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Invitation

April 11th

Makoto covered his mouth just in time as he let out a yawn. He was a little tired from texting Keywon last night, something the two of them enjoyed doing during their past time but would definitely have to cut short as they stayed up way to late for his liking.

Next to him, he noticed Toshiki glance over and let out his own soft disapproving sigh while shaking his head. Other than doing that, he took no action and instead, kept his eyes focused on the lesson Mrs. Ichiko Kutsuki, -the 2nd year Japanese teacher- was going over.

Shinji also caught sight of this, his eyes flickering back and forth, apparently debating on whether to try and keep him awake or leave him be. It seemed like a constant struggle as his right foot began tapping, though not so loud as to draw attention to himself. But he, too, did nothing and for good reason.

Aside from this, Makoto did keep himself up and ready, lucky that he wasn't actually dozing off. Besides, it was only a few more minutes left of school until the final bell rang, so he could pull through.

However, this wasn't the case as time trickled slowly down to the last minute and now it wasn't just the shiba inu being affected by fatigue, it was everyone. Things were beginning to come to an agonizing crawl.

"And this word goes well when you use it in a--" Mrs. Kutsuki went on, then stopped herself the moment she heard the bell and let out a collective sigh of relief. Chuckling, the bobcat closed the textbook and put down the chalk before turning around and addressing the class. "And that concludes what we have for today. I'll see you all next time, but be prepared! A quiz is coming up soon!"

With that said, everyone began packing up their things and left the room, all save for Toshiki and Shinji. The akita seemed to be contemplating something, for he had a paw cupped to his chin, lost in thought.

"Hey, are you okay?" Makoto inquired after taking notice of this, a little surprised to see him not be so normally energetic. A frown began to settle when he saw no reaction from the Akita, so feeling slightly worried, he got up close to place a paw on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't--" Toshiki began, but it was too late.

Immediately Shinji jumped up from his seat, startled by the touch but otherwise letting the shiba inu know he was fine. "Huh? Oh, sorry about that. I was just thinking..."

"About?" He gently prompted, amused and slightly curious as to why the akita was so hesitant all of a sudden. It was so uncharacteristic of him, but he figured no one can be who they were all the time and sometimes, people can be tired.

"Umm..." for a moment Shinji was still hesitating, twirling his thumbs and looking elsewhere, almost making him look like a frightened pup. This kept going until he finally took in a deep breath and let it out, facing Makoto with determination in his eyes. "I'm inviting you to a game of soccer. Do you want to come?"

"Huh?" Makoto blinked a few times, making sure he heard that right. After the question was repeated, he laughed softly and shook his head. "You had me going there for a second. Thought something bad had happened. But sure, I'm up for that! Just don't expect me to be any good."

"Oh no, I'm not asking you to participate." The akita wagged a finger and crossed his arms over his chest with a grin. "You'll be watching me practice!"

Makoto mentally relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. He really was terrible when it came to sport activities, even when he tried his very best. Well, save for running track since that didn't involve a ball of any kind which was kind of ironic since he was a dog. "Sweet! And I'm guessing this is for a club?"

"Correct," Toshiki answered as he came up to the two with a sketchbook in one of his paws, looking slightly disinterested. "Speaking of, you should think about which one you're going to join soon."

"Yeah, you should!" Shinji nodded, his tail beginning to wag fast and the energy he always had coming back full force.

"Maybe later. I'm still trying to get used to being here in this area. Well, country for that matter." Makoto said with a shrug and idly scratched the back of his head.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that detail." Shinji slumped his shoulders, a disappointed look on his face before smiling again. "You'll get the hang of things though. You're learning pretty fast actually."

A small blush appeared on the shiba's cheeks from the small praise. "Umm, thanks...I try my best."

Toshiki cleared his throat, grabbing both of the canine's attention and hiked a thumb towards the door. "Let's not waste anymore time."

With that said, they left the classroom and walked until coming into the gym where a teacher and some students were in school branded soccer uniforms. One of them had a soccer ball under their foot, with a confident and almost smug look on his face. It was a snow leopard who Makoto vaguely remembered was in their year but in a different class.

"Hey, guys!" Shinji greeted as he came up to the group and held out a paw towards the Shiba Inu. "To those who don't know, this is Makoto! A friend of mine who wants to watch us do our thing."

A male sika deer with thinly framed spectacles was the first to react, giving a curt bow. "Ah, a pleasure to meet the one we've been hearing much about. I'm Mr. Kishino, the advisor for the club and 3rd year gym teacher and these are the members of the soccer club."

The students were a variety of species, like a hokkaido and a tosa dog; dog species he rarely saw though there were a few back home and a few more common species like the bull, tiger, snow leopard and wolf.

Returning the bow, Makoto laughed nervously. "I hope it's not anything too negative. But anyway, I've never really been in a club before. What is it that you all do?"

Just as the teacher was about to answer, a male tiger stepped in. "Well, we play soccer. Like pretty much any team, we got a pretty good one. We could even reach nationals this year." This made another voice call out the tiger for his disrespect.

"You shouldn't interrupt a teacher Michizane!" A voice out of the group had said, belonging to a female mink who also stepped forward to give a polite bow before glaring at the other student. "That's very rude, and even more so to not introduce yourself first."

"I'm more shocked the both of you have not done so yet." Mr. Kishino crossed his arms over his chest with a shake of the head, tutting in disapproval, then turned his attention to the Shiba Inu. "The one who spoke up first here is the club president, Michizane Ahane and of course, the other who decided to show herself is the student manager, Ayuka Sako."

"Nice to meet you." The two of them replied in sync, bowing their heads.

Again, returning the gesture, Makoto smiled a bright smile. "Nice to meet you as well. Were you all preparing or taking a short break?"

It was Michizane who answered this. "We just got done getting dressed actually. And speaking of," he eyed Shinji and pointed at him first, then hiked a thumb behind himself, "we need our striker."

Without any hesitation, the akita stood straight and gave a salute before rushing off to where the tiger indicated.

"I'm glad this club exists, to be honest." Toshiki mumbled out of the blue and held up his sketchbook, then opened it.

"Because it's the only time where he can burn that energy of his?" Makoto inquired, getting a small smile out of the cat and a nod.

"Despite his nature...hmm, nevermind. You'll see once he's out there in the field." Toshiki let out a chuckle at the confused look he got.

"I agree, Toshiki-kun!" Ayuka nodded with a smile and gazed towards the tiger. "He's full of surprises, isn't he?"

Michizane laughed. "That's for certain!" He looked over his shoulder, then focused his attention back to the shiba inu and cat. "He's dressed, so we're going to start. You can watch from the bleachers."

After saying that, they all went back to the group and just as Shinji joined, everyone walked to the back doors of the gym and exited with Makoto and Toshiki following. Now outside into the warm air, a large field could be seen with some bleachers all around and goal nets.

Truth be told, the shiba inu was actually a little pumped to see what was in store for him. Sure he was anxious to see how Shinji would do, but he wanted to see how this would all play out.

As everyone entered the field, both teens sat on the bleachers and watched the events begin to unfold. Mr. Kishino and Ayuka began to lay down some rules before stepping away onto the edge and watched patiently.

Michizane soon started to issue orders, dividing the group of students up into teams. One group was to the right and the other to the left, already in their positions. In the center position, staring off against the snow leopard from earlier was Shinji, looking determined once more with fire in his eyes.

"Now you'll see him really shine." Toshiki said, his eyes never leaving the sketchbook he was looking over. "If you thought Katsuya was skilled in what he does, wait until you see our friend in action."

"Well he certainly looks pretty serious...something I've never seen him be like the first few days I've been here." Makoto remarked, his eyes staying on the Akita and the rest of the group.

"Ready?" The sika deer shouted to the top of his lungs, waiting for a quick moment to see if anyone needed to do anything. As no one moved an inch, he blew on a whistle that hung around his neck.

In that instant, their bodies started to move, and very quickly too. Shinji reacted almost like a feline, his feet making contact with the ball first and managing to get over the opposing team's strikers and defenders without breaking a sweat.

The soccer ball went left, right, backwards and forwards under the akita, his footwork skills really showing. As he came up against some sweepers, he effortlessly dodged them, all the while gracefully maneuvering the ball and himself away from the defenders that were after him.

In under a minute he had a clear view of the goal and without hesitating, he angled his leg back, then sent it forward with all of his strength, sending the ball flying. The goalkeeper jumped up to try and catch but to no avail as it went flying past and into the net, scoring a point for his team.

"Whoa..." The shiba inu breathed out, his eyes wide in pure awe as he saw Shinji in a whole new light. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. A fur who he thought was all show turned out to be such a pro.

"I told you, he's very good at this." Toshiki said, looking up every few seconds, then back down on his sketchbook to scribble in furious speed, catching every single detail.

"Yeah, he is! I didn't think he would be so fast! And just so...graceful too! It's almost mesmerizing." He giggled, his curly tail wagging to show his excitement. Then he looked over to the cat to see what he was drawing and became awe struck once more.

"Oh. Umm...do you...like it?" Toshiki mumbled, a hint of pink showing on his cheeks as he moved his paws out of the way for the shiba inu to see clearly. "It's just a sketch of the team playing is all."

Makoto nodded furiously, making the other boy blush more and look away, although he could see a small smile play upon his lips. "This looks amazing! You're really talented. I'm assuming here though, that you're in an art club."

Giving a nod in response, the cat did not stop what he was doing. "Yes I am. If you're interested, one day I'll show you my completed works. If that's okay with you, of course."

"Sure! I'd love to see them!" Makoto replied, his curiosity getting the better of him, but not to the point of him missing out on the game. He wasn't sure who was winning, but there was a feeling that Shinji's team would have a lot of points.

There were times where the snow leopard almost had the akita, trying to trip him up to the best of his ability, only to fail each time because of the calculative tactics used. And it wasn't just him being bested but the defenders and sweepers as well, with Shinji switching up his strategy by looking like he was going to score a goal, but pass the ball over to a teammate for them to score.

Despite the offensive that Shinji carried out, the snow leopard was pretty good himself as a striker as he made scores himself, though not as much as his opponent had done. The other team had a pretty good defense, even the goalkeeper was tough to outwit.

This went on for two hours, with breaks in between for the members to catch their breath before continuing. By the time it was over, everyone was sweating, but had a smile on their face. All save for one, and that was the snow leopard, who's name escaped Makoto at the moment.

