Chapter Text
Ever since she started high school, Manami has been a lot happier. If you compare the Manami of now to the Manami a few years back, you wouldn’t think they were the same person. Whenever she’s at home, she’s always on her phone, messaging the friends she has made, a smile on her face that brightens up the room. Manami likes to talk about them, and it’s clear from how full of love her words are whenever she speaks of them, Aya and Masato were very glad their daughter had found people she genuinely connected with and could be herself around, instead of her previous group of friends who encouraged her to do stuff she normally wouldn’t want to do.
There were also some moments when they noticed Manami looking at her phone with what could only be described as smitten, and they knew just who it was she was messaging. Around halfway through the school year, Manami got a boyfriend. Aya & Masato were a little worried at first, considering her prior romantic relationships being just as awful as her so called old friends, but the way Manami talked about this Ran guy was full of nothing but adoration instead of bitterness.
What separated Ran from Manami’s previous partners was the fact she actually talked about him and knew stuff about him, compared to her barely knowing or talking about her previous partners. According to Manami, he is very caring towards their classmates, as if he was like their big brother, but he mostly kept to himself and a small group of friends. He also helps people out in his local community, albeit in a different way to how Manami helps out at food banks and homeless shelters. The whole hunting demons thing was…strange to hear about at first, but considering Manami’s classmates it was probably normal for them.
Overall, he seemed like a good kid, which was why Aya and Masato had invited him over for dinner, to officially meet the boy that makes their daughter happy, as well as have him stay the night. If he lived close to Nagoya it’d just be dinner, but Manami didn’t mind letting him crash in her room for the night. It wasn’t a super fancy dinner, just a nice family dinner with their possible future son-in-law.
***
Private conversation between WONDERWOMAN & DevilMayCry
WONDERWOMAN: Hey. You alright with chicken soba noodles tonight?
WONDERWOMAN: We’d cook up something more fancy but Nizae and Hachi are picky eaters that refuse to eat anything other than noodles, meat and rice
DevilMayCry: That’s fine
DevilMayCry: At least they aren’t as bad as Haruka was when she was younger
DevilMayCry: She would sit at the table for over an hour letting her food get cold because she said she didn’t like the taste or texture
DevilMayCry: Mom had to stop me from making her something she liked quick because if I did she’d just expect me to whip her up something she’d like whenever she has a meal she’s never had before
WONDERWOMAN: Did she eventually stop?
DevilMayCry: Kinda
DevilMayCry: She’s willing to give new meals a try, but she mostly sticks to some foods she likes
DevilMayCry: Hopefully your brothers will grow out of it.
WONDERWOMAN: I’m tempted to tell them that veggies will give them superpowers. Maybe that’ll get them to finally eat their veggies
DevilMayCry: If that doesn’t work, try grinding them up and mixing them up into sauces or brownies
DevilMayCry: It fooled me and Haruka when we were that age
WONDERWOMAN: The boys will never know what hit them
WONDERWOMAN: Oh, yeah
WONDERWOMAN: To make up for the lackluster meal, my mom’s making chizu keki for dessert
DevilMayCry: FUCK YEAH!!! \o/
***
“Come on Ran, just pick one already.”
“How do you expect me to pick between Styx & Bones or 9th Circle Demonic Takeover!”
Haruka rolled her eyes at her brother’s indecisiveness.
Hama was understandably nervous. He was going to be meeting Tsuno’s parents in a few hours, having been invited to dinner by them. He wanted to make a good first impression on them, which was why he was currently in his room, debating with his younger sister on which shirt to wear. For a guy who rarely wore shirts (only due to the dark power he has instantly burning up anything that touches the sigils inked into his chest. he required special materials that are immune to the touch of hell, like his good old leather jacket, or the badass graphic shirts his little sister liked to make), he sure did have a lot to choose from.
Seeing how Ran wasn’t going to figure out which shirt to wear, Haruka tossed whatever shirt was in her right hand to her brother, hitting him in the face, while stuffing the other shirt into a backpack on the bed. “There, wear 9th Circle Demonic Takeover to dinner, and wear Styx & Bones tomorrow.”
Shirt crisis averted, Hama finished sorting himself out, putting the shirt on along with his favourite leather jacket. Haruka was an amazing artist, she always knew how to make the designs on the shirts match well with Hama’s general alternative style. She also liked to give names to her creations, any artist does. 9th Circle Demonic Takeover had the graphic of a demon emerging out from the chest of an unlucky human host, just like that alien film Kamimira showed Tamba one time (she screamed so loud it caused Kamimura to have a mini cataplexy episode. lesson learned, don’t show Tamba scary alien films). It also had a demon symbol in the background, along with fire, lots of fire. It was a pretty gnarly shirt.
“So…how do I look?” Hama gestured to himself, awaiting his sister’s approval on his outfit. It was just his regular go too look, with the addition of the shirt.
Haruka gave her older brother a thumbs up and cheeky wink. “Looking badass as always, Ran.”
Now that he is ready, it’s best he heads off to catch the train. A train ride from Kurume to Nagoya is around four hours long, the sooner he sets off the sooner he’ll arrive and have more time to spend with his girlfriend and her family. Hama grabs the backpack on his bed and gives Haruka a hug goodbye, thanking her for her help in packing his things before heading downstairs.
His mum is waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, wanting to see her son off. Hama leans down to hug the small woman, “See you tomorrow, mum.”
“Have a safe trip. Did you pack everything you need?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got everything I need. Haruka helped me pack.”
“Clean clothes for tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Pyjamas?”
“Yeah.”
“Phone charger?”
“Yeah.”
“Manga?”
“Yeah.”
“Banishing salt?”
“Mum, I’m not going to run into any demons in Nagoya.”
“Better to be safe than sorry. Oh, and don’t forget your medicine to ease your motion sickness. You don’t want to spend the whole train ride queasy.”
“I won’t, I won’t. Love you mum.”
“Love you too, Ran.”
The taller boy left the house, leaving the shorter woman in the hallway. Her young daughter was now perched on the stairs, eyeing her mum expectantly. “So…what’s the plan for dinner seeing as it’s just the two of us, tonight?”
***
Hama was dreading the train ride. He had always been bad in vehicles, ever since he was a little kid. His mom assumed he’d simply outgrow it, but here he is at seventeen struggling not to lose his lunch as he sits in a fast moving metal tube. Who knew that of all the things in the mortal world, it’s moving vehicles that the thing demons hate. The medicine helps ease the queasiness a little bit, it makes the train ride much more bearable.
With the matter of his motion sickness quelled (for now), Hama has four hours to kill in the meantime. He opened up his phone to see if anyone was online to chat. To his surprise, Chiba, Harada, Wada and Watari were all online. He wonders how his friends are faring this fine weekend. He opens up the first of many private chats and types away.
