Japan

One month later

'How the hell did I get myself into this?' Tinco thought. She was on a date, and nervous as hell. It was irritating. She had never felt like this before. The squirrel she ate before Kurama had come to pick her up was threatening to come back with a vengeance, but she couldn't be having a better time. She felt like a weird reincarnation of Cinderella. Kurama had taken her to her first carnival. She had had ice cream, cotton candy, a candy apple, and a corndog. The rides were great and Kurama had won her a big tiger doll. They were walking home now. 'And all this from the girl who had said that love was a waist of time.' In the two months that she had known Kurama she had started to like him more and more.

"Here," he handed her the tiger at the door to her house.

"Thanks. I had a great time," she said, and before she could think about it she kissed him on the cheek. He looked surprised for a second then he smiled.

"Good night." He said.

"Good night." Tinco went into the house. She went up to her room and closed the door. 'I can't believe I did that!' she thought. She had been as surprised as he was after her show of affection.

"You never told us how your date went last night," Kiki said at breakfast the next morning. Tinco had just gotten back from hunting. Moji, Koji, and Kiki had jumped her when she came back. Moji had been very touched that Kurama had won the tiger for her. Koji had been introduced to ice cream before and had become addicted to the stuff. Kiki was more interested in if she had gotten a kiss at the end of the night. Tinco blushed and told her no. "Did he try to kiss you?"

"No."

"That sucks."

"It was only her first date," Koji pointed out.

"There's always next time," Moji said.

"I'm outta here." Tinco said. She walked to school by herself. She got there early and walked through the halls. There was a girl in the hallway. She had black hair and she gave Tinco a feeling of unease. Something wasn't right about her. 'Her,' Tinco thought.

Tinco opened a psychic link with Koji, Moji, and Kiki. 'Meet me back the clearing now. She's back.'