"If you're not a good boy, Ichirohiko will eat your heart!"

"Really, ma?"

The beast laughed, pulling her son along. "No, it's just an expression. But you can bet I'll do it!" She started tickling her son, who laughed. "Stop, stop! I'll be good!"

As they continued on, the teenaged boy who was listening from around the corner sighed. "I'm a monster to them," he muttered, looking at the sky. His blue eyes sought something from it, but came up empty. His soft dark hair was disturbed by the wind as he moved away.

He walked, his slippers silent againt the cobblestone ground of the alleys. He wove through the monotone passageways, emerging into the busy world of the humans.

Ichirohiko looked around before slipping into the crowd, going from street to street until he reached the apartment building where his friend lived.

"Kyuta?" he said hesitantly, knocking once.

"Come in!" was the instant reply.

Ichirohiko entered to see Ren sitting at his desk, studying. He looked up and waved briefly. "Thanks," Ichirohiko said softly.

Ren grinned. "It's no problem."

He went back to studying as Ichirohiko went to sit, cross-legged, in an out-of-the-way corner. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Soon he was asleep, breathing lightly.

Ren glanced over, then grinned as he reached over and pulled a blanket over his friend.

Chico squeaked before hopping over, nuzzling Ren.

"Thanks, Chico," Ren laughed. He looked back at his work. "I should study," he admitted, picking back up his pencil.

The room was silent except for the scritching of Ren's pencil and Ichirohiko's quiet breaths.

"Ren!"

Ren's father opened the door, smiling widely. "It's dinnertime, would you like to…"

He stopped as he saw his son waving frantically.

"What's wrong?" Ren's father asked, his voice softer, before he caught sight of Ichirohiko in the corner. "Oh, you friend's here again?" he said sheepishly.

Ren nodded, smiling in amusement at his father's chagrin.

At that moment Ichirohiko yawned, opening his eyes. "Ah, hello," he greeted the man. Ren's father grinned. "Would you like to stay over again?" he offered, heading to the kitchen. Ichirohiko mulled the thought over as the man started to put the groceries away in the fridge before replying, "I…" His eyes flickered over to Ren, who shrugged and nodded.

"May I?" Ichirohiko asked. "Of course!" the man answered. Ichirohiko smiled softly. "I'll tell my par… my brother. Thank you."

After a while, he left, navigating the human world until he got back home.

"Brother!" Jiromaru exclaimed. "Where were you?"

Ichirohiko hesitated, his figure visible through the open doors. "Is it only you home?"

Jiromaru frowned. "Yeah, but mom and dad should be home soon. Why?"

"I'm… going to stay over at Kyuta's tonight."

"What?" Jiromaru's face fell. "Again?"

Ichirohiko shrugged. "I just… want to. Tell mom and dad for me, okay?"

"Wait!" Jiromaru protested, standing up. "Tell them yourself! You've barely spoken to them for the past year, and they miss you! Brother…"

Ichirohiko darted away, his form vanishing among the bamboo trees. Jiromaru lost sight of him before the young boar even stepped foot outside the house. He sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Brother…" he murmured, staring.

"Glad you could sleep over!" Ren said cheerfully. Ichirohiko smiled as he lay down on the blankets.

Ren watched him for a moment before asking, "Hey, is everything at home alright?"

Ichirohiko frowned at his pillow.

"Well enough," he responded, after a moment. "How about you, Kyuta?"

His friend laughed, lying down on his bed. "Studying is pretty fun. College… not so much, I guess, since all you do is sit and listen."

"Sit and listen?" Ichirohiko asked.

Ren nodded. "Mm. Plus, I can't take Chico with me." The furball squeaked at this. "Otherwise I'm doing fine."

Ichirohiko smiled. "That's good."

His friend rolled over to look at him. "Are you sure everything is okay for you in the beast world?"

Ichirohiko sighed. "I'm a monster." At this, Ren frowned in sympathy. "You're just a human," he said. Ichirohiko shook his head. "To everyone else, I'm still a monster… Even now, after being told what happened, I can't remember what I did." Ren sighed, rolling back over to stare at the ceiling. "What about Iozen? Or your mom? Or Jiromaru?"

