As someone with a sweet tooth, Hiru had little enthusiasm for meals. He simply finished his portion and stopped. What caught his attention more was the smile Giyu showed while eating radish salmon.
That smile was truly soothing—if only it hadn't been paired with that sound.
"You bastard, just eat! Why are you making that terrifying noise?!"
Giyu looked up, still chewing. "What?"
"Enough! Don't look at me with that expression!" Hiru shut his eyes and covered his ears. "I've been contaminated! My ears and eyes picked up different kinds of information, merged them into a memory that shouldn't exist, and now it's invading my mind! Aaaah—Delete it! Delete it!"
Yoriichi's expression stiffened unusually. After patting Hiru's head to calm his younger brother, he finally spoke, slowly and carefully. "Hmm… it seems Giyu is also… a… special child."
"Haha, Yoriichi, no need to defend Giyu," Sabito waved casually. "He's usually quiet when he eats, but once he gets radish salmon, he lets out this slightly terrifying laugh. Even after living together this long, it still scares us sometimes."
"What kind of horrifying habit is that?!" Hiru slapped the floor beside him. "Why does his smile look angelic, but his laughter sounds like a death omen?! Aaaargh—dammit! Let me forget it!"
Urokodaki poured tea and gently pushed a cup toward the still-stiff Yoriichi. "Have some tea to calm yourself."
"Thank you." Yoriichi lifted the cup, pausing as he looked at the pale purple tea. "This scent… wisteria?"
"Mm. It was made by two very talented kids in the Demon Slayer Corps. Drinking it helps calm the mind." Urokodaki Sakonji's voice remained steady. "I've tasted it—it's pleasant enough. Why, do you dislike wisteria?"
"Not really." Yoriichi shook his head and sipped the tea. "When Hiru and I lived on the mountain, there was a time he loved using flowers as pigments. That period was torture—being overwhelmed by all kinds of floral fragrances."
"But natural pigments are the best! If they lasted as long as stone pigments, I'd use them all the time!" Hiru leaned closer. "Mr. Urokodaki, give me a cup too—I need to calm down. And make it sweet, please!"
Urokodaki added sugar, filled the cup, and pushed it toward him. "You like sweet things?"
"Mm. I'm a devoted sweet lover—though for main meals I prefer savory." Hiru took the cup with both hands, blew on it, and took a sip. "After all, life would feel too fake if it were only sweet. Like how a single color can't form a picture."
"Why do you want to learn woodcarving?"
"Because it's beautiful, and the technique is incredible."
[No trace of lies.]
Urokodaki paused before speaking. "Studying under me will be tough."
Hiru froze, then immediately sat upright. "No problem! I can endure hardship—at least until I lose interest!"
Urokodaki: …
"I don't tolerate giving up halfway."
"Understood! As long as you don't force me to practice swordsmanship or Breathing Styles, I can do anything!"
"Speaking of which, does Hiru really not know any Breathing Styles?" Sabito swallowed his food. "How does he have that kind of strength without them?"
"Training, of course. There's no other explanation." Hiru's expression twisted and his energy dropped. "All I needed was to stay healthy, but my brother forces me to train every single day…"
"Huh—I never realized Yoriichi was so strict."
"He just reluctantly trains for an hour a day, exactly as I instructed," Yoriichi said with a sigh, holding his tea. "His talent isn't bad at all…"
"Reluctantly follows instructions…" Giyu swallowed a mouthful. "Isn't that just obedience?"
"Well said. But stop talking." Hiru shot him a look, set down his empty cup, and turned away. "Anyway, I just don't like it, and I have no talent for it."
"Hiru, saying things like that will make people dislike you—" Sabito finished his food and began gathering dishes. "Do you know how much I envy your strength? Sigh—people with strength have a natural advantage as swordsmen—"
"Don't envy me." Hiru rested his chin in his hand, frowning lightly. "There's nothing enviable about me."
"That's not true. And Sabito, you have natural talent." Yoriichi reached out to rub Hiru's hair, his expression gentle. "There's no need to envy others."
Watching this scene, Urokodaki once again began doubting his own judgment. After much consideration, he decided to ask directly.
So after dinner, Urokodaki sent his three apprentices away, sat upright, and faced Yoriichi and Hiru. "Who exactly are you two? And what are your intentions?"
"Who we are… just the two of us who came down from the mountains. As for intentions…" Hiru spread his hands. "We only want to learn woodcarving."
"Then what about identification?" Urokodaki Sakonji noticed that although Yoriichi held more authority, it was Hiru who did most of the talking. So he turned to him. "You should have some form of identification, right?"
"What's that?" Hiru tilted his head. "Never heard of it."
[Still no trace of deception…]
Urokodaki frowned slightly. "Identification is a document that proves you are who you claim to be."
"I'm obviously me. Why do I need a document to prove it?" Hiru frowned. "Hey, big brother, did Miss Tamayo mention this before?"
"Hmm…" Yoriichi paused, then shook his head. "I don't recall. We should ask Miss Tamayo later—it must be important."
"Brother, do you think Yushiro hid it on purpose? Honestly, we never even went to see Miss Tamayo, did we?"
Yoriichi sighed helplessly. "Don't say that. Yushiro is a good kid."
"...Brother, do you even consider anyone a bad kid?"
Listening to their exchange, Urokodaki gradually formed a clearer picture. "So you've been living in the mountains all this time and came down only recently, which is why you know little about the outside world? Is that right?"
Both Yoriichi and Hiru nodded.
"Hmm. Then I have one more question." Urokodaki looked at them seriously. "Has a demon ever appeared in your family?"
Hiru pursed his lips, nodded slightly, and made a soft sound of acknowledgment.
Yoriichi sighed. "Yes. A demon has appeared in our family."
"Then that explains it."
"What explains what?"
"The scent you carry—it belongs to demons." Urokodaki didn't hide it, gesturing to his nose. "I can distinguish scents most people can't. Among them, human and demon scents are especially clear. From the beginning, I couldn't smell any trace of humanity on you two, which made me suspicious.
But now I understand. Because demons appeared in your family, you've inherited their scent. It must have been very difficult for you until now."
Hiru: Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)?
"It's not exactly 'difficult,' but it's a relief to clear up this misunderstanding." Yoriichi smiled calmly. "To be honest, I was wondering why Mr. Urokodaki was so wary of us brothers. So that's the reason."
Hiru: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ!
Seeing Hiru's stunned face, Yoriichi immediately knew what he was thinking and chuckled softly. "Hiru, did you forget? I can see."
Hiru: …(－"－)
Fine then. I guess I'm the only one cursed.