I woke up the next day and this fic already broke my personal record. Seriously, that's insane. Thank you, thank you very much for the follows and likes and reviews! It's hard to believe nobody has actually attempted this kind of story before.

Update July 2020: bad grammer fixeded

Everyday Life with Supernatural Girls

Chapter I

||A Humble Beginning||

Having sported his faithful plain red jumper to fend off the icy bites of the wintery morning, Hyoudou Issei exited his bedroom with an invigorated self. How was he invigorated so early in the morning? No, it's not because Christmas was a month away. Normally, he wouldn't be bothering with Christmas as that was the day all single guys like him dreaded the most next to Valentine's Day, but this time, he was looking forward for it.

Still, that wasn't the case this time.

His mother was a morning person, and Issei had successfully inherited her trait. But even then, that was not it.

Because he could have home-cooked breakfast. And no ordinary breakfast either, mind you. A homemade breakfast lovingly made by a lovely young maiden.

Maybe 'lovingly' was a stretch, but imaginations were what colored his life.

The house the government gave to them wasn't big or extravagant in any way. Not much different than the standard reasonably priced modern-day Japanese house, and it blended in nicely with the neighboring houses. Nearly similar to his parent's except with two master bedrooms and spacious enough to house a family of three and four at most, but any more and it would be cramped.

Regardless, it still was a huge upgrade for someone who lived in a tiny living space till about a week ago. Back in that apartment, he could just roll over the floor to get to the other side of his 'home'. He didn't miss anything now, but Issei was certain he'd come to miss the days where he could lie down and pretend he was a crawling slug without anybody noticing.

...Hopefully the government wasn't watching him...

Heading downstairs with Yasaka's breakfast in mind, he was greeted by a husky, deep voice of a man. That couldn't be either of the Kitsunes. Else he'd slam his head to a wall.

"Ah, there he is. G'morning boy."

Thankfully, it wasn't. Seated at the dining table with the two Kitsunes was their Overseer, merrily enjoying the dishes Yasaka made.

"Azazel?" Issei started with a frown, but headed over nonetheless. His hungriness wouldn't go away without eating. "What're you doing here?" He wanted to resume his streak of 'spending pleasant mornings with a beautiful woman and cheery little girl'. He didn't want to add a sarcastic asshole to the mix, thank you very much.

"Oh come on, don't be like that. This visit is work-related okay? Work-related." Azazel chortled, stuffing more food to his gobbler. "Mmh— my, my. These dishes—they're top notch. You should consider opening up a small eatery Missus Yasaka."

"I'm afraid, I'm not that comfortable with Humans other than Issei-dono."

"Ah, of course. Of course." Azazel nodded understandingly. It took a keen pair of eyes and sharp ears to hear his self-beating for raising that kind of question. And at the moment, Issei was busy watching Kunou's tail swaying side to side merrily as she chowed down the grilled fish.

The young boy only snapped out of its hypnotizing effect once he realized he was spacing out, and looked at the man sitting next to him.

"...What is it? Seriously, I'm not in any trouble am I? I swear I've been good..."

Hearing their Caretaker's skepticism, both the girls looked at the Fallen Angel with obvious worry in their eyes.

To their relief, Azazel laughed gaily. "Hah! No, no. Yeesh, don't make accusations like that. You're making me look like the bad guy here! Am just here to make sure everything is a-okay. Basic 'Overseer stuff'. The boy troubled you much, eh ladies?"

"Far from it." Yasaka quickly objected. "Issei-dono is earnest and gentle. Kunou likes him as well—" the juvenile vixen nodded cheerfully, seconding the opinion. "I can't think of a better Caretaker than him."

"Mhmm! What sshe shaid."

"Kunou, please don't talk while you're eating."

Yasaka's genuine smile was more than enough reward, but Kunou's jubilant cheer was the icing on the cake that was not less appreciated. Added with Yasaka's heavenly cooking, Issei felt high above the skies.

"Look at him. All smug." Azazel scoffed, then took a sip of his black coffee. "Still, strange they're this fond of you already. Good to know I did an amazing job choosing the boy, eh, eh?"

As far as Issei was concerned, he signed up for this by his own will, but he let it off. He was being praised, after all—even though Azazel was clearly fishing compliments for himself. The girls nodded regardless.

