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Chocolates were the hardest thing to find during a period where it seemed as if the entire population of Japan had taken over all the shops and bought every single one.
“They’re sold out,” Shinobu said, almost in shock as if she hadn’t expected this. Kanao checked the aisles again and again for something they may have missed but there truly was nothing in the shop left.
“Excuse me, are you sure there are none left?” Kanae asked the worker sweetly, with her brightest smile.
The worker looked annoyed, as if she had been asked thousands of times already. “Yes, there are none left. Now, I’m going to have to close down the store and if you don’t leave, I’ll have to call the police.”
“She wasn’t very friendly,” Kanae commented as they left the shop, dejectedly empty-handed.
“Ugh, of course we had to be late again because of work. I swear, if there are no more things left to buy, I’ll just…” Shinobu said angrily, walking extremely fast and her eyes scanned Ginza like it could give her a gift.
Kanao picked at her hands. “I might have some flowers left,” she said meekly.
However, Kanae laughed. “I’m sorry to tell you but I don’t think there are any. A huge swarm of people arrived earlier, remember?”
She had never sworn before but in that moment, Kanao felt like turning into Shinobu and letting out her emotions. She kicked the side of the pavement and scuffed the toes of her shoes against the hard concrete.
“Wait! This store is still open!” Shinobu called, waving her hand at them from far in front.
Kanae smiled at Kanao and held her hand out to her. “Come on, let’s go. You can pick something else out for Tanjiro-kun as well as what you have now”
Kanao’s face flushed as she took Kanae’s hand and they raced forward to catch up with their sister.
“Hmmm,” Shinobu said as soon as they entered. “It’s a bit… empty?”
The aisles were no more filled than the store they just visited and all three of them sighed in unison. “Is this it?” Kanao said, confused.
Kanae shrugged. “I’ve bought my gift for Sanemi a week ago. If you really can’t find anything, we could split it up between us?”
Shinobu glared at her sister. “Shinazugawa-san’s taste is terrible. Anything you get for him is probably to his taste, therefore it is terrible.”
Kanae raised an eyebrow. “Well, that I can’t exactly disagree with. His taste is, well, questionable let’s say. But it’s fine, because he earns a lot of money.” She winked at Kanao who turned her head away to the side and blushed.
Shinobu continued her hunt for a gift. “I don’t know what to say, ne-san. You’re a gold-digger.”
“I earn just as much as him, how could I be a gold-digger?” Kanae asked innocently, turning her palms up and looking the very picture of a young maiden. Unfortunately (or fortunately) she was not like that at all.
Kanao started to get worried. “Ne-san, what if we really don’t find anything? Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day anyway, and there certainly won’t be anything there on that day.”
Shinobu turned to stare impatiently at Kanao. “Shh, Kanao. We won’t think about the consequences. We just need to trust that I will find something.”
One hour later…
“This is hopeless. I’ll never find something,” Shinobu sighed, sitting on the pavement and giving up as she leaned backwards on her palms and stared at the sky, now turning dark with the night.
Kanae sat on one side of her and Kanao the other. “Don’t give up,” Kanae consoled. “I’m sure Tomioka-kun has plenty of gifts for you ready. He might not seem like it, but he’s been worried this entire week at work because of this.”
“I can pick some flowers for you,” Kanao offered. “I can send them over tomorrow morning.”
Shinobu let out another sigh. “I really don’t know. Why is there genuinely nothing? I’ve been so busy these few days that I can’t even find time to buy my fiancé a gift for Valentine’s Day.”
“I’m sure you’ll find something, ne-san,” Kanao comforted her. “Or you could make something.”
“Make chocolates from scratch?” Shinobu narrowed her eyes then they widened so large that they almost took up her entire face. “Thank you for the idea Kanao-chan! I’ll get going then!”
She ran off, practically skipping with joy down the street and this time, Kanae sighed. “I better go with her, to make sure she doesn’t blow up her kitchen. I’ll see you around Kanao-chan. Make sure to say hello to the Kamados for me!”
She ran after her younger sister and Kanao was left to go home herself. She stood up and made her way back to her joint apartment.
“I’m home,” Kanao said quietly as she came into the apartment, placing the keys gently on the table next to her.
Nezuko, with surprisingly amazing hearing, jumped out. “Welcome home Kanao-chan! Do you want dinner?”
“Oh it’s fine,” she said automatically. “I ate already.”
Nezuko nodded. “Okay then. Tomorrow’s Valentine’s day. Have you prepared anything? I’m pretty sure Zenitsu-kun will ask me out tomorrow!” She giggled behind her hands.
“Congratulations!” Kanao smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be happy together.”
“Thank you ne-san!” Nezuko said excitedly. “I know my brother has-” She quickly cut herself off. “Anyways, what have you prepared?”
“What has your brother done?” Kanao said curiously.
