"Help me move the boxes, will ya kiddo?" Asé requested as he lugged a cardboard box coated in layers of FRAGILE tape.
Kaite turned back to Asé, having been enamoured by the peaceful scenery that the small town offered to them. Yet to adjust to the slower pacing & picturesque view of fields presented to him.
"Okay dad," he said as he took some of the smaller boxes from the car trunk. Moving their few belongings into their small house. Two spacious stories tall & a view of the mountainous terrain its main attractions. The distance from populated areas being the real selling point that sold Asé into getting the place.
Kaite placed the boxes down in the living room before Asé came with the rest of them. The man stretching his body as joints popped & cracked from the hours spent in the car driving there. The seven hour long plane flight before the drive offered no mercy to his thin body.
"I might need to find a sauna once we're done to relax." Asé said as he ruffled Kaite's head. His hand rubbing the goat fluff that covered Kaite's body & giving his stubby horns a tap before flopping onto the couch.
"You can go take a look around the area, just don't wander too far. We'll go out for dinner to practise your Japanese. Don't you dare order spicy food for me." Asé said before looking up. Finding Kaite already gone, having already ran out to the fields to breath in the cool afternoon air & admire the landscape.
"Oh well, so long as he's having fun…"
"Can I have…two…katsudon & two…matcha?" Kaite stuttered in Japanese. The lady behind the counter smiling before starting to prepare their order. Asé giving Kaite some headpats as they waited for their order. The empty dining area of the small restaurant providing a very nice ambiance for them both as no one else was there to interrupt or give subtle stares.
"Your Japanese is very good! Here are your orders." The lady said as she set down two steaming bowls of katsudon & two iced glasses of matcha for Kaite & Asé.
"Thank you!" Kaite said excitedly before digging into his meal. Immediately regretting it as the hot cutlet slightly burned the tip of his tongue.
"Slow down kiddo…" Asé chastised as Kaite took a sip of his iced drink before making a second attempt at the challenge of his hot meal. Blowing on it first this time & managing to handle the steaming hot food before practically inhaling the rest.
Asé sighing & shaking his head as he ate his bowl slowly, choosing to savour the juicy deep fried pork & egg rice that was drenched in sauce. Watching Kaite finish his bowl & trying to scoop up the last few grains of rice that eluded his utensil's scraping.
"You really like it?"
"Yeah! Its much better than your burnt omelette."
"Ouch…" Feigned Asé, dramatically putting his hand on his chest before laughing along with Kaite. Simply happy to spend time with him & eat food in the peace of the small town. Both having been too used to the hustle & bustle of city life & enjoying the peacefulness of the small village.
Asé continued eating before the lady struck up a conversation with him. Wondering who the new faces in town were & commenting on Asé's own proficiency in Japanese. A little surprised that they both were actually staying fairly nearby given how small the town was & not having much appeal to foreigners compared to the nearby cities of Beppu or Oita.
As Kaite won the battle of scooping the final grain of rice from his bowl, he noticed a small bird peeking out from behind the kitchen. Or rather a small bird head with human eyes watching the goat boy. Curiosity danced within them as Kaite looked back, waving his hands wildly before the little bird hid back into the backroom.
Asé followed Kaite's gaze & caught a glimpse of the bird head. The lady having also noticed their short attention on the small bird head.
"Ah, sorry about that. Our son gets a bit curious about anyone he doesn't recognise."
"Its no problem. Does he want to meet with Kaite?" Asé asked as Kaite was nearly jumping in his seat in joy of meeting a new potential friend.
"Fumi! Come say hi." The lady said as the bird head peeked out again before entering the room. His small body sporting a simple light grey t-shirt & yellow shorts as he cautiously walked towards Kaite. Not fully sure how to react to the goat kid whose little goat tail was wagging & was about to bounce off the walls. Stars in the caprine's eyes from getting to see another person with a mutation quirk like him.
"Hello! My name is Kaite! What is yours?"
The loud greeting from Kaite scared the bird boy as his feathers ruffled up before bolting behind his mother. Causing Kaite's excitement to quickly die down & confusion to wash over his expression. Worry soon waved over as the fear of scaring away his potential friend started taking hold.
"Sorry for scaring him." Asé said apologetically.
"It's alright, Fumi just takes a while to warm up to others." The boy's mother said as the bird boy slowly approached Kaite again.
"Sorry." Kaite apologised, head down & wishing that he wasn't so loud or rowdy.
