back inside her house.
* * * * * *
*Tang!*
*Tanng!!*
*Tannng!!!*
“Muzan-Sama, I found them”
A cold, monotone voice came from a young looking woman who appears to be playing a biwa instrument.
Her head down with hair covering her eyes, she sits before her master, his aura piercing like that of nails and needles.
“Good Job Nakime, This is why you are my favorite afterall” said the ghastly pale man as he stood up to get a drink. While the lady simply nodded as thanks.
“Tamayo huh’, You sly snake….” He gently sips his wine, elegantly swayed his glass and deeply inhaled the aroma.
“My long and arduous hunt for you is at last over. You will NOT escape my grasp!!!”
The glass he was holding shatters just the pressure of his anger alone, creating a screechy, repulsive sound.
“Are any of my upper moons in the area?” he asked. Going straight for the big guys he really intends to finish Tamayo once and for all.
“The closest is Douma-san, he’s exactly 200 miles from Tamayo's house.” Nakime says.
“Major Imbeciles! Never closeby when you need them. Utterly Useless.” he says in anger.
“Well. . . what of the lower imbeciles then?” he asked.
“Rui and two of his family members are the closest in the area and the second closest is… Onigawara is also in the area”
“I see. It doesn’t get better than him. Oni is fine but hopefully Rui doesn’t die. I’m tired of replacing those pathetic lower moons. It's becoming an annual tradition at this point.” Muzan says.
"Do you need me to get lower moon two, Enmu-San?" Nakime asked.
"Don't. Enmu and Oni don't work well together. It'd be counterproductive to pair them together. Knowing Onigawara, he might nail Enmu to a tree till daybreak just because his voice was annoying." Muzan explained.
"So Rui and Onigawara it is" Nakime said.
“Sun down is but in a few hours. So relay my orders to both of them…” he continued.
“Tell them Rui can have two drops of my blood and Onigawara can have the duel he’s always wanted with Gyutaro for the upper moon position. All they have to do…” he picked up his coat and draped it.
“....Bring me Tamayo’s and her sidekick’s head by dawn”
“Understood.” said Nakime.
As Muzan was about to leave,
"Muzan-Sama…" Nakime called out for his attention.
"Do you think Onigawara can beat Gyutaro…?" She asked.
Her question caught him off guard as she was never the type to care about upper moon politics.
"I don't know. They're evenly matched. Onigawara is more talented I'd say but...Gyutaro has way more experience. A duel between them would be an amusing spectacle" he actually answered honestly.
Nakime said nothing but nodded as she couldn't help but agree. With that they said their goodbyes.
*TANNGGG!!!*
* * * * * *
Around the same time…
“Did you get it yet?” Y/N asks as he looks up to Kanae who’s struggling to get a vase from above her closet.
She’s on a stool, while Y/N holds it in place and is somehow still struggling to reach it.
“Just get down and let me do it….” Y/N says.
“No! I can do it!!” she replied.
“God, I hate short people. All this for a vase” he whispered. Or thought he whispered.
“Y’know I'm still here right?” She looked down at the boy who didn’t respond and then she went right back to trying to get her vase.
‘Whatever… i’m just gonna stand here and enjoy the view’ he thought as looked up inside kanae’s transparent gown while grinning from ear to ear.
Meanwhile Kanae’s getting frustrated from her vase and starts jumping on top of being assisted by a large stool anyways.
“I!... almost!.... Got!…. I… Ah!” she screamed as she fell down from the stool and actually got the vase landing on top of him.
Except it was broken now cuz it fell. So all that hard work was for nothing.
‘If she hadn’t got the napoleon syndrome that’s common in short people and just asked for help. All this would’ve been solved. But damn... she's sexy" Y/n thought.
Kanae “tsked!” in response. That was all she could do.
The boy was right and that made her angry somehow. What didn’t help was his stupid smirk, she could just feel the ‘I told you so’ coming.
“I told you so…” He smiled.
"Shut up!" She got off him and began packing the mess she created.
"Whatever, I'll be in my room. I need to write a letter. If you need me just come over" he smiled as he walked away.
"Letter to that Tamayo person?" She asked, her voice laced with jealousy.
Obviously, Y/N picked up on this but he'd write his letter regardless of her feelings. He hadn't written to Lady Tamayo
"Hey, you need to get ready." Kanae says choosing to let it go since he ignored her.
"Hm? What for?"
"The master came back and he's hosting and is hosting a little dinner with all the other Hashiras. He asked me to bring you with me"
"Ah! I get to meet the other Hashiras!?" He grinned while Kanae nodded in agreement.
He's ecstatic! He's finally going to be meeting whoever Gyomei Himejima is.
'If Sanemi is that strong, I bet Gyomei's a monster! I wonder what he looks like. Maybe I can get a duel or something,' he thought, grinning in excitement at the thought.
"Yahoooooooooo!!! I'm going to meet Hashiraaaaas!" He hopped and screamed his way to his room.
Kanae couldn't help but smile at how cute her student is.
A/N- Hola👋! Ciao👋! Bonjour👋! Longer Chapter ain't it? I'd be surprised if anyone made it this far 🤣.