Chapter Text
Legoshi stood in front of the mirror. On one hand he had a modest tile patterned tie he's often used for work, on the other he held a more playful tie with a subtle beetle pattern he also liked. Carefully he held each option up to his neck, humming and hawing at the sight of each one. It was difficult to say which one would be more appropriate for a date. “Hun, it's a double date, not church. I think maybe you're a bit overdressed.” Haru said, one ear peeking through the bathroom door. Legoshi frowned. “Maybe… I'm just worried about causing trouble for Juno or Louis. They’re both… You know….” He tried looking for the right word to use. “Exorbitantly wealthy and constantly the topic of public scrutiny?” She suggested, leaning out of the bathroom to make eye contact with him through the mirror. “I was gonna say rich and famous, but what you said is probably more… correct.” He said, staring as her rabbit stepped out to stand next to him. She looked cute as always in a pleated plaid dress and a white blouse. Somehow she did always manage to look casual, even when he knew the look was anything but. “If you want my opinion, I think you should just drop the tie. And I doubt Juno or Louis would care how you dress anyway.” She advised him, using her hand to play with his tail briefly before going to fetch her bag from the closet. Legoshi gave his outfit the once-over and begrudgingly had to admit that she was probably right on both counts.
“I’m heading out. Have fun on your date, mom; and please don’t eat any more legs, dad.” Legoshi heard a voice from the door, wincing at the mention of his past escapades. “B-bye, Teru. Have fun!” He managed to say, watching the shadow of the wolf-rabbit hybrid disappear as the boy left. “Really wish he wouldn't make fun of me for that….” He bemoaned, to which Haru chuckled. “I know you secretly love it.” She said, holding his hand. He looked down at her and then at himself in the mirror. His eyes landed on the scar that marked his brow. “... Yeah, I’m glad we can joke about it. It's only because of Louis that I'm alive at all. I'm glad that was the only time I had to eat meat.” He said, a smile slowly creeping on his lips. Haru's soft hand gripped his own a little tighter. “I'm sure Louis feels the same. No wonder you guys are still friends to this day, heh.” She said, leaning closer for a kiss. Legoshi leaned down to meet her. “... Yeah.” He muttered before their lips made contact. It was a miracle indeed.
They took the train from the station closest to their house. Legoshi remembered that they used to get such weird looks while walking down the street together, now the neighbors had long since grown accustomed to the sight of them together. “Now that I think about it, maybe we could've taken the train with Teru. Where did he go anyway?” Haru said, sitting next to him. Looking up at him with a frown. “Oh… he was going the other way. I think it was to meet up with Gouhin.” He explained, his ears drooping slightly at the memory. It had been a couple of months since Legoshi had decided to tell the boy the truth about his own time at the school, and while the hybrid seemed to take it in stride… Well, it wouldn’t hurt to assist him a little anyway. The panda had thought it prudent to start giving Teru sessions to help him deal with some of the stress of his new environment at Cherryton and to deal with any other questions he might have.
“Oh well. Maybe we'll meet up on the way back.” Haru said, not really giving it much thought. “Right now we gotta focus on helping Juno and Louis. As their interspecies couple seniors, it would be nice of us to show them some support.” She said with a chuckle. “R-right!” Legoshi tried to sound optimistic, he really did want the date to go well, but part of him was still worried about everything else that surrounded the couple. They'd both lived full lives without each other, changing all of that for probably the most complex type of romance there was. The type of joy that was always accompanied by the fear of death. Legoshi wouldn’t know since he’d only ever loved Haru, but it didn't sound easy. On top of that, they had way more eyes on them. Legoshi and Haru's neighbors had grown accustomed to them, but that didn't compare to potentially a whole nation's worth of people.
“Hey….” She said, brushing one hand over the bristly fur on the back of his. The worry must've shown on his face. “Don’t stress over it. Their job is to figure all that complicated stuff out. Ours is to be there and help if we can.” Legoshi’s jaw hung slightly open, staring at his rabbit who smiled up at him. She knew him so well, it's no wonder she could guess what he was thinking. “... right. I guess that’s all we can do.” He said, feeling a little more at ease. Haru seemed happy by his answer, reaching up to pet him between the ears. At home she would've given him a kiss, but PDA from an interspecies couple could sometimes cause trouble. He felt like she'd given him one anyway, even if just for an instant.
