Sensei (Kimetsu No Yaiba)

7

In the Butterfly Estate, Tanjiro was being taken care of by the children in there. He was carefully treated while also undergoing a training to sharpen their senses of fighting again. It took a month for them to heal from the injuries and another month to overthrough their training.

Sensei always seen sitting in crossed legs with her eyes closed. She faced the garden to take in the nature and the clean air. The one that has been taking care of her didn't dare to speak to her. She looks fine even after being told that she was crushed onto the ground with a foot, resulting for her ribcage severely broken.

"Miss, the food is ready to eat."

The caretaker frowned as sensei didn't reply and continue staying the way she was. Remembering back what Kochou told her what happened during the Pillar Meeting, she silently take her leave.

Tanjiro went to visit sensei after hearing the caretaker talked about her, how she didn't ate anything and 'meditating' all the time. He saw her from afar, exactly what the caretaker described her.

Sensei turned to look at Tanjiro, a smile grazed her lips.

"Have you eaten ?" she asked. Tanjiro answered with a hum, not exactly know why he was stuttering. He sat next to sensei and imitated her position. He didn't know what to do, but remembering back what the caretaker said about meditating, he breathes properly.

"Your first training is to locate all the course of the oxygen in your body until you can control it as your please throughout your veins. This will help you heal faster than any normal human being would."

Tanjiro turned to look at her sensei, still not understanding how it works.

"When you able to control the fluidity, you will heal faster during your rest. You can't do this during fight since it is important to transfer them into strength, but during your rest time, it can be used to focus on your injury and build your muscles even faster." Sensei explained, and he looked at her in awe.

"Is that how you able to heal your ribcage so fast ?"

Sensei didn't answer, but he took it as a yes. He decided to master the first training his sensei instruct him. For the past hours, he did just that with his sensei. He was only able to discover the course of his oxygen, but to control them was almost impossible. Sensei said it took her years to finally perfect it, and sensei believed that Tanjiro can master it in a short amount of time. She believed in him, and he felt like a dedicated son that wanted to impress his parents.

The both of them heard a light footsteps to their right, and Tanjiro turned to see Giyuu Tomioka with his usual outfit and his sword on his waist.

"Giyuu-san ?" Sensei turned a bit after hearing the name.

"Tanjiro, can I have a moment with him ?" she asked, and Tanjiro hesitately nodded and left them alone.

Tomioka waited for Tanjiro to leave the place first. The atmosphere between them had changed into something that pressures, which Sensei tried to not get affected by it. Tomioka clenched his sword to contain his anger, but he have to let it out.

"Where have you been, Sensei ?! I've been waiting for you, for so long, and Urukodaki-san told me you're never coming back. You dumped me to someone else... Why, sensei ?!"

Sensei didn't turn to look at him. She knew she deserved it. She left him alone without any words, promising him for another training session. She never came. He waited for weeks, months, mastering every training she taught him, hoping she would come, but she never did.

"Isn't it funny, that I waited for you for years to step into my house like you always do, so inconsiderate and act like it your own house.. Where the hell were you, sensei ?" Tears fell onto the wooden floor, his face were a mess that he didn't care anymore.

"Tomioka, come sit here." Sensei softly said, patting the spot next to her. Tomioka stared at the small hand, before he wip his messy face with his hands and went to sit there. He sat with his leg crossed, sitting there like they usually do side by side.

Silence was being replied by the older woman, and he respected that. He knew he needs answer, and he also knew his sensei had a reason behind the sudden disappearance. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry about your sister, Tomioka."

His heart snapped, his pair of onyx eyes began to waters again. His teeth clenched to hold his sob, but his tears fails to be stopped. He cried next to her, remembering his sister that died, knowing she would die. His eyes opened and looked at Sensei's kneel. Her palm were spread open, and he broke down on her.

Tomioka held her palm as he cried. Sensei's other hand caressed his hair gently, eyes were still staring straight to the fence. He continues crying like he used to. The only person he would let himself vulnerable was his sensei. He felt the protectiveness from the female, ever since she saved him from a demon that tried to eat him as a child. She wasn't a regular Demon Hunter, she never was. She was introduced as a 'wanderer', her facial were the same as the current her. What makes Tomioka respect her was that, she killed the demon with only a bamboo. How was that possible ?

"Sensei." Tomioka called her as things went lighter. She answered with a hum.

"Remember that time you saved me with a bamboo ?" Tomioka asked, and she answered with silence.

"Was it something more than a bamboo ?" he asked like a curious kid. She turned to face him, and that would be the first time after forever that she looked at him straight into his eyes, although it was just a coinciedence. She flashed a soft smile and ruffled his hair.

"You're strong now, Tomioka. I'm so proud of you." He blushed when she praised him. He felt the need to train more in order to not disappoint his sensei.

"Listen, Tomioka." she said, flicking the strand of hair that get into his face. He looked at her who eyes had trailed elsewhere.

"Things are different now. It's something that has to do with my life." Tomioka flinched, getting what she was trying to say. The smile on her face made it even truer than just an assumption.

"Tomioka, you're a man now." she held his hands into hers, looking down at it with a soft look.

"If anything happens, you will teach everything I've taught you to Tanjiro, okay ?"

Tomioka just stared at their hands. It felt like a last wish from a mother to her son. Tomioka held his face high with a hard look, feeling himself to accept it. However, he was his student, and Tanjiro as well.

"Yes, Sensei."