[Scene: The Midori house. Zoi walks in after Hakura set up the bikes on the back porch, and drove off after declining an invitation to come in for a glass of lemonade]

[Chief Midori is sitting on the couch, watching the game and eating a bag of Doritos.]

[Zoi grabs the bag out of his hand on the way into the kitchen and puts them away.]

Chief Midori: How was the movie?

[Zoi can't tell his dad he missed most of it because he was either homicidal with thirst for human energy, or else having sex with his boyfriend.]

Zoi: It was pretty dumb. I couldn't only stand a few minutes of it then I had to get up and wait for the others in the lobby.

Chief Midori: [concerned] Oh?

[Chief Midori goes back to watching his game while Zoi chops up vegetables for dinner. But Zoi can't get his mind off the way the others were babying him after the movie]

Zoi: Dad, do you think people can tell I'm no longer human?

Chief Midori: [Looking away from the TV] I'm not sure what you mean.

Zoi: Do I look like a monster?

Chief Midori: You're my little boy. You never look like a monster to me.

Zoi: I'm serious, Dad.

Chief Midori: [Looks at Zoi] No, you look the same as always. Your eyes change color sometimes, but that's pretty common with green eyes anyway, and people pay attention to details like eye color less often than you'd think. Why do you ask?

Zoi: [still chopping] Because my friends started acting weird after I left the movie. They treated me like a child. But Naru left too, and they didn't treat her any differently.

Chief Midori: [rhetorically] What movie did you see again?

Zoi: Tokyo Ghoul.

Chief Midori: Isn't that the movie about people being kidnapped and murdered?

Zoi: Kinda.

Chief Midori: Do you suppose your friends know anyone who was kidnapped recently and nearly murdered?

[Zoi stops chopping and stares at his Dad]

Chief Midori: I wonder how they'd feel if they took someone like that to a movie like that, and they got up and left right in the middle of it.

[Zoi doubles over with laughter]

Zoi: Oh my God. I never even thought of that. Those poor idiots. They must think I'm horribly traumatized.

Chief Midori: I'm glad you see the humor in this.

Zoi: Yeah, well they don't know I messed up the Blackmoons a lot more than they messed me up.

Chief Midori: [concerned] Are you sure you left because the movie was stupid?

Zoi: Absolutely. [Remember the bikes and pushes the cutting board away] Come out back, I got a surprise.

Chief Midori: Oh?

[Zoi leads his father out to the back porch. Chief Midori's hair stands up on end when he sees the two bikes leaning against the side of the house]

Chief Midori: What are those?

Zoi: Motorcycles. Haruka gave them to me for free.

Chief Midori: Oh, no. [shakes his head in disapproval] Call her up and tell her to take them back.

Zoi: She doesn't want them.

Chief Midori: Zoisite Midori, you are not riding a motorcycle. Are you aware of how many traffic accidents I get called to involving those things? How many victims, mostly kids, I have to scrape off the highway?

[Zoi gives his dad puppy dog eyes]

Chief Midori: Think of all the long wet stretches of roadway, the blind intersections after blind intersections, the log haulers barrelling through this town without looking at where they are going…

Zoi: [giggles] Don't worry dad. I'm immortal.

Chief Midori: But not indestructible. Need I remind you it rains here more often than it doesn't? Besides. Those don't look like they are in working condition.

Zoi: [sighs] Yeah, Haruka said they haven't worked in months. I figured I'll take them to Dowling's.

Haruka: [frowning] Dowling would charge you more to fix them then they'd be worth running.

Zoi: Yeah, you're probably right. That Dowling is a crook. [Inspiration strikes, so he smiles angelically] You know what? It's ok. There is someone I know that builds bikes.

Chief Midori: [uneasy] Oh, who is that?

Zoi: Mamoru Chiba. He's pretty busy, but he also needs money, so I figure I can hire him to come over here and have a look at them.

Chief Midori: You're inviting Mamoru Chiba over? Future Johns Hopkins educated brain surgeon Mamoru Chiba?

[Chief Midori's frown turns upside down]

Chief Midori: I take it all back! I have no problem with you owning a motorcycle if it means you two will get to know each other better.

Zoi: Uh, what?

Chief Midori: [Smiles] These bikes are in pretty bad shape. Fixing them could take weeks…[gleefully ponders]…then he'll have to teach you how to ride. Between bonding with Mamoru, and working on your schoolwork, it looks like you're not going to have a lot of time to spend with Kunzite.

Zoi: [wide eyed and slack jawed] This had better be some reverse psychology gambit to make me give up the bikes.

Chief Midori: [claps him on the back] Don't worry, it's not.

Zoi: Dad! [socks his arm]

Chief Midori: Ow, what?

Zoi: I thought you LIKED Kunzite now!

Chief Midori: I do like Kunzite now…Just not as much as I like Mamoru.

[Zoi's jaw drops]

Chief Midori: What? I can't like both boys at once?

Zoi: No! I can't like both boys at once!

Chief Midori: Don't get me wrong. I love Kunzite. I think of him as my own kid… My filthy, rotten, no-good, juvenile delinquent kid that I have to harden my heart against because we all just know he's doomed to meet a bad end–

Zoi: [Clamping his hands over his ears] I'm not listening to this!

Chief Midori: Oh come on! I know he loves you very much…but you have to admit he's been a terrible influence. I shudder to think of how you would have turned out if he was your only role model. Just look at all the terrible things that have happened in just the short time you've known him. Mamoru Chiba on the other hand–Straight A student, star athlete, volunteer, future surgeon–

Zoi: Mamoru Chiba has a girlfriend! Furthermore, she is one of my best friends! Who loves him even though he bullies her relentlessly! And he kisses her when she's drunk and unable to give her consent, I might add! So, even if the both of us were actually single, which we are NOT, you couldn't pay me enough to like him in that way!

Chief Midori: [shrugs] As your father, I'd still rather see you end up with him instead of Kunzite.

Zoi: You know what? If you like Mamoru Chiba so much why don't YOU marry him?

Chief Midori: I'm not the one everyone says he's secretly in love with.

Zoi: [Cringes] Dad! This is gross! I'm going upstairs so I can forget this conversation ever took place!

[Walks back into the house and makes a point of slamming the door behind him]

[An instant later the door opens again and Zoi peeks his head out]

Zoi: I'm keeping the bikes! And you can cook your own dinner! Traitor!

[Zoi slams the door once more]

[Chief Midori chuckles fondly]