—
“At this rate I might as well call the whole thing off….” Louis muttered to himself, adjusting the collar of his shirt. Taking a quick look in the mirror, he noticed no imperfections in his appearance. Aside from his furrowed brow, he looked every part the role of the gentleman CEO. “Is there something wrong? You look… unwell.” A voice said from behind him. Looking in the mirror he spotted his daughter, Ibuki, standing in the doorway with a concerned expression. “I'm fine. Just taking care to look presentable for my date is all.” He reassured her, trying to soften his expression to look more gentle and boyish. Yeah, that’s the look Juno was into. “Oh ho ho, are you a little nervous?” Ibuki asked, stepping closer and standing by his side in front of the mirror. Just like her mother, she was the perfect embodiment of what was expected by society of herbivore women. Soft spoken, polite, and beautiful. Though just like with him, it was all a façade for the sake of the company. It was only in these brief moments that they got to spend together that they could act like a regular father and daughter. “Hell no. It's not my first time going on a date or anything….” He said, but the doe tilted her head rather playfully. “Really? And when was the last time you went on a real date, father?” She asked, smirking ever so slightly at his expression. Of course she knew all the ‘dates’ he'd had with Azuki were either business related or a matter of publicity, sometimes both. Aside from his reunion with Juno at Haru's restaurant, his last real date had been his ‘final’ meeting with the wolf at the train station. He huffed, admitting defeat.“... Alright, so maybe it's been a few years. Perhaps I'm a bit… on edge.” He said, only earning himself a pointed look from his daughter.
He didn't want to mention the shameful, horrible fact that he was worried about Juno having had a previous fiance and a kid. It was a bit hypocritical of him all things considered, but at least Juno knew his relationship with Azuki was transactional. Louis had no clue what her relationship with that man was like. “I don’t know if I can even compete with someone I don't know anything about! I don't even know why they’re not together anymore.” He slowly began to frown at the thought again, ruining the image he'd worked so hard to build. Just what kind of man was the wolf Juno loved after she left him, and… could he measure up to him? “Gah! I'm acting like a child!” He thought, one hand reaching up to add a bit more polish to his horns.
On her end, Ibuki seemed to find his pain amusing. “Right… Well, I’ll be training with you-know-who downtown. If your date crashes and burns you can always call me. I don’t mind being your shoulder to cry on.” She said dismissively, turning around to leave with a smirk. It was cheeky, but there was a genuine desire to support him behind it. “Gee, I’m glad you have so much faith in me, but I’ll be fine.” He said, picking up a cologne bottle and spraying himself once. Since wolf noses were sensitive, more than one spray would be too overwhelming. “Oh and tell her I said hi!” He shouted at the departing teen who was already out the door. “Will do, but she’ll tell you to fuck off like she always does!” She shouted back, and he chuckled. You-know-who never changes, does she?
“Last time I chased you, so now it’s your turn to chase me….” That’s what she’d said to him last time they met. Louis mulled over her words on the car ride over. “She doesn’t want me to play the same role I did last time. Now I’m the one who’s going to have to put in the work to win her over.” He thought, his eyes landing on the back of the driver’s head. A sheep, not Yuta like it used to be when he was a child, no. If he wasn’t mistaken, this sheep was actually Yuta’s nephew who was hired to replace the butler after he retired years ago. “Do you know if the mall will be crowded?” He asked the man, who briefly turned to look at him through the rearview mirror before returning his eyes to the road. “It is a weekday, but school is not in session at this time. You should expect a lot of teens there, sir, but otherwise not many more people than usual.” The sheep said politely, before adding. “If I may, sir, why did you not simply rent out the mall? That way it might be less cumbersome for someone of your standing to attend without worry.” He asked, to which Louis shook his head. “No. Renting the mall out would draw too much attention. I want this to be as much of a traditional date as possible.” He explained, which the sheep seemed to understand. “Of course, sir. Pardon the intrusion.” The man said, his gaze not veering from the road.
“If it was just about money, I wouldn’t have a problem spending whatever it took, but Juno won’t be impressed by something like that. If she wants me to put in the work, I’ll start by showing her I can treat her on a date without having to rely on my status as a CEO to start with.” He thought, looking out the window and into the street. The usual black car he frequented would be easy to recognize, so he decided instead taking an inconspicuous blue rental car to the date, less of a risk of paparazzi getting word of his appearance. He didn’t mind if they tried dragging his reputation through the mud, but he couldn’t stand the thought of them interrupting his date. “Hopefully my face isn’t too well known. I doubt everyday people would keep up with business publications, but just in case I asked that no photos be taken for my interview with Zorbes last month.” He thought. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but after the disaster that was those tabloids getting a hold of his meeting with Juno, he wasn’t about to risk it again. “Now I can only hope Haru and Legoshi back me up when I get there. She's smart so I'm not too worried about her, but he’s a giant magnet for trouble. I hope that dumb dog knows how to restrain himself.” He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the car engine running. Just this once, he hoped for everything to go according to plan.
“So… He's like RICH rich, right? You think you can convince him to get me that new console I told you about? Teru's parents got him one and it's pretty sick.” The voice on the phone spoke as Juno put on one shoe with some difficulty. “I'm not about to ask my date to buy you something, dear. You should at least wait until I've introduced the two of you.” She said, trying to balance the phone between her head and her shoulder while she struggled with the straps. “Is he really the one if he can't shell out a couple grand to impress a lady? C'mon, at least try it! It'll be funny!” The voice continued while she tried her hardest to fasten the straps without her claws getting in the way. Finally she managed, breathing a sigh of relief as she got up to assess the outfit, picking the phone off her shoulder. “It would definitely not be funny to me! Please, Marin, take this seriously.” She complained, straightening her sweater. A cute yet smart number she'd picked out ages ago. “Besides, your birthday's coming up. How do you know I'm not planning on getting you that… thing myself?” She said, frowning as the wolf on the other end scoffed. “Well, because you don't even know what it's called, for one. But if you say so….” He sounded skeptical, and as much as she hated to admit it, he was correct to be suspicious.