Giving a firm pat on his back, he then stood up from his seat. "Welp, that's done and done. Many thanks for the breakfast! See you Miss Yasaka, and you too Lil' Miss."

"Bye, bye Uncle Z!" the young vixen gleamed, fistbumping Azazel's fist over the table and the food servings. Yasaka spared the carefree Fallen Angel a quaint smile.

But Issei paused at all these nonchalant interactions. "...Wait, hold on... you're leaving already?"

"Yeah. Obviously." Azazel looked equally puzzled as him. "What, do you want a fistbump too?"

"That's not— well, why not." and thus, their knuckles bumped. "But that's it?! Don't tell me you came here just for breakfast. Free breakfast."

"And coffee." the man added. "And yes, that's that. What else do you want from me? I'm a busy man; got other stuff to do. My people need me. I can't dilly dally around so... ciao~"

Issei was at loss of words, and with a gaping mouth, he could only point at the carefree Fallen Angel leaving through the front door. By both of the girls' blasé reactions, he concluded that's simply how Azazel did his things.

Then he popped out again at the door. "Oh, just a little reminder, be careful if you meet with other Supernatural in the open. Not every single one of us is civilized like me or as kind as Yasaka, and those who are homeless probably haven't heard of the news either. Got it? Good. Ciao~!"

"And there he goes again..." Issei thought aloud. "I thought he only looks after you guys— er... girls."

Yasaka settled down her chopsticks, waiting for her Caretaker and daughter to finish their breakfast. "Azazel-sama has other Supernaturals that are under his care. I was not told much, but I think we can say he looks after a lot."

"Huh... Good to know he's doing his job..." Issei muttered. "Yasaka-san, how long have you known him?"

"Hmm... it's been quite a while. Several years or so I'd say... She could barely walk on her two feet that time." A fuzzy warm feeling filled his chest as Yasaka stroked her daughter's head. Kunou completely took after her mother, except Yasaka had white tips on the tip of her orange ears and nine tails. "Fufu, how quickly time passes..."

Now that he noted her distinguishing animalistic traits, Issei dared to ask, "I just noticed, but do those white tips have any meaning? The ones on the end of your uhm... ears and tails, I mean."

He began to worry at seeing her sheepish smile as she slightly tilted her head to one side.

"They do... and, well... I suppose in Human terms; these represent white hair." she said sourly. That morning, he learned Humans weren't the only ones to fret about becoming old. "Ah— have they become too noticeable now? I suppose I'm no longer young, fufufu~"

"Well, Yasaka-san seems youthful to me." Issei laughed briefly, carrying on with his meal, unaware of the light tint of pink splaying over the mother's pearly cheeks. "I guess for meals like these, I'd probably do the same if I was him..."

Yasaka smiled courteously at his indirect compliment. "You're too kind Issei-dono."

"I mean it though. And... uhm... can you not call me with '-dono'...?"

"Does it trouble you? If so, I apologize..."

Again with her droopy ears and guilty look.

"N-no! I mean, it does, but you don't have to apologize... I know you're just being polite Yasaka-san." Issei said hurriedly. From all the questionable games he played and all the unbelievably dense protagonists that could give a black hole a run for its money, he had learned many lessons the school never taught him.

And one of them was to clear misunderstandings before it can really hurt someone. "I just don't feel that's right... I'm no noble. '-dono' is a bit... uh... too regal-sounding like?"

"Mm, yeah mom. Why not just call Niitan 'Niitan' like Kunou does?"

The child was ignored. "Oh." Yasaka smiled, relieved. "Then... should I refer to you as 'Issei-sama' instead?"

His expression was flat. Unaffected. But deep down, he was reserving her voice in his memory. When else will he hear his name spoken politely and with an honorific as high as that? And by a beautiful woman? As a fact, -dono is considered less respectful than –sama nowadays—at least that's the way he saw it.

Nonetheless, he was not that obsessed with honorifics. He liked casualness as long as formality was unneeded.

"Maybe just 'Ise' is fine... that's what my friends call me with."

"Ise...?"

What's this? His heart beat faster than he expected. Ah, that's right. This was the first time a girl called him with that nickname and not 'Perv' or 'Leech'. Forget walking in while a girl was changing; this was enough for him to visit his late grandparents.

"Ise-niitan..." Kunou repeated, as if having a taste. She decided it was too long of a name. "...Kunou'll stick with Niitan."

