Happy belated Easter to those who celebrate!
I have nothing to add to the amazing end of chapter 307 since its cuteness outstrips anything I can think of, so this chapter will be the walkout from canon into timeskips.
Warning: I mean, at this point if you're not up-to-date with manga, you've spoiled yourself quite a lot… but just putting this here that Ameri's (assumed, not confirmed) human mother will make an appearance. I also have to go back to an earlier chapter to update Hatsukoi Memory-sensei since the one appearance described earlier was an assistant, not the mangaka.
Warning 2: Iruma falls out of polite speech and into delinquent drawl when upset for a minute.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
Kalego buried his face into his pillow, with its crappy fabric, and sighed heavily.
His Wicked Phase was past its peak, and at the very least, his one cactus had survived.
He rolled over under his blanket cocoon and ran a hand roughly over his face before reaching for his phone to request medicine from Shichirou. Kalego closed his eyes with his phone on his chest. He ignored all of the messages that had come through while he was away from work.
'Kalego, stay away from that kid, Iruma. That thing is unnecessary and-'
Kalego swallowed dryly before baring his fangs in rage.. 'My PUP is NOT a THING, brother."
He growled low and deep within his chest in remembrance of his conversation with Narnia- the primary cause of his Wicked Phase.
Kalego was definitely… the more emotional Naberius, loathe as he is to admit it, and thus, refuses to do so.
He takes in a deep breath before sighing softly.
Shichirou's medicine couldn't come soon enough.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
Going to the beach had… not been something he'd expected Opera to suggest. Their lack of interest in water was well known to him, considering he had no idea what sort of swimwear they ascribed to.
Not that he cared.
(Okay, he kind of cared. What partner didn't want to see their significant other in swim wear?)
His arrival at Babyls was met with great fanfare from the Misfits as they welcomed him back enthusiastically.
"..! DAD!" Kalego nearly choked on his own tongue, to tell Iruma to not refer to him as such while in school, when said child slammed right into his chest with an unexpectedly tight grip that nearly knocked the air out of his lungs. Iruma sniffled into his chest, "Are you alright, now..?"
Kalego frowned slightly, "I have recovered. Thank you for your concern."
Iruma nuzzled his face into his chest for another moment before pulling back with a nod.
Until he abruptly punched him in the gut, hard, before yelling. "ANSWER YER FUCKIN' MESSAGES SOONER WHEN YE'RE SICK, DAMMIT! I was worried SICK about you 'n I HATED not knowin' how y'were!"
Kalego stared at his adopted son in stunned surprise. He was an adult, so he hadn't had family worry over him in a long time. He was a high Ranking demon, powerful, and at the most, he could expect Shichirou to check in on him if he didn't message first.
Even Opera was a more recent allowance into his social circle of allowance while over-stressed.
…He had no idea how to deal with his child being upset with him.
Keroberos chided him, The pup has been abandoned before. Pack cares for Pack.
Kalego rubbed the spot Iruma punched him and noted it was gonna bruise for a little while. "...You punch just like your parent."
Iruma blinked at him before flushing with an unrecognized emotion before showing his fangs, "Wh-"
Kalego placed a heavy hand on his pup's head and mussed his hair a little, "I apologize. I'm still growing accustomed to being… a parent. I will learn to do better."
Iruma's anger fizzled out as his tension released with a soft sigh while Kalego removed his hand. "...'Kay."
Purson whisped into existence next to Iruma with a sly look in his eye despite his poker face, "So why'd you sound like a delinquent a second ago?"
Iruma's face turned positively red as he stiffened, hunching his shoulders before quickly heading towards the bus, "N-no reason!"
Purson kept pace with him while prodding him, "C'mon, you're secret's safe with me!"
Iruma made an indistinguishable noise before choking out, "I was kinda half raised by a [yakuza]- or, uhm, a 'delinquent' family, okay!?"
Purson gave his heart-brother a look that was a mixture of confusion and concern, "So is it easier for you to speak politely, or with that drawl..?"
