“You’re a quiet man, aren’t you, Mr. Haganezuka?”
“… Yes.”
“I’m always impressed by a man of few words. I feel like he’s bound to be a deep thinker and a loving soul.”
“… Is that so?”
“Shall I make some mitarashi dango for our next meeting?”
“Please.”
Haganezuka’s voice was barely audible, and he hadn’t been able to hold much of a conversation about anything but dango, but the mood was decidedly warmer. There might even have been a hint of romance in the air.
“It’s a miracle, Kotetsu,” said Kanamori, his voice low. He dabbed at his eyes. “It looks like spring has finally sprung for our Haganezuka.”
“Look!” Kotetsu cried. “She took his hand! He’s wiggling like an octopus!”
“He’s got the jitters, sure enough.”
“That’s how he acts when he’s embarrassed? Creepy.”
“It is, indeed, a bit creepy, my boy. But let us pray this miracle continues all the way to the altar.”
Haganezuka and his match approached the large tree behind which Kanamori and Kotetsu were hiding. The two spies shrank back as far as they could and held their breath.
The young couple stopped and gazed at one another.
“Mr. Haganezuka.” The young woman’s tone was formal, as if announcing a solemn decision. “If this courtship is to continue, I have one request.”
Haganezuka’s shoulders jumped up to his ears. “Okay.”
The pair watching from behind the tree swallowed hard. It’s happening!
“From everything you’ve told me,” she began, “it’s clear that you value your work as a swordsmith deeply.”
“I-it is?” Haganezuka’s voice grew a hint brighter.
“However,” she continued, smiling gently, “don’t you think swords are a relic of the past, with no place in this modern age? No one needs to hack away at each other anymore. Why don’t you switch to making knives and tools and such? I don’t want my husband working on barbaric weapons.”
Haganezuka froze. On the other side of the tree, the two eavesdroppers stiffened and grew pale.
“This is bad!!” Kotetsu hissed. “This is a disaster! What is that woman thinking?”
To Hotaru Haganezuka, who loved swords more than anything in the world, there could be no words more shocking. He would murder someone for saying less. Kanamori and Kotetsu imagined the picturesque garden bathed in blood, Haganezuka branded a killer, the swordsmith village shuttered.
“In the event of an emergency, Kotetsu,” Kanamori whispered frantically, “take the young lady and flee. To secure your escape, I shall tickle Haganezuka with all my might.”
“Got it.” Kotetsu nodded. “Try not to die.”
A shudder of anxiety raced through both men.
But time passed without the expected scream of rage. Instead, Haganezuka stood still as a rock.
“Er, Mr. Haganezuka?” the woman said.
At last Haganezuka opened his mouth.
“Those swords,” he said slowly. “The weapons you call barbaric. There are men and women who take them up to protect strangers at the cost of their own lives.”
The woman looked perplexed. “What?”
“Even battered and beaten, they push forward, never backing down, their spirits unbroken. I’m proud to forge the swords they wield. I’m proud to be a swordsmith.”
The woman had nothing to say to this.
“I’m sorry,” Haganezuka said. “But I have to withdraw from this match.”
A chill breeze passed between the pair as the woman stared as Haganezuka, still speechless.
He hadn’t exploded. He hadn’t let emotion overtake him and shouted at the woman who denigrated his beloved swords. He’d simply, calmly, rejected her. Kanamori and Kotetsu had witnessed the honor of a swordsmith and his bond with a certain Demon Slayer.
And so the curtain fell on the courtship of Hotaru Haganezuka.
“Well, I guess that one wasn’t meant to be. The next one, though...” The chief remained optimistic. “Let’s find another likely lass.” He cheerfully sorted through a stack of marriage photos.
“Forget it. At least I have my swords.” Haganezuka lay sprawled across the tatami, the picture of dejection. Several days after the marriage meeting, he was still glum.
“Don’t loll around like that. Have some self-respect, a big fellow like you.” Kotetsu set a plate piled high with dumplings on the table. “Look! Tanjiro sent some more mitarashi dango. Cheer up already.”
“Please do,” Kanamori agreed. “Aren’t you lucky to make swords for such a thoughtful Slayer? Frankly, he’s better than you deserve.”
Haganezuka sniffled listlessly. “That’s what he owes me for ruining my hard work.”
“Enough sulking. Have some tea.” Kanamori poured hot tea into Haganezuka’s cup. “Why, look! A tea leaf standing straight up! Haganezuka, that’s a very lucky sign.” He stared in delight at the good omen. “I bet this means your next match will work out,” he added, sure this would please Haganezuka.
But Haganezuka burst into anger. “It’s only lucky if you don’t notice it until you’re drinking the tea! You’ve ruined my fortune! How do you expect to make this up to me?”
“What?”
“If my next match fails, it’ll be all your fault!”
At this outburst, even Kanamori lost his patience. He couldn’t tolerate false accusations.
“Why did you raise that boy to be such a trial?” he demanded the next time he saw Tecchin.
“Weren’t you the one who told me he’s a grown man now and he’s responsible for his own behavior?”
“Well, yes, I may have said that. But it’s simply too much. He’s a terror to deal with. To put it bluntly, he’s a mess.”
“Not my problem.” Tecchin shrugged off the scolding and turned his Hyottoko mask briskly aside.
Beneath his own mask, Kotetsu sighed in exasperation. It had been foolish to imagine that one brush with romance would turn Haganezuka’s life around.
But he’d showed integrity, in his blunt way, against the insult to his beloved swords. Kotetsu had to admit he’d been impressed, even exhilarated. As a swordsmith of the hidden village himself, he shared the same pride. Haganezuka’s relationship with a Demon Slayer who believed in his work and trusted him with his life had changed the obstinate man, much as he tried to hide it, for the better.
Which was exactly why …
Kotetsu lifted his eyes to the heavens. Whatever gods may be listening, please fix Haganezuka’s garbage personality, and then bless him with a very patient woman who loves swords.
Kotetsu prayed in his heart for spring to bloom for Hotaru Haganezuka, but a long, late winter seemed to lie ahead.