Chapter 90: A Daughter Truly Raised on Riches
After Mitsuri's storm of emotions had finally passed, she loosened her grip on Kanzaki Akira, her arms falling away from his shoulders. Having already experienced one embrace, she was still a touch shy this time, but at least she didn't transform into a human steam engine. A delicate blush merely painted her cheeks, and for a moment, she found she couldn't quite meet his gaze.
"Mitsuri, I bought these for you," Akira said, presenting the box of sakuramochi. "Regardless of whether you're still angry with me, it was my fault for making you wait so long, for making you so sad. I hope you'll accept this as an apology."
Mitsuri's eyes fell upon the somewhat familiar packaging, and she froze for a moment, her mind going blank.
Seeing her lack of reaction, Akira pressed on. "Of course, I know a few sweets aren't enough to make up for the hurt you've felt. So, if there's anything else you want, or anything you want to do, I'll make it happen for you. As long as it's within my power."
"Ah, no, no!" Mitsuri finally stammered, shaking her head. "As long as you're willing to keep being my friend, Brother Kanzaki, I have no other requests." After repeatedly confirming the familiar design on the box, she spoke again, a little sheepishly, "It's just… the sakuramochi you bought, Brother Kanzaki… it seems to be from my family's dessert shop…"
"Uh… huh?"
A large, invisible question mark materialized above Akira's head. He had purchased these from the very shop where he had first met her. He'd bought them before; they were undeniably delicious. But now, Mitsuri was telling him it was her family's business.
This was… awkward.
'So, back then,'he thought,'Mitsuri wasn't just eating so much at that shop because she loved sweets, but also to act as a living, breathing mascot for her family's business?'
"It's okay! Mitsuri loves the gift Brother Kanzaki gave me," she said, seeing him frozen in place. She naturally took the box of sakuramochi from his hands and explained with a bright smile, "The pastry chef at that shop was originally hired by my father just for me. I really, really like the desserts he makes."
Her explanation diluted Akira's embarrassment but magnified his astonishment. It had to be said, Mitsuri's father truly doted on her.
Because his daughter liked sweets, he had gone out and hired a personal pastry chef, then opened an entire dessert shop just so she could eat to her heart's content.
Because his daughter wanted to practice gymnastics, he had spent a small fortune to hire a private tutor for one-on-one instruction, ensuring all the necessary equipment was readily available. According to one of Mitsuri's letters, her family had even cleared out the largest room in their house to serve as her personal practice studio.
What did it mean to raise a daughter on riches? This. This was the very definition of it.
Perhaps it was precisely because she had grown up surrounded by such overwhelming, doting love that Mitsuri had been able to maintain her deep innocence and kindness. Even more remarkably, this affection hadn't spoiled her or given her any sort of 'princess syndrome.' Instead, she was sensible, gentle, and deeply considerate.
Even now, when Akira had unwittingly presented an item from her own family's shop as a gift, she showed no displeasure. She didn't say things like "you don't have to pay" or "let me give you the money back," careful not to wound his pride—even though Akira didn't really possess that fragile sort of self-esteem that demanded he save face at all costs.
"Brother Kanzaki, don't just stand out here. Let's go inside," Mitsuri urged.
"Right," Akira agreed, following her lead. "Well, since this is from your family's shop, this apology gift doesn't count. Is there anything else you want?"
Guided by Mitsuri, he once again stepped into the courtyard he had visited before. The last time he had come was in late autumn, but now, with winter having just passed, the first stirrings of the spring breeze were in the air. The grass and trees were tinged with a faint, fresh green, lending the garden a vitality it had lacked on his previous visit.
"In that case…" Mitsuri tilted her head, her large, earnest eyes full of curiosity as she looked at him. "How about you tell me about yourself, Brother Kanzaki? Even though we're friends, I don't know very much about you."
"I can talk about my past," Akira replied, his voice steady, "but it's not a pleasant story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Ever since he had confided in Kanae, his history had become known to everyone at the Butterfly Mansion, from Shinobu down to Kanao. Now that Mitsuri was asking, there was no reason to hide it. Of course, anything related to the Demon Slayer Corps was still off-limits for now. And if he only spoke of his life before the age of twelve… well, he had a feeling Mitsuri would probably cry.
"It's okay," she said softly, her gaze unwavering. "I just want to understand you more. Is that alright?"
