So, wow, it's been three years since I started this whole darn thing. I'm hopeful that next year, I won't be doing an anniversary update. But then again, I probably will be.
This is the much less angsty chapter to compliment the last one. I am sorry that I was horrible to Keiichiro in that one, but this will hopefully make it up.
Chapter Seven:
"We hit a snag." Kish said.
"What do you mean by that?" Mint asked.
"The Chimera created by Bell and Pepper was designed to specifically find and trigger 'bad' memories," Pie explained. "Therefore, in order to defeat that Chimera, ours has to be able to bring back the 'good' memories."
"That's what 's going to defeat the Chimera?" Shinji asked, wrinkling his nose some in confusion.
"Not exactly," Rirī said. "Basically, we are treating the twins' Chimera as a virus, something that needs to be fought off. Right now, from what I've gathered from my aura readings, Keiichiro's body doesn't know what the Chimera is, but knows something is wrong. So he can't fight it except in the only way the white blood cells know how, which is to raise his body temperature as well as contributing to keeping him asleep.
"The blood cells don't know how to solve the real problem, na no da," Pudding said with a frown.
"Precisely. Our Chimera, on the other hand, will act like a very strong white blood cell in order to defeat it. What we're hoping will happen is that the white blood cells will realize what needs to be attacked."
"So basically you want Keiichiro to help your Chimera defeat the other one," Masaya said with a nod. "But how do the memories fit in?"
"Two purposes," Pie said. "The first being that it will show the white blood cells that it is not to be feared. The second reason is, to a certain extent, encourage Keiichiro to fight back. This is not merely a physical battle, but a mental and emotional one."
"So where's the snag coming in?" Tart asked.
"We're using little pieces of DNA to trigger the memories, which are fed into our Chimera," Kish said, gesturing to the petri dish in his hand. "But it will only take three of those little pieces."
"That doesn't sound too bad," Ichigo said, shoulders relaxing some. "Rin and Ryou are definite, and I don't think it would matter too much as to who the third person is."
"Unfortunately, that's the snag. It does." Rin said quietly. "Because Ryou and I can only bring up the memories of the more recent past in Keiichiro's mind. We need something to go farther back."
"Memories of his mom," Lettuce said in a whisper, voicing the realization everyone else had, remembering what Ryou had told them only a few hours before.
"How are we going to get that?" Zakuro asked. "It's not like we can just track down someone who knew her."
"Maybe we can," Rōzu said softly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small card. "Wouldn't the best person who would have memories of Keiichiro's mom be his father?"
"You took this from the table earlier, before we could clean it." Jade said, not accusingly as she took the card from Rōzu, looking at it. She glanced up. "It looks like he's staying at a hotel not too far from here."
"No way," Rin said, lips pressed tightly together in a frown. "He won't help at all."
"He won't give the help, or the help he does give won't be help?" Masaya asked.
"What's the difference?" Rin snapped. "You saw how Keiichiro reacted earlier, and you heard every word of what Ryou told us about him earlier. After all that, why would he help Keiichiro? Why would we even want his help?"
"Because he came here for a reason this afternoon. He wanted to see Keiichiro again, even though he probably already knew what Keiichiro's response to that would be." Masaya said. "I think there's more to this story than we know, that Ryou knew and told us about, maybe even more than what Keiichiro knows about. I think that if we ask for help, he'll give it because it's for Keiichiro. Why, I don't know. But we just have to ask, have to try."
"Masaya's right," Ryou said with a nod. "We're missing a lot of pieces at the moment. He's the best person to get those pieces from. And, as it's been pointed out several times now, we don't necessarily have the time or luxury to be choosy."
He stood up and held out his hand for the petri dish, which Kish passed to him. He then took the card that Jade extended to him.
"I'm going to track him down," Ryou said as he headed for the door.
"Ryou."
He paused and turned to see Rin, who worried her lip between her teeth before saying,
"I'll come with you."
"Let's go then," Ryou said, walking out of the room. "We're wasting time."
Seemingly in retort to Ryou's last statement, Rin moved in a flash, grasping hold of his shoulder and teleporting away.
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"This is the place?" Rin asked, lips pursing slightly as she looked at the exterior of the rundown hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo. Ryou glanced down at the card, then nodded.
"The address matches. Let's just hope he's actually here," Ryou said.
Rin nodded and they went in search of the room number scrawled in black ink on the card.
They found the door and knocked. As they waited, Rin fidgeted.
"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," She said worriedly.
Ryou frowned, not wanting to agree with her but he also felt uneasy. His sole reason for coming here was to help Keiichiro, but at this moment he felt like he was betraying his closest friend.
But he also felt like he needed to leave this encounter victorious, for Keiichiro. Not just getting what they needed to complete the Chimera, but to finally get some answers. Some resolution.
That was what prevented Ryou from turning back before the door could open.
"You know, I didn't expect you to actually—"
Keiichiro's birth father—Ryou and Rin both refused to acknowledge him as Keiichiro's 'real' father—stopped mid-sentence, staring in surprise as who stood in front of him. Slowly, he raised a finger towards Rin.
"You were at the Café."
Then his gaze came to focus on Ryou briefly.
"You both were. So you both know—"
"Keiichiro. Yes," Ryou said with a nod. "Rin is his girlfriend. And Keiichiro and I have been friends for a very long time."
"And you two decided to come, even if he wouldn't?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, not exactly," Ryou said. "He doesn't know we're here, but that's part of why we're here."
The man moved back from the door, holding it open.
"Might as well come in," He said. Giving each other a glance, Ryou and Rin entered the hotel room. They sat on the edge of the bed as the other man sat in a chair across from them.
"I didn't think he'd come," The man said in a quiet voice. "And I can't blame him. But I had to see him. Kinda hoped he'd come see me, though knew he probably wouldn't."
"Why did you leave him?" Rin asked, staring at the worn carpet in an attempt to keep her voice even, not letting the bitterness she felt inflect her tone. "Why did you leave Keiichiro and his mother? How could you just walk away from them?"
"Why? Because Erina did two great things, both in my life and hers. The first was she gave birth to Keiichiro. And the second was she kicked me out."
Rin's head snapped up and Ryou's brow furrowed.
"What?" They said at the exact same time.
The man nodded.