“I’m not allowed to tell you,” Nezuko said with a pained expression. “But you can tell me! I’m sure someone as well prepared as you must have something for Tanjiro.”
“Yes I do,” Kanao said. “I’m planning on giving him a bouquet. A specially reserved one.”
“Perfect!” Nezuko clapped her hands. “I can’t tell you what the surprise is about but that matches well!”
Now Kanao was even more curious. “What has he prepared for me?”
Nezuko eyed the door. “Oh right, it seems as if I still have some work to finish off. See you ne-san!” She ran into her room, excusing her quickly.
Kanao sighed and also retired to her room. It seemed as though she’d have to wait until tomorrow.
“Kanao-san!” Tanjiro greeted her early in the morning as they met each other outside the apartment. Even thought they shared an apartment, they often rendezvoused outside the building. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she answered, smiling at him. Kanao quickly handed him a large bouquet of pretty flowers she chose, red roses (of course), pink camellias and red tulips. She had prepared them for weeks before and made sure they could bloom under the right conditions, even though it wasn’t their season to bloom.
“Thank you so much! It’s gorgeous,” Tanjiro commented, taking the huge bouquet into one of his arms and holding the other out to her. She accepted it daintily.
“Where are we going?” Kanao asked.
He smiled. “You’ll see!”
The answer didn’t particularly reassure her but she followed his guide anyway. Kanao did trust him to lead her somewhere nice, so she wasn’t too worried but still, it would’ve been nice to get a heads-up.
They weaved through couples and crowds outside and they started to take a familiar road.
“Wait,” Kanao said quickly. “Are we going to my shop?”
Tanjiro grinned cheerfully. “You’ll see!”
They walked further down the road and finally, they arrived on the street with Kanao’s shop. However, before she could set her eyes on the ‘surprise’, Tanjiro stopped her.
“Do you trust me?” he said to her, staring deep into her eyes. Kanao blushed but she nodded in response.
“Ok then. I’m going to cover your eyes for a little while whilst we walk there, but not for too long,” he said quickly. “It’ll be over before you’ll even process it, I promise. It’s just so I don’t ruin the surprise.”
Kanao initially was totally against it but she thought about it for a while then nodded. “Sure. I trust you,” she whispered, cheeks flushing as she took his hand.
“Here we go then,” he said and his cool fingers slipped on top of her eyes and they walked together slowly down the road, without any obstacles.
What felt like an eternity finally passed and Tanjiro removed his hand. “Okay. You can look now.”
Kanao opened her eyes and gasped. Her shop had been completely transformed. The front was covered with bouquets of huge flowers, the same ones she gifted him. Chocolates and jewellery were nestled into the flowers like pearls in a clam and the door was covered with red ribbons and velvet.
She turned to Tanjiro, shocked. “It’s so… beautiful. Thank you,” she said, still gaping at the wonder in front of her eyes.
“Of course I couldn’t do all of it by myself. Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke and Aoi helped, a lot,” Tanjiro said proudly and as if hearing themselves be mentioned, they popped out from inside the store.
“Happy Valentine’s!” they chorused and Kanao laughed slightly.
“Happy Valentine’s,” she replied with the largest smile they had seen all year.
Shinobu’s chocolate was disgusting. It was a depressing fact and an even worse experience. Giyuu, Kanae, Sanemi, Kanao and Tanjiro all sat there, with a square each in their hands, eating cautiously.
“It’s.. lumpy,” Giyuu commented, as if confused on why the texture was so strange.
Shinobu’s smile was so wide it looked painful. “Giyuu, I’m giving you 5 seconds.”
“But it’s delectable?” he tried, shrinking under her stern gaze.
Kanae sighed. “Did you add salt when I wasn’t watching? Why is it salty?”
“Just a little,” Shinobu confessed. “Aoi told me sea salt brings out the chocolate flavor more.”
Sanemi threw his piece out of an open window whilst Shinobu wasn’t looking.
Tanjiro and Kanao ate silently, shooting each other traumatised glances. “It’s not too bad,” Tanjiro offered. “I think Shinobu-san has put a lot of effort into this, and we must commend her for her dedication into making chocolate for Giyuu-san!”
Giyuu looked as if he was in pain but he nodded anyways. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
Shinobu smiled at him, a real smile this time and his face seemed to brighten up.
Thankfully, the rest of the gifts were exchanged in a much more civil and calm manner. Kanae received another pretty ring from Sanemi that looked as if it had cost him a fortune. Giyuu presented Shinobu with a book, signed by the author. Kanao wasn’t sure if Shinobu would ever read it but apparently the author’s signature was incredibly hard to get and for Giyuu to manage to gift it to her was a huge deal.
As she received the gifts earlier from Tanjiro, they had nothing to give each other, which made the process even quicker.
Finally, after all the excitement, they sat around a dining table all together, and Sanemi took out a bottle of Western wine and everyone was poured a glass.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” they chorused in unison and their glasses clinked together.
Today was a day of romance.