***
Private conversation between DevilMayCry and SuperStar
DevilMayCry: Hey Airi. How’re you faring?
SuperStar: KILLLLLLL MEEEEEE
DevilMayCry: Is your mum bothering you again?
SuperStar: I wish!
SuperStar: That’s how bad it is
DevilMayCry: Damn. What’s even going on
SuperStar: I’m third wheeling Nagawa and Ojima…
DevilMayCry: Okay…
DevilMayCry: Why are you with Hiroaki and Ojima
SuperStar: Oh, Nagawa invited me to go grab milkshakes with him and Ojima
SuperStar: I thought it’d be a fun hangout, but I’d rather be dealing with a phonecall from my mum right now
DevilMayCry: How is that worse than your mum bothering you?
SuperStar: You don’t understand!
SuperStar: It’s like I’m third wheeling a date where they’re both unaware of each other's true feelings. Like that manga you and Wada like
DevilMayCry: Oh god…
SuperStar: I dunno what’s worse, watching them obliviously flirt with each other or whatever Toshi and Hasegawa have going on?
DevilMayCry: Definitely Hiroaki and Ojima. At least Hasegawa and Kamimura are aware of how the other feels, they just don’t want to make it an official thing yet until they feel ready for it.
SuperStar: When they do eventually get together, let’s get them a cake. I dunno what sort of cake Hasegawa likes but I know Toshi loves funfetti!
DevilMayCry: That sounds nice
SuperStar: So…what are you up to?
DevilMayCry: On a train ride to Nagoya. Manami invited me over to have dinner with her family
SuperStar: Ooooh
SuperStar: Sounds romantic
DevilMayCry: I’m nervous though
DevilMayCry: I mean…this is her family. I want to make a good first impression on them. Show them that I’m not some edgy asshole like her old middle school friends
SuperStar: I’m sure they’ll love you. You’re a great friend and the best boyfriend Tsuno could ask for
SuperStar: Don’t put on an act to hide your authentic self from them
SuperStar: Just act like Hama and everything will turn out alright
DevilMayCry: Are you giving me my own advice?
SuperStar: Maybe…
SuperStar: Either way, I hope you enjoy your dinner with Tsuno and her family
DevilMayCry: Thanks
DevilMayCry: Good luck third wheeling Hiroaki and Ojima’s totally not a date
SuperStar: Pray for me >_<
***
Private conversation between DevilMayCry and Tiger King
DevilMayCry: Hey Keizou
Tiger King: Hi Ran. Whatchu up to?
DevilMayCry: Train ride. On my way to Nagoya
Tiger King: Are you doing okay? I know being in any moving vehicle tends to stir up your motion sickness
DevilMayCry: I took some meds to ease my stomach when I got on
DevilMayCry: I still feel a little queasy but at least I’m not curled up in my seat fighting not to lose my lunch
Tiger King: That’s good to hear
Tiger King: Why are you going to Nagoya if I may ask?
DevilMayCry: Manami invited me to dinner with her and her family
Tiger King: Oooh how exciting
Tiger King: I hope that goes well for you
DevilMayCry: We’re having simple chicken soba noodles for dinner, with some chizu keki for dessert
Tiger King: Sounds delicious
DevilMayCry: So what are you up to?
Tiger King: Oh. I’m currently at the zoo I volunteer at.
Tiger King: Yukino and I have brought Sawa there for some enrichment
Tiger King: (yukino says hi by the way)
DevilMayCry: (hi)
Tiger King: I have pictures, wanna see?
DevilMayCry: Sure
Tiger King: [various photos of sawa playing around in an outdoor enclosure. she seems to having the time of her life]
DevilMayCry: Wow she’s grown a lot
Tiger King: I fear the day she gets too big to be carried around in my backpack is drawing near
DevilMayCry: You’ve done a good job raising her, and you’ll always be free to visit her
Tiger King: I know. Plus I’ll be free to foster up any other animal that needs it
Tiger King: I’d love to foster an otter, but I dunno if I’d be able to give one a suitable environment to stay at in my house
Tiger King: Otters require an aquatic habitat with plenty of space…space that I don’t have
DevilMayCry: Maybe just stick to big cats and reptiles if you can handle it
Tiger King: Yeah…
Tiger King: Though no matter what, nothing will be better than Sawa
DevilMayCry: For real, she’s the best tiger
***
Private conversation between DevilMayCry and ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: I see you typing
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: What do you want?
DevilMayCry: I just wanted to say hi and see if you were open to chat for a bit
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Why?
DevilMayCry: Because I’m fucking board on this four hour train ride
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Ooh. Where you headed?
DevilMayCry: Nagoya
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: You going to see your giiiiiirlfriend ;)
DevilMayCry: Did you have to say it like that?
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Why else would you be going to Nagoya?
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: The only other person in our class that lives there is Hanano, and there’s no way you’re willingly visiting her
DevilMayCry: Yeah no offense, but your partner freaks me out
DevilMayCry: Especially with how often she stares at me in class
DevilMayCry: I think she wants to murder me
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: (she can read these messages you know)
DevilMayCry: SHIT
DevilMayCry: HOW
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: She’s sitting next to me
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: She says hi btw
DevilMayCry: Why do I feel like I should bring a protective ward to school after break
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Best to do so, Hanano is already plotting your demise
DevilMayCry: Noted
DevilMayCry: So what are you doing, aside from cuddling with Okazaki
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Oh. I’m at a fire dancing show
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: I’m waiting on when it’s my turn to perform
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: A lot of these dancers are really good. I dunno if I’ll do well against them
DevilMayCry: Hey, I’ve seen your dancing, and it’s fucking badass
DevilMayCry: You’re gonna blow the whole audience away with your dances
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Aww. Thanks Hama
DevilMayCry: Wish I was there to watch, but I’ll be cheering you on from here
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Oh I can get Yanagi to send you the video of my performance if you like
DevilMayCry: Yanagi’s there?
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Yup. Hayashi too
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: It’s a double date ;)
DevilMayCry: Is this just so you can sit in between Okazaki and Mai and live out your “yuri dreams” so to say?
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: …
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Maybe…
DevilMayCry: …
DevilMayCry: Why did I bother to ask…?
ThisGirlIsOnFIYAAAAAA: Oh sorry to cut our chat short, I’m up to the stage. Wish me luck! Enjoy your date! Tell Tsuno I say hi!
DevilMayCry: Break a leg, kid
***
Private conversation between DevilMayCry and echointhemirror
DevilMayCry: Hey, you busy
echointhemirror: No not really, just chilling
DevilMayCry: Wanna chat for a bit, I’m fucking board
echointhemirror: Same. Campus is really quite with mostly everyone at home
echointhemirror: The only other people here are Ikeda and Akiba from Class Blue and they’re…
DevilMayCry: A lot?
echointhemirror: Yeah
echointhemirror: I don’t really like Ikeda that much
echointhemirror: He’s…snappy, I guess.