Juno stared at the top of her dresser with some shame. The shaving kit she’d planned on gifting to him suddenly looked offensive to the eye as it lay on its side, collecting dust. “It just… slipped my mind, is all! I can’t tell you what I got you for your birthday, but I just know you’ll think I’m the best mom ever. I promise!” She recovered, doing her best to sound convincing while counting up her savings in her head. “Right… Well, don’t put yourself out there if you can’t afford something like that. I’m just glad we get to spend time together for once.” Marin’s voice came through the line. While he wasn’t convinced, he did seem genuinely happy. It was funny, for as good as she became at acting, Marin always seemed to know when she was lying. “... And for the record, I… already think you’re the best mom ever. A-anyway, later!” With that final confession, he hung up before she could respond. She stared at her phone, seeing her reflection on the dark screen. A mirthful smile slowly spread on her lips and her tail began to wag. Her son was so bashful when it came to talking about his feelings, it was rare to hear him openly express his love for her. Juno hoped that it meant good things for their relationship.
As she was leaving she glanced briefly at an old selfie she kept framed on her wall of Marin’s father, Caesar, standing by a lake. It had been almost 15 years since he’d passed away, but it still felt like it was yesterday. That call from the hospital informing her of the accident, the horrible state his body had been left in, the fact she didn't even get to say goodbye. Through no force of her own, her partner had been taken away from her and she was completely helpless. If it wasn't because she had to take care of her baby, she would probably have crumbled far more than she did. After that, the only thing she could focus on was her work and it strained all of her friendships and even her relationship with her son. And yet now here she was, about to take the plunge again. “I hope that I have your approval. I know Louis is… different from you, but he's wonderful in his own way.” She told the image, her eyes meeting with the ones of the wolf. “Well… wish me luck.” Juno smiled, turning away from the picture before she made herself sad. All those memories of what could have been will have to wait.
The apartment she'd rented when she moved back into town was close enough to the mall that she could comfortably walk over. She was used to jetsetting around the country, starring in different roles with no fixed address, but ever since her son had started high school she decided to settle down close to him. Juno felt guilty about leaving him alone for so long, so when the opportunity arose that allowed her to be nearby, she took it, even if it would mean sacrificing some opportunities. The neighbors were kind enough when they recognized her on the street, having grown accustomed by then to having someone with a degree of fame around. She still remembered how her own landlady had asked her for an autograph when they met (sadly, this did not mean a lower rent).
“I wonder if the others are waiting for me. It took me longer than I expected to get ready.” Juno thought as she approached the mall through the open entrance area near the main street. It was fairly devoid of people, something more and more common with malls these days she noticed, but a few groups were scattered around the shops that opened outside. The building's large windowed walls shone from the bright summer sun, making her wish she'd brought her sunglasses, though the rows of trees that formed a V shape leading towards the entrance provided a nice amount of shade. They'd agreed to meet up by the fountain outside, but looking around she couldn't see either Louis nor Haru and Legoshi anywhere. She was about to pull out her phone to ask them where they were when she noticed someone waving at her from the shade beneath one of the trees. A familiar stag leaned against it and smiled while beckoning her.
“Hey there!” Juno greeted him, walking to his side. “Sorry I'm a little late, I hope you weren't waiting for too long.” She said, doing her best to keep her cool, though her tail still wagged at the sight of him. In contrast, Louis was cool as always, giving her a boyish smile she was convinced he must practice exclusively to send her heart racing. “It's fine. I'm glad to see you again, Juno. You look lovely as always.” He said, gesturing towards her outfit. A cute cream sweater and black pants that complemented the color of her fur nicely. “O-oh, this was just something I threw together, ha ha.” She lied. In fact, she'd stayed up all night coming up with something that would look casual enough for a mall date, but not too casual to the point that he would think she didn’t take this date seriously. It might look simple, but with the right accessories it gives the subtle air of elegance. “You look handsome too. It's been a while since I've seen you in something other than a suit and tie.” She remarked, giving his outfit a quick look. A nice pair of brown pants and a pale blue shirt. “I'd hate to come to our date looking like I have a business proposition. Besides, who's ever heard of coming to the mall in a suit?” He said, chuckling. Despite the fact that she loved the way he laughed, she tried to keep her tail still. Letting him have too much of a win too early would put her at a disadvantage.
