#kyomitsu

I think the fact that they started as a teacher and student pair prevented them from seeing eachother for romantic potential. Japan went through a Confucian revival in the Edo period which places a heavy emphasis on power balances and obligations and rules in different kinds of relationships, and that would still cast a strong shadow on warrior mindsets down in Taisho, which would thereby make a teacher-student relationship and its imbalances of power much more like a parent-child relationship than anything else (that, and my fandom brain is too influenced by Chinese wuxia like “The Return of Condor Hero” to see teacher/student relationships in martial arts as anything but scandalous, *gasp*).

These two don’t seem interested in scandal, they seem likely to accept the teacher-student relationship at face value. Even as Kyojuro recognizes Mitsuri as a peer once she graduates the Final Selection, and again once they both become Pillars together, he still finds her an endearing kouhai (underclassman) as opposed to simply being a naturally cute girl, and she finds him a doting and cool oniisama as opposed to a prince to sweep her off her feet. Not that anime doesn’t have a history of oniisama-complexes and sempai and, uh, teachers courting much younger heroines, but at least for where these two put their priorities in canon, they don’t seem interested in pushing counter-cultural relationships.

That’s only what we’re shown at the surface level, anyway. Again, slightly different circumstances, or perhaps slightly deeper reading, and maybe we could find some potential for romance even in their teacher-student relationship, and perhaps even because they got to know each other in this context without the pressure of "get married because you are a worthless girl in the Taisho era if you can’t” or “get married because you need to carry on the Rengoku family line.”

That said, it’s interesting that we never see Kyojuro consider his responsibilities to carry the Rengoku line forward. Even though he’s the oldest son and that should naturally fall to him, he seems relieved that the Rengoku family already has a second-in-line male heir, so romance seems far from his mind (again, for what we’re shown in canon; it leaves very wide room for interpretation due to the very absence of it). Had he been an only child, or had Senjuro been born a girl, he might had felt some Taisho era pressure (as well as ongoing Japanese family structure pressure) to take a wife. Instead, the pressure Kyojuro feels is to pass on Flame Breathing and raise someone to be a fitting Flame Pillar. By all rights that should fall to Senjuro too, but Kyojuro doesn’t feel he can leave that to him.

Mitsuri, perhaps, had initially hoped for Kyojuro’s interest. How could she not, as he was probably the strongest man she had ever met, and who was not bothered at all by her strength? Plus, he’s so kind, what girl wouldn’t fall for him? But, as I’ve analyzed her here, Mitsuri’s goals for entering the Corp were two-fold: finding a husband stronger than her was the primary stated goal, but ultimately she wanted a place to belong and be herself. Kyojuro was instrumental in fulfilling that second goal, and she’ll always treasure him for it. But the place he made for her was as a warrior, not a bride, so that probably framed her thinking of him very early on. So again, I keep coming back to them just not seeing each other in a romantic context in canon, because they have feelings for each other that relate more strongly to their place in the Demon Slayer Corp, not in wanting to be intimate soul mates.

Buuuuuuut, maybe, MAYBE if the context were a b-i-i-i-it different, like if Kyojuro did show more interest in not only raising Tsuguko, but raising children, or just generally having the comforts of a romantic partner. And maybe, maaaaaybe if Mitsuri found a different means of entering the Corp, training from someone who could purely feel like a teacher instead of someone to be a high-key soul mate, maaaaaybe that would open the perfect encounter for them to start off on a romantic note. And Kyojuro is indeed *so* high-key, if he set his sights on a girl, there would probably be no mistaking his affections. Go back through canon and replace every time he says “Tsuguko” with “girlfriend.” Go ahead, do it, I’ll wait here.

Meeting on a mission, perhaps. Kyojuro has his hands full trying to keep everyone safe and then out bursts an angel to help, who perhaps literally sweeps him off his feet. Oh my goodness. My gosh, that would be cute. And he asks her out to eat. She’s flighty and embarrassed because THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED, OH MY GOSH, IS IT HAPPENING, but she’s scared she’s going to scare him off with her appetite but HE KEEPS PACE WITH HER OH MY GOSH IT’S A MATCH. And they do nothing but laugh and smile and brighten each other’s faces simply by being in each other’s company and wow, they’ve never felt so happy??? (Meanwhile, Iguro Obanai is crying in a dark corner of the restaurant, where he had no intention of eating anyway.)