DevilMayCry: I don’t blame him for having his guard up all the time, considering his…background
echointhemirror: I know. I just wish he wasn’t a bit of a jerk at times
DevilMayCry: And Akiba?
echointhemirror: His energy is a bit too much for me
echointhemirror: He’s a cool, chill guy, but I think Ogura’s rubbed off in him a bit
DevilMayCry: I thought you and Ogura were cool
echointhemirror: We are, but some days I just want some peace and quiet to watch Miki’s streams and read some manga
DevilMayCry: Yeah I feel that. Sometimes you just want a quiet day to yourself, but the number of times a demon starts terrorising my neighborhood streets the moment I start a new chapter
DevilMayCry: It’s like they like to mess with me specifically on purpose
echointhemirror: Maybe they remember you banishing them back to hell and this is their way of revenge against you?
DevilMayCry: If it is, it’s working in pissing me off!
echointhemirror: There there
echointhemirror: So…how far have you gotten in Ezaki-chan is Going to be a Diamond Level Mage?
DevilMayCry: Just finished the Diamond Level Trials arc
DevilMayCry: WHAT DO YOU MEAN ACEROLA JUST DESTROYED THE GLITTERING ISLAND?! IS EVERYONE FUCKING DEAD?!
echointhemirror: They aren’t dead, there’s still a ton of chapters and arcs left.
echointhemirror: I can’t say how they survived though, that’s spoilers. You’ll just have to read the next chapters
DevilMayCry: GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!!!
echointhemirror: So how did you find the Diamond Level Trials?
DevilMayCry: It was pretty good. I liked the spotlight they gave to Kira in this arc, it was nice to learn more about her. And the fact that Zenos the Moon Reaper is her dad!
echointhemirror: Once you know, you can see the family resemblance between them. Especially the eyes, they’re the exact same
DevilMayCry: For real. And she was the only one of the rest of the mages and warriors doing the trials to find the resting place of the founder of Geode Academy and gain access to her most powerful spell, Gemstone Shimmer
echointhemirror: That was awesome to read
DevilMayCry: I don’t care what anyone says, she deserves to be Diamond Level
echointhemirror: She does
echointhemirror: Any other moments you enjoyed
DevilMayCry: All the fights in this arc were fucking badass! Especially the fight between Kunikata and Seros. Don’t mess with a member of Team Ezaki. They will destroy you
echointhemirror: The villains just never learn their lessons
DevilMayCry: Ezaki. While she may be the weakest on the team and unable to take a hit, she’s slowly working her way up the ranks and mastering each of the elemental magics. Though…she is a bit too reliant on her fire magic (and of course her crush on Kunikata)
echointhemirror: I hope you’re ready for slow burn because they are sloooooooow
DevilMayCry: I survived the bullshit ending of Go Go Nozawa, I can handle this
echointhemirror: (oh you poor sweet summer child)
DevilMayCry: Kunikata. He is an indomitable force who just won’t back down from a fight even when the stakes are very much not on his side. There’s a reason the name “Titanium Dragon” strikes fear in people without them even meeting
DevilMayCry: You mess with his family, he’ll slice your head off in a blink of eye
echointhemirror: Don’t forget his trusty partner Lucky though. They’ve been through thick and thin together, especially in the Draquion Arc
DevilMayCry: It was nice to give Lucky and Stella some spotlight. Though his obsession with meat can get a bit annoying at times
echointhemirror: That’s just the cute mascot sidekick thing, mostly there for comic relief
DevilMayCry: Alisa. The most powerful mage and warrior in the land. Most people just choose to attend either Geode Academy to be a mage or Lancelot Academy for warriors, but Alisa decided to combine the two fighting styles together into her own thing
echointhemirror: The Warrior Wizard they call her. A title well deserved
DevilMayCry: It’s badass is what it is
DevilMayCry: Also, is it just me, or does Alisa remind you of Mai?
echointhemirror: No it’s not you, she’s very much a lot like Mai. I blame the long red hair she has.
DevilMayCry: Shiro. Kunikata’s lifelong rival in swordsmanship, but their bond couldn’t be anything other than blood brothers. They mirror each other well with their fighting styles, Kunikata being fast as lightning and Shiro being sturdy as a rock
echointhemirror: Now if only he stopped trying to sacrifice himself at every minor inconvenience
echointhemirror: Take a shot every time Shiro tries to use Excalibur’s Shell
DevilMayCry: Too many times…
echointhemirror: Kunikata and Shiro are a pretty popular ship in the fandom, but I’m more of a Kunizaki fan, I mean they are the main couple of the series
DevilMayCry: You know how the internet is Wada
DevilMayCry: People will always be drawn to the the popular gay pairing
echointhemirror: I don’t mind Shikata, but it gets to a point when you want to find some nice Kunizaki art or fanfic but the pages are full of nothing but Shikata
echointhemirror: And don’t get me started on the way people bash on Ezaki for “getting in the way of their otp!” It’s like they forget that she’s the main character of this manga!
DevilMayCry: Breathe, Masa, breathe
DevilMayCry: I think we should cut this conversation short before you throw a pillow at your figure collection in rage
echointhemirror: Yeah
echointhemirror: I never did ask what you were doing
DevilMayCry: Oh. I’m on the train to Nagoya. Gonna have dinner with Manami and her family
echointhemirror: Hope you have fun
echointhemirror: Before I leave off, it’s not her parents you need to worry about, it’s her brothers. They’re monsters
DevilMayCry: Psh. I hunt demons on a near daily basis. A pair of 9 year olds is nothing I can’t handle
echointhemirror: Famous last words
***
Chatting with his friends seemed to have passed the time a fair bit. Looking at the time on his phone, around three hours have passed since the train set off, most of that was spent chatting to Wada about manga. Since he has around an hour left on this trainride, Hama decides to grab the issue of Ezaki-chan Wants to be a Diamond Level Mage he packed and read the next arc, he has to know if things will be alright after Acerola wiped Glittering Island off the map. He just hopes that his stomach can survive the next hour, as he can feel the medicine he took slowly wearing off. God give him strength.
***
Evening was falling over Nagoya. Tsuno just finished helping her mum out with tonight’s dessert, decorating the top of the chizu keki with an assortment of her favourite berries. While the dessert was specifically made for her boyfriend, Tsuno knows that everyone else will enjoy this sweet delight.
Speaking of him, Hama should be arriving soon. She got a message off him around half an hour ago saying he just arrived at the train station. Tsuno offered to come pick him up with her dad, but Hama insisted he’ll make his own way to her address. Plus, he probably needed to rest for a bit before taking a taxi to her house, she knows how bad his motion sickness can be.