At the mention of the familiar names, Ichirohiko tensed.

"Kyuta…"

Into the silence, Ren said, "You know, only you and Kumatetsu call me that."

Ichirohiko laughed softly, grateful for the change of subject. His blue eyes were amused as he pointed out, "Plenty of beasts call you that. You just aren't around to hear it."

Ren shrugged.

They talked for a while more, about harmless things, before they fell asleep.

"Ichirohiko, we need to talk."

The teenager froze, clothes in his arms, then turned to look at the boar in the doorframe.

"...Father," Ichirohiko said.

Iozen stared at his human son sadly. "Jiromaru told us you're staying at Kyuta's again."

Ichirohiko nodded.

"Are you doing alright there?"

Another nod.

"Will you… talk with your mother?"

Ichirohiko shook his head.

"She misses you."

His son didn't respond, eyes downcast. Iozen waited for a moment before saying, "We only want… for our son to be happy."

"Then take care of Jiromaru," Ichirohiko muttered.

Iozen flinched, then turned and left, walking deeper into the house. Ichirohiko waited, then looked down at the clothes in his hands. He folded them, tucking them into a bag before shouldering it, walking out of the house. As he navigated the thick bamboo trunks surrounding his home, his blue eyes were shadowed with regret.

"Sorry," he said softly to the silent forest.

"Ichirohiko!" Kaede said in delight as she saw the boy sitting in the corner. He looked up, and waved. "Have you seen Ren?" she asked curiously.

Ichirohiko shook his head.

"Alright," she said, "I guess he's at the library again, then. See you later!"

With that she left, leaving Ichirohiko alone in the room.

Not quite alone.

"Is she gone?" Ren gasped, emerging from beneath the bed.

"Yes," Ichirohiko replied, looking at his friend curiously. "Why were you hiding?"

Ren laughed, crawling out completely and sitting on the bed. "Well…" He thought about it. Then he remembered, his eyes lighting up. "It's April Fool's Day!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

"What is… April Fool's?" Ichirohiko asked haltingly.

"Oh," Ren realized, "that's right, I forgot. I only learned about it this year too."

He leaned forward as he explained, "It's a day in the human world where people play jokes on each other."

Instantly Ichirohiko's face grew worried. "Will you do that to me?"

Ren shook his head. "No… well, not this year." He grinned at his friend's expression. "Don't worry! Anyway, I hope she doesn't get too mad at me. I'm sure she suspects something, but as long as I stay out of view she'll give up on me." He laughed.

"As long as you stay out of view… huh?" Ichirohiko said contemplatively.

"Are you sure your parents are alright with this?"

Ichirohiko smiled up at Ren's dad. "Yeah," he lied, "they're out of town."

When his dad left Ren said, "Are you sure it's fine?"

Ichirohiko laughed. "Yes."

Ren rolled his eyes as he said, "Okay, okay. Since you're here, want to go to a movie?"

His friend frowned. "A movie?"

The boy blinked before pulling Ichirohiko up and out the door. Chico squeaked, riding on Ren's shoulder as he said, "We can't have you living life without seeing a movie! Come on!"

"Ah… wait…" Ichirohiko stumbled before regaining his balance, following Ren through the streets until they arrived at the theatre.

When they entered, Ichirohiko looked around at the crowd of humans. "Are they all here for a movie?" he asked.

"Hm?" Ren said, paying for tickets. "Yeah."

He then led Ichirohiko over to the food counters. "Let's see… we'll have popcorn, chocolate-covered, and of course some arare…"

As he ordered them food, Ichirohiko continued to look around.

"Come on," Ren urged, his arms holding bags of… food unfamiliar to Ichirohiko. They went into one of the many doors, where Ichirohiko observed the dark room filled with seats and people. The wall before them was glowing, a moving picture upon it.

Ichirohiko sat beside Ren, who passed him a bag of - "What is this?" Ichirohiko asked quietly.

