#thanks for getting Hakuji to spill all this lore guys good job lol

[capobegone]

Spiraling About Kimetsu Academy Hakukoyu (Again)

EVERYBODY WAKE UP THE NEW KIMETSU ACADEMY CHAPTER CONFINED THAT KOYUKI’S SICKNESS IS STILL A THING :’(((

Like she clearly seems healthy now?? Which means that this follows canon in which she got better by the time she was sixteen and Hakuji was eighteen—but considering Hakuji is still set to take over Keizou’s dojo, a lot of the tragedy in their past might still have happened.

The thing that surprises me here is that it specifically points out both of their parents, which means Hakuji’s dad has to still be alive (unconfirmed about Koyuki’s mom, who may have still been unable to cope with her daughter’s illness). However, the death of Hakuji’s father was what caused him to meet Koyuki and Keizou in the first place—so how would that have happened?

So, of course, I’ve made a theory.

The Kimetsu Academy canon states that they’re neighbors, so it wouldn’t be too far fetched to assume that they are friendly with each other. In order for Hakuji to become so close with Koyuki’s family, though, it would make sense if his father still got sick. Assuming that Hakuji’s mother is still not in the picture, Hakuji’s father would likely have a hard time keeping his family afloat (hence their sudden dip toward poverty).

Of course, Hakuji would be prone to getting into trouble around this time. He described himself as a rule breaker, which is very common among young students with trouble at home. (The pickpocketing habit is debatable—it would have been much less effective nowadays, when getting medicine is a lot more complicated.) This could be the time where his childhood persona ‘Akaza’ came around. Unlike Hakuji, Akaza wouldn’t have to worry about people he loved getting sick or going to bed still a little bit hungry, because all he had to worry about was being tough and strong. I could definitely see this as a way for Hakuji to channel his stress—because who doesn’t love beating people up as a coping mechanism? He might have been spending a little more time around the dojo at this point in an attempt to keep getting stronger, which could lead Keizou to notice the subtle signs of struggle.

Assuming that Koyuki was sick around this time as well, I can see Keizou setting up a deal with Hakuji’s father, who I imagine must have been ashamed to ask for help. His proposal: Keizou would provide free childcare by letting Hakuji stay at his place while his father worked (also would keep him out of trouble!), and in exchange, Hakuji would help out with keeping Koyuki company and doing chores around the dojo. This arrangement obviously worked out quite well, and would take a little stress off both families. As Hakuji was exposed to Koyuki’s gentle influence, he grew out of his Akaza persona (around the end of middle school, probably.) And, of course, both Koyuki and Hakuji’s father got better!! Yay!

Obviously, this is all speculation. But it would piece together all the little pieces of their backstories we have, and explain how Hakuji and Koyuki’s families became so close. The one question I still have…is Soyama Hakuji’s family name, or Koyuki and Keizou’s? (of course, thanks to my trusty translator fertheart on insta who is literally my only source of Kimetsu Academy content lmao)