"Great job everyone! Let's all head to Nichibotsu to celebrate!" Michizane shouted out, getting the other students cheering and rushing to the gym.

"Sweet!" Shinji pumped up a fist, then turned to Makoto and rushed up to give him a tight hug. "Thanks for coming to watch me! I really appreciated it!"

"Gah! Shinji, you're still sweaty!" The shiba inu protested as he tried to wriggle himself away.

"Oh, sorry." The akita quickly let go and scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he stepped away toward the gym. "We won't take long!"

Just as he left, Mr. Kishino came up beside the two boys with Ayuka and chuckled. "I'm not sure where he gets that energy from. Surprises me everyday when he can still move after practice is done."

Toshiki shrugged as he raced his pencil over the sketchbook until he stopped and closed it with a soft sigh, then stood up. "Shows how unique he is, I guess. And even though he has his crazy moments, he's still a good person."

Makoto got up from his seat as well to join the teacher and his friend as they all began to walk to the gym. "I believe it! So how long did it take for Shinji to get that good?" He asked, directing the question at the sika deer.

"Hmm, I imagine it took him a few years. Funny how you ask me that, because I inquired the same thing and he told me that his brother was the one who taught him." Mr. Kishino explained, opening the door as they made it to the school building.

"Really?" Ayuka raised a brow, then cupped her chin. "I didn't know that, and I'm the student manager..."

"Maybe because you treat him as more of a student than a friend?" The sika deer remarked and gave a wink, making the girl become flustered and avert her gaze.

Seeing the small display of comedy, Makoto couldn't help but laugh. "You two seem to be friends, though! But you have me interested now. What's his brother like and what does he do?"

Toshiki let out a heavy sigh before speaking up. "Satoshi is a great guy. We grew up together, he's three years older so we were never in the same school at the same time Pretty nice, goes to a university, he was captain of the judo team during his year. But..."

Sensing the hesitation and slight distress, the shiba inu waited patiently for him to continue. However, nothing else was being said. "What is it? Did they get into a fight recently or something?"

"Something like that. Just...look, don't bring up Satoshi when Shinji is around. You'll just get him in a really bad mood and trust me, you don't want to see that." He warned, giving an icy death glare that pinned him to the spot. "I'll say it again just in case you ever decide to suddenly not want to listen. Do. Not. Bring. Him. Up."

"Okay, I understand." Makoto replied in a timid voice, his spirits somewhat dampened. He knew his curiosity got the better of him sometimes, but he wasn't trying to hurt anyone on purpose.

Before he could get lost in his thoughts, the sounds of chatter could be heard as some of the members exited the locker rooms. It wasn't long until everyone gathered near Mr Kishino and Ayuka, all ready and waiting to hit the local cafe.

Ayuka gave a curt nod, seemingly satisfied. "Anyone need to do something before we leave?" She watched for any paws that would rise up, only to find none. "Alright, let's go celebrate our first of the year!"

The gym soon became filled with cheers, all of the students happy as they marched to their destination. As they left the school and went down the road, constant praises were thrown around, all directed at the akita.

"Thanks guys, but it wasn't all me. All of you helped out too and besides, we're a team." Shinji said, his cheeks turning a bright red as he accepted it all.

"Says the one who's hogging up all the glory again." The snow leopard mumbled under his breath, glaring at the akita all the while as his tail lashed like a whip.

"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked when he came up to the feline, his brows furrowed in concern. He was met with the same glare that was directed at the akita, but intensified, making him back off.

"Don't worry about Dewa Masaki-san. He's always been a spoilsport." A voice said from behind the shiba inu, belonging to a wolf who looked just as happy as the rest.

"Shut it Kojima! You don't know anything!" Dewa snapped, the outburst alarming everyone enough to turn heads and raise eyebrows.

"Are...you okay?" Another member spoke up, this one belonging to a brown bull, an expression of worry on his face.

The snow leopard sighed and turned his gaze elsewhere. "I'm fine, Arisaka-san."

Without another word, the club members chatted amongst themselves until they reached the cafe and went inside.

After everyone's orders were set and they sat down, the celebration began. Throughout it, Makoto wondered what the deal was with Dewa, but he supposed the answer would come later at some point. For now, he was going to enjoy himself today.

April 12th

The sun was setting and school had just ended. Makoto had no plans with anyone so he walked home, his mind still reeling from what happened yesterday. "Just what was his problem with Shinji?" He mumbled and then shook his head to clear those thoughts away.

"Oh, hey Makoto!" Jun shouted, greeting him with a wave, then ran up to him with Kazuki nearby.

"Hey! What are you two up to?" He inquired, wondering what the two were doing. He still found it kind of funny how they were so close, given how different they were.

"Getting some gifts for Kazuki's uncles. It's their birthday today." The red panda answered, looking over to the fox with a light hearted smile.

"Yeah, turning forty. And yes, they're twins, nosy." Kazuki said with a sneer directed at Makoto, making him feel awkward.

Jun let out a groan and rolled his eyes. "You really need to lay off, Kazu. He's not hurting anyone."

The fox sucked his teeth and walked off in the direction of the shopping district. "Whatever. We need to find a gift."

Makoto sighed heavily as he felt guilty for being curious. "I know he doesn't like it when I pry, but he doesn't have to be a jerk about it..." he mumbled, his ears tucking back and tail drooping.

"Hey, it's okay." Jun said, a smile playing upon his lips as he gently placed a paw on the shiba inu's back before giving a soft pat. "He's really a good guy, despite him being...rough. And believe me, I keep getting on him about that but he doesn't listen. Anyway, just try not to be too curious around his family, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try." He replied with a nod and shook his head before looking back up to see Kazuki entering the Matsuoka family clothing store. "Thanks for cheering me up. Now, let's see what our friend is up to."

With that said, both teens set off to where the fox went and entered the building. Inside was a wide selection of clothes, all of different variety. Makoto hadn't really paid attention the last time he was here since it was Kimiko getting clothes but he was actually impressed. There were some name brands imported from America while others seemed to be from other countries. As for which, Makoto had no idea. Upon closer inspection of the store itself, it was fairly large enough to display much of its stock and then some, as well as having dressing rooms.

The shiba inu looked around, becoming interested in the shirts because of the artwork and word prints. He saw a few funny ones and some that made him smile. "I've only been in here once a few days ago with my sister, but I'm definitely going to shop here more often."

Jun chuckled. "Yeah, this place is pretty popular for its fashion. Most of what you see here is tailor made."

Hearing that made Makoto gasp and drop his jaw. He never expected anyone to make so many clothes with just a thread and needle. "That's so cool! So wait, it's like the textile shop Shinji's family runs. Doesn't that mean they're in competition?"

The red panda shook his head. "Nope! They're in partnership with each other. Basically, the shop space in Shinji's place is rather small since most of the space is the workshop so they allow the Matsuoka family to sell some of their wares so both owners make decent profit. The Matsumura's save space they would use for displaying so they have more room to make their clothes and the Matsuoka's have unique clothing that draws in business and save money on making it themselves."

"Huh. I'm learning something new everyday it seems." Makoto said, his amazement of the town growing with each passing day. Over in America, it was rare to see or hear about things like this, but they existed.

"Yep! You'll be a true citizen in no time." Jun gave a thumbs up, then quickly turned as he spotted a familiar face. "Oh, there's Kazuki!"

"Hey Jun, do you think my uncles would like these?" Kazuki inquired as he turned around and showed off two shirts that he held in both paws, one saying 'Best Twin' and the other 'Best Friend'. As soon as he saw Makoto, he scowled. "Oh, so you came along."

"Kazu..." Jun glared menacingly at the fox, as if daring him to say another word.

Kazuki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine...I'll be a good boy. So what's the answer? Yes or no?" He held up the items again, waiting for input.

Humming a little, Jun inspected the shirts for a quick moment, then nodded his head. "Perfect! I'll buy them and we'll be on our way." He graciously took the offered items and went up to the cash register.

Makoto tilted his head curiously at what he just heard and saw. Shouldn't it be the other way around? As he thought on this some more and was ready to voice this, a sharp, penetrating look from the fox got him to clam up. 'Okay...maybe later I'll ask Jun what's up.'

Soon enough, the red panda was coming back with a bag hanging down from one of his arms, the items having been purchased. "Alright, let' go! You'll love these two, Makoto. They're quite the pair!"

With that said, the three of them left the store and headed over to Kazuki's home, a place the shiba inu had never gotten a chance to visit until now. Anticipation welled up within him, wondering how the fox lived.

It didn't take long to get to their destination. In view was an average medium sized house, the outside looking fairly decent to look at. There was a garage with a parked vehicle inside and at first glance, it seemed almost too worn down to even go anywhere.

Makoto didn't question that, or anything for that matter as he was led inside, the front door having been unlocked. It was a little concerning to him, but he figured this was because of the town having little to non existent crime rate. But as he took in everything, it was painfully obvious that Kazuki was poor.

There was a television, but the size was small and judging from its appearance, there was a limited amount of channels. The walls were bare, save for one portrait and only a few seats were present in what appeared to be a living room.

"Hey, I'm home!" Kazuki announced, snapping the shiba inu out of his musing and stepped away to go into another room, more than likely to get his uncles. When he came back a minute later, two identical older foxes were with him, all smiles with an upbeat attitude.

"Hello, Jun!" One of them greeted, then bowed after noticing the shiba inu. "And who is this with you?"

"Ah, sorry!" Jun brought a paw out to motion towards him. "Jun'ichir?, this is Makoto, a friend of ours that we met a week ago. We invited him to celebrate with us, if that's alright with you two."

"Of course it is!" The other fox laughed and did the same gesture as his twin. "I'm Kun'ichiro by the way. Pleasure to meet you."

Makoto returned the greeting with a smile. "Nice to meet you two! It's good to know there are other twins!"

Jun'ichir? chuckled. "Yes, Haruki and Tomoki aren't the only ones. Speaking of, are they coming to the party?" He asked, turning his attention to Kazuki.

The young fox nodded. "Yeah, as well as the others." He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I just hope we have enough food for everyone."