Seeing as this was a somewhat special thing, Tsuno had decided to doll herself up a bit. Her normally down hair had been tied up into a high ponytail with a blue ribbon tied into a bow, and she was wearing a very cozy jumper with a cute cat plastered on the front, along with a snug pair of jeggings and of course…cute, cozy, fluffy socks. Nothing too fancy, but not so fancy she was overdressed. It was just a casual dinner with her family.
The doorbell suddenly rang out through the house, letting everyone in the house know that tonight’s guest had arrived. “I’ll get it!” Tsuno yelled out before leaving the kitchen, mostly to her brothers who are currently lingering on the staircase, most likely plotting something. Tsuno opened up the door, and was greeted by the sight of her boyfriend. He was wearing his usual outfit, a leather jacket and black skinny jeans, with the extra addition of a graphic shirt with an…interesting design. Hama also had a small bouquet of flowers in his hands, consisting of tulips of various colours, mostly pink, red and orange. The colours together looked like a sunset
“H-Hey.” The taller boy gave a small wave, a slightly awkward smile on his face. It was cute to see considering his usual resting stoic expression.
“Ran, glad you could make it.” Tsuno gave her boyfriend a small peck on his cheek, causing the pair of eavesdropping boys behind her to gag and mention something about catching cooties. Hama entered the house, handing the bouquet over to Tsuno before taking his boots off. “We were waiting for you to arrive before we got started on dinner. It shouldn’t take too long to make, between fifteen to twenty minutes. Until then, make yourself comfortable."
Tsuno left for the kitchen, most likely to go put the bouquet in a vase. While she did that Hama placed his backpack next to the sofa and sat down to catch his breath from the long trip. Four hours on a train, got lost for fifteen minutes trying to find a florist to buy some flowers, ten minutes waiting for a taxi ride that had him stuck in traffic for half an hour. It was a bloody miracle he survived all that on one dose of motion sickness relief medicine. God must’ve been looking down on him and chose to show him mercy for once.
His peace did not last, unfortunately, as a pair of mischievous trouble-making boys had decided to sneak up on their guest. Unfortunately for them, said guest was very aware of the little trouble makers sneaking up on him (their cheeky giggling didn’t help with being sneaky). Hama turned his head behind him to see Tsuno’s younger brothers, who had both stopped dead in their tracks upon being caught red handed. Hama let out a little chuckle at the boys, “Nice try kiddos, but my hearing is impeccable." A habit he picked up at juvie. You’ve always gotta be aware of your surroundings, in case a warden decides to do a surprise check in or if one of his cellmates tries to pick a fight with him.
The boys were very curious about his ‘superhearing’ and other things as they were now standing in front of Hama, asking whatever questions came to their heads.
“Do you have superpowers like Manami?”
“How did you meet? Did she save you from a bad guy?”
“Why do you have a mouth on your neck? Do you eat with that instead of your face mouth?
“Are you a giant?”
Hama couldn’t help but chuckle as he did his best to answer all of the boy’s many questions, but with each one he answered, they had even more questions, it was like fighting a hydra, but with words instead of a sword.
“I dunno if you would call it a superpower, but I was born with a demonic cursed arm, this one right here” Hama pointed to his left arm. “It allows me to communicate with the damned. It’s a burden I have to carry.” One of the boys tries to touch the supposed demon arm, but Hama quickly moves the arm away. “Whoa, careful! You can’t touch the arm or it’ll turn you to ash!” Manami wouldn’t be very happy with him if he accidently turned her brothers to ash because they touched his demon arm when he wasn’t paying attention.
“Does that mean you can talk to ghosts?”
Oh that question actually got Hama to think deeply for a bit about his profession. “I mean…I dunno. I mostly deal with demons, so I haven’t really gotten the experience of dealing with ghosts.” While he hasn’t dealt with ghosts, he does have experience dealing with possession whenever a demon tries to be sneaky and hide in a human host. Maybe he should branch out a little, if his demon arm even works on ghosts.
“How do you deal with demons? Does your demon arm fire a laser beam that hurts demons?” The boy made hand motions very reminiscent of an old anime he’s heard of. As badass it would be to fire a ball of energy at demons, alas he cannot do such a thing.
“Nah. I beat their asses.”
“How do you beat their asses?” The boys asked. Hama hoped neither Manami or her parents heard them repeat his words, or he’s already making a terrible first impression on them.
Hama began to run through the process of how he deals with demons, being sure not to leave out any details for the curious souls. “First, I summon them, which isn’t too difficult to do, all you need to do is make a summoning circle, particularly with blessed salt so they can’t escape to torment innocents or cause general trouble. Once they’re summoned and you’re certain they won’t escape, you kick their fuckin’ ass! There’s not a lot of things that can harm demons, usually it’s holy shit like blessed salt, holy water or silver. But if you’re touched by Hell like I am, you can touch and interact with demons, and if you can touch a demon, you can beat their ass until they’re nothing but a pile of bones!” Hama’s voice then became quiet all of a sudden, one of his hands covering his mouth, muffling the next words said. “Then the grandma that called you over tries to pay you and you tell her it’s fine and to keep her money, then in order to at least thank you she makes you lunch and shows you pictures of her grandkids and talks to you about them and then you head on home.” He didn’t want to admit it out loud in front of immature little boys, but one of his favourite parts of the whole freelance demonologist thing was helping people out. Demons like to prey on the vulnerable, such as kids and elders. They’re the ones he helps out the most, free of charge, it’d be unfair to charge them for something he does out of his own good will. Despite being damned to Hell, a small part of him hopes that maybe his soul will find a way to Heaven if he helps people out.
The brothers' attention turned away from Hama once they saw their big sis return from the kitchen. “Dinner’s not far off, best you two go wash your hands.” The pair of boys ran off towards the stairs, racing each other to see who could get to the bathroom first. Once they were gone, Tsuno turned towards her boyfriend, who no longer looked like he was going to collapse from exhaustion. “They weren’t bothering you too much, were they?” Tsuno asked.
Hama simply waved his hand around. “Nah, they were just curious about me and my demon arm, so I indulged them and told them what it can do.” As nice as it was to indulge in the twins' curiosity, their energy was starting to drain him a bit. Nishino was right, little brothers really do drain all the energy out of you. Maybe he’ll just need some getting used to, after all Manami has known these boys for nearly a decade, while Hama has only been chatting with them for a good few minutes.
Seeing as dinner was practically ready, the couple made their way to the dining room. The smell of cooked noodles filled the room, along with the sounds of bubbling boiling water. The table was already set, with six pairs of chopsticks laid out across each of the six seats. At the two ends would be where the parents sit, and at the side would be where the kids sit. One side for Nizaemon and Nekohachi, the other side for Tsuno and Hama. On a windowsill was the bouquet of tulips, sitting nicely in a clear glass vase full of water. It certainly brought some colour into the room.