“So, where are Haru and Legoshi? I thought they would be here by now.” She asked, looking around just in case she missed the pair. Louis sighed in frustration. “Apparently they got delayed by an obstruction on the tracks. That’s about all that Haru told me, so I have no clue when they might show up.” He explained, gesturing briefly with his palm towards the main street that led to where the train station was. “O-oh! Well that's too bad. I guess we'll just have to wait for them.” Juno said, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of being alone with him. “Haru has the tickets anyway, so we won't be getting into the mystery thing she has planned any time soon.” He said, dismissively. His eyes meeting hers for just a sec before avoiding them. Maybe she was wrong, but it seemed like he was actually happy the others were late. She leaned on the tree next to him, blushing as their shoulders brushed against each other.
“It’s funny, despite the fact that we're all been friends since high school, this is the first time all four of us have hung out together as a group.” Louis remarked, looking up at the leaves swaying in the wind. Juno did the same. “Yeah… But I don’t know if I would say we were fully friends. I seem to recall we had a rivalry sort of thing before you left.” She remembered. Looking back, it was very strange how different her priorities were. Back then all she wanted was to put carnivores on top and show everyone how proud she was to be a wolf. Of course, that brought her into direct conflict with Louis, who was doing something similar for himself. The stag next to her chuckled at the memory. “I suppose we were, ha ha. In the end neither of us became the Beastar candidate, and now the Sublime Beastar's seat has been empty for decades.” He said, a wry grin forming on his lips. “Not that I think I would have liked being the Beastar anyway. I'm already sick of Horns Conglomerate as is, handling the justice system on top of that would suck, ha ha!” His tone was light and playful, but Juno could sense his genuine gratitude. “I don’t know, I think you’d probably do a good job. I’d trust you, at least.” She said, though part of her did genuinely wonder how her life would look like if either of them had taken the mantle of Beastar. Louis' expression turned gentle, making eye contact with her. “Heh, in that case, it might as well have been the two of us together. Two Beastars to handle both the carnivores and the herbivores of the world.” He said, which elicited a chuckle from her. “Don’t just make up a plural form of Beastar, heh heh.” She said, only making him smile wider. “Well, there has to be some plural form. If it doesn’t exist, someone will just make one up.” He retorted, still carrying that playful tone. Juno wondered if maybe he’d given the idea more thought than she initially thought.
They fell into comfortable silence for a spell. The breeze carried a sweet scent from a bakery/pastry shop nearby. “Did you notice them?” Louis suddenly asked, pointing behind him with his thumb. She looked over her shoulder discreetly, noticing a hint of a mane disappearing into a store. “Oh, it’s them… those lions.” Juno said, remembering the Shishigumi from all those years ago. Louis sighed, rolling his eyes at their poor attempt at hiding themselves. “Yeah, those lions that have been following me today. The Shishigumi, or I guess the former members of the Shishigumi. I don’t know what they’re planning, but I’m not paying them to fool around when they’re supposed to be working their honest jobs as reformed members of society.” He emphasized the word reformed in particular. Juno thought it was sweet that he cared so much about them, even if it was a bit strange seeing a deer leading a pride of lions around. It just showed his skills as a leader and how dedicated he was to the people under him.
“As long as they don't get in the way, I guess we could just let them be… I-I don't mind, at least.” Juno proposed. Louis stared in amusement, his mouth quirked up in a tiny smirk. “I'm grateful that you don't mind, at least. Troublesome as they are, they're not dangerous or anything. I'm more worried about Legoshi seeing them.” He said, his antlers hitting the trunk of the tree as he leaned back. She tilted her head in curiosity at the mention of the other wolf, which Louis noticed. “Oh, you see, it's because of what happened to Haru. I don’t think he’s ever truly forgiven them for that, and I don't know if he ever will. I thought they both got over it, but after the Shishigumi were released from prison they went right back to hating each other.” He added. She'd forgotten about the incident where Haru had been kidnapped by the Shishigumi. “Well, you know how us canines get. I think Legoshi just loves Haru too much to let it go. I certainly wouldn't if it was you… um!” She choked, realizing as the heat spread through her whole face that she’d said too much. The stag looked at her in amusement, his tiny smirk now morphed into a playful grin. “Well now. I'm glad you care so much about me. I'm sure all of my detractors must be quivering in their boots seeing such a cute wolf defending me.” He toyed with her, something that only made her blush harder as she scrambled to compose herself. “T-that's not- I mean, I wouldn’t fight people! But still I- Geez!” She huffed in frustration, making the deer laugh. “Ah ha ha, I guess that’s true. I'd hate for you to get hurt anyway.” He said, smiling wider as her blush deepened. Her plan of making him chase her was not going as smoothly as she hoped it would.
