New Life

The streets were bustling and full of people going about their day in the small city. A young middle-schooler, with long hair the vibrant color of roses, was headed home. He watched the commonplace scenes of civilization around him with a measure of relief and gratitude.

He walked with relaxed strides down the street, taking in the sights and sounds. It had been a long day at school, but that was child's play compared to the ordeal he and his companions had to deal with just a week before, with everything around him having been at stake- people's homes, their families, and their very lives. It was good to have an ordinary, normal day.

As he reached the corner, a crowd was gathering at the pedestrian lane, ready to cross as soon as the light turned green. As he joined the people, he began to feel as though someone were staring at him. He couldn't help but feel a bit tense, seeing as this could spell trouble for not only him but the civilians around him, but he also reminded himself that this could simply be someone staring at him with no malicious intent, such as a schoolmate or a neighbor.

"Well would you look at that."

A female voice, one belonging to someone who might be his own age, stood out amongst the multitude of other voices and sounds in the crowd. He couldn't tell if it was because the voice was loud, or because of a special ability, but he knew instinctively that this voice was addressing him.

He became alert of the presence that was somewhere to his left, and calmly turned his head to face this possible threat.

Nearby was a girl with jet-black hair tied up in a ponytail and wearing another school's uniform, who was looking right at him and smiling. Without missing a beat, she approached him and stood right next to him.

"Hey there."

He regarded her carefully. She seemed like any other girl, with small, mousey features and a short stature. He was even sure he'd seen that uniform at a nearby district. Even when he checked her spirit energy, she didn't seem to be hiding any notable power.

But then again, that was the same case for him.

"Who are you?"

She chuckled a bit. "You don't have to be so tense. I really just wanted to have a chat with you and catch up." She gave him a small smile.

He looked away for a moment, noticing that the pedestrian light was about to turn green. "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you. You must have me mistaken for someone else."

"Well, it's true that you might not recognize me, even if I reveal my identity, but I definitely know who you are… Kurama."

The young man started upon hearing his name, the name that no one called him save for those who knew who, or what, he really was.

"What do you want from me?" he said with a level voice.

"Like I said before, all I want to do is have a chat. I promise I'm not here to cause trouble. In fact, there's a café right over there where we could talk."

The cars halted on the street as the light switched colors and pedestrians began filing down the white striped strip of road. The crowd whittled away and the two teenagers were left behind as Kurama thought over his decision.

"…Alright, lead the way."

The girl nodded and walked to the nearby White Lily Café, with Kurama following suit. A small bell signaled their entrance, and they made their way to the two-person table towards the very back of the establishment.

As they sat face-to-face, the girl gave him another disarming smile. "Don't worry, it'll be my treat today."

After a woman took their orders of cake and tea, with Kurama giving his usual serene smile to the waitress. After the items were served, his friendly expression faded, and he eyed the girl gravely.

"Kurama, please, you don't have to be so intimidating."

He sat back, arms folded. "I can't exactly relax until I know what your intentions are."

To that, the girl suddenly chuckled. "I guess you're right. But I've never seen you so on-edge before."

"In fact," she continued, "this whole situation is pretty surprising, especially when it comes to you."

"Well, let me quit with the whole mystery act. For starters, my name is Harai Mayuri, but you'd probably remember me as Irome."

"…Irome?" It took a moment before the realization hit Kurama.

"You don't mean- you're Irome, the demon cat?"

She nodded with a grin. "Yup, that's right! And it's surprisingly nice to see you again, leader. Or should I say, former leader."

He stared at her, a bit incredulous. "But how? You seem like a normal human being."

"I could say the same about you, since you lost your life in that heist centuries ago."

Kurama reached for the cup of tea that had cooled over their conversation, and took a sip. "It was a dire situation. As I was on the brink of death, I imbued my soul into the body of an unborn child, and now I live as Minamino Shuichi. That was the only choice I had at the time, and it was simply a way for me to survive."

"Oh, so that's how it happened! Interesting." She took a fork and popped some cake into her mouth.

"And what of you, Irome? Or do you prefer Mayuri?"

"Irome is fine, Kurama. And well, you see… I'm not actually a human."

"Not human?" Kurama said with surprise.

"I'm using my transformation abilities to look human." Irome then held out her hand, showing off the white and black ring on her right pinky finger. "This ring is what's suppressing my spirit energy. It's convenient that I keep it on while I'm in this realm."

"That's quite a rare item."

"Don't worry, it's a gift from the people in Spirit world. I've been working with them for a while now. And I didn't steal it if that's what you're thinking." She winked knowingly at him.

The boy smiled. "I wouldn't accuse you of all people of such a thing. Even back then, you were frustratingly virtuous for a demon."

