idling like second nature • M/n Insert • KnY

Chapter 5

Successor
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"Match up to their level and maybe then you will earn respect... Yes, you will be respected when you are as high as them or higher than them."

At the infirmary, Shinobu was performing a chek-up on Tanjirou's health.

"Say aaaahn," Shinobu requested to Tanjirou as her mouth opened. While Tanjirou did as told, she held up his chin for her to see the inside of his mouth well. "Yup. There's no problem with your jaw," she confirmed. "I'm sorry, I can't see you all off. But please do your best from now on," she sincerely smiled at her junior.

"Yes! Thank you so much, Shinobu-san," Tanjirou thanked her from deep within. "Ah, oh yeah, Shinobu-san! There's one more thing I want to ask..." he raised his left hand in the air.

"What is if?" Shinobu questioned.

"Have you heard of the 'Dance of the Fire God' (Hinokami Kagura) before?" The burgundy haired boy asked, expecting a positive reply.

Shinobu just smiled and disagreed, "I haven't."

"!?" Tanjirou was immediately turned down and was confused. "Ah. Eh. Th-Then... What about Breath of Fire.....?" He questioned, desperately wanting his curiosity to brim with just a simple response.

Shinobu kept her smile and shook her hand that was raised, "I haven't."

"HIIIIIIIIIII."

"Hm. Hm."

Tanjirou explained his circumstances from the beginning.

"I see. So you used your father's Breath of Fire for some reason. If you ask a Breath of Fire user, you may discover something to your interest. Hm. Hm," Shinobu understood the sequence and responded in a satisfying way. "I don't know about 'Breath of Fire' but I do know 'Breath of Flames'," she honestly stated.

Tanjirou was once again confused. "??? Aren't they the same?" He questioned in awe, a bit surpised.

Shinobu slightly tilted her head to the side with dismay, "I don't know the details, either... I'm sorry. It's just, in that situation, there's a very strict rule about the phrasing." She placed her index finger on her lips with her smile still in display. "You just don't call 'Breath of Flames' 'Breath of Fire.' For the details, it may be a good idea to visit Rengoku-san, the Flame Pillar," she adviced the young lad. "I shall ask the crow. But the reply may take some time," she indicated to the crow settled at the window's pane and saw Tanjirou off.

Tanjirou walked down the hallways with full carelessness and hummed happy tunes. "Okay, time to depart," he happily stated and simply continued his wondering at the hallways. He sniffed the air and realized something. 'Someone's coming,' he thought. He turned to the corner and someone so tall harshly bumped into him.

'I dodged him but he had the effort to bump me,' Tanjirou thought while he gripped his left shoulder. But then, he abruptly turned around. 'Huh? That guy just now.....' he familiarized the tall male and figured something out, 'was from the Final Selection....!!' He realized the profile and remembered a scene, 'He punched the white haired girl. He got blessed with an amazing physique in just a short amount of time. Why is he here?' He questioned in his head, while he felt a little bit small — He more or less didn't change ever since. 'But what's with this smell... His smell...' he paused his track of mind to say, "It's been a while!! I'm glad you look okay!!"