"I deserved it. I needed it. I was in a bad place. I couldn't get a job, and I was getting so frustrated about money that I couldn't even keep what little we had. I gambled. I was drunk often. I smoked. Then, one day, when I actually got sober, she confronted me. She knew I needed help, told me I needed it. I agreed with her. I knew I was making a mess out of my life, and hers. Hell, I'd already screwed it up for her long before then. But she wasn't going to let me screw up Keiichiro. I promised her, swore on my son's life I'd get the help I needed. But she wouldn't let me back into their lives until I got it."
He sighed and rubbed a hand over his forehead.
"I didn't know what the hell I was doing, which is the story of my sad life by the way. I tried. I tried hard. But I only got worse over the next two years or so, spending nights on friend's couches, never somewhere permanent. My pride wouldn't let me go to a stranger and ask for help, and my lack of funds certainly wasn't helping either. So I continued to live my life in a horrible way. I'd always end up waking up with a hangover and promising myself I'd stop, for Erina. For Keiichiro. For the life we could have had. And then I'd just get wasted again by midnight. Then, well, let's just say one thing led to another and I ended up spending a few years in jail. I don't want to go into the details. They're still a little blurry.
"Jail was the best thing for me during that time. I got clean. I got therapy. I got what I needed to go back to the two people I loved the most."
His eyes became sad as he said,
"But it was too late. I screwed up so much I couldn't have what I wanted the most. I finished parole and started making a living for myself before I contacted Erina. We were going to meet up, have lunch and catch up. I'd beg her to let me back into her life, into Keiichiro's life. To be the father to him, and marry her, finally making her an honest woman. But, before we could, she was gone.
"I wanted Keiichiro. I wanted my son. To raise him and keep him in one place, in one home. Social services wouldn't let me. It hadn't been so long since I was out of jail. I had my record, and they were concerned that I wouldn't be the ideal guardian for him. That'd I'd go back to being what I was before. I didn't blame them. I hadn't trusted myself either.
"So I left Tokyo. I couldn't stay in the same city as my son, knowing I couldn't even see him. The city I lost Erina in. The last couple of years, I've been traveling all around Japan as a salesman. I'm doing what I did before, never able to stay in one place, not having a place to call home, but I'm feeling much prouder about it now. Trying to make an honest living, something my son could be proud enough to call himself my son. I just wish there was something I could do to get him to talk to me."
Ryou and Rin exchanged a glance. Both felt a wave of sympathy for the man, as well as Keiichiro. Neither of them had a doubt that Keiichiro was unaware of this story. Maybe, just maybe, if they told him, and he knew, they could reunite the father and son. Ryou especially felt very strongly about this. Having lost his father at a young age, he would do anything just to see him again. He knew that was impossible, but perhaps he could give that to his best friend, his pseudo brother.
"We can't make any promises, but maybe we can get Keiichiro to talk to you," Rin said, turning back towards the man. "But, first, we need you to help us help Keiichiro."
"What do you mean?" He asked, brow furrowed.
"Keiichiro is very sick at the moment, and if you touch this—" Ryou showed him the petri dish with the Chimera. "—it will help him get better. Just don't ask for any of the details as to how that works and trust us that it will."
He hesitated, only briefly. They both saw his face change for a split second, but neither could decipher the emotion or thought.
But he didn't ask, he just stuck out his hand.
"I'll do anything," He said, very seriously. Ryou lifted the lid of the dish and the man carefully laid his finger on the small Chimera. His fingerprint momentarily glowed on the surface before fading away.
"Thank you so much," Rin said as Ryou recovered the dish.
"Thank me by making Keiichiro better," The man said, averting his gaze.
As Rin and Ryou started to head for the door, the man spoke once more,
"I… I do not know how much longer I'll be in Tokyo, or when I'll be back. And if Keiichiro and I don't meet before… well, just tell him I don't care if he doesn't give a damn about it, but I'm proud of him. He's a much better man than I am, and I wish his mother was alive to see that, 'cause I know she'd be proud too."
"We'll tell him that," Ryou said, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob. "But I think that Erina can see him, and she is proud of him."
"I kinda hope you're right, kid," The man said. "Now, I think you two have got somewhere to be right now."
"Thank you," Rin said, turning to give him one last smile. "You don't know how much we appreciate this. And we will talk to Keiichiro."
The man said nothing more as they left the hotel room.
"What did you mean," Rin said in a low voice as she and Ryou walked off the hotel premises. "When you said you thought Keiichiro's mother could see him?"
"Something Keiichiro told me when my parents died," Ryou said, wrapping his hand tighter around the petri dish.
"Which was?"
"That they weren't really gone. They just had to watch me from afar."
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"That's it, then?" Masaya asked quietly, his eyes on the petri dish in Rin's hand.
"It's so small, na no da," Pudding said, standing on her toes to look at the miniscule Chimera trapped in the pieces of glass.
"But it will do the job," Kish said assuredly.
"How's Keiichiro?" Rin asked, eyes only on her boyfriend but her words directed at Rirī, who was sitting beside him, her hand on his forehead.
"He's holding up," Rirī said. "But I don't think we can waste any more time."
They sprung into action. Ryou and Pie gently moved Keiichiro onto his side so that Rin could access the mark on the back of his neck. Carefully, Rin urged the Chimera towards Keiichiro. It was out of the dish and onto Keiichiro's skin in seconds. There was a brief moment of hesitation on the Chimera's part, but then it just as quickly disappeared. Keiichiro tensed momentarily before relaxing once more.
Everyone released the breath they didn't know they were holding.
"And now," Rin murmured as Ryou and Pie put Keiichiro on his back again. She grasped his hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Now we wait."
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A pair of hands came out of the darkness to pick him up. Warm and delicate, strong and soft. They pulled him into arms that smelled sweet and an embrace that felt eternal.
Soft lips kissed the top of his head and he tilted his head up to see who held him.
Her long dark brown hair was swept up into a braid, her dark eyes twinkling as she smiled at him. She was the prettiest woman he had ever known. She was the first he ever loved, and the one he would love the most.
His mother, Erina Akasaka, settled Keiichiro on her hip and used her thumb to wipe away his tears before bringing the tip of her nose to his and quickly moving her head back and forth, making him laugh.
"Come help Mama make dinner, Keiichiro-Chan," She said. "Will you help me add the rice to the cooker?"
