The room fell into silence once more, but this time, the quiet wasn't awkward. It was a warm, comfortable tranquility.
Kazama Aoi felt a bit self-conscious under Kanao's steady gaze. She shifted, adjusting her posture to lean back against the soft handkerchief.
Suddenly, the sound of frantic, hurried footsteps approached from the distance. Then, with a violent BANG, Kanao's door was thrown wide open.
"AOI-CHAAAN—!!!"
Zenitsu's loud, tear-choked voice instantly shattered the peace.
He spotted the jewelry box beside Kanao and lunged forward, collapsing onto the table with teary eyes. "Aoi-chan! Are you okay? Kanao didn't bully you, did she? Did she feed you? Did she give you a blanket? Are you scared being locked in this tiny box?!"
A barrage of questions hit her like cannonballs, leaving Aoi a little dazed.
"Zenitsu-kun, I'm fine."
"How could you be fine!" Zenitsu wailed, ignoring her entirely. He looked at the small jewelry box, his heart aching beyond repair. "Such a tiny space... Aoi-chan must be so miserable! No, I'm taking Aoi-chan back to my room! My room is a hundred times bigger than this!"
As he spoke, he reached out, intending to scoop up the jewelry box.
SLAP!
A hand caught his wrist with lightning speed. It was Kanao.
She had stood up at some point, the previous softness gone from her face. She stared at Zenitsu with an unblinking gaze.
"Do. Not. Touch," she said, enunciating each word. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a trace of... anger?
While the two were at a standstill, a voice full of weary resignation drifted in from the doorway.
"What are you all shouting about?"
Everyone turned to see Tanjiro and Inosuke standing there. Tanjiro looked like he had a massive headache, while Inosuke looked excited, as if he were watching a show.
"Tanjiro! Look at this!" Zenitsu cried, pointing at Kanao as if he'd found his savior. "Kanao... she's hogging Aoi-chan! She won't let me see her!"
Tanjiro rubbed his temples and stepped into the room. He first gave Kanao a slight bow. "Kanao-san, I am so sorry. Zenitsu didn't mean it."
Then he turned to Zenitsu, his tone becoming stern. "Zenitsu, calm down! Aoi chose to stay with Kanao-san herself. We should respect her decision. Besides, look—doesn't she look safe and comfortable here?"
Aoi nodded in agreement, poking her tiny head out from behind Kanao. She tried to make her voice sound as convincing as possible. "It's true, Zenitsu-kun. Kanao is taking very good care of me."
Her words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing half of Zenitsu's fury and self-pity.
"Uwaaah..." Zenitsu was completely defeated. He slumped onto the floor, propping himself up with his hands—the very picture of a pitiful soul abandoned by the world.
Aoi watched him, feeling a bit amused. "Alright, alright, Zenitsu-kun. Don't cry." She tried to soften her voice, coaxing him like a child. "Look, Kanao-san prepared some delicious wagashi for me. I'll give you half, okay?"
As she spoke, she used her tiny hands to laboriously push a half-eaten piece of sakuramochi toward him.
The mochi was a bit too large for her. Her little face turned red from the effort, and she only managed to move it a tiny bit.
This adorable, hardworking display left everyone in the room stunned.
Zenitsu's sobbing stopped abruptly. He stared at the piece of sakuramochi Aoi was "sharing" with him. Tears still clung to his lashes, but his mouth hung slightly open, his expression one of pure, unadulterated "moe" overload.
"Aoi... Aoi-chan..." he murmured. The resentment and jealousy in his heart were instantly replaced by a massive surge of euphoria. This was food shared with him by Aoi-chan's own hands (even if she only gave it a little nudge)!
"No way!"
An ill-timed voice broke the heartwarming moment.
Inosuke pointed a finger at Aoi and loudly declared, "That little thing is mine! The food should be given to me too!"
"Huh? Why should it go to you!" Zenitsu snapped back to reality, springing up from the floor to confront Inosuke. "Aoi-chan is worried about me! You idiot!"
"You're the idiot!" Inosuke roared back, undeterred. "Look how tiny she is! She must be weak! Only the strong can protect her! I, Inosuke, King of the Mountains, am the strongest!"
Seeing a new round of bickering about to explode, Tanjiro felt like his head wasn't just aching—it was about to split open. He grabbed Inosuke by the shoulder and yanked him back.
"Inosuke! Don't be so rude to Aoi! She isn't your property or an object; she's our comrade!" Tanjiro's tone was sharper than ever before.
In that moment, Kanao, who had remained silent, did something unexpected.
Without a word, she reached out, picked up the piece of sakuramochi, and held it to Zenitsu's lips. Her gaze was calm, as if to say: Here. She gave this to you.
Zenitsu's face turned a brilliant shade of crimson, the heat spreading from his cheeks to his ears. He stared blankly at Kanao, then at the tiny piece of mochi, forgetting to react.
"Go on, eat it, Zenitsu-kun," Aoi said with a hint of a smile in her voice.
Seeing Zenitsu's expression—one of such happiness he looked ready to faint—Inosuke let out an annoyed "Tch." He turned his head away, crossing his arms over his chest and muttering, "It's not that great... I don't even want it..."
Kanao withdrew her hand and sat back down by the low table. Her gaze softened as it fell on Aoi in the jewelry box. She reached out a finger and gently patted the top of Aoi's head.
Aoi leaned into the touch, nuzzling against Kanao's fingertip. She then turned to Tanjiro and the still-sulking Inosuke. "Tanjiro, Inosuke, would you like to try some too? Kanao-san has plenty of sweets left."
Tanjiro smiled and shook his head. "No thank you, Aoi. Those were prepared for you by Kanao-san; you should enjoy them. We were just worried and came by to check on you."
Inosuke continued to make annoyed clicking noises, but his eyes dishonestly drifted toward the plate of sweets next to Kanao.
Aoi noticed his subtle movements. She looked up at him, blinked, and said in her clear, tiny voice, "Inosuke, these are really good. They're sweet and chewy. Don't you want to try one?"
"Hmph... fine. Since you invited me so sincerely, little thing, I—Inosuke, King of the Mountains—shall deign to have a taste!"
He popped a sweet into his mouth. His eyes lit up instantly. "Mmph!" he mumbled through the food. "Delicious!"
Watching the two troublemakers finally quiet down, Tanjiro let out a long, weary sigh. It felt as if peace had finally returned to the world. He leaned against the doorframe, a relieved smile spreading across his face.