"Ise... then..." Yasaka smiled, speaking his name in barely a whisper as she fondly watched the young man finish his meal, looking a tad bit embarrassed, but happy at the same time. He just became smarter to not wear his feelings on his sleeves. "Ise-dono— I mean... Ise dear... would you like another bowl?"

Containing his smile was harder than he thought, but he pushed through. "No thanks, Yasaka-san." he said politely, pushing his chair off the table as he peered at the clock on the wall. "Ah, I actually have to leave now."

Yasaka nodded. Like her Overseer, he had work to do. "It's alright. Let me wash the dishes. Be careful Ise dear, don't exhaust yourself."

To be sent off daily with a smile and be called a dear... what more could he ask?

Kunou, however, had no trouble expressing her disappointment.

"But Niitan hasn't played with Kunou yet!"

"Kunou, what did I tell you about this?"

She slumped to the dining table, ears flopping down. "Don't bother Niitan..."

"We'll play when I get back home, okay?" Issei assured with a bright smile, holding out his fist. That was enough to bring joy to the juvenile Kitsune as she fistbumped him. The sight earned a light titter from the mother. "Be a good girl until then!"

As he picked up his necessities, leaving afterwards, Yasaka directed her golden eyes at her daughter, whose ears flopped back down due to his absence.

"Well, Kunou, you heard what Issei-dono said. If you be a good girl, maybe he'll return earlier."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?!"

"Mhmm~" she hummed. "And do you know what a good girl does?"

"...Be good...?"

Yasaka giggled. "They help their mother wash the dishes."

Kunou dropped her smile, and whined unenthusiastically.

Break

Being the only Caretaker at his current town—and the first to ever exist worldwide—granted him the privilege of showboating. Once he was allowed to. There was no press conference. No announcement. It had been stated on an international scale that a Caretaker should not expose the 'Extraspecies' they currently housed to the outside world to ensure privacy.

To many people, they were seen as celebrities. Understandable, because who would have thought they were living in the same world with these people without ever knowing? But to some, they were seen as exotic humans that happened to have animalistic attributes.

In other words, freaks of nature.

Issei didn't understand why they would label them as such, but what he knew was that some people are simply more judgmental than others. Something that could only be changed by time.

It would be a slow process, but they'll get there. He's sure of it. Otherwise, he wouldn't be a Caretaker right now, and the Supernaturals will be kept as the government's secret. At least now Humans knew they were not alone, they just didn't know about the supernaturals' whereabouts.

So, to keep people from getting suspicious and snoop around, Issei couldn't just stay at home and had to work like an ordinary student. All that his workmates and neighbors needed to know was that he was a son staying at his relatives' place to explore the world.

Regardless of all of that... he wished he could work somewhere else other than this fast-food restaurant. He didn't have anything against its famous brand, he just despised the fact that he was working at the same place with his high-school's idol, the common enemy of all male students, his self-declared sworn-nemesis, the rejoiced Prince of Kuoh; Yuuto Kiba.

To make matters worse, he shared the same shift and break with him.

With brooding eyes, he stared at the blonde bishie sitting across his seat with silent contempt.

Eventually, an unsettled Kiba settled his notebook on the cheap metallic table. "Is something wrong Issei-san...?"

"Nothing. Just wondering why you of all people..." He grumbled, ensuring his personal grudge was known. Kiba laughed sheepishly at that. Lying flat on his cheek, Issei continued; "Hey. Why are you here?"

"Excuse me?" His blonde foreign coworker asked. Somehow, he stayed dashing even in a fast-food uniform. Goddamn handsome people.

Issei sighed. "I mean come on. You're smarter than average. And better looking than averag—why am I praising you?" This must be the 'bishounen effect'. Again, goddamn bishie. "Argh— anyway, you get what I'm saying."

Kiba blinked. "Are you asking me why I work here?"

"That, and why you don't take college."

"Ah... but I do, Issei-san." Kiba chuckled lightly. "We're on winter break right now, but I take night classes and this place happens to offer part-times fitting my schedule. The pay is pretty nice too."

"Well... I can agree with you on that..." KFC did have a higher pay than other rivals and more lenient with its workers. He'll have to thank Azazel later for getting him this job... "And stop calling me with '-san'. Makes me feel old..." he muttered. "So, why did you move out?"

