12. The Joy of Life

"That's right."

The old Kotaro was right! But before Kotaro could feel ecstatic, the modern Kotaro interrupted with some details.

The butterfly effect—didn't his existence cause it?

If he had stayed unmarried or hadn't interacted with any of the main cast of Demon Slayer, the effect would have been minimal at most. But now, he's about to marry Mitsuri, right?

Don't forget that she's an important character, becoming a Hashira, the peak demon-slaying warrior. Moreover, she had her own arc—"Swordsmith Village."

If he marries her, doesn't it mean he's altering the future by taking away a future Hashira, thus disturbing the predetermined plot? What will happen to the "Swordsmith Village Arc"?

It won't just vanish, right? Something else, out of control, might happen. The series of butterfly effects could make the plot spiral out of control. Who knows if they would even be able to defeat the demon progenitor without Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, in the plot?

Now, the modern Kotaro was also right.

Safety and Struggle. Both paths were presented: the first one offered safety but with some uncertainty, and the other was more difficult but somewhat certain.

"Damn! What should I choose?"

Slap!

Before he could think of a solution to this predicament, a slap on his back made him gasp in surprise, completely disrupting his train of thought.

"Who the hell did that!?"

He turned around to see the culprit, and no surprise, it was his friendly neighborhood matchmaker, Aunt Aiko. Seeing her only fueled his frustration. He was already quite annoyed with her PR, and now she had disturbed him at such a crucial moment.

"Why did you slap me out of nowhere, Aunt Aiko?!"

"Of course, it's because you were standing in the middle of the road."

That's when Kotaro realized he was standing still in the middle of the road, oblivious to others as he dived deep into his thoughts.

It was indeed his own fault. But he couldn't just let her slap go unchallenged!

"But still, you shouldn't have slapped me! I was thinking about something very crucial. You interrupted me at a critical moment."

"What was so crucial?"

"Of course, about the future of the world."

"Meh~"

"What! What's with that expression?! I'm telling the truth!"

"Keep your lies to a minimum. I'm telling you, Kotaro, honesty is the best policy in marriage. I know it from experience."

"What experience?! You're nothing but a single, lifetime unmarried aunty!"

"You… What did you say?"

"I'm saying that you are no—Puuh!"

Before Kotaro could finish, a punch to his face sent him flying. There she was, the real demon—Aiko—with steel fists, ready to pummel him.

"Kotaro, your mouth has become looser over time. It seems I need to teach you some restraint."

"W-Wait… don't come near me."

Kotaro grabbed his cheek where he had been punched and crawled backward in an attempt to escape, but…

"Someone… Please, someone save me!"

… unfortunately, his opponent was the Demon Aiko.

…

"So, why are you worried?"

In the room, Aunt Aiko sat with Kotaro, who, after dozens of punches, was bandaged up but still sulked and didn't want to talk with her.

"Hmph! Why should I tell you?"

Just a short while ago, she hadn't believed him and had beaten him up, and now she wanted to discuss his concerns? Kotaro wasn't that forgiving!

"Hey! I am your guardian."

"I am an adult now."

Twitch!

A vein popped on Aiko's forehead at Kotaro's antics. But after spending a long time with him, she knew how to make this boy talk. She extended her hand, folded her fingers one by one, and locked them with her thumb, then showed it to Kotaro.

"You… Do you need some more punches?"

Chill!

Fear enveloped Kotaro, and goosebumps arose all over his body. But… How could he surrender? He might be beaten once, but not all the time!

"Y-You barbaric woman!"

Twitch!

"It seems your mouth is still loose."

Boom! Bang! Puahh!

Soon, additional bandages were wrapped around his face, making him look like a complete mummy. Kotaro couldn't help but shed some tears. He was about to get married, and what was with this treatment?

Shouldn't he be cherished and praised a bit more?

Moreover, if these punches left his face disfigured, would they heal before his wedding day? He couldn't get married with bandages all over him. His face wasn't handsome, but it was better than it had been in his previous life.

As he lamented over his appearance, Aunt Aiko tended to his injuries and spoke softly as she bandaged his face.

"I might not be married, but I've lived longer than you. Even if I can't give advice, I can at least listen to your worries. Being a guardian comes with its own set of duties, after all."

"…"

Kotaro's hands, which had been caressing his face, stopped, and he let them fall. He looked at the small garden and the sky and took a deep breath.

"I'm worried about the future. The uncertainty makes me afraid. Unlike before, I'm about to get married. As happy as I am, marriage comes with a new set of responsibilities."

Kotaro didn't lie, but he didn't reveal everything. He couldn't talk about the demons, after all. He couldn't explain how he knew about them.

He couldn't reveal that he was a reincarnated person. So, he spoke vaguely.

'Sometimes, I wish I had someone like me to share these worries.'

Reincarnation gives a chance to live another life, but it also makes one unique—sometimes too unique, making it difficult to understand, share, and live like others do.

Kotaro sometimes couldn't share, couldn't understand, and couldn't live the way others did.

At that moment, Kotaro couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. A small, lonely smile formed on his face.

Pat!

But then he felt a warmth—a hand patting his head. He looked beside him to see Aunt Aiko patting him with a smile.

"You know, you think too much about the future. Kotaro, the joy of life comes from living in the present, not the future. So, don't worry. And if something happens, I'm always here. Now, don't make such a lonely face."

Kotaro's eyes widened with surprise. How did she know?

"H-How—"

"Shhh! I've seen you grow up. Do you think I wouldn't know this much? Here, take some more pats and become happy."

Her actions brought a smile to his face, but isn't she still treating him a bit too much like a small child?

"You... Don't think of me as a child!"

"What! Just because you're getting married, don't become arrogant. You are still a child in my eyes."

Aiko then ruffled and played with his hair, and the warmth made the fleeting loneliness disappear.

The small, lonely smile on Kotaro's face widened a bit more, now radiating happiness.

===

A/N:

Reincarnation. I wanted to highlight some of the drawbacks of this commonly used trope. I wanted to convey that reincarnation is not necessarily always good.

Did that message come across clearly?

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