"The moon is so beautiful tonight," she said to him when they were assigned by Oyakata-sama to the mission to to eliminate one of the Twelve .

At that time, he didn't know, he had no idea that it was her first and also her last confession of love. He simply wondered why his colleague could talk so much. Wasn't she thirsty? Talking that much must make her throat dry, right?

But he didn't respond, as he didn't mind being paired up with her. He didn't hate or avoid her either. Perhaps the lord had known this, which was why he often assigned her to work with him for avoid some unnecessary misunderstandings when he on the mission. Otherwise, he might have become a wanted criminal across the country.

Maybe in a moment of being continuously teased by her, he had thought that it was okay. A quiet person like him could benefit from being paired up with a talkative girl like her, as they could balance each other out.

"If things could just stay like this forever," he had thought.

But...

Ah...that's right...there's always a "but" in life.

"Announcement!! Someone has died!! Kochou Shinobu has died!! She fought Douma and sacrificed!!"

The announcement echoed across the battlefield in their final battle against Muzan, hitting him like a punch to the gut, making his blood run cold. Despite his heart skipping a beat from the pain, his eyes remained calm like a still lake.

He was a pillar.

He couldn't falter now.

Oyakata-sama had sacrificed himself, Tamayo-san was currently holding off Muzan, and even she had perished in this battle.

Everyone was giving it their all to end this long war.

He couldn't falter.

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Muzan was defeated.

The final battle had come to an end.

The casualties were not significant, but for those who had fallen in this last battle, it was a huge loss for the Demon Slayer Corps on a spiritual level.

But there was one strange thing that no one could explain: the bodies of the two pillars, Kochou Shinobu and Rengoku Kyojurou, appeared in the rooms where Upper Moon Two and Upper Moon Three were defeated.

No one understood the reason, but at least they felt somewhat comforted that they could give these two former pillars a proper funeral.

Ubuyashiki Kiriya, the 98th leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, presided over the funeral of the two former pillars with the help of his two younger sisters.

The day of the funeral was a rainy one, with the two coffins standing side by side, filled with the wisteria petals to protect the souls of the departed from the demons as they made their way to the heavens. The new recruits who had joined the corps that year wept uncontrollably at the sight of the two former pillars being placed into the coffins. Even the strong pillars shed tears that mixed with the rain, indistinguishable from the raindrops.

Even the former pillar, Shinjurou, cried as he watched his eldest son, who he was most proud of, sleep soundly with a smile on his face. On the other side, the Flower Pillar, Kanao, held onto the boy who was wearing a striped haori, and cried uncontrollably while looking at the serene smile of her master for the last time.

That day, the sky wept, and people wept, mourning the tragic fate of those who had bravely sacrificed themselves for the safety of humanity in the age of demons and violence.

But there was one person...

Only one person did not shed any tears.

The young man wearing a two-toned haori stood silently in a corner, letting the rain drench him completely, as if taking solace in the feeling of being immersed in the rain. His blue eyes reflected like a still water surface, unmoving, calm, and resolute. No one paid him any attention, and no one knew that his heart was slowly breaking into pieces. His gaze had not left the face of the one who had been taken away by Douma since her body was carried out of the room where she was swallowed whole. 

He did not look away, not even for a second.

As the rain continued to pour, everyone decided to go back into the mansion of the Demon Slayer Corps, hastily erecting a tent to cover the two coffins of the fallen pillars in preparation for their cremation. 

But the young man remained standing there, in the rain, his figure resembling a mountain that could not be moved. The only person who noticed him was Tanjiro, who had intended to call him inside to shelter from the rain, but the scent of pain and agony emanating from him made he want to cry. His instincts told him to leave the man alone, so he just walked past him, help Kanao to get inside, leaving the young man standing silently in the pouring rain, which grew heavier with each passing moment.

"Hey, Tomioka-san, if you keep standing here alone like this, then please don't tell me that no one is dislike you."

The familiar voice echoed in his ear, causing him to take a step forward with one foot, then the other, slowly approaching the coffin holding the body of the young girl. His calm, still blue eyes stared intently at the serene face, which was surrounded by wisteria flowers. And the still pond of his eyes began to waved.

At first, it was just small ripples of emotion, a feeling of unease that slowly grew into small waves. And before he knew it, the coldness of the rain had been replaced by the warmth of tears. A few drops fell onto the peaceful face of the young girl lying in the coffin, and as he realized what was happening, the heart of Water Hashira Tomioka Giyuu crumbled.

"Hey Kochou... why did you leave so early?"

"Is that what your sister wants?"

"If you gone now... who will be the one to help me when people misunderstand me?"

"Okay... I admit... I'm dislike by people. Can you wake up to help me now?"

The sound of Giyuu Tomioka's choked and broken voice blended in with the patter of the rain, and no one could hear what he was saying, but they could see the tears streaming down his face and the trembling pain that wracked his body.

They had never seen him so vulnerable, never seen him express his emotions so openly. They could only watch as he held the body of the tightly, as if trying to keep her from slipping away from him forever.

And in that moment, they felt a sense of deep sorrow and empathy, recognizing the pain and grief that he was going through.

They knew that was not one to show his emotions easily, that he had always been reserved and stoic in the face of tragedy. But now, as they watched him crumble under the weight of his emotions, they realized that even the strongest among them could be brought to their knees by the cruel hand of fate.

-"The moon is beautiful tonight" is also a confession, Tomioka-san. Don't you realize that? I believe Shinobu-chan may have already hinted at her feelings for you. And typically, it's the guys who confess their feelings to the girls, so it's important for you to know. I encourage you to confess your feelings to Shinobu-chan tomorrow! I support the two of you!

Suddenly, Giyuu Tomioka remembered the words of the Love Pillar, and tears that he thought had dried up now flowed like the rain.

"Now that I know, can you wake up and hear my answer?" he murmured, his voice choked with emotion.

"Hey Kochou, can you open your eyes and look at me, just for a moment?" he pleaded, his heart heavy with sorrow.

And then, with trembling lips, he finally spoke the words that he had kept locked inside his heart for so many years. "Hey... Shinobu... I love you," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper.

With tears streaming down his face, he pressed his forehead to her cold, lifeless one, lightly placing a tearful kiss on her already stiff and icy cheek. He gently brushed her small face with his right hand, looking at her with loving eyes as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.

"This life, you took my heart and told me you loved me first. But in the next life, it will be my turn to speak," he said, his voice filled with determination. "Kochou Shinobu, in the next life, I will find you again. And under that wisteria tree, I will tell you how much I love you."