Feeling the resentment-filled gaze from Obanai, Kazuki found himself at a loss for words.
He took a deep breath, then lowered his head and began eating quickly without worrying about anything else.
A short while later, Kazuki set his bowl and chopsticks back on the table.
"I'm finished! Thank you for the meal!"
As soon as he said this, Kazuki stood up and immediately turned to Obanai.
"Iguro-san, isn't it a bit cramped over there? I'm already done eating—why don't you take my seat?"
Obanai was seated between the Stone Hashira and the Sound Hashira, both of whom were quite large in stature. The space on his side really was rather tight.
And by now, Kazuki understood something clearly: as long as Obanai's relationship with Mitsuri remained unresolved, this resentment would never truly disappear. Mitsuri was naturally open and friendly with everyone, while Obanai simply couldn't stand seeing her interact closely with other men.
Because of that, Kazuki decided to try nudging things along between the two of them. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be him—every male member of the Demon Slayer Corps would probably end up bearing Obanai's resentment sooner or later.
To be honest, with Obanai being so jealous and having fallen for someone as carefree as Mitsuri, Kazuki almost felt sorry for him. He must get angry all the time.
After hearing Kazuki's words, Obanai froze for a moment. The resentment around him vanished completely, and the look he gave Kazuki instantly turned friendly.
That mood change was way too fast…
Kazuki couldn't help complaining inwardly at the sudden shift.
"Mm… it is a bit cramped," Obanai said as he stood up and walked over to Kazuki's side. By now, Kazuki had already left his seat. Obanai sat down in it, then looked at Kazuki with what was almost an affectionate gaze.
After that, Obanai turned toward Mitsuri, looking at her with gentle eyes as he continuously placed food in front of her. He himself barely ate anything.
This is exhausting…
Kazuki sighed inwardly and then left the Demon Slayer Corps' dining hall.
Originally, he planned to head to the training grounds to practice his sword techniques. But after walking only a short distance, he spotted Giyu sitting alone on the steps in front of the Corps barracks.
Giyu was eating by himself from a lunch box. Inside was salmon with daikon.
Even while eating, his expression remained stiff and unchanged.
"Tomioka-san, why didn't you join everyone for the meal? Why are you sitting here alone eating by yourself?"
Curious about Giyu's behavior, Kazuki walked over, sat beside him, and asked.
After swallowing the food in his mouth, Giyu replied slowly and expressionlessly,
"I… am not alone."
Giyu's words left Kazuki momentarily stunned. There wasn't a single person around him—how was that not being alone?
That one sentence completely cut off any follow-up questions Kazuki had planned. He decided not to dwell on it and instead offered a suggestion.
"Tomioka-san, I think you should try to fit in a bit more and talk with everyone. Opportunities like this are rare. If you keep this up, you might end up being disliked by even more people."
Hearing this, Giyu showed a rare hint of shock. He turned to look at Kazuki and said,
"I… am not hated!"
Tomioka-san… isn't he a bit too dense? Does he really believe that?
Kazuki felt the conversation grinding to a halt and was genuinely baffled by Giyu's lack of awareness.
Obanai and the Wind Hashira had made it painfully obvious—especially Obanai, who had said it outright—yet Giyu still seemed completely unaware.
"Uh… um… you… forget it…"
Kazuki tried several times but couldn't find the right words. He even started sweating. Talking with Giyu was incredibly stressful—none of the demons he had faced had ever made him feel like this.
Kazuki considered himself fairly socially adept, but when it came to Tomioka Giyu, he genuinely didn't know what to say. Giyu had a talent for shutting down any conversation with a single sentence.
Suddenly, a name flashed through Kazuki's mind. Thinking of a topic that might keep the conversation going, he quickly asked,
"Tomioka-san, do you know a boy named Tanjiro? He also uses Water Breathing. He's a friend I met during the Final Selection."
At the mention of that name, Giyu finally reacted. He nodded and said,
"Yes. I was the one who introduced him to a cultivator and guided him into the Demon Slayer Corps."
Just as I suspected!
For once, Giyu had given a relatively normal response. Kazuki felt a surge of excitement. Giyu's reactions had sparked a strange sense of competitiveness in him—he swore that today, no matter what, he would manage to have a proper conversation with Giyu.
"So that's how it was. Then you'd be Tanjiro's senior brother, right? Is your teacher also Urokodaki-san?"
Kazuki continued.
From the moment he learned that Giyu was the Water Hashira, he had guessed there must be a connection between him and Tanjiro. After all, cultivators were retired Hashira, and Hashira who managed to retire were exceedingly rare—it required not only great strength, but also a fair bit of luck.
Given that Giyu and Tanjiro weren't too far apart in age and both used Water Breathing, the likelihood that they shared the same teacher was quite high.
"Mm," Giyu replied, confirming Kazuki's guess.
"Then how did you meet Tanjiro? And what made you guide him into joining the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Kazuki pressed on.
At this point, he had no other topics to rely on. If he didn't keep bringing up Tanjiro, the conversation would die instantly.
Being able to talk with someone also made Giyu feel a bit pleased. He thought for a moment before answering,
"I met him during a mission one winter. His family had been killed by a demon. His sister…"
Giyu paused briefly, then continued,
"And after that, I told him to go find Urokodaki-san."
Although Giyu's explanation was vague and seemed to gloss over certain details, Kazuki roughly understood what he meant.
A fate similar to that of many Demon Slayer Corps members—his peaceful life destroyed by demons, setting him on the path of demon hunting.
"I see…"
His family had been killed by demons, yet he was still able to feel sympathy for the demons' circumstances. That kind of compassion was not easy to come by. More importantly, despite that sympathy, he showed no mercy toward demons who had already taken human lives.
Kind, but not foolishly kind. Gentle, yet resolute.
That was the impression Tanjiro had left on Kazuki.
"Come on. It's time for the afternoon meeting," Giyu said to Kazuki as he stood up.
"Oh… okay… huh?"
Kazuki responded, then suddenly lifted his head in surprise.
Just now… Tomioka-san spoke to me on his own initiative?
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