"I wouldn't say that. But speaking of virtuous, I've heard a lot about what you've been up to lately. It's the talk of everyone from Spirit world. About how you teamed up with the spirit detective to fight with the Saint Beasts, and how you defeated Genbu yourself. It's true, isn't it?"

Kurama took another sip from his tea. "I see word spreads quickly. I'm just glad that we were able to stop them before the Makai insects could do any damage to the people of this world."

To this, Irome laughed, prompting a confused expression from Kurama.

"Sorry, Kurama. It's just that… Well, it really is surprising, this whole thing. Back in the day, you were renowned for your skills as a thief. Honestly, you were ruthless. I never would have imagined you to develop a soft spot for humans like this."

"Ah, well…" Kurama put the cup down and stared into its contents absentmindedly as thoughts of his mother came at the forefront of his mind. "You would probably find this even more surprising, but I've grown quite fond of my birthmother. It was because of her that I decided to stay in this form and live out my life as a human. I've come to terms with it, and it's been enjoyable."

Irome let out a hum of pleased disbelief. "Well I'll be. You really have changed."

"Perhaps it's because my soul has bonded with this boy's soul. We exist as one now, as the person called Minamino Shuichi."

"Hmm… well regardless, I'm glad you've managed to find a measure of peace. And," she bowed her head at him, "I'm incredibly grateful that you helped stop the Sacred Beasts. If you hadn't, I'm sure my family would have succumbed to the insects."

"Your family?"

"Ah" Irome looked away, looking embarrassed. "About that. If I recall, I did tell you about how I used to be a cat for a human family before I transformed into a demon, right? Well, I met the descendants of that family, and I protected them when the Makai insects were trying to control people. Now, they've sort of… adopted me?"

Kurama had a brief pause before stifling his laughter.

Irome started to turn red with embarrassment. "What's so funny, Kurama?"

"I apologize. It's just that… A human family adopting a demon? Well, I don't think that's the most unbelievable thing I've ever heard."

Irome crossed her arms, "Eh? If you think about it, my story is a bit more believable than yours."

"Hm, I don't think I can argue with that." Kurama decided to take a bite of the cake slice in front of him, appreciating its sweetness. "You've always been fond of humans, after all."

"True." She gave him a smile. "I find them fascinating. It helps that I had such a good relationship with them all those years ago, and I'm happy I get to live among them again."

The two of them let a comfortable silence settle after Irome's statement as they both consumed their café orders, with both privately reflecting on their thoughts and letting the time roll by.

Eventually, they finished their sweets and tea. Kurama looked at his watch and decided to pick up his things.

"It's about time I head back home. My mother is probably wondering where I am."

Irome nodded and stood up. "You wouldn't be against me walking you home, would you?"

Kurama jokingly raised an eyebrow, standing as well. "Aren't the roles supposed to be reversed?"

"Don't worry about that kind of stuff." She waved her hand dismissively.

"Well, I'd be honored if you would."

"All right! Lead the way, Kurama."

When they walked back out into the street, they found the sun's light was dimming in the sky, but it wasn't quite setting yet. They spoke a bit about what they saw, especially the peaceful civilian life, and recounted some experiences from their past in Demon world.

It didn't take too long for them to reach Kurama's apartment building, and the sky's hue was turning a dusky orange . When they hadn't quite reached it yet, they saw a woman standing out in the hallway on the third floor who waved at the sight of the red-haired boy.

Kurama waved back. "I hope she wasn't too worried about me."

"I don't think so. She was probably just excited to see you come home."

The boy closed his eyes with a peaceful smile. "If that's true, then I feel the same way."

They reached the compound's entrance, and Kurama turned to face Irome.

"Thank you for accompanying me all the way here."

"No need for thanks, it was my pleasure."

"I'm sure my mother would want to invite you in for dinner."

"I'm grateful, but as you know, I've got my own dinner to attend." She winked playfully.

Kurama gave her a small bow. "Well then, be careful."

As he was about to turn around, Irome said, "Wait Kurama. I… want to thank you for taking time to talk with me."

He shot her a puzzled look, then smiled. "It's true I was a little suspicious at first, but it ended up being enjoyable to catch up with you."

"… Would it be okay if we could talk again some other time?" She said this quietly, and her cheeks tinged as she looked up and away at the sky.

Kurama paused a bit as he watched her expression. He then smiled and nodded. "Yes, I wouldn't mind at all."

"R-Really?" She caught herself and cleared her throat. "Well, I'll be seeing you then."

She put out her hand, and he shook it.

"All right. Take care, Irome."

"Goodbye, Kurama."

The girl turned around and walked away with a spring in her step, and Kurama watched her go before starting his way up the stairs.

"Mom, I'm home."

"Shuichi dear, welcome home."