"We do!" Jun said and gave a thumbs up, making the three foxes raise eyebrows before smiling. "Me and your mom made sure of that."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Sorry, I forgot." Kazuki turned around and then looked over his shoulder. "Well? Are we gonna stand here all day or get this thing started?" He didn't wait for an answer as he left the room.

"That nephew of ours...so direct like his father." Jun'ichiro remarked, getting a nod from his twin brother.

"I know. It's such a shame..." Kun'ichiro shook his head sadly, then let out a deep sigh before making his way out of the living room, not saying anything more.

Questions began to burn in Makoto's mind the moment he heard that, but after looking to Jun and seeing his worried expression, he gave a curt nod to show he would keep his promise.

After mouthing a 'thank you', the red panda smiled and the two of them made their way into the kitchen where Shinji, Toshiki and Katsuya were waiting. "Hey, guys!" He greeted and gave a small wave. "Hope you didn't have to wait too long."

Toshiki shook his head. "We didn't. Kazuki's uncles kept us entertained with stories of when they were young."

"Indeed." Katsuya nodded in agreement and gazed at Makoto, the expression on his face cold, like usual. "Greetings Masaki-san. Are you here to celebrate as well?"

"Yeah, I wanted to come and see what this was all about." Makoto looked over to Shinji drooling and staring at two birthday cakes. "Ummm..."

"They look so good. I want to eat!" The akita whined, his ears tucked into his skull.

"You should have ate beforehand. No one's fault but your own." Toshiki chided, his glare sending chills to the canine, intensified by Katsuya giving the same look.

Shinji groaned and slumped his head on the table, then suddenly brightened up the moment he noticed Makoto. "Oh, hey! Didn't think you would be here. Wanna sit next to me?" He patted the chair next to him, hope evident on his face.

Kun'ichiro burst out laughing, startling everyone around the table for a moment and he held up a paw. "I'm sorry, but you kids are amusing, especially you Shinji-kun."

A snort came from Jun'ichiro, giving him a hard look before turning it into a smile. "We've told you when you all got here that there's food. Don't starve yourself."

Hearing that, both Shinji and Makoto made their way to grab a plate to get their food before coming back to sit down, already digging in.

"I...did not think you were hungry as well, Makoto." Toshiki remarked, forcing a smile and chuckling.

As they ate, more guests arrived, making the atmosphere a little more lively. Ryutaro and his little brother Akira came in both holding large plates of even more food, as well as Tomoki and Haruki following in shortly after both of them holding gifts. There were four other people that the shiba inu did not recognize, them being two female foxes, a young girl and a teenaged boy who seemed to be the same age as Akira.

"Oh, there's my wife and the kids now." Jun'ichiro said after looking over his shoulder and motioning with a paw for them to come over. One of the female foxes walked over to him with her children in tow and received a kiss. "Hi, honey."

"Hi, dear! Happy birthday." She handed him a bag she held in her paws, excitement showing in her eyes. "Me and the kids got you a gift."

"Aww thank you! I'll see what you all got me later. But first, would you like to introduce yourselves to our new guest? He's one of Kazuki's friends."

Makoto's ears perked and looked up to see Jun'ichiro's family staring at him, waiting for him to say something. "Oh, I'm sorry!" He stood up and bowed before introducing himself.

"A pleasure it is to meet you, and very good to know that you're living here. You'll love Shirominato. Ah, forgive me, I'm Kogomi and this young girl you see here is Kazuki's cousin, Aika. Go ahead and introduce yourself, son."

"Oh! Umm...hello. I'm Hiro. We go to the same school but I'm a first year..." He said, the tone in his voice and body language obviously hinting the fact he was very shy. He seemed to get more comfortable when he saw Akira who he walked on over to, leaving the rest of the group.

"Miyori." The other fox woman said after coming up to the rest of the group, her face set in a permanent scowl, almost worse than Katsuya. No sooner had she greeted them did she take out a lighter and a cigarette, already lighting up the object and taking a drag before puffing it out. "Nice party here."

"It's very good to see you too..." Kun'ichiro grumbled and let out a sigh. "Can you please put that out? Or at the very least do it outside."

Miyori snorted derisively. "Fine. Since it's your special day, I'll do just that your highness."

Makoto watched the woman sneer before leaving the area, leaving the atmosphere heavy. He honestly had no idea what went on there, but he could tell it was unpleasant. "Who was that? Is she related to Kazuki?"

Kun'ichiro let out another sigh and shook his head. "No, that was my ex wife. We're divorced. I don't want to get into the details right now so just enjoy yourself."

Even though he said this, everyone around Makoto looked uncomfortable and awkward, not at all sure on how to break the ice. To be honest, even he didn't know what to do right now. That is, until he saw Kazuki roll his eyes and turned around, messing with something and music started playing.

In that instant, the fox came over to where everyone was sitting and grabbed hold of Kun'ichiro's wrist. "Get up. Dance. Come on. You too, Jun'ichiro." He ordered, somehow convincing them to do exactly that as they got up from their seats.

"Kazuki? What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Kogomi asked, a stunned expression on her face. When he didn't answer, only shaking his head and pointed to where his two uncles were, a smile began to spread on her lips and she moved herself over to where they were.

"I'm not dancing, and if you so much as try, you'll regret it." Katsuya growled when the fox gazed at him with a knowing look.

"I'm sort of awkward." Shinji said, a hint of pink appearing on his cheeks.

"Not to offend, but isn't this space sort of small for such an activity?" Toshiki remarked with a raised brow.

"We have a living room, and even then, things won't get that crazy. They're old anyways." The fox answered, casually shrugging his shoulders.

Jun suddenly came up beside the fox, all smiles and giggles, confusing the other boy. "Your mom is coming to celebrate, but not for long."

Kazuki blinked several times, his ears flicking about. He looked very surprised about this news. He spun on his heels, showing his back to everyone. "That hasn't happened in a long time. Alright, we'll be waiting."

With that said, Kazuki left the area with Jun following close by. The party proceeded smoothly, everyone in good spirits and having a grand time. It was so fun that Makoto got up to dance for a little bit.

Eventually the final guest had arrived; Kazuki's mother. She had a pretty face, but from her frazzled hair and sunken eyes, it was obvious that she was tired. Aside from her haggard look, she had a bright smile on her face.

"Chisato!" Jun'ichiro shouted and walked over to give her a hug. "We didn't know you were coming! It's good to see you."

"Yes, but only for a little while. I got some gifts, but you'll have to open them after the cake is cut." Chisato returned the affection, then went over to the other twin to hug as well. "Happy birthday you two."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Aragaki." Makoto greeted, getting the woman's attention as she turned to return the greeting,

"I believe I've heard of you from Jun...are you the one who moved here and became friends with my son?" She asked and got a nod of confirmation, making her smile and hug the shiba inu. "Oh, good. Makes me happy to know he's making more friends. I hope you're enjoying the party."

Makoto nodded. "I am! I'm glad to have come. It's also nice to see that there are other twins like Haruki and Tomoki. Do they usually get along?" He inquired, mentally cursing himself for asking but he couldn't hold it in.

The woman laughed. "Of course they do! When they were younger, they fought a lot, but as they got older, their bond deepened. A good thing too, honestly, because when things get heated between them, it's a battlefield."

"Oh, I see...that's good!" He wanted to ask so many more questions, but again, he had to keep his promise to Jun. "Well again, it was good to meet you and I hope you'll stay long enough to eat the cakes."

"I hope so too and it was nice meeting you as well, Makoto. Enjoy the party!" Chisato smiled, then walked away to chat with the other guests.

Makoto saw Kazuki and Jun come back, the fox's smile as bright and genuine as ever, something he had never seen him be since the first moment he saw him. It was nice to see him genuinely happy.

The celebration went on until finally coming to a close with the sun going down and everyone leaving to prepare for another day.

After helping the family clean up, Makoto bid his farewells and walked home, his thoughts swimming around his head, feeling like it would explode. With a shake of his head, he buried them, knowing he'll get answers eventually. "It was a nice party though. I'm really liking this place."

~ ~ ~

April 13th

It was another day at school, the clock ticking and students doing their schoolwork, all eyes on their own papers and the atmosphere silent.

Meanwhile Makoto was busy thinking on what to do for the time being. He didn't have anything to do once school was over, save for going home. There were clubs, but he couldn't really apply for any at the moment. And speaking of, neither Shinji or Toshiki were doing much.

With his mind preoccupied, he jumped slightly at the sound of the school bell, signaling for everyone to pack up their things. He let out a soft sigh and his shoulders slumped as he got his things and entered the halls, truly not wanting to just go home.

"Hey, Makoto!" A familiar voice suddenly shouted, making the shiba inu turn around to see one of the otter twins coming up to him. Given the brown hair, he figured it was Tomoki. "What are you up to today?"

"Oh, hey Tomoki." Makoto greeted, his head turning slightly in confusion as he noticed the otter's hair being slightly wet. "Did you recently take a shower?"

"Uhh, It's Haruki..." the otter replied, his cheerful smile soon becoming a frown, looking disgruntled by the common mistake. "And yeah, I took one after gym, Mr. Matsumura ran us hard today, the dye I use is the kind that washes out with water as my parents don't let my dye my hair permanently so I have to redo it every morning."

"Sorry, didn't realize. It's just, I'm so used to seeing your hair green that without it, you and your brother look very much alike." He explained, wincing internally at the hurt look that crossed his friend's face.

Haruki let out a deep sigh and held his left arm with a paw, his gaze averted. "Yeah, we get that a lot..." he mumbled, his tone suggesting that he was feeling a bit hurt.

Sensing this, Makoto immediately felt guilty, not at all knowing how sensitive this sort of thing was to his friend. Thinking quickly, he changed the subject. "Hey, so what clubs are you in? I never got to ask."

This seemed to catch Haruki's attention as an ear flicked and a raised eyebrow, his gaze settling on the canine. "Music club. Which reminds me, I have to get ready."

"Get ready?" He inquired after the otter started walking with him following nearby, his curiosity growing again. "Are you dressing up?"

"Hmm, something like that." Haruki replied and smiled down at him, his eyes gleaming in the light. "You'll see when we get there."

With that said, the two walked, chatting along the way, the earlier awkwardness vanished and replaced with rekindled friendship. It took a couple of minutes, but they reached their destination soon enough.

"Whoa, this place looks cool!" Makoto said, his eyes sweeping around the medium sized music room, an expression of awe ever present in his eyes and on his face.