"Uh huh!" Keiichiro said. He loved the kitchen, his mother's natural habitat. It was his, too, he'd later figure out.
"Then let's go," She said, setting him down on the floor and taking his hand in hers.
Together, they walked into the light.
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Keiichiro sat curled up against his mother, warm under the blanket as they sat in the dark woods outside their tent. He was exhausted from a day full of Monster Finding (they didn't find anything but a few frogs and a bunny) but he was going to stay awake as long as possible in order to catch a glimpse of any wandering nocturnal monsters.
"Mama," He said. "How long have you been Monster Finding? And who was your Monster Buddy before I was born?"
"I've been doing this since I was your age," Erina said. "And it was my grandpa, your great-grandfather, who took me."
"Your Mama and Papa didn't go?" Keiichiro asked.
"No. Sofu used to say it was a shame that Papa stopped believing. He was his Monster Buddy before I was born and until I was big enough, he went alone for a very long time."
"That sounds lonely." Keiichiro said softly. "Do you think he can come with us next time?"
Erina sighed.
"I wish he could, sweetheart. But he's gone for a few years now."
"Gone like Father?"
Keiichiro rarely spoke of his father. But when he did, he never said "Dad" or "Papa". Just a very formal "Father".
"No, sweetheart. He died when you were still very little, after being sick for a long time." Erina said.
"I wish I could have met him," Keiichiro said.
"You don't remember it, but you did. He came to see you the day you were born. Loved you the moment he saw you." Erina chuckled and ruffled her son's shaggy hair. "And not just because I named you after him."
Keiichiro giggled.
"But you know what?" Erina said, kissing Keiichiro on the head. "I miss him a lot, and you remind me a lot of him. So that's like having him again. And even though I know he can't be here with us physically, I know he's always around, watching us from afar."
"Like a ghost?" Keiichiro asked excitedly.
"Mmm, more like an angel, I think," Erina said after a moment of thought.
"That's still cool," Keiichiro said. "Did you two ever see a monster?"
"I never have. But your great-grandfather did, when he was a young man. But no one believed him. That's why he kept searching, to prove he did see a monster and that monsters are real."
"We'll find one, then, and show everyone he wasn't lying," Keiichiro said with determination.
"We'll do just that." Erina said with a small laugh.
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Keiichiro only saw his mother cry once, with a calculator and lots of papers beside her.
"Mama?" He said with alarm as he quickly kicked off his shoes, running to her side.
"Oh, Keiichiro," Erina said, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you'd get home so soon."
"What's wrong?" Keiichiro asked worriedly. Erina sighed and sniffled some, but moved back from the table, encouraging Keiichiro to crawl into her lap.
"You know how I met with your principle last week?" She asked him.
"Uh huh," Keiichiro said, who was now concerned for another reason. "But you said I wasn't in trouble."
"And you're not. Do you remember the test everyone in your grade took, the one you said was weird?"
"It was also way too easy," Keiichiro said.
"Well, there is a reason why you found it to be both of those. It's called an IQ test. That stands for 'intelligence quota'. And you scored very high on it."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're very smart, which explains why you have some trouble focusing at school. It's because you've already easily processed everything your teachers are trying to teach you. While everyone else is trying to figure it out, you're ready to go onto the next thing."
"So, is that why you were crying?"
"No, not at all. It's just…" Erina sighed and reached over, pulling out a brochure. "Your principal brought in another principal who runs a school for kids who are really smart like you are. He was telling me all about it, and I knew you'd be so happy there and would learn so much. But it is expensive. Very expensive. Even with the scholarship you were offered, we'd still have to pay a lot of money for you to go there." He watched as she gazed sadly at the papers in front of her. "I spent all afternoon calculating. I can't cut anything out of our budget to send you to there, as much as I'd like to."
"Okay," Keiichiro said, still not understanding. "I'm sorry, Mama, that I can't go to that school. But please don't cry about it."
"I wasn't crying over the school itself, I was crying over the money, which feels very silly but, well, as your mother, I want everything that's best for you. I want to be able to give you everything you need to succeed in life. And I feel like this is one of those things you need, something you can't get at your school now. And right now, I can't cut anything in order to give you that. We still need a place to live, food to eat, and you're growing so fast you need clothes and." Erina sighed. "But I can't afford everything we need, even though I think that this is a need."
They sat in silence for a moment and Keiichiro flipped through the brochure then gave a small gasp at something he read. He then jumped out of his mother's lap and ran to the bedroom they shared, bringing out an old jar filled with coins.
"Miyama-San gives me a hundred yen a day if I help wash the dishes at the bakery," Keiichiro said, sitting across from his mother. "And a thousand yen for helping on Saturdays and Sundays in the shop. But I don't know what I want to buy with the money, so Ohno-San gave me this old jar to put the coins in." He pushed the jar over towards his mother. "Mama, can we add this into the funds for the school? If we both work real hard and save up our money, I can take the junior high entrance exam and go to the school with the scholarship and some of our money. The brochure says I can do that, join in at junior high. So that's what I'll do."
Erina smiled softly.
"That's your money," She said. "You shouldn't have to spend it on school. You should buy candy or a toy with it."
"But this is what I want to spend my money on," Keiichiro said, looking very serious and feeling very grown-up. "I don't want a toy, or candy. I want to go to this school, and so do you. I want to go, and get good grades, and go to college and get a good job and make you happy. And I promise, Mama, I will never, ever, let you cry about money again, because it's not silly. Nothing that makes you cry is silly, and I don't want to see you cry."
But Erina did cry, moving around the table to hug her son.
"You have already made me very happy," She said. "And very proud. When did you get to be so mature and thoughtful?"
"I think I learned it from you," Keiichiro said. "Now please don't cry!"
Erina laughed and wiped away her tears.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," She said. "Alright, so let's plan this out. We only have a few years to save up, so we need to make them count. Help me see what we really need and budget it out."
"I'm good with math," Keiichiro said. "And money."
"That's good, because I'm not," Erina said. "Well, we know the rent has to be this much every month so we can't change that."
They spent the rest of the evening at the table, plotting and planning and counting.
And both hoped that it would pay off.