The bishounen awkwardly rubbed his neck. "My distant relatives happen to live here. Kuoh is a nice city, but I don't really want to stay at the same place forever... I came to Japan because I've always wanted to see more of this world."

"Whoa, seriously?! Dude, that makes us two!" Issei cheered. That's five respect points to him for sharing the same aspirations. His reaction made Kiba smile, and that made him kill his own excitement. "Don't smile at me you pretty bastard..."

Kiba dropped his smile, and quietly muttered a sorry.

Issei paused. He'd be lying if he claimed he didn't feel guilty. Sure Kiba was the enemy of all male students including him, but that didn't mean he hated the guy to his guts. Just his looks that could make any girls' eyes turn in an instant like he's a walking chick-magnet.

"I'm just joking goddammit," Issei grouched, "Guess your friends don't make fun of you huh?"

Kiba lowered his eyes. "...Yeah..."

Issei paused. Now he's no psychologist or a mentalist, but he's pretty sure that was a forced smile. "Are you telling me you have no friends?"

Kiba froze, keeping his faint smile. "Not really."

A handsome guy with nearly excellent grades, who was flocked with female students nearly anywhere he wandered around the school 90 percent all the time, the rumored unbeatable kendo master, didn't have a single soul to call his 'friend'?

The equation did not compute. His brain errored and caused Issei to freeze for a good five seconds.

"Issei-san?"

"You're bullshitting me." Kiba flinched from surprise. "What about the girls?! They talked about you all the time like you're the only guy in the school."

Kiba's eyes widened at that. "They did?"

Issei's eyes narrowed at that. "You didn't know?"

"W-well, I never heard them talking about me... rather; they rarely ever talked to me." Kiba laughed ironically. "And the same thing with the guys... I wonder if I ever did them wrong...?"

Issei was about to call him out for pretending, but the blonde bishie looked absolutely clueless and genuinely troubled. Unless Kiba also had a knack for acting, because it was too realistic to be acting.

"You've got to be kidding me... three years and you don't have a single clue."

"W-was it that obvious?" Kiba asked nervously, and also hopefully as he looked at his brunette coworker, slightly tilting his chair forward. "Do you know why?"

"So not only 'ordinary-looking' guys suffer the 'clueless syndrome' huh." Issei said out loud with a straight face. Kiba was expectedly dumbstruck. "It's because of your face, man, your faaace."

Kiba became even more dumbstruck, feeling his handsomeness by hand. "M-my face?"

"Yes!" Issei half-yelled. "I'll be very clear with you; it's because you're a go... good... Goddammit why do I end up praising you again?!"

"I'm sorry...?"

Face in palm, Issei sighed deeply. "...See here, Kiba... the reason why you're never approached is because you're unapproachable."

"Unapproachable?"

"Exactly!" Issei half-yelled. Again. "Because you're like— you're like in your own space. The 'talented, good-looking, surrounded by girls' space." Kiba was about to object, but Issei held up a finger. "I know— they don't talk to you. But that's how it looks to us average-tier dudes. You're one step above us at everything."

Albeit a little bit confused, Kiba listened wholeheartedly.

"Another reason is probably because you never start the talk." Issei continued, scratching his head. "But that's probably because the dudes leave when you come. So, in conclusion," Issei grabbed his chin sagaciously, "the guys were jealous of you so they avoided you. Least that's what I thought."

"Oh... But I don't mean to..." Kiba appeared dejected. Issei didn't want to—he didn't even think the day would come—but he felt bad for the 'Prince of Kuoh'. "Then... then what about the girls?"

"Dude, do I look like a girl to you? You hang around them a lot more than I do, how can I tell what's on their mind?! Even if I do, I'm not telling you." Issei grumbled immaturely. "Like I'll let you hog all the girls..."

Slumping on his arms to enjoy his break a little more, Issei took a peek at his former schoolmate's expression. Introspecting himself it seemed, and there's confusion sprinkled with guilt and mixed with plain sadness. And here he thought the guy didn't have any issues.

"..." Damn him and his morality. Sighing loudly, Issei shuffled off the chair. Their break was about to end regardless. "Bah, you're not a high schooler anymore anyway. It's not like there's no students in your uni. And if I'm you, I'd start hooking up with all the gurls—muhehee~ ...Welp. Time to get back to work."