Hama figured he should go wash his hands too. Seeing that the twins were hogging up the bathroom upstairs, Hama opted to use the sink in the kitchen. Tsuno sat herself down at her seat, she must’ve already washed her hands when she was here earlier. He was so busy looking around the room that he didn’t notice where he was going and banged his head on the kitchen doorframe. If there’s one disadvantage to his height, is that doors are not his friend. He’s ducked under doorframes so many times it’s practically an instinct, though there are times he forgets to duck, resulting in a bruise that’ll be sore for a week
“Whoa. That looked like it hurt, kiddo.” An unfamiliar voice called out. Hama looked towards where it came from, and standing by the kitchen entrance was a man with some slight graying hair and lavender eyes. A flush of embarrassment filled Hama as he knew exactly who was talking to him. He just banged his head on the kitchen door frame right in front of Manami’s dad. And he can hear Manami chuckling at his embarrassing first impression. The man in front of him chuckled as well, guess Manami gets her sense of humor from him. Woe be him for being taller than a door!
The man extended a hand out to the boy, as a show of welcome. “Tsuno Masato. Nice to finally meet you.”
Hama took hold of Masato’s hand with his non demon arm and shook it firmly, but not too hard. It’s only good manners. Now if only he could stop sweating. “Hama Ran. Thank you for having me here, Mr Tsuno.”
Masato hollered. “There’s no need to be so formal, just call me Masato, kiddo.”
Masato passed by Hama, giving him a big pat on the back, before taking his seat on the dining table and started to chat with his daughter, while Hama made his way into the kitchen to go wash his hands. He turned on the hot tap, squirted some soap in his hands, lather them up and rinse away. As he finished up with drying his hands with a nearby kitchen towel, he caught sight of Tsuno’s mum getting started on dishing up tonight's dinner. While he could head straight to the dining table, it would be rude to not at least offer a helping hand in dishing up. “Would you like some help with dishing up?”
The woman turned towards the boy, with some shock on her face. She was the spitting image of Manami, or was Manami the spitting image of her? “Oh, you must be Manami’s boyfriend. Hama, right?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got things handled here. It shouldn’t be long now, best you get yourself settled at the table.”
Immediately upon leaving the kitchen, chaos had arrived in the form of Nizaemon and Nekohachi racing each other to their seats. The brother on the left seat yelled out in victory, while the brother on the right had started to argue with his twin about cheating via tripping him. While the twins fought and Masato tried to calm them down, Hama made his way to his seat next to Manami, who was looking at the scene before her like a tired prophet who had seen the same thing play out too many times to count. Meanwhile Hama was struggling to keep up due to being unable to tell the twins apart.
“How do you manage to tell them apart?” Hama leaned over to Tsuno and whispered. “I can barely keep up.”
“Oh, it’s all in the body language.” Tsuno pointed at the brother on the left,”Nizaemon is very expressive with his arms, he likes to wave them around, almost as if they’re a second mouth. He also likes to wear a lot of blue.” Tsuno’s gaze was looking on the boy to the right, “Nekohachi is the complete opposite, it’s all in the facial expressions. Doesn’t mean he can’t be just as much of a troublemaker like this brother. Oh, and he also wears a lot of red”
And right as she says that, Nekohachi kicks Nizaemon’s leg and the boys look like they’re about to throw hands, and Masato is looking like he’s struggling to keep the boys calm. But they never actually get to actually throw hands as a loud ahem echoed through the room. Everyone turned around to see Tsuno Aya standing by the kitchen doorway, some bowls of chicken soba noodles in her hands, and a not so happy expression on her face. She was looking directly at the two young boys, who had fallen silent seeing their mom. “Nizaemon. Nekohachi. What did I tell you boys about misheaving at the dinner table?”
The two boys looked down in shame. “No dessert…”
“That’s right. No dessert for you if you misbehave. And this dessert is extra special because it’s a special treat for our guest. If you want some of it, behave while eating your dinner, understand?”
“Yes mum…”
“Sorry mum…”
“Good.” Aya placed the two bowls in front of the twins, who immediately started to dig in. It looked like they were having a race to see who could finish their meal faster. At least they weren’t fighting anymore. Hama can see where Manami got her anger from. He had only seen her really angry once, when she found out what Okazaki did to Wada. Let’s just say it would make even the evilest of demons tremble with fear.
Aya had returned with two more bowls, and placed them in front of Manami and Hama. For such a simple meal, it looked and smelled delicious. Must be a superpower when it comes to being a mum, being able to make even the most basic of meals something mouthwateringly delicious. Hama can never make yakitori as good as his mum can no matter how much he tries.
Aya returned one last time with two bowls, once she placed in front of Masato, and another for herself as she went and sat down at the only remaining seat at the far end of the table. Once everyone had their food, they all started to dig in. Hama takes a moment to pray before getting started on eating his food.
It couldn’t be dinner without idle conversation however. “So, how has school been for you Manami?” Masato asked, curious on how his daughter was doing when she wasn’t at home.
“School’s been going great, other than an…incident that happened last month” The mention of an incident made the whole family perk in interest. Hama knew very well what incident Manani was on about, the not so great memories flooding back. Seeing that her family are curious for an answer, Manami answers. “So our classmate, Okazaki, along with Watari, decided it would be a good idea to set up a door trap in the computer lab. Masa ended up being the unlucky soul to trigger the trap, causing a bucket full of slime to be dumped all over them. It took them HOURS to wash it all away, and it ruined the outfit Nagawa had made them.” Hama remembered that day very clearly. Hiroaki looked like he was going to murder the pair responsible for this. No wonder he was so petty with his revenge prank. “Miki got revenge by drawing silly faces all over Okazaki’s masks with a permanent marker. Nagawa also joined in on getting revenge by undoing all the stitching in Watari’s jacket cape, causing it to fall apart. Soon enough, it had turned into a prank civil war among the class, it was anarchy!” Manami wasn’t lying, it was indeed anarchy. The whole class was split among two sides and the pranks kept getting more extreme and extravagant. Hama was one of the few students to stay neutral, and he could’ve sworn he had gotten some gray hairs from it. It eventually was stopped by Harada of all people. No one had ever seen the zoologist look so intimidating before, even Hayashi was a little scared. The intimidation was enough to end the civil war. Worst month ever.
While the prank civil war was nothing but a lawless time of chaos and carnage, Masato and Aya found the story particularly funny. From an outsider perspective, it’s just teens being teens.
By the time Manami had finished telling the tale of the prank civil war, everyone on the table had finished with their meals. That had got to be some of the second best chicken soba Hama has ever had (nothing in his mind could ever beat his mum’s cooking, sorry Mrs Tsuno). Aya had started to collect everyone’s empty bowls, Manami pitching in to help by collecting her own bowl, Hama’s bowl and her dad’s. The two girls headed to the kitchen, to get dessert sorted for everyone that still has some room (basically everybody at the table.) Which had left Hama all alone with Masato. Nizaemon and Nekohachi were there too, but the twins had pulled out their phones and were watching some funny videos on the internet so they weren’t going to be paying much attention to the conversation between father and guest.
