"Kiri!" His mother cried, hugging him.
"Sup, Mom?" Kiri asked, a little winded from his mother suffocating him.
"Kiri." Kurama frowned. Kiri's mother let him go.
"Yeah, dad?"
"Where were you?" Kurama asked, quietly. All the adults watched Kiri closely.
In wide panic, Artemis, Ayla, Kazuka, and Koenma each gave Kiri hand signals.
"I was out hanging with..." Kiri caught the panicked signals. "Uh...erm...I was chillin' with my home dogs, yo." Kiri announced.
Hiei and Kurama frowned, confused.
"I thought they were your home dogs?" Yusuke asked, pointing at the relieved kids.
"Naw, man. Those are my homies. Those dudes at the pier are my dogs." Kiri lied.
"Oh." Yusuke frowned.
"Yeah, uh...I'm beat." Kiri backed away. "See ya."
Kiri ran for his room. Soon after, someone knocked on the door.
"Yeah?"
Kurama walked in. "What kind of way is that to open the door to guests?"
"My way." Kiri sulked. "What's up?"
Kurama sat down on Kiri's bed.
"Kiri? Where were you really?" Kurama asked. "Be honest."
"..." Kiri was quiet. "Don't worry, dad. I did good today."
"Oh, did you?" Kurama asked. "I heard from Yomi what happened at the square today."
"Really? What'd he say happened?" Kiri asked.
"That you and everyone stood up for two thieves." Kurama frowned.
"It wasn't like that." Kiri frowned. "Really."
"Then, how was it?" Kurama asked.
"Not that." Kiri frowned. "Just...trust me, Dad."
"..." Kurama was silent. "I don't know if I can, Kiri. You lied to me."
And he left. Kiri watched him go, sadly. When he shut the door behind him, Kiri threw a pillow at the door, cursing everything. (Why can't he understand me? Why won't he trust me with the benefit of the doubt just once?) Kiri buried his head in the remaining pillow and cried.
Downstairs, everyone went home.