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The Swordsmith's Spring || Haganezuka x Reader/OC [Open for Interpretation] || Oneshot

Preface: Hotaru is left discouraged after the failure of his first matchmaking arrangement. Tecchin's next pick for him is a Kakushi, of all people, but he obliges. He has little hope that his Spring will bloom (as Kanamori words it), but love has a strange way of bringing together those who look after the Demon Slayers.

Intended to be a follow-up to the Demon Slayer novel, Telltale Signs of the Wind. This story can still be read independently but it probably hits differently if you've read the light novel. I added a link to the chapter at the end of this story, but if you just want a quick overview then see this post: https://www.tumblr.com/animatedhooligan/721272569480773632/light-novel-excerpts-from-the-courtship-of-hotaru?source=share

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"I think we've met before, Haganezuka-san."

"...Is that so?"

"Just for a few seconds. You, um, were running with a knife and yelled at me to get out of the way."

"...Oh." Haganezuka had no memory of this. He'd delivered too many death threats and knife chases in his life to recall small details. "Sorry if I frightened you."

"It's okay. I yell at Demon Slayers a lot, too," the female Kakushi replied. "They can be really frustrating."

"They are."

So, this would be the first topic of their matchmaking. Knives and yelling at Demon Slayers.

The two of them were here on extremely short-notice thanks to Tecchikawahara Tecchin, the Swordsmith Village chief. The old man had taken one look at her face a few days ago and shamelessly asked if she was married. He wasn't supposed to see her face at all, actually, but a spider had crawled under her mask and caused her to shriek and yank off her entire hood in wild terror. Tecchin lit up with glee and told her that his adopted son, Haganezuka Hotaru, was looking for a wife.

The chief was persistent and beseeched her to stay for just a couple of days in the Swordsmith Village, no matter how many ways she tried to find excuses to escape for work duty. However, there was something endearing about the way Tecchin wished for "Spring to finally bloom" for his son and for her as well. The female Kakushi gave in and decided that there was nothing to lose from one matchmaking meeting, anyway. She was constantly given a hard time about being unmarried, but what was she supposed to do? The Kakushi had her running all over Japan with Demon Slayers on her back, and she was never in one place long enough to meet a potential suitor. Still, at least she could get everyone off her case after this meeting and say that she'd tried.

...As it turned out, it was mostly Tecchin trying to find a wife for Haganezuka. The latter was carrying on with his life and his swords as always, and no one told him anything until she'd already agreed to the meeting. He threw a fit but grudgingly obliged since it would be rude, even for him, to disregard her gesture.

And here they were.

For two people who apparently yelled at Demon Slayers a lot, they could only manage a quiet mumble when they spoke to each other. Tecchin had insisted that they show up without their masks, claiming that their good looks would be sure to make a lasting impression and a shame to keep hidden. Besides, it was safe given that they'd both been working alongside the Demon Slayers for several years and needed no explanation. Tecchin arranged the meeting in a secluded area away from the village houses, surrounded by Sakura trees and difficult for onlookers to spot.

Secluded or not, though, sitting out here on the grass in broad daylight without a mask felt similar to being naked. The fact that she actually found Haganezuka as handsome as he found her beautiful, true to Tecchin's claims, somehow made it worse. They couldn't look each other in the eye for more than a few seconds at a time before getting embarrassed and pretending to focus instead on the plate of dango between them.

She decided to choose the first thing within sight that she could start a conversation about. "So... I hear that this is your favorite food?" she held up her skewer of dango.

Haganezuka had just stuffed one of the round masses of sweet dough into his mouth and gestured with his free hand for her to give him a moment. After a loud gulp, he cleared his throat. "Yeah. Mitarashi dango's my favorite."

"I can see why. They're really good," she remarked, taking a bite from her own stick of dangos.

"Wish I could eat them every day," Haganezuka added.

"Yes, wouldn't that be great?" she responded as cheerfully as she could manage. He was making it very difficult to keep the conversation alive and had returned to eating without replying. "So, um...do you have any hobbies, Haganezuka-san?"