"Popcorn!" Ren replied. "Try it!"

Ichirohiko plucked one and tasted it. To his surprise, it was delicious. Buttery and crunchy, but a yummy combination. It didn't taste very much like corn, but he supposed that's because it… well… 'popped'.

"Thanks," he said sincerely.

"No problem," Ren answered around a mouthful of chocolate.

Ichirohiko tilted his head, looking at the sweets.

"Can I try that, as well?"

Ichirohiko sat on the edge of a skyscraper, his blue eyes staring at the landscape before him. It was grey, loud, and harsh - something he found uncomfortable, despite how often he came to the human world. Still… he stared from beneath his windblown hair, seeking something.

He tapped a grey slipper against the building, standing up. Casting one last glance at the city, he turned away, walking back towards the stairs that had brought him there.

Ichirohiko opened the door, descending down the cement steps. He traced the railing with his hand as he did so.

"Kyuta," he murmured, hearing the words echo back to him in the empty stairwell, "I'm… sorry…"

He shook his head. That time had passed.

And yet…

'If you're not a good boy, Ichirohiko will eat your heart!'

The mother's words came back to him, causing Ichirohiko to flinch.

He hurried down the stairs, opening the door that led him out onto the busy street. The sound and hubbub engulfed him as he did so.

"Kyuta?"

On his third knock, the door opened. Ren stood just inside, grinning. "Ichirohiko!" he said, gesturing. "Come on in! Where were you today?"

Ichirohiko came in. "Busy."

Ren laughed. "Well, I wasn't. No classes today, so I got to relax. Would you like to do anything?"

Ichirohiko tilted his head. "Kyuta… there's a festival in the beast world today. Do you want to come with me? Jiromaru… he misses you."

Ren blinked. "Of course!" he said excitedly. "I haven't visited Hyaku or Tata in a while, either."

He stood, following Ichirohiko out the door.

When they emerged into the festive town of Jutengai, Ren grinned. "I'm Kyuta here," he laughed, pulling up his hood to avoid his sadly numerous fans.

"Jiromaru is this way," Ichirohiko said softly. He lead Ren through the food stalls, which were decorated with flowers and vines. Ichirohiko pulled his own hood up as they walked.

When Jiromaru saw them, the young boar waved enthusiastically. "Brother! Kyuta!" he yelled, running over to them. "You really made it in time!"

Ren returned Jiromaru's excited greeting as Ichirohiko hung back.

"Let's go!" Jiromaru cheered, grabbing both Ren's and Ichirohiko's arms as he pulled them over to a stall. "They're selling my favorite mochi!" Jiromaru exclaimed, buying a batch. Ren ate one as Ichirohiko held his gingerly.

"How is it?" Ichirohiko asked.

Ren grinned. "Good!" he replied around a mouthful of mochi. Jiromaru laughed, stuffing his own face.

Ichirohiko smiled, taking a bite of his own mochi. Then he walked over to a stall, and returned with three skewers of meat. "Here," he said, offering one to Ren and Jiromaru. "These are my own favorites."

"Thanks, brother!" Jiromaru said, shoving the meat in his mouth along with the mochi. Ichirohiko watched in quiet amusement before hearing Ren say, "Thanks. These are pretty good!"

Ichirohiko smiled. "I'm glad," he said, taking another bite of his food.

"Kyuta!" The threesome turned to see Tatara and Hyakushubo waving. Ren returned the gesture while Ichirohiko, unnoticed, shrank back slightly as the monkey and monk joined them.

"How have the last few months been?" Hyakushubo asked. As Ren dodged an attempt by Tatara to ruffle his hair he replied, "Alright. I'm busy studying for school, but nothing else."

Tatara went for another try, this time managing to muss Ren's hair. "Gotcha!" the monkey cried.

Chico squeaked dizzily as Ren regained his balance, laughing. His hood slipped off as he did so, but he pulled it back up hastily.

"Jiromaru and Ichirohiko as well. Hello," Hyakushubo said warmly.