“Yo! There you guys are!” She was thankfully saved from further embarrassment by an approaching Haru who was, much to everyone’s surprise, riding on Legoshi’s arms as the wolf rushed towards them. Juno had to stop herself from laughing upon watching the poor bunny being jostled around. The wolf stopped in front of them, panting from the heat and the exercise. Did he run all the way from the station? “Geez, Legoshi. Here, I have some water.” She pulled out a bottle that was too big for her from her bag, handing it to him after hopping off of his arms. The wolf drank from it in relief. “I know my legs are short but I don’t think carrying me was necessary.” Haru said, her head tilted as she looked at him with pity. “Oh, it’s no problem at all. Besides, I didn’t want to keep everyone waiting too long.” Legoshi said, returning the bottle to his rabbit, who sighed in return. The wolf then stretched his body, producing a loud and rather concerning series of popping sounds from his back. “I'm more worried about your health than anything….” Haru muttered, before turning to address Juno and Louis. “I hope you guys weren’t too bored.” She asked them. The stag shook his head, playing coy. “Oh, we kept ourselves entertained.” He said, clearly extracting every ounce of joy he could out of watching Juno squirm in embarrassment. She decided then and there that she MUST make him pay for this later one way or another.
“So, what’s the plan?” Juno decided to ask, before the rabbit could get too curious about their conversation. Haru’s ears perked up as she remembered. “Oh, right, I still haven’t told you guys.” She produced four tickets from her bag, handing one to each of them. It read: Research Station Melon Escape Room - Three Hour Pass. “An Escape Room? I didn’t even know we had one of those here.” Juno remarked, looking at the ticket over. The rabbit chuckled. “Neither did I! Apparently it just opened up and it’s gotten rave reviews. A friend of mine said it was good for double dates.” She said, smiling cheekily at her own clever idea. Juno turned to look at the stag next to her, who seemed to regard the ticket with interest. “Sounds fun. I gotta say, it definitely beats just doing karaoke.” He said, placing the ticket in his wallet carefully. “Oh, are you a bad singer?” Legoshi asked. Juno half expected Louis to get annoyed, but he simply answered honestly. “Eh… I don’t know about that. I think it’s more that I’ve only done karaoke at company events. An Escape Room at least seems like something different.” He said, which elicited a hum from the other wolf. Juno noticed that Haru and Louis shared a furtive glance for just a moment. What was that about?
“I see. I-it does sound fun to solve puzzles together. I may not look it, but I’m pretty good with riddles and stuff.” She interjected, hoping to dispel the slight bit of tension in the air. “You guys were all drama club kids, so I'll leave any literary references to you guys.” Haru said, returning to her usual self.
She turned to her wolf who'd gone quiet looking at the ticket in his hand. “Legoshi, you look kinda worried there… Is everything okay?” She asked him. It snapped the wolf back to reality. “Oh! N-no, I’m okay. It’s just that the name of this Escape Room is a little curious, is all.“ He said. Juno could guess he was probably referring to the Melon part of the name. “It is a little odd, isn’t it? These types of rooms are usually themed, so maybe it’s like a… greenhouse?” She said, Louis shook his head in turn. “Maybe… Either way, I doubt it’s going to be so elaborate or anything like that.” He said, turning to look at the mall entrance. “Anyway, it seems we're booked in a few hours, so let's go kill some time.” He pulled himself away from the tree, leaving Juno's side. She hadn’t realized how used she was to having him close. As they headed inside, she wondered if today she would be reliving her Cherryton days in more ways than one.
Terushi the wolf-rabbit hybrid had been to enough psychiatric offices to notice Dr. Gouhin's office was strange. The dusty and sun faded bamboo themed decor clashed heavily with the formal mahogany desk and furniture. The twin couches were plush and comfortable, but the smell of cigarette smoke had permeated and permanently stuck to the fabric. The doctor offered him ‘tea’ when he arrived, but the teen couldn't imagine anyone other than a panda enjoying the taste of bamboo leaves in water. Terushi wondered if it was simply a reflection of the doctor, professional yet gruff, frugal yet expensive. Regardless, the panda across from him was serious about his work. He asked diligently about school, his family, and his friends. Terushi was familiar with how therapists tended to operate, but usually they showed little interest in his answers. Not the panda, though.
“So, from what you’re telling me, I gather you’re enjoying school so far then?” The doctor said, offhandedly scribbling something down on his notes. Terushi wanted to take a peek, but knowing Gouhin’s temper it might be best not to. “I think I am. I made some friends, so at least it's not as boring. Having someone to chat with is nice.” He said, eliciting more scribbling from the panda. “That’s good. You told me before that you've struggled to make friends for a long time." Gouhin said, maintaining that calm and measured tone psychiatrists often liked to use. “Yeah, I guess…” Terushi said, though something nagged at him. “Sometimes it still feels a little lonely, though. Even when I'm with my friends and I really don’t know why.” That wasn’t entirely true. He had some ideas, but he preferred to keep them to himself for the time being. It was better not to bother trying to explain things he didn't understand himself. “Do you think that maybe you feel the relationship with your new friends is… let’s say surface-level? Maybe you're missing more of an emotional connection.” Gouhin suggested. The hybrid's ear flicked nervously. “That could be it, I guess. My new friends are all pretty candid, though, so I don't know….” He said. As much as he tried not to be too negative, he couldn’t help but come to the inevitable conclusion that there must be something wrong with him. As was usually the case. “Then it sounds like maybe you should give it more time. Rome wasn't built in a day and all.” The panda reassured him. His eyes returned to the page as he flipped to a new one. “I hope you're right….” Terushi muttered, though the older man didn’t hear him.
