BUTTERFLY : SHINOBU KOCHO (PART ONE)

Part 0: Part 6; Kocho and Kari

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

When Tanjiro awoke the next day, the first sound to bless his ears was not the birds chirping, nor was it the sound of breakfast being prepared, no,

it was Zenitsu once again complaining about his medecine.

"I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE OF THIS FILTH!" The blonde-haired boy screeched right in Aoi's face.

"WELL YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE A STUBBBY LITTLE BOY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" She barked back.

The black-haired maid rolled her eyes at the boy, grumbling under her breath as she walked over to Tanjiro to check up on him.

"Good Morning, Tanjiro," Aoi said as the boy rose from his bed, "You feeling any better?"

The redhead boy flashed his signature smile and said, "I feel alot better, Kanzaki, thank you!"

Even in bed, the boy managed to brighten up someone's day with just a look. Aoi couldn't help but feel in a better mood simply from seeing the boy's smile.

"Well, here, I have your medicine right here for you, Tanjiro."

Aoi handed the boy a cup from her tray and with an ecstatic thanks, the boy downed the elixir, beaming and humming to himself as he handed back the cup.

"OI, TANJIRO'S MEDICINE GOES DOWN SMOOTH, DOESN'T IT?! IT'S DIFFERENT THAN MINE! I CALL FAVORITISM, YOU GUYS LIKE TANJIRO MORE THAN ME!"

"OF COURSE WE DO, BECAUSE YOU SCREAM LIKE A TODDLER HALF THE DAY!" Aoi barked back.

"HOW CRUEL-

"Z-Zenitsu!" Tanjiro piped up, "This is a hospital ward, Inosuke is still asleep! Please, keep your voice down!"

Just as Tanjiro was about to hop off his bed and help Aoi with restraining a screeching Lighting Breather, a familiar silhouette appeared in the hospital ward entryway.

"Well, looks like you lot are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, huh?"

Tanjiro took a glance over at the door and exclaimed,

"Murata!"

"Hey, Tanjiro!" the older demon slayer waved.

The basic-looking young man with the black middle part pulled up a seat right next to Tanjiro's bedside, sparking up a conversation between the two slayers who worked together on Mt. Natagumo.

"How are you feeling, Murata?" Tanjiro asked with a smile.

"I came this close to being melted and turned into jelly," The young man sheepishly replied, "But I somehow made it!"

"But, I did hear you guys got banged up pretty bad, how are you doing?"

Tanjiro scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly saying, "IIIIt's gonna take some time for us, hehe, but I think we'll recover just fine."

"Tanjiro?" Zenitsu chimed in with a flat expression, "Who....is this guy?"

"This right here is Murata, Zenitsu!"

"My name's Murata, nice to meet you!" The young man introduced himself, before taking notice of the golden-haired boy's short limbs.

"Hey, what's the matter with your arms?"

"I almost got turned into a spider," Zenitsu replied glumly, "So my limbs are still all stubby-

"Which is why you should be taking your medicine!" Aoi suddenly burst into the room, holding a cup.