Iruma bounced up into the bus and bypassed all the stairs before screeching, "Polite!"
Purson pursed his lips and crossed his arms while contemplating before glancing at the other Misfits.
A few smirks were traded before everyone fell in line to get on the bus.
Opera glanced at Shiida, and the white haired demon bowed her head slightly in deference before getting into the bus herself.
Opera took in a deep breath before exhaling slowly through their nose while getting into the driver's seat.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
The Misfits were eating yakisoba when Shiida silently settled a close, but respectable distance near them.
Opera glanced her way while eating their own serving of food, while Kalego watched his class from nearby with his usual keen eye.
Opera was moderately patient for a demon, but they don't trust the one next to them, so they are a little… testy about her presence being so close.
Shiida slightly turned to them after finishing a bite before speaking quietly, "You… are Iruma's biological parent."
It's a statement and a question to confirm after the morning's swift drama. It's also an unfortunately inevitable revelation that they share traits. Opera had to allow Iruma to leave his ears and tail out, even though he assured them he'd hidden them before while swimming.
If his secondary ears got infected, they'd never forgive themself. They hadn't known about their relation when he'd gone to Aquacase with Ameri, otherwise they would have said something then.
"...I am."
There is no use in hiding it anymore from the assistant teacher. Iruma's stat paperwork had yet to be completed, but their own past information on file was a good baseline for what information they couldn't gain from a magical device.
Shiida stared into her mostly empty bowl before nodding, "...He is… a gentle child."
Opera tilted their head as they shifted their gaze towards their son as he laughed and ate with his soulmates, surrounded by his friends. "He is."
Shiida took her time eating another bite before very cautiously pressing her Mana against theirs. There was a horrible off feeling about it, yet, intermixed with the 'wrong' there was a fierce sense of ProTecTwAtChNoThaRm towards their child that matched her expression.
"I won't let anything happen to Iruma."
Opera turned towards their fellow teacher in surprise as she quickly pulled back her Mana, as if abruptly realizing she was being too forward and rude. There was a tiny hint of pink chastisement coloring her cheeks, "...And the other students too."
Opera silently scrutinized her for a long moment while reviewing Shiida's previous interactions with their son, and how Iruma had in turn, reacted to Shiida.
He trusted her for some reason.
Iruma… while his instincts weren't perfect, it seemed there was something of merit to Shiida's words in regards to their son alone.
They nodded slightly, "I'll hold you to your words."
Shiida nodded silently while finishing her final bite, and excused herself from Opera's presence.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
Entry into the Human Realm was well regulated, and to the majority, entirely illegal for Demon-kind.
Henri was one of the few with highly restricted and logged permission to enter the Human Realm.
He had to inspect the occasional occult book, an abrupt natural hole between Realms, or other strange events that could lead back through their well-placed Boundary.
It was also, during these visits, that Henri picked up the newest volume(s) of Hatsukoi Memory. He had a specific shop he ordered from, and had a pre-paid tab prepared for reserving copies upon release for later pick-up.
The shop owner was used to his oddities and rare visits.
Today, it seemed, that there was a special book signing event at the shop.
Henri minded himself around the collection of humans as he approached the shopkeeper while appearing humanized. The shopkeeper lit up in excitement when he approached, and Henri couldn't help but raise an inquisitive brow as they shuffled off to collect his order. He waited patiently while glancing around at the other titles. His reading had improved, as had his skills with the language and imitating the much softer nuances of human speech.
Iruma's situation pressed upon him as he wondered how he'd missed the boy so many times before.
The shopkeeper placed a stack of five books, already bagged and ready upon the counter, "Here you are Customer-sama." The clerk smirked as they leaned forward conspiratorily, "Y'know, the sensei of this Manga is here, if you wanna get somethin' signed."
Henri blinked before glancing at the pseudonym of the author of Hatsukoi Memory. "...Really?" He shouldn't. Truly, he should leave things as they've been for the past sixteen years, yet part of him was selfishly screaming that Ameri would be so happy, and he deserved to know she was doing alright.