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The rest of the memories passed by in a blur. Helping his mother at the bakery she worked at. Her boss, Miyama-San, with his booming laugh and round belly that reminded him of Santa Claus. Ohno-San, the older lady who ran the store side of the shop, selling cookies and cakes to their customers but snuck him a cookie every day after school as he entered the bakery. Ayumi-Chan, the young woman in her twenties who worked in the back alongside Erina and Miyama-San, who Keiichiro thought was so cool because she had her short bleached blonde and had a ring in her tongue. All the other workers who would play with him or show him what they were doing or let him help mix ingredients. His artwork covered the walls and refrigerators and Ayumi, who was in art school, told him often that he'd be a world-famous artist one day and people would be begging the bakery for one of his early works.
They had all carefully supervised Keiichiro as he made his first cake by himself, for his mother's birthday. They had helped Keiichiro keep it a surprise for Erina, Miyama-San sending her and another on deliveries. They had all declared that Keiichiro had a gift for baking when the cake was finally eaten and Miyama-San jokingly offering Keiichiro a job.
But Keiichiro didn't care about that in that moment. All he cared about was the look on his mother's face when she was told that he made it all by himself, the look on her face when she took the first bite, the way she hugged him and told him that it was the best cake she had ever tasted.
That was all just a few months before she died.
He thought about that cake many times as he sat up the night before the funeral. Miyama-San sat with him, as did Ohno-San, Sensei and a few of the other bakers. He wished Ayumi-Chan had been there, because she could always make him smile. But she was in the hospital, having been the driver of the car Erina had been in. It wasn't her fault; the other car ran the red light in the intersection, and it hadn't even been his fault. A malfunction with his brakes.
To keep himself awake, Keiichiro took his mother's recipe box and all the photos he could find and put them into the two blank scrapbooks Ohno-San had brought him. One was full of plastic sleeves that the index cards easily slipped into, while the other was smaller, with paper pages that he carefully glued the photos to.
He knew why she brought him these, and why Miyama-san brought him a new sketchbook, crayons and pencils. And why they had bought him a suitcase.
They were going-away presents. He knew he was about to enter the foster care system, and that they liked that idea just as much as he did.
"The boy just lost his mother, the least that can happen is that he stay with people he knows," Miyama-San griped. "He's just a kid."
"Who was listed as the kid's guardian?" Another baker asked as he opened up his beer.
"I was," Ohno-San said quietly. "But I won't fight for that right. I can't take care of him, as much as I want to."
Keiichiro listened intently to the whispered conversation. He knew why, too. Ohno-San was starting to forget things. She was over-charging customers or giving them the wrong item. She needed Keiichiro more and more to help her, but several times called him by her son's name. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and tried to fight it. But they all knew that it wouldn't last. And so did Ohno-San.
"I was diagnosed after Erina submitted the paperwork with his school," Ohno-San continued. "She didn't have time to change it."
"Miyama-San, you and your wife applied to be his foster family?" Sensei asked softly.
"Yes, but we were denied," Miyama-San said with a frown. "I don't know why. That so-called social worker didn't give a reason."
"The reason is he's a—" One of the men ended the sentence with a word Keiichiro was forbidden to repeat.
"Language!" Chastised one of the female bakers, smacking him on the shoulder.
"But he is." The man argued.
Ohno-San glanced over at Keiichiro and sighed, realizing that he was listening in to their conversation.
"Come over here, little one," She said. Keiichiro did so and curled up next to Ohno-San, who stroked his hair. "We are all so sorry, Keiichiro. We have done everything we can so far, and will continue to try our hardest for you."
"It's okay," Keiichiro mumbled. "I just wish…"
He wished that his Mom was still alive. He wished that he could live with Miyama-San, or Ohno-San, or anyone from the bakery. He wished Ayumi-Chan was there.
But he knew he had people fighting for him, people who cared enough about him to do so. People who were happy to him every time he managed to get away, managed to walk into the bake shop. People who hugged him tightly as he cried, learning that Ohno-San had passed away in her sleep several months later. People who were just as sad as he was to learn that Ayumi-Chan quit working at the bakery and moved away, not so much as leaving a forwarding address or saying what she was going to do next. People who didn't stop fighting and getting turned down for both adopting Keiichiro and fostering him in their homes.
People he stopped seeing, feeling guilty for lying to them about the injuries from Sir's hands. Shame for the path he descended on after that.
And indescribable happiness he felt when he came to see them all one last time before leaving for America with the Shiroganes.
This was a sad memory. But it was a good memory. It reminded Keiichiro that he had family outside of his mother, that he had people who cared for him outside of Erina.
Maybe he wasn't alone after all.
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Keiichiro was only on good terms with one teacher, the science teacher, Makino-Sensei. It drove his homeroom/history teacher mad, because he couldn't get the boy to behave. But somehow, the science teacher's presence lured Keiichiro back into his seat and into silence.
Makino-Sensei was the one who noticed there was something different about Keiichiro. He knew that the boy was an orphan, but knew nothing else about the boy's past. What he did know was that he was the only male teacher that Keiichiro showed any respect to. Though he could cause trouble for the female teachers, he treated them much differently than their male co-workers. He could be polite to them and at times asked questions in the rare moments he was in the class or simply asked to be excused instead of causing a scene. And that he flinched when the male teachers got too close to him. Like they were going to hit him.
And he also knew that the boy was incredibly smart, which Keiichiro also seemed to know and often taunted the teachers because of it, for when they took their mid-year exams, he had the highest points in the entire year. Everyone was sure he cheated, and made him take all new tests in a room by himself. In the end, the results were the same.
"The brat is rarely in class, never turns in homework, hardly ever takes a test, and yet he scores the higher than his hard working peers!" One teacher whispered angrily to another as they passed Keiichiro in the hall. He was exceptionally troublesome that day.
But Makino-Sensei didn't know what to think of it until after they came back from winter break, asking to speak to Keiichiro after class.
After his classmates left, all giving backwards glances at Keiichiro and asking Makino-Sensei if they should call the police, Keiichiro slunk to the front of the room, sitting directly across from Makino-Sensei.
"Have you ever taken an IQ test, Akasaka-San?" Makino asked.
"Yeah, when I was a kid," Keiichiro responded.
"Do you know what you scored?"
"Pretty high, I guess. One forty," He said with a shrug, not looking at Makino.
"And you were offered as a child to attend a school for the extremely intelligent. But even with the offered scholarship, you couldn't afford it."
