20 Shinobu Kocho

A figure blurred through the night, darting between trees at incredible speed. Giyu Tomioka's eyes, dark with exhaustion, were wide and alert. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground as he sprinted, his swift movements blending into the shadows around him. For Giyu, this was just another night as a slayer. He had just defeated another demon and was about to find a place to rest when his Kasugai crow brought news, Sabito had been wounded in battle and was taken to the Butterfly Mansion for treatment.

Upon hearing this, Giyu didn't hesitated. He immediately dashed toward the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. It had been five hours now, and the first signs of dawn were breaking over the horizon. The outline of the Corps base appeared in the distance. His sudden arrival startled a few nearby slayers, who reached for their swords in panic, only to relax when they recognized the familiar uniform. 

By the time Giyu arrived at the Butterfly Mansion, he was panting lightly, beads of sweat forming on his brow. The estate looked exactly as it had in his previous life, untouched. Giyu entered and quietly made his way through the hallways, checking room after room, until his eyes landed on a familiar figure. Sabito, lying in bed, with Makomo sitting in a chair nearby him, calmly slicing an apple. 

Soon both Sabito and Makomo turned toward the doorway, startled by the noise at first before recognition flashed in their eyes.

"Giyu!" Sabito was the first to speak, or rather yell, a broad smile spreading across his face. He shot up in bed despite his injury, while Makomo calmly stood up beside him.

Giyu didn't respond immediately but stepped into the room, his eyes scanning Sabito for visible injuries. His voice was low and filled with concern. "Sabito, are you hurt?"

Sabito chuckled lightly. "Ah, so that's why you look exhausted! You rushed here thinking I was in bad shape, didn't you?" 

Giyu's didn't react. "That doesn't answer my question."

Sabito grinned and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing bandages wrapped around his chest. "It's just a small wound. I got careless, and the demon managed to slash me. But the people here said I should be back to normal in a week or two and only a small scar will remain." He gestured at the bandages, the smile never leaving his face.

Giyu shook his head, his expression softening slightly. "Please be more careful in the future, Sabito." He then turned his attention to Makomo. "Makomo, are you injured as well?"

She shook her head with a gentle smile. "No, Sabito protected me."

Giyu finally allowed himself a small smile, relieved to see them both safe. "I'm glad." Makomo then asked, concern in her voice. "But what about you, Giyu? You look exhausted. Are you alright?"

Giyu averted his friends gazes and muttered, "I just need some rest." Before he could say more, a sharp voice interrupted their reunion.

"Hey!" A petite girl with a small frame stood at the door, hands on her hips. Her face wore a deep frown, annoyance clear in her voice. "I already said, no visitors allowed this early, how did you even get in?!"

Giyu froze, his eyes widening in recognition. 'Kocho,' He snapped out of it, realizing he hadn't been paying attention. Shinobu was already standing in front of him, pointing fingers and scolding him.

"There are no excuses! And you're yelling at this hour of the morning, too!" she continued, arms crossed. Makomo stood awkwardly, feeling bad but too timid to speak up, while Sabito chuckled quietly in the background, clearly entertained by Giyu getting reprimanded.

"Are you even listening to me?" Shinobu demanded, her irritation evident felling like she was talking to a wall, she resisted the urge to punch him in the gut. Giyu stood stiffly, avoiding eye contact, baffled by how he had ended up in this situation. He didn't want to make a bad first impression on Shinobu. 'She's even smaller now,' he thought, noticing how she was even shorter now.

"Please escort yourself outside while I'm still asking nicely," Shinobu pressed, her annoyance intensifying. A vein visibly pulsed on her forehead, and Giyu could sense she was very upset, just as the tension began to mount, a calm voice cut through the air.

"Tomioka-san?" Kanae Kocho appeared at the doorway, her eyes widening slightly in surprise at the sight of Giyu.

Giyu turned toward her just as Shinobu glanced back. "Sister!" Shinobu exclaimed, her annoyance faded slightly as she addressed her sibling.

Kanae giggled, gently covering her mouth with her hand. "Ara, ara, it seems I need to introduce you two properly," she said with a playful smile, walking toward them. "Tomioka-san, this is my little sister, Shinobu." Shinobu puffed her cheeks, turning away from Giyu, still clearly annoyed.

"Shinobu, please don't be rude to Tomioka-san. He is the Water Hashira, after all." As Kanae finished the introduction, Shinobu's expression gradually changed, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Giyu, as usual, spoke in his low tone "Nice to meet you,"

Shinobu, still feeling ashamed for how she had acted towards a hashira, coughed lightly. "N-Nice to meet you too." she replied in an unusually quiet voice, surprising even Kanae.

"Ara, ara, looks like my little sister is shy," Kanae teased, causing Shinobu's face to turn an even deeper shade of red. "I have more patients to attend to." she stammered before excusing herself in a hurry. 

Kanae smiled and watched her sister disappear down the hall before turning back to Giyu. "Please don't mind her, Tomioka-san. She's still learning. Is there anything I can do for you? Do you need to be checked as well?"

Giyu shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I should be the one to apologize for showing up suddenly, I came to see my friends."

Kanae glanced past him at Sabito and Makomo, then smiled. "I see, there's no need to apologize. Feel free to stay as long as you like. If you need anything, you can find me in the last room on the right. I'll take my leave now." Kanae said as she followed behind her little sister, closing the door gently behind her.

The room fell silent with only Giyu, Sabito, and Makomo remaining. The quiet didn't last long, broken by Sabito's loud laughter. "haha, Giyu, got scolded by a little girl!" Sabito teased, clutching his stomach.

Meanwhile, Giyu was thinking of something else. "Kocho seems different now," He smiled slightly. "It's nice to see her showing her true feelings instead of hiding behind a smile."