Goals

"I'm Back!"

Kiyomi smiled brightly as she sat next to Tanjiro, who was enjoying the sunshine while learning from Kokushibo's spar with Sabito.

Well...

Rather than sparing, it was more like a one-sided beating for Sabito.

"Eh?! Nee-san? When did you come back!?"

Tanjiro broke out of his daze and shouted in surprise.

"I just came back like, five minutes ago! Anyways! How have you been doing since I left Lil brother?"

Said Kiyomi, she hooked Tanjiro's neck with one of her arms with a big sunny smile hanging on her face.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro's shout attracted the attention of Kokushibo and Sabito.

It is also now confirmed the Kamado family, whether related by blood or not, all have smiles as bright as the sun.

Tanjiro: (ﾟдﾟ;) ~ "Can... Can't! ...Breathe!!"

Kiyomi ignored the struggling Tanjiro in her arm and continued her story.

"Well anyways! During my one-month vacation, I've been feeling even more bored than ever! It's like somehow the demons know where I am!"

She sighed while letting Tanjiro get rid of her grip on his neck.

Her melancholic expression sent shivers down Tanjiro's spine.

He cautiously asked Kiyomi his doubts.

"...Did demons attack you frequently?"

For Tanjiro's personality in the anime and manga, most of it has already gone down the drain thanks to his "good" Nee-san's daily interactions with him.

At least towards Kiyomi, he won't ever need to feel worried nor concern for her.

After all, have you seen a child go to a different city by herself and earn enough money to support her huge family of seven for a few years?

"Nope!" Kiyomi replied menacingly.

"..." Tanjiro facepalmed himself as he reprimanded himself for even thinking that demons were a problem to Kiyomi in the first place.

"It was probably the lack of demons that got her bored in the first place... little.. bro.."

Tanjiro raised his head in astonishment.

It was Kokushibo who has spoken, his address for Tanjiro was a bit unnatural and stiff, but it was rather a miracle that Kokushibo, The KOKUSHIBO, to address anyone other than Kiyomi as his sibling.

As for Sabito...

Sabito: *Groan..*

Yeah... let's just let him lay on the ground for a little longer.

"Yeah! You know me the best Kokushibo! There wasn't a single demon that appeared within a few miles radius with me being the center!"

Tanjiro started to get used to the ridiculous things spouting out of Kiyomi's mouth and just remained silent and revised the spar between Kokushibo and Sabito in his mind to help himself get better at sword fighting.

But before doing so, Tanjiro threw out one last comment.

"...But won't a world without demons be better? A peaceful world? I still remember the first time I met a demon, I didn't even manage to kill it!"

Kiyomi looked at the grass swaying next to her feet and said:

"Maybe. But I don't think I'll have a goal to look forward to after the demons are eradicated."

'...Maybe I should just be a salted fish? Why should I be feeling sad at having nothing to do anyways??'

As she thought more about this idea, the more dazzling the smile on her face became.

Tanjiro put his attention back to Kiyomi's smile unconsciously without noticing the excited glint in her eyes.

'I really wonder what nee-san is feeling right now? She was all gloomy feeling a second ago, and now she's so... vivacious?'

Since Tanjiro had met Kokushibo and Kiyomi, he had found out his nose wasn't all-powerful.

He had thought Nezuko was an exception because she became a demon, but apparently, he couldn't smell anything from Kokushibo and Kiyomi as well.

Of course, even if he can't directly smell their emotions, he is still perceptive of the aura around them.

Which after a while, he just gave up on finding the reason and just continued with his life like normal - which was:

Training to be able to break the boulder --> so that he will be able to become a demon slayer --> to get revenge on Muzan for ruining not only his family's peaceful life but countless others.

Oh, and to find a way to turn Nezuko back into a human.

"Right... nee-san? When will I get to see Kaa-san, Hanako, and the others again?"

Kiyomi stood up and patted any dry grass stuck on her kimono and replied with an interested tone of voice.

"I'll take you to see them after you become an official demon slayer. ...I'm going to find Selene, my pet owl."

And with that, she walked off silently into the distance and down the mountain.

'...After I become a demon slayer huh? I have to work harder then! Oka-san! Everyone! Just wait for me!'

Tanjiro looked impassioned and even more content with life than what he would normally show.

...

"Well, Miyu? What do you think? Don't you think life is so just so uneventful recently? Maybe I should just be a salted fish and watch Tanjiro's journey with his friends quietly."

Kiyomi questioned the mask laying quietly on the top of her head as she walked down the mountain.

"Really? I'm having plenty of fun experimenting with my voice and watching you work hard!"

A cute and playful voice reached Xiaomi's ears.

"I've accompanied your growth from the day you made me, and it never fails to amaze me how fast you've grown."

This time, a mature and hazy mother-like voice sounded.

"I suppose the reason why you feel so bored is that you've grown so fast that you didn't manage to fully experience what you should have when you were still weak."

"I mean, if you really want me to describe your life back then, your daily life just consisted mostly of accompanying your family and training. Your identity in the demon slayer corps is more of a job to you more than anything."

The words of Miyu didn't strike Kiyomi's heart as deeply as she thought it would have.

'Is that so?'

Thinking back, she really had directly skipped the whole "Adventuring to become stronger" part of her life and directly jumped to "I'm super strong now".

"Maybe you will find joy in watching your brother's growth as I did with you?"

"..."

One of Kiyomi's eyebrows went up as she thought about Miyu's suggestion and remarks about her.

After taking a deep and long thought about it for a while, she replied with an uncertain -

"Perhaps..?"

Sighing, Kiyomi slapped herself gently before getting rid of her weird and awkward mood.

"Yosh! Go me! I'll take your advice Miyu! I'll become a salted fish started from today!"

And the usual sunny and playful Kiyomi came back into existence.

Miyu: 'What's a salted fish?'