"Mr. Tomioka? What brings you here... Are you sick or injured somewhere?" Shinobu Kocho raised a hand to cover her mouth slightly and said in surprise.
The sudden appearance of Giyu Tomioka really startled Shinobu, because she had never considered the possibility that Giyu Tomioka would come to her side.
Giyu Tomioka...has he finally figured it out?
Um... it's open, but not fully open.
Giyu Tomioka was one of the first to leave the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. Unlike the other Demon Slayer Corps members, he was somewhat lost and didn't know what he should do in the future.
With this sense of confusion, he left the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters and went to Mount Sagiri, the place where his master, Sakonji Urokodaki, lived.
Urokodaki was naturally overjoyed to see Giyuu return. After all, he was an old man living in seclusion deep in the mountains, and even though he said he wasn't lonely, he didn't believe it himself.
Because of the Hand Demon that ultimately selected Fujikasane Mountain, most of the disciples he taught died at its hands after the Hand Demon dominated Fujikasane Mountain. And of the disciples who left the mountain earlier, very few are still alive today. That is why Giyuu's return made him so happy.
Incidentally, Urokodaki has removed the tengu mask he always wore, revealing a very gentle face, which is the reason why he always wore the mask.
His overly gentle and kind face lacked both intimidation when slaying demons and authority when teaching, which is why Urokodaki wore a fierce-looking tengu mask to conceal his true appearance.
However, now that Muzan has been destroyed, there is no reason for him to continue wearing the tengu mask. Besides, wearing a mask is not a comfortable thing, so there is nothing to be uncomfortable about.
Even Giyu was seeing Urokodaki's face for the first time under the mask. Upon seeing Urokodaki, he initially thought he had come to the wrong place or that a guest of similar build had come to Urokodaki's house.
It was dusk, and Urokodaki rolled up his sleeves and mustered his energy to cook many of Giyu's best dishes.
For example, grilled fish, stew, miso soup...
"That's too much, I can't eat that much."
"It's alright, it's alright, don't be shy. I'm happy, so just eat as much as you like." Urokodaki said as he served Giyu a full bowl of miso soup.
Yiyong took the bowl of miso soup, remained silent for a few seconds, and then began to savor it carefully.
Since he graduated from Urokodaki's tutelage, he has never tasted Urokodaki's cooking again. Although he has returned to the area on his demon-slaying journey, most of the time he has only come to take a look.
Giyu is either slaying demons or on his way to slay demons. The high frequency of missions is partly to numb his mind so that he doesn't think about other things, and partly because of the obsession left over from the Sabito incident.
Looking at Giyuu, who was drinking miso soup with his head down in front of him, Urokodaki suddenly asked after Giyuu finished his bowl of miso soup, "Giyuu, are you perhaps... confused?"
"Hmm... Now that Muzan has been defeated and there are no more demons in the world, everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps has a new goal, but I don't know what I should do in the future." Giyu held the warm round bowl in his hands and answered softly with his head down.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about his future; rather, even after careful consideration, he still couldn't imagine what his future would be like.
Looking at Giyuu, who was deep in thought, Urokodaki sighed helplessly, thinking that the child was still the same as before.
He then opened his mouth, just as he was about to help Yi Yong clear his mind, but Yi Yong suddenly raised his head. Although there was confusion in his eyes, this confusion was different from that of most confused people.
"Although I can't figure out what my future will be like yet, I won't stop here. I have a long time ahead of me, and I will slowly figure out my future."
After saying that, Giyu handed the empty bowl back to Urokodaki.
"I'd like to have another bowl."
When Urokodaki saw Giyuu in this state, the worry he had for Giyuu dissipated. Although Giyuu hadn't changed much on the surface, that was enough.
Giyu stayed at Urokodaki's place for one night and then bid farewell to Urokodaki the next day. Although it was Chinatsu who said she was going on a trip, it was Giyu who took the initiative to do so.
During these days, Giyuu traveled to various places, met all kinds of people, and tasted all kinds of delicious food. He practically did everything that Chika wanted to do.
As the days of his journey increased, the future that Giyu envisioned in his heart did not grow in the slightest. However, Giyu was still in no hurry. Since he had not yet awakened his markings, he was not limited by his lifespan. He was only 22 years old at the time, and he had plenty of time.
One day, he arrived at an unknown town. At first, Yi Yong did not think there was anything special about the town, but the words "medical clinic" would occasionally come out from the town's residents on the streets.
If it were just a "medical clinic," that would be fine, since it would at most mean that there is a well-regarded medical clinic in this town. But then, Yi Yong heard the name "Shinobu Kocho" from the residents' casual conversation.
When Giyuu finally came to his senses, he had already arrived at the entrance of the clinic where Shinobu Kocho was. After hesitating for a few seconds, Giyuu stepped into the clinic, and sure enough, Shinobu Kocho appeared in his sight.
"haven't seen you for a long time…………"
"Yes, it's been a long time."
Are you busy right now?
"Not busy at all, in fact, quite free."
"So... have you eaten?"
"………………"
puff!
Shinobu Kocho looked at Giyuu, who was standing motionless at the door and trying to talk to her and start a conversation. She couldn't help but lower her head and chuckle softly.
Compared to Giyu Tomioka in the past, this is indeed a huge improvement. If the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps saw this, they would probably be so shocked that their jaws would drop.
Butterfly was trying to suppress her laughter, tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped her wet eyes and waved to Yoshiyuki Tomioka, who was standing at the door.
“What are you still doing standing at the door? My clinic doesn’t need a security guard. I happen to be free right now. Would you like to have a cup of tea with your old colleague… and catch up?” Shinobu Kocho said with a smile.
Giyuu, standing at the doorway, only paused slightly. Rather than reacting mentally, he immediately lifted his foot and stepped forward, walking towards Shinobu Kocho…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com