Henri took in a deep breath, "...Is that alright? Did I need to sign up for that?"
The clerk waved a hand while handing him the latest volume on top, "Take that 'n get in line! I'll keep these safe for you up here!"
Henri hesitated while holding the volume before slowly nodding. "...Alright." He glanced at other reference books before pausing, "Ah. One last thing?" The clerk tilted their head as he continued, "Would you happen to have a Sign Language book..?"
The clerk blinked, "I… hmm. I'm not sure. I'll look around, and if not, I can see if any of my colleagues nearby have any?"
Henri nodded, "Thank you." The clerk smiled and waved him off to stand in line.
He did so, barely making it before the cut-off. Thankfully the line was well structured, and there were plenty of books to review the titles of to keep him occupied from his inherent impatience and nerves.
He… really, really shouldn't see her. He may have been loyal to his duty, but erasing her memories while taking their newborn daughter from her arms had been… well. A unique cruelty that Iruma's birth had only solidified for him. There were simply hurts that could not be easily mended.
Henri had made Ameri's mother, Merize, his life-mate and wife. She would have his Mark until her human lifespan took her from him completely, and he would be faithful to her through her final breath.
He had never expected the same of her, separated as they were by species, Realm, memory, and lifespan.
Guilt ate at his insides, and worry that he might undo the Memory Alteration simply by asking for her signature consumed him to the point that he almost left.
Except that he was the last in line, and it was his turn.
He swallowed and placed the volume down in front of her. She had a familiar large hat on, hiding her features. He… could get away with this without having to meet her beautiful eyes that no longer recognized him-
"And who am I signing this to?"
"Ameri and Iruma-kun."
She paused, while her bespeckled assistant tilted her head at the second name as a sadly wistful expression crossed her face. "To think we'd hear of someone else with that name…"
Henri tilted his head, "Is it not common?"
She shook her head while Merize quietly began to sign the volume he'd placed down. "Not at all. We used to have an assistant by that name. We referred to him as 'Little Stray-kun' with a cat icon because he was rather… young to be working with us. But he was always a wonderful help when he came around."
Henri puzzled at that. Why did it feel like they knew Opera's child personally..?
Merize spoke softly, "Does your Iruma-kun have blue hair and eyes?"
Henri looked at her before answering, "...Yes, he does."
Merize lifted her head, and Henri felt as if the world melted away. It was as if a day hadn't passed since their parting, not looking a day older then he'd last seen her. Even if she were old and grey she'd still be beautiful to him, but somehow, he had the stomach-turning feeling that she wasn't aging and it was his fault-
"He does? As in… present tense?"
Henri blinked, "Ah, yes."
Merize and the assistant brightened with hope as she spoke, "So he's alive..? Iruma-kun?"
Henri slowly nodded, "Ah… yes, if we're speaking about the same teenager… Why do you ask?"
If anything could make him weak in the knees, Ameri's tears could. Merize held the same power over him, and he nearly fell to the floor to beg her not to cry when her eyes grew glossy, "We just recently found out, through a source close to him, that he'd been lost at sea and had perished…" She dabbed at her eyes, "His parents mysteriously died some weeks later, and honestly…" She trailed off, unable to voice her thoughts about such horrible people.
"...Iruma deserved a more loving, stable family than them."
Henri cautiously took out his phone and scrolled. He had a few pictures of the boy from spying on him while investigating. He shouldn't, but if his wife and others had been taking care of him, they deserved to know that he was living a much better life now.
If only to help close up loose ties on this side.
He presented his phone to the two women, and they brightened in recognition as Merize took the phone from him with shaking hands, "It's him..! It's Iruma-kun… and he looks healthy for once..!" Tears slipped down her cheeks, "We always tried to help him, but his times assisting us were so infrequent… Every time he'd start looking a tiny bit healthier, he'd have to have to go work elsewhere for his parents." She sniffed and wiped away her stray tears while handing the phone back to him. "I'm so glad he's well."
