"What are you doing?"
"Hugging a tree."
"Hugging it for what?"
"Hugging a tree."
A thick vein throbbed on Illumi's smooth forehead; he shut his eyes—out of sight, out of mind.
It was noon; the sun was harsh, but the Zoldyck brothers weren't hot—one had the shade of a tree, the other an umbrella. Still, the scene was… odd.
"Young Master Milluki, slow down!"
A pudgy toddler came tottering after a butterfly, a wheezing butler on his heels. Three or four years old, he had boundless energy. Maybe last time's butterfly had tasted good; Milluki crept closer and executed a perfect "body slam"—
flattened the butterfly and popped it straight into his mouth.
Chomp, chomp…
Green juice dribbled down his chin. Satisfied, he looked up—and saw… one brother plastered to a tree, the other buried in a hole. Both looked familiar…
"Big brother," "second brother"—those words don't exist in the Zoldyck house.
The chubby child scrambled up, squatted by the pit to peer at Illumi, then toddled to the tree to peer at Roy—pulled down his pants, and started to pee…
Roy frowned and glared down at him; Milluki stared back, undaunted, arching his back—almost misted Roy's foot ↑…
Illumi's mouth twitched—schadenfreude, plain as day…
But then Milluki heard a sound, turned curiously—and a stream of steaming toddler pee washed straight over Illumi's head.
Milluki sighed in relief.
A heartbeat later, before he could hitch his pants, someone grabbed him by the scruff and hauled him up.
…
Illumi had hopped out of the pit.
"Three years old—time to train. Let's start with electroshock."
Face dark, Illumi carried Milluki off like a fat cat. Roy didn't have to look to know where that was going.
He abandoned the cypress and hugged a willow instead.
Kids who eat everything end up with pungent pee—like Illumi's temper, hissing upward now.
Settle down…
Not your business; don't ask…
Adjust your breathing…
He silently chanted:
I am a tree… I am a tree…
Drowsiness came quick. Roy slid down the trunk and dozed off again…
"Nii-san… Nii-san…" This time, he thought he heard someone calling.
He opened his eyes—to the familiar snow country—
and shivered on the spot.
Out of the furnace, into the icehouse.
Tanjiro tipped him hot tea. "Nii-san… it's dark. Let's go back."
Warmth spread through him. Night was heavy; without the reflection off the snow, you might not see your hand in front of your face.
He'd hugged that tree for two or three hours.
With no result—except nearly freezing.
"Let's go."
They trudged back toward Urokodaki's hut. Behind them, a few shadowy figures followed; now and then a gust threaded childlike whispers through the wind…
"'Breathing style'—the difficulty is in the breathing," one voice murmured. "Master told Rōichirō to hug a tree first, not practice the sword—he sees potential."
"No kidding. If you'd passed the test in under half an hour, he'd have praised you too," another snapped.
Shinsuke and Fukuda were bickering again. In life, they were brotherly senior and junior; in death, bored stiff—they bickered to pass time.
On a tall birch behind them, Sabito and Makomo watched in silence.
After tonight, the Kamado brothers would part.
Father's sick… the family needs a pillar… coal money, clothes, sweets have to be brought home… Tanjiro knew he had to leave at dawn. He was a sensible child—he read the room. Roy had no plans to leave Mt. Sagiri soon after taking a master, so Tanjiro didn't cling.
"The family needs you—and it needs me too. I'll come back from time to time," Roy said, stopping when they neared the lit cabin. He smiled.
"Tonight I'll put together a training plan. Take it home and work it.
"I'll come back once a week to check your homework.
"If you slack, I'll tan your hide."
"Sir! Yes, sir!" Tanjiro said, firm.
Roy clapped his shoulder. "Tell Father I haven't forgotten my promise. Ask him and Mother to take great care."
"I know," Tanjiro said, eyes stinging. "The family needs me—the world needs you."
Roy blinked. "Who told you that?"
He didn't think that line would come out of Tanjiro's mouth.
"Father did.
"He said Nii-san's heart is big; he shouldn't stay on the mountain. He should go out into the wide world and see it.
"He said he's the one who's held Nii-san—and this family—back. He told you not to cling, but to go your own way."
A gust lifted Roy's bangs.
He touched the sun earrings and looked long toward home, at a loss for words. So much to say—and nothing—until it dissolved into a quiet, "I will."
At dawn, he watched Tanjiro go.
"In a hurry?" Urokodaki came to stand beside him, watching Tanjiro wave every few steps, basket on his back. "A person has only twelve hours in a day. Take away eating, drinking, and sleep, and you've less than eight for training.
"No matter how impatient you are, you can't escape that rule."
He wasn't wrong: people aren't machines. Rest, especially sleep, takes the lion's share of recovery.
But what he couldn't know was—
Roy's day could be twenty-four hours. Train at home by day; and by deep sleep, come hug trees on Mt. Sagiri by night.
So—
"Even rules have their exceptions, Master…
"Maybe I'll grasp the secret of Breathing faster than you expect."
Tanjiro's figure vanished; Roy smiled to Urokodaki, then stepped into the fog-shot forest.
Behind the tengu mask, Urokodaki's face couldn't be read. He watched Roy go and, after a while, let out a quiet chuckle. "Then I'll be waiting to see."
~~~
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