All around the wooden walls were music records and various black and white pictures of famous singers. There was a drum set, amplifiers, guitars, a microphone stand. It had all the basics and then some.

"Hey, everyone. I'm here and I brought someone." Haruki announced to the members who were all busy fine tuning their instruments.

"Looks like they're all...oh, Ahiko! I didn't know you were here!" The shiba inu said after noticing the other canine fiddling with the mic.

"Hmm?" Ahiko flicked an ear in Makoto's direction before turning and a bright smile came upon his lips as he came over to greet him. "Hey! What brings you here cousin?"

Makoto gazed up at Haruki, then back over to the other shiba inu. "I'm just hanging out is all, wanting to see the music club. I didn't know you did this sort of thing, though."

Truth be told, he really had no idea his cousin was in a band, let alone liking music to such a degree. Sure, they told each other a lot of things when they were younger, but not quite as much when the two of them were growing up. It also didn't help that at the time, they were in different countries.

But now that he lived in Japan, there was no need to worry anymore. Plus they go to the same high school, so it was even better..

Ahiko widened his eyes in surprise and face pawed. "I thought I had told you when you and Kimiko visited last time. Ugh...well, you know now."

Haruki watched the two converse before chuckling and walking away. "I'm going to get changed. Don't start practicing without me!"

"We won't!" Ahiko shouted after him, a wide smile on his lips as he turned his attention back to his young cousin. "You want to meet the rest of the crew while we wait?"

"Sure!" Makoto replied, his tail wagging in anticipation. With a nod from the other canine, he was led to the furs that were tuning up their instruments earlier ago. There was a dragon, snow leopard and a dhole.

Just as he was about to introduce himself, the sound of a door opening and closing was heard and a beautiful male crane stepped into the room. "Oh my, who is this?" He gazed at Makoto with an eyebrow raised.

Not wanting to be rude, Makoto bowed and introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you, er..."

"Akihiko Hamada, third year japanese teacher." He finished with a kind smile. "I'm the advisor, like many other staff members when pertaining to clubs."

"That he is," someone spoke, the voice belonging to a male ferret as he came up to Akihiko to stand beside him. "But don't let his charming good looks fool you. He's ruthless when there's no one around."

Akihiko closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. "Ignoring the comment, this is our student manager, Enko Ariyoshi. And you've already met the club president Morishita."

"Yup, that's me!" Ahiko said, smiling wide at Makoto.

"Hey, don't forget about us!" The snow leopard who was busy earlier shouted and came down off the stage to bow. "Name's Nana Akami. I'm the drummer First year!"

Makoto stared at her in surprise. He didn't hear of many female drummers, at least ones outside those all girl bands. And for one to be young as well? It certainly shows how much she had practiced.

"I'm the keyboard guy with mad skills." A male dragon said, wearing a cocky grin before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Forgive me, I'm Hirai Azuma, second year class D! It's nice to meet you and I hope our session makes you happy."

A male dhole waved, his expression being one of disinterest. "Kazu Morikawa, 2nd year class C. I'm the guitarist."

"Wow, it's nice to meet all of you. This is honestly my first time seeing a music club, but I'm sure you guys will do great once you get into a performance!" The shiba inu said, his tail wagging in excitement for that moment to come.

"Heh, don't worry, it'll be one that'll knock your socks off." Ahiko nodded, seeming sure of himself and the group, then gestured toward a familiar red panda who was busy doing some stretches. "We actually have our own personal choreographer to aid in making our performance even more dynamic."

"Jun?!" Makoto exclaimed, startling him enough to turn and regard him. "I didn't know you were part of a club. What is it that you do?"

"Oh, hey!" Jun greeted with a laugh. "Didn't know you would be here as a guest. And to answer your question, like Ahiko said, I'm the choreographer for the group."

Just as he heard that, doubt began to form in his mind as he looked the red panda up and down. He never took notice of Jun's body or weight before because quite honestly, he didn't care since everyone comes into this world in different shapes and sizes, but this was a different story. The red panda was rather tubby and he didn't want to call the other boy fat but he was on the heavy side at least.

Noticing the look, Jun huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, just because I'm big doesn't mean I can't dance better than any thin person! Watch me!" Without waiting for an explanation or an apology, he walked away for a bit to get some space, then suddenly his body was in motion.

Makoto watched, his eyes wide in surprise at the graceful, yet wild movements Jun was demonstrating. He had no idea the guy could dance so well. It definitely showed him to never judge a book by its cover, that's for sure. "That's amazing! And sorry for doubting you...heh." He said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Done with the demonstration, Jun laughed as he came back over to the shiba, all smiles. "No worries, I'm used to it. And besides, this is good exercise so honestly, a win in my book!"

"Well if you say so. To be honest, you honestly reminded me of a friend back home who loves to dance too. Almost the same size as you, but shorter." Makoto said with a smile as he recalled Koyanagi.

"Huh, that's...an interesting combination." Jun giggled, more than likely thinking about the description that was given. "Is he a red panda like me?"

"No, he's a tanuki named Koyanagi Matsuo. I've known him since I was a pup." The shiba inu replied, then sighed softly and looked away. "Sometimes I miss home..." he mumbled, sadness suddenly beginning to overtake him. He was even missing the tanuki's excessive flirting.

Seeing Makoto in such a state, Jun reached out a paw to comfort him, but didn't get too far however as Haruki came back into the room, his hair once again the bright green that Makoto was used to.

Breaking himself from his mind before things took a slight turn for the worse, Makoto turned to see the otter dressed in an outfit he had never seen before. The clothes themselves were casual enough -consisting of a regular shirt and ripped skinny jeans-, but everything was black, especially the makeup he had around his eyes. It all screamed gothic and it didn't help when he saw the elaborate hairstyle.

Haruki laughed at the shocked expression on the shiba inu's face, apparently having been used to such things. "Too much of a culture shock for you?"

"Not so much a culture shock, but this is definitely different from what we all usually wear." Makoto remarked and looked around to notice that the rest of the members, save for Ahiko and Jun, were in the same getup but with different styles. "What is this?"

"Visual Kei. I've been into it, and music since I was ten, thanks to a special someone who taught me years ago." Haruki replied, smiling a sad smile and his eyes having a faraway look to them as if recalling a lost memory before shaking his head.

"Yeah, taught me too. He's the one who taught me to play the bass." Ahiko spoke up as he heaved out a heavy sigh, the tone in his voice sounding hurt. His ears were tucked into his skull and his curly tail drooped slightly. He stayed like this for a moment, then looked up at the otter. "Before we start, we should pay our respects."

Makoto tilted his head. "To who?"

Ahiko blinked a few times, surprised at what he just heard. "You didn't notice your cousin's shrine when you came in?"

Hearing that, the shiba inu immediately felt ashamed and face-pawed. "No, I didn't. Ugh..."

Haruki's jaw fell open a little and gazed at Makoto as if he was viewing him in a different light. "You're his cousin?! I was wondering how you and Ahiko knew each other. I didn't think he meant cousin in the literal sense."

"Yeah, his mom is my aunt." Makoto replied with a casual shrug and then focused his attention back to his cousin. "So where is it?"

"Over here." Ahiko said and walked to the left side of the entrance.

Everyone began to follow him after setting down their instruments, then got down on their knees in front of a beautifully decorated shrine with a picture of a brightly smiling shiba with brown hair and bright golden eyes in the middle.

Makoto joined them, his spirits slowly yet surely dampening at the sight of the photo. Iori was smiling, happy as can be, looking like nothing was wrong. 'Alive...' he thought with increasing sadness and anger.

He remembered the funeral two years ago and how distraught his cousins were. Ahiko, very agitated and wanting to murder someone while Hitomi just cried for hours during the whole service. His loss was terrible and still, to this day, Tetsu mostly stayed silent, not knowing what to do and Kana did her best to keep her cousin from crying. Needless to say, being reminded of his death made him feel uncomfortable.

His thoughts were broken when he noticed everyone's paws clasped together in silent prayer, their eyes closed. Quickly did he do the same, hoping no one noticed him not paying attention in that moment. It seemed no one did thankfully as no one gave him any looks or anything.

After a few minutes had passed, the members got up and went back to what they were doing. Only Makoto stayed where he was, not moving an inch, only staring at the photo.

"Hey, you alright?" Ahiko asked when he looked back over his shoulder, his brows furrowed in worry.

"I'm alright, just give me a few more minutes." Makoto replied, looking back at his cousin with a reassuring smile, then went back to what he was doing, his smile disappearing. He thought about his uncle and aunt, two people he loved and still held onto with compassion, but not nearly as much now since it was their fault to begin with. At the funeral, they didn't show any emotion and simply carried on with their lives, which was infuriating. He knew why Iori died, so with that knowledge still in mind, he would never forgive those two for what they've done.

Letting out a soft sigh, Ahiko came over to gently place a paw on the shiba inu's shoulder, startling him. "Sorry, but you should listen. We have a new song in the making."

Makoto stood up with a frown. "Okay, but--" he stopped mid sentence when he felt his body being pulled into a tight hug.

"I know his death still hurts," he whispered close to the other canine's ear, trembling slightly, "but he would want for us to move on so please, just for now...let it go."

For a long moment the two of them stayed like that until Ahiko let go, a single tear staining his cheek. After wiping it away, he brought an arm over Makoto, bringing him over to the small stage.

Makoto didn't try to resist, only smiled as he was brought over. His cousin was right, he needed to move on. It would take awhile for him however, but yes, for now, he'll have fun and live his life to the fullest.

April 14th

"So there's a shrine dedicated to Iori in the music room...and you said that this is okay to do?" Kimiko asked as she tried to organize her overabundance of clothes in her closet.

"Yeah since the music club teacher liked him, and almost all of the staff and students." Makoto answered, a small giggle coming out every now and then as he watched his sister struggle.

"Well if you ask me, that's really good to know considering...you know..." Kimiko hesitated and slowed herself down, her usual smile disappearing. It was obvious to know what she was thinking at that moment.

"I know." He heaved a heavy sigh, the frustration he had yesterday coming back in full force. Thinking about one of his family members who died always brought this emotion out of him, along with the sadness and guilt.

Somehow his sister seemed to always know what he was feeling as she stopped what she was doing and came over to the bed to give Makoto a tight hug. "I know what you're thinking right now, and I'll tell you again, it's not your fault."