Henri swallowed. He shouldn't say anything, but… "He was adopted and found his birth parent."
The two women paused before looking at him in shock as Merize spoke, "You mean the woman who claimed to be his mother wasn't..?"
Henri nodded.
Merize took in a deep breath while internally bracing herself with a determined look. "That woman.. Abused, starved, and abandoned him along with his father on the regular. I hope Iruma-kun is safe and happy wherever he is."
"He is well."
Merize nodded decisively before smiling a little, "And he reads Hatsukoi Memory?"
"Ah… yes. He happens to read it for my daughter."
Merize gained a mischievous glint in her eyes as she smirked, "Don't you mean our daughter, Henri-kun?"
Henri felt his world drop out from under him as he flinched in shock, while her assistant boggled at her.
Merize smirked devilishly while showing her teeth, as if finally having won something, "It's been a long time, Dear Husband."
Henri was prepared for a lot of things.
This was not one of them.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
Merize was trying so hard to not laugh at her poor Mate as he stood stiff while holding a bag of manga volumes and a random Sign Language book.
To think that she'd run into her missing husband, and that he'd know Iruma-kun! What a small and strange world- two of them even!
Henri was sweating buckets, understandably, since he was the Chief of Border Patrol. She recalled his status (or at least, what she'd last known), and thus knew that he had every reason to be confused and freaked out.
He'd erased her Memory after giving birth to their daughter, Ameri, after all.
She kept her public appearances minimal, since she had started to realize a couple of years ago that she wasn't aging in the same way as her peers.
…Or having any health issues as many had, either.
Henri was hesitant to speak, "...Since when have you recalled..?"
Merize tilted her head as she began to walk, beckoning him to accompany her while humming in thought. "...The day I met Iruma-kun, I believe." Henri turned to her in surprise as she smiled pleasantly at her heart-husband. "It would seem colliding with a similar Curse or Magic canceled out the Memory Alteration you Cast on me when you parted from my side."
She had pushed the abrupt knowledge out of her head when she'd met the child. He'd been so scrawny, and it was suddenly pouring rain, and he was so quick to offer help…
For some reason, something about him had not only pulled at her, but screamed in agony at her own forgotten loss.
"You know, even though I lost my Memory, you didn't bother to hide the physical effects of pregnancy from me. It was rather… confusing, dealing with postpartum issues and depression, while having no recollection of ever being with child. It was jarring, having stretch marks where there shouldn't have been any. My doctors- everyone was confused."
Henri bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to push down his guilt. He… hadn't meant to hurt her so deeply, but there were Rules, and he had broken them. It was a punishment, as well as a clean-up job gone half wrong because of haste.
"...I…"
Merize took in a deep breath and sighed softly, "So Iruma-kun and Ameri-chan know each other." She giggled softly, "How ironic."
Henri glanced at her, and she looked up towards him, "You know, it makes sense that Iruma-kun wasn't related to one of those two. He had too many feline features that he hid all the time, but he couldn't really hide the way his eyes reflected in just the right light." She wouldn't reveal that she'd seen his ears and tail either, by more than one random chance in the depths of night.
Henri nearly tripped, "Hmm!?"
Merize shrugged, "I think I was the only one who noticed, but that was because something about him called to me. The Magic that he was bound by, maybe? Either way, it was in meeting him that I remembered my missing Memories and baby, so…" She took in a deep breath as she stared longingly into the distance, "...Is Ameri-chan well..?"
Henri hesitated for a long moment before he took out his phone and easily scrolled to the latest picture of his… their daughter, and passed the phone over.
Merize was silent for a long moment before she let out a weepy gasp, "She's beautiful… My baby… she's already grown so much…"
Henri felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He'd done his heart-wife… his Mate such a disservice, along with his daughter.
There were Rules. He wasn't Exempt from them.
He steeled his heart and tears with a swallow, "Should we take a photo together for her?"
