To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

57 • Recovery

Senjuro threw the broom he was holding, running as fast as he could toward the Star Estate upon hearing the news about his brother. Tears were spilling down his face, a mixture of sadness and relief. He didn't care about that, stumbling as he tripped over his own feet in the middle of his haste to see his brother.

Zenitsu and Inosuke, who were fooling around in the garden of the Star Estate, flinched when the front gates were suddenly slammed open. Their jaws dropped to the ground when a perfect replica of a tinier Kyojuro came bounding in, ignoring the two slayers and running straight into the estate.

"Oi Monitsu, why are there two Googly-Eyes?"

"It's obviously Rengoku-san's brother, you dumb pig." Zenitsu slapped his friend on the back of his head before staring in the direction Senjuro just went. "Still, it must've been quite the shock for him. If Inori-chan hadn't come, Rengoku-san would probably be de—"

"Don't go off spewing crap like that!" Inosuke punched Zenitsu right in the guts, fuming as he tried to keep the tears at bay. "Inoboko saved Googly-Eyes and Googly-Eyes is alive! That's final!"

Meanwhile, Senjuro was stumbling through the halls, making a clamoring ruckus with all his clumsiness. He didn't care, he was sure Inori would forgive him for all the noise later. He slammed the door open, surprising Inori and the girls from the Butterfly Estate who came to help.

"Senjuro-kun, what—"

Senjuro crashed into Inori, burying his face into her shoulder as he cried his heart out. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." His tears soaked through her haori, but Senjuro continued to cry. "Inori nee-san. Thank you. The kakushi...the crows...they told me you saved Brother. Nee-san, thank you. Thank you. I'm so...thank you!"

Inori patted the younger Rengoku's back awkwardly, silently gesturing for Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo to go outside. She let Senjuro cry and blubber out multiple 'thank you' until he eventually fell asleep. She placed him on the bed next to Kyojuro, smiling softly as she brushed her hand through his hair.

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

Inori stared at the pouting girls and flustered boy with her eyebrows knitted together, not understanding why Senjuro's face was red or why Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo were pouting at the younger Rengoku. She had just gone back from rewrapping Kyojuro's bandages, about to get herself something to drink, when she found whatever this was, happening in her kitchen.

"What's going on here?" Her confusion grew when the girls immediately clung onto her, glaring rather cutely at an even more flustered Senjuro. "Okay, now I'm confused. Senjuro-kun, what did you do to them?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Liar!" Sumi yelled, tightening her hold on Inori's arm. "You called Inori-san 'Nee-san' before! That's unfair! Unfair!"

"I didn't mean to! I was just—"

"Inori-san spends more time in the Butterfly Estate!" Kiyo exclaimed. "It's not fair for you to call her 'Nee-san' first."

"But I—"

"Inori-san is our Nee-san too!" Naho cried out.

Meanwhile, Inori's eyes were spinning. She didn't even register the fact that Senjuro had called her 'Nee-san' during his hysterical crying a few hours ago. She had been too busy taking care of Kyojuro and Tanjiro who were still unconscious, as well as Zenitsu and Inosuke who demanded some training, or at least Inosuke did.

"Is that what this is about?" Inori broke up the argument, lifting the three girls into a hug. "I don't mind if you want to call me that too, you know. After all, I think of Naho-chan, Sumi-chan, and Kiyo-chan as my little sisters." The girls squealed at that, wrapping their arms around her.