The argument still echoed in your mind long after you left.

Your father’s voice had never been loud, never harsh—but the silence that followed your words had been worse than anything else. He hadn’t raised his voice. He hadn’t argued back. He had only stood there, looking at you with something you didn’t want to understand.

Hurt.

And that was enough to make you run.

⸻

The forest swallowed your footsteps as you moved deeper, faster, as if distance alone could prove something. Prove that you were right. That you weren’t being controlled. That you could live your life the way you wanted.

Branches brushed against your arms, the ground uneven beneath your feet. You didn’t slow down. You didn’t look. And that was your mistake.

Your foot slipped. The ground disappeared beneath you. And in the next second—Cold. The river swallowed you whole.

The current dragged you down, deeper than you expected, stronger than you could fight against. Water filled your senses, your lungs burning as you struggled to move, to reach, to breathe.

But the deeper you, The quieter everything became. The light above blurred. Your strength faded. And then, Nothing.

When your eyes opened again, the world felt… wrong. Not painful. Not unfamiliar. Just Different. The first thing you noticed was the sky. Clear. Bright. Too bright. Then came voices. Close. “…She’s waking up.” Relief. Gentle. Immediate.

You turned your head slightly. It’s your father. He was there. Right in front of you. But.. Not the way you remembered. Tanjito Kamado looked at you with the same warmth, the same softness in his eyes—but everything else was different.

Younger. Much younger. No lines of age. No weight of years. Just the version of him you had only ever heard about. He offered you a small, gentle smile. “Hey,” he said softly. “Are you okay?” His voice was lighter. Less burdened. “We found you by the river. You were unconscious.” There was no suspicion in his tone. Only concern. Only kindness.

“I’m Tanjiro Kamado.” The words settled heavier than they should have. He tilted his head slightly, studying you now with quiet curiosity, his gaze lingering just a moment longer. “…That’s strange,” he murmured, almost to himself.

Behind him, more voices. Familiar. Too familiar. Your uncle, Zenitsu Agatsuma was pacing nearby, clearly distressed. “IS SHE OKAY?! SHE WASN’T BREATHING EARLIER!! WHAT IF SHE DIES AGAIN?! AM I GOING TO WITNESS A TRAGEDY TODAY?!” Not older. Not calmer. Just as loud. Just as dramatic.

Inosuke Hashibira stood with arms crossed, unimpressed. “She’s fine. If she died, she’d stay dead. That’s how it works.” And then, A quieter presence. Kanao Tsuyuri stood just behind Tanjiro, watching you with gentle eyes. Observing. Calm. There was something familiar in the way she looked at you. Something you recognized, Without understanding why.

Tanjiro’s attention returned to you, his expression softening again. “You’re safe now,” he said, reassuring, steady. “You don’t have to worry.” He didn’t know. None of them did. That the person he had just saved, Was someone who had once stood in front of him, raising their voice, walking away, believing he didn’t understand.

And now, You were here. Looking at a version of him that had not yet been hurt. Not yet been tested. Not yet become the man who stood silently, accepting your anger without ever raising his own voice in return.

Tanjiro shifted slightly, as if something about you still lingered in his thoughts. “…Have we met before?” he asked gently. Not accusing. Not certain. Just Curious. Because even without knowing why, Tanjiro felt you’re so familiar to him. And he couldn’t explain it.