𓆩♡𓆪 brought to you by : 𝙢𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 and co.

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// your POV // 

ʚɞ

I woke up feeling refreshed—a rare luxury. Rest didn't come often in my line of work, so I cherished mornings like this. After slipping into my uniform and kimono, I stepped out of the guest room and wandered the Butterfly Mansion in search of Shinobu.

As I passed by a training room, the sounds of effort caught my attention. Peering inside, I spotted Tanjiro among a group of unfamiliar boys. Aoi, Kanao, and some other girls were there too, overseeing their training.

Aoi noticed me and called out, "Lady Y/n, do you need something?"

I smiled and shook my head before stepping fully inside.

"Hi, Aoi. It's nice to see you."

"Likewise, Lady Y/n," she replied, bowing slightly.

"Please, just call me Y/n. No need for formality."

She nodded, returning to guide the boys through their training. I noticed they were injured—badly, in some cases—but their determination never wavered.

"Is there anything I can help with?" I offered.

"If you'd like, you can help Tanjiro at the cup stand," Aoi suggested, gesturing to a table covered in cups.

I walked over and sat across from Tanjiro. "Are those boys your friends?" I asked.

"Yup! That's Inosuke," he pointed to a boy with a boar mask, "and that's Zenitsu," he motioned toward the one with yellow hair.

He explained the game, and we began.

After fifteen rounds, we decided to stop. I probably should've gone easier on him—poor Tanjiro could barely reach his cup by the end. As he and the others left the room, Shinobu appeared beside me, her sudden presence making me jump.

"Hi there, Y/n!" she greeted with her usual calm cheer.

"Oh—hi!" I stammered, rubbing the back of my head.

"The Master has summoned us. We should get going," she said.

"Alright."

I turned back to Aoi, who was cleaning up our mess. "Thank you, Aoi! See you soon."

She nodded as Shinobu and I made our way to headquarters.

Sitting before the Master, I waited patiently for him to speak. It was rare for Shinobu and me to be called together, so I was curious about his reason.

"Thank you both for coming," he began.

We bowed our heads respectfully.

"Y/n," he continued, "I have found someone I believe you could train."

My heart raced with excitement. Training someone? This was an honor.

"I will share the details later," he added. "However, I must warn you—they can be quite a handful."

"No problem," I replied with a smile. "They're just a kid, right?"

The Master chuckled, turning his attention to Shinobu.

"I called you here to ask about the trainees' progress," he said.

"We're in the early stages, but they're doing well," Shinobu reported.

He nodded, and with that, we were dismissed. Shinobu departed for her mission, and I returned to Uzui's house to rest.

Upon arriving, my crow swooped down, dropping an envelope into my hands.

It read:

Trainee: Kira Mizui
Age: 13

Before I could process the information, my crow began squawking, "HEAD NORTHEAST! HEAD NORTHEAST RIGHT NOW!"

I set out immediately, eager to meet my new trainee. Spirit Breathing had to be preserved—for Hana's sake.

After traveling for over a day, I arrived at a small clearing with a cabin. The crow quieted and perched on the roof, signaling that I'd reached my destination.

I knocked on the door and heard whispers inside.

"Shh! We have a guest!"
"Go wash your face, Kira."
"Do you think it's the trainer?"

The door opened, revealing a kind-looking woman and a man.

"Hello, I'm Koko Mizui, and this is my husband, Shino. Please, come in!" the woman greeted.

I bowed slightly before stepping inside. The house was modest but warm.

"You have a lovely home," I said.

"Thank you! Please, sit," Koko gestured to the dining table.

As I took a seat, Shino called upstairs. "KIRA! YOUR TRAINER IS HERE!"

"BUSY!" came the sharp reply.

"KIRA, GET DOWN HERE!"

Heavy footsteps thudded on the stairs, and a young girl with bright blue hair appeared. She gave me the coldest stare I'd ever received from a child.

"Is this her?" Kira asked flatly.

"Yes," Koko replied gently. "She'll be training you."

"I couldn't master any breathing styles before. What makes you think she'll be different?" Kira snapped, crossing her arms.

Her hostility reminded me of myself at that age—frustrated and hopeless. I smiled softly.

Once we were outside, Kira looked like she wanted to cry. Her parents left us in the yard with a simple, "She's all yours."

Kira scoffed. "This is a waste of time. I can't learn—"

"What's your favorite color?" I interrupted.

She blinked, caught off guard. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's just a question," I said, sitting cross-legged by a nearby pond.

// flashback : 10 years ago //

I was at my lowest point—thirteen trainers, and I couldn't master a single form. Every attempt ended in failure, and I was ready to give up. Maybe this was why my mother left me.

Hana, my father's girlfriend, found me crying.

"What's wrong, Y/n?"

"I can't do anything right," I sobbed.

She knelt beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "What's your favorite color?"

I blinked at her, confused.

"Uh... (f/c)," I answered hesitantly.

She smiled warmly. "Mine too. I think I can help you."

"Because of my favorite color?"

She laughed. "No, because I was like you once."

Hana explained how her mother had taught her Spirit Breathing, the first technique she ever mastered. Her belief in me gave me the strength to try again—and succeed.

"Blue," Kira finally answered, pointing to her hair.

I chuckled. "That's a great color."

She sat beside me, her guarded demeanor softening.

"Why are you even here if you're not going to train me? This feels pointless," she muttered.

"I'm here to help," I said simply. "That's all."

Kira sighed, rolling her eyes. "How could you help when you don't even know me?"

"Because I've been where you are," I said. "When I was your age, I couldn't master any breathing style. I was labeled a failure."

Her eyes widened slightly. "So... what happened?"

"Someone believed in me. She taught me a unique breathing style, and for the first time, I wasn't a failure."

Kira stayed quiet, her expression thoughtful.

"Want me to show you?" I asked.

She hesitated before nodding.

I stood, walking into the forest. Moments later, I returned with a large boulder, rolling it into the yard.

"What are you doing?" she asked, puzzled.

"Demonstrating something new," I said, unsheathing my katana.

"Spirit Breathing: Second Form—Breath of Life!"

The blade glowed faintly as I charged forward, slicing cleanly through the rock.

Kira's jaw dropped. "How did you do that?!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious.

"It's meant to imitate a spirit—graceful, agile, and precise," I explained. "There are eight forms, but this one's my favorite."

Kira bombarded me with questions, her earlier doubts replaced with curiosity.

"When can we start training?" she asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow," I said, noting the darkening sky. "Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we'll head back to my place and begin."

For the first time, Kira smiled. We walked back to her house, both of us ready for the journey ahead.

// word count : 1116 // 

this chapter has been edited from the previous one.