"It is my fault!" Makoto snapped, causing his sister to let go and lean back. "I didn't see the signs but I could just...feel that he needed help and I didn't do anything!"

"None of us knew Iori was suffering!" Kimiko countered, her sad expression being replaced with anger by her brother's stubbornness. "Makoto, we've all seen him before he died. He was tight lipped about his problems. What would you have done differently? Force it out of him?"

"I don't know! Something!" He shouted, then turned around, his back facing Kimiko. He didn't want to look her in the eyes and see the hurt and anger in her eyes. The death of Iori was just too much for him to handle back then and it still does now. "I just wish I could have gotten through to him, ya know? To let him know that he wasn't alone..."

Kimiko sighed, the emotions she had a few moments ago having been drained out of her. "Makoto, we all think that. You're not the only one who misses him, wishing that the signs were noticed earlier." She watched her little brother, seeming to gauge his reactions, then slowly came up behind him to give another hug.

There was no resistance from him, having lost the energy himself to try and argue some more. He stood there, numb and heartbroken just like the day of his cousin's funeral after all of the anger vanished.

They stayed like that for a long time, both thankful for the silence as their parents were gone for the time being.

"Thanks, sis. For always being there." Makoto said suddenly as he looked over his shoulder, a small smile on his lips and tail slowly wagging. As much as he felt terrible about Iori, he had to continue living and be happy.

"Of course, little bro. Someone has to be here to handle your crazy and mine!" She giggled at the glare she got for that comment, then released her grasp to go back to what she was doing earlier. "Why don't you go out and hang with one of your friends for a little while? It'll get your mind off things."

"Sure." Makoto nodded, agreeing full heartedly on the suggestion. As he made his way out of his sister's room, his steps came to a halt before turning his body around to quickly come over and hug his sister. "Again, thank you."

Letting out a soft giggle, Kimiko shook her head and gently pushed the young shiba inu away. "Okay, okay! You're welcome, now go! Scoot!"

With that said, the young shiba inu let himself go and left the room completely, heading to the front door to be let outside. After doing so did he walk around town, wondering what to do with himself. He wanted to see what someone was up to, truly, but everyone at school earlier told him they were going to be too busy.

The only one who didn't say anything on the matter was Katsuya, but with him and his personality, he didn't know if he should bother him or not.

"But he does have somewhat of a nice side..." Makoto mumbled to himself as he walked through the shopping district, his mind wandering along the way. This was true however, as he sometimes, if rarely, caught the tiger smiling and being genuine.

Having been distracted by these thoughts, he failed to notice the familiar white tiger until he bumped straight into him and falling flat on his butt.

"Masaki-san!" Katsuya looked down in amazement before crouching down to lend out a paw. "Are you alright? You should pay more attention to your surroundings."

"I'm fine, thanks." The shiba inu replied, taking the offered paw and then being easily lifted up. He forgot how strong the tiger was sometimes. "I'll be careful next--whoa, what's with the outfit?"

Confused, Katsuya raised a brow and then looked down at himself, noticing the clothing he had on. "Oh, this. Mechanic overalls. I'm about to take my father's truck to the local mechanic's store for an engine tune up. I've been putting it off for a few weeks but I don't have anything else to do today."

This was new. Makoto had no idea the tiger was a mechanic since he never really spoke about it. Now that he knew this, he found him to be much more interesting. A judo student that teaches and knows how to fix up vehicles? That was something not many people could claim.

And not only this, but with Katsuya's build, he definitely made himself look appealing to the shiba inu who did nothing but stare and drool a little at the muscles that were showing through the outfit.

A good moment had passed and the tiger was feeling a little awkward. Clearing his throat, Makoto brought himself back to his senses, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry, can I tag along or...?"

"I wouldn't mind if you did, Masaki-san." Katsuya replied, shrugging as he did and then started walking. "This way."

Makoto trembled slightly in anticipation, his excitement showing on his face. This would be the first time he would ever see Katsuya's home. For awhile he wondered what it looked like on the outside and inside, although he wouldn't see much today since all they would be doing is going somewhere else.

After a few minutes of walking and turning a few corners, they had arrived at their destination. The tiger's home was very modest, being two stories with a nice little lawn and mailbox, a garage on the side and the color chosen was white.

"Here we are." Katsuya announced and brought out a pair of car keys from his pocket, already heading to where he needed to be.

"Nice place, but..." Makoto hesitated and tilted his head in confusion, causing the tiger to halt his steps and look back, annoyance showing in his eyes. "Sorry, it's just you're living with Toshiki aren't you? So I assumed the truck would be over there."

There was no response, Katsuya only blinking a few times before letting out a snort and turning back to the truck. "I don't plan on answering that question right now, Masaki-san. Now are you coming or not?"

Hearing the answer in a cold tone, the shiba inu sighed softly and followed. He expected that, seeing as how it would be personal, but having to be on the receiving end hurt him a little. He sincerely hoped that sometime before the school year ends, the two of them would be better friends.

Wasting no time, he caught up to Katsuya who had just unlocked the truck and popped open the passenger door. After getting inside did he start up the engine and drove off, not saying much on the way there.

Needing to break the ice, Makoto spoke up. "So how long have you been doing this? Fixing your dad's vehicle I mean?"

"I've been doing this for four years. Really had no choice in the matter though since my dad is...sick." Katsuya replied after a moment's hesitation, his eyes focused on the road as he drove through the town.

"So you've been doing this since you were thirteen? That's such a young age...and is your father okay?" The shiba inu frowned with worry. Sure he didn't know the whole situation but he was patient...enough.

"Yeah, he's fine. Don't worry about it." Katsuya huffed and quickly glanced over to see his expression hadn't changed one bit. A heavy sigh rolled off his tongue. "He's not dying if that's what you're thinking."

"Basically a common cold, then?" He inquired, never taking his eyes off the tiger to gauge his reaction.

Furrowing his brows as if contemplating on the question, Katsuya nodded after a short while of silence. "Correct, Masaki-san. And yes, it's why he couldn't show up to judo practice the other day."

Makoto nodded in understanding. He knew the tiger was lying. He was really bad at it but he let it slide. Now he knew why his father was absent and it was so simple. "Well I hope he feels better."

Getting only a grunt in response, the rest of the drive was relatively silent. Well, not for long as Katsuya turned on the radio.

There were many questions that the shiba inu wanted to be answered but once again, they were far from his reach, which was understandable at best. He hasn't been here long enough to gain anyone's trust. Even so, he was alright with that fact as surely, in time, some truths will be known.

After making a few turns, they had arrived at the garage; a pretty decent building with the logo of a smiling gator giving a thumbs up at the top with two tires on both ends. It looked pretty cute and simple enough for anyone to know it was a place for automotive repairs.

"Here we are." Katsuya announced as he drove into the large, empty space attached to the building with many tools and other things around that the shiba inu had no idea of recognizing inside. After parking the truck did he turn off the engine and hopped out, already moving his feet.

Makoto followed suit, then thought better of it and looked around to find himself somewhere to sit. He didn't know the inner workings of vehicles unlike a mechanic. Thankfully he didn't have to look far as he found one that was nearby the tiger's truck. Sitting down on it, he watched him grab a tool box and return to the truck.

Opening the hood, Katsuya quickly and steadily went to work, surprisingly humming a tune as he went. It looked like he was in his own world. There was even the hint of a smile on his lips.

A few minutes had passed, soft music coming from a nearby radio to keep the silence at bay. It was a tranquil moment, momentary peace.

"So..." Makoto began as he twiddled his thumbs and occasionally ogled the tiger in his outfit, "do you want to talk about the truck issue now?"

"I suppose, since I did say I wasn't answering at the moment." The tiger replied with a huff, his expression unreadable thanks to him focusing on the engine. "Although, before I do answer, how do you know I'm living with Shiki? I never mentioned that to you."

"Your family did! Remember? I was there at the dojo." Makoto replied, giggling a little at the shocked and embarrassed look Katsuya gave.

"Right, I forgot. But as I was saying, I--" Katsuya was cut off as Kazuki entered and came up to him and the truck, looking very annoyed.

The fox stayed like that for a few moments before letting out a sigh and grabbing the toolbox. "I told you before you got here to wait for me. Geez, you're impatient." He mumbled while rummaging through the box to find a necessary tool and when he did, he got to work. "And hey, Makoto. Nice to see you here."

Hearing that, the shiba inu smiled. For once, Kazuki said something nice and didn't make him feel guilty. "Hey there! Are you here to help?"

Katsuya nodded after leaning back to set himself upright, choosing to answer in the fox's stead. "He's always been helping me with fixing my father's truck whenever it needed something done."

"Well it's not like I had anything else better to do during those times, now did I?" Kazuki said with a roll of his eyes, then smirked at the hard look from the tiger.

"Umm, if you don't mind me asking...how long have you done this sort of thing Kazuki?" Makoto inquired, curious to know a little bit more about the fox's life.

"Since I was ten. My uncles wanted me to learn at an early age so I could be useful." He answered and tugged on Katsuya's outfit to grab his attention. "Do you remember how to fix this?"

"Hmm..." the tiger hummed, tilting his head slightly before brightening up. "Oh! I know what to do. Thank you, Aragaki-san."

"Not a problem." He smiled, then leaned back to set his body straight before gazing at Makoto. "And as you can guess, for practice I worked on this very truck you see here until I moved on to others."

Makoto's eyes were wide as he heard all of this. He never would have thought someone so young would be able to handle or learn such a thing. "That's...very surprising because usually at that age, many children would want to play outside or play video games or something."

Kazuki gave a casual shrug, as if he was used to hearing such things. "You're not the first one to think that. I know it's odd, but I wasn't bored of it. I found it quite fun actually. Gave my paws something to work on."

Suddenly a derisive snort rang out from Katsuya, having finished with what he was doing. "Yeah, it's the only thing keeping your paws busy and away from--"

"Don't you dare start!" The fox shouted, glaring at Katsuya as if daring him to speak another word.

"Hmph, fine." He said after a tense moment between the two, giving out a slight huff of annoyance, then looked to the engine, flicking an ear. "But you know it's true."

"I--" Kazuki began, his face contorting to a snarl and then took a deep breath to calm himself down. With a shake of his head and not commenting any further, he looked over everything before nodding.