"Ise-san?"

Issei stopped his exit. "Wot. I told you to drop the '–san'."

"Sorry." Kiba looked genuinely sorry. And Issei was genuinely pissed. Could he never understand a friendly banter— oh right. Friendless. "Do you... do you hate me...?"

"What? Why would I do that if I don't even know you. I just hate your face." Issei laughed, but stopped mid-laughter. "That was a joke. Don't take that seriously."

"Y-yes... so... that makes us friends... right?"

'Oh my GAHD he's awkward.' "I don't know. Are we?" Kiba looked conflicted. 'Oh my GAHD he's dumber than he looks.' "Yes, man. We're friends. Pals. Friendos. Amigos. Latinos. We don't need to say 'you're my friend' to be friends."

"Thank you, Issei-san." It was at that moment Kiba gave a smile so sincere that if Issei was a girl, he'd surely fall for him. But he wasn't a girl.

"NoooooOOOooo do NOT give me that look. No! Not unless you're a girl!" Issei loved round things, not rectangles. He liked burgers, not hotdogs. And getting that heartfelt of a thanks and smile from a bishie was too much for him.

"And again with the '-san'. Just call me Issei or Ise— actually no. That's reserved for girls." and his parents. And those close to him. Kiba's not close to him. "Just— just call me Issei."

"Okay... Issei."

He felt a tingly feeling on his hands and back as if ants crawling all over him. Goosebumps. Those were goosebumps.

"Right. On second thought let's go with '-kun' instead."

"Issei-kun."

He stared at Kiba with skepticism. "...That'll do... Now let's bounce. We'll get chewed out for sure..."

Issei didn't realize that, at that very moment, Kiba was looking at him in the way Yasaka did earlier that morning.

Break

"—are you sure you'll be alright Issei-kun?"

"Yes! Yes I am a hundred percent sure that I can get back home all fine! Dude, don't give me that 'I'm worried' vibes, that's what you say to a girl!" At least that's what he thought as much, basing from his manga-reading experience.

After a scraggy goodbye, he finally got rid of Kiba.

The city he lived in was smaller compared to Kyoto, and separated into two parts. The suburbs and the city where he worked. He could use public transport to go any corners one ride, though there's no bus to bring him back to the suburbs unless he took a taxi. And taxis cost a lot, so no thank you.

He had passed his driving license since last year, but Issei didn't see any point if he couldn't buy a vehicle with his own money.

And now that he's in this so-called 'Interspecies Homestay Program', it cut his living expenses significantly, thanks to the government's reimbursement. He didn't have to worry about rent bills, gas, water, electricity, or if his supply of instant noodles was dangerously low, or if he had saved enough for the newest eroge and all the likes.

It was a bit weird, however. He felt like he was the homestay. Well, he supposed him and the Kitsunes were staying at a government house. But who cares? Living under the same roof with a youthful young mother and her jubilant little daughter sounded perfectly fine with him. He always liked hot moms – or any hot girls - and he had always wanted to know what it's like to have a little sister.

Granted Kunou wasn't related to him by blood, but hey. She's close enough.

Walking while smiling rather smugly, Issei was glad and proud he could take part in this new era as little his part might be. He did a little good to this world — that's what mattered for him.

Idly glancing up, he watched as the white powder fell like feathers. The winter sky was nice, beautiful, really. Gray like a dove's feather, blushing red by the falling sun as the two colors meshed into one. As pretty as it was, it would be nice if he could get back to the house before nightfall.

He was a fit young man, but it'd be troublesome if the snow plummeted him like last time and he didn't want the burgers to get too cold. Otherwise Kunou would be deeply saddened and change into miss-nags-a-lot.

Eventually, the young fellow came up upon an alley, lodged between two small and lovely restaurants. But it was a dark alley. A dark alley where foreboding darkness reached out like tendrils of the abyss. Exactly the kind of alley Issei would rather not walk into, and pace-walk pronto. He was no coward, but he was no valiant hero either... better be safe than sorry.

That said, sometimes, he let his curiosity get the best of him.

Because it was at that very moment, Issei saw something move in the dark, along with the crisp sounds of shuffling plastic bags. It might be just some rats — and yeah, maybe it was just a rat. Why should he venture into a dumpster?