…
A short while later, just as he had predicted, Mitsuri was a weeping mess beside him. This innocent, kind-hearted girl, who had known nothing but happiness since childhood, had never even truly witnessed the hardships of ordinary people, let alone a childhood like Akira's—a story written entirely in the capital letters of misery.
"I'm sorry… hic… I'm so sorry…" she sobbed, her words punctuated by hiccups. "I didn't mean… hic… to make you remember sad things, Brother Kanzaki… I'm sorry… sob sob…"
Akira gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, his touch a comforting presence. "There, there. All of that is in the past. And while there are reasons I can't tell you about my life right now, I can say one thing for certain: I'm very happy now."
"Really?" she asked, her tear-filled eyes searching his.
"Of course it's true," he said with a soft smile. "How could I ever lie to Mitsuri?"
"Mmm…"
It took a little while longer, but Mitsuri's tears finally subsided. As they did, however, the atmosphere fell into a quiet stillness. Her heartfelt crying had attracted an audience; her four younger siblings were all hiding at the entrance to the reception room, their heads peeking out with wide, curious eyes.
The four little heads, stacked in a neat column from shortest to tallest, made both Akira and Mitsuri share a small, knowing smile. Mitsuri then took the initiative to quietly explain the situation to her younger siblings before shooing them away.
"Speaking of which," Akira said, breaking the silence, "your gymnastics must be very good now, right? Just now at the gate, even when you were so emotional, you were able to control your strength perfectly."
"Mhm, mhm!" Mitsuri nodded enthusiastically. "I've been practicing very diligently these days. I even graduated from Hirano-sensei's lessons two days ago, you know? I wrote about it in my letter to you, Brother Kanzaki, but that letter should still be on its way."
"I'm sorry…"
Before Akira could finish his apology, Mitsuri shook her head, cutting him off. "It's okay. As long as you're still willing to be my friend, nothing else matters."
"But you were very sad before, weren't you?" he pressed gently. "And it was because of my mistake."
"Sadness? Well, for the first two months, yes," she admitted, pinching her chin thoughtfully. Her gaze shifted slightly upwards as if she were plucking the memories from the air. "I wrote letter after letter, but I never got a reply. I thought… I thought you didn't want me as a friend anymore…"
She then looked directly into Akira's eyes, her voice soft but firm. "However, I later figured it out. Since you never wrote back to explicitly say you didn't want to be friends, then you must have just been delayed by something important. Because the Brother Kanzaki I know isn't someone who would just disappear without a word."
Her expression brightened. "So, I wrote a letter every day. I told you about what I'd done, what I'd experienced, both the happy and the sad things… I believed that when you finally had time, you would definitely read them and reply."
A playful, brilliant smile bloomed on her face. "I just didn't expect your reply would be to 'mail' yourself over! So, Mitsuri isn't sad at all. I'm very, very happy!"
Looking at her face, which seemed to have shed a layer of its youthful innocence for something more mature, yet still radiated that same sunny warmth, Akira felt a powerful wave of affection. He leaned forward slightly and pulled Mitsuri, who was already sitting close, into his embrace.
This time, however, the girl who had just displayed such mature elegance instantly reverted to her innocent, easily flustered self. The moment Akira's arms wrapped around her, her entire body went rigid. Initiating a hug and being suddenly hugged by someone else were two completely different feelings.
Seeing that Mitsuri was on the verge of turning into a steam princess again, Akira quickly released her.
Mitsuri shyly lowered her head and covered her face with her hands, taking a long moment to recover. When she finally looked up, she actively changed the subject. "Speaking of which, your haori is so beautiful, Brother Kanzaki. It's completely different from the one you wore when we last met."
"This haori was sewn by my lover," Akira replied, his head dipping slightly as he gently stroked the fine fabric of the hem. The memory of Kanae's focused yet gentle expression as she worked on it surfaced in his mind. An unconscious tenderness softened his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved up a fraction more.
Hearing his answer and seeing that unguarded warmth—a look so different from his usual calm demeanor—a feeling Mitsuri had never experienced before welled up in her heart. It was an emotion she didn't yet have a name for.
She didn't know what it was, only that it felt a little uncomfortable, a strange ache in her chest that she couldn't quite articulate.
But before her mind could even begin to process it, her body spoke for her, the words tumbling out on instinct.
"Brother Kanzaki… you have a lover?"
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