A sigh of relief came, Makoto thanking the heavens above that these two didn't continue their little spat, otherwise things probably would have gotten worse. He didn't know what they were going on about, but it sounded pretty serious.

Neither of them said anything else, choosing to focus on what was in front of them. The shiba inu didn't want to disrupt them so he took out his phone and began texting Keywon and the others back in Hawaii. Other than that, it was quiet, save for some music coming from the radio that was somewhere in the garage.

Minutes passed by until finally the sound of something closing shut brought Makoto to attention and saw that the two of them were finished. "Oh, nice! You guys worked fast!"

Kazuki shrugged. "Like I said, I fixed this truck many times." He looked up at Katsuya, a small smile tugging on his lips. "I'm honestly grateful for the experience it gave me over the years."

Katsuya smiled himself. "And I'm happy that this gets fixed whenever we needed it, Aragaki-san." He glanced at Makoto and motioned with his head to get inside before focusing back on the fox. "Thank you for your service as always. We'll be going now."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Kazuki smirked and took out a familiar lighter and cigarette, putting the object to his lips and lighting it up. Ignoring the glare from the tiger, he took in a drag and then puffed it out.

"That stuff is ruining your body Aragaki-san." Katsuya remarked with a slow shake of his head, frowning at the carelessness of it all.

"And I don't care. I hear this enough from Jun, I don't need to hear it from you too." Kazuki replied after taking another drag, his smirk gone, now replaced with a frown.

Balling up his paws into fists, the tiger shook with anger, a growl rumbling deep from within his throat. He looked ready to punch Kazuki at any given moment but to Makoto's surprise, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine. Have a good day."

With that said, he got inside the truck and turned it on before backing out and driving away.

It was silent on the way back, Makoto again wondering what that was all about. He knew the fox smoked and it was bad for him, but what could anyone do when it was his choice? He wasn't sure how long this went on, but it was obvious to know it ran long enough to harbor tension.

Katsuya kept his eyes on the road, a hard frown on his face. His paws were gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles were changing color. Immediately did he stop the moment a paw made contact on his arm, looking over to see the shiba inu, brows furrowed with worry and concern. "I'm sorry you had to see that Masaki-san."

"Oh no, it's okay, but...I guess you really don't like smokers all that much." Makoto said as he slowly pulled his paw away after making sure his friend was alright.

"It's not that, It's..." Katsuya hesitated, then breathed out a heavy sigh. "I just don't like seeing people I care about hurting themselves like that. Whether it's with drugs or alcohol."

"I understand. I can honestly relate to that. It's...hard." He replied, his eyes downcast as the image of Iori came into play. "At least you're noticing the signs and doing something about it."

"Hmph, as if what I'm doing is any good." The tiger huffed as he turned a corner before shaking his head. "I hope he'll come around soon. And my condolences about your cousin, Masaki."

Makoto looked up, eyes wide like saucers. "Haruki told you guys?" He exclaimed, shocked to hear that the otter told them all. When he got a nod, he slapped a paw to his forehead with a groan.

Katsuya raised a brow at this. "I can see why you're upset, but I want you to know that he was well loved and admired by the students and staff. His passing was announced, though nobody knew how it happened to respect the privacy of the family since, well, that is a personal matter."

That much was true, since none of the students were family members so it made sense for no one to know. However, it was nice to know that Iori was missed by many and not just a few. This brought a gentle smile to the canine's lips. "Thanks for telling me that. I'm glad."

"Of course." Katsuya replied with a curt nod and slowed the truck down as he neared his former home. After pulling into the driveway and parking did he let out a soft sigh, his eyes staring straight ahead at something far away.

"That honestly surprised me." Makoto said, pulling the tiger from whatever he was thinking of. "You can be sweet when you want to be."

"Ah...uhh...I..." Katsuya stuttered, his cheeks and the tips of his ears burning bright in embarrassment. With a cough, he turned away and cleared his throat. "Don't get used to it, Masaki-san."

Soft laughter bursted out of Makoto, making the tiger blush even more and put his head down in shame. "I'm sorry. It's cute to be honest, but don't worry, I know how you are." He opened the door and got out of the vehicle before closing it shut. "Thanks for the ride and hanging out with me!"

The tiger gave a nod before doing the same after taking out the car keys and locking it up. "It's no problem. Though If you want...ah..." he hesitated again, averting his gaze.

Curious to know what he was trying to say, Makoto came up to him. "What's up?" he inquired, almost forgetting that Katsuya was somewhat awkward at initiating conversation.

"If you would like to...I could...escort you home." Katsuya slowly said, his eyes still looking elsewhere and cheeks burning even more. "Only because I know you have questions, that is all."

"You're just becoming full of surprises today, but sure, I'd like that." He giggled and started to walk with the tiger beside him. It was almost a bit comical, considering he was short compared to him, given only really Ryutaro was taller than him in their little group. Putting those thoughts aside however, he wanted to get some things off his chest. "So at what age did you start driving?"

"Twelve. Right around the time I started helping to fix the truck. Didn't have much of a choice since my dad screwed up royally and got his license revoked, leaving me to do what I've been doing, which is running errands and getting the groceries." Katsuya answered with a slow shake of his head. "But it has made me useful to both him and Shiki's grandfather so it isn't all that bad."

Makoto gasped. "Your dad's license was revoked?! What did he do?" He was shocked to hear such a thing. Could his father have killed someone by accident due to drunk driving? Blindness? He desperately wanted to know.

Hesitation appeared on the tiger as he wasn't forthcoming with an answer. "I can't reveal as to why right now. Later on perhaps, when I feel more comfortable around you."

Nodding, the shiba inu didn't press any further. "I understand, sorry. I'm not done though! How is it living with Toshiki?"

Raising a brow, Katsuya gave a casual shrug. "It's pretty nice, all things considered. I'm one of his grandfather's apprentices and it does have its benefits. Room and board, food, shelter. I enjoy it even if I have to share my room with four other guys."

"Ooooh an apprentice!" Makoto's tail began wagging at full speed upon hearing this, his excitement all but obvious. "What is it that you do?"

"For me, it's carpentry." Katsuya answered, a small smile quickly forming on his lips from the sheer joy he was getting before quickly disappearing. "The others do various ones from my field like masonry and painting, things of that nature."

"Oh, so basically you're all working!" Makoto said, getting a nod from the tiger. "And of course you're getting paid, as you've mentioned getting groceries. So how much are you all getting?"

"A decent amount. Enough for me to provide necessities and then some. I'm very grateful to Toshiki. Had he not been around, I..." Katsuya trailed off as he stopped walking and turned his head slightly to the left, raising a brow.

Curious to know what he was looking at, Makoto turned as well to find out that they were at his doorstep. He had made it home. "Oh, we're here! I didn't realize it when we were chatting. Thanks for the escort."

Katsuya nodded in reply. "You're welcome Masaki-san. Today has been an interesting day for the two of us. May you rest well and have good dreams. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

With that said, the tiger turned around and walked away, leaving Makoto to get a nice view of his butt in the overalls. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching..." he mumbled to himself, letting out a small giggle before heading inside for the night to get ready for the next day.

April 15th

It was lunch time and all of the students began digging into their homemade lunch boxes, enjoying their food. A peaceful moment, aside from the occasional chatter going on.

Makoto savored every bite, enjoying the taste of natto and tamagoyaki. He was definitely going to thank Ryutaro for fixing this. He was really going to have to get the dragon to teach him to cook like this.

"Enjoying yourself?" Toshiki inquired, a small smile on his lips as he watched the canine nod vigorously.

"Yes! I love it when this time of day comes around, because it means I get to eat some awesome food! It's great that Ryutaro is willing to bring everyone some from home." He said before digging into his rice, ears slightly tucking to his skull from the bland taste but he soldiered through it.

Noticing this, the cat subtly rolled his eyes. "Sure you do. But hey, remember when I said one day I would show you my completed art pieces?"

Makoto nodded in reply, excited to see what else his friend drew. "Of course! Is today the day?"

"Yes, and I'm inviting you over to my house if you're still interested." Toshiki said after taking a bite of his own rice.

"You should definitely go!" Shinji said in outburst, causing the two to turn their heads, giving him a strange look. "What? I'm here too, you know. But really, go for it! He's an amazing artist!"

A touch of crimson showed up on Toshiki's cheeks, more than likely embarrassed from the praise. "It's not that great..."

Hearing this, the shiba inu became even more excited. Not only was he going to see some art but also have the chance to see the inside of Toshiki's home. He felt like he was on a roll with how things were progressing so fast. "I'm sure they're wonderful and I would love seeing what you have."

"Heh, you should see what's on display from the art club." Shinji chuckled, ignoring the hard glare he got from the cat. "But that won't happen until later on in the semester so just have to wait."

The conversation between the three of them continued, then branched off into other topics. However, it all came to an end as the school bell rung, signaling for class to resume.

During this time, Makoto held on to his concentration, trying not to get himself distracted by thoughts on what Toshiki's house looked like. His mind did wander sometimes throughout the day, wondering if his family had a mansion or not, considering how rich he was.

As his thoughts swirled more and more, the final bell had rung, snapping him out of his semi trance. "Finally..." he yawned as he stretched the stiff muscles in his body before relaxing and turning his head over to look at Toshiki who seemed to be ready to get going.

"Excited to show him, huh?" Shinji teased, getting a punch to the side of his stomach, only to make him laugh.

"I only want to go home is all." Toshiki said in reply, letting out a huff of annoyance and glanced at the shiba inu.

Smiling, Makoto got up from his seat and walked up to the two. "Let's go!" He said cheerily and left the classroom with both furs in tow.

"Hmm, this would probably me the first time I invite a foreigner over." Toshiki said after going outside and walking through the town.

"Really?" Makoto raised a brow, interested on why he would say something like that. "Why is that?"

"It's nothing, really. We've just mostly had locals over." He answered with a casual shrug, then smiled. "It'll be interesting, that's all."

This didn't seem to settle the shiba inu as his brows furrowed even more, then suddenly jumped in surprise from Shinji getting very close to him. "Umm...yes?"

"Just letting you know not to worry about it, his grandad is really cool. And trust me, you'll love how his house looks." Shinji said, his tail wagging in full force with a bright smile to match his overabundance of energy.