Jiromaru grinned as he swallowed, while his older brother flinched slightly at being spoken to. "Hello," he said politely, his voice soft.

"Hey," Tatara interrupted, "are we going to see the fireworks or what? Hurry up!"

Hyakushubo smiled. "Come," he urged the three teenagers. They followed, weaving through the crowds of beasts until the night sky was visible. Just as they did so, the sky was alight.

"Wow," Jiromaru breathed, his eyes wide.

Ichirohiko stepped back, watching his companions instead of the fireworks. He took in Jiromaru's child-like awe, Ren's pure joy, and Tatara's and Hyakushubo's mild enjoyment from the display - each of their faces illuminated by the colorful explosions.

Ichirohiko smiled.

"Thank you for coming," he said softly. Only Ren heard. He glanced back, then grinned.

"What are friends for?"

Jiromaru caught his older brother before Ichirohiko could leave. As Ren continued on, Jiromaru said, "Thanks for coming, brother."

"Oh… right… no problem," Ichirohiko replied.

The younger of the two asked, "Will you come ba…"

Ichirohiko was shaking his head before Jiromaru could finish.

Silence.

"Alright," Jiromaru said reluctantly.

They hugged briefly before Ichirohiko followed Ren back to the human world. Jiromaru watched for a while before heading back to his own home.

"What is this?" Ichirohiko asked when Ren and his father opened the box. Ren looked up. "Pizza!"

Ichirohiko looked at the steaming, circular, odd-looking food. His mouth watered as he smelled it. "May I… try?" he asked, clutching his customary store-bought bento.

Ren's father nodded, already biting into a slice himself.

Ichirohiko picked one up, holding it carefully.

He took a bite, then swallowed hard. "It's hot!" he said, startled.

"But good?" Ren asked.

Ichirohiko nodded. "It is good."

He took another bite, savoring the strangely delicious combination of bread, cheese, sauces, and… "What are these?"

Ren took a look at circular red topping held between Ichirohiko's fingers and said, "Oh, that's called pepperoni."

"Pepper… oni…" Ichirohiko repeated. He tilted his head.

"Pepper… demon?" he said, confused as he connected 'oni' to the meaning 'demon'.

Ren laughed, shaking his head. "No, it was just named that way. It tastes good."

Ichirohiko took Ren's word for it, taking another bite of his slice of pizza.

"Thank you for the meal," he said softly.

"Kyuta. Kyuta? Kyuta?"

Ren blinked, suddenly noticing Ichirohiko by his side. The teenager looked distressed, his blue eyes staring intently at Ren.

He pulled his headphones off, apologizing, "Sorry, what were you saying?"

Ichirohiko regarded Ren for a moment.

"Why couldn't you hear me?"

Ren frowned. "Huh?"

"Why couldn't you hear me?" Ichirohiko repeated.

Ren's expression cleared as he realized what his friend was talking about. "Oh - I had my headphones on." He held them up. "I was listening to music, so I couldn't hear you."

Ichirohiko tilted his head. "I couldn't hear any music."

Ren laughed. "Here, try these on." He helped Ichirohiko put on the headphones before hitting play. Ichirohiko's eyes widened as he heard the song start. He pulled the headphones off, looking at Ren in awe. "These are…"

"Cool?" Ren supplied.

Ichirohiko smiled. "Yes."

"Hey," Ren said one day, "Do you want to live with us?"

Ichirohiko looked up, startled. He blinked, then looked over to where Ren's dad sat. "R-really?" he stammered, hope lighting up in his eyes.

Ren's father looked up, then laughed. "Of course. Ren spoke to me about it, and you seem like an excellent young man. I wouldn't mind - if you don't either."

For a moment, Ichirohiko seemed about to say yes.

But then he stopped.

"I… thank you… but I can't," he said reluctantly.

Ren's eyes softened as he looked at Ichirohiko happily. "It's too bad," he remarked, Chico squeaking energetically on his shoulder. "But I know why you say that."

Ichirohiko nodded. "Thanks, though. I really appreciate it, Kyuta."

They shared a smile.