The following day, Shun was let out early from school. It was an early dismissal day, and classes ended at 12:30. Kouya only had morning classes. After his class ended, he got a phone call from asking if he wanted to meet with Shun and himself at the Starbucks at Wayne State.

The coffeeshop was located in Ghafari Hall at Wayne State. Starbucks was fairly expensive, but in any case Kouya was a persona non grata at the Tim Horton's for reasons out of his control, and he had hard feelings towards the place anyway. Starbucks it was.

"This is a nice campus," Ryo exclaimed, "isn't it?" as the father and son walked through the dining hall, past the chatter of mature-looking, determined, fashionable college students. They stopped upon seeing Kouya fishing for dollars in his pocket, standing in line.

"There he is!" Shun cried.

"Hello, Mr. Kodori," Kouya greeted as he made a bow. To Shun, he greeted, "How are you, buddy?"

"I'm doing fine," Shun said as he approached Kouya. The wolf-boy was well-composed and he had a soft smile. However he still was not quite himself. Himself would be Shun swishing his tail around, looking giddy with his rosy cheeks being prominent. He would be crying "funyuu". But he seemed to be closer and closer to that state of mind.

"Thank you for helping my son," Ryo warmly greeted as he stood next to his son. "I think you'd make a great boyfriend for him. Yukie and I think this will be good for Shun."

"No, thank you, sir," Kouya responded meekly.

"Look, I'll pay," Ryo offered.

"But Mr. Kodori-"

"I'm paying," the businessman insisted. "It was early dismissal so Shun got out at 12:30 today."

"Where's Mrs. Kodori?" Kouya asked.

"I dropped her off at a meeting of the Japanese housewives on our block. Many of them don't speak English well, as you know, so many of them are fairly lonely. I'm going to introduce them to the American wives at the upcoming PTA meeting." Ryo was referring to the parent-teacher association at Shun's high school.

"That sounds cool!" Kouya cried.

After ordering their coffees, Kouya suggested that they sit at Fountain Court. It was such a beautiful day, with the rays of the sun making everything bright. The verdant green grass looked fresh. On that grass, Shun sat between Kouya and his father, and he had a Frappucino as Kouya and Ryo had black coffees.

"So, here are the guidelines for this relationship," Ryo started. Both lovers nodded their heads. "Shun's first priority of course is schoolwork. Of course, you have helped him when he has had trouble with his classes." Kouya nodded. "That is part of why I'm behind this relationship. However I also don't want him to be isolated from his friends. He needs to see his friends maybe as often as he sees you."

"I understand," Kouya said. "I knew somebody in high school who spent all her time with a boyfriend and so she was really crushed when he broke up." Shun's eyes lowered and he seemed disturbed by the possibility of a breakup. He didn't want to even think of it, but he knew his father and Kouya were right.

"Anyway, you can spend time together on weekends. Aotsuki-san, you are welcome to have dinner at our house on Sundays."

"Thank you," Kouya said. "I mean… My bandmates are often tired after our performances and they often have to get work done. So I really appreciate it."

"I understand," Ryo said. "Also, Shun is welcome to stay in your house and you are welcome to stay at our house."

"That's cool!" Shun cried. "That means that Kouya-san and I can hang out just by ourselves." He purred as he swiped a longing glance at his boyfriend.

"This brings me to the final part," Ryo announced with a bit of formality creeping into his voice.

"Final part?" Kouya asked as he blinked.

"So… this may be a bit embarrassing," Ryo cautioned. It caused both the husky dog-man and the wolf-boy to perk up. "Thankfully we are speaking in Japanese, so nobody else can hear us, right?"

"I don't know anybody who speaks Japanese here," Kouya grinned uneasily, knowing what was coming next.

"It'll be good to make sure," Ryo grinned. Kouya cocked his head to see if anyone looked like they would know.

"Nope, nobody," Kouya answered.

In a low, solemn whisper, Ryo asked, "Have you two thought about how you would approach sex?"

"D-Dad!" Shun cried as he began to blush.

"I'm serious." To both of them, he said, "I understand that people at Shun's school are doing that sort of thing. I looked up the laws in Michigan and found that sixteen is the legal age here. As you know, Shun is sixteen. With my wife, I didn't start until after I married her, but I know things are different now." To his son, he asked, "I think at this point you are mature enough for this. You understand that there can be consequences from sex, right?"

As he was thinking about the woman at Kouya's apartment who had a child at 15, Shun answered with determination, "Yes, Dad."

"I want you to be careful. Take it slow and to stay only to one partner. Okay?" Ryo ordered.

Again, Shun said, "Yes, Dad."

Turning to the 19-year old college student, Ryo said, "Aotsuki-san…"

"Yes, Mr. Kodori," Kouya replied.