"You're doing it again," Toshiki remarked, making the akita stop what he was doing. He shook his head slowly. "He is right though. I think you'll like it."

"Heh, well you go enjoy yourself Makoto." Shinji said and turned to the right, heading in another direction. "I'll be heading home got to do some work today. See ya!"

Now that it was just the two of them, they continued on their way until a traditional styled house could be seen in the near distance. It was easy to notice as it stuck out like a sore thumb among the more modernized versions of homes in the town.

Makoto gasped, his eyes glimmering with joy as he gazed at the cat. "That's your house? I've only seen this sort of thing in anime and documentaries!"

Soft laughter erupted from Toshiki upon hearing that. "Somehow I had a feeling you would say something like that. But yes, this is the design my grandfather chose as it reminds him of the old times."

"It looks really nice!" The shiba inu said as the two of them got up to the door. After Toshiki slid it open and allowed both of them inside did he take off his shoes.

"I see you recognize the one rule when entering someone's home." Toshiki remarked, smiling a small smile at the canine as he did the same. "Come on, I'll give you the tour."

With that said, Makoto was led around the cat's humble abode, his eyes taking in everything. It was a pretty nice house, all things considered. Small, yet had a historic feeling to it, and with each room they passed, his excitement grew.

There was little to none when it came to pictures being hung up on the walls, but it was understandable at best. Various items were around, but nothing too spectacular. Eventually they reached a room where a japanese bobtail sat in seiza style, his eyes closed as if he was in deep meditation. However, this was not the case as one of his ears flicked.

"Hello grandson. Welcome home." He greeted and then opened his eyes to gaze at the young cat before focusing on Makoto. "And who might this be?"

Having gotten used on how to properly introduce himself, Makot bowed his head. "Nice to meet you Mr.., I--" he paused mid sentence at the sight of a paw being held up.

"Fujisawa. His last name is Fujisawa." Toshiki explained helpfully

"He is correct. And my name is Atsuo Fujisawa. I'll excuse your slight blunder just this once." Atsuo said and slowly stood up to bow in return, then focused on his grandson. "So tell me, why is he here?"

"To show him my completed pieces like I promised him the other day." The young cat replied, his eyes glancing over to Makoto every now and then.

"I see..." Atsuo mumbled with a stroke of his chin as he stared at the shiba inu, seeming to size him up or something. This took a minute or two until his gaze relaxed and gave a curt nod before slowly sitting back down. "You are welcome here, Masaki-kun. I trust you'll be on your best behavior."

Makoto nodded. "Yes, sir."

Toshiki let out a soft sigh. "He won't do anything, ojiichan. I'll be watching so relax, please."

After receiving a nod did the young cat turn to slide the door open and leave the room with Makoto right behind him. As he slid it back, the two of them wandered into the house more until coming to his room and entering it.

Looking around in search of any drawings, the shiba inu raised an eyebrow, an expression of confusion crossing his features as he found nothing. "This is a nice room! But where's the pieces you were going to show?"

"They're in here, but I'm a tad offended you don't find much interest in the other things I have." Toshiki said as he walked in front of Makoto and spread an arm around to indicate three bookcases lined against a section of the walls, all filled with books with various volumes on top of painting supplies being seen around the room.

"Ah, sorry." Makoto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and came closer to one of the bookcases, curious to know what the cat has been reading during his spare time. However, he didn't linger for too long as every single title had the German language, something he was not well versed in, if at all.

Seeing the disgruntled look on his friend's face, Toshiki lightly chuckled. "Forgive me for not warning you about that. Sometimes I forget that almost everyone in this country doesn't speak my native tongue."

Shaking his head, Makoto smiled. "Don't worry. This just means I have to learn another language. That is, if you don't mind tutoring me sometime. The only German I know is Gesundheit."

"You're interested? Truly?" Toshiki inquired, the tone in his voice saying that he was shocked. When he received a nod, his eyes danced with joy. "That's great! I've always wanted to teach someone! Ah, but let me not derail."

On that note, the cat walked over to an area in the room where what appeared to be picture frames sitting under a large, white sheet. It was obvious to assume they were the drawings due to some colored splotches staining the fabric. With a flourish, he grabbed the sheet and pulled to reveal a beautiful painting of a large hill with the sun setting, coloring the skies in different hues.

Makoto gasped and walked over to where Toshiki was, reaching out to gingerly touch the art piece as if it were fragile. "This is amazing..."

"Thank you, but I have far more than just that one." Toshiki smiled waved a paw in the canine's direction. "Go ahead. Indulge yourself."

On that note, Makoto set one of the works aside and went on to observing the rest. There were sketches of landscapes, people, buildings, anything that caught his friend's eyes. And the ones that were actually completed, they were absolutely wonderful to look at.

"You should display these! I bet they would look great in an art museum!" The shiba inu cheerily said, his tail wagging in excitement.

"Thanks for the praise, but I'm not that good honestly." A hint of a blush showed on the cat's cheeks as he rubbed one of his arms, his eyes looking elsewhere. He seemed truly embarrassed.

"Awww come on! These are really great! I mean, look at this one." Makoto began to pick up the first painting he came across. "You can't tell me no one would love it!"

Still looking unsure, Toshiki sighed softly before giving a small smile. "I suppose, but I don't feel too confident right now to show my works out in public. Eventually I will. I appreciate your words however."

"Ehhh, if you say so. And you're welcome!" Makoto gave a thumbs up before putting the painting down and crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised. "So how long have you been doing this anyways?"

"When I was six." Toshiki replied with a shrug, getting a stunned look from the canine. "I wasn't the type to enjoy physical activities, so aside from reading I requested my grandfather to teach me on how to draw and paint. It was a long and grueling process in the beginning but it was worth it in the end."

"Another one that did something so young..." He mumbled, getting a curious look from the cat. "It's nothing. Anyway, your grandfather seems really nice and friendly."

"He is, though he can be strict at times." Toshiki replied and shook his head. "But that's only when teaching so you won't really see him like that unless you're around long enough."

Cupping his chin, Makoto thought on this, wondering just how the old man can be like when serious. As he did so, the door to his room slid open to reveal Katsuya standing there wearing a black, sleeveless shirt and brown pants. Immediately after seeing him in that did Makoto's nose start to bleed.

"Are you alright, Masaki-san?" He asked, moving over to see if he was okay, but didn't get far as the shiba inu nodded furiously.

"I'm okay! I'm fine!" Makoto replied after covering his nose with a paw, not at all expecting his body to react this way. 'Ugh, such a cliche thing to do...'

"Here's a tissue." Toshiki walked over to a section of the room to grab a box and then came back to hand it to Makoto. After seeing him use it did his attention focus to the tiger. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, nothing in particular. I just wanted to see if you were home." Katsuya took a glance over to the shiba inu who had just stuffed his nose with tissues.

Waving his paws, Makoto gave a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, really! And I'm here because Toshiki invited me over to see his drawings is all. They're pretty neat!"

Letting out another sigh, the cat slowly shook his head. "Yes, that's why he's here. And I'm sorry I forgot to do my usual greeting. I won't forget next time."

A light chuckle ran through Katsuya as he smiled. "Good. I'll be outside with the others." He began to make his way out of the room, but stopped as he felt a paw grabbing hold of his wrist. Turning, he found it was Toshiki. "What is it?"

"If you don't mind, can me and Makoto tag along? Besides, it'll be his first time meeting the other apprentices." Toshiki said, his eyes looking hopeful.

"Oh yeah, you mentioned that to me yesterday." Makoto piped up and looked at the tiger with pleading eyes.

For a long moment, Katsuya blinked several times, confusion evident on his face until he let out a sigh. "I don't see any reason for you to ask Shiki. You live here too, but sure, you two can come."

With that said, the three of them left his room. After the cat notified his grandfather did they leave the house, now outside in the warm air. It didn't take long to find them as they were sitting on the left side of the house, apparently on some sort of picnic as they all sat around a blue blanket with food and drinks around. There were four of them and they all wore the same style of clothing Katsuya had on.

"Hey, Katsuya!" A boar shouted out, motioning with a paw for them to come closer. "Glad you came back so fast. Didn't want to start without you!" He looked over the tiger and noticed Makoto. Soon, a wide grin split his lips. "Who's your friend? He looks really cute."

"Don't even think about it Kinnosuke." The tiger growled menacingly, his claws extending and giving a dangerous glare to make him stop what he was doing.

Unfortunately, this threat did not work as the boar quickly got up and shook paws with Makoto, startling him in the process. "I won't do anything to him, I promise. Nice to meet ya kid! Name's Kinnosuke Hayato. If you ever need anything, I got you." He said, then leaned in close to his ear but didn't get a word out as a fist slammed down on top of his head.

"He warned you." A leopard said, chuckling at what just happened and then waved at the trio as they walked up to them. "We're sorry about him, really. He gets this way when he sees someone he likes. Anyway, I'm Yoshitune Ayazawa. A pleasure to meet you."

Beside Yoshitune, a lizard nodded before speaking. "Ringo Takamoto. You seem alright."

Sitting across from the two was an ox, his appearance telling the shiba inu he was older than everyone here. "And I'm Tashiro Inaba. I've been working for Atsuo a long time before these boys came along."

Introducing himself in return, Makoto sat down with the others, surprised to see that the blanket had more than enough space. "I'm guessing everyone here is on break?"

Yoshitune nodded after taking a sip of his drink. "All of us got done with what we were supposed to do today so now we're relaxing like always. Very refreshing."

"It always eases my mind to know my grandfather's apprentices are okay." Toshiki said, getting laughter all around.

"We'll always be safe, kid. Don't worry so much." Tashiro chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, the only one I get concerned about is Kinnosuke here."

Hearing that, the boar snorted. "Says you! I'm cautious when I need to be!"

Ringo raised a brow, obviously not buying that. "Only when there's no guys for you to ogle at."

Another round of laughter ensued, making the boar's cheeks flush in complete embarrassment. The way Kinnosuke's personality was greatly reminded Makoto of Koyanagi and his endless flirting.

"So how are you enjoying things around here? It's not easy to go from a city to a small town like this, especially in another country." Yoshitune asked, getting everyone else interested as well.

"I'm enjoying it so far after making some friends and meeting new people. It definitely wasn't easy at first, having to adapt but I'm managing just fine!" The shiba inu replied, getting satisfied nods from everyone.