His face hardened for some reason. "Making swords."

"Hey, it's great that you see your work as a hobby, too!" the Kakushi girl exclaimed, trying not to think too much into his sour expression. Haganezuka seemed surprised, though, lifting one of his glaring, jagged eyebrows."That makes it more fun since it's usually a really strenuous process, right?" she continued. "On top of that, the Demon Slayers just throw new requests at you as if you could magically just hand a new one to them the next day."

"I would still make swords whether or not anyone uses them. I enjoy it." Haganezuka stopped eating and just looked down at the dango skewer in his fingers instead.

"Well, that must be how you became so great at it," she told him earnestly.

Haganezuka smiled halfheartedly. "It's odd... I was asked the same question last time."

"Last time, as in, you had another matchmaking meeting?" she exclaimed. For some reason, she wasn't fond of the idea of another woman entertaining a chance to marry him.

"Sorry, forget I mentioned anything. Nothing good came out of it." Haganezuka straightened up and cleared his throat, a little ashamed. "...But I do like your answer better."

"Oh, about your hobby?" she remarked, unsure of what he meant. "Eh...what else would someone say? If you don't mind."

Haganezuka's face was sullen. "That swords are barbaric weapons that should be left in the past for me to look into more useful things. Like kitchen knives." The Kakushi stared at him in horror. "That's all."

"Someone actually said that?" She suddenly threw down her unfinished stick of dango and startled him. "What - why?"

Haganezuka shrugged. "I rejected the arrangement."

Everyone who met him was able to tell within minutes how much he adored swords. Whoever wanted him to treat them like useless artifacts might as well have told him to drop dead. The Kakushi was enraged. "Kitchen knives?!" she repeated. He said nothing. "Well, how about those kitchen knives you chase after Demon Slayers with, then?" she scowled. "Yeah, let's see how much she loves kitchen knives after -"

"Those aren't kitchen knives," Haganezuka interrupted plainly. "Too dangerous. They might look like cutlery, but I made them extremely sharp. I wouldn't recommend them for cooking."

"...Oh." She was thrown off by the random comment about the actual knives, rather than the person that deserved to be hunted down by them. "I, um, didn't know."

He didn't add anything else.

It was probably a better idea not to talk about it. He was still sitting over there without touching the plate of dango.

She thought of something else. "You know, I've always wondered how swordsmiths know what to use to forge a Nichirin Blade." Haganezuka's face immediately brightened, and she couldn't help smiling. "Maybe it's obvious to you, but I personally can't tell them apart from regular swords until they change colors. Is there something different in them?"

"Absolutely." Haganezuka's voice was suddenly clear and confident, sounding nothing like their initial conversation about knives and yelling at Demon Slayers. "Have you ever heard of Mount Yoko?" he asked eagerly.

"I haven't," she replied curiously. "But the name sounds familiar. Where is it?"

"It's the mountain closest to the sun," Haganezuka explained avidly. "It's bathed in sunlight all day, and that's where you'll find Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore, which is what we use to forge Nichirin Blades." The young woman nodded along, fascinated. "The result is a sword that absorbs sunlight," continued Haganezuka. "The source of the very thing that kills demons and makes them terrified of the day."

"That's amazing, Haganezuka-san!" She was able to look at him directly for once, without remembering about the whole mask thing and how foreign it felt not to have one. "So, all the blades actually come from the same place? Even with so many different colors and finishes?"

"Yeah, isn't that incredible?" Haganezuka exclaimed. "When I see the sun's energy flow through a new blade, how it transforms into colors and patterns that are entirely unique to the owner of the sword... It's one of the most beautiful things in the world."

Her eyes sparkled with awe as she tried to picture it. "Wow, I wish I could see that, too. And the mountain sounds like it would be a very beautiful place."

"Oh, you have no idea." Haganezuka was glowing with joy as if he were standing on the actual mountain. "The sunlight makes everything shine brighter, and you can even see some streaks of the ores running across the rocks near the river. There's a waterfall as clear as glass - just so many things that words can't even describe."