"Tokoyami Fumikage."
"Sorry?" Kaite said, confused as to whether he misheard his response.
"Tokoyami Fumikage. That's my name." Tokoyami said. Kaite's tail returned to softly swishing side to side.
"Hello Tokoyami. Sorry again."
"Its okay." Tokoyami said as he went closer to Kaite. Kaite, thinking that Tokoyami wanted to hug to make up (as Asé taught him), opened his arms.
However, Tokoyami simply patted Kaite's head instead. Feeling the soft fur as Asé put every fiber of his being into not calling them cute then & there. Not wanting to potentially scare Kaite & Fumikage as he took out his polaroid.
"Do you two want to take a photo together?" He offered. The two boys looking back at him as Kaite went beside Tokoyami, little tail now in full force as he grabbed Tokoyami's hand. The bird boy not knowing how to respond while Asé quickly took the photo while Tokoyami remained shocked.
"And there we go, don't touch the picture while it develops." Asé said as he handed Kaite the photo. The goat boy excitedly taking the photo as both he & Tokoyami watched it develop from a pure white to a detailed image of the goat boy happily holding Tokoyami's hand while the bird boy looked like a deer in headlights.
"You two look adorable." Asé finally let out. Tokoyami's feathers ruffling up again as Tokoyami's mother laughed at the look of the bird boy in the photo. Kaite's tail managing to peek from behind him as a slight blur in both sides of the photo. Continuing the be a blur of his tail as he gave the photo to Tokoyami.
"You can keep it."
"But don't you want it?"
"We'll take another photo soon. I'm sure!" Kaite said happily.
"Kaite! Tokoyami! Get your butts down here, you're going to be late for school!" Asé shouted. Taking off his apron as he had finished cooking breakfast & put the pans in the sink to wash later. The food on the table already starting to get cold.
"School's in two hours…" Kaite groggily replied, dragging his feet as he headed towards the dining table.
"And your slow zombie walk takes forty minutes to get there. Eat your rice before it gets cold." Asé said, sitting down opposite Kaite as they both started eating their small bowls of fried rice.
"Where's Tokoyami?"
"He's in the restroom." Kaite replied before finishing his last few spoonfuls & flopping face-first onto the couch. Asé sighing as he went to the couch to wake him up again.
"Come on, you can't keep doing this. I will shove you off my spot if I have to."
"NNNNNNMMMMH," Kaite groaned as Tokoyami came down the stairs.
"Good morning Tokoyami. Did you two stay up late?" Asé asked as he shoved Kaite off the couch. Earning a groan from the goat boy as he got back up.
"Not too late." Tokoyami said as he sat down at the dining table to eat breakfast.
"Well your attitudes say otherwise. If you two keep sleeping late then you two can't keep having sleepovers."
"Or worse. I join you two-"
"NO!"
"Don't!" The two replied, Asé finally getting Kaite & Tokoyami to be fully awake as he took his & Kaite's empty plates to the sink before staring at Tokoyami & Kaite's eye bags.
"I'm confiscating your Gameboy." Asé directed at Kaite.
"What?!"
"You'll get it back when the circles around your eyes are gone." Asé said. Tokoyami finishing his breakfast & putting his plate in the sink.
"Now, do you two have everything ready?"
"Yes."
"Good, now scram you two." Asé said as he shooed them both out of the house. Giving them their bags & passing them both juice boxes to drink on their way there.
Sipping their juice boxes, they arrived at school half an hour early before heading towards their classroom. Meeting Shouji along the way.
"You two look tired."
"Why does everyone comment on that." Kaite said, before Shouji pet Kaite's head with one of his arms. Tokoyami following suit as Kaite's eye bags disappeared from the attention he was getting.
"Where is everyone?" Tokoyami asked, the classroom being empty as they waited for someone to unlock it & let them in.
"Didn't they say we were skipping assembly in homeroom to P.E. today?"
"..."
"Crap!" They unanimously said as the three bolted towards the gym.
"You look like you're about to get heatstroke." Dark Shadow said, forming from behind Tokoyami to talk to Kaite.
"I know, but not much I can do with this fur coat." Kaite said as they walked out of the school gates. The summer heat being especially brutal that year even with his winter coat already shed long ago much to Asé's joy. Cleaning the fur had been a nightmare.
They all headed to Kaite's place despite its distance as he promised them snacks & access to his manga collection. Along with help for their English work since it was Kaite's native language.