Hama couldn’t help but feel nervous. His hands were starting to sweat, and his leg was bouncing causing the wooden floor to creek a bit. He could feel the demons within him clawing at his stomach. He hoped he had been making a good impression on Manami’s parents so far, he didn’t want them to think he was some delinquent asshole. He was mostly nervous around Masato, mainly because Hama had no idea what to expect out of him. He never grew up with a dad, for all his life it’s just been him, his mum and Haruka.
After what felt like an eternity of awkward silence, Masato spoke up. “So, Hama, what sort of stuff do you do out of school?” The question was…surprisingly not intense. The man across the table didn’t have an aura of malice or distrust. Hama calmed his nerves a little bit, this wasn’t an interrogation, just casual conversation.
Hama nervously rubbed behind his neck as he answered, “Oh… Uh… I’m a…freelance demonologist.” Oh he hoped Tsuno’s dad didn’t think he was weird. It’s strange, Hama’s normally proud of his occupation, but for some reason he’s really nervous about what Tsuno’s family would think. Her brothers think he’s cool, but they’re kids, kids like anything remotely interesting. Sure his classmates think he’s a badass, but before enrolling in Fujioka his old classmates thought he was a freak, didn’t help they were always trying to provoke him into fighting them, especially post juvie.
Luckily for him, Masato is the father of a daughter that larps as a superhero while doing community service. He’s used to weird. In fact, he found the whole thing very interesting. “A freelance demonologist. So you study demons, I take it.”
“Yeah. I research demons and help people out with their demon problems. Demon haunting your house or someone’s possessed, I’m the guy to call.” Oh the stories Hama could tell about his various demon hunting exploits. Some may be a bit too graphic for the current audience present (despite them half paying attention to the current conversation).
Masato was oddly curious on what stories Hama had to tell about his demon hunting exploits. He always likes hearing Manami’s dramatic reenactments of whatever interesting things may have happened when she was out at the food bank or charity shops. “Sounds like you’ve got a lot of interesting stories to tell. How did you even get into such an occupation?”
“Oh, it all started when I was very little. I was probably around five, maybe six. Back then I was just a normal kid, unaware of the cursed power within me. One day when I was playing around outside in the grass, I noticed something in the woods, and something within me was drawn to it. I decided to venture into the woods, my curiosity overpowering my fear.” Hama would never admit it out loud, but he was a bit of a scaredy cat when he was a kid, and a big cry baby. Despite being a lot bigger than other kids his age, he got picked on a lot. He didn’t venture into the woods willingly, some bully took a toy he was playing with and Hama chased him into the woods, getting lost in the process.
“It was like a maze in there, I had no idea where I was going. It honestly felt like I was going in circles for a good while. But then I saw it. Standing before me was an ouni, club and all. I was scared shitless, what kid wouldn’t be scared being face to face with a literal demon. Instead of running away, I stood my ground, raising my arms, ready to fight. Did I have a chance, no way in hell! But I guess whatever demonic forces that had been laying dormant in my arm since birth awakened, and I wiped the floor with that bastard!” While no one believed him, he knew what he saw. It was only shadows but they definitely looked like an ouni. “Ever since that day, I’ve been studying demonology, learning how my demon arm works and how to take care of the demons that normal people cannot see or interact with. But this power and knowledge comes at a great price, I can no longer safely use this arm among the living, for any mortal that’s unlucky to touch will crumble to ash and dust.” Hama looked down at his demon arm, an unreadable expression on his face. “And for each demon I deal with, their souls don’t return to Hell like they should, they linger and regenerate. To prevent that, I seal the demonic souls inside of my arm, hence why I’m covered with demonic seals. Everyday is a mental battle, so the demons don’t hijack my arm…or me.”
“Oh my, how tragic of a burden for you to carry so young.” Masato was looking at Hama intently, with a bit of smugness. “But guess whatever dangers your demon arm has, it certainly didn’t stop you and Manami from holding hands under the table during dinner.”
The mention of him and Manami holding hands causes Hama’s face to turn as red as a tomato. “I… Uh… I guess her supposed Arm of Justice makes her immune to the demonic forces sealed within me.” Masato chuckled a bit to himself as the boy across the table got easily flustered. The twins must’ve been paying some attention to the conversation despite having their eyes glued to screens, as they too giggled a bit at the flustered boy. Oh dear, they have ammo now, someone pray for this boy the twins are never gonna let him live it down.
Luckily the girls had returned, dessert in hand, saving Hama from potential teasing from the young twins (for now). They placed down some small plates with slices of chizu keki in front of everyone, before returning to their seats with their own slices. The cheesecake looked very appetising, especially with all the berries and mint leaves decorated at the top. Normally the Tsuno family wouldn’t make such a fancy, grandiose dessert, but since they have a guest over (who is very fond of cheesecake according to Manami’s many love struck ramblings), it’s only best to give him something nice.
As for how said guest found the dessert, well based on the fact his serving was nearly all gone, it’s good news he enjoyed it. The cake was so fluffy, it practically dissolved in his mouth. Mix in the berries and it’s a decent mix of sweet and sour. Hama may have to see if he could get the recipe for this from Aya so he could have his mum make it and see how well she makes it. Knowing his mom, it will be fucking delicious.
As everyone was enjoying the dessert, the family all talked among themselves. Mostly it was Hama telling a dramatized reenactment of some of his various encounters he’s had with demons and other supernatural phenomena, but they were also exchanging embarrassing family stories, mostly to poor Tsuno’s embarrassment. Right now, Aya was telling the story of Tsuno’s first proper haircut, sounds normal at first, but this is Tsuno Manani, professional adorable community helper who tends to overwork herself a fair bit (seriously, someone please drag her to relax for five minutes).
“Manami was always a crafty kid, always making something new every day with paper glue and whatever else around the house she could find. Well, one day she was in the living room, working on making puppets by cutting out drawings and gluing them onto popsicle sticks. I had only left her alone for a few minutes to go make her some jam sandwiches for lunch, and when I returned…well, I had been meaning to give her an overdue haircut as her hair was getting a bit long, just to trim off the dead ends, but it looked like Manami had the same idea and had decided to cut off most of her hair.” Everyone around the table laughed, whereas the subject of the story herself was slowly sinking into her seat in embarrassment. Can’t her mum let her live this story down already, she was eight! Eight year olds do stupid things! The haircut she gave herself wasn’t even the problem, it wasn’t even that bad, just a little wonky, surprising considering she ended up giving herself a fringe. No, the real embarrassing thing was the “fixed” haircut the stylist at this salon gave her. She thought it would be a good idea to fix her hair by cutting it EVEN SHORTER into a bob and straightening out the little fringe Tsuno had given herself. She looked like a dork with that bob for a year. She’s at least grateful there weren’t any photos of her with that stupid looking bob. If Hama saw her with her hair like that she’ll have to bury herself alive.