"It sounds so gorgeous..." she said softly. "Can I go with you next time? I want to see it, too."

Haganezuka was completely immersed in his adoration of Mount Yoko; the question flew over his head as he kept rambling. It made her want to laugh as he went on, but she patiently allowed him to finish.

"I would live on Mount Yoko if I didn't have to stay in the village to forge the swords," declared Haganezuka. "In fact, that's where I want to get married." He suddenly froze on the spot.

"I-I mean...just in general. T-that's where I would choose to have my wedding...if I got...married."

It was as if Haganezuka just remembered why they were even sitting here, talking to each other. On the other hand, the Kakushi was a bit relieved that she didn't have to be the one to bring it up first. There was an odd silence in the air as they simply looked at each other, both of them setting the dango sticks quietly back onto the plate.

"Hotaru..." she finally began, ever so softly. His face was burning red as she called him by his name. It sounded lovely, coming from her voice.

A particularly harsh gust of wind suddenly rattled all the Sakura trees above them, causing a flurry of pink petals to blow straight at their faces. A good number of petals flew into Haganezuka's mouth, while another one of them hit the Kakushi's eye along with a cloud of pollen. The two of them jolted as their arms flailed in the ambush.

"Pffft -" Haganezuka hunched over and spat the pink petals out irritably; the young woman next to him violently rubbed her eyes to get rid of the stinging pollen. At some point, the two of them stopped and looked at each other. They suddenly began to laugh.

"Hey, it's definitely Spring," the Kakushi giggled.

"Well, that's one way to be reminded."

The petals were everywhere - caught in their hair, down their backs, fluttering over their shoulders.

The moment had passed; the two of them were more fixated on brushing the sakura petals away from their faces, which weren't used to particles getting on them after wearing masks for too long. Haganezuka didn't look like he was planning to repeat anything he'd blurted about mountains anytime soon and started picking Sakura petals off of the dango plate instead.

She had no idea how to comment on it, either. But honestly, she enjoyed spending time with him here and was okay with just talking and sharing with one another their stories. All she'd ever heard about him was that he'd go completely off the handle whenever his swords got damaged and could not be reasoned with. She'd heard many rants from former clients - ironically, the lower-ranked Slayers seemed to complain the most - and it made her sad that he probably didn't receive many thank-yous.

"You know...I can always tell when a sword's been forged by you, Haganezuka-san."

He was eating another row of dango and looked up with surprise. "Is that so?" his face was relaxed again and eyed her curiously.

"Most of the Demon Slayers who use your swords look terrified whenever the blade needs to be repaired or reforged," she replied sheepishly.

"...You mean because of me."

The young woman let out a nervous laugh. "Y-yes."

"Anyone who brings harm to a Nichirin Sword deserves death," Haganezuka replied matter-of-factly. "It's their own fault."

"But there's more than that. Your swords are sharpened with such precision and polished so flawlessly that when it's nighttime, I can see the moon and stars reflecting from their blades."

Haganezuka's face grew warm, but he brushed the compliment aside. "All Nichirin Blades are like that. And if they're not, the wielder probably got it dirty and is a careless slob that deserves to die."

"But the thing is...I've seen a lot of Nichirin Blades." The young woman's eyes suddenly went downcast. "When Demon Slayers are killed, the Kakushi take their swords back to the village to be reforged into new ones." There was a heavy silence. "A lot of times, the blades tell me how it ended. Some are broken. Some are bent. Some are still splattered with blood."

Haganezuka was taken aback when her eyes began to water. "H-hey, are you okay?" he exclaimed, reaching out his arm awkwardly towards her for a moment before stopping himself.

"I'm fine...thank you, Haganezuka-san." She continued somberly. "I just get reminded of my friends from the Demon Slayer corps who never made it back from battle. Some of them died while I was still carrying them on my back." She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "But it's good to have a body to bury, you know. We're not always that lucky. Sometimes there's nothing left but a limb or a finger here and there, an eyeball, or just some scattered organs. We identify those Demon Slayers by their swords instead."