The panda hummed as he continued his scribbling. The scratching of the ballpoint pen on the page was a pleasant bit of white noise on the otherwise still room. “There was another matter I wanted to ask you about.” Gouhin said, putting his notes down on the table. “Shoot.” Terushi answered, reclining back on his seat. The panda took a moment to refill his teacup before leaning back as well. “About what happened two months ago. How are you feeling?” He asked, very deliberately keeping the details vague, though Terushi didn't miss the way he could feel the doctor's eyes on the scar in the corner of his ear. “I…I'm fine, I think. It's been a while and dad doesn't talk about it, but I haven't stopped thinking about what could've happened.”
How could he not think about it? His father had been caught by a black bear who attempted to strangle him. He wasn’t clear on the details, but the sight of the wolf slumped over like a ragdoll was burned into the back of his mind. Legoshi seemed unstoppable until that day, now Terushi had been reminded that the wolf could die. “If I'd gotten there just a little later… if I'd messed up and gotten dad or even myself killed. I just hate the idea that I couldn't do more to help that day….”
The panda stared at him, his eyes hidden by those dark markings around them. His claws clinked against the ceramic of his teacup as he took a sip. “Hmm… I see. So you feel you were powerless at the time and it bothers you.” He summarized. Terushi nodded, one of his hands reaching up to rub the nape of his neck. “I did… still do, to be honest.” He confessed, feeling the tension in his throat. It was almost like he’d been the one who was almost strangled. Gouhin nodded, setting the cup down and getting up from his seat, much to Terushi’s surprise. “I'm going out on a limb here, but do you think maybe some self defense training would help you feel more confident? I recall your old man getting a lot out of it back in the day. Though it wasn't exactly all self-defense, heh.” He said, his professional facade slipping for a moment. “... Hadn’t thought about it, no. You're not about to offer me a job, are you? Because my mom would kill me.” The hybrid said, sensing that the panda had something shady in mind. The man scoffed, reaching into the left drawer of his desk to produce a business card, which he forwarded to him.
“Here. A disciple of mine dropped this off at my office. I'll call her and tell her to teach you for free.” The panda said, letting him read the contents as he settled back down to his seat. Terushi looked the card over, it read: Self Defense Coach - Miss Ku. in bold letters, with a logo of a dragon coiling in on itself in the corner. Quite frankly, the card was just as shady as the panda that handed it to him. “So she's the…disciple? Ah, right, I forgot you used to be a shady vigilante or whatever.” He said. His father used to be one of his disciples too, though by the way the wolf described it, it sounded like it was against his will. “Don’t make it sound like I went around beating up people for sport! It was in their best interests.” The doctor snapped, frowning at him from across the table. Terushi was quick to placate him. “Sorry, sorry, I guess you're right. Still….” The boy turned the card over in his hand, revealing a phone number and an address. “Can't you just teach me yourself instead of bothering this lady?” He said, looking at the panda with an eyebrow raised. “Are you joking? I got patients to deal with, kid. Besides, she's probably stronger than me at this point.” Gouhin said, shrugging his shoulders dismissively. The hybrid frowned, but he couldn’t argue against that. “Hmm… Alright, I guess it couldn’t hurt.” He said. Looking at the time, it would probably be best to go today. His parents should be on their date, so there was little point in returning home right away. “She should be in her studio downtown, swing by and introduce yourself. Oh and tell her I sent you.” Gouhin said, taking out some cookies from a cupboard and setting them on the table. “This is ridiculous….” Terushi mumbled, picking one of them up and eating them. Just like everything else in the room, they were also bamboo flavored.
As it turned out, the studio was far closer than he imagined, just a short walk off the bus stop by the mall. Terushi ignored the odd stare the bus driver aimed at the back of his head as he left. He hoped it was out of curiosity rather than disdain. Just last week a bus driver charged him extra for the fare while his pure blooded friends got to pay the standard one. “I suppose it's a blessing that people don't immediately notice I'm mixed.” He thought, stopping at a red light. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he enjoyed the soft sunlight hitting his body through the leaves of a nearby birch tree. It was funny, despite being covered in thick fur, both his father and himself enjoyed standing in the sunlight like this. “... Is it a lizard thing? Hang on-” His thoughts were interrupted by a pair of hands suddenly grabbing him by the shoulders.
“Boo!” A voice said from behind him. Terushi let out an involuntary sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a yelp, his legs propelling him slightly off the ground as a reflex. Had the person behind him not grabbed his shoulders beforehand, he might’ve accidentally leaped into the incoming traffic. “Wha-! Marin!” Terushi turned around to find a wolf bent over cackling. Marin the gray wolf was Terushi’s roommate from school, the wolf was usually nice when he wasn’t startling poor innocent hybrids out of their skin. “Ehe he he he! You jumped so fucking high! He heh heh!” The wolf could barely say between bursts of laughter. Terushi could feel his ears burning, his face was surely red from the embarrassment. “I-it’s not that funny. C’mon!” He tried to calm the other teen down before people started to stare, but the wolf only laughed harder. Terushi could do little other than stand there and tap his foot in annoyance.