"What I said to Shun also applies to you." The dog-man nodded. "Also, have you had any STDs?" Ryo softly asked.

"I have not, sir. I get HIV tests regularly, and they always come back negative. I'll send you my reports."

"Good. If you ever get a positive result, stop activity with my son, okay?" The husky dog-man nodded. "When you start activity, Shun, you're going to begin getting tested." Ryo returned his attention to Kouya. "Furthermore, you are the older party so I want you to be responsible. If there is something he doesn't want to do, don't do it. If it is hurting him, stop. If you or him, either one, gets drunk or high or otherwise inebriated, you should not do anything together."

"I don't do drugs, Dad!" Shun cried.

"You never know what happens. I heard from Nakamura-kun that his son went to a party and ate brownies. He didn't know there was marijuana in them. Nakamura-kun had to pick him up. It would not be consent for someone to have sex with someone intoxicated on drugs. Do you understand why I have this concern?" Shun nodded. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Dad, thank you," Shun cried before making a bow.

"I think that covers it. Do you want to spend the rest of the day with Aotsuki-san, Shun?"

With a wide smile, Shun got up and said, "Yes, Daddy!"

"I'll leave you two be," Ryo smiled as he got up. "Shun, I'll pick you up at 8 o'clock!"

"What's the big surprise, kiddo?" a muscular horse-man asked. Rob got out of work early and invited the gang to his house in Hamtramck for a jam session. While J's apartment was very upscale hipsterish, Rob had paint splashes on canvas that passed for abstract art hanging on his living room wall. The pink cloth couches and chairs were second-hand from used furniture shops in Detroit. An abstract wooden table, cheaply bought in the city, stood in the center of the room. On top was a bowl of pine nut hummus and a bowl of pita chips, all enjoyed by the group of friends. The house was down to earth but stylish in its own way.

Rob stood in front of Shun. Kouya stood at Shun's side with a poker face. J, who knew what was going on, sat in a chair behind Rob. June, who had no clue, sat on a couch next to Farah, Rob's wife.

"I've got a boyfriend!" Shun announced, hands behind his back, making a wide grin cheek to cheek. He had a little secret he was going to tell.

"Congratulations!" Rob cried. "You must be a lucky guy!" He bellowed out a congratulatory laugh that brought out joy in others. Then with a questioning look, his tone shifted and the horse-man asked, "Who is it, anyway?"

"Guess," Shun answered. The wolf-boy's smile was straining, and his expression seemed to indicate a giggle. His old self was coming back, and this made Kouya happy.

"Hmm," Rob cried. His lips pursed and his eyes looked to the ceiling. "Could it be… someone in your math class?"

"No."

"Your… history class!" Kouya looked like he was going to giggle, but J remained stoic.

"No," Shun repeated.

"Do you know who it is, Kouya?" Rob asked, obviously stumped. "You of all people would know."

"Maaaybe," answered Kouya, who tried hard to hide his glee at the fact that Rob couldn't guess.

"Is it not someone at your school?" Farah asked, her Lebanese accent obvious.

"He does not go to my school," Shun answered. Rob, June, and Farah looked at each other, really puzzled.

"You don't seem surprised that we couldn't figure it out," Rob muttered to J.

"I guess I'm not," he cooly answered.

"Yeah, you went with Kouya the day he had that talk with Shun's family," Rob started. "He said that there was some argument but he never said what it was about," he said, confused by the missing piece of the puzzle. Then he stopped and his mouth let out a gasp. Something clicked in the horse-man's brain. "It's… you?" Rob asked as he pointed his finger at the husky dog-man bandmate.

"Yes, folks, I am Shun's boyfriend," Kouya answered. Shun giggled upon seeing Rob's pupils widen in shock.

"Ah! You must be a Scott Pilgrim, aren't you!" he cheered.

"Scott Pilgrim?" Shun asked.

"Stop it!" Kouya cried, not answering Shun's question. It was a reference to the main character of Scott Pilgrim, a 23-year old who dates a high school girl at first.

"Admit it!" Rob sneered as he clenched his arms into fists and shoved his face into Kouya's, "You told me you wanted a thin, young twink, so you must have gotten your wish! You wanted fresh meat!" obviously busting Kouya's balls.

"STOP IT!" Kouya roared.

"Honestly, I wouldn't wanna date a high schooler," J sighed. "But I can tell you two love each other, so it's your call," he finished with a smile.

"Shun, is he your first boyfriend?" Farah asked, happy that the high schooler had found someone.

"Yes, he is my first," Shun answered.

"Are you sure you should be doing this?" June asked in a serious, interrogating tone.

"Why not?" Shun asked, confused.

"I'm not talking to you," she told the wolf-boy softly. She then roared, "I'm talking to him!" as she pointed an angry finger at Kouya.

"Whoa!" Kouya cried, holding his hands in a defensive posture.