With dessert all finished, everyone around the table began to go their separate ways, with Tsuno telling her parents she’s gonna help Hama unpack and sort her room out for him. In reality she just wanted to leave before her parents could share more embarrassing childhood stories to her boyfriend. Hama cannot know about the pyjama incident!
Eventually, it was just Aya and Masato left at the dinner table. Aya got to work gathering the plates up to wash them clean. The parents both had one thing on their mind. “So that Hama kid, I can definitely see why Manami likes him.”
Aya chuckled at her husband's remark. “He’s certainly got good manners, I already like him more than the partners she had at the start of high school.”
Masato nodded his head in agreement. “So long as Manami’s happy with him, that’s all that matters to me.”
***
Manami’s bedroom was very much how Hama pictured it to be. The walls were fairly bland, with the odd posters from some magical girl shows scattered around. Her desk was covered in many colourful stickers, and while at a glance it looked messy, it was more of an organised chaos, as there was space for her to work at, along with a laptop that’s also covered with stickers. In the corner of her room near the window was a mannequin with her trademark superhero costume on it, and next to that was a decently sized beanbag chair situated right in between the mannequin and desk. The bed was what really stood out the most among the room, mostly due to the vast collection of various plushies gathered all on the bed. Most of them were generic cute animals, but there were some that Hama could recognise like some Sonic characters, and of course there was Mokusei, Manami’s emotional support strawberry lion plushie. A pair of cats were snuggled up together in the centre of the plushie pile, a calico and black cat. Hama was wondering where Manami’s cats were, considering he hadn’t seen them at all since he arrived. Turns out they were up here. The cats had taken notice at Manami’s return along with a guest, but decided to continue their nap, ignoring the pair. Next to her bed was a small bedside table, with a simple lamp currently filling the room with warm light, and a phone with a phone case also covered in stickers. Very much a room belonging to a nearly adult girl, not too mature but not too childish. A perfect balance.
Hama dumps his bag next to the bed, before unpacking his phone charger and plugging it into the empty socket next to Mamami’s charger. His phone was in desperate need for a charge, he used up a lot of the battery during the train ride. Maybe he should invest in a powerpack so the next time he’s on a long trip his phone won’t die.
While he did that, Manami had collapsed into the beanbag chair, Nintendo Switch now in hand. As nice as dinner was, her parents can be very nosey when it comes to guests she brings over, especially romantic partners. She understands why they’re like that, her younger self pre rehab often brought home questionable characters that could be a danger in the house, especially around Nizaemon and Nekohachi. Hama also happens to look a lot like the people she used to hang around a lot, with the leather jacket and piercings and tattoos all over his body. Luckily based on how well dinner went, safe to say her parents worries were for nothing at all.
It was just the two of them, alone in Manami’s bedroom. Normally when it’s just the two of them in a room together, they’d just cuddle up while doing their own thing, like watching hour long video essays on subjects they find interesting, reading some manga or playing video games on a handheld console. Seeing that Manami was already sitting down on her beanbag chair, Hama decided to cuddle up next to her. Slight problem, he was a little too tall to comfortably sit next to her on the beanbag chair, leaving him half on it and half on the floor.
Tsuno could tell her boyfriend was a little uncomfy, the curse of being tall. Luckily, she knows just how they could both comfortably sit on the beanbag chair. To Hama’s surprise, she gets up. He quickly figures out she’s making space for him, easier if she’s the one to get on after him. Hama adjusts his position on the chair, getting comfy while making room for Manami. But what she did next was out of the blue. Instead of simply snuggling up next to him, Tsuno proceeded to sit on his lap, sitting sideways as if she’s using his lap like a chair. If there were words to describe the thoughts going through Hama’s head, it would be a mixture of screaming into a pillow and many prayers to the Lord asking for forgiveness for the flustered feelings he is currently having. Tsuno couldn’t help but giggle a little seeing Hama’s normally stoic face melt away into a flustered mess, his cheeks pinker than her own dyed bits of hair. She snuggled up a little closer, and got back to the game she was playing on her switch, a slight little blush forming on her cheeks.
The way Tsuno was positioned gave Hama a good view of what she was playing. It looked like that newest Pokémon game that came out a couple of weeks ago. Now he wishes he had brought his own Nintendo Switch so he and Manami could play together, but he’s alright with watching her battle her way through the wild and battle zones. Right now she’s working her way through a battle zone, ambushing trainers with a very powerful Mawlie nicknamed “Jaws”, Mega Evolving whenever she can. Hama couldn’t help but feel sorry for the opposing trainers.
“Geez, that Mawile of yours is powerful!”
“He is. I’ve never actually used a Mawile on a team before, and it’s been fun. I don’t understand why people tend to brush it off”
“Mawile deserves more appreciation. People tend to focus more on its stats than the concepts behind the design. Like, did you know that Mawile is based on the futakuchi-onna?”
Tsuno tilted her head in confusion. “No, I didn’t. Then again, I’m not as well versed in yokai as you are so I wouldn’t spot the inspiration right away.” Oh if only Tsuno knew what she had just unleashed. Hama is known as one of the more quieter classmates, sure he has the odd spout about his demon arm, but those aren’t as extreme compared to whenever Hiroaki is usually hogging everyone’s attention. But when you mention yokai around him, he just won’t stop talking. It’s a lot like when you mention marine life with Hasegawa. Tsuno doesn’t mind whenever Hama talks about yokai, it’s honestly quite cute, and it always makes him happy whenever he gets the chance to talk about the things he likes. Who doesn’t?
“Futakuchi-onna are characterised by their two mouths, a normal one on her face and a second one on the back of the head, hidden away underneath her hair. This second mouth only really cares about one thing, eating. It’ll usually take control of the woman’s hair as if they’re like a pair or serpents, and will help itself to any meals the woman has. If it’s not kept fed, it’ll screech obscenely and cause the woman tremendous pain.” Tsuno can now understand the resemblance between the Pokémon and the yokai after hearing Hama give an explanation, with the big ravenous jaw at the back of its head. It’s given her some more appreciation towards the little guy, like when she learned that Castform is based on a water molecule.