It was selfishly foolish, he shouldn't have said anything-
Merize looked absolutely star-struck, "Is that… okay?"
Henri looked her in the eyes, and he felt that same pull towards her as he always had. He loved her deeply, and his Mark burned for the first time in far too long from so many emotions as he took her hand, "For her, it will be."
Merize smiled bright as she laughed, leaving it to him to take the photo.
He couldn't stay, and she let him go.
He tasted her lips before parting, while hiding behind that silly sun hat of hers.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
Iruma was helping with the Haunted House preparations when La'ti appeared curiously at the entrance of their tent. He nearly dropped what he was carrying as he took in her modest Babyls school uniform, and set down his things before trotting over to her, "La'ti? You're a student here, too?"
La'ti smiled up at her nephew as Chima and the others slowly gathered with varied levels of curiosity. "I apologize for not informing you sooner, Iruma-niisama. It seemed like you were quite busy, and my decision had been rather abrupt to apply."
Iruma nodded cheerfully. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
La'ti shook her head in the negative, "No, I'm alright. I came by to deliver an invitation."
Iruma blinked, "An invitation..?"
La'ti took out an envelope from her pocket and handed it to him. It had an image of a cat impressed within the paper, and a formal scrawl of his name. "My fathers would like to meet you."
Iruma flinched in surprise as he took the letter, "...Your fathers..?" His voice grew slightly weak, "Why would they want to meet me..?"
La'ti tilted her head as her grey hair slid to the side while her green eyes pierced into him, "There are things related to our Clan that my older sibling probably doesn't realize… and it's affecting your reputation."
Iruma stilled, "Huh?"
La'ti smiled as she grasped his sleeve and tugged, "Just meet them. They're interested in getting to know you after everything mother has said, and well… it just doesn't sit well with me that ignorant people are calling you a seducer, you know?"
Iruma blanched, "Oh." He swallowed thickly. "Yeah, I don't like it either…"
La'ti bowed slightly as she made to dismiss herself, "My fathers should be able to help with that issue." She smirked, "Charming others in subtle ways is a family trait."
The curtain swished shut behind her as her tail waved goodbye.
Iruma ran off to take a moment to himself elsewhere within the tent and nearly tore the envelope open in his haste.
He read the letter and wondered who he and his mother took after.
Awaiting your positive reply,
Alto and Glass Catshie
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
He was thankful that they'd agreed to, and been allowed, to meet within Babyls.
He was also glad he'd seen pictures of his mother before they'd colored it red, because he now knew precisely which Grandfather he took after.
It was Alto. And he was scary.
Well, to be more precise, he looked strict.
Opera refused to join him, stating that the knowledge they may have for him was probably for his own good, but that they probably couldn't stomach it.
And well. Opera left the Clan because of their father's attitude, so…
Iruma figured he'd get pissed at some point.
Alto observed him, his long wavy black hair was braided forward over his shoulder, and his red eyes were just as piercing as Opera's and Re'mi's.
Glass, on the other hand, seemed to be a lot less stiff and pleasant. La'ti was his spitting image. He seemed to favor having his hair tied back simply, while both of them wore suits. Alto wore a black suit with a red vest and tie, as well as a white pressed shirt. Glass wore a gray suit with a violet vest and tie, along with a white shirt.
Iruma fidgeted before bowing slightly in his seat, "It's a pleasure to meet you both, Grandfather Alto and Grandfather Glass."
Alto hummed softly to himself as he crossed his legs and held a hand to his chin in contemplation, "His Charm is rather strong, isn't it..?"
Glass nodded amicably, "But it's subtle, as well. A unique mix of submissive dominance." He clasped his hands in his lap while looking his Grandson over before speaking. "Iruma-kun, would it be alright if we evaluate you?"
Iruma tilted his head with a frown, "Evaluate..?"
Alto nodded, "As far as Soprano, Re'mi, and La'ti have informed us, I will warn you that it might make you uncomfortable or embarrassed due to your personality and foreign upbringing. We will do our best to inform you of what we will train you on, but you have permission to tell us to stop, or decline training."