June cried, "I don't want to see you use someone who isn't experienced in these matters!" After she cleared her voice, she crossed her arms and started telling a story. "When I was a freshman in high school there was a guy older than me, a senior, who I dated."

"You mean Troy?" J asked.

"Yeah, him. He went to my high school in Warren. I told you about him, didn't I, Kouya?"

"No," he answered.

"I guess you only told J," Rob said.

"I felt like a million dollars when he asked me out. He was so cute and charming. But I saw him behind my family's back. I never told them about him." Everyone focused on June as she told her story. "He always told me 'I love you' before he asked me to kiss him. Then he said that before he asked me to let him feel me up. I didn't exactly feel ready but I did it because I thought that if I let him do that to me, he would continue loving me. But it never got beyond that point."

"What happened?" Kouya asked.

"Then one day he called me on the phone saying he was dumping me for a senior. He had been seeing her for two weeks before he called me." That made Rob gasp. "He told me that he didn't love me at all and what he did with me was just amusement. I meant nothing to him!" She wasn't crying. She seemed strangely happy. She finished, "When I think about it I'm glad he dumped me. He made me sick." The bitterness was evident in her words. "I don't want to see anyone do that to a young, naïve boy like him!"

Shun cried, "I know Kouya loves me! Don't you remember, at the house?"

"Yes," June said.

"If I meant nothing to him, would he have made the effort to see me then?" Shun asked. "Would he have tried to get my family's approval the next time?"

June asked, "He asked your family?"

Kouya nodded and said, "I asked both his mother and father directly for their permission. The grandfather argued with them, but in the end they agreed." June perked up. "I'm sorry to hear you went through that, and you are right that Troy was a complete dick. But I'm not him. I'm not here to use Shun."

"I'll make sure you uphold that promise," June said in her a solemn voice.

"Why don't we go on to practice?" Rob said with his friendly voice. "I heard we're gonna do something different this time!"

"We can all sing!" J cried. "I know June sometimes does vocals too but I thought it would be fun if we all did vocals."

"Maybe throw someone new in as well," Farah suggested. "It's too bad it can't be me! I can't sing!"

"If only we had someone with the same voice frequency as June," J sighed. "We can't have it be too unbalanced. Kouya, Rob and I have deep voices." Rob Stall took a moment to think, filing through friends and family who could be a candidate. Then something snapped and he turned to Shun.

With his hands on his hips, Rob asked, "Can you try singing for me, Shun?"

"M-me?" Shun asked.

"Yeah! I like it when we have June and J do the vocals, and I play the drums while she does the bass," Rob said.

"She really is a good bass player," Kouya cut in.

"So… do this," Rob instructed. As he held his index finger like a wand, he swished it around as he sang, "DO-RE-MI-FA-SO-LA-TI-DO!"

On command, as Rob repeated the finger swish but without the voice…

"Do-re-mi"… The audience had a poker face. Shun's singing voice had a higher pitch than his normal voice. "fa-so-la-ti-dooo!" the wolf-boy finished.

Farah and June looked at each other. J began to clap, and so did everyone else in the room.

"Are you sure you didn't sign up for the choir this year? Because that was a nice voice!" Rob cried.

"Really?" Shun asked with a smile, surprised by the outcome.

Kouya explained, "Your voice is unusually high-pitched for a male your age, so it will nicely complement June."

"You have a higher pitch than I do," the cat-woman remarked, half-serious.

"So, here is what we came up with," Rob explained as he reached for a stack of papers on the counter. Everyone got up from where they were and took a peek at the papers.

In the late afternoon, after the jam session was over the gang hopped into Rob's Bronco and headed over to a party store in Dearborn. While there was a costume shop in Detroit, it only had actual band-style performance outfits. Halloween was coming up, so Rob wanted to do a Halloween-themed performance with costumes and everything. Dearborn or bust.

As the signage of Dearborn's businesses came into view, with the mesmerizing swirl of Arabic letters on the signs and storefront, Rob announced, "This is where I met Farah, at her father's main restaurant."

"The way to a loved one's stomach is food, no?" Farah chimed. The storefronts outside, the cafes, restaurants, and bookstores, were full of passerbyers, some in Muslim garb.

"Have we agreed to a costume theme?" J cut in. Rob's face fell and he began to panic.

"CRAP!" he cried. "I totally forgot!"

"Focus on the driving!" J cried. After Rob got a hold of himself… "Well, we could be.. space aliens?" J asked.

"Ninjas?" Farah asked.

"Neither fit the songs," June cut in. "J, you wrote songs about personal strength, remember?"

J asked, "I wonder if…"

"Superheroes?" Kouya said.

Rob took a quick glance at Kouya before returning his attention to the street in front of him.

"N-not bad!" Rob cried. "You saved my ass, didn't you?"