“Stories about futakuchi-onna fall into the same class as stories like rokurokubi, kuchisake-onna and yama-uba, stories of women afflicted with a curse or supernatural disease that causes them to become yokai. In some stories, the origins of the second mouth is often linked to how little a woman eats. Usually the wife of a miser, she rarely if ever eats, but in reality the mouth that has mysteriously formed on the back of her head consumes all the food it can get. Other stories have the origin of the second mouth be due to a stingy wife accidentally getting hit on the back of the head and the wound never heals, eventually becoming a second mouth, and some have it be caused by the spirit of a neglected stepchild she let starve while taking perfectly good care of her other kid possess either the woman or child to enact revenge. Pretty fucked up if I have to say.” Tsuno couldn’t agree more, nervously rubbing the back of her head to check if a second mouth was forming. Better to be safe than sorry. “I’ve yet to encounter a futakuchi-onna on any of my many jobs dealing with demons. She sounds like a pain to deal with.”
“I’m sure a simple exorcism will do the trick, if she’s afflicted by a curse.” Tsuno suggests. She might not know a lot about demonology or how to deal with demons, but she thinks she’s learned a fair bit from how long she’s been around Hama. Sometimes you just pick up on some stuff.
Hama shrugged his shoulders, “I dunno what’ll work on her. Maybe a simple exorcism would work. Maybe I’ll need to do some convoluted ritual shit. Maybe I’ll need to beat the shit out of her to drive the spirit out. I don’t wanna beat the shit out of a woman, but if I have no other choice I guess I’ll have to. Hopefully she’ll forgive me.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand that you were only driving a demon out of her.”
But soon the couple’s conversation about the ethics of beating up a woman to drive out a demonic spirit possessing her was interrupted by the sound of sparkles coming from Tsuno’s game.
“Is that the fucking shiny jinggle?”
“WHERE’S THE SHINY!?!”
***
The evening hours passed by. At some point Hama and Tsuno had gotten changed into their pajamas and were now snuggled up together on Tsuno’s bed, mindlessly scrolling through their phones, watching silly short videos of animals doing dumb stuff or seeing what their classmates were up to.
Tsuno’s hair was down now, her pajamas consisting of pink flannel pants and a black long sleeve shirt with a graphic of a giant pink love heart with an asleep face and lil tiara on it with text underneath saying “nap queen.” She also still wore her fluffy socks, and was currently cuddling Mokusei.
Hama was wearing a star themed pajama set, consisting of an indigo blue t-shirt and shorts covered in a pattern of light blue stars. It’s not at all what you would expect a self proclaimed badass to wear to bed, but it’s fucking comfy. Tsuno did ask him if he was a bit cold, considering it’s the winter season and temperatures are dropping faster than rocks in a lake, but Hama insists that the hellfire in his demon arm keeps him warm even in the most frigid of colds.
The couple’s quiet cuddle time was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door, followed by it opening slightly with the head of Masato poking through. “Hey you two, Aya and I were planning on watching a film before heading off to bed, and we were wondering if you’d like to join us.”
“What were you planning on putting on?” Tsuno asked her dad. She didn’t mind at all joining her parents to watch a film with them before heading to bed, the real question is whether or not Hama would want to join them or not.
“We were planning to put on a bit of old film. Are you alright with ‘Mothra vs Godzilla?”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ve seen that one.” Tsuno’s seen her fair share of Godzilla films, and she may have had a phase when she was younger where she’d pretend to fight off Godzilla (her dad often pretended to be the kaiju). Hama also looked intrigued at the film suggestion. He’s heard of Godzilla, but has never actually seen any of the films. Maybe he’ll give it a shot.
The pair followed Masato downstairs to the living room. The lights in the room were already dimmed, and there was a bowl of popcorn on the small centre table. Aya was sitting at one end of the sofa, waving to the teens. Masato sat in the chair next to the sofa, leaning over to give his wife a kiss on the cheek. Tsuno and Hama made their way to the other end of the sofa, the one closest to the television. Tsuno made sure to grab the bowl of popcorn from the table as she passed by. The two teens sat in a way where they were snuggled up next to each other, with the popcorn situated between them.
As the film played on the family telly, Aya and Masato’s attention was less on the film and more on the pair of teens (who were clearly very invested in the film with how they’re cheering on the battling kaijus). Tsuno was situated in between Hama’s legs, leaning back and resting her head on his chest. The teen boy had his limbs gently wrapped around her, keeping her secure but not too restrained. They often reached into the nearby bowl of popcorn, but instead of eating the piece they grabbed they fed it to their partner. It was unbelievably sappy, but at the same time it was sweet.
Hama wasn’t Manami’s first partner, she’s had partners in the past but neither of them went well. Her first partner was this boy in her class, they were just as sappy if not more so than the couple currently cuddled up in a somewhat intimate way feeding each other popcorn while watching Godzilla and Mothra battle on the streets of Tokyo. But then Manami fell into her drug addiction, her boyfriend tried to stick with her and help her out but she treated him like trash and eventually the bridge was burned. Manami still feels some lingering guilt about that. She wishes she could apologize to him, but they went to different high schools and she never saw him again. Her second partner was a girl who was part of her little “friend” group that spent all their time hanging around alleyways smoking and shooting up. Neither of them were really good for each other, they broke up shortly before the incident that made Manami finally decide to go to rehab. It was very messy.
Aya and Masato would like to one day hear the story of how Manami and Hama got together. It sounds like it would be a very sweet story…or all over the place if you consider the school they go to and the students that attend it (seriously it’s like a magnet that attracts the most interesting yet unhinged people you’d ever meet, students and staff alike).
Soon enough, the film was just about wrapping up. Taking a glance at the time on her phone, Manami saw it was pretty late, around half past midnight. Guess she and Hama should hit the hay if they at least want to have a somewhat early morning. Her parents also had the same idea, turning off the telly and cleaning up the empty cups strewn across the small table in the centre of the room. The two teens offered to help, but the parents insisted they get themselves ready for bed, plus it makes the bathroom less crowded.
Tsuno says goodnight to her parents, giving them a quick hug and small kiss on the cheek before following Hama upstairs to the bathroom so they could brush their teeth and so Hama could take out his contacts. As soon as they were done, they both made their way to Tsuno’s room (Tsuno guided Hama through the hallway by holding his hand and dragging him along because without his contact lenses he’s as blind as a mole). Now, you'd probably think that Hama, being a guest, would sleep on the floor on a futon while Tsuno sleeps in her bed. But Tsuno can’t have that, so the couple both proceed to get into the bed in the bedroom, Tsuno scooting over to the wall next to her plushie collection, grabbing Mokusei from the pile and holding him tight as Hama laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. Her bed is normally pretty big (mostly so she has plenty of room for her plushie collection), but she feels very squished up with Hama now in bed with her. Cons of when your boyfriend is nearly 7 ft tall. But Tsuno doesn’t mind, because it makes her feel safe and secure. She snuggled close to her boyfriend, who has his arms wrapped securely around her. As she drifts off, she hears him mumbling a prayer, before kissing her on the top of her head. She feels some heat rushing to her cheeks. Soon, they both drift off to sleep, where pleasant dreams await them, snuggled up in each other’s warm embrace.