"Yes," Keiichiro said, feeling uneasy. How did he know that?
"And you believe magical creatures and monsters exist?"
Keiichiro's eyes widened and he got to his feet.
"I'm out of here," He snapped, heading for the door.
"Before I forget," Makino said as Keiichiro's hand touched the doorknob. "Ayumi says hello."
Keiichiro froze and turned back to Makino.
"Ayumi?" He whispered. Makino nodded.
"She's my girlfriend," He explained. "And when I started telling her about you, no names, she started asking a lot of questions. And from my answers, she realized I was talking about you. I understand why you act out. You're bored. You are way ahead of everyone else and they can't keep up. And I know your home life hasn't been very good, either. Ayumi asked me to do everything I can to help you."
"She did?" Keiichiro asked, surprised.
Makino nodded again.
"Ayumi… she still feels guilt about your mother's death." He said.
"It wasn't her fault," Keiichiro said. "It wasn't the other driver's fault, either."
"She was still driving. She was still the one who walked away from the accident, the only survivor. She told me that for the longest time that she wished that she wasn't, sometimes still wishes that, wishes that she could have switched places with your mother. She wants to see you succeed in life, wants to help have something good happen in your life. And we think we might have that something."
"You do?" Keiichiro asked, surprised.
"Akasaka-San, I know a man who is a brilliant scientist, but his field of study makes him unknown. He's Japanese, but his wife is American so they go back and forth between living in Japan and America. I'd like you to meet him."
"Why him?" Keiichiro asked hesitantly.
"Because he and his wife are already approved by both the Japanese and American government to be foster parents, and they will stay in Japan until the end of the school year. He's looking for a research assistant, someone bright and very good at science, especially biology. And, more importantly, he needs someone who not only believes in his field of study, but already has some prior knowledge of it."
"What's his field?" Keiichiro asked.
Makino-Sensei grinned.
"Have you ever heard of cryptozoology?" He asked.
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Makino-Sensei and Ayumi-Chan, who Keiichiro had had a tearful reunion with, sat on either side of Keiichiro on the couch of the spacious hotel lobby. They had chosen a neutral environment for the first meeting and Keiichiro had begged Makino and Ayumi to be with him.
"Gah, this feels too much like an omiai," Ayumi complained. Keiichiro smiled some, rubbing his palms on the knees of his pants. For once, he had his hair neatly pulled back, his school uniform clean and put on correctly. He was nervous, but a bit excited. He had done research on Dr. Shirogane, wanting to know something about the man, and enjoyed reading his published work.
Still, he knew some of his nervousness was for the wrong reasons.
He was terrified of meeting a new foster father. He just hoped that, like Makino-Sensei, his aversion to men would be overridden by a mutual love for science.
He still shrunk back some when he arrived, tall and dark haired and looking a bit stern. Beside him in her flowing dress, was his wife, blonde and blue-eyed and smiling. Keiichiro liked her instantly as she gave a small bow to him.
"Hello," She said, her voice soft and gentle. Her Japanese was a bit off, showing that it wasn't her first language. "I am Shirogane Emily. Please take care of me."
"And I am Shirogane Kotaro." The man said. Keiichiro wasn't sure why he left of the title of 'Doctor', but politely introduced himself in return.
Though both asked him questions, but Keiichiro spoke mostly to Emily. He had never been shy, but for some reason felt overwhelmingly so at that moment and wished he wouldn't. Kotaro asked Keiichiro no questions about science, which Keiichiro was a bit disappointed about. He had been hoping to impress the doctor with his knowledge, but no opportunity was presented.
Finally, at the end of the hour, when the meeting was coming to a close, Doctor Kotaro Shirogane asked a final question,
"Akasaka-San, do you believe in aliens?"
The question stunned Keiichiro, but only momentarily.
"Well, I believe in ghosts, and Sasquatch, and the Lake Ikeda Monster, and yokai of all sorts. So why shouldn't I also believe in aliens?" He responded.
Kotaro smiled some.
"Good to know," He said.
Emily frowned and smacked her husband's arm.
"You promised that you would not ask any work related questions." She chastised in English.
"It's a very important question to ask when getting to know a person," Keiichiro said in flawless English, surprising all the adults.
This time, Kotaro laughed.
"You're perfect. How soon do you want to move in?"
It was the first time he was asked that question. The other foster parents delayed allowing him into their homes. So Keiichiro's response was,
"Whenever you'll let me."
"Well, then, let's go get your things and go home." Emily said with a smile, standing up.
He wasn't expecting that.
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The house that was much larger than he expected. Makino-Sensei had told him that both Emily and Kotaro came from rich families, and Keiichiro later learned that neither were aware of this fact until long after they had fallen in love. Even knowing that, he was still surprised.
But what surprised him the most was the blond-haired boy who came running out to meet them, jumping into Kotaro's arms with a big smile and twinkling blue eyes that came from his mother. Keiichiro hesitated, his hand wrapping tighter around the handle of his suitcase. Makino-Sensei hadn't mentioned the boy, who was introduced to him as the Shirogane's only child, Ryou.
Ryou was five years his junior and studied him inquisitively. Keiichiro found him odd in his own observations, though this was mostly in appearance. Emily was the first white person he had ever met, and Ryou was the first half-Asian, half-white person he had ever seen. He had never considered that it was a possibility. Ryou's predominate features, such as hair and eye color, were Anglo-European, like his mother's. But his skin tone was more Asian like his father's. The shape of his eyes reminded Keiichiro of an egg: not quite round but not quite an oval. It was both confusing and interesting to Keiichiro, wondering just how the boy's DNA had sorted itself out, and in a way that the boy didn't look odd. The kid was actually a bit cute.
But Keiichiro still put up his guard. He had been in other foster families with children younger than him. They were mostly brats, who didn't like sharing space with a stranger who had suddenly come to live with them. Boys, as usual, he noted, were always worse than girls. It was the boys who pulled his hair or messed with his things or framed him for broken items. The fact that Ryou was an only child made him even more of a threat, as he had also observed them to be a bit more selfish and cruel.
He didn't expect anything less from Shirogane Ryou.