After what felt like an eternity, the wolf finally calmed down. Marin rubbed his sides with a chuckle, smiling even as the other teen glared daggers at him. “Okay, heh, I got it all out of my system. I just didn’t expect to see you here today and thought it would be a nice chance to surprise you.” He said, his smile growing wider. “I should’ve known you got springs on your feet. Being half rabbit must be fun. You'd be great at basketball.” From anyone else that last remark would've sounded sarcastic, but Terushi knew the wolf meant it sincerely. It was a bit of comfort for his wounded ego. “Right, I'm sure my basketball career would've been very long and fruitful had I jumped in front of a truck first.” He said sarcastically, pointing his finger over his shoulder at the busy street behind him. “Aw, don't be like that. I grabbed your shoulders for a reason.” Marin pouted, though he then frowned and rubbed his neck as he seemed to hit upon something. “Granted you almost sent me flying too, so maybe we'd both be reincarnated as basketball stars after getting run over by a truck. Basket-stars if you will.” He concluded with a smirk and a snicker. As much as Terushi wanted to stay mad, the other boy's attitude was a bit infectious. “BASKETSTARS sounds like a terrible name for a manga. But sure, whatever, heh.”
The light turned green behind him. Terushi and Marin crossed, continuing their conversation while walking. “So, what are you doing out here? I thought you'd gone back to Hokkaido for the summer.” Terushi asked. Marin shook his head dismissively. “Nah, I never go back home. There's no point since I'd just be alone all the time.” He said without much fanfare. Terushi couldn’t imagine being that blasé about your family being too busy. “And you?” The wolf directed the question back at him. “Oh, well, I was going to check out a self defense studio. It's a long story, but I thought I should introduce myself on the way home.” Terushi explained. He wasn’t sure how one could possibly explain Dr. Gouhin's existence to anyone who wasn’t already familiar with him.
“Ah… Well, good on you for taking a step towards learning to defend yourself. Don't be afraid to ask for pointers if you need any.” Marin said, an odd look crossing his features very briefly before vanishing. Terushi wondered if he’d imagined it. “I mean, I still don't know if I'll go through with it. My psychiatrist said I should but….” The hybrid explained. Marin tilted his head curiously, one brow raised. “As I said, it's a long story. I wasn't even planning to take any classes before he suggested it earlier today.” Terushi explained. The wolf chuckled, his tail wagging behind him. “That’s weird, ha ha. Mind if I come with? I didn’t know there was a place to learn stuff like that.” He said. That weird tension from before dissipated and he seemed to go back to his normal self. “Sure. I'd love the company.” Terushi said, though he couldn’t imagine it being that interesting.
“O-oh… are you sure we're not going to get… uh, kidnapped here?” Marin said the moment they reached the studio. “I'm… ah… I-it's unlikely, I think. Dr. Gouhin gave me the card so it must be the right place.” Terushi said, pulling out the card to check if they hadn't accidentally gotten turned around. But no, the dirty covered and sunfaded logo hanging by one single hinge matched the logo in the corner of the card. If it were not for the lights and sounds coming through the dust caked windows, anyone would think this place had been abandoned. As much as Terushi wished he could say he was surprised, something told him any place recommended by that panda would be at least a little shady. “Nothing to it. I'll just have to go inside.” Terushi said hesitantly, reaching to grab the front door. “R-right. It's probably nicer inside” Marin stuck close behind him, not wanting to be left alone in the alley outside.
To their mild surprise, the inside was marginally better kept than the outside. The place was moderately clean sans a thin layer of dust that coated the walls. The sound of punches being thrown against what was presumably a sand bag (he hated to think of the alternative) could be heard somewhere down the hall, alongside the smell of sweat and animal fur that seemed to permeate the whole room. The front desk had a bored looking alpaca flipping through a book. A computer, an old 00's relic that was more at home at a museum than at any practical work, hummed softly as it ran that pipe screensaver endlessly. There were a few notches and lighter patches in the drywall that indicated something had been hanging there a long time ago.
“Do you need something?” The alpaca finally spoke up, not looking up from his book. “Oh, I was told to come here and introduce myself to Miss Ku by Dr. Gouhin. Did he, uh, call you or…?” Terushi threw the question out, faltering as the alpaca finally looked at him. The man inspected him carefully, scrutinizing his face and his clothes. “...Huh, so you're the hybrid kid. Yeah, just go inside.” The alpaca leaned back, pointing with his thumb towards the hallway before returning to his book. “She's working with someone right now, but you should introduce yourself at least. Don't be intimidated by her, she won't bite, heh.” Terushi looked at his companion, who stood firmly behind him with a concerned look. It was clear the wolf would follow him in, just… at a safe distance. “Oh, and by the way, it’s pronounced Kyu. Like the number nine.” The alpaca said as Terushi stepped through.