Iruma blinked. He was getting nervous about what it was they were going to discuss, but… "If it will help slow down the rumors about me being a demon slaying harem king… I'd appreciate whatever it is you can teach me."
Glass nodded, "Thank you for your cooperation. Now, then… What is it, exactly, that you know about the Lust Group?"
Iruma flushed, "Ah- uhm… Not… much." He squirmed.
Alto seemed unsurprised by that response as he nodded, "Then can you tell us what you assume goes on within the Lust Group?"
Iruma's face turned red as he hunched into his shoulders and stiffly held his hands in his lap. He was going to offend them! "Uhm… sex..? And other… pleasures..?"
Alto rolled his eyes while Glass chuckled softly as he spoke gently, "I suppose that is only a fair assumption based on the name, but there are many layers and factions within the Lust Group. There are those that simply talk to their patrons to help them relax and destress. There are others, such as Soprano in the past, that perform similar to Akudols to help ease patrons."
Alto continued, "Each Member is assigned according to their capabilities and preferences. Just as we have our own comforts and boundaries, so too, do our clients. Opera would have done well simply as a bartender, or as someone to help those with similar aversions as herself."
Iruma raised his head with a frown, "You mean themself."
Alto held Iruma's harsh gaze before sniffing in relent, "Your parent."
Glass sighed gustily while scrubbing his face before backhanding his friend's thigh passively, "Don't start that here. Soprano will be disappointed, and won't even look at you for a month if you keep that up. She'll even hide your ties if you make Iruma-kun mad."
Alto grimaced and squirmed, while Iruma slowly raised an eyebrow.
They were good friends, his Grandmother's Mates.
Iruma eased his posture a bit with a small smile, "So what do the two of you do..?"
Glass hummed before responding, "We are simply Hosts. We chat with our clients while allowing them to release the stress of their daily lives with words. Sometimes they get a little… handsy, but there are Security Devils who intervene the moment we are uncomfortable. We are rarely accosted past an unnecessary caress or attempt of lustful interaction."
Iruma clasped his pant legs, "Oh."
Alto tilted his head slightly while observing his reactions, "Your Charm needs work, and unfortunately, the best way to tamper Charm, is to do things that might make you uncomfortable. It will take consent, and perhaps more than one partner to figure out how to tamper it to a more appropriate level, like your friend, Asmodeus-sama."
Iruma blinked, "Oh." Maybe he should have asked him about this..?
Glass shook his head as if reading his thoughts, "Asmodeus-sama has a Charm that's quite a bit different from ours. We tend to attract partners, while theirs is… otherworldly, and unique, if I may be honest. It is intermixed with their Bloodline Ability, where ours is… more of an effect, I suppose?"
Iruma released his pants before awkwardly scratching at his cheek, "Oh, right… uhm, about that."
"What is our Bloodline Ability, anyway..?"
Alto and Glass stared at him in mute shock before glancing at one another.
Alto buried his face into his hands with a gusty sigh, while Glass gave him a sympathetic look and explained.
xXx-xXx-postlude-xXx-xXx
A/N: Uuuuh, so here we are at the end of canon! I'll be posting timeskip scenes- I don't know if it will be year-specific, or length specific. It all depends on the vibe when I write! (There aren't a crazy amount of them, just random snippets.)
I also would like to know if you all would prefer me to add on the Mafia If AU AU (a one/two shot) as an extra onto this story, or separate it. I have also, due to a comment from Jacket-Potato, plotted out an AU of this AU where Iruma grows up in the Netherworld (not over-long, though). I would prefer to keep that as part of this story as well, since it will still require the first couple of chapters to be read, and I don't want to force readers to have to go between more than one uploaded story to read the beginning.
I don't mind separating the two extra works, but I also kind of like the idea of keeping them together, here.
Let me know what you all think, and please let me know if you enjoyed it!