For the next few days, he tried to avoid Ryou as best he could, which was hard because Ryou followed him around constantly. Keiichiro once pretended not to notice him and slammed his bedroom door in Ryou's face, only to come out when he thought Ryou was gone only to find him sitting across the hall from his doorway.
"Why are you following me?" He demanded.
"Because you're interesting," Ryou said simply, chin resting on his knees. "Why's your hair so long?"
"Because I like it that way," Keiichiro said defensively.
"It looks cool," Ryou said. "Dad says you like science."
"I do," Keiichiro said.
"Me, too," Ryou said. "I want to be just like Dad when I grow up. What do you want to be?"
"I haven't figured it out yet," Keiichiro admitted. Then, hesitantly, he asked, "Do you believe in monsters? Like, Sasquatch and Loch Ness and stuff?"
"Yeah," Ryou said, nodding his head. "I've got tons of books on them. Wanna see?"
"Sure," Keiichiro said, then allowed himself to be dragged away by Ryou. They then spent hours together on his bedroom floor, comparing notes and discussing theories.
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He couldn't sleep. He just couldn't.
He glared at the clock, telling him that it was 1:05. It was his mother's birthday. She would have been twenty-eight years old.
He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears run out of the corners of his eye.
He did something rare and acted on a whim. He climbed out of bed and grabbed his recipe book.
He wanted to bake a cake for his mother. Maybe he could sneak away and take some to her grave later on.
He tried to make as little noise as possible. He didn't use the electric mixer, just a wooden spoon, his mother's preferred method of mixing. He tried hard not to use the microwave. He made sure that cabinets and drawers didn't slam.
But he still got caught by a confused looking Emily.
He had just finished cracking the eggs, about to take them over to the trash can when he saw her. He froze, eyes widening. A small remaining amount of egg-white hit the floor.
"I'll clean everything up right away," He promised. "I'm sorry. I'll have my things packed by morning."
"To go where?" Emily asked, confused.
"Well, I guess you want to get rid of me now."
"Oh, never. Why would you think that?"
Keiichiro looked away, feeling ashamed. He remembered how Sir tormented him over one of his favorite things, something he still loved despite the painful memories.
"Well, whatever the reason," Emily said when Keiichiro didn't respond. "You don't have to worry about it in this house. You are free to do whatever you like, whenever you like. Well, within reason, I guess. But, Keiichiro," Emily tightened the ties on her bathrobe as her held tilted to the side some with a frown. "Why are you doing this so late at night? You should be asleep."
"It is… my mom's birthday is today," Keiichiro explained. "All of the recipes in my book are hers. Were hers. And I wanted to make something for her. I was going to take some to her gravesite later on. I was going to clean up everything when I was done, and I was trying hard not to wake anyone."
"I was awake anyways. I was coming down here for a cup of tea. The jet lag is still affecting me pretty hard, I'm afraid." Emily said. She paused, then said, "Keiichiro? Will you let me help you? I understand if you want to do it yourself. But I always helped my father when he baked. He got lonely when he baked, but he loved to do it. I didn't know if it was the same with you."
Keiichiro smiled and said,
"I'd love the help. And the company."
Emily smiled and went to wash her hands.
Later that day, Emily went with Keiichiro as he placed a piece of cake in front of the grave that read "Akasaka Erina." Keiichiro carefully stuck a candle in the cake and lit it with a match. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head as he whispered,
"Happy birthday, Mom."
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Keiichiro wasn't sure what to make of Doctor Shirogane. The man stopped him from going to school the first week that he lived them, instead bringing him into his study and setting several tests in front of him. He was kind, saying that Keiichiro wasn't expected to know all the answers, to ask for help if needed, to take all the time he needed, that it was alright to leave the answers blank and that he didn't need to finish all the tests that day.
But Keiichiro finished all the tests that day, even taking a break for lunch, and left an answer for every question. Dr. Shirogane dismissed him to go do whatever he wished. Keiichiro left feeling very confused. The next morning, Dr. Shirogane brought Keiichiro into his study again.
"You're bored in school, aren't you?" He asked. "That's why you are absent from lessons often, or have outbursts?"
Keiichiro nodded, not knowing what to say. But he did feel ashamed of his past actions by the way that Dr. Shirogane described them.
"Well, I think we can fix that." He said, not unkindly. He then showed Keiichiro the tests that he had taken. He saw that he had only made five mistakes total out of them all.
"These are the tests that would cover the material you would learn the rest of the school year, and the following two years," Dr. Shirogane said. "How would you like to start looking at high school work? I'll be your teacher, and you can learn at your own pace. I'll give you tests to make sure that you understand the material, but once you grasp the concept you can move on."
Keiichiro nodded and got to work.
By the time the kids his age were finishing up their first year of junior high, he was done with high school, Dr. Shirogane teaching him and mentoring him. In that time, Keiichiro bonded with all the Shiroganes and loved them like they were his own family.
Also by this time, the Shiroganes were preparing to leave for America.
Dr. Shirogane brought Keiichiro into his study again, this time along with Emily.
"Keiichiro," He said. "I'd love for you to come to America with us. I want you to help me as a research assistant, and Emily and I will pay for you to attend university in America as well. You can study whatever you want. Heck, you can do that and not be my assistant, though I would greatly value your help and opinion when you could give it."
Keiichiro was taken aback. America? That sounded… That sounded amazing.
"So?" Emily asked. "Will you come with us?"
"Yes, please. Thank you. I'd love to." Keiichiro said.
"Well, then there's one more thing we need to ask you," Kotaro said. "The Japanese government won't let you come with us as we are not your legal guardians, only temporary as your foster parents."
"These last few months with you have been wonderful," Emily said. "And the reason we ask you to come with us to America is partly selfish in that we can't see our lives without you in it."
"What we're saying is," Kotaro said. "We want to adopt you. Officially. You can call us whatever you want, and you can keep your surname if you want, and we'll frequently be back in Japan. You don't have to say 'yes' if that's not what you want, and you don't have to decide—"
"Yes," Keiichiro said, interrupting, a big smile on his face. "I want you to adopt me. Please."
Emily smiled and threw her arms around him, kissing the top of his head. Keiichiro hugged her back, and Kotaro came and wrapped his arms around both of them and somewhere in the mix Ryou had entered the room, demanding to know why everyone was hugging and crying and laughing until they pulled him into the hug as well.
Finally, at long last, he had his family.