Or so he thought. His nosiness was too strong to be reasoned with.

Issei didn't get a clear look. Like normal humans, he couldn't see that well in the shadows, but from the figure, he took a guess that the 'rat' was a small girl. A small girl with a swaying tail as she darted towards him.

Even in the dark, they shone a bright golden glow. He would have mistaken her as another Kunou, but their eyes were of lighter shade. Amber rather than golden. Like the color of a setting sun instead of golden bars.

Issei decided to freak out. He wanted to scream, but it was stuck in his throat and only came out as a small whimper signifying the absence of hope. He wanted to run like no tomorrow and get the hell away from this darned alley, but his feet were frozen to the ground.

Azazel's words chimed in his brain like a painful reminder, and his life flashed by like a bullet train. And at that desolate moment, all he could think about was his immense regret of dying without ever seeing or touching a woman's ample bosom.

His heart officially burst when the Supernatural pounced on his stomach, but suddenly, like a rush of adrenaline, with instincts raised and hardened from the 'divine judgment' delivered by the kendo girls, Issei magnificently dodged the attack.

He heard a crude sound of someone hitting the snow, and swiveled around.

And there she was, laid face first on the snow with her butt flaunted in the air, with a white slender tail sticking out from between the gap of her shirt and shorts. It was thinner compared to the Kitsunes' bushy counterpart, and white as the snows.

Not the most proper clothes during this kind of weather, but Issei supposed she was resistant to cold like Kunou and Yasaka.

She grunted with a silent voice as she lifted herself off the pile of snows, and Issei had the sense to take several wary steps sideward, in case she jumped at him again and he had to break to a dash. Who knew getting chased by those kendo girls made him a proficient runner.

He noted she had a pair of white feline-like ears too. Unless she was amazing and devoted to cosplaying, those ears shouldn't be able to twitch and move like that.

"Uh... are you... are you okay...?" He shouldn't had asked. He should have made a run for it and stop pushing his luck. So goddamn his easily-tugged heartstrings.

As if his awkwardly spoken words snapped her out of a trance, the girl's feline traits fluffed up in surprise, turning around to face him with a jump. Her slit black pupils dilated, eyeing him with suspicion.

He confirmed she was indeed a Supernatural, and small too. Probably not much older than Kunou, he thought. Issei also noted she didn't look so healthy and was eyeing at his burgers. Kunou's burgers.

Issei reassessed the situation, and did the math.

"...Do you want this?" He asked in calm and collected voice, extending his plastic-bag-holding-hand. He figured Kunou could withstand a day without cheese burgers. "You can have it if you want."

Her face twitched, and she looked confused, maybe wondering why her appearance didn't freak him out. Well, she did freak him out, but that had a different reason.

"Er... If you're wondering, I've already heard of the 'Supernaturals'. I have two staying with me right now, in fact." Azazel didn't mention he's not allowed to tell he's a Caretaker to the Supernaturals.

She was hesitating, but he was getting closer. "Look, I won't bother you. I know we, I mean, my kind isn't so trustworthy yet, so I'll just leave this here and be on my way, okay...?" Issei put the plastic bag down, and started to walk away from it, thinking, '...Why does it feel like I'm getting a stray cat to trust me...?'

Hearing the sounds of the crackling plastic, probably her taking out the food, Issei smiled to himself. He did good today.

"...Wait..."

Issei paused his walk. Somehow, he picked up her soft voice. Narely a whisper, and as fragile as the falling snowflakes as if it'd melt. He turned around, and nearly shrieked when she was suddenly in front of him. He did not hear her footsteps at all.

The same plastic bag in hand, she was looking up at him with big amber eyes and droopy white feline ears, and with a face that froze him faster than the weather. There was a new world champion of 'puppy face' and she wasn't Kunou.

After a gulp, Issei asked her, "Yes?"

"Can I..." the plastic bag rustled as she held her petite body, a meaningless effort to fight the cold. "Can I... come with you...?"

Ah. He did gain her trust. And his heart did pop.

To be continued...

Koneko confirmed.

This chapter focuses on Issei's characters. I want you all to have a grasp on his... uh... characters. Yeh. You should note several differences

Why Kiba? Why not Yumi? Because Issei needs friends as well. Because this Issei doesn't spend his time being swooned over and over by drop dead gorgeous female Devils. He's just a guy