Inside there was what appeared to be the main area. While being scarce on machines and other gym equipment like what they had at Cherryton, it was still fully furnished with mats, punching bags, and even some training weapons like those he'd seen the Kendo club use. At the very back were two figures, one a lop eared rabbit standing cross armed next to a… familiar looking doe. What was she doing in a place like this? Terushi wasn’t quite sure what he expected to find inside, but it definitely wasn't this.
“Hey, you the hybrid kid? Get over here.” The rabbit said, staring at him from across the mats. For her small size, he had a rather imposing voice. Terushi panicked for a moment, turning to Marin who was standing in the doorway out of sight. The coward gave him a thumbs up as he remained in the shadows. “Oh, it’s you, Teru! What are you doing here?” The doe's voice was friendly and welcoming in contrast to the rabbit’s. Terushi watched her turn around and smile at him. “You know this guy, Ibuki?” The rabbit asked her. Ibuki nodded, running to his side and suddenly pulling him by the hand. “This is Teru! He's the guy I was telling you about.” She introduced him, her friendly demeanor contrasting starkly with the rabbit's stern expression. Ibuki turned to him, her head tilted in curiosity. “I didn't know you were taking classes here too.” She said. Terushi shook his head, remembering how to speak. “A-ah, I was referred to here by my psychiatrist. I was told to come introduce myself.” He explained, turning to the rabbit who eyed him curiously.
The way he loomed unintentionally over her felt a little strange. Usually he'd kneel down to talk to smaller animals as was customary, but somehow he felt Miss Kyu might take it as a slight against her. He was even more surprised when she walked behind him and inspected him from the back. He could feel his ears burning again as he tried to ignore the way her eyes seemed to fixate on his little cotton swab of a tail. “That pervert… So he did it….” He heard her mutter. She probably didn't even notice she spoke out loud rather than thinking to herself.
“So, you're Dr. Gouhin's new protegé? A gray wolf mixed with a… hare? No, a rabbit. Probably a Flemish or a Holland, yeah?” Kyu asked, eyeing him in an almost clinical sense. Others might be offended, but Terushi had been stared at and remarked upon in ways that were far more diminishing. “A netherland dwarf.” He corrected her, earning himself an unamused scoff. “Of course….” She said. Terushi took the opportunity to continue. “And I wouldn’t call myself anything but his patient. As I said, he told me to introduce myself and ask you to train me in some self defense basics.” He explained. Kyu rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in a way that came off more as cute than menacing. “Of course he'd offload his patients to me. Fine. If he wants me to help you, I will, but no complaining.” She said, then turned to the doe who'd been listening to them talk. “Speaking of, I didn’t say you could stop.” Ibuki jumped, quickly giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder before returning to her own training. “Come with me.” Kyu said, walking towards the other end of the gym as the sound of punches being thrown could be heard once more.
“Have you ever even thrown a punch?” She asked, looking back at him over her shoulder. “Oh, yeah. My dad taught me how. Though I've never been in a real fight.” That wasn’t the complete truth. In reality, he had been in a couple of fights before, but he’d never actually punched anyone to defend himself. She didn’t need to know that, though. “Alright… at least we're not starting from scratch. You didn't bring spare clothes though, so I'll lend you some old jerseys we have in the back. Go get changed.” She said dismissively, not even looking at him. “Wait. We're starting now?! I-I just came to introduce myself, I-” Terushi tried to explain his situation, but the rabbit didn’t pay him any mind. “Yeah, whatever. I hate wasting time, so we'll get started right away. San can handle the paperwork.” She told him, heading off towards another room, an office of some kind, leaving him alone with the sound of punching to keep him company. “Unbelievable….” He thought, only to be interrupted by Kyu yelling from inside the room. “And tell your friend that if he wants to join he has to change clothes too. I won't have any slackers lying about ogling my clients.” She said.
Terushi's gaze turned towards the entrance where Marin was, looking thoroughly intimidated. “She's scary….” He muttered, walking up to Terushi's side. “A lot of herbivores are.” He replied with a sigh. Marin's tail wagged low as he glanced at the door with distrust. “Yeah, no kidding.” He muttered.
“What are you going to do? It seems I have no choice but to stick around.” Terushi asked, looking around the room. It didn't seem wrong, the fact that Ibuki was around was a little reassuring, but it was still very shady. The wolf rubbed the nape of his neck, nervously. “... I'll stay. I don’t feel right leaving you alone here. Besides….” Marin said, forcing a smile. “I'm hoping that I can be of use! I know I'm self taught, but I do know enough about martial arts to help you.” Terushi had almost forgotten, but Marin was indeed a fan of those old kung fu movies. Though part of him wondered exactly how reliable his self-taught style was. “Well, thanks. I appreciate your concern.” He said, feeling a bit more relaxed now that he wasn’t the only one new to this.
“You can also introduce me to your other friend. I didn’t know you mingled with female deer!”
“Ibuki's a childhood friend. She's nice, so I think you'll like her.”
“Hey! Hurry up before I change my mind!”
“W-we should go….”