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Keiichiro loved being Dr. Shirogane's research assistant, though he quickly learned when to ask questions and when not to. There were frequently adults who came to talk with Dr. Shirogane who gave Keiichiro side-long glances and either spoke to him in very slow, deliberate English or would say something, not knowing that Keiichiro was fluent. Keiichiro let this go on for a while but then would very politely add in a comment or opinion in English and scare the living daylights out of that person.
He received a phenomenal education and had a biology degree within two years and didn't plan on stopping.
He had a loving family, a home, a job that he loved, and a big kitchen where he could bake as much as he liked.
Life was finally starting to look up for him.
Even if that did involve secret meetings that he wasn't allowed to attend, but Dr. Shirogane came home frustrated from. And even if it did involve archeologists bringing strange relics to the cryptozoologist.
And even when the fossilized creature was brought into the lab in the Shirogane manor.
Even when Doctor Kotaro Shirogane said to him, very seriously upon him asking what kind of creature it was,
"We believe it is an alien life form."
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Out of habit, Keiichiro packed the things that were very important to him. He always did. His book with his mother's recipes, the photo album, his jar full of Japanese coins and a few other odds and ends that he had particular emotional attachment to.
Ryou watched, his short legs swinging from where he sat on the edge of Keiichiro's bed.
"We'll only be gone for a week," He pointed out.
The entire family was going to a cryptozoology conference in a city a few hours away. Dr. Shirogane was going to make a presentation that week, but due to another commitment would have to travel back home a bit early on the last day of the conference. Keiichiro and Ryou had wanted to hear a particular speaker on that day so, after a lot of pleading, Kotaro and Emily agreed that the boys could stay a bit longer. Emily would go back with Kotaro, but Keiichiro—who had his driver's license—would drive himself and Ryou back after the presentation.
"Ryou," Keiichiro said, pausing in putting a shirt in his bag. "I'm not really used to coming back home yet. I'm more used to being homesick and lonely, and so I bring these with me so that I'm not."
Ryou nodded some, seeming to understand.
"You bring what's special to you," He said.
"Exactly," Keiichiro said with a smile as he turned to look at Ryou over his shoulder. "Plus, who knows? Maybe an emergency will arise where an amazing cake needs to be made."
Ryou laughed at that.
The conference went well. Ryou and Keiichiro were the youngest ones there but that didn't stop them from asking lots of questions that made the adults' heads turn. Dr. Shirogane's presentation went well. The family went out a bit and explored the city as well. Emily seemed to be always taking pictures, and finally a young woman asked if she could take a picture of all four of them together. Emily agreed enthusiastically.
They were all smiles in that picture.
Keiichiro wished they had known it would be the last one taken of them.
He wished he would have known that the hugs that Kotaro and Emily gave him and Ryou would be the last.
Emily stood on her toes to give Keiichiro a kiss on the cheek, then bent her knees to do the same to Ryou, who blushed and protested weakly, but smiled when she ruffled his hair.
"I know this goes without saying, but watch out for each other," Emily said. "And stay safe. And Keiichiro, if you feel tired or that it's too dark, pull over and call us, okay?"
They both agreed.
Emily smiled and sighed some. She had left the two alone in a car before, but that wasn't for a several hour ride and it was always within fifteen miles of home. Keiichiro understood that her worries had nothing to do with his driving. She just fretted about both her boys in general.
"I love you," She told both of them, giving them last hugs good-bye.
"Have fun, boys," Kotaro said, giving each boy a hug as well. "We'll see you home, soon."
They didn't.
Instead, Keiichiro held onto a struggling Ryou, desperate to get inside the burning house where his parents were. He held the boy's hand through the entire funeral, through the reading of the will that surprisingly declared Keiichiro Ryou's guardian, and through Ryou's declaration that they were going to recreate and finish Doctor Kotaro Shirogane's last project: the Mew Project.
Later, going through Emily's car, did he find her camera as well as her laptop and both Shiroganes' luggage.
Dr. Shirogane needed his laptop. Emily must have just brought in her purse. They'd go back for the rest later, he realized.
He turned on the camera, going to the album to flip through the photos from just that week. Emily religiously backed-up her photos on her laptop, and made back-ups of those as well. He was glad for that. He knew how much the photos of his mother meant to him. Ryou was going to need these. He stopped clicking when the photo came up, the one of the four of them. The last one.
He had that one printed and in Ryou's hands by the end of the day, then held him as he cried.
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He felt like he was floating in space. It was all dark, but there were beautiful, wonderful snippets that flew past his eyes.
Deciding to build Café Mew Mew as their headquarters, where Keiichiro would bake cakes for whoever wandered in. Ryou teasing him playfully about being in heaven as he picked out everything for the kitchen of his dreams. The thrill of dumping the jar of coins out on the table and counting it with Ryou and adding that money into the Project Mew Mew fund.
The day Ichigo came stumbling into his life, still in her Mew form and unsure of everything that was going on. The bright smiles that would come from her and the calm she brought to the Café on its worst days.
The day Mint strutted into the Café and haughtily introduced herself. She then told him off that they didn't have enough types of tea, and helped him make matches for teas and sweets.
Shy Lettuce with her small smile as she tripped over her feet in coming over to meet him. Her kind smile and sweetness, her love and patience that was so desperately needed.
Pudding who surprised him by leaping onto him without even being introduced, babbling away excitedly about being a monkey and her circus tricks. How she—like the other Mews—became a little sister to him, whom he protected and loved, who he worked to protect from behind the scenes.
Calm and quiet Zakuro, whom he found to be a good listener and an even better advice giver. They could talk easily and she was one of his closest friends.
Masaya, who had been a bit awkward in his own skin when they first met. Keiichiro then watched as Masaya became to be more true to himself, his own person instead of what everyone else wanted him to be. He knew that was a hard transition and he was happy to know the young man who emerged from that transition.
Pie, Kisshu and Taruto, enemies turned friends. People he knew he could trust unconditionally.
Homare, Shinji and Jade, who shared his goal of protecting the fighters as best they could as well as everyone else. They worked amazingly well together and Keiichiro was happy to have his own team.
Rirī and Rōzu, more sisters to him. He had gone from being an orphan to having a huge family, almost overnight it felt like.
And Rin.
Rin, who was everything to him.
Rin, the woman he loved.
