"Good work!"
Tanjirou was drenched in sweat. It had been a week since training began, and he still couldn't beat Kanao. He couldn't even keep up with her pace. Her movements were too fast; his eyes saw them, but his body couldn't react in time.
Zenitsu and Inosuke had stopped coming to the training grounds. No matter how much he tried to persuade them, they refused to return.
He himself was very frustrated, but he had to work hard and couldn't give up!
If even he gave up, he would be letting down everyone here who trained with him every day, and he would be letting down Nezuko and Yoizumi-nii.
"Tanjirou, go take a bath first," Kanzaki Aoi said.
"Mhm..." He nodded, preoccupied, and walked towards the bathroom.
"Phew~" Burying his face in the warm medicinal bath, the fatigue of the day seemed to vanish without a trace. His body felt light.
What exactly is different between me and her?
First, it's the reflex speed, and the scent has been different from the start.
Kanao has a scent close to that of a Pillar.
And... he recalled Kanao's pink-purple eyes, which seemed to reflect nothing, eyes that seemed to hold a hint of melancholy.
Her gaze?
Her gaze is also different.
"Mr. Tanjirou!"
"Mr. Tanjirou! Be careful!"
Ah... that hurt!
His forehead had accidentally bumped into the wall. Tanjirou finally snapped back to reality. He had been so lost in thought after his bath that he hadn't noticed. He reached up to touch his unharmed forehead, glanced at the perfectly fine wall, and then turned back to look at the three little girls with worried expressions.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
"What's wrong?" Tanjirou leaned down slightly and asked.
"Please use this towel!" Kiyo offered a clean, soft white towel. Tanjirou smiled and thanked her as he took it. His hair was still wet, so he needed it.
"Um... Mr. Tanjirou, are you maintaining Total Concentration Breathing 24 hours a day?" Sumi took a step forward and asked Tanjirou.
His motion of wiping his hair paused, and Tanjirou's expression stiffened.
All day?
Total Concentration?
"I haven't, I haven't tried."
Is it even possible to do something like that?
"Total Concentration Breathing is very strenuous to use even for a short while."
More than strenuous, he actually felt like his lungs were about to explode.
Tanjirou stared, wide-eyed in astonishment.
"There's a world of difference between those who can do it and those who can't."
"All the Pillars and Miss Kanao can do it."
"Please do your best!" x3
"Really! Thank you all!" Tanjirou patted each of their little heads and ran off with renewed vigor. He wanted to try it right now!
If he could master Total Concentration Breathing all day, he might be able to beat Kanao!
"Tanjirou." Yoizumi, who was passing by, watched Tanjirou running down the corridor and greeted him.
"Yoizumi-nii! I'm going to train now!" Tanjirou waved at Yoizumi as he ran, heading towards the backyard.
"He's working so hard." His eyes watched Tanjirou, who was gradually moving further away. Tanjirou had seemed very tired lately, but in front of him and Nezuko, he still maintained his energetic and vibrant demeanor.
Yoizumi could still see the fatigue he was hiding.
Keep it up.
Tanjirou wanted to become stronger, Yoizumi knew that, so he would support him... "Zenitsu, Inosuke, aren't they going to train today either?"
Faced with Inosuke's disregard and Zenitsu's evasion, Tanjirou was helpless. He figured he would just have to teach them after he mastered Total Concentration himself.
That's what he said... "Hiss... exhale~"
Maintaining Total Concentration Breathing all day, he said he would try, but!
He absolutely couldn't do it!
Trying to maintain it longer, he felt like he was going to die.
His lungs hurt so much, they were about to explode.
His ears were also in agony.
Trembling, he covered his ears. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his ears!
No, I can't be like this!
He calmed himself down again and adjusted his breathing!
"Hiss~ exhale~"
Breathing uses the lungs. If he couldn't do it well, it meant his lungs weren't strong enough!
Work hard, work hard, and work harder! Even a small improvement is not standing still!
"Blowing gourds?" Biting into the rice ball given by the three little ones, he looked at the gourd, puzzled.
"..."
"???"
"Blow up the gourd!?"
"This gourd is so hard, is it really possible?"
He bent his finger and tapped the hard gourd. Such a delicate girl blew up such a hard gourd?!
Tanjirou almost choked on a mouthful of rice ball, vigorously patting his chest until he swallowed it.
One truly cannot judge a book by its cover.
"Later, we gradually switch to bigger gourds. Miss Kanao can now blow up one this big."
The three of them together carried out a gourd as large as themselves, presenting it before Tanjirou.
"So big!" He looked at the gourd in shock, but his voice was incredibly firm: "Let's do this!"
Yoizumi, observing from the shadows, saw his usually indifferent expression soften for a moment. He was holding a kettle, but it seemed it wouldn't be needed. Thinking this, Yoizumi returned to his room and continued reading. He, too, had to work hard to understand more things.
Over the next two weeks, Tanjirou's diligent figure could be seen in every corner of the Butterfly Mansion.
"Mr. Tanjirou, can you handle this?" Kanzaki Aoi thought, then she would have to prepare more energizing food.
It was indeed effective!
His body had become stronger, his lungs had also become stronger, and he felt good!
"Yoizumi-nii! Can I ask you for a favor?" Tanjirou walked into Yoizumi's room, holding a rattan stick.
His slender fingers stopped turning the page, and he put down the book. Yoizumi, who had been resting for nearly a month, no longer needed to maintain the appearance of a child. He took the rattan stick Tanjirou handed him, and a hint of confusion flashed in his blue eyes.
"Please watch me while I'm asleep and see if I'm maintaining Total Concentration. If not, use this to wake me up!"
Hit Tanjirou?
Facing Tanjirou's serious expression, Yoizumi nodded.
At night, Yoizumi stood by Tanjirou's bed. Seeing him still in Total Concentration Breathing, he felt a little relieved. He wasn't sure how to hit him, or rather, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Hiss... exhale... hiss... exhale..."
Tanjirou had worked so hard. Yoizumi lowered his eyelids, looking at Tanjirou's sleeping face. He was still a child, yet he had to bear so much. He gently stroked his head.
"You've worked hard."
Tanjirou, in his sleep, seemed to feel something and showed a faint smile.
"Hmph~"
Total Concentration was gone.
Uh... hitting him was out of the question. He shook Tanjirou awake with his hand. At first, he opened his eyes, looking bewildered, then he reacted.
He said, annoyed, "How pathetic! Let's do it again, Yoizumi-nii! Please hit me hard to wake me up!"
As a result, a night passed, and Tanjirou didn't sleep well at all.
Yoizumi also never hit Tanjirou with the rattan stick once.
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