Haganezuka felt his stomach twist. How many times had this Kakushi seen such things? She was describing it so calmly, completely composed. Graceful, even. But every once in a while her voice shook, ever so slightly. It betrayed a deep, underlying grief that no one in the Demon Slayer Corps nor their associates could truly recover from. Haganezuka himself constantly dreaded the possibility of seeing another one of his swords in those bloodstained piles that were sent back for reforging. How did this Kakushi stay sane? She was out there delivering corpses - or pieces of them - and witnessing the maddening grief from their loved ones. Over and over again.

The young woman could sense the concern and looked away for a moment. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said so much. People don't need to hear that."

Haganezuka wished he had something more useful to say. "No, it's fine -"

She cut him off. "What I really meant to tell you is, I've recovered more swords than I can count from fallen Demon Slayers. And yet, I rarely ever see one engraved with the Haganezuka family's crest."

"Oh...maybe because there aren't as many of those," Haganezuka replied gruffly. "People prefer other swordsmiths." As much as he loved swords more than humans with little regard for anyone's opinion, it still was discouraging whenever a Demon Slayer stormed off and demanded a more tolerable swordsmith.

"That's not what I'm getting at." The Kakushi girl suddenly gazed intently at him, causing him to pause for a moment. "I never see your swords laying out there, in all that blood, because the people you made them for are still alive. It's your dedication, the love you put into making each blade, that endures and protects them and makes it possible for them to win." She gazed softly at him with humble admiration. "That's how I know when you've forged a Nichirin Sword, Hotaru."

Something warm and bright glowed deep inside his chest. "Is that really how you see it?" Haganezuka asked, his eye glittering as he gazed back at her.

"Yes, I mean it! And the swordsmen who trust you with their Nichirin Blades can do amazing things," she told him earnestly. "Urokodaki Sakonji. Tomioka Giyu. Kamado Tanjiro -"

"The Kamado boy lost his previous sword and was willing to use a basic, first-degree blade before I could finish sharpening it to its full potential!" Haganezuka immediately threw in. His brow twitched just from the memory. "Forget the demons, I wanted to kill him myself!"

"Oh...right, I've heard." A bead of sweat ran down her temple. "But even so, you were the one who honed the sword that Tanjiro used to slay a demon that would have killed everyone in the village. It gave him time to save a lot of people because you were so committed to finishing the job that you refused to stop, even while you were wounded. And you even lost your eye..." She unconsciously reached towards his face, where his left eye was permanently shut with two long scars that crossed each other over the lid.

"I still don't remember exactly how my eye ended up like this," Haganezuka commented obliviously, scratching his head.

The young woman quickly placed her hand back down. "What do you mean?"

"I was in the workshed for days, honing one of the finest blades I've ever had the honor of being entrusted with until that misty Hashira brat suddenly took it and ran off," Haganezuka grumbled. "I noticed that my left eye was bleeding for some reason, and it hurt when I tried to open it." He scrunched his face as he tried to recall the details. "Everyone tells me that a demon crushed it, but I have no idea what it looked like or when it appeared. It was already dead by the time I noticed."

The young woman stared at him incredulously. "Wow...they weren't joking about your ability to focus beyond human limits."

"Huh?" Haganezuka blinked. "I thought all swordsmiths never get distracted while forging."

"But with you, it's, um..."

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"No, no. Not at all," she quickly retorted. "I think it's amazing, really. I've never met anyone so dedicated to their craft. That's a commitment to be admired, you know."

She had such a bright, endearing smile. It was contagious, and Haganezuka found himself smiling as well. "I appreciate that." Upon closer look at her face, however, it occurred to him that he could still see a shadow of grief in her eyes, just beneath the surface. The sadness was so subtle, so quiet without daring to speak out loud. It made his chest grow heavy.

"Is something wrong, Hotaru?" she asked, cocking her head a little. His name sounded impossibly beautiful again.

"I want to ask you something." Haganezuka turned to face her, suddenly stern. "Do you ever get to rest?"

"...What do you mean?"