The three of them were immediately welcomed by Asé who was weeding the front garden. Tearing out the small plants with a ruthlessness that make even Tokoyami keep his distance from him.
"I should have some mangoes in the fridge for you three to eat. I got them when Kaite & I went back to Singapore last month." Asé said as the three boys entered the house. Kaite taking the fruit & cutting some of them for Tokoyami & Shouji to eat as Dark shadow tried cutting one of them with its claws, mostly unsuccessful.
"Oh! Kaite! We're going to have to go to Jacku Hospital tomorrow to get your quirk diagnosis. I have a friend there who can get us an appointment for free. Even cover transport." Asé shouted from outside the house.
"Alright dad!" Kaite shouted back as they made their way towards Kaite's room.
"You're finally going to know your quirk?" Tokoyami asked.
"Yeah, my dad's been trying everything to get an appointment with someone he trusts. Though for some reason he's too cheapskate to just pay for one regularly though."
"Your dad's a cheapskate? You two fly around the world half the time." Shouji asked incredulously.
"Well he's really stingy about medical bills. Especially since we don't receive any subsidies as foreigners." Kaite said as he sat down on his bed. Tokoyami sitting down beside him while Shoji turned his desk chair to face the two. All three of them taking out their books from their school bags.
"Its 'Mike did not decide the outcome.' Right?" Shouji asked. Earning a thumbs up from the goat boy as a piece of mango was stuck out from his mouth. The sight making Tokoyami give his head some scratches while his goat tail wagged.
"What about 'Molly was busy that afternoon with her friends.'?"
"Also good."
"'Your smile is lovely-'"
Kaite choked on the mango slice he was eating, having Shouji hit his back to help him before managing to get it down the right tube. Tokoyami was a little stunned by the strong response.
"I'm sorry Fumi, what did you say?"
"'Your smile is lovely' said Jason to Lisa." Tokoyami finished. Kaite blushing a bit in embarrassment from misinterpreting Tokoyami's words.
"Oh…" Kaite replied sheepishly.
Dark Shadow then appeared from behind Tokoyami, wiggling his nonexistent eyebrows at Kaite before Tokoyami noticed & grabbed his shadowy beak.
"Aggh! Fumikage!"
"Calm down you two, I haven't died yet…" Kaite said as he gave Dark Shadow some scratches under his beak, earning some cooing sounds from the shadow.
"I think we should move on to Japanese for you now." Tokoyami said as he pulled out his textbook, eliciting a groan from Kaite.
However, his fingertips lit up a faint red as they made contact with Dark Shadow. Shrinking the shadow slightly before a smaller version of Dark Shadow formed. The smaller shadow held no expression. Lacking the life that Dark Shadow had as everyone in the room fell silent.
"Woah, is that your quirk-"
The tiny shadow suddenly lurched out at Dark Shadow. Attacking it out of the blue, shrieks echoed in the room as the smaller shadow ripped it apart like it was tissue paper. Tokoyami falling over & holding his chest in pain & weakness, Kaite quickly retracting his hand & shaking it to try & turn off the smaller shadow as it jumped towards Tokoyami.
Its small body hid in Tokoyami's feathers as pain induced groans came from Tokoyami. Torn feathers falling out like dark snow before quiet squelching sounds could be heard. The tiny shadow was burrowing itself into Tokoyami's skull.
"NononoNONONO!" Kaite screamed, his fingertips still glowing a slight red while Shouji tried to dig Tokoyami's feathers to remove the small shadow, but it was too small. Broken feathers kept falling as Tokoyami & Kaite's eyes welled up with tears. Hurt & horrified as both widened at the same time when they heard slight grinding instead of squelching.
Blood was already spilt as Asé barged into the room & pulled a small rod out of his pocket. Pointing it at the smaller shadow in Tokoyami's head, it shone a green laser straight at it. A tiny scream & a pause in grinding as he guided his head towards the window & let both the laser & sunlight directly at the small shadow, evaporating it.
The room remained silent for words. Heavy pants reverberating through the wooded walls. Shouji was too shocked at what just happened to speak. Tokoyami trying to handle the pain & fighting back any more tears as he looked back at Kaite, eyes trembling with pain & hurt. Asé already went to his room & gave Tokoyami some painkillers to help as he dialed a saved number on his phone.
Kaite stood there, fingertips finally dimming. Trembling. Feet locked & shaking. Breathing heavy & shallow. Eyes in disbelief & tail drooping. The floor damp with tears.
"I'm sorry…"