Rin, who was the light in the dark, wrapping her arms around him, spreading her warmth and love.
Rin, who pressed her lips to his forehead.
"Keiichiro," She whispered. She then rested her forehead against his, her hand brushing over his cheek. She his name again, "Keiichiro."
Keiichiro wrapped his arms around her, feeling her light melt into him, freeing him. In his ear, Rin whispered,
"It's time to wake up now."
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And he woke.
The sun was out. Birds were singing. He was warm, tucked under blankets and something soft pressed against his side. He turned his head and smiled at seeing Rin, curled up beside him, sound asleep, his arm around her. Gently, he ran a hand over her curls, making her rub her face against his chest. He then began to rub her back and he watched as her eyes squeezed tight before opening slowly. Then, they widened.
"Keiichiro?" She whispered. "You're awake?"
"I can't be awake," He said, giving her a small smile. "There's a beautiful woman lying in my bed beside me. Has to be a dream."
"Keiichiro!" Rin breathed, taking his face in her hands and bringing her lips to his. She kissed him, deeply and passionately. He kissed her back as well. He missed her. He loved her.
Kami, did he love her.
The kiss broke off and Rin laid on top of him, crying softly against him.
"I thought I lost you," She said, so quiet he almost missed it.
"I'm sorry," He said, not sure what else to say.
"Don't be. Just… Just kiss me again."
And he did.
After that kiss, they just laid still, Rin in Keiichiro's arms.
"I should go tell the others you're awake," She said. "They've been just as worried."
"Wait just a minute," Keiichiro said, holding her tighter so she couldn't get up. "I want this moment with you and you alone. I have a feeling we won't get that when the others are here."
Rin couldn't disagree and didn't object.
They were very quiet, both with a lot of things to say, but neither knowing what to say.
Finally, shyly, Rin worked up the courage to speak.
"Keiichiro," She said quietly, moving her head so that she could look at his face. "Ryou and I… We went to see your father."
Keiichiro only sighed at that. Rin felt guilt, that she had upset him, that she had let him down.
"I'm sorry, but we wouldn't have if—"
"I don't care. Just please tell me neither of you gave him any money."
Rin blinked.
"What?" She said, voice weak.
"You didn't, right?" Keiichiro asked, biting his lip some.
"No. He… He never even asked. Why?"
"Because I'm assuming he fed you two the same sob story he did to me five years ago when he showed up the last time," Keiichiro said, running a hand through Rin's hair. "Ryou doesn't know about it. Because at the time I thought it was too good to be true. And it was.
"I wanted to believe him. But I couldn't. There was something telling me not to trust him. And, I was right. I looked into his entire story. Yes, my Mom did kick him out. She told me that when I was old enough. And he did serve jail time. Found the record of that too. But he didn't clean up his act. He did want to get back together with my mother, but she wouldn't let him. And Social Services wouldn't let him near me because of the protection order my mother filed against him."
"Protection order?" Rin repeated, suddenly feeling sick.
"All of my mother's co-workers testified in court on her behalf. She had been working with them before he left, and had seen the bruises he left her with. And he'd come terrorize her at work, demanding money and threatening her, trying to use me as leverage. Once he started showing up at my school and leaving notes on our door, she filed for the order. I didn't know about any of it until he came back. He's not a changed man, like he tried to convince me. He came to me saying that he was sick and could barely afford treatment and food, that he needed money. And I almost believed him. I wanted to believe him. But he's just the same junkie con-artist he was when my mother made him leave. I still don't know how she did it, but I'm glad she did."
"Oh, Keiichiro," Rin breathed, eyes filling with tears. "I'm so sorry."
She wasn't quite sure if she was apologizing for going to see Keiichiro's father, or for Keiichiro himself.
"Don't be," Keiichiro said. "Don't be sorry. And don't pity him, either. He has done nothing to deserve it."
"Well, he did do one thing," Rin said.
She explained about the two Chimeras, and how the one she made with her siblings required his father.
"Thank you," Keiichiro said, hugging her. "For everything."
"Keiichiro, I would do anything for you," Rin said. "We all would."
"You did more than you know," Keiichiro said. "You told me to wake up."
"I did?" Rin asked, surprised.
"You did. In my dream, I saw you, and you told me to wake up. And so I did." He said, entwining her fingers with his. "So thank you. For being the light of my life. And know that I love you, forever and always."
"I love you, too," Rin said, smiling at him with tears in her eyes.
They didn't get a chance to kiss again. Before they could, Rōzu carefully opened up the bedroom door, peeking in. She gasped and cried out, "KEIICHIRO ONII-CHAN!" which sent everyone upstairs to see Rōzu hugging tightly hugging Keiichiro as Rin laughed. As Keiichiro received more hugs and kisses, Ryou got Rin's attention, bringing her over to speak. He looked grim.
"He's gone," He said, sounding disappointed. "The receptionist said that she didn't know where he went. But he's gone. We promised him that we'd—"
"Ryou," Rin said softly with a small smile. "Don't worry. If he really wants to see Keiichiro again, he knows where to find him."
She glanced over at Keiichiro as Kish carefully extracted the victorious Chimera from a vein in Keiichiro's outstretched arm.
"And he might. Or he might not. But that's not something for us to worry about. All we have to worry about is Keiichiro." She grinned at Ryou. "And we both know that is exhausting."
Ryou grinned as he and Rin went over to the celebration.
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Mylo didn't look up.
"What do you want?" He demanded.
"I know what you did. Stay away from Bell and Pepper."
Mylo looked up at the furious Jalapeno, who had a stance like he was ready to fight.
"I don't know what you're talking about," He said smoothly.
"Yes, you do, Mylo." Jalapeno growled. "And I mean it. Do not use my sisters to do your dirty work."
"And just what do you think I did? Suggest that they set their Class 6 Chimera Animal prototype on the human who falsely believes he is good enough for Rin, and has tricked her to believe so?" Mylo asked innocently.
"I think you did much more than that. I said it once, and I will say it again, but no more: stay away from my sisters." Jalapeno said, lips pursed.
With that, he teleported out of Mylo's lab, leaving the white-haired young man in silence. As Mylo turned back to his own project, he decided to heed Jalapeno's order.
Jalapeno Capsicum did not like to waste words. So it was important that you listened when he did.