"When you're out there, tending to the dead bodies and their abandoned swords. When you see the hell on earth that demons bring to humans." He spoke so bluntly that the young woman jolted and her eyes went wide, her face growing pale. "Does your spirit ever get a break for you to rest?" he asked, deathly serious. "You, the Kakushi, literally carry our swordsmen and look after them and let them rest. Even if they're dead. Even if they're in pieces." Without thinking, Haganezuka reached forward and grasped her shoulders. "But what about you? Who carries you? Who is there when you're the one who needs to rest?"

The young woman looked down at the ground, completely silent. Her shoulders began to tremble. "I..."

Haganezuka held her shoulders more gently when he realized that there were tears pooling beneath her eyes. He'd gone somewhere that she couldn't hide them.

And even then, she replied softly. "You don't have to worry about me. But thank you..."

Okay, that was it. "Listen," he told her, holding an intense gaze. "Remember all the things you just told me earlier? About my impact as a swordsmith and empowering Demon Slayers and all that." His face was turning red again, but he wanted to tell her. "That...made me really happy."

She was at a loss for words, but her face grew pink as she looked up and met his gaze.

"I want you to know that you give just as much as I do to the well-being of the Demon Slayers. You put so much care and dedication into making sure that they are looked after and can become strong enough to fight again. My swords won't do a thing to save them if they're still beaten up and left out there to die. Without the Kakushi, Demon Slayers would crumble without the strength to even lift a blade again. You keep them alive to fight, too."

"Hotaru..."

"But if you ever feel like you can't take it anymore," he went on, "If your spirit is shaken, you don't have to put on a smile and force yourself back out there right away. You...you can come to me." He never imagined that he'd be saying these kinds of words in his life, but it felt right. "You can tell me all about it, you can cry - anything at all that would help - I want you to come to me. You don't have to shoulder all the pain."

She nodded silently. Haganezuka felt her shoulders lift and then drop again with a sigh of relief, held steady by his calloused hands. He wasn't sure when their faces had gotten this close to each other, but he couldn't look away from her eyes. They were green like the fresh leaves of Spring that emerged after a long Winter.

It suddenly occurred to her that the sun had begun to set. "So, um...I think it's getting dark soon."

"Oh. Yeah, it is."

"What are we supposed to tell Tecchikawahara-san?"

The two of them shared a long, tender gaze.

"If you ask me, I'd tell the old man that there's going to be a wedding on Mount Yoko," declared Haganezuka. He paused for a moment and went still. "If...if that's okay with you." His voice grew quiet, suddenly afraid that she might recoil and run away from him like all the Demon Slayers. "If you'll have me."

"Yes, Hotaru," she told him gently. "With all my heart."

- The End

^ (What everyone else sees)

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HEY, YOU MADE IT TO THE END!!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 💚

You have my thanks forevermore for taking the time to read this oneshot. It's a first ever attempt from me to handle a fanfiction through tumblr. I never intended to write a Demon Slayer fic at all, but Haganezuka's outcome in the light novel chapter after he rejected that stinker who insulted swords was literally a prayer from Kotetsu that Spring would bloom for him one day. That was just too sad to me, so I tried my best to give Spring to Haganezuka myself :)

POST-CREDITS & AUTHOR'S NOTE: I intentionally left out any mention of Ms. Kakushi's name so that you can choose to interpret the POV or treat her face as more of a placeholder for yourself if you'd like. I just couldn't write the Y/N self-insert style without feeling really awkward, but I can post a version of this chapter later that's formatted with the 'Y/N' and 'you' if it's something people are interested in. I appreciate you stopping by here and hope you enjoyed this lil tale!Regarding the artwork, I designed and illustrated the Kakushi above using a combination of blank OC templates and body references to adapt to our hotheaded swordsmith (except for that last one, my random doodle). I will be providing links to those resources as soon as possible.

REFERENCES:

Light Novel Chapter and Inspiration:

This story is also on my Wattpad, and if you enjoyed it and want to leave feedback that would be groovy!

#haganezuka #hotaru haganezuka #haganezuka x oc #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #haganezuka x reader #haganezuka x you #kny

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