"I see...interesting." Tashiro mumbled, then reached around behind himself and brought out a white bottle with no calligraphy on it whatsoever. There was no top to it, adding on to the mystery. A mischievous glint showed in his eyes.

Toshiki frowned and placed a paw to his forehead. "Oh, no...Makoto don't drink that. Trust me, just don't."

Katsuya heaved out a sigh, looking disappointed at the old man. "Inaba-san, please...put that away."

Judging from their reactions and what was spoken, Makoto could only guess that what was inside that bottle was alcohol. Only it wasn't called any of the familiar names he had often heard in America. "Oh, I read about this! It's sake! And apparently it's not that strong."

Ringo and Yoshitune winced while Kinnosuke raised a brow, more than likely watching and waiting to see what happens.

Tashiro boomed with laughter, his whole body shaking. Somehow he was able to keep the bottle steady and on a closer look, his face was flushed. He was drunk. "So you know! Ha! Well if it's not so strong," he reached behind himself again to grab a small, flat saucer-like cup and filled it to the brim before passing it over to the shiba inu, "drink up."

"Makoto, you really don't want to do this. Don't push your luck." Toshiki warned, an expression of worry and concern written all over his face.

"I agree. Despite what you've learned, it's definitely not a good idea to try." Katsuya said, adding in his own input.

"Oh, come on! I'll be fine. It's just rice wine." Makoto took the offered cup without hesitation. "What's the phrase they use in anime?" He pondered a bit before snapping his fingers. "Oh, yeah! Kanpie!" He said and placed it to his lips before drinking the clear liquid. Setting his arms down, he looked about to see his friends staring at him with wide eyes.

"Want another?" The ox shook the bottle in his paws, snickering all the while. After getting a nod and offered cup, he began to pour. "Take your time, kid. Savor the moment."

Taking another drink, the shiba inu slowly started to feel a tingling sensation in his body, mostly at the pit of his stomach. It felt weird to him, but he shrugged it off. He wasn't feeling drunk whatsoever. 'Ha! I was right!' he thought as he helped himself to a third filling of sake. He didn't feel drunk at all. Katusya and Toshiki were totally overreacting.

Kinnosuke rubbed his chin as he continued to watch things unfold. "I wonder what he's like when drunk..." he mumbled, getting a glare from both felines.

"Alright, that's enough!" Toshiki snatched the cup away from Makoto and kept hold of it. "We are not going to have to explain to your parents how you got drunk!" He focused his attention on Tashiro next. "And as for you! Just...please behave yourself."

"Aww come on!" Makoto whined, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can handle it! It's literally--whoa..." he paused mid-sentence as he felt the sensation in his stomach quickly begin to spread to his chest. It made him feel warm on the inside. He didn't know what was going on until that feeling went from there to his entire face.

"Damn...Makoto?" Katsuya gently grabbed hold of the shiba inu's shoulders, looking him over to see if the alcohol had taken effect. To his surprise, it had as he saw his cheeks flushed pink.

"Heeeey! You called me by my firssst nammme!!!" Makoto said drunkenly before giggling.

"Well things just got interesting..." Yoshitune remarked with a slow shake of his head.

"You're telling me. Three cups and he's already plastered. I'm almost jealous." Ringo commented, a small smile on his lips.

Kinnosuke chuckled and stood up to walk over to Makoto, causing Katsuya to whip his head around, glaring. "Whoa, whoa! I'm not going to do anything to him!"

Katsuya huffed in annoyance. "Heard that with Ryutaro and look where that ended up."

"Hey! He was the one who pounced me! And I wasn't going to refuse a sexy and very needy dragon boy. And hey, his ass was awesome! You can't hog him all to yourself you know!" The boar said with a pervy smile and before Katsuya could retort Makoto ran up towards the boar

Without a second thought, Makoto hugged the boar and buried his face into his chest. "So waaaarmmm." He drawled, muffled by the other's body and fur before leaning back to look up at him, giggling like a schoolgirl as he caressed his cheek. "And really cute too!"

"I like him this way! Bring him more!" Kinnosuke shouted, obviously enjoying the show and hands on approach. But that quickly came to an end as Katsuya grabbed the boy before anything else could ensue.

"Katsuyaaaa!" Another giggle came from Makoto as he was picked up bridal style. "Ooooh, you're so strong. Lots of big muscles on you."

Ignoring what was being said, the tiger looked down to Toshiki, a knowing look in his eyes before walking away, but not too far.

"I'm sorry everyone, but we'll have to take our friend home. Enjoy the rest of your day." Toshiki announced and began to stand up to stretch. After doing so did he give Kinnosuke the most evil glare. "If you ever try this again Hayato, mark my words, I WILL destroy you..."

There was only silence from the boar and a quick nod as he sat back down. A bead of nervous sweat ran down his fur.

"We'll see you two when you get back! That is, if Tashiro isn't passed out by then! Be safe on the way back!" Ringo said, waving goodbye while Yoshitune tried his best to keep Tashiro from getting too reckless.

With a curt nod in reply, the cat was well on his way to join up with Katsuya to take their friend home. "This turned out to be a good day."

"Just be glad he didn't get too much into his system, otherwise he would have a really bad hangover." Katsuya replied, a small smile on his lips.

Noticing this, Toshiki raised a brow. "And what has you smiling, mister?"

Katsuya shook his head. "It's nothing, really. I'm sort of...amused how our friend here got drunk so quickly."

Before Toshiki could reply, Makoto bursted into a fit of laughter. "Katsuya, I have a secret I wanna tell you. Lean closer." He said, all the while having occasional hiccups.

Glancing over to Toshiki who merely shrugged, Katsuya sighed and lifted him up a little, then leaned down. "Yes, what is it?"

"I really like your body. I want to see you naked." He whispered, causing the tiger's eyes to widen and stop in his tracks, blushing like mad.

"What's wrong? What did he say?" Toshiki inquired, his brows furrowing into a frown as he looked between the two.

It took a full minute or two before Katsuya started to come back into reality. "It's...I'll tell you later once we drop him off."

"He said something slightly suggestive didn't he?" A light hearted chuckle rang from the cat as he saw his friend blushing even more. "Well you can't blame him, because it's true."

"We are not having this conversation right now!" Katsuya growled and yelped as he felt a paw grab at his crotch making him nearly drop the shiba

"Wooow you are so biiiig..." Makoto said, giggling drunkenly as he continued to paw at the tigers crotch before Katsuya grabbed his paw away, looking a bit violated by the shiba's act, his face burning bright red.

"Toshiki...I haven't...haven't forgotten about youuuuu. You're pretty cute yourself!" He said, making it his turn to become flustered.

"Wunderbar! He's completely wasted...we should hurry." Toshiki commented and quickened his steps with Katsuya doing the same.

As they walked with haste and traversed the town, a certain someone showed up in their way.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Shinji greeted, then raised a brow as he noticed what was going on. "Is...Makoto okay?"

"I wouldn't...ugh." Toshiki began, trying to warn the akita but was too late as he was already in close proximity.

"Shinjiiii! Hiiii!" Makoto greeted and reached out to hug him. "You smell nice."

"Umm, thanks I guess?" He chuckled, not at all sure what was going on. Then suddenly, he sniffed the air and came close to Makoto and got a lick for it, causing him to jump back. "Whoa! Was he drinking?"

Katsuya sighed and gave a nod of confirmation. "We weren't expecting one of the apprentices to bring sake. Makoto wanted to give it a try and...well...you're seeing it for yourself."

"Yes, and while he's like this, he's more bold." Toshiki commented. "Now are you coming with us to help explain or are you going home?"

"Well I was going home actually until I saw you guys, but now I plan on sticking around to know all the details." Shinji said with a grin, causing both felines to groan.

Without any further comment, they resumed their pace, all the while Toshiki explaining how it all went down. The akita took in everything, his eyes going wide like saucers.

"So three takes and he's like this? Wow, he's a lightweight." Shinji remarked as he cupped his chin. "Although that does give me an idea..." he mumbled just low enough for the cat to not pick up on it and having his face turned away.

"What was that?" Toshiki said, startling the akita.

"Nothing, nothing! Don't worry about it." Shinji waved his paws about to try and reassure that he wasn't up to anything. "This does mean that Ryutaro isn't our official lightweight anymore, although he can't hold his drinks down either."

A derisive snort came from the cat. "That much is true, but we all know none of you can beat me under the table. Sorry to bring it up, but I've warned all of you."

Having his ears perked, Katsuya caught on to what was being talked about and growled. "Just when I tried hard to forget about all of that nonsense..."

The trio continued to conversate about that event, along with other things they had done in their lives growing up until finally coming to their destination. As they stood there at the doorstep, no one dared to knock on the door and having to explain because they knew wrath would come striking down. They felt terribly bad for their friend though.

"Come on, let's get this over with. The sooner we tell them, the sooner we can all go home." Toshiki said and rapped his knuckles on the door. He looked back to see the shiba inu had fallen asleep on the way here.

Not long after doing this did the door open to reveal Kimiko standing in the doorway. A mixture of confusion and surprised expressions were on her face. "What...happened?" She asked and all at once explanations started to pour out, jumbling together to the point no one made sense. "One person, please!"

The trio looked at one another, then Toshiki stepped to the plate, telling her everything that had happened. "And so, here we are."

"So he got drunk for the first time. Lovely, but thankfully our parents aren't home yet. He's lucky our dad decided to pay our grandparents a little visit, otherwise he would definitely catch hell for this." Kimiko placed a paw to her forehead, shaking her whole head. "Thanks for looking out for him though. I appreciate it. I'll take it from here once you guys wake him up."

After hearing that, Katsuya gently shook the shiba inu, easily getting his eyes to open and his body moving, albeit groggily. Once the feline made sure he could stand on his own two feet did he gently set him down next to his sister. "We're sorry for all of this, Masaki-senpai."

Holding her brother up the best she could, Kimiko smiled at Katsuya. "Don't worry! You're not the ones who forced him to do anything, it was his choice. Now I'm going to get this guy to bed and make sure he'll sleep okay. See you all later!"

And with that, she closed the door, leaving the three boys alone and having them walk their way back to their own homes. Today was definitely an unexpected experience for them all